Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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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...
This Saturday kicks off Washakie County Fair Week with the theme, “Remembering the past, Embracing our present, engineering our future. The fair is an opportunity for everyone to come socialize, enjoy some good food and have a little family fun. The five-member fair board has worked hard over the past year to put together an entertaining schedule. A few things didn’t come to fruition for various reasons including stock dog trials and tractor pull but there is still plenty to do and see. The week of five concerts, four of them free, begins Mon...
Once again Mom is fresh out of ideas so she calls on me, Roscoe the Rascal to fill in for her. You would think I would get an extra treat for this, but nope. Something about it's not fair to my sisters. I do not get it. A while back we discussed a typical day in my life and that was in early spring. Well summer days are a bit different. Shadow, for one sleeps in but I get up when Dad gets ready for work and depending on how far he has to travel for the day that could be between 2:30 to 3:30...
Summer months. A time most of us in Wyoming anxiously wait for as winter can seem cold, bleak, and feel like it can drag on forever. People often report the best mental health in the summer. This can be due to various factors including longer days, warmer temperatures, and an increase in Vitamin D. So how can you take advantage of the summer months and improve your mental health at the same time? Let’s take a closer look at Vitamin D and the impact it can have on mental health. It is estimated that more than 40% of Americans have a Vitamin D d...
Just when you think you have a handle on all the way scammers will reach out to try and separate you from your money they up their game. Recently, there are reports of scammers using local business names. Rocky Mountain Power has reported scammers are calling and contacting customers seeking immediate payment to avoid disconnection. RMP will not ask you to make payments with a pre-paid credit card but most of all they do not contact their customers in that way. RMP suggests rather than giving your account number to the caller, ask them to give...
Years ago a Verizon Wireless marketing campaign used the phrase “Can you hear me now?” On Saturday and Sunday the answer for Verizon customers in the Big Horn Basin was a resounding “No.” There was an outage of service that appeared to begin shortly after 7 a.m., according to accounts from customers (myself included). We at first thought it was just my husband’s phone. I had WiFi calling enabled on my phone so did not realize I did not have any cell service. Attempts to call Verizon proved fruitless as they do not have 24-hour support....
Every year on the Fourth of July we celebrate our independence with grand fireworks displays all over the country. From small town America to the big cities, spectacular displays of lights and noises take place. The intent behind it and the celebration of it is quite honoring. However, this “celebration” can seriously impact our veterans. The sounds, smells and shockwaves of fireworks can be very triggering for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Individuals with PTSD, as well as any combat veteran regardless of their PTSD sta...
Sometimes when thinking what to write in this space, readers provide the inspiration as is the case this week regarding customer service. A recent columnist for the Northern Wyoming News discussed the importance of customer service and an astute reader brought by an old Wyoming Business Tips column from the University of Wyoming. This got me thinking that perhaps more needs to be said regarding customer service. The University of Wyoming Business Tips column provided some good tips for businesses in helping them and their employees offer great...
My latest obsession is a podcast called Strange and Unexplained with Daisy Eagan. She covers a lot of strange and mysterious, sometimes true, sometimes not-so-true stories. One podcast episode she discussed a simulation theory that she found on Reddit. She points out that to truly give any credence to this theory she would have preferred to have found a scientifically reviewed article, but the only discussion on simulation theory that could be found was on Reddit. The podcast poses the question are we truly living our own lives or are we...
The other day when I was putting out our flag at the Northern Wyoming News, a gust of wind knocked the flag out of my hand. I know etiquette says that the flag should not touch the ground, but it was not intentional. I gently picked it up and put the flag in the stand attached to our exterior wall. I mentioned to one of the employees that it hit the ground and how I thought flag etiquette meant it should be properly disposed of, but considering how many people treat the flag in the name of patriotism, I was not going to do that. (I was wrong,...
It’s funny how certain things at certain times can bring memories flooding back. The other night after I got dishes done I went and sat down on the couch and my husband had on a baseball game. It was the Los Angeles Dodgers. Every time I see a Dodgers game I think of my dad. He was a huge Dodgers fan, but this game memories came flooding back for me. Perhaps because his birthday was just over a week ago and he has been on my mind a lot. Growing up I never played baseball, never really watched baseball until my senior year in high school. OK t...
“Famous Friends” is a popular country song from Chris Young and Kane Brown, written by Young, along with Cary Barlowe and Corey Crowder. In the song they talk about their famous friends, not in the country music business but back home, including football stars, teachers, firefighters and more. We have many famous people in our backyard, many of whom we have highlighted here in the Northern Wyoming News. There are many state champions, all-state and all-conference athletes from Worland and Ten Sleep high schools and other schools around the Big...
According to an article in U.S. News and World Report, deaths involving methamphetamine are “skyrocketing.” The article states that deaths from methamphetamine among Americans increased “50-fold” between 1999 and 2021. Most of the deaths also involved fentanyl and heroin. Data reviewed from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 1999, 608 deaths were attributed to meth. By 2021, the number had skyrocketed to nearly 52,400, with 61% of fatal meth overdoses involving heroin or fentanyl. Additional statistics that ar...
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...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but the reality is, we need to talk about mental health all year round. By not talking about mental health, we add to the stigma that surrounds it. Stigma can lead to a reluctance for individuals to seek treatment. Approximately 20% of Americans will experience mental illness in their lifetime, yet fewer than half of those ever seek treatment. And, the longer mental health issues go untreated, the more severe they can become. But, talking about mental health can be a challenge, and sometimes difficult....
“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...