Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Saratoga Lake was turned into an outdoor village last weekend, replete with RVs, food trucks, a temporary Chamber of Commerce office with an ATM and hundreds of ice fishing shelters. The occasion was the 40th Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby held January 20 & 21, staged and hosted by the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce. Under the capable leadership of Chamber Director, Amanda Knotwell, this year’s event saw over 700 people at the lake village; 637 of them r... Full story
"If we were fully staffed and looking at equipment cost, that's one thing. We are truly one power bump or one illness away from not being able to keep the door's open 24/7." Supported by other law enforcement and first responders, Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris laid out the case as to why a county-run centralized dispatch was likely a matter of when, not if. Morris, who was appointed to the position of chief last year by Mayor Chuck Davis, explained how staffing and...
Despite the advent of the internet and social media, Wyoming newspapers still serve as an important avenue for public notices. At least according to Governor Mark Gordon, who spoke at the 125th Annual Wyoming Press Convention in Casper on January 19. Over the past several years, the Wyoming Legislature has seen a number of bills introduced which would remove public notices from the pages of Wyoming newspapers. This, despite the fact that 86% of Wyoming adults cite newspapers...
Throughout the history of the world there have been numerous battles and wars over the fight for freedom. Often times the ones being oppressed, treated unfairly, or bullied need someone to stand up for them and fight for them and with them. We as Americans should understand this fight for freedom as it is woven into the history of our country. This fight for freedom is not just ours and not just for this time in history. Throughout the Bible there were numerous battles and fights. Our thoughts may go to war, with swords and...
“This is the best fishing derby, the best organized, best location and best run,” Frank Gutierrez, of Cheyenne, said. “The food is really good too,” he added. Guiterrez said other fishing derbies don’t have the food trucks like the Saratoga Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) does. “The people are friendly too,” Gutierrez said. Alvi Cerise is one of those reasons the fishing derby keeps people coming back. He has volunteered at the fishing derby for several years and he makes friends easily. Known as “Sonny” to hi... Full story
Photo courtesy Amanda Knotwell Amanda Knotwell current director of the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce with Chuck Box at last weekends 40th Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby. Mr. Box, a former Chamber director, started the Ice Fishing Derby, which has grown into one of Saratoga’s most popular events....
Short-term rentals in the Town of Saratoga have increased by approximately 100 percent from January to December 2023, according to airdna.co/vacation-rental-data. Saratoga does not currently have an ordinance that regulates short-term rentals, according to Emery Penner, director of public works and the town’s planning and zoning administrator. The Town of Saratoga, which has a population of 1,727 at the 2021 census count, currently has 145 available short-term rental listings, according to the airdna website. Sixty-six p...
Nine scholarships totaling $5,500 are offered by the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation each year to support Wyoming youth. Scholarships are available for high school graduates and continuing education students enrolled in qualifying college and trade programs. The scholarship deadline is March 1, 2024. Applications are available at www.wyfb.org (Get Involved/Education tabs). For questions, contact Diane “Dee” Brewer at 307.721.7719 or [email protected]@wyfb.org. Many cou...
For more than four decades, anglers from near and far have converged on the Platte Valley for the annual Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby. One of the oldest and longest running events of its kind in Wyoming, the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (S/PVCC) is hosting the 40th annual event this year. “Knowing that it’s in its 40th year, that’s what makes it exciting,” said Amanda Knotwell, S/PVCC CEO. “Once we finish this, what’s next? The 50th. We work towards tha... Full story
It’s a cold winter day and the subzero temperatures promised for the weekend can be felt on the breeze as Olio, a local food truck, parks in the Family Dollar parking lot. Soon, other vehicles arrive as their occupants brave the cold to place an order with owner and chef Daniel Krugman. Due to the cold, Krugman is clad in heavy clothing, overalls and a beanie. It’s not unusual to see a food truck in Saratoga, though it is a relatively recent development. While food trucks hav...
The inaugural year of the Saratoga Pond Hockey Tournament on Saratoga Lake was, by all accounts, a success A large section of Saratoga Lake was cleared off this past weekend for the first Saratoga Lake Pond Hockey Tournament. The tournament consisted of over 30 players and their families who battled the subzero temperatures for a fun, competitive and joyful weekend. The impetus behind the tournament was Levi Wood, Wyoming Game & Fish Game Warden. A former junior and UW Hockey...
CASPER – Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning last week met with Gov. Mark Gordon’s special task force on the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan in a closed door meeting that participants described as productive, releasing steam from the contentious issue and moving a multiyear-long effort closer to the finish line. At the meeting, the task force presented its final recommendations, detailed in a report published Wednesday, that include 24 “agreements in principle” highlighting a strong consensus on topi...
CHEYENNE — In advance of the upcoming budget session, the Wyoming Legislature’s wallet to appropriate funds for budget requests is expected to shrink by $13.3 million. An updated Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) report informed members of the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee they had $37.3 million in discretionary funds to spend this year. The CREG report is a forecast of the state’s total revenue and assets. It includes estimates of Wyoming’s mineral prices and production, General Fund revenues,...
Often when the weather is bad it is hard to see the positive when 60 mph winds and horizontal blowing snow hits me in the face, I look forward to spring and what the joy of that season brings. In that light I have adapted a message Justin Hull shared recently in our Sunday services and share it with you. I took the liberty in using his message as well as resources found on the website ChurchofJesusChrist.org in this written message. When a plant is struggling to grow do you try and fix the plant or the environment that the...
They say, “you can’t buy love,” but scammers have figured out a way to exploit it for profit. Romance scams are at an all-time high and, while victims cross all demographics, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that elders are increasingly targeted. Why? Because they often have retirement savings at their disposal and may be more be isolated and less tech savvy. “Romance scammers often manipulate emotions to gain trust,” says Mark Kwapiszeski, head of enterprise fraud for PNC. “Those who fall victim end up putting fee...
Buying entry-level housing in Saratoga is challenging. Teachers take a job in Saratoga for a year and then move on to a town with more affordable housing. Bryan Drake builds homes in Saratoga. He said he would like to see people take a job in Saratoga and stay. Bryan and Kathy Drake, co-owners of Triple D Construction, are looking for ways to make constructing housing in Saratoga affordable to the entry-level buyer. The Drakes have been building in Saratoga since they came to town in 2013, Bryan said. About a year and a half...
House District 47 Representative Bob Davis (R - Baggs) updated the Saratoga Town Council on some key legislative issues at its meeting January 2. The representative said a Bureau of Land Management Resource Management Plan is underway in Medicine Bow. “We need to keep our eye on what’s happening in Rock Springs,” Davis said. He said the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan controls 3.8 million acres of public land and the federal government is trying to conserve an additional 1.8 million acres it contends is of “crit...
After a successful first year in 2023, the organizers of the 307 GoFast On Ice races were looking to make the event “bigger and better” for 2024. One of the primary reasons the races were so successful the year before was due, in part, to cancellation of the annual Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby. WIth the lake restocked with trout, organizers knew that ice huts and ice holes would pose an issue for racers. That, combined with the fact that Sandy Beach was not as large as it...
CASPER — Wyoming’s outdoor recreation is a sector to be reckoned with. New numbers from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) show the outdoor recreation industry is comfortably outpacing the state’s overall economic growth. From 2021 to 2022 the outdoor recreation economy in Wyoming leaped by 26% to become a $2 billion industry. It’s boosted a diversity of businesses across the state — from local restaurants in Laramie, to R.V. dealers in Cheyenne, and gear shops in Cody — and it now accounts for more than 4% of the state’s...
Photo by Joshua Wood Ashlynn Raymer finds her groove on the ice on January 6 during the grand opening of the Kiwanis Ice Skating Rink at Veterans Island....
Leslie Johnson has a great passion for the Saratoga community she calls home. Growing up in Massachusetts, Johnson has a great love for American History that she loves to share and talk about with other members of the community. Johnson has founded a community meeting group called Tuesday Talks. It is a community group where Saratoga residents get together on Tuesdays. It also allows the community to make new friends and share ideals. Johnson explained how Tuesday Talks all... Full story
The Town of Saratoga was awarded a state grant to pay for a study to determine what transportation improvements residents want. “The Transportation Alternatives Master Plan study is an opportunity for staff, residents and the planning consultants to investigate opportunities to alter, increase and/or improve pedestrian connectivity and accessibility through the community,” said Public Works Director Emery Penner. “This is just a study.” Last summer, the town hired Denver-based OV Consulting to do the study, Penner said. The g...
Photo by Joshua Wood Gen Haas, left, helps Laken Knotwell find just the right gift for a family member during the Bridge Street Bargains’ annual Kids Shopping Day on December 11....
Victoria Tidball, the primary suspect in a shooting which took place in Saratoga on December 16, has been arrested. Tidball, 28, was believed to be on the run following the incident in the early morning hours of December 16. According to Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris, she had fired approximately 40 rounds into a residence and a Jeep Gladiator owned by the victim of the shooting. There were no reported injuries or fatalities. Morris said evidence gathered after the... Full story
The first Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) meeting of the year started off with a wide slate of topics, ranging from health care to the Rock Creek Transmission Project during their January 2 meeting. To start the meeting, the board approved the bills and monthly receipts before moving into discussing the issues of influenza and advertising for people to get vaccinated. After these discussions, the board listened to an update on the bridge replacement for the...