Sorted by date Results 326 - 350 of 1429
Long-term care facilities — especially those in rural areas — have struggled for some time because they often have trouble attracting workers. Although vital to many rural communities, stand-alone long-term care facilities are rarely profitable, and a global pandemic has only made things worse. In a recent letter to the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP), John and Phyllis Smith of Encampment included a donation to the hospital noting they felt that future promotion should focus on the “benefits that will come to the residents of the Valle...
Governor Mark Gordon clarified that the role of the Wyoming National Guard in assisting with contact tracing is very limited. Due to the record number of new positive cases of COVID-19 the Department of Health and counties needed urgent assistance, but the Guard members’ role is limited to contacting individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 based on their contact with someone who has tested positive (contact tracing). The Governor emphasized that the agreement between the Wyoming National Guard and the Wyoming Department of Health (...
Alexis Barney, a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Evansville Elementary School in Natrona County School District No. 1, was named Wyoming's 2021 Teacher of the Year September 22, during the Wyoming Education Summit. "Congratulations to Alexis on being named Wyoming's 2021 Teacher of the Year," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow. "I find that her passion and charisma are contagious - and I'm excited for her to share that with others over the next year. Alexis has the...
Encampment High School was recently recognized by Make-A-Wish Wyoming for their participation in and fundraising for the program, according to a recent press release. The Kids for Wish Kids program was introduced by Make-A-Wish Wyoming in 2000 and Encampment High School has been participating in the program since 2007. The program encouraged students from kindergarten to 12th grade to raise money to grant the wishes of children who are battling critical illnesses. High school students are allowed creative leeway to craft fundraisers that they...
All candidates for Saratoga Town Council and House District 47 have indicated they will attend the upcoming candidates’ forum sponsored by the Valley Service Organization (VSO), according to Kassey Westring, forum moderator for the organization. The forum is scheduled for Monday, October 12, at 7 p.m. at the Platte Valley Community Center Great Hall. As in past forums, VSO will open the event with a few brief remarks, then the candidates will be asked to tell the audience why they are running, she said. Questions provided to VSO earlier and f...
As the warmth of the summer months give way into the cooler days of fall, there’s nothing that hits the spot quite like a bowl of chili. Additionally, there’s nothing in the fall quite like a good tailgate party. In that vein of thinking, the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (S/PVCC) is hosting their inaugural Tailgate Party Fundraiser during the upcoming Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs game. A great tailgate doesn’t happen without some good food or some good drinks, though. The S/PVCC is asking anyone who has a great chili...
The USDA has approved the Platte Valley Healthcare Project’s loan application to build the North Platte Valley Medical Center (NPVMC) as a Critical Access Hospital in Saratoga. The USDA has obligated $18,392,000 in long term financing to get the project off the ground. When it is completed next year, NPVMC will be the most up-to-date medical campus in southeastern Wyoming. In addition to a 24-hour emergency room, NPVMC will offer advanced imaging capabilities, including ultrasound, X-ray, MRI and CT, and feature an inpatient pharmacy, l...
For the 26th year, members and friends of the Little Snake River community will make a fall trek. This year the trek will be close to home, straddling the Continental Divide. It will be a time to enjoy the fall leaf colors and to learn more about the area's history. The treksters will leave Baggs at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 26, with stops for additional treksters in Dixon and Savery. They will travel to Brown's Hill where a stop will be made with information about the homesteaders and...
PacifiCorp is supporting a new technology that holds promise for recycling fiberglass products such as decommissioned wind turbine blades that might otherwise end up in a landfill. With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Small Business Technology Transfer program and Wind Energy Technologies Office, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is developing technology for large-scale recycling of wind blades for new uses. PacifiCorp, along with sister utility MidAmerican, will be...
Governor Mark Gordon has directed numerous state resources to provide assistance and support to affected communities and teams battling the Mullen Fire. The fire is burning largely on the Medicine Bow National Forest as well as some adjacent private lands. As of the morning of September 28, the fire is estimated at approximately 77,950 acres, with only 2% containment. A large portion of the forest is currently under a closure order and mandatory evacuations have been ordered for a number of communities. The Governor has been in constant communi...
A fatal crash in Rawlins on September 11 claimed the life of one person, according to a press release from the Wyoming Highway Patrol. The crash occurred early Friday morning around 3rd Street and North Higley Boulevard. The driver of 20020 Chevrolet 3500 had stopped alongside the road to check on cargo in the back of his vehicle. The driver, however, had failed to place the truck’s transmission in park. As the driver exited the vehicle, he lost his footing. The truck, still in motion, collided with the driver. The driver has been identified a...
Governor Mark Gordon, pursuant to a directive from the White House reflecting the U.S. Flag Code, has ordered both the U.S. and State of Wyoming flags be flown at half-staff statewide immediately on Friday, September 18, 2020, for the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The flags will remain at half-staff until the day of internment. Once that date has been established, the Governor's office will send out another notification to advise when the flags will be returned to full-staff....
If you’ve been putting off seeing the doctor for needed medical care, Heidi Sifford, practice manager of the Platte Valley Clinic, wants you to know you might be endangering your health more by staying away than by coming in. If patients feel uncomfortable about coming into the clinic, they’re encouraged to use the telehealth service, which is still being covered by insurance companies. “We can do much so much through that,” Sifford said, “and people don’t even have to leave their homes.” Sifford said the process is easy because clinic staff...
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be hosting a series of virtual open houses for Carbon County residents in two weeks. The open houses, which will run for three consecutive days, will allow residents to learn about their flood risk and how to protect their property. The virtual open houses, which are being held over Zoom, follow the release of the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). The new FIRM was developed in cooperation between FEMA, Carbon County and local municipalities and is based on updated modeling and...
Segments of Forest Road 261 (Cedar Pass Road) and Forest Road 443 (Jerry Accord Road) in the Sierra Madre and Snowy Ranges, Medicine Bow National Forest, will be temporarily closed for public safety during roadside hazard tree removal work into the fall. The closures will impact through traffic, overnight camping and parking. In order to accommodate use during late summer/early fall and hunting season, the following closure modifications have been set: Forest Road 261 (Cedar Pass Road)–The road is currently closed to through traffic 24/7 f...
Fire-prone fuel and weather conditions have prompted the need for Stage II fire restrictions on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland (MBRTB). Restrictions go into effect on Thursday, August 20, 2020 and include National Forest System lands located in Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt counties in northwest Colorado; Albany, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Crook, Natrona, Niobrara, Platte, and Weston counties in Wyoming. Tightened restrictions are necessary due to persistent dry, windy...
The Platte Valley Clinic has been a very busy place for a long time. Just ask Susan Foley, FNP. Foley has been holding down the fort as the sole medical provider in town since January, but now she says things are looking up. Before Dr. Adrian Durham joined the clinic staff this month, Foley said she was often booking appointments a month to six weeks out and appointment time set aside for emergencies and urgent care got filled under a crush of patients. “Let’s just say I’m very, very happy to have him here,” she said. “It’s not only better for...
The Carbon County Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce they have hired long-time Rawlins resident, Yvonne Johnson, to take the helm for the organization. Johnson has a long history of service for Carbon County. From 2004 to 2012 she served as the executive director of the Saratoga Historical & Cultural Association and was credited to successful fundraising efforts and outreach that set up the organization for success. Johnson also served as the executive director of the Rawlins-Carbon County Chamber of Commerce in 2012. Johns...
After the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) submitted the original application for a Critical Access Hospital in June, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) responded with their comments and asked for additional clarification on certain areas of the hospital construction and operation. Among the additional information requested was updated equipment costs and construction timelines as well as final costs, an updated 12-month working capital estimate and a sensitivity analysis incorporating COVID impact on the project. “The U...
Architectural plans for the future MHCC Health Center-Platte Valley were presented for approval during the July 23rd, 2020 Board of Trustees Meeting. A thorough review of the proposed layout and design by MHCC Board Members and Administration took place, and took into consideration both current and future healthcare needs for the citizens of the Platte Valley. Plans were approved for a 5,842 square foot, L-shaped modern design. Six exam rooms and two medical procedure rooms make up the Clinical...
In 2009, the late Stephen Hawking threw a Time Traveler’s Party. The most curious part about this event is that Hawking sent the invitations out after the party as an experiment to determine if time travel was possible. While, at the moment, backwards time travel is only possible in books and movies, there is a way for forward time travel. The Saratoga Historical and Cultural Association (Saratoga Museum) is providing a way for current area residents to send a bit of themselves into the future with the creation of a 2020 Time Capsule. In a pres...
The Little Snake River Museum in Savery, Wyoming is requesting people not to be sheepish about gathering as they hold the grand opening of a new museum display. Thanks to donations from John and Cathy MacPherson, the museum will be revealing the new William “Billy” MacPherson Sheep Center next week. According to a press release from the Little Snake River Museum, there will be several speakers during the event along with music and other demonstrations. The day after the grand opening, a vehicle trek hosted by the museum will take par...
Union Telephone Company, in partnership with CoBank, recently announced a $100 million debt placement with the funds being invested over the next two years in the region. Union Telephone Company will expand its mobile wireless network, improving coverage across all of Wyoming as well as parts of northern Colorado and Utah, eastern Idaho, and southern Montana. Union will also continue its investment in its fiber optic backbone and broadband service delivery. Union Telephone Company was selected by AT&T to support the deployment of...
While pie in the sky ideas are, by definition, impossible to attain it will be much easier for Saratoga residents to get pie in July. As long as they give one of the most precious gifts a person can give. The Knights of Columbus recently announced their July blood drive which is scheduled to take place next Tuesday at St. Ann’s Parish Hall. The blood drive, in cooperation with Vitalant (formerly United Blood Services), will include a slice of fresh, home baked pie for all donors. This year, according to the press release, there will be an a...
The Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (S/PVCC) is seeking nominations from its membership for a position on the nine-member Board of Directors. There is one open seat that expires in February 2022. Members of the Chamber Board are expected to establish the mission of the Chamber with policies and objectives. They should also exercise financial stewardship and ensure that legal and ethical policies are adopted and followed. The board is also charged with assessing its own performance as well as that of the CEO. Board members are also...