Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
Unofficial Hot Springs County Primary Election results are in with Chip Axtell and Phillip Scheel winning the Republican nominations to move onto the general election in November, upsetting incumbent Paul Galovich. Axtell received 1,094 votes, Scheel 613, Merrill J. Ready 397, Galovich 358, Dusty Lewis 356 and Mike Mortimore 264. For the House District 28 seat, Republican Allen Hogg received the winning number of votes with 1,525 and will be moving onto the general election. Marshall Keller received 828, Carlin Jones received 594 votes and...
Asuna Cortez, 3, enjoys a cup of ice cream during the annual Rotary Turtle Trek last Saturday....
William Borders gives his dad, Nick, a hug before entering Ralph Witters Elementary for his first day of the 2026-27 school year....
The candidate filing period for local special districts is open until August 24. There are no filing fees for these positions. You can file with the Hot Springs County Clerk for the following positions: Hot Springs County School District School District #1 Trustee - Three (3) - 4-year term School District #1 Trustee - One (1) - 2-year unexpired term Special Districts Cemetery District Director - Three (3) - 4-Year Term Conservation District Rural Supervisor - Two (2) - 4-Year Term Conservation District At-Large Supervisor - One (1) - 4-Year...
by Owen Houtakker, Wyoming Tribune Eagle via Wyoming News Exchange The Health Insurance Affordability Task Force met Thursday to discuss ways to make health insurance more affordable for people across Wyoming. The state task force was created to address the complexities of rising medical costs and insurance premiums in the state, partly due to geographical isolation affecting the cost of care. Wyoming ranks fourth in the nation concerning hospital availability, but 36th for affordability. Compared to more urban states, Wyoming’s lack of p...
Hundreds of numbered, plastic turtles race through the warm mineral water during the annual Rotary Turtle Trek. Spectators watch as the turtles make their way toward the finish point with winning turtle numbers corresponding to prizes....
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, August 10 11:18 a.m. Agency assist for family services with a urine sample. 1:19 p.m. Deputies responded to a family fight. A visiting family member was trespassed from the property...
The Thermopolis Police Department has hired a Community Service Officer (CSO) to assist with animal control. They recently released the following information to remind everyone of the process when a dog or cat is picked up for running at large. If the animal is brought to the local vets office, the owner must first present proof of rabies vaccine. If the animal is not up to date, they must receive the vaccine and the owner obtain proof before they can be released. The proof of vaccination for rabies can then be brought to the law enforcement...
On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, an agency assist was requested of the Thermopolis Police Department by the Department of Family Services upon a report of elder neglect. Family Services had been notified by a local physician of concerns for the welfare of an elderly man, who suffers from cerebral palsy. The physician had performed a wellness check at the man’s home and reported that he had concerns that the patient was not being properly cared for and was being neglected. The elderly gentleman was subsequently taken to Hot Springs Health and w...
Rose Wrightson adds colorful toppings to her creation during the Banana Split Day fundraiser at Central Bank & Trust last week. The event raised support for Thermopolis Baseball....
Farm to Fork picnic dinner The Farm to Fork picnic dinner and silent auction is set for Sunday, August 23 from 5-6 p.m. at the Community Church Fellowship Hall. Only 50 tickets will be sold. For more information, call 864-2060 or see the ad on this page. Kids outdoor day Hot Springs State Park will be hosting a kids outdoor day on Saturday, August 29. Families with kids ages 6 and up are invited. See the ad on this page for more information. Smoking Waters Derby The Smoking Waters Demolition Derby will be held at Hot Springs County Fairgrounds...
The Early Childhood Fair (formerly the Pre-school activity fair and the Community Baby Shower) is scheduled for Friday, August 28 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Washakie Shelter (Kiwanis Shelter) at Hot Springs State Park. This year they are combining the Pre-school Activity Fair and the Community Baby Shower. The combination event will feature both resource information and interactive booths. They aim to provide low-cost, interactive activities for young children and their caretakers to enjoy and replicate at home. They also provide resource...
Living in a small town can be challenging in some ways. Often it is difficult to find a source of local entertainment. In Thermopolis, we have the distinct advantages of the soothing hot springs, the beautiful Hot Springs State Park, and our fabulous Bighorn River. But even those fascinating activities can become monotonous. The notoriously controversial comic Lenny Bruce once commented: “I hate small towns because once you’ve seen the cannon in the park, there’s nothing else to do.” On the other hand, on the subject of small towns, Kenny C...
Our press deadline only allows us to include some of the unofficial primary election results in this issue of the IR. We will follow up with more election results in next week’s paper. The Hot Springs County website at hscounty.com will have all the local results. State results can be found at sos.wyo.gov/elections/electionresults.aspx...
Thank you to all the Thermopolis supporters who helped with the Play Production Bahguewana during the Gift of the Waters Pageant August 1 and 2, 2026. This helped the Eastern Shoshone tribal actors, dancers and drum group. Diana Tillman...
by Jill Pertler I’m not sure how I accomplished the feat, but somewhere in my innocent online shopping and scrolling I managed to subscribe to a couple of home-improvement, DIY and arts and crafts websites. I could easily unsubscribe, but every once in a while they come up with a gem that causes me to pause, and–eventually–click. (They don’t call it clickbait for nothing!) I’m usually disappointed when I do click. I feel like I’ve been had, because the really great, new and unique home cleaning hack that I was promised turns out to be somethin...
Questions: 1. Which 19th-century millionaire very possibly saved the whales from extinction? 2. How did the capture of the Japanese-controlled-island of Tinian help end World War II? 3. Rank the six populated continents in order by the percentage of adults who own cell phones. 4. What is the largest city in each of these Wyoming counties: Laramie, Fremont, Campbell, Uinta and Niobrara? 5. If you are 100 years old, how many years more can you expect to live? Fun Facts: The only endorsement Elvis Presley ever did was for a donut shop that he...
With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Casey Bob Bybee, age 35, of Marathon, Fla., who passed away on July 31, 2026. Casey was born on April 13, 1991, in Thermopolis, Wyo., to Brian Howard Bybee and Laloni Jo Stephenson. Born and raised among the beautiful mountains of Wyoming, Casey carried his love for the outdoors throughout his life. His journey eventually led him to the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, where he made his home in Marathon. Though life took him from the... Full story
Penny Kay Wells passed away on August 15, 2026, in Casper, Wyo. She was born on August 14, 1953, in Thermopolis. Services will be held on Thursday, August 20 at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Burial will be at Monument Hill Cemetery. A full obituary will appear in next week’s Independent Record....
Construction continues on the boardwalk at Hot Springs State Park, with work expected to continue through late August. The project involves a full replacement of the old boardwalk, which was approximately 25 years old. Over time, the structure had begun to deteriorate, reducing water flow across the park's iconic mineral terraces. For the safety of visitors and to allow for efficient construction, the boardwalk will remain closed to the public for the duration of the project....
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile.com, via WNE For college student Sofia Downing, a summer gig knocking on doors in Wyoming was the chance to make some money, see a different part of the country and get candidates with what she considers conservative values elected to office. “If you don’t like walking around, or you’re more of an introvert, probably not the job for you,” Downing said in late July, standing in the afternoon shade of a tree in the city’s Valley Hills neighborhood. Canvassing, however, is a great job for a young person passionat...
The Hot Springs County High School golf teams kicked off their fall season last week with the first practice held on Monday, August 10. Two short days later, the teams headed to Powell for their first tournament of the new year. Coach Ryan Shaffer took the helm of the golf teams for the high school this past spring season and will continue his tenure this fall. Seven players, five boys and two girls, faced off against teams from eleven area high schools in the Powell Fall Invite on August 12 and 13 at the Powell Golf Club. With just two...
Hot Springs County High School will see changes this year in several head coaching positions. Volleyball, golf and cross-country will gain new leadership this fall season and this coming winter the boys basketball team will have a familiar face captaining the ship. This past spring season, coach Ryan Shaffer took over the helm of the golf teams from long-time head coach Brandon Deromedi. Shaffer will continue to guide the Bobcats and Lady Cats this fall season. New to the cross country team, head coach Ashley Cleare held the team’s first p...
The Big Springs FFA Chapter has been awarded a $3,000 yearlong Living to Serve Grant from the National FFA Organization to expand student-led service projects that address food insecurity and agricultural education in the Thermopolis community. The nationwide Living to Serve Grant program provides funding to local FFA chapters for yearlong service-learning projects focused on community safety, environmental responsibility, hunger, health and nutrition, and community engagement. During the 2026–2027 school year, more than $158,500 was awarded t...
Results from the 2026 Hot Springs County Chute Out, in order of finish, include: Saddle bronc - Rope Glick Ranch bronc - Bryland Davis, Ashton Britian, Burl Twitchell Tie down - Gavin Burgess, Brice Bott, Kreese Burgess, Joe Penetta Breakaway - Mesa Allen, Tillie Brastrup, Shiann Panetta Youth breakaway - no qualified times Ladies barrels - Heather Daley, Becky Sorenson, Della Epler, Cashlynn Cooper Youth barrels - Lincoln Shepperson, Addy Swank, Caylin Cooper Steer riding - Lincoln Shepperson...
