Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 6753
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...
Turbo Turtle Trek The Great American Turtle Trek is set for August 15 at 1 p.m. at the Big Spring Outlet Stream in Hot Springs State Park. Brats and chips, for a donation, will be available prior to the drop of the turtles. The event is sponsored by the Thermopolis Rotary Club. 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...
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...
David Hansen and Frank Toth participated in unified golf during the Special Olympics Summer Games at the Casper Municipal Summer Games. The duo shot a score of 55 to place second (silver medal) in the Group 1 Division. The division consisted of the first place team from Sheridan, which shot a 49. There were two teams from Casper that tied with a score of 56....
by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile.com A complex mix of challenges, including troubling enrollment trends, faltering public trust in higher education and a $15 million budget shortfall, is bringing brand new headwinds to Wyoming’s sole undergraduate and graduate university. Despite that, the University of Wyoming’s new president is bullish on its future. “I think it’s on the ascent,” Shane Reeves said. “I absolutely think it has a lot of momentum behind it, and accelerating what already exists is going to be part of my job. And I’m really honore...
by John Bernhisel While a new nation was being born in the East, another world existed in the Big Horn and Shoshone River valleys For people in Philadelphia, Boston and New York City, the summer of 1776 was dominated by the Revolutionary War. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were in Philadelphia helping shape a new nation, George Washington commanded the Continental Army near New York City. Paul Revere and John Paul Jones were in Boston. City streets were lined with brick...
On Wednesday, July 29, Cody Stewart, 37, was granted an early release from a 24 to 30 month sentence to the Wyoming Department of Corrections. In October of 2024, Stewart was charged with twelve felony counts of theft, and fraud by check, arising out of moneys that had gone missing from the bank account of the FFA Alumni group in Thermopolis. At the time, Stewart was serving as the organization’s treasurer. On February 19, 2025, pursuant to a plea agreement reached with Special Prosecutor, Dan Itzel, Stewart entered pleas of guilty to six of t...
Under tentative agreement, state will reimburse longtime concessionaire Luehne for capital and business interests. by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile.com, via Wyoming News Exchange Wyoming State Parks has reached an agreement with Star Plunge owner Roland Luehne that signals an end to two years of litigation and the long-term closure of the popular Thermopolis aquatic facility. The tentative settlement still needs final approval from the Wyoming attorney general’s office. If approved, it will conclude all litigation and stipulate that the state r...
The 2026 Junior Livestock Auction and Judges' Choice Bake Sale is a wrap. Once again, business owners and private citizens came out and showed their support for our Hot Springs County youth. This year's sale brought in $197,696. A total of 22 beef sold at $102,145.05 for an average of $3.92 per lb. The Grand Champion Beef, sold by Meadow Moline, weighing 1,316 lbs., sold for $5 per pound for a total of $6,580 paid by winning bidder McCumber Well Service. The Reserve Champion Beef did not sell....
The Hot Springs County Travel & Tourism board held their monthly meeting at the State Park office on July 29. It was announced that board member, Tabatha Vandegrift had recently advised that she would be resigning from the board, creating another opening for the county commissioners to fill. In her financial report, treasurer Audra Dominguez announced that the moneys received from the lodging tax for the month of July were down substantially from the amount received in July of last year, representing just $4,567.84 this year. Dominguez stated...
Pig wrestling The Bobcat class of 2027 is hosting a pig wrestling fundraiser on Saturday, August 8 at Hot Springs County Fairgrounds. Gates open at 5 p.m. with a calcutta at 5:30 p.m. and action beginning at 7 p.m. Entry forms are available at the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce office. Tickets are $20 with kids 2 and under getting in for free. Tickets are available at Storyteller, Carquest, A Cut Above and Double R Store. Proceeds benefit the class of 2027. Summer concert A free Sounds of Summer Concert featuring Roger Lee will be held at the...
