Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Over the weekend, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wyoming continued to increase as testing continued and the virus spread. As of 4 p.m. on April 6, the total number of cases in the Cowboy State was at 210 with 52 cases recovered and no deaths. Of the 23 counties in Wyoming, 17 have at least one confirmed case. On Friday evening, Carbon County had one more added to its count with a fourth confirmed case from the Wyoming Department of Health. When initially... Full story
On April 3, Governor Gordon added another directive in conjunction with three statewide orders that had been issued in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Those orders, which had an original sunset date of April 3, had been extended twice; first to April 17 and again to April 30. The directive released on April 3, like Gordon’s other orders, is intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. The directive is for individuals who are arriving in Wyoming from another state or country to s... Full story
Carbon County residents may be shocked to find that the State of Wyoming has over $1 million belonging to them. In a time when the effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are putting a pinch on pocketbooks, the State Treasurer’s Office is wanting to remind residents that there is money due them currently being held by the Unclaimed Property Division. “We were planning to visit Carbon, Lincoln and Uinta counties in April as part of an outreach mission to help local citizens find and cla...
COVID-19 did not stop the swearing in of Dave Redding as the new Marshal for the town of Medicine Bow. On March 30 at 6 p.m., before the town council, mayor and town clerk/treasurer, Redding was sworn in as the law enforcement officer for the town at the Medicine Bow Community Hall. It has been decades since Medicine Bow has had a Marshal. Because of the restrictions on how many people could be in the room, only Judy Redding, the new marshal's wife, was in attendance. "I'm excited about it," May...
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected people’s lives, and livelihoods, both across the world, and closer to home right here in the beautiful Platte Valley. Jon Winter, Platte Valley Kiwanis president, told local Kiwanians, “The financial impact of COVID-19 on people is going to be significant and I challenge our club to think of ways we can help serve our community.” Platte Valley of Wyoming COVID-19 Assistance was formed to provide that support in the form of grocery gift cards to owners and employees of small businesses in the commu...
Town & Country Realty is proud to announce that Shelby McGuire has joined their team. Shelby is not new to real estate as she completed the Salesmen Course I and II and received her license back in 2019. Shelby is a Saratoga native where she graduated from high school. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the University of Wyoming in 2018. Shelby is proud to be returning home to continue her career in real estate. Town & Country Realty is still committed in providing...
With the effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on local businesses, various programs have been announced on both the federal and state levels in the form of grants and loans. Recently, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services announced Layoff Aversion Grants for Wyoming businesses but quickly saw the application limit exceeded. On a more local level, the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) is offering financial aid through micro-grants for small businesses in the...
It can be all too easy, in times like this, to focus on the negative. I’ve been guilty of it myself, especially as I watch the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state tick up nearly every hour. It hit me over the weekend, also, that I would have normally spent the weekend covering the 13th Annual Wyoming Open and that this week’s paper would have a list of all the various Easter events in eastern Carbon County. When thinking about what has changed, and what is cha... Full story
Several days ago, while watching the endless news about coronavirus I heard a newscaster say something that has stuck with me, "You can't quarantine tears". As I thought about this, even when trying to go to sleep and find some semblance of rest during these challenging times, the words kept playing over and over again in my head, "You can't quarantine tears". He was absolutely right, you can't. We can't quarantine suffering either. Never have and probably never will. We can't quarantine fear....
Dear Editor, Over the last several decades the world has witnessed a spate of new health threats in the format of SARS, HIV, Ebola, Bird flu, Swine flu. All of these in the form of highly communicable diseases which at one time have threatened the health of the planet. Now we are experiencing another such virulent disease in COVID-19 which is currently attacking countries around the world. In addition to the public health implications, it also reveals the diminished response capability of our government at all levels of society and highlights...
Dear Editor, Our world is dealing with an unprecedented time that has not been seen in generations, if ever. We are being asked to do things we would never consider as normal–social distancing being the most prominent. There is no one immune from this. It is a global issue. We all see the news showing how the numbers of those infected and having died from this virus continues to grow exponentially on a daily, or even hourly, basis. That said, those of us in Wyoming, and Carbon County in particular, have opportunities to deal with this better t...
“I believe that team work is still what gets us through these times,” Logan Wright, head coach of the Saratoga football team and Saratoga High P.E. teacher said. “Our family grows thicker roots and chemistry and we come out better than ever.” Wright is speaking about how COVID-19 has been a game changer in education and sports as parents, students and athletes adjust to staying at home as much as possible while this virus plays havoc with Wyoming and the nation. Jackie Jones, head coach of the...
It started when Principal Jason Greenway handed Medicine Bow Elementary teacher Shelley Cooper the book "Book Whisperer" by Donalyn Miller early in the school year. The author of "Book Whisperer" is a teacher who says she has yet to meet a child she couldn't turn into a reader. Her method is unconventional. Miller does away with traditional reading instruction of book reports and comprehension worksheets and instead, focuses on letting students choose books and independently read. Miller's...
As the date for the closure of the landfill outside Saratoga gets ever closer, the Upper Platte River Solid Waste Disposal District (UPRSWDD) may finally have a direction in how to proceed with their dead animal pit. The question of what to do once the dead animal pit at the Saratoga site is closed has plagued the UPRSWDD board for nearly three years. With concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the temporary closure of Saratoga Town Hall to ancillary boards and...
With new national recommendations encouraging the targeted use of personal face coverings due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) official is updating residents on why using them at key times could be helpful. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other measures meant to keep people apart are difficult to maintain such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state... Full story
The Department of Workforce Services (DWS) is readying to update its Unemployment Insurance (UI) system to distribute unemployment funds from the Coronavirus stimulus package to boost jobless benefits. DWS is reviewing information received over the weekend from the U.S. Department of Labor to begin putting processes in place to distribute important funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act. Congress and President Trump have enacted emergency programs to assist those left unemployed by the COVID-19...
As promised in my previous column “Florentine it,” I am going to share another way to add vegetables to a picky eater’s diet. Use spaghetti squash instead of pasta. This substitution also helps reduce some carbohydrates. Spaghetti squash does still contain some carbs as it is considered a starchy vegetable. However, one cup of cooked spaghetti squash has just 40 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrate. Whereas, one cup of cooked spaghetti noodles has about 200 calories and 40 grams of carbo...
A hospitalized Johnson County man previously identified as being infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has died, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). The older man had health conditions that put him at higher risk of severe illness and complications related to COVID-19. There have been 275 confirmed and 98 probable cases reported so far from across Wyoming. This is the first reported death associated with the pandemic in the state. “This is a sad development we hoped we wouldn’t see in Wyoming and we want this per... Full story