Week of July 11, 2024
Week of July 11, 2024
Photo by Joshua Wood Morgan Hillyard, left, had the opportunity of a lifetime as she got to play Lita Ford’s double electric guitar with the help of the Queen of Heavy Metal herself at Saratoga Days on July 6. Lita Ford was the headliner at this year’s free concert, which also featured Southern Fryed and Los Cheesies. See more photos in next week’s Saratoga... Full story
Public notices and lifeguards were discussed at the July 2 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Joshua Wood, vice president of the Wyoming Press Association (WPA), gave the council a presentation on open meeting laws and the importance of using newspapers for public notices. Wood discussed the Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM) Resolution 24-09, regarding legal advertisements. WAM resolutions are not law, but rather suggestions for laws to be enacted by the legislature. The resolution changes the current requirement of local...
Discussion regarding putting the formation of a hospital tax district on the 2024 election ballot took place at the June 18 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC). The proposed district would add taxes in certain areas in Carbon County to go towards the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC). MHCC Board of Trustees members Garry Goergen and Jerry Steele presented the plan to the BOCCC. “Our hospital is in dire financial straits quite frankly,” Goergen said. “I think we’re probably the only critical access...
On June 24, Bridge Street Bargains made a donation of $20,150.00 to Never Forget Park. This is just the latest in fundraising for the park as it prepares to begin phase one of construction. Never Forget Park began in memory of Army Staff Sergeant Tyler Pickett, who was killed in Iraq’s Kirkuk Province in 2008. It has now been expanded to remember and honor the fallen heroes of the U.S. military, law enforcement, and first responders. Stacy Crimmins, member of the Never Forget Park Committee,...
For the first time in the 22 year history of the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering, slated for July 19, 20 and 21 at Grand View Park in Encampment, the promotional artwork will feature the mountain man. During past years the theme has been cowboy and ranch, with last year an Indian painting. Noted western and wildlife artist R. G. Finney of Riverside has donated his painting “Mountain Vista” to the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering Outfit (GECGO) for use in advertising and promotion of the...
Sweet Marie’s Mercantile would like to help artistic students build their portfolio by allowing them to paint the Mercantile with cheerful and meaningful artwork. This work will support our local young artists to purchase paint, pay our young artists and be able to involve themselves in changing the facade of one of our prominent buildings in the downtown area of Saratoga. Murals not only spread cheer, but they create a sense of community, beautify community spaces and increase tourism! The...
The Snowy Range became the scene of an active investigation over the July 4 holiday, limiting traffic on Wyoming Highway 130 at the Snowy Range Scenic Bypass and closing off the Mirror Lake Day Use area. According to a press release from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, a report was received at 8 p.m. on July 4 of a body near Mirror Lake which was later confirmed by the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office announced there was no immediate danger to the public and the cause and manner of death was being investigated. As of press...
One week after investigating the death of an unresponsive individual in downtown Saratoga, the identity of the person and the cause of death have been released by the Saratoga Police Department. In a press release issued by Chief Mike Morris, it was announced the deceased was 38-year-old Jacob Warren McNare of Cheyenne. According to the press release, it was determined McNare had died from a single gunshot wound and the death had been ruled a suicide. “Although McNare had past family ties to the Platte Valley and Saratoga, he had not been a...
A grassland fire caused by fireworks—which are illegal in Carbon County—burned nearly five acres and, at its peak, required 40 firefighters and 17 firefighting apparatus. At around 7:30 p.m. on July 6, the Rawlins Fire Department responded to a call for a grassland fire off Rodeo Court, according to a press release from the City of Rawlins. The fire spread into a nearby salvage yard in the 700 and 800 blocks between East Cedar and East Spruce streets, behind Fremont Motors and Skyline...
Samantha Duke, a graduate of Saratoga Middle High School and senior at University of Wyoming (UW), turned her dreams into reality when she became the newly appointed Miss Wyoming Volunteer. Duke graduated from Saratoga Middle High School in 2021 and is currently studying communications at UW. She said she began competing in pageants when she graduated from Saratoga. When she began her journey two years ago, Duke made it her goal to become the next Miss Wyoming Volunteer her senior year. “I...
The sound of horses galloping mixed with ATVs speeding around the arena got the crowd cheering for the inaugural Carbon County Rubber Check Race at Encampment-Riverside Lions Club Arena on June 29. Six teams—Mead Lumber, The A-Team, KYPH, The Ranch Hand Rebels, Turnpike Terrors, and JB Trucking—competed to be the winner of the first-ever Rubber Check Race in Carbon County. Each team raced for the best time by getting batons across the finish line as fast as possible. The race began with two...
Platte Valley Little League has finished its regular season and is now preparing for the District 2 Tournament in Laramie from July 15 to July 20. According to Head Coach Ben Spaulding, his team has an opportunity to represent the state of Wyoming if they can get past the District 2 Tournament and win the State Championship. He said his team has a long way to go but they could earn a ticket to Davenport, Iowa and represent Team USA in the Little League World Series. “The way it works is we...
The Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce hosted its 3rd Annual Platte River Independence Day 5K Run/Walk on July 4. Runners and walkers appeared excited as a crowd gathered at the starting line to see them off. Kids and their guardians participated together to kick off the 4th of July weekend as young children also took part in the half-mile kids' fun run. Chamber CEO Amanda Knotwell said she had coordinated the event to take place during the annual Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department...
248 years ago our founding fathers declared their independence. I think in this time as we celebrate with parades, rodeos, barbecues and fireworks we must take time to read the Declaration of Independence and fully appreciate what those 13 colonies did back in 1776. The Declaration of Independence is too long to republish here. It lists a lengthy set of grievances against the King of Great Britain. The founding fathers wrote in part, “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it...
Saratoga, we really should hand it to ourselves. We know how to do Independence Day right. Why else would we be seeing more and more people coming to our small corner of Wyoming? The Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department pancake breakfast had a line snaking out of the firehall and down Spring Avenue. The 3rd Annual Independence Day 5K Run/Walk had nearly 150 participants this year, with many people signing up the day of the event. Finally, the Independence Day Parade was one of the largest I’ve...
Grief is the experience of coping with loss, or the acute pain that accompanies the loss of someone or something that has occupied a space in our lives, our hearts. Why, then, did the term ‘good grief” arise? How might we acquaint grief with something good? The phrase may have originated as an explanation in a short story by Raymond Chandler in the late 1930’s. It then began to appear in the 1940’s in other writings. However, it began became more common in the 1950’s and 1960’s when used by Charles Schultz in his popular comic...
It’s reassuring to know that as a child of God, you are not alone in this world. Our gracious heavenly Father has promised that He is aware and interested in even the tiniest occurrences in your life and has promised to be with you always. Does this mean you will never have struggles and problems? Of course not, but knowing we are secure in the palm of His hand definitely gives us hope and faith. Matthew chapter six reveals that He knows what we need before we even ask Him, and this spiritual insight brings comfort to realize that God loves...
This month, Bank of Commerce (BOC) announced in a press release they were “proudly recognizing their 40th Anniversary of banking in Carbon County.” The journey began for Bank of Commerce on July 2, 1984, by a group led by John W. France and Dr. Archie Kirsch, who purchased the assets of Wyoming Bank of Rawlins. Through the years, the Bank has grown exponentially, even despite the recent economic challenges of the global pandemic and high interest rate environment that followed. Copper France, President & CEO said, “We have continued to...
The Platte Valley is filled with countless things to do regardless of the season. Floating the Platte and Encampment rivers or hiking in the summer, snowmobiling or cross-country skiing in the winter or fishing throughout the year, adventure awaits. With so much to do, and often so little time, it’s important to find a place for breakfast or lunch which can get you on your way. Look no further than Saratoga Sandwich Company, one of three restaurants owned by Tommy and Cassie Orduno. Started...
Here in the United States car culture is a unique staple in the greater American culture. We make movies about cars like the Fast and Furious movies and one of my personal favorites, American Graffiti. We write books and have entire portions of the internet just dedicated to the culture around cars. Cars represent many different things. The classics are staples of history and with them hold memories. People who love cars also say their cars have their own personality that you can feel as you...
