By Bill Sniffin, publisher
Just think, 2020 is almost over. Now that is something to be thankful for.
This has been a year to remember. And to forget!
This year has been a long, strange journey. But better news is on the way. New vaccines are coming and in 90 days, most of this pandemic could hopefully be a memory soon. We will permanently put it in our rear-view mirror. Now that is something for which to be thankful!
It is easy to be thankful for all the good work that has been done by health care workers and EMTs here in Wyoming and around the world. A lot of you have gotten sick and some have died. We are so thankful for your service at this time.
We need to be thankful to all those folks working in essential jobs from stocking shelves in supermarkets to keeping our plumbing unclogged. And everybody else, too.
Back in July, one of every 67 people in Wyoming who tested positive died. Today that number is one in every 125. Now that is something to be thankful for.
We are thankful that the 2020 elections are apparently behind us. Talk about a long, strange journey.
Besides COVID-19 the other big story was the election. I am so thankful to have it behind us although the results were not pleasing to many Wyomingites.
As the state that saw one of the nation’s highest percentages of its votes go to President Donald Trump (70 percent), we are chagrined that the final tally does not appear to be going his way. But how does someone get 73 million votes in this country and still lose? Amazing.
I want to thank all you subscribers for your loyalty. At latest count, there were 10,056 of you and new ones are joining us at a rate of 1,000 per month. We also have some readers who have not yet subscribed (it’s free) and we welcome them to our site, too.
Many folks do not know that we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit, so if you donate to Cowboy State Daily, not only are you helping us cover the news but you get a tax deduction for your donation. So, here is a big shout out to our donors who have helped sustain us in our 23-month life here in Wyoming.
I want to personally thank our Executive Editor Jimmy Orr, Editor Jim Angell, and reporter Ellen Fike for their dedication this year. They have done a wonderful job. No other news team can match ours for Wyoming know-how and years of service to Wyoming.
A huge shout-out goes to Wyoming’s best weather forecaster Don Day. We, literally, could not publish a daily newsletter without him. Occasional reporters Wendy Corr, Jen Kocher, Tim Monroe, Tim Mandese, Ike Fredregill, Laura Hancock, Cody Beers and many others also receive my appreciation for their work.
Our weekly columnists and occasional columnists have been terrific. They really give Cowboy State Daily that daily dose of insight that our readers just love.
I tip my hat to Dave Simpson, Jim Hicks, Jonathan Lange, Ray Hunkins, Doug Gerard, Rusty Rogers, Foster Friess, Frank Eathorne, Rod Miller, Matt Micheli, Tom Lubnau, Cody Tucker, Tom Jones, Ray Peterson, Darin Smith, Amy Surdam, Karl Brauneis, John Davis, John Waggener, and many, many more.
Thanks for Annaliese Wiederspahn for launching this site with financial help from Foster Friess. And to our board Tucker Fagan, Haley Davis, and Kristin Walker.
But on personal note, this has been one of the most exciting years of my life, serving as publisher of the Cowboy State Daily.
Who would have thought that after 56 years in the news business, that I would be able to help a news organization at this age and cover the biggest story of my life? How cool is that!
But I have to admit that shortly after taking over the reins of this wonderful operation, I was greeted with the twin negative dynamos of the COVID-19 epidemic and the Wyoming economy going into free-fall.
It’s stunning to me that after taking those two hits last spring, Cowboy State Daily is not only still standing – but thanks to the help of all the people mentioned above – we are growing and thriving! And thanks to our advertisers and to the entities that have given Cowboy State Daily grants in 2020.
And finally, I am thankful for my wonderful wife Nancy of 54 years and our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all our friends. Happy Thanksgiving!
