Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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The Hot Springs County School District has opted to participate in the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Program. The CEP program is a both a National School Lunch Program (NSLP), as well as a School Breakfast Program (SBP), operating under the auspices of the United State Department of Agriculture. The district has not previously participated in the program, however, recent changes to eligibility parameters will now allow the district to fully participate. As a result, school breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge to all...
Eleven-year-old Abel Cordingly shows off the skills that earned him the top hand award at Saturday's Thermopolis FFA Alumni Ranch Rodeo held at the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds. See page 13 for results and more photos....
Wyoming State Parks is moving forward with another key infrastructure upgrade at Hot Springs State Park (HSSP), an asphalt improvement project to enhance road conditions, improve drainage, and freshen roadway striping throughout the park. Construction begins the week of July 28 and continues through September 3. The project will address damaged sections of roadway and curbing, update gutters, and repaint road markings. While the park will remain open throughout the construction period, visitors should expect occasional minor detours and...
Ava Dafoe competes in the Senior Reining class during the Hot Springs County Fair Youth Horse Show. See page 14 for results and more photos....
The Hot Springs County Travel and Tourism Board met on July 22 for their regular monthly meeting. Director Angela Guyon presented the board with a current financial report, reflecting the status of the organization’s financial condition. As a part of the financial report, Guyon provided a comparison of lodging tax revenues over the past four fiscal years. The report reflects that the lodging tax revenues were down for the fiscal year 2024-25, albeit by just 2.32 % for that fiscal year. Perhaps more concerning, however, Guyon’s report shows tha...
Brothers, Bridger and Hoyt Peil, have had a busy rodeo season, culminating in their qualification to compete in national events this summer. Younger brother, Hoyt, will commence his 8th grade year at Thermopolis Middle School this fall. At the young age of just 13, Hoyt has become a veteran at competing in rodeo events around the state, and the nation. Hoyt finished the 2024-25 rodeo season ranked 4th in the state in team roping. Along with his partner, Kasen McConnaughey of Riverton as header,...
by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile.com, via WNE A February ruling that Wyoming has been unconstitutionally underfunding public education brought major implications for the public school landscape across the state. Educators hoped it would result in better teacher salaries and more money for mental health counselors, school resource officers, school nutrition programs and safer buildings. But in an appeal filed last week, Wyoming attorneys argued that courts should only intervene to compel increased state funding when evidence “clearly demonstrates me...
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. Sheriffs office Monday, July 21 8:49 a.m. A deputy assisted a citizen after their vehicle broke down. 9:58 a.m. Report of a person dumping their RV tank next to a dumpster in town. Two males were issued citations for alleged illeg...
Mike Bell, English researcher and author of a number of books on Wyoming outlaw history, gives a presentation at the Hot Springs County Museum last Saturday. Bell has been researching Wyoming outlaws for over 50 years and is a member of both the Wild West History Association and the English Westerners' Society. You can find copies of his books at the museum or online....
In a world of online shopping and fast fashion, it's easy to get used to discarding things at the end of a season - perfectly good things with an abundance of life left. And that's where Ana Mosser comes in. Mosser, the new owner of Hot Springs Thrift on Shoshoni just off the 20, is working hard to keep things in stock and ever-changing. Mosser and her husband ran into the former owner, a man she'd known for years, at an estate sale in Cody, and during the months that followed the encounter,...
A new opportunity to live well and age well is coming to Hot Springs County. The Keys to Embracing Aging program, a free health and wellness series designed especially for middle-aged and older adults, will be offered this fall at multiple locations around Thermopolis. Starting Tuesday, August 19, the full seven-week program will be held weekly during lunch at the Thermopolis Senior Center and again at 1 p.m. at the Pioneer Home. Sessions continue each Tuesday through September 30. If you can’t make the daytime series, a condensed, one-hour v...
Edward Leroy Shaffer, 85, went to be with his Lord and Savior on July 27, 2025. He was born in Thermopolis on July 23, 1940, to Glenn Dale & Helen Kobielusz Shaffer. He was raised on Sunnyside Lane and went to work for local ranches by the age of 12. He graduated Hot Springs County High School in 1958 and went on to rodeo, working at Anchor Dam, South Pass Steel Mine, and other small jobs. But he loved the Cowboy lifestyle and it never left him. Ed married Peggy Schaff in 1964 and they had 4... Full story
Gloria Simmons peacefully passed away in the Thermopolis Rehabilitation Center on July 4, 2025 . She began her life's journey on December 22, 1942. She was the fourth of five daughters born to Dr. Harvey & Hilda Hull of Ogden, Utah. Growing up she enjoyed drama and sports. She married Kent Simmons on December 16, 1965. She said it was "love at first sight" while going on a double date. They had three children, Adella, Kenny and Harvey, which she raised alone when Kent went into the Army. Kenny... Full story
Kellie Joan Gant left to be with her mother and father after a hard battle with cancer on Friday, July 18, 2025. Born on April 1, 1978, Kellie was the youngest of 5 children, rounding out the blended family of Emmett "Bud" and Carol Faith. Although Kellie was born in Rock Springs, she graduated from Hot Springs County High School in Thermopolis where she excelled as a student and participated in the band. After high school, Kellie moved around Wyoming before settling down in Billings, Mont.,... Full story
Stephanie Owens of Owens Creations is our Vendor of the Week for the Thermopolis Farmers Market. When she couldn't balance bringing her child to work in Rawlins, she started working from home making and selling sewing, woodwork, stained glass, jewelry, and even her husband Jason's bottle lamps. When the family relocated to Thermopolis in 2014, Owens kept up her business and is at the local Farmers Market every Saturday as well as a few other events around Wyoming during the s...
Porshia Birdsley rests easy - at least for the moment - in her Gottsche Gym surroundings. Aside from the weights and machines, there is a space dedicated to Birdsley's many wins on the Strongman circuit, including her biggest and most recent win, the United States Strongman National Championship on June 28 in Concord, North Carolina. She is now the best in the world in her weight range. USS Nationals had Birdsley competing with 15 other athletes, and her score of 79 out of 80 gave her a landslid...
“Moccasined feet of Indians trod the paths surrounding the Big Horn Hot Springs long before the coming of the first white man.” These words open the “History of the Spring” written by Jessie L. Duhig and are found in the program for the annual Gift of the Waters Historic Pageant that will be performed at 6 p.m. on August 2 and 3. The Pageant honors when members of the Shoshone and Arapahoe nations ceded 10 acres of land, which includes the Big Horn Hot Springs, to the US Government. As part of the treaty, Chief Washakie put a clause in the tre...
Get revved up for the Thermopolis Demolition Derby set for August 9 at the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds with the action starting at 6 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m. Limited Weld Grand prize is $3,000 with the second place winner taking home $1,500 and third place brings in $800. The Mad Dog wins $1,000. If you’re more interested in the truck derby, first place garners the winner $1,500, second $750 and third $500. The Mad dog earns $500. Gut N Go Derby first place prize is $1,000 and second place $500. The Mad Dog earns $500. Must have five to h...
Rummage sale Hot Springs County Prevention Coalition is holding a rmmage sale Satruday, August 2 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the corner of 5th and Broadway, next to Broadway Bakery. Tickets will be available for a raffle drawing. All funds will go to the coalition to host their upcoming Community Suicide Prevention and Awareness Walk. Tree care class ISA Certified Arborist Jason Byerley will present a free tree care class on Tuesday, August 5 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Hot Springs County Library, 344 Arapahoe. There will be quesion and answer...
The Hot Springs County Land Planning Commission met July 23rd for their monthly meeting. All were present except Rick Mickelsen. All minutes and agenda were approved, with only one item on the list for the meeting. The Mead family has put in a parcel division requiring a land use change request on a part of their property along W. Sunnyside Lane. Of their lot, they are looking to create a 10-acre residential area for their home, although they plan to leave about eight of those acres for agriculture. Desires have been communicated to 10...
Katie Singleton, Big Horn District Interpretive Ranger, teach Vivian Kraft, right, and Arbin Kraft about a wandering garter snake....
Isabella Gerber and Nykomia Whiting were named to the Casper College President’s Honor Roll for the 2025 spring semester. Four Thermopolis Middle School students had the opportunity to attend STEM camps. Three of the boys went to the Vanderbilt University Campus in Nashville, TN and the fourth went to Washington, D.C. The boys were invited to attend due to nomination by a teacher. Henry Cheney (son of Curtis and Jennifer Cheney) attended the Washington campus, while Keldon Linton (son of Gary Linton and Stacia Noorda), Ian Brooks (son of L...
The CMT Performance Horses team of Mat Cordingly, Taylor Cordingly, Abel Cordingly, Tristan Lundgren and Jason Longwell won first place at the Thermopolis FFA Alumni Ranch Rodeo held Saturday at the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds. Second place was the Lucerne Gang team of Brad Peil, Dawn Peil, Bridger Peil, Hoyt Peil and Koy Myers. The Hoodoo/Arapaho team of Reese Karst, Tucker Hatch, Caroline Dietz, Owen Sack and Chance Karst took third place. The hard luck award went to Leo Lonebear and the...
From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers 286 acres burn in Red Cabin wildfire in Oregon Basin CODY (WNE) — Fire departments from Park County responded to a wildland fire last Monday afternoon after a lightning strike ignited a blaze east of Dry Creek and southeast of Cody in Oregon Basin. Cody Fire responded to the call with four engines to the scene, while Powell dispatched two and Meeteetse sent three engines to the site. The call was received around 2:45 p.m. The burn area, totaling 286 acres, originated on BLM land, but ultimately affected a...
Members of the HSCHS graduating class of 1995 who recently attended their 30th year reunion include, left to right, Paige Pickering, Crystal Cundall Zimmerscheid, Jennifer Hancock Selvey, Michelle Carter Holman, Amy Baird Iverson, Amanda Christensen Evans, Shauna Littlefield Bruckner, Pat Johns, Stefanie Cowger, Jennifer Buller, Mandy McDonald Wilson, Michelle Brister Kane and Shannon Buckner Myers....
