Sorted by date Results 1276 - 1300 of 1683
What would make your medicines cheaper? That’s a question Americans are asking every time they go to the pharmacy and find the price of a maintenance drug they’ve been taking has doubled or tripled, or that a new medicine, like one of the new diabetes drugs, their doctors have prescribed is beyond their means. Increasingly the answer from the drug industry, which pretty much can charge whatever it wishes, is more patient assistance programs that come in the form of coupons, co-pay cards, or vouchers to help people buy their drugs. People nee...
Apple technologies has had a long and loving relationship with the newspaper industry; the Green River Star included. The same is true of most businesses which might be loosely be defined as somehow associated with the arts. That’s because Apple’s vision was always to be user-friendly, intuitive and dependable. How they did all that, few of us know, but they did really do all that and have been the most widely-used machinery of the press since the mid-1980s. So we’re prejudiced in our defense of Apple as they stand up to our federal gover...
The Vernal Equinox may not take place until March 20 but meteorologically speaking, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the official spring season begins on March 1. OK, it might not look much like spring outside your window right now, but take heart; spring will eventually find its way to Green River and since this most ebullient of seasons does indeed begin in just a few days, why not start getting ready? Last week, the public works department hosted their first Earth Day Fair planning meeting and this got us all daydreaming about the beau...
Every four years we find ourselves with an extra day at the end of February – a “Leap Day,” and 2016 is a leap year. The Leap Year has an interesting origination. I’m sure we were all told about the reason behind leap years in elementary school. I had to read up a little bit to refresh my memory on the phenomenon. Here’s the deal, for those of you in my shoes. Before Julius Caesar came into power, around 60 B.C., there was a 355-day calendar with the addition of an extra 22-day month every two years. Caesar was not a fan of this calendar,...
I have to hand it to Crayola, they are sure pushing their washable crayons and markers like they never have before. However, I ask them to think about the behaviors they are encouraging before coming out with the next big thing. I cannot help but wonder, do any of the decision makers at this company even have young children? Case and point. I love crayons as much as the next person, but I think the usage has to stop somewhere. I mean, just start watching ads or go to the store and look; and you...
Arctic Circle was my first job. I started while at Green River High School and continued on while attending college at Western Wyoming for a while. When I moved away for school, I would come back to work there for the summer or even on my winter breaks. When relatives from out of town would visit, we would make a trip down to the Arctic Circle with them, or they would visit me while I was working. My Arctic Circle memories made while working there are numerous, as well as the shake and sundae fl...
Dear Editor, I’m writing to request a favor from your readers. In a college course I’m taking to become a teacher, my professor has assigned us a project to learn about a town in the U.S. She’s requiring that we do this without the use of technology; rather, she wants us to learn from the lived experiences of the people who know the town. Since I go to school in Minnesota and can’t visit personally, would you be willing to print my letter in your paper so that your readers could write to me? I would really appreciate hearing from them. I chose...
This is not to disparage legal immigration. Far from it! But, currently, procedures are available and are not particularly odious or difficult. Time consuming, yes, but not prohibitive. My own father and grandmother went through it, from Cayman Islands. I also have several close friends in Corpus Christi, Texas and Dallas, Texas who are legal immigrants from Mexico and who have no patience with those who want to “just walk in.” They and their parents all endured all the rigmarole to be legal, and they were car mechanics and occasional day-labor...
We get a lot of press releases at The Green River Star. A lot of them we ignore because we don’t think they’d have a lot of interest from our readers. Things like book signings and events in Utah or information about what the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum’s event plans are come into our inbox frequently. However, we did get something that shows how clueless the GOP leadership in the Wyoming Legislature is. Monday night, a release was sent out with statements from Wyoming GOP Chairman Matt Micheli praising Republican legislators for their work in cr...
When asked if I would be interested in writing an article about what I love about Green River I jumped at the opportunity as there are so many wonderful things to celebrate about our community. First and foremost, “hello,” it’s the people. This past weekend, for example, we concluded one of our city’s most successful and enjoyable family events, The Crystal Classic Winter Festival. At the awards dinner, the participants from Ohio, Montana, Wisconsin, Utah and Missouri amongst others, all spoke about how congenial, helpful, and friendly our sta...
About this time last year, the Sweetwater County Library System brought young adult author Shannon Hale to the county for an author visit. Along with having a presentation and book signing at White Mountain Library in Rock Springs, the library also arranged for Hale to talk with kids from both Monroe and Lincoln schools in Green River. Hale’s presentations were fantastic. She delivered a great message about not giving up while writing and not to let gender stereotypes influence your reading selections. The only regret those of us at the l...
On the so-called day to profess one’s love to one another, also known as Valentine’s Day, I just hung out with my family. We might have had a special dinner, but I feel I do not need a designated day to profess my love to them. I feel I do so every day, by my words and actions. I make sure my kids clothes are laid out, beds are made and pajamas laid out for bedtime. I make them breakfasts and dinners. I make sure they have everything in their backpacks; and that they have their coats, hats, mit...
Dear Editor, Expedition Academy is working with the Red Desert Humane Society in Rock Springs over the next four weeks to create fun toys and treats for the animals currently housed by the humane society. As a school, we will be creating the toys and treats for the animals. We are asking for donations from the community to help in this joint project that can be donated directly to Expedition Academy, the humane society, or to the participating businesses in the area. The following is a list of donations that would be greatly appreciated to help...
Ice. How many forms of ice are there? Well, let’s name a few. The most obvious this winter for southwest Wyoming would be snow and black ice. Then, we have the ice in our rivers, lakes, streams, glaciers and of course massive ice bergs. Also, we have frost on our windshield and icicles on our houses. Next, we have more favorable kinds of ice including ice cubes, crushed ice and most people’s favorite ice cream. We don’t want to forget the useful kinds of ice including dry ice,if this really counts, and block ice for our hunting, camping and f...
With the Wyoming Legislature convening in Cheyenne to debate the state’s upcoming budget, we hope the legislators put Wyoming’s residents first and avoid cutting programs that benefit the 580,000 residents. Most importantly, the legislature should avoid using the Abandon Mine Lands funding coming to the state for uses outside of their intended purpose in mitigating and reclaiming former mines. When the funding was announced, $242 million immediately and up to $350 million in the next few years, the governor and a few legislators acted like fun...
Each year, communities across America celebrate with the National Education Association’s signature program, NEA’s Read Across America. Working with libraries, schools and community organizations this program focuses on motivating children and teens to read by hosting events that celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss. But why celebrate on just one day when we could celebrate more? Encouraging a lifelong joy of reading is part of the library’s mission: The Sweetwater County Library System improve...
On Tuesday, President Obama released the final budget of his presidency. As a parting shot, he includes a new tax on the middle class that adds about 24 cents to the price of every gallon of gasoline. This will be bad for consumers, bad for jobs, bad for America’s economy and bad for our national security. The tax hike comes in the form of a $10 “fee” per barrel of oil. The money is earmarked for new spending on green transportation projects. This is just the latest sign that the Obama administration is eager to continue its assault on Ameri...
When the presidential race begins to focus seriously on issues, you’re likely to hear a lot about Social Security and to some extent Medicare. The nub of debate will center on two questions: Should we cut Social Security or expand it? Should Medicare beneficiaries assume more of the cost of their healthcare and reduce the government’s obligation over time? The questions are connected. In a recent op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, Andrew Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-of-center think tank, argued that a b...
Dear Editor, The cities of Rock Springs and Green River have a deep tradition of rivalry that dates back generations. It does not matter if it is a city, company or school event. Nor does it matter if it is a blood drive, Make-A-Wish, or sporting event. Someone is keeping score and someone is being vocal about who is winning and who is losing. Often, someone takes it too far. However, last week during the Rock Springs verses Green River basketball battles, and amongst the bad weather, the two high schools respectively tried to host swim and...
Dear Editor, America, we have a problem. It’s happening again, just like in the 2014 elections. Headlines: “Iowa polls way off on Trump, suggesting soft support,” “Cruz’s unexpected victory exposed weaknesses in Trump’s unorthodox, personality-driven bid for the White House.” Wrong, wrong. The news media, polls, pundits, columnists and Democrats of all people, seem oblivious as to what is really happening. Donald Trump was at the top of each of the last 10 polls in Iowa and Trump is half right when he says Cruz stole the Iowa election. The...
Criticism can be hard to take, even if that criticism isn’t deserved. However, we think its best to listen to criticism and feedback before dismissing it. We disagree with recent action taken at the Castle Rock Hospital District board meeting to quiet an employee from speaking about her concerns regarding the medical center’s administration. Sandee Gunter, the chairperson for the board, told an employee she couldn’t speak during a public forum at the meeting because another employee had approached them and claimed they represented the emplo...
Is the glass half full or half empty? Are you almost finished with a task or just starting? Some would say that I am an optimist for many reasons but for the sake of space I will only share one reason. Since Dec. 22, 2015, which was winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, I have been counting the days until the arrival of the spring equinox, the day of the year when the days and the nights are about equal. And depending on where one lives, this may happen a few days before or after March 20. Since Dec. 21, 2015, and today, 35 days have...
Across North America, February is recognized as Black History Month. Although it may not be evident today, African Americans played an important role in the settling of the west. In Wyoming, the Equality State, many former slaves found freedoms that were not granted to them in other parts of the country even after the Declaration of Independence had been signed and the Civil War was over. Many African American men came west with the expansion of the Transcontinental Rail Road. Most of the black laborers who worked on the rail roads were...
Ninety years ago yesterday, the first live television demonstration took place. An anniversary such as this, I thought should not go unnoted. I came to the realization of this by a simple Google search. The Google Doodle for the online search engine on Jan. 26, 2016 was made in celebration of this historic event. After all, the invention has lead to so many innovations in technology. Surely, the event, the date, and the inventor deserve a shout out. John Logie Baird, the inventor of the...
With the upcoming legislative session, members of the house and senate will more than likely decide to use $242 million in Abandon Mine Lands funding the state is eligible for to supplement the state’s budget. As the state looks at more than $200 million in reduced revenue this year and the money would help to stabilize the state, but using those funds for anything outside their intended use is a mistake. It’s happened before, with the University of Wyoming benefiting from funds originally given to the state to mitigate and reclaim land imp...
