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Full tables and full bellies at the annual Community Christmas Dinner hosted by the American Legion Family and the Hot Springs Elks Lodge.

Full tables and full bellies at the annual Community Christmas Dinner hosted by the American Legion Family and the Hot Springs Elks Lodge.

Community Christmas Dinner a delicious community gathering

Body HOT SPRINGS – The annual Community Christmas Dinner sponsored by the Battle Mountain American Legion Family and the Hot Springs Elks Lodge #1751 served hundreds of community members on Sunday, Dec. 21.
Looking westward from atop a hill, two storage ponds located behind the Coffee Cup Fuel Stop at Maverick Junction sit on property owned by Gary and Sharon Romey. For the past 40 years, these two ponds have accepted effluent from the City of Hot Springs’ wastewater treatment facility where the water is held and eventually used for land application. The higher pond on the right receives the effluent directly via gravity through a 10-inch PVC pipe and then applies the water to a nearby field for flood irrigati

Looking westward from atop a hill, two storage ponds located behind the Coffee Cup Fuel Stop at Maverick Junction sit on property owned by Gary and Sharon Romey. For the past 40 years, these two ponds have accepted effluent from the City of Hot Springs’ wastewater treatment facility where the water is held and eventually used for land application. The higher pond on the right receives the effluent directly via gravity through a 10-inch PVC pipe and then applies the water to a nearby field for flood irrigati

Hot Springs hoping to keep current land application of effluent an option

Body HOT SPRINGS – With the January 1, 2026, deadline to apply for a loan from the state’s Revolving Fund now here, the City of Hot Springs should learn by March whether or not its plan to build a new $27.7 million wastewater treatment facility can take the next steps forward.
An airtanker drops a load of fire retardant slurry onto the Green Acres Fire, located three miles southwest of town. The fire started on Saturday, March 1, and was mostly contained by Monday, March 3. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

An airtanker drops a load of fire retardant slurry onto the Green Acres Fire, located three miles southwest of town. The fire started on Saturday, March 1, and was mostly contained by Monday, March 3. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

A look back at the 2025 headlines

Body HOT SPRINGS – With the passing of another year, the Fall River County Herald-Star this week offers a glimpse back at the headlines of 2025. This past year began with the newspaper reporting on a pair of tragedies in which local residents J.D.
Gladys Pullins, a resident at Pine Hills, models her Mrs. Claus outfit, handmade by her 46 years ago, with hopes of making it two more years. Photo by Charity Maness

Gladys Pullins, a resident at Pine Hills, models her Mrs. Claus outfit, handmade by her 46 years ago, with hopes of making it two more years. Photo by Charity Maness

Hot Springs’ Mrs. Claus, the lady, the legend at 98 years young

Body HOT SPRINGS – Gladys Pullins, aka Mrs. Claus, has been hearing children’s Christmas wishes and Christmas dreams for the past 48 years and shows no sign of slowing down.
Jake McClure and his family retrieve their trampoline from in front of The Mammoth Site on Thursday morning, following the wind storm the previous night. The McClures live about a block away and were not the only ones whose personal property ended up trapped near the prehistoric sink hole, as a large steel carport was also found upside down nearby as well. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Jake McClure and his family retrieve their trampoline from in front of The Mammoth Site on Thursday morning, following the wind storm the previous night. The McClures live about a block away and were not the only ones whose personal property ended up trapped near the prehistoric sink hole, as a large steel carport was also found upside down nearby as well. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Thousands impacted by wind storm

Body HOT SPRINGS – Thousands of Black Hills Energy and Black Hills Electric Cooperative customers were without power for multiple days last week following a wind storm which hit the Black Hills on the night of Wednesday, Dec. 17, and into morning of Dec.
Work on the Minnekahta Avenue Bridge began last Monday, Dec. 15, and is expected to continue until late Summer 2026. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Work on the Minnekahta Avenue Bridge began last Monday, Dec. 15, and is expected to continue until late Summer 2026. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Downtown Minnekahta Avenue Bridge project gets underway

Body HOT SPRINGS – Work has begun on the $1.4 million Minnekahta Avenue Bridge replacement project in downtown Hot Springs, which forced closure of the bridge last week on Monday, Dec. 15, and will likely be closed until late summer 2026.
The failing Hot Springs Wastewater Treatment Facility was the subject of a four hour public hearing last Friday night, Dec. 12, at the Mueller Civic Center. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

The failing Hot Springs Wastewater Treatment Facility was the subject of a four hour public hearing last Friday night, Dec. 12, at the Mueller Civic Center. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Painful facts regarding dire state of wastewater plant shared at hearing

Body HOT SPRINGS – The feedback received by the Hot Springs City Council at last Friday night’s required public hearing at the Mueller Civic Center was overwhelming in two regards: 1) Yes, we need a new wastewater treatment facility; 2) No, do not dump the treated effluent into Fall...