In this episode, we take a candid look at the economic and civic headwinds facing Newcastle, Wyoming, as Bob and Alexis go off the page with former Chamber of Commerce director Susan Love to evaluate the local business climate heading into the holiday shopping season and to confront the broader forces shaping the town’s future.

The discussion cuts straight to the core issues: declining civic participation, shrinking population, gaps in civics education, and a Main Street struggling to keep pace with changing expectations. We examine how social apprehension, limited housing, and a weakened retail sector create a cycle that holds back growth — and what it will take to break that cycle.

While the conversation is frank about the challenges, it is equally focused on opportunity. From the need for stronger collaboration among businesses to the importance of retaining young families and building a more vibrant downtown, this episode lays out the conditions Newcastle must address to strengthen its economy, attract new industry, and build a community where residents feel empowered to engage.

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

In honor of Halloween, we go way off the page this week to delve into some of the supernatural legends of Weston County. We welcome guest host Kazen Barker to the program to bring a kid's perspective to the holiday, and visit with horror author and News Letter Journal contributor Michael Alexander. We're also joined by Dean Petersen, host of the "That Doesn't Happen Everyday" Podcast, which features odd and macabre stories from across the Cowboy State. From haunted hotels, restaurants and cemeteries, to Sasquatch, Ouija boards and cattle mutilations, this episode is bound to have something to give even the most stoic skeptic a bit of a chill or thrill!

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

We’re going off the page with a timely conversation about one of the most talked-about constitutional issues in the country. In the wake of President Donald Trump publicly throwing his support behind a potential Article V Convention of States, we sit down with Julie Baker, a volunteer for the Convention of States movement here in Wyoming.

Baker’s group will be hosting a Town Hall in Sheridan on October 22, and she walks us through the nuts and bolts of what an Article V convention is, why it matters, and what it will take for Wyoming to become the 20th state to officially sign on to the effort. With 34 states needed to trigger a convention, the stakes are high—and Baker explains how grassroots advocates are working to get there.

Join Bob and Alexis as they dig into the national surge in support, the history behind Article V, and what this movement could mean for the size, scope, and power of the federal government.

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

Bob and Alexis go off the page of the Good Book this week to visit with News Letter Journal contributor Dean Butler about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, his position as a martyr for Christ, and what it all means for us. Learn about the call to Christ from the author of Dean's Bible Blog (newslj.com) and Dean's Bible Bits (NLJ), and find out why you don't have to be religious to be a believer in the Lord and Savior. Join us as we find out why there is cause for hope in the wake of the horrific event at Utah Valley University, and how Christian message carried by Charlie Kirk holds the key to our nation emerging from its present state of darkness and political divisiveness to come together again under the one true God.

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

Bob and Alexis go off the page this week to tackle the toughest question of all — Is Newcastle a Dying Community? According to our weekly News Letter Journal poll, the overwhelming majority of our readers think so, and we discuss what local leaders should be doing about it — if anything. We also talk about the role citizens should play in determining the region's future, and it begins by becoming more informed and getting more engaged in helping to make the choices that will determine the fate of Newcastle and Weston County — and whether or not they and their families can continue to enjoy the benefits of living there.

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

Bob and Alexis go off the page in the wake of the unexpected closure of 8 Wyoming newspapers to explain the state of the newspaper industry, and outline for NLJ readers what efforts are being made to preserve local independent journalism in Weston County, Wyoming. We discuss the pressures on small-town businesses, and the difficulty associated with maintaining product quality in an industry where operating budgets are drastically reduced from a decade ago — and share the monumental efforts being made by the Wyoming Press Association and its leading members to preserve the free press in our state. We also take a deep dive into the newspaper's latest transparency battle with the Weston County Commissioners, and reveal the swamp-dwelling tactics local elected officials used to avoid honesty and accountability in an effort to convince the public that they should be paying higher taxes.

Video of Weston County Commissioners

Video of Legislature's Joint Corporations Committee

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

Go off the page with Bob and Alexis to take a deep dive into the past, present, and future of education in Newcastle and Weston County with our guest, Tom Wright. Tom was educated in Newcastle in the 1950's and 60's and served more than 40 years on the school board, and he and his wife Kay were selected as the grand marshals of the 2025 All-School Reunion Parade on July 5. We reflect on the remarkable changes that have shaped local schools — from a sharp decline in student enrollment since Tom graduated in 1964 to the challenges posed by recent legislative cuts that threaten essential community resources. Tom offers heartfelt stories about the evolution of educational opportunities over the years, and fondly recalls inspiring teachers who shaped who we have become. Tom also shares his vision for a vibrant future where quality education draws families to the area and keeps our community strong, and we highlight the irreplaceable value of in-person learning and the connections it builds.

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

Bob and Alexis are joined by local historian Lucas Keeler, who takes us off the page to explore some of the more exciting moments in the early history of Weston County. From gunfights and hangings to bear attacks and Indian battles, the published author tells us why Newcastle was one of the wildest of wild west towns. Go back in time to the Custer Expedition, the birthplace of the community, the role of Weston County in the famed Johnson County War, and the heady heydays of 1903 when the last long shadows were cast as the sun set on the Old West Era right here in the Wyoming Black Hills.

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

Governor Mark Gordon's decision to deny an appeal from Weston County residents that would have allowed citizens to examine Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock's mishandling of the 2024 election and take action to remove her from office does not put the matter completely to bed. Just prior to Gordon's announcement, a Wyoming legislative committee discussed the "Weston County Experience" with Secretary of State Chuck Gray and took a deep dive into the way elections are conducted in the state. That wasn't the only area where Weston County drew the committee's focus, as they also examined the state associations who provide training for public officials and lobby on their behalf. Weston County Commissioner Ed Wagoner and NLJ Publisher Bob Bonnar both testified on that topic, and the county was also represented by Constitutional Senator Sue Mireles, who attended the meeting to ensure that the legislature would follow through on a directive to study county representation in the state capitol, which represents a culmination of decades worth of work by Weston County citizens who have fought to maintain a voice for the county in state government.

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!

We take you off the page to discuss Governor Mark Gordon's motives in cutting Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock loose without any consequences for mishandling the 2024 general election. We walk you through the arguments presented in the findings of Wyoming's chief executive, and expose the level of media manipulation utilized in the release of the long-awaited decision on a holiday weekend. 

Check us out at newslj.com to keep tabs on this story, or for more news from Newcastle, Weston County and the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming!