Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Sorted by date Results 1533 - 1557 of 5184
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) denied an application for subdivision from the Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) on May 5 following a public hearing. The application for subdivision, reviewed by the Carbon County Planning Commission in April, had been for property south of Saratoga between the United States Forest Service and the Whistle Pig. That property, at one time, had been announced as the future site of the North Platte Valley Medical Center....
In the early morning of May 11, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from a county resident of a suspicious vehicle that resulted in a morbid discovery. According to a press release from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office received on Monday afternoon, the sheriff’s department received a call at approximately 6:22 a.m. of a vehicle that was in the roadway with an unresponsive subject in the back seat. The vehicle was located on County Road 215, across from...
For nearly two months, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County has had to cancel or reschedule surgical procedures as they worked to respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Carbon County. Beginning tomorrow, however, things will begin to return to normal at MHCC. “The COVID-19 Pandemic forced healthcare facilities to temporarily cancel surgical procedures for patient safety and conservation of limited PPE (personal protective equipment),” MHCC said in a press release issued Tuesday morning. “MHCC’s COVID-19 Steerin...
Ever since the first health order from Governor Mark Gordon closed restaurants and bars to dine-in service and shutdown gyms, business owners have been anxious to know when they will reopen. With limited activity along Bridge Street and the warmer weather approaching, local businesses are looking to clear-up the projected date that Gordon’s orders will be lifted. “The streets have been empty for far too long, but empty streets shed light on the work that needs to be done. To k...
The Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies came to the Hanna Recreation Center on Friday morning to distribute food in a different manner than prior times. The food was distributed directly to vehicles from tables set up outside the recreation center. Vivian Gonzales, director for the center and coordinator for the local distribution arrived at 8 a.m. and volunteers arrived soon after. There were already cars getting in line when Gonzales arrived. The distribution started at 10...
As has been the case since March, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) received an update on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) from Public Health Nurse Manager Amanda Brown on May 5. During that discussion, the BOCCC praised the ongoing response from Carbon County Public Health while expressing frustration with communication from the State of Wyoming. Brown informed the county commissioners that, as of May 5, Carbon County Public Health had been monitoring nearly 70 individuals with symptoms similar to COVID-19....
While the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been one of the major focuses of local governments, the advancement of warmer weather following an extensive winter heralds another major issue; potential flooding. The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) received a brief update from Fire Warden Ron Brown as he made his final report as interim Emergency Management Coordinator on May 5. Brown has served as the interim coordinator since July 2019 following the departure of...
The High Country Joint Powers Board (HCJPB) met at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Elk Mountain Town Hall complex. In attendance, besides the board members were the mayors from Elk Mountain, Hanna, and Medicine Bow. The minutes from the March 5 meeting were approved quickly as was the agenda. There had been no meeting in April. The financials were approved next. The topic of focus was the condition of the Hanna landfill. "On the landfill report, we got a DEQ (Department of...
On May 8, it was announced that Carbon County had been granted exceptions to two public health orders issued by Governor Mark Gordon and State Health Officer Alexia Harrist. The exceptions pertain to the 1st public health order, which effectively closed restaurants and bars in the area on March 20, and the 2nd public health order, which forbade gatherings of 10 or more people. The full text of these variances can be found on the Carbon County website at http://carbonwy.com/Civ... Full story
The Hanna Town Council met at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Hanna Town Hall after delaying their regularly scheduled meeting on April 29. It was an abbreviated meeting since no board reports were presented. Mayor Lois Buchanan, Council members Bob Patton and Sam Sikes were present at the town hall and council member Linda Schisel was present by telephone. Council member Tracy Fowler was absent. There were no audience members. The agenda was quickly approved. The major topic of...
The process of easing restrictions for closures due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) began on May 1 as exceptions to two of Governor Mark Gordon's orders allowed for the reopening of businesses that have been impacted by those orders. All three orders have been extended until May 15. Under the first order, which was originally issued on March 20, gyms are allowed to open in a limited capacity. Additionally, restaurants may allow up to five customers at a time to enter to... Full story
Though the 2020 Primary Election may seem to be farther away than it feels, the date of August 18 is rapidly approaching. In addition to this being a presidential election year, there are also a number of state, county and municipal offices that are up for grabs this year as well. May 14 marks the beginning date for those who may be looking to file as a candidate in the upcoming election. On the national level, the seat for United States Senator, a six year term, is up for...
The weather was beautiful and what should have been a pleasant drive down County Road 385 was marred by a grotesque sight this past weekend. Approximately two miles outside of Saratoga, the remains of a dozen or so animals including, elk, deer, antelope and two black and white dogs were spotted. It appears that people have been dumping animal carcasses on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands for at least a few months. Some of the animals appear to have been...
The Medicine Bow Town Council met at 7 p.m. on April 13.This meeting was held digitally on the Zoom platforn. Notification of the meeting was published in four separate places as well as the town’s website. Getting everybody online took a few minutes and Mayor Sharon Biamon called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m. Those present were Biamon, Councilmembers John Cowdin, Lyle Flansburg, Lucy Schofield, and Trevor Strauch. Also, present were Town Clerk/Treasurer Karen Heath, P...
The Platte Valley Healthcare Project (PVHP) has accepted a donation from Paul McCarthy of approximately 7.8 acres of land at the intersection of West Bridge Ave and N. 13th Street in Saratoga as the new site for the North Platte Valley Medical Center (NPVMC). "This generous donation by long-time resident and community supporter Paul McCarthy brings us that much closer to realizing our goal of building a critical access hospital to serve the North Platte Valley," said Will...
“I think it’s this council’s responsibility to hold the reins on the finances. It’s not the responsibility of our accountant nor, honestly, is it the responsibility of the Town staff.” This comment from Councilmember Jon Nelson came during a heated discussion among members of the Saratoga Town Council during their April 21 meeting. That discussion took up the bulk of the limited meeting and centered around changes made to the Town’s financial statements between February an...
For the second time this month, the ongoing debate over the Town of Saratoga’s finances spilled from the Saratoga Town Council’s chambers and into those of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC). At their April 21 meeting, the county commissioners hosted Saratoga mayor John Zeiger, Town of Saratoga legal counsel Tom Thompson and James Childress, the certified public accountant engaged by the Town of Saratoga. As was reported previously (see “Taxation without repre...
Editor’s Note: Just before going to press, Wyoming added four confirmed deaths to the state’s official count. Please visit www.saratogasun.com for more information. Just two days after Wyoming confirmed it’s first death related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the state confirmed its second death. On Monday, April 13, the Wyoming Department of Health had announced that an older Johnson County man who had serious health conditions had died. On Wednesday, April 15, the W... Full story
During the first budget workshop for the Town of Saratoga on April 17, the Saratoga Town Council discussed needs for both the Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) and the Saratoga Police Department. Both departments expressed a need for updated vehicles, but only one department currently has the funds available for such a purchase. Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department SVFD Treasurer Creed James represented the fire department as he appeared before the council to explain...
During their regularly scheduled April 8 meeting, the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) discussed financials and agreements as it related to ongoing developments with the financial state of the Town of Saratoga. Within that discussion were questions from Councilmember Jon Nelson about whether board members considered water and sewer funds restricted and if the joint powers board would be willing to review and update the joint powers board agreement....
The Carbon County Visitors Council (CCVC) met by teleconference at 10 a.m. on April 15 for their monthly meeting. The meeting had been scheduled to be held in Hanna but, due to social distancing, the meeting was held by phone and online. The agenda, minutes and financials were approved in a timely manner. It was noted that the downturn in lodging tax had not been felt in all municipalities in March’s figures. Carbon County and Medicine Bow were ahead of last year’s num...
The US Government has started issuing Economic Impact Payments to help people with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for either 2019 or 2018 will automatically receive an economic impact payment of up to $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples and up to $500 for each qualifying child. For those who normally do not have to file taxes, the IRS has launched a new online tool to help people receive their payment. T...
This week, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) joined with 22 other state cattle associations across America in sending a letter to U. S. Attorney General William Barr expressing “the need for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to work with more intent and with sharper timelines with the USDA Packers and Stockyards Division regarding an investigation of beef pricing margins.” WSGA requested that “the evidence of any fraudulent business practices within the meatpacking industry be identified quickly and rectified immed...
At the Saratoga Town Council’s first budget workshop for the 2020/2021 fiscal year, Councilmember Steve Wilcoxson prefaced the budget discussion by asking for the governing body to consider reducing the cost of liquor licenses for Angus England American Legion Post 54. According to Wilcoxson, who is a member of the American Legion, other such places in the state pay approximately $500 for their liquor license while, in Saratoga, a fee of $1,500 is paid. Wilcoxson added t...
With a little more than two months until the end of the current fiscal year, the Saratoga Town Council held their first budget workshop for Fiscal Year 2020/2021. The workshop was in stark contrast to the workshops from years past in which the governing body and department heads all gathered around the table and discussed the budget line item by line item. Due to the ongoing concerns over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the council members sat strategically in the council...
