Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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As a newspaper, our primary goal is to inform our readers of what’s happening in the world, not just locally but on the state and, if necessary, national level. In recent weeks, we’ve been keeping you updated on what’s happening in the Legislature. However, it is this same Legislature that has made not one, but three attempts at keeping us at doing our jobs when it comes to keeping our town and county leaders accountable. The first of these attempts came from House Bill 146, which would take out requirements that names be published with the s...
Imagine how hard it must be to look for “something” when you really have no idea what that “something” looks like. Take the situation at our high school and the JUUL. Do you know what it is? Do you know what it looks like? This takes the proverbial needle in a haystack to a completely different level when you’re not even sure what that needle looks like. As parents and grandparents we are often woefully behind the times when it comes to the latest trends with teens. We’re fairly on-point when it comes to things we can see, like telling tha...
When the New Year rolls in, it’s often accompanied with the hope that this year will be better than the last. Unfortunately, a new year doesn’t mean all the bad news from the previous gets suddenly whisked away and we start over with a clean slate. It seems lately that there’s been more and more bad news in the national and, unfortunately, quite a bit on the state and local level. There’s trouble in the schools, on the borders, at the capitol. But, as the saying goes “things are always the darkest before the dawn,” and we can help bring that...
Earlier this week Thermopolis and Hot Springs County experienced a changing of the guard of sorts with the swearing in of all the new folks elected last November. With this new year we are also looking at a new chance to come together for the betterment of our community. We have new people in top positions in law enforcement. New judges donning black robes. While the faces aren’t new, there has been some shuffling of those in charge or working in different departments in the courthouse and Town Hall. No community is perfect, but with these c...
What a week it’s been. Aside from the dump of snow we got for the New Year, as well as the resulting drifts, here at The Independent Record we’ve had a storm of a different kind. Last week, a town employee presented us with Contribution Report documents regarding a political candidate and accused us of making illegal campaign contributions. The accuser also feels a local business made illegal contributions as well. The Independent Record has not, did not and will not make campaign contributions to any candidate. The small business being acc...
In a few short days we will be faced with a book filled with blank pages – 2019. Each new year is our chance to leave behind the previous year and fill those blank pages with new memories. Some of us will make resolutions with the finest of intentions, like losing weight, stopping smoking or even making amends with family and friends. Of course, there is also the portion of us that, while we may have good intentions, will let those resolutions slide before January is even over. We need to keep in mind that forgetting about our New Year’s res...
We’re sure you’ll notice a little extra bulk in your paper this week, thanks to our annual printing of the Letters to Santa. While it’s quite a busy time at the Thermopolis Independent Record getting all those letters typed up — mistakes and all — before they’re shipped on to the North Pole, it’s also one of the best. Reading over the wishes of our community’s youth helps revive some of that Christmas Spirit when it’s less than a week from the big day and holiday shopping has run us down. Even though our fingers might get tired, our hearts get...
As we begin hanging our stockings with care, wrapping presents and dreaming of a white Christmas, there are those right here in our community that will not be having a Merry Christmas without our help. The Department of Family Services (DFS) has a tree at Thermop Hardware filled with tags from our children who are in dire need of some Christmas gifts. When it comes to our friends and family, we have no problem spending our hard-earned dollars to make sure they have the newest technology, an expensive sweater or maybe a new piece of jewelry....
The leftovers of turkey and sides have dwindled and the snow’s sticking around a lot more, sure signs that we are well into the holiday shopping season. For those who put off fulfilling those wish lists until the few remaining weeks of the year, you don’t need to worry about travelling along busy and sometimes treacherous highways to get what you need. Sure, the official Shop Small Saturday has already come and gone, but there’s still plenty of time to take advantage of what we have locally before heading to the big box stores. And recen...
Old Man Winter certainly set the weather forecasters on their ear Saturday, proving once again that you can predict all you want to, but the reality is an inch of snow can turn into way more if you live in Wyoming. Now is the time to remember “patience is a virtue” as we wait for streets to be cleared. Although the Town of Thermopolis crews were out doing their best on Saturday afternoon, there was just so much snow at once that it made things difficult at best. Yes, there are piles of snow all along Broadway from the stop light to the rai...
The annual celebration of the turkey is upon us and hopefully this week finds you with friends and family, whether it’s at home or on the road, to share in this wonderful holiday. While the day is one to be excited for, with the promises of gut-busting meals, football games and those infamous Black Friday crowds, one need only look at the holiday’s name to know what it’s made for — giving thanks. Though thankfulness is something we should express in our day-to-day, even if it is just for something as simple as getting through another day, Th...
Where are we supposed to park? That’s been the mantra the last few days as a high profile case out of Natrona County moved into the Hot Springs County Courthouse and is expected to be here well over a week. Yes, its a little inconvenient for us locals to have to walk a bit to get to the courthouse or the post office or the bank, the library or Public Health, but the upside to the situation is it isn’t costing us anything but a little inconvenience. Because this trial was moved to Hot Springs County, Natrona County is footing the bill for eve...
If you’re like us here at the Independent Record, last night you were anxiously awaiting the General Election results. This week’s front page gives a look at what our local numbers were. Some race results were certainly a surprise, while others went as predicted, but the one thing they all have in common is that they’re over. All of the disagreements over who is best for the town, county and state can be put to rest. Mind you, this isn’t something that will happen overnight. Those voted in will be cheered by some, while also being scrutin...
We are on the final lap with the finish line in sight. Tuesday, Nov. 6 is the General Election and we urge everyone to get out and cast your vote. This edition of the Thermopolis Independent Record includes our election section, filled with a good deal of information to help you make your decision next week when you head to the polls. This election season has been an interesting one with plenty of candidates tossing their hats in the ring, wanting to help make things better for our community, our state and our country. At the Independent...
Certainly one of the most talked about races in the General Election is for the Hot Springs County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees. To that end, the Community Hall was home to a special forum for all six who are on the ballot for the school board. A similar situation happened in the Primary, with a forum specifically for candidates in the running for Hot Springs County Sheriff. As with any forum this past election year, introductions were given, questions were asked and answered, and there was plenty of visiting with candidates outside...
The Joint Appropriations Committee for the State of Wyoming will be meeting in Thermopolis next Wednesday and Thursday and it looks as though Tom Forslund, the Director of the Department of Health, may be gearing up for another run at selling the Wyoming Pioneer Home. In their wisdom, Wyoming’s founding fathers created the Wyoming Pioneer Home, by state legislation in 1949, for “the purpose of providing a place for the care and maintenance of residents of this state who are afflicted with the infirmities of old age.” (W.S. 25-8-101) Here in Ho...
The first recognized printed newspaper is a publication titled “Relation,” published in Antwerp in 1605 under Johann Carolus. However, the first evidence of a newspaper is the “Acta Diurna,” published in Rome around 59 B.C. Against such dates, 117 years might not seem a significant span of time to some, but that’s how long the Thermopolis Independent Record has been bringing the news of Hot Springs County to you. The Independent Record came about when two papers — The Thermopolis Record and the Thermopolis Independent — merged. It is the off...
Schools across the Cowboy State received the results of the new Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) recently, a new testing method for our students that replaces the PAWS testing of the past. Our students did well, ranking in the top 10 in some of the categories tested at the individual grade levels. Kudos to our kids! However, what is concerning is the state averages on the same tests. There are many, many students in the state of Wyoming who show below basic skills in areas such as math, English and science. Wyoming schools suf...
It seems like this year has been the “Year of the Detour” when driving around Thermopolis, with work being done to replace water transmission lines and the renovations happening outside Gottsche and the hospital. It seems like almost daily one’s route has to change to get to a destination, particularly on the south side of town. A return to our regular routes is on the horizon, though, and even though delays happened — both early on and recently — with the water line project, adjustments were made to the timeframe and additional crews wer...
Monday is the start of Homecoming Week for the Thermopolis Bobcats. A time when alumni return home to see the parade and cheer on our volleyball players and football team. Gone are the days of the snake dance through downtown and the burning of the effigy at the flagpole with the cheerleaders, the band and almost the entire town, but we have to understand today’s Bobcats have their own idea of fun and we should be joining in just as we did decades ago. Have you ever seen a “Mangeant”? It takes a lot of courage and self confidence for these...
“We the people.” These three words form the beginning of one of the most important documents in our country’s history, the U.S. Constitution. September 17 marks Constitution Day, commemorating the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by 39 men on Sept. 17, 1787. While the Declaration of Independence was adopted in July of 1776, it was the U.S. Constitution that set forth the supreme laws of these United States and recognized all who were born in the country or by naturalization as citizens, laying the groundwork of what our count...
The newspaper industry let out a huge sigh of relief this past week as the U.S. International Trade Commission overturned an administrative decision imposing tariffs on Canadian newsprint that went into effect in January. That tariff could have ultimately caused newspapers across the country to raise their prices by nearly double or create layoffs of reporters, photographers and other staff to make up for the cost. Small, weekly newspapers such as ourselves, would have felt the pinch, possibly to the point of putting us out of business....
With the Primary Election behind us, it seems the hot topic still on the table is water, particularly whether we continue to use surface water or explore sinking a well at other sites to start using ground water. However, another water project has certainly seen some prominence in the past couple months — the water line rehabilitation project. The project began as an already large undertaking, incorporating Hot Springs State Park, Fifth Street, Seventh Street, and small portions of Warren Street and Sixth Street. However, there’s been ple...
The graduating Class of 2032 started kindergarten Wednesday. The newest little sparks of flame that make up the Thermopolis Bobcats began their journey with new backpacks, crayons and glue sticks just like countless alumni that came before them. There is a difference, though. These days they’ve gone beyond “The Three R’s”, reading, writing and ‘rithmetic, to computers and robotics and common core. Every child has the same opportunity in the Hot Springs County School District to not only receive the best education possible, but to leave those ha...
What an issue it’s been This week, we’re sure you’ll notice the paper is quite a bit larger than our weekly publication. That’s because we’re providing our readers with a final look at the candidates who are in this year’s elections. Whether running in contended races or not, we’re hoping this section provides you with new information or refreshes your memory about the multitude of local candidates we have this year. This past week has been a crazy one for us, working with the deadlines we set to make contact with those running for office, give...
