Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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The local Community Survey results are in and a public meeting was held on Tuesday evening to discuss the results, form committees and plan for next steps. We had the survey in our Oct. 3 edition as an insert, it was circulated to area business and on social media. Shurie Scheel is leading the way for the planning committee who put out the survey. If you did not get a chance to fill out the survey or attend Tuesday’s meeting, we are sure you can still participate in some way. The group has announced they will need several volunteers to serve o...
by Bryan Golden We all grow up being indoctrinated with rules that limit us. The purveyors of this information are not malicious. They are simply passing along what they themselves have been taught. You are probably aware of one or more of the following rules. Decide for yourself if you have been limited by any of them. Don’t rock the boat -- This rule encourages conformity. Conformity offers a protection from criticism. But those who succeed don’t care about criticism. They become adept at new or better ways of doing things in spite of opi...
by Debra Johnston, M.D. Lately my teenager has been fascinated by medical dramas. Although my “doctor self” is usually rolling my eyes throughout the program, it’s often a good conversation starter. One recent show featured a pregnant woman who experienced one medical crisis after another. Her kidneys, liver, and lungs failed in succession as the team raced to identify the underlying obstetrical problem and find a treatment. At the climax of the episode, her heart stopped. Of course, being television, the correct diagnosis was made, the exper...
If you would like to know where the officer involved shooting of a man with mental illness stands, as I do, you should contact the attorney at the Fremont County Attorney’s Office. I understand they’re going to review the DCI case. I personally would like to know why the officers involved didn’t take more time and get more backup? Why so many shots were fired and where they all hit? What was done to de-escalate the situation? Will there be a public hearing of any kind held? If you have questions you would like answered, please contact the F...
At the IR, we are gearing up for the holiday season and so are our area businesses and organizations. We are running an ad special in November and December so check out the ad on page 2 for details on how you can save big with multiple ads. If you have an event coming up, please let us know. We will be happy to work up an advertising package, write an article and take photos at the event. In this week’s edition, you will find information on several upcoming events happing around our community. This weekend, a local favorite, the annual B...
by Christina Young, Director for the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment With the rapid rise in internet use among children, the dangers of online exploitation have grown alarmingly. Children’s access to the internet has become nearly ubiquitous, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote learning, online gaming, and social media are now integral to daily life, meaning more children, even preschool-age children, are regularly online, often unsupervised and unprotected. This new reality demands that we consider not only p...
The unofficial local results from the 2024 General Election appear on the front page of this paper. Unfortunately, due to printing deadlines, we are unable to include complete state or federal results. Our readers may not know it, but our paper is currently printed in Cody. Typically, our finished pages are requested to be uploaded by 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening so our paper can be processed and ready for printing beginning around 6 a.m. Wednesday mornings. To get our local results on our front page we held it to send later on Tuesday night, by...
by Andrew Ellsworth, MD Hearing loss affects millions of Americans. In fact, by age 75 over half of adults will have some form of hearing loss. Signs of hearing loss include having trouble hearing speech in noisy places, finding it hard to follow speech in groups, trouble hearing on the phone, listening makes you tired, or if you need to turn the volume up on the TV or radio while others complain it is too loud. To some, hearing loss may just be a minor inconvenience. If it is more severe, however, it can have a big impact on day to day...
The 2024 General Election section is included in this paper and contains useful candidate information on those running for local, state and federal offices. Locally, we have some important races that will be decided when voting ends at 7 p.m., Tuesday, November 5. We have two qualified candidates running for a single seat on the Hot Springs County Commissioners Board. In a highly contested race, eight candidates are looking to fill four available seats on the Hot Springs County School District Board of Trustees. Three candidates are on the...
I am a native Wyomingite who grew up in Lusk, attending grade school and acquiring my family values in the 1960s. Like many (if not most) Wyoming children of my generation, my family took me on family trips to Thermopolis where I was deeply impacted by the hot springs, the buffalo herd, the Swinging Bridge, Roundtop, and the utterly unique landscape of this particular place (not to mention the journey here through the Wind River Canyon or over the Bighorns from Buffalo). I went out into the World, again, like many Wyominites of my generation....
The Spectral Parade Noon, October 26, the Saturday before Halloween… ~ Eight there were in staggered line. The view unfettered by brush or by pine. With laughter and song wither they go. Their final destination, nobody knows. ~ Great bags they all carried. Parcels for travel. The mysteries therein none could unravel. A grandparent, there was. And Father and Mother. with children all ages right down to a toddler. ~ They frolicked and waved. Children gamboled about. As they marched down the road they filled me with doubt. Where did they come f...
Visitors often say one of the best things about our community is the welcoming, friendly people they find here around town and at our local businesses. One person recently said about Thermopolis, “The townspeople (Thermopolites?) are nice, helpful, friendly and simply great people.” That is a wonderful compliment for the residents of our little town. Recently though, our community members have been struggling to be civil and decent to one another. They may still be being nice and friendly to visitors, but to their own neighbors there has bee...
by Bryan Golden Do you know anyone who always seems to have bad luck? Nothing ever goes right for them. Conversely, have you observed people who always wind up OK despite what befalls them? What differentiates these two types of people? Their attitude, thoughts and actions are as different as day and night. You are a magnet. Your attitude, thoughts and actions determine what you attract. Like attracts like. If you are negative, rude and inconsiderate, this is what you will attract. If you are positive, upbeat, courteous, caring and considerate,...
In August, I, as Chair of the Hot Springs County chapter of Moms for Liberty, approached the Hot Springs County School District with an offer to provide copies of the U.S. Constitution for distribution to our eighth graders on Constitution Day, September 17th. The pocket Constitutions are provided gratis by the 917 Society, a non-profit educational organization. The offer was turned down, for reasons that varied over time, such as: The booklets contain a QR code. It does. And the problem is? The booklets contain an oath. Guilty as charged....
Residents of Hot Springs County have a chance to fill out a community survey to help guide officials in prioritizing things important to citizens of HSC and Thermopolis as a community-wide strategic plan is created. The results will be shared with the public in a future edition of the Independent Record and online. The surveys were included in the October 3 issue of the IR. You can also pick up a copy at our office 431 Broadway, during normal business hours. Additionally, you can get a copy of the survey at the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber...
October 6-12 is National Fire Prevention Week and is also recognized by the Governor of the State of Wyoming. One of the most important things you can have in your home is properly working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms serve as the first line of defense in the event of a house fire, giving families the crucial time to escape safely. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom and outside each sleeping area, as well as on each floor of your home, including the attic. It is a good idea to test your smoke alarms regularly by pressing the test...
The Wyoming Arts Council and Wyoming State Parks recently held the Plein Air in the Parks event held on Sept. 11-15 at Hot Springs State Park and Legend Rock Historical Site. This annual art competition pairs talented artists with beautiful locations, and offers cash prizes to top participants. Award winners are: 1st Place ($1,000): “Legend Rock Elk” - Brenda Trippel (Worland) 2nd Place ($500): “Beautiful Wyoming - Thermopolis” - Georgia Roswell (Cheyenne) 3rd Place ($250): “The Water’s Edge” - Autumn Hnilicka (Thermopolis) People’s Choi...
If you missed the Monday school board candidate forum, there were several interesting questions asked and answered. We will be running the information from that event in next week’s issue. On Thursday, Oct. 3, the Thermopolis-Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce is hosting a meet the candidates forum starting at 6 p.m. at the Thermopolis Middle School. All candidates registered to run in the general election have been invited. This is another opportunity for voters to hear from the candidates and visit with them following the question/answer p...
As many of you know, our beloved Memorial Avenue of Flags, a cherished tribute to those who have served our country, suffered significant damage during the recent windstorm on Flag Day. The flags and poles, which stand as symbols of honor and remembrance, were torn and displaced, leaving our community’s heart a little less bright. The Memorial Avenue of Flags has always been a place for reflection, gratitude, and pride. It is not only a tribute to our veterans but also a gathering point for commemorative events that bring us together as a c...
This week’s story “Talking trash with Mayor Estenson” begins on the front page and jumps to page 7. It is long, but it is informative. The recent decision by the Town of Thermopolis to purchase land for an alternative location for the garbage transfer station has sparked a community debate. We hope all those interested in the subject will read the article this week and share it with a friend. Many of the questions being passed around the community are addressed in the article. The Town of Thermopolis will also hold a meeting on Tuesday, Octob...
As the mayor of the Town of Thermopolis, I have the privilege of seeing firsthand the power of community and the important role each citizen plays in shaping our local government. One of the most important aspects of our Constitutional Republic is the First Amendment, which guarantees us the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and the right to petition our government. These freedoms form the bedrock of our nation, and while we are grateful for them, we must also recognize the responsibilities they place on each of us as individuals....
As we approach another election we must realize that this election, more than any other, there will be no winners, regardless of who is elected. You don’t have to be religious to agree with Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” I regret I have not always lived with this verse in mind. Chuck Cooper...
“The truth will set you free.” We’ve all heard this iconic sentence, but what does it mean, really? More importantly, what exactly is the truth? That depends on whom you are asking. Because I’ve come to believe that each of us has our own truth. What is my truth, with a capital T, may not be yours, in fact it probably isn’t. I know it isn’t. To complicate matters, your truth today may differ from your truth tomorrow, as will mine because we are ever-changing, ever-evolving beings. It’s a wonder we ever come to a consensus on anything - ev...
by Megan Barton, Cody Enterprise It seems all too often that we become caught up in the mundane tasks of daily life and find ourselves in a rut. Sure, we’re busy with work, school, chores, kids, etc., but forgetting about ourselves can prove to be the easiest form of self sabotage. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about a routine during the week to keep myself from piling all the “boring” tasks onto the weekend. But, I do find it to be important to take time for myself and activities I enjoy. According to mhanational.org, forms of self-care...
I recently read the article in the Travel and Tourism section of the paper where Jim Matthewson told the story of a man who was visiting our town to consider locating his business here. He was impressed with the Hot Springs State Park and the downtown area. Jim saw this man the next day and he informed Jim he would not be locating his business here after seeing some of the neighborhoods. He cited the reasons being “there is no pride of place here.” This mad told Jim it appeared the town had no compliance officer to protect the property values....
