Local Politics · Park County
Park County, Wyoming voters will decide on November 3 whether to approve a temporary 1% sales and use tax (SPET) to raise $19,278,000 for three capital projects: a $9.8 million renovation of the Cody Auditorium, a $7.9 million new senior center in Powell, and $1.578 million in facility upgrades and a sanitation vehicle for Meeteetse. The initiative passes or fails as a single measure for all three projects. Under Wyoming law, SPET revenues are restricted to capital expenditures only, cannot fund operations or salaries, and automatically expire once the approved amount is collected—estimated at roughly 22 months. Park County remains the last Wyoming county without an additional sales tax above the base 4%. If passed, Cody will prioritize ADA compliance, asbestos remediation, electrical upgrades, and structural stabilization for the 1941-built auditorium; Powell will break ground on a new 9,500-square-foot single-level senior center with 50 parking spots.
Local Politics · Cody, WY
Karen Schipfmann, who has served eight years on the Park County School District 6 board of trustees in Cody, WY, will not seek a third term in the Nov. 3 general election. She is the only trustee leaving this cycle; incumbents Brandi Nelson and Cathy Roes are running again alongside newcomers Wes Werbelow and Faith Kingston for three open seats. Schipfmann cited her children's graduations from Cody High School (2023 and 2025) and the demanding workload as reasons for stepping aside. During her tenure she served on the Finance, Academic Support, health insurance, and "Three-by-Three" salary-negotiation committees, and credited Superintendent Vernon Orndorff's hiring and the district's Classroom to Careers internship program among her proudest accomplishments.
Social Events · Cody, WY
The Cody temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be dedicated Sunday, Oct. 25, at 10 a.m., with a rebroadcast at 2 p.m. Attendance inside the temple is by invitation only; other eligible members can participate via broadcasts at the Powell Avenue East building, Cody Stake Center, and meetinghouses in Meeteetse and Burlington. All regular Sunday worship services in the stake are canceled Oct. 25 to allow participation. The dedication follows a public open house held in August and September.
Community News · Cody, WY
A public meeting to examine whether Park County should establish a community nature center will be held Friday, Oct. 23, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Pardners Cafe in the Cody Library. The session is the final event in a three-part series called "All Creatures Great and Small – A Conservation Story," organized by Christ Church's Spiritual Education Committee. Residents are invited to provide input during the planning process to help shape details of a potential nature center.
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Community News · Park County
Dr. Takashi Hoshizaki, 101, a former incarceree at the Heart Mountain Japanese American incarceration camp in Wyoming, will receive the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays for his contributions to the Japanese American community and US-Japan understanding. Hoshizaki resisted the military draft while imprisoned at Heart Mountain, served two years in federal prison, received a presidential pardon from Harry Truman on Dec. 24, 1947, then served in the Korean War and became a circadian rhythms expert for the space program. He has served on the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation board for more than a decade and is the fifth former Heart Mountain incarceree to receive this honor. The public conferment ceremony will be held Friday afternoon, Oct. 23, at the Tateuchi Democracy Center at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, presented by the Consulate-General of Japan in Los Angeles; RSVP via tracey@heartmountain.org.
Social Events · Cody, WY
CodyArts Gallery + Creative Center will host its annual immersive art installation fundraiser, The Haunt, on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Olive Glenn Golf Club in Cody, Wyoming. A dozen volunteer artists have spent months transforming the venue into a visual art experience with no traditional haunted-house features. The event includes a finger-food buffet, $5 specialty cocktails, DJ2Tone music, and a costume contest with a $1,000 grand prize. Doors open at 6 p.m. for sponsors and reserved-seat holders; general admission begins at 7 p.m. Attendees must be 21 and older; online tickets are available until noon Oct. 24.
Community News · Cody, WY
The East Yellowstone Chapter of Trout Unlimited conducted its annual fish rescue on the North Fork irrigation ditch near the Shoshone National Forest boundary, beginning Friday, Oct. 16. Volunteers working 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. along a five-mile stretch rescued 382 fish—265 rainbows and 117 whitefish—stranded after irrigation water was shut off Thursday, releasing them upstream at the forest boundary. The rescue became necessary this year because a fish screen installed about 12 years ago became plugged with debris, allowing fish to enter the ditch for the first time in years. Chapter members discussed the high cost of fish screens across local canals, ranging from $36,000 for small installations to an estimated $4 million for one on the 400-cfs Cody Canal.
