Medicine Bow swears in new deputy

The Medicine Bow Town Council met at October 11 at the Medicine Bow Community Hall for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

Mayor Sharon Biamon and three council members were present. Councilmember Lucy Schofield was absent.

The Council approved the agenda and the minutes from the August 9 regularly scheduled meeting. There was no meeting in September due to COVID-19 illonesses when the meeting was scheduled.

The financials for September and October were approved. The total for September was $23,972.15. The total for October was $38,342.85.

Town clerk/treasurer Karen Heath told the Council, Square, the program the town used for collecting monies for credit card payments, needed the fee charged by the company, to be increased from 4 percent to 5 percent to cover an increase Heath has observed.

Deputy Marshal Roger Hawks was sworn into office.

"While we are at this," Biamon started. "Mr. Piper (Robert), I would like to personally thank you for time spent here in Medicine Bow as our deputy. You did an awesome job and the town really appreciates it."

Marshal Dave Redding also thanked the resigning deputy.

"One of the best things I did for this town is hire Rob," Redding said. "Without him, it would have been so hard to do this job."

Public Works Director Charlie George said winterization for the sprinkler system in town had been started. George announced that Hayden Bricker had passed his water certification test. The Council congratulated Bricker. George said the tree trimmers that came through town in late summer did an excellent job and that some residents used the company to do trees on their property.

Heath gave told the Council that Water Treatment Plant director Allen Scott was doing better, but was still on a ventilator. Scott had been hospitalized for COVID-19 earlier in the summer.

"He had his oxygen level turned down, so he is progressing," Heath said. "Sara (his wife) was able to talk to him and he did recognize her. He is responding. It is all baby steps, but it seems like he is going forward and that is where we want to go."

"Thank goodness," Biamon said.

"He is not out of the woods yet," Heath reminded the council.

Unfortunately the town clerk was correct about Scott not being out of danger. Heath let the Sun know Scott passed away on October 13.

Redding said he had 155 traffic stops and gave out 125 citations.

"I don't know why they won't slow down when they keep coming through," Redding said. "There was also a felony arrest and one death that looks like it is attributed to drugs."

Biamon said she had been called at home by a person who complained about the Town's speed traps.

"I told him we don't have speed traps," Biamon said. "And he was the one who broke the law."

"We don't usually give a ticket unless someone is going over 20 miles per hour," Redding said.

Biamon, as director of the Medicine Bow Museum, said during the holiday season she hoped to light the tree again this year.

Biamon said the town would not be joining the proposed fire district for Carbon County.

Cindy Papison, the South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Service (SCWEMS) said there was still an ongoing search for a new director.

The meeting took a break for cake that had been brought to honor Piper's retirement from the law enforcement department of Medicine Bow. There were law enforcement personnel from different agencies attending and Redding explained that they needed to get back to work.

The meeting resumed at 7:56 p.m.

The council approved Sallie Mihalek as the Carbon County Visitors Council representative.

The next scheduled meeting is at 7 p.m. on November 8 at the Medicine Bow Community Hall.