Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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All of my life — I have loved puzzles. Puzzles of all kinds — jigsaw puzzles, math puzzles, video game puzzles, New York Times crosswords and mystery novels. I like to solve things and find tidy solutions. I think as I am aging — keeping my mind engaged in finding the answer becomes more important. My start in education began in engineering finding solutions to complicated math and science problems. I furthered my drive for solving puzzles with new situations arising every...
The two Saratoga Town Council meetings in December wrapped up business, saw a councilwoman’s term end and set the stage for a new council in 2025. The first item to be cleared was the ongoing liquor license saga for the American Legion Post 54. The issuance of the liquor license was tabled and delayed for the month of November due to complaints filed with the Town and the State of Wyoming Liquor Division. The American Legion Commander, James Olguin, attended the December 3 m...
Pickleball players swarmed the Recreation Commission meeting Monday night expressing concerns over the possible increase in recreation fees in the new year. The fee increase would directly impact the pickleball fans and their ability to afford to play their sport. The members of the commission were taken aback by a packed house for the monthly meeting. “Wow! We appreciate everyone coming in and advocating for yourselves,” said Recreation President Megan James. “This committee...
This time of year, the mantra “Shop Local” is shouted from the rooftops. With the busy Christmas season upon us, our local businesses are hopefully overwhelmed with residents shopping and dining in our community. My family tries to keep our small town thriving by buying gifts in town rather than shopping online. All that being said, I cringe a little and think back to my eighth grade English teacher when hearing or reading the rallying cry used by locals. According to Web...
For over 40 years, the Saratoga Lake has boasted a pinnacle event in the state of Wyoming in the form of the Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby. Fish aficionados from all over converge on the lake to try to capture the prize for the largest trout based on length and girth. In 2021, a graduate student from the University of Wyoming discovered an invasive non-native species of Yellow Perch in Saratoga Lake. The anglers during the 2022 fishing derby also caught more than just...
These days in the chronically online world, it is easy to click on an app on your phone or go to big box stores, but did you know that the Platte Valley retail stores have a lot to offer? In the Platte Valley, Main Street is still alive with shops all around Saratoga and Encampment. We went shopping before Thanksgiving and found great ideas for Christmas gifts in our advertisers’ stores. Restaurants The Hotel Wolf is the cornerstone of downtown Saratoga and offers gift c...
The two Saratoga Town Council meetings in November centered around the renewal of liquor licenses for various businesses in Saratoga. Two of the businesses, the Rustic Bar and Lazy River Cantina, have seen fights and unruly behavior at least twice a month. According to acting police chief John Moore, fights and other disturbances at the businesses have not caused problems for the department. Every liquor license was renewed at the November 5 meeting except for one. The only...
On the ballot November 5, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County’s (MHCC) hospital district initiative barely failed to pass by 89 votes. Per a press release, this does not mean MHCC is closing its doors. The hospital does face financial challenges, but this was only one component of the overall financial picture. “I personally look at the campaign as a win. To take a grass roots approach to the campaign and to have accomplished what we did in just under 4 months is inc...
Interest in speech and debate died out in 2021 when only four students signed up for the team and at least five students were needed to compete. This year there are nine to 11 students interested and coaches lining up to assist. COVID restrictions in 2020 resulted in the state competition being conducted online with teams competing through a computer monitor and virtual judging. The passion for debating without realtime interactions died out, at least for the Platte Valley...
Every spring, students in third through 10th grades participate in the Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress (WY-TOPP) which gauges students’ abilities based on Wyoming Content and Performance Standards (WYCPS). The test is produced and offered through an outside evaluation agency. Writing, mathematics, science and language arts are tested over several days to evaluate the progress of students year to year. Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) saw mixed results f...
The Saratoga Panthers lost their path to the 1A-nine man championship football game in War Memorial Stadium on November 8 in Pine Bluffs. After putting up their best season in 17 years, the Panthers succumbed to the Hornet’s nest in a 12-42 defeat. The Saratoga team was shutout the first half of the game with two interceptions thrown by Jace Westring and caught by Pine Bluff’s Carsten Freeburg. ‘We fell behind early and struggled to stop their running game,” said Head Coach J...
The results of the 2024 General Election are now official following an audit held by the Carbon County Clerk’s Office on November 7. Along with certifying the results of the general election, the clerk’s office also reported a 105% turnout. The audit was conducted in the Carbon County Commissioner’s Room at the Carbon Building — Courthouse Annex Room by Gwynn Bartlett, Carbon County Clerk, and Lisa Smith, Chief Deputy Clerk. Of the 6,446 ballots cast, 75 were randomly selecte...
United States Air Force veterans Alex and Karen Smith can be found in full force at downtown’s Shively Hardware in Saratoga moving here in November 2023. Karen is no stranger to Saratoga as she grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and Saratoga, Wyoming. Her mom, Mary Jellen, is the second of the Glode/Shively children making Karen a 4th generation to work in the family hardware store. Alex grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, graduated high school in 1992 and joined the Air Force in 1995. K...
The last time the Saratoga Panthers made it past the quarterfinals in the postseason playoffs was in 11 man 2A football in 2007. The Panthers accomplished a semi-final advancement with another nail-biting game against the Shoshoni Wranglers, the 2A West number one seed on November 1. “What a great playoff game and exciting win for the Panthers,” said Head Coach Jared Mason. “It has been a long time coming, and I'm so proud of the effort from every player who continues to pu...
The Saratoga Panther cross-country team finished their season at state in Cheyenne on October 26 with freshman Vanessa King earning all state honors. “A big congratulations goes out to our newest All-State performer, Vanessa King,” said Head Coach Rex Hohnholt. “A great honor for you Vanessa and you and others are just scratching the surface of what you can achieve in the future.” While the teams did not stand on the podium for a team win — the gains made over the course of...
On Wednesday, October 16, a fire broke out at the gun range outside Saratoga igniting the tires used as a backstop at the far side of the range and the surrounding sagebrush. Firefighters from Saratoga immediately responded to put out the flames and tamp down the black smoke which could be seen all over town. Units from Ryan Park, Encampment, Sinclair, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the United States Forest Service joined in the containment that occurred an hour after...
As their season of firsts comes to an end, the Saratoga Panthers made it to the 9-man playoffs for the first time since 2020 under [then] Head Coach Logan Wright. The Panthers had possibly one of their best seasons in 40 years catching a win over Lusk [first in 20 years] and a win over Wright overcoming a low scoring game battle putting double digits on the board. The Panthers have earned a playoff berth as the 4th seed heading into the post season prior to even competing in...
Department of Public Works (DPW) director Emery Penner and his streets department were heralded throughout the Saratoga Town Council meeting October 15 for their recents efforts all over town. According to Penner, on two projects alone — Greater Road and South River Street — his team and contractors put in 1,400 feet of 12-inch water line, chip sealed four miles of roads and mended 9,000 feet of streets with mill and overlay to the tune of $4 million of work. “We [stre...
After 125 years in continuous business, RNB State Bank is ready to celebrate. Originally chartered as a state bank, the Rawlins State Bank opened its doors on January 2, 1899 in Rawlins, Wyoming according to advertising in the Rawlins Semi-Weekly Republican. The bank, at the time, listed I.C. Miller as President, WM Daley as Vice-President and J.A. Rendle as Cashier. In 1900, the charter turned to a national level and the Rawlins National Bank (RNB) was born. In 1991, Rawlins...
For most of their season, the Saratoga Panthers had defied expectations. On their third coach in three years, the Panthers secured a win over Lusk for the first time since 2004. They followed that up with their third win in three years over the Wright Panthers, this time with a double-digit lead. Last year, they felled Wright 6-0 and the year before they won 4-0. It’s been history in the making for both Saratoga Panthers fans and high school football fans. As was noted by P...
On Tuesday, September 17 the volleyball gym turned the color of teal in honor and in remembrance of Laurie Johnston, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in August. Laurie was a coach in Saratoga and Encampment for over 40 years and was a referee for many of the volleyball games. Coach Shayley Love, Athletic Director Greg Bartlett and booster club volunteer Karen Condict felt the Valley competition would be the perfect opportunity to show Johnston honor and respect. Coach...
The Saratoga Panthers cross country team ended their regular season in Cheyenne at the Leroy Sprague Invitational Meet on Friday, October 11. The varsity team racers continued to improve their individual times leading up to the state championship which will also be held in Cheyenne. “The performances from our high school kids left me very optimistic heading into the state cross-country meet held in two weeks,” said Head Coach Rex Hohnholt. “It was great to see all the athle...
Preparing and mending county roads, vaccines and winter preparedness, and health of the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County were some of the hot topics at the Board of Carbon County Commissioners' (BOCCC) meeting on October 1 at the Courthouse Annex in Rawlins. Improve For Next Year Road and Bridge Coordinator Kandis Fritz presented plans to improve roads in Carbon County by seeking funding for Magnesium Chloride on multiple county roads. In 2001, a study was conducted with...
Zoning was the main topic of discussion during the October 1 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council as the governing body denied a previously tabled zone change and discussed the zoning and restrictive covenants of the former skilled nursing facility. Rousu Zone Change For nearly two months, David Rousu has been undergoing the process of a zone change for property he purchased at 804 W Bridge Avenue. The application was approved on a split vote at the August 13 meeting of the...
