Week of May 7, 2026
Week of May 7, 2026
At the April Hot Springs County School Board meeting, following an executive session, the board voted to approve pay increases beginning with the 2026-27 school year. They approved a 5% increase for administrative positions, a 6% increase for hourly employees and a $10,000 increase to the base rate for teaching staff, plus a step of $900 for instructional positions. The meeting included the regular recognitions of the efforts and successes of students and programs. Matt Johnson, Director of the BOCHES Program in Hot Springs County, appeared...
On Thursday, April 30, 2026, Hot Springs County officials joined Dr. Charles R. Ingle to dedicate the opening of Ingle Way, just north of Thermopolis. The new road will provide a northern access to the newly designated Overlook at Roundtop project at the old airport in Thermopolis. While there are currently no members of the Ingle family residing in Hot Springs County, Dr. Ingle's ancestor, Chester Ingle, Sr., came to Thermopolis in 1922 to set up a law practice. His son, Chester Ingle, Jr.,...
Hot Springs County District Court hosted a Law Day for Hot Springs County School District students on Monday April 27. In the morning, the court summoned the current senior class with summons to appear for jury duty. With the assistance of the Hot Springs County Clerk of District Court, the HSC Attorney's Office and the State Public Defender's Office, the court held a mock voir dire of the senior class. In the past, upon turning 18, some students had been summoned for jury duty and were unsure...
The Thermopolis Farmers and Artisans market is kicking off their 2026 season with the annual vendor’s meeting, Saturday, May 9, from 9-11 a.m. at the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 642 Arapaho St. The purpose of the meeting is to provide information on market rules and regulations, bylaws, activities, and vendor applications. Booth fees this year will be $10/week or $80 for the full season. Anyone interested in becoming a vendor, or would just like to know more about the market is welcome to attend. There will also be a vote for...
by Teal Davis, The Ranger Via Wyoming News Exchange As regions and states across the Mountain West experience record-warm winter temperatures, Wyoming Game and Fish is bracing for repercussions of future drought conditions on fish and wildlife health. Warm temperatures, dry soil and depleted forage on a landscape can add significant strain on fish and wildlife through limited food and stress due to low water levels and warmer stream systems, according to Wyoming Game and Fish Deputy Chief of Wildlife Division Martin Hicks. “There [are] 19...
Women of the wild frontier The Hot Springs County Historical Society meeting on May 9 will feature a presentation by Terri Lynn Geissinger about Calico Trailblazers, women on the wild frontier. The presentation begins at 2 p.m. at The Learning Center, 124 North 5th St. It is open to the public. For more information, call 864-2678. Mother’s Day tea On Saturday, May 9 beginning at 1:30 p.m., a Mother’s Day tea will be held at Hot Springs County Senior Center, 206 Senior Ave. Door prize will be given out for best dressed, outstanding hat and...
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile.com, via WNE A district court judge dismissed a defamation case Thursday against a political action committee linked to the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, ruling that there was insufficient evidence to indicate the PAC had made statements against two lawmakers with actual malice — a hefty legal standard in libel cases involving public officials. After launching in 2023 to support the hard-line Wyoming Freedom Caucus, the PAC took aim at Republican incumbents in the Legislature, including Rock Springs Reps. J.T. Larson and...
After getting weathered out the week before, the Hot Springs County High School track teams made up for lost ground last week by competing in three meets all in one week. On Tuesday, April 28, the teams faced off in a quad meet in Shoshoni, then traveled to Casper for meets at Kelly Walsh High School on Thursday, and the Wyoming Track Classic in Casper on Friday. Both the girls and boys teams took first place in the team standings in Shoshoni, with teams scores of 162.5 and 251.5, respectively. With that many team points, it is clear there...
In their last regular season matchup for the short spring season, the Hot Springs County High School Bobcat golf teams faced off with some big school teams last week in the Cody Spring Invite Tournament at the Olive Glen Golf Course. With eleven teams competing in both the girls division, as well as in the boys division, the competition was stiff and the scores were superb all around. For the girls, the home team took the championship with a team score of 280. The Lady Cats finished second, with just ten strokes more than Cody. In the boys...
In the last week of regular competition, the Thermopolis Middle School track team traveled to Greybull for the 2026 Greybull Middle School Invite. All four teams for Thermopolis ended the day in first place in the team standings with seven other teams in attendance . The 6th/7th grade boys had 179 points, the 8th grade boys had 200 points, the 6th/7th grade girls had 158.5 points and the 8th grade girls finished with 178 points. On Saturday, May 9, Thermopolis will host the Big Horn Basin Conference meet at Leroy Hayes Field. Qualifying kids...
Hot Springs County High School Prom Court presented during grand march last Saturday included, l to r, Alix Sorensen, Cruz Mascorro, Madison Shaffer, Ellis Webber, Prom Queen Marguerite Keller, and Prom King Cooper Holman. For more photos, see page...
Spectators at the Stars and Pipes Figure 8 Race were able to take a ride in a race car at the event. Winners, in order of finish, were Reagan Vonkrosigk, Mike Mellado, D'Quinton Robertson and fastest lap winner Kyler Warren (15.3 seconds). Forty-one cars were entered into the event making it action packed, including the roll over of a car driven by Josh Watts with passenger Torrey Watts. The crew quickly flipped the car back onto its wheels, bent the...
The 1890's Riders hosted the 3rd annual Blessing of the Bikes and Motorcycle Awareness parade last Saturday. After the parade, games, food and fun began in Bicentennial Park. Zayden Hurley makes a toss during a cornhole game at the...
Sherman Skelton presented information at the Run for the Roses Communities Over Cuts derby fundraiser held at the VFW last...
Thermopolis Police Sergeant Nicole Andersen adds ice to the dunk tank to cool down the water for police chief Pat Cornwell's next dunk during games provided by 1890's Riders as part of their motorcycle awareness event last Saturday. For more photos, see page...
The HSCHS Drama department presented Alice in Wonderland during three performances last week in the school auditorium. The show also featured a few students from RWE and...
I am concerned about the ownership status of the islands in the Bighorn River in Hot Springs County. When I started fishing the Bighorn 20 some years ago everyone I asked said the islands were ‘owned’ by BLM and therefore access was public. I checked the BLM map and virtually all the islands were yellow, designating them as BLM and therefore public. Recently, some of the island ownership has been changed to private by adjacent landowners quietly using the ‘quiet title action’ process to privatize the islands. In the world of right and...
Questions: Rounded to the nearest tenth, how many miles is 10 kilometers? How many non-presidents are on the six most common U.S. currency bills? What animal’s name comes from the Latin for “spotted lion”? What is the latest possible date for Mother’s Day? Which common Italian ingredient was first developed in Emilia-Romagna by monks trying not to waste milk? Fun Facts: Just days after the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898, U.S. forces arrived at Guam, then a Spanish possession. The Spanish garrison, unaware that war had...
by Tom Emery, freelance writer Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10. Mothers everywhere will rejoice. So will the greeting-card companies, flower shops, and telephone providers. Though celebrated in pockets in previous eras, Mother’s Day has been an official holiday for over 110 years. On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as a day to honor the nation’s mothers. “The signing was not that important to Wilson in a political sense. But it would not have taken much persuasion for...
As the 2025–2026 school year draws to a close, Hot Springs County School District #1 (HSCSD #1) is reflecting on a year defined by gains in literacy and a deepening commitment to student well-being. From the elementary halls to the high school stage, the “Bobcat Way” is yielding measurable results that show the district making steady progress in several key areas. Evidence of the district’s progress is found in a 10% jump in its graduation rate, which climbed from 78% to 88%. This surge reflects a concerted effort by staff to provide...
Ellen M. Galyan passed away peacefully on April 29, 2026, at Spirit Mountain Hospice following a brief diagnosis of terminal cancer. Ellen was born on November 15, 1934, in Torrington, Wyo., to Erma Reynolds and Alfred Hall. She grew up in Thermopolis, where she graduated from high school at the young age of 17. Shortly thereafter, she married Darrel Heinze in Thermopolis where she began her life as a ranch wife. Her life centered around family, hard work, and community. She found joy in life's...
Shirley Ann Towles White, 95, passed away peacefully April 28, 2026. Shirley was born on March 29, 1931, in Garden City, Kan., to Roy Sickles Towles and Mildred Bidstrup Towles. As a young girl, she moved with her parents and her brother, Leroy Towles, from Denver, Colo., to Wyoming, where the family began ranching in Red Canyon in Hot Springs County. Those early years shaped Shirley’s adventurous spirit and lifelong love of the outdoors. Some of her favorite memories were her beloved dogs, Tip and Cap, and reminiscing about riding...
On the Record policy It is the Thermopolis Independent Record’s policy that all people arrested or cited under the “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. Names of minors are not printed. Sheriff’s office Monday, April 27 6:53 a.m. Report of a vehicle collision on Highway 20 South. 1:14 p.m. Agency assist for the Department of Family Services. Tuesday, April 28 12:16 p.m....
