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  • 'Tis the season to be grateful

    Dec 23, 2021

    Remembering what we have to be grateful for is a good idea anytime of the year, but is especially so at Christmas time. Be grateful for: • Clothes that are too snug, because it means we have enough to eat. • The shadow that follows us, because it means we have sunshine. • The snow to shovel off steps and sidewalks, because it means we have homes. • Being able to complain about our government, because it means we have freedom of speech. • The lady who sings Christmas hymns and carols a little off key, because it means our hearing is good. • T...

  • Legalizing road kill was a good (if gross) move

    Dec 16, 2021

    by CJ Baker You don’t have to like the taste of road-killed meat to appreciate some new state regulations that will allow citizens to collect carcasses along Wyoming’s roads and highways. While the new rules aren’t exactly revolutionary, they will prevent some meat, antlers and other materials from dead animals going to waste — and that’s a good thing. Of course, the change in the law won’t change the fact that crashing into a deer or other animal is a lose-lose situation: You get a damaged vehicle — and maybe even some bumps, bruises or wo...

  • Remembering Pearl Harbor

    Dec 9, 2021

    “December 7th, a day which will live in infamy,” said President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was 7:55 a.m. when the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service launched a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, they changed the course of WWII. The entire attack took only around an hour and fifteen minutes. The unprovoked strike was met with outrage and disbelief, prompting the United States to declare war on Japan the very next day, thus entering the Second World War. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the at...

  • Getting outside in the winter is good for us

    Dec 9, 2021

    Mutt Mulligan, a rescue dog and the spokesdog of the TurfMutt Foundation, says a key to health and well-being is getting outside this winter Alexandria, Va. – Winter can be tough on people in the best of times, but it is particularly challenging during a global pandemic. Throughout the spring, summer and fall, the outdoors – including our yards, parks, and sports fields – were critical for buoying our mental well-being, physical health and enabling us to safely connect with others. For a decade the TurfMutt environmental education and stewa...

  • Does the State of Wyoming have your cash?

    Dec 2, 2021

    by CJ Baker As a general rule, if you run across a website promising an easy cash reward, you should click away and maybe scan your device for viruses. But here’s a safe one that’s worth checking out if you’re a current or former Wyoming resident: www.mycash.wyo.gov. Run by the State Treasurer’s Office, the site is a clearinghouse for various property that, for all kinds of reasons, hasn’t made it into the hands of its rightful owner. The items can include payments from insurance companies, refunds of phone bills, utility deposits or other sub...

  • 300th Armored Artillery Bn. members

    Dec 2, 2021

    I thought this might be of a slight interest. I see in a recent issue Bob James passed away. August of 1950 the Wyo. National Guard 300th Armored Artillery Bn. Was federalized and sent to Korea. The Bn. consisted of headquarters, Sheridan Firing Batteries: A-Thermopolis, B-Cody, C-Worland, Service Batt. Lovell. Batter A-Thermopolis consisted of 70 volunteers local A Battery. After 2 years on the line, 70 came home, with numerous medals, Purple Hearts and citations. There were 2 members alive at Bob James death. Bob James and myself, John...

  • Have an attitude of gratitude

    Nov 25, 2021

    by Bryan Golden, author Thanksgiving is much more than a big meal with family and friends. It’s a time to reflect on, and be thankful for, all of the good things you have. It’s important to be grateful, not just on Thanksgiving, but each and every day. Rather than lamenting what you feel is lacking in your life, begin each new day by developing an attitude of gratitude. Take inventory of your blessings and you will be surprised at just how much you have to be thankful for. If you have enough to eat, a place to live, a way to get around, people...

  • Special session, a win for the little guy

    Nov 18, 2021

    by Bob Bonnar It doesn’t seem like anybody is very happy with the result of the Wyoming State Legislature’s Special Session…but it ended up being the ultimate victory for small government. When the dust settled, the legislature had drafted and passed a really big bill that actually did very little, and we should probably be grateful. I’ve always thought Wyoming was committed to limiting the role any government (local, state or federal) should play in our lives, and I think the legislature honored that commitment. Legislated opposition to fede...

  • Volunteers needed to prepare Thanksgiving meal

    Nov 18, 2021

    The People for People program and other local volunteers will be preparing a Thanksgiving meal this year. We will not have eat-in meals at the church. We will be preparing the food, packaging and delivering the meals to our People for People family and anyone that needs a meal. We will have sign-up sheets at the Help Center and Thermopolis Chamber of Commerce. Could we please have volunteers to help? You may prepare dishes at home. We will not have enough room in the kitchen to be able to cook everything there. Please call me or email me, if...

  • Honoring veterans

    Nov 11, 2021

    Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects to those who have served. For one day, we stand united in respect for you, our veterans. Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. We thank America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of co...

  • As Facebook loses relevance, it reminds us capitalism works

    Nov 4, 2021

    by Kevin Killough On Oct. 4, Facebook had a global outage. For several hours, users around the world were unable to argue politics with complete strangers, let friends know their relationship status had changed or show pictures of their dinner. Many people, understandably, rejoiced in this moment of social media downtime. Yet, for the better part of the past year, many of those same people, even conservatives who claim to champion small government, were arguing that Facebook had become a prolific and indispensable monopoly that needed to be...

  • Moonlight Madness memories

    Oct 28, 2021

    As the crew of the Independent Record was looking through our old newspapers for this week’s Blast from the past, memory after memory from previous Moonlight Madness celebrations jumped off the pages. Several of the little children dressed as princesses, pumpkins and ninjas that were in the photos over the years, have now graduated high school. A big part of Moonlight Madness for many years was the Pinata Bash, hosted by Las Fuentes Restaurant. Photos showed some of the first pinata bashes held at the restaurant that featured homemade paper m...

  • We must start paying our debts

    Oct 21, 2021

    by CJ Baker Over the past several weeks, Congress battled over whether and how to raise the national debt ceiling. Failing to do so would risk defaulting on some of the more than $28.4 trillion the federal government has already been allowed to borrow — plus the billions of dollars that Congress has already committed to spending. Given the damaging repercussions that would come from a default, Congress has little choice but to formally raise the debt ceiling. As a result, Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate frequently try to u...

  • We need to do more to prevent suicides in Wyoming

    Oct 14, 2021

    Suicide is Wyoming’s most persistent public health issue. And if anything, it’s getting worse. In 2004, the state possessed the nation’s fifth highest suicide rate, with about 17 deaths for every 100,000 residents. In 2019, Wyoming had the country’s highest rate, with 29.3 deaths per 100,000 people. Intuitively, we understand this. It’s an unfortunate reality in Wyoming that most people have been touched somehow by suicide. We’ve lost friends and co-workers, family and neighbors. Parents and children. Husbands and wives. To the people left...

  • Domestic violence is everyone's business

    Oct 7, 2021

    A woman comes to the newspaper office and asks about an online story the paper published about another woman accused of killing her husband. She’s clearly agitated and almost in tears, hands shaking as they take a tissue out of her purse. Explaining she’d been the couple’s landlord for nearly a decade, the woman seemed desperate for details about what happened. “I can’t believe it,” she says. “I’m really in shock here.” Then she drops the other shoe. “We always thought he’d be the one to kill her,” the woman said, shaking her head. Thank...

  • IRS wants to spy on your bank accounts

    Oct 7, 2021

    by U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis Democrats in Washington are planning a far-reaching Big Brother initiative to squeeze every last penny out of everyday Americans. They need more money to pay for their reckless spending programs. Their target is middle-class families in Wyoming and across the country. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wants Democrats to force banks to tell the IRS every time you write or deposit a check above a certain amount. The number they are talking about is $600. This dangerous provision brings the IRS...

  • Grizzly delisting isn't just about trophy hunting

    Sep 30, 2021

    by Tessa Baker Over the years, the State of Wyoming has spent a lot of time and resources helping the grizzly population recover and fighting for the ability to manage the bears. The fight is continuing as Gov. Mark Gordon announced Thursday that Wyoming is once again seeking state management of the species. “The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear has met and exceeded all scientific benchmarks for recovery,” Gordon said Thursday. Multiple presidential administrations have attempted to delist grizzlies over the years. Delisting was pro...

  • Wyoming families personal wealth is under attack attack by Biden Plan

    Sep 30, 2021

    by Scott W. Meier Wyoming Bankers Association (WBA) Few things are more private than your household finances. In his American Families Plan, President Biden unveiled a tax compliance initiative aimed at closing the gap between taxes that are owed and what are paid. Most of the anticipated revenue, which the Administration estimated at $460 billion over 10 years, would come from requiring financial institutions to report account information that Treasury says would be similar to W-2 reporting for wages and other income reporting. The proposal,...

  • The art of turning a discussion into a word war

    Sep 23, 2021

    As children, many of us are taught a simple golden rule - If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. Many seem to have thrown that golden rule out of the window, backed up and ran over it. Constructive discussion and feedback are healthy in our society. However, name calling, personal attacks and intentional hateful comments are becoming more and more acceptable, especially on social media. Most of us have seen a post or comment that has turned into an all out word war. People reading a word war, even if they don’t have a str...

  • Patriotism is more powerful than politics

    Sep 16, 2021

    by Greg Johnson As somber, respectful and emotional commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks occurred on Saturday, we wondered why we go to such lengths to remember something so horrible. It’s certainly easier to bury and ignore the unpleasant than to go out of our way to relive it again. It’s simple. We remember days like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the space shuttle Challenger exploding and 9/11 so they may never be repeated. It’s why these events, as Pr...

  • Appreciation for hospital staff article

    Sep 16, 2021

    I appreciated reading your article outlining the hospital staff’s appeal to the Hot Springs Health board. After doing my own research on the efficacy and safety of the current vaccines, I too have decided to remain “unvaxed.” None of them prevent disease or provide immunity and their side effects have been harming too many formerly healthy people - even causing sudden death; which ironically are deaths officially counted as ‘not fully vaccinated’ because the person did not survive both shots and live two weeks after the final one. It’s insa...

  • Letters to the Editor

    Sep 9, 2021

    We appreciate receiving letters to the editor and regard them as our readers’ opportunity to improve our community, express their beliefs and communicate through the Thermopolis Independent Record. We want to give the people of Hot Springs County the opportunity to read those views as well as voice them. Recently, some confusion has occurred regarding our letter to the editor policy. One letter writer believed there should be no policy and all letters should run regardless of length or content. This editorial is to clarify our letter to the e...

  • Let's think constitutionally

    Sep 2, 2021

    Americans typically consider questions about the meaning of the Constitution through the prism of their political views and values. As a consequence, they tend to defend as constitutional the acts of officials whom they support, and criticize as unconstitutional the acts of those representatives whom they oppose. This approach implies that the meaning of the Constitution turns on whose ox is being gored. Politics, partisanship and party affiliation are the controlling levers of constitutional understandings. This method of constitutional...

  • September is National Preparedness Month

    Sep 2, 2021

    National Preparedness Month is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2021 theme is ‘Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.’ During National Preparedness Month and throughout the year, Hot Springs County encourages all community members to take a proactive approach in personal preparedness. As the nation continues to respond to COVID-19, there is no better time to be involved this September. Wyo...

  • Back to school

    Aug 26, 2021

    Hot Springs County School District students have returned to school and are settling into their daily schedules. This is such an exciting time for students, parents and teachers. For some students, it is also filled with anxiety and a little bit of fear. Parents, please be patient with your children as they get used to their new teachers, classmates and daily routines. Some kids, and even some parents, may be a bit distracted as they travel to and from school. It is important for all drivers to slow down in all school zones. Parents with...

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