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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Powder River Energy (PRECorp) has requested permission from the Public Service Commission to increase its Cost of Power Adjustment (COPA) by $1,386,882 per annum, effective on January 1, to reflect a change in wholesale power costs. This would lead to a modest increase on residential monthly bills. In a second filing, the cooperative is also asking to make changes to the heat rate discount offered to members who have permanent electric resistance heat or electric heat pump space heating systems. COPA is a mechanism that the cooperative uses to...
Despite a few local COVID-19 infections leading to stays at Crook County Memorial Hospital over recent days, visitation is still open for hospital inpatients at this time – and is no longer limited for visits to the long-term care unit. However, Lyons notes that visitation did have to shut down temporarily last week due to an outbreak of RSV, a common respiratory virus. As of the beginning of this week, the outbreak is considered contained. “We have had no further cases and are opening up to full visitation in the LTC,” says Micki Lyons, CEO f...
Mary Kuhl has changed her plea to “no contest” against a felony charge related to her conduct in office as county treasurer, from which she resigned in October. Kuhl originally pled “not guilty” to the felony charge of unauthorized use of monies, as well as to one misdemeanor count of official misconduct and two misdemeanor counts of issuing false certificate. The allegations against her included that she placed a customer’s “lost in the mail” license plate tabs on her own vehicle; adjusted the tax system to hide missing money; and issued a...
On October 15, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a residence in Moorcroft after a call was received that Robert Myles was trying to take the homeowner’s vehicle. A warrant was confirmed for his arrest. The deputy reports contacting Myles’ probation officer and then responding to the residence, where the homeowner said Myles had left on foot and they did not know where he currently was. Dispatch received a call that Myles had been at a different residence but had now left and was running towards Prairie Street. Driving east...
The Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that emergency use authorizations have been granted for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster shots. This means that all three of the vaccine types in use within the United States have now received approval for the booster program. The FDA and CDC have also given approval to “mix n’ match” booster doses, which means the booster shot does not have to be the same brand as the original vaccine a person received. “The available data sugge...
A civil trial that was to consider the removal of Mary Kuhl from her position as Crook County Treasurer will no longer be necessary because her letter of resignation was accepted by the county commissioners on Friday. The trial was set to begin on Tuesday but the petition for her removal, filed by the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office (AG), has now been dismissed with prejudice, a term that means it cannot be brought back to court in the future. This was done as part of the settlement agreement in which Kuhl agreed to resign her office. ...
Representatives from the northeast of Wyoming met on Thursday to address redistricting in Crook, Weston and Campbell counties. This process will redefine the boundaries of each voting district across the state, which in turn dictates which citizens each legislator is responsible for. The informational session was an opportunity for the Legislative Service Office to walk officials through the basics of the process and for members of the public – and elected officials – to provide initial input. Keeping Counties Whole Senator Ogden Driskill, who...
Crook County Medical Services District is starting to see difficulties with staffing on the horizon. CEO Micki Lyons last week shared her concerns over the impending federal vaccine mandate with the board of trustees. The announcement from President Joe Biden that all healthcare workers will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine is, “Causing a lot of stress in our staff,” Lyons said. Many are talking about leaving because they do not want to be vaccinated, which could lead to a situation in which the district must use traveling staff to...
County Treasurer Mary Kuhl has objected to new charges filed against her in the civil case that seeks her removal from office, complaining in a response filed with District Court that it’s unfair to add new information so close to the date of her trial. A motion was made by the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office on September 16 to file the new charges as an amendment to the original petition for Kuhl’s removal. The amendment added new information regarding alleged thefts from the vault as well as findings of theft and falsified documents that...
Governor Mark Gordon has suspended Mary Kuhl from her position as Crook County Treasurer in an order filed with the county on Thursday. Meanwhile, an amended version of the verified petition for her removal has been filed by the Attorney General’s Office. The amendment adds new information regarding an alleged theft from the vault as well as findings of theft and falsified documents from an FBI investigation into Kuhl’s conduct. Suspended from Office The governor states in his order for temporary suspension that he was asked by the Crook Cou...
A new collaborative covering the northeast of Wyoming is offering the whole community an opportunity to get involved in the future of outdoor recreation in this area. Pioneered at the state level but comprised of local stakeholders, the collaborative will collect ideas to both improve current recreational opportunities and create new ones – and then figure out how to make them happen. “This whole thing is going to be driven by ideas,” Chris Floyd, Manager of the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation. “I have ideas for things that any communi...
Crook County Treasurer Mary Kuhl has responded to the verified petition filed against her by Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill, which seeks to suspend her from office. The petition, signed Hill on behalf of the State of Wyoming, cites the felony and misdemeanor charges that are pending against Kuhl, which include a felony count of unauthorized use of monies and three misdemeanors: one count of official misconduct and two of issuing false certificate. The petition also accuses her of theft from the Crook County Treasurer’s Office vault, a c...
In a letter filed this morning with the county, Governor Mark Gordon has suspended Mary Kuhl from her position as Crook County Treasurer. The governor states in his order for temporary suspension that he was asked by the Crook County Commission to direct the Attorney General to commence and prosecute an action to remove Kuhl from her position, due to allegations that she committed misconduct or malfeasance in office. Gordon met with Kuhl at the Wyoming State Capitol and heard the charges against her as well the defense against those charges pre...
A Moorcroft woman has been arrested on 16 separate counts of child abuse as well as one of aggravated assault and battery. Karey Hedlund's alleged victims accuse her of years of mental and physical abuse ranging from locking them in cages to withholding meals. According to reports from a Crook County Sheriff's Office deputy, an investigation was launched at the beginning of June into a report of "abusive and neglectful behavior" by Hedlund towards some of her adopted children. The victims...
At an arraignment hearing last week, County Treasurer Mary Kuhl was asked how she intends to plead to the felony and three misdemeanors she has been charged with. “Not guilty, your honor,” she repeated four times. This plea gives Kuhl the right to a public jury trial, said Judge Stuart S. Healy III, who presided over the hearing and said he will now enter a criminal case management order. The date of Kuhl’s trial was not set, though the judge stated that the order kickstarts a number of deadlines on both sides and a date for her pre-t...
On the instruction of Governor Mark Gordon, the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office has filed a civil case with District Court that could see County Treasurer Mary Kuhl removed from office. The petition, signed by Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill on behalf of the State of Wyoming, cites the felony and misdemeanor charges that are pending against Kuhl and also accuses her of theft from the Crook County Treasurer’s Office vault. The petition for Kuhl’s removal is based on a verified complaint filed by the county commissioners with the Gover...
s the bell rings the start of the new school year, the situation within the county's educational buildings is set to remain largely the same as it stood at the end of May in terms of pandemic guidance. Though signs of social distancing will still be in evidence, Crook County School District is aiming for as normal a school experience as possible. Good news too for sports fans as the fall season begins: spectators will once again be welcomed in full numbers to every home game. "Our plan is to go...
Despite deciding that the charges against County Treasurer Mary Kuhl merit binding her case over to District Court, Judge Wendy Bartlett of the Circuit Court of the 6th Judicial District determined on Thursday that Kuhl should be allowed to return to the office. After announcing her decision to elevate the case to the next tier of the court system, Judge Bartlett was asked to revisit the terms of Kuhl’s bond. “They need her help in the office,” said her lawyer, Jason Tangeman. On behalf of the state, special prosecutor Greg Steward prote...
The population of Crook County as a whole has inched upwards over the last ten years according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census Redistricting Data. However, during that same timeframe, three out of the four county municipalities have shrunk. The data shows that the population of the county has increased by a modest 1.4% since 2010, from 7083 to 7181 citizens. While small, this increase of 91 citizens is positive when compared to the rest of Wyoming, with fourteen of the 23 counties seeing population decreases over the last ten years. H...
County Treasurer Mary Kuhl will no longer have access to the credit cards used within the Crook County Treasurer’s Office. The county commissioners moved on Monday morning to cancel the old cards and have new ones issued, with Acting Treasurer Tammy Jundt listed as the authorized user. This decision was made following the arrest of Kuhl last week on charges related to her conduct while in office. Kuhl is accused of placing a customer’s license tabs on her own vehicle after claiming they were lost in the mail, adjusting the tax system to hid...
The Devils Tower Natural History Association (DTNHA) is looking for new board members to replace the three present directors whose terms will be coming to an end this fall. Since 1958, the association has supported projects and tourism at the Tower, including publication of interpretive books, guides and materials about the monument and its surrounding area. Major projects that the association has contributed to include the Jr. Ranger program, interpretive panels for the information desk, development and renovations of multiple park...
As of this week, the National Weather Service has changed how hazard information is communicated with the public. From now on, thunderstorms will be announced according to three tiers of impact. “Severe thunderstorms can be life-threatening, but not all severe storms are the same,” according to the announcement, which lists conditions ranging from tornadoes and hail to cloud-to-ground lightning and flash floods. The three categories begin with “base” severe thunderstorms, which include the following criteria: quarter-sized hail and/or 58 mph...
Moorcroft man Brandon Wells has been given a split sentence on a charge of theft after allegedly taking a vehicle in the early hours of the morning and driving it to Montana. On November 29, 2020, a Moorcroft Police Officer was contacted by the owner of a stolen vehicle that had been recovered in Miles City, Montana by Montana Highway Patrol. The truck had been taken at around 2 a.m. the same morning from a property on West Converse Street. The trooper reported that he had noticed the stolen vehicle and thought it was out of place. Calling the...
County Treasurer Mary Kuhl was arrested on Friday on criminal charges related to her conduct as an elected official. The allegations include that she listed a customer’s license plate tabs as lost in the mail but then placed them on her own vehicle; that she adjusted the tax system to hide missing money; and that she issued a false certificate so that a personal friend could avoid paying registration fees. The investigation was headed by a special agent of the Wyoming Division of Criminal I...
With wildfires burning locally and across the nation and little reprieve from the hot, dry weather in sight, it’s likely that the smoke haze is here to stay for the time being. Air quality alerts issued by the Wyoming Air Quality Division and National Weather Service covered much of Crook County over the weekend and into the beginning of this week due to the wildfire smoke drifting across the region. The federal AirNow system has detected smoke plumes over this area over recent days and moderate to unhealthy air quality – which isn’t good...
