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Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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Next month, Thermopolis will host a hospitality workshop conducted by Ginny Garner. Described as instruction in intensive hospitality, the workshop will include training in topics such as the importance of tourism and how a person’s experience at one business or event might sour their opinion of the whole town. While this workshop is an important event, and board members were encouraged to have their employees attend, it’s not the only opportunity to make a good impression on people passing through. Though there are still plenty of gray, rai...
Last week’s letter to the editor from Bill Williams about the “Special Use Tax” or “1% Additional Sales Tax” was informative, yet it raises a few further questions. At one percent of taxable sales in this county, how many years can we expect to have this tax in effect before the 1.64 BILLION dollars is spent within our county to raise this amount? Bear in mind that not all money spent is subject to sales tax. Minerals and petroleum, as well as livestock, which are our greatest products, leave the county for resale and as such are not subject t...
by Rex Clothier “How much do you love me?!” Not having been asked that by any doctor before, but detecting good news arriving, I responded with “A goodly amount, but I suspect more after today.” Beaming broadly, she smiled and for the first time in nearly two months became the first person to assure me that I would leave the hospital with both feet, even if one was now smaller than the other. One the joy of knowing the tide had turned, and the enemy was in retreat had abated somewhat, I began to appreciate what a job my case manager had don...
As we come to the end of this Holy Week, you will be able to find a complete listing of services available at each of our local churches on the front page of this edition. Along with church services, throughout these pages you will find all kinds of things to do, from egg hunts to a 5K walk/run and the Second Friday ArtStroll, plenty of things for everyone in the family to do as they gather for the weekend. Whether your heart turns to a higher power or not, one thing is certain, life is renewing around us, from the new shoots of green grass to...
Regarding the “Our View” published in the April 6, 2017 edition of the IR on the opinion page, anyone who thinks the “sales tax” might continue indefinitely is in need of a refresher course. The “sales tax” is in fact a Special Purpose Tax and by definition is put in place after approval by the voters to raise monies for a “Special Purpose”, in this case the remodeling and replacement of the hospital. Once the funds have been raised to the maximum amount of $16.4 million for the project, the Special Purpose tax goes away. When that happens it...
Easter weekend is here once again, and the holiday means different things to different people. Having been raised Catholic, for me — as I’m sure it does for plenty others — the day itself and the weeks leading up to it go beyond the chocolate bunnies and marshmallow birds and into the spiritual. One thing I think is common among everyone, though, is the sense of newness, of rebirth or life taking a new direction. I hope that has more to do with the springtime being when baby animals are born,...
The annual April 15 deadline to have your taxes in is approaching quickly. Those who were able to get theirs done early have likely seen their returns swell their bank accounts before the money is put toward bills or, if you’re really lucky, a trip or something else that’s a bit more fun. Those of us who have waited, or are still waiting, to file the paperwork might be feeling a bit stressed out in making sure we have everything ready to go for the accountant, or sent to some online site for processing. Sure extensions can be requested, but...
Along with flowers and green grass, spring brings with it new babies of all shapes and sizes. There’s nothing like driving past a field and seeing all the new little lambs or tiny black calves with their shiny coats. And then there are the new foals, kicking up their heels as they chase each other around the paddock. It is definitely a time when farmers and ranchers are putting in long, exhausting hours putting in crops and making sure those little ones come safely into the world. This spring I’ve been a little obsessed with another kind of...
Everyone has their favorite memories from school, whether it was Friday night football games or the halftime show, wrestling trips, wood shop or finally figuring out Algebra, we all have something that sticks out in our minds. With the budget cuts facing our school district, many are afraid their students will not only miss out on an educational opportunity, but perhaps the chance to make the memories we did with extra-curricular activities. There is no skirting the issue of deep cuts coming to a lot of programs in the coming weeks. We can’t i...
It’s hard to believe March is nearing its end, though I’m sure I said the same thing about February, January, 2016 and all the years leading back to 2005 when I graduated college and school stopped making the days feel like they dragged on forever. March, like the other 11 months of the year, is host to plenty of special days, from St. Patrick’s Day and the Ides, but one of the lesser known is the observance of Social Work Month. Social workers play a key role in today’s society. Their primary mission is to enhance the quality of life for peopl...
Among the biggest topics of discussion within the past week has certainly been the trial of Matthew Schwan, evidenced by the number of people attending as well as the explosion of comments on our Facebook page. The trial was an emotional one for both sides — those supporting Matthew and the victim, Reilly Schwan — and the impact felt is far from over, and will likely see a fresh revival as the sentencing comes around. Among the comments seen online, and heard at the trial, was with regard to justice finally coming to pass in this case. Often ti...
The public notices that run in this newspaper are placed there, by law, primarily for your protection. Back when the states decided to adjudicate newspapers, it was because paid circulation papers like this one were the single best place to keep the public’s business before the eyes of the public. That was back when most people hadn’t yet heard of a television and certainly prior to the invention of a world wide web. Several generations later, it is still the case that paid-circulation newspapers are the single best place for citizens to sta...
There have been many questions about education spending in Wyoming and the cuts being made by our legislature. There are many in the legislature that believe we are not getting our “bang for the buck”. This perception is based on the fact that we spend more per student than most of the rest of the nation. These cuts are being made without looking deeper into why we spend the money we do in Wyoming. The facts are Wyoming spends an average of $15,797 per student, where as the national average is $11,009 per student. ( https://...
They began trying to find a ground of accusation against Judge Neely in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as she was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in her. Then these reporters said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Neely unless we find it against her with regard to the law of her God.” All the commissioners of the kingdom, the feminists and the atheists, the college presidents and the leftists consulted together tha...
This past weekend saw the start of Daylight Savings Time here in the majority of the United States. Following the adage of “Spring Forward,” clocks go forward an hour. Why is it, then, that my body doesn’t follow suit and I get an extra spring in my step? Here it is Wednesday, and I’m still feeling some residual effects of the time shift. The idea of Daylight Savings Time has a variety of reasons. Some think it’s to benefit — or aggravate — farmers or promote health and leisure activities in...
As the 2017 Legislature came to a close last Friday, and with any session it means different things to everyone, depending on which bills passed, which failed and what action our chosen representatives took. Here at the Independent Record, we have kept in contact with Nathan Winters and Wyatt Agar, and provided regular comments from them as the weeks went on. Among the issues which these gentlemen discussed with their peers were: wolves, sexual assaults, concealed carry in the schools, licensing fees, absentee voters, education costs and, of...
Aaaah spring! The beautiful season that brings new leaves, new grass and best of all, new babies. I hear friends talking about calving time and lambing season and giraffes. Yes, giraffes. Literally tens of thousands of people all over the world are glued to their computers waiting for the birth of a new giraffe at a zoo in Harpursville, New York. The zoo is running a live feed on the Internet in anticipation of the blessed event. The gestation period for giraffes lasts 15 months. I have to give...
The growth of a community is directly related to the members of that community and the input they are willing to share when they have the opportunity. A perfect example is Monday night’s public meeting regarding the future use of the former Hot Springs County Airport. There were about 30 people in attendance at the meeting and their ideas ranged from simple things all the way to full-blown plans, all of which will be taken into consideration as the process winds down to the final decision. These people were excited about the possibilities a...
I came upon a lady on 14th Street in her mini van stopped just short of the stop sign at Broadway. As her misfortune would have it, the road was iced and she could not move forward. I went around her and turned back to ask if I could assist her. I directed her to straighten the front wheels and back slowly until she could turn onto O’Dell Street and go safely on her way. A driver in a red Jeep came along and turned on his red roof flashers. I moved out of the way to allow him to ask if she needed help. Apparently she assured him that all was w...
In thinking about what I would write for this week, I came to the realization that I’ve officially been a resident of Thermopolis, Hot Springs County and the state of Wyoming. I remember those first few days out here as being a bit nerve-wracking. See, I really hadn’t been outside the comfort zone of my hometown of Alliance, in western Nebraska. The furthest I’d been, outside of vacations or seminars, was during my college years at Chadron — a whole 54 miles from Alliance. Suddenly, I found m...
by U.S. Senator John Barrasso, M.D. As a doctor, if I treat 100 patients and just three recover enough to be discharged from the hospital, I would deserve to lose my medical license. A similar standard should apply to the Endangered Species Act. This law was meant to protect animals, plants, and other species identified as endangered or threatened with extinction. It also tried to conserve ecosystems upon which these species depend. A major goal of the Endangered Species Act is the recovery of species to the point that protection under the law...
This past weekend saw members of the Thermopolis Volunteer Fire Department enjoying themselves during their annual ball and banquet, Saturday evening at the VFW. Awards were given out, each with its own prestige, including Fireman of the Year and Master Chef, along with pins for years of service with the department. It was a night for the firefighters, along with their significant others, to enjoy themselves. Just a few days later put them to work with an early morning house fire which took 20 personnel and four hours to extinguish. It’s in the...
We all have childhood memories we cherish and sometimes a certain smell, a particular song or even a “comfort food” will bring those memories rushing forward. For me, it seems to always be that comfort food. That also might explain the three different sizes of jeans in my closet, too. I didn’t grow up in a financially prosperous household, but I grew up in one with a lot of love and three generations, so dinners together in the kitchen are some of my most vivid memories. When my grand...
Proposals to turn Medicare into a voucher system would take health care in precisely the wrong direction – pushing up costs for current and future retirees, and eroding protections that Americans have earned through many years of hard work and taxes. Yet, in a short-sighted attempt to save money, vouchers are being promoted on Capitol Hill as an answer to rising costs. Unfortunately, they are the wrong answer. Vouchers pose troubling risks for 89,345 Wyoming residents who are currently in Medicare, not to mention the 118,734 age 50 and older wh...
It is difficult to read many of the facts below specific to Hot Springs County Schools, unless you realize what we may lose as a community. Can we live with fewer teachers, fewer bus drivers, without sports and activities, without agriculture programs, music programs, computer programs? Can we live with large class sizes in our younger grades? How about adding to an economic downturn in our community by reducing the number of educational professionals who make their home here, buy goods and services here? While these questions are yet to be...
