The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
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After last week’s much-needed shot of moisture, Fire Warden Charlie Harrison has temporarily suspended all burn ban restrictions in Crook County. This respite is intended to allow time for residents to burn slash and trash piles as needed while conditions are favorable, but the restrictions will be reinstated should this area enter another dry spell. In a statement, Harrison said, “The conditions will be monitored and adjusted as needed.” To ensure that the smoke from your burn is not misinterpreted as an emergency, Harrison asks that you a...
Representative Chip Neiman will complete his swift rise to the top of the leadership ladder next year as he takes on the position of Speaker of the House. Neiman was elected on the weekend, which came as little surprise to him, considering his was the only name being considered. "I knew that was the next logical position for me, as majority floor leader, to move into the position of speaker," he says. "I knew I had the support of everyone who was winning and potentially could win in the general...
A Moorcroft man has been charged with strangulation after allegedly grabbing a victim by the neck during an argument. On November 10 at around noon, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy was called to a domestic dispute in Moorcroft. The reporting party claimed that they had received a text message from a sibling stating that Jeffrey Dowling had strangled them and said he wanted them dead. The deputy asked for additional units and responded. As he was doing so, he received more information that drugs and alcohol were thought to be involved. T...
The official tallies appear to show a record-breaking turnout for Crook County at the general election, with a total of 4368 ballots cast. This outstripped the 4143 ballots cast during the last presidential election in 2020, which then-County Clerk Linda Fritz said at the time was the most she’d seen in her 22 years of working for the county. In the prior presidential election of 2016, for example, 3866 ballots were cast, while 3718 people voted at the general in 2012 and 3706 in 2008. Presidential election years have historically seen a higher...
To the surprise of few but the relief of many, fire restrictions are now being lightened across the county. Shortly after last week’s snowstorm, Fire Warden Charlie Harrison announced that the county burn ban was to be temporarily suspended until November 5, when a more permanent solution would be decided with the approval of the county commissioners. However, a 120-acre fire took place next to Keyhole State Park on the weekend, which Harrison says was caused by an escaped controlled burn on private land. On Tuesday morning, this led the fire w...
The election everyone has been waiting for saw more than 40% of registered Wyoming voters cast their ballots before the week even began, according to the Secretary of State's Office. In Crook County, there were a couple of surprises in the unofficial vote tallies. State and County Chip Neiman will serve two more years as Crook County's state representative, having run unopposed to retain his seat. A new face will join the Crook County Commission next year, as John D. Davis secures the vote to...
County schools performing above state average By Sarah Pridgeon Crook County’s schools performed better than the state average this year in 17 of 19 tested areas, which include English Language Arts, math and science across grades three through ten. “The schools all did well,” says Superintendent Mark Broderson. “Both Sundance schools are exceeding expectations, Moorcroft Elementary is meeting expectations and Moorcroft Secondary and Hulett are partially meeting. We will continue to work on areas of concern, but I feel like the buildings are go...
Wyoming Game & Fish has confirmed that live zebra mussels have been intercepted at the border for the first time this year. The watercraft was intercepted at the Beulah check station on September 22 when the owner stopped for an inspection. Inspectors immediately decontaminated the watercraft and removed zebra mussels in multiple water intakes, along the pontoon and in other areas of the boat. According to Game & Fish, the watercraft had been moored for several months at Pactola Reservoir in South Dakota, where mussels were discovered in 2022....
Crook County Weed and Pest is reaching out for input on the potential listing of cheatgrass as a noxious weed. Because this could have significant financial impacts and might affect the district’s ability to assist in treating other weeds and pests, says District Supervisor Alycia Davis, the board wants to hear from the public before casting its vote. A Call for Action The weed and pest districts for ten Wyoming counties have called for cheatgrass to be added to the State Designated Noxious Weed List, throwing their support behind prevention a...
A toxin advisory has been issued for Keyhole Reservoir due to harmful levels of cyanotoxins present in the water. A harmful cyanobacterial bloom (HCB) is described by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as an abundance of a substance that is always present in surface waters at low levels and play an important role in the aquatic ecosystem, but can bloom into a harmful overabundance. Cyanobacteria is able to produce toxins and other irritants that can have harmful health effects to people and animals, including pets and...
A rock climber is reported to have died after falling from Devils Tower on Sunday. According to Devils Tower National Monument, 21-year-old Stewart Phillip Porter of Eau Claire, WI, sustained major injuries after falling from the second pitch of El Cracko Diablo. Devils Tower Law Enforcement was informed of the accident around 8 p.m. and found Porter approximately 40 minutes later. A Hulett EMS paramedic pronounced him dead at the scene. Crook County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the incident. Porter’s partner was stranded on the Tow...
The primary election results are now official, with no changes necessary from the preliminary numbers that were released on election night itself. In contested seats, John D. Davis beat incumbent Kelly Dennis to the Republican nomination for county commissioner by 999 votes to 741. Harriet Hageman retained the nomination for U.S. Representative and John Barrasso was Crook County’s Republican choice to retain his U.S. Senate seat. “We didn’t have any automatic recounts,” says County Clerk Melissa Jones. “There’s a formula and it has to be a cer...
Filing has now closed for the general election and the roster of candidates for Crook County’s special district positions is official. Four seats are open for Crook County School District, all four-year terms, for a Hulett, Moorcroft and one of two Sundance district trustee positions. Candidates include William (Bill) Motley for the Hulett seat; Thayne Gray (incumbent) and Calvin McCrea for the Moorcroft seat; and Will Ellsbury, Dana Hawk, Peggy Howard and Colton Lenz (incumbent) for the Sundance seat. For Crook County Medical Services D...
The unofficial results are in for the 2024 Primary Election and there are few surprises for this year's incumbents. However, John D. Davis beat incumbent Kelly Dennis to the Republican nomination for county commissioner by 999 votes to 741. Chip Neiman ran unopposed to retain his State Representative title and received 1610 votes in Crook County. John Barrasso was Crook County's Republican choice to retain his U.S. Senate seat (1129 votes) over competitors John Holtz (109) and Reid Rasner (547)...
Fire Warden Charlie Harrison and the Crook County Commissioners have made the decision to upgrade the county fire restrictions to stage two. At this time, the fire situation throughout the county is considered to be severe to extreme due to a heavy fuel load and dry conditions. This could create situations that over-extend the firefighting capacity of local government. “The situation dictates that,” commented Commissioner Fred Devish last week, noting that it doesn’t seem as though the conditions are set to change any time soon. Shawn Cochr...
Filing is now open for the special district seats to be chosen at the general election in November. This year, seats will be elected for the school, medical services, museum, natural resources and senior citizen districts. Four seats are open for Crook County School District, all for four-year terms. Candidates may file to run for a Hulett, Moorcroft or one of two Sundance district trustee positions. For Crook County Medical Services District, three seats are open. These include four-year terms for the Hulett, Moorcroft and Sundance areas....
The First Presbyterian Church is presenting a special guest at the end of the month: Andre Moubarak, an Arabic Christian with Israeli citizenship. Moubarak will cover topics including the Arab/Israeli conflict, the church’s role during the war and the Christians of the Holy Land. He will also discuss Hebrew and Aramaic, the “Jesus Languages”, the context of the historical Jesus and Jesus as a rabbi. Moubarak will be at Moorcroft High School Auditorium on August 31, presenting two 45-minute sessions beginning at 2 p.m. The next day, he will...
An unusual mix-up last week led to county firefighters tackling a grass fire that, technically, they hadn’t needed to respond to. According to Crook County Fire, the report came in of a grass fire just before noon on July 23. Moorcroft Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to Shipwheel Road, around five miles southwest of town. Firefighters determined upon arrival that additional resources would be needed to combat the fire. Assistance soon arrived in the form of county units from Pine Haven, Carlile (Zone 16) and Sundance. Because the f...
With the primary election coming up, voters will soon be asked to decide which of their friends and neighbors should take on the various mantles of government for the next few years. One commissioner seat as well a number of national and city candidates for the general election will all be selected on August 20. U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R) Incumbent Barrasso has served as Wyoming's U.S. Senator since 2007, before which he was a state senator from 2003-2007. He is currently the third-ranking...
If travel to Gillette is on your agenda during the week of the International Pathfinder Camporee, a new website can help you navigate the closures and disruptions that the huge event will cause. The City of Gillette has launched informgillette.com, a site that contains numerous resources for the public to avoid disruption and inconvenience throughout the week. The Camporee itself is a closed event sponsored by the Seventh Day Adventist Church for 60,000 kids from around the world and will take place from August 5 to 10. Most activities will...
CORRECTION Last week’s newspaper listed the day of the parade, bicycle rally, color run, livestock sale and Tris Munsick concert incorrectly. Parade day will take place on Saturday, July 27. The youth rodeo is scheduled for July 20, the ranch rodeo for July 23 and the youth rough stock rodeo for July 25.Fair week is coming right up, this year to the theme of "Country Freedom". Promising all the familiar contests and attractions, there will be a few small schedule changes to watch out for this y...
Give a little, take a little at the county's newly installed seed library. If you have an excess of garden seeds, consider donating them. If you have knowledge of how to make them grow to abundance, consider sharing it. And if you could benefit from either seeds or know-how, you can visit the Moorcroft Branch Library to make use of this new community resource, introduced in conjunction with the No Goats No Glory 4-H Club. The seed library is an effort to provide donated seeds and local knowledge...
A sizeable fire northwest of Hulett had been fully contained by Monday morning, thanks to the combined efforts of local, state and federal firefighters. Located northwest of Hulett, the Creek Fire was reported late in the afternoon of June 11 and is believed to have been caused by lightning, according to Incident Commander Karsten Milek. The fire reached approximately 1470 acres on a mixture of private, state and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. A command center was set up at the...
A structure fire near Oshoto last week saw a family home already engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived on scene. “The structure burned all the way to the ground,” says Dallas Burch, Oshoto Zone Warden, confirming that the house was a total loss. The landowners called the fire department at 1:30 p.m. on June 12 to report that their main house was on fire. Five engines responded from the Oshoto Fire Zone, as well as a couple of nearby landowners with personal vehicles. Three units from the Moorcroft Fire Department also ans...
After a notably bad year for mosquitoes, the Wyoming Weed and Pest Council (WWPC) is warning that the conditions so far in 2024 could mean we're set for another season of swatting. While most mosquitoes limit their nuisance to itchy bites and buzzing, some carry a potentially serious disease: West Nile Virus. In 2023, Wyoming saw the worst outbreak of the disease in a decade, with a case rate far exceeding the national average and four human deaths. The year before, only three cases in total...
