Week of October 22, 2026
Week of October 22, 2026
On October 16 at approximately 3 p.m., Hot Springs County Search and Rescue responded to a report of an individual who had broke their leg between Blue Hill and Guffy Peak. Due to the terrain and lack of access to the area, a medical helicopter was requested to respond directly to the scene. SAR members guided emergency medical personnel to a parking area off of Buffalo Creek Road and then transported ground members to the scene via side by side. The team made it as far as they could by side by...
In our community, a physician often becomes much more than a doctor. He becomes a trusted neighbor, a familiar face and someone families depend upon during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. For Dr. Vern Miller, longtime general surgeon in Thermopolis, serving the people of Hot Springs County has been an important part of his professional life. That dedication was recognized recently when Miller received one of the state's highest medical honors, being named the 2026 Physician...
At the October Hot Springs County School District Board of Trustees meeting, technical director Josh Taylor provided the trustees with an update on a data breach reported by Frontline Education on August 14, 2026. Frontline reported that a third-party software package, which they utilize, had been breached leading to the leakage of some personal data pertaining to some current and former employees of the district. The leaks pertained to 163 employees and included names, email addresses, physical addresses and social security numbers. Not all...
by Owen Houtakker Wyoming Tribune Eagle via Wyoming News Exchange The Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee discussed 13 election- related bills Thursday that would address hot-button issues such as drop boxes, ballot harvesting and pen and paper ballots. Prior to going through the bills, committee Co-chairman Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, questioned whether the bills should be discussed at all. He noted his opposition to the bills and his belief that they would not have support in the next...
The Hot Springs State Park boardwalk project is moving along with installation of railing and other finishing items that will have the walkway reopen in the near...
Local communities continue to prioritize outdoor recreation statewide with Outdoor Recreation Collaboratives meetings through December. Facilitated by the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation (WYOREC), these public meetings bring together outdoor enthusiasts, business owners, nonprofit organizations, state and federal agencies, and elected officials to drive grassroots projects that strengthen outdoor recreation in Wyoming. The public is welcome to attend the meetings virtually via Google Meet. Near the end of each meeting, a designated time...
by Maya Shimizu Harris, WyoFile.com via Wyoming News Exchange Ahead of a November trial to determine if the Wyoming Boys’ School violated a former resident’s constitutional rights, the facility asked a judge to bar the term “solitary confinement” as a “catch-all term” to describe boys’ extended time alone in a detention room. The defendants argued that the former resident’s attorneys shouldn’t be allowed to “collapse” different detention statuses into “a single inflammatory label” that “invites the jury to decide...
From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers Wyoming’s average price of gas down 1 cent from last week CHEYENNE (WNE) — Average gasoline prices in Wyoming have declined by 1 cent per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.43 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy.com’s survey of 494 stations in Wyoming. Prices in Wyoming are 2.4 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, and stand $1.53 per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 5.2 cents compared to a week ago, and stands at $6.30 per gallon....
School board candidate debate A Hot Springs County General Election school board candidate debate will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22 beginning at 6 p.m. at Thermopolis Middle School Commons, 1450 Valleyview Drive. All school board candidates have been invited to attend. Hot City Cornhole tournament The Glow Throw Hot City Cornhole tournament is planned for Saturday, Oct. 24 at the VFW, 302 Broadway St., with doors open at 9 a.m. and action beginning at 10 a.m. Food will be available for purchase. Proceeds go to the VFW Post 2281 Scholarship...
The annual Moonlight Madness event will be held along with Trunk-and-Treat in downtown Thermopolis on Thursday, Oct. 29. Broadway St. will be closed between 4th and 6th Streets and 5th Street will be closed between Arapahoe and Warren for the event. There will also be a haunted house at The Learning Center and a pet costume contest following the regular costume contest. The trunk or treat runs from 5-7 p.m. north of Broadway on Fifth St. Hot Springs Dance will be performing downtown beginning at 5:45 p.m. The costume contest begins at 6 p.m....
Wyoming educators launch grassroots conference bringing research-based professional learning to teachers Approximately 80 educators gathered at Cody High School on Saturday, October 10, for the inaugural Wyoming Science of Teaching and Learning Collaborative (WSTLC), a grassroots professional learning conference created by Wyoming educators, for educators. Organized by Laura Stam, third-grade classroom educator and district Teacher of the Year in Thermopolis; Tim Foley, Assistant Superintendent of Education for Park County School District #6...
The Hot Springs County High School Bobcats were back in action last week coming off their season bye. While the bye gave Varsity a well-earned breather, the JV team put on a great show against the Cougars Varsity squad the week before at Wind River. For their last regular season home game, the Cats hosted Mountain View at Leroy Hayes Field on Friday night, October 16. The game pitted the number three ranked team (Thermopolis) against the number 4 ranked team in Class 2A. Both teams have played... Full story
The Hot Springs County High School cross country teams were in Burlington last week for the Class 2A West Five Rivers Conference finals. Eight schools from around the Basin sent teams to compete in preparation for the state championships, which will be held in Cheyenne on October 24. In the girls division, the Wyoming Indian Lady Chiefs were the only school with points in the team standings. In the boys division, the Chiefs also took the top honors, with an average time of 17:39. The Bobcats placed fourth in the team standings with an average...
The Hot Springs County High School Lady Cats volleyball team continued conference play last week with an away match at Rocky Mountain on Friday, October 16, and then a home match against Wind River on Saturday, October 17. Against the third place team from Rocky Mountain, the Lady Cats played four really close sets - losing the match by a score of 3-1. The girls battled to 25-10 and 25-18 losses in the first two sets, but then gritted out a win in the third set, 25-23. The final set went to...
Kimberlee Oliver shows off a leather handbag during the Hags n Bags Dinner and Purse Auction at One Eyed Buffalo Brewing Company last Saturday. Proceeds from the fundraiser go to T-Town Cancer Crusaders to be used to assist Hot Springs County residents diagnosed with cancer by providing financial assistance for...
Calvin Thoren lifts the pumpkin he picked out at the Hot Springs County Sheriff's Office Pumpkin Patch. The community tradition gives local children a chance to choose their own pumpkins for...
by John Bernhisel Questions: 1. Which future U.S. president helped defend British soldiers charged after the Boston Massacre? 2. Give the full name for these colleges. LSU, SMU, USC, TCU 3. Which author wrote the poem “Jabberwocky”?. 4. Where will the next two Summer Olympic Games and the next two Winter Olympic Games be held? 5. Do these units measure weight, length, volume of time? Grain, stone, hand, cord, shake. Fun Facts: Elvis Presley died before Charlie Chaplin. Presley died August 1977, Chaplin died in December that year. A 2016...
The 2026 Wyoming General Election is just around the corner on November 3. The October 29 issue of the Thermopolis Independent Record will include an election section with sample ballots, candidate bios and other information that will be useful to voters. We encourage you to read it. Get to know your candidates and be an informed voter. Being an informed voter is just as important as voting is. Our last local candidate forum before the general election is tonight (Thursday, Oct. 22) and includes the Hot Springs County School District Board of...
by Meggie Holden, MDA, RD, LD, CEDS When most people think about an eating disorder, they picture someone who is very thin or visibly unwell. But eating disorders don’t have a specific body type. You can’t tell if someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them. As a dietitian who specializes in eating disorders, this is one of the biggest misconceptions I see. You don’t have to “look sick” to have an eating disorder. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that affect a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors...
by Bryan Golden Given a steady wind and a properly balanced kite, the kite will soar to great heights. But if the nose of the kite is pointed downward, the same wind will send it crashing into the ground. Just as wind can either lift a kite or destroy it, criticism can either motivate you to reach lofty goals or dissipate your drive. Those who criticize far outnumber those who achieve. Yet no statue was ever erected to a critic. Rather than seeking to appease and mollify critics, utilize their admonition to stay on track. Criticism is human...
Patricia "Patty" Ann Batenhorst (Coursey) passed away on September 29, 2026, after a seven-year journey with cancer. She spent her final days surrounded by family and friends, just as she wanted. For Patty, there was no greater joy than being with the people she loved. Born in Chicago, Ill., on June 13, 1961, Patty was the second of five daughters born to James "Jim" and Laura "Tuck" Mills. She attended Catholic school at St. Margaret Mary's and St. Scolastica, where she developed a deep and...
On the Record policy It is the Thermopolis Independent Record’s policy that all people arrested or cited under the “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. Names of minors are not printed. Sheriffs office Tuesday, Oct. 13 1:10 a.m. Report of suspicious activity on East Sunnyside Lane Wednesday, Oct. 14 6:41 a.m. Report of a missing juvenile. Thursday, Oct. 15 3:15 p.m. Report of a...
