Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908
Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908
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Besides ending the Civil War, freeing the slaves and launching a national railway, President Abraham Lincoln also thought it important to have a designated highway crossing the country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. And although Wyoming would not become a state for another 25 years, that road has crossed from one of our borders to the other for the past 151 years. From the 1860s to the 1930s, it was often known simply as “Lincoln’s Road.” The highway did not handle autom...
By definition, the term “bucket list” stands for those places you want to visit or those things you want to do before you die. For some time now, I have been publishing my own version of this list and have gradually been checking a few off my list. And yet, there are so many other places to see and my list seems to be getting longer rather than shorter. For example a dinosaur dig or a buffalo jump have zoomed to near the top of my list. Our family has never been to either and Wyoming has som...
Should women work in coal mines? Should there be a severance tax on coal? Should you be literate in order to vote? Should women be allowed to vote? Should the state own rights to all the water? How many people do you need to become a state? Those were six of the vexing questions that befuddled early members of the Wyoming State Convention who were preparing Wyoming to be voted on to become a state by the U. S. Congress in 1890. That was 124 years ago this month. Each year the Wyoming...
Mother Nature can take on some ornery appearances across America this time of year – even here in Wyoming. Although tornadoes are rare in the Cowboy State, dust devils and waterspouts are quite common. Recently an amazing image of a waterspout was photographed by weather spotter Kathy Milton Raper along the Green River Lakes in Sublette County at 7,782 feet above sea level. The National Weather Service staff went to the archives and was unable to ever ascertain a report of anything like this a...
This is the time of year when our Wyoming political world truly becomes the crazy season. Between parades, celebrations and backyard meet-and-greets, the folks competing for political office find themselves on the dead run. It is already July and the primary is toward the end of August. Most candidates have been working on this since last fall so it is truly crunch time. So, with that introduction, let’s take a look at a couple of interesting races here in the Cowboy State. Most observers w...
During a recent road trip through nine states, I stumbled onto an interesting factoid: the longest highway in America bisects Wyoming. It is Historic US 20, which is 3,365 miles in length. We drove on that road a lot during our trip and it was well worth it. In Wyoming, the highway enters the state east of Lusk on a truly crappy stretch of highway and continues to Orin Junction where it joins I-25 and then heads north to Douglas and Glenrock. It continues to Casper and then heads west to...
True recollections of Wyoming history involving such things as wolf roundups and recollections of historical figures like Gen. George Armstrong Custer and Sacajawea come alive in a uniquely historical book, whose story of how it came into being is almost as interesting as the stories it tells. Wind River Adventures by Edward J. Farlow is an amazing book that details the early history of Wyoming. It features some of the more amazing characters in our state’s history. And the stories Farlow w...
Morning people have always impressed me. For some time now, it has been my desire to reinvent myself as a lark, rather than an owl. These two birds pretty much represent those two unique kinds of people – the morning person and the night owl. A few years ago, I discovered how beautiful it could be early in the morning and I now delight in being up at an early hour. Let me tell you about a recent morning. Maybe it was a sudden gust of wind or a deer bumping into one of Nancy’s bird feeders, but...
If you like tourism like I do, then it is easy to appreciate what Yellowstone National Park means to Wyoming. Some 3 million folks come to the world’s first national park each year. Almost a third of them are international tourists. This reality came to me when a young Asian woman sat next to me recently on a flight from New Orleans to Denver. It was hard for me to determine if she was American or one of those international tourists. It was also hard to figure out how old she was and what she wa...
World War II was an extraordinary time in Wyoming with over 10 percent of the state’s population involved in fighting that war. Over 1,000 died. The war cry, “Powder River, let’r buck” was heard from Europe to Asia as Wyoming’s finest young men and women risked their lives. This exclamation was first heard in 1898 when Wyoming reportedly exceeded every other state’s quotas for providing soldiers in the Spanish-American War. All over our state you can find impressive memorials to these brave...
This summer I will attend my 50th high school graduation reunion. As someone that old, what on earth could I possibly tell a crowd of Wyoming high school or college graduates during their important time? This is my annual column is pretty much what my speech would be if asked to speak at a high school graduation. Giving that speech is a lot of fun and I look forward to doing it. Here are some of my thoughts for graduates: Is it possible that many of the great truths that you graduates have come...
Rural EMS is changing and the challenges it faces ahead threaten the ability of rural EMS services to survive. It’s happening in towns across the country and whether or not you are aware; it’s most likely occurring in your town too. Many rural ambulance services are shutting down or consolidating with neighboring towns. Nationwide, it is estimated that up to three rural agencies are closing each month. What’s going on? It’s been called the “perfect storm.” For years, rural towns have depended on local community volunteers to staff their ambul...
At a recent meeting of the Lander Planning Commission, of which I have been a member for years, it was mentioned that we would soon be deciding on the addition of yet another “storage” facility on the east edge of our town. To which, one of our members exclaimed: “What on earth do we need another storage facility for? The town is full of them!” And not just Lander. Every city and town in Wyoming is stocked to capacity with those ubiquitous steel facilities known as storage units. When I related...
I never really think about the moments where my mother has impacted my life. Not even on Mother’s Day. On that day each year, I usually give her a call and tell her how much I appreciate her raising me, but I never give it much more though. But a few days ago I realized just how much I owe my mother in terms of who I am today. For instance, I would have never graduated from college if it weren’t for my mother pushing me to go the extra mile. I wouldn’t have worked in newspapers if it weren’t for...
Life is full of new adventures whether you're the new kid in school or have a new baby. For me, I'm the new Reporter for the Pine Bluffs Post. I live in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and so far I don't mind the 30 minute farm-view drive. My family moved from California to Wyoming 11 years ago. I still enjoy visiting California whenever I have the opportunity to go on vacation. One of the main reasons why I enjoy California is because its home to some of my childhood friends. It's fun for me to meet back... Full story
One of the great things about the whole concept of the United States of America is that it is a fantastic melting pot of people of different nationalities, colors and creeds all coming together to form a nation of 50 different and diverse states. One of those states, Wyoming, is not much of a melting pot in most sections of the state. Along with North Dakota, our state is one of few states in the country that is almost entirely Caucasian. Very few African-Americans and very few...
The first time I heard the Wyoming term “mud season” it conjured up images of the sloppy dirt roads that I had to drive on growing up in the Midwest far country a long time ago. But here in the Cowboy State, mud season means the sloppy mess you get when snow and ice freezes and the sun comes out and warms it all up. Then it melts and freezes again and warms up and then melts again for what seems like an eternity. Some places are more muddy than others. It would seem that Cheyenne and Lar... Full story
With the sound of a gavel, the Wyoming Legislature wrapped up the 2014 Budget Session, March 6, at the State Capitol in Cheyenne.At the start of the Session on Feb. 10, a total of 306 bills were numbered for introduction. The Wyoming Legislature passed a total of 132 bills. Of the 122 bills numbered in the Senate, the body introduced 101 pieces of legislation with 71 of those bills passing in both the House and Senate. Of the 184 bills numbered in the House, 128 bills were introduced with 61 of those garnering the approval of both bodies.... Full story
William "Bill" J. Meroney, 71, a resident of Albuquerque since 1997, died Friday, March 7, 2014, with his family by his side. He is survived by his wife for 46 years, Sandra; children, Daniel Meroney, Cynthia Meroney and Shelby Richardson; siblings James P. Meroney, Jr. Nancy Shimer, Martha Kay Bob and Sandra Wiggen, and their families; and other relatives and friends. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, James P. Meroney, Sr. and Juanita Thompson Patch. He moved to Southern California in... Full story
Last October, I was shopping at a store in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, when my cell phone rang. I answered it. “This is Caitlin Keating of People Magazine. I . . .” “No, I don’t want any,” I said, and hung up. Our family had been bombarded lately by telemarketers and my wife had just renewed her People subscription through a school program for our grandson Braley Hollins’ band. So, no thanks. We do not need another subscription. The phone rang immediately again. This was odd. Usually they aren’t... Full story
Representative John Eklund spoke about the recent decisions in the Wyoming House of Representatives and was pleased with the congruency of the decisions between the communities, counties and legislature. "The House approved $175,000 for the hardship model for communities," Eklund explained. "It was great to see the communities and counties agreeing with us for this model. Some of the bigger towns and counties could have overpowered the smaller ones but they didn't." Eklund was also pleased with... Full story
Do you ever wonder where lost things go? Not like the last game of the season that was lost. We all know those losses take up residence in the deep scars of our memory labeled regret. And not the losses of years or memory. Again, unfortunately, as the years and the unnecessary trips to the cupboard when I needed something from the fridge tell me those all go away, far far away, never to be found again. A black hole somewhere inside. I am curious, though, where the lost things such as passports,...
I always look forward to Thursday, Pine Bluffs Post day. I open the paper to several pages of pictures with no identification, that disappoints me. It’s like I know that cute child, pretty singer, musicians and athletes but can’t think of their names. That’s why I would like for them to be identified. I enjoy the article (Looking Back). Naming some players would be more helpful on us older people to remember. I’m sure the communities around us interested in the dates and times of activities, but I miss the news articles about people. I enjoy t...
Is it because of us spending too much time inside? Or maybe it is the month without football? Perhaps they call it "March Madness" because anything can happen. Dick Vitale once said, "I learned from my mom and dad, who didn't have a formal education but had doctorates of love. They told me that if you gave 110 percent all the time, a lot of beautiful things will happen. I may not always be right, but no one can ever accuse me of not having a genuine love and passion for whatever I do." Passion...
"Every day that is born into the world comes like a burst of music and rings the whole day through, and you make of it a dance, a dirge, or a life march, as you will." ~ Thomas Carlyle "I think someone should explain to the child that it's ok to make mistakes. That's how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes." ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." ~...
