Two candidates appear on the general election ballot who are running for one open seat to serve as a Hot Springs County Commissioner, a four year term. Bob Aguiar is running as a Republican who advanced from the primary election Jack Baird joined the race following the primary election and is running as an Independent. The information included here is what each candidate presented during the Chamber of Commerce/Farm Bureau candidate forum held in early October. Bob Aguiar: Good evening everyone. My name is Bob Aguiar. Some of you have...

Eight candidates are running for four available seats on the Hot Springs County School District Board of Trustees, a four year term, four votes. Justin Budd, Appointed Marshall Keller, Beth Lewis, Jessica Lippencott, Ben Postma, Jean Skelton, and Incumbents Clay VanAntwerp and Nichole Weyer. The information included here is what each candidate presented during the Chamber of Commerce/Farm Bureau candidate forum held in early October. Justin Budd: Thank you, all of you, for coming out this evening. I feel like I’m a little bit in the hot...

Thermopolis Trout Unlimited is planning a river clean up on November 16. The group is inviting volunteers to help pick up trash at the pull overs in the Wind River Canyon. Participants will meet at the Wedding of the Waters parking lot at 9 a.m. To learn more about Thermopolis Trout Unlimited and their events, stop in at any of our local fly shops or contact Gene Pruett, the current chapter president, at ThermopTU@gmail.com The group plans to put on another Free Fly Fishing Clinic in the spring. They are also hosting a monthly speaker series,...

From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers Two Park County residents found dead; carbon monoxide poisoning suspected CODY (WNE) — Two Park County residents, Jeff McKearny, 64, and Steven Werbelow, 66, were found dead in their camper on October 23. The suspected cause of death is accidental carbon monoxide poisoning, according to county coroner Cody Gortmaker. The two men were hunting near Eagle Creek Campground up the North Fork, which is where their bodies were found. Investigations are still ongoing, Gortmaker said. Werbelow, who was a Powell...

Three candidates are running for two seats on the Thermopolis Town Council, Tony Larson is challenging incumbents Dusty Lewis and William Malloy. The information included here and is what Lewis presented during the Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forum held in early October. Larson and Malloy were not in attendance at the candidate forum. They supplied bio information to the IR. Dusty Lewis: My name’s Dusty Lewis. So this is actually probably my third term, I think. Sadly, I dodged this forum the first two rounds, but with my wife...

Two local candidates are running for the State House of Representatives District 28 seat. Incumbent John Winter (R) is being challenged by Larry Alwin (D). Alwin had enough write in votes in the primary and accepted the nomination The information included here is what each candidate presented during the Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forum held in early October. John R. Winter: I’m John Winter. I’ve been in the legislature for awhile now and I’m in my third term, and I want to be here for one more term. We have quite a few things...

Hot Springs County Hot Springs County Clerk of District Court, two year unexpired term. Kris McNeff was appointed and she is now running for election. She was present at the candidate forum. Kris McNeff. Good evening. My name is Kris McNeff, and I’m asking you to vote for me for the Clerk of District Court. I grew up in Thermopolis, where I met my husband Cecil. We’ve been married for 36 years and had two wonderful children here. I have approximately 20 years experience in the legal world. I was appointed District Clerk last year after...

Ed Cooper (R) from Ten Sleep is the sonly candidate on the general ballot running the State Senator District # 20 seat. The information included here is what he presented during the Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forum held in early October. Ed Cooper: I think I’ve met a lot of you. I’m Ed Cooper. I live over in Ten Sleep. I was born right over here on hospital hill many years ago. Basically I spent my entire life right here in the southern Big Horn Basin. My family has been involved in agriculture here since 1906 when they first...

Constitutional Amendment A The adoption of this amendment would separate residential property into its own class of property for purposes of property tax assessments. This amendment would authorize the legislature to create a subclass of owner occupied primary residence. You have the option to vote for or against. Lodging Tax Renewal Shall Hot Springs County renew for an additional four years of lodging tax of 2% upon accommodations or space, or transient visitors or tourists. Vote for the county lodging tax or against. The lodging tax is not...

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 state assessment data. Hot Springs County High School Principal Catelyn Deromedi said, “Regarding 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.” Deromedi...

The Holiday Food Drive will be getting underway soon with volunteers putting out bags and picking up filled bags in the community. On November 7-9 bags will be placed on doorknobs of Thermopolis homes. Place your food donations of canned or dried food by your front door for pickup on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 8 a.m.-noon. No perishable items or home canned products please. If your donation is not picked up or you need assistance, call 864-3629 and leave a message. You can also leave your donations in the entry of the Holy Trinity Episcopal...

US Senator Running for United States Senator representing Wyoming is incumbent John Barrasso (R) and Scott D. Marrow (D). This is for one seat, a six year term. The information included here is what Morrow presented during the Chamber of Commerce hosted candidate forum held in early October. Barrasso was not in attendance so a brief bio on him is included. Scott D. Morrow: Good evening everybody. Great crowd. I’ve been talking with Chuck here. He’s with the Republican Party. No?. Oh, that’s right, the Constitutional Party, and we’re...

Trunk or Treat The 8th annual First Responders Trunk or Treat will be held Halloween night, Thursday, Oct. 31, from 6-8 p.m. between the Fire Hall and the Search and Rescue building off of 14th Street. Handbell Choirs A Basin Handbell Choir Concert will be held at the Community Federated Church Fellowship Hall, 631 Bighorn Street, on Saturday, Nov. 2 beginning at 3 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public. It will include choir, quartet and solo ringers as well as combined piece with 24 ringers. Flautist Kimberly Jones will also...

Senior Citizen Service District, terms are to be determined by the organization for five newly available seats. Candidates are Kimberly Joy Black, Ted Brown, Curtis Cheney, Gary J. Holbert, Marvin Nielsen, Raymond E. Shaffer, Kathy Sorensen, Maxine Kay Toepke-Reese. Brown, Cheney and Toepke-Reese were not in attendance at the Chamber hosted candidate forum but short bios are incuded. Kimberly Black: Hi, I’m Kimberly Black. I wanted to be a part of our senior citizens board because I think it’s important to our community. I want people to...

Effective immediately, the Bureau of Land Management has lifted fire restrictions on all public lands administered by the Cody, Lander and Worland field offices within Big Horn, Carbon, Fremont, Hot Springs, Park, Sweetwater and Washakie counties, and a small portion of Natrona County that falls within the Lander Field Office area. Fire danger has decreased across the BLM Wind River/Bighorn Basin District due to cooler temperatures and increased precipitation, allowing fire restrictions to be safely lifted. “Please remain vigilant as...

Daniel Powell

The Bobcat varsity football team’s season came to close in Pinedale on Friday, October 26. Even with their win over Pinedale, the Cats finished the season with a record of 5 and 3 overall, and 4 and 3 in West Conference – sitting in fifth place, just out of earning a playoff spot. They came in just behind fourth place Worland by a mere tie breaker. Because the Cats had lost to Worland earlier in the season, the Warriors hold the tie breaker, and will move on to the playoffs as the number 4 seed in the 2A West Conference – behind...

Poet of Kirby Creek

The Spectral Parade Noon, October 26, the Saturday before Halloween… ~ Eight there were in staggered line. The view unfettered by brush or by pine. With laughter and song wither they go. Their final destination, nobody knows. ~ Great bags they all carried. Parcels for travel. The mysteries therein none could unravel. A grandparent, there was. And Father and Mother. with children all ages right down to a toddler. ~ They frolicked and waved. Children gamboled about. As they marched down the road they filled me with doubt. Where did they come...

I am a native Wyomingite who grew up in Lusk, attending grade school and acquiring my family values in the 1960s. Like many (if not most) Wyoming children of my generation, my family took me on family trips to Thermopolis where I was deeply impacted by the hot springs, the buffalo herd, the Swinging Bridge, Roundtop, and the utterly unique landscape of this particular place (not to mention the journey here through the Wind River Canyon or over the Bighorns from Buffalo). I went out into the World, again, like many Wyominites of my generation....

The 2024 General Election section is included in this paper and contains useful candidate information on those running for local, state and federal offices. Locally, we have some important races that will be decided when voting ends at 7 p.m., Tuesday, November 5. We have two qualified candidates running for a single seat on the Hot Springs County Commissioners Board. In a highly contested race, eight candidates are looking to fill four available seats on the Hot Springs County School District Board of Trustees. Three candidates are on the...

Ron Jurovich, 75, passed away Thurs., Oct. 24, 2024. Memorial Services will be held on Sat., Nov. 9, at 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church with a luncheon to follow. A full obituary will appear in next week’s Independent...

Steven Allen Haynes, 71, former Thermopolis resident passed away on October 26, 2024, at the Worland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. Steven was born in Thermopolis, Wyo., on May 4, 1953. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, November 1, 2024, at Monument Hill Cemetery in Thermopolis with Reverend Linda Anderson...

On the Record policy It is the Thermopolis Independent Record’s policy that all people arrested or cited under the “Accidents,” “Sheriff’s office” or “Police department” in the On the Record section are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We print the names of all people upon their initial arrest. Sheriff’s Office Monday, Oct. 21 6:29 p.m. An elderly male was provided assistance with obtaining food. The Department of Family Services will follow up with the male. 8:34 p.m. A juvenile female reported that...