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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DCI investigating Gillette shooting GILLETTE (WNE) — The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating an incident from Sunday morning in which two police officers shot and killed a 22-year-old man, Ismael Trinidad Montes, who was allegedly resisting arrest and charged officers with a “large edged weapon.” The incident began when officers received a call at about 7 a.m. Sunday from an unidentified person requesting an unwanted person be removed from their home in the 500 block of Church Avenue. When officers arrived, Montes was a...
Moorcroft's landfill failed another assessment from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently, though not to the extent of the previous inspection, according to mayor pro-tem Ben Glenn. "It wasn't near as bad because we have been putting our nets up and getting everything in place, trying to be a good neighbor out there," he said. The issues of regular and proper daily coverage as well as the size of the open work area were cited, but Glenn noted the bitter cold affected outside...
Completing the revision of the town employees' handbook this week, Moorcroft's attorney, Pat Carpenter, met with the council before the regular meeting for a workshop to refine responsibilities of the employee committee, council and department heads regarding disciplinary action and grievances. Disciplinary action Carpenter began by breaking the disciplinary actions into guaranteed tiers: what authority does the department head carry and where does this authority end? Councilman Dale Petersen...
West Texas Trail Museum curator Cindy Mosteller recently shared a couple of the upcoming events at the museum to which guests are invited within the next few months – as well as a change of scenery. Mosteller plans to remodel the museum, rotating out some exhibits and moving others into different positions, freshening the look within the next few weeks. "I'm expanding the Texas Trail part; I'm going to have stories, background and pictures of people who were actually on the drives," she says. S...
The condition of Little Missouri Road has troubled residents Jim and Otto Schlosser for several years, prompting an unsuccessful effort in 2018 to pave a 15-mile portion of it with the assistance of federal funding. Last week, however, the pair informed the county commissioners that they are now planning to fix the road themselves. “We were hoping to fix up that piece of road from the bridge to the highway,” said Jim, explaining that the goal is a gravel road in good condition both for residents and the bentonite companies that use it. Accordin...
GILLETTE — Wyoming’s economy continued to rebound in the third quarter of 2021, but its growth has slowed down. And thanks to the highest prices of oil and natural gas seen in several years, the mining industry had a relatively good quarter. On the whole, Wyoming recorded about 6,800 or 2.4% more payroll jobs in the third quarter of 2021 compared to 2020. Leisure and hospitality led this growth with 4,300 more jobs, an 11.9% increase, during that time. Even with that growth, Wyoming trailed behind the nation as a whole, which saw job growth of...
CASPER — It’s only been a few months since the Wyoming Legislature convened for a special session, but it’s already time to start gearing up for the budget session set to begin Feb. 14. First and foremost, the Legislature has to pass Gov. Mark Gordon’s 2023-2024 biennium budget. The proposed budget of $2.3 billion is larger than anticipated, but still smaller than the previous two-year budget cycle, and almost half the size of the 2010 budget. With the infusion of federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investm...
BUFFALO — Stakeholders are again exploring increasing residents’ share of big game hunting licenses from 80% to 90%, which would decrease the percentage of licenses available to nonresidents. The issue is a delicate one, and one that has come before the Wyoming Legislature at least three times before, including during the 2021 and 2020 sessions. Though the bill was unpopular, the conversation has made it to the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce, an 18-member board of stakeholders who study the state’s wildlife policies. Adam Teten, a Buffalo resident...
Cheney criticizes Wyoming GOP officials CASPER (WNE) — The Wyoming Republican Party apparatus includes people who are “quite radical,” Rep. Liz Cheney said Thursday. Cheney made the comment on the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The lawmaker gave multiple interviews that day, while also observing a moment of silence in the House of Representatives. Since the attack, Cheney has steadfastly insisted former President Donald Trump helped to incite the riot, which occurred as Congress worked to certify the presi...
Speeding – Justin Perecz, ND, 88/80, $101; Matthew Mickelson, MN, 86/75, $115; Christopher B. Massie, Moorcroft, 92/80, $120; Nastassja Jennings, SD, 90/80, $105; Dalton J. Butler, Hulett, 84/70, $130; David C. Christianson, SD, 43/30, $181; Travis Caine Burhans, MT, 91/80, $115; Julie Sinclair, Gillette, 88/75, $125; Kamari Brown, CO, 90/80, $105; Nicholas Bluhm, MN, 80/70, $105; Sherrylyn Korst, MT, 90/80, $105; Jaila Hansen, MN, 89/75, $130; Samantha Frias, Casper, 90/80, $105; Tacey Fischbach, Moorcroft, 87/75, $120; Suecelia A. Bjerke, N...
On January 3, police were asked to check on the welfare of some animals that were inside of a home. Complainant was worried the animals were not being taken care of. Officer met with the animals and owner and there was no sign of neglect. Nothing further. On January 3, police assisted Moorcroft EMS on an emergency call. On January 4, police were called to Moorcroft K8 due to a student in possession of a vape. Officer made contact with staff and the student. Student was cited for Minor in Possession of Tobacco. On January 4, police were called...
Moorcroft Mayor Dick Claar shares his thoughts on the three projects at the forefront this year: the landfill, MTC and the long-awaited splash pad. Despite all the trials the town is facing at this time, the mayor is hopeful about the future, saying, “I think Moorcroft is on the verge of some expansion, population-wise and business-wise, if that motel that’s rumored goes in behind Coffee Cup [Fuel Stop] takes place this spring, that will be another plus for Moorcroft.” Landfill With no county assistance to keep the landfill facility open and b...
Water Guy, a company out of Gillette that serves approximately 90 entities, providing licensed water and lagoon testing and treatment as well as call out services for leaks and other flow problems, discussed with Pine Haven's council the necessity of raising prices on Tuesday. "I have several operators on staff and the specialized equipment we use on many systems," said owner Duane Fawcett as he began to explain the price increase. "We're running into some problems, one is inflation [and] the...
A successful step for Senator Ogden Driskill in his efforts to keep Crook and Weston counties whole: his updated plan for redistricting this portion of the state was officially adopted by the committee working on the process last week. “They took my plan and adopted it,” he says of the December 28 meeting of the Corporations Committee. “That’s not to say it’s going to stay, but it’s adopted.” Driskill’s aim since the process began has been to preserve both counties as the basis of their own voting districts – something Weston County has not ha...
LARAMIE — Despite recent snowfall across southern Wyoming the last couple weeks of last year, the state enters the New Year in a drought that’s held since 2020. This is the 36th driest year of the past 127 years for Albany County, with drought conditions ranging from abnormally dry to extreme, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. Matthew Brothers, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Cheyenne, said Albany County is in what is classified as a moderate drought, with surrounding areas like Lar...
Wyoming gas prices fall by 3.1 cents in past week CHEYENNE (WNE) — Wyoming gas prices have fallen 3.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.26 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy.com’s daily survey of 494 stations in Wyoming. Gas prices in Wyoming are 11.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand $1.08 per gallon higher than a year ago. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Wyoming was priced at $2.65 per gallon Monday, while the most expensive was $3.84, a difference of $1.19. The national ave...
FBI Denver has issued a warning to residents of Wyoming and Colorado that a new phone scam is hitting this area in which people posing as local law enforcement demand payment for a warrant of fine to clear the victim’s name. “The FBI warns citizens that if they receive a phone call from someone claiming to be law enforcement asking for money or gift cards, to hang up and report it to their local law enforcement authorities and the FBI,” says FBI Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. More than 300 women have been hit by th...
Speeding – Jean Samantha, MN, 88/80, $101; Joshua Hamilton, Riverton, 90/80, $105; Jimmie Abbas, IA, 92/80, $120; Joshua D. Anderson, Upton, 64/45, $223; Jana Donaghe, Gillette, 89/80, $103; Matthew Bietsch, SD, 90/75, $135 No Seat Belt (driver) – Austin Lee Lunstra, Hulett, $25 Follow Too Closely – Justin Nipper, Sundance, $90 Fail to Merge into Farthest Lane for Emergency Vehicle – Shamil Tsuntaev, FL, $240 Drive While License Suspended for DWUI – Austin Lee Lunstra, Hulett, $270, 30 days jail/23 days suspended, unsupervised probation...
Dec. 27 – Three VIN checks. Two traffic stops. Assist to DFS. Trespassing complaint. Motorist assist. Business checks. Three EMS pages. Dec. 28 – Four VIN checks. Two traffic stops. Suspicious circumstance. Business checks. House watches. Two EMS pages. Fire page. Dec. 29 – Four VIN checks. Three traffic stops. Business checks. Assist to Wyoming Highway Patrol. Two coroner calls. Assist DFS. Assist EMS. Two EMS pages. Two fire pages. Dec. 30 – Five VIN checks. Paper service. Fingerprints. Assist EMS. House watches. Business check. EMS page. F...
GILLETTE — After 87 years of standing above Gillette Avenue, the two spruce trees that towered in front of Twin Spruce Junior High School for decades are gone. A tree-removal crew took down the two ailing trees over the course of Dec. 27 and 28, clearing the way for the two replacement trees planted in 1998 to carry on the school’s namesake. “I loved those trees, they were part of the school…for 87 years,” said David Foreman, principal of Twin Spruce from 1990-2014. “All good things, sometimes, have to come to an end and according to the expe...
PINEDALE — Although county and state attorneys argued veterinarian Rex F. Rammell’s appeal in 9th District Court of four brand-inspection convictions and sentences was untimely and improper, the judge disagreed. In Sublette County’s possibly longest-running misdemeanor case, Rammell was charged on June 27, 2019, with violating the state required brand-inspection law by trailering four horses and a colt from Sweetwater County to Sublette County for summer grazing. The law is Wyoming Statute 11-21-103, which Rammell has argued as uncon...
January As the year began, only one of two newly elected council members was sworn in. While Ben Glenn was present, Paul Gallegos submitted a letter of resignation for "personal reasons" and was replaced by Austin Smith. The second annual Coach Mirich Texas Hold'em Tournament in Pine Haven hosted more than 60 guests, including 34 players. Crook County Public Health announced it had completed the first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, which included front-line workers such as hospital staff, and...
Zaccari Fulciniti with her prize....
With the recent leak on the town’s waterline running from Yellowstone Avenue north through the Ellis Mobile Home Park, Public Works Director Cory Allison speaks about why the line is still breaking and what the town is planning to do. Allison says that approximately 80% of the municipal water lines are replaced at this time with several small areas – “Just 100 feet here, 200 feet here, a block there” – have yet to be upgraded. This particular part of the line is among those sections. These small sections of line to be replaced, according...
CASPER — The coal industry has had an unexpectedly good year. After tumbling 18% in 2020 compared to 2019, U.S. thermal coal use is expected to climb 21% through the end of 2021, according to a report published recently by the International Energy Agency (IEA). U.S. coal consumption had been steadily decreasing, and fell by half between 2010 and 2020, according to the report. This year marks the nation’s first increase in coal-fired electricity production since 2014. Coal production, which fell by 24% in 2020 after industrial activity dec...
