Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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It’s transcendence. Opening a book and recreating the way you look at the world is more than just a change of perspective – it’s an actual out of body experience. When I read a great book, I actually become the narrator. Although the narrator’s rationale and decision making may be off the beaten path for most readers, people who allow themselves to be consumed by a story reach almost a spiritual level. It’s similar to a dream, except the words don’t leave a person’s mind the moment their reading experience is done with. The philosopher M... Full story
The high school band and choir returned from their Music in the Park competition in Denver this week with a second place finish for the band and a fourth place finish for the choir. But music director Dustin Olsen said the groups were much closer to winning then they appeared. In each category teams are scored points from two judges. Each judge can give a team up to 95 points, for a total of 190 possible points. Thermopolis’ band finished with 189 points. “Cody High School won with 189.5 points,” Olsen said. “We were only half a point away from...
The Thermopolis Future Farmers of America Chapter will be having their annual banquet Monday, May 18 at Hot Springs County High School. Dinner will be served in the high school agriculture shop at 6 p.m. with an awards presentation to follow in the school auditorium. FFA Advisor Britton Van Heule said a big part of the night is recognizing people who have helped. “We use the banquet to thank the community for what they do,” he said. Students run the banquet and decide on the awards, Van Heule said, making the event a focus on the tee...
Hot Springs County High School teachers and staff showered students with felicitations during the Excellence Awards Friday in the high school auditorium. Students were recognized for their work ethic, intelligence, attention to detail and athletic skills. The following awards were given: Top English I Student: Stormy Cox. Honorable Mention: Emmie Coyne, Haley McDermott, Wyatt Wright, Shianne Yarrington, Mary Ryan and Daniel Leonhardt. Outstanding English II Student: Shayna Bauer. Excellence in...
Ralph Witters Elementary kindergarten students visited Lucy's Sheep Camp last week as part of their science class lifecycle unit. The ranch, run by Billie Jo Norsworthy, has been doing an educational unit with the kindergartners for eight years. Other grades have also benefitted from visiting the ranch. Kindergarten teacher Bethany Webber said the students go out to the farm in order to give them an out of classroom experience they can take back and learn from. "They're learning what animals...
An increase of $25,000 will be added to the town's roads budget in order to make repairs to many of the streets falling apart around town. The main street council members are concerned with the future of is 14th Street, which has slowly unraveled and is currently lined with potholes filled with gravel. However, the roads may be filled with asphalt when 1st and 2nd streets are repaired and asphalt trucks are on scene. The roads budget is now $100,000. The town council also approved a firework...
Jeff Dittmer is in his 30th year of working as the horticulturist at Hot Springs State Park. "You name it, I grow it," he said. And Dittmer said that he had enjoyed his time working here, at one of the few parks in the state that grows their own flowers. Many parks buy their flowers, and some local areas get the leftover flowers from Hot Springs State Park. In fact, Dittmer said the state park has never bought flowers, having grown our own flowers since the rock wall was constructed in the 30's...
During the Retail Committee Meeting Friday, members considered getting the Pageant Days parade route changed to make the parade go through the park. As the majority of events already go on in the park, committee members listlessly agreed moving the parade from downtown to the park is sensible. However, Dan Herdt pointed out that although he agrees with the change, some retailers might not. “It’s not going to gain the retailers much to start on Senior Avenue and end in the park,” Herdt said. Chamber of Commerce Director Meri Ann Rush said she w...
Wyoming State Parks Employees and local officials are looking for community support in creating the Hot Springs State Park Master Plan. Representatives from the state will present alternative plans for the park, which have been in the works for months. The plans will outline the long range and comprehensive water use and management, recreational use and desires for the park, along with resource protection and future partnership development in the park. When the plan is completed, the park should have a comprehensive outline for future growth...
The Imagination Station Preschool and Learning Center is currently starting enrollment for the fall. Ciley Andreen, an educator with 18 years of experience, is offering the new preschool program to families who want an additional option to preschool education in Thermopolis. “Kids learn more through music and movement,” Andreen said. Andreen explained that she encourages a fun and playful learning experience for her students. She also focuses on a curriculum that aligns with state standards and includes a handwriting without tears approach to...
The High School golf team played another good round of golf this weekend, with the boys team finishing in fourth place at the meet at Wright. “It was a long bus ride there and back, but it was a great informational trip,” coach Jacob Smith said. “Most of the fall players got their first look at the course that will host State next year. Everyone played pretty well and learned something.” Smith said the fourth place finish wasn’t bad, but the team was lacking a few key players. “We were missing a couple of our top players, which can make for a h...
The Local Emergency Planning Committee met April 23 to discuss potential emergencies facing Hot Springs County. One of the more immediate concerns is the potential for large-scale fires in the coming spring and summer months. Coming off relatively dry March and April months, the spread of forest fires could be rapid. “We’re looking at quite the wildfire season,” chairman James Coates said. Part of the unraveling concern this year comes from the fact that the number of fire spotters has decreased significantly. “Between the Rocky Mountai...
There was a Wyoming Business Alliance workshop in Thermopolis last week to help local business owners and public representatives identify and address economic needs in Hot Springs County. During the April 23 meeting, more than 20 people discussed the past, present and possible future of Hot Springs County. This included discussion of economic staples like energy, businesses that have had success in the county, and where economic growth can come from in the future. When asked a simple prompt of how people thought Hot Springs County is doing...
Thermopolis FFA Alumni Association president Phillip Scheel was recognized with an honorary degree during the State FFA Convention on April 10, in Cheyenne. The Honorary FFA Degree is the highest award the Wyoming FFA can bestow upon non-members. “The Honorary State FFA Degree is a very special recognition for individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the FFA and agriculture education,” explained Jess Oldham, FFA State Parliamentarian. Scheel, of Tumbleweed Propane, Inc., has been involved in FFA since he attended high school in Pin...
As part of the ever-evolving effort to keep medical staff up to date at Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital, radiology technician Sabrina Bullard Stucky has been certified as a national registered vascular technologist. "The vascular board is very difficult, and it's one of the most important ones because I'm like one out of 15 in the state of Wyoming that have passed this board," Stucky said. If the standards insurance companies, including Medicare and Medicaid, start using it to grade...
By now we have all heard about the riots taking place in Baltimore. The police haven’t been enough to stop the rioting; the National Guard has been brought in; normal life in the streets has all but become impossible. It all started with the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was arrested and taken into police custody. The death itself is still shrouded in mystery, but a few facts are clear. When Gray was arrested in Baltimore on April 12 he was struggling to walk. By the time he got to the police station a half an hour l... Full story
During the Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital board meeting Tuesday members approved changing the daily rate for a interim business office manager. The previous rate was set at $585 per day and the board increased the rate to $650 per day after discussion. While the cost is high, that rate includes the moving and living expenses of the interim employee as well as uncovered benefits. The hospital has been working without a business office manager for about 30 days, and board members asked if the hospital could continue without hiring an interi...
Every story and photo from the print version of the Thermopolis Independent Record is now available online. That means that friends, family, and people who have moved away from town can still get all their news on the fly once the newspaper is off the presses. Our online website is updated every week, with everything online by the end of the day Thursday. The Independent Record aims to provide the best possible local news coverage that residents can’t get anywhere else. We pride ourselves on covering the news from a local angle, and leaving t... Full story
Hot Spring County’s unemployment rate slightly increased between February and March 2015, based on information from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. From February to March of this year, unemployment in the county has increased from 4.6 percent to 4.9 percent. Comparatively, from March 2014 to March of this year, unemployment in the county has increased from 4.7 percent to 4.9 percent. The percent change is the result of an increased labor force size, but not all of the people found employment. From March last year to March this y...
Despite having golfers who played well enough to take home a state win last fall, the Bobcat golf team continues to have a rocky season with players out for various reasons. Coach Jacob Smith said he only had three golfers ready to play this past weekend for the tournament in Powell. “With band gone, so were most of the golfers. I took three boys and they all played well,” Smith said. The District Music Festival was this weekend, and a good number of golfers were there instead of on the greens. Jackson Roling led the team with 78 strokes, even... Full story
This year’s Oktoberfest was a focus of discussion during the Main Street Thermopolis board meeting April 23. The discussion centered on renaming the event Oktobrewfest, as the board is wanting to move towards being a brew fest along with being an Oktoberfest. Changing the name took time for the group to agree on because of the fear of confusing people by changing the brand. “Whatever we pick we definitely have to stick with going forward,” Main Street Thermopolis chairman Stefanie Gilbert said. But in the end the group agreed to rename the even...
Current projections have snowmelt runoff in the Bighorn River Basin significantly lower than their 30-year average. In particular, Boysen Reservoir is projected to have significantly less runoff during the upcoming Spring and Summer months. This year Boysen is expected to get an inflow of 300,000 acre-feet of snowmelt runoff from April through July. An acre-foot is approximately 325,851 gallons of water. This amount of runoff is down 44 percent from previous years. The runoff average over the past 30 years has been 533,800 acre-feet. So the...
The Thermopolis Town Council approved the purchase of a new garbage truck at the cost of $145,075 during their meeting Tuesday. The new truck is a made to order 2016 Freightliner with a reinforced frame and Wayne Fury rear loader. The vehicle will be purchased from Jack’s Truck and Equipment out of Casper. According to Joe Mounts, who works in the town shop, this new truck will replace a mid 1980’s truck that is currently in use, but in ill repair. Additionally, buying replacement parts for that vehicle has come at a premium, as the parts are...
A former Hot Springs County resident is facing 21 years in prison following the alleged shooting of his stepfather-in-law. The Washakie County Sheriff's department arrested Anthony Haire, 31, after a shooting that left Jamye SoRelle, 58, dead. SoRelle was also a former HSC resident. According to an affidavit of probable cause from the Washakie County Sheriff's department, the dispute started with an argument over parking on a shared driveway. SoRelle had maneuvered his vehicle and trailer to... Full story
During a town council meeting Tuesday, a community member asked council members to consider making it legal to keep chickens in the backyards of residential homes in town. While this proposal may seem fantastic to some, and silly to others, the town council essentially agreed that they were going to wait to hear back from the community before they make a decision one way or the other. A petition will begin circulating soon, which will gauge the interest of people in Thermopolis to this possible new rule change. Mayor Mike Mortimore said that...
