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When I was pregnant with my second child, Barrett, I began experiencing severe health problems. When that happened, I had just started working full time in the kitchen of the hospital in my hometown of Douglas. I found it increasingly difficult to stand and move my body for extended periods of time. My life took a dramatic turn when my OB/GYN told me that my baby’s health was in danger. I remember going to the doctor and being shocked to hear that I needed to be induced into an early labor to protect him. After Barrett’s premature del...
The ACLU of Wyoming opposes Senate File 117, legislation that would ban classroom discussions related to sexual orientation and gender identity in Wyoming’s public schools. The government censorship bill, which closely mirrors Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was signed into law last year and is currently being challenged in federal court, would silence students from speaking about their LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit family members, friends and neighbors and would create costly new liabilities for school districts. Under the bill, any parent who thi...
Dear Editor, US Senator Lummis voted YES on H.R. 8404, which is falsely titled the “Respect for Marriage Act.” There were many reasons to oppose this bill. One is that they disrespect marriage (a God-ordained institution) by seeking to change its meaning. Since our nation’s founding documents -- the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights -- are based on the premise that rights come from God, H.R. 8404 are antithetical to our nation’s values. H.R. 8404 also was unconstitutional, since marriage is a state matter, not a fede...
This week we had the great honor of calling to order the start of the 67th General Session of the Wyoming State Legislature. Now begins the hard work on behalf of the residents of our great state. We are committed to upholding the rules and traditions of this institution to ensure fairness and respect, building up leaders at every level and debating policies on merit and substance. Wyoming solutions are needed to address the challenges that lie ahead. We have never taken our cues from Washington, D.C., and it would be a grave mistake to start n...
I can't remember what my first play was, because I've been going to plays for as long as I can remember. Probably one of my earliest memories of going to a play was when my Grandma Middlemas took me to see Roger and Hammerstein's "Cinderella." I don't even remember where the play was performed, just how much fun I had. I grew up going to local productions, mostly at the high schools and college, and traveling to Salt Lake City for plays. While I consider myself a proud theater nerd, I've never... Full story
When our society finds a better way to archive public records for the people, it will have the full support of this newspaper. Public notices (legals) are the surest way to let the citizens know how their tax dollars are being spent. They also create a permanent and secure record of the business of your government and they have run in these pages since this newspaper began. That won’t always be the case. Publishing on-line has been a boon to getting news into the hands of more people, and in getting government information to its citizens. B...
This week, my local hospital in Laramie made masks optional, rather than required, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Although COVID is still a threat to the community, there is room for celebration. This “mask optional” sign at the hospital had me thinking back to the hardest times of the pandemic, when we all turned to the arts to add beauty to the world around us. We read books, watched movies, binged TV series, all of which we have to thank the creative minds of authors, screenwriters and actors. The irony of the wor...
It’s the start of a new year — the time when people reevaluate their lives and make resolutions in order to make changes. Usually these changes are in an effort to continually be growing and improving. As a newspaper, we wanted to make a few small changes of our own as we head into the new year. You may have already noticed little changes in the paper over the last six months as our dynamic duo team of Jackie and Hannah have adjusted to putting out the paper every week (along with the help and support of our amazing part-time team and str...
I have worked in public health for almost 20 years, and one of the top concerns that always comes forward is access to quality health care for an affordable price. Fast forward to today where I am proud to lead the Enroll Wyoming program where we focus on this issue, specifically. Enroll Wyoming is a nonprofit whose mission is finding those who need health care and health insurance and helping them find solutions that work for each individual’s situation. We are grant funded and provide free assistance to anyone in Wyoming who needs help n...
This Saturday night, the clock will change from 11:59 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. When it does, some will be out celebrating and will cheer and kiss and raise a glass. Others will be spending a quiet evening at home with their family (and may still cheer, and kiss, and raise a glass). Others will be sleeping soundly in their beds and miss the moment entirely. Of course, the clock changes from 11:59 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. every night, but some nights we pay more attention - especially when that shift of the...
During the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays my family and I watch Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies. It’s become quite a little tradition. They are all very similar in nature, but we never really look at them as “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all”, even though most of them go as follows: Boy meets girl, but they have other commitments or issues they are dealing with. Then boy and girl fall in love. Then something tears them apart. Then they find each other, usually on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day and live happily ever after. So...
Last weekend I was sitting in the Broadway Theater in Rock Springs, but my heart was transported back to Victorian London. I watched characters I've known for as long as I can remember bring one of my favorite Christmas stories to life once again. Marley's screams gave me goosebumps, I teared up when Tiny Tim said "God bless us, everyone," I sat back in surprise when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come loomed over the stage, and I laughed when Scrooge threatened to raise Bob Cratchit's salary.... Full story
Imagine how great it would be if you or your family didn’t get sick from a respiratory infection. What infections are these you may ask? They include, for example, flu, flu-like illness, adeno virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), common cold, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, Coxsackie virus, Streptococcus, Pneumoccous, tuberculosis, and more. Providers at the Specialty Clinics of Sweetwater Memorial, as well as the physicians in the emergency room and on the medical/surgical floor at M... Full story
Dear Editor, In politics, all decisions do not reach the same level of importance. Some decisions matter very much in the moment but will be forgotten within a decade. Others will be viewed by future generations as a turning point that causes generational harm. Public Servants who understand the importance of those moments, and vote with future generations in mind, define the very word, “Statesman.” Senator John Barrasso made such a decision this week. In voting against a bill with a name right out of an Orwellian novel (the so-called “Respect...
As energy transitions occur across the globe, one has to question if policy makers are learning from the experiences in other states and nations. We would be wise to pay close attention. Change is coming, and today’s energy sector will look different in the near future. Those two dynamics are a given. However, if we garner anything from what is happening in Europe and California, it is that chaos ensues when energy transitions are rushed through unrealistic public policy goals. Wyoming is an energy producing state and proud of it. Our energy p...
Each fall, the reality of living at 6,237 feet and above sets in with early cold temps, and, ideally, early snow. Fortunately, the stockpiling of winter moisture begins as the blanket of white covers the valley, giving us hope of refilling reservoirs and ending a pattern of drought. For most it’s a shock to the system and a reminder to dig out snow shovels and boots, and get the snow tires swapped on. Winter sports enthusiasts are getting an early start to winter fun, while those who don’t love the cold dark months are wrapping up in swe...
The holidays are here! But it seems to be increasingly less clear - or at least more debated - which holidays should be celebrated when. Growing up, holidays weren't as extended as they are today, at least not in my family. Halloween didn't involve much more than carving pumpkins a few days before and trick-or-treating the night of. Thanksgiving was always limited to the festivities that day, including watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and going to Grandma's house for the traditional... Full story
Dear Editor, Please print this. I don’t know who she was but it’s important to me that she see this. There are indeed angels among us. I want to sincerely thank the lady who shocked me the other day. She paid entirely for my new set of tires on my car. Thank you generous angel! I am so in awe at your kindness. I will try to pay it forward, although it may take awhile. Carol Aldinager Green River...
The old adage “Don’t put the cart before the horse” may certainly be applied to the push to get electric vehicles on our nation’s roads. Don’t get us wrong. We are not against electric vehicles. We just hope Wyoming keeps ahead of the curve so that electrical generation and distribution infrastructure can keep pace with the increased demand for electricity. Wyoming could take a lesson from California on how not to handle this situation. Just weeks ago, the California Air Resources Board set a policy requiring all new cars sold in that stat...
Dear Editor, What can be done about the behemoth of the federal government, regulation and corporate overreach? My generation has allowed the deterioration of freedoms we took for granted as kids. The unholy alliance of Big Government, Big Pharma, and the Military-Industrial complex, usurp our freedoms, leaving us feeling powerless to effect changes. We elect individuals who promise to reduce government size and reach; sadly, they’ve failed us. The federal bureaucracy and “lifers” in Congress will never reduce government, limit their time...
The votes have come in and the people have made their voice heard in the general election, thanks to the freedom we have in our country to participate in the process of choosing the people who will lead us. These days, politics seem to be more divisive than ever, with polarized positions, “us vs. them” mentalities, all-or-nothing stances, and a tendency to demonize anyone who doesn’t agree. However, there is one thing people on all sides of the political spectrum seem to agree on — the importance of voting. The Star receives a number of lett...
Dear Editor, The Truth for which I am speaking is not your self truth or being true to your-self but truth based on facts. Facts based truth is what gives a community long term stability, self-reflection and positive growth for everyone. Trust is something built over time through demonstrated true experience and professionalism. Every voter wants to trust that their candidates are being truthful and every candidate states they are truthful. During the primary the question was asked by a voter, “How do I know a candidate is being truthful?” The...
Last year, I augmented my role as an elected member of Wyoming’s House of Representatives to become a witness before the House Judiciary Committee as it considered whether cannabis should become legal in our state. I told my colleagues about my life-long struggle with ulcerative colitis, which forced me to leave the military as I underwent elaborate treatments, dropping in weight from 160 pounds to only 119. I spoke of how using cannabis helped me get through that physical trial. I acknowledged that cannabis, like any drug, can be abused – but...
Dear Editor, Since the August 16th Primary elections some members in our Wyoming legislature are conspiring to limit the authority of the Secretary of State. I feel as if those in our State Legislature that want to do this are stripping “We The People” of this great state of our vote. We voted for Chuck Gray and do not see a need for any reason for the Secretary of State to have some of their authority taken away from that position and handed to other positions. Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, co-chair of the Joint Corporations, Elections, and Pol...
Shortly before Ed Buchanan left the secretary of state’s post early to take a judgeship, the Wyoming Republican Party wrote a letter asking him to stay on through the November election. Party officials wrote that asking an interim secretary of state to oversee an election with only a few weeks on the job would be setting that person up for failure. There was just too much to learn in that short of a time. Buchanan was undeterred. When he resigned, Wyoming law required the state GOP to help find the person to finish out his term. S...
