Articles written by Bill Sniffin
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Counting every step while walking through Cowboy State in summer
Is there a better place in the world for a morning walk than a nice path in Wyoming? Especially quite early in the morning. This time of year, you can actually start walking about 5:30 a.m. but you...
Climbing Michael's Mountain was great memory 30 years ago
A Sunday afternoon 30 years ago this week found me busy sitting at my desk as editor-publisher of our local newspaper office. While the weather was beautiful outside, there was work to be done...
Here are some more favorite Wyoming political stories
Former U. S. Rep and Vice-President Dick Cheney would often tell this story about how his last name is pronounced. He says he attended a family reunion some years ago and sought out a favorite uncle...
Wacky weather batters state: 20 tornadoes sighted on June 12
Now this is a headline that I never thought I would write for any news story or column: Tornadoes strike Wyoming. But on Monday, June 12, sightings of up to 20 tornadoes were reported all across the...
How does our threesome compare when it comes to Congressional clout?
As a long-time observer of our two U. S. Senators and one U. S. Congressperson, it would seem to me that today we have a chance to have more clout in Congress than ever before. Senior Sen. Mike Enzi...
Eight generations in state comes with responsibility
Although they have had eight generations living in Wyoming, the Driskill clan of Devils Tower originally came from Texas and as a result, it seems most everything about these folks is big. State Sen....
Impending 100 year flood is scaring the heck out of us
A flooding mountain river in Wyoming can be an “insatiable monster.” That is what I called the middle fork of the Popo Agie River here in Lander seven years ago when we experienced a 50-year...
Hey grads, your learning days are not over... not by a long shot
I am not afraid of tomorrow for I have seen yesterday and I love today. – William Allen White This is a message for 2017 graduates – there are just two times in your lives when you feel you are...
Running hard toward life's home plate; Count your lifetime by innings played
It was 21 years ago this spring that my old friend Loraine Ocenas emceed my 50th birthday party and claimed its theme was: “How does it feel to have your future behind you?” My answer, of course,...
TV show scheduled about grisly murder of mother and her two boys, 37 years ago
Investigation Discovery, a network featuring the solving of horrible crimes, was in Wyoming this past week filming the story about how Virginia Uden and her two sons were murdered in Fremont County...
Can't get away from Wyoming even when 2,000 miles away
So there we were, enjoying Easter week in Dallas with our daughter and family. Although we were a long way from Wyoming, headlines in the Dallas newspaper were asking questions about why Gov. Greg Abb...
Notorious Miss Wyoming-World set bar very high for crazy antics
There have been many weird stories and odd people during the 127 years of Wyoming’s history. For example, there was the guy who parachuted onto the top of Devil’s Tower in 1941. Or the wild...
Favorite political stories about the state's leaders
For a long time, the Riverton radio station KVOW was located in a small house along the Big Wind River. Unbeknownst to statewide politicians back in 1984, the radio station moved and the building was...
Tell me again, how do people stay together and be married so long?
My recent column about couples celebrating long marriages sure generated a lot of comments. I thought these were wonderful. Here goes: “My folks, who were married 45 years when my mom passed away,...
Would you believe that the biggest ship in the world once was the Wyoming?
In this world, there are big ships. And there are really, really big ships. To put the name Wyoming in the same sentence as “the biggest wooden ship ever built” just would not make sense to most r...
Springtime around these parts can be balmy and blizzardy
Ah, spring. In much of the United States, spring is a time of tilling the soil, putting out flower plants and long walks in short sleeve shirts. Now here in Wyoming, spring often offers something...
Wyoming said good-bye to some significant folks recently
Recently, we have found ourselves saying good-bye to people who were influential to us and other folks around Wyoming. The Grande Dame of our hometown of Lander was Betty Kail, who died recently at...
Relationships – how on earth do you stay married for 50 years?
Over the years, I have become convinced there is something about Wyoming that makes being married for 50 years easier here than in other places. My wife Nancy and I just celebrated that milestone....
Passing out counterfeit $100 bills on the Las Vegas Strip is a bad idea
A few weeks ago, we were spending some warm weather time in Las Vegas. It felt good to enjoy some 75-degree weather after enduring January’s temperatures of -29 and winter conditions like 17 inches...
Everyone has a Wyoming dog story: Here is mine from a few years ago
If there ever were a place that required everyone to own a dog, it probably would be Wyoming. This is a true dog-loving state. And everyone has his or her favorite dog story. Here is mine: Our old fam...
On the road again; Eight states, lots of empty space
What can you learn about America after traveling through eight states over the past four weeks? Perhaps the biggest shock to a Wyomingite is that there is so much empty space out there in other...
The key for journalists on being relevant in today's digital age
Journalists today face both the best of times and the worst of times. The good news is there is so much news to cover. And there is an unlimited audience out there that wants to feast on your excellen...
Charlie Belden chronicled state's history in photography
The first time I heard of Charlie Belden was during a visit to Omaha where my old friend Lee Myers lives a nice retired life with his wife Barbara. Lee is a former publisher of the Cody Enterprise...
Perhaps it's the water? Folks live long lives here
Wyoming’s oldest person is Leonard Ross of Jackson at 107. He attained that singular honor when a hero of mine, Leola Maude Dollard Reschke of Lander died last November at the age of 108. Lloyd...
Rising from the plains describes state's geology
Re-reading an old favorite book is much like renewing an acquaintance with an old friend. The experience is rewarding and fulfilling. This happened to me recently when I picked up John McPhee’s...