Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Sorted by date Results 1529 - 1553 of 5184
The Riverside Town Council meeting on May 14, 2020 went swiftly and orderly as ever. After the minutes were approved and the financials were passed as presented, Helen Weiland of the South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Service informed the Council that they were the recipients of impact money from a wind energy program. The money will go toward the purchase of a new ambulance. Lee Ann Stephenson, Sierra Madre Joint Powers Board, provided an update on the meter replacement...
Under variances submitted by Carbon County Health Officer Wayne Couch and approved by State Health Officer Alexia Harrist, certain businesses in Carbon County are able to open in a limited capacity. The variances, which were approved on May 8 and effective immediately, apply to the first and second health orders issued by Harrist and Governor Mark Gordon. The first order effectively closed bars, restaurants, theaters, gymnasiums, child care facilities, K-12 schools, colleges,...
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....
by Joshua Wood It appeared that the Upper Platte River Solid Waste Disposal District (UPRSWDD) had some direction in regards to the dead animal pit from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) following their April 1 meeting. At the May 6 meeting of the district’s board, however, it seemed that the guidance from DEQ came with its own share of problems. During the April meeting, the UPRSWDD had been advised by Craig McOmie of the DEQ that while the Saratoga landfill w...
by Joshua Wood Though there was a complete agenda for the first time in several weeks, the regular meeting of the Saratoga Town Council on May 5 was relatively short. With all business concluded in under 30 minutes, most of the discussion had by Saratoga’s governing body pertained to the Saratoga Municipal Airport and the Saratoga Airport Advisory Board. In the absence of Mayor John Zeiger, Councilmember Steve Wilcoxson served as Mayor Pro-Tem. Saratoga CARES One of the m...
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
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...
