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"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach." These words from Ebenezer Scrooge as he pleads for his hope of redemption are the climax and heart of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens - one of my all-time favorite Christmas stories. Last year I wrote a column sharing some of my favorite adaptations of the story after... Full story
Serving in the Wyoming House of Representatives for just one year has opened my eyes to what the future holds for the State of Wyoming. Coupled with my role as an economic developer serving to drive robust prosperity in Sweetwater County, I can confidently say Wyoming has big opportunities ahead. Our mining and energy industries are a big reason for our optimistic outlook. Wyoming has powered the country for generations and fueled our world’s ever-growing energy needs. Wyomingites across the Cowboy State have proudly worked and leaned into supp...
Dear Editor, In the wee hours of the morning on December 9, angels walked into our home. Green River Police Officer Murphy was first to arrive. He showed incredible comfort and care. Next to arrive was the ambulance crew. Then came the lift team to assist in taking Larry/Papa from his home to the ambulance. Once we were discharged from the hospital, the lift crew returned to move him from our vehicle back into his home. We could not have done this without the help of these incredible people. You are all heroes – thank you from the Cummings, N...
December 7, 1941 is a “date that will live in infamy” as stated by President Theodore Roosevelt in his famous speech after the events of the Pearl Harbor bombing. That event let to the United States involvement in World War II. President’s Roosevelt’s speech was a call to arms and a declaration of war against this act of aggression by a foreign nation. He never wanted us to forget what happened. President Roosevelt concluded his speech by saying “With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain...
Dear Editor, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently held a meeting in Kemmerer letting the public know there will be opportunities to get involved in the permitting process for Terra Power’s proposed natrium nuclear plant. That’s great since public input is important. However, I wonder how the NRC thinks the public can comment on and get involved in something where all of the main details have been kept secret. Time and time again NRC staff couldn’t answer questions, saying things like some details are proprietary and can’t be rele...
Last week I fulfilled my constitutional duty when I submitted a balanced budget proposal for the next two years. Consistent with my approach since taking office, I presented a fiscally conservative budget that focuses on needs more than wants. It addresses the pressing challenges of today, but also anticipates the concerns of tomorrow. It is a budget crafted to live within our means, in keeping with Wyoming’s traditional conservative values, and at its core, it is designed to leave Wyoming a little better for our time here. Today Wyoming is f... Full story
Dear Editor, I have been trying to keep up with the discussions that have been going on in reference to the proposed resource management plan (RMP) for the Rock Springs District of the Bureau of Land Management. There is so much misinformation in the press and public discussion, it makes my head spin. I spent a 41 year career with the State of Wyoming, almost all of it as a law enforcement officer (Damage Control Warden and Game Warden) with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in the Green River Region. There are many extremely important...
Dear Editor, I recently wrote and sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris inviting her to Wyoming to witness a recitation of the Gettysburg Address. I don’t know whether she will receive the letter. But as Wyoming is the Equality State and she is our first female and Black vice president, I believe it is an important issue and wanted to invite her. Democracy is all about communication. And the Gettysburg Address is relevant to our country today. Lincoln knew we needed to overcome slavery to move on in our country. Have we moved on? He h...
Dear Editor, I recently moved to Green River in hopes of recapturing what once was in America, but the big city’s ways had moved here way before I did. Not going into all those things, what I am so very disappointed about is when there is a person obviously working on a car that is broken down on a busy bridge and three separate officers simply drive by, one making eye contact with the minor granddaughter and the other two staring straight ahead as one does the panhandlers on the street corners. It is very alerting that the big city has r...
Saturday is Veterans Day, a day set aside to recognize and honor all of the men and women who have served our country in the military. Observed on November 11, Veterans Day in the United States coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day in other countries, marking the anniversary of the end of World War I. The war known as the “Great War” during its time ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Over 100 years later, we use the day to remember all who have fought for our country both before and since. This wee...
Until just last year, Wyoming has led the country in the suicide death rate since 2018, according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. This is an issue of life or death; and as a pro-life legislator, I have joined many in the Wyoming Legislature who understand we can no longer, in good conscience, continue to force the obligation of this critical issue of Wyoming lives at the feet of families, churches, non-profits and volunteers. One life saved is worth the effort and that is why many in the Legislature voted to...
Dozens of TVs, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and abandoned cars had either been gunshot, torched or both. This place of destruction was what some locals called “Carnage Canyon,” roughly 30 acres off Lefthand Canyon in Boulder County, Colorado. It was a shocking sight, but was it unique? Think about your own nearby public lands. This canyon’s history began with mountain biking. Sometime in early 2000, a mountain biker discovered the canyon and developed a trail through it. Then, more bikers came in droves and “motocrossers” also love...
When it comes to celebrating Halloween, Green River is a great place to be to have some spooky fun! This week’s paper is our annual Halloween edition with our Trick-or-Treat Map. This special section gives you a handy guide to which businesses in Green River will be handing out candy on Halloween and when you can stop by to pick up a treat. There are over 20 participants downtown and over 30 on the south side of the railroad. With so many great local businesses who are actively involved in the community, kids will have plenty of chances to g...
Whenever conservatives in the Wyoming House push back against the destructive policies coming from Washington D.C., we are told that we can’t question the feds. When we fought in February to protect Wyoming parents from the “social transitioning” of their children while at school, we were told “that isn’t happening here.” When we tried to protect state and national security interests by preventing agricultural land from being acquired by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other state sponsors of terror, we were told that our fears of ho...
“Kids Say the Darndest Things” was a great TV show back in the day. All of my children, as well as all children do, in fact, say some great things as they try to “act grownup,” or simply because they call it like they see it. My two youngest daughters came out of their room after playing Barbies, and they were both just sobbing. They weren’t fighting or arguing, they were so sad, and they were comforting each other. I asked them what was wrong. They said that while playing Barbies something had gone terribly wrong. I expected them to tell me t...
Dear Editor, All lands are not created equally. Some have values for wildlife that are far beyond other areas. The BLM Resource Management plan is in draft and allows Sublette County to determine what we value. As a community it is critical that we determine our priorities based on accurate and factual information without outside influences and based on majority consensus of we who are most affected by the changes. As a Wildlife Habitat Biologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in Sublette County, I was in the field researching and...
As time passes and I have gotten older, I was thinking about back in 2015 when I gathered businesses, volunteers and community members to help me and to send care packages to our troops when the war was going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. We were successful in sending over 8,000 letters and care packages to our Wyoming guardsmen overseas. Some of the children that helped write the cards have become young adults now. I wanted to personally take the time to tell them and the community of Green River and Rock Springs how much I appreciate all of...
Happy National Newspaper Week! October 1 - 7 has been designated National Newspaper Week, and this year is the 83rd celebration of the week, with the recognition having officially started in 1940. October 7 is also Newspaper Carrier Day. The Green River Star is proud to be a trusted source of information, news, entertainment, and community highlights for Green River and Sweetwater County. We are also honored to continue to be a print newspaper, as we have been for over 100 years, being one of only two physical newspapers in the county. And we...
Dear Editor, Well, Homecoming week of 2023 is over and in the books. I have raised five boys in Green River and have purchased many t-shirts for this week, from back when the elementary kids were bused to the beginning of the parade route. The parade route was down Uinta and the street was full of spectators. We purchased many t-shirts, starting with Jackson Elementary, Harrison Elementary, Monroe Middle School, Lincoln and of course GRHS, sporting our school spirit over the years. My boys participated in the home coming bonfire, hauling...
When it comes to government agencies, “transparency” is a key word. And agencies can’t be transparent without being accessible to their constituents. We expect the men and women we choose to lead us to be open and honest about what they’re doing, especially as it directly affects our lives and communities. This also goes for the special districts that serve us, including Castle Rock Hospital District. In the recent discussion of whether or not ambulance employees were allowed to unionize, Castle Rock stressed that it is an “exempt political...
As the month of September begins, people in Wyoming are focused on their kids going back to school and the start of football season. What many might not realize is that September is also Passport Awareness Month, a time to check your documentation, especially if traveling overseas during the holiday season. One of the top requests my staff receives from constituents is help getting or renewing a passport. This process has become aggressively long and drawn out and has caused more than one hiccup in peoples’ travel plans. Currently, the U.S. D...
Dear Editor, I have given up on walking on the Green Belt because of the number of unleashed dogs that are allowed to run free as long as they’re in control of their owners voice. I am afraid one of these “controlled “ dogs could attack me or my elder dog. My thoughts on the matter have been dismissed by Animal Control, the City Council, and the Mayor. So, I began walking on the sidewalks in my neighborhood and am finding them in terrible shape. The route I took was from Lincoln school to Smiths, then to Veterans Park and back. A major...
There has been a major dust-up over the past year or so about the materials available to our children in our school libraries and even our county libraries. While I do not condone or believe that our school libraries are an appropriate place for many of these books, I am far more concerned with the ability of our children to be able to read. According to the Wyoming Department of Education’s WYTOPP scores from school year 2021-2022, only 47.89% of our 3rd graders are reading at a proficient or above proficient level. That means a majority of o...
I recently read an article in the April/May 2018 edition of Coach and the AD titled “Becoming Defensive-Minded: Eight Concepts to Help Teams Dominate Their Opponents” by Coach Nathan Livesay, and as I read it, I quickly realized that these concepts could actually help me in my life, not just as a coach on the basketball court. The first concept the author spoke of was that in basketball, as obvious as this seems, you must take care of the basketball as you head towards the goal. You must take care of it because of its value. It is the “th... Full story
It’s amazing what the presence of an animal can do — the way that just by being there they can bring so much laughter, chaos, comfort and joy. One year ago, I got my first pets. At least, they’re the first ones that have belonged only to me as an adult. I’d wanted a pet for a while, but I don’t feel like I’m in the position to give a dog or even a cat as much time and attention as I would want. So I started thinking of smaller pets that could be left alone for longer periods of time during the...
