Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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The trouble with life-changing events is that the change usually comes about after a catastrophic event that is so frightening that one would suffer any difficulty involving change to avoid the reoccurrence of such an event. We would be enormously better off if we could change first and avoid the event altogether. What I mean is husbands and wives, you need to become more loving and lovable before the inevitable divorce. Employees, be more courteous and supportive of your employer before your employer’s business fails and you lose your p...
I got a text message from my daughter this morning, “Can you come sign me out of school? I don’t want to be here.” She’s the teacher. This time of year is really hard on our educators, between the spring fever the kids are suffering from the end of year testing and the million and one events going on, they’re tired. I have such respect for teachers. Sure, they are often teased about getting three months off in the summer, but those nine months they are in the classroom more than makes up for th...
Easter weekend is upon us, a weekend traditionally dedicated to quality family time. It doesn’t matter if you’re spending Easter Sunday in church, on the river or at the lake, or just having lunch with your loved ones, there is no doubt Easter is a special day. The little ones have a chance to meet the Easter Bunny on Saturday out at Champ’s Chicken starting at 10 a.m., and at Thermopolis Rehabilitation and Wellness at 2 p.m. There is also the Annual Lion’s Club Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday starting at 2 p.m. in Hot Springs State Park. This is...
It is with deep regret and sadness that I had to submit my resignation for the Hot Springs County School Board, effective immediately. I approached this position as the next step in my ability to make a difference in the lives of students and staff alike. I never expected to resign after three meetings. Unfortunately, my health has taken a downhill turn, and I must put all of my strength and energy into the hardest fight of my life. As I stepped down, I reminded the school board and administrators that they have the most important job in the...
When I turned on the news the other day and one of the top stories was the fire at Notre Dame cathedral, it hit me harder than I think it would’ve in my younger years. As time has gone on, I’ve found myself gaining more and more appreciation for the old styles of architecture. The spires, gargoyles, turrets and castles popular all over Europe are my favorite, so seeing those same structures in flames was devastating. But the cathedral means much more to me than just some fancy structure. Ten yea...
The voice of the town, county and state agencies has been heard, as over the past couple weeks several letters went out to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality in response to a proposed DEQ permit to allow water carrying several tons of oilfield pollutants into Boysen Reservoir. That permit came with the idea that the pollutants would not degrade the water quality. Unfortunately for us here in Thermopolis, there was no notice given about this permit and the deadline for any comment we could give — likely in writing or email, as t...
There is a man in Thermopolis who, during his decades of teaching, influenced probably thousands of students who passed through the doors of THS. Best known for his tremendous work with the Wildcat Band, Bill Malloy also had season after season of winning at the State Marching Band Competition, superior ratings for his concert bands year after year and started a Jazz Band and Dixieland Band at the high school. The Dixieland Band was unique to Wyoming and often had invitations to Mardi Gras. The...
Wyoming is our home. It is a pristine piece of heaven in the middle of our Nation, mostly untouched and sparsely populated, and that’s the way we like it. Apparently, the Department of Environmental Quality doesn’t see it like that. Millions of gallons of tainted water, 8.27 million per day in fact, is slated to be dumped into Boysen Reservoir along with 2,161 tons of dissolved oilfield pollutants per month from the Moneta Divide oilfield if Aethon Energy gets their permit. The company is expanding to 4,250 wells between Shoshoni and Mon...
It seems like every week or month has a theme to it these days, and next week is no different as it is National Volunteer Week April 7-13. Living in Thermopolis, or any small town, it’s easy to see volunteerism in action. Many events and organizations rely on volunteers to happen. Our cookie jar auctions, updating of our Christmas decorations, cleaning of our downtown area and meal service at the Hot Springs County Senior Center are just a few examples of volunteerism in action. And that’s not...
This past year has seen a lot of change in our community. Familiar businesses are shutting their doors while new ones are popping up or coming under new ownership. Among the changes has been the loss of the annual health fair at Thermopolis Middle School. The event, with its variety of booths for young and old, provided opportunity to get educated and involved about one’s health and wellbeing. Sadly, both the fair and the regularly scheduled blood draws associated with the event won’t be happening this year, nor has there been any word as to...
Not only does the calendar say so, all we have to do is look outside to see touches of green and watch as the robins and rabbits are dancing and romancing, ready to welcome their babies. It's also time for the Hot Springs County Senior Center to begin our season of fun times, great food and enjoying one another’s company. Come join us. We’ve already enjoyed our first mystery trip and had a great meal in March. We have enjoyed so many wonderful outings and trips together over the past few years. I want to share with you places we’ve been and thi...
I don’t want to say it too loud, considering we still have plenty of weather on the horizon, but I think I might be able to claim a successful gardening adventure this year. Like many, I have high hopes of having a beautiful, blooming garden filled with all the colors of summer, butterflies flitting around and birds dropping by for a rest, but unfortunately I’m on my third try to get herbs to grow in my kitchen window. That hasn’t stopped me, however, from planting a ton of tulips last fall...
In Wyoming we really have just three seasons, not four – fall, winter and construction season. In Hot Springs County we do manage to sneak in another one, rockslide season. Things have been heating up in the rockslide arena the last couple of weeks with a huge boulder dropping onto the highway from above one evening and then a good slide near the dam on Tuesday morning. If you’ve lived in this area for any length of time, you’ve probably been through Wind River Canyon hundreds of times in all kinds of weather, but rockslide season can be the m...
Every so often without warning, a long ago and far away memory pops up to bring back feelings that have hibernated for decades. That song that reminds you of the first time you fell in love, the time you said the worst possible thing at the worst possible time, meeting the parents of the girl (or boy) you’d like to know better, a teacher that made you think there might be some hope for you after all, and a lot of other things you wish you had done differently…better. The weather lately has brought to mind a picture of Dad welding and ere...
Though I’ve called Thermopolis and Wyoming home for the past three years, I am a native Nebraskan and so the reports I’ve seen from friends and family across social media this past week have been, to say the least, increasingly disturbing. I, like much of my immediate and extended family, grew up on the western end of the state so most of the accounts have been about having to dig out vehicles and clear heavy loads from sidewalks. But those on the east side have faced losses of homes and other p...
A major step towards governmental transparency happened this past week, as Governor Gordon signed into law Senate File 57. This establishes a deadlines for when public records must be made available and sets up a governor designated ombudsman to receive complaints regarding violation of the Public Records Act. The law doesn’t take effect for a few more months, but when it does it will provide the public with more power to hold their government accountable. We regularly publish public notices, such as meeting minutes, notices of sales and, in t...
I am writing this letter in the hope that I can save you from losing money and being bullied, terrorized and humiliated. I was scammed. I am not proud of it. I thought I was pretty intelligent and knew what to look for. Most important, the IRS and Social Security Administration will not call you on the phone. I was told my identity was stolen and my Social Security number and ID had been involved in a major crime in Texas. They would need to reissue a new SS number and that my assets (checking, savings, 401K, and IRA) would be frozen. They coul...
For government to be of, by and for the people it must be out in front of the people. The theme for Sunshine Week 2019 is simply, “It’s your right to know.” The reason it’s your right to know is that it’s your government. From the courthouse, to the statehouse to the White House, it is your right to know what government is up to. Every deliberation by city council, county commission, the General Assembly or U.S. Congress is the people’s business. Every penny spent by local, state and federal government is your money. Every document held in the...
As I was growing up we ate a lot of traditional Irish dishes, I just had no idea they were Irish, I just knew they were really good. On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone becomes Irish and not only imbibes in green beer, but they eat corned beef and cabbage, something they probably wouldn’t touch the rest of the year. Granted, most Irish dishes are primarily potatoes, cabbage and lamb or goat (we skipped the goat at our house) and are generally pretty bland, but there were a few I loved as a kid and...
In like a lion, out like a lamb. We’ve heard that old saying forever in reference to how the weather is going to be during the month of March. With that in mind, it looks like we’ll be going out like a lion this year. Sure, it was cold last Friday as March arrived, but there was no storm to go with the freezing temps, so chances are we’ll get hit at the end of the month with a snowstorm. Old wives' tales generally have a touch of the truth to them, like ‘snakes don’t come out until after the first thunderstorm.’ If you do a little research, i...
I realize that scam attempts have been discussed at several places and in several ways around town, but I would like to write about it once again. [Monday] night a friend lost thousands of dollars due to a Social Security scam. If someone call saying they are from the Social Security Administration, they are scamming you. I almost got caught up in the same scam. If someone says you won money but have to pay an administrative fee first, you are being scammed. If someone claims they are a relative and need bail money, you are being scammed....
I am a retired teacher who, along with my daughter, went to the school board meeting to propose her child be homeschooled a half-day Monday-Thursday. Our first grader was refused essentially on the Principle of Precedents (another term for status quo or bias based on social, legal or political situations in order to protect conventional agreements & conformities). However, change happens whether we want it or not. Making rulings specifically so that they don’t “have to open a door that other parents will want to open also”, is unacc...
Last Thursday the 2019 general session of the Wyoming Legislature adjourned, giving our representatives a break from the bustle in Cheyenne though the interim will keep them plenty busy with committee meetings until the budget session in 2020. Though we’ve brought coverage of the general session and comments from our local reps over the past several weeks, chances are if you’re not keeping up with the session on your own these stories might leave you with more questions than answers. While the...
This past Sunday, what could’ve been a deadly incident was averted thanks to the vigilant and valiant effort of law enforcement — and not just one agency. It took the combined efforts of local and state agencies to keep the peace in our streets. The incident calls to mind a common theme heard during the election season — a desire for law enforcement agencies to work together toward a common goal rather than butting heads all the time. And this week’s stopping of a potential Sunday shooter is just the latest example of what our officers can do...
Fake news! This is a phrase we’re hearing all the time now and Thermopolis became the victim of some online fake news recently. A self-proclaimed history buff who is an employee of a country radio station in Cheyenne, recently posted on the station’s website that Thermopolis should cover up the “swastikas” on one of our downtown buildings. This is how things start. One person reports on something they know absolutely nothing about and people across the country suddenly think our little town is...
