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*Editor's Note* An earlier version of this story cited an "active shooter situation" as the reason for the two-hour delay. This has been corrected to the reason being an individual who may be armed and dangerous. Parents of Encampment K-12 School students likely woke up to a shock Thursday morning as they were informed of a two-hour delay to the school schedule due to an individual who may be armed and dangerous. The situation began early Thursday morning when a car chase which began in...
The old Wyoming adage “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting” seemed especially true during the August 12 meeting of the Encampment Town Council. Both the Encampment Town Council and Encampment residents are preparing for the September 14 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), when the county commissioners will hold a public hearing on the highly debated Planned Unit Development (PUD) for Green Mountain at Brush Creek Ranch. It wasn’t just Encampment’s source...
Though tensions seem to have eased between the Saratoga Town Council and the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) compared to where they were over a year ago, the joint powers board is still keeping an eye on proceedings with the Town of Saratoga. During the August 11 meeting of the SCCIJPB, Chairman Richard Raymer led discussion in regards to the administrative fee charged by the Town to the joint powers board. Board members also discussed the ongoing review of the...
“In the short time I’ve worked here, I’ve had over 25 drug arrests. I don’t know how many shifts that is (but) I average one a night, some nights I average two drug arrests.” Less than two months after joining the Saratoga Police Department, new officer Justin Brown had sobering news for the Saratoga Town Council on August 3. With a background in both military and paramilitary, Brown was hired by the governing body following months of private and public discussions with Chief Ken Lehr about the...
Last year, Wyoming students who returned to school for in-person learning were required to wear masks. This year, Governor Mark Gordon has signaled no such requirement will be issued. The announcement comes as the Cowboy State sees active cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) top more than 1,000 for the first time since February 2021 and confirmed cases of the delta variant continue to rise. In Carbon County, there were 39 active cases of COVID-19 as of August 9 with 16 new cases and 29 total...
Is it just me or did this summer fly by at the speed of light? I’m struggling to process the fact school begins in less than two weeks—August 23—let alone the fact July 4 was a month ago and we’ve just survived Carbon County Fair week. How Mike Armstrong and I were able to make it through this past week with our sanity, mostly, I have no idea. We’re just covering the event, I can’t even begin to think of the sheer amount of work it takes to organize the Carbon County Fair. Honestly, my hats off...
For four years, Saratoga Panther fans have watched Teegan Love take to the basketball court wearing the purple and gold while Encampment Tigers fans have watched Dalton Peterson don the red and black. On July 24, however, the two Valley athletes donned the same uniform; the black and gold of the south team for the Wyoming Coaches Association (WCA) Boys All-Star Basketball Game. For fans of Valley basketball, it was likely a dream come true to watch the two play together. "It was a ton of fun,"...
The Town of Saratoga is in search of a full-time recreation director following the resignation of Lisa Burton on August 3. Mayor Creed James read an email from Burton, who was not in attendance, announcing her resignation as recreation director at the August 3 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Burton’s resignation comes as the governing body continues its search for a treasurer and a planning and zoning officer. Burton bids farewell When James read the email from Burton announcing her r...
In the past two years, Saratoga has experienced three significant gas events which have required the presence of emergency responders. At the July 20 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, representatives from Black Hills Energy were in attendance to explain their policy regarding emergency gas events. The most recent one was a gas meter strike in June of this year, which resulted in a shelter-in-place notification through Carbon County’s AlertSense program. In November 2019, two gas leaks result...
For 49 hunting seasons, Merrill Meat Company north of Encampment has accepted wild game from out-of-state and local hunters. This season, what would have been its 50th, that will no longer be the case. No elk, no deer, no antelope. A difficult decision, according to second generation owner Cade Merrill, because his parents, Bob and Judy Merrill, started the processing business during the hunting season of 1971. In fact, it was wild game processing that helped establish and grow the family...
On the weekend of July 9, it may have looked like a small town had sprung up at Bottle Creek Campground south of Encampment. A variety of campers and tents had been set up for an extended weekend stay and were joined by several large tents. For the 75th year in a row, the United States Forest Service campground served as the home of the Wyoming Rancher's Family Camp. Emphasis on family. On a warm, sunny-and slightly smokey-Saturday morning the Miller family is hard at work getting lunch ready...
When one thinks of "The West" and particularly Wyoming, a number of images come to mind. Bucking broncos, hard working cowboys, majestic mountain ranges and clear blue skies. The most iconic of all these images, however, is the buffalo. If the lion is the "King of the Jungle", then the buffalo was the "King of the Prairie". Larger than life, with a massive head and impressive horns, one could easily sense an air of royalty. There is only one place, however, where one can find a Crowned Buffalo....
UPDATE: The tagged bear seen recently around Saratoga was tranquilized at a residence at the corner of 2nd Street and Saratoga Avenue Monday night and relocated. Overturned trash cans may be a common sight for the near future in Saratoga. In recent days, at least one black bear has been seen behind the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort. Another bear, or possibly the same bear, has also been spotted in the area of Hugus Avenue and 2nd street. The bear spotted behind the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort is...
Well, here it is. The final issue of Volume No. 134, which marks 133 years the Saratoga Sun has been serving the Platte Valley. I’m not sure if other newspaper editors pay this close attention to the final issue of a volume but, for me, it’s kind of hard not to. As we end one volume and begin another, I am aware of a number of anniversaries. The first, and the hardest to think about, is the loss of Keith McLendon. This second anniversary of his passing is a little bit more acute in that our fin...
Carbon County will have a new health officer as of August 1 following a split vote by the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) on July 20. Dr. Marvin Wayne Couch II, who served as the county health officer for two years, will be replaced by Dr. Duane Abels. The decision to enter into a contract with Abels comes after two meetings—one on June 1 and one on July 6—in which the county commissioners discussed the county health officer position. It also comes as Wyoming begins to see a ris...
“We’re going to clean up this ordinance, we’re going to make everything abundantly clear as to what the rules are and you guys better follow them from now on. Got it? Agreed?” Apparent frustration from the Saratoga Town Council in regards to music events at The Yard was encapsulated by Councilmember Jon Nelson in a stern comment to Cindy Bloomquist and Chris Shannon, owners of the music venue. The comment came during discussion over a late-submitted special events application for The WHAT Thing,...
Less than a year after an ordinance to amend Saratoga Municipal Code regulating specially permitted events failed on first reading it appears changes may be coming yet again. At the July 20 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Councilmember Jon Nelson discussed potential minor changes to Chapter 5.30. The apparent catalyst for those changes is The Yard, a music venue owned by Saratoga residents Cindy Bloomquist and Chris Shannon. Shannon, in recent meetings of the Saratoga Planning Commission,...
Whether it was slinging drinks at Bella’s Bistro in Saratoga, delivering mail in Rawlins or tossing dough in Riverside, Krissy McIrvin has been a familiar face to many in the Valley and Carbon County. The mind behind Bare Bones Pizza, which was added to the Bear Trap Cafe and Bar last year, has recently taken on a new role; business owner. On June 21, Krissy and her wife, Abby, signed on the dotted line to become the new owners of the Bear Trap and take over from former owner Margaret Weber. Acc...
Senate File 60 and the collection of ad valorem taxes were, again, heavily discussed by the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) during their July 6 meeting. A continuation of concerns and frustrations expressed by Carbon County Treasurer Patty Bentsen in May and June, the discussion was primarily led by Jeremiah Reinman, executive director of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association (WCCA). The root of the concerns for the county commissioners and treasurer appears to be the...
Summit Fitness, the 24-hour gym at 110 West Spring Street in Saratoga, is under new ownership. Maxx and Heather Memmot, who moved to the Valley four years ago, officially took over the gym on June 1 from previous owners Justin and Tammi Hale. The Memmots, originally from Utah, decided to make the Valley their home in 2017 after Maxx had visited for a hunting trip in 2016 with his father. "He showed me the area, showed me the Valley," said Maxx. "I was like 'This place is awesome'. I grew up in...
Despite having three candidates, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) appears to be in a holding pattern in regards to the county health officer following their July 6 meeting. For nearly two years, Dr. Wayne Couch has served as the Carbon County Health Officer. In August 2019, Couch was appointed by the BOCCC and was, according to Nurse Manager Amanda Brown, was the only applicant interested in the position. When the contract came up for renewal in June 2020—just two months into t...
Little more than a year after being told the Town of Saratoga was “in a pickle”, the Saratoga Town Council made three motions at their July 6 meeting to correct years of miscoded expenditures. The most recent action by the governing body—at the recommendation of third-party accountant Stuart Webster—appears to conclude more than two years of questions surrounding the Town of Saratoga’s finances originally asked by Councilmember Jon Nelson. In June 2020, those questions led to the announcem...
What’s this? The Saratoga Sun changed format, again? If you’re reading the print edition of the Saratoga Sun this week, you’ll notice a change to how things have been the past few months. As many of our readers may recall, in April we changed printers. While we had been printing in Cheyenne for several years, we made the move to Riverton, home of the Riverton Ranger. We are still printing at the Riverton Ranger, but have decided to change from the broadsheet format to the tabloid. When we first...
WHATFest, an annual Wyoming music festival, will be returning to the Platte Valley, albeit in a limited form. During the July 6 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, The Yard co-owner Chris Shannon appeared before the governing body to inform them of a music event which would take place at his venue on July 24. “I thought, since there was a meeting I should just run down here and let you guys know because the last time we were together, Councilman (Ron) Hutchins thought despite the need for a p...
Jezria "Jez" Latham has long been a smiling face in the world of Carbon County real estate. It's also probably safe to say that real estate runs in the blood. She obtained her broker's license at the age of 20 and her mother, Andrea Shepard, founded ERA Shepard and Associates in 1997. Nearly three years ago, Jez branched out on her own and started Provident Realty. While she initially worked from home, she secured a storefront at 116 West Bridge a year ago. As attractive as that location was-it...