Sorted by date Results 826 - 850 of 4997
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon will end the state’s COVID-19 public health emergency effective March 14, nearly two years since the pandemic first began. The announcement came from the Office of Governor Mark Gordon on February 28. “As we see our numbers and hospitalizations receding, it is time to begin the shift to a new phase. This virus will be with us for the foreseeable future and we should manage it appropriately,” said Gordon in a press release. “That means being personally responsible for one’s own health and respectful of your fami...
Three months after the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) attempted to execute a search warrant for a K9 dog owned by Justin Brown, the Saratoga Police Department (SPD) sergeant has been officially terminated by the Saratoga Town Council. Brown had initially been placed on suspension from the department effective January 17 per a letter from the SPD dated January 14. The decision came following a 90 minute special hearing open to the public and an hour long closed session. An announcement o... Full story
Later this year, construction will be complete on the North Platte Valley Medical Center (NVPMC), the critical access hospital at the corner of 13th Street and Bridge Avenue. The facility—which will hold a 24/7 emergency room, an extended care wing and an acute care wing—will absorb both the Saratoga Care Center and the Platte Valley Clinic. The building which currently houses the Platte Valley Clinic at 1208 S. River Street will then be vacant, which had previously raised the question of wha...
Carbon County commissioners discussed how communication among the county’s first responders could be improved but are still trying to figure out how to pay for a proposed $1.4 million communications upgrade. The equipment currently used by county fire, sheriff’s office and road and bridge personnel to communicate is “archaic,” according to Carbon County Fire Warden John Rutherford, who discussed possible improvements at the Feb. 15 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners. The communications equipment now in place on the county...
Prior to their rescheduled February 15 meeting, the Hanna Town Council meeting held a special meeting for the presentation of the preliminary design of the Hanna Old Town Water System Rehab Phase 2 Project. Craig Kopasz of Engineering Associates gave the presentation. All council members were present as was Mayor Lois Buchanan. Kopasz went over the funding and costs that are estimated, but acknowledged there were still some approvals from agencies that were needed before firm numbers could be pu...
The Medicine Bow National Forest is seeking to fill host positions at multiple campgrounds in southeast Wyoming for the 2022 season. Campground hosting is a rewarding volunteer experience that gets people outside and serving the public. Host duties include answering questions and helping campers, posting reservations, and ensuring campsites and restrooms are kept in clean condition. Hosts keep campgrounds running smoothly, contributing to an enjoyable recreation experience for visitors. Campground hosting is a volunteer position with a small...
Food insecurity has become a very real problem in the upper North Platte Valley. The Saratoga Food Pantry, a ministry of the Platte Valley Ministerial Association, provides food for individuals and families in need. Wanda Snell, Food Pantry Chair, said, “The Food Pantry served 124 individuals and families in 2020 and 130 families and individuals in 2021. Between January 1st and February 11th this year, we have served 43 individuals and families.” “Since September, we have seen a steady increase in the number of families who have needed food for...
An officer with the Saratoga Police Department (SPD) is currently on suspension after having been arrested by the Carbon County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) on February 9 based on allegations he threatened CCSO deputies attempting to execute a search warrant. SPD Chief Ken Lehr has publicly questioned the arrest and the investigation. According to an affidavit of probable cause filed with the Circuit Court of Carbon County, Brown is being charged with felony threatening an officer, interference with...
The Riverside Town Council met on February 10 at the Riverside Town Hall. In attendance were mayor pro tem Ed Golden, council members Fred Lorenz, Mark Helwick, and Town/treasurer Jan Cook. The council meeting ended up breaking a record set by Lorenz when he was mayor pro term some time back. The record for the quickest meeting then was 17 minutes. It didn’t take long for the agenda and minutes from the January 13 regular meeting. Four minutes into the meeting, the financials were approved. C...
The Encampment Town Council met on February 10 at the Encampment Town Hall. Present were Mayor Greg Salisbury and council members Stan Banach and Gary Stull. Council members Shannon Fagan-Craig and Bill Craig were not present. There were no amendments to the agenda, which was quickly approved along with the minutes of the January 13 regular meeting. Town Clerk/Treasurer Doreen Harvey went over the financials which came to a total of $82,088.42. The Council approved paying the total amount....
A Casper, Wyoming resident recently died following a snowmobile accident near Ryan Park. The passing of the resident, identified as 64-year-old Sherry Volker, came after the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 11:43 a.m. on January 28. The initial report, according to a press release from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, was that Volker had driven off trail and hit a tree on Forest Service Road 225. While unconscious, the report indicated Volker was still breathing. Deputy Patrick Patterson responded to the cal...
Collecting roadkill? There’s an app for that. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming Department of Transportation recently launched new features to the Wyoming 511 mobile app to send authorization for those seeking to collect roadkill. The app is available for Android™ and Apple devices and is the easiest way to request permission to pick up roadside carcasses.Collecting roadkill from select Wyoming roadways became legal in January. Now, people can request authorization to salvage deer, elk, antelope, moose, wild bison or wild tur...
During the 39th Annual Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby, there were plenty of trout caught by anglers from near and far. There was even, at least, one walleye hooked. There were also a number of Yellow Perch, which is a concern for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). While the exact number of Yellow Perch in Saratoga Lake is unknown, there were enough to be caught by several attendees of the ice fishing derby with at least one participant reeling in approximately six. According to Chance...
The Valleys and Headwaters Restoration project in southeast Wyoming has been awarded $2.8 million in funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to support landscape restoration through targeted forestry management. The project is focused on the Medicine Bow National Forest and adjacent state and private lands in Albany and Carbon Counties. It is one of 17 new projects financially supported by the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership, which will help m...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) have officially declared Carbon County a “Constitutional Republic County”. The declaration came via a resolution passed on January 18 which had been drafted by Commissioner Byron Barkhurst. While the resolution passed unanimously, discussion among the commissioners appeared to express concern about potential ramifications in the future. Barkhurst, having drafted the resolution, was given the opportunity by Chairman John Johnson to provide bac...
The Town of Saratoga will be joining an effort to contest the results of the 2020 Census. During the January 18 meeting of Saratoga's governing body, Mayor Creed James informed the rest of the council of an email received from Justin Schilling, member services manager of the Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM). According to James, Schilling reached out to member communities regarding their concerns over the 2020 Census results and if they were interested in contesting those results. "We...
Recent reports of property damage and theft across the Valley seem to have some residents on edge. On the Southern end of Carbon County, citizens of Encampment have been faced with property damage in particular. The Carbon County Sheriff’s Department is handling various reports of damage from residents. Encampment Chief of Police Kevin Shue is also on regular patrol and on duty in town. Property damage is defined as some harm inflicted upon someone’s property as the result of another per...
The Encampment Town Council’s January 13 meeting was full of activity, though it all moved rather quickly. Heard at the meeting was a letter of interest for South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS) Joint Powers Board. The 35th Annual Sierra Madre Winter Carnival held four spots in the new business section of the agenda, along with 2022 recreation board ideas appearing on the list as well. Designated depositories, official newspaper and posting places were decided. Advertising fo...
On January 11, the Hanna Town Council meeting was nearly cancelled due to lack of a quorum. At 6:30 p.m. there was only Mayor Lois Buchanan and Councilmember Sam Sikes. The mayor waited 15 minutes and, with no other council member showing up, went over the board reports. Public Works Director Larry Korkow said snow removal had been the focus of his team for the past month and everything was running fine. Vivian Gonzales, director of Parks and Recreation, said the pool was at a good temperature...
Who does and who does not have a conflict of interest was at least one highlight of discussion during the January 12 meeting of the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB). As the relationship between the Saratoga Town Council and the joint powers board appear to grow strained month-after-month, tensions have risen in the monthly meeting of the water and sewer joint powers board. During the most recent meeting, accusations regarding conflicts of interest were levied at the...
Mayor Sharon Biamon called the Medicine Bow Town Council meeting to order at 7 p.m. on January 10 at the Medicine Bow Community Hall. Councilmembers Lucinda Schofield, Cynthia Chace, and Sharon Kahl. Others present were Town Clerk/Treasurer Karen R. Heath, Acting Public Works Director Hayden Bricker, Town Marshal David Redding, and Fire Chief Robert Maddox. Heath read the bills to be ratified. Kahl asked where the Chase bil credit card was. Heath said an amount was reimbursed which took care of...
After more than a decade languishing in the pre-planning stages, Never Forget Park in Memory of Tyler Pickett may finally become a reality this spring. During the January 4 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Angus England American Legion Post 54 presented nearly $50,000 to go towards the park. According to Vice Commander Joe Parsons, the total amount came from a combination of sources. “Tonight we would like to present, specifically for the park, a check for $47,000,” said Parsons. “Tw...
Omicron has officially been detected in Carbon County. The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) were updated on the detection of the most recent, and highly contagious, variant of the Covid-19 virus during their January 4 meeting. The update came from Amanda Brown, nurse manager for Carbon County Public Health, with additional information from Duane Abels, the Carbon County Health Officer. “Omicron is now the dominant variant in the US. It has been identified in Wyoming and, as of t...
As the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Corporations Committee continues to discuss and debate their current redistricting efforts, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) are concerned the rural residents of their county will be left without a voice in Cheyenne. Those concerns were raised by the commissioners at their January 4 meeting as they received an update on the redistricting process from Carbon County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett. According to Bartlett, her primary concern in regards to r...
Though the New Year has just begun, concerns over being unable to get on a construction schedule this year has motivated the Town of Saratoga to move quickly on the replacement of the Spring Street water main from River Street to 3rd Street. At the January 4 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, replacement of the water main was heavily discussed. Though it had been a topic for the final meeting of 2021, following a recommendation from the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board...