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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The number of registered voters in Crook County took a significant leap upwards this year, according to the official tallies from August’s primary election. Crook County had 4103 registered voters in total at the 2018 primary, a number that grew only modestly to 4143 by the 2020 general election. This year, on the other hand, 4558 people were registered to vote in the county on election day – an increase of 415 people, or 10%. On election day itself, Crook County gained 205 new voters. Unsurprisingly, the number of ballots that were cast for...
A number of gaps on this year’s municipal ballots will be filled with write-in candidates at this year’s general election. Following the primary, any eligible person who received at least three write-in nominations was given the opportunity to place themselves in the running. In Sundance, a write-in spot was available for one of the two council seats that will be elected in November. However, says County Clerk Melissa Jones, no individual received three write-ins, so the ballot will not change. In Sundance, the candidates for the two seats wil...
Almost every district-level seat set to appear on the ballot at the upcoming general election will be contested. This November, voters will be asked to make their choices for the school, medical services, natural resource, museum and senior citizen service districts. All district seats are non-partisan. Candidate sign-up closed on Monday. For Crook County School District, four trustee seats will be elected at the general and almost three times that number of candidates have put their names forward. All trustees will serve four-year terms....
With invasive zebra mussels now known to be present nearby, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department (WGF) has developed a rapid response plan specific to Wyoming water bodies including Keyhole Reservoir. Meanwhile, watercraft owners have been reminded to clean, drain and dry their boats before moving between bodies of water and are asked to ensure they follow all the regulations for AIS inspections. According to Game & Fish, invasive zebra and quagga mussels have not yet been found in Wyoming. However, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and...
Monkeypox has officially arrived in Wyoming, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. However, the virus is not considered to be a high risk for most people. “Because monkeypox spreads through close, intimate contact we do not believe the risk for the virus is now a higher concern for the local community or for most people in Wyoming,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer. “Monkeypox does not spread easily like familiar viruses such as influenza or COVID-19.” The case was identified in an adult man who resides in Laramie County....
The results of last week’s primary election have been verified and confirmed by the county canvassing board, according to County Clerk Melissa Jones. No recounts were necessary and no issues emerged during the process. “We had no automatic recounts and we had no provisional ballots that we had to go through,” says Jones. “Everything went smoothly for us.” It wasn’t that the primary didn’t have some very close races – the two candidates for Pine Haven’s mayor, for example, received exactly the same number of votes at 113 each. However, for nonp...
The primary election saw several local races called for challengers, according to the unofficial results. In nonpartisan municipal races, two candidates will move forward to the general election for each seat, including any potential write-in candidates. For all other races, the winning candidate for each party moves ahead to the general. In one of the biggest upsets, Bob Latham beat incumbent Jeanne Whalen for the nomination to county commissioner. Incumbent Ogden Driskill, however, appears to...
Robert Myles of Moorcroft has been sentenced to up to four years in a state penal institution following an incident in which he was reported for attempting to steal a vehicle from a residence. On October 15, 2021, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a residence in Moorcroft after a call was received that Myles was trying to take the homeowner’s vehicle. A warrant was confirmed for his arrest. The deputy reported contacting Myles’ probation officer and then responding to the residence, where the homeowner said Myles had left on f...
Crook County has joined the call for the U.S. Forest Service to rethink its draft assessments for the revised Black Hills National Forest Plan. A comment letter submitted by the county commissioners touts "significant concerns" with the science used to create the drafts, and with the level of public input solicited so far. "I think we probably have some of the most comprehensive comments that will be submitted," commented Dru Palmer of Dru Consulting, who prepared the 21-page letter on behalf of...
A fire burning in steep, rugged terrain on Iron Mountain, seven miles south of Sundance, had grown to 6500 acres by Tuesday afternoon after expanding overnight as high winds caused it to run past the control lines. At time of going to press, the fire was zero percent contained with no estimate as to when it would be brought under control. "Exact longevity is hard to tell at this point," said incident commander Timothy Sherwin on Tuesday morning. The cause of the Fish Wildfire is under...
A male subject with an active Wyoming warrant was shot and killed by law enforcement on Saturday morning after two shootouts took place on I-90 near Sundance. According to the Crook County Sheriff’s Office, the subject was contacted by a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper on Saturday night at around 10:10 p.m., as he was walking along I-90 near milepost 184. The trooper learned that there was an active warrant for the subject’s arrest. The trooper immediately called for backup from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and the subject was advis...
A full burn ban will be in effect across the county beginning July 22. Fire Warden Doug Leis sought the blessing of the Crook County Commissioners last week to implement the restrictions, anticipating that what started as a moisture-filled summer may turn more dangerous in the coming weeks. "Everybody has been really enjoying this nice, green grass – and a lot of it – but it's just going to be a lot more to burn when it dries out," Leis explains. After a long period of drought, this will cha...
At a special meeting last week, the commissioners appointed Melissa Jones as the new Crook County Clerk. The commission followed the statutory rules governing the appointment of a replacement for an elected official who resigns their position before the end of a term. This involves asking the elected officials political party – in this case the Crook County Republican Party – to provide the names of three candidates for their consideration. Brad Marchant attended the special meeting in his capacity as chairman of the local party, which had con...
Can Crook County control its own future without zoning? This question has been troubling the Crook County Commissioners, who dedicated time on Wednesday for further discussion on the problem of large-acre parcels and subdivisions cropping up with little opportunity for input from the county. However, it’s unlikely the commission will consider moving forward on zoning until the soon-to-be-approved large-acre subdivision rules have been given a chance to solve ongoing concerns about lack of oversight on new development. The Process The new l...
No matter who wins at this year’s elections, the Crook County Courthouse is set to see some significant changes. As candidate filing closes for the year, several incumbents within the county offices have opted not to run for another term. Running for the first time – all unopposed on the Republican ballot – will be Julie Altaffer for Clerk of District Court, Tammy Jundt for Crook County Treasurer, Dan Thomas for Crook County Assessor and Melissa Jones for Crook County Clerk. Also unopposed are two courthouse incumbents. Jeff Hodge will run a...
A draft of the proposed new rules for large acreage subdivisions has been made available ahead of a public hearing with the Crook County Land Use Planning and Zoning Commission. Following the hearing, the commission will vote on whether to recommend the Crook County Commissioners schedule their own public hearing to approve and adopt the new rules. The purpose of the proposed rules, which applies to subdivisions that include parcels between 35 and 140 acres in size, is to establish “standards and procedures for the protection of the common i...
The majority of Wyoming residents feel our schools don’t prepare children for the future, according to Governor Mark Gordon’s education advisory group. A public survey that garnered over 7000 responses – including 326 from Crook County – saw 59% of people answer “no” to the question. School district employees were the most likely to believe the way Wyoming educates its kids prepares them for the future at 48%, followed by parents and guardians at 44%, while concerned citizens were the least likely at just 29%. Just 33% of former and current...
A Moorcroft man will serve up to ten years for aggravated assault and battery after allegedly ramming a woman’s truck into a power pole. On April 17, 2020, a Moorcroft Police Officer was dispatched for a domestic violence call and advised that a couple was fighting in their yard. The officer reported that the male subject, later identified as Nathan Schuerman, rammed the truck the female was driving into a power pole and left the scene, before later returning. When the officer arrived, he observed a male subject and instructed him to walk o...
Just as the year's tourist season gets underway for the Vore Buffalo Jump, the historical site plans to invite members of the public to attend an open house event on June 4. Whether you've never had the chance to visit or would be interested to see how excavations are progressing, the Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation (VBJF) invites you to join archaeologists and site hosts for a tour and a chance to experience the fun activities offered during field trips. The open house will be free to the public...
Three local candidates have thrown their names in the hat for the upcoming elections, aiming to vie for Crook County’s two seats in the Wyoming State Legislature. Senator Ogden Driskill announced he will stand again for Senate District 1, saying he will run on his past record and “with a promise of continued leadership in keeping Wyoming strong.” If elected, he says this will be his last term. “I have a proven track record of accomplishing things – not just hollow promises,” he says. “Many who are in this role become frustrated as being an e...
Sticking close to home again when making his decision, Governor Mark Gordon has selected Crook County Deputy Attorney Lynda R. Bush as the Sixth Judicial District’s next Circuit Court Judge. “I want to thank Governor Gordon for the honor of this appointment, and I look forward to serving the citizens of Crook and Weston Counties,” Bush said. Bush was selected from a list of three candidates that were submitted to the governor by the Judicial Nominating Commission for his consideration. Also on the list were Jacqueline K. Brown of Casper and N...
What began as a thunderstorm on Friday evening ended in the most significant blizzard so far this season, bringing travel to a standstill, canceling events and cutting power in some places across the area. It turned out to be a much more severe blizzard than many had been expecting. According to the National Weather Service, a low pressure system approached the plains on Friday, pushing warm, moist air ahead of it. This caused thunderstorms to develop on Friday evening, which became severe in...
The Vital Statistics Services division of the Wyoming Department of Health has released data showing that 2021 was a second year of unprecedented death rates in this state. However, there were also more births and marriages in Wyoming, and fewer divorces. A total of 6572 deaths were recorded in 2021 and 5986 in 2020. For context, 2019 saw a lower death rate of 5122. Specific figures for Crook County in 2021 were not available at time of going to press. However, local death rates did show a considerable jump in 2020 with 106 deaths recorded, as...
Law enforcement in Crook County is facing three new – and very concerning – trends. According to Sheriff Jeff Hodge, there have been local increases in the use of fentanyl, suicide threats among the youth and the need to employ force during arrests. “Some of the trends I think people are not aware of – and, if they’re not, they should be,” he said last week. Fentanyl Fentanyl, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine. It was developed for pain management...
County level elected officials have requested that the Crook County Commissioners consider granting them a pay increase for the next four-year period. County Attorney Joe Baron spoke to the issue, citing issues including competition with private industry, retention and cost of living as arguments for making the increase. “Every four years, the board of commissioners has to set salaries for elected officials,” he said. This process cannot happen once an elected official is instituted; it must be complete before they take office. The Wyoming Leg...
