Along Wyoming’s highways, motorists will occasionally see a sign that features a broken heart and a dove.

These signs on a tall, white background over an outline that resembles a memorial marker are symbols of grief and sorrow, and healing and hope. They have been requested by families in honor of their loved ones who lost their lives in traffic crashes on state and federal highways and interstates.

Beginning in 2003, the Wyoming Department of Transportation has offered these specially designed and free memorial signs to families. It’s not uncommon to see memorials to those lost on state roadways, most maintained by friends and families featuring a cross and/or a cache of flowers and other personal items.

It’s not widely known that families also can request an official marker from WYDOT, even though the program has been around for more than 20 years.

“The Roadside Memorial Program was created because we are sympathetic to the families who want to remember their loved ones this way,” WYDOT spokesperson Cody Beers said. “We work with them so that they can place these memorials.”

The goal of the signage program is to remember the victims of traffic crashes and recognize the needs of grieving families, while still maintaining a safe clear zone along the highways.

Highway Safety

Even though people put them up, those independent memorials are discouraged.

“We don’t allow private memorials alongside of our roads,” Beers said. “One of the reasons is for safety. We try to try to keep people from stopping along the roadway and then walking across the highway.

“When we go through this memorial program with applicants, we ask them not to decorate the memorial and let the sign speak for itself.”

The sign program was created as a compromise so families could still have their memorials at the area where their loved one died, but without the danger to themselves or breaking the law.

Wyoming law prohibits any encroachment, such as advertising signs or private memorials, on highway rights of way. These private installations, according to WYDOT, can pose a danger to motorists and those who put the memorials up or stop to add to it.

By having WYDOT personnel install and maintain the breakaway signs, they meet federal safety standards. It also eliminates the dangers of family members erecting memorials beside a highway, and of having unregulated obstructions in the clear zone along the road.

Any private memorials placed in highway rights of way will be removed and held at the nearest WYDOT shop for two weeks to give family members an opportunity to retrieve them.

The Roadside Memorial Program was created as a compromise, Beers said.

Requesting A Sign

“If families want us to place a sign by where their loved one died in a car crash, we have an application process on the WYDOT website,” Beers said. “We need a copy of the application, the crash report, and then we can look into it. If it has merit, we put up a sign form at the crash site, or as close to the crash site as we can.”

After receiving the application, WYDOT will install the memorial sign as soon as it is practical, and it will remain in place for ten years. At that time, the family will have the option of having the sign removed so they can claim it, leaving the sign up without maintenance until deterioration requires it be removed or having a new sign installed for a $50 fee to cover the costs of fabrication and installation.

WYDOT makes every effort to locate memorial signs as close as possible to the site of the fatalities, but maintenance personnel have the flexibility to consider safety concerns.

“Families are thankful this program exists,” Cody said. “We only get a few applications each year in my district. I can’t speak for the other districts, but we don’t get an application for everybody who dies in a car crash. But some people are very adamant that this is the way they want to remember their family member who is important to them. The crash occurred, and we respect that.”

Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.

The San Francisco Giants have a few positions that they need to address during the upcoming offseason to get the team on track. One of the spots that will be under consideration is first base.

Last season, they used LaMonte Wade Jr., Wilmer Flores and Mark Canha for a large chunk of the playing time. But, all three may move on this offseason.

Wade is set for arbitration while Flores and Canha are both free agents.

With Bryce Eldridge moving rapidly through their farm system, things are complicated a little bit at the position. The Giants don’t want to block him from being promoted if he earns it, but he will be turning only 20 years old on October 20th.

Thrusting him into the lineup after only one season of being a full-time hitter would be asking a lot, but the talent is certainly there.

Keeping his potential promotion in mind, here are three first basemen San Francisco should pursue this offseason.

The Giants are a young team that could use some veterans with experience to lead the clubhouse. Not wanting to block their star prospect’s ascension, a player of Turner’s caliber would check all of the boxes.

Turning 40 years old in November, he still remains a productive player. With the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners this season, he produced a 2.2 WAR with a .259/.354/.383 slash line with 11 home runs and 24 doubles.

With 86 playoff games and a World Series ring on his resume, he would be a great addition to the team. Given his age, a short-term deal as a stopgap until Eldridge is ready makes a lot of sense.

If San Francisco wants to take a big swing in free agency, there aren’t many hitters who fit the mold of what they are looking for more than the New York Mets All-Star first basemen. He would bring a ton of power to the lineup, hitting at least 34 home runs in every season of his career.

Turning 30 in December, he will be seeking a long-term deal in free agency. While he plays the same position as Eldridge, he shouldn’t block him from being called up.

Alonso has improved defensively but is still below average with the glove. Moving to designated hitter full-time could be in his future, as production was lacking at that spot in the team’s lineup as well.

Another stop-gap option in a similar vane as Turner would be Santana. He would fill a lot of the same needs as a veteran for a potentially young clubhouse that has produced consistently at the Major League level.

The biggest difference between Santana and the other players on the list is that he is an elite fielder. He is more than capable of holding down the position until Eldridge is ready and even beyond that is the team just wants their young stud to focus on hitting in the early going.

The veteran remains a source of power, as he hit 23 home runs this season and knocked in 71 runs for the Minnesota Twins. He gets on base with regularity as well, taking 65 walks.

The Denver Broncos are finally ready to bring back rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele who has been a healthy scratch for several weeks since suffering an injury in Week 1. He was Bo Nix’s favorite target in that first game and could factor in heavily today against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Another rookie is returning to action with running back Audric Estimé coming back off injury. Defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike is also making his first appearance today since 2022 after serving that yearlong suspension last season. Disappointingly, tight end Greg Dulcich remains on the inactive list again this week with Lucas Krull taking his active spot.

The big news on the other side of the ball is that the Chargers will be without edge rusher Joey Bosa. With the injuries to the Broncos offensive line in recent weeks, that is some much needed relief for them in this game. Keeping Bo Nix clean and unhurried could be the difference in this game.

Here are your gameday inactives for the Broncos-Chargers game this afternoon.