Pay attention: It has never been easier to stay informed
At a few meetings in recent months, we’ve heard residents voice frustration about not being aware that something was being proposed until it was too late.
While understandable considering how distracted we all are in present day America, the comments provided some inspiration. Having covered this community for awhile, I can assure you it’s never been easier to stay on top of what our governmental entities are up to.
First and foremost, read the public notices in this newspaper and others. If you aren’t aware, every public notice that gets published in the state ends up online. You can find them at wyopublicnotices.com.
The Town of Greybull posts the agenda packet prior to each meeting. It’s all the background date you would need to follow their discussions. After the meeting, the video is uploaded. Find it all at TownofGreybull.com. Click on Meeting Information.
The Greybull school board also posts an agenda packet prior to every meeting. It can be found under BoardDocs, at greybullschools.com. No video or audio is available online afterward. It would sure be nice if it was.
And it’s never been easier to follow the Wyoming Legislature. Go to wyoleg.gov to find all the bills and monitor how your senators and representatives are voting. If you’re interested in watching, go to YouTube and search for Wyoming Legislature.
Community win
Our newspaper won some nice awards at last weekend’s press convention, the biggest being the general excellence honor for small weeklies. It’s our favorite one of them all because it’s such a team award.
Each paper in the state is asked to submit three issues -- two dates of the press association’s choosing, one of ours — and judges in another state evaluate the quality of everything: writing, photography, ad design, layout, opinions, etc.
There are far more people who contribute in some way to every issue than most people realize. From sources to school secretaries, stringer photogs to drivers and stuffers, we lean on a lot of people to help us. We couldn’t do it without them. We very much think of it as a win for the community.
It’s your newspaper, after all. We’re just working here for a spell.
Lastly, we’d like to point out that of the five Pacemakers we won, three came as a direct result of tips we received from readers. So please, keep them coming.
Salute to a businessman
This week, we mourn the loss of Doug Freier, a longtime Greybull business leader as the owner of the Smokehouse Saloon. The obituary that appears on page 3 is beautifully written and tells his life story well. But it doesn’t mention one thing that Doug and his wife Denny did for the community. In 2023, the Freiers began asking residents to turn in their grocery store receipts. For every $10,000 spent at the grocery store, the Friers donated $100 and the grocery store matched it.
To date, the combined total of their donations is nearly $3,500. The school district uses the money to forgive the negative balances in its students’ lunch accounts. What an amazing thing. Just another part of Doug’s legacy.
Josh Allen
Our governor and lawmakers have been a little preoccupied in recent days, making policy and taking care of business during their annual session in Cheyenne. So you can’t really blame them for missing an opportunity.
No one else has come out and said it, so we will: This coming Sunday, Jan. 26, should be Josh Allen Day across the state of Wyoming. It’s not just the orange and blue faithful dreading two additional weeks of nauseating Chiefs coverage and one favorable call after another in the Super Bowl. American wants change. America needs it.
Red states, blue states, in-between states ... from sea to shining sea ... we’re desperate for something fresh, aren’t we? No Mahomes, no Kelce, no Taylor Swift! They can watch the Super Bowl at home, like the rest of us.
Besides, there isn’t a more deserving fan base than the one in Buffalo, which is why for one day, all of Wyoming should get behind this cause. If you have a Wyoming Cowboy or Buffalo Bills flag stored away somewhere, fly it proudly. Search for anything you can find that might bring good luck – horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, rabbit’s feet. Whatever it takes. Please, oh please, go Bills.
—Nathan Oster