Happy New Year; New facilities, election highlight, what's to come

As a new year rolls in one of the common sayings is “out with the old, in with the new” and that is exactly what 2024 will be bringing to Washakie County.

Ten Sleep School is moving forward and appears to be on schedule. Not only will the new school be a great asset for the community and the students but the construction has also been a great learning experience for students as they have been able to assist on various parts of the construction.

Plans are for the new school to be ready by winter break this year.

Last year ground broke for the new Lighthouse adult crisis stabilization center.

The new building will have space for 12 residential single-occupancy rooms. The new building will be fit completely with anti-ligature fixtures, meaning that clients can’t use them to hurt themselves or others. The building is also being designed to have two long main hallways so that line-of-sight can be easily maintained to ensure patient safety.

Plans are for the building to be completed this summer.

After a year long battle in the courts, 2023 saw the completion of the sale of a home that will become the new ambulance station.

Washakie County for the past few years has contracted with Cody Regional for a paid paramedic ambulance service. It has provided reliable, advanced services with continuity that was not always available with a quality volunteer service.

The new ambulance station will be able to house the ambulance crews and the equipment including ambulances all at the same location, something that is not currently happening with the crews housed two blocks away from the station now.

Renovation of the home on Road 11 should be completed this year.

One more big item we can be assured of this year is election. It may bring us some new leaders but with filing not until May for local and state races we won’t know for sure if incumbents will be seeking office.

This year will not be as big of an election year as 2022 but there are still important local races.

As per statute all State House districts will be open, with Martha Lawley (R-Worland) completing her first term in office for House District 27 and John Winter (R-Thermopolis) completing his third term for House District 28.

State Senate districts are staggered but Ed Cooper’s (R-Ten Sleep) seat for Senate District 20 will be one that is open this year. He is completing his first term.

All three can seek re-election.

Locally, the mayoral terms in Ten Sleep (Ernie Beckley) and Worland (Jim Gill) are up this year. Both can seek re-election.

There will be council seats open, along with seats on both Washakie County School District No. 1 and No 2 boards.

Mayor, council and school board races are nonpartisan (you do not have to declare a party).

And, of course, there is the national presidential election and the November General Election should prove interesting for that race alone.

There could be a constitutional amendment or two for voters to consider and if enough signatures are garnered the People’s Initiative to Limit Property Tax in Wyoming through a Homeowner’s Property Exemption will be on the ballot in November.

The bill states, “For property used as a primary residence, fifty percent (50%) of the assessed value of the primary property is exempt from property taxation as a homeowner’s exemption [ ] To claim a homeowner’s exemption the person shall have been a resident of this state for not less than one (1) year prior to claiming an exemption.”

According to Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office, to get the initiative on the ballot, the initiative will need to obtain a total of 29,730 signatures, which is 15% of the total votes cast in the 2022 general election. As a distribution requirement, the initiative needs signatures from at least 16 Wyoming counties and in Washakie County, the petition would need 469 signatures. Signatures must be from registered voters.

Of course, 2024, will bring the usual, graduations, summer events, maybe some sports championships and many surprises along the way.

The Northern Wyoming News will be here to chronicle all of it for you.