Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Sorted by date Results 1282 - 1306 of 5184
When the One Percent Specific Purpose Sales and Use Tax (6th penny tax) appeared before voters on May 7, 2019 one of the projects listed for the Town of Saratoga included the rehabilitation of one of the municipality's water storage tanks. The need to either rehabilitate or replace one of two water storage tanks southwest of Saratoga is likely more evident now that winter has arrived. Due to the leaking of one water storage tank, a large amount of ice has formed on the side...
As the demands of information technology increase for Carbon County, IT Director Matt Webster is finding himself in need of more help. Currently, the County IT Department consists of Webster and IT Specialist Rick Cox. At the February 2 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), Webster informed the board of his need for another employee. “I’ve been reluctant to bring this up because of a couple different reasons, mostly the cost, but I think it’s somet...
The town of Hanna has been without a planning and zoning board for over a decade, but that all changed on January 25. Three of the five board members met along with Mayor Lois Buchanan at the Hanna Town Hall. Donna Pipher, Sammy Sikes and Mike Armstrong were in attendance. Board members Jason Nordquist and Vivian Gonzales were absent. The first meeting saw the board members present look over the planning and zoning codes that were on the book. Maps of the town’s zoning d...
The South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS) board met on January 18 in Medicine Bow and, according to Director Melissa Sikes and North District Supervisor Shana Romero, the topic that got the most attention was the difficulty in getting volunteers. Besides the problem of not having enough volunteers Sikes said SCWEMS discussed the building addition in Saratoga. Volunteers "We are looking at possibly getting some more full-time people to help out because our...
The Carbon County Council of Governments (CCCOG) met via Zoom on January 13. The board usually meets every two months on the third Wednesday, but this meeting was scheduled a week early. All municipalities of CCCOG were in attendance with the exception of Medicine Bow and Sinclair. In September 2020, Baggs mayor Anna Marie Waldron had asked if any municipality knew of a grant writer. Former Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Stacy Crimmins’ name was mentioned as a p...
On the morning of January 21, what appeared to be a line for admission formed in front of the Platte Valley Community Center and out into the parking lot. Instead of waiting for a popular musical act or an off-broadway show, however, the line that had formed was for the first round of doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. While Phase 1b of the Wyoming Department of Health's vaccine schedule includes frontline essential workers who must interact with the public while unable to...
At their first meeting of 2021, three of the four people elected to Medicine Bow Town Council took their oaths of office. While Sharon Kahl, Lucy Schofield and Cindy Chace were all sworn in. Trevor Strauch, who has served on last council was re-elected, opted out of another term. He explained that he had not wanted to be considered when the primaries started, but he was written in. Strauch said he declined to be a candidate then, but the residents of Medicine Bow must have...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) were given a preview of the Carbon County Library System’s (CCLS) strategic plan during their January 19 meeting. Along with hearing about the system’s three year plan, the commissioners also spoke with Lenny Layman, Carbon County Emergency Coordinator, about trusted sources of information. Strategic Plan CCLS Director Jacob Mickelsen appeared before the commissioners on Tuesday to present the system’s three year plan from...
It has been several months since the Carbon County Visitors Council (CCVC) has met in person but, on January 20, the board met at Firewater Public House in Saratoga. In addition to the board members meeting face-to-face, the city of Rawlins sent Mary-Pat Whitfield to be their representative. The city has not had a representative since June 30, 2018. Whitfield has been a resident of Rawlins for 42 years and has worked with museums in the city. CCVC Medicine Bow representative Sharon Kahl resigned from the board because she...
With the long-anticipated approval of a $16 million plan appraisal, the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) is finally in a position to move forward on construction of the North Platte Valley Medical Center. In the next phase, First Interstate Bank will underwrite the loan, a procedure that is expected to take about two weeks. “I know people are frustrated with how long this seems to take,” said Will Faust, chairman of the PVHP, “but this is a very complicated process, and we have a lot of irons in the fire that are c...
Saratoga Town Council At A Glance Appoint of Legal Counsel • Mayor Creed James appointed Sundahl, Powers, Kapp & Martin as legal counsel with unanimous approval from town council. Saratoga Town Clerk • Town council approved contract of $50 per hour at 10 hours per week for Pam Paulsen to aid treasurer and assistant clerk/treasurer. Department of Public Works • Two payments of $25,900 to Bob Ruwart Motors for two new trucks for the water and sewer department using impact assis...
Governor Mark Gordon has unveiled a proposal for modernizing and refocusing Wyoming’s higher education system. The initiative, called the Wyoming Innovation Network (WIN), calls for closer collaboration between the University of Wyoming and the state’s community colleges and an emphasis on developing innovative solutions that will support and enhance Wyoming’s economy and workforce. “Given the challenges facing our state, I’m committed to ensuring that our higher education institutions work together more effective...
Safety and aesthetics were the top concerns raised by the Saratoga Town Council in regards to a proposed bulk propane storage facility south of town during their January 19 meeting. The facility, which will be constructed and operated by Blakeman Propane, is just outside town limits on property owned by Arthur Ingleby. Due to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Town of Saratoga and Carbon County approved on July 2, 2019, however, the county is required to solicit...
As vaccines continue to roll-out across the state and Carbon County, the staff of Carbon County Public Health are preparing to vaccinate residents over 70 years of age. This comes as the first confirmed case of the "UK Variant" of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was confirmed in a Teton County resident on Saturday. The first doses of the Moderna vaccine were given on January 19 to senior residents in Rawlins. From there, Carbon County Public Health will travel throughout the... Full story
For the past several months, the wastewater treatment plant north of Saratoga has been dealing with something of a mystery. The enigma was first raised by Director of Public Works Jon Winter during the January 5 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council and again during the January 13 meeting of the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB). According to Winter, the wastewater lagoon north of town had seen high levels of biochemical oxygen demand in the effluent of...
The Upper Platte River Solid Waste Disposal District (UPRSWDD) held their first meeting of the year in Riverside on January 6. The meeting began with site reports and talk of grinding instead of burning trash. It was determined that the issues with burning and the cost involved made grinding the better option, but they will get a burn permit as a backup. In billing reports, the gate fee was brought up in regards to the monthly rate. It was stated that it is $25 a month...
Delinquent water accounts were the hot topic for Hanna Town Council at their first meeting of 2021. While the outstanding amounts owed to the Town of Hanna has drastically reduced since last February, the governing body is moving forward with trying to collect the remaining amount owed to the Town. Also, during the January 12 meeting, the council discussed the ongoing steps for the landfill closure process and received year-end reports from the Department of Public Works and...
Delinquent accounts were, again, a major point of discussion for the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) during their regular meeting on January 13. As was reported previously (see “Collecting on delinquent accounts” on page 1 of the December 16, 2020 Saratoga Sun), the topic of delinquent accounts was raised during the December 9 meeting of the joint powers board. It was revealed during that meeting that the accounts ranged from 60 days past due to nea...
The, currently, two member Saratoga Planning Commission had a gas during their January 12 meeting as they discussed, among other things, the proposed location for Blakeman Propane’s bulk propane storage facility south of Saratoga. With no council representative at the moment, newly-seated Councilmember Ben Spaulding and newly-appointed Mayor Creed James sat in the audience to provide their input. Along with the propane facility, the planning commission also discussed a potenti...
Almost two years ago, the first Friday in March, on the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies ( WFBOTR) food truck made its first appearance in the town of Hanna to distribute food. It was a very different time, when people lined up close together before entering the Hanna Recreation Center to get their food. There was fresh fruit, vegetables, dry goods, gluten free bread, desserts, beverages and chicken. Volunteers took what came off the truck and quickly put it on tables with...
On January 6, vaccination against the coronavirus COVID-19 started for first responders in Carbon County. Melissa Sikes, Director of South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS), received her inoculation. She is happy vaccinations are happening because she is hopeful it will alleviate the spread of the disease. "The vaccinations will help flatten the curve a lot," Sikes said. "The Moderna vaccine that Carbon County got is 95 percent effective at preventing the...
While a run-off election in Georgia was determining who would gain control of the United States Senate on January 5, the Saratoga Town Council was finding their own direction during their first meeting of 2021 as they swore in new council members and a new mayor. Transfer of Powers As the final actions of Councilmember Judy Welton and Councilmember D'Ron Campbell, the Saratoga Town Council went through the customary approval of the minutes, agenda and paying of the bills...
A new AMX420 high-definition portable X-ray machine is helping healthcare workers at the Platte Valley Clinic deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The $133,000 machine, manufactured by GE Healthcare, was recently purchased by the Corbett Medical Foundation and donated to the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) as part of Help Us Build a Strong Foundation fundraising campaign. It is currently in use at the Platte Valley Clinic but will ultimately be moved to the North Platte Va...
While the Town of Saratoga will start the year with someone in the mayor’s seat, the Saratoga Town Council is also moving forward with replacing both their legal counsel and their town clerk. Both topics were discussed during the January 5 meeting of the governing body. Legal Proposals As was reported previously (see “New year, new everything” on page 2 of the January 6 Saratoga Sun), following a publication of Request for Proposals (RFPs) the Town of Saratoga had received fiv...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) started the new year off at the tracks as they approved a resolution for pari mutuel wagering to operate in the county during their January 5 meeting. Resolution 2021-03, which was approved by a vote of 4-1, gave approval to Wyoming Downs, LLC (Wyoming Downs) to conduct pari mutuel wagering on live horse racing, historic horse racing and simulcast events at bars within Carbon County. Terminals for the pari mutuel wagering and...
