Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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This weekend, I had the fortunate chance to be part of history in Thermopolis as I attended the groundbreaking for the Wyoming Dinosaur Center’s new location on Saturday. Having a love of dinosaurs that goes back as far as I can remember, and having two boys, I find just about any reason to make a trip over to the center. Every time I’m there I think about the center’s future, and I can’t wait to see the actual construction start south of town and, of course, to walk through those new doors f...
Easter weekend is here once again, and the holiday means different things to different people. Having been raised Catholic, for me — as I’m sure it does for plenty others — the day itself and the weeks leading up to it go beyond the chocolate bunnies and marshmallow birds and into the spiritual. One thing I think is common among everyone, though, is the sense of newness, of rebirth or life taking a new direction. I hope that has more to do with the springtime being when baby animals are born,...
Along with flowers and green grass, spring brings with it new babies of all shapes and sizes. There’s nothing like driving past a field and seeing all the new little lambs or tiny black calves with their shiny coats. And then there are the new foals, kicking up their heels as they chase each other around the paddock. It is definitely a time when farmers and ranchers are putting in long, exhausting hours putting in crops and making sure those little ones come safely into the world. This spring I’ve been a little obsessed with another kind of...
Aaaah spring! The beautiful season that brings new leaves, new grass and best of all, new babies. I hear friends talking about calving time and lambing season and giraffes. Yes, giraffes. Literally tens of thousands of people all over the world are glued to their computers waiting for the birth of a new giraffe at a zoo in Harpursville, New York. The zoo is running a live feed on the Internet in anticipation of the blessed event. The gestation period for giraffes lasts 15 months. I have to give...
We all have childhood memories we cherish and sometimes a certain smell, a particular song or even a “comfort food” will bring those memories rushing forward. For me, it seems to always be that comfort food. That also might explain the three different sizes of jeans in my closet, too. I didn’t grow up in a financially prosperous household, but I grew up in one with a lot of love and three generations, so dinners together in the kitchen are some of my most vivid memories. When my grand...
I’ve been going to all the solar eclipse meetings, you know, the one coming Aug. 21 that might very well double the number of people in Hot Springs County for several days. Some people might call me crazy, but I am really excited about the opportunity to not only see my community packed with happy people waiting for a celestial event, but the memories I’m sure to have during that week. When I was young, my grandfather made sure that I was witness to everything possible happening in the sky. Fro...
Sometimes I sit at my desk here at the Independent Record and try to come up with something to put into this page. Some days ideas come to me very quickly – other days, not so much. With all the snow coming down Tuesday I sat at my desk and stared out the window, waiting once again for inspiration to strike, kind of like lightning, but a lot less painful. I finally gave up and hopped in my car to go take some winter wonderland photos and while driving around that inspiration came to me. I was p...
Some of you may have seen an article making its way across the Internet recently, listing the 50 least educated places in every state. Guess what? The “writer” of the piece has placed Hot Springs County, Wyoming at number 49, inferring there is only one place in the country dumber than us. I put the word writer in quotes, because this kind of journalism is nothing more than someone sitting behind their computer, gathering bits of information from around the web, tossing it all together in a sup...
Well, the big ’17 is here. Try as I might to stay up and watch the ball drop, I only made it to 11:15 p.m. this year. I guess that’s still more than an hour beyond the official drop in New York. I’m not much for resolutions, as I either set unrealistic goals or, when it’s something a bit more grounded, I either give up too easily on it or forget about it entirely by March. But, since statistics show that less than 10 percent of people make or stick to their resolutions, I’m content knowing I...
“December 7th, a day which will live in infamy.” President Franklin D. Roosevelt It was a beautiful Hawaiian morning in 1941. I’m sure the skies were blue and the scent of exotic native flowers filled the air. Until 7:48 a.m. when the naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by 353 fighter planes, bombers and torpedo planes from the Imperial Japanese Navy. Eight of our country’s battleships were damaged. Four were sunk. Three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and a minel...
Do you have that one person on your Christmas list that is impossible to buy for? You know, the one who already has everything or is so picky about what they have that you finally give up and just give them a gift card? Yeah, we’ve all got one. Me, I’m pretty easy to buy for. No matter what my kids have bought me for Christmas, I’ve always loved it, even if it was just a drawing they did or the requisite colored macaroni necklace. The snub-nosed .38 and mop I got for Mother’s Day from my ex w...
Though it always feels a bit redundant when I say it — especially considering the season we’re in — I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to be thankful. Like I said, redundant, with the great “turkey day” less then 48 hours away. I, like many of you, am grateful for my family and friends, who are just a drive across town, a phone call or an email away. I’m especially looking forward to spending a few days with my in-laws, enjoying the ham, turkey, potatoes, and everything...
Well, it’s come and gone. The election run of 2016 has officially come to an end. Like I‘m sure many of you were, I was glued to various television news stations for the national results and to my social media feed for the local results. Allow me to first extend my congratulations to those who won the offices for which they were running. To those who didn’t, I encourage you to look ahead and prep for the next election. Don’t let this election discourage you from that. In the meantime, I’m sur...
Our pets become a huge part of our lives, whether it’s a fluffy kitten, playful puppy or a little gerbil running on its wheel, they are like family. Which makes me wonder exactly what my “family” is thinking. Punkin and Cupcake, my little fur-ball family members, are a delight. Most of the time. I’ve heard it said that animals will bring you “presents” when they love you. I’ve also heard those presents can be because they think you’re a lousy hunter. I’m going with the latter rather than the f...
It’s almost here. The day when everyone hits the polls — unless they chose to fill out an absentee or early ballot. It’s almost time for the big top to come down on the political circus for a couple more years. I make this reference only in regard to the presidential election, much like I have since front-runners Clinton and Trump were announced. It almost seemed like a bad joke just a few months ago, and now in a couple weeks one or the other will be leading our country for the next four years....
by Cindy Glasson I’m pretty comfortable in the evening, sitting in my chair at my computer with my big monitor and a glass of tea. I love opening my fridge and seeing everything from eggs and cheese to a bottle of wine and sliced pepperoni. I stay warm at night under my electric blanket with my two kitties snuggling around my feet. I can walk out to my car, turn the key and go just about anywhere I want to. I have beautiful children and a simply adorable grandson. And yet, I’ve had some of the d...
Ah, October is here at last. I think the fall months are my favorite, as they bring with them the beautiful changes in the leaves’ colors — along with the unfortunate business of raking them up as they drop from the trees — and let us know the holiday season is coming up. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a column about Christmas, which for some unfortunate reason seems to get closer year after year; I’m actually expecting to be able to purchase fireworks and Christmas decorations from the sa...
I recently read an interview conducted by a colleague, Kerry Drake, with Gerald Gay (R) who represents House District 36 (Natrona County) at the State Capitol regarding the wage disparity between men and women, an issue that affects not just Wyoming, but our country as a whole. On average, women earn just 69 cents of every dollar their male counterparts make. “Women are always going to take their full maternity leave and there’s the dependability issue about whether they’re going to show up for...
Wow. If I could use one word to sum up the energy with regard to the Hot Springs County School District this past week, I don’t think I could do it. I’d have to try to combine a few to try and come up with something like “excitatistical” or “senstanding.” Though Homecoming Week is reason enough to get the spirit pumping. These dress-up days are a hoot, and I applaud some of the outrageous outfits worn not only by the students, but staff as well — Punk Day was more like “Flashback Da...
This is my favorite time of the year. Autumn, with warm days, cool nights and the smell of leaves changing color in the air. It means football and bonfires, pumpkin spice everything, and Homecoming. Next week the Bobcats will celebrate another Homecoming with dress-up days, Powder Puff football, dodgeball and a parade. The band will take to the streets to learn how to march. Windows throughout downtown will be decorated in purple and gold, and spirits will be high. I remember the excitement of H...
This Sunday marks the 15-year anniversary of what is still considered one of the most heinous attacks on American soil. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airline Flight 175 crashed into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Though both towers would collapse less than two hours later, the spirit of the American people didn’t go down with it. Sure, there was plenty of time to be afraid. I remember going to the cafeteria for b...
The U. S. Supreme Court — the law of the land — ruled that same-sex couples nationwide can marry last June. The law states that state-level bans on same-sex marriages are unconstitutional. However, Pinedale municipal Judge Ruth Neely has been suspended from her position as a circuit court magistrate in Sublette County. In an interview, she stated that she could not marry same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs, meaning that she would be breaking a national law by not complying. The...
I’ve never been one to play sports, at least for a school team. My athletic experience in my younger years consisted of playing soccer for the local YMCA, and a bit of roller hockey at the local rink and baseball games in the street with the neighborhood kids — we were fortunate to live on one of those streets that didn’t see much traffic, and the drivers who did were mostly courteous enough to wait for us to finish a play before getting too impatient. During middle school and high schoo...
Society has taught me not to dress provocatively, not to go out drinking, not to walk in dark alleyways, not to put myself in “bad situations,” to limit sexual experiences. All of these precautions, society warns, may warrant some sort of sexual assault if I do not adhere and act appropriately. If I walk in an alleyway and am assaulted by a man, it is my fault because I shouldn’t have been walking there. I go on a date with a boy and he decides he wants to have sex with me and I tell him “No,...
It being my first year living in Thermopolis, I’ve been greeted with plenty of firsts, and this past weekend I saw my first Gift of the Waters pageant and Big Horn Basin Folk Festival. Beginning in the early hours of Saturday morning, it was interesting to watch a unique community spring up among the grass, one that harkened back to the old bazaar days, with booths selling crafts, food and other merchandise — the cinnamon rolls were particularly tasty — while still others gave live demon...
