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
Sorted by date Results 226 - 250 of 330
Moorcroft resident Harold Stortz has been arrested on charges of abuse of a vulnerable adult after allegedly leaving an elderly person on the floor after a fall for approximately six hours. On September 4, an officer from Moorcroft Police Department was dispatched around 7 a.m. to a report of an elderly person who had fallen. He arrived at the address to find the person, who he knew from previous contacts, “laying on the living room floor with only a thin long sleeve shirt on”. Stortz was allegedly sitting in the kitchen looking at the eld...
Be wary of claims on websites and social media that a third party entity can assist you in matters to do with the upcoming general election, says County Clerk Linda Fritz. No matter their intentions, they are less reliable and less secure than simply calling the County Clerk’s Office. “There are quite a few of these on social media,” says Fritz. “It’s happening around the state right now.” Websites and social media pages of this nature claim to be able to help you find out whether you have registered to vote. The only way they can do this, sa...
In honor of “Thank an Officer Day” on September 19, Crook County Family Violence (CCFV) put together “survival kits” for each of the county’s law enforcement departments. The idea, says Sandy Stevens, director, was to recognize the vital role our local law enforcement plays – and the exemplary manner in which they play it. Partnerships with law enforcement are vital for CCFV, Stevens says, for everything from domestic abuse cases to human trafficking. “This was to show our appreciation...
The specifics of budget cuts that amount to a ten percent reduction in the state’s expenditures have now been formally announced, affecting the state’s agencies, boards and commissions alike. Governor Mark Gordon spoke to the reductions at a press conference last week, commenting that the cuts “are going to be devastating,” but at the same time, “they are necessary.” The cuts total $250 million, with an additional $80 million in cuts to maintenance of state buildings and those at the university and community colleges. It has taken two to thre...
The unofficial results from last week’s primary election have now become official, says County Clerk Linda Fritz. The canvas board met on Friday to verify and confirm the ballots and found there were no changes to the winning candidates that were announced on the night of the election. Only one race was close enough to warrant an automatic recount: the Republican precinct committeewoman seat for precinct 14-14 Hulett Inside. This was necessary because there was a less than 1% difference between the votes received by the two candidates. F...
A Gillette man faces multiple charges including aggravated assault and interference with a police officer. Vincent Everett allegedly attacked a Moorcroft police officer who chased him after a fight broke out in a local bar. On August 13 at around 11.30 p.m., two officers from Moorcroft Police Department heard a bartender yelling from Dewey’s Place that a fight was in progress. One of the two men allegedly fighting was escorted from the bar, while a witness approached the officers to state that he had broken up the fight and the other man had le...
In an upset to the status quo, Tyler Lindholm lost his bid to retain the House District #1 seat for another two years to challenger Chip Neiman. Election night brought fewer surprises at the local level, with Kelly Dennis on track for another four years as county commissioner after defeating challenger Bob Latham. Also at Tuesday night’s primary, Republican incumbent Liz Cheney was Crook County’s vote, leading challenger Blake Stanley by a considerable margin, and Democratic candidate Lynette Gr...
On the authority of Secretary of State Ed Buchanan, the process of counting votes for the primary will start a little early this year. A directive sent to county clerks across Wyoming permits the processing of absentee ballots a few days before the election. The directive is intended to address the fact that a high number of voters are expected to opt for the absentee ballot method for this year’s primary due to the pandemic. “An influx of absentee ballot requests and absentee ballots returned to the county clerks as a result of the COVID-19 pa...
School is still a few weeks away but, for parents planning the annual shopping trip for classroom equipment, whether or not there will be a need for face coverings has come into question. While the pandemic remains ongoing and state-level guidance continues to change, Superintendent Mark Broderson says it’s not possible to be sure whether students will need to wear masks, or how much of the day they may need to wear them for. “The district will follow recommendations from Public Health based on current cases and trends in the com...
The week began with heavy storms across the region, strong enough to cause power outages throughout northeast Wyoming. On Sunday afternoon, severe thunderstorms hit Crook, Campbell and Weston Counties, causing around 4100 members of the Powder River Energy (PRECorp) cooperative to lose power. According to the National Weather Service, thunderstorms developed in this area and moved across western South Dakota, with several locations reporting damaging hail and winds. The largest hail reported was 2.25 inches in Piedmont, SD, and the strongest...
With the blessing of the state, family members will once again be able to visit their loved ones at the long term care facility within Crook County Memorial Hospital. However, those who would like to spend time with a resident should be aware that guidelines have been put in place to continue protecting the health and safety of some of the county’s most vulnerable people. “We understand how difficult it is to have these restrictions,” says Jamason Schmidt, nursing home director. “With our population being the highest at risk, we will continu...
Students will be returning to their school buildings this fall, says Superintendent Mark Broderson. To make that happen, employees from every department are working on a framework to keep kids safe despite the ever-changing picture of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We feel this is the best option for our students for the following reasons: lack of proper connectivity to all homes, reduced stress for parents, building relationships between staff and students, allowing parents to return to work and teachers to teach,” he says. “As a district, we belie...
Dewey Schoenewald of Moorcroft has been sentenced to up to ten years in prison for a burglary charge that relates to multiple break-ins alleged to have taken place in January. He will also serve up to ten years on theft charges from 2018, which had been suspended. Schoenewald allegedly took numerous items from an oil field pumping station on or around January 18. Batteries were allegedly stolen from two tractors and three vehicles and other missing items included battery charges, battery cables, buckets of hydraulic oil, an air compressor, spac...
Casey Anderson is set to stand trial in October on charges of possession of marijuana and domestic battery after an alleged altercation in Moorcroft. On April 4 at around 2:13 p.m., a Moorcroft Police Department officer was asked to respond to a domestic violence issue at a local motel. The victim allegedly claimed that Anderson had pushed her down in an alley, causing her to suffer numerous scratches and cuts. A second officer was called to the scene and the two attempted to make contact with Anderson in the motel room. The odor of burnt and...
A Rawlins man faces felony charges of strangulation after allegedly pulling on the seatbelt of the driver he was sitting behind in an attempt to stop the vehicle. On May 26 just before 4 p.m., a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper was dispatched to a fight in progress on I-90 at milepost 151. He arrived to find Moorcroft Police Department had already secured the scene. The driver allegedly stated that Travis Trujillo, who was sitting directly behind him in the vehicle, had grabbed the seatbelt and pulled on it and said he had begun to choke, so he...
Sarah Lenchner of Illinois has been bound over to District Court on felony possession charges after she was arrested in the Moorcroft rest area in association with a stolen vehicle. On April 7 just after 8 a.m., a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer was dispatched to a suspected stolen vehicle at the Moorcroft rest area that had been remotely disabled. Along with a second officer, he approached the rest area and observed two occupants in the back seat. Lenchner was searched after being read her rights, but nothing was found. She then allegedly...
Preparing to apply for funding for a new hospital, Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) has begun to create a list of flaws associated with the current building that make it difficult to deal with a pandemic such as COVID-19. The district was approached by Senator Ogden Driskill and Representative Tyler Lindholm when it was first discovered that Wyoming would be receiving $1.25 billion through the CARES Act. With strict rules governing how it could be spent, the pair suggested a new hospital building would not only improve the county...
Filing dates have closed for the seats that will appear on the ballot at this year’s primary election and the names of those candidates who will be running for seats at the city, county, state and national level have been published. At the state level, Tyler Lindholm will run again for State Representative, House District #1. He will be challenged by Chip Neiman of Hulett. At the county level, one county commissioner seat with a four-year term will be voted on this year. Kelly Dennis will run to retain his seat, challenged by Bob Latham. At t...
No plans are yet in place to allow visitors back into the hospital and the long term care facility within its walls, said CEO of Crook County Medical Services District Micki Lyons on Friday. Decisions on how to go about this process have been left in the hands of the state, she said, and Wyoming does not yet have guidelines in place. “We still don’t really know when or how we’re going to open back up,” Lyons told the Board of Trustees. Lyons was speaking in response to a query from board chairman Mark Erickson, who expressed concern over re...
With a following wind and a lot of hard work, the financial aid programs authorized by the Wyoming State Legislature are set to go live on June 1. Businesses that have suffered financially through the COVID-19 crisis, as well as those whose housing situation has been impacted, are expected to be able to apply for assistance beginning on that date. Speaking last week, Josh Dorrell of the Wyoming Business Council commented that businesses across the state have been “dramatically impacted” by the pandemic. And by businesses, he said, what we reall...
Despite delays to the project to replace the spillway, which will require the campground to stay closed this year, Cook Lake should be open for day use by the middle of June, says District Ranger Mike Gosse. The Forest Service has been able to complete enough of the work to allow the public to enjoy this popular recreation spot over the summer. “The replacement of the Cook Lake spillway began on July 8, 2019 with an intended completion date of November 20,” says Gosse. “However, due to a very wet summer with frequent showers and an early snowf...
The Board of Trustees has agreed to an increase on the daily rate for Crook County Medical Service District’s long term care unit. The increase of $15 will take the overall total to $230 per day. Though the total charged to residents still will not cover the actual cost per patient of running the facility, the board felt that a bigger price hike would be unfair to those who pay privately. The original suggestion, brought forth by controller Alayna Marten during the board’s budget meeting last week, was for a $30 increase. “The rates right...
For those looking to perform their civic duty by serving at the various levels of Wyoming’s government, filing dates open this week for this year’s elections. Over the next two weeks, citizens are invited to put forth their names for seats ranging from the U.S. Legislature to city council. File your application for federal and state offices, including the Wyoming State Legislature, with the Office of the Secretary of State. This year, Crook County’s state representative seat (currently held by Tyler Lindholm) will be elected for a two-y...
Representative Tyler Lindholm and Senator Ogden Driskill were all geared up to fight the good fight on behalf of local restaurant owners on Monday, but soon discovered that the county’s emergency operations center has already set the ball rolling to secure a variance on the new state health orders for all county eateries. Lindholm began his request to the county commissioners by stating that the orders allow for variances and that he has spoken with some restaurant owners about what it would look like for them to put in for individual e...
The Board of Trustees for Crook County Medical Services District has selected a replacement board member to serve out the remaining time in Joey Kanode’s term as the trustee for Moorcroft. Kanode stepped down in February, announcing that he did not want his name associated with the board and disagreed with decisions that had been made. On Wednesday, the board announced that his replacement will be Ed Ray of Moorcroft. “We did have a lot of interest over this,” said Trustee Sandy Neiman. Ray was chosen from two candidates who had been selec...
