Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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Members of our community work hard to put on all sorts of worthwhile events that attract a variety of groups and subject matter. Different organizations hold fundraisers, fun activities and other amazing opportunities to gather together. People need to know your event is happening. There are a variety of ways to get the word out, but please consider your local newspaper as an effective way to promote your event. People pay for this newspaper, which means they read it. Please know we here at the Independent Record do not get our news from...
by Lara Love On Friday, June 14 the 1890’s Riders, with the assistance of other community volunteers, will be putting up the Avenue of Flags at Monument Hill Cemetery in honor of Flag Day. We believe this is the first year the Flags have went up on this particular holiday. A letter to the editor on this page gives a detailed history of Flag Day and its importance. I fly a American Flag at my house daily, as do many others in this community and across this great country. Surprisingly to me, occasionally when I tell people I proudly fly Old G...
Submitted by Hot Springs County Prevention Coalition What is QPR? “Question, Persuade, Refer” Warning: This article discusses suicide. QPR stands for “Question, Persuade, Refer” and it’s used to intervene to prevent suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Here in Thermopolis, the Hot Springs County Prevention Coalition is committed to traini...
by Seth Needham Good Afternoon everyone It’s an honor to stand in front of you as we celebrate our graduation. As your valedictorian I am grateful for the time I have shared with you all, and I am excited to see where life takes us. Earlier this week, as I was writing this speech, I realized how fast time passes and if you don’t slow down, it will go on with out you. This is my last argument so get ready. Whatever you guys think about time passing is wrong. It actually goes the same speed for everyone at every age, some people just choose to...
by Aiden Freeman Hello Everyone! How are you doing? My name is Aidan Freeman, and I am your 2024 Salutatorian. I want to thank you all for giving me your time, attention, and the opportunity to speak in front of you. Because I don’t want to take too long with this speech, I would like to share something rather small and simple that’s been in my mind - how powerful learning really is. I know, you’ve been lectured enough about the importance of learning, I’m sure you’re sick of it by now! But there is a lot more to learning than school makes it...
by Kelly Strampe, HSC Prevention Coalition It’s OK to not be OK, and it’s OK to talk about It … Or is It? “It’s OK to not be OK” is a common slogan in mental health awareness. It’s a powerful statement that recognizes and normalizes the experience of struggling, feeling overwhelmed, or not being at one’s best. It emphasizes that even negative emotions like sadness, anxiety, or frustration are part of being human. Adding “it’s OK to talk about it” adds an interesting twist to the slogan. That’s a pretty bold statement for a small town like T...
by the Hot Springs County Prevention Coalition On Thursday, May 16th, folks around the globe will participate in Mental Health Action Day. The day was established to transform mental health awareness into action. This year’s theme is ‘connection.’ We are hoping for a coordinated effort among businesses, organizations, advocacy groups, schools, individuals, and leaders to join together to inspire and engage one another to take real action to help us all feel more connected to ourselves, to each other, and to our community. We are encouraging eve...
A public meeting seeking information concerning potential drinking water sources, water needs and contact information for interested parties in the area will be held Wednesday, May 22 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Hot Springs County Annex, 327 Arapahoe. The Wyoming Water Development Commission, Hot Springs County Supply Evaluation Level II Study provides the opportunity to identify and evaluate options to supply Hot Springs County residents with drinking water. You can participate by attending the meeting, taking a survey at...
Hot Springs Health has recently been made aware of our main hospital number (307) 864-3121 being used in an attempt to scam members of the community. The caller ID shows the call coming from the hospital. During the call, the person on the phone misrepresents themselves as an employee or representative of the hospital, and asks for personal information including Social Security Numbers, Medicare ID numbers, and other personal information. The caller may attempt to use an unpaid hospital bill as an excuse to gain this information. While the...
by Andrew Ellsworth, MD If you ever played baseball, you may have been told to “keep your eye on the ball.” When batting, a baseball player is taught to watch the ball the entire time from when it leaves the pitcher’s hand to when, hopefully, their bat smacks the ball for a hit. It may sound simple, but some pitchers can throw fast and sometimes they throw a curveball. Great hitters use their vision and spot the difference, helping them get a hit. Lose focus, and in the blink of an eye the pitch has whipped past them for a strike. Like keepi...
by John Stanford The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced the first 10 drugs that will be subject to Medicare’s new price controls. More drugs will follow each year. Industry is grappling with the effects this change will have on new drug development -- and it’s clear that lawmakers need to enact at least one adjustment to eliminate a distortion they introduced in the development pipeline. The good news is that it’s an easy fix. In crafting the legislation, lawmakers saw the need to strike a balance between lower price...
From NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Health, submitted by Jennifer Cheney, Community Prevention Specialist Community is not just a group of people; it is a feeling. It is a feeling of being connected to others, accepted for who you are, and supported by others. At its heart, community is all about connection. As social creatures, community is essential for human beings to thrive. In times of distress, being able to lean on a community can be an essential aspect of self-care. Community is important for so many reasons – it provides us with a...
Self-measured blood pressure monitoring kits are now available for checkout at the library in Thermopolis. The kits are offered through a collaborative pilot project involving the Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA) at the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Department of Health’s Chronic Disease Prevention Program and the Hot Springs County Library. The kits, available in both English and Spanish, include an automated home blood pressure cuff; blood pressure logbooks; educational materials from the American Heart Association; information on what b...
On behalf of Hot Springs County and the Board of County Commissioners, the Hot Springs County Attorney’s Office would like to make the following statements: 1. The Tipi Retreat, LLC, a Wyoming Limited Liability Company, Michelle Stevens, individually, and Michael Stevens, individually, brought suit against the Hot Springs County Board of County Commissioners on or about January 19th, 2022, Docket No. 2022-03 in the District Court, 5th Judicial District. 2. The Defendant (Hot Springs County BOCC) filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgement o...
Dear Rusty: I’m nearing 68 years old, have never signed up for Medicare but thinking that I should look into it. I’m currently covered by my wife’s health insurance through her employer. I would greatly appreciate some simple guidance regarding Medicare. I’ve tried watching some videos about the subject, but it was always so boring that I never finished watching. I get lost in all the Part This & Part That. I would just like some solid insight into the coverage that I truly need & the cost. Signed: Confused Dear Confused: Medicare is, indeed,...
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the American naval facilities at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. According to History.com, the goal of this attack, which claimed the lives of more than 2,400 Americans, was to destroy the Pacific Fleet. Though the attack crippled or destroyed roughly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes, the Pacific Fleet was not destroyed. All of the Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carriers were elsewhere on December 7, 1941. Within a day of the attack, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt declared war on J...
by Judy Carswell The silent heroes that exist within our community are so amazing! I am talking about our friends and neighbors that have been volunteers for the People for People Programs, providing meals here in our community since 1988 (34 years). Every Sunday they prepare meals (sometimes paying for the meal) and deliver to our friends that may need a helping hand. They speak with each person they deliver a meal with a smile on their face, while checking to make sure they are doing okay and tell them to have a nice day. Also, the Backpack...
by Andrew Ellsworth, M.D. Recently our family went on a camping trip. Our kids loved how we canoed our supplies across a lake and set up our campsite. My wife and I were reminded how much work it is. Soon our children were experiencing more mosquitos, flies, caterpillars, and ticks than they had ever seen before. On one of our lovely hikes, nearly every time I looked down, I found another tick crawling on my shoe or leg. Ticks love tall grass, wooded areas, and other moist and humid environments often close to the ground. Although you may find...
by Jill Pertler If the fire alarm went off in your home or workplace and you had to evacuate quickly, what would you grab on your way out? Besides pets, spouses, chapstick and an extra change of underwear, I’m guessing most of us could agree on one item: our phones. Our phones have become an extension of us. We wouldn’t consider leaving home without them. I didn’t see it coming - this reliance I have (we have) on our phones. They’re our communication link to the outside world, but that’s only the beginning. They are calendars, calculato...
Editor’s note: This information originally ran in the June 17, 2021 Independent Record on this page. We are running it again to help answer questions now being raised since the wooden park has been torn down. After multiple years of consideration, the Hot Springs County Board of Trustees approved going out for bid on a new bus drop off that will serve Hot Springs County High School and Ralph Witters Elementary students next fall. The new bus drop off lane would encompass the school district property on the south end of the track that is c...
by Jill Pertler Grief teaches me new lessons every day. I think writing about them is important, because grief is a topic many of us shy away from. It’s uncomfortable. It’s beyond that. It’s terrifying. Because here’s the truth that none of us wants to hear: If you love someone, there is a very huge chance one of you will grieve the other at some point. Love culminates in grief. We pretend this isn’t true, but there is no dodging the bullet. Grief is a sniper. And that sniper got me. But, if my experience and insight can help one person, t...
The undersigned members of Wyoming’s business community ask the 66th Wyoming Legislature to pass a bill to expand the state’s Medicaid program during the 2022 budget session for the following reasons: Lower Healthcare Costs: The Wyoming Hospital Association reports that its members lose at least $100 million annually in uncompensated care costs. These costs result when uninsured people receive medical treatment for which they cannot pay. Hospitals pass these costs to consumers. The impact ripples through Wyoming’s economy, driving up the price...
Medicaid is a state-administered program that currently supports the medical needs of Wyoming citizens who are both low income AND blind, disabled, pregnant, or elderly. Low income is defined as under 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) which is currently $12,880 for an individual and $21,960 for a family of three. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides subsidies for private health insurance to anyone who earns 138% or more of the federal poverty level which in 2021 was $17,774 for an individual or $30,305 for a family of 3 etc. Anyone who...
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...
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...
