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  • Wyoming Public Records Act opens corridor to truth

    Oct 5, 2023

    by John Malmberg, Cody Enterprise Two guiding lights that anyone seeking to serve the public should unceasingly keep in sight are truth and transparency. The truth will always be discovered. Someone always knows what transpired. No matter how much a government official, an attorney or a private individual attempts to cover up some deed or action, the truth will always be exposed. This is where the Wyoming Public Records Act becomes so crucial. A recent request by an attorney for the Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods group to the state for...

  • Educate yourself on the rights enshrined in the Constitution

    Sep 28, 2023

    by John Malmberg, Cody Enterprise On Sept. 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was signed. However, it wasn’t until four years later on Dec. 15, 1791, that the first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights, were added to the document. It is beneficial, however, to regularly remember those rights guaranteed to us in the Constitution. The U.S. Constitution is as valuable today as it was when it was first ratified. It is the bedrock -- it is the solid foundation -- on which our country has survived and prospered for more than 200 years. T...

  • Grizzly encounter shows need for state management

    Sep 21, 2023

    by John Malmberg, Cody Enterprise A grizzly bear that wandered into a residential area east of Cody last week was trapped and euthanized. The wayward grizzly was seen very near the home of a family with six young children. We are grateful none of those children encountered the bear. No one can know for certain, but if management of grizzly bears had been turned over to the state of Wyoming perhaps the bear would not have invaded private property. The bear might have been killed by a hunter, but most likely would not have been outside the area...

  • Coming together

    Sep 14, 2023

    Monday marked the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others in the worst attack against the USA in our nation’s history. Many of us will never forget that tragic day or what we were doing when we heard the news. We hope the younger generation will never have to live through anything remotely similar. Commemorations were held at the three attack sites — New York’s Twin Towers, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa. Across the country, memorials were held to commemorate the anniv...

  • Big Horn Basin should be the home of state shooting complex

    Sep 7, 2023

    by Zac Taylor, Powell Tribune If the state is already committed to building a massive state shooting complex, why not the Big Horn Basin? In the last legislative session, a bill was overwhelmingly passed to fund the first $10 million of what could end up being an over $20 million project to build a state shooting complex. Since then, business and government leaders in different regions of the state have been marshaling together groups to pitch their region as the optimum place for the complex. There’s a group forming in Park County too, led by...

  • Be the hero of your story

    Aug 31, 2023

    This time marks the beginning of a new year for the students of our community, around the state and the country. Children come to school with butterflies in their stomachs, excited and trembling, and they wonder about what they will experience in their new grade. But isn’t it interesting that anyone can start new again at any time in their lives? A hero’s journey can cycle in someone’s life. You don’t have to repeat the same lesson over and over, you can grow and overcome. Can you be the hero of your story? Can you take on an adventure and pur...

  • Why a raid of a Kansas newspaper matters in Wyoming

    Aug 24, 2023

    Did you see the news recently? Did you pay attention to the attack on the First Amendment? It did not come from politicians or the government but rather from law enforcement. According to a story from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and more than 30 news media organizations are condemning last week’s police raid of Kansas’s Marion County Record during which law enforcement officers seized the newspaper’s electronic newsgathering equipment and reporting materials. The Repor...

  • First day of school

    Aug 17, 2023

    The first day of school for many local students is Wednesday, August 23. Yes, it’s that time of year again for parents to get their children ready to head back to school. After purchasing new clothes, supplies, pencils, notebooks, and all the usual gear, students and their families prepare their hearts for the next level of education. The kids get to reconnect with their friends, make new ones, and meet new teachers. It’s an exciting time and can be stressful. If we can encourage the students that these new experiences can have great rew...

  • Ours is not to judge

    Aug 10, 2023

    Ours is to question. Ink-stained wretches at weekly newspapers like this one, were at one time content to put out the best newspaper they muster, once a week. If something really big happened, like downtown burning to the ground, they’d put out a special edition, usually called an “Extra.” Our big city cousins, often faced with a cross-town rival, would do the same but for the most part, people who wanted to know the latest news, turned to their favorite radio station at the top of the hour. In the 1990s that all began to change with the spread...

  • Support our youth

    Aug 3, 2023

    The Hot Springs County Fair has been going on this week and there is still plenty of opportunity to fill the bleachers at some of the final events. Thursday, August 3 the day kicks off with the swine show beginning at 8 a.m. The breeding beef show will be at 4 p.m. and the beef show will start at 6 p.m., both in the multi-purpose building. While you are there, sample the delicious offerings at the Chili Cook off hosted buy the FFA Alumni. On Friday, the 4-H and FFA Round Robin Showmanship will begin at 10 a.m. At 1 p.m., the parade of champions...

  • Help for small businesses

    Jul 27, 2023

    by Dean Ridings, America’s Newspapers It’s no secret that recent years have been tough on small businesses and on newspapers. A bipartisan bill, the Community News & Small Business Support Act, that has been introduced in Congress would offer relief to both newspapers and local businesses. For too many newspapers, help can’t come soon enough. Economic challenges have resulted in too many communities seeing their local newspapers being forced to lay off staff, cut back on publication days or — worse yet — close. On average, two newspaper...

  • They're everywhere

    Jul 13, 2023

    Scammers are targeting us all and they seem to be coming at us from every which way. There are lottery scams, package delivery scams, open enrollment for benefits scams, utility delinquency scams, identity theft scams and the list goes on and on. Several years ago, scammers primarily targeted senior citizens who they believed were the most vulnerable. They have advanced their scams to a point where each and every one of us is vulnerable. Their tactics have improved to a point where they are tricking people of every age and every walk of life....

  • WyoGives includes local nonprofits

    Jul 6, 2023

    The fourth annual WyoGives virtual event, hosted by the Wyoming Nonprofit Network, will commence at midnight on Wednesday, July 12th, and will unfold over an exhilarating 24-hour period. With over 300 nonprofits participating, some of them local, this year’s event promises to be the most impactful yet. Through the website platform at WyoGives.org, individuals can easily contribute to their favorite causes and organizations. The website allows donors to search for nonprofits based on cause, location, or name. Each participating nonprofit has a...

  • The importance of public notices printing in newspapers

    Jun 29, 2023

    This issue of the Independent Record has three full pages of public notices. Here is some information about why you should take the time to read them. An important premise found in federal, state, and local governments is that information about government activities must be publicized for people to make well-informed decisions. Public notices provide this sort of transparency and accessibility to citizens who want to know more about government actions. Public notices provides the opportunity for the public to influence governing bodies and...

  • Suicide impacts people of all ages and backgrounds

    Jun 22, 2023

    Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families and communities. There are many factors that contribute to suicide. It impacts people of all ages and backgrounds. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. Reports state it was responsible for over 48,000 deaths in 2021. The same year, an estimated 12.3 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.5 million made a plan and 1.7 million attempted suicide. U.S. suicide rates are the highest they’ve been since World War I...

  • What a difference 30 years can make

    Jun 15, 2023

    The article to the right appeared on the front page of the June 24, 1993, Independent Record. Now, 30 years later, Hot Springs County School Board meetings are being videoed and can be viewed live or afterward by anyone who has the time and wants to watch them. Part of the reason the 1993 school board voted to limit use of video cameras during board meetings was because “the policy encourages members of the public and the board to talk without being worried about how they will look on videotape.” In 2023, many argue that people should be awa...

  • Buffalo are dangerous

    Jun 8, 2023

    Tourist season has officially begun, here and around Wyoming. Nearly as soon as Yellowstone National Park (YNP) opened, reports began rolling in of encounters between visitors and the park’s buffalo. We are seeing some of this type of activity in our very own Hot Springs State Park (HSSP). Videos have circulated of a man wandering around among the herd and of people out of their vehicles taking pictures of the animals in close proximity. Signs, as seen to the right, are posted as your enter the HSSP buffalo pasture. Anyone who has been to Y...

  • School's out for summer

    Jun 1, 2023

    Some of you may remember jamming out to School’s Out by Alice Cooper to celebrate the end of a school year and the long anticipated start of summer break. Most students, of any age, look forward to summer break like adults look forward to retirement. As community members, it is important we remember children will be out and about more often now than they have been, at all hours of the day. Be sure to watch for them playing, riding their bikes and walking/running to and fro. It is a great time for parents to give their children a reminder c...

  • Memorial Day ceremonies

    May 25, 2023

    On Monday, May 29, Memorial Day programs will be held at Monument Hill Cemetery, Riverside Cemetery and Park Street Bridge. The program at Monument Hill will begin at 11 a.m. and then they will travel to Riverside and then to the bridge. Memorial Day has its roots in Decoration Day, which dates back to the Civil War, when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle. After World War I, it came to be observed in honor of those who had died in all U.S. wars, and its name was changed. Memorial Day became an...

  • Proud of all the high school graduates

    May 18, 2023

    The 2023 graduating class at Hot Springs County High School features 38 students with bright futures ahead of them. An insert in this paper is dedicated to them. On page 3 of this paper you will find ads congratulating some online and home schooled high school graduates. There may be some local students that are not featured on this page. We are unable to obtain a list of all local online and home schooled students so we had to rely on friends and family to place an ad to congratulate those students. We offer up a big congratulations to each an...

  • Hopefully YNP has successful year

    May 11, 2023

    by Amber Steinmetz, Cody Enterprise It’s that time of year once again. Last Friday, the East Entrance to Yellowstone Park opened for the season, signaling what we hope will be the start of a great tourist season. Last year was expected to be a banner one as the park celebrated its 150th anniversary, but the historic floods in June closed public access to the park and had many people changing their plans. Yellowstone had 3.3 million visits in 2022, down 32 % from 2021. All things considered, though, it went better than expected. On June 13, a...

  • Citizens go from shock and disbelief to an outpouring of support in a matter of minutes

    May 4, 2023

    Citizens in Thermopolis and Hot Springs county are not used to hearing or reading about shootings in our community and we find it shocking and scary when we do. Adding the words officer-involved shooting makes it even more shocking. As events unfolded last Friday, many community members were feeling just as we all at the IR were, a sense of disbelief that this could be happening here. As reality then set in for us all, concern for Thermopolis Police Sgt. Mike Mascorro, and all others involved, quickly became of the utmost importance for most of...

  • Educate yourself before jumping into animal ownership

    Apr 27, 2023

    After several years and the efforts of a number of community members, chickens and selected other small animals, are now allowed to be raised within the town limits of Thermopolis. In a story that begins on page 1 of this issue of the Thermopolis Independent Record, you can read comments from the recent town council meeting where three ordinances regarding Limited Urban Agriculture Animals were passed. Mayor Adam Estenson said the ordinances will be reviewed in March of 2024 to determine their success. On page 11 of this issue, the legal...

  • Survival requires a leap of faith

    Apr 20, 2023

    by Stephen Dow, Cody Enterprise Meeteetse, like many Wyoming small towns, is on the verge of disappearing. It isn’t hard to imagine a near future where the town — with a population of 313 in the 2020 census and a median age of 52.1 years — doesn’t exist. This uncertain future is what makes a recently proposed annexation of 390 acres from Flying River Ranch LLC so exciting. If approved, the annexation would expand the town’s borders by 70%. While there is no clear plan for the land yet, some of the ideas that have been bandied about by town c...

  • Getting by with a little help from our friends, family and community

    Apr 13, 2023

    To say it has been a long winter would be considered an understatement by many. However, spring seems to have finally arrived and the weather was beautiful over the Easter weekend. Community members were able to get outside and release some long pent up spring fever. Even a typical winter can lead to stress, depression and other issues but the level of misery was raised a bit this year. The length and severity of winter temperatures and snow levels set records around the state. Last week, our community was shaken by the loss of a young life....

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