Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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One night this week we were out having dinner and when our evening was over we did not receive a bill. Our dinners had been paid for by some wonderful soul who had already picked up our tab and left before we even got our meal. Since we have no idea who this generous person was, our only way of saying “thank you” is to send this letter to the editor. It means so much in our society of negative news to know there are still many caring individuals around to spread blessings. Wish they were the ones that are always getting the attention of the...
I’m getting off the train! I have to admit I was real excited about our new President. Seemed he was doing everything right, or at least as much as one man can. He was sure trying hard to turn this country around for the common man. Darn, it seems that on the same day that Hope left the White House I had to get off the train. You see our President seems to have deserted the U.S. Constitution. I heard with my own ears him say we need to get the guns first and worry about due process later. Of course, he was only talking about, you know, (the c...
Can you feel it? Spring gets closer every day, and we’ve almost got another Wyoming winter in the books. But as spring acts as time of awakening for Mother Nature, take as a chance to open your own eyes to problems you might otherwise pass by. Our state is facing some drastic budgetary cuts, particularly with regard to our schools. That means budgets have to be cut at the local level as well, and our students are having to pay the penalties. Sure, there’s plenty of great things happening in the...
A large focus the past couple weeks for national news and the ever-present social media has been the Florida school shooting, with stories of heartache because of lost friends and family, calls for stricter gun laws and planned student protests. In times of tragedy such as these and the near constant online posts keeping it fresh in our minds, it can be a challenge to see the positive side to what our schools are doing. Here in Thermopolis, students in sports and other extra curricular activities, as well as just within their classrooms, are...
I’m humbled by the fine coverage of my selection to the Wyoming Press Association Foundation Hall of Fame given recently in the Independent Record by Publisher Lara Love. To twist an old adage, it takes a community to have a great newspaper. The people of Hot Springs County welcomed me as editor and publisher of the IR in 1984 and worked with me (and a bunch of fine IR team members) to make certain the IR was a newspaper doing its job. I’m especially proud of all that those IR team members have since achieved in Hot Springs County, Wyoming and...
Just like everyone else, sometimes my mornings don’t start out the greatest. Maybe I forgot to set the timer on the coffee pot or I woke up later than usual, you know, the kinds of things that make you grumpy right off the bat. I have to say, though, regardless of how my morning starts, somewhere around 7:45 I always have a smile on my face. I don’t know who she is, I don’t know her name, but she is there on the corner by the church, Monday through Friday, rain, snow or sunshine, helping our s...
The Wyoming State Legislature is currently considering a bill that would eliminate a Wyoming institution that has been around since 1949. The Wyoming Pioneer Home, part of the Wyoming Department of Health’s Aging Division, provides assisted living for the seniors of Wyoming at a reasonable cost, but now, the Legislature is attempting to privatize the facility and remove the state from any connection with the home. One section of the bill claims Hot Springs County is the only place that benefits from the Pioneer Home. Yes, locals are employed t...
Thanks to this past weekend, I can now add “mount a microwave above a range” to my resumé, though it’s also painfully obvious — extremely so — that I won’t be signing up with any home renovation companies in the foreseeable future. Since the snow and cold were keeping my family and the visiting in-laws from doing much outside, we decided to take on some indoor projects to get them out of the way. For my wife and mother-in-law, it was getting their taxes filed. For me and my father-in-la...
With 2018 being an election year, it won’t be long before we’re bombarded with political ads, campaign promises and candidates wanting to do what they can to win our votes. At the Independent Record, we work to bring you information about the political state at the local, as well as the state level, with regular reports from representatives Wyatt Agar and Nathan Winters. However, the abundance of information available, particularly through the Internet, provides everyone the opportunity to educate themselves about any candidate they might have...
“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise,” Socrates more than 400 B.C Through the kindness of many coaches and administrators, I have been allowed the privilege of associating with a group of HSCHS athletes who subject themselves to a most vigorous conditioning regimen the likes of which I don’t remember from my own athletic experience at their age. Their practice sessions range from an hour to nearly two hours some days; they start at 4...
Our Democratic Republic is being attacked by a political cancer. Almost every person in the Federal Government swore to uphold the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights, the rule of law, and the separation of powers are being threatened right now. All U.S. citizens should consider this problem and hopefully respond appropriately....
So here we are, one of my favorite days of the year – the day after Valentine’s Day. Yes, if you know me, I’m very much a salty, spicy, chips eating kind of girl, but I must confess, I am sometimes a closet chocolate eater. Hence, today is one of the best as everything Valentine’s related has gone into the discount bin and just before closing you may find me at the store sifting through the leftover goodies that other girls in town did not get from their special someone. Milk chocolate is, of...
We sometimes forget how very fortunate we are to have the kind of education in Hot Springs County that we have. Our students are lucky to have not only well versed teachers who work tirelessly to ensure they are up on the latest techniques, but support staff that sees our children are the future of not only our little county, but the world. We have educators throughout the district that are winning individual awards for creativity and excellence. Our elementary school is filled with little advanced readers. Our high school and middle school...
It’s time for the greeting card companies, chocolatiers and florists to really get busy, as Valentine’s Day is just a week away. Whatever your plans for Feb. 14, there’s no doubt that February brings with it the feeling of love in the air. Though you might feel pressured into buying something traditional for your special someone, whether it be jewelry, flowers, tasty treats or hand tools, keep in mind there’s alternatives as well. I’m not saying don’t buy the love of your life something,...
It’s a phone call, text or message nobody wants to receive — that family friends or loved ones are missing. We’ve certainly had our share in the past few months here in Thermopolis. When someone goes missing, it can cause plenty of worry and stress, along with a multitude of questions, but at the same time it’s amazing to see how the community comes together for one another and provides, whether it be eyes and ears to search, spreading notices across social media or just providing a comforting shoulder and someone to talk to. An inciden...
Old, old laws Thermopolis Planning Board keeps on the books need to change. One law is — the city claims one hundred feet of “right of way” from curb to curb of city streets. Some streets are only 40 feet, or less, wide. This means the “right of way” laps 30 feet, more or less, onto property you pay taxes on. You are also responsible to keep the weeds on the city property removed. Years ago when city streets were mapped out, many lots were 30 ft. by 140 ft. You cannot build much on 30 feet. So people bought two lots to have a 60 by 140 foot...
I have an arrangement with my landlord. I am going to die in this house...because I detest moving. He’s OK with that. We all go through life gathering this and that, not really thinking about all the items we have picked up along the way. That is until we decide to move. While its amazing the things I have found during this latest moving adventure, it is even more amazing to realize the places I’ve been, the connections with family and friends, old photos and assorted trinkets I’ve found. Every...
The beautiful white snow we looked so forward to in December in anticipation of a visit from Santa has now turned into the gray, frozen, muddy icky-ness of January. For the most part, roads in town are pretty clear with a few exceptions here and there, thanks in a big part to our Town crews out there taking care of things. They are definitely out there early in the morning as we at the Independent Record see them trying to get the south side of the downtown area cleared up as we’re coming to work each day. Mother Nature has had her hand in i...
I would like to say, in defense of the U.S. Constitution, the Good Book says the lion will eat grass like the lamb, but it will not happen in this life as we know it. When the lion takes the notion he will eat the lamb. So any quality of life in the future of the lambs was to form a government that is strong enough to hold back the actions of the lions of the world. That is what was done when the founding fathers drew up the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution which gave citizenship to all of us. I would much rather be a...
Several Thermopolites braved the elements last Sunday to join a Women & Allies march held in Cody, including Reggie and Cindy Dragon, Elizabeth Straley, Barb Rice, Karen Hitchens, Howard Samelson, Suzanne Samelson, Levi Shinkle, and Marcia Bean. After the success of the 2017 Women’s March — prompted by the inauguration of Donald Trump — the message saw millions of women and men gathering to support women’s rights. This year a series of anniversary rallies were being held on Friday, Saturday or Sunday in cities across America. Casper, Cody &...
As any parent knows, one of the responsibilities that comes with having children is making sure visits from the Tooth Fairy happen. That little pixie had already visited my five-year-old twice, but I guess he wanted another chance to try and spot her so after a bit of amateur dental surgery he successfully removed his latest loose tooth. Now, in the past, the Tooth Fairy has left coins, but this time she decided to go with paper money. She didn’t know Mike is a big fan of shows and movies w...
We here at the Thermopolis Independent Record take pride in being the source for news about what’s happening in Hot Springs County. Whether it is through pictures, text or advertisements, people look to us to get the news about what’s going on. Every year, a weekend is scheduled for the Wyoming Press Convention. This year, that weekend will be Jan. 18-20, with the big event happening in Casper. Leading up to the event, we’re looking over our issues from the past year and finding pictures, stories, columns, advertising and general layouts to sub...
An interesting question came up recently about the weather in Thermopolis. “Did we have more snow when you were a kid than we have now?” I would have to say yes, even taking into consideration that I’m taller than I was as a kid (OK, not by much), I remember huge amounts of snow. For us, snow generally started at Halloween requiring us to have costumes several sizes larger in order to fit over our snow suits. It stayed, sometimes until Easter. I even remember a snow storm in June during Wildc...
January not only brings a new year our way, it also means a “changing of the guard” for various county boards, including the county commissioners. Leadership is one of those things that can be either a blessing or a burden, depending on how you approach it. Many people have no desire to hold those leadership positions, preferring to stay in the background and quietly contribute their time and effort. On the flip side are those who are elected or appointed to leadership roles and take those responsibilities very seriously. They are also the one...
We’re a couple weeks into 2018, a time where I’ve typically reneged on a couple of those resolutions I made in the late hours of Dec. 31. This year, I decided to try a new tactic. Rather than just give up after the first couple failures, I’m looking at the bigger picture and reminding myself that there’s still 354 days to make my goals. While that seems like a long time, I also know those days are already passing quickly and I’ve got to keep my eye on that end goal. But, in looking ahead to...
