Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Photo by Joshua Wood Connor Tolle and Beau McKinney collide in the snow following their run in the sled races held Saturday morning in Encampment. While there may have been a few bruises, both particpants were eager to return up the hill for another run.... Full story
Child care, like many other things in the Valley, has been limited or scarce. That changed in December 2020 when Valley Village Childcare first opened its doors. It didn’t take long, however, for the facility on West Bridge Avenue to quickly fill to capacity. The Valley Village Childcare Board of Directors tasked themselves with finding a new location, then construction began on the North Platte Valley Medical Center. With the medical center housing both the clinic and the skilled nursing f...
Residents of Saratoga agree that pedestrian safety is an important issue. Where they are divided, however, is whether it is truly worth the financial cost. Chris Vogelsang, traffic and transportation engineer for OV Consulting, spoke with community members at the Platte Valley Community Center on January 17 about the Transportation Alternative Master Plan. In the proposed master plan, the goal is to create a “roadmap for mobility” with the support of the community and to investigate the cur...
The 76th annual ‘National Make It With Wool Contest’ was held in Denver CO in mid-January. Contestants from 25 states competed in creating wearable garments using fabric or yarn that is at least 60% wolf fiber. They can sew, knit, crochet or felt the clothing that is then judged for construction quality and fashion. Madi, competing in the Junior division, representing ages 13-16, was selected as the National Junior Winner. She also won the Top Junior Construction Award, and second place in the M... Full story
John D. Swanson of Morristown, Arizona passed away on December 12, 2023 at his daughters home in Saratoga at the age of 89 years. John was born in Encampment, Wyoming on August 28, 1934 in his grandparents’ home. He went to school in Rawlins and Encampment. He worked at Cedar Creek Ranch for Bob Lucas, then for the Sangers. John joined the Marines and served from 1954 to 1957 with his longtime friend, Bill Seahorn. John and his brother, and best friend, Ken Swanson worked together for 45 y... Full story
Sixth grade student Levi Goodwin became the last bee standing as he won 1st place in the Saratoga Elementary School Spelling Bee competition on January 19. Goodwin competed against 45 other students. Each spelled words which were not easy but only the top five students were rewarded in the competition. “I think I did pretty good, I practiced a little bit at home,” Goodwin said. “I would practice at home and practice when I was told to or just did it on my own when I was not told to pract...
The Saratoga Town Council has some tough decisions ahead of them regarding the Saratoga Police Department’s communication center. For years, decades even, Saratoga has maintained its own dispatch center. Not only has it dispatched for its own police department, but for the Encampment Police Department and the volunteer fire departments in Saratoga and Encampment. In the past, any suggestion of communications operating elsewhere was almost immediately rejected. Yet, what’s long felt like a necessity seems to have turned into a luxury, esp...
“If Candlemas Day be fair and bright, Winter will take another flight; If Candlemas Day be foul and rain, Winter is gone and won’t come again.” This saying, dating back hundreds of years, refers to Candlemas, a religious celebration held on February 2nd. But wait, isn’t February 2nd Groundhog Day? Yes, Groundhog Day does occur on February 2nd; it is an ages-old tradition that was brought to America by early European immigrants. The superstition, at least in the United States, is if the groundhog sees his shadow on a sunny February 2nd, winter...
The Good Lord willing, and barring another emergency, everyone is urged to “Gather at the Table” to enjoy a free meal of fried chicken, potato salad, cooked greens, buttermilk cornbread, hot fudge cake and drinks on Monday, Feb. 5th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the Saratoga Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall at corner of Third & Bridge Streets. This is the same menu which was planned for the January gathering, which had to be postponed due to a family emergency experienced by the cooks. Join your friends and family for a delicious, free mea... Full story
Bridge Street Bargains invite the public to celebrate this Leap Year with a challenge – to raise money for Never Forget Park. “Leap Year allows an extra day to do something extra special,” Committee member of Never Forget Park Stacy Crimmins said. The ladies at Bridge Street Bargains believe in this project and they are offering a match to every dollar donated up to $10,000, Crimmins said. “I think this a great way to celebrate the Leap Year,” Crimmins said, and she hopes the community rises to the challenge. The checks would be made out to Br...
Local real estate pro Drue Meyer is a die-hard sportsman and blends his passion for land and wildlife with a career in land sales. Mr. Meyer specializes in hunting and farmland and says that landowners sometimes don’t understand the outdoor opportunities that add value to a property. “Southeast Wyoming has many opportunities for hunters and anglers,” said Mr. Meyer. “Many landowners don’t realize the true market value of their property when outdoor recreational opportunities are involved.” Tracts with wooded acreage, CRP, pasture, tillable ac... Full story
The weather was just right this year for the 37th Annual Sierra Madre Winter Carnival. From human saucer bowling to the annual baking and cooking contest Encampment residents appeared to have fun. On Friday afternoon, the Winter Carnival kicked off with human saucer bowling on McCaffrey Avenue. “We have ages from preschool all the way through to adults that put themselves on a sled and run into sand filled two liter bottles,” said Alyx Munson, event chairman. “It is the beginning event, besid...
Copper France, President & CEO of the Bank of Commerce, has been part of a family banking tradition in Wyoming dating back to 1873 when his great-great-great uncle, James France, built a building in 1873 on the North East Corner of Front and 5th Street in Rawlins. France ran a grocery store and dry goods business out of one side of the building while the other side is where France opened the first banking house in Rawlins, the James France House of Banking. In 1884 J.W. Hugus & Co. purchased...
The Saratoga Skijoring Races will return for its 8th year on February 3-4 at the Buck Springs Arena. It is a challenging event which requires skill, good balance and focus which can be tricky when skiing on the snow. The Saratoga Skijoring Race’s first year started in March 2017 and has become a popular event for the last seven years. Local, state and out-of-state competitors will be coming into Saratoga to compete in this amazing event which requires a skier, rider and a horse. The day before t...
The Ron Thon wrestling tournament in Riverton was as tough as expected. Over forty schools and 1,000 wrestlers competed for the top spot at the podium, and Panther wrestling had a weekend highlighted by some ‘great wins and tough losses,’ according to head coach Rusty Arnold. Four wrestlers returned from injury to compete in the tournament, and were understandably not in top form. The majority of the competition were from 3A and 4A schools, which made the hill a harder than normal one to cli...
The Encampment Lady Tigers went 1-1 during homecoming week as they lost a hard fought game to the Southeast Lady Cyclones on Friday night and took down the Rock River Lady Longhorns on Saturday afternoon. Lady Tigers vs. Lady Cyclones The Lady Tigers were handed a tough loss by Southeast, 44-30. The Lady Cyclones simply outplayed Encampment in the second half of the game and the Lady Tigers had no answers to stop Southeast’s high power offense. In the 1st quarter, both the Encampment and the L...
It has been said that streaks were meant to be broken and the Saratoga Panthers unfortunately were reminded of that quote on Friday while on the road. Saratoga faced another breed of Panther in Cokeville, who came out on top in a 76-60 win. In many ways it was no surprise to Jason Williams, Saratoga Panther head coach, that a trip to Cokeville is never an easy ride. However the Panthers took a split the following day as they beat the Farson-Eden Pronghorns 67-66. “The Cokeville/Farson road t...
It has been a tough season for the Saratoga Lady Panthers and a lot had to do with injuries and illness. The Lady Panthers also had to face some tough competition in their schedule and the Cokeville Lady Panthers are no exception. Saratoga fell to Cokeville 60-37 on the road Friday night. However, the Lady Panthers got redemption when they finally got their first conference win of the year against Farson-Eden Lady Pronghorns 54-45. Heather Bartlett, head coach of the Saratoga Lady Panthers,...
The Encampment Tigers were down by 8 points at the end of the 3rd quarter on Friday against the Southeast Cyclones. Then, they let out a huge roar. In the 4th quarter Kaben Pickett and Gunner Henrie both made some key defensive plays to get to the free throw line to win the game against the Southeast Cyclones. Both the Tigers and Cyclones gave it all they got where both teams either took the lead back and forth or tail from behind. In the end, the Encampment found a way to slow down Southeast in...
Casper businessman Reid Rasner, who is running for the United States Senate seat currently held by John Barasso, visited Saratoga last Tuesday, January 23. Mr. Rasner spent the day in Saratoga visiting the North Platte Medical Center, and several other businesses. He also met with local media outlets, including the Sun, before capping off the day with a town hall at the Platte Valley Community Center. There Mr. Rasner made a few comments before turning the event over to a question and answer...
In next week’s Saratoga Sun - February 8 - we will have a special Valentine’s Day section. Send out a message to your special someone in the paper. This will be the same size as a small ad that you see around the paper; 2x2 and in full color. Add a heart, add a cupid, write a sonnet, for your wife, husband, sweetheart, boo, crush, kids, parents, grandparents, or anyone you choose. The Valentine’s Day ads are only $25-. We will need to have your order, with your personal message, by Monday, February 5 at 4:30 pm. No doubt all of you have seen... Full story
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