Worland son moving on to Sheridan

Whelp. You never know how to announce these things without sounding pretentious.

So. Here goes:

I will be leaving the Northern Wyoming Daily News.

I’m bound for The Sheridan Press. I love Sheridan, and my friends can attest to that.

It’s been a fun ride that almost didn’t happen.

In November of 2014, I thought I was going to be working for the Union Pacific Railroad. I drove six hours from Worland to Scottsbluff, Neb., for a job interview with Union Pacific Railroad. It was for a job on the coal-line out of Bill, Wyo.

I got the job, but I failed my color-vision test. I learned that I am severely colorblind.

That’s where it kind of gets weird: A few weeks later, I got a text from Bob Vines, who was, at the time, the editor of the Northern Wyoming Daily News. Bob wanted to know if I was interested in a job as a government reporter.

I told him no. I was still stuck on being a postman in Sheridan, or driving trains. Something. But, eventually, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to at least try it.

I ultimately took the job, and it took me about two weeks to realize that this is going to be my career. (I worked for the University of Wyoming paper as a photographer and writer. For personal reasons, I entirely gave up on it, and threw away all of my work.)

Out of nowhere, I was suddenly getting paid to cover events throughout the Worland community.

I fell in love with it.

I originally told Bob I could guarantee him no more than six months of work.

Now, this is a career. I will do this for the rest of my life.

Thanks for taking the chance, Bob.

Community journalism as a career has been a heck of a ride. The variety of events I have had the privilege to cover has been amazing. That a typical workday has included both stories on a $23 million hospital renovation project and a cat show at the Washakie County Fair … that’s incredible. I’m so lucky to call that a typical day at the office.

Which it is.

I will dearly miss Worland. I will also miss the numerous people with whom I have worked during the past year.

But — I am excited to call Sheridan home.

When bow seasons comes around, I’ll still put in for the usual Area 45 type-9 tag. I’ll still bow hunt the Worland side of the mountain. Just, please, don’t vandalize my vehicle with that has County-3 Plates.

It belongs to a Worland boy.