Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Three out of five seats on the Sierra Madre Water & Sewer Joint Powers Board (SMWSJPB) are up for appointment at the beginning of 2016. This year one appointment will be made by the town of Riverside, and two appointments will be made by the East Riverside Wyoming Water and Sewer District (ERWWSD). The ERWWSD represents the outlying communities of Cherokee Meadows and Blackhall Road. Because they are separate governmental entities a joint powers board was formed to manage the water...
Locally sourced thrift store, Bridge Street Bargains, has moved to 114 E. Bridge Avenue and is continuing its tradition of benefiting the Saratoga community. After the lease on its previous location was not renewed and Chris Lamprecht had made the decision to step down from running the store, a corps of volunteers made some quick moves to keep the shop running. Carol Beach, president of the new board, said the move was a blur. Beach and fellow Valley Services Organization members Merlynn Hoopes...
Alyson Sneddon coined the phrase “Merry Merchant Day Encampment/Riverside,” when discussing this upcoming Saturday when local businesses will join together to promote shopping locally this holiday season. Christy Smith, director of the Grand Encampment Museum (GEM) came up with the idea to band local merchants in the Upper Platte Valley together for their own version of the national Shop Small Saturday. “I was out of town for the national shop small day, so I thought ‘Let’s do our own,’ it...
After this week’s practice which included mandatory participation in the Jingle Bell Run, the Lady Panthers Basketball squad is heading to Burns this weekend for the first tournament of the year. Head Coach Scott Bokelman said that the team has a core of experienced players to lead the team from the start. Three returning starters, Meredith Lincoln, Haley Soles and Katie Loose will be joined by Cruz Escobedo who had her fair share of time on the court last season. Bokelman said since those l...
Head Coach Jason Williams said his seven returning seniors will lead the team this weekend at the Burns tournament. Williams pointed out that he has a large senior class including last years’ starters Rod Escobedo, Jace Berger, Darian Williams and Cameron Lehr along with Christian Soles, Aaron Kerbs and Danny Brannon. Junior Morgan Rempel fills out the list of returning players. “We’re pretty balanced, and then there’s the senior leadership,” Williams said looking forward to the first games of t...
One of Governor Mead's priority areas for analysis and treatment of insect and disease infestation will be discussed at two upcoming public meetings to be held by the U.S. Forest Service. The proposed North Savery project, located about 15 miles west of Encampment, is primarily concerned with silvacultural treatments, but also includes travel and recreation management on the Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District. District ranger Melanie Fullman explained, "Whenever we are doing any type of major...
With 179 people stuffed to the gills, Helpings Hands hosted a record-breaking dinner on Thanksgiving Day. After fulfilling 63 delivery orders (compared to 25 last year) and serving 116 folks at the St. Anne's Parish Hall last Thursday, Helping Hands volunteers basked in the glow of an amazing effort. They provided a full dinner including six turkeys roasted to golden perfection, pounds and pounds of sweet and salty ham, 65 pounds of mashed potatoes, the best stuffing this reporter has ever had...
“When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” – Sinclair Lewis *** I’ve often said that growing up in the Washington D.C. area made me critically aware of politics. I ran screaming from northern Virginia when I was 17 and fled to the Rocky Mountain west, but until that point my local news was also often national news. For my own sanity I have largely shied away from writing about politics, especially on social media. My induction into journalism writing...
The town of Elk Mountain held a special meeting Monday night at which they approved the proposed joint powers agreement (JPA) amendment to allow Hanna onto the South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Service (SCWEMS), leaving Medicine Bow as the only SCWEMS member to not sign the amendment as written. Member entities Carbon County, Saratoga, Encampment, Riverside and hopeful member Hanna had all approved the JPA amendment prior to Elk Mountain’s special meeting. The town of Medicine Bow did n...
The Snowy Range Road (WY 130), between Saratoga and Centennial was closed for the season on Nov. 12. Battle Pass (WY 70) between Encampment and Baggs will probably close soon. WY 130 is closed on the eastern side at the Green Rock picnic area near milepost 36, about eight miles west of Centennial. The eastern closure is near milepost 48, above Ryan Park. According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), WY 70 usually closes within days of WY 130. The Nov. 12 closure of the Snowy...
The South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Service (SCWEMS) Joint Powers Board (JPB) met for their regular monthly meeting on Nov. 11 in Saratoga. The bulk of the meeting was taken up with discussion of which ambulances should be taken out of service and where new ambulances should be stationed. Ambulance Service Manager Heidi Sifford expressed her opinion that SCWEMS ambulance inventory is too large and is costing the service money that they do not need to expend. An effort to sell some of...
After discussion with county commissioner Sue Jones the Riverside town council approved the South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Service Joint Powers Board joint powers agreement (JPA) as written at their Nov. 12 meeting. Even in light of the town of Medicine Bow rejecting the JPA amendment Riverside decided to add their approval to that of Carbon County, Saratoga, Hanna. Encampment approved the amendment later in the evening and the town of Elk Mountain approved it at a special meeting on...
Following a public hearing on the matter, the town of Encampment is moving forward with Ordinance 17.36.020(h), a zoning change in the business district. Specifically, it will take a conditional use permit for existing trailer homes in the district to be replaced with trailer homes in the future. Public concern voiced at the meeting is that the zoning change may disallow the historical use of a property. Mayor Greg Salisbury stated that the town is trying to reserve space for future business...
At the Nov. 10 Saratoga Planning Commission meeting several complaints made to Kent Smith, zoning officer, were presented to the commission. In light of the complaints, Smith asked for direction from the planning commission regarding code enforcement. The general consensus was that Smith should be enforcing the codes that are on the book. “Blanket statement, we need to enforce the ordinances, period,” Chris Shannon, of the planning commission said. Specific complaints involve fences between ind...
The 20th annual Platte Valley Helping Hands (PVHH) Free Thanksgiving Dinner will be on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, this year. The dinner will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at St. Anne’s Parish Hall, 218 Spring Ave., Saratoga. This year’s menu includes roast turkey and dressing, baked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, green peas, relish trays, dinner rolls, beverages and pumpkin pie for dessert. Take-out dinners are available, and those who want meals to go can cal...
During his criminal hearing in the Second Judicial District Court last week Ryan Scott Simmons changed his plea from not guilty to Nolo Contendre, or no contest, to the charge of felony interference with a peace officer. According to a judgment and order accepting plea and for presentence investigation document filed Nov. 6, Simmons has been convicted of the crime. The document stipulates that Simmons will sign a release of civil liability to Officer George Phillips of the Saratoga Police...
Kevin Farley and Patrick John Carroll were bound of to the Carbon County District Court on felony charges after a Nov. 5 preliminary hearing. The hearing for a third suspect, Mitchel Demetrius Thomas was postponed until 11 a.m. on Dec. 2. The charges stem from an Oct. 24 incident when a man was allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and illegal drugs were found. The suspects were bound over to the district court for final disposition after probable cause was found. The arraignment hearings for Farley...
The Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP), county sheriff's and local police were involved in a high speed pursuit of a stolen vehicle which spanned 185 miles and one hour and 46 minutes. The pursuit started after a 2009 Kia Optima was reported stolen in Rock Springs. The incident ended on Interstate 80 (I-80) about five miles west of Laramie. According to the WHP, agencies involved in the pursuit included sheriffs from Sweetwater, Carbon and Albany counties as well as Rawlins, Sinclair and Laramie polic...
Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) is building an avian observation tower at its Seven Mile Hill wind farm between Medicine Bow and Hanna. The purpose of the tower is to understand and minimize eagle collision risks with turbines according to Margaret Oler, with RMP. Oler said the company has protocols in place that will be bolstered by the observation tower. "When eagles appear to be at risk of collision with the wind turbines, the company takes wind turbines offline," Oler said, adding, "Using the...
You may have seen the woman with the short blond hair in the forest service law enforcement truck around Saratoga or out on the forest. Her name is Hannah Nadeau and she is working a career that she decided she wanted to follow when she was a teenager. "I decided I wanted this job when I was 14," Nadeau said, noting, "I read an article in the Salt Lake Tribune about a park ranger that was a law enforcement officer at Zion National Park, and I decided that's what I want to do." Nadeau cites a...
Riverside resident Ken Drain spent most of his career with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Federal Highways Administration (FHA), but it was his time in the Army and Army Reserve that provided his introduction to the "real world". In 1968, immediately after Drain graduated from Montana State University with a degree in civil engineering he contacted the draft board to see where he stood. The draft board informed Drain that there were only eight people on the draft list from his...
Since his graduation from the Naval Academy and commissioning in the US Navy, Saratoga High School graduate Wyatt Hill has been spending time in the air learning to command naval flights. Hill hopes to be in the back seat of an F-18 as a Naval Flight Leader (NFL) by the end of his training. Currently, the 23-year old, is completing his time in the T-6 Texan II, a single prop, low altitude plane used for primary and intermediate Naval Flight Officer (NFO) training. When asked why he joined the...
On Oct. 24, three men were arrested by county sheriff's in the McCarty Canyon area north of Savery, Wyo. for the alleged kidnapping of one victim, threatening that victim with weapons and possession of illegal drugs. According to an affidavit by Captain Derrek Craig with the Carbon County Sheriff's Office a 911 call was received a little after 10 a.m. on Oct. 24. During the call the dispatcher could reportedly hear shouting that appeared to be related to an altercation. While searching for a...
On Oct. 26 and 27 Carbon County Road and Bridge crews made repairs to Forest Service Road 261 (FSR 261) also known as the Cedar Pass road. During the rest of the week they removed trees around the Flying Diamond bridge on Carbon County Road 680, the Baggot Rocks road. Bill Nation, Carbon County Road and Bridge Superintendent, said the work on FSR 261 appeared to be successful, but, "Mother nature will be the decider on that." Nation said his crew cut 35 to 40 feet into the uphill side of the roa...
The Hanna-Elk Mountain-Medicine Bow (HEM) Lady Miners volleyball team headed to the 1A East Regional Volleyball Tournament in Rawlins last weekend with high hopes. The ladies showed strength, pride and tenacity but went home on Saturday after losing to Rock River in the second round of consolation matches. HEM (12-11) faced off against the Upton Lady Bobcats (6-2, 17-11) Friday morning, working hard in a five set match taken by Upton (11-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 10-15). Upton took control...