Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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Schools are wrapping up the 2025-26 school year which means our young community members will be out and about on a regular basis. Children will be going here, there and everywhere to enjoy their summer break. We ask that drivers be extra mindful and watch for youth walking, riding bikes and scooters. Children can easily get distracted and forget to look both ways before crossing the street. Let’s all do our part to keep our youth safe. Bring on summer fun! Stay safe....
The official Wyoming political candidate filing period is underway and will close on May 29. Early reports are that over 100 candidates have already filed statewide. Candidates began making campaign announcements right after the first of year. Those who file by May 29 will appear on the primary election ballot in August with winners moving on to the general election in November. Several high-profile races will be decided in the 2026 election - on the federal, state and local level. For our June 4 edition, we will run the names of candidates who...
Wyoming Education Association President Kimberly Amen’s issues statement on school funding The Wyoming Education Association supports fully funding every part of Wyoming’s public schools. That includes not only competitive salaries for educators, but also the programs and supports that help students succeed every day: activities, nutrition services, counseling and student support staff, transportation, and safe learning environments. As districts work through the new recalibration model and the required changes tied to ADM (Average Daily Member...
by Tom Emery, freelance writer Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10. Mothers everywhere will rejoice. So will the greeting-card companies, flower shops, and telephone providers. Though celebrated in pockets in previous eras, Mother’s Day has been an official holiday for over 110 years. On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as a day to honor the nation’s mothers. “The signing was not that important to Wilson in a political sense. But it would not have taken much persuasion for Wilson...
by The Hot Springs County Prevention Coalition Graduation is more than just a ceremony; it’s a moment of collective pride for our entire community. As we watch our local seniors prepare for their next big step, the Hot Springs County Prevention Coalition wants to celebrate the hard work, resilience, and bright futures of every student in the Class of 2026. A Visible Sign of Support As you drive through town this month, you may notice our “Safe and Sober Graduation” yard signs popping up on lawns and posters in the windows of our local busin...
We hope our readers are enjoying the HSC Trailblazers series appearing on this page for the last few months. Each one gives a glimpse into the personality of a person or a family and includes a large amount of historical information. Submissions are being accepted. You don’t have to be a seasoned writer, just tell a story, your story, your family story - there is no experience necessary except life experience. You can submit your story to news@thermopir.com We look forward to reading it - our readers do to!...
by Victoria O’Brien, Cody Enterprise There was a story I heard a few years ago, about a man in the city, who went on daily walks around his neighborhood and felt sad at how much garbage he saw, and how little was done by waste management to fix it. Eventually, he grew so tired of seeing trash on a particular strip of grass near a highway’s on-and-off ramp that he decided he would go and collect waste from the patch once a week on Thursday. It took about six months of persistent, thankless work on this man’s part to see obvious results, but,...
The official candidate filing period in Wyoming does not open until May 14, but a plethora of candidates have already made their announcements to run for state and some local offices. The closing date for filing is May 29 at 5 p.m. Following that deadline, the IR will run information on candidates who have officially filed for local and state offices. The primary election will be on August 18. We will run a special section the Thursday before election day to provide details on each candidate locally and most state and federal level candidates....
by John Bernhisel The other day I was driving out on a dirt road well beyond Cowley, heading to one of my favorite running spots. It’s the kind of place I go to be alone and reflect. Out there, the noise fades and things usually make a little more sense. As I came around a bend, I saw a car creeping along awkwardly. The driver was practically hanging out the window trying to flag me down. Flat tire. Middle of nowhere. No cell service. And when he went to fix it, he realized the jack was missing. You could see it in his face. He wasn’t just inc...
Props to the Hot Springs County community members who turned out in force last Friday to support one of their own. Once again, you proved just how wonderful, and unique, you are. For a community of this size to raise that much money in one evening is something to be proud of. Seeing people come together for a good cause is something we will never grow tired of witnessing. Just like many of you, a member of the IR staff has been at nearly every cookie jar auction for the last 30 plus years. And just like many of you, we are consistently...
by Lauren Harper, Daniel Ellsberg chair on government secrecy Excessive government secrecy takes many forms, including denying or ignoring FOIA requests and deleting data from websites. These tactics prevent the public from meaningfully participating in self-government in every area secrecy touches, from domestic policy discussions on climate change, to foreign policy debates around international aid. Sunshine Week, the annual celebration of the public’s right to know, reminds us that the federal Freedom of Information Act, which allows the p...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
We appreciate receiving letters to the editor and regard them as our readers’ opportunity to improve our community, express their beliefs and communicate through the Thermopolis Independent Record. We want to give the people of Hot Springs County the opportunity to read those views as well as voice them. The letters, columns, community chatters and editorials that appear on this page are the opinions of the individual writers. We do not accept anonymous submissions of columns, letters or chatters so names are always included. If an editorial d...
by Erik Bergquist, Publisher Gillette News Record As we begin 2026, I find myself thinking back to Dec. 31, 1999, when our country was bracing for Y2K and the calendar turning to the year 2000. There was never much real evidence that the new millennium would cause widespread technological failures, but most of us probably had at least a little “what if” in the back of our minds. I rang in the new year at the radio station, waiting to see if January 1 would bring chaos or calm. As it turned out, 2000 arrived without incident. Now here we are...
As we move on from 2025 and welcome 2026 we want to thank you, our loyal readers and advertisers, for keeping us in business. We appreciate your patronage in 2025 and look forward to serving you in 2026. Our community is a great little burg. We enjoy bringing you news and photos of our local happenings each week. 2025 was the year of the snake, it asked us to shed what no longer fit. To slow down and listen. 2026 is the year of the horse, bringing movement and momentum. Truth is revealed, and now we act. Move forward with courage. Happy New...
Merry Christmas to everyone who works so hard to make this such a special community in which to live. There is no way to mention all the many ways all the many people contribute to our success and the success of Thermopolis. Just know, all the efforts do not go unnoticed by your friends and neighbors in Hot Springs County. The warmth of friends, family and neighbors make the holiday season special, they also make every day special. Hot Springs County is blessed with many amazing people and we are blessed to be part of it. Thank you for your...
by Megan Barton, publisher Coby Enterprise There are few things that spark as much quiet holiday debate as Christmas lights. Not politics, not fruitcake, not even whether “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie – but the simple question: Do you turn your Christmas lights off during the day and when you go to bed, or do you leave them on nonstop until every last strand of Christmas comes down? Drive through town on a December afternoon and you’ll see it. One house glowing like Santa’s workshop at noon, right next door to a home that stays dark unti...
The Giving Tree and the Angel Tree still have name tags on them. If you are able, please consider participating in one of these local gift giving benefits. The Giving Tree has includes names of birth to age 18 and is on display at Storyteller. The Angel Tree is on display at Bank of Thermopolis and includes names of senior citizens. Deadline to drop of gifts for the Angel Tree is December 15 and for the Giving Tree it is December 19. For more information, please see the news briefs section on page 3 of this paper. Let’s show participants w...
