Week of April 9, 2026
Week of April 9, 2026
The Bureau of Reclamation has scheduled a Boysen Reservoir Water Information Meeting at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 13 at the Worland Community Center Conference Room, located at 1200 Culbertson Ave. in Worland. Discussion topics will include current water supply conditions, the 2026 snowmelt runoff forecast, and projected reservoir operations for 2026. Located on the Wind River near Shoshoni, Boysen Dam provides irrigation, hydropower, flood control, municipal, industrial, and fish and wildlife benefits. Near Thermopolis, the name of the river...
by Zac Taylor, Powell Tribune via Wyoming News Exchange As the long process to restore and create an exhibit to display the historic root cellar at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center continues, the funding that made that and other projects possible is in jeopardy. The Trump administration’s budget proposal released Friday doesn't include the Japanese American Confinement Sites program administered by the National Park Service, which included more than $4.6 million in funding last year for sites across the country that preserve the...
Alpha Phi #1148 Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha held the Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner on March 31. Awards Chair Jenifer Grimm presented the awards. The Perfect Attendance Award was presented to Kim Enis, Jenifer Grimm, Michelle Herring, Stefanie Ireland, Cindy Magelky and Linda Ziegler. The 15 Years of Service Award was achieved a by Michelle Herring. Belle Flinn reached milestone in E.S.A., as she achieved her 55 Years of Service Award. Flinn was honored for her dedication and volunteer...
At their March meeting, Board of Directors of Hot Springs Health heard from CEO Scott Alwin regarding changes that have been necessitated to the surgical call coverage schedule. The changes have been made in response to notice being received that Banner Medical will no longer be allowing a surgeon from Worland to participate in the present surgical call coverage. That change leaves just Dr. Vernon Miller and Dr. Nicole Jamieson to serve as on-call surgeons in Thermopolis, meaning there will be between seven and ten days per month when an...
Meri Ann Dorman will be stepping down from her role as Thermopolis Hot Springs Chamber Director effective April 15. Dorman has served in the position for 13 years. She has agreed to continue providing support during the transition period until a new director is in place. The chamber board is conducting a search for a new executive director. For more details, see the classifed ad on page...
Last Saturday morning, an informational meeting was held for those who may be considering seeking either election or appointment to governmental offices in Hot Springs County and Wyoming. The 2026 candidate filing period will soon be open, running from May 14-29. Saturday’s event was open to all political persuasions and was well attended, with representations across the political spectrum. The event was sponsored by the Hot Springs County Democrats. This year, there will be elections in Wyoming for federal offices, such as United States...
by Mike Koshmrl and Maya Shimizu Harris, WyoFile.com, via WNE With vegetation cured and temperatures warm, Wyoming’s wildfire season started off early and, well, fiery. Although it’s technically been winter and early spring, the first three months of 2026 have been unseasonably warm and snow-free to a historic degree. “Wyoming has already been experiencing a fire season this year, as approximately 240 fires burned 12,450 acres,” State Forester Kelly Norris briefed the State Board of Land Commissioners on Thursday. “We’re tracking...
Book and bake sale Hot Springs County Friends of the Library are hosting a book and bake sale on Friday, April 10 from 4-7 p.m. and on Saturday, April 11 from 8 a.m.-noon at the armory. They are taking book donations through April 9. They can be dropped off in the collection bins outside at the west end of the armory building. For more information, contact Cindy at 864-2060. Pride BBQ Big Horn Basin Pride is hosting a BBQ on Saturday, April 11 from noon-2 p.m. at Broadway Bakery, 509 Broadway. Attendees are welcome to bring a side dish....
From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers Game and Fish tests more than 5,300 samples for CWD in 2025 SHERIDAN (WNE) — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Health Laboratory tested 5,370 samples from elk, deer and moose for chronic wasting disease in 2025, and CWD was detected in 842 of those samples. Game and Fish released its 2025 CWD Surveillance Report this spring Statewide, CWD prevalence averaged 21.6% in hunter-harvested mule deer bucks, an increase from 19.4% in 2024. The percentage in hunter-harvested white-tailed buck...
Last Tuesday, the middle school track team competed in a triangular meet with Worland and Ten Sleep, hosted by Worland. While small in size, the athletes were able to bring home many individual championships. Following the spring/Easter break, the team will be back in action in Riverton on April 10, beginning at 10 a.m. Individual results from Worland: 6th Grade Boys 100 meter - Tristan Steadman, 1st, 14.09; Gabe Ryan, 4th, 15.20; Fletcher Lewis, 6th, 16.21; Aksel Polson, 8th, 16.23; Connor Fairbanks, 17.12; Zeke Needham, 17.78; Isaac Haddix,...
Bobcat Anthony Cheatham finished first in both the shot put and the discus at the Worland D&D...
Thermopolis Wrestling Club (TWC) members competed in Rapid City, S.D., at the AAU Black Hills Nationals tournament and in Powell at the USA wrestling 3 style tournament over the weekend. In Rapid City, TWC was tied for 4th place as a team with 118 points. 262 clubs competed. Individual champions were Gabe Ryan, Aksel Polson, Hailey Robinson and Hayden Robinson, who won championships in two different divisions. Thermopolis Wrestling Club will conclude the regular season this upcoming weekend at the Wyoming Amateur Wrestling Association State...
The Hot Springs County High School Bobcats played host for their Spring Bobcat Invite last Thursday at the Thermopolis Golf Course. Teams from Ten Sleep and Rawlins joined the local team to make up a small, but talented field. The weather on Thursday took a slight turn from the early spring temps seen in recent days with an overcast sky, an increasing breeze and some chilly air, but that didn’t serve to dampen the excitement of hitting the links for the new spring season. In this first outing of the spring, Coach Ryan Shaffer said he was...
The Bobcats and Lady Cats track teams were in Worland last Thursday to compete in the 2026 D&D Invitational. With teams from twelve schools appearing, the number of competitors was vast and the competition was first rate. While the wind dropped the feels-like temps for the teams competing at the Bobcat Golf Invite in Thermopolis that day, in Worland, the weather held off, allowing the competition to go on at a fast pace and providing some perfect conditions for field and track events. Coach Boone Bowker has high expectations for his team this...
Thermopolis individual champions at Black Hills Nationals include Gabe Ryan, Aksel Polson, Hailey Robinson and Hayden...
Darren Dumas lifts Elijah Colson as he gathers eggs from a tree branch during the Easter egg hunt held at Holy Trinity Episcopal...
A beautiful scene overlooking the Bighorn River with a snow covered Stagner Mountain in the background was captured by Jan Petersen last...
Silas, left, and Mac Cody look over the eggs they collected during their first Easter egg hunt. The event was hosted by the Thermopolis Lions Club at Hot Springs State Park. Bike winners are Arabella Galovich, 2 years; Lennox Sheperd, 4 years; Sophia Larson, 5 years and Crimson Enis, 9...
Lizzy Harvey shows a cake to auctioneer Shawn McWilliams during a dessert auction benefiting Hot Springs County...
Lexani Damiano, right, and Trey Wagner participate in hot city cornhole action held at the VFW last...
Snow clings to delicate blossoms following last week's much needed spring...
by John Bernhisel Look closely below for clues to two silver bars hidden somewhere in the Big Horn Basin. New clues will appear each week in April. See Big Horn Basin Treasure Hunt on Facebook for more information. Questions: Name all the U.S. Presidents who served during the first decade of the 21st century. Who are the four richest former NBA players alive today? How did a British chemist named James Smithson, who died in 1829, become famous in America? What two cities on opposite sides of the Danube River merged in 1873? How many pairs of...
The official candidate filing period in Wyoming does not open until May 14, but a plethora of candidates have already made their announcements to run for state and some local offices. The closing date for filing is May 29 at 5 p.m. Following that deadline, the IR will run information on candidates who have officially filed for local and state offices. The primary election will be on August 18. We will run a special section the Thursday before election day to provide details on each candidate locally and most state and federal level...
by Terri Lynn Geissinger I have four grandmothers who were Trailblazers. Two were on the Oregon Trail together in 1851. One of them, Laurette, survived a difficult birth to a baby boy at Mormon Ferry (Casper today) and was unable to continue the arduous journey. With a frail newborn and a two-year old son, the young couple watched as the rest of the wagon train moved on. My grandparents wintered over in the area at a primitive camp and barely survived. Two of their mules, who were tied close to camp, froze to death standing in place; the...
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 Tuesday, March 31 11:16 a.m. Call regarding a suspicious drone in the Kirby area. The drone operator was contacted and stated he was spraying fields for ranchers. 1:50 p.m....
