Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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If you were anywhere around town this past weekend, you knew where all the action was, as the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds was again home to the Thermopolis Cowboy Rendezvous PRCA Rodeo. As much fun as the rodeo is each year — it always has a way of taking me back to rodeos with my folks when I was a kid — the true spectacle is watching how our local fairgrounds transforms into a spectacle of people from all over North America, and the parking lot takes on the look of a bazaar with all of the...
This Sunday marks one of two days throughout the year recognizing our parents, with Father’s Day. It’s the seventh one for me, and I look forward to seeing what my wife and boys have up their sleeves this year. But, special as these days are, both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are only a small recognition of the time, dedication and effort that goes into being a parent. The sacrifices men and women give to raising children the best that they can, whether those children are theirs, fostere...
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the one that allows women the right to vote. Numbers like this always fascinate me. It’s hard for me to grasp that women were given a voice just 44 years before I was born. I grew up knowing I could vote, that my voice would be heard once I reached that magic age of 18. Women stood up, walked out and said “no more” until they were given the rights they deserved. Segregation in our schools ended just nine years...
I was lying on the couch the other night and looked down at my feet. I swear my feet are becoming webbed between my toes. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rain, but it does raise concerns for me when it comes to driving through Wind River Canyon. It hasn’t been that many years ago when we had the enormous slide that covered the road and kept the canyon closed for a few days while they cleaned it up. I know there have been slides in the canyon since the road was chiseled out, but I pay closer att...
This Sunday marks the graduation for the Hot Springs County High School Class of 2019. It’s been quite a year in the district with accomplishments both academic and extracurricular, and we should all be proud of our Bobcats. It never fails that whenever graduation nears I’m taken back to those final days I spent as an Alliance, Neb. Bulldog, ready to take on the next steps of life whatever they bring. I could spend time writing advice about what the graduates should consider as they walk thr...
During a conversation with a friend a few days ago, we agreed that there were times that it was difficult to tell the truth without hurting the feelings of one you might not want to hurt. The inevitable question, “Honey, does this dress make me look fat?’ for example. There’s really no way to escape from the consequences of whatever your answer might be. As I thought about the difficulty of being truthful in all situations, about how diplomatic one can be and still convey the truth to someone who matters, it occurred to me that the hardest thin...
I know we’re all getting a little tired of the rain, but you cannot beat this time of year when all those showers not only bring flowers, but all of the green that rambles over our red hills. The lawns in Hot Springs State Park are already looking spectacular and a drive through the buffalo pasture shows the green grasses filling in nicely. Of course, that also means we have to find time to mow our own lawns as the rain is definitely making them grow at a ridiculous pace. Finding just the r...
Ah, snow. It can be so magical. It makes Christmas feel complete, gives a late night cup of coffee or hot cocoa a little extra something and creates some pretty magical designs in the branches and along the ground. But then there’s stuff like what dropped on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, instantly turning to slush once it hits, making driving a bit more challenging and giving those who venture out with their shovels some real heavy lifting. It seems like winter is taking an extended stay i...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
I think I’ve finally reached a turning point with my oldest. I don’t mean he seems to be listening more or fighting less with his brother. This is a bit more subtle — the taste buds. Like many kids I’m sure, Mike used to eat just about everything as long as it was coated in ketchup. It was getting to the point where I had considered starting a massive tomato plantation and manufacturing my own to save on costs and trips to the grocery store. But one day, out of the blue, he declares almost...
Its out there, I know it is. Elusive Spring. Understandably, its hard to believe we are just a few short weeks from what the calendar tells us is the first day of spring. After all, I still have ice in my driveway and snow in my backyard, but its coming. Eventually. Spring fever hit me a couple of weeks ago and I found myself on the Internet pouring over seed catalogs and bulb companies, looking for something bright, beautiful and easy to grow. OK, I may have over done it. Soon there will be...
“Ten years” were the two words I both fell asleep ad woke up thinking. It’s hard to believe this time 10 years ago I was standing in a church repeating wedding vows. But that’s the funny thing about time. It can go by in an instant yet leave you with memories that last forever. In that 10 year span I’ve seen plenty. Two kids born with issues that sent them to ICU just hours after I saw them, loss of family, friends and other loved ones, changes on the political scene I never imagined. And don’t...
The possibility of there being drugs in our school system should be a worry for everyone in Hot Springs County. If we think back, at the same age, we thought we were “ten foot tall and bulletproof” and no one could touch us because we were smarter than the adults. We know better now. But I also want to say how very fortunate I am to get to coach some of the best kids in the district. I don’t want everyone to think all the kids are smoking and drinking and partying every weekend. It is liter...
This past weekend was the 2019 Wyoming Press Association Winter Convention in Cheyenne. The annual event is something I look forward to every year, and not just for the opportunity to stay in a fancy hotel and eat catered meals for a couple days. Each year, I and the rest of the staff at The Independent Record go through the articles we’ve written and the photos we’ve taken, submitting them to various categories for a chance at the Pacemaker awards given out every year. Additionally, there are...
I’m proud to say, I’m not a quitter. That’s why you won’t hear me say anything about New Year’s resolutions. Why start something I know I’ll never finish? Let’s face it, I love my chips, sweet tea and chocolate way too much to give them up for a measly 10 pounds. There would have to be something really serious involved for me to pass on cheesecake, too. I suppose I could vow to do something simple that doesn’t include depriving myself, like reading a book a week for the year. Fifty-two books...
It’s strange to think that we’re nearly into 2019 already. When I was in school, it seemed like the 21st century was so far away and couldn’t get here soon enough, especially with Hollywood, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera promising all the wondrous things it would bring. Flying cars? Nope. Accurate weather forecasts? Sort of. Houses with treadmills on the outside? No way. Hoverboards? Well, we’re getting there. Artificially intelligent robots? We’re making big steps, but the excitemen...
