Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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Monday evening the Worland community got the news we had been waiting to hear for nearly two years. Breanna Mitchell had been found, although the outcome was not what everyone was hoping. On Sunday, remains were found in the Nowater Trail area. The Washakie County Sheriff’s Office did not disclose the exact location of the discovery but in reading comments on the post, everyone was expecting it to be Breanna. It was the topic of conversation in the community as we waited for confirmation of what we all feared. It came about 7 p.m. Monday. B...
Each day, degreed social workers with bachelors, master’s and doctorates in social work, help millions of Americans navigate life’s challenges. There is only a handful of degreed social workers in Hot Springs County currently with the hopes to one day increase this. Social workers work in many areas of our society—in hospitals, medical community, schools, social service agencies, and libraries to name a few. Many other professions would benefit from having a social worker’s perspective be a part of their agency. Driven by empathy, social...
by Daniel Powell (totteringtimes@gmail.com) Do we value our Veterans? It seems like a simple question, but when we look close, the answer, or perhaps “answers,” become opaque, at best. As Americans, we always say that we honor those who have served. When we stand for the National Anthem, at least in part, that action is meant to show respect for those who have served in our armed forces. Each November we celebrate Veterans Day, and in May we celebrate Memorial Day - although those days, like so many other holidays, seem to have become more of...
We out and about on a regular basis gathering news, taking photos and helping businesses with effective campaigns. We see a lot happening in the community daily and one thing we’ve noticed is the alarming number of drivers who do not stop for emergency vehicles or school buses. The “Move Over” law across all 50 states requires vehicles to yield the right of way and pull over to the right when approaching or passing emergency vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles,or other vehicles with flashing lights that are in route, stopped or moving slowl...
I have had the joy of having my child in a RWE Kindergarten class this year. I should say I have had the joy of having my child in three kindergarten classes. These three women have created the most wonderful kindergarten team I have ever seen. When I heard that two teachers were being unnecessarily reassigned next year, I was devastated! Why would the school district feel this is an appropriate move? I would like to point out some reasons why I feel this is a disastrous move. First, creating a team is hard work. There can be conflict of person...
by Michael “Mike” Cavin Okra. Just say the word a time or two. It’s easy to pronounce, the spelling is unusual, and the taste is pleasing and very different from anything else from a garden or a market. Okra is also a very versatile vegetable; however, the only civilized way to prepare it is through frying or pickling. Please don’t destroy the reputation of this plant by boiling it!!!!! For the life of me, I cannot understand why someone would boil okra or how they could ingest it once they did!!! Who on earth did get that started??? Was it...
Ready for some fun? I’m not talking about fun in an exciting roller coaster sort of way. That type of fun is always fun, but fun can be all sorts of amusement park rides. Some are like roller coasters - fast, thrilling and take-your-breath-away. But that isn’t the only type of enjoyment to be found at an amusement park. Sometimes happiness is uplifting like the ferris wheel, or well-rounded like a carousel. Sometimes it is unexpected like bumper cars, or refreshing like the flume on a really hot day. And sometimes, fun is simply hur...
The first day of spring is today, Thursday, March 20. As we were preparing this paper to be sent to press on Tuesday, a storm including wind and snow was raging outside the IR office door. It was a doozy, a last, blast winter storm before the calendar says it is officially spring. That in no may means it is our last storm before summer, just our last official winter storm. The scanner traffic included information about vehicle slide offs and news that Highway 20 South was closed through Wind River Canyon due to road conditions and for a semi...
by Jennifer Cheney, Community Prevention Specialist The Hot Springs County Prevention Coalition, in partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), is proud to recognize March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM). This year’s theme, “Seeking Understanding,” focuses on increasing awareness of problem gambling as a serious but often misunderstood mental health condition. The campaign seeks to foster greater awareness and empathy, break down barriers to treatment, and provide support for individuals and families impac...
by Daniel Powell (totteringtimes@gmail.com) Here’s the thing about being old: Times change, people change, knowledge and understanding changes – but I am not really a big fan of change. I understand that change will happen – but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Recently, I have discovered that some political terms – the meaning of which, I had always thought I had learned and understood – seem to have altered, to such an extent, that I find myself wondering if I now know their meaning – or if, perhaps, I had never correctly understood th...
Media derives from the Latin, “medium,” which is neither rare nor well done. What better time to drag out this old joke than Sunshine Week, when newspapers across America remind their readers of the First Amendment? Sunshine Week is celebrated yearly in March. This year the 16-22 is set aside to shine a light on the importance of public records and open government. Like a religious text, the Constitution of the United States, and its amendments, are forever subject to interpretation. But the press, in particular, has sustained singular ins...
by Bryan Golden You have no control over other people’s actions. But you do have total control over your response. Someone else can’t upset you unless you empower them to. “They make me so mad,” “they make me so upset,” and “they make me so unhappy,” are statements based on the false premise that other people have power over your emotions. Don’t empower others to upset you. Don’t make excuses which justify your becoming upset. Comments such as, “I have every right to be upset,” don’t help you. Anger, bitterness, and resentment, are all self-...
Wyoming’s 67th Legislative Session began on Jan. 14 and is set to adjourn on Thursday, March 6. The Wyoming Legislature alternates between a 40-day General Session in odd-numbered years and a 20-day Budget Session in even-numbered years. The Senate includes 31 members and the House of Representatives has 62 members. A number of bills have been passed and have made it to Governor Mark Gordon’s desk. To see the status of this year’s bills, visit wyoleg.gov. If you want to reach out our local Senator for District 20, Ed Cooper, his email is Ed.Co...
by Christina Young, Director for the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment When businesses support working parents, they’re not just boosting their bottom line – they’re helping prevent child abuse and neglect. Research shows that workplace policies like flexible scheduling, paid family leave, and childcare assistance significantly reduce major risk factors for child maltreatment by decreasing parental stress and providing essential economic stability. When parents have the flexibility to attend school events, care for sick child...
With the extended sunlight during our days, we can look to nature with hope and improvement. Spring is on its way and soon the trees will show their green leaves. There are indeed brighter days again and to see them takes a little adjustment in our perspective. This doesn’t mean it is all Pollyannaish, but using our true Wyoming grit for good, we all will persevere into the next months. Residents of Hot Springs County can be a bit stubborn. Let’s use that powerful opportunity to see the future in a positive way and be determined to see the goo...
by Kelly Evans-Hullinger, MD Atrial fibrillation is probably a diagnosis you have heard of, if not because a friend or family member has it, because it has been mentioned in a public advertisement or pharmaceutical commercial. Atrial fibrillation (or “A-fib”) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, a condition estimated by the American Heart Association to be present in more than five million Americans. A-fib happens when abnormal electrical signals occurring throughout the cardiac atria (upper chambers of the heart) override the normal intrinsi...
The IR Community Chatter columns that appear on this page are submitted to us by a variety of local community members. Recently, we were asked if our Community Chatter is affiliated with one that has been started by a local resident and appears online. The short answer is no. For several years we have been using the Community Chatter heading for community generated guest submissions. They come from a variety of sources and involve many different topics. We don’t own rights to the name Community Chatter. We just want to clear up any confusion s...
As a concerned citizen, I understand that the decision is out about the shooting of a mentally ill person in Thermopolis that resulted in death. Patrick LeBrun wrote the decision, but there’s several things that were left out. I don’t understand why there was so many shots fired even when the victim was still on the ground and couldn’t do anything. I also don’t understand why other methods weren’t used to detain Jared, who was a long time resident of Thermopolis and graduated from the high school there with virtually no record of criminal...
by Laura Phagan, HSH After working for Hot Springs Health for five years, Mackenzie Engel was ready for a challenge and decided earning a certificate to enhance her skills was the best way to do it. Her only setback was the distance to a local college to earn that certificate while also being a full-time employee and a mom. So, when the offer to complete the clinical medical assistant certification through the National Healthcareer Association, Engel made the easy decision to enroll. Since its inception, the NHA has awarded more than one...
by Debra Johnston, MD Recently, I had a gentleman come for an annual wellness visit. He hadn’t had one for quite some time, and I could tell he was a little uncertain about what to expect. He was patient while we reviewed his family history, and tolerant while we talked about diet and exercise, but he’d had enough when I asked about the last time he’d been to the dentist and the eye doctor. “What is this about?” he asked me, somewhat exasperated. I suppose people don’t usually expect to go to their primary care doctor and have her nag them abou...
We are happy to see this page full of local community chatter. The purpose of the page is to allow people to express their opinions, without being offensive or attacking someone’s personality. Both of these pieces follow those guidelines. Typically, we do not allow submissions of the length of the two featured on this page. However, given the importance of these issues, an exception was made. To be clear though, we will also allow the same amount of space for well written rebuttals to either or both of these Community Chatter pieces. If you h...
Dear Representative Winter and Senator Cooper and fellow members of the Wyoming Legislature: I hope this finds you well. As the legislative session is now in full swing, the HSCSD#1 Board of Trustees has held a work session to discuss several bills currently under consideration, specifically in relation to education. After taking public comment from numerous patrons, a clear theme emerged: many of our community members believe that Wyoming can do better when it comes to these proposed legislative changes. The voices we heard in the room echoed...
This week, House Bill 298 did not get considered for introduction, therefore it is dead for this session. As it should be. House Bill 298 would have created a centralized electronic public notice system for Wyoming which would have ensured the watchmen would be in charge of watching themselves. The bill was intended to create a centralized electronic notice system maintained by the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office. In short, the government would then be in charge of keeping an eye on the government. Yes, you read that correctly. Under H...
A message from Jen Cheney of the Hot Springs County Prevention Coalition In a world full of opportunities to connect and uplift one another, kindness has the power to shine brightly. What if we made kindness the norm—the foundation of how we live and interact every day? Random Acts of Kindness Week, February 9–15, 2025, is a perfect reminder of how thoughtful gestures can spark joy, inspire change, and create lasting impact. Let’s celebrate this week as a chance to embrace kindness as a daily habit and a way of life. 1. Kindness Builds Stron...
by Bryan Golden Persistence is the foundation of success. Although there are many ways to describe success, there is only one definition of failure – giving up. Whatever your meaning of success, you will only achieve it through persistence. “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” - Cal...
