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The Thermopolis Town Council prefaced their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 18 with a work session to discuss several issues facing the town. In the work session, the council continued to fine-tune the town’s proposed employee survey, seeking to gain insight into how the town may go about recruiting, and retaining, experienced and knowledgeable staff. The discussion then turned to a consideration of various methods of enforcing the town’s code provisions, in a way which will encourage compliance, without a resort to some form of enf...
Wyoming State Parks has announced an agreement with Big Springs Spa, Inc., current operator of the Hot Springs Hotel, formerly the Days Inn Hotel, in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Under the agreement, the State will pay Big Springs Spa, Inc. $1,175,921.05 for the appraised value of its capital investment and ongoing business interest in the hotel. The agreement follows an appraisal process conducted pursuant to Section 335 of Enrolled Act 27 of the Sixty-Eighth Wyoming Legislature, also known as the 2027 Budget Bill. Section 335 required Wyoming State...
On April 28, 2023, an incident that began as an investigation and ended with a shootout at Buck Laramore’s residence on Canyon Hills Road. Laramore died in the exchange of gun fire and former Thermopolis police Sargent Michael Mascorro was seriously injured. The recent completion of a settlement agreement wraps up years of various actions since April of 2023. Last week, the Town of Thermopolis publicly released a copy of the official settlement document on their website at thermopoliswy.gov. The...
Thermopolis Mayor Adam Estenson welcomes Daniel Assman as the newest Thermopolis Patrol Officer....
Early childhood fair The Early Childhood Fair will be Friday, August 28 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Washakie Shelter (Kiwanis Shelter) at Hot Springs State Park. The event will feature both resource information and interactive booths with a variety of fun activities, goodie bags, snacks, drawings and more. 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...
Smashing and crashing is returning to the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 29 with the Smoking Waters Demolition Derby. Five action packed classes of Chain Up, Truck, Weld Up, Light Weld and Super Mod will be offering a huge payout of up to $20,000. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the derby starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the gate for $20 for adults, $10 for ages 6-12 and 6 and under get in free. There will be food trucks on site along with a beer garden offering up a variety of food and beverages. The event is now...
Wyoming State Parks and the Wyoming Arts Council invite the public to attend the final Artist in Residence programs of the 2026 season, taking place throughout September at Wyoming State Parks. As part of Wyoming’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 Artist in Residence Program expanded to include 19 artists at nine state parks. Throughout the summer, artists representing visual art, music, dance, performance art, and creative writing have engaged visitors, developed original works inspired by place, and explored Wyo...
by John Bernhisel Under the new federal plan Arizona will lose 760,000 acre-feet of water annually, California 440,000 acre-feet and Nevada 50,000 acre-feet. At first glance, the Colorado River crisis would seem to have almost nothing to do with the Big Horn Basin. The Colorado River doesn’t flow anywhere near Cody, Powell, Lovell, Worland or Thermopolis. Neither do Wyoming’s major tributaries that eventually feed it. Water leaving the Big Horn Basin flows north through the Bighorn River into Montana, eventually joining the Yellowstone, Missour...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
At their August 4 regular meeting, the Hot Springs County Commissioners faced a busy agenda filled with regular monthly department reports, as well as additional matters which were a bit more complex. We previously reported on the more complex matters in the August 13 issue of the Independent Record. Assessor Dan Webber presented a report on the 2026 Valuations, Levies and Taxes, which reflected a county valuation of $156,277,305, and total county levies of $1,875,327. The total of all taxes levied for 2026 amounted to $11,173,353, which includ...
News briefs from Wyoming News Exchange Details emerge on accident last week on North Fork CODY (WNE) — On Wednesday, August 12, vehicles traveling on the North Fork Highway were met with sign holders who had arrived around 9:20 a.m., directing them to divert to Stagecoach Trail to continue down the North Fork. There had been an accident — one so severe that the stretch of highway would not reopen till 2:50 p.m. The WHP confirmed one fatality on Monday — Terry Zaske, 48, of Box Elder, S.D., who died at the scene. Zaske was not wearing a helme...
To open the August 4 meeting of the Hot Springs County Commissioners, commissioner Paul Galovich read into the minutes a letter attempting to explain action taken by the board to cut county funding for the educator position in the local Extension Office. Galovich explained that talks with the University of Wyoming Extension Office had been productive in addressing concerns the county had with the position. Commissioner Tom Ryan proposed a motion to move funding that had been included in the county’s 2026-27 approved budget. The move would e...
The Thermopolis Town Council met on Tuesday, August 4 and held several discussions regarding issues facing the town. In recent meetings, the council had approved an ordinance pertaining to the use of fireworks in conjunction with Fourth of July celebrations and had approved the use of fireworks at home Hot Springs County High School football games at the request of the Gridiron Club. At the meeting, Thermopolis Fire Chief Dale Andreen addressed concerns to the council pertaining to the location the town had designated for originating the...
by Rebecca Huntington, WyoFile.com When meteorologist Adam Dziewaltowski drove to work around sunrise, he could see the telltale sign on the horizon. “I kind of describe it as a highlighter orange,” he said last Thursday of the vivid display. As smoke rolls into Wyoming, the ashy air puts on a show of burnt orange sunrises and salmon-colored sunsets. While pretty for a picture, dawn and dusk can be some of the worst times for air quality as the ashy air sinks with cooling temperatures. Cool temperatures are what caused smoky air to blanket Wyo...
