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Last week, my son finished the 2nd grade. We counted down the days with him until school was finished. On Wednesday morning, I hugged my son a little tighter while we were waiting for the bus. Last week, 21 lives in Uvalde, Texas were snuffed out with just two days left in their school year. Nineteen young children—all of them in 4th grade—and two teachers were murdered. All of them were in the same classroom. Seventeen others were injured before the shooter, an 18-year-old high school stu...
It is not easy to leave an area you've known all your life. Where you've made lifelong friends and memories. Leaving home and starting a new life somewhere else can be difficult. Yet, that is exactly what Winifred "Winnie" Allen is doing. Winnie was born Winifred Currey to George William and Viola Margaret Currey in Encampment. For over 80 years, she has called the Platte Valley home, a member of the Encampment Class of 1953 and moving to Saratoga in 1967. Winnie and her sister, Georgie, were...
Less than 48 hours remain for candidates to file for political office in the 2022 Primary Election. Filings for political office are set to close at 5 p.m. on Friday. As of Tuesday afternoon, some municipal seats will have a crowded field while others are still wide open. The race for Carbon County Sheriff, meanwhile, may be more exciting than in past elections. And while the race for House District 47 caught statewide attention two years ago with a crowded field, it appears incumbent...
“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald This weekend, the seniors of Carbon County School District No. 2 will walk into their respective schools for the final time as students and walk out as graduates. Among this year’s graduates, we have future teachers, linemen, nurses and mechanics. If there is one thing I would impart to the Class of 2022—or any graduating class for that matter—it would be this; do not be afraid to fail. This may seem a generic bit of ad... Full story
Every great band got its start somewhere. Metallica formed in 1981 after Lars Ulrich placed an ad in a Los Angeles newspaper, The Recycler, which read "Drummer looking for other metal musicians to jam with Tygers of Pan Tang, Diamond Head and Iron Maiden." Other bands didn't have to look too hard, such as AJR which is composed of the Met brothers and started in 2005 when the three brothers began to write and produce music in their living room apartment. The Dry Currents would get their start at...
Earlier this month, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC) announced they would be terminating labor and delivery services. The decision, according to MHCC CEO Ken Harman, was not one arrived at easily. On May 3, Harman informed the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) what led the MHCC Board of Directors to come to the decision. According to Harman, the hospital had lost approximately $1.5 million in a three month period with $800,000 lost in January, $400,000 lost in February and...
As requested by Mayor Creed James, residents with concerns about Ordinance No. 862—which amends portions of Chapter 5.30 of Saratoga Municipal Code—brought them to the May 17 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Ultimately, Ordinance No. 862 passed on third reading with a unanimous vote. Prior to its passage, however, two members of the public addressed the council regarding their concerns. The first was Chris Shannon, co-owner of a music venue in Saratoga known as The Yard, and the second was...
The famed author Mark Twain once said "Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side he never shows to anybody." On the night of May 15, what looked like it might be the dark side of the moon could be seen in Saratoga and across the country. In fact, it was a lunar eclipse and the first one of 2022. The official name for this celestial event was Super Flower Blood Moon. According to Space.com, this event had the longest total lunar eclipse in 33 years. With a time of 85 minutes, it was just 11...
As wind energy projects continue to blow into northern Carbon County, various entities have sought to determine the impacts it has or will have on wildlife. In 2021, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) had considered a moratorium on any energy projects in the Shirley Basin area. The discussion of this moratorium came following a presentation from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department regarding a study of wind energy project impacts on the Medicine Bow Pronghorn Herd Unit. That...
The small but mighty Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) track and field team traveled to Newcastle for the 1A East Regional Tournament over the weekend. Both the boys and girls did well, with the girls team placing 6th and the boys team placing 8th. A number of individual placings also highlighted the weekend for the Miners. HEM Girls at Regionals Beginning with the 100 Meter Dash, Avery Scott took 4th place as she finished with a time of 13.45 seconds. Rainey Wilson followed in 8th place...
If their weekend in Shoshoni at the 1A West Regional Tournament was any indication, the Saratoga Panther track team may do very well at the 1A State Championship in Casper this weekend. Especially considering the girls team came away as regional champions. “I thought both groups performed at a really high level. We’re prepared, for the moment. To take a regional championship away from Burlington or Cokeville is a pretty good feat in itself,” said Head Coach Rex Hohnholt. “They’ve always be...
The first gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light (Rainbow Family) took place in July 1972 at Strawberry Lake, Colorado. Now, 50 years later, the counterculture movement may be returning to the area. Other potential locations, however, could be closer to Carbon County and the Platte Valley. The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) were provided information on the potential gathering during the May 3 meeting by Lenny Layman, Carbon County Emergency Manager. “It came to my a...
“You can read it three times, but if nothing changes after you read it three times what is the point of reading it three times?” A question from McCall Burau, one of the newest members of the Saratoga Planning Commission and co-owner of Firewater Public House, seemed to encapsulate the feeling members of the public had during the May 3 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. As was previously reported, the council held the second reading of Ordinance No. 862. The ordinance amends portions of Cha...
The salaries for county officials have been set by the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC). The commissioners approved Resolution 2022-16 during their May 3 meeting. The resolution sets salaries for all county officials from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2026. Per Wyoming State Statute 18-3-107, county commissioners are required to meet before June 1 every four years to set those salaries. Under that statute, the following county officials are to be paid not less than $10,000...
The North Platte Valley has often been known as the "Good Times Valley". From ice fishing derbies and snow golf tournaments in the winter to microbrew festivals and street dances in the summer, there's no shortage of fun events. Along with those good times is also good food. For five days next week, the North Platte Valley will be the "Good Food Valley". A total of 12 eateries from Saratoga, Encampment and Riverside will be participating in the North Platte Valley Restaurant Week as they...
In Saratoga, there are various signs pointing to the approach of summer. For some, it’s the opening of the Snowy Range Scenic Byway. For others, it’s the steady increase in out-of-state license plates. In the council chambers of Saratoga Town Hall, it is the perennial discussion of the process through which special events in town limits are permitted. On May 3, the Saratoga Town Council held their second reading of Ordinance No. 862 which amends portions of Chapter 5.30 of the Saratoga Mun...
It was a sunny, but breezy, Wednesday afternoon when Aaron Grow was looking for a spot to fish. The first spot he visited was one of his favorites on the North Platte River; the historic Pick Bridge. When Grow arrived, he told the Saratoga Sun, a white vehicle was on the east bank of the river. Not wanting to bother them, he went to look for another location. When he returned, the white vehicle was gone and a fire was racing along the east bank of the North Platte River. The breeze, which had...
An Encampment man could be facing more than 10 years in prison following charges of felony child abuse and domestic battery according to documents filed in Carbon County Circuit Court on April 29. Dustin Gene Buffington was arrested on April 28 and charged with felony child abuse and domestic battery. According to an affidavit completed by Carbon County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Investigator Dale Miller, CCSO Deputy Kelly Finn had been notified by dispatch about a report of an assault at E...
The sound of sirens filled the Platte Valley on the night of Friday, April 29 as what began as an attempted traffic stop in Saratoga resulted in a high-speed car chase eventually ending in Encampment. According to Saratoga Police Chief Ken Lehr, he had been preparing to turn off Rochester Avenue onto 1st Street in Saratoga when a vehicle-the driver of which was later identified to be a woman-came through Saratoga at approximately 60 miles per hour. Preparing to do a traffic stop, Lehr followed...
“Depression isn’t a war you win. It’s a battle you fight every day. You never stop, never get to rest. It’s one bloody fray after another.” ~ Shaun David Hutchinson Normally, I try to avoid columns on difficult topics such as mental health. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, however, it felt important to write something. That being said; I don’t know about anybody else, but each day I struggle with an inner voice whose sole intention is to bring me down. Sometimes it comes as a...
As the State of Wyoming moves forward with the process of monthly mineral ad valorem tax collection, counties affected by the process are now eligible for loans impacted by delayed payments for production in 2020 and 2021. During the 2021 Legislative Session, Senate File 60 established a monthly collection of mineral ad valorem taxes, changing it from biannual collection of such taxes. Included within this legislation were provisions which deferred payment on production for the later half of...
By Joshua Wood Of the four bridges maintained by Carbon County which were proposed by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) for repair or replacement using funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, only one will be substituted. The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) were first notified of WYDOT’s plan to use funds from the infrastructure law during their March 15 meeting. Kandis Fritz, Carbon County Road & Bridge coordinator, told the commissioners during that meeting s...
While the date of the 2022 Primary Election—August 16—is more than four months away, those considering a run for Saratoga Town Council will be able to file their candidacy as soon as May 12. It was announced during the April 5 meeting of Saratoga’s governing body that candidates for municipal seats would be able to file beginning May 12. This election cycle, nearly every seat on the council is open with three council seats and one mayor seat set to appear on the ballot. The term for Councilmembe... Full story
Outdated state salaries and higher paying alternatives appear to have all but depleted the amount of staff at Carbon County Public Health. Amanda Brown, Carbon County Public Health nurse manager, informed the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) of her ongoing staff shortage during their April 5 meeting. Brown, who was in attendance to request permission to advertise for three positions in her department, told the commissioners a full-time position had remained open for more than a...
Elk Mountain may be in the sights of Bair Energy as the potential future home of a green hydrogen plant, but that hasn’t stopped CEO Nicholas Bair from making the rounds to other communities. On April 5, Bair appeared before the Saratoga Town Council alongside Yvonne Johnson, executive director of the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation. While Elk Mountain—specifically Simpson Ridge—is being proposed as the site of the green hydrogen plant, Bair told Saratoga’s governing body his com...