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In less than a week, Wyoming has seen a rapid increase in the amount of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as testing continues throughout the state. In that time, Carbon County has added two confirmed cases to the statewide total of 28 as of March 23. The first case for Carbon County was announced late Friday evening by Jacquelin Wells, regional nurse supervisor, in a press release to media outlets. “Local officials were notified late today by the Wyoming Department of Health that... Full story
Unlike more recent meetings of the Saratoga Town Council, the March 17 meeting of the governing body was under 30 minutes due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Despite the shortness of the meeting and the limited agenda, there was still plenty of discussion within that half hour. That discussion came as the town council was informed that they needed to place priority on two Mineral Resource Grant (MRG) applications submitted by the Town. One was submitted by the...
James Ellis (Jim) Herring, 88, passed away March 18, 2020 at the Saratoga Care Center. He was born to Clarence (Breezy) and Stephana Herring on October, 8, 1931 in Saratoga, Wyoming. He was the fourth child of six. He married the love of his life, Janet Lou Rutschman, on October 21, 1951. They were married 67 years when she passed in December 2018. They had three children: Elvis, Debra and Dana. He worked a variety of jobs doing whatever it took to provide for his family. He is survived by his c... Full story
On Thursday afternoon, a joint order from Governor Mark Gordon and State Health Officer Alexia Harrist directed restaurants, bars and other public spaces in Wyoming to close their doors. In the case of restaurants, they could still offer curbside, carry-out or delivery services while bars could offer drive-thru services or window services. Just days before that order, some restaurants in the Valley were already making that decision on their own. In Saratoga, The Grumpy Italian and Bella's Bistro...
As the Valley continues to cope with the ongoing uncertainty caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the two grocery stores in Saratoga continue to try and meet the needs of their customers despite allocation and shortages on certain items. At Valley Foods, things changed quickly in less than a week. While manager Adam Clarke had put limitations on toilet paper, hand soap and hand sanitizer to try and make things stretch, his list of allocated items from his warehouse continued to grow. Now,...
Are you feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment with everything that’s been going on recently? Well, you’re not alone. When I left the office on March 13, I probably should’ve taken the hint that it was Friday the 13th. The biggest thing on my mind was finishing up an article on the workshop held by the Town of Saratoga with James Childress and auditors from Carver, Florek and James. In a 48-hour period, that all changed. While the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, was on my radar as cases were...
I have talked about toilet paper more in the past week than I have probably ever before in my life! The COVID-19 virus does not even have symptoms that would require the use of extra toilet paper. Many of us are stunned at the level of hoarding and lack of respect for fellow community members. There are plenty of elderly and people who live on fixed incomes that cannot afford to purchase groceries and supplies ahead of time. They shop on a week to week basis. The panic purchasing that has been...
By Dr. Dean Bartholomew I personally and professionally have struggled with how to think about the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Let me share with you where I am with COVID-19: It is a real pandemic; our government's drastic efforts at containment measures are necessary; the containment measures are sincere efforts to help the American people. Why do I say this? Settle in, because we are going to have to put on our thinking caps. First, we need to talk statistics. I have seen...
By now, we have all seen the news and heard countless coverage on the COVID-19 situation. However, there is something else that is spreading among us, and that is fear. The amount of emotional and mental energy fear and worry take is quite staggering. Mix this with an unprecedented situation of “social distancing” and we as humans are sitting in a recipe for anxiety, depression, sadness and mania. Watching the internet, constantly refreshing for updates, and checking your phone every few minutes are cyclical activities that provide the ill...
As history repeats itself, I thought this article in the December 12, 1918 issue of the Saratoga Sun is worth passing along. The article reads: "You certainly won't want to contract the flu after reading the following description of the effects of the disease, written by a soldier in training at Camp McArthur, Texas. This is probably the most vivid and realistic description ever written of what one experiences while in the throes of the Spanish influenza. After recovering from an attack of the...
Nobody likes getting a cold or flu at this time of year but, when the weather changes from cold to warm, it happens. Unfortunately, with COVID-19 lurking throughout the country and certain parts of Wyoming, getting a cold could be a sign that this contagious disease has struck a person’s system. What to do if you have a fever, dry cough and symptoms that are a warning of having this disease? Optimally, you go to your healthcare provider and let them take a look to diagnose if you should go a... Full story
Karen Heath, the town clerk/treasurer of Medicine Bow, was invited by her niece to take a dream vacation to Iceland flying out March 11. "My niece's husband wanted to give her a great birthday present, so he bought tickets for her, me and two of her friends," Heath said. "I got to her place in Pennsylvania on March 10 and we flew out of Newark March 11 to Iceland." Heath said her niece found an apartment for the week and had rented a car so they would not need to use public transportation. She...
Following the recommendation from Governor Mark Gordon and State Superintendent Jillian Balow on March 15 that all schools in Wyoming close their doors until April 3, Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) has been working to keep parents updated on what can be done to try and continue education outside the classroom. At the March 16 meeting of the CCSD2 Board of Trustees, Superintendent Jim Copeland explained that, at the time, the district couldn’t offer online education as they were u...
Ryley Alameda is only 12 years old but she is already a partner in Remick Boer Goats, learning the ins and outs of what it really takes to raise an animal for profit. Ryley is a member of the Saratoga's Finest 4-H club and she has shown goats as her 4-H project for the past four years. It all started when a family friend, Valerie Remick, gave Ryley and her brother two bum goat kids from her Boer herd. They named the goats Tank and Lightning and didn't have high hopes for them. However, both...
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride in a pumpkin carriage like Cinderella? Well, three Carbon County 4-H members are one step closer to finding out; they are growing giant pumpkins for their 4-H project. One of those 4-Hers is Emily Donough, a three year member of the Rawlins Reliables 4-H Club. Gardening & Horticulture is her main 4-H project and she got her love of growing things from her mom, Melissa Donough, the biology teacher at Rawlins High School. "I've always loved...
One of my favorite parts of being a University of Wyoming Extension Educator is going on yard calls. Residents from around the county will call the office and ask questions about things that are giving them fits in their landscape: yellow patches in grasses, odd-shaped holes in leaves, funny insects marching up and down the bark and so forth. Sometimes people stop in the office with a sample; sometimes they bring pictures. If I can’t figure out the problem from the sample or the picture, I travel to the property and take a look in person. In r...
Wildflowers can be a great addition to a landscape. The cottage look is just what many gardeners are seeking. Additionally, when we hear wildflowers, we tend to think about flowers that are easy to grow, require little maintenance, and maybe even require less water than some of the other plants in the garden. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. The term “wildflower” implies the flowers have not been cultivated and are not hybrids; the flowers should not differ from their native flower counterparts. Wildflowers are not, and can...
Imagine: citrus trees growing in Medicine Bow, Wyoming all year round. As unlikely as this might sound, Kani and Lyle Flansburg believe it possible and are taking the steps to make this unlikely scenario a reality. They have already built a greenhouse in Medicine Bow that is the beginning of this citrus growing world. "We have started a small permaculture design, food forest and sustainable agriculture demonstration business, WyOasis, LLC," Kani said. For those who don't know what permaculture...
For those who are not involved in the world of agriculture, the word "cattle rustling" may invoke images of sepia-toned movies in which black hatted villains abscond with the property of hard working ranchers. Perhaps it brings to mind gritty western movies, still set in the Old West, in which lynch mobs are formed and the thieves are brought to some form of justice. Unfortunately, the theft of cattle is not the problem of a bygone era. While ranches and ranchers have adapted with changing...
Among the many bills that were introduced during this past legislative session, one that may have caught the eye of ranchers throughout Wyoming was House Bill 0244. This piece of legislation, introduced by Representative Hans Hunt, would have repealed Wyoming State Statute 11-37-108, which may fine a rancher up to $750 for not paying the beef check-off dues currently owed to the Wyoming Beef Council. The bill failed by a vote of 27-29-4, Representative Jerry Paxton was excused, and so the $1...
Less than a week since issuing his first executive order in conjunction with State Health Officer Alexia Harrist, Governor Mark Gordon has issued his third one this evening, March 24. The order takes effect on March 25 and will have yet another substantial effect on businesses within Wyoming as it closes nail salons, hair salons, barbershops and tattoo parlors. This order follows and and supplements previous orders issues by Gordon. The first, issued on March 19, closed restaurants, bars,... Full story