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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Crook County School District (CCSD) is among numerous educational institutions nationwide that was affected by last week’s data breach of PowerSchool. The district has confirmed that data stolen from its student and teacher database tables was mainly limited to demographic information and that no current staff or student social security numbers were accessed. The PowerSchool application also remains secure and fully operational, according to a letter sent out by Superintendent Mark Broderson. However, the district is, “Treating this sit...
The county commissioners are putting together a steering committee to guide the creation of its updated comprehensive land use plan. The committee will be comprised of up to ten residents of Crook County, who will meet monthly with contractors as development of the new plan continues. Members of the committee will be appointed through a combination of requests for applications and personal invitation. The aim will be to ensure that the committee represents as wide a variety of people as possible, particularly in terms of geography. The...
A Moorcroft man faces felony charges of assault and strangulation after allegedly attacking two women on New Year’s Eve. Just before midnight on December 31, a Moorcroft Police Department officer responded to a report of a domestic disturbance with two females sustaining injuries. Dispatch advised that a male party, identified as Nicholas Hogen, had thrown a glass a one female, who was claiming her nose was broken, and that the other female had injuries to her arm. The reporting party also claimed that Hogen had held a knife against one of t...
A Pine Haven man was arrested for aggravated assault on Christmas Eve after allegedly attempting to break into a residence while making threats towards the occupant. A Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy was called to a Pine Haven residence at around 10:15 p.m. on December 24 for a report of a male subject attempting to get into the residence. The subject was identified as William Bradley Jr., who had left the house a few days prior after a physical altercation. He allegedly arrived back at the house yelling and calling the female victim names...
The Wyoming State Legislature convenes for its 68th session next week, with plenty of options available for citizens who wish to engage. As an odd-numbered year, 2025 will be a General Session, which is limited to 40 days and begins on the second Tuesday in January. A typical legislative day sees committee meetings from 7 until 10 a.m., followed by the House and Sen-ate convening in Chambers until noon. After lunch, at 2 p.m., both Chambers reconvene; upon ad-journment, committee meetings...
January The year began with a life-threatening cold snap that saw weather warnings across most of the lower 48 as Arctic air migrated down from Canada. The lowest wind chills were recorded east of Pine Haven at -57 degrees F and Hulett at -56 degrees F. The third annual Just Slayin' Outdoors Ice fest fishing tournament at Keyhole Reservoir welcomed more entries than ever. The county completed a series of input sessions on zoning, aiming to gauge the community's opinions in the light of...
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced four upcoming opportunities to give in-person feedback on its draft resource management plan for the Newcastle Field Office and Nebraska. If ultimately approved, the new resource management plan would replace the current, 23-year-old version now used by the Newcastle Field Office. The plan covers all the lands within the Newcastle Field Office’s boundaries in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties, and also the entire state of Nebraska. While this may seem unbalanced, the decision was made to c...
According to the Wyoming Governor’s Office, the state’s $1.1 billion allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have now been fully committed, which means it’s unlikely that any of those funds will need to return to the federal government. ARPA grant funding has been used for numerous projects in Crook County since it was made available during the pandemic. For example, in early 2023, ARPA funding was secured by the City of Sundance to update the only block on Ryan Street that still has old waterlines and reconnect three exist...
The Crook County Commissioners have logged concern that they are not being included in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planning process for greater sage-grouse management. The BLMS’s Greater Sage-grouse Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and final environmental impact statement were published on November 15. The plan will address management of the bird and its habitat in ten western states, including Wyoming. The purpose of the amended plan is to respond to updated scientific information, change land uses and provide for c...
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....
