Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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While my parents were visiting, we found ourselves addicted to a reality tv show by the name of “Alone”. If you’ve never caught an episode, it’s an extreme survival competition for which willing victims are dumped into harsh environments with little more than a tarpaulin and an ax and told to keep themselves fed and warm for as long as they possibly can. The winner of “Alone” walks away with a life-changing amount of money. Everyone else walks away with emaciated arms and PTSD from endless weeks of not being able to catch a fish and the con...
Dear Editor, It is wonderful to learn that Sundance is trying to improve ease of access and safety for pedestrians and other non-motorized travelers throughout our town. Perhaps the city, county and high school authorities could get together to rectify some other concerns that I have observed. The crosswalk at 11th and Cleveland could use a flashing light that is triggered by users to alert motorists that it is occupied, this will benefit students who attend the after-school program, athletes who have practice after the crossing guard is off...
We all know about the pilgrims arriving in the States on the Mayflower, the penal colonies of Australia, the territories of Canada and all the many other famous instances of humans spreading their influence across the globe. But there’s one tale I’ve only just heard told – and I’m betting I’m not alone in having no idea that a tea clipper once carried 153 Welsh pioneers to the harsh but beautiful land of Patagonia. Today, you’ll find an estimated 70,000 Welsh-Patagonians thriving in a settlement...
Dear Editor: In the sprawling wilderness of Wyoming’s political landscape, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus stands as a daring posse. This small band of audacious conservatives is a persistent burr under the polished saddles of grandstanding Speaker Albert Sommers and his henchman, Rep. Barry Crago. As of my penning this, a dozen legislators claim allegiance to the Caucus on their website. Yet some prefer the cloak of anonymity, a shield against Sommer’s swift retribution. There is speculation that public Caucus members have fewer committee ass...
Dear Editor, I would like to preface my comments with the statement that I believe our local elected county officials (treasurer, assessor, clerk, clerk of court, county attorney, sheriff and commissioners) do an excellent job. I have had dealings with all of them, and find them to be extremely professional, and applaud their dedication and service. My question/comment is: why are these positions political? All of their duties are spelled out in statute, and Wyoming law. I personally see no reason that these individuals need to be defined,...
Last week, I co-hosted a town hall in Buffalo with the Chairman of the Johnson County Commission to discuss property taxes and possible solutions to the large tax increases faced by the citizens of our great State. The event was well attended by Johnson County and Sheridan County folks. As one might expect, many people were very upset about their property tax amounts. I do not blame them. This continued upward trajectory is going to put a lot of Wyoming people at risk of losing their homes. At one point during the town hall, a local Johnson...
Dear Editor, Last July 4, 2022, I had neighbors set off 30-40 roman candles that also went over my land, and the neighbor to the south of them, Jim’s, that had dry, raked and wind rowed hay. My pasture had a stand of tall dry western wheat grass that was headed out and dry on the top and starting to dry at the bottom; it would have burned. My ranch fence line is only about 500 ft. from where they were firing off the fireworks. The embers from the fireworks were going over and on my land, neighbor Jim’s and onto Vision Peak, National Forest lan...
A couple of weeks ago, I confessed to discovering that one of my parents is a secret smuggler of box knives. It was a shock, but I was still able to labor under the impression that my dad was the only dangerous individual in my immediate family. Unfortunately, I have since had to reckon with my own naivety. My mum, as it turns out, is the more cunning of the pair. She did not attempt to bring contraband with her to Wyoming; rather, she waited patiently until she got here and played the long...
We are more connected now than at any time in our history. People in Wyoming can call loved ones across the country. We can consult with our doctors via telehealth. We can submit claims to the Veterans’ Administration online. We can send money with a few simple clicks. With the benefits these new technologies bring, especially for those of us living in a rural state like Wyoming, we also expose ourselves to new risks to our privacy. Big tech companies use our browsing history online to make money by selling targeted ads. Data brokers collect o...
Dear Editor, If you don’t have a gun, here is a way to ruin someone’s plans for you. Wasp and hornet spray typically shoots 20 to 30 feet and is a lot more accurate, while the pepper or mace spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until the police arrive or they can get to the hospital for an antidote. Wasp and hornet spray is easy to find and more effective than mace or pepper spray and doesn’t attract attention like a can of pepper spray would. I keep a can in my car,...
You may have noticed in the news this last week that the “special relationship” between my homeland and yours has once again been strengthened. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared together on Thursday to announce the Atlantic Declaration, tying our two countries together more tightly than ever before. Whatever one might think of the two leaders and their administrations, I have strong ties to both countries and would have difficulty faulting either one of them for thi...
The percentage of British occupying the Pridgeon compound has tripled with the arrival of my dear parents, who braved the long voyage from the homeland for more than two months of vacation in the glorious green-up of our Black Hills. They reside for the moment in an old hunting cabin located in our yard, which we repurposed in a roaring hurry upon hearing they’d booked their plane tickets. Once a lodge for a local squirrel with bare wood walls and a tin roof, it has now been properly insulated a...
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord – 1 Cor. 15:58 As many know and many more do not, at the end of June 2023 my family and I will be moving from Sundance to the city of Sedalia, Missouri. I was brought to this beautiful town by divine intervention and will leave in the same way. The past fourteen-plus years have been filled with countless people and opportunities, tragic, miraculous but in the end, good. I was taught by my e...
These are good reminders to keep us living and moving in a world filled with both brokenness and beauty. Only through God and a Biblical Worldview (foundation to hang and sift life through) can people reconcile the evil in the world and the goodness of God. Cling tightly to the LORD your God – Josh. 23:8 Years of obedience made Jeremiah STRONG & COURAGEOUS. Read old books from old men. Your personal history is shaped by your response to God. Your greatest need is spiritual. And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you res...
Hypocrisy – or is it? According to Webster’s, hypocrisy is defined as behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe. On April 27 it was revealed that the President of the Wyoming Senate unilaterally removed the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The President reasoned that because this chairman attended a meeting virtually, he didn’t care enough about his leadership role and deserved to lose it. This move might lead one to infer that the Senate President deeply values perfect legislative attendance, being present and ready...
On May 16, 2023 at 6 p.m., we’re holding a meeting at the Sundance Senior Center to consider rebuilding Post 45. I would like to see all vets at the meeting, even if you’re not a member of the American Legion or VFW. You’ll be there to consider programs for the upcoming Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day, May 20 and May 29. It’s our job as vets to remind the people of Sundance, of those who are not with us, so someday when we aren’t here, WE will be remembered. Brett, who’s in charge of Boys State in Wyoming, sent me an application from a youn...
When you think of ultra-expensive properties, the skyscrapers of Dubai or the sprawling modern palaces of Malibu are what probably spring to mind. You would be incorrect in thinking these are the most spendy housing options in the world. The most expensive home on the entire planet just sold to a new owner and it’s located on a little spit of land jutting out from my home town of Poole. I know, I was surprised too. North Haven Point is on Sandbanks, on a road that’s known as “Mi...
Dear Editor, We won’t know the true scope of wildlife losses till the winter’s snow retreats. I am happy to see the Governor, wildlife biologists and sportsmen’s groups are already working to restore wildlife populations devastated by the perfect storm of a severe winter following years of extreme drought. As you can imagine, the winterkill animals have been a windfall for predators and their numbers are still strong. In the next couple of months, baby lambs, calves, deer and antelope fawns and elk calves will become the main source of food...
It turns out there is a limit to my parents’ patriotism. You could draft them for national service, you can tax them for the good of the republic, but a line must be drawn at fava beans. In fact, I’m not even going to share with you the kind of language that came out of my mother when I informed her that she’s going to have to eat some. The official dish of the Coronation of King Charles III has been announced and it contains – you guessed it – fava beans, along with tarragon and spinach....
Dear NP, How long do I have to get a laceration repaired? Dear Reader, Repair of a laceration depends on several factors, which is likely why you get different answers to your question. Let’s start by discussing what a laceration is. A laceration is a cut or wound caused by tearing the body’s soft tissue. The wound might be irregular or jagged. Lacerations carry a risk of contamination with bacteria or debris from whatever caused the cut. Lacerations can be deep or shallow, long or short and...
I was explaining to a friend the other day that being English in these parts has turned out to be both a blessing and a curse. The curse comes with the fact that, even now, I find myself using the wrong words or going about things in an unconventional manner and this can sometimes cause confusion that takes a while to properly unravel. I’ll still ask a grocery store attendant to put my bags in the boot of my car before my brain has a chance to do the translation, for example, and I still won’t o...
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 We all have been tired and exhausted or soon will be. Weariness is a state of being that although is not uncommon, is never intended to be a set position in life. This condition goes much deeper than just being physical. It is that which has the capability to steal hope and gut the soul. This leads to weakness and produces vulnerability. The Apostle Paul encourages a continuing in doing good with the realization that in Jesus Chris...
Are you planning any pranks this weekend? Of course you are, it’s mandatory to convince at least one person that their shoelaces are untied on April Fool’s Day. If you’re in need of ideas that don’t involve footwear, perhaps I could direct your attention to the origins of this holiday, which I feel is the oddest of them all. I mean, don’t you think it’s a bizarre thing to add to a calendar? When you really sit down and think about it, what on earth where we thinking when we set aside a day...
Honestly, leave it to a man to decide that, if a woman has done great and wonderful things, it must be because she’s secretly not a woman at all. I came across an old conspiracy theory this week involving my second favorite queen – a tall tale that was originally spread by none other than Bram Stoker. This latter fact is not too surprising. The man who invented Dracula was likely blessed in the imagination stakes (see what I did there?). It’s also not shocking that Queen Elizabeth I has attra...
On March 3, the Wyoming Legislature gaveled out the end of the 67th General Session. The work your elected officials achieved was remarkable. As the leaders of the House and Senate chambers, it is our privilege to report out the accomplishments of this body’s work, which are strengthening the future of Wyoming, starting with strong investments in education. Educating Wyoming’s children is perhaps the single greatest investment our state can make. Public education is the crucible of democracy and the very foundation of our system of government....
