Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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District 20 Senator Ed Cooper (R-Ten Sleep) was interviewed on Jan. 24, at the end of the second week of the Wyoming Legislature’s 2025 General Session for an update on his work. With the House falling far behind the Senate in bills passed out of their respective branches early on, Cooper isn’t optimistic that all House Bills will have time to be considered. He said, “The week was good on our [Senate] side. We got a total of 34 bills passed out of the Senate over to the other side, and I think the House got 18 that they’ve passed back to us....
The COVID-19 Pandemic is history now, but the attention it drew toward mental well-being is something that has persisted. As awareness of the issue grew, so did the services around it. When people had to stay home, mental health services met them there; and for those getting help from Oxbow Center, the opportunity to connect to a counselor remotely over telehealth continues. Oxbow Center CEO Mary Johnson in Worland (in person) and Chief Program Officer Day Lynn Stebner and Human Resources...
Legislators wrapped up the first week of Wyoming's 2025 General Legislative Session early on Friday, Jan. 17 to let participants try to beat a snowstorm in Cheyenne The Northern Wyoming News contacted Senate District 20 Sen. Ed Cooper (R-Ten Sleep) while he headed back home for his weekly report. Cooper said, "The first week went really well. There were concerns about it, but the civility was excellent - we had one minor incident where a gentleman overstepped but he apologized for his actions th...
Basketball fans, this Saturday, Jan. 25, will be a good time to go see Ten Sleep’s new gym when the Pioneers host home varsity games vs. Meeteetse — at 6:30 p.m. Cheering on the Pioneers at these games is a special occasion though; you’ll be supporting the players on the court, and the decisions they and their peers make outside the school, too, at Ten Sleep’s annual Prevention Night. Worland will follow by hosting their Prevention Night at home basketball games vs. Powell on Friday, Feb. 14 — girls play at 5:30 p.m. and boys play at 7 p.m. Bo...
During Superintendent Dustin Hunt’s report at the Hot Springs County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 16, he spoke about a data breach which victimized PowerSchool, a tech company that provides schools with software for storing student/staff information. The company’s software is used in schools across the globe, including those in Thermopolis. Information Technology Director Josh Taylor said, “PowerSchool supports over 60 million students – they have over 18,000 customers in over 90 countries… This is a company-w...
On Jan. 9 Washakie County School District No. 2 held a public ceremony in their new campus, where the school received certification from Governor Mark Gordon, and curious guests got the opportunity to wander through Ten Sleep's brand new state-of-the-art facility providing the district's kindergarten through 12th grade students a unique learning environment, and a fresh start to the spring semester. RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY A large crowd of Ten Sleep residents and other guests gathered in the spa...
As Ten Sleep Schools staff eagerly wait to cut the ribbon at their new campus on the evening of Jan. 9, it's a good time to look back on the history of schools in the Ten Sleep community and reflect on the legacy of Pioneers that persists today and will continue at the new school. Much of the information for this article comes from the book "Rural Schools in the Ten Sleep, WY Area" by Martha Sutherland, in which she recognizes the help she received from a long list of community members....
While State Senate District 20 Senator Ed Cooper (R-Ten Sleep) prepares to head to the general session that begins next Tuesday, Jan. 14, he discussed his interim committee work and bills he will be sponsoring. INTERIM Through his work in Senate Minerals, Business & Economic Development Committee (Minerals), Cooper participates as a representative on the Energy Council, a national legislative organization representing 14 energy-producing states and two Canadian provinces. He said, “What I’m hearing from other states is that they are really loo...
If you ask most locals about the Worland Aquatic Center (WAC), it's common to hear it's just a swimming pool; but staff at the center are working hard to show the public that it is much more than that, and they have a lot to offer in 2025. The WAC offers a lap pool kept at 80-81 degrees, an activity pool kept at 87-88 degrees, a spa kept at 101-102 degrees and a therapy pool kept at 92-93 degrees. The activity pool has a volleyball net, there's a wading pool for young children to play in equippe...
Thanks to a big snowfall earlier this month up in the Big Horn Mountains, skiers and snowboarders have plenty of chances to hit the snow while they're home for the holidays. Meadowlark Ski Lodge and Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area discussed their holiday schedules as well as making some exciting announcements. Meadowlark Co-owner of Meadowlark Ski Lodge Holli Jones reports that the resort was opened for the season last weekend. Meadowlark Ski Lodge, located at 426 US-16, just off the...
Worland United Methodist Church members recently reminisced about the church's historical Christmas celebrations. Arla Kaye Kapptie, Kathy Morrison, Martha Cork, Donna Harrington and Charlene Hamilton have all been involved in the church for most of their lives, with 85-year-old Cork stating she's gone to the same church since she was born. Kapptie, now 82, has much the same story and she led the conversation about the tradition. After Harrington reminded her, Kapptie said that growing up in...
Speaking with Wyoming House District 28 Representative John Winter (R-Thermopolis) on Dec. 13, he was pleased to be named the Chairman of the Wyoming House Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee for the upcoming 2025 legislative session. Winter, who has served as a member of the committee since first elected in 2019, said, “I’ve been in that committee the whole time I’ve been in this position, and it’s a big honor for me. I’m looking forward to working with the committee members. We’ve got a lot of things to address,...
The Washakie County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees held its last meeting at the old Ten Sleep School on Dec. 9 and are set to start the spring 2025 semester in the new school. Groathouse Construction is scheduled to finalize construction projects at the campus this month, and staff and students will soon be moving their things to the new building. During her report, Superintendent Annie Griffin said, “We will be moving our offices on Dec.18. We will begin moving our weight room over this week, but it will not be available until January...
For those in the spirit of giving this holiday season, think about New Hope Humane Society's "Paws to Help" program, a way to provide lasting support to animals without a home. Volunteer Deb Coronado said, "The animals here are often neglected and forgotten; it takes a lot to provide for them, and we rely on the passion of animal lovers to help. Community donations help our animals to live comfortably until they get adopted; for those pets we have who aren't suitable for adoption, donations...
The Nov. 25 meeting of the Washakie County School District No.1 Board of Trustees was the last meeting for Jonathan Hake, who will be replaced next month by Becky Dooley, who was elected during last month’s general election. Towards the end of the meeting, longtime trustee Don Bryant took a moment to thank Hake for his four-year term on the board; he congratulated Hake for his service to the community and said Hake was great to work with. Bryant led the trustees and administrators gathered in the Administration Building in a standing ovation t...
The Battle of the Basin welding competition returned on Nov. 22 to offer local high school welders a chance to measure and showcase their skills, and it's gotten bigger and better in its second year. The competition was hosted last year in Ten Sleep by welding teacher Jason Thoren at Thoren's welding shop. There were welders from Ten Sleep, Greybull, Shoshoni and Worland competing for prizes with a $10 entry fee. Thoren said, "I had been talking to Brian [Aagard] since last year, and he wanted...
Washakie Medical Center (WMC) CEO Lisa Van Brunt announced at the Nov. 26 hospital board meeting that on Rural Hospital Day Nov. 21, the Chartis Center for Rural Health bestowed two awards on WMC. The hospital received the Outcomes and Quality awards — two of the three categories the Chartis Center tracks, with the third being Patient Perspectives. Chartis tracks data in these categories among all rural and critical access hospitals in the country, and WMC had the honor of being recognized as being in the top 25th percentile in the ...
The Wyoming Game & Fish Department will be hosting a meeting welcoming hunters, landowners and wildlife enthusiasts to come and share their thoughts on the issue of managing mule deer with local Game & Fish representatives. The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Washakie County Fairgrounds on Tuesday, Dec. 3. This meeting is part of a series called Mule Deer Community Conversations that are being held in response to a 2023 hunter attitude survey conducted by the Game & Fish, which indicated that many Wyomingites wished to have more...
Although the Hot Springs County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees typically approves administrative contracts for renewal in the month of February, they addressed it early this school year at the Nov. 14 meeting and renewed contracts for three administrators. Following a return from executive session to discuss the contracts, Superintendent Dustin Hunt's contract was approved to be extended until 2030. Business Manager Jessica Benefiel and High School Principal Catelyn Deromedi both had...
Following presentations by psychiatrist Kent Corso and Marine Corps veteran/suicide attempt survivor Shawn Moore, the PROSPER (Proactive Reduction Of Suicides in Populations via Evidence-based Research) meeting held on Nov. 14 opened to questions from the audience. To open, Megan McCoy told Moore, “I appreciate you sharing your story; I know that’s not easy. I try to share my story about recovering from drug addiction, reliving those moments and those difficult times, and it doesn’t seem to get easier, no matter how many times I do it. So thank...
A meeting last week in Worland began with a somber question to those attending: How many of you know somebody who has committed suicide? Every one of the 15 guests - including this reporter - raised their hand. There is very little data available regarding suicide in Washakie County; the Wyoming Department of Health omits counties who report fewer than five suicides per year, and Washakie County has reported less than five suicides every year since this data has been collected. At the state...
A meal of turkey, ham, potatoes and gravy and all the usual fixings is planned for Thanksgiving, Nov. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the back gym at the Worland Community Center. “Many people are alone on Thanksgiving; maybe they couldn’t travel to be with family, maybe they don’t have families, whatever the reason. I’ve also talked with multiple people, for example an elderly couple who stated, ‘It’s just us, we don’t want to make a big meal, and there’s no restaurants open.’ The thought was that there’s a need in our community, so let’s...
Washakie County Attorney Anthony Barton said in an interview on Nov. 15 that there currently are no candidates who have expressed interest in filling the vacant position of Washakie County Deputy Attorney, left open since the departure of Amy Smith at the end of September. Barton said, “She was good; she was motivated and she was smart, and we got along well. But, you know, people come and go, and that’s just the nature of the business, right? Amy was nice about it too; She told me she was wanting to move months before she did, she kept me app...
At the monthly board meeting, the Wyoming School Boards Association (WSBA) delegate from Ten Sleep – board member Bill Murphy – requested advice from Superintendent Annie Griffin on how to proceed with voting on resolutions at the upcoming WSBA Conference in Casper on Nov. 20-22. The issues under scrutiny in these resolutions include staff carrying of firearms, a relevant topic for Ten Sleep’s school district. Considering discussion following the 2024 Legislative Session over House Bill 0125, a bill that failed to pass that would have repea...
Unofficial results from Tuesday’s General Election showed Washakie County School District No. 1 Board incumbents Brett Argeris and David Tommerup keeping their seats as four-year term members. First-term incumbent Jonathan Hake was unseated by newcomer Becky Dooley. Tommerup, who has served as chairman for multiple terms, received the most votes with 2,165. Following him were Argeris with 1,767 and Dooley with 1,622. Hake lost by 19 votes with 1,603. Shane Seghetti received 733 votes, and 27 write-in votes were cast. In a questionnaire p...