Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Late in the evening on Feb. 7 a pedestrian in Saratoga was allegedly hit from behind by a truck on the west end of Main St. According to an affidavit, the driver was intoxicated and left the scene. The man hit was taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbon County. Rodrigo Pinedo-Madera, 48, of Saratoga, was charged with three felony and two misdemeanor counts stemming from the incident. The felony charges include Driving While Under the Influence with Serious Bodily Injury, Driving While Under the Inf...
The Saratoga Planning Commission held to zoning ordinances pertaining to fencing and secondary occupation by a night watchman in the light industrial zone at their Feb. 9 regular meeting. The commission agreed that the existing ordinances clearly state that a night watchman or caretaker can be housed on a light industrial property, but that housing is supposed to be within an enclosed structure. In another matter brought by the same person, it was decided that van trailers could not be used to...
I’ve had a good run during my time at the Sun. But, all good things must come to an end … so they say. In a scenario I could not have envisioned even a month ago, an opportunity that would take me away from journalism presented itself in a way that made me think “This is the new path I should take. This is where I can do the most good right now.” I am leaving the Saratoga Sun to take over as Interim Director of the Saratoga Museum. It was not an easy choice and the decision was made during...
The Lady Panthers split their home games last week, but their defense was on point. Adding to their strongest defensive play of the year, Meredith Lincoln had an outstanding Friday afternoon leading the team to a 53-36 victory of Hanna-Elk Mountain- Medicine Bow (HEM). It should be noted that the HEM Lady Miners (2-1 conference, 8-9 overall) honored the sport by presenting a letter in support of Saratoga Lady Panthers (2-6, 5-11) Head Coach Scott Bokelman during his cancer treatment. The HEM...
While the Saratoga Panthers took two losses this weekend, the boys varsity squad battled to the end, just as they have done all season. "I've never coached or been around a team that has faced as much adversity this year's with injuries and other things. I've never been prouder of a team as I have been with these boys," Coach Jason Williams said, reflecting on last week's games. On Friday, the Panthers (0-6 conference, 1-16 overall) came out with energy and intensity against the Hanna-Elk...
At their regular February meeting, the Encampment town council approved expenditures for several pieces of equipment related to town maintenance. The town is looking to move forward with replacement of some fire hydrants and valves and work on the water main loop along Rankin Ave. The expenditure for some new fire hydrants has already been approved. Ken Schwerdt of Engineering Associates said he expects the cost of replacing the hydrants and valves to be around $2,000. The fire hydrant and valve...
In a meeting that lasted a little over 15 minutes, the Town of Riverside took care of the month’s business. In recognition of a local business, the council announced that The BearTrap will be celebrating its eighth anniversary on April 8. The council also signed a letter in support of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities plea to the state legislature to continue current funding of municipalities. WAM notes that the budget proposed by Governor Mead this year would mean a 50.8 percent t...
Fiscal conservatism ruled the day at the Feb. 4 Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting. The special use permit for the proposed solid waste transfer station at the Saratoga landfill was approved unanimously, as recommended by the Carbon County planning and development department. Commissioner Sue Jones abstained from the transfer station vote as she was representing the applicant, the Upper Platte River Solid Waste District. However, a request to replace a full-time administrative...
According to Saratoga Middle-High School Activity Director Rex Hohnholt, Jerriah Gonzales is, "doing really good right now." This is after Gonzales was injured late in the second quarter of Saturday's basketball game against Pine Bluffs. At the end of a Panthers drive to the basket, Gonzales was left unconscious on the floor. A South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services ambulance team was on the scene in approximately 14 minutes. Gonzales was transported to Memorial Hospital of Carbon...
The Saratoga Lady Panthers went to Burns last Friday and brought home their first conference win of the season. In a low-scoring, defensive battle Saratoga (1-5 conference, 4-10 overall) had more stamina and took Burns (2-4, 8-11) down 26-22. Lady Panthers Head Coach Heather Bartlett credits her girls' strong defense for holding the Lady Broncs to such a low score. The first half of the game in Burns ended with the Lady Panthers down by 2 at 9-11. After that the Saratoga girls built up some...
"Five-hundred and fifty dollars for just one day's work is amazing," Kelly Horn said of Saturday's fundraising for Lady Panthers head coach Scott Bokelman. Bokelman was recently diagnosed with thyroid lymphoma and is currently recovering from surgery in Scottsbluff, Neb. under the care of his brother, who is a nurse. "The girls were the ones, right from the get-go, who said 'Can we please do something for coach?'" Horn said on Monday. The team and coaches borrowed an idea from Hanna's halftime...
The South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Service (SCWEMS) recently received four machines that will help save lives in Carbon County. Lucas devices are machines that perform chest compressions necessary in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and allow emergency responders to administer defibrillation shocks concurrently with CPR. It is important to the ambulance service, according to SCWEMS Ambulance Director Heidi Sifford, because, "In a cardiac arrest the only two proven things that show...
Head coach Heather Bartlett said her Saratoga Lady Panthers are unified in the face of switching coaches mid-season. Scott Bokelman started the season with the girls but his cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery has kept him off the court. Saturday's home game in Saratoga saw the beginning of fund raising led by the Lady Panthers that will continue at every home game for the rest of this season. In spite of what Bartlett said she sees as the Lady Panthers (0-4 conference, 3-9 overall) putting...
Watching the Saratoga Panthers varsity team on Saturday was like watching the Denver Broncos, stressful. The Panthers (0-4 conference, 1-12 overall) came out fighting against the Cyclones (2-1, 5-9) keeping the game tied over the first four minutes before pulling ahead with 3:46 left in the first quarter. The Panthers tied the game at 16 all with 2:33 left in the first quarter and held their ground until the Cyclones drained two from the line with 55.5 seconds left. The Panthers never caught bac...
The Medicine Bow Town Council has agreed to sign the proposed amendment to the South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Service (SCWEMS) Joint Powers Board (JPB) agreement that will allow the town of Hanna as a member entity. The hour-and one-half long special meeting on Monday was focused on concerns raised by the town of Medicine Bow about the geographic composition of the JPB and repercussions if a member entity does not pay their dues in a timely fashion. Twenty-five people were in...
This is the first of a three-part series on the public surveys associated with the town of Saratoga Master Plan. The next articles will provide more detail on survey question results and the individual comments supplied by survey participants. One-hundred and seventy-three people completed the second town of Saratoga Master Plan survey, adding what amounts to 24 pages of typewritten individual comments to their answers. Responses to the survey were equal to more than 10 percent of the town's...
“We have snow!” Alyson Sneddon, chair of the Sierra Madre Winter Carnival said excitedly of this year’s festival. Because mother nature has provided early and sustained snows in the bottom of the Valley, sled racing and human saucer bowling are back for the 2016 festivities. “Come on down and play,” Sneddon said. Over $2,500 in prize money is up for grabs this year for events like the treasure hunt, the Sixth Street Sprint, sledding, saucer bowling, snow golf, the bread cook-off and the chili...
Lady Panther head coach Scott Bokelman has been diagnosed with thyroid lymphoma and his Panther family has his back. A moment of silence in support of Bokelman preceded Saturdays game at Encampment. Heather Bartlett has stepped in as interim head coach and said, "One of the things we say all the time in our huddle is 'family,'" adding that the team and the coaches are praying for and supporting Bokelman and his family. A mid-season change in coaching staff is always disruptive, but Bartlett said...
"I'm really proud of these boys. I'm really proud to be their coach. They play hard every game and that shows their character," was coach Jason Williams' takeaway from last week's basketball games. On Jan. 19 the Panthers boy's varsity team (0-2 conference, 1-10 overall) played at Hanna-Elk Mountain-Medicine Bow (6-5) in a game that got to within one point. In the end the Miners bested the Panthers 37-49. Williams reported that after a slow start the Panthers fought bravely in the second half bu...
The speed limit on Wyoming Highway 130 (WYO 130) from Saratoga north to Interstate 80 will be raised to 70 mph later this month, weather permitting, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). Speed limits are also increasing on sections of US Highway 85 from Cheyenne to Newcastle and WYO 120 north of Cody to the Montana border. “WYDOT expects changing the speed limit signs on each of the three highways to take about one day to complete under favorable weather conditions, a...
Council Representative to the Planning Commission Will Faust and Mayor Ed Glode introduced a newly formed Cleanup Committee to the Saratoga Planning Commission at the commissions Jan. 12 meeting. The Cleanup Committee will include eight members including police officers, elected and appointed town officials and town staff. Members are chief of police Thomas Knickerbocker, captain Robert Bifano, sergeant Ken Lehr, zoning officer Kent Smith, director of public works Jon Winter, chairman of the...
It is no secret around the Saratoga Sun office and at home that I have been feeling grumpier than usual lately. I definitely fit into the curmudgeon category sometimes, and lately I have fallen in to the trap of resentment. As the saying goes, holding a resentment against someone is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will get sick. I have found it a fine line to walk, working for the newspaper and trying not to judge people. Another saying is that it is none of my business what peo...
At their Jan. 14 meeting, the Encampment Town Council passed ordinance 17.36.020(h) on its third public reading. The ordinance restricts future mobile home placement to established mobile home parks with the exception of existing mobile homes which shall be considered legal non-conforming structures. As the Riverside Town Council did earlier in the evening, the Encampment council signed a letter written by Carbon County Deputy Attorney Ashley Mayfield asking the town of Medicine Bow to accept...
The Riverside Town Council signed a letter urging the town of Medicine Bow to sign the proposed amendment to the South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Service (SCWEMS) Joint Powers Agreement as written. The letter, written by Carbon County Deputy Attorney Ashley Mayfield, notes that all of the other SCWEMS entities have approved the amendment to the agreement without any additional terms. Riverside Mayor Leroy Stephenson discussed fine tuning the air supply to the biodomes installed last year...
Will Faust celebrated the New Year by opening his own Edward Jones office in downtown Saratoga. Faust is excited to be building his own business serving the financial and wealth management needs of Carbon County. "To have the third largest financial advising, wealth management company in the country embedded in a town like Saratoga ... serving rural Carbon County was a unique opportunity for me to start putting some of my degree to work, building a real business that's mine and providing a...