Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Governor Mark Gordon announced Wyoming will remove its statewide mask requirement and allow bars, restaurants, theaters and gyms to resume normal operations on March 16. The decision reflects the state’s continually improving health metrics and is consistent with the Governor’s approach of balancing public health with protecting livelihoods. Wyoming has seen a declining number of active COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and has seen significant success rolling out the vaccine, with the state’s most vulnerable residents having access to th... Full story
What began as a routine traffic stop quickly turned into a dangerous pursuit according to a recent press release from the Wyoming Highway Patrol. On February 19, a Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper attempted to stop a vehicle between Elk Mountain and Walcott on Interstate 80 for a traffic violation. While the driver of the vehicle initially stopped, he failed to identify himself to the trooper before fleeing. As the vehicle was being pursued by the trooper, the driver of the car began firing rounds at pursuing law enforcement. The trooper...
The USDA has issued final loan approval for the construction of the North Platte Valley Medical Center which means, according to Construction Superintendent Monty Wardell, “We can finally move forward.” Wardell said that his firm, contractor Sletten Construction, had been prepared to begin work at the time of the site dedication in October, but delays surrounding bank approval of the plan appraisal put work on hold through the fall. “We can’t issue contracts without the USDA approval, so we had a lot of renegotiation to do after the first o...
The Board Carbon County Commissioners, along with a steering committee, has completed a draft Natural Resource Management Plan (NRMP). The County developed this Plan as a tool which allows a local government to have a substantive impact on federal decisions, plans, policies, and programs. Federal agencies consideration of a local natural resource management plan, or resource plan, can play a key role in the success of a local government engaging as a cooperative agency or with consistency review under the National Environmental Policy Act...
There's a lot more that goes into running a successful medical clinic than just having a doctor or nurse who can see patients. What goes on quietly in the background is equally important to the smooth running of the operation-and ultimately to the healthcare of the community. Consider, for a moment, the jobs of Lisa Bifano and Elizabeth Grubert at the Platte Valley Clinic. Bifano, an LPN, and Grubert, a medical assistant, work as a team with Dr. Adrian Durham and Nurse Practitioner Susan Foley...
Carbon County Public Health will be returning to the Valley and the Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow area this month to administer the second dose of the Moderna coronavirus campaign. The schedule is as follows: Second dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine schedule Encampment: Encampment Senior Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on February 18. Hanna: Hanna Senior Center from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on February 23. Saratoga: Platte Valley Community Center from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on February 18. Elk Mountain: Elk Mountain Senior Center from 9 a.m. to...
A ban on new sales of federal oil and gas leases could have negative impacts for Wyoming’s wildlife. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has analyzed potential effects on the state’s wildlife in response to Governor Mark Gordon’s Executive Order directing state agencies to determine impacts of federal oil and gas lease ban. Most of all, a ban of new leasing on federal lands could restrict the ability of Wyoming’s state wildlife agencies to work with proponents to avoid and minimize impacts to fish and wildlife. “A blanket ban on new sales of...
Carbon County Search and Rescue safely recovered three lost snowmobilers in the Sierra Madre mountain range according to a recent press release from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office. In the early morning hours of January 31, Deputy Casey Lehr was contacted to conduct a search and rescue operation off of Wyoming Highway 70 for Lonnie Kelly, Jason Davis and Ty Quickenden. Initially receiving the call at 5 a.m., Lehr and members of search and rescue gathered at the Highway 70 closure gate at 7 a.m. before unloading their snowmobiles, donning e...
The Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) has agreed to assume ownership of the Saratoga Care Center for $1, the non-profit recently announced. The purchase also includes Laramie Peak Therapies, which is housed at the facility. “It’s important for people to understand why we are doing this,” said Will Faust, chairman of the PVHP. “When the North Platte Valley Medical Center is complete, it will contain the nursing home, the therapy center and the clinic in addition to the hospital. Private donations that were made to the NPVMC are held in...
Saratoga Elementary School (SES) kicked off their 2nd Annual Health Moves Minds initiative on February 1 with the goal of raising money for a local charity. Last year, SES began working with the National Health and Physical Education Society to bring Health Moves Minds to the school with the initiative fulfilling a main component of the health curriculum by focusing on social emotional learning, or SEL. In addition to resources offered by the Health Moves Minds initiative, a fundraising component allows students to give back to their school...
Governor Mark Gordon has unveiled a proposal for modernizing and refocusing Wyoming’s higher education system. The initiative, called the Wyoming Innovation Network (WIN), calls for closer collaboration between the University of Wyoming and the state’s community colleges and an emphasis on developing innovative solutions that will support and enhance Wyoming’s economy and workforce. “Given the challenges facing our state, I’m committed to ensuring that our higher education institutions work together more effectively,” Gordon said. “Together,...
With the long-anticipated approval of a $16 million plan appraisal, the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) is finally in a position to move forward on construction of the North Platte Valley Medical Center. In the next phase, First Interstate Bank will underwrite the loan, a procedure that is expected to take about two weeks. “I know people are frustrated with how long this seems to take,” said Will Faust, chairman of the PVHP, “but this is a very complicated process, and we have a lot of irons in the fire that are contingent on worki...
Over the weekend, the Saratoga Sun attended the 122nd Annual Wyoming Press Association (WPA) Convention. It was the first year that the convention went entirely virtual as newspapers from around the state logged on to learn from and congratulate each other. The staff of the Saratoga Sun had quite the showing as they brought home 19 Pacemaker Awards and 5 Photo Awards for a total of 24 individual awards. With those two dozen awards, it marks the most individual awards that have been won by the...
Dr. Emma M. Bjore, medical director for the Saratoga Care Center, has been approved for accreditation as Certified Medical Director (CMD) by the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (ABPLM). The CMD credential recognizes the dual clinical and managerial roles of the medical director. Certification requires demonstration of competence in clinical medicine and medical management in post-acute and long-term care, and incorporates mechanisms such as fellowship programs, board cer...
A new AMX420 high-definition portable X-ray machine is helping healthcare workers at the Platte Valley Clinic deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The $133,000 machine, manufactured by GE Healthcare, was recently purchased by the Corbett Medical Foundation and donated to the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) as part of Help Us Build a Strong Foundation fundraising campaign. It is currently in use at the Platte Valley Clinic but will ultimately be moved to the North Platte Valley Medical Center...
The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH)) confirmed on January 16 the state’s first case of the “UK variant,” or B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant has been identified in a Teton County adult male. While further investigation is ongoing, early information suggests exposure to the virus variant occurred locally. Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH, said the department is not surprised and expected the variant would be found in Wyoming at some point. “It is not unusual for variants to emerge with viruses and that’s... Full story
On December 30, Carbon County announced that they are now accepting applications for the Community Charitable Relief Fund, a program initiated by the Office of Governor Mark Gordon on December 21. According to information provided by Carbon County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett, the program is designed to allow charitable organizations the opportunity to seek reimbursement of expenditures related to providing goods, services or payments to the public due the public health emergency caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Charitable organizations, in...
A month after updating health orders requiring bars and restaurants to suspend late night service, Governor Mark Gordon has reversed course with new health orders that will be effective on January 9. In a press release from the Office of Governor Mark Gordon dated January 2, the governor announced that bars and restaurants would be able to return to normal operating hours. Under the current health orders, which took effect December 9, bars and restaurants were required to close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., a move which led to frustration for many es... Full story
Bank of Commerce (BOC), Carbon County’s only locally-owned bank, announced today a rebrand of its visual identity. It has been nearly 30 years since Bank of Commerce has updated the brand. The time is right to refresh the look as a total package. The team has been working on this project for quite some time and a lot of thought and consideration went into adopting the brand package. “We went into this project with an idea of what we wanted and worked out every last detail to make sure it perfectly represented our vision,” said Nicole Henle...
Multiple Wyoming energy companies and cities have joined together to kick off the thirty-first annual Energy Share of Wyoming season. The program, which is now accepting applications, was started to assist individuals with energy-related emergencies when unusual circumstances create financial needs not met through existing energy assistance programs. Voluntary contributions from sponsors and individuals support the program that runs through the spring of 2021. “During the 2019-2020 heating season, Energy Share of Wyoming raised nearly $...
On December 18, Carbon Power & Light, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and the Wyoming Rural Electric Association made a donation to three area fire departments as part of their effort to support six local fire departments following the events of the Mullen Fire earlier this year. A total of $30,000 was donated to the six fire departments and was split equally among them. Each department received a total of $5,000. Among those that received donations were the Saratoga Volunteer...
The residential and business winners of Valley Service Organization's (VSO) Annual Lighted Contest were recently announced by the local non-profit. The contest, which includes any resident and business that has put up lights for the holiday, is judged annually by the residents of the Saratoga Care Center. This year, due to current health orders, the residents of the care center were shown photos of the various lighted buildings throughout Saratoga in lieu of driving around town. The residential...
Just in time for Christmas, the Corbett Medical Foundation has received a $25,000 grant from the Sinclair Wyoming Refining Company (SWRC) in support of the Platte Valley Healthcare Project's "Help Us Build a Strong Foundation" fundraising campaign. The check was presented December 16 by Annette Penman, grant coordinator for SWRC, to Laura Bucholz representing the Corbett Foundation and Irene Archibald and Sonja Collamer of the PVHP. According to Archibald, treasurer for the PVHP, they learned...
State winners were named during the 2020 Wyoming Make it With Wool competition, Sunday, December 6, in Laramie. Due to COVID-19, there was no in-person modeling of garments. Contestants submitted 39 entries from 12 districts across the state. The top two junior and senior entries are selected for the state contest, said Carol Macy, state contest director. Judging was at the University of Wyoming's Cliff and Martha Hansen Teaching Arena near Laramie. First place in the senior division went to...
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has released the Platte Valley Mule Deer Migration Corridor Draft Biological Risk and Opportunity Assessment. The document provides an overview of the conservation challenges and opportunities along the 80 miles in south-central Wyoming that make up one of the most crucial pathways in the state for spring and fall mule deer movements. The public is invited to review the draft and submit comments. The Platte Valley Migration Corridor has been an official...