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Carbon County School District no. 2 (CCSD#2) school board denied a motion to implement the school resource officer position for the 2015 school year. The position, proposed by Saratoga Police Chief Tom Knickerbocker, would require CCSD#2 to contribute $17,724.60, which is 25 percent of an officer’s wage, to allow a school resource officer to be assigned at the schools in Saratoga, Encampment and Hanna. The other 75 percent of the officer’s wage would have been paid by the Saratoga Police Dep... Website
A stolen Saratoga vehicle has been recovered, Saratoga Police Chief Tom Knickerbocker said. The vehicle was stolen between 10 and 11 p.m., on May 14, near 2nd Street and Elm Ave. The vehicle was recovered in Fremont County on Monday. Knickerbocker said the police department had identified a suspect, but would not release the name. As this is the fourth vehicle stolen in four months, Chief Knickerbocker would like to remind residents to lock their vehicles and remove their keys from the ignition...
Plans for Staff Sergeant Tyler Pickett Park, which has sat empty for several years, is pushing forward. According to a donor close with the project, who wishes to remain anonymous, the park now has a preliminary design, and is receiving funding and assistance from several parties. The park is being designed by Norris Designs, a Denver-based planning and landscaping design company. According to the donor, Norris Designs has footed the cost for the park designs. "They came up here last September...
Local residents are concerned the Saratoga zoning laws are not being enforced. At the May 13 meeting, Saratoga resident Andy Van Tol complained to members of the Saratoga Planning Commission, saying his neighbor, Royce Kelley, has yet to stop operations on his property after being issued a cease and desist by the town. “I just wanted to encourage the planning commission to apply and enforce the zoning laws equally for everyone in Saratoga,” Van Tol said. The feud between Kelley and Van Tol sta...
Good things are in store for Platte Valley residents, as Good Things: New, Gently Used and Antiques Items opens its doors to the public. Bob Herring, owner of Encampment's newest business, said the idea to open a store started after he started running out of room. "We had some of our stuff at the Red Wagon, and our daughter and son-in-law went and bought a shed in a storage auction," he said. "So when they got that, we ended up with quite a number of things." After having "more things than...
Now in its second year, Beautify Saratoga aims to continue projects to spruce up the town. “An individual from Colorado, who owns property here and has a home here, has taken an interest in making the town of Saratoga more aesthetically pleasing to promote growth and tourism,” Saratoga Town Clerk Suzie Cox said. Projects for Beautify Saratoga include repainting commercial buildings in downtown Saratoga. A fund was established to help businesses with part of the cost of a fresh coat of paint. Thu...
Platte Valley drama students might tell you to "be our guest" this weekend at their performance of "Beauty and the Beast." This year's drama performance is unlike previous years, drama sponsor Greg Bush said, as the entire play is put on by the students themselves. The directing, the acting, costumes, lighting and set design are all student led Bush said. "Everything you see in this play is going to be 100 percent kid prepared," he said. "I am there as adult supervision and that is it." His...
Sinuosity, Bankfull, Thalweg- it may seem like a foreign language. But on May 14, Project Manager for Trout Unlimited, Jeff Streeter, and aquatic habitat hydrologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish (WGFD), Christina Barrineau, spent two-and-a-half hours explaining advanced river restoration terms to Platte Valley residents. Their presentation, referred to as River Restoration 101, was intended to help clarify questions the public may have about the Upper North Platte River Restoration Project....
This weekend reminded me how true the saying “Good things come to those who wait” is. On Saturday, I was in Laramie at Kayla’s (my girlfriend) graduation from the University of Wyoming. She was graduating with a degree in Elementary Education, and now has a job at Rawlins Elementary School. For anyone who has ever been to a college graduation knows that it’s not as simple as it should be. You wait for long periods of time just to hear someone’s name called once, while they walk across the stage... Full story
The Upper Platte Valley Solid Waste District (landfill board) chairman Randy Raymer said he had some choice words for the State Lands and Investment Board (SLIB) after they were denied a grant to construct a transfer station for their waste. At the May 7 landfill board meeting, a frustrated Raymer said they were unable to receive the $375,000 grant due to non-compliance with Wyoming Statute 35-11-532. There is currently 21 million dollars set aside in the SLIB account for towns to construct... Full story
A franchise fee could lead to increased costs for the entire town, Chuck Larsen with Carbon Power and Light told Mayor John Zeiger and the Saratoga Town Council at their regular meeting on May 6. Carbon Power and Light, a major provider of electricity in the Platte Valley, has to renew their franchise agreement with the town of Saratoga. Larsen said after discussions with Mayor Zeiger and Saratoga Town Attorney Tom Thompson, the town “has considered charging a franchise fee to Carbon Power a... Full story
The town of Saratoga has a new face balancing its checkbook, as Sammy Flohr becomes the town treasurer. Flohr, who refers to himself as a "recovering Greeny", is originally from Lakewood, Colo., but has always wanted to live in Wyoming. "I just wanted to get out of the city," Flohr said. "I used to come up here as kid. My dad was from Superior, which is near Rock Springs. I spent summers in Fremont Lake and the Green River in Flaming Gorge. I have always loved it up here [in Wyoming] and I...
Several students in Jackie Jones fifth and sixth grade class enjoyed pepperoni pizza instead of lessons on April 29, thanks to one of their classmates drawing ability. Connor McGraw, a sixth grade student at Hanna Elementary, won the Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD#2) BOCES Logo design contest and a pizza party for his class. The contest, which included participants from kindergarten through high school, asked students to draw a logo for the new BOCES program at CCSD#2. Coordinator...
It was not that long ago that the streets of Saratoga were lined with sandbags in a desperate attempt to keep the North Platte River from expanding into the town. The 100-year flood, in the summer of 2010, still haunt the memories of Saratoga residents, and sandbags remain resting along the shore from the last flood. As the water levels in the river rapidly increase, an all too familiar question pops in the mind: will there be another flood this year? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess. “It...
The sleepy town of Saratoga was awakened by gunshots on the night of April 27, as a member of the Saratoga Police fired upon a Saratoga resident. Ryan Scott Simmons was shot by an unidentified Saratoga Police Officer, after Simmons reportedly threatened his family members and the officer. According to a release provided by the Carbon County Attorney’s Office, a Saratoga Police Officer was dispatched to 101 Airport Road at approximately 10:45 p.m. to report to a domestic disturbance call. The o...
The economy is starting to look up, according to several economic experts at Thursday’s Economic Outlook Tour in Saratoga. Several local business members gathered at the Platte Valley Community Center to listen to Dr. Scott Anderson, Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist for Bank of the West, discuss national and global economic outlook for this year. Saying his job for Bank of the West consists of using his knowledge to “predict the future” economically, Anderson gave several asses...
Representatives of Stantec Inc., along with other Upper North Platte River interested parties, were on the river Monday to examine how the river upstream may effect Upper North Platte River Restoration project in Saratoga. "We just want to get an idea of the sediment flow upstream that will be headed to Saratoga," Stantec engineer David Bidelspach said. "We also want to figure out the width of the channels upstream." Bidelspach said he was looking for specific features upstream which will impact...
Visits from the Governor and congresswoman Cynthia Lummis highlighted the three-day Wyoming State Commissioners Association (WCCA) Spring Meeting. Over 90 County Commissioners from all corners of the state met at the Platte Valley Community Center (PVCC) to collaborate and hear from organizations. "This meeting is not so much where we do business like our legislative meeting, which takes place in every other year at a winter meeting," Bob Rolston, WCCA president and Sheridan County Commissioner...
Stantec, the company in charge of the North Platte River Restoration Project, will be in Saratoga this week. On May 4 and 5, representatives from Stantec will arrive in the Platte Valley for a site visit, and could potentially start assessing the river given water flows are high enough. Jeff Streeter, North Platte River Restoration Project Manager, said regardless whether or not Stantec will survey the river, he and aquatic habitat biologist Christina Barrineau will be hosting a public meeting... Full story
Saratoga residents will have an opportunity to make their town even more beautiful this weekend with the Saratoga Clean-up Days. Held annually the first weekend in May, Clean-up Days allows residents to dispose of their long-accumulated waste. “It’s just an attempt to clean up our town,” Randy Raymer, Chairman of the Upper North Platte River Solid Waste District said. “It’s an organized effort that the community participates in.” Residents are allowed to dispose of recycling, trash and other w... Full story
As he wrapped up his speech and finished shaking hands with county commissioners at their Spring Meeting Thursday, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead (R) took time to sit down with the Saratoga Sun to answer questions about Saratoga, the upcoming election and controversial issues in the Platte Valley. Re-election Gov. Mead, who will be up for re-election in November, said though he has a tough battle ahead of him, his record speaks for itself. "When I first came to office, unemployment was at about 6.4...
Each student at Medicine Bow Elementary was given bright teal shirts with the words "Earth Day" written across the front. They wore those shirts while they spent the day cleaning up their town. To the student's dismay, they couldn't keep the shirts just yet. So they handed their shirts to teachers Shelley Cooper and Heather Booth, who gave it to the secretary Courtney Priest. "If we let the kids keep them, we might not get them back," Priest said jokingly. "They will wear these shirts to school...
Veterans Island Park will not be closed just yet Saratoga Mayor John Zeiger said at the April 15 Saratoga Town Council meeting. “With the high water, we are not going to begin work as soon as we had hoped. So we are probably talking July now. It will remain open unless the water starts flowing over,” Zeiger said. Previously, Saratoga Town Engineer Chuck Bartlett projected that the park would be closed mid-April to install the abutments for the pedestrian bridge project. The project itself wou... Full story
The Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD#2) Board of Trustees will take at least another month to decide on contributing money towards hiring a school resource officer. At the April 21 meeting, the CCSD#2 board said they needed a more detailed description of the school resource officer position before they decide to contribute 25 percent of costs linked with implementing an officer on school grounds. “With the $17,000 to $35,000 we are going to spend, I would like more of a detailed d... Full story
Your four-legged friend has always been loyal to you. But this summer, they may need your help. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), an outbreak of the deadly Rabies virus is starting to spread in Goshen and Laramie county. As of April 8, 34 animals have tested positive for rabies in Wyoming and 17 dogs have been quarantined or euthanized. The virus could make its way to Carbon County But chances are, the Rabies virus is already here. “It’s always present at some low...