Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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by Mark Dykes The Bureau of Reclamation issued its forecast of the April through July runoff predicted for the Bighorn Basin. According to the report, inflow to Boysen Reservoir is forecast to be 1,500,000 acre-feet (af), which is 278 percent of the 30-year average of 540,000 af. Approximately 132,800 af of the forecasted amount flowed into Boysen during April, leaving approximately 1,367,200 af of inflow forecasted for May through July. Releases from Boysen Dam to the Wind River are scheduled...
by Cindy Glasson Hot Springs County School District #1 held their consolidated grant planning meeting for stakeholders on Tuesday, May 9, discussing each of the various grants and what they are used for. District staff, parents and members of the public attended the meeting learning that funding for schools comes from two basic areas, state funding and federal grants. Superintendent Dustin Hunt made it very clear that the grant monies cannot be used to supplant programs, but are intended to be... Full story
Hot Springs County High School graduation will be Sunday, May 21 in the high school gym beginning at 2 p.m. Forty-nine members of the class of 2017 will receive their diplomas. Speakers will be Senator Mike Enzi and school board member Tobi Johansen. Valedictorians are Shayna Bauer, Chloe Crosby and Margaret Ryan. Salutatorian is Caleb DeCroo. The class motto is “Chase your dreams, but always know the road that'll lead you home again,” by Tim McGraw. Class flower is a white daisy. Class song is “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley with class c...
by Mark Dykes Tuesday evening, Thermopolis Town Council approved proposals of $25,000 and $30,000, for the Thermopolis Police Department to provide services to East Thermopolis. Currently, East Thermopolis pays $22,680 for police and animal control. The $25,000 figure is for law enforcement only, and the $30,000 is for both services. Should East Thermopolis decline the proposals, it would mean less income for the town. Additionally, Police Chief Steve Shay noted, the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office would then become the primary e...
On the Record policy It is the 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. Correction In the May 11 edition, the prom queen was incorrectly identified as Kaili Johnson, rather than Johansen. The Independent Record apologizes for the error. Sheriff’s office Tuesday, May 9 2:10 a.m. A suspicious subject was reported and contacted. There was no further information regar...
As always, the end of the school year is a busy time for students and parents at Ralph Witters Elementary (RWE) and Thermopolis Middle School (TMS). Friday is field day for RWE and the track will be filled with fun and games for students from kindergarten through fourth grade from 9 a.m. til 10:30 a.m. “Move up” day for RWE is next Tuesday, May 23. Fourth graders will make a trip to TMS to take a look around while kindergarten through third graders will have a chance to take a peek at their cla...
Hunting and recreational shooting are some of the best things about Wyoming. In an effort to keep the western heritage of shooting alive, the Governor’s Office has implemented a series of shooting competitions at various locations throughout Wyoming. The Thermopolis Gun Club will be hosting one of the competitions on Wednesday, May 24 at the Bob Milek Memorial Gun Range on Highway 120, about eight miles west of town. The shoot will be from 4-8 p.m. The only fee will be that the shooter must h...
A sentencing for Darren Dumas scheduled for Monday has been continued. On April 19, Dumas was found guilty of strangulation of a household member and domestic battery. The charges state he beat Christy Dumas from Sept. 23-26, and impeded her breathing on Sept. 26. During the trial, the jury heard testimony regarding the couple’s relationship, as well as the injuries Christy received, though two different scenarios were presented as to how things got to the point of physical injury. The prosecuti...
by Mark Dykes During Friday’s Shop Local meeting, Economic Development Company (EDC) CEO and Main Street Board Member Amanda Moeller spoke with regard to the former Fair Deal Furniture building and two neighboring store fronts. The properties have sat empty for a number of years, and while structurally sound for the most part there is plenty of junk and debris that needs to be cleaned up, water damage to address and a roof that needs replacing. Moeller said there are two options regarding the b...
Jennie Blakesly holds onto a Husky mix Shi Shi, owned by Todd Davis, as Bill Williams vaccinates the dog during the Hot Springs Veterinary Clinic vaccination clinic last week....
The public is invited to join members of the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office and the Thermopolis Police Department in a memorial service this weekend, to honor and pay tribute to those in law enforcement who have given their lives in the line of duty. The service is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, at Monument Hill Cemetery....
The Independent Record office will be closed Monday, May 29 for Memorial Day. Our deadline for the June 1 edition for display, classified and legal advertising will be Friday, May 26 by noon. Our deadline for editorial content will be Tuesday, May 30 by noon. Have a safe and fun weekend....
Graduation is set for this weekend, a time for our seniors to reflect on memories made over the past 12 years and look forward at what’s to come. But, before the caps and gowns are put on and those familiar notes of Pomp and Circumstance play, keep in mind there’s still some school activities to finish up — among them the track season. Despite the gloom and doom brought on by the recent slides in the canyon and the forecast of weather which is more like late fall than middle of spring, the Track and Field State Championships are still slate...
We’re dealing with typical “Springtime in Wyoming,” with 80 degrees for two days, rain for three or four, and then the threat of snow before its all over. Along with that come issues with rocks falling in Wind River Canyon, something we’ve dealt with for generations. I always hear folks talking about the time when Chimney Rock will come falling down across the road, but for me, I never worry about that. When my grandmother was young, the canyon was blasted out to create the road and the railway across the river. I remember her telling me about...
Thursday evening, the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce approved a motion to gift the Hessenthaler billboard south of town to Hot Springs County Travel and Tourism. The billboard had been an issue of discussion among the two entities over the past couple months. The chamber leased the ground for the billboard from Kent Hessenthaler, and then leased out the billboard to Travel and Tourism. However, the five-year lease with Hessenthaler is up this year so discussion began as to what was...
While there were not enough board members to provide a quorum during the Hot Springs Travel and Tourism board’s Tuesday meeting, Director Amanda Moeller spoke with regard to the upcoming hospitality training, May 31 at Hot Springs County Museum. Moeller has been working with Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Meri Ann Rush to provide the intensive training, presented by Ginny Garner, a hospitality instructor from Casper College. There will be two three-hour sessions, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1...
Plans are continuing right on schedule for the solar eclipse passing over Thermopolis on August 21. Emergency Management coordinator, Bill Gordon, has been working with various agencies, including the Wyoming Highway Patrol, local law enforcement and first responders on an interoperable communications system that will allow all the agencies to remain in constant contact throughout the week of the eclipse. Gordon said their main base of operations will probably be in the firehall, however, that...
Kelli Lynn Donahoo, 44, passed away surrounded by family Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital in Thermopolis. Born July 29, 1972, in Franklin, Pa., she was the daughter of Robert and Rhonda (Miller) Nolan. Kelli grew up in Sheridan, Wyo. She graduated from Sheridan County High School in 1990 and moved to Loveland, Colo., where she continued her education as a Lab Tech. Kelli moved to Thermopolis, Wyo., in 2000 and remained there until her death in 2017. For several... Full story
As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) and its Wyoming Affiliate recognized four high school ladies for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology. The group also selected one Wyoming educator. Hot Springs County High School’s Shianne Yarrington, a junior, received an honorable mention at the group’s awards ceremony in April at the University of Wyoming. Yar...
It’s still a few weeks before the Thermopolis Cowboy Rendezvous Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rodeo, scheduled for June 23-24 this year, though the days of bucking and roping will be here before we know it. Gayla Mead-Ellis said this year’s rodeo theme is “Live the Legacy,” and speaks to the rich history the rodeo has here. The first known rodeo took place in 1895. Four men from Big Horn country decided to take a trip to the hot springs, horses packed with fiddles and a telesco... Full story
An event that has traditionally marked the start of summer for Thermopolis, the 3-on-3 basketball tournament, is just around the corner. The Hot City Summer Slam will be held on Memorial Day Weekend this year, May 27-28 in the parking lot at Hot Springs County High School. An event now sponsored by the Booster Club, all proceeds go to help sports teams in the district. Final registrations are due May 24 and are $145 per team. At this time, organizers are expecting anywhere from 75 to 100 teams...
The Thermopolis Middle School track and field season wrapped up Tuesday with the Best of the Best meet in Lander. Several Bobcats placed in the top 10 in events. For the seventh grade, Julie Johnson placed second in the long jump at 13’9.75”, and ninth in the 400 meters with a time of 1:08.21. Johnson and Mariah Brooks were among those tying for sixth in the high jump, at a height of 4’2” The seventh grade girls 4x200 meter relay team of Bronwyn Dobbins, Caydence Becher, Johnson and Brooks place...
Pre-school students from Risen Son Christian School get into the music during the Sunday School Swing, last week during their spring program. In addition to religious songs and Bible passage recitations during the program, several numbers had a patriotic theme. From left are: Cheston Kimes, Taylin Birdsley, Dawson McLean, Kylie Geis and Samuel Johnson....
Dave Morgan of Thermopolis, vice president of the Worland Wyoming Woodturners, turns a bowl during Friday night's ArtStroll. The Woodturners were the featured artists this month, though they also provide demonstrations at August's Big Horn Basin Folk Festival....
Cody Glasson, left, and Calvin Turnbaugh with Samba Roofing install a new roof on the home of Mable Rangel, free of charge with materials donated from a company in Casper. Rangel, who has lived in the home since April of 2012 and in Thermopolis since November of 1999, said her roof was leaking and incoming water had already ruined a bit of the ceiling. Her neighbor, Tracy Allen, was aware of the situation and spoke to Glasson, who decided to take on the project. Rangel said she had no money or...
