Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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by Amber Steinmetz Did you see the video earlier this month of the Little League batter consoling the opposing team’s pitcher? During the Little League Southwest Regional final Aug. 9 in Waco, Texas, right-hander Kaiden Shelton of Pearland, Texas, was facing batter Isaiah Jarvis of Tulsa, Okla., when an 0-2 pitch got away from him and slammed into Jarvis’ helmet. Jarvis fell to the ground and was surrounded by concerned coaches and other staff, but was able to walk unaided to first base a short time later. He noticed Shelton on the mound sta...
by Jill Pertler This weekend I spent time at a class reunion with friends I don’t see every day (but wish I still did.) They were the friends who knew me when. And I knew them in the same way. We were innocent and young. Not yet adults, but on the budding cusp. Growing up together creates an enduring bond that can only come from experiencing pivotal years together. This bond we created has only grown stronger through the years, and I think it is now like a snowball rolling downhill: only getting bigger and stronger. It’s pretty amazing whe...
by Tracy Renee Lee Most people do not expect anxiety to be a consequence of loss. After 20 years in the funeral profession, I have come to realize that anxiety is a natural response to loss. Whenever a person undergoes change, anxiety rears itself. A few examples of experiences that cause anxiety would be moving, changing jobs, starting school, taking tests, divorce, loss, and other things that cause a change in your life. Loss is the ultimate life changer and therefore, naturally causes anxiety. I have a dear friend who lost her husband a few...
by Kelly Evans-Hullinger, M.D. As a clinical professor at my state’s medical school, I frequently have medical students seeing patients with me in clinic. While the majority of patients are happy to allow student involvement, some decline. This makes me wonder what misconceptions lead patients to be averse to trainees participating at their clinic visits or hospital bedsides. In my experience, the presence of learners has a positive influence on our work in the clinic and hospital. Medical education is a complex, highly intensive program t...
by Bill Sniffin, Cowboy State Daily Here is a way to get “looped” this summer by enjoying Wyoming’s highways and byways. My definition of a “loop drive” is where you set out for a destination and after you get there, you return home by a different route, forming a loop. The state of Wyoming tourism division along with all the various county lodging boards have set up interesting loop drives. They are everywhere. A favorite loop drive that includes Lander is going to Dubois and Moran Junction, down to Jackson and on to Pinedale. Then you go so...
by Ryan McConnaughey The Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) issued the following statement in response to both the Q2 2022 BLM Lease Auction and the Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia v. EPA: While the oil and natural gas industry is continually improving operations and reducing emissions, we believe any federal regulatory framework must be based in legal authority granted by an Act of Congress. The Legislative Branch has long abdicated its duty in passing coherent, meaningful legislation that addresses the most pressing issues of t...
by John Malmberg We are not at all surprised the U.S. Fish and Wildlife is conducting a status review on the Yellowstone bison to determine if they should be given Endangered Species Act status after the USFW received pressure from environmental groups. The Yellowstone bison population with 6,000 head is now larger than at any point since the park’s founding. So apparently to the those environmental groups’ way of reasoning, since the bison population is greater than ever and increasing despite depredation by wolves, grizzly bears, bru...
by U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, M.D. Wyoming is the energy capital of America. Americans count on Wyoming energy for gasoline and diesel fuel for our cars and trucks. Natural gas powers and heats our homes in the winter. We rely on coal to generate our electricity. Tens of thousands of Americans have jobs that rely on production of Wyoming oil, natural gas, coal and uranium. The Biden administration is trying to change that. Once again, the president has sided with the radical left to choke off American energy production. This latest move is...
Wyoming’s property tax system is deeply flawed. The recent burden that rapidly rising home values placed on residents illustrated those flaws. Rising home values mean steep property tax increases for everyone who owns real estate, including elderly homeowners on fixed incomes. Certainly a 20% or more hike in property taxes is a tough pill to swallow for anyone. But for those residents living solely on social security, it is devastating. Because property assessments are governed by state statute, there is nothing that county-level a...
by Brian Schroeder Superintendent of Public Instruction “We’ll go fishing on Saturday, boy, I promise!”All week long, it’s what the kid lived for. To spend a whole day with dad in a boat on the river would be the highlight of his summer. In fact, the young lad was so excited that on the Friday night before the big day, he took his fishing pole and tackle box to bed with him. Early the next morning the boy was up before his dad, getting dressed, assembling his gear, re-examining his lures for the umpteenth time. Then he heard the phone ring. T...
by Thomas L. Knapp, Director The William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism The clamor for “gun control” never goes away in American politics. It occasionally simmers down to a dull roar, but every mass shooting recharges the bullhorn batteries. Thus, in the wake of the recent atrocities in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, a Morning Consult / Politico Poll poll says that 56% of Americans consider it “a top priority” or “an important, but lower priority” for Congress to pass legislation “placing additional re...
by Kevin Killough Every time we go grocery shopping, fill up our cars, or buy new appliances, we all feel it. Inflation is up 8.5% over last year, the highest rate in over 40 years. Many analysts, including President Joe Biden’s own White House Council of Economic Advisers, point to the federal government’s COVID-response policies as the main culprit. It’s not surprising that if you send millions of Americans big unencumbered checks, they’re going to spend that money on stuff. The increased demand for goods and services will create shortag...
by Kevin Killough Billionaire Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, purchased Twitter for $44 billion. Musk has long been a critic of the platform’s content moderation policies, and appears poised to, among other improvements, make the platform more open to a wider range of perspectives. “Twitter is the digital town square, where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,’’ Musk tweeted last month. Twitter is a public company and well within its right to decide what content it does and does not want to host. So, the “digital town squ...
Property taxes shooting up 50%, 70%, 90% in a single year — or 337% in four years, depending on what properties sold in a neighborhood — shows just how broken Wyoming’s tax structure is. While claiming to be staunchly anti-tax, Wyoming lawmakers are taxing some residents at these exponential, eye-popping rates. Skyrocketing bills illustrate the need for the Legislature to find new ways to pay for schools and other basic needs. Historically, new taxes have been shot down. Legislators won’t tax personal income. They won’t tax corporate income. T...
by Jim Herlihy, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, Alzheimer’s Association When we gather on May 8 to celebrate Mother’s Day, give a special prayer for the more than 4 million women across the United States who are living with a unique challenge: Alzheimer’s disease. Roughly two-thirds of the 6.5 million people in the U.S. living with Alzheimer’s are women. Supporting and caring for these 6.5 million Americans are more than 11 million unpaid caregivers, family and friends who volunteer their time and energy. Perhaps it comes as no...
by Kevin Killough Who wouldn’t want to go back to the economically simpler times before the COVID pandemic? We can look back with warm nostalgia on 2019, when our national debt was only a frightening $23 trillion. The following year, a global pandemic shut down businesses, forced millions out of work, and led to a wave of government emergency spending that has brought the debt to around a terrifying $30 trillion. The rate by which our debt grows makes a few years seem like a generation. Even before $7 trillion was added to our crushing national...
Reports on improper meetings serve as reminder to governing bodies around the state. Gillette City Council recently found itself in hot water after an investigation found the governing body repeatedly violated open meetings laws. According to the Gillette News Record’s report of a comprehensive review released early this month, the city had conducted improper executive sessions — which are closed to the public — conducted meetings without proper notice and improperly utilized personal devices, among other issues. Shortly after the report was r...
by CJ Baker Spring didn’t officially arrive in Wyoming until Sunday, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it began March 13 — when we and the rest of the country (or most of it, at least) switched from standard to daylight saving time. After getting past the grogginess and inconvenience associated with having to push our clocks and schedules forward an hour, there’s a certain joy that comes with getting that extra hour of daylight shifted to the evenings. Still, it’s hard to get past the hassle of changing our clocks back and forth. In fact, in...
The Biden administration’s response to rising oil prices is perplexing, to say the least. Whether the much higher prices of oil and gas are a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, whether they pre-date that invasion or are a reaction to some other market force, it would seem that the last thing our nation should be doing is trading one dictator for another. It took Biden far too long to order a ban on Russian oil, with the invasion of Ukraine commencing on February 24 and Biden announcing his executive order on March 8. And we u...
by Doug Miyamoto, Director, Wyoming Department of Agriculture There is no need to sugar coat this news because everyone already knows… The last few years have been difficult for everyone. From a global pandemic with the accompanying illnesses and disruptions in supply chains, to increased strife and conflicts throughout the world, to severe drought conditions and weather, it’s safe to say that the last few years have presented some challenges. While these years have been difficult, one important takeaway has been that more people now und...
In one of the most decisive steps yet taken in the international effort to convince Vladimir Putin to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States is leading the way on banning Russian oil imports. While it seems this particular sanction could have the greatest impact on the Russian economy — and be most effective at ultimately convincing Putin to withdraw forces from Ukraine and seek peace — it is even more certain that Americans will be confronted by even higher gasoline prices as Russian oil is taken off the market. Perhaps more...
Higher state salaries mean more effective services One of the top priorities mapped out in Gov. Mark Gordon’s budget and State of the State address centered around increasing pay for state government employees. Gordon included $53 million in his budget for the cause and has repeatedly stressed how important this funding is for the continuity of service within the state of Wyoming. The funding is part of Gordon’s $2.3 billion total general fund budget currently under consideration by the Wyoming Legislature. Too often the mantra of gov...
by Tyler Martineau Do you ever wonder why shows such as “Joe Pickett” or “Longmire” are based in Wyoming but are filmed elsewhere? Just like most things, it all comes down to money. Wyoming is one of about 15 states without a filming incentives program which gives tax incentives to film and TV productions. Wyoming’s previous incentive program expired in 2018, making places like Texas, Utah and even Calgary better places to film scenes to look like the Equality State. However, the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources...
by Ann Turner Here’s the $3.5 million question: What does Wyoming need to do to develop an economy that isn’t so dependent on the minerals industry? The state’s economic development agencies (of which there are many), the Wyoming Business Council along with every governor’s office and legislator over the past 40 years have been trying to answer that question, particularly during energy bust times. But now there’s a new suggestion on the table to try to reverse Wyoming’s winds of fortune: Let’s hire Harvard! For $3.5 million, the minds at the...
by CJ Baker The COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t have come at a much worse time for the U.S. Census Bureau. Once a decade, the bureau takes a tally of all the people living in the United States at a certain point in time: in the most recent case, on April 1, 2020. Under normal conditions, counting heads in April is representative of the population, but 2020 was, of course, anything but normal. The Census date came as federal, state and local governments were shutting down businesses and other aspects of daily life in an effort to slow the spread o...
