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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Three fires on Saturday can all be traced to a similar cause, including one blaze that entirely consumed a family home. Each began as an old slash pile that continued to smolder for several days before reigniting. The largest of the fires took place in the Rifle Pit Rd. area east of Sundance and reached an estimated 104 acres in size. Firefighters arrived on scene around 4 p.m. to tackle it, says Fire Warden Doug Leis. “It was a pretty violent fire,” he says. “It was the type of thing where...
Crook County hosted its first large vaccine clinic last week when 350 people received a dose of Moderna in a single day. The by appointment-only clinic allows Crook County Public Health to catch up on the backlog caused by national weather issues a couple of weeks ago, which caused delivery to be delayed around the country. The gymnasium at Central Office was converted into a vaccination clinic on Wednesday with assistance from EMS departments, Crook County Medical Services District, Emergency...
In response to ongoing national suspicions about the integrity of America’s elections, County Clerk Linda Fritz is inviting all interested citizens to take a behind-the-scenes look at how elections are conducted in Wyoming, including the safeguards that have been put in place. Two informational sessions have been scheduled on March 12 and 13 and are open to all members of the public. Fritz has planned the sessions as a way to reassure the voters of Crook County about the security and transparency in Wyoming elections. A resolution recently p...
Dance the night away this Friday at the Pine Haven Community Center Board’s first dance, to be hosted at the Keyhole Country Club. The dance has been scheduled to follow the club’s annual Sweethearts Dinner, which begins at 6 p.m., and the board hopes to make this just the first of many monthly dances. Though the first dance falls on the weekend of Valentine, it won’t be specifically themed as such, says organizer Karla Brandenburg. Everyone is invited to partake of this new tradition, whether young or old, married or single – just head to...
A solid waste district is not on the cards as a means to solve the county’s issues with trash, but the commissioners are still willing to explore the available options. A committee will be formed to more fully investigate what possibilities exist to preserve the last remaining landfill in the county. Commissioner Kelly Dennis voiced that the 30 days since the issue was last discussed have brought new information from sources including the Department of Environmental Quality and private entities. Commissioner Fred Devish described having been c...
The Crook County Republican Party has voted to censure U.S. Representative Liz Cheney for her recent actions in supporting the impeachment of ex-President Donald Trump. “Like a lot of the counties around the state, we are disappointed in her decision,” says Roget Connett, Chairman of the local party. “It was unanimous on the vote.” Cheney has attracted criticism from Republicans across Wyoming who do not feel she was representing this state’s interests when she voted, alongside nine other House Republicans, in favor of the second impeachment of...
With restrictions on timing, dose numbers, eligible candidates and more, it’s quite the logistical challenge to roll out a COVID-19 vaccination program. That’s why it’s not yet possible to host walk-in clinics, says Public Health Nurse Carol Stutzman. For the time being, Crook County Public Health has devised a strategy to vaccinate citizens according to level of priority and available doses. “Because of the priority phases and the restriction of having to use all ten doses in the vial within...
In any ordinary year, Wyoming’s Legislature would be preparing to debate a full slate of potential new laws and figure out the budget for the next biennium. Thanks to the pandemic, things look a little different for the 66th Legislature, which met last week for a single day for a virtual session to fulfill the requirements of the Wyoming Constitution. “We elected leadership…I am Majority Floor Leader now,” says Senator Ogden Driskill. Representative Chip Neiman has meanwhile been selecte...
After a beginning to the winter that felt well nigh tropical, the last week has proven that Mother Nature still has all her teeth. The end of the balmy season arrived on a torrent of wind in a weather event that lasted almost two days. The high wind event occurred when a potent cold front swept through the region on the afternoon of January 13, bringing northwesterly winds behind it. The wind sustained overnight in much of the area at 35 to 50 mph, with gusts that reached up to 80 mph,...
The commissioners intend to decide in February what should be done about the imminent closure of the last remaining landfill in Crook County. According to Mayor Dick Claar of Moorcroft, the formation of a solid waste district is the only way to convince the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that the county is serious in its efforts to move forward. However, there was reluctance during last week’s meeting to create a formal district. Commissioner Kelly Dennis expressed concern that doing so would place the decision-making with the d...
Crook County Public Health completed the first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations at the end of last week and will be moving on to the next tier of candidates on the state’s priority list. The phase 1a vaccination tier included front-line workers who are either most at risk of exposure to the virus or most likely to pass it on to people who are more vulnerable to its effects. This ranged from hospital and public health staff, EMS and fire personnel and law enforcement to home and residential i...
Vaccines may now be available for COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean the public is willing to automatically trust them. A year ago, we didn’t even know the virus existed, so how can we be sure getting vaccinated is safe? Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines followed the usual steps for testing and review – something that was sped up considerably by a worldwide effort to remove the usual barriers and delays. Even so, says Infection Preventionist Charity Lindholm, a certain amount of distrust is normal for something that’s both completely new and...
Moorcroft man Brandon Wells has been charged with 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 around 4:30 p.m. 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. on November 29 from a property on West Converse Street. The keys had been left in the vehicle. Shortly after, the officer was contacted by Montana Highway Patrol. The...
A difficult year dominated by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world, 2020 still saw plenty of important business conducted in Moorcroft and throughout Crook County. January The Moorcroft council considered bids for the Powder River Water Project, the last large infrastructure remaining on the priority list, and approved a private recycling program for homes in town. Pine Haven announced its new ice rink would be opening for public enjoyment. The county commissioners hosted their f...
A total of $12 million has been distributed to Wyoming’s counties through Governor Mark Gordon’s Community Charitable Relief Program. This program allows the counties to distribute awards to charities that incurred expenses related to COVID-19 in supporting the public or suffered a reduction in donations, grants and other incomes during the pandemic. The program is open to all nonprofit entities, including churches, that qualify as tax exempt and that provided goods, services or payments to the public related to the COVID-19 emergency. Wit...
According to the Gospel of Matthew, wise men from the East were inspired to travel to Jerusalem by a bright star that appeared in the night sky. There, they asked King Herod: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” For the first time in 800 years, the Christmas star has appeared in the heavens once again – just in time to mark the birth of Jesus. Thanks to a couple of millennia of scientific discovery, however, experts now b...
Light has appeared at the end of the tunnel as Wyoming gears up to begin administering the new COVID-19 vaccines – and so does Crook County. The first doses are expected to arrive in the state within days and will be directed to the medical workers and first responders on the front lines in the fight against the pandemic. “We have an end in sight at this point, which was not true for many months during this pandemic. We have hope and a reminder that this situation is for now and not forever,” said state health officer Dr. Alexia Harrist in a...
A statewide mask order goes into effect this week in an effort to address an increase in hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 while keeping businesses open, according to an announcement from Governor Mark Gordon. Unless the order is revoked before it expires on January 8, face coverings will be required for the next month in most public places. “Our state and those surrounding us are facing a hospital capacity crisis that now compels us to take additional action. All through the fall, W...
As the first semester of the year draws to a close, Crook County School District has fared better than many dared hope in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, none of the county’s schools have needed to close their doors due to an outbreak and the number of quarantined individuals has been relatively small. “Right now, between staff and students, we’re running about 1500 people in the district and I think our total number of cases to date, going into Thanksgiving break, was 51,” says Superintendent Mark Broderson. “Our numbers h...
For all the drastic cuts being made, one important chunk of Wyoming’s financial picture has yet to be examined. At this time, school districts across the state are waiting to hear how the shortfall will affect their budgets in the coming years. As Governor Mark Gordon has repeatedly pointed out, education takes up a sizeable portion of the state budget. However, it is enshrined in Wyoming law that schools be funded to a certain level, which is why education was not included in the $500 million cuts that were recently announced. “There is a qua...
A Douglas man has been given a suspended sentence for possession with intent to deliver after allegedly informing a police officer who spotted him walking drunkenly through town that he was taking a bag of marijuana from one friend to another. On January 7 at around 8:30 p.m., a Moorcroft Police Officer observed a man stumbling down the street, later identified as Brock Allen Smith. The officer reports that Smith was on the roadway, despite there being a sidewalk available, and appeared to be intoxicated. According to court reports, Smith made...
Whether for reasons of convenience, health or politics, more people than ever before are casting their votes before election day this year. Crook County has followed the nationwide trend, with a quarter of votes already cast. Reports suggest that nearly 90% of the total number of absentee votes cast for the last presidential election have already been cast nationwide. In Crook County, however, absentee votes have long since outpaced the number that were cast for in 2016. “We’re bigger than we’ve ever had before,” says County Clerk Linda F...
Moorcroft resident Michael Wiese was arrested earlier this month on charges of aggravated assault after allegedly kicking a door down and pulling a knife on a victim. On October 9, a Moorcroft Police Officer was dispatched at around 8:30 p.m. to a home for a report of a violent incident. The reporting party had informed Dispatch that Wiese had broken down a door and left the residence, but then returned. When the officer arrived on scene, he separated the two and spoke to Wiese. The officer reports that Wiese that the alleged victim had been dr...
The general election is coming up fast and voters this year will not only be asked to make their choices for national and state elected seats. A number of issues will also be placed before you on the ballot, ranging from retention of local judges to constitutional amendments and the renewal of local taxes. These issues include: Judge Retention District Court Judges in Wyoming stand for retention every six years, and Circuit Court Judges face a retention vote every four years. Circuit Court Judge...
November’s general election is a chance for you, the voter, to decide who would best represent your interests and needs on the boards and districts that keep Crook County running. From the schools to the museums, you will be asked to make your choices for a wide range of local seats. Your candidates this year include: School District: Hulett Area Brian Neiman “I am a lifelong Crook County resident. I believe that the community coming together can make our schools the best. We need input fro...
