2024 Hot Springs County Year in review

There were many memorable things that happened in Hot Springs County in 2024. The following is a look back at an important, unique or interesting story that ran in the Thermopolis Independent Record each week throughout the year. We enjoying covering the happens in our community and look forward to capturing the moments and memories of 2025. Happy New Year!

January

January 4

At the December Hot Springs County School District #1 board meeting, during the public comments section, Bob Aguiar came to speak about academic statistics and transportation. However, Chairman Skelton asked which agenda item Aguiar wanted to address. Per their policy rules, public comments must be related to topics on the agenda of the meeting. Aguiar responded, “Transportation. Is that on your agenda tonight?” An unidentified person said, “No.”

Trustee Bethany Webber asked, “Were you talking about the policy we’re revising? There’s a safety policy and a policy that includes transportation in one of our policy revisions.” Trustee Weyer said, “If there’s an agenda item that you want us to vote a certain way on, we talk about that. You can talk about the policy itself and whether you like it or don’t.”

Aguiar said, “I’ll just make sure we get on the agenda for the next meeting. I turned in the paperwork over a week ago. I thought someone would let me know if you thought I needed to get it on the agenda.”

January 11

Last Thursday, the boys team trampled all over Glenrock’s Senior Night, coming away with a win, scoring 60 points to Glenrock’s 12. The Cats had only one lost match, winning all others by pins. Coach Travis McDermott  said, “I was really impressed with our guys keeping their heads in the beginning, when we had quite a few wrestlers give up the first takedown. It showed maturity being able to come right back and get after them.” Moving on to Douglas, the Cats scored 105 points, and finished tied for 8th place (with Laramie), out of 28 teams competing – including nine 4A teams, and two  teams from out of state. “Friday was a great day for the boys, as they went up against some stiff competition and knocked off several  ranked wrestlers. Everyone came out wrestling with no fear or reservation, and they were focused on each match. It was impressive to see this kind of wrestling out of this group,” said coach McDermott. 

January 18

Mother and father, Cyndal and Cameron Burrows, welcomed their daughter Amelia Koda Burrows as the first baby born in 2024 at Hot Springs Health on January 9 at 4:27 p.m. Amelia was 19 inches and weighed 6 pounds, 2 oz. Dr. Hallie Bischoff helped perform the delivery, her sixth first baby of the year in a row. 

January 25

At the January 16 Hot Springs County Commissioners board meeting, they voted and

passed the approval to sign a letter of support regarding the HSC Shooting Complex Committee Proposal Submission. Commissioner Paul Galovich explained that the committee is getting ready to issue a pre-RFP that is due by March 1. A final RFP will be due by April 1. This is how the state will process their decision making in choosing a location for the shooting complex.

A task force of 11 members, which is comprised under the direction of the governor, will narrow down the list of three or five potential locations. The state of Wyoming is budgeting $10 million to fund the shooting complex. Galovich also presented some studies that showed how Hot Springs County has less wind than other locations in Wyoming. This is important to the qualification of the shooting complex as wind negatively affects accuracy.

February

February 1

On Sunday, January, 21 at 6:16 a.m., the Thermopolis Police Department discovered a traffic accident that occurred in Hot Springs State Park causing damage to the Big Springs canal. The vehicle was removed from the small canal and the 25-year-old driver from Lander was cited by Thermopolis PD and Hot Springs State Park Rangers. There may be further citations pending from HSSP Rangers. As a result of the accident, damage was done to the original stonework of the canal’s wall and to the Wyoming State Engineer’s monitoring system which measures the Big Spring’s water flow. Hot Springs State Park Supervisor Chris Delay said regarding the damage, “We are looking for restitution from the driver to cover the repairs. We are going to repair it as close to original as possible after winter. We’re not going to change anything. We’re going to try to get each stone to where it was originally, or as close as possible.”

The amount of the restitution has not yet been determined. Delay added that “Most of it’s just labor work using the old stone. We’re not going to change anything or update it. Just want to make it back the way it was.” There are reports that the driver may not have been able to see very well because of the dark and the steam coming off the water so they may have thought the area was a parking lot.

February 8

The Yellowstone Highway through the Wind River Canyon was a radical idea when it was first proposed. A few remote ranchers protested that they didn’t need a road and didn’t want to pay a new tax for one since they would never own a vehicle. The town founders, however, were desperate for an easier route for autoists to reach the inaccessible town of Thermopolis and met personally with these protesters, trying to explain the importance of these new contraptions.

In 1915, it was a dangerous, long trip to get to Thermopolis over the Wind River Canyon in your automobile over Birds Eye Pass. Some even failed in their attempt to drive over the pass and abandoned their Model T’s rather than take the treacherous path ever again. During the more passable summer months, the alternative was to ride the stage which ran from Shoshoni to Thermopolis daily, taking 12 to 14 hours to get passengers to their final destination.

To illustrate the desperate need for a safe highway, stories were shared of just how dangerous even the stage could be. John Hulse, a coal miner from Gebo, recalled some of his own personal mishaps when he worked for E. J. Richards as stage coach driver over Birdseye Pass.

Hulse recalls that the stage was 18 miles from Thermopolis to Birdseye and 18 more miles into Shoshoni. Lunch was served at the Half-Way House to the dusty passengers who felt “each mile seemed longer than the rest.”

The trail was perilous with one particular spot, Devils Slide, only about 30 feet wide. Hulse related that “you really had to be careful and stay on the trail; if you didn’t it was a sheer drop off the cliff.”

During the winter, Hulse drove the stage through snow, belly deep, the lead team rearing and lunging to break trail, and the wheel team pulling the load. It wasn’t just the weather and terrain that made driv ing stage over Birds Eye so hazardous.

February 15

At the February 6 Thermopolis Town Council meeting held at Town Hall during citizen participation, Tonya Petty presented herself to the council and said, “Months ago, after the special prosecutor’s report came out, you stated that policies and procedures were being reviewed by an outside source. Is that a correct statement? Was that to update and improve upon them or just to review them for that specific case?”

Mayor Adam Estenson replied, “Seeing that the review is still in place, we’re not going to comment on anything on that just yet. That’s still ongoing.”

Next, Jason Bowman presented himself to the council and said, “I’m just curious about when the body cam footage was going to be released. You know, we’ve talked about it prior. It’s been mentioned that maybe last month it would be out. I’d like to know if you can give us an update on when it would be released, how we’re going to access it, those types of things.”

Mayor Estenson asked Town Attorney Marshall Keller, “What’s your comfort level with giving an update on the status of that?”

Keller replied, “We have gone through a couple of them by now, and I expect those will be issued here soon. Unfortunately, we will not be able to do all of them at once like we had planned because there’s just been such a huge request for information on multiple incidents. So it’s going to be coming soon, I believe, and I’m not sure the exact release date, but I know we’re already working with people and are going to be setting up the access for the public to gain access to all electronically.”  

February 22

The Hot Springs Speech and Debate Team continued their successful season, bringing home a 1A/2A Championship trophy for the third weekend in a row after finishing first at the large, dog-themed Roverton Speech and Debate Tournament held at Riverton High School on February 9-10, 2024. The Bobcats followed up the Riverton competition with a second place Small School sweepstakes trophy at the Evanston High School Tournament on February 16-17, 2024.

February 29

Hot Springs State Park announced updates regarding the management agreements for the Star Plunge aquatic facility and Hot Springs Hotel. Brooks Jordan, Big Horn District Manager, shares insights into the future plans and partnership developments between C and W Enterprises, Inc. (Star Plunge) and Big Spring Spa, Inc. (Hot Springs Hotel and Spa) and Hot Springs State Park.

“We highly value our longstanding partnership with both management companies and wish to extend our appreciation for their dedication to Hot Springs State Park and the community,” states Jordan. “We are committed to the long-term viability of these facilities, and understand the important role they play in the local economy.”

The management agreement for the Star Plunge aquatic facility expires on December 31, 2024, while the Hot Springs Hotel and Spa has a management agreement that expires on October 31, 2026. As the current management agreements for both facilities approach their expiration dates, several key considerations are in motion.

Wyoming State Parks regulations mandate a request for proposals (RFP) process for concession contracts exceeding five (5) years in duration.

Therefore, any long-term lease agreements for the Star Plunge or Hot Springs Hotel properties necessitate compliance with the RFP procedure.

“The ongoing RFP process for the development of a new hotel, aquatic facility, and convention space at Hot Springs State Park presents an opportunity for the potential continued management, operation, or significant redevelopment of the Star Plunge aquatic facility and Hot Springs Hotel,” explained Jordan.

Interested parties, including C and W Enterprises, Inc., and Big Spring Spa, Inc., are encouraged to submit proposals for the current RFP. The deadline for submissions is March 13, 2024. Upon completion of the RFP process and subsequent contract negotiations, Wyoming State Parks will communicate its decision regarding both management agreements’ renewal or expiration.

March

March 7

State Champion Wrestler, Lilly Quintanilla, competed in the Wyoming Amateur Wrestling Association Junior State Tournament, held in Lander over the weekend.  The Tournament brings high school wrestlers together to compete in both Greco-Roman, and Freestyle wrestling.  Adding wins in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle, to her State Championship from last week, Lilly becomes the first ever Triple-Crown Champion wrestler in Lady Cat history.

As she has done all season, Lilly dominated again, going 3 and 0 in the Greco-Roman competition - pinning all three of her opponents, with all wins coming early in the first period.  A very proud Coach Travis McDermott said:  “Lilly showed her athleticism with some great throws, and her typical tenacity on the mat.”

In Freestyle, Lilly racked up over twenty points in three her  matches.  “Lilly had a technical fall in her first match, with three outstanding moves.  In her Semi-Finals Match, she got a great double leg straight to a pin.  In the Championship Match, she again racked up a quick ten points for her final tech-fall.  Lilly showed what an amazing athlete she is, by going 6 and 0 on the day, and not giving up a single point in either side of the Tournament.” 

March 14

At the March 5 Thermopolis Town Council meeting held at Town Hall, Mayor Adam Estenson made a statement regarding the released body cam footage of Sergeant Mike Mascorro related to the incident on April 28. He said, “It was my decision to release only portions of that footage…The intent was to include pertinent footage to cut down on the amount of viewing time because it’s the duration of the day in different segments as the camera is turned on and turned off throughout the day, which is standard. Also, we have issues with just our staffing bandwidth. We don’t have a lot of staff to process those videos, and it takes quite a bit of time to do that.”

Mayor Estenson added, “In the decision-making process, I felt that special prosecutor Mr. Daniel Erramouspe’s opinion… which was released on the 20th of October of last year, did a really good job of narrating the day’s events, particularly in regard to the footage of Sergeant Mascorro’s body worn camera. Both the opinion from Daniel Erramouspe and the article came directly from the DCI report. So that puts the DCI report in the public and then with the footage we released, I felt transparency had been achieved. After we released the footage two weeks ago, multiple members of the community reached out to me directly to air their concerns that transparency had not been met.”

Mayor Estenson continued and said, “Anybody who sat down with me at all and a few in the room who have sat down with me. Listening is a core value for me. And listening is a foundation to make our republic run efficiently. So I appreciate the community’s input. Those that reached out directly to me. And then I appreciate people’s patience with any confusion that’s been created. We could have perhaps fought harder to withhold that footage, but we as a team did not feel that that was in the community’s best interest. I wanted the footage to be released in a professional format, and I wanted it to be consistent so that going forward with other requests that will be received, we have consistency with how we release that to the public.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t release the remaining footage of the tape of April 28th until such a time that all the other public records requests have been fulfilled, so that a lot of requests that need to be done. When all those are done, we will then take the time to upload that footage to the police department’s YouTube channel.” 

March 21

The Central Wyoming Cutting Club (CWCC) celebrated its 35th anniversary and recognized its original members James Johnson, Martin Bader, Melody Robinson, and Mel Dahl. Current club president Hayden Heaphy sat down with the founders, along with director Bruce Keller, and spoke about the importance of all the original founding members and their anniversary. Original founding member Martin Bader was unable to attend. 

Heaphy said, “Thirty-five years is a heck of a long time for any organization to survive, especially a volunteer group of people that have been together and pursue their sport.” Heaphy added that the original members, “laid a foundation that younger people like Bruce Keller and I have just been able to build on and follow up on…The whole idea, not to speak for these guys, was to find a place where we could come consistently and every year, and people from all over the state who wanted to ride cutting horses could get together and pursue their sport and their passion.” The CWCC has participants who not only come from Wyoming but also from Montana.

March 28

Sean Kruse and his fiance Michelle Dang opened The Polish Nail & Spa for business on March 19. They are located at 110 North 5th Street. Kruse moved to Thermopolis about five years ago after he left Aberdeen, South Dakota where he worked as a store manager at Walmart for 30 years. Kruse is also the Deputy Assessor for Hot Springs County. Just before he left for Wyoming, Kruse met Michelle Dang and immediately fell in love. 

For the past five years, their long-distance relationship blossomed and together they decided to create The Polish Nail & Spa. Dang has 15 years of experience as a nail artist doing manicures and pedicures. She worked in the nail shop in Walmart where they met. Dang lived two years in Bismarck and then eight years in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

April

April 4

The Town of Thermopolis Landfill is at the end of its life cycle and for many years town officials have been trying to plan for the transition to a transfer station. Previous town administration planned to have a transfer station located on land just north of Thermopolis and had explored the idea of privatizing garbage collection. 

Thermopolis Mayor Adam Estenson gave his current perspective on how the town is planning to handle its trash and the preparations for a transfer station. Recently, the town council accepted a bid to purchase a new trash truck. This action sparked a new interest in learning what direction the town is now taking.

Mayor Estenson said, “First and foremost, I want to keep the town in control of our sanitation haul, which is primarily the driver here. Someday the landfill will close and that is coming very soon. We have to cease operations as a sanitary landfill. It’ll still be open for construction and demolition material.”

The state and the federal EPA through the DEQ have mandated that the town’s landfill is at the end of its life cycle. The cost to permit and line and continue to operate additional cells within the landfill is extremely cost-prohibitive, according to the Mayor. “And it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for the amount of time you get per cell.” 

With the coming closing of the landfill, the state has stepped in to provide funds to build a transfer station.

April 11

At the Thermopolis Town Council board meeting held at Town Hall, Mayor Adam Estenson and the council held a public hearing at the request of property owner Allen Webber, from Casper, for an appeal to a nuisance violation for 117 Fremont Street. Webber did not appear for his requested public hearing. An unidentified subject attempted to represent the property owner. This subject was later identified by town officials as property tenant Paul Mathewson. However, Mayor Estenson said, “I don’t have any documentation stating that you would be representing him. I need Mr. Allen Weber to be here tonight. Is Mr. Allen Weber here?” No one answered. Mayor Estenson continued and said, “Mr. Allen Weber has not shown up here tonight. He will waive his right to a public hearing. However, we will still need to determine if the property rises to the level of a nuisance.”

According to information presented during the meeting, the property contains piles of junk, scrap metal, abandoned vehicles, appliances, tires, cardboard, wood, shingles, a bus, an RV, multiple lawnmowers, and other various items. Some of the complaints given were about leaking oil into the soil and that there were skunks and vermin present on the property.

April 18

The State Parks and Cultural Resources Commission met virtually over Google Meet on April 11 at 9 a.m. to address proposals for concession operations at Hot Springs State Park. President Dr. Robert Tyrrell asked Deputy Director Nick Neylon to go over the Request For Proposals (RFP) process and said there were three RFPs submitted. 

Wyo Parks Concessions & Revenue Manager Stephanie Dillmon identified the three RRPs anonymously, labeled each by letters and gave their scores. Proposal A was scored 2786 and was described to “include renovation and upgrades to the existing Hot Springs Hotel and Spa at the conclusion of that contract in 2026. The proposal included comprehensive updates to the facility, such as a redesigned lobby, bar and restaurant space, improved food and beverage options, a new mineral pool, and glamping teepees along the riverfront. The proposal did not include a new aquatic facility other than replacing the existing freshwater pool and mineral hot tub with a new mineral hot pool.”

Dillmon said Proposal B was scored 5213 and included “renovation and upgrades after the expiration of any current contracts to the following. For TeePee pools, they proposed full reconstruction to transform the facility into a new spa and wellness center, which would be more adult-oriented, quiet, relaxing, and focused on the healing properties of the waters.”

“For Star Plunge, they proposed renovations and upgrades to the existing facility while preserving the mid-century historic theme. The facility would have a family-focused atmosphere with a poolside diner and more kid-friendly water features like slides and swimming pools. 

“For the Hot Springs Hotel and Spa. They proposed a complete rebuild or renovation. It takes more advantage of the river area. It would include upgraded food and beverage options, a larger outdoor pool, a riverfront sitting area, and more. Potential other offerings in that proposal included potential management of the state bathhouse, nature trails, events and for entertainment, a drive-in theater, a brewpub, glamping facilities such as airstreams or canvas tents.”

Dillmon said Proposal C was scored 3379, and it “included renovations and upgrades to the existing Star Plunge facility at the conclusion of that contract. The proposal would put new features such as a new splash park replacing the vapor cave, new pizzeria and ice cream parlor. It also proposed a potential management and some improvements to the state bathhouse. That proposal did not include any hotel or banquet facilities.”

Dillmon said regarding the scores, the maximum possible would be 6000. She also said, “The evaluation committee’s recommendation for the winner of the proposals is proposer B, and we seek the Commission’s recommendation.” 

April 25

The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) is applying for a two-year feasibility study to explore the possibility of alternative routes into and out of the Big Horn Basin, which would be a redundancy for the traffic through Wind River Canyon.

This study will guide WYDOT’s resilience planning decision for the Wind River Corridor responding to various closure and travel delay risks it frequently faces, from rockfalls and landslides, to inclement weather and crashes.

According to WYDOT officials, “Specifically, the Feasibility Study will focus on US Highway 20/State Highway 789, commonly referred to as the Wind River Canyon Corridor of the Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway, which provides crucial north-south access to many important destinations, including the Wind River Reservation, nearby rural communities, multiple state parks, and Yellowstone National Park.”

“Unfortunately, the Wind River Corridor is the most at-risk corridor for rock falls and landslides in the state. These natural hazards, compounded by winter weather, challenging road geometry and tunnels that constrict movement, threaten the corridor’s resilience as well as the connectivity and access it provides to the Wind River Reservation, nearby communities, and freight and tourist mobility.”

Cody Beers, WYDOT Senior Public Relations Specialist for District Five in Riverton, said, “This feasibility study will assess WYDOT in finding ways to improve our highway system in central Wyoming, both from a resiliency standpoint and a reliability standpoint. We hope to reduce crashes, delays and closure. That’s one of the main outcomes of the study.” 

Beers continued and said, “Additionally, identifying a better alternate route could help improve redundancy with freight and tourism movements, as well as for local travelers. It’s an efficient alternate route to the highway is identified. It would improve travel time, and reliability compared to existing alternate routes, as well as fuel and cost savings for free movement and other travelers.”

Beers further explained, “When the corridor is closed, it faces travel time delays. But basically, we want to look at the canyon, find more ways to reduce crashes, delays and closures. And then hopefully we can identify the best alternate route to give us a redundant route into and out of the Big Horn basin. Because right now, if you want to, if there’s a closure in Wind River Canyon, it effectively shuts down from the bypass.” 

May

May 2

At the April Hot Springs County School Board Trustees meeting, business manager Jessica Benefiel gave the financial report and discussed some expenditures that included new vehicles and computers. 

Benefiel also said, “A little further down the report on page four, you’ll see kind of a big one that’s a little over $37,000 to the IRS. And that is an issue I’ve had since back in September. In September, that is, every month we make an IRS payroll tax payment to the IRS. And that month, back in September, it didn’t work all the way through the submission process and I pulled that back up, and I did notice that the print out a backup documentation does say ‘pending’ on that. It doesn’t say ‘confirm’. Our office just didn’t get quite through that entire process. We caught it in December and remedied that. And then at the end of January, received a letter from the IRS saying, you’ve got these late payment fees. So if you have a response to that, provide it in writing by X date. So we did that with the explanation. This is the first time in years we’ve been late on payment. Caught it. Made the payment already before you guys sent the letter. Is there a way to waive these fees? Got a letter back a couple weeks later saying, ‘No. Tough noogies,’ and so spent hours over multiple days trying to actually speak to someone and we did get to speak to someone at one point who needed to pass this to a different department. And two hours later, ‘due to high call volumes here….’ so it’s been a pretty frustrating process. And we kind of had to at some point cut our productivity losses and not pick the fight of the IRS, I guess. So, that’s an unfortunate one. But that’s what that one is. That’s something that you wouldn’t usually see on there that I wanted to point out.”

May 9

The property owned by Dean and Jeanne Waltz in the 700 block of Shoshone Street has been sold to an LLC listed as Thermopolis DG and Jeanne Waltz has stated “Dollar General will be building a new store at the old Wyoming Gardens RV Park.” The couple has moved from Hot Springs County.

According to its website, Dollar General has more than 19,000 locations in 48 states. They carry items including snacks, food, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, housewares, seasonal items, paper products and more.

May 16

The Cody Region of the Wyoming Game and Fish welcomed two individuals to their new roles in the Big Horn Basin. Ashleigh Rhea has been selected as the new wildlife biologist for the Worland/Thermopolis district, replacing Bart Kroger who retired last December. Rhea previously served as a habitat mitigation biologist for Game and Fish in the Pinedale Region. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming in wildlife and fisheries management and a Master’s degree in Zoology and Physiology from the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Wyoming.

Rhea said she was drawn to the area because of the diverse habitats and wildlife species the Big Horn Basin has to offer.

Andy Roosa has been selected as the new Thermopolis game warden, replacing Heather Sterling, who transferred to Evanston. Roosa previously served as a game warden in Torrington, Rock Springs and Green River, and most recently trained new game wardens in his role as a recruitment, retention and training officer for Game and Fish. Roosa holds a Bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology and management from the University of Wyoming, and prior to employment with Game and Fish, served in the U.S. Army for seven years. Roosa is a Wyoming native from Rock Springs and looks forward to the opportunity to work in the community of Thermopolis.

May 23

At the Hot Springs County Travel & Tourism board meeting, Treasurer Audra Domingez gave the financial report and said their most recent lodging tax deposit was $19,121.83. This amount was a 33% increase in change from the previous year. The board held a discussion about carryover funds and how their accountant requested that they have a $10,000 cushion in their checking account in case there are unexpected issues. So far, during the fiscal year of 2023/24, they have collected $223,165.09 in lodging tax revenue. There are still two more months for collection to reach the end of the fiscal year. The board voted and passed the approval to have $7,864.00 deposited in their account. 

May 30

On May 22 Water Development Project Manager George Moser held the project kickoff and scoping meeting for the WWDC Study - Hot Springs County Supply Evaluation - Level II Study at the Annex building.

Moser provided a study background, which includes the 2023 planning projects. They were for the Hot Springs Rural Water Joint Powers Board (HSCRWJPB), the Owl Creek Water District, the May WWDC/SWC meeting, and consultant selection for the Omnibus Planning Bill.

Moser described their current WWDC funded study, Level II, which is an evaluation of existing and potential water supplies. Those include multiple options, evaluating potential fundings sources, identifying opportunities and pitfalls, identifying potential services areas and generating hypothetical user fees. Moses emphasized that the Level II study is not about construction or rate increases.

Moser also introduced Jeff Ronsenlund of DOWL and Ben Jordan, a geologist. 

As part of their presentation, they discussed how they review existing information, measure population water demand projections, take inventory and evaluate existing water resources. They also discussed water treatment plant options and groundwater supply evaluation. 

For the regional supply considerations, they have multiple options, they include sources, treatment, transmission, pumping, distribution, storage and system governance and operation.

Additionally, they will review water rights and ask: Are existing rights sufficient to supply future rural systems? Are additional rights available if they are needed? And if groundwater source is selected and a water treatment plan is not needed, what are options to preserve existing water rights?

June

June 6

At the May Hot Springs Health (HSH) board meeting, Chairman Dr. Bill Williams presented his resignation from the board effective June 1, 2024. The HSCMH District is accepting applications from interested parties to fulfill the balance of a 4 year unexpired term.

June 8

Thermopolis’s Porshia Birdsley won Second Place in the Nation at the United States Strongman Nationals in Dallas, Texas on June 3. Birdsley competed against 15 women in her class of 149 to 165 pounds. These athletes are the top in the nation and their scores were based on an accumulation of total points from each of the events.

There were five events Birdsley competed in. First was the Lever Ladder Deadlift with 110 pounds that reached 315 pounds, to be done as fast as possible. Second, was the Axle Clean and Presses for 175 pounds with a maximum number of reps in one minute. Third was the Wagon Wheel Axle Deadlift for 325 pounds, also with the maximum number of reps in one minute. Fourth was the Coin Hold where Birdsley held 25 pounds out with her arms fully extended and her back against a pillar. Fifth was the 250-pound Sand Bag Drag for 60 feet as fast as possible.

June 13

At the June 4 Thermopolis Town Council meeting, following an executive session, Mayor Adam Estenson read a public statement announcing “Town of Thermopolis Mayor clears Chief of Police to return Sgt. Mike Mascorro to full duty.”

The statement said, “The incident on April 28, 2023 that led to the gunfire exchange that fatally wounded Buck Laramore and seriously injured Sgt. Mike Mascorro has been fully investigated by the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Special Prosecutor Daniel Erramouspe and The Wyoming Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST). The Town of Thermopolis also sent all its policies to the Wyoming Local Government Liability Pool (LGLP) for review and advice regarding this matter.”

“POST investigated the matter, did not revoke Sgt. Mascorro’s certification, and sent their findings to the Wyoming State Attorney General’s Office (AG). Because POST has not revoked Sgt. Mascorro’s certification, and sent their response to the AG’s office, the Town will not be notified if the AG wants to have a hearing on Sgt. Mascorro’s POST certification until, at best guess, January.”

“The LGLP is creating model policies for all towns insured by the LGLP because of a large demand for reviews in lieu of dealing with Thermopolis individually. When said policies are made available, the Council can decide to move forward with the process of adopting the model policies or paying for independent consultants to review and write policies.”

“To date, with the reviews by POST and the LGLP, the town has not received any guidance to remove Sgt. Mascorro from duty, thus forcing the town to review this matter on its own.”

“Sgt. Mascorro was at Buck Laramore’s residence, effectuating a lawful arrest after consulting the County Attorney’s office. Buck Laramore answered the door, knew he was under arrest, and fled into the house seeking to do harm. Thus, creating exigent circumstances which justify Sgt. Mascorro’s entry into the home. Special Prosecutor Erramouspe cleared Sgt. Mascorro of any criminal wrongdoing in the shooting death of Buck Laramore. Our policy models the Wyoming law and the Town believes Sgt. Mascorro did not violate policy or the law.”

June 20

Last week, the Hot Springs County Shooting Complex committee was notified by the State Task Force that their proposal for the State Shooting Complex has not been selected to move forward for further consideration.

The letter explained, Task Force members spent hours developing and reviewing criteria and proposals to select a site to recommend to the legislature. They utilized a matrix for evaluating each proposal independently on a scale of 1-10. The scores were then aggregated across all 

Task Force members and criteria to give each proposal an overall ranking. Nine proposals were received. Hot Springs received an overall score of 55.14. Park County received the highest score of 77.57, with the City of Cheyenne receiving 71.90 points, Central Wyoming 71.47 points, Campbell County 69.52 points, Sheridan County 65.17 points and Unita County 64.98 points. Fremont County fell to 50.28 points and Town of Guernsey received 47.04 points.

The scores were broken down into categories including the site, accommodating service, the draw and future success. Locations selected to move forward in the process have been notified. Members of the local committee appreciate those who gave their time and dedication in drafting the proposal and everyone who attended the public meeting or reached out with their input.

June 27

The Hot Springs County High School Speech and Debate Team brought their talents and energy to the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) 2024 National Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, last week. This year’s NSDA National Tournament included over 6700 qualifying competitors from over 1500 schools in venues throughout Des Moines. 

Three qualifying Bobcats - Ivey Goff, Chris Bapst, and Rosalie Willson - accompanied by coaches and judges - Lyle Wiley, Alyssa Brown, and Riley Jeffs - traveled to the weeklong, nationwide competition and performed alongside the best in the US. Goff, Bapst, and Willson worked from the beginning of October 2023 and throughout the competitive Wyoming Speech season to earn the honor to compete at the prestigious National Tournament, and they continued preparation for the tournament for roughly six weeks prior to the competition.

Goff, a graduated senior, competed in six rounds of Humor and three rounds of both Impromptu and Extemporaneous Commentary. Goff performed a hilarious interpretation of Mike Myers’s classic comedy film script, “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” 

Bapst, also a graduated senior, performed three rounds of Impromptu and Extemporaneous Commentary. While rising senior, Rosalie Willson debated in six rounds of World Schools Debate with her four teammates from Worland and Rock Springs and performed three rounds of Extemporaneous Commentary.

In his first NSDA National Tournament, Assistant Coach Riley Jeffs had the chance to judge rounds for some of the best speakers in the nation. After the experience, Jeffs said, “The tournament was packed full of incredible student talent from all over. The students from Hot Springs were no exception. Ivey, Chris and Rosalie did a great job speaking, debating and performing, and we all enjoyed ourselves in the rolling hills of Iowa.”

July

July 4

At the June Hot Springs County School Board Trustees meeting, in the business report, Jessica Benefiel provided an update regarding the payroll tax penalty that was assessed to the district by the IRS earlier this year.

“To refresh your memory, a single payroll tax payment to the IRS was not properly submitted. The payment was not forgotten. It was in fact initiated. However, it was not confirmed and therefore did not process properly. This mistake was remedied immediately upon realization, but unfortunately, the district ended up being assessed a penalty of approximately $37,000. Our office spent countless hours on the phone and sent multiple letters with backup documentation disputing the fees, but to no avail.”

Benefield continued and said, “In order to avoid an additional late fee, HSCD#1 paid the IRS penalties and then discussed them in the following board meeting, along with the additional procedures put in place to ensure prevention of this type of error in the future. After that meeting, Meri Ann Dorman reached out in regard to our IRS penalty fee.”

Dorman came forward with information that could help in a solution. “In the interest of following Meri Ann’s example, I’d like to share with you the information that she was so kind as to share with us, her fellow community members. It is important to note that Hot Springs County School District number one is not the first and only entity to have trouble resolving issues with the IRS,” said Benefield.

She continued and said, “I did not know this existed.” She then handed out information on how to reach the Taxpayer Advocate Service.

“Using the information that Meri Ann provided, we were able to work directly with the helpful, responsible human being at the Wyoming Taxpayer Advocacy Office who was able to provide a resolution to our penalty issue. At the end of May. I received the first letter indicating that 96% of those penalty fees would be waived. This letter was followed on June 3 by an official statement showing the dollar amount that would be returned, and now that the funds have been officially deposited into our account, I am happy to report that this resolution resulted in the return of over $35,000 to our district from the IRS. I would like to publicly express my deep gratitude to Meri Ann for her willingness to reach out and offer a solution. People like her make Thermopolis an amazing community.”

July 11

Hot Springs State Park (HSSP) is looking for volunteers to help out in their landscaping and gardening. Red Dirt Master Gardener Kelly Strampe said, “We just have beautiful flowers and it’s wonderful because both the locals and the tourists can enjoy the park. People come back every year and they’re looking to see what’s been done. And, certainly in the last few years, volunteers have just been really crucial because they just do not have the number of the staff that they actually have had in the past. They used to have their horticulturist who grew all the flowers for the state parks. And they had people that just focused on that. We are reaching out and seeing if we can get people to help volunteer. We’d always like more volunteers, because it is a big job.”

According to Strampe, HSSP has “five full-time state park workers at one time. But about 20 years ago there were about four times that amount of workers. Also, in the past, working in the state park was an attractive job for high schoolers. Now it is difficult to find seasonal workers.”

Strampe added, “One of the things that’s really different this year is that Tom Judy has worked, incorporating more perennials. Perennials are the flowers that come back every year. Annual flowers die at the end of each year and have to be replanted again the next year.”

Tom Judy is a well-experienced landscape designer as well as an interior designer. Judy said, “Last year I told the new superintendent Chris Delay, ‘I think we need to incorporate more perennials into the flower beds’. And he agreed. It’s going to be at least a two or three-year process to get the perennials that we want in the flower beds.”

July 18

Thermopolis cheerleader and high school senior Kaylee Bazzle recently attended cheer camp in Cokeville, Wyo on June 14-16 and was awarded to join the All American cheer organization.

At the camp, Bazzle and other cheerleaders practiced stunting and cheerleading. Also there, the University Cheerleading Association (UCA) offered participants a chance through an audition where they do a cheer, a jump and a dance to potentially get accepted in All American. 

Bazzle said that at the Cokeville year camp, six participants were awarded out of 23 people. The UCA holds camps across the state. 

Bazzle will go to Philadelphia on November 26-29 for the Thanksgiving Day parade, Honolulu on December 3-9 for the Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade and Rome on December 26 through January 2 for the New Year Parade. 

July 25

At the July 16 Thermopolis Town Council meeting held at Town Hall, during the public comment portion of the meeting, Tonya Petty read a statement to the council.

Petty said, “On behalf of the Hot Springs Coalition for Change, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing social issues within our community, I am addressing you this evening. Our recent focus has been on the employment status of Officer Mike Mascarro.”

Petty continued and said, “A petition was started in October of 2023 requesting the removal of Officer Mascarro. It currently has over 3,600 signatures. We are urging you to take each of these signatures into account and remove this officer from our streets.”

Mayor Estenson asked, “Are you presenting said petition?” Petty replied, “We can present that petition.” Mayor Estenson said, “I asked for that in March and it was not presented.” One of Petty’s collaborators, Jason Bowman, replied, “We weren’t ready yet.” Mayor Estenson said, “Okay, I’ve done everything I said I was going to do.” Bowman said, “So have I, sir.”

August

August 1

Jackie Frankson, Executive Director of Parents Helping Parents (PHP) of Wyoming and of the Parent Information Center (PIC), assists families of children impacted by disabilities or special education needs (birth to 26), find their voice and effectively advocate as equal partners with schools. They serve the entire state of Wyoming by providing technical assistance, training and one-on-one support for any meeting involving a child with a disability. PHP also partners with other organizations to bring much needed resources to Wyoming communities. 

Frankson said, “Our Mission is to encourage, educate, and elevate parents as recognized experts in their children’s lives, maximizing the benefits of education and achieving positive outcomes through proper services and support.”

Also, Frankson added, “Our vision, we envision a world where: Wyoming families—across the far reaches of the state—are equal partners and confident self-advocates in the special education system, steering all children toward their full potential in education and in life.”

Students with disabilities who receive services from PHP are mainly concerned with IEPs or individual education plans. Frankson said that these services “level the playing field for them to receive an education…We help families ensure that their children get the best possible education.”

For example, if there is a student who is hearing impaired, the student would have assistive technology such as an FM system with a microphone which allows the student to hear better in the classroom. Frankson added, “We get them in contact with the right person at the Wyoming Department of Education so they can get that started if they need hearing aids.”

August 8

Kent Hessenthaler and his famous sweet corn are in grave danger due to wild animals destroying his crop and is looking for support from the community. Lately, either deer or antelope have penetrated his corn fields and have been eating his early staged crop. If this animal activity continues, he could lose his crop entirely and also possibly permanently end his sweet corn efforts going forward.

Hessenthaler said, “This is year 39. I started in 1985, and have done sweet corn ever since then. Over the years, I’ve had to do battle with raccoons, skunks, blackbirds, and hailstorms. And you kind of can survive and compete with those things. But I don’t know what to do with the deer and the antelope.”

The animals who have entered his property have started to nip the silk off the corn. This silk travels down and pollinates the kernels. Because the animals eat the silk, there is no chance for pollination to happen. 

Hessenthaler added, “When the corn starts growing out and they taste how sweet it is, then it’s just about over. They’ll just eat every year.”

The financial loss of these animals destroying his sweet corn crop might be close to $20,000, according to Hessenthaler. Hessenthaler is limited in what he can do. He said, “You can legally harass the animals and haze them and try to chase some.” 

But that doesn’t ultimately remove the animals from his sweet corn fields. Hessenthal said that he spoke with the local game warden who is “sympathetic” to Hessenthaler’s situation. “He’s given me some cracker shells. Those are shotgun shells to shoot at the animal. It’s like a Roman candle sends out a boom close to the animal. It’ll chase them out of the field right now, but they’ll come right back.” 

August 15

On August 8, America’s Best Restaurants (ABR) visited One Eyed Buffalo Brewing Company (OEB) and filmed a variety of subjects, including some of their food and an interview with owners Binky and Jennifer Fisher.

An anonymous source nominated OEB to America’s Best Restaurants. After a research process, they selected OEB to be featured on their show.

Jennifer Fisher said this recognition comes from “eight years of hard work and dedicated staff. And we were nominated to be on this show.…We don’t even know who nominated us. We’re super excited to have them there. Very honored and humbled, actually, for them to come to little ole Thermopolis, Wyoming. They travel all over the country featuring places that you should eat at.” 

August 22

The longtime operator of Star Plunge aquatic center in Hot Springs State Park has sued the state after Wyoming State Parks selected a new concessionaire to run the hot-spring facility.

The complaint, filed Aug. 5 in Laramie County District Court, accuses the Wyoming Department of State Parks of exceeding its authority and violating regulations when it selected the new operator this spring.

That selection essentially evicts the Luehne family from Star Plunge, a popular Wyoming tourist attraction it has run since 1975. At the end of 2024 — when Roland Luehne’s current management agreement expires — the new company, Wyoming Hot Springs LLC, will take over.

Wyoming State Parks intends to make the handoff without properly compensating Luehne’s company, C & W Enterprises, for the improvements it’s made to the facility, the complaint alleges. The suit requests that a judge declare the state’s actions null and void.  

August 29

The Hot Springs County Clerk’s office has issued official results from the August 20 Primary Election. There were 1,748 total ballots cast in the county, 1,593 Republican, 105 Democrat, 50 non-partisan and 2 blank ballots.

In the Hot Springs County Commissioner race, Bob Aguiar received the most votes on the four-person republican primary ballot with 528. Phillip Scheel received 428 votes, Mike Chimenti received 337 votes and Joe Martinez received 251 votes. No democrat candidates appeared on the ballot. Aguiar will advance to the general election along with former commissioner Jack Baird. After the primary, Baird obtained the required 44 signatures on a petition and will appear on the general election ballot in November as an independent.

September

September 5

The “ABR Roadshow,” of America’s Best Restaurants (ABR), made its second appearance in Thermopolis this month.  The Roadshow was in town to do a review, and a promotion, on the One Eyed Buffalo Brewing Company on August 8, 2024, and returned on August 27, 2024 to visit the 7 Lazy S Café & Bar.

ABR is a national restaurant media and marketing consultancy, which highlights culinary establishments around the country.  Businesses are featured on the ABR media pages with short videos made on location, and each business is given the opportunity to engage ABR for marketing services, if desired.  ABR bills itself as “the number one media company for restaurants across the USA.”

Charlie and Kim Smith opened the 7 Lazy S Café in November of 2021, serving breakfast and lunch, at the site of the former Sideboard Restaurant, which later housed the Thermopolis Café.  In April of 2022, they added dinner service, and opened the adjacent Bar, at the corner of 6th and Broadway, in Thermopolis.

September 12

The Town of Thermopolis and Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office (HSCSO) issued a joint statement on Tuesday explaining the details of an officer involved shooting that resulted in a man’s death on Monday night.

One officer from the Thermopolis Police Department(TPD) and one deputy from the HSCSO were involved in a lethal force incident that started when the TPD was called to the 300 block of Clark St. in Thermopolis for a welfare check at approximately 5:25 p.m. on September 9.

Upon arrival, the TPD officer was met by Jared Gottula who had a metal baseball bat.

Shortly thereafter a deputy with the HSCSO arrived as backup for the TPD officer. At some point, lethal force was deployed. Gottula was pronounced deceased on the scene. Both the officer and deputy were uninjured.

Local authorities contacted the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). Members of the DCI Officer Involved Shooting team responded to the scene, along with personnel from the Wyoming State Crime Laboratory to conduct the investigation.

Both the TPD officer and HSC-SO deputy have been placed on paid administrative leave as is standard during an investigation. As the investigation is ongoing neither the Town of Thermopolis nor the HSCSO will comment further on this matter.

Additional details on the shooting will be made available as DCI completes their investigation. 

September 19

Shawn Mohr is the new Public Health Director in Hot Springs County starting August 5. The previous director Tricia McPhie resigned earlier this summer. Mohr said he is “getting settled and figuring out where things are at and getting my schedule going.”

Mohr has been receiving a large amount of training from the state and looking to see that they are meeting all the needs of the county’s public health. Not only that, Mohr is focusing on areas for improvement and to prepare for the coming flu season. They will have some clinic days coming up for flu and covid vaccinations.

Mohr is also interested in addressing the high use of opioids in the county where he is working with local agencies to figure out what the true use data actually is. Additionally, Mohr wants to address mental health as a priority as well and to make sure the public has the resources they need to “live and thrive here in Thermopolis.”

Mohr started working in the medical field and public safety in 2007. He spent six years in the Marine Corps with just under four years of active duty and then two years in the reserves. He was deployed twice to Afghanistan. In 2007 started working for Cobb County Fire Emergency Services and then took early retirement from them in 2022. After 15 years of service, he was a lieutenant with them. 

September 26

Hot Springs County junior in high school Jay Ritchey, 16, has donated 175 pounds of pork to the Senior Center as part of the Fair to Fork program. 

According to No Hunger Wyoming, different youth from various countries have participated in Wyoming Hunger Initiative’s Fair to Fork Program.

First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative, in partnership with Wyoming 4-H and FFA, piloted a new program under the Food from the Farm + Ranch banner called Fair to Fork. Thanks to a grant from the Hughes Charitable Foundation, Wyoming Hunger Initiative was able to purchase and process 14 hogs, then distribute them locally as yet another avenue of providing protein to local communities.”

The program utilizes a lottery system to select youth for participation. In its first year, 14 youth from 14 Wyoming counties participated this year which equates to 2,255 pounds of pork distributed into local communities—18 anti-hunger agencies in all received pork from the program, all while supporting youth development and participation in sustainable agricultural solutions to hunger. 

Ritchey described his efforts in the program saying, “The Fair to Fork program is a program where we raise one of our 4-H or FFA animals and donate it to a place of need in our community or our county. So I decided to donate mine to the Senior Center.”  

October

October 3

On Monday, September 23, Hot Springs County School District #1 Superintendent Dustin Hunt made a surprise announcement to the Thermopolis Middle School (TMS) students and staff at the Bill Malloy Auditorium that the U.S. Department of Education recognized them as one of the 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Overall the Department of Education recognized 356 schools as the 2024 cohort of the National Blue Ribbon Schools, including three schools in Wyoming. This prestigious recognition highlights schools that excel in academic performance or make significant strides in closing achievement gaps among different student groups. 

The Wyoming schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools were:

•Wyoming – Powell – Parkside Elementary School, Park County School District # 1.

•Wyoming – Sheridan – Sagebrush Elementary School, Sheridan County School District #2.

•Wyoming – Thermopolis – Thermopolis Middle School, Hot Springs County School District #1.

October 10

On Tuesday October 1, Thermopolis Mayor Adam Estenson and the Town Council held a community information meeting about the coming transfer station.

Regarding the presentation’s overview, Mayor Estenson provided slides that showed a historical timeline, information on the DEQ Cease and Transfer Program, options that have been explored, what is a transfer station?, locations, what is in motion?, decision yet to be made, and questions and answers.

In the historical timeline, Thermopolis started dumping operations at the west site landfill in the 1970s. In 1996, the east landfill opened with a 30 year projected life. In 2007, the town started talking with the DEQ about a Cease and Transfer. In 2016, the town identified potential transfer station sites. In 2020, the town performed a land swap at the US Highway 20 site, where WYDOT granted commercial access with the understanding of a turn lane construction assistance. In 2021, the town spent $20,000 on the US Highway 20 site access road. In 2022, WYDOT performed a traffic study and didn’t warrant cost sharing of a turning lane. There were concerns raised about the Highway 20 access. In 2023, the new town administration reset the conversation and performed a six-month investigation into alternative options and locations. In 2024, negotiations began on the Highway 120 site. Later, in 2024, the Town Council approved the purchase agreement for the Highway 120 site. On July 1, 2024, the landfill closes if there is no action taken.

Regarding the DEQ Municipal Landfill Cease and Transfer Program, it exists to close municipal landfills and move waste to “more cost-effective regional landfills.” This can range from refuse collection (packer) trucks to a large transfer station. Also, $2 million in funding for the building of a transfer station was granted in the 2024 legislative session. Additionally, $2.5 million in funding for the landfill closure was granted in the same session. This will be for capping and monitoring the landfill.

October 17

Thermopolis Trout Unlimited will host a Free Fly Fishing Clinic on Saturday, October 19 at 3-6 p.m. at the Hot Springs State Park. Whether you are new to fly fishing or an experienced fishing guide, they will have networking opportunities, informative classes, and fun contests with cool prizes like: Hats, Stickers, Hand Tied Flies and Gift Certificates. They will also be raffling off a free ½ day guided trip on the Big Horn.

Small Group Classes include: Setting up your fly rod, including all the basic knots you need to know; Reading the water, knowing where the fish are, and hot to get your fly in front of them; Staying safe on the water for you and your fishing buddies; Proper fish handling and release techniques; Basic fly fishing casting techniques; Casting contest - “Hit the targets and win prizes!”

October 24

On Sunday, October 20, Par 6 Indoor Golf held their grand opening in addition to the five-year anniversary of P6 Station Pizzeria. They held a party and played games. 

The simulator reads your ball and examines how you hit it, whether you hit from behind, the side or even cutting it. Then it will make your ball do that on the simulator’s screen.

There are a variety of games you can play, such as the Riverwalk Skills Challenge. It has anything from putt putt to breaking glass. The game has nine panes of glass you can try to break. Also, there is a Skee ball game and a field goal game where you try to hit the ball from different distances. Players can even try to land their ball on an island hole surrounded by water.

October 31

At the October Hot Springs County School District #1 Trustees board meeting, the principals of all three schools shared their accountability ratings and all the rankings for our state assessment data. High school principal Catlyn Deromedi said, “Our ACT rankings this year… The last couple of years, we’ve been ranked in the top three, as a district across the state… Our juniors from last year, our seniors this year, were ranked number one in the state of Wyoming as a district for their ACT scores.”

Principal Deromedi added, “Not only was their average composite first, they came in second in English. They tied for second in math, first in reading and first in science. And when I say that these are remarkable scores, we’ve set some trends in the last few years that were pretty remarkable. But prior to this year, our highest average Act composite was a 20.8. This year it was a 21.8. That average increased by an entire point. So super excited for those kids. No matter what they choose, ACT tells us not only that they are college ready, they are career ready as well as military ready…We know with high scores that they’re prepared for whatever they choose. And so I’m just super duper proud of them.”

Principal Deromedi continued and said, “Talking about not only comparing ourselves from previous years to this year. But also looking at the ELA scores, coming in second, they were averaging a 20.8. Math, they averaged a 20.7. Reading, they scored a 22.5 average, which the closest to them was a 21.5. So an entire point above any other district. As well as science, which was truly remarkable at a 22.7. And the closest to them was a 21.4. Just so proud of those juniors, so proud of our staff.”

Regarding WYTOP scores, Principal Deromedi discussed the ninth and 10th graders. She said, “Our ninth graders did an absolutely wonderful job. They came in sixth place as a district, across the state of Wyoming for ELA. They were number one in math. For our 10th graders, they were 11th. Just missed that top ten by one for ELA. They were eighth in math and 19th in science.” Regarding the high school’s accountability ratings, Principal Deromedi said they are meeting expectations.

November

November 7

The Wyoming Water Development Commission is evaluating options for providing water to Hot Springs County residents. Representatives of the Level II Study, Project Manager George Moser, Jeff Rosenlund of DOWL, and hydro-geologist Ben Jordan held a public meeting on October 26 at the annex building.

As part of the project’s scope, the study’s representatives have gathered information, identified stakeholders, and they reviewed existing information. They also developed population growth projections of Thermopolis and Hot Springs County and inventoried and evaluated water resources. Additionally, they identified reasonable alternatives and prepared conceptual designs and costs. From this research, they have evaluated funding and provided estimated resulting water rates.

In this meeting, they now sought public input and will prioritize and evaluate recommendations. Additionally, they hope to obtain access to a potential site and will compile a report.

Regarding the summary of input they gathered, data came from their website and mailings. Additionally, they had their initial scope meeting on May 22 and, from their stakeholder list, they received over 80 emails. Also, there were 87 surveys completed online.

Moser reported that there has been an .8% growth rate in Hot Springs County. Currently, there are 1862 taps using about 1580 gallons per minute and in 50 years there will be a projected 2924 taps using about 2385 gallons per minute.

In their considerations of drilling for water, there were multiple options. They included Western Sites, Yankee Dome Anticline, Shelbourne Dome Anticline, Minnesela Wildcat, Buffalo Creek Monocline, Wildhorse Butte Anticline, and Lysite Mountain Anticline.

The costs for the different sites varied. Yankee Dome North is 8 miles, $13.2 million. Yankee Dome South is 6.7 miles, $8.9 million. Shelbourne Dome is 4.4 miles, $6.4 million. Minnesela Wildcat is 2.3 miles, $3.6 million. Buffalo Creek II & III is 5.6 miles, $7.2 million. Wildhorse Butte is 10.4 miles, $11 million. Lysite Mountain to Wildhorse is 18 miles, $22 million. Lysite Mountain North is 29 miles, $41 million. Lucerne to Thermopolis is 6.6 miles, $9.1 million. Lysite Mountain South to Thermopolis is 34 miles, $39 million. Lysite Mountain North to Thermopolis is 40.6 miles, $49.8 million. Yankee Dome North and South is 14.7 miles, $22.1 million.

If drilling for groundwater is not considered, the other direction is to use the Water Treatment Plant (WTP). In this case, there are also a variety of options. They can upgrade the existing WTP and/or relocate the intake. They can construct a new WTP and relocate the intake or place it upstream. Additionally, they can maintain the existing WTP as an emergency supply only.

November 14

Official results from the 2024 General Election have been released.

The Hot Springs County Lodging Tax passed with 1,868 votes for and 633 votes against.

Constitutional Amendment A to separate residential property class for tax assessment passed statewide with 146,300 votes for and 100, 375 votes against.

A total of 271,043 Wyoming voters submitted ballots in the 2024 General Election.

November 21

Four members from the Big Spring FFA chapter traveled to Indianapolis for the National FFA Convention at the end of October.

Mac McCumber was named a finalist this year in the Animal Systems Division 1 Agriscience research contest. The National FFA Agriscience Fair is a key competition that is part of the annual National FFA Convention & Expo, Oct. 23-26, 2024, in Indianapolis. To qualify, FFA members working as individuals or teams in grades 7-12 are required to conduct a scientific research project pertaining to the agriculture industries and win their state’s FFA agriscience fair.

While at convention, Mac was named second in the nation for his research on hatch rates of chicks using different incubators. This makes 4 years in a row that a Big Springs member has placed second in the nation for their research project.

In addition to Mac’s success, 3 additional members attend the convention to represent the chapter on the national stage for the National Chapter Award. “The National Chapter Award Program is designed to recognize FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of the organization. These chapters improve chapter operations using the National Quality Chapter Standards (NQCS) and a Program of Activities (POA) that emphasize growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Chapters are rewarded for providing educational experiences for the entire membership.”

November 28

At the November 14 Hot Springs County School District #1 board meeting, at the beginning of the meeting, Trustee Clay VanAntwerp made a motion to add to the agenda the extension of the superintendent’s and other contracts. Trustee Bethany Webber voted against the additions to the agenda.

Later in the meeting, after the executive session, Trustee VanAntwerp made a motion to extend Elementary Principal Nichole Ciz’s contract through 2027. During discussion Trustee Bethany Webber said the reason she was voting no during the meeting was “I don’t like continuing multi-year contracts,” and that “I don’t like the timing of the voting due to the fact we do have two board members gone tonight as well as two more joining the board next month…. as well as it wasn’t on the agenda. I do not like the fact it was not on the agenda so that more people could have come and if they had something to say, they could have been here and said something if they were concerned about the multi-year contracts and the timing.”

The board in separate motions also voted and passed the approval to extend RWE Principal Nichole Ciz’s contract through 2027, Business Manager Jessica Benefiel’s contract through 2027, High School Principal Catelyn Deromedi’s contract through 2027, and to extend Superintendent Dustin Hunt’s con tract through 2030. Trustees present voted in favor of these motions, with the exception of Webber who voted against on all.

December

December 5

On November 26, 2024, District Court Judge, Bill Simpson, entered an Order Following Bench

Trial, which sets forth the Court’s ruling upon the issues that were before the Court at the Hearing held in the Fifth Judicial District at Hot Springs County, on June 17-18, 2024. The Order brings to a close, at least at the District Court level, the dispute between plaintiff’s Michele and Michael Stevens, doing business as The Tipi Retreat, L.L.C., and defendant, Hot Springs County. The recent order imposes a total fine in the sum of $40,250 upon The Tipi Retreat and its owners.

The many issues between the parties first arose in May of 2021, when the County discovered that the business was being operated on Coyote Run Road in Hot Springs County. The Stevens’ had created a business, by which they erected several tipis upon their property, which was located within an area designated for agricultural use. The tipis were marketed through several online services, which book reservations for overnight stays at various types of properties, such as apartments, homes, and campgrounds.

When the County discovered the business use of the property, without there having been issued a change of use by the County to a commercial classification, the County notified the Stevens’ of the non-compliance with County Land Use provisions, and then assisted the Stevens’ with an application for a land use change, which would allow the business to be legally operated. Pursuant to County policy, the County allowed the Stevens’ to continue to operate the business - even though it was non-conforming - while the application for a change of use wound its way through the land use system.

December 12

On December 4, the Thermopolis Town Council held a brief meeting at Town Hall. Town Attorney Marshall Keller presented for the third and final reading of the ordinance for the town to not add fluoride into the water treatment plant system. There were no changes from the previous reading. 

There was a discussion with Mayor Adam Estenson and the council about their reasons for and against the ordinance. Some items of conversation including the government mass introducing fluorides into the public’s water, the comparisons of Europe and America and dental uses of fluoride, filtering water at home with refrigerators and using bottled water, a Harvard study of fluoride, and a lawsuit in California between the state and the EPA.

The council voted and passed the approval of the ordinance to stop adding fluoride to water. All were in favor except council member Rachel Hughes, who voted against it.

December 19

Porshia Birdsley recently placed 16th out of 23 in the world at the 2024 Official Strongman Games World Finals held in Madison, Wisconsin at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum on December 6-8. Birdsley’s weight class is under 73kg or 160lbs.

There were four events to compete over two days. First was the log and trump log. This is where one rep on the bigger log (190lbs) beats any amount on the little log (165 lbs). Second was the car yoke walk with 620 lbs. Third was the axle deadlift with 405 lbs or a trump weight of 470 lbs. Fourth was the sandbag medley, with each bag 175 lbs and a 50 foot sled with 300+lbs on the sled, and then a 200lb Húsafell stone.

December 26

At the November Hot Springs County Travel & Tourism board meeting, Director Angie Guyon reported that Pinnacle Bank “is concerned because we are holding too much money in the bank.” The money in total in their accounts is beyond the $250,000 FDIC insured threshold, with the board being about $60,000 over. According to the board’s financial documents at that time, the total amount of money the tourism board had was about $275,000.

According to Guyon, per Wyoming Statute, the tourism board is required to spend 100% of lodging tax revenue each fiscal year and that there should be no carryover. Additionally, saving the money in a money market account would not be in compliance with state statute. The tourism board has held carryover money in a money market account for multiple years.