Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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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...
There’s something to be said about a flag at half-staff. It certainly is noticeable when we see our stars and stripes flying not as high as they should. It gives us pause, time to think and to reflect. Though there is no doubt as to why our Broadway flag, as well as the magnificent display from the Thermopolis Volunteer Fire Department, was at half-staff for September 11 there are often times when the Flag is seen at this post and we may not know why. Thankfully, having search engines literally on hand, we can quickly look up why. Though w...
By Tuesday most residents in Hot Springs County probably realized the smoke from various fires in the state had worked its way to us. The biggies are the Fishhawk fire, which is on the North Fork near Cody, the Saddle Butte fire at Jackson Hole and the Pedro Mountain fire at Casper, east of Pathfinder Reservoir. Depending on wind direction, we could be having hazy days for days. This, of course is the result of a beautiful, wet spring and temperatures that didn’t really reach the triple digits, but the air was definitely dry. Consequently, gras...
Labor Day is certainly an interesting name for a holiday, considering how many people actually have the day off from work, but it’s not necessarily our own labors we are celebrating. Celebrated on the first Monday in September, Labor Day was begun with the growth of the trade union and labor movements; Oregon was the first to recognize it as an official public holiday in 1887. The day is set aside to celebrate labor, i.e. work, though picnics and relaxing during the three-day weekend have become more of the standards for celebration. Whether y...
We have come to the “Dog Days” of summer when the mornings are cool and the afternoons so hot you just want to sit on the porch with the pups and enjoy something cool to drink. It also marks the start of school and before long it will be crisp leaves, flannel shirts and football. These are some of the days we cherish the most as we kiss the beauty of summer good-bye. We really have been lucky in Hot Springs County this summer. Other than a few small grass fires here and there, and the current fire on the Arapahoe Ranch, we have had no maj...
Well, we’re finally here. The final home stretch before we’re back to school schedules. It’s been a fun summer with plenty of activities for people to come out, show their support and pump up our community. But, that same energy we have for our town needs to continue well beyond the summer months. Sports are starting up with golf practice kicking off this week and football, cross country and volleyball on the horizon. While being able to make every game through the season is ideal, it’s also very difficult, but showing our Bobcats our support...
Summer is quickly coming to an end with just a few weeks left before the official start of school. There’s an old joke about being a teacher…"the best part is June, July and August"…but did you know our school teachers are already back at work? The staff for the Hot Springs County School District went back to work on Monday, having sessions on professional teaching and development, working on curriculum and getting their classrooms ready for the 2019-2020 school year. Many of the teachers spent their summer taking advanced education class...
In addition to the fun, the competitions and the animals during the annual Fair Week, in the newspaper industry just how many pictures we can take in a week, a day, even an hour. This weeks is one of our busiest in terms of photos, and when it’s all done we have, literally, thousands to choose from. Add to that the long lists of results coming in, regular events happening around town, and all the other news going on in Thermopolis, and it’s easy to see just how quickly our pages fill up. Some might think that we’re partial to one person, busin...
