Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

Boy a lot of folks across the country are mad at 2016. The year has taken away a lot of movie and singing icons of my generation.

For Hillary Clinton supporters they are still having difficulty with President Donald Trump Administration coming Jan. 20, 2017.

The year also brought a five-year high in law enforcement deaths, a lot of those from ambushes across the country.

It has been a tumultuous and eventful year to say the least.

Here in Washakie County, we’ve had some ups and downs as well. We’ve lost some great people in our communities that will be missed.

We’ve lost some businesses in Worland but we’ve gained a few and some have expanded. We lost our commercial/essential air service but we gained a Guardian Flight base at the airport.

But, we’ve had some great festivities — Culture Fest, county fair, the Pepsi Wyoming BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival, Hunter Fest, Ten Sleep’s Fourth of July celebration and Nowoodstock and a new event — the Battle of the Bands; and great cause for celebration like double basketball championships, state drama champions, state track and wrestling champions and blue ribbon school for South Side.

For me personally, 2016 hasn’t been too bad of a year. I’ve lost some family members but I’ve been able to spend time with family and friends and heading into 2017 I’ll be able to spend more time my brother, living in the same community for the first time since we were growing up.

I got to interview my uncle for his induction into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame and celebrate his 90th birthday.

We gained a new fur member in our household and Shadow has been a true blessing, except the cats still don’t think so most days.

We had fewer rats and mice this summer (which I attribute some to the new additions from 2015 – the aforementioned cats Chuck and Buddy.

I ended year one as editor here at the Daily News and started on year two. I’ve learned a lot about myself, about the community and about editing a daily newspaper.

As 2016 draws to a close I had a nice Christmas in which I realized my life has nearly come full circle. When I was in third or fourth grade I asked for a toolbox for Christmas because I enjoyed hanging out with my dad when he tinkered with the cars.

I was ready to build things with my saw and hammer but well, butter knives cut better than the saw and dad wouldn’t give me any good wood to tinker with.

This year I got another toolbox — sporting Denver Broncos décor and filled with lots of tools. This is mainly so when we need a wrench or screwdriver for work in the house I don’t “borrow” my husband’s tools from the shop and “forget” to return them. Now I have my own.

Still no saw though. I am sensing a pattern here. I don’t know where the concern comes from; I only have a few scars on my hands from cuts with sharp objects.

New Year’s Eve tonight will likely find me and my husband watching the college football semifinal games and ringing in the new year on New Year’s Day probably watching a marathon of Shark Tank, playing with the dogs and preparing for our next bitter cold front.

That’s right, 2017, is not coming in quietly with temperatures expected to drop to -17 on Monday with a high of just -3 on Tuesday and a low of -26. At least 2016 was fairly kind to us with a very nice, mild fall, although we are above normal in precipitation for the year.

What else, besides the cold might 2017 bring us? The new Washakie Medical Center should be complete before the year’s end.

Progress should be made on new schools in Ten Sleep and Riverside.

With the new hospital district formed in Thermopolis, look for plans to begin to upgrade that facility.

The Wyoming Legislature and our cities and counties will have to deal with declining revenues in 2017 and likely a few or more years after.

And, just like 2016, I’m sure 2017 has a few surprises in store for me, Worland, our state and our country. After all, who really could have predicted that the Broncos would win the Super Bowl in 2016, Jimmie Johnson would win his seventh NASCAR championship, the Cubs win the World Series and Donald Trump, reality TV star and business tycoon would be the leader of the greatest nation.

I’ll make a few bold predictions for 2017, the Broncos won’t repeat as Super Bowl champions, Alabama will win the college football national title, we’ll all be ready for the summer heat by the end of next week, I won’t be getting another puppy anytime soon; and Star Wars 8, the final movie with the late Carrie Fisher will break box office records come next Christmas.

No matter how you end 2016 or begin 2017, here’s to a happy and blessed New Year.