IR Record

Thermopolis
Independent
Hot Springs County budget approved
by Cindy Glasson
The Hot Springs County Commission-
ers approved the 2019-20 budget at a
special meeting on Monday.
A majority of the budget remains gen-
erally the same as 2018-19, but a few line
items went up anywhere from $1,000 to
less than $500,000.
Some of the items that went up include
the new airport, which had a couple thou-
sand dollars added to its budget, bring-
ing it to $114,384.
Both the assessor’s office and the coun-
ty attorney’s office gained a bit, along with
the clerk’s office, coroner expenses, the
courthouse, district court, treasurer’s of-
fice and emergency management.
Road and bridge was able to add just
under $10,000 to their budget for the
coming year and the sheriff’s office was
given just under $20,000 extra this year.
In order to continue with equipment
upgrades for the 9-1-1 dispatch system,
the commissioners added $38,000 to their
line item. Twenty-five hundred is going
to the Census 2020 for their expenses
as well.
One of the largest gains was court-
house equipment which went from just
over $40,000 to $100,000 in order to pur-
chase new equipment. Another line item
was rolling stock, meaning vehicles. That
line increased to $81,000.
In all, the total general fund require-
ments for the county is $12,825,852, less
than a million dollars more than last year.
“We have to be realistic,” commission
chair Tom Ryan said. “The 12 mills we
have now are only generating about half
of what they did just a few years ago. I
think this budget works without anyone
having to do without.”

THERMOPOLIS INDEPENDENT RECORD  YEAR 119, WEEK 29, Sections: 2, July 18, 2019  THERMOPOLIS, WY 82443 USPS 627-300 $1

photo by Lara Love

Cooling off
Hot Springs State Park visitors ramped up a standard afternoon in the park by jet skiing in the Bighorn River below the Rainbow Terraces. The park was full of visitors Saturday .

Oil production in county increases

by Cindy Glasson
Oil production numbers for Hot
Springs County were released re-
cently, showing a 9.5% increase in
value from 2018.
Total value to the county is
$85,985,988 with oil coming in at
an average of $40.85 a barrel.
Production is slowly coming back
after a dip in 2016 of 54% and 23%
in 2017.
Looking back on past produc-
tion, which the treasurer’s office
has been keeping track of since
1977, the largest jump in produc-
tion happened between 1980 and
1981 when it surged 133.53%.
At that time, oil was just $22.94
per barrel, but the valuation came
in at $207,246,018.
That was not the highest valua-
tion, however. That came in 1982 The new display at WDC includes a color coded refer-
when oil went up to $30.44 per bar- ence of Lori's bones.
rel and brought in $278,589,311.

New dino at WDC

We have had a lowest point as
well, when oil was only bringing
in $7.84 per barrel. The valuation
that year was $33,156,295.
by Cindy Glasson
The Wyoming Dinosaur Center unveiled a new, perma-

Council discusses storm damage concerns
by Mark Dykes
Monday evening, Thermopolis Town
Council had some lengthy conversation
about the damage to town structures and
concerns regarding all of the roof and dent
repairs that have come to town.
At the meeting, a representative of one of
the companies voiced concern about the town
not having an inspector to ensure the roofs
are done right, and offered such services.
Mayor Mike Chimenti explained if a town
project is big enough to require an inspec-
tion, the town engineers are used. A certi-
fied inspector is not used, and the town can-
not afford a full-time inspector. He added it
is up to the companies if they want to hire
inspectors.
Mayors Assistant Fred Crosby suggest-
ed taking out an advertisement to advise
people of what to be cautious about when
dealing with companies doing repairs, as
“there’s the potential for some bad things to
happen.” He emphasized asking questions
before signing any contract, and encourages
people to do their due diligence to check up
on them. It’s important, he said, for people
to always keep in mind these companies are
working for them.
See Town on page A7
nent exhibit during a gathering last Friday evening.
The story begins at least 140 million years ago, when
“Lori” the dinosaur roamed the earth.
The difference between Lori and the other dinosaurs, how-
ever, is that she’s basically the size of a chicken, less than
three-feet long and she has the honor of being the smallest
dinosaur found in Wyoming.
Hesperornithoides miessleri is her scientific name and
she falls in with a group of meat-eating dinosaurs called
Troodontids who sport sickle-like killing claws and have
above average intelligence. Think – velociraptor in a small-
er form with feathers.
See Dino on page A7