Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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The Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD#2) Speech and Debate team nabbed the 1A/2A state championship, bringing home yet another sweepstakes trophy. The team's last state title was in 2014. "The restaurant was very loud afterwards," said head coach Jake Mickelsen of his team's positive attitude. "I couldn't be prouder as to how it all turned out." Encampment Senior Jacob Dickinson is the 2016 Wyoming State Champion in Original Oratory, and placed fifth in the state in Dramatic...
As of April 1, emergency medical technicians in South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services may have one less tool in their lifesaving toolkit. The epinephrine auto-injectors, or EpiPens, used by EMT’s to treat potentially fatal allergic reactions are set to expire, and new supplies have yet to be secured. Epinephrine is one of the only medications that can stop rapid swelling that accompanies severe cases of anaphylactic shock. Though rare, this swelling is dangerous because it can c...
Guy Erickson was voted the 1A Southwest Conference Player of the Year recently by all the 1A coaches in attendance at the All-State meeting. Erickson averaged 16.7 points on 39 percent shooting and maintained a 77 percent free-throw average to go with an average 3.8 assists and 2.7 steals. Encampment Tigers Head Coach Clint Bromley said of Erickson, "He is a kid that has devoted a lot of time to the sport of basketball and his success in academics, and he deserves every accolade that comes his...
Cynthia Ann McGuire Santos, 62, passed away on March 11 at 5:08 p.m. in St. Joseph Regional Medical Center with her family by her side. A resident of Winchester, Idaho since 2011, and prior a resident of Cottonwood, Idaho since 2001, Cindy was born on October, 6 1954, to Thomas Paul McGuire and Helen Jean McGuire (Majko). Her life began on a humble ranch in Rock Springs, Wyo., where she would spend her early years taking care of her seven siblings and helping out whenever and wherever she was needed. She would later move to San Antonio, Texas...
In an effort to improve river safety in the Valley, Rob Streeter with Carbon County Search and Rescue has organized a whitewater safety training to be held in the Saratoga area May 6, 7 and 8. The three-day course, taught by Bill Dvorak of Dvorak Expeditions out of Nathrop, Colo., will include a day and a half of classroom and dry land instruction which will be held at the Saratoga Fire Department followed by another day and a half of river training at Veterans Island in Saratoga. According to...
The Riverside and Encampment Town Councils met March 10 to discuss business in the towns. In Riverside, the council sped though the agenda quickly. The council announced that the Riverside Party Day would be held on August 13, and that the High Plains Tradition Bluegrass Band would provide entertainment for the event. The Riverside council agreed to find a local contractor to provide an estimate to remove some trees in the park that were of concern. The board also approved a motion to pay the Town of Encampment to fog for mosquitos at the rate...
Residents of Thirteenth Street may soon have a little more protection from the western winds that sweep off the grasslands surrounding town. At the March 8 planning commission meeting, Chuck Bartlett, a former Saratoga Director of Public Works and current engineer for WLC Engineering, Surveying and Planning, presented a proposal to rezone a 6.5 acre parcel of land west of town. The parcel is bounded by the county road connecting Spring Creek Road and Jack Creek Road to the west. It’s north a...
Encampment High School students took home first place championships in management and bread-baking categories at the state ProStart competition. Cake decorating and culinary took home second and third, respectively. Katlynne Hytrek, Justin Bonner and Ariana McKinney make up the management team, and for their competition they have to put a portfolio together simulating every aspect of a restaurant. According to ProStart instructor Cheryl Munroe, they investigate insurance, prices, staffing,...
Like many famous quotes, there is some uncertainty over who actually said “Go West, young man, and grow up with the country.” Regardless of which dead man gets credit for the sentiment, that is what I set out to do when I packed my car and left the places and people I know deeply and love dearly back in Chicago. That was a little over three months – not to mention several lifetimes – ago. My girlfriend Michelle and I crossed the Mississippi on a dismally foggy early winter day. Both of us were s...
From 6-8 p.m. on Friday, the Saratoga Museum will be hosting ‘A Toast to History: a wine tasting event and museum fundraiser’ in the West Hall at the Platte Valley Community Center. According to Erik Gantt, Interim Director for the Saratoga Museum, there will be appetizers and wine pairings provided by seven local establishments. The participants include The Hotel Wolf, Duke’s Bar and Grill, Sweet Marie’s, Lollypops, The Saratoga Resort and Spa, Platte River Pizza and Valley Foods. These e...
A meeting of the Saratoga/Carbon County Impact (water and sewer) Joint Powers Board on March 9, was dominated by discussion of the Saratoga outfall project. The outfall project was spurred on by ammonia levels in Hot Slough Creek after the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) detected what it believed to be high levels of ammonia entering the creek. In January, the board became aware of data collected by the city at two monitoring points along the creek since 2003. Those data showed that ammonia levels in the creek were lower than...
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Wednesday released a second environmental assessment for the first phase of a proposed Carbon County wind farm. The BLM also issued a draft finding stating it did not expect significant environmental impacts beyond those outlined in the environmental assessment. The environmental assessment released by the BLM evaluates the impact of Power Company of Wyoming's (PCW) proposed Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind energy project, which the company said would...
Saratoga Track and Field Head Coach Rex Hohnholt doesn’t yet know who stand-out competitors will be this season, but he has confidence that the strong bunch of athletes will succeed over the season. Their first meet is coming up this weekend in Casper at the Glen Legler Invite, which will have stiff competition. Hohnholt looks forward to what should be a fun meet for the competitors, giving them experience with track and figuring out which relay teams will be successful. It’s one of two tra...
When someone says “hugelkultur,” don’t respond with a “bless you.” That funky sounding word was no sneeze - it’s a water-saving gardening technique that’s coming to the Valley in a big way this spring, in the form of a two year, $19,924 investigatory grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). With oversight from the town council, the Saratoga Community Garden Board will use these funds to construct five experimental hugelkultur gardens around town. Two will be located in Kathy Glode P...
Wyoming is generally not known for its fruit production. While there are not a lot of options available for fruit growers, there are some hardy species that can handle Wyoming. Pears are one species of fruit that can tolerate Southeast Wyoming and provide the hobby or backyard farmer with a product each fall. It is no secret that Wyoming is a tough place to keep plants alive. High winds, a paucity quality water, low humidity and annual precipitation, shallow soils, soils high in minerals, very cold and unpredictable temperatures and hungry...
With the world’s population expected to reach nine billion people in the next 40 years, agriculture in Wyoming and worldwide will play a vital role in feeding and conserving the growing planet. “Studies indicate that American consumers think about food production constantly, but know very little about how food is brought to the dinner table,” explained State FFA Advisor Stacy Broda. “The Wyoming State FFA Officers created the Wyoming Agriculture Advocacy Week to help bridge the gap between agriculture producers and consumers on issues such as...
Wyoming Cow Belles was started in 1940 by women in the Wyoming Stockgrowers Association to promote and support the beef industry. Our local organization the Snowy Range Cow Belles was started in 1956. We are now called the Snowy Range Cattlewomen but many still call us "Cow Belles." Our dues were 50 cents and we had 15 members. Today our dues are $5 a year. We are strictly volunteers who present college scholarships, give out prizes for 4-H projects at the county fair, donate beef roasts for...
It is that time of year when the teasing begins. It’s 60 degrees one day and 20 degrees the next. Wyoming weather tends to taunt us this time of year, trying to convince us backyard BBQs and flourishing gardens are just around the corner. We get antsy with anticipation of the beautiful days to come. There is not a lot we can do to force those beautiful days to come more quickly, but there are a few options to extend the growing season so we can get in the soil and do some digging a little earlier. There are a variety of ways to extend the seaso...
Wyoming ranchers and farmers report the number of sheep and lambs totaled 355,000 head on January 1, 2016, up 10,000 head from a year ago. According to Rhonda Brandt, Wyoming State Statistician for United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service, “The Wyoming sheep and lamb inventory increased 3 percent from last year’s record low inventory. This is the first inventory increase since 2006.” The number of breeding sheep and lambs increased to 265,000 head for 2016, up from 260,000 head last year. ...
There are more hobby beekeepers in Wyoming than commercial beekeepers, which highlights an interesting trend in the future of beekeeping. According to the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) registration records in 2015, Wyoming had 431 total registered beekeepers. Of those, 163 were commercial beekeepers and 268 were hobbyist beekeepers who owned 10 hives or less. The interest in hobby beekeeping is aligned with several other lifestyle trends in the state, a press release from WDA said. Wyoming folks are becoming more interested in...
Keeping records enables land owners to answer all kinds of questions about their operation. Without records noting choices made, when they’re made, how much they cost and so forth, operators are unable to determine if what they are doing is effective and efficient. By keeping records land owners are able to answer questions like, “Should I keep spending money on my weed management plan?” Records can also provide insight into the operation and help identify meaningful patterns. The following is a step-by-step example of how to address a quest...
Sagebrush is one of the most iconic plants populating the west. Found throughout the state, sagebrush is a common and sometimes mundane scene while traveling across Wyoming. Although perhaps not the most interesting backdrop, sagebrush serves an important function in ecosystems. There are many different species of sagebrush found in Wyoming. The different species are found growing everywhere, from low to high elevations and in cold and hot regions. These plants can have woody or non-woody stems. Sagebrush is in the Artemisia family, which is...
Saratoga High School's FFA chapter hosted students from five other high schools on March 11 for an agricultural mechanics competition. FFA groups from high schools in Laramie, Rock River, Casper, Baggs and Pinedale met at Saratoga High School for a practice session in advance of state finals, which will be held April 4 in Cheyenne. Teams from each school rotated through four hands-on activities with small engines, electrical wiring, welding and agricultural equipment. Teams also practiced...