The Lusk Herald’s very own Cassandra Matney has been selected by the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts (WACD) to receive the 2017 WACD Outstanding News Reporter award.

Niobrara Conservation District Manager, Lisa Shaw shared the following, “Cassandra started at the Lusk Herald about a year ago and hit the ground running. She is the Assistant City Clerk and is very involved in the community. She is always looking out for a great story and spends a lot of time working on the details. Cassandra has written numerous articles on the new District office building, open house and the school’s high tunnels the District is involved in.  She writes weekly articles about the events of the community and always includes photos and great details. Cass wrote several times about the Conservation District’s new Learning Center, keeping the community informed about the progress following the flood.  This is extremely important to the District to keep folks in the know about this and many of our other projects. Mrs. Matney attended several of the events hosted by the District, snapping photos and interviewing those involved.   Cass loves to write about anything and everything.  It has been her passion since she was a small child and it shows in each article she writes”. 

Matney was very humbled by the recognition. “I have always had a passion for writing and I’ve always had people tell me that I was good at it, but they were generally people that I was related to or teachers during a parent teacher conference with me sitting all bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed in front of them just waiting to hear what they had to say about me. I wanted to know if I truly was good at writing and if it was something that I could make a go at in different avenues. On the other side of that, while my husband, Danny, has grown up in Lusk and knows just about everyone there is to know, two years ago, I really didn’t. I wanted to get involved in the community, I wanted to branch outside of my comfort zone and meet people and go to some events that I might not otherwise go to. In addition, I wanted The Lusk Herald to be about Lusk. Details, little details, are everything and I wanted to make sure that the small happenings in Lusk were being included in the paper. I wanted to go to the Mustard Seed dinners and tell people what they were about, I wanted to ask the kids their opinion on things because I remembered being asked those questions and thinking it was the neatest thing to be in the paper and my opinion to count for something, and I wanted to write articles that really could be a source of not just news, but also entertainment to people and that really let them know what was going on in their town. In the year plus that I have worked for The Lusk Herald, I have truly and absolutely loved it. I have met new people, developed new friendships—que Lori who has been amazing to work with and I am so thankful for the opportunity that she has given me; I have branched outside of my comfort zone, and I have honed and further developed a skill that, at the time, I was afraid I was losing in the us- it-or-lose it sense. Lori Himes has worked and continues to work so hard in a fashion that most people don’t get to see because it’s all behind the scenes. She has really strived to not only further develop, but bring back what once was where the paper is concerned; I like to think I have contributed in helping her bring back a sense of pride to the community in that The Lusk Herald really is about Lusk and that if you ask the paper to report on an event, we will try our darndest to do it. My interview methods are unconventional it’s true, but that’s one of the great things about where we live—it works because our community is willing to do it. It is no secret we live in a phenomenal community where we have people that contribute articles, photographs, and that are always keeping myself, Lori, and Gayle up to date on different events that are happening. The Lusk Herald is a community driven paper by the community and that is so wonderful and so neat to be a part of. To get an award like this, to be humbled that someone thought enough to even throw my name in the hat; well that’s pretty cool and I’m truly honored. I so look forward to continuing to develop myself as a writer and to continue to push my limits, but even more, I am so excited to get to watch Lusk grow and change with a pen and paper in my hand ready to be a part of sharing her story”. 

Cassandra brings her youthful exuberance and impeccable work ethic to every assignment she tackles. She is always a team player and holds the same vision of continued improvement where the Lusk Herald is concerned. I can’t think of a more deserving person for this award and I am so very proud of her growth and development over the past year. Knowing Cassandra, she will not be one to sit back on her laurels. I am positive that she will continue to follow community events and put her own individual polish on the unique and varied experiences Niobrara County has to offer.

Cassandra is a member of the Mill Iron 44 softball team, a cast member of the Legend of Rawhide, was part of the flood recovery group and loves to refurbish and re-purpose things.  Cass and her husband Danny reside in Lusk with their dogs Peeta and Roy, and a cat Gatsby.

Matney will receive her award November 29, 2017 in Casper.