Candidates needed for school boards
Voter turnout is historically higher in presidential election years.

'There's just no excuse for not voting'
The hype and hoopla surrounding the presidential election usually draw more voters to the polls than during other election years.

This space not for sale
One of the biggest red flags of caution a journalist will ever hear is, "If we like your story, we have a lot of dollars to buy advertising n your newspaper."

Making the grade
Joel Dvorak took the wheel as superintendent of the Natrona County School District this week.

Lessons should be learned from athletes' mistakes
Last week, two contestants in the College National Finals Rodeo got drunk, broke into a local business and decided to crash for the night.

Still hope after all these years
Would he ever get it? How many times would I have to ask n or beg?

NCSD opens up to the public
The public’s business should be done in public.

Only those who run get elected
It's that time again when the seeds are sown that will produce the next crop of elected officials.

Words of wisdom
As I watched my 12-year-old daughter holding our first grandbaby, I recognized the possibility that, given my age and the fact that people are having children later in life, I may not get to meet all of my grandchildren.

Lucky these are our problems
Grump, grump, grump. Seems like this is a week for complaints.

Professional development at the Legislature
“The Wyoming Education Association is not a union.”

Well into the future
It all began in 1958 on the tip of a cotton swab.

Crushingly good idea
The decision to mine and crush limestone on top of Casper Mountain to produce the gravel needed to maintain county roads on the mountain is a really good one.

Satisfied? Fair enough
Multiple people recently contacted the Casper Journal with tips about a new out-of-state hire for an important and highly compensated job at the Natrona County School District.

There ought to be a law
State Sen. Grant Larson of Teton County has sponsored a bill in the Wyoming Legislature that would make it illegal for a school district board of trustees to use public money to pay union dues as an employment benefit.

Why should you care who leads the schools?
Are you busy Wednesday evening, Feb. 13?

Walsh set example for others to follow
Last April, Tom Walsh beamed with pride as he walked into the Casper Journal.

Work together toward redevelopment
The Casper City Council and the City staff are to be commended for their firm grasps on the idea that infill, or reusing land and buildings that become available in the city limits over time, is a valuable endeavor as Casper grows. The concept applies to schools, refineries and business locations, as well as houses or parking lots.

What makes good community news?
Over the next couple weeks, the Casper Journal’s news staff will begin looking at our product and planning for the coming year.

Local knows best
They say if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.

Person of the Year: Steve Grimshaw
“I’ll finish this project if it kills me.”

New Year’s Eve alternatives available
This time of year, the alcohol flows like water as people get ready to celebrate the dawning of a new year.

Clearing the way
It’s easy to take a lot of things for granted. Turn on the faucet, out comes the water. Flip a switch, and the lights come on.

Don’t forget the red sticker
I’ll never forget a trip I made to the emergency room in the spring of 1990.

Who owns the dropout problem?
A special report in today’s Casper Journal outlines and sheds light on a very big problem in our community: a 26.3 percent high school dropout rate.

Opinions don’t change the law
What do you think of this idea: cite a law you don’t wish to comply with in writing and bingo, it no longer applies to you. Then go about your business without regard to that law because you say so and because you have it on paper to prove it.

Advocating for Casper’s homeless students
Greta Hinderliter is someone we should know about. She is the liaison between public schools and homeless families in Casper, and this year she has 94 children on her list.

Double whammy for military families
I felt a range of emotion when I first learned about the miserable health care coverage we give the families of combat soldiers on the ground in Iraq; outrage, sadness and shame.

Transportation is fundamental
Diversify, diversify, diversify.

What opportunity looks like
There is a small window of opportunity to contribute your thoughts on the type of individual you think the Natrona County School District should seek as its new superintendent.