Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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So you’re graduating, now what? If you are graduating high school or college and headed right into the workplace there are a few things you need to realize. The biggest thing is that you no longer get two or three weeks off at Christmas. My first job out of college I was back to work on Dec. 26. Christmas was on a Tuesday and Wednesday at the Lovell Chronicle was production day so after spending a long weekend with my folks I left Thermopolis on Christmas Day to head back to Lovell to be at work the next day. I had not earned any vacation days...
“Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” -- Jurassic Park’s Ian Malcolm. In Jurassic Park Jeff Goldblum’s character stated the above in reference to re-creating dinosaurs but lately the statement can ring true regarding artificial intelligence. On Monday, the so-called “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton quit Google and, according to several media reports, stated he regretted the work he has done because of how AI could be misused or abused. He wanted to be able to speak out a...
With last week’s action by the Washakie County Commissioners to finalize the purchase of the home at 603 North Road 11 for the new ambulance station, it is time for the community to move forward and make this move work best for everyone. The commissioners listened to concerns and mitigation requests from neighbors Dick Kroger and DJ Vanderwerff at their April 18 meeting. Some of the mitigation requests are reasonable and the county, wanting to be good neighbors, are considering several of them. In fact, the commissioners had already agreed t...
Five years ago, at the height of the #MeToo movement I wrote a column about why victims don’t tell and I referenced my own story when I was a young lady still in high school. On Friday, during the community resources meeting, as I listened to Crisis Prevention and Response Center Director Karina Rice discuss the fact that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month it reminded me of that column and how often we attempt to blame the victim. Rice provided a pie chart completely shaded in baby blue and the key on the pie chart listed “Causes of Rap...
On a beautiful spring day Tuesday in Ten Sleep, students, staff, administrators, residents, dignitaries gathered outside by the basketball courts for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new preK-12 school. Plans are for the school to be open during the mid-winter break in 2024. The description of the plans for the school sound innovative and should create a unique and inviting learning environment for all students. Superintendent Annie Griffin in her remarks during the ceremony thanked a slew of people who helped make the...
Many moons ago, when I was the editor of the Basin Republican Rustler, I wrote an editorial asking where was the civility. This came after a Manderson town council member, in an open public meeting, used a derogatory, racist slur to refer to then President Barack Obama. I believe now, the universe said to me, “You ain’t seen nothing yet kid.” Of course, over the past several years I could site hundreds of incidents about the lack of civility, but one incident this week I found disturbing and I feel I must call Karlee Provenza out for her action...
Sunshine Week, per the Society of Professional Journalists, “is an enduring initiative to promote open government. Join us in the annual nationwide celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community. It’s your right to know.” Over the years there have been plenty of opportunity to educate and remind boards and councils about open records and open meetings and the reasons for which they can and cannot recess into a closed executive session. There were several opportunities when I first arrived in Worla...
At the end of each legislative session I would ask the late Senator Gerry Geis if there were any bills that didn’t make it through that he wished had and 99.9% of the time he would say no. He would add, if they are good bills, they will be back, if not then having them not pass was a good thing. The more I cover the Legislature (even after 30-plus years) the more I realize he was correct. Case in point, Rep. John Winter has tried a few times to bring back the wolf depredation compensation and was successful this session. This session, of the 49...
It is official, it is no longer illegal to let you vehicle idle unattended. What? That’s right, until recent legislation passed by both state houses and signed by Governor Mark Gordon last week Wyoming drivers were not allowed to leave vehicles idling unattended. Now has that law been enforced? Probably not much at all in many years. As people can attest over this winter many people leave their vehicles idling unattended, whether warming it up in the morning before work, after work, leaving it idle on errands to keep it warm in subzero t...
WORLAND - After eight years the Worland Community Garden is taking a new direction in hopes of becoming sustainable long-term. During a community garden membership meeting at the Washakie Museum & Cultural Center information about the potential expansion, a new board and membership program were outlined. "It's been a really wonderful project," Washakie County Extension Educator Caitlin Youngquist said of the garden that began in 2015. The focus was to provide fresh produce to the residents of Wa...
WORLAND - U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) discussed a number of issues from the border to spy balloons with Worland residents at the Worland Senior Center on Monday, Feb. 20. He said he comes back to Wyoming every weekend to visit communities around the state and more often than not senior centers are not open. Having the opportunity on Presidents Day this year, he took the opportunity to come and visit Worland senior citizens. He was then headed to Greybull High School and back to his...
Fifteen years ago a committee began working on ideas for funding a new pool in Worland to replace the 33-year-old Worland Dome. Now, 15 years later, and 12 years since the pool actually opened, there are discussions and plans to dissolve the Worland Aquatic Center Joint Powers Board. The board has members appointed by the Washakie County School District No. 1 (who owns the land and the building), the City of Worland and the Washakie County Commissioners. Late last fall, School District Board Chairman and Joint Powers Board Chairman David...
Fans at all levels can get ugly, rude, unsportsmanlike and just plain mean. For the most part, most athletes are able to ignore and play on. Occasionally, you hear reports of professional athletes who have had enough and either verbally or physically go after the fans. Last weekend, Colorado State University fans exhibited unsportsmanlike behavior when a small group chanted “Russia” at Utah State men’s basketball player Max Shulga, who is from Kyiv, Ukraine. It was insensitive, asinine and rude. Yes, University of Wyoming Cowboys have chant...
Just after I wrote about House Bill 141 and kudos that it had not been assigned to a committee, in fact probably about the time that the newspaper was getting off the press in Cody, it was sent to a committee. House Bill 141, which tries to limit or prevent voters from switching party affiliation, has been assigned to the Corporations Committee and a sister bill, Senate File 163, has also been assigned to the Senate Corporations Committee. Testimony was heard Tuesday in the Senate committee with sponsor Sen. Bo Biteman and Secretary of State Ch...
There are some odd bills and some frustrating bills that have been filed during the current Wyoming Legislative Session, which should tell all residents to pay attention to what is happening in Cheyenne. Once again there is a bill to try and limit the ability for voters in the state to change party affiliation. I have argued many times in this space that voting is a constitutional right that should not be infringed by party affiliation. Some parties are concerned that elections are being manipulated by people switching parties for the primary e...
A couple of things happened during the past week that had me scratching my head and made me wonder what people were thinking. First the legislators seeking a tax holiday for school supplies in the first weekend of August. It sounds great for those shopping for supplies except that there are limits and the exemption does not apply to high ticket items. Here’s the problem, first it will be a logistical nightmare for retail stores who use upc codes for scanning items, which most do. They have to put all the items under the threshold in as n...
Monday night Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle on Cincinnati Bengals player Tee Higgins. CPR was administered on the field, an AED was used and then Hamlin was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where, as of this writing, he was in critical condition. A lot of thoughts have been rambling through my head since I heard what happened. On news shows and across social media there were remarks that things like this transcend the game and unites us all. Well it transcended the game to a degree. There was...
Ready or not here comes 2023 This week we say goodbye to 2022 and on Sunday we welcome in 2023. A new year brings hope for the future and apprehension of the unknown. Think about when we celebrated 2020, no one could have foreseen a global pandemic, hoarding of toilet paper, lockdown of businesses. And then came 2021 and we all thought, OK it’s going to be better, but just six short days in there was an attack on the U.S. Capitol as rioters hoped to stop the certification of the 2020 election. So when 2022 rolled around everyone was cautious a...
Forty-one Worland High School marching band members and eight parental chaperones are on their way to New Orleans with band director Frank Harding. The group left Worland Tuesday night to head to Denver and flew to New Orleans on Wednesday. On Friday they will march in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Parade and then Saturday will perform with other bands for the halftime show. Harding said, “I knew that the students enjoyed the Holiday Bowl in San Diego last time we took a trip (2018), so I wanted to choose another Bowl Game this year. It came down t...
WORLAND - Hunters with the Paintrock Hunter Mentor Program's Young Hunters Care Project (PHMPYHC) again showed their generosity and donated meat from hunts this season for the Food from the Field Program. In its third year, Food from the Field Program is a program under Wyoming first lady Jennie Gordon's Hunger Initiative. Under the program, Wyoming Hunger Initiative, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, and participating processors work together to streamline...
WORLAND —Worland resident Martha Lawley will head to Cheyenne on Jan. 5 to complete freshman orientation with the largest freshman legislative class for the Wyoming Legislature. As the state representative for House District 27, Lawley knows she has some prestigious shoes to fill with 12-year representative and current Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Greear retiring when his term ends Dec. 31. “He had a fantastic 12 years. He did a good job and I really do appreciate that. I have seen more and more how he has in some ways set me up for success, bec...
A comment made at Monday night’s Washakie County Fair Board meeting got me thinking. The audience member at the meeting told the board that most people in the community do not realize all the work the board does to get ready for the fair, during the fair and after the fair. “Without you, there would not be a fair, and that people would notice.” This person was exactly right and oddly enough volunteers a lot of her time to various organizations and events around the community. There are many events in this area that without volunteers would...
WORLAND — The Worland Kiwanis Club, which has been serving the community for 70 years, was selected as the grand marshal for last Saturday’s Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce Parade of Lights. According to member Jim Gilman, the club started on Jan. 30, 1952. The Worland chapter is just one of many that are part of the global community of Kiwanis International. According to the Kiwanis International website, Kiwanis is “dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. To...
WORLAND — Residents and commercial customers across the country will likely be spending more on energy this winter compared to recent winters, according to the winter fuels outlook by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA, in its outlook, reported that “Higher forecast energy expenditures are the result of higher fuel prices, combined with higher heating demand because of a forecast of slightly colder weather than last winter.” According to the EIA, if temperatures stay average, the average household can expect to spend...
WORLAND - For the second year Angie's Kitchen owner Angie Garcia has offered a sober Thanksgiving dinner for persons in recovery. This year about a dozen people enjoyed a meal of ham, green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy and rolls, along with two types of pie for dessert. Garcia said about 20 people attended last year, the first time she offered the dinner. Garcia has been catering since 2018 and offered food during special events including Culture Fest and Rotary Club meeti...