Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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Year round and especially at the holiday season you hear the phrase shop local. This Saturday is Small Business Saturday to try and support small businesses who traditionally get overlooked during Thanksgiving weekend. We all know it is fun to go out of town and shop, maybe have lunch and have an experience but before you go I do encourage you to first take a moment and check out what our local shops have to offer. I encourage you to support the businesses who support this community. Their support is foremost shown in operating a business in a...
Delta-8 is a naturally occurring chemical compound, called a cannabinoid, that is found in traces in hemp and marijuana plants. Its popularity is on the rise, and you can purchase it legally in many States. It comes in various forms, including gummies or brownies, liquids, sprays, lotions/creams, capsules, and vape cartridges, and is often referred to as “diet weed”. Individuals argue that because it is “natural” it has to be something that is “safe” to use, but let’s take a deeper look at this, what it actually is, what it does, if it is addi...
The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe release “The Marvels” has not received stellar reviews and did not do well at the box office in its opening weekend last week, but what can I say I have never been one to agree with the critics. To be fair, I never know what critics want. Critics liked “Howard the Duck” and I thought it was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. In fact, it is the only movie I have ever wanted to walk out of but stayed because my college roommate needed me there as her “wingwoman” for a guy she was interested in. Turns o...
What is a veteran? Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines a veteran as a person “who has served in the armed forces” or an alternative definition is an “old, experienced soldier, especially one who served in time of war.” My father was a veteran. I have aunts, uncles, cousins who are veterans. I am proud of their service. I am thankful for their service. During Veterans Day and on Memorial Day my thoughts go to those who have served since the Revolutionary War to today. I realize during the draft period in our nation’s history som...
What things do you hate? What people do you hate? One mild definition of hate is “intense dislike” and I think that’s what we use the word as when we say we hate broccoli or hate spiders. Perhaps hate is thrown around too much and we just don’t see hate as it really is, “intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger or sense of injury,” per Meriam Webster. I feel that is the most accurate definition of hate. I remember growing up and when we would use the word hate my mother would suggest that we didn’t hate broccoli and if w...
Sunday morning Mom wanted to sleep in but Dad woke her up, standing in the doorway he said, “We’ve got a problem.” Now wait just a minute. Do not assume that because I am writing this column that it was my fault. I mean it was but it is not nice to just assume. Sunday I learned what all the talk was about “leaving the black and white kitties alone” and “don’t find any skunks.” I mean what is a skunk. Well now I know. And skunks do not even come close to being kitties. I mean our kitties are cute and they usually run from me. OK, so Tigger f...
So far, I’ve tackled subjects of horror that hinge on either the paranormal or extraterrestrial to deliver the fear factor. These work in the moment, but I find that as an adult I don’t fixate on the scary bad guys like I used to as a kid; I wouldn’t lose sleep for days if I watched “Jeepers Creepers” today. But, what if the object of fear is a cave? Caves are already intrinsically scary to me. They are dark, claustrophobic, largely unexplored and unpredictable. Before I had ever seen “The Descent,” the furthest I had walked into a cave was th...
“Annihilation” flew under my radar for a long time, actually. I have no idea how, because when it popped up on my recommended queue on Netflix, I read the description about Natalie Portman being a soldier/biologist and I hit play. That sounded like a good movie by itself, honestly. Really, “Annihilation” is ultimately an action movie about an all-female cast heading toward an unknown threat. I think that just at that level alone the movie functions very well; there’s more than enough gunfighting and explosions to satiate fans of the genre. To...
Next week residents in Washakie County have an opportunity to be involved in the discussion of two important topics — property tax rates and mental health. On Monday, State Rep. Martha Lawley (R-HD27, Worland) will be hosting a town hall meeting regarding property tax. Lawley has invited Wyoming Taxpayers Association Executive Director Ashley Harpstreith to visit about the Wyoming property tax structure and challenges facing Wyoming residents. Harpstreith and Lawley will also update residents on current legislative activities to address t...
Turn on any sporting event in October and you will see pink. NASCAR cars all had pink window coverings, referees in some football games had pink whistles, players, coaches and more have pink. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and pink abounds in October. Before I go any further let me just say I support breast cancer awareness month. I have friends and family who are breast cancer survivors, but I also know some who, unfortunately, did not survive. Perhaps the next well known “cancer month” is November or what has become known as “No...
In my opinion, “Hereditary” set the bar for modern horror when it came out in 2018. Stylistically it’s very similar to “Midsommar,” which was put out the following year by the same director Ari Aster. “Midsommar” is arguably the more popular of the two, but the elements present in both blew me away the first time I saw them in “Hereditary.” It’s a very unique movie; at its core, it’s just a paranormal horror movie set in suburban Utah; the kind where you would expect jump scares are the bread and butter. “Hereditary” does not have a single jump...
Nearly 220 million American adults turn to their local newspapers regularly for news and information they need to stay informed, feel more connected to their neighbors and improve their lives and communities. That readership number is based on a recent national study by independent research firm Coda Ventures for the America’s Newspapers organization. Most likely, the number of readers is higher. Many people who say they receive news on their phone or from social media instead of newspapers fail to understand that the sources for those s...
October holds a special significance for me, more so than any other month of the year. There comes a noticeable shift in weather over a short period time; the cold brought on by night begins to linger into the day. Brisk winds and sporadic rainstorms become reason to spend less time outside. Ambient noises of the summer fade away, with the insects falling silently to the ground after completing their life cycles. At the exact right time to maximize food production and minimize water loss, trees let their leaves die in a dramatic synchronized di...
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, I, along with other media, received in their inbox a press release from U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) asking the Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to keep the national parks and other public lands open “in the event of a government shutdown.” My comment to my co-workers was something to the effect that it appears the Republicans were already planning for a shutdown 10 days before the current appropriations bill runs out and the government shuts down … again. The last shutdown lasted more than 30 days...
Saturday is the first official day of fall and this fall is proving to be just as busy and interesting as the summer was in Washakie County. In case you have missed it the past several weeks, school is in full swing in Washakie County and the Big Horn Basin and it is a busy two weeks in Washakie County with homecoming this week for the Ten Sleep students and homecoming next week for Worland students. Both schools have worked in events that can involve the public. Full stories on the activities can be found on A7 in this week’s issue. Some commu...
Last Tuesday, those attending the Worland City Council saw a balanced government at work. In dealing with a citizen request to close one block of a street off for a neighborhood block party, Mayor Jim Gill expressed concern about citizens making requests for street closures. Organizations and businesses have for years made requests regarding events, some open to the public and some strictly for that organization. There was concern about setting a precedent and about liability for a citizen requesting a street closure. After hearing from the cit...
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. It is dedicated as a month to remember the lives lost to suicide, to those who have struggled with suicidal ideation, and to acknowledge the individuals, families and communities that have been impacted by suicide. The World Health Organization came out with an article in August 2023 stating that, “Every year 703,000 people take their own life and there are many more people who attempt suicide.” Suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds globally in 2019. Statistics conti...
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon isn’t often on the same page as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but they recently found common ground on the need for advancing carbon capture technologies. Advanced carbon capture technologies could mitigate climate change rules placed by the current administration, while providing sustainable and reliable energy for the nation. Wyoming has enough reliable energy reserves to keep the lights on in the U.S. for several hundred years. States such as California have mandated electric vehicles. But where are C...
How many dogs does it take to catch a one little mouse? The answer? More than three apparently. People who have read this column over the years know we used to have a dog, Sarah, who we dubbed the rat killer. She could sniff them out, catch and kill them. She passed the Rainbow Bridge a few years ago and we have not had a dog with those skills since. Apparently, Shadow has developed the skill to find the mice but not to catch them. I got home Monday night and let the dogs outside. I followed so I could take them for a walk and set the water in...
For the last two weekends in Washakie County residents and travelers have enjoyed two longtime festivals, one in Ten Sleep and one in Worland. This year, for the first time, I got to experience Nowoodstock. Traditionally for the Northern Wyoming News I cover the Pepsi Wyoming State BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival. This year I let Sean cover that festival and I trekked up to Ten Sleep on Saturday, Aug. 12 to check out Nowoodstock. Pat O’Brien, and now his director-in-waiting Kurt Steinke know how to put on a great festival. Vista Park i...
Kratom is a popular herbal supplement derived from the dried leaves of a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family. People use kratom to treat chronic pain, depression and anxiety. And some use it to lessen the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Anyone can buy kratom online, and it can be found at convenience stores, gas stations and vape shops. About 1.7 million people 12 and older used kratom in the United States in 2021, according to the National Survey on Drug Use. But kratom is not without risks. I recently read an article that talked about...
Did you see the news over the weekend? Did you pay attention to the attack on the First Amendment? It did not come from politicians or the government but rather from law enforcement. According to a story from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and more than 30 news media organizations are condemning last week’s police raid of Kansas’s Marion County Record during which law enforcement officers seized the newspaper’s electronic newsgathering equipment and reporting materials. The Rep...
You are right. It seems that summer just started last week but here we are with school classes starting on Aug. 16 for both Worland and Ten Sleep and some neighboring communities. It is hard to believe that summer is basically over, although as I write this we still have two major summer celebrations left — this weekend’s Nowoodstock in Ten Sleep and next weekend’s Wyoming State BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival. Worland kindergarteners get a head start on the school year before everyone else, as Washakie County School District No. 1 has...
Many kudos this week go to Washakie County. One LARGE KUDO goes to the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office and Washakie County Search and Rescue who have worked tirelessly in the search for Breanna Mitchell. Mitchell, 28, of Worland, went missing 12 days ago (as of this writing Tuesday, Aug. 1). She had texted and called friends she was stuck on a side road off of the Nowater Road. Search and Rescue members, as many as 15 at a time, have been out searching since she was reported missing and now they are currently working on draining a pond, where...
In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 it says “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens,” including a time to speak. The time is apparently now to speak about child sex trafficking, which is a global problem and billion-dollar industry. There is no longer a time to be silent and for Alejandro Monteverde, who wrote and directed the film, “Sound of Freedom,” the time to speak out on the topic is now. According to a Department of Homeland Security report, “Countering Human Trafficking: Year In Review (October...