<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4Nf4Yo_1GnyI7nf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Nf4Yo_1GnyI7nf00" width="1440" height="960" ><figcaption>The Casper College Thunderbird sign glows red after its neon was restored recently. The sign’s neon, which was installed by local neon artist Connie Morgan, was destroyed after it was toppled by high winds a couple of years ago. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)</figcaption></figure>CASPER, Wyo. –– Even the mighty, mythical Thunderbird must sometimes bow to Wyoming’s notorious gusts. However, much like another mythical flying creature, the Phoenix, it has made a magnificent return. The mascot’s rebirth was made possible by Casper neon artist Connie Morgan, who was commissioned by the college at first to bedazzle the bird and to help its regeneration after the wind incident. “The former [Casper College] president Darren Divine was the one who actually wanted the Thunderbird done, because I think he was from Las Vegas and wanted some neon on campus,” said Morgan, who has gained acclaim with her GloW Neon Lights studio.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4dYtZ5_1GnyI7nf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4dYtZ5_1GnyI7nf00" width="1440" height="960" ><figcaption>The Casper College Thunderbird sign glows red after its neon was restored recently. The sign’s neon, which was installed by local neon artist Connie Morgan, was destroyed after it was toppled by high winds a couple of years ago. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)</figcaption></figure>The sign itself was originally fabricated early in the campus’s history. “If I remember correctly, it was made by some welding students [in the early 60s],” she said. “So when they started this project, they took it down and had it repainted, and then I put the neon on it.” It was completed in fall 2023 and reinstalled on its base overlooking the city. The base had to be modified to run electric cables, which is where Morgan theorizes the problems began. During the process, someone decided that the base needed another bolt to keep it secure in the ground. “When he put the hole in, I was like, ‘Uh oh, those two holes are too close together,'” she said. “You know, nobody ever listens to me.” The reduced surface area between the bolts couldn’t withstand the repeated pressure and twisting from Casper’s notorious winds. “It wasn’t too terribly long before it blew down,” she said. “It fell down right on its face and I think ripped a transformer out.” <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1vPYqe_1GnyI7nf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1vPYqe_1GnyI7nf00" width="1440" height="1011" ><figcaption>The Casper College Thunderbird sign glows red after its neon was restored recently. The sign’s neon, which was installed by local neon artist Connie Morgan, was destroyed after it was toppled by high winds a couple of years ago. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)</figcaption></figure>Between her full-time job at the college and her dozens of other commissions for her studio, Morgan was able to squeeze in the 10–12 hours needed to re-form and install the new tubes. There is no special coloring inside the neon she chose, which is red to match the college’s colors. “The color is the actual true color of neon when it’s electrically charged,” she said. Morgan was there again when it was reinstalled with an improved base, and this time she’s satisfied that it can now stand proud against the nastiest of Wyoming winds. “I don’t think they’ll pay me a third time to remake it,” she said. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0q5hs9_1GnyI7nf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0q5hs9_1GnyI7nf00" width="1440" height="960" ><figcaption>The Casper College Thunderbird sign glows red after its neon was restored recently. The sign’s neon, which was installed by local neon artist Connie Morgan, was destroyed after it was toppled by high winds a couple of years ago. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)</figcaption></figure></div></body>

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CASPER, Wyo. –– Even the mighty, mythical Thunderbird must sometimes bow to Wyoming’s notorious gusts. However, much like another mythical flying creature, the Phoenix, it has made a magnificent return. The mascot’s rebirth was made possible by Casper neon artist Connie Morgan, who was commissioned by the...

Casper College neon Thunderbird soars brightly again after pummeling by wind

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CASPER, Wyo. –– Even the mighty, mythical Thunderbird must sometimes bow to Wyoming’s notorious gusts. However, much like another mythical flying creature,

Casper College neon Thunderbird soars brightly again after pummeling by wind

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