Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Less than a year since the failed first reading of an ordinance that would amend Chapter 5.30 of the Saratoga Municipal Code, the discussion of specially permitted events and outdoor music appears to be returning to both the planning commission and the Saratoga Town Council. At the May 11 meeting of the Saratoga Planning Commission, the discussion was started by Saratoga resident Chris Shannon. Shannon is the co-owner of The Yard, a music venue across from the Angus England American Legion Post...
As spring run-off begins and the snow turns to rain, potential hazards from the Mullen Fire are beginning to impact potential early season recreationists. On May 12, the United States Forest Service announced that post-wildfire hazards along the North Platte River had prompted a temporary camping prohibition. Effective as of the issuance of the announcement, overnight camping on National Forest lands within 1,000 feet of the centerline of the North Platte River was prohibited. The portion of the...
As houses seemingly fly off the market and rentals are non-existent in the Platte Valley, the topic of affordable housing appears to be ever more prevalent. During the May 11 meeting of the Saratoga Planning Commission, the need for affordable housing was raised by Steve Niccolls, a Saratoga resident and pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Saratoga. "If it wasn't for the fact that the church that I serve provided me with a manse, I'm not sure I would have been able to stay here because,...
On May 11, Governor Mark Gordon announced Wyoming would end its participation in federal supplemental unemployment benefits. The reason for the decision, according to the announcement, was to address workforce shortages being felt throughout the state. The programs providing the supplemental unemployment benefits were made available through federal laws initiated in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Assistance to Unemployed Workers Act of 2020. The...
I recently had the privilege of volunteering as a judge for the Platte Valley Legacy Foundation. On May 6, the morning of the Platte Valley Expo, I joined other community members in the business wing of the Platte Valley Community Center as we interviewed students from Saratoga Middle High School and seniors from Encampment K-12 School. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Being a member of the dreaded Millennial generation, I’m all too familiar with the assumptions people make about you base...
This summer will mark 13 years since Staff Sergeant Tyler Pickett lost his life to a suicide bomber in Iraq. Since then, the promise of a memorial park for the Saratoga High School graduate has gone unfulfilled. Hopefully, that will be changing soon. A member of the Class of 2000, Tyler Pickett was 28 years old when he was in Iraq on June 8, 2008. By all rights, he should have been home as he was originally supposed to be on leave at that time. However, his leave had been deferred. Pickett would end up being the first and only Carbon County... Full story
The Hanna Town Council meeting started early at 6:20 p.m. on May 11 at the Hanna Town Hall to allow the public to discuss the renewal of liquor licenses. There was no input from the anyone seated in the audience. All council members were present as was Mayor Lois Buchanan, town clerk Leslie Birge and treasurer Ann Calvert. The Council approved regular items pertaining to the agenda and April 13 minutes. Buchanan said the board and department reports would be discussed if there were any questions...
The Hanna fire department is volunteer, the same as many small towns in Wyoming. Finding people to commit to the time and training needed to be a volunteer isn't easy and, when a town fire department does, it wants to make sure it can give these folk the best equipment possible. The problem? Money doesn't come easy to small towns to fund a fire department, especially a town like Hanna which doesn't have many businesses within its limits. Fundraising can be very difficult, yet equipment to keep...
With the regular season at an end, the Encampment track and field athletes ran up to Shoshoni to compete in the 1A West Regional Meet. While there, Head Coach Kegan Willford had a handful of his student athletes place well, with some coming away as regional champions. “We had a pretty good weekend with the majority of our team qualifying for state,” said Willford. “I’m excited to see how our team performs at the state meet.” Girls at Regionals In the track events, Amber Stubbs competed...
Saratoga's track and field athletes took to Shoshoni over the weekend as they competed in the 1A West Regional Meet. While there, Head Coach Rex Hohnholt's student athletes placed well with several earning All-Conference honors. Girls at Regionals Beginning with track events, Whitney Bennett placed 2nd in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1 minute, 2.37 seconds. Bennett also competed in the 300 meter hurdles, where she placed 1st with a time of 48.04 seconds. Both placings earned her...
“We ended up doing really well,” Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) coach Jackie Jones said. “The team has 10 kids going to state. On the girls side we had six regional champs. Taylar Scott came in 1st in the triple jump going the distance of 34-09.50. Jones said that T. Scott set a regional record for the event. “It was a big jump,” Jones said. “For a girl of her size, she amazes people. Taylar has dedicated herself to this event. She drew a little crowd of people watching her because she...
The Cul de Sac Cowboys kicked off the Waterstop Jamboree in Medicine Bow on Friday. The band that features Ryan Martin, a International Western Music Association first place award winner as instrumentalist, started to play about 7 p.m. on an evening that was showering off and on. The band was inside a tent in between JBs Convenience Store and the Old West Bar. Both businesses were sponsoring the Waterstop Jamboree. Justin George, an owner of JBs, was one of the movers to get this two day event...
On Thursday another annual event that was canceled last year due to COVID-19 was held at the Elk Mountain Town Park. Dario Soto, the physical education teacher at Elk Mountain Elementary and Medicine Bow Elementary brought back his field day he has been doing for many years. Soto, a Medicine Bow resident, is a revered teacher north Carbon County. He has been teaching for over 50 years. Soto grew up in Pine Bluffs, where he was born, and after graduating high school joined the U.S. Navy. Upon...