Week of January 16, 2025

  • House fire claims life of local woman

    At approximately 11:00 p.m. on Thursday January 9, the Thermopolis Fire Department was dispatched to the 1000 block of Clark Street for a reported structure fire with a possible trapped person. Firefighters arrived to find a residence with active fire from the front window and door. Firefighters forced entry through the front door and attacked the fire, extinguishing the flames and keeping the active fire damage contained to the front living room area. Fire crews conducted a search of the home and located one adult victim who had...

  • HSCHS graduate Enoch Hart

    Jurri Schenck

    In our latest spotlight for our Where Are They Now? series, we are highlighting Hot Springs County High School graduate Enoch Hart who shared some of his adventures in life, starting with his childhood here in Hot Springs, through various business ventures, and to where he is today leading Wyoming Signs of Casper. Hart was born in Worland in 1979, grew up in Thermopolis and graduated in 1998. His father grew up in Battle Creek and his mother grew up in Grass Creek. Hart went to Lucerne school... Full story

  • Employees and patrons comment on Star Plunge closure

    by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile.com via Wyoming News Exchange Emerging from the locker rooms, Scott Forke felt better, like he always does after a session in the Star Plunge’s Vapor Cave, Lobster Pot and heated mineral waters. “I love it,” he said. “For me, it’s therapeutic.” Forke lives in Cody, but drives to Thermopolis once or twice a month to spend time in the Star Plunge’s waters, which contain minerals like calcium carbonate, magnesium, potassium and silica. He’s been visiting the facility for 40 years and buys an annual...

  • Tipi Retreat owners address commissioners

    Jurri Schenck

    At the January 7 Hot Springs County Commissioners meeting, Michael and Michele Stevens addressed the board to discuss the Tipi Retreat matter. Michael read a letter and said, “Honorable Commissioners, we stand before you today with two straightforward requests that could help resolve our ongoing situation and benefit our entire community.” “First: Opportunity for Remedy. The timeline of events is clear. In December 2021, this board issued a Cease and Desist Order to The Tipi Retreat and...

  • Flag pole installation update

    Jurri Schenck

    At the January 7 Thermopolis Town Council meeting held at Town Hall, Mayor Adam Estenson swore in newly elected Council Member Tony Larson. Assistant to the Mayor Jim Jeunehomme updated the council on the flagpole installation which is tentatively scheduled for sometime in January, weather permitting. During the codes discussion, Jeunehomme reported that the town’s property insurance renewal was in and showed an increase. This was due to additional equipment items being added to their...

  • Temporary closure of Star Plunge announced

    In a Tuesday, January 14 press release, the Wyoming State Parks announced the temporary closure of the Star Plunge aquatic facility at Hot Springs State Park following a recent two-week management agreement extension and ongoing negotiations for a potential sale to a new operator. “We appreciate the community’s patience during this transitional time. Our main priority is to ensure that the Star Plunge reopens as quickly as possible, providing the quality experience our visitors expect and deserve,” said Nick Neylon, deputy director of...

  • Bobcat Speech and Debate finish as runner up at tourney

    The Hot Springs Speech and Debate Team earned second place in 1A/2A at the large Worlando Beach Speech and Debate Tournament held at Worland High School on January 10-11, 2025. Coaches Lyle Wiley, Riley Jeffs, and Markie Whitney traveled with 14 Bobcats to compete with 20 teams and over 270 entries. Bobcat debaters had a strong tournament, led by senior Rosalie Willson and sophomore Annalyn Sharp who earned second place in Policy Debate with an impressive 4-1 debate record. Junior Dean Bihr...

  • Wyoming 250 Planning Committee volunteers needed

    The Hot Springs County Board of Commissioners is asking county residents to volunteer to serve on the Wyoming 250 Planning Committee. The local county 250 committee is based off Governor Mark Gordon’s Executive Order 2023-03 Establishing the Wyoming Semiquincentnnial Planning Task Force, to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. This committee will be made up of a diverse group of citizens to work with the state and coordinate local events in Hot Springs County in 2026....

  • News briefs

    Gun Show The Stars & Pipes annual gun show will be January 17 and 18 at the Hot Springs County Fair Building, 627 Springview. Friday the doors are open from 3-7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, contact Bradyn Harvey at (307) 921-0089. WY Walks for Seniors On January 17, 24 and 31, WY Walks for Seniors is hosting a 45-minute guided tour at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West Museum in Cody beginning at 10 am. Everyone is welcome but only seniors and their caregivers are admitted for free when they join the morning...

  • Bobcat wrestlers place seventh

    Daniel Powell

    The Hot Springs County High School Bobcat Wrestling Team was in Douglas last weekend for the annual Shane Shatto Memorial Invitational Tournament. The event is always a big draw for teams to show off their skills, and this year was no exception. Thirty five teams from four states competed in one of the toughest tournaments of the year. The Bobcat wrestlers finished the event in 7th place, managing to defeat all of the 2A, all of the 3A, and some of the 4A teams who came to compete. The Cats...

  • Bobcats defeat #1 ranked Wright

    Daniel Powell

    The boys side of the 2A East/West Smackdown was played last week-end in Wright and Sundance. The Bobcats played two games at Wright High School on Friday, and then traveled to Sundance for two additional games. Sixteen very good teams came to compete in the two-day event. By the end of the event, the Bobcats would stand at three and one – with wins against Big Horn, Wright and Tongue River. First up for the Cats were the Big Horn Rams. The Rams were just 2 and 5 coming into the weekend, however, the team played much better than their record...

  • Lady Cats go two and two

    Daniel Powell

    Last weekend, the Hot Springs County High School Lady Cats Basketball Team hosted the first of two, back-to-back, tournaments. Each team had four scheduled games over the two-day event, and with 16 teams competing, the action was dispersed between the schools in Thermopolis and Shoshoni. Friday afternoon found the Lady Cats pitted against the Rams from Big Horn High School. In a game that was never in doubt, the Lady Cats won by a score of 59 to 38. In the first quarter, Thermopolis ran up six unanswered points before the Rams were able to...

  • Lady Cat wrestlers place sixth

    Daniel Powell

    The Lady Cats Wrestlers traveled to Douglas last weekend to compete at the annual Shane Shatto Memorial Tournament. Thirty schools from four states were represented at the event. With just five wrestlers on the team, the Lady Cats placed four competitors, and finished the tournament in Sixth Place - with 104.5 team points. Sophomore, Lilly Quintanilla, continued her winning ways – dominating her way through the bracket, pinning all four of her opponents, and taking another championship in her weight class. “In the Championship Match,...

  • First baby of 2025

    Parents, sister, Hot Springs Health staff and hospital auxiliary members welcomed the first baby born at HSH in 2025, Stella Becker. She was born on January...

  • Ducks Unlimited

    Pat Skinner assists Ted Brown in one of games played at the 19th Annual Ducks Unlimited Retreat & Volunteer Celebration at the Hot Springs County Fair Building on last...

  • Chili feed

    Barbara Workman, 86, and her daughter Jan Olheiser, right, help themselves to a tasty treat at the Hot Springs County Historical Society Chile Feed at the Senior Center on last Saturday. Barbara recounted her memories of attending the Elementary School in...

  • Open house

    Lizzy Harvey prepares a walking taco at the Risen Son Christian School & Eagle Nest Day Care Open House on January...

  • Sorting series

    Levi Klemm and Reese Karst participated in the Thermopolis Buckle Sorting Series at the Hot Springs County Fairground on January 11. The next event is set for February...

  • Memorial

    On January 8, William Dawkins, identifying as a Private Revolutionary War soldier, honors the passing of President Jimmy Carter with the raising of the American Flag at the River of Life...

  • Star Plunge closure

    The temporary closure of the Star Plunge this week is a much discussed and controversial topic in our community and elsewhere. The facility, located in Hot Springs State Park, closed on January 14. A legal dispute between C & W Enterprises and Wyoming State Parks needs to be settle before a new operator can take over. Without a resolution to that ongoing litigation, or a finalized sale, the temporary closure will proceed. Many have shown the Luehne family an outpouring of support, others look forward to an updated, modern facility. Regardless...

  • Honoring Martin Luther King

    Because National Martin Luther King Day is the 20th of this month, I asked one of my sons what he can remember about Martin Luther King’s dream, and he immediately responded “I saw it fulfilled when I was in Milwaukee. I saw little children of all races happily playing on the playground at a park!” His dream that one day people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by their character lives on! We can live with people of different sociology; we can be non-judgmental, and we can treat everyone as a brother or sister because...

  • Tips to build lasting exercise habits in 2025

    submitted by RYTE Rehabilitation As Americans prepare their health goals for 2025, we want to share tips to help individuals create sustainable exercise habits. They have combined current research with practical strategies to help people maintain their fitness resolutions beyond January. Therapists say that starting exercise isn’t usually the problem, it’s sticking with it. Key tips to remember are: Research showing that exercising four times weekly for six weeks is the minimum for habit formation Schedule exercise into your calendar...

  • On the record

    On the Record policy It is the Thermopolis Independent Record’s policy that all people arrested or cited under the “Accidents,” “Sheriff’s office” or “Police department” in the On the Record section are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We print the names of all people upon their initial arrest. Sheriff’s Office Monday, Jan. 6 1:31 p.m. Welfare check for a female adult. She was OK and her phone was disconnected. Tuesday, Jan. 7 11:11 a.m. Kevin Axcel Acosta Morales, 29, was arrested for alleged...



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