Gillette’s top Stories of 2023: Setting the stage for the year to come | Local

Coming out of recent years of pandemic and political division, this year was almost a respite. Next year and beyond, the community has a number of important decisions to face.

This year cleared the way for those to take place.

The controversy and disagreement surrounding the Campbell County Public Library continued through Year Three, reaching a peak this summer when library board members fired the longtime library director. Since then, the issue has yet to taper off in the public eye, with decisions about its collection development policy and more carrying into 2024.

In June, a tornado swept through North Antelope Rochelle Mine in southern Campbell County, miraculously without killing any of the two shifts of employees on site. The mine recovered from the destruction, but overall, it coincided with the midway point of a year trending downward for coal production, following a post-pandemic revival the past two years.

A year’s worth of planning for the future of Cam-plex landed before the public this year, with a split-and-undecided initial response to the sweeping changes that may cost north of $200 million. Now a public vote may decide the future of the National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette while opening or closing the door for the community to host more large-scale national events.

This year also saw public outcry over a proposed hate crime ordinance within city limits. That matter caused weeks of public debate, revealing fissures that existed before city council members considered the law and that continue to exist now that it’s been passed.

Finally, a number of milestones and unexpected hurdles met the Gillette Community College District as the nascent district continued its separation from the Northern Wyoming Community College District, with several more years of red tape standing ahead.

When looking back at this year in the future, it’s possible that it appears in hindsight as a turning point, or a fork in the road. Maybe it’s the calm before the storm.

However you put it, a lot happened, and more is to come.

Library controversies continue for third straight year

You’ve seen this story before.

Thirty months after the Campbell County Public Library first came under fire for having books with sexual and LGBTQ content in the children’s and teen sections, the debate continues.

For the third straight year, the controversies at the public library made the list of top stories of the year.

In June, the library board passed a new collection development policy. It included a new section, “Protecting Children from Harmful, Sexually Explicit Material in Areas Designated for Minors,” which came from the Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit organization from Florida.

It also stated that books with objectionable content could be moved to a different section of the library if librarians came across them during the weeding process.

Periodically, books are weeded out of the collection to make room for new books.

Library Director Terri Lesley said she was not confident that the new policy would protect her and her staff from lawsuits if they chose to move a book.

That same month, results from a staff survey were released, where library employees supported Lesley and accused the library board and commissioners of creating a hostile work environment.

Lesley was fired at the end of July after refusing to resign. She said board chair Chuck Butler had…