Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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As we near the finish line of the 2022 Legislative Budget Session, there is still plenty of work to do as we head into the last week. The legislative session is always busy, particularly in a budget year, but this year we had a few additional topics to work through, including redistricting and allocating the one-time American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. There were also a slate of committee and individual bills to address the most pressing issues. This week the Senate passed the redistricting...
I’m distraught this week to hear that Australian soap opera “Neighbours” has been cancelled after 40 years of baffling storylines written by people who have zero regard for logic or continuity. What upsets me the most is that you guys will now never have the chance to enjoy the silliness. Neighbours has been airing on British television since I was a kid – my grandmother watched it religiously at precisely 1:38 p.m. every day. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long when it was added to the sched...
Its mid-morning Monday and I am racing to meet this week’s paper deadline. We have had a crazy busy two weeks of session – now starting the third week at a run. We are finishing the last of the Senate files this morning. Major bills we have heard to date: • SF 1 Budget of the State of Wyoming – this bill has passed the Senate and House and will go to a conference committee. As a whole the bill went smoothly and I expect that the differences will be worked out easily. It was a frugal budget...
I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live. Dt. 30:19 It is interesting how words and statements significantly convey greater meaning and importance by adding a simple ending to them. Be it a question mark, exclamation point, comma or a plain period. Things are either in question, emphasized, paused or simply ended. The way we reason, speak and act can take on a whole new meaning and provide completely different consequences. Moses’ statement in Dt. 30:19 is s...
Britain has never been great at winter sports. When you lack much in the way of serviceable snow, it’s hard to pilot a luge in much of a hurry. So it was no surprise to hear that we’d made it almost two weeks into the Olympics without a single Brit popping up on the winner’s podium. We have some excellent athletes, but they start with a disadvantage. The UK is many things, but a wonderland of snow-capped mountains and frozen ponds is not one of them. Apparently, we set ourself a goal this year...
Dear NP, I have been a smoker for over 20 years. I talked to my doctor, and he wants me to take Chantix. What is the safest way to stop? What are the side effects of the different “stop-smoking” medications such as the patch and Chantix? Are there any other alternatives besides drugs? Dear Reader, Congratulations on taking steps to stop smoking. It’s not a simple thing to do. Tobacco cravings and the urge to smoke can be challenging to overcome. Quitting smoking reduces your heart disea...
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years of reigning over the British people with a trip down memory lane. It was a reminiscence, in fact, that took her all the way back to dinnertime on her first day as head of state. All the way back in 1953, two ladies were charged with coming up with an idea for a new and exciting dish that could be served at the coronation banquet. All manner of foreign dignitaries had been invited, so it needed to suit a wide range of palates (it had to be flavorful, but...
Dear Editor, Hello, we’re newer residents and are blessed to be living here. It’s been a welcoming experience all around! However, we’ve noticed a concerning trend among some young men that we assume are residents here also that needs to be addressed as it can become a serious issue. More than a couple of times now, we’ve experienced two local teenage boys in two different vehicles rolling down the windows and making lewd or inappropriate comments/gestures outside of town and abroad. In both instances, they were the driver with a passeng...
I’m here this week with the refreshing news that Britain’s prime minister is just as dodgy as we’ve always suspected he might be. Floppy haired and charming he may appear, but Boris Johnson is once again facing the ire of a nation. This is hardly the first time he’s irritated the public. He stretched the truth about bendy bananas during the Brexit fiasco (I wish I was joking that the shape of fruit dictated the future of a nation); he tried to close down Parliament to stop them making decisions before they made one he didn’t like. He literally...
Not to state the obvious, but living on an island means you’re surrounded by the sea. And when you’re eventually going to end up at the coast no matter which direction you walk, the law of averages dictates that a certain proportion of calls to Britain’s emergency services will somehow involve the water. Her Majesty’s Coastguard celebrated its 200th anniversary last week, marking a full two centuries of dragging hapless Brits out of the waves. It’s not a rescue service we need to think abo...
Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. (Ephesians 1:5) Many people, without thinking much about it, make a wide distinction between adopted children and “real” children, as though the adjective “adopted” signifies a different, slightly lesser status within the family. This is because adoption is a biblical concept that explains a key aspect of what has happened to believers in the reconciling work of God in Christ Jesus. The Reality is, we are all orphans, disconn...
Dear Editor, I received a text message from my son in Arizona. He read something on Facebook and forwarded it to me. They were stating there has been a change in the recycling procedure for Sundance. I for one do not do Facebook. I thought the place for information about recycling for Sundance should be in the Sundance Times. Now there are more can’t dos and must dos in order to use the recycling. We still pay $4.75 for recycling and $37 per month for garbage plus sewer charges and water usage. When all of these charges are added together a...
Dear NP, My father had a complicated history of prostate cancer. My doctor told me that having my blood PSA level checked is useless. What health screenings are recommended for prostate cancer, and how often? Dear Reader, It’s normal to be concerned about your prostate health when you’ve seen a loved one deal with prostate cancer. The prostate is a small gland in men that produces sperm and semen. Prostate cancer rarely has any symptoms in the early stages. But in later stages, you may have som...
You have likely heard the term “filibuster” thrown around a lot over the last couple of weeks. It is a word that isn’t used much outside of D.C., but it is important to you as the resident of a small, rural state. The filibuster is a procedural tool used in the Senate to pump the brakes on a piece of legislation or a nominee that the minority party finds concerning. It raises the threshold for passage of a bill to 60 votes as opposed to a simple majority of 50 votes. Use of the filibuster forces senators from both parties to reach a compr...
When a story from the UK made it across the pond last week, I couldn’t figure out what the fuss was about. Why was everyone so excited about a Roman ruin? In case you didn’t happen across the news, archaeologists found the remains of a Roman settlement in Northamptonshire while digging along the route that will one day be a high-speed railway. It might seem strange to hire archaeologists for the dirt work, but it’s actually a pretty cool preservation project. The rail link will span 150 miles...
This week’s column is brought to you at the request of a reader who came to visit the office last week and happened to mention a particular dish that he ate in the UK, but has never been able to make or find since his return. I promised my new friend that I’d tap into the expertise of my mother, who is something of an authority on this matter. Steak and kidney pie has never been on my list of favorites, which is why I haven’t mentioned it before despite its status as the quintessential Briti...
In last week’s column, I took a look back at 2021 and discovered it wasn’t quite the disaster it seemed – at least, it wasn’t all that bad if you were a thieving dog or lost your wedding ring in a potato patch. That’s all very well, but what about this brand new year of ours? Turns out there’s a great deal to look forward to in 2022, no matter your persuasions or interests. Here are just a few examples of what’s on the horizon. For me, 2022 is special because it’s a year-long celebration of...
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end – Ecl. 3:11 There exists purpose in life. This is not found in a procedure but in a process that works itself toward goodness (righteousness). This ultimate purpose of life is not something cheap, quick or easy, nor an item that we may fabricate on our own. It is lovingly placed into every soul by the Creator of the universe and fulfilled through knowing and believing in Jesus C...
We would like to recognize the many members of the community – and our extended community – who we have lost during the year of 2021. Our condolences to all their loved ones. In most years, we aim to include as many as possible of those who have passed during the previous year in our annual “Faces of the Community” front page. Unfortunately, while collecting the photographs to create this collage, we realized that almost 100 obituaries have appeared in the Sundance Times during the year of 2021. Due to the sheer limitations of space, it woul...
Even in a year as strange as this has been, it’s never all doom and gloom. As we prepare to embrace whatever surprises 2022 is destined to bring, I took a look back at the last twelve months to find the bright spots. Even among the stories that flew under the radar, there was far more good news in 2021 than you might have thought, starting with the stray dog in North Carolina that kept sneaking into Dollar General to steal the same stuffed purple unicorn. The little sneak robbed the store f...
Small newspapers are dependent on local advertising. They employ your friends and neighbors, working as journalists and as historians. They promote local events, businesses and nonprofit organizations. Remember when your child, your friend, you, made the front page? Or the photos of the big game, the local play, the band concert? Remember when the newspaper did a story about your fundraiser? How about the publicity given to your service organization? Remember seeing friends or family in the photos of the local parade, craft show or concert?...
My desire to visit Disneyland was triggered by two things. The first was a photograph of an entire slice of chocolate cake defying gravity atop a milkshake, because if you're going to indulge your greed then you might as well do it properly. This delightful treat, named the "Cake Shake", is only available in Downtown Disney, the shopping area outside of the park. I wanted nothing more than to jam a spoon straight through the top of it. The second was also a photograph, this time of my friend...
Dear NP, “In a recent column, you discussed how to lower cholesterol levels without taking medications. Please talk about the long-term side effects of taking statins, such as the increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and memory loss/confusion.” Dear Reader, Statins are a class of medications often prescribed to lower cholesterol levels when diet and exercise alone have not been successful. These medications are safe for most people, but they have been linked to some side effects. One of...
Something sinister is happening and I don't know what to do about it. Every time I walk into my office, there's a new piece of holiday detritus staring at me. It started with a cardboard snowflake, leaning nonchalantly on a shelf as though it had always been there. I should have known better even at that early stage. Innocent that I am, I left it where it was because I assumed someone had forgotten where they left it while planning out the office decorations for the year. But then a length of...
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. ~ Gen. 1:3-4 Light. The first thing God created and placed over the earth and declared good. Light. Provides the ability to see not only what is, but what isn’t. It simultaneously illuminates and illustrates the beauty of his creation. Light also allows humanity the comprehension of the where, even if not initially understanding why we are. Light permits God to lead if we are willing to follow His p...