Today's News

Being responsible for a company’s asset sounds like a daunting task. After all, it’s a big job. But if you’re like Los Alamos County Risk Manager Joe Thomas, taking on that responsibility comes naturally after what seems like a lifetime of being in the insurance business.

Thomas has been the county’s risk manager for a little over a month. He came to Los Alamos from Louisiana, where he worked as a risk manager for an Isle of Capri Casino.

A Native American story goes like this:

There is a cave in which lives an old woman who for years has been weaving a garment – a special garment, sewn from porcupine quills. Its pattern is sacred to honor the ceremony for which it is intended, because it is this ceremony that sustains the world soul.

Dear Editor,

Just diagnosed with a more severe case of the flu, I dropped off the prescription at the nearest pharmacy. Although there was nobody in the pharmacy, the sales assistant behind the counter told me, “It’s 20 minutes.”

I didn’t see anybody in front of me, so she explained, “They have left for the wait and we must work on their prescriptions before yours.”

During the Los Alamos County Speech Contest, students needed to be quick with their words and smooth with their talk. The most skilled speakers proved to be Piñon Elementary School fifth-graders Derek Selvage and John Valdiviez.

Selvege earned first place in the serious speech competition and Valdiviez earned first place in the humorous competition.

The title of Selvege’s speech was, “Are you going to help me?” by Mark Hansen. Valdiviez presented a speech titled, “Librarian from the Black Lagoon,” by Mike Thaler.