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As investigations continue into recent fentanyl overdose deaths, community members from the Platte Valley and Carbon County gathered at the Platte Valley Community Center on February 23. Those who couldn't attend in person either attended via Zoom or watched livestreams offered by the Saratoga Sun and the Town of Saratoga. The community roundtable, which lasted 90 minutes, was facilitated by Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris and Joshua Wood, interim publisher of the Saratoga Sun. Over the...
More details have emerged regarding the arrest of a local man in connection with the overdose deaths of a Saratoga couple on February 4. Max Schneider, 23, is facing charges on one count of delivery of a controlled substance (fentanyl) and two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of Richard Heap and Megan Cassidee Wingo. Schneider was arrested on February 17 following an initial investigation by the Carbon County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) and Wyoming Department of Criminal...
The Encampment Lady Tigers played two non-conference games on the road to finish out the regular season as they were hosted by the Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) Lady Miners on Friday and the Rock River Lady Longhorns on Saturday. Not only did the two games end up as victories for Encampment, but it gave the Lady Tigers some final preparations before the 1A Southwest Regional Tournament. Lady Tigers vs. Lady Miners On Friday, Encampment descended into the Mine Shaft to face the Lady...
With the Valley experiencing six months-or more-of winter, it often falls upon residents to find a way to entertain themselves while attracting others to the area. In the past, this has led to the formation of events such as the Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby, the Don Erickson Memorial Chariot Races and Skijoring. Another winter event may have been added to the list this year with the 307 GoFast Ice Races. "Two years ago, the vintage sled races in Walden contacted my brother. He was friends...
While the House of Representatives hit a stalemate in electing leadership in Washington D.C. on January 3, nearly 1,800 miles away the Rawlins City Council decided on their own leaders. The entire process was held by secret ballot. The governing body will have two familiar faces in leadership for the next two years. Mayor Terry Weickum was reappointed for another two years on January 3 while Steve Sanger was appointed vice-mayor. Sanger previously served as vice-mayor from 2017 to 2021 under mayors Richard Grauberger and Steve Nicholson....
The residents of Ward 2 in Rawlins were without full representation on January 3 and will be without at least until the first meeting in February. Tonya Lewman, who defeated incumbent Linda Smith in the 2022 General Election, did not take her Oath of Office following allegations of violating campaign finance laws. The City of Rawlins began taking nominations for the vacancy on January 6 and will accept them through January 20. The other Ward 2 representative is Councilmember Darril Garner. Lewman Speaks Lewman, who defeated Smith by more than 1...
There was no shortage of snow as Rawlins entered the New Year, receiving a total of two feet between the night of January 1 and the morning of January 4. Fortunately, there was no shortage when it came to acts of kindness as well. From pulling vehicles out of drifts to shoveling driveways to clearing sections of the city, the immense snowfall brought out a sense of community. “My amazing neighbors helped me dig out my driveway,” said Megan McComas. “I had giant drifts of snow almost four feet deep and they helped me by bringing over their...
Less than a week before Christmas, a collision on Interstate 80 west of Rawlins took the life of 29-year-old Saratoga resident Tyeler Harris. A GoFundMe for $15,000 for his wife and three children raised five times that amount within four days. In the early hours of December 21, Harris and fellow Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC) EMT Tiffany Gruetzmacher, responded to a request for aid in Sweetwater County. During the call, the MHCC ambulance was struck by a tractor trailer in the...
For at least the first three days of the New Year, Rawlins residents will be stuck with their municipal solid waste. On December 20, the Rawlins City Council voted 4-2-1 to table Wyoming Waste Connections’ application for a waste hauler license while a similar application from Dirt Boyz Sanitation (Dirty Boyz) was denied on a vote of 2-4-1. The decision, at least for Dirty Boyz, will likely lead to Rose Cain, the owner of the company, and the City of Rawlins to square off in the courts for t...
Following an outcry from corral owners in Rawlins’ Glenn Addition, it appears some changes will be coming to water rates for the agricultural section of the city. Interim City Manager Tom Sarvey told the Rawlins City Council on December 20 he had investigated water usage at the corrals and met with corral owners the Friday before the meeting. According to Sarvey, he will be proposing a change to the resolution which set the updated water rates for users in the Glenn Addition. Though, in the p...
Update (01/03/2022, 9:37 p.m.) During the January 3 regular meeting of the Rawlins City Council, both Dirty Boyz Sanitation and Wyoming Waste Connections had their hauler licenses approved from January 3, 2023 to December 31, 2023. With the snow piling up during the most recent winter storm and municipal waste threatening to pile up in the New Year, the Rawlins City Council held an emergency meeting on January 2. The end result was a 24-hour emergency extension of municipal waste hauler... Full story
Terry Weickum will retain the seat of mayor for two more years following the January 3 meeting of the Rawlins City Council while Steve Sanger will serve as vice-mayor for the same period. The nominations for mayor and vice-mayor came following the swearing in of Steve Sanger, Bruce Seilaff and Jacquelin Wells and a 32 minute executive session. Both Wells and Weickum were nominated for the mayor seat. Wells was nominated by Councilmember Darill Garner and Weickum was nominated by Sanger. The... Full story
When a person's fate hangs upon the roll of dice and cards in hand, money is usually involved. The cards placed on tables at Geek-ish Things on December 10 weren't clubs or spades though. Instead, the cards were adorned with fantastical artwork featuring creatures, spells and land types. For several hours, players from Rawlins and surrounding other towns battled it out in a Regional Championship Qualifier for Magic: The Gathering. The first but not the last Released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coa...
Just over two months since the Rawlins City Council passed a sweeping water rate increase, property owners from the Glenn Addition—home to the corrals and agricultural section of the city—expressed their frustration to the city council on December 6. Those frustrations centered on two main points: what residents felt was a lack of communication from the City of Rawlins and inequitable billing in the Glenn Addition. Spigot or Corral? The flood of public comments began with resident Austin Thomas....
After four attempts at a settlement, the State of Wyoming and Saratoga resident Tom Arthur, do not appear to be any closer to a deal surrounding Arthur’s September 12 citation over the harvesting of an antlered deer out of season. Arthur has pleaded not-guilty to the charge. On November 28, the State of Wyoming and Jason Tangeman—legal counsel for Arthur, met for the fourth attempt at a settlement around the case. If no settlement can be reached, the case will head to court on February 9, 202...
For some time, the type of wound a Carbon County resident had would determine where they would receive care. A scrape or minor cut could be treated at the emergency room while issues with an amputation or a more serious skin tear might warrant a trip out-of-town. That would mean a drive to Casper, Laramie, Cheyenne or surrounding states such as Colorado or Utah. As of November 1, however, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC) now offers a service to cut down-no pun intended-on the amount of...
The latest chapter in the years-long saga between Dirty Boyz Sanitation and the City of Rawlins was written last week when, in a period of three days, the governing body revoked and then reinstated the company’s waste hauling license. On November 15, the Rawlins City Council voted 4-2-1 to revoke the municipal solid waste (MSW) haulers license for Dirty Boyz. Then, during a special meeting on November 18, the council voted 4-2-1 to reinstate the license, citing concerns of public health and s...
The 4-2-1 decision by the Rawlins City Council on November 15 to revoke the hauling license for Dirty Boyz Sanitation lasted all of three days. On November 18, the governing body voted 4-2-1 to reinstate the company’s license. On Tuesday, Mayor Terry Weickum and council members DeBari Martinez, Lisa Smith and Chris Weisenburg voted in favor of the revocation of the license on the grounds the company had violated the city’s ordinance on flow control. Vice Mayor Jacquelin Wells and Cou... Full story
For the Carbon County Sheriff's Office, safety at the county jail for both inmates and staff is tantamount. Now, the facility has a new piece of equipment which can better ensure safety in the future. Carbon County is the first in Wyoming to have the Tek84 Intercept full body scanner. The scanner, which Tek84 touts as being the only American-made apparatus of its kind, was purchased with the help of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. In total, the county paid less than $150,000 for the...
The recently completed skate park at Key Club Park in Rawlins will be named in memory of Joshua “J.R.” Rodriguez. It has been more than a decade since his passing but emotions still run high when referring to J.R. Mayor Terry Weickum spoke through tears about Rodriguez, “he was like one of our own kids.” Rodriguez, who was born in 1984 and passed away in 2012, was described in his obituary as someone who would give his shirt off his back and as a friend to everyone. Weickum said that Rodrigu...
Traveling on I 80 can be a challenge regardless of the season, but winter is always an issue. People can be stranded for hours or even days in Rawlins, stretching visitors and the city to the limit. St. Christopher's Highway of Carbon County is a coalition of churches, nonprofits and government entities organized by Reverend Bobbe Fitzhugh of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Fitzhugh had a conversation with Rawlins Police Chief Mike Ward when she first arrived last May that sparked the idea for the...
"I married into a family of educators well before I started at Carbon County Higher Education Center (CCHEC), but I have always believed in the importance of education," said Jennifer Moore who formally stepped into the role of CCHEC Executive Director this March. She had been serving as the interim director since the retirement of Dave Throgmorton in July 2021 and prior to that, held other positions at CCHEC. "I have worked at CCHEC since 2015," said Moore. "I initially worked in Marketing &...
Families roaming downtown Rawlins in October may invoke images of a Halloween walk. On October 7, however, there were no tricks and the treats were good fun and good art on display for residents and visitors. Rawlins Downtown Development Authority hosted the 6th Annual ArtBeat on the first Friday of October, with more than a dozen local artists showcasing their talents. Along with the visual arts, Stillhouse Blues provided music and a handful of food trucks fed hungry attendees during the...
Since 1987, Carbon County has had a two percent lodging tax in effect. An optional tax, it is voted on every four years and will be on the ballot November 8. For 35 years, the tax has not increased, remaining at two percent. Sometimes, the status quo is good. Sometimes, growth is good. While the lodging tax has not increased beyond two percent for more than three decades, the Carbon County Visitors Council (CCVC) has appeared to make it work to their advantage. In 2021, visitors to the county...
Within the walls of the Carbon County Museum, a variety of exhibits await for visitors to offer a glimpse into the history of Rawlins and the county itself. A 55-foot long fire truck powered by a tractor motor, a sandstone bathtub and a concrete marker from the Old Lincoln Highway are just a few of the highlights. On October 5, however, the main point-of-interest was the new director of the museum, Tom Mensik. Standing over six-and-a-half feet tall, Mensik isn't hard to spot in a room. Though...