Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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Congratulations to the Worland Warriors on their 3A State Boys Basketball title. It is well-deserved. Congratulations also to speech champions Kim Sumida and Chase Johnson and state champion wrestlers Luke Goncalves and Lane McBee. It is a pleasure to be able to cover the achievements of our youth this year and every year. When a team wins a state title I find myself reminiscing about state championships I have covered, specifically when I covered sports for the Lovell Chronicle and the Basin Republican Rustler. The first state championship I...
Last Tuesday night the Worland City Council got a small course in free speech and what is considered protected and not protected speech. In an era where people are offended by nearly everything the First Amendment is more important now than ever before. It comes under attack from all sides and all avenues – whether free speech, free press or freedom of religion. As has been written in this space time and again, there is a reason that these freedoms are listed first — first and foremost — these freedoms are key to our democracy. Part of that fre... Full story
In this edition of Things Make You Go Hmmm we look at a few bills before the Wyoming State Legislature and we’ll start with Senate File 17 which would stop the requirement of cities, towns and counties to publish minutes and salary notices in a newspaper of general circulation; and eliminate the requirement for school districts to publish warrants of over $500. The requirement for publication in a newspaper is for the public’s benefit. Cities, towns, counties and school districts are spending the public’s money and the public has a right to kno... Full story
They say ignorance is bliss or what you don’t know won’t hurt you but when it comes to legislation, whether at the state or federal level, nothing could be further from the truth. We as citizens must arm ourselves with knowledge. We cannot depend on our legislators or Congressional delegates to tell us everything they are doing. We must be steadfast in checking out bills that are filed at the state and federal level. Case in point, a House Resolution that I have not heard anything about, especially in Wyoming, is the Sabika Sheikh Firearm Lic... Full story
We adopted two cats recently from New Hope Humane Society. Earlier this year we had to say goodbye to our beloved Buddy after about five years and we needed to find another feline companion for Chuck. Well New Hope had two young cats available for adoption that were both perfect fits for us so my husband said “let’s get both.” This ranked up there in surprise remarks with the time he said yes to getting a third dog (when we adopted Shadow as a pup). But, hey, I like animals so who was I to argue. Well taking cats to the country and tryin... Full story
This week we complete two full years as the weekly newspaper the Northern Wyoming News and what a year it was. We started year two out with an open house in February. Yes, it was pre-COVID or rather COVID-19 was just beginning to be talked about but there were no mask mandates, no businesses were closed, life was continuing as normal. We had a nice turnout for the open house despite the cold, snowy, windy day. Then March came and COVID had Wyoming canceling sports and state health orders were closing businesses. We closed our office to the... Full story
There are many things happening in our community, state and country right now that make me shake my head. Let us start locally, last week on the day of President Joe Biden’s inauguration a resident of Ten Sleep burned an effigy of President Biden with a sign that said “not my-our president.” For several weeks, a resident outside of Worland, greets drivers coming to or leaving Worland with a sign that says “F#$% Biden” and “F#$% those who voted for Biden.” I understand that people are unhappy with the election, some even feel, just like Pre... Full story
Online petitions are a joke. There I said it. If you have signed one recently, I apologize if I have offended you but I am only being honest and realistic. I say they are joke only because I believe online petitions serve no real purpose. There is a place and time for petitions but they have to be run properly and in accordance with the law. Currently there is a petition to “Recall Liz Cheney” on change.org. First, Wyoming does not allow for a recall so the petition will not invoke any real change. As of Tuesday there were nearly 35,000 sig...
Random acts of violence are never the answer — no matter the question, no matter the issue. The random acts of violence and rioting over the summer in the name of social and racial injustice was not the answer to bring attention to those issues. Storming the U.S. Capitol last week was not the answer or the way to bring attention to the issue of voting irregularities. This summer I heard and read people’s opinions that the only thing that would get people’s attention on social and racial injustice now was violence. It would be the only thing... Full story
I know, right now you are thinking there is a typographical error and that I meant to type revolution. You may be thinking this would have to do with protests regarding the 2020 presidential election, alleged election fraud and (as I right this) the upcoming votes from representatives and senators regarding certifying the aforementioned election. You would be wrong. It is not a typo. Yes, I decided 2021 would be my year to try and lose a little weight, eat fewer sweets and exercise more. I don’t want to call it a resolution, however. I call i... Full story
In this week’s issue we begin the annual year in review, a look back at the stories that moved us, changed us, made us laugh, smile and cry. We take a look at major stories throughout each month in 2020 but here I want to take a look at some of the top stories of the past year. •Yes, the No. 1 story, of course, is the COVID-19 pandemic. We chronicled many things throughout the pandemic, the caring spirit of our community that made masks for health care workers using 3D printers, and those who sewed hundreds of cloth masks for health care wor... Full story
It’s Christmas time. You can tell this by the lights, the music and the outpouring of generosity. Volunteers around the community banded together to decorate and light up main street including empty storefronts as part of a Hallmark Christmas in Worland. (You can read and see more about this on A12.) Since Pioneer Square got lit up on Thanksgiving weekend nearly every night I have noticed groups of people walking through the park and walking downtown enjoying the Christmas décor. The photos on A12 just do not do it justice so I encourage yo... Full story
This is a season of hope. Advent is all about hope. The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival,” and the season is traditionally a time of expectation, waiting, anticipation, and longing. Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and help us place our focus on a far greater story than our own—the story of God’s redeeming love for our world. Advent looks back in celebration at the hope fulfilled in Jesus’s coming, while at the same time looking forward in hopeful and eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when He returns for His...
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire to keep everyone healthy and safe, Pinnacle Bank made the tough decision to cancel this year’s Festival of Trees. The festival showcases wreaths and trees decorated by businesses and organizations, along with other Christmas décor, which are then sold at an auction to help support dozens of organizations and groups. Tuesday was “Giving Tuesday” but there is still plenty of time to give this Christmas season, giving to help others. The Worland Food Pantry is always looking for monetary or non-ex... Full story
For 10 years now there has been Small Business Saturday® created by American Express to encourage people to shop locally at the smaller businesses. According to the website, in the midst of the recession in 2010 — American Express created Small Business Saturday® on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to Shop Small and bring more holiday shopping to small businesses. This year, more than ever we need to support our small businesses, our local businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a struggle for most of our small bus... Full story
We knew it was only a matter of time before a mask mandate was coming, but we did not know how it would come about. While I write this Tuesday night Washakie County’s health order mandating masks, submitted by County Health Officer Ed Zimmerman, is under review by the Wyoming State Health Officer Alexia Harrist. Nine other similar requests including for our neighboring counties Hot Springs and Park were approved on Tuesday. It also must be approved by Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill. Teton County was the first to have a mandate a...
You have heard it, I have heard it. It’s been said for many months now that COVID-19 is a hoax, a hoax to take down a president. We hear them say it will all be over after the election. In this space, we have emphasized that the pandemic is not a hoax. Guess what? We were right. We are a week past the election and COVID-19 didn’t mysteriously or miraculously disappear. We all wish that it had happened, but it did not and we knew it wouldn’t. The virus is real. Real people are getting sick, some severely sick and some dying. I am not writi... Full story
As I write this we are waiting for election results but the polls have yet to even close. It is the waiting that is the worst and this year the waiting seems that much harder. Usually it is waiting for the results, waiting for candidates to call back with a comment or two. After 2016, we added waiting for the election fallout. Four years ago there was crying, wailing, gnashing of teeth and pleas for safe rooms. This year we again wait, wait for the tears but people are preparing for things even worse. The mainstream media has stories of... Full story
“Vote early and often,” a phrase originally attributed to Al Capone, is a phrase joked about every time an election rolls around. When President Donald Trump made a comment about making sure your absentee vote has been counted and if not then go to the polls to vote people perceived that to mean he was encouraging them to “vote early and often.” I don’t believe that was the case. I believe he was telling voters to make sure their vote is counted this election. A visit with Washakie County’s election officer, Clerk Mary Grace Strauch shows that... Full story
It is Monday morning and I’m waiting for U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett to give her opening remarks, but first you have to get through the opening remarks from every Senator on the Judiciary Committee. OK, to be truthful I just watched I did not actually listen to them. According to the Supreme Court website, Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes described the role of the court “As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the American people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, als... Full story
“America Needs Journalists” is the 2020 theme for National Newspaper Week which is next week, Oct. 4-10. I was taught our role as journalists was to report the news, not to make the news or make-up the news, just to report the news fairly and accurately. Over the years, while the definition of a journalist seems to have changed, the definition of news has also apparently changed. For years I have wondered why morning news shows reported on what happened on the previous night’s reality TV shows. How is this news? I’ve watched them report... Full story
We need leadership in Washington, D.C. now more than ever but leadership is lacking from both of the country’s major political parties. While we can point to many examples, the most recent came after the sudden death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Sen. Charles Schumer’s first tweet upon learning of her death was not about Ginsburg or her legacy it was about politics. “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new p... Full story
In an effort to let all general election voters have a chance to be informed voters, the Northern Wyoming News will start a six-week series on candidate profiles starting with the Worland mayor’s race with this issue. We have on occasion printed a special section with all the profiles together. This year we opted to profile candidates on a weekly basis. There are two main reasons for this — economics and voter convenience. For years I have worked for weeklies who published special sections and they often do not pay for themselves with can...
Several months ago I explained how a woman's mind works and how we have many thoughts going through our minds at any one time. The Facebook meme says it best "My mind is like my internet browser, 19 tabs open (co-workers repeatedly tell me I have too many open), 3 of them are frozen and I have no idea where the music is coming from." Well the past few weeks that has been me more than ever. This is why I let our sports editor Alex Kuhn share his thoughts in this space last week, hoping that this week, one of the many random thoughts would catch...
Another round of civil unrest and ... it's tiring. The bad faith arguments are flying from every which direction, and they're genuinely exhausting, which is the design. But, it's time to summon the strength and will of the late Chadwick Boseman. As we've gotten more details about the Jacob Blake shooting, two parts of Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail have been on repeat in my mind: Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what... Full story