Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
As predicted, COVID has spiked again both here in Hot Springs County and in the rest of the country. Those falling ill, being hospitalized, and dying are mostly those who are not vaccinated. Those who are vaccinated may still get COVID again, but the course is generally milder. Masking, social distancing, and other measures were all we had until vaccines were available. We now have three effective COVID vaccines in this country. No vaccine of any sort is 100% safe and effective, but these COVID vaccines are remarkably safe and effective. The... Full story
The latest round of federal stimulus funding represents both an opportunity and a potential pitfall for Wyoming. The opportunity comes in the form of $1.2 billion in federal funds that don’t have to be spent for years, providing the state money to address critical needs, especially at a time when Wyoming’s traditional revenue sources have become less reliable. The possible pitfall stems from the fact that with so much money floating around, there’s a danger that state leaders don’t end up spending it effectively. One of the most importa...
A few weeks agao, news organizations reported incidents of vaccine mandates handed down in New York City and California. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced vaccine mandates for employees. The Department of Justice also recently announced its conclusion that federal law does not prohibit public agencies and private businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccines, even those under emergency authorization. Then, President Joe Biden announced a vaccine mandate for all federal employees. If employees refuse the vaccine, they will face...
by Harriet Hageman One thing that can be safely said about the Biden Administration is that when you think they could not become even more extreme, they make clear that you underestimate them at your peril. Take President Biden’s Executive Order 14008, entitled “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.” Buried on page 9, is Section 216, with the heading, “Conserving Our Nation’s Lands and Waters,” the goal of which is to develop a plan to “conserve at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030.” Known as the “30x30” program...
Greetings HSCSD #1 Patrons, On August 4, I participated in a ZOOM meeting with all superintendents in the state of Wyoming, the Wyoming Department of Education, and State Epidemiologist Dr. Alexia Harrist. Communities throughout Wyoming have been anxiously awaiting information regarding which precautionary measures will be in place for the 2021-2022 school year in regards to COVID- 19. Masks: Masks will not be required as a public health order for the start of the school year. The Centers for Disease Control has again recommended masks indoors...
It wasn’t supposed to end this way. After 42 years in elected office, the last 24 in Congress, Mike Enzi said farewell to the U.S. Senate earlier this year. At 77 years of age, retirement was overdue, and in addition to a little hunting and fishing, he most looked forward to time with his family. “I was able to see my kids grow up before I went in the Senate,” he told the Gillette News Record when he announced in May 2019 that he planned to retire. “Now I want some grandkid time.” Unfortunately, life is uncertain, and what Mr. Enzi no doubt...
The Hot Springs County Fair starts Saturday with the youth horse show and continues through the next week. And this year, all events are a go. Along with all the livestock shows there will be pig wrestling, family fun night and the chili cook off will be going on. Finishing off fair week on Friday, this year the Judges Choice Bake Sale will be sold during a silent auction followed by the pre-sale buyers dinner and the junior livestock auction. Moving into Saturday and Sunday the town will be packed for the Gift of the Waters Pageant and...
In response to the “Streambank Erosion Project questioned” letter to the editor in the July 15, 2021, Independent Record, I would like to clarify some points. All Hot Spring Conservation District and NRCS projects are brought to the two organizations by the landowner and 100% voluntary. The landowner comes to us with a problem and we try our best to help them. The Russian olive trees were removed by Hot Springs Weed and Pest at the landowner’s request because they were placed on the Wyoming Designated Noxious Weed List in 2006. The prese...
The end of July and into August is packed with events in Hot Springs County. An event coming up the first weekend of August is the Gift of the Waters Pageant. The pageant celebrates a very important gift for Hot Springs County and past, present and future community members. In case you are one of the several residents who may not be familiar with the reason for the pageant, the following is taken from the pageant program and explains the history of the Big Spring and the reason for the Gift of the Waters Pageant. by Jessie L. Duhig Moccasined...
A straw poll conducted informally over an evening refreshment among friends (you know the kind) recently revealed that many people have grown sick of politics. The bickering, the divisiveness and the fluid status of facts have created a weariness with all things elections and politics. It’s time to snap out of it. While the next round of elections won’t take place until 2022, filing begins in just 305 days. That’s right, beginning May 12, 2022, candidates will begin officially declaring their intent to seek public office. Perhaps you will...
