Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Brews are in this weekend as the 28th Annual Steinley Cup Microbrew Competition returns to Veterans’ Island in Saratoga. The original and only official State of Wyoming Microbrew Competition, hosted by the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, will see 11 breweries from across the state descend upon the Platte Valley for their chance at the coveted Steinley Cup. That includes Freedom’s Edge of Cheyenne, which has won back-to-back in 2022 and 2023. Last year, Freedom’s Ed...
The identify of the Mirror Lake John Doe discovered on July 4 has been identified 56-year-old James Bitner of Blackhawk, Colorado, according to a July 25 press release from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. As was previously reported, the Snowy Range between Saratoga, Wyoming and Laramie, Wyoming became the scene of an active investigation over the July 4 weekend. The Albany County Sheriff’s Office received a report around 8:00 p.m. on July 4 of a dead body in the vic...
A Saratoga man is dead following a high speed car chase which began as an attempted traffic stop in Saratoga and ended in Centennial on the night of July 24. According to information provided by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, an officer with the Saratoga Police Department attempted to stop a green and gold Subaru Outback with no registration for speeding. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Ayden LeCureux, refused to stop and drove recklessly through downtown...
“When you can make so many people happy, it’s good for your heart.” The sun had long set on Roger Burau’s property, home for The WHAT Festival for the third consecutive year, when he took to the stage on Saturday evening. For the past 48 hours, acres of his land had been transformed into a miniature community of music, camping and food trucks with cliffs to the north and the river to the south. As he stood on stage, in the spotlight for just a few minutes, he was greeted...
As seems to be common anymore around midsummer, Saratoga Lake is under a harmful algal bloom advisory as of July 18 according to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This is the sixth consecutive year the lake has been placed under an advisory for harmful algal blooms—or blue-green algae—since 2019. Previous advisories issued by the Wyoming Department of Health and the Wyoming Livestock Board have included the following recommendations: - Avoid contact wit...
The past two weeks have been, for lack of a better word, interesting for Jason Williams who teaches history and government at Saratoga Middle High School. Within the span of a week, the country witnessed the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump and the decision by President Joe Biden not to seek re-election. Were these events to occur during the school year, rather than in the middle of summer, Williams likely would speak with his students about both of...
Nearly a year after a shoot-out with law enforcement at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the Saratoga man involved has been sentenced to 55 years in prison. Wyatt James Fluty, 29, was sentenced by Judge John Fitzgerald in Meade County Court on July 17. As part of a plea bargain announced In May of this year by Attorney General Marty Jackley, Fluty pled guilty to attempted first degree murder involving a law enforcement officer and commission of a felony while armed with a firearm...
As the summer has reached its peak and starts heading towards fall, the Saratoga Police Department has seen an increase in traffic violations, though not the type one might think. According to Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris, his department is seeing an increase in unlicensed ATVs, motorcycles and UTVs (side-by-sides) on the streets of Saratoga. Additionally, many times they are being driven by unlicensed drivers. “We are starting to increase our patrols to address t...
This year’s Saratoga Days appeared to be a success as Southern Fryed, Los Cheesies and Lita Ford brought each of their own musical stylings to downtown Saratoga on July 6. As this event has grown over the years, from one with local and regional artists to nationally known talent, so has the planning and response from law enforcement and first responders. This year, Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris worked closely with both the Saratoga Days Committee as well as Stayton Mosby,...
“It was sad that it has come down to this, to somebody possibly losing their life over it.” Following an attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump on Saturday, Saratoga mayor Chuck Davis and other local elected officials echoed comments on the national level about the need to “turn the rhetoric down.” Mayor Davis said while he hopes the country can steer away from violent political rhetoric, he’s not sure it’s possible. “There’s so much hatred in the world today...
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 c...
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 C...
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 p...
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 Mot...
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...
There are few things better than a good taco. While they may be Mexican in origin, tacos are extraordinarily popular in the United States. Just look at all the variations of fast-food chains which are built on tortillas, meat and cheese. They even led to a highly-publicized legal battle between Wyoming-based Taco John’s and Taco Bell regarding the use of “Taco Tuesday.” They’re so ingrained into our culture that comedy band Lewberger wrote the song “White People Taco Nigh...
Downtown Saratoga became the scene of activity for the Saratoga Police Department on the afternoon of July 2 as a portion of east Bridge Avenue was shut down for approximately three hours. Around 1 p.m., the Saratoga Police Department and South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS) were observed attending to a vehicle with Laramie County license plates. What at first seemed to be the rescue of a dog from a hot car turned more somber as it became clear an...
Much like an alternating current of electricity, there was a mix of news presented at Carbon Power & Light’s 83rd Annual Meeting on June 22 at the Platte Valley Community Center. Following several rounds of bingo and interspersed with door prizes for electric cooperative member owners, updates were also provided by TriState Electric and the Wyoming Rural Electric Association. Transitioning to the Future One of the first pieces of good news was delivered by Clay Thompson, Vice President of the Carbon Power & Light Board of D...
Saratoga residents are one step closer to being able to own poultry within town limits following the June 18 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Ordinance No. 870, previously preferred to as the "Chicken Ordinance" was passed unanimously on first reading at the second June meeting of the governing body. A proposed draft of the ordinance was presented to the Saratoga Town Council in March, discussed by the Saratoga Planning Commission in April and the subject of a public...
As the summer has returned to Saratoga, so too has the frustrating bites of mosquitoes and the familiar hum of the Town of Saratoga’s mosquito fogger. By now, all neighborhoods in town have likely seen the white single-cab truck with the red fogger in its bed driving through their area. According to Director of Public Works Emery Penner, residents should expect to see fogging on Monday evenings, Wednesday evenings and Friday evenings. That schedule, he added, is dependent o...
The Independence Day weekend and Saratoga Days are just around the corner, bringing with it headlining act Lita Ford. With yet another big name in music coming to perform for free in Saratoga, the Saratoga Police Department is working to prepare for the event. “Last year, the Saratoga Days Committee did an exceptional job of planning,” said Chief Mike Morris. “It was very well run. We had very few issues last year.” Few issues, however, doesn’t mean there weren’t any issues....
The best way to describe the Colorado-based band Loose Change—which performed at the BearTrap in Riverside on Saturday night—might be from the popular song by Donny and Marie Osmond, “A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock n’ Roll.” Maureen Dailey and her husband, Lee, came from different musical backgrounds before helping to found Loose Change, which plays covers of popular 90s country songs such as Dwight Yokum. “It kind of morphed into a band. [With the] National Western S...
It was a great day for disc golf in the Platte Valley on June 8. Going into its 8th year, the Tale of Two Cities Disc Golf Tournament hosted by Mother Mountain Anglers appeared to be a success with four men’s teams and a women’s team. The day began with the women’s team teeing off at Grand View Park in Encampment at 9 a.m. and, an hour later, the men’s teams teed off at Grand View Park, Rick Martin Memorial Park in Riverside and the Stage Stop Links just east of Riversi...
A Saratoga man has pleaded guilty to two charges related to a shooting at the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Wyatt James Fluty, 29, entered guilty pleas to one count of attempted first degree murder of a law enforcement officer and one count of commission of a felony while armed with a firearm. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced the guilty pleas on May 31. The other four charges Fluty was facing were dismissed as part of a plea bargain. At his initial appearance in September 2023, Fluty had pleaded not...
With the filing deadline of May 31 now past, the ballots for the primary election are now set. In the local races, nearly all are contested with several people running for limited seats. Meanwhile, there’s some new faces in the statewide offices as one long-time congressman doesn’t appear to be running for re-election this cycle. United States Senator Beginning with United States Senator, John Barrasso will be seeking another term. Barrasso has served in the United States Senate since 2007, when he was appointed to fin...
