Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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Cheyenne is around a five hour drive from Thermopolis, but the work of our state’s legislature will affect us in Hot Springs County as well as every county around the state. There are a number of important issues facing Wyoming and our Legislatures. Property taxes, voting regulations and foreign ownership of Wyoming land are just a few of the topics that are keeping us all interested as they move through the process. As a reminder, the Wyoming Legislature’s website can be used to track legislation and participate in policymaking during the 202...
The 67th Wyoming Legislature convened in a joint session of the Wyoming Senate and House of Representatives on Monday, Feb. 12, during the first day of legislative proceedings of the 2024 Budget Session. Gov. Mark Gordon delivered his State of the State address, followed by the State of the Judiciary address, delivered by Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Kate M. Fox. We encourage you to use the Wyoming Legislature’s website to track legislation and participate in policymaking during the 2024 Budget Session. The web address is www.wyoleg.gov... Full story
by Kimball Shinkoskey, Cody Enterprise I think most people would agree that democracy is under threat by forces on the left or on the right, or in the middle, or in a neighboring state or in our own state, or in the schools, or under the bed maybe or in the sky. Somewhere, somehow, forces either organized or just naturally occurring are stealing away what our ancestors had that made this country great. So, what would a pro-democracy movement look like in the United States, or in your state or town? I think it would be something very humble and...
Everyday, as I walk from the editorial department in the back of the office to the breakroom to get coffee or tea, I pass by wall shelving holding bound copies of every edition of the paper down to the early days, more than 100 years ago. It’s a repository of information on the community, from notes on high school grads now serving in one of the century’s big wars, how the local high school teams performed, what new policies the city council or school board were enacting. It’s also a repository of information from local governments, from count...
In psychologist Angela Duckworth’s New York Times bestseller “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”, she shares her insight on the ability to achieve. Duckworth shows us that it is not talent or gifting that gets us to the places we want to be, but our own willpower and desire to succeed. In fact, those who have “natural” skills end up giving up or quitting far faster than someone who has a deep passion for what they are doing. In other words, someone who has grit. Yet, one of the key dynamics for an individual or an organizat...
by Lara Love A controversial cartoon that takes a jab at the Hot Springs County School District Board of Trustees is making the rounds on social media. The cartoon criticizes the board for “squashing public comment” and accuses that “some parent groups may be banned from having a voice.” There are numerous comments on the original post that also calls some of the board members out by name. A current school board member even chimes with several comments. While we don’t typically point out controversies running around on social medial, we found...
Shop local is common phrase used in the month of December, but we want to remind you it is an admirable thing to do year around. Our community was able to welcome some new businesses to Thermopolis in 2023 and we hope the same will be true in 2024. We also have some established businesses add new goods, services and attractions. Some businesses were relocated to new, better locations and some saw name or ownership changes. The current population of Thermopolis is just over 2,700 people and our county population comes in at just under 5,000. We...
We all know the deal with New Year’s resolutions. They’re often made and seldom kept. At minimum, they’re optimistic. At maximum, they’re impossible. The best kept ones are internalized while the least successful are too often spoken out of existence. For many, they’re long shots. Yet for some reason, when the winter days draw short and the nights turn cold, we reflect back and project forward. The resolutions we make show characteristics of the versions of ourselves we most want to be. If they help you inch even a smidge closer to becoming...
The month of January has been home to many historical events over the years. Here’s a look at some that helped to shape the world in January 1924. · Millionaire oil broker Courtland S. Dines is shot in the abdomen at his home on January 1. When police arrived on the scene, they found alcohol on the premises, causing a scandal during the Prohibition era. · Flooding causes the water level of the Seine to rise in Paris, forcing the closure of railway stations on January 2. · The exiled King Ferdinand is granted permission to return to Sofia by t...
It’s unlikely that anyone hopes to be a last-minute Christmas shopper. Putting off shopping until the last minute can make for a stressful home stretch to the season, and there’s no guarantee store shelves won’t already be picked clean. As for ordering something that you cannot find locally, good luck getting it delivered on time. Despite how unappealing last-minute shopping can be, it’s still a fact of life for many of us. Don’t let the stress of finding that perfect last minute gift take over the enjoyment of the Christmas season. Remember...
Community events abound during the month of December as explained on page 3 of this paper. Winter sports for high school athletes have kicked off and the speech and debate season is in full swing. Between the Chamber of Commerce event calendar and the school district calendar, we are able to keep up on most of the scheduled events in our community. However, things do fall through the cracks. This time of year, and all year long, we ask organizers to let us know about their events so we can let the public know and put it on our schedule for...
by Jake Goodrick, Gillette News Record What does a media brouhaha involving Sports Illustrated have to do with the future of the industry at large? Hopefully not much. Unfortunately, it just may foreshadow the future ways, and flaws, of a media landscape shifting away from traditional values of trust, transparency and even truth, in the age of artificial intelligence. There’s a persuasive body of evidence to suggest that under the banner of Sports Illustrated — the once vaunted national outlet — a number of online product-review pieces were pub...
Last weekend kicked off the Christmas season with Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. We want to remind you of the importance of shopping local throughout the entire shopping season. Local businesses have invested in our community. They support our youth, our organizations and our fundraisers. Without your support of them, that cannot continue. Our local businesses pay local employees so when you buy local you are keeping jobs for you and your community members. You may have to shop out of town for a few items on your list, but we...
Thanksgiving day is about more than getting together to eat too much and watch parades, movies and football all day. As you gather together with friends and family, what are you giving thanks for? What you give thanks for is not as important as is the basic concept of being thankful. The history of Thanksgiving is not without controversy, but it is indeed a national holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. As the cartoon to the right reminds us, there is always plenty to not be thankful for. This year,...
by Zac Taylor, Powell Tribune As my dad and I walked through the woods with my son a couple of weeks ago trying to get my son his first deer, we reminisced as to when I started hunting. My dad had stopped big game hunting before I was born, but when I was 8 years old or so he gave me a single shot, 20 gauge and had me practice trap shooting while he hunted pheasants in Colorado. I even got to walk along and take care of the dogs. We couldn’t remember exactly, but I think my first real hunting (besides possibly taking out a squirrel in a tree w...
by Lara Love Veterans Day is Saturday, Nov. 11. I want to take a moment to honor those who have served and are serving our country. Their sacrifices and dedication to protecting our freedoms are truly admirable. My grandfather served in the 2nd Armored Division (Hell on Wheels). The division played important roles during World War II in the invasions of Germany, North Africa and Sicily and in the liberation of France, Belgium and the Netherlands. He rarely spoke about his experiences, but I know that he and his fellow soldiers faced...
by David Peck, Lovell Chronicle Well, we’ve reached that time of year when teams fan out all over the great state of Wyoming to reach culminating events in high school sports. The distances some teams – and their family, friends and fans - must travel for a playoff game, meet or tournament is staggering, but probably necessary given the nature of Wyoming geography and our relatively small number of communities and schools. Last week brought regional volleyball tournaments, which are at least, well, regional in nature and, thus, somewhat cen...
The proposed Jan. 21, 2024, postage increase for community newspapers is nearly four times the rate increase proposed for other users of the mail. In an announcement last Oct. 6, the United States Postal Service announced it expected a 7.3% increase for the local Within County mailing rate for newspapers. The average proposed increase for First-Class mail is 1.9%, even though the First-Class stamp rate would rise by two cents to 68 cents. The proposed increase for advertising mail is also 1.9%, though the increase within that mail class used by...
by Lara Love Last week’s print version of the Independent Record included the wrong page 4. My apologies to our loyal readers for the mistake. Last week’s issue also included the analysis and conclusion of the officer involved shooting that happened in Thermopolis in April of this year. The document was issued on Sept. 21 by Special Prosecutor Daniel E. Erramouspe, Sweetwater County Attorney. Erramouspe was appointed as Special Prosecutor to review the case. Erramouspe relied upon the investigation conducted by lead investigator, Special Age...
by Lara Love This week’s issue includes the analysis and conclusion of the officer involved shooting that happened in Thermopolis in April of this year. The document was issued on Sept. 21 by Special Prosecutor Daniel E. Erramouspe, Sweetwater County Attorney. Erramouspe was appointed as Special Prosecutor to review the case. Erramouspe relied upon the investigation conducted by lead investigator, Special Agent Kiel Holder of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. He reviewed all documentation, reports, forensics, interviews, audio f...
by John Malmberg, Cody Enterprise Two guiding lights that anyone seeking to serve the public should unceasingly keep in sight are truth and transparency. The truth will always be discovered. Someone always knows what transpired. No matter how much a government official, an attorney or a private individual attempts to cover up some deed or action, the truth will always be exposed. This is where the Wyoming Public Records Act becomes so crucial. A recent request by an attorney for the Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods group to the state for...
by John Malmberg, Cody Enterprise On Sept. 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was signed. However, it wasn’t until four years later on Dec. 15, 1791, that the first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights, were added to the document. It is beneficial, however, to regularly remember those rights guaranteed to us in the Constitution. The U.S. Constitution is as valuable today as it was when it was first ratified. It is the bedrock -- it is the solid foundation -- on which our country has survived and prospered for more than 200 years. T...
by John Malmberg, Cody Enterprise A grizzly bear that wandered into a residential area east of Cody last week was trapped and euthanized. The wayward grizzly was seen very near the home of a family with six young children. We are grateful none of those children encountered the bear. No one can know for certain, but if management of grizzly bears had been turned over to the state of Wyoming perhaps the bear would not have invaded private property. The bear might have been killed by a hunter, but most likely would not have been outside the area...
Monday marked the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others in the worst attack against the USA in our nation’s history. Many of us will never forget that tragic day or what we were doing when we heard the news. We hope the younger generation will never have to live through anything remotely similar. Commemorations were held at the three attack sites — New York’s Twin Towers, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa. Across the country, memorials were held to commemorate the anniv...
by Zac Taylor, Powell Tribune If the state is already committed to building a massive state shooting complex, why not the Big Horn Basin? In the last legislative session, a bill was overwhelmingly passed to fund the first $10 million of what could end up being an over $20 million project to build a state shooting complex. Since then, business and government leaders in different regions of the state have been marshaling together groups to pitch their region as the optimum place for the complex. There’s a group forming in Park County too, led by...
