Thumbs up to the start of the school year in Powell. Northwest College students returned to classes Monday, and students in Park County School District No. 1 followed suit on Wednesday.

For Powell Middle School students, the first day of school was especially exciting as they set foot in their brand-new building.

With modern features, lots of natural light, innovative technology, bright colors, unique classrooms and science labs, the new school hardly resembles the previous building.

The school is a wonderful addition to our community, and we’re looking forward to its completion. Over the next year, construction crews will build a new art/music wing, finish renovation of the existing gym and complete landscaping and site work.

The new middle school building stands as a reminder of the high level of investment in education in Powell and statewide.

From toddlers in the Pre-Kindergarten Transition Program to older adults returning to Northwest College, Powell offers exceptional opportunities in public education at every level.

As students sharpen their pencils — or rather, turn on their computers and tablets — we hope the coming year is filled with learning, new friendships and academic success.

Thumbs down to the increase in tularemia cases in Wyoming this summer.

Sadly, a Cowley man died of the rare disease, and at least 10 other Wyoming residents have contracted it. Usually, the state only sees one or two cases per year.

“To see this many cases reported in Wyoming in a single year is striking,” said Dr. Tracy Murphy, state epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health.

Also known as rabbit fever or deer fly fever, tularemia often affects rabbits and rodents. According to the Department of Health, the disease can be transmitted to people when they are bit by infected ticks or flies or when they handle sickened animals. It also spreads through contact with untreated, contaminated water.

For more information about the disease’s symptoms and what precautions to take, visit http://powelltribune.com/news/item/13976-rabbit-fever

Thumbs up to the Intercultural House opening at Northwest College next week.

For decades, NWC has welcomed students from around the world. In our rural community, where diversity is often lacking, international students teach us valuable lessons and provide cultural experiences through the Multicultural Showcase, concerts and other events throughout the school year.

Through the longstanding Friendship Family Program, international students and local residents have shared meals, holidays and trips, forging lifelong friendships in the process.

The new NWC Intercultural House provides a gathering spot for international and minority students, while also offering opportunities for intercultural dialogue and learning in our community.

The renovated home will be celebrated with an open house at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, which will feature tours, an African drum performance, Native American dance and a Sri Lankan ritual lamp lighting. The slate of upcoming programs includes global discussions by NWC faculty who have traveled abroad, international film showings and discussions, religious presentations offered in partnership with Powell Valley Community Education, celebrations for Hispanic Heritage Month and more.

The Intercultural House promises to be a place where Big Horn Basin residents’ views of the world can be expanded and enriched.

Thumbs up to the annual pilgrimage hosted by the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center over the weekend.

The center preserves the stories, photographs and artifacts from the World War II relocation camp, where thousands of Japanese-Americans lived behind barbed wire.

In recent years, the center also has worked to preserve decades-old infrastructure that remains at the site. The most striking example is the camp’s iconic brick chimney, but there’s also historic infrastructure underground.

A root cellar that provided storage space for crops was dedicated recently as part of the interpretive center. While it’s not stable enough for visitors at this time, Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation leaders hope to make it available to the public in the future.

What happened to Japanese-Americans during World War II is a painful part of our history to remember — but it’s one we must not forget.