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Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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by Jonathan Gallardo, editor, Gillette News Record It’s hard to believe that another legislative session is behind us. It hasn’t even been a month. It feels like it was just yesterday that a nice rich lady from Jackson tried to give money to lawmakers and the media made a big deal about it. Despite this slight hiccup, legislators were still able to get some work done. They came to an agreement on a budget and school finance recalibration. If you’re old enough to vote, you’re old enough to get your concealed-carry license. The legisla...
by Lily Hayes This series of Trailblazing is to share stories about those who pioneered in what is now Thermopolis, Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy this continuation of Marie Shafer Andreen Long Walker. Part one ran in last week’s IR. When they came back our plans fell by the wayside. They moved up Owl Creek, so we stayed on the Nielsen farm. In the spring of ‘21’ we went to work for Bob Kelly at the mouth of Owl Creek. Harriet was born there on May 18, 1921. The next spring early, Harry’s dad died. We thought...
Two years ago a man felt it was his right to run his snowmobileover a wolf, cause horrific injuries and suffering to another living being, tape shut the animal’s mouth, bring her into a bar, proudly display his behavior to everyone there, and after a long period of time--while this animal physically and psychologically felt the effects of these intentional actions--took the wolf outside and killed her. It needs to be recognized that the man felt pleasure while engaging in these ongoing behaviors. No society that supports--in any way--this k...
by Whitney Lucas Molitor, Ph.D., OTD, OTR/L, BCG and Allison Naber, Ph.D., OTD, OTR/L Living in rural communities offers unique opportunities to promote successful aging. Incorporating a purposeful lifestyle, developing social connections and engaging in daily physical activity is essential to achieving positive health outcomes and quality of life. Finding purpose includes exploring the activities you already engage in and being open to new possibilities. Engaging in motivating activities provides a framework for a purposeful life. The...
Is it time to stop changing our clocks twice a year? This has been visited and revisited. Like most ideas, there are those who think we should stop and those that think we should continue. Wyoming passed legislation (HB0044) in March 2020 to adopt year-round Mountain Daylight Saving Time. However, this change is contingent on federal approval and at least four neighboring Western states enacting similar legislation. It is currently in a “wait-and-see” mode regarding federal action and regional coordination. The legislature introduced ano...
by Lily Hayes This series of Trailblazing is to share stories about those who pioneered in what is now Thermopolis, Hot Springs County, Wyoming. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy this article, Tim Odde found while “treasure hunting”. He and his mother, Louise, have offered to share it with us. Some dialogue is written by Louise and others by Marie, but retyped the way it was written. “Mother” Marie Shafer Andreen Long Walker started writing this in January 1971, in an address book. I found it when I was cleaning out some of their papers after t...
Questions: What are the two counties in Wyoming that begin with a vowel? Who played the male and female leads in the movie When Harry Met Sally? The sun is the largest object in the Solar System and Jupiter is second. What are the 6th, 7th and 8th largest? Name as many of the University of California campuses as you can. (There are ten.) What is the smallest whole number that is spelled with an A in English? What about B and C? Fun Facts: In 2005, a family cat was accidentally sealed inside a shipping container in Milwaukee and spent nearly a...
The Wyoming State Legislature began its budget session this week. While headlines have already appeared about various budget items debated prior to the session, the final budget bill was posted Feb. 6 — three days before the session convened — and introduced as mirror bills in both the House and the Senate. The Legislature now has approximately four weeks to complete several major tasks. In addition to passing the state’s biennial budget (a budget covering two years), lawmakers will consider 335 bills this session, including interim commi...
by Lily Hayes This series of Trailblazing is to share stories about those who pioneered in what is now Thermopolis, Hot Springs County, Wyoming. The first strings I remember holding onto and letting go, were Grandma’s apron strings. Pictures tell a thousand words and the pictures of the past always show my Grandmother with an apron on…..even while holding the smallest child; when her sons returned from war; feeding chickens; milking cows; preparing a meal; when young grandchildren rode horseback trying to get cattle through a gate uns...
America is an idea. It belongs to No One and Everyone. No one in the United States is required to carry identification on them at all times. There is an inherent understanding that freedom exists for all who live here, whether born here or not, and that freedom is upheld by the Constitution and related laws and norms. As citizens, the trade-off for this freedom is that we have a civic duty to participate in our democracy. Participation by all creates the fabric that holds us together as a country. First among those civic duties is voting. The...
by Andrew Ellsworth, MD Take a moment to breathe. Close your eyes. Slowly inhale through your nose, pause, and gently exhale through your mouth. After a few steady breaths, you likely feel more relaxed and ready for the day. Now imagine plugging your nose and trying to breathe with your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth, blocking the airway. You would quickly feel stressed and uncomfortable. Now imagine that happening over and over again, all night long. That is what occurs with obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea...
Trailblazing means introducing new ideas or methods, innovative or pioneering. We are happy to bring you a new guest column about Hot Springs County Trailblazers, the first of which appears to the right of this editorial. This year, Hot Springs County will be home to Trailblazing Days June 12-14. The event will celebrate the early trailblazers who traversed the difficult terrain to settle in the Big Horn Basin. The event will feature a chuckwagon dinner, concert, cowboy poetry, parade, area treks, BBQ and more. Some arrangements are still be...
by Lily Hayes This series of Trailblazing is to share stories about those who pioneered in what is now Thermopolis, Hot Springs County, Wyoming. If there are errors, I stand corrected, but please know this is my grandmother and I am one of about forty grandchildren, so as stories go, there are many versions. Some of the information is from my mother and aunt’s stories. I would like to introduce you to Mary Agnes Peoples White. She was born of Irish/Scottish parents, in Glendive, Montana, on September 11, 1898. She and her husband, Jaque Bob W...
After watching and listening to two Thermopolis officer’s (a sheriff deputy and police officer) dash and body cams where one did weaponize his cruisers’ iron cowcatcher, used a PIT manuever grill gaurd to chase a man in a field, striking him hard enough to toss him over the hood - then calling “needed” backup since it didn’t faze the pedestrian - I won’t call Good’s light, WOKE-approved vehicle a weapon. The ICE agent was maybe swished a bit from the side, if touched at all, by her barely-moving-from-park SUV. He deftly fired one shot perfectl...
Back in 2017 while addressing a group in Laramie, my mentor, the late Al Simpson said: “Money’s dominance over politics is the number one problem our nation faces. It is a growing crisis that prevents us from tackling anything else. We have now reached a turning point: Either we are a country that makes decisions based on the common good, or one where the size of your wallet determines the worth of your ideas. Either we uphold the values of a representative democracy, or we allow greed and wealth to destroy the great American experiment in sel...
The wildlife of Wyoming is a valuable resource that belongs to every resident of the Equality State. Many enjoy watching these wild denizens going about their lives — grazing, rutting, caring for young and just existing. Others harvest one or more animals per year for sustenance, celebrating and thanking the wild life that helps sustain human life. Ethical hunters practice fair chase. When bad actors break the state game laws, we all should be indignant. Public servants create systems to manage the health and numbers of animals the habitat can...
by Jill Pertler I had dinner with a dear friend the other night and near the start of the meal, something became apparent: we had differing political views on numerous topics. Can you imagine, sharing a Cobb salad and a Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich over dinner with someone who sits on the other side of the aisle as you? Crazy, I know. But just wait, I haven’t even gotten to the really preposterous part yet. Neither one of us got up from the table and left in a a huff. We had a delightful evening. I’d love to do it again soon. I think she...
Questions: Where did Charles Dickens work at age 12 while his father was in debtor’s prison? What is the largest city in Wyoming with a one-syllable name? On what continent was Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury born? Which profession receives the most Valentine cards each year? What U.S. city is generally credited as the birthplace of jazz? Fun Facts: After Chicago gangster John Dillinger was shot by the FBI in 1934, onlookers dabbed handkerchiefs in his blood as souvenirs. He was betrayed by a Romanian immigrant named Anna Sage, later n...
A tragic car crash took the lives of two young members of our community last week. Two other community members were also involved in the wreck. From those four people, the far reaching effect to our small community is large. Family members, friends and acquiescences feel the effects of a tragedy long after it happens. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to all involved. When tragedy strikes, we are reminded of how fragile and short life is. Hug your people, tell them you love them. Life can change in the blink of an eye....
To the editor: It seems there is a lot of division and confusion around economic development currently in the recent Wyoming state legislative sessions. I don’t have all the data and I certainly haven’t been in on all the conversations, but I feel it is my responsibility to share my personal business experience and perspective. It is the voters that I want to share with. I have already shared with the legislators but it is your turn to speak to your legislators on this topic. Hopefully it will help steer our state to continued and greater suc...
Questions: Q1. Which college has produced the most players who later made the NFL Hall of Fame? Q2. Nineteen of the 20 most-watched television broadcasts in history are Super Bowls. What is the only other show to crack the top 20? Q3. Name the most recent Wyoming-born football player to be on a Super Bowl-winning team. Q4. What two NFL teams have started a season and won at least 17 straight games, including the postseason? Q5. Name the only athlete to have played in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. Fun Facts: Tom Brady holds the NFL...
We are constantly in the process of improving the Thermopolis Independent Record. A new weekly column appears on this page. It ran for the first time in last week’s edition. We find it fun and interesting but would like to know what our readers think. Please take the time to read the column and let us know your thoughts. The column will be ran on a space available basis. Letters to the editor and community chatter submissions will take precedence when we have them. We welcome our readers comments or suggestions on all topics. You can stop by t...
by John Bernhisel Questions: What event in April 1815 led to frost appearing on plants in New England during June and August of 1816? Which Ohio city was named in honor of a Roman general and dictator? Which of these actors appeared in Saving Private Ryan: Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck, Ted Danson, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel? Name Wyoming’s four northernmost counties that touch the Bighorn Mountains. Name the three countries in Africa that begin with the letter L. Fun Facts: There is a rare condition in which some people with dementia briefly regain m...
The Wyoming Press Association award plaques on the wall at the Independent Record office date back to 1988. Awards were won prior to that, but older plaques have been replaced by newer ones as the years went by. We enjoy winning awards. Who doesn’t? However, we determine our success through the eyes of our readers. If you are reading, we are succeeding. Our advertisers are a big part of our success, too. We are thankful for your faith in the IR to get the word out about your business, event, service, etc. A community paper is not possible witho...
by Andrew Ellsworth, MD Many of us have been there before—near the top of a ladder, stretching just a little farther to finish the job. Maybe we are cleaning a gutter, hanging Christmas lights, or rescuing a cat from a tree. There is always the temptation to climb one rung higher to reach that final spot. According to CDC data from 2022, accidents are the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer. For those ages 1–44, accidents are the leading cause of death. These unintentional injuries include poi...
