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Thomas McMillan (Hot Springs Police Department School Resource Officer) and Melissa Fleming (Sheriff Dept Dispatcher) presented Lincoln McClure and Carter Norton with plaques recognizing their quick response and heroic actions for their lifesaving response. Photo by Charity Maness /Fall River County Herald Star

Thomas McMillan (Hot Springs Police Department School Resource Officer) and Melissa Fleming (Sheriff Dept Dispatcher) presented Lincoln McClure and Carter Norton with plaques recognizing their quick response and heroic actions for their lifesaving response. Photo by Charity Maness /Fall River County Herald Star

Lifesaving youth receive recognition

Charity Maness
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS – Hot Springs Elementary 5th graders Lincoln McClure, 11, and Carter Norton, 11, were recognized at a school assembly Thursday, Feb. 12, for their swift actions in saving another schoolmate’s life with the Heimlich maneuver.
Survivor “super fan” Robert Allison of Pierre poses for a photo while holding the television show’s “idol” placed inside The Mammoth Site this past Saturday morning, as hundreds of other Survivor fans wait in line for their turn to do the same. The event was part of a 50-state promotional tour celebrating the global reality-competition television show’s 50th season, debuting on CBS/ Paramount+ later this month. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Survivor “super fan” Robert Allison of Pierre poses for a photo while holding the television show’s “idol” placed inside The Mammoth Site this past Saturday morning, as hundreds of other Survivor fans wait in line for their turn to do the same. The event was part of a 50-state promotional tour celebrating the global reality-competition television show’s 50th season, debuting on CBS/ Paramount+ later this month. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

The Mammoth Site hosts hundreds of Survivor fans in search of hidden idol

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS – Fans of the global reality-competition television show Survivor began lining up at The Mammoth Site this past Saturday morning, Feb. 14, at 4:30 a.m., as part of the Survivor 50 Challenge.
Hot Springs’ Michele Merrill, left, is presented a certificate as the school district’s Teacher of the Year from Superintendent Dr. Kyley Cumbow. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Hot Springs’ Michele Merrill, left, is presented a certificate as the school district’s Teacher of the Year from Superintendent Dr. Kyley Cumbow. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Merrill named Hot Springs School District’s Teacher of the Year

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS – Michele Merrill was recently named the Hot Springs School District’s Teacher of the Year, and Michelle Stanley was named and district’s Support Staff of the Year, during a ceremony held at last week’s School Board meeting on Monday, Feb. 9.
David and Laura Batchelor first met while Dave was attending high school in Hot Springs and Laura was working at Wind Cave National Park as a seasonal concessions employee. Photo on left by Charity Maness/ Fall River County Herald Star

David and Laura Batchelor first met while Dave was attending high school in Hot Springs and Laura was working at Wind Cave National Park as a seasonal concessions employee. Photo on left by Charity Maness/ Fall River County Herald Star

A Valentine’s Day Story:

Charity Maness
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS – David and Laura Batchelor of Hot Springs have enjoyed more than six decades of love and commitment, creating a life they both dreamed of. Laura (Kriz) grew up on a farm in the small South Dakota town of Geddes, located in Charles Mix County.
After conducting another study recently, officials with the AE2S engineering firm are now recommending that the City of Hot Springs continue to use its existing reservoirs east of town as part of the wastewater treatment facility improvement plan. However, the entire five-mile gravity piping system will need replaced and the lagoons will need to be upgraded in order to provide aerated treatment of the effluent. File photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

After conducting another study recently, officials with the AE2S engineering firm are now recommending that the City of Hot Springs continue to use its existing reservoirs east of town as part of the wastewater treatment facility improvement plan. However, the entire five-mile gravity piping system will need replaced and the lagoons will need to be upgraded in order to provide aerated treatment of the effluent. File photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Preferred wastewater treatment plan now utilizes existing lagoons

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Body Overall cost is slightly higher but process is simpler, better HOTSPRINGS–Thereis a new preferred alternative for the City of Hot Springs’ planned improvements at the wastewater treatment facility, which should come as good news to those who spoke against the original plan to...
A full house of cracker barrel attendees asked ‘respectful’ questions, as requested by moderator, Brett Nachtigall, publisher of the Fall River County Herald-Star. At the center of the discussion were the District 30 legislators, including Sen. Amber Hulse along with Reps. Tim Goodwin and Trish Ladner. Photo by Beth Bogart/Fall River County Herald-Star

A full house of cracker barrel attendees asked ‘respectful’ questions, as requested by moderator, Brett Nachtigall, publisher of the Fall River County Herald-Star. At the center of the discussion were the District 30 legislators, including Sen. Amber Hulse along with Reps. Tim Goodwin and Trish Ladner. Photo by Beth Bogart/Fall River County Herald-Star

Property tax reform dominates at District 30 Cracker Barrel

Beth Bogart
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS — The area’s three elected District 30 representatives who serve in Pierre — Sen. Amber Hulse, Rep. Tim Goodwin, Rep.
At its Jan. 12 regular board meeting, the Hot Springs School Board voted unanimously to not offer a second contract to current Superintendent Dr. Kyley Cumbow. She has since stated that their decision came as a shock and that none of the board members spoke to her prior to that meeting to inform her that they were considering not bringing her back next year. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

At its Jan. 12 regular board meeting, the Hot Springs School Board voted unanimously to not offer a second contract to current Superintendent Dr. Kyley Cumbow. She has since stated that their decision came as a shock and that none of the board members spoke to her prior to that meeting to inform her that they were considering not bringing her back next year. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Hot Springs School Board to do their own recruiting for new superintendent

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Body Board may reconsider plan in three weeks if they do not have good pool of candidates HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs School Board does not plan to use a recruiting firm to help search out and hire the district’s next superintendent – at least not initially.
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