Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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Students and staff were caught off guard last Friday morning when four K9 units were brought on the premises at Hot Springs County High School to do a sweep for illegal substances after some safety issues that arose the previous week with students vaping. Dogs from the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office, Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Lander Police Department and Fremont County Sheriff's Office worked the building for about an hour and a half of the two-hour lockdown. While there were a couple...
Tucker Lake holds a recently born lamb while its mother nuzzles close. Lambing season has started for those breeders that raise sheep for show lambs. Some breeders try to catch some of the milder weather before late winter storms bring in bitter cold and snow....
Senator Wyatt Agar reported that the budget debate had reached something of a standstill last week and was picked up again Tuesday. The issues, Agar explained, stem from the House wanting $75 million for capital construction projects in Laramie and Cheyenne. The Senate voted against it, instead proposing $200 million be set aside in a separate account to impact the upcoming $250 million structural deficit in education. Naturally, Agar said, the Senate’s proposal was voted down so both the H...
Representative John Winter checked in from Cheyenne this week after taking action on several bills, including the grizzly delisting resolution, shed antler legislation, regulation of hunting methods, lodging tax and Board of Outfitter and Guides civil penalties. All of the aforementioned bills passed the House on third reading and will now head to the Senate for consideration. One of the bills making the rounds this past week was HB0066, a statewide lodging tax bill. The bill calls for a 5...
The Hot Springs County Commissioners held a public hearing last week on a request for a land use change from Howard and Belenda Willson, asking for a 15-acre parcel of their property be changed from agricultural to industrial. Presented as the “Willson Third Land Use Change,” the acreage in question has been industrial previously, then changed back to agricultural, making this the third requested change for the same plot. In 2014, the Willsons were granted a 10-acre land use change from agr...
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. Clarification Though an article in last week’s paper stated there is nowhere in Thermopolis providing passports, Dr. Jeb Schenck can do passport photos for $12 per person. Sheriff’s office Tuesday, Jan. 15 3:56 p.m. Report of a mail fraud in which a check is sent out. 6:07 p.m. Complaint...
Thermopolis Independent Record won second for overall typographic excellence in the small weekly category during the 120th annual winter convention of the Wyoming Press Association held in Cheyenne Jan. 18 and 19. Staff members also came home with several Pacemaker awards including: First Place General News Photo, “Fire in the hole,” Mark Dykes. Scenic Photo, “Trailing ‘em home,” Donna Pennoyer. In-Depth Reporting, “Bones Identified,” Cindy Glasson. Government Issue Reporting, “Investigation into assault,” Lara Love. Front Page Design, staf...
Established in 1919, the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce provides information about the community and local businesses to those just passing through on a vacation or looking to relocate here. Though the physical location at 220 Park Street provides an open door, helpful staff to answer questions and plenty of informational brochures. In recent years, the chamber has also updated its online presence with a revamped website designed to easily provide information about events and chamber members. Additionally, the Chamber Ambassadors...
The local Kiwanis board recently made a decision to no longer sponsor its annual health fair. The board expressed appreciation to all of the volunteers who helped make the fair and the blood draws possible, and all those who participated. Though the fair has been successful, the board expressed sentiment that its time has gone. At this time it is unknown if there are any organizations sponsoring a health fair. As for the blood draws, they are available elsewhere and people are encouraged to take advantage of these services....
You’ve likely received invitations and packs of tickets in the mail for the 2019 Thermopolis Volunteer Fire Department’s Fireman’s Ball, scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 16 at the VFW Club from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. This year Jerry Ward of Corpus Christi, Texas will return to provide the musical entertainment for the evening. Ward brings an array of sounds from country music, to classic rock, to modern hits. He will even take requests. The tickets are the key to an evening of dancing, spirits and gift certificates with values from $50 to $300. Those...
The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is asking interested residents to share their thoughts, ideas and perspectives on a draft State Health Assessment (SHA) produced by the department. “The state health assessment is an important undertaking,” said Stephanie Pyle, Public Health Division senior administrator with the WDH. “The assessment will inform efforts to develop a state health improvement plan.” The WDH has been working in partnership with staff and stakeholders to complete a comprehensive state health assessment to identify and underst...
Following a short parent meeting, the Head Start program in Thermopolis hosted a family dinner and game night. Among those playing were Myles Cox and his mother, Cindi, and Natasha Hamrick....
Imagine how hard it must be to look for “something” when you really have no idea what that “something” looks like. Take the situation at our high school and the JUUL. Do you know what it is? Do you know what it looks like? This takes the proverbial needle in a haystack to a completely different level when you’re not even sure what that needle looks like. As parents and grandparents we are often woefully behind the times when it comes to the latest trends with teens. We’re fairly on-point when it comes to things we can see, like telling tha...
This past weekend was the 2019 Wyoming Press Association Winter Convention in Cheyenne. The annual event is something I look forward to every year, and not just for the opportunity to stay in a fancy hotel and eat catered meals for a couple days. Each year, I and the rest of the staff at The Independent Record go through the articles we’ve written and the photos we’ve taken, submitting them to various categories for a chance at the Pacemaker awards given out every year. Additionally, there are...
If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in Wyoming, this message is primarily for you. When you attend an athletic event that involves your son or daughter, cheer to your heart’s content, enjoy the camaraderie that high school sports offer and have fun. But when it comes to verbally criticizing game officials or coaches, cool it. Make no mistake about it. Your passion is admired, and your support of the hometown team is needed. But so is your self-control. Yelling, screaming and berating the officials humiliates your c...
Orvile Norman Tuzicka, Jr., 66, of Versailles, Mo., formerly of Thermopolis, Wyo., passed away unexpectedly Friday, Jan. 18. 2019, while he was at work. He was born October 7, 1952, in Sterling, Colo., a son of Orvile N. Tuzicka, Sr. and Theora May "Teddy" Pierce Tuzicka. On October 5, 1974, in Kimbell, Neb., Orvile, who preferred to be called Jr., was united in marriage to Lora J. Westby. At the time of his death, Jr. was employed with Cargill Turkey Farm, working at the barns in Fortuna, Mo....
Harold Junior Bendlin, 80, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, at Central Wyoming Hospice in Casper. A rosary is scheduled for Friday evening at St. Francis Catholic Church. A Mass of Christian Burial is planned for Saturday. Times had not been set at press time. A full obituary will run in next week’s Thermopolis Independent Record....
Shannon Lee Graham, 62, passed from the earth plane into the spirit world on Jan. 14, 2019. She died peacefully in her sleep at her home after many years of failing health. She lived in Worland for about 20 years before moving to Casper in November 2018. Shannon was born in Thermopolis a few minutes after the birth of her twin sister, Sheilah Marie, on Oct. 3, 1956 to Alfred T. "Tom" Graham, Jr. and Sharon Lee Crouch Graham. She lived in Thermopolis until the family moved to Denver in 1969. She...
Hot Springs County School District Board of Trustees met last week for their January meeting and received the final presentation of the District’s financial audit from Koerwitz, Michel, Wright and Associates. The auditors didn’t find any glaring discrepancies with the annual audit that have not been present before, such as not enough separation between duties in the administrative side of things. This is typical with most businesses in the area since there simply aren’t enough employees to ke...
Some can look at a stick on the side of the road or a tree branch and think nothing of it, but for Kevin Jacobs it’s an opportunity to help others. Jacobs noted he was very appreciative of his brother in getting the word out about what he does for those in the community. A lifelong Wyoming resident and former railroad man with Union Pacific, Jacobs is now disabled and lives in Thermopolis. According to a letter from his brother, Ken, Jacobs taught himself woodworking and over the years has m...
In recognition of National Kazoo Day on Jan. 24, the Hot Springs County 4-H Mustangs Club hosted a kazoo party at the library on Thursday, Jan. 17. Activities included instruction in playing the instruments and Kazoo Twister....
The boys basketball team saw a couple losses last weekend, 37-31 against Newcastle and 71-34 against Douglas Coach Shane Corpening stated, “For the Newcastle game I was extremely pleased with our defensive effort. We held Newcastle to 37 points, about 20 under their average. We had a balanced scoring attack with Jarron Mortimore and Sean Miller leading the way with eight points apiece. Duder Harvey also chipped in seven points. “We got off to a good start against Newcastle, but we ran into a s...
The Lady Bobcat varsity basketball team battled against Newcastle Friday night, coming up short with a 54-41 loss. The Lady Cats were trailing 30-17 at half time, but came out playing excellent defense in the third quarter, closing the gap to within two points at various times. Going into the fourth, they were behind by just four points, 35-31. Newcastle was on-point from the free throw line, dropping in 17 of 18 during the fourth quarter. “In the final quarter we didn’t hit the shots we needed to make,” said head coach Matt McPhie. “I give cr...
Thermopolis wrestlers came back to earth at the Lander Valley Invitational Friday and Saturday. Finishing eighth of 19 teams was not what they had in mind, but on the other hand they were by far the leading 2A team at the tourney, outscoring seven 3A teams in the process. Scoring 73.5 pts. for the Bobcats was Austin Ireland, 21 pts.; Chase White, 10; Jon Harvey, 4; Jon Hagen, 5; Riley Shaffer, 6; Chance Watt, 11.5; and, Logan Cole, 16 pts. Several Bobcats distinguished themselves by winning thei...
The seventh and eighth grade boys basketball teams went up against Worland and Lovell this past week. In the eighth grade matchups against Worland, the Bobcats came away with a 54-13 loss for the A team and a 34-18 loss for the B. Coach Ryan Shaffer said of the A game, “Although this was a tough matchup for us our boys put out a lot of effort, especially in the second half. The first half we were a little awestruck and frustrated as we couldn’t get much to fall. Ball movement wasn’t really there, spacing was a little tight, and we didn’t do wha...
