Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Who will watch the watchmen? If certain members of our Wyoming Legislature have their way, House Bill 298 will ensure the watchmen will watch themselves. If you are reading this, then you are one of the more than 400,000 Wyoming residents who read your local newspaper either in print or online. Chances are, you are also part of the 78% who read public notices in your local newspaper or the 68% who believe state and local governments should be required to publish public...
The January 2025 meetings of the Saratoga Town Council introduced one new member to the council and recapped the improvements of infrastructure throughout the Town in 2024. Local businessman Cory Oxford was elected to one of the two four year council terms and joined the council as the lone elected member without previous council experience. Mayor Chuck Davis and Councilman Jerry Fluty have two more years on their initial terms. Councilmen Mike Cooley and Bub Barkhurst were...
“The thought of just saying that you can hire anyone without certification, to me, is a disservice to our kids.” Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) Superintendent Darrin Jennings is just one of a number of administrators and educators concerned with legislation which would allow “uncertified personnel” to be hired as teachers in school districts and charter schools. House Bill 100 is sponsored by Representative Ocean Andrew (R - Laramie) and would give schools...
For nearly a month, fires have torn through the dense urban neighborhoods of Los Angeles, as fire departments struggled to control and contain the spread of the flames. Among the number of factors contributing to the devastating spread of the fires was the fact that responders were attempting to fight the flames with a municipal water system. Density and Fuel Loads “One thing to keep in mind with these LA fires. As with most large scale fires—whether it be a large grass fir...
CHEYENNE — State lawmakers took a step Friday toward banning transgender athletes at the University of Wyoming and the state’s community colleges from playing in intercollegiate athletics divisions that match their gender identity. The Senate Education Committee passed Senate File 44, “Fairness in sports-intercollegiate athletics,” by a 4-1 vote, with the sole Democrat on the panel, Sen. Chris Rothfuss of Laramie, voting against the measure. Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, brought the bill, following a successful effort...
Saratoga Sun File Photos...
The Saratoga Planning Commission should be commended for completing their work on one of the largest sections of town code. At the Town of Saratoga’s last council meeting, the recap of happenings in Town Hall included the finishing of Title 17 in Saratoga’s Code of Ordinances, which regulates the development of subdivision within town limits. The new council will incorporate the revision of this outdated ordinance in the 2025 proceedings. Upon first glance, this might not seem to be anything other than cleaning up town bus...
The Encampment Tigers boys basketball team earned two victories in the Tiger Den last weekend. The Tigers trounced the Ft. Washakie Eagles 68-37 on Friday afternoon and routed the Rock River Longhorns 63-35 on Saturday. With the two additional games in the win column, the Tigers moved to an overall record of 10-5, 3-2 in conference. After the wins, Encampment now sits in a tie for third on the Wyoming 1A Southwest rankings table, despite having a better overall record than...
The Encampment Tigers girls basketball team decidedly defeated the Ft. Washakie Eagles and Rock River Longhorns in the Tiger Den last weekend. The Tigers topped the Eagles 64-31 on Friday and held the Longhorns to four points during a 38-4 victory on Saturday. With the two victories, Encampment's record improves to 9-6 including 3-2 in conference play. In the 1A Southwest conference – the Tigers are tied for second with Farson-Eden (5-10, 3-2 Conference and trail only to t...
The Saratoga Lady Panthers had another split weekend as they took on two conference rivals while on the road. On January 24, Saratoga was hosted by the Cokeville Lady Panthers for what would be a double-digit loss but turned it around on January 25 for a win against the Farson-Eden Lady Pronghorns. As is often the case with Saratoga’s girls, the score doesn’t tell the entire story. “I felt like we had turned the corner against Cokeville,” said Head Coach Logan Wright. “We were winning at the end of the first quarter a...
The SMHS wrestling team travelled to the Lander Valley tournament last weekend. Coach Rusty Arnold quipped that the competition was ‘super tough, with mainly 3A and 4A schools attending.’ Competing at this level helps immensely and Rusty was pleased that ‘everyone is showing improvement.’ The team has continued its tough training and hopefully that work will pay off as they move into the heart of the wrestling season. Three wrestlers competed in the varsity tournament in Lander, and the remainder of the team were placed...
Winter finally arrived with the Town of Encampment presenting food and fun for the whole family over the past weekend. Local resident Sandy Martin had an idea in 1987 to roust people out of winter hibernation and make the most of seasonal conditions. The first three day event took place in March 1988 featuring everything from a poker run to kamikaze ski jumping. After 38 years, some of the original events remain, starting with a snow sculpture competition on Friday and ending...
It’s been literally decades since I’ve been in elementary school. And while life as a working adult is just so much fun all the time, sometimes you need to hear from children to put things into perspective. This week, three of my coworkers and I were invited to speak with some third-grade students at Wagonwheel Elementary about the newspaper business. I knew that there would be questions. And boy, did they have a lot of questions. I know kids are naturally inquisitive, but I was surprised by just how many questions they had...
When looking at the amount of education related bills in the 68th Wyoming Legislature, it’s hard not to believe that a number of our legislators aren’t invested in our public education system. The amount of bills introduced this session—more than 700—is enough to make my head spin some days. Yet, what makes my head spin even more are the bills introduced which almost seem to try to undercut Wyoming’s public education system. Take, for example, House Bill 100. On the surface this bill almost seems to try to alleviate...
The Almighty is always faithful, He never fails, and if we take a closer look throughout our past, we notice that He has been working in our lives even when it did not seem like it. It’s been said that God’s care for His children is like the sun: it’s constant. Even though the clouds often obscure it, this does not mean it’s not there. We might not have everything we asked for, and sometimes we are thankful we did not receive the thing we begged for. I remember the song, “Thank God for unanswered prayers” which allows us t...
In Luke’s Gospel Chapter 4:14-21, Jesus is launching his public ministry. After teaching in several synagogues around Galilee, he arrives in Nazareth, “where he had been brought up.” As Luke tells the story, this is the first place we hear Jesus’ teaching — it’s his inaugural address as he begins to preach and teach and heal. And what does Jesus say to this hometown crowd? "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recov...
The ballots have been received and counted and the results are in for the Best of the Valley. For years, the staff of the Saratoga Sun has heard from locals and visitors alike what a great place the Platte Valley is when it comes to food, drinks and customer service. It’s one of the few communities this size where, when someone asks “Where’s a good place to eat?” the response is “What are you hungry for?” With that in mind, the Saratoga Sun set out to begin awarding local businesses and individuals which make the Platte Vall...
Photo by D’Ron Campbell Jake Hubbs gives Riot a few tips when prepping to tackle the sledding races at the Sierra Madre Winter Carnival...
As the town crier shouts, “there’s nothing more satisfying than a delicious hot meat on a cold blustery night”, to which the cooks for the “Gather at the Table” volunteers respond by inviting every one, especially the hungry and lonely, to come in out of the cold for a free meal and fellowship Monday evening, Feb. 3rd, from 5:00 o’clock to 6:30. Smoked pulled pork on a bun, coleslaw, baked beans, strawberry cake with strawberry cream frosting and a beverage are on the menu for the event at the cozy, warm and friendly Sa...
The Saratoga Panthers had a rough weekend on the road as they traveled to Cokeville and Farson for what were two more conference losses. On January 24, Saratoga was dealt a narrow 9-point loss by the Cokeville Panthers. Then, on January 25, the Panthers fell by 12 points to the Farson-Eden Pronghorns. “We were competitive in both games but ran into scoring droughts that we ultimately couldn’t overcome,” said Head Coach Jason Williams. Saratoga vs. Cokeville While Cokeville has been one of the tougher teams in the 1A South...
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