Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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In the six years since former Gov. Matt Mead began championing expanding Medicaid in the state, much has changed – including the state’s financial house and the hearts and minds of some state senators and representatives. In opposing previous attempts to expand Medicaid coverage in the state expansion, many state lawmakers were fearful that the federal government would pull out of its 90% federal match for newly covered individuals, leaving Wyoming with the bill. The latest attempt at expansion ensures the state would withdraw from the fed...
Reading a newspaper is a good habit to get into that can provide much needed information about politics, economy, schools, entertainment, sports, businesses, commerce, etc. People who read newspapers enhance their knowledge about information while improving language and vocabulary skills. Public notices in newspapers provide a third-party, independent check to government transparency in a permanent record that can not be altered in the future. Newspapers offer readers a single, convenient location to find out a large variety of information...
Do you want to know what your city, county and school districts are up to? As a responsible taxpayer and citizen of your community, of course you want to keep an eye on what these governments are undertaking. Where do you go for that information? Do you spend your day logging into the county’s website to find what your county commissioners did about county roads at their last meeting, but can’t find anything about it in their meeting minutes? Next you switch over to the town’s website so you can read about changes in garbage pick-up days and r...
In case you’re unawares, this past Thursday the Wyoming Senate committee advanced Senate File 17, a bill that calls for removing some of the public notices that local governments are required to publish in newspapers. Instead, the bill calls for making cities and counties to provide said information on websites. It has the support of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association (WCCA), as well as the Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM). The argument is that this is a way for local governments to save on publishing costs amid ongoing b...
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, State Superintendent of Schools Jillian Balow, Sen. John Barrasso, Sen. Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Liz Cheney all seem to agree on at least one thing, the Biden Administration’s 60-day suspension of all federal leases and permits to drill on federal land will be devastating for Wyoming’s economy and people. They are calling the move a strike on the heart of Wyoming jobs, families and communities. Wyoming and other western states have oil and gas lease sales scheduled. Several of these lease sales will be held in the...
The editor of this paper felt like she heard a collective gasp last week as people read a letter to the editor on this page of the January 14 edition titled “Take down the Trump flags.” There has been a long standing letter to the editor policy at the Independent Record that allowed for strong censorship of the type of letters that were accepted for print on this page. Upon review of that policy at the beginning of 2021, a decision was made by the editor to allow for more open discussion on a larger variety of topics. Calling out elected off...
It has been a week and many are still trying to wrap their minds around what happened at our Nation’s Capitol January 6. For some it clearly marks the definition between “us” and “them”, while for others it shows, in glaring clarity, that our country must come together to heal what was becoming an ever-widening rift. Men scaled the walls of one of our most beloved institutions, while onlookers wondered who they were, which side they were on, and wondered what was going to happen next as reporters relayed whatever information they had at that mo...
Humans love to shame and blame others in the best of times, but bring on a public health crisis and it turns hard core. Add the speed and reach of social media and now the toxicity has reached all new heights. Some people shame when they feel threatened by something. They need an explanation, and they find a scapegoat. It helps them reaffirm their thinking and make sense of what’s happening. Through social media, everyone has a voice and feels justified to use their voice in often harsh, hateful ways. Things are said through a keyboard that w...
The challenges and uncertainty of this past year have made many of us look forward to the New Year like we have never before. We are ready to turn the page and head into 2021. It has been a stressful year for most of us with all that has been asked of us and all the adaptation we have had to do. It’s a popular practice to set New Year’s resolutions. Sticking to those resolutions is often tricky and stressful. The disappointment and stress of not sticking to our resolutions can be counterproductive, even in the best of times. Given the dif...
This Christmas, along with the upcoming New Year, is almost certain to be unlike any before. Physical distancing and public health orders have changed how many plan to celebrate. Along with the regular stressors of the season, many are dealing with additional stress due to the fall out from COVID-19. In August of this year, a Wyoming-based suicide prevention lifeline became available which will strengthen the response available for state residents who find themselves in crisis, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). “If you, or so...
A list of businesses receiving CARES Act COVID-19 business relief in Thermopolis and other towns around the state of Wyoming relief is available to the public. The Independent Record has been contacted by members of the public who are questioning the legitimacy of businesses who received the funds and their amounts. The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) is putting several measures in place to mitigate and manage against fraudulent claims. As part of those measures, select businesses that received funds through five grant programs will be audited....
The changes we’ve experienced this year have affected everything and that includes how the school Christmas programs are going to be presented this year. In following the restrictions placed on the state by Governor Mark Gordon, the number of people who are going to be allowed in the auditorium for the various concerts is going to less than normal. Parents will be receiving wristbands for their families they must wear to gain entrance to the performances. That means that the general public will not be seeing the little ones’ band or choir pro...
For the 24th year, Community Christmas Baskets of food are available for those in need. Individuals or families may sign up by call the H.O.P.E Agency at 864-4673 or Public Health at 864-3311. You need to sign up by Monday, December 7. Curbside pickup or delivery will be on Saturday, December 19 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Donations are still being accepted and may be dropped off at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at the corner of Seventh and Arapahoe. For added convenience, this weekend a trailer will be set up in front of Hazel n Pears where food...
Businesses and members of our community have always been known for their generosity. This year has been difficult for families and businesses and it is looking like the economic struggles will continue into 2021. This Christmas, more than ever, it is important to remember the less fortunate. Locally, there are several ways to help those who are struggling financially. Two Christmas gift tree programs are going on, one for senior citizens and one for children. The Elf Tree for children is set up at Thermopolis Hardware. Donors may selected an...
The Thermopolis VFW Post, as well as others across the state and country, along with many other businesses and organizations, have a long standing tradition of honoring Veterans on November 11 for Veterans Day. This page features a look back at a ceremony at the VFW post from 1993. There is also a letter to the editor from a reader who shares her personal memories and feelings regarding Veterans. Although November 11 is officially designated as Veterans Day every year, most of us, the Independent Record staff included, are thankful for our...
Once the 2020 election has come and gone, please remember your neighbors are still your neighbors. People who live in a small community have the most to do with shaping it. None of the presidential candidates are going to be ringing up your groceries, helping you out with yard work or fixing your car but your neighbors will be. Everyone is entitled to vote for who they choose. No one is entitled to shame or ridicule someone for how they voted. Our community members will still be working together, learning together, shopping together,...
We need to get through this time and tighten our belts, just as we have through two World Wars, terrorist attacks and other epidemics. Newspapers in the United States have traveled rough seas to the First Amendment freedoms we enjoy today. From the colonial Stamp Act through wartime censorship to today, when thousands of newspapers were slammed with the public health emergency known as COVID-19, people who work for newspapers have never had completely smooth sailing. Now most of the businesses that advertise with us are shut down. The pipeline...
While not scientific by any means, the question was recently asked, “What would you like to see go into the former Shopko building?” There were some interesting answers like a roller rink, an outdoor retail outlet, a laser tag arena and even a lumber yard/agricultural combo with things like appliances or a paintball arena. Realistically though, most of the answers were for things like a store similar to Shopko with household items, clothing, shoes and whatnot. There were also suggestions of ano...
Still coming off the sugar high from the bags of candy passed out at Halloween — not to mention the discounted bags picked up at the stores starting Nov. 1 — advertisements online, over the radio waves and on television are already coming at us for the holiday season. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of consumerism this time of year with all the advertising, but it’s important to keep in mind that the greatest gifts you can give don’t cost a thing. With Thanksgiving just a couple weeks away, thought turn to turkey dinner with all...
It began as the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, with people dressing in costumes and lighting bonfires to ward off ghosts more than 2,000 years ago, but over time its developed into a night of fun for the young and young at heart, complete with tricks and treats. It is Halloween. Along with costumes for the kiddies, 20 percent of the population is now buying costumes for their pets, too. Its a lot of fun to see entire families dressed up together to take the young ones door-to-door looking for goodies. We don’t see much of the ...
It doesn’t seem like it should be nearly November already, but here we are. Nearly all the leaves have changed or fallen, sports seasons have or will be wrapping up soon and we’ve already had a touch of snow. Though times of change may seem like things are going too fast for us to handle, there’s always something positive to them. Though season closers mean nearly a year to wait for fall sports to start up again, the performance of our students has been amazing these past few months. Our volleyball and football teams have had some amazi...
Freedom of the press, of speech, of religion, of assembly and to petition the government are woven, like stars in the flag, into the fabric of the First Amendment. The blood of patriots is the seed of the Republic. The founders and those who followed in their footsteps invested their lives in this country. They assured there would be freedom of religion, and from religion, so the government could neither bless nor ban what anyone believes, as occurs under radical theocracies and communist regimes. The founders secured freedom of speech, to...
Questions that often come up from time to time when you work in the newspaper industry are “How do you remain objective in your writing?” or “How do you keep from putting your personal opinion in a story?” With there being so much emphasis on bias in the national media, it can be easy to want to go after local outlets as well and accuse them of leaving out facts to satisfy our own agendas, or keep out our names and those of family members. At the Independent Record, our main priority is bringing you the news happening here in the county...
In the current political climate in the United States its sometimes hard to discern what is real and what isn’t. I don’t just mean the difference between real news and fake news, but all of the items tossed at us through social media that insist they are the “right” answer to everything. Most of us were required to take a government class in high school to prepare us for the scary world outside those four walls, but how many of us really remember what documents like the Constitution actually say? Chances are, you haven’t actually looked at a co...
On the front page of this edition, you might notice we toot our own horn a bit, as we’re partnering with Hot Springs Travel and Tourism to distribute our annual visitor guide. Though the guide is only put out once per year, it’s something we work on for more than just a few days. In our day-to-day, we might have an idea pop up or a picture taken that won’t see print until it’s in the guide. The partnership with Travel and Tourism is one of the bigger steps in that improvement process, as it helps to share the story of Thermopolis to more of...
