Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Three months after tabling a draft short term rental permit application, the Saratoga Planning Commission once again discussed the impact of short term rentals in Saratoga at its February 13 meeting. The discussion was brought up by James “Jimmy” Campbell, a resident and business owner in Saratoga. Citing the goals the planning commission has set for 2024, Campbell said he was disappointed to see there was nothing regarding short term rentals. Chairwoman McCall Burau rem...
As municipalities throughout the county struggle with law enforcement, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office appears to be expanding to meet those needs and is also being creative in how to meet those needs. During the February 20 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), Sheriff Alex Bakken provided the commissioners with updates on his department. These included the explanation of an extraterritorial deputy, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the T...
POWELL — Two bills that would further the cause of eliminating schools as gun free zones, Senate File 86 and House Bill 125, passed their respective committees of the whole Friday to stay alive in the quick legislative session. If they are made into law, they would provide funding for schools to implement concealed carry programs for staff if the school so chooses (SF 86) and repeal gun free zones (HB 125). Both bills are co-sponsored by Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R-Cody). SF 86, school safety and security funding, p...
CHEYENNE — A $40 million allocation for 988 hotline operations is still alive in the Wyoming House of Representatives, but since lawmakers must reconcile a $900 million difference in the two chambers’ budgets, one advocate says he’s concerned that funding is on the chopping block. Last week, three bills pertaining to mental health in Wyoming failed to meet a House deadline to advance. All bills had to be heard during Committee of the Whole discussion in their chamber of origin by Friday to continue being considered durin...
CHEYENNE — The two chambers of the Wyoming Legislature are miles apart when it comes to how the state should spend its money for the 2025-26 budget biennium. Senate Majority Leader Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle on Friday there is a $900 million to $1 billion difference between the two budgets that were passed on Wednesday and Thursday. The House is adding money to the governor’s proposed budget, with a focus on spending more on programs and services. The Senate, however, is cutting up to $480 mil...
Pulled pork, along with coleslaw, baked beans, seasoned steak fries, hush puppies, pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting and beverages are on the menu for the next “Gather at the Table” free meal Monday, March 4th, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the Saratoga Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall at corner of Third & Bridge Sts. The sponsoring committee urges everyone, especially the hungry, lonely, depressed and those suffering from “cabin fever” to gather with friends and fam...
If you are one of those folks who missed the stage coach ride last fall, and still want to experience this rare treat, you’re in luck—the team is being hitched up again. Last November several folks were unable to attend and other had to be turned away from a presentation entitled “Riding the Stage thru the Saratoga & Encampment Area”; so an encore presentation is scheduled for Thursday evening, March 7th, beginning at 6:30 in the Saratoga Branch Library at 305 West Elm Ave...
Memorial Hospital of Carbon County held an open house for its newly remodeled Orthopedic and Pain Clinic on February 22, showing county residents the growth the department has made in the past few years. Bob Keel, a PA-C in Orthopedic Medicine, said the reason for the open house was to introduce the community to the new Orthopedic Staff. He explained what their new services have to offer for their patients and the changes made. “We have been having orthopedic services on and o...
Francis Bergquist and his wife, Janice, were the presenters at the February 20 Tuesday Talks as they shared their love for bird watching and nature. During the lecture, the Berquists talked about different breeds of birds and where they come from. The Berquists have been married for over 60 years and they began dating each other in their Sophomore year of high school. Since then they have been on many adventures together. Francis showed some amazing pictures to the audience....
The Town of Saratoga is working on making its subdivision ordinance easier for developers to understand and access. This is one of the planning commission’s recent set of goals, said Emery Penner, town zoning administrator and public works director. Rewriting the ordinance in this way will be a lengthy process and involve several public hearings before both the planning commission and the council before the new ordinance can be adopted, Penner said. The town’s subdivision ordinance is located in Title 17 and 18 of the tow...
It’s before noon on a Monday. The sound of oil on cast iron cuts through the air, just like the smell of hot cast iron. Mixed in is the odor of seared meat and the aroma of cooked vegetables and potatoes. On one skillet is Skyler Wood, making a batch of bacon home fries while, on the other skillet, Kayden Erick puts a sear on a cut of bison tenderloin. Douglass Campbell occasionally steps in between the two, offering some quick advice and bringing them supplies. This could b...
After failing introduction in the Senate, a mirror bill advancing in the House is keeping alive the discussion of how the newly created Wyoming outdoor recreation and tourism trust fund allocates grants to state projects. House Bill 67 – Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund Administration-2, would establish a nine-person board as well as rules for allocating grants from the trust fund that Gov. Mark Gordon signed into law in 2023. The Senate version, SF 40, was sponsored...
CHEYENNE — The Wyoming House of Representatives and Senate approved mirror budget amendments Monday that would allow the state to send $2 million to Texas or provide resources like personnel to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. If the amendments in both chambers are, in fact, identical, and no additional changes are made to this amendment on third reading of the budget bills, the allocation will be automatically adopted in the state’s 2025-26 biennium budget and would not be up for negotiation in a joint conference committee. On...
On Saturday, the Saratoga Museum hosted Carbon County’s Winter Golf Classic, the Frozen Fore, at Saratoga lake. Each team has a total of four players and gets four tennis balls. At the end of the game cash prizes are given to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. All participants from the Frozen Fore tournament met at the American Legion Hall Post 54 where the winners were announced. Dana Davis, director of the Saratoga Museum and lead organizer for the Frozen Fore golf t...
Saratoga and Encampment area folks looking for a cure to “Cabin Fever” are invited to “Gather at the Table” to partake of a free meal consisting of pulled pork, coleslaw, baked beans, seasoned steak fries, hush puppies, pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting and beverages on Monday, March 4th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the Saratoga Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall at corner of Third & Bridge Sts. Join your friends and family for a delicious, free meal, fun and fellows... Full story
SHERIDAN —- The Wyoming House of Representatives referred three mental health bills to its Appropriations Committee last week. Speaker of the House Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale, brought the bills up for consideration, noting his and the Governor’s focus on mental health. “That has been a priority of mine, and I think we heard that it was a priority of (Gov. Mark Gordon during his State of the State address),” Sommers said. The House voted to introduce three mental health bills last week, referring each to the House Appropr...
Success never tasted so good. The Town of Saratoga recently competed against all 50 states in the National Rural Water Association’s Annual Rally in Washington D.C. As a result, Saratoga finished in the top five at the 25th Annual Great American Water Taste Test. Saratoga has often made it as a top finisher in the state and earned its way to represent Wyoming in the final five taste-offs. The state of Wisconsin received the Gold Medal for the second year in a row. For the l...
About three weeks ago, the Town of Saratoga Public Works Department started collecting data to inventory all water service lines in order to meet a requirement by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is requiring all communities to inventory their water service lines for lead content by October 2024. “In 1986 Congress Amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, prohibiting the use of pipes, solder or flux that were not “lead free” in public water systems or plumbing in facilities providing water for human consu...
As the second half of winter begins, Black Hills Energy is offering customers advice on how to stay safe and how the lower temperatures and weather-related usage could impact their bill. Weather Safety Anytime a community is threatened with inclement weather, Blacks Hills Energy is watching closely. The company advises customers to follow these tips before, during and after a storm: - Before the storm, know where your natural gas meter and service are located, check your...
John Moore, Jack Weiberg and Janice White were the presenters at the February 13 Tuesday Talks as they spoke about rocks and various artifacts connected to the Indigenous American tribes of Wyoming. Arrowheads were the main subject during the lecture. Each one that has been discovered in Saratoga is evidence that Native Americans lived here before Wyoming joined the union. An arrowhead can tell a person about its historic significance such as what it is made of and where it...
In recent years, some emergency medical services in Wyoming have struggled to stay in business. According to Dirk J. Dijkstal, Health Readiness and Response Section Chief for Wyoming Department of Health, at least 11 agencies have been replaced by another, consolidated or closed their doors since 2015. The State of Wyoming does not mandate county government to provide emergency medical services. As a result, these operations have to find other ways to fund their businesses. Emergency medical service is a high-cost industry...
It can be hard to find just one word which would best describe Loren “Teense” Willford. A fifth-generation resident of the Platte Valley, Teense has been and is many things. A husband, a father, a friend, a Mason, a musician and a statesman. On February 3, though he was being honored by the Saratoga Masonic Lodge, it was difficult for those in attendance not to talk about Teense’s other contributions. “He’s always giving to something else, always supporting somebody else,” sa...
The Saratoga Town Council voted to move forward on two public works projects at its February 6 meeting. One of the projects is the River Street Project, which will “roughly start at Elm Street and head south just across the Hugus Ditch,” said Public Works Director and Zoning Administrator Emery Penner in a later interview. “It will also include a section that will loop Walnut and Maple streets to the east of River Street as well as a new piece of pipe to the swimming pool.” In his report to the council, Penner said the Riv...
The cost of repairs and maintenance for proposed walking paths seems to be an ongoing debate since the January 17 meeting for the Transportation Alternative Master Plan. OV Consulting and the Town of Saratoga’s Department of Public Works have heard these concerns from residents. The next step is trying to figure out how they can balance the budget without overspeeding and using grants that are available for the project. Saratoga residents appear to be divided on this issue. Re...
Tragedy struck the Saratoga community early on the afternoon of February 9 when an avalanche claimed the life of 34-year-old Jacob Fluty. According to a press release from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, a SPOT device emergency SOS activation was received in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. The location of the SOS was southwest of Bridger Peak in an area known as “Avalanche Alley.” Responding deputies were able to contact the individual who had activated the SPOT devic...