Sam Neill, New Zealand actor who starred in ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘The Piano,’ dies at 78
By MARK KENNEDY and CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Sam Neill, a smoothly elegant and versatile actor whose career moved from art film to blockbuster as he dodged velociraptors in “Jurassic Park” and played Holly Hunter’s…
Body of Alpine woman found deceased along Highway 89
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an Alpine woman who’s body was found near Wapiti Village on Highway 89. Sheriff Shane Johnson said Rita “Jamie” Gerondakis, 70, was found next to the road at 114850 Highway…
Body of missing Snake River drowning victim found by Palisades campers
The body of Tory J. Raether, 55, of Charlotte, North Carolina was found by campers along the shore of Palisade Reservoir on Saturday. According to the Star Valley Search & Rescue, the campers in the McCoy Creek area spotted Raether…
KICK IT OR KEEP IT: “Joy” by Role Model
A new song by pop/rock group Role Model is up for vote in this week’s Kick It or Keep It. If voted to be kept, “Joy” will be added to the Swift 98 playlist. Vote to either kick or keep…
Independent Notes: Riding Behind Richard Petty
“Pull in behind Mr. Petty.” “Sure!” That’s what the person advised as SVI pulled up to line up for the Alpine parade. My wife Kim and I lined up the SVI 25th float behind Richard Petty, Grand Marshal for the…
Second Measles Case of 2026 Confirmed by Wyoming Department of Health
The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) has confirmed a case of measles in an unvaccinated adult from Teton County. Measles is a highly contagious infection that can cause severe illness. The public may have been exposed to measles at the…
Sports Journal: Thank you for helping with SVI Day
This past weekend we at SVI had a day where we were trying to earn some money to make the trip to Alaska next month (that’s wild!) and stream the game between the Star Valley Braves and the Soldotna…
Wyoming authorities call on Rocky Mountain Power to explain role in massive November power outage
• A report indicates inadequate communications during maintenance projects darkened 250K homes and businesses and knocked out a coal-burning power unit. By Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile.com The massive, multiple-utility power outage last fall that left some 250,000 customers across…
LCSD#2 not making cuts for school activities
With the conclusion of the 2026 Wyoming Legislature there was school recalibration. This endeavored to solve what had been what was determined to be an underfunded school model based on the state constitution. However, the “silo” model chosen by legislators…
Independent Letters to the Editor: July 8, 2026
The following Letters to the Editor appeared in the July 8, 2026 edition of the Star Valley Independent. $3.6 Million Sounds Generous—Until You Do the Math By Amber Hyde Disclaimer: The following article is protected speech under the First Amendment…