Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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A social media post recently was circulated regarding the sale of the Star Plunge to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Nations. To set the record straight, the Shoshone Business Council went on record saying this is not true. The post was made by an individual living in Pampa, Texas, according to their page. Some reports indicate they may be an ex employee of the Star. Members of the family that own the Star were tagged on the post and asked if there was any truth to it. Despite any confirmation from the family or any official source,...
Can there be anything as entertaining and fun as Donkey Basketball? Imaging multiple players attempting to move down the court with a stubborn, difficult donkey who won’t take directions? Who can truly tame a donkey? Not only that, all while trying to pass and control a basketball. Which team will win and who will actually be able to make a basket? Let’s just say the experience can be hilarious. So, come join the event put on by the Hot Springs County High School Student Council as a fundraiser on Saturday, April 26 at 7 p.m. in the high sch...
We hope our readers will take the time to read the letter on page A8 of this paper from Mark Begich regarding Hellie’s Tepee Pools in Hot Springs State Park. Even if you are a Star Plunge fan, please read the letter with an open mind. You don’t have to be happy about it, you don’t have to agree with it, you don’t have to support Begich. What we hope you will do, is support the direction our beautiful Hot Springs State Park may be taken by the State Parks Department. We all depend on it! The litigation regarding the Star Plunge is ongoing...
Can we as a community do ourselves a favor? Let’s remind everyone we know that Thermopolis and Hot Springs County are open for business and of all the many great things we have to offer. What is at stake here? What could be lost? Our economy here depends on energy, ranching, and tourism. Recently, there have been naysayers about our tourism industry. If those naysayers continue to badmouth our own community, they essentially dig our graves. The survival of our economy depends upon our vision and taking action. Let us remember what we have in o...
Monday evening the Worland community got the news we had been waiting to hear for nearly two years. Breanna Mitchell had been found, although the outcome was not what everyone was hoping. On Sunday, remains were found in the Nowater Trail area. The Washakie County Sheriff’s Office did not disclose the exact location of the discovery but in reading comments on the post, everyone was expecting it to be Breanna. It was the topic of conversation in the community as we waited for confirmation of what we all feared. It came about 7 p.m. Monday. B...
We out and about on a regular basis gathering news, taking photos and helping businesses with effective campaigns. We see a lot happening in the community daily and one thing we’ve noticed is the alarming number of drivers who do not stop for emergency vehicles or school buses. The “Move Over” law across all 50 states requires vehicles to yield the right of way and pull over to the right when approaching or passing emergency vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles,or other vehicles with flashing lights that are in route, stopped or moving slowl...
The first day of spring is today, Thursday, March 20. As we were preparing this paper to be sent to press on Tuesday, a storm including wind and snow was raging outside the IR office door. It was a doozy, a last, blast winter storm before the calendar says it is officially spring. That in no may means it is our last storm before summer, just our last official winter storm. The scanner traffic included information about vehicle slide offs and news that Highway 20 South was closed through Wind River Canyon due to road conditions and for a semi...
Media derives from the Latin, “medium,” which is neither rare nor well done. What better time to drag out this old joke than Sunshine Week, when newspapers across America remind their readers of the First Amendment? Sunshine Week is celebrated yearly in March. This year the 16-22 is set aside to shine a light on the importance of public records and open government. Like a religious text, the Constitution of the United States, and its amendments, are forever subject to interpretation. But the press, in particular, has sustained singular ins...
Wyoming’s 67th Legislative Session began on Jan. 14 and is set to adjourn on Thursday, March 6. The Wyoming Legislature alternates between a 40-day General Session in odd-numbered years and a 20-day Budget Session in even-numbered years. The Senate includes 31 members and the House of Representatives has 62 members. A number of bills have been passed and have made it to Governor Mark Gordon’s desk. To see the status of this year’s bills, visit wyoleg.gov. If you want to reach out our local Senator for District 20, Ed Cooper, his email is Ed.Co...
With the extended sunlight during our days, we can look to nature with hope and improvement. Spring is on its way and soon the trees will show their green leaves. There are indeed brighter days again and to see them takes a little adjustment in our perspective. This doesn’t mean it is all Pollyannaish, but using our true Wyoming grit for good, we all will persevere into the next months. Residents of Hot Springs County can be a bit stubborn. Let’s use that powerful opportunity to see the future in a positive way and be determined to see the goo...
The IR Community Chatter columns that appear on this page are submitted to us by a variety of local community members. Recently, we were asked if our Community Chatter is affiliated with one that has been started by a local resident and appears online. The short answer is no. For several years we have been using the Community Chatter heading for community generated guest submissions. They come from a variety of sources and involve many different topics. We don’t own rights to the name Community Chatter. We just want to clear up any confusion s...
We are happy to see this page full of local community chatter. The purpose of the page is to allow people to express their opinions, without being offensive or attacking someone’s personality. Both of these pieces follow those guidelines. Typically, we do not allow submissions of the length of the two featured on this page. However, given the importance of these issues, an exception was made. To be clear though, we will also allow the same amount of space for well written rebuttals to either or both of these Community Chatter pieces. If you h...
This week, House Bill 298 did not get considered for introduction, therefore it is dead for this session. As it should be. House Bill 298 would have created a centralized electronic public notice system for Wyoming which would have ensured the watchmen would be in charge of watching themselves. The bill was intended to create a centralized electronic notice system maintained by the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office. In short, the government would then be in charge of keeping an eye on the government. Yes, you read that correctly. Under H...
The power of unity is a rare prize and can be costly. This unity has various assailants that can thwart its existence. The greatest foe of unity is offense. For the past few years, residents of Thermopolis and Hot Springs County have found themselves divided bitterly over a variety of contested subjects. There have been deaths, lawsuits, and social media has been a vehicle for quite a few beatings on different matters. Can Thermopolis survive these and enter into prosperity? The old adage, “A house divided will surely fall” is shouting quite lo...
Wyoming’s 67th Legislative Session began on Jan. 14. The Wyoming Legislature alternates between a 40-day General Session in odd-numbered years and a 20-day Budget Session in even-numbered years. Gov. Mark Gordon delivered his State of the State message last Wednesday. There are hundreds of Bills listed on the Wyoming Legislature website for the 2025 year. Not every Bill will or deserves to hit the Governors desk. The Senate includes 31 members and the House of Representatives has 62 members. Our Legislatures will be very busy over the next f...
The temporary closure of the Star Plunge this week is a much discussed and controversial topic in our community and elsewhere. The facility, located in Hot Springs State Park, closed on January 14. A legal dispute between C & W Enterprises and Wyoming State Parks needs to be settle before a new operator can take over. Without a resolution to that ongoing litigation, or a finalized sale, the temporary closure will proceed. Many have shown the Luehne family an outpouring of support, others look forward to an updated, modern facility. Regardless...
by Lara Love If you are a subscriber, this week’s edition of the Thermopolis Independent Record will be delivered one day later than normal. We apologize for the inconvenience. The National Day of Observance statement next to this editorial explains all the Postal Service particulars. On our end, the date was set to honor the 39th President of the United States too late for us to plan for an early deadline, which would have gotten subscribers their paper a day early. That is our typical policy when there is a Thursday holiday. Thank you for y...
We have compiled the year in review and it is featured in this edition. 2024 has been an interesting year in Hot Springs County. The year in review features a small look at 52 stories, one for each week, that ran in the IR. We have had some amazing accomplishments by our residents, both adults and youths. As a community, we have suffered the loss of some of our residents, some in tragic ways. The election has put new faces on a few of our local boards, bringing with them new ideas and new focus. We hope you enjoy this first edition of 2025 and...
As we approach the year 2025, let’s look forward to maximizing our community’s potential and putting our unused or under appreciated resources to use to bring greater prosperity to Hot Springs County. Imagine those who are waiting in the wings, the unseen, who have talents and abilities that go above the status quo. It is up to us to be self aware and recognize where talent and giftings can be put to their full achievement. There are so many of them that bring much to the table. Diminishing them diminishes the overall possibilities for gre...
As of the date of this edition, I have been working for the Independent Record for 26 years, 7 months and 26 days (yes, I counted). I have a lot of issues behind me, in more ways than one. This particular issue, the one that includes the Letters to Santa and the Christmas Greetings, is one of my favorites each year. You’ll find them in the B section. Both of my sons were raised in Thermopolis and attended RWE. I’ve looked through the back issues from their youth and read their letters. Its a f...
by David Peck, Lovell Chronicle There is a popular and strongly held belief running through American society these days that we are a nation divided, a people torn asunder. To a certain degree it’s certainly true. I have lamented that condition in this very space numerous times that we are a nation of grievance and retaliation. And when you look at national politics, that notion certainly rings true, especially during a presidential election year. I have entered into plenty of wailing and gnashing of teeth regarding our nation’s internal con...
The guest column on this page explains the many reasons to support our local small businesses. The column states “Small businesses are the backbone of our democracy, and the solution to our most challenging economic problems.” We suggest you support our local businesses this holiday season, as well as year around. The Merry Christmas Market gives you another reason to shop local - $500 in Chamber Bucks can be won over the next two weeks. It is really easy. All you have to do is shop local at a participating business and turn in your rec...
We want to take the opportunity to say how thankful we are for our loyal advertisers and readers. Many of you have supported us for several decades and continue to do so. To our loyal readers, thank you for your unwavering support. We truly appreciate you taking the time to engage with our content, and your continued presence is what drives us to keep putting out a newspaper each week. To our dedicated advertisers, we couldn’t do it without you! Thank you for partnering with us to keep this small town newspaper alive. Your continued trust in u...
The local Community Survey results are in and a public meeting was held on Tuesday evening to discuss the results, form committees and plan for next steps. We had the survey in our Oct. 3 edition as an insert, it was circulated to area business and on social media. Shurie Scheel is leading the way for the planning committee who put out the survey. If you did not get a chance to fill out the survey or attend Tuesday’s meeting, we are sure you can still participate in some way. The group has announced they will need several volunteers to serve o...
At the IR, we are gearing up for the holiday season and so are our area businesses and organizations. We are running an ad special in November and December so check out the ad on page 2 for details on how you can save big with multiple ads. If you have an event coming up, please let us know. We will be happy to work up an advertising package, write an article and take photos at the event. In this week’s edition, you will find information on several upcoming events happing around our community. This weekend, a local favorite, the annual B...
