Sorted by date Results 1026 - 1050 of 4997
Just two weeks after former Councilmember Bob Keel announced his resignation, the Saratoga Town Council was able to make an appointment to the vacant position. On April 20, Saratoga resident Ron Hutchins was sworn in by Mayor Creed James. This, however, was not the first time that Hutchins had submitted a letter of interest. When Councilmember D'Ron Campbell was re-appointed to the governing body, Hutchins had been one of three applicants-including Campbell-who interviewed with the council in...
Carbon County has been getting a lot of national and international attention recently. So, too, has former county commissioner and current Rawlins mayor Terry Weickum. On page A1 of the March 4 New York Times, a train was photographed carrying its cargo with windmills stretching out on a landscape of the high desert. Underneath the picture was the headline 'Wind Rises in Coal Country" (Editor's Note: the headline now reads "Wyoming Coal Country Pivots, Reluctantly, to Wind Farms"). The picture...
As the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) continues its pursuit of extremely delinquent accounts, potential changes to the municipal code may help streamline that process. During the April 13 meeting of the joint powers board, Director of Public Works Jon Winter presented the board members with changes to Saratoga Municipal Code 13.60.010 and 13.60.020. These two sections of the code pertain to delinquent charges and termination of services. When the SCCIJPB began to...
As Carbon County receives national, and international, attention for its embrace of wind energy, the influx of wind energy projects shows no sign of stopping. On April 6, Michael Svedeman, Senior Manager of Development for Invenergy, appeared before the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) to discuss yet another upcoming wind project. Inevergy’s appearance before the county commissioners comes nearly two years since the Illinois-based company transferred ownership of the Ekola Flats a...
With construction having begun on the North Platte Valley Medical Center at 13th Street and Bridge Avenue, surrounding property has the potential to be of value. The closest property with the possibility to be developed is a five acre parcel on the east side of 13th Street owned by one person. On April 13, local business owner, and owner of that property, Randy Raymer appeared before the Saratoga Planning Commission with a preliminary subdivision plat. “I bought that whole seven acre parcel s...
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is proposing to reduce antelope license quotas for the 2021 hunting season. In many hunt areas, the proposals cut the quota due to impacts from persistent drought conditions and the record-breaking 2021 spring blizzard. The license reductions should be short-term, according to wildlife managers who believe the conservative proposals for each herd will stabilize pronghorn populations and allow them to bounce back. Fluctuations of the number of pronghorn licens...
Rehabilitation of a leaking, bolted water tank west of Saratoga appears to be off the table. Discussion of the tank came up during the April 14 meeting of the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) with two vastly different estimates from two companies to repair the tank. For the past several years, the tank has had either massive water stains or large chunks of ice along its side. When the special election for the One Percent Specific Purpose Sales and Use Tax (6th penny tax...
The Carbon County Council of Governments (CCCOG) met in person at on March 31 at the C4 headquarters building in Rawlins. The C4 (Carbon County Coordination Center) building was picked for the meeting to allow elected officials from the local municipalities to take in firsthand the Carbon County facility built to be the command center for emergencies. Chairman Morgan Irene started the meeting by welcoming all attendees. All Carbon County municipalities were represented with the exception of...
Of the three individuals elected to the Saratoga Town Council in 2018, only one remains following the resignation of Councilmember Bob Keel on April 6. Keel, who was elected alongside Councilmember Jon Nelson and former mayor John Zeiger, had been absent in recent meetings of the governing body but was in attendance to announce his resignation. The announcement came under the council comments section of the meeting, with Keel reading from a prepared letter. "My time as a town council representat...
As the warmer months approach and there continues to be a push to return to a pre-coronavirus mentality, the administering of vaccines is still ongoing. On March 31, the Office of Governor Gordon announced that all Wyomingites over the age of 16 years old were eligible to take the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Only residents over the age of 18 are eligible to receive the Moderna vaccine, which has been primarily administered in Carbon County. Carbon County Public Health continues to administer vaccines throughout the county with the next vaccine in...
Recently, the Town of Medicine Bow has been working on grants for various purposes. Generators, museum improvements, COVID relief, a Roadside Message board sign and Volunteer Fire Department Communication Equipment are just a few example of the recent grants. On October 5, 2020 the Wyoming Community Foundation approved a grant for $5,000 to the Town of Medicine Bow to help fund the purchase of two body cameras and two tasers for the Marshal’s Office. This Grant was approved by the Wyoming Community Foundation and made possible through the BP C...
While the arrival of spring may have more people thinking about floods rather than fires, four recent events that began as controlled burns are showing just how dry things are before the spring runoff. During the April 6 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), the commissioners were informed about the recent events by Lenny Layman, Carbon County Emergency Manager, which took place on April 3. “We had three to four controlled burns that got out of control, three in the Baggs...
Wood’s Fields may continue to be the home for Platte Valley Little League (PVLL) despite previous discussions to rehabilitate and use the ball fields owned by the Town of Saratoga south of the Saratoga Library. Discussion over the use of the field and a potential long-term lease came about during the April 6 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. The governing body also discussed their Fiscal Year 2019/2020 audit and received an update from Director of Public Works Jon Winter about the ongoing b...
Carbon County Road 504 and Pic Pike Road continue to be a point of discussion, though no longer due to, now lifted, weight restrictions on a Wyoming Highway 130 bridge. At the April 6 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Carbon County Commissioner Sue Jones joined Kandis Fritz, Carbon County road and bridge administrator, to discuss several entities working together for a future chip seal project. Those entities include Carbon County, the Saratoga Cemetery Board and the Upper Platte River Solid...
Haulers with oversize loads can expect to have their weight checked in the near future. Little more than a month after the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) approved a resolution implementing weight restrictions on county roads, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office appeared before the commissioners on April 6 to request the purchase of four portable scales. As was reported previously (see “Paving the way” on page 2 of the February 24 Saratoga Sun), the commissioners approved Resol...
From coal to wind and from agriculture to tourism, Carbon County has a diverse past, present and future. If one lucky resident can represent the county in a new seal, they could receive $600 from the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC). In an April 7 press release, the BOCCC announced a contest for a new seal design open to students and the community as a whole. “Carbon County has a unique history and evolving culture, one that deserves to be expressed in a way that is inclusive to all citizens,” read the press release. “To that end,...
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced that the flood insurance rate map for Carbon County is nearly complete in an April 8 press release. The new maps will provide Carbon County with more accurate flood risk information that can help local officials and residents make informed decisions about reducing flood risks and purchasing flood insurance. The mapping project is part of a nationwide effort led by FEMA to increase local knowledge of flood risks and support actions to address and reduce those risks. Before new...
Within a month of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) being informed about weight restrictions on a Highway 130 bridge at mile marker 57.52, those restrictions have been removed. As was reported previously (see "A bridge not far enough" on page 1 of the March 10 Saratoga Sun), the BOCCC was notified by Jason Armbruster, district ranger for the Medicine Bow-Routte National Forest and Thunderbasin National Grasslands, about the weight restrictions on March 2. Armbruster, for his...
The Carbon County Council of Governments (CCCOG) met in person on March 31 at the Carbon County Coordination Center (C4) in Rawlins. The meeting had originally been scheduled on March 15 but, due to weather, was rescheduled. While the meeting had originally been scheduled to be held in Hanna, it was moved to the C4 so elected officials could see the new command center. Nearly all Carbon County municipalities were represented with the exception of Hanna, Medicine Bow and Riverside. Kara...
Councilmember Bob Keel officially resigned from the Saratoga Town Council during the April 6 meeting of the governing body. Keel, who was elected to the council during the 2018 General Election, read his letter of resignation early in the meeting under council comments. Citing changes in his family life, Keel stated that he was choosing his family over the council. Keel was elected to a four year term along with Councilmember Jon Nelson and former mayor John Zeiger. Keel was appointed as mayor... Full story
During their March 16 meeting, three members of the Saratoga Town Council and Mayor Creed James stated they would donate the 1st quarter of their governmental salaries to a local fundraising group. The commitment came while Dan Jones, a Saratoga resident and president of Prairie Dog Fundraising, approached the governing body about a continued financial commitment from the Town of Saratoga. Prairie Dog Fundraising, a non-profit corporation, annually holds the Prairie Dog Open at the Whistle Pig...
The Town of Saratoga has finally filled a vital position in town hall as Mayor Creed James appointed a new town clerk on March 16. Since the resignation of former town clerk Suzie Cox effective December 31, 2020, the Saratoga Town Council has contracted Pam Paulson, former Town of Hanna treasurer, to aid treasurer Sammy Flohr and assistant clerk/treasurer Brenda Mistelske. Along with appointing a new clerk, the Saratoga Town Council also discussed a new repeater for the Saratoga Police...
For some, it may seem that one election cycle bleeds right into another especially as several current members of the Wyoming Legislature have made early announcements of running against Representative Liz Cheney in 2022. A piece of legislation currently in the Wyoming Senate, however, would add another election date to Wyoming’s calendar and create additional work for both the Secretary of State and county clerks throughout Wyoming. During their rescheduled March 18 meeting, the Board of C...
Just two weeks after finding out about weight restrictions placed by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) on a Highway 130 bridge, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) were informed of both short-term and long-term solutions to the issue. As was reported previously (see “A bridge not far enough” on page 1 of the March 10 Saratoga Sun), Jason Armbruster, district ranger for the Medicine Bow-Routte National Forest and Thuderbasin National Grassland, had approached the BOC...
The Carbon County Visitors Council (CCVC) met in Rawlins on March 10 at the Best Western Hotel for their regularly scheduled meeting. All board members were present in person except the Baggs and Hanna representatives. Weather had prevented them coming in person, and they joined the meeting by Zoom. The Board approved 36 vouchers between February 21, 2020 and March 10, 2021 totaling $27,387.47 for payment. After the financial summary was approved, the board approved the municipality distribution...