Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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We can all help prevent suicide. This month marks two years since our nation launched 988, the easy-to-remember, nationwide mental health crisis helpline. Since launch, 988 has received over eight million calls from people in distress seeking support when they need it most. 988 is confidential, effective, and available to everyone via phone, text or chat. America has a lifeline. Spread the word: Help is available. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): • 988 callers connect quickly with trained c...
Dear Editor, I drove by a church in a small town. The name of the church was ‘Connection Church’. It got me to thinking about the Wyoming Republican primary in August. Connections, “unseen”, can be made throughout the Wyoming political landscape. According to a Cowboy State Daily article of June 1, 2024, the Democrats exposed one of these connections at their state convention. The Democrats are willing to work with Republicans like the “Wyoming Caucus” but they are unwilling to work with the Freedom Caucus. Many of the legislators running for...
I would never describe myself as domesticated, though I was the only 19-year-old in my student halls who forewent the fast food to batch cook chicken and vegetable stews. I can whip up a soup in a heartbeat, I can make pastry and put anything in it you might fancy, I can whip up a broth from scratch and I can bake a cake that doesn't bring shame to my family. All of this makes it sound like I have a handle on the homemaking thing, right? Unfortunately not. The gaps in my knowledge are wide...
Student demonstrations have been attacked for expressing their appraisal of what is happening before their eyes in Gaza. The evidence of the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza is available daily on Democracy Now and select programs available on YouTube. There is no evidence that Israel, under the right wing leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, is interested either in a two-state solution or a one-state solution with equal rights for all. What is evident since October 7 and long before that was that Israel intends to concentrate the...
Dear Governor Gordon, Biden’s Bureau of Land Management has issued a new Resource Management Plan to stop all mining projects in the Powder River Basin– the nation’s largest coal producing region and contributor to affordable, plentiful, and clean energy for millions of people. In reaction, you expressed outrage and “profound disappointment” over this bureaucratic death-blow to our State. I’m with you there. It’s outrageous and profoundly disappointing that out-of-touch D.C. pencil-pusher...
Dear Editor, The first week of May, I made my annual sojourn to the Beulah Cemetery to mow the grass. Upon arrival I was amazed and heartened to see that someon3 had already done my deed. Not only had they mowed the entirety of it, they had trimmed each and every grave of old grass and bushes! Who could that be? I later found out it was members of the “Cowboy Church” who gave freely of their time and effort. Thank you, thank you! What an amazing and heartfelt gesture. And again last week, I mowed the cemetery for the upcoming Memorial Day. Wha...
Dear Editor, I am writing in response to Mr. Akola’s recent letters. Over the past few weeks, I like many others, are flabbergasted by Mr. Akola’s ill sought efforts for the county to plow the private road he resided on. I don’t feel that Mr. Akola is accurately representing some of the “facts” he claims. As a resident of Moskee Road, it should be noted that there is more than one family on the six mile stretch of road that the county maintains. Moskee Road is an access point for thousands of acres of public land that all county residents...
Dear Editor: Howdy, I’m writing in response to the letters to the editor by Mac Frank and Buck Bock. At first, I thought there was a comprehension issue with poor mister “Mac” talking about cable TV service and such, until I realized there is no Frank Mac or Mac Frank. In any case, the anonymous author deliberately missed the point. Mr. Bock was at least in the ballpark. Buck, I’m going to disagree with, and state that I believe the Crook County Commissioners are not, in some important ways, doing what the folks elected them to do regarding roa...
Somewhere in the north of England, not too long ago, a good Samaritan stumbled across a creature in need. We’ll never know the identity of our well-meaning citizen because it’s been redacted for the privacy I am sure they will be grateful for now this story has come to light. But we do know all about the good they did that day. Our tale takes place in Cheshire, and I would like to imagine it began in a sunlit glade, deep in the picturesque woods, with spring leaves rustling in the morning breeze...
Dear Editor, I returned to Crook County to my grandfather’s place on Rifle Pit Road in 1975. At that time there wasn’t a single light in the night sky visible from my home. I could make out trucks and cars on Interstate 90 during the day, but at night there was almost no traffic. Now, there are clusters of light to my north, east and west and the freeway is a constant stream of vehicles. Surely, I liked it better 49 years ago, but with global population on its way to nine billion, and the worsening effects of the damage eight billion peo...
Dear Editor, I read the letter in the March 28 Sundance Times today from Mr. Akola. He’s whining about not getting his road plowed at taxpayer expense. Everyone buying property in Crook County needs to do their homework before buying, just like all other aspects of buying a home. Does the property have water and sewer service, does it have electricity to the property, does it have natural gas, does it have cable, does it have Internet service and, lastly, is the access road to the property plowed by the county? All of these will affect the v...
Howdy, I am writing this letter in regards to Crook County Commissioners, who have demonstrated very little knowledge of their duties and responsibilities to the taxpayers of Crook County. I have been asking since day one for the County to maintain and plow a quarter mile of Old Sundance Road. This is for 17 families, to include 33 adults. The Commissioners voted against this request, for the following reasons: 1. They don’t have the funds or resources to do this. 2. If they would do this, it would open a can of worms. 3. Commissioners stated h...
Never let it be said that my nation fails to give our all when we take on a project. You might even say that we get a bit carried away. Such is the case with the humble honeybee. To be clear, the bees haven’t done anything wrong, unless you count the fact that they keep keeling over. It’s not ideal, but you can hardly blame them. It’s the reaction of the Brits to this news that can be problematic – not because we don’t care, but because we arguably care too much. Since the news came out that...
Last week, in the aftermath of Governor Gordon’s veto of Senate File 54, the Department of Revenue conveyed to us that the veto would effectively halt any additional legislative efforts toward property tax relief in 2024. However, on Monday, the Department of Revenue informed us that property owners could be notified of the exemption in their September tax bills, although it may lead to some confusion for the taxpayer. This information made us take a second look at whether we would recommend a special session. In the end, we think a special s...
My column this week is a cry for help. I've spent more than a decade trying to make one of my favorite dishes work this far above sea level and I've finally run out of ideas. I've come to know that this community boasts a few world class bakers, so now I'm hoping for a miracle. In exchange for your assistance, I humbly offer a recipe that is widely regarded to be the best thing Britain has ever invented: the Yorkshire pudding. Of course, to use this recipe, you'll need to first be able to tell...
Dear Editor, I’ve become frustrated with no help from our county commissioners. A lot of vehicles drive extremely fast by our houses on Barlow Canyon Road. I’ve asked the Commissioners (through Fred Devish) for a solution for quite some time. All I get is a transfer of responsibility to the Sheriff’s Dept or ignored. The speed limit without any further restrictions is 55 m.p.h. We have pets, livestock and our grandchildren that walk or cross this road on a regular basis. Dave Wolfskill...
“Growing a Climate for Tomorrow” can mean different things to different people. For farmers and ranchers, it means growing food to feed their families, people in the urban areas as well as those in other countries. Many of the farmers and ranchers growing food are doing so on land that has been in their family for several generations. When you’ve worked the land for decades, you have to learn a lot about your piece of ground. This is particularly true here in Wyoming. Climate and weather conditions can vary a lot from one part of your ranch...
On Friday evening, we gaveled a close to the 67th Budget Session in the Wyoming Senate and House. It was a tumultuous budget year. Yet, despite political differences and policy disagreements, the Legislature passed a conservative, balanced budget that addresses our state's needs and invests in the future. Those investments include funding for nursing homes, preschool for developmentally disabled children and home services for senior centers. The budget supports mental health efforts and funds...
The gavel has come down on the 67th Budget Session for the final time. So much of what I spent my energy on this legislative session involves safeguarding Wyoming conservative principles. I happily take this fight to the state Capitol because it means better lives for Wyoming families, strengthening our economy and preserving the unique way of life that makes Wyoming so exceptional. Much of that comes down to holding the line on the growth of government and spending. It seems the Legislature is...
The Wyoming Legislature is heading into the fourth and final week of the Budget Session. The biggest lift is still ahead: reaching a budget agreement between the House and Senate. After both chambers finalized our respective budgets at the end of week two, it became clear that there are big differences between the two bills – both in dollar value and priorities. The House and Senate bills are separated by about $1.1 billion, the largest divide that I have seen during my time in the L...
March is Women’s History Month — a time to focus not just on the past, but also on the challenges women continue to face in the 21st century. At Social Security, we provide vital benefits and financial protection for women. Nearly 55% of people receiving Social Security benefits are women. Today, more women work, pay Social Security taxes and earn credit toward monthly retirement income than at any other time in our nation’s history. Women have longer average life expectancies and tend to live more years in retirement than men. This means women...
The Wyoming Legislature marked the halfway point, or "crossover," of the 67th Budget Session this week. On Thursday, February 22, the House completed its third and final reading of the budget bill, House Bill 1. There's still a long way to go. Negotiations and debate now begin to find compromise between the House and Senate. The numbers are still fluid and nowhere near final. What's clear at this point is this: the Legislature is digging too deep into the General Fund. The motto for this budget...
Last week, the Wyoming Legislature marked the halfway point, or “crossover,” of the 67th Budget Session. Both the Senate and House worked late nights to complete final readings of our respective budget bills, which will now head to joint committees for further negotiations. There’s a lot of work to get done, and the hardest is still ahead. Media reported last week that there is a “massive fiscal rift” between the Senate and House budget bills – about a $900 million difference. This owes to a h...
By Senator Ogden Driskill This week I had the privilege of convening the Wyoming Senate for the start of the Budget Session of the 67th Legislature. Budget sessions occur on even-numbered years, and, as the name suggests, the primary purpose is to approve a balanced budget, as required by the Wyoming Constitution. As the President of the Senate, I am committed to passing a responsible and fiscally conservative budget that invests in our state's needs to today and saves for the needs of...
As I write this column, the 67th budget session of the Wyoming Legislature is now underway. We are on day five of Wyoming's budget session, which is a shorter, 20-day yearly legislative session primarily focused on prioritizing the state's budget needs. As in the past, I have gone into this session concentrated on controlling and limiting the growth of government. That means closely examining any and all appropriations coming before the House of Representatives – bearing in mind that every d...
