Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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The scientists of my alma mater solved a bird-based mystery last week, but the solution was not nearly as bizarre as it first seemed. The head-scratcher involved an oystercatcher that seemed to be the best-traveled creature in the UK, making its way through an impressive swathe of the islands’ most popular attractions. Animal tracking is no novel phenomenon here in Wyoming – our Game and Fish department uses this method constantly to keep an eye on the wildlife of our state. Researchers fro...
Mike Lindell is NOT the purveyor of election integrity truth. On May 29, 2022, Mike Lindell, peddler of pillows and promises, traveled to Wyoming to speak in conjunction with a political rally. While here, he took it upon himself to allege publicly that widespread election fraud occurred in our fair state. He went on to declare that anyone who does not agree with him is a traitor to our country. As the Chief Election Officer for the State of Wyoming, it is important for me to ensure that each of you know that Mr. Lindell’s statement is f...
I’ve been confusing my husband for years, but neither of us realized I was doing it. While that sentence could probably apply to our entire marriage, in this case I’m talking specifically about my reaction to the weather. If there’s one good thing about all these storms (and it’s really only the one thing – just ask the holes in my windshield), it’s that they’ve been an opportunity to wheel out a few of the many, many sayings I’ve learned from my people about weather. As you may know, we’re obse...
Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee finally arrived last weekend and, as one commentator pointed out, my home country currently consists of 90% bunting. It’s the first time a British monarch has reached the impressive tenure of 70 years on the throne, so I’d guess there are probably more Union Jacks than people within our borders at this moment. For most people, I suspect, the jubilation has a lot to do with the extra four-day weekend (as well, of course, as there being many more excus...
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Gal. 6:9 Life gets weary. Tiring, wiping or wearing one out. The resulting disillusionment and jadedness can sap and exhaust an individual, slowly unraveling all that they are. If allowed to remain, this consuming process of indifference will create a world resembling a mundane desert of meaninglessness. Satan knows and exploits this. A weary indifference to life and the things in it will cripple the intention and goodness of what is pur...
Given Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ mentioning Bitcoin during her ill-advised graduation address at the University of Wyoming a few weeks ago, it seems fitting to discuss how bad cryptocurrency is as a followup. Cryptocurrency isn’t what its backers claim it is. If anything, cryptocurrencies are products designed to consolidate wealth for early holders and mirror schemes involving pyramids. They have no value in and of themselves either. The only value they generate is through how much money is fed into a currency’s ecosystem by people buying into it. A...
Old Glory I have seen Old Glory flying in the wind after the smoke of attacks clear away. Sandstorms weather my colors in a matter of hours. My heart still fills with pride seeing the “Colors” fly high over this great country. Flying the flag every day is wonderful, but we still need to show her the respect she deserves. Many flags can be simply hemmed up to three inches and still flown. Once the brilliant colors of the field or the stripes fade, it is time to retire the flag. Any holes in the flag can be mended unless they are larger than a q...
I come to you this week with either a request or a confession, but I’m not really sure which it is. A mystery has confounded the Sundance Times office for the last week and I’m hoping somebody out there can help us solve it. First, the potential confession: there is a possibility I may have eaten somebody else’s pizza. I don’t think I did, but I also can’t prove I did not. Our confusion began last week when a familiar scent wafted through our front door, followed by a lady bearing a delivery...
Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed here in the US since 1949, but it seems like we mostly haven’t paid attention to it because maybe it didn’t apply to us – or so we thought. We’re fine. Our family is fine. Our neighbors are fine. Even if we aren’t, we sure don’t talk about it. That is where we’ve failed ourselves and each other. The brain is a pretty important part of our body, wouldn’t you say? For example, it keeps us breathing without thinking about it. That’s super handy. It also helps us process, well, pretty much every...
If you’re a follower of the royal family, you already know that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration is in full swing. To commemorate her 70 years on the throne we have a brand new dessert, chosen from 5000 entries to join the pantheon of royal-inspired foods that also brought us Victoria sponge and coronation chicken. Although I don’t envy the person who had to take 5000 bites of dessert without descending into a sugar coma, I’ve been excited for this moment. It’s the result of a contest h...
“If men are not governed by GOD they will be ruled by tyrants.” – William Penn “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionist, but by Christians; not by religions, but on the gospel of JESUS CHRIST.” – Patrick Henry We have leaders in our government, who by this world’s standard have been greatly educated and supposedly have great wisdom. By reading...
What does it mean to be a Republican? Traditionally, a number of political motivations and ideologies could fit under the definition of Republicanism. Broadly speaking, all share a belief that small government is better. Some stress social conservatism, while others opt for a moderate or even libertarian stance on social issues. Some are interventionist on the global stage. Other believe the U.S. is best served by a greater inward focus. In 1967, when he was still governor of California, Ronald Reagan famously said there was room in the big...
In between whines about airplanes, I mentioned last week that I had finally made it across the pond to see my family. It was a long time coming – 3.5 years, to be precise – and more than worth every hour I spent stranded in the storm. As you can probably guess, it was “the virus” that kept me away. For a long time, the UK had much stricter rules about traveling than we did. For a long while during the worst of it, I would have needed to spend thousands of extra dollars for the privilege of sitt...
The 2022 Wyoming State Legislature Budget Session has ended and if you have not been watching the nightly updates I do with Representative John Bear on our Facebook pages then here are some of the high points. I want to start out by saying thank you for allowing me to serve you in the Wyoming House of Representatives. It has truly been an honor. This was a 20 working day session and by doing a short session a lot was accomplished in a very short amount of time. REDISTRICTING Two of the biggest...
Do you think we might be safe from any more blizzarding? I’ve had quite enough of it for one year after spending three times the expected number of hours on muddling my way home from a long-awaited visit to the UK. More about that trip later, because right now the thing I want to do most is have a good, old-fashioned complain. Not about the heroes in snowplows – basically the only reason I made it home to write this – or the impossibly brave linesmen and first responders who clamber throu...
I recently received a fund-raising appeal, that says, "Dear Friend, The Liberal elites, the Fake News Media and the Marxist Democrats hate America – and they hate you." I am tired of the politics of hate and disparagement. I look forward to the primary election as an opportunity to reset the direction of the nation and the Wyoming Republican Party. I am with those who are concerned that Wyoming's Republican Party leadership is narrowly focused on a small set of strong views that do not r...
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him – Prov. 30:5 Postscript. Better known as “P.S.”, a postscript is used when someone wants to add information at the end of a letter or email. These are often simple thoughts, a pointed summary of the content of what was written or an omission that the correspondence cultivated during its composition. The conveyance is important as the author is leaving the reader with something seen as significant. Its placing is with meaning, weight, substance and is not inclu...
Dear Editor, It was with great interest to read Hugh Thompson’s critique of my opinion about the rare earth mine and processing center being proposed for the Sundance and Upton areas respectively. Yes, the mine itself would only occupy about 250 acres of the 9000 acres RER has at their disposal. This information is available on their website. What was missing from my article was that there are two other sites being developed at this time and should be in operation by 2023: the Round Top mine and processing center to be located at some distance...
Dear Editor, It is with a degree of dismay that I read Rod Knudson’s recent letter to the editor in your newspaper. Why a citizen of these United States would cast fear mongering aspersions on the proposed rare element mine and processing plant and help keep the United States beholden to our potential enemy, China, is beyond me. Mr. Knudson purports to be somewhat of an authority on the chemistry and mechanics of producing rare elements yet this is dispelled by his erroneous claim that the proposed mine will occupy 9,000 acres when the a...
Dear NP, My teenager has a history of seizures and takes medication to control them. How will this affect his ability to drive? Dear Reader, There are many different types of seizures, and they affect people in various ways. Some seizures cause people to lose control of their bodies entirely. If this were to happen while driving, it could cause a loss of vehicle control and be very dangerous. Fortunately, not all seizures cause this degree of symptoms, and medical therapy can control or...
To whom it may concern, It appears that the rare earth element demonstration processing plant envisioned to be placed in Upton, WY is well funded with a commitment from the Department of Energy (DOE) of $21.9 million and $25 million from shares. The rush to opening up a new processing plant is of course motivated by the need for rare earth elements to sustain the green revolution in the form of wind mills, solar panels and batteries (it takes about a ton of rare earths to make one wind charger). But, in the process of retooling for that...
I can’t believe it’s been almost two weeks and we’re still talking about less than a minute’s worth of footage during an award show that most of us forgot to watch. In case you somehow managed to miss out on the drama: Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars for making a joke about his wife’s shaved head, which Rock may or may not have known was due to alopecia. Tens of millions of people watched the footage in the aftermath – far more than saw it live. The “slapping incident” now...
He makes my feet like the feet of deer and sets me on my high places. Ps. 18:33 All of us go places. The kitchen, store, post office, someone’s house or on vacation. It is coming or going, for better or worse. What often gets lost in the going is little is seen, heard or learned. All our places resulting in no gain. We end up existing merely to survive and miss what, where and why God has made, created and purposed us. When we begin to comprehend our positioning, we see, hear and learn what is needed to live fully. Reality solidifies, life t...
Easter is a little later than usual this year, but it’s coming up fast. I’d like to offer a suggestion for your annual celebrations before you finish sorting the grocery list, which I think we can all agree is much more forward-thinking of me than usual. Simnel cake is a recipe that never goes out of style. And when I say it’s timeless, I really do mean it: we have records dating back to Edward the Confessor in the 11th century that speak of “simnels”. I confess (see what I did there?) t...
Not every journey ends where it means to, but, as the wise often say, it’s not the destination that matters. Such was the case for Ernest Shackleton, whose ship has been located after more than a hundred years sitting on the bottom of the Weddell Sea. You may have seen the news that a multinational team of scientists has finally found the HMS Endurance, one of the most famous (until now) lost shipwrecks of all time. Its ice-crushed carcass has languished 10,000 feet below the surface for over a century, and there it shall forever remain. As a...
