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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DOUGLAS — The City of Douglas last week charged the Douglas Budget $37.60 for a copy of City Administrator Jonathan Teichert’s contract, a public document. Later, the newspaper was ironically charged $27.10 for a copy of the 2015 resolution that sets the fee structure for public documents and research cost. Budget News Editor Cinthia Stimson formally requested the contract via email from City Clerk Chaz Schumacher March 5. Stimson then received a city “Public Records Request Form,” in which she had to state her company affiliation, contact...
The Crook County Commissioners have decided once and for all that a solid waste district will not be formed to investigate the future of trash in this county. At last week’s meeting, the plan for an investigative “think tank” was also scrapped, bringing to an end the question of whether the county-wide community can work together to find a single solid waste solution. As the gathering began, Commissioner Kelly Dennis began the process of selecting names for the “think tank,” an idea put forward in February as a compromise. At that time, hav...
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...
After several months of depending on an out-of-town license for water and sewer systems, the Moorcroft public works crew is off to a great start toward obtaining their own licenses. Scott Green has received his license for operating the water system and hopes to receive the same for sewer before next month. Dave Elliot needs a few more practical hours and he will have his, too, as well as the sewer certificate, by that time, according to Public Works Director Cory Allison. Currently, the town is paying $1000 per month for the use of the...
Moorcroft’s public works crew erects netting to better capture flying debris at the landfill as the department prepares to step up their efforts to maintain the Moorcroft landfill to DEQ specifications....
RCS continues to backfill around the contact chambers on the north side of the project. At the same time, they continue the concrete work for the chlorination building using the existing structure on the new pad. This building will house the chemicals and transfer the compounds via underground pipes that have been installed into the contact chambers. There is an anticipated four months remaining on this project....
Wyoming unemployment rate falls slightly CHEYENNE (WNE) — The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported Monday that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 5.2% in December to 5.1% in January. Wyoming has recently completed a comprehensive annual revision of its unemployment data. The revised data show that the state’s unemployment rate peaked at 8.5% in May 2020 and has steadily decreased since then. Wyoming’s January unemployment rate of 5.1% was much lower than the U.S. rate of...
FaithHoney Anderson of Devils Tower has been named Wyoming’s top high school volunteer of 2021 by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, America’s largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer service. State Honorees for 2021 were selected for service initiatives completed, at least in part, between the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020. Selection was based on criteria including impact, effort, initiative and personal growth, from more than 21,000 applicants. Anderson receives a scholarship, a silver medallion and an inv...
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...
Moorcroft’s council has finally set a date to have the offices of clerk/treasurer, public works and police as well as the council chambers moved to their new secure facilities in the Moorcroft Town Center (MTC) before September, says Mayor Dick Claar. This move has been discussed for a few years now with no actual plan in place to further the transition until this week. When the group set three town-based projects to the front of their to-do list at Saturday morning’s workshop, this move was...
Moorcroft’s council came together in a four hour workshop Saturday morning to discuss progress of the large projects with which the town is currently dealing, including the lagoon upgrade, landfill development and the last phase of the Powder River Water Project. The group also prioritized smaller projects that are realistically within the budget of the town with the incoming one percent sales tax return that’s expected in May. These smaller efforts were of a more intimate interest to the gov...
RCS completed the concrete pouring for the inverts on the inside walls on both the east and west contact chambers of the lagoon on Monday and are nearing completion for the rip rap install around lagoon cell two as well as having removed the rip rap around the smaller lagoon cell three. Excavation and concrete formwork for the new chlorination building also began this week....
A State of Wyoming veterans service officer from the Wyoming Veterans Commission will conduct community outreach services around Wyoming cities throughout February. Sandy McFarland is available to meet with veterans and their families to discuss state and federal veterans’ benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs claims, or VA healthcare. McFarland can also help veterans and their families apply for benefits, file claims, or request healthcare. Her office is located at 551 Running W. Dr., Gillette, Suite 100 and she will be available at the f...
Three UW students killed in accident LARAMIE (WNE) — Three University of Wyoming students were killed in a two-car collision that took place on Saturday, Feb. 27, on the Colorado side of Highway 287. According to Colorado Trooper Josh Lewis, the collision occurred at about 4:38 p.m., at mile marker 377, in Colorado. A total of five people were involved; four are believed to be UW students. According to Lewis, the driver of a 2005 Subaru Forester, a male, age 21, who was the only occupant, appeared to have lost control of his vehicle and the F...
On February 22, police were contacted regarding a missing juvenile. All officers, along with Fire, EMS and WHP were called to assist in searching for the missing juvenile. One officer went to the residence to speak with the parent of the missing juvenile and while there the child returned home. All agencies were advised, and the search ended. Nothing further On February 22, police were notified of a hit and run. Officer responded and took information and photos of the damage. On February 22, police were contacted about a juvenile male not...
CASPER — A new piece of legislation could give coal-fired power plants a lifeline. Filed on Friday in Wyoming’s Legislature, House Bill 155 would require state regulators to consider how a coal or natural gas power plant closure could affect the reliability of the power grid before approving its retirement. Prior to giving a utility a green light to retire an aging power plant unit, the Wyoming Public Service Commission — the state agency regulating certain utilities in Wyoming — would have to consider if the closure would increase the risk of...
With the onslaught of several inches of the frozen flurries, snow removal is once again an issue for the consideration of the Moorcroft Town Council. The discussion became heated Monday night as several residents of Texas Trails Subdivision as expressed their angst about the town’s practice of plowing the downfall to the sides of the street instead of the center. This was a controversial issue when implemented when instigated 18 months ago. The main focus of the argument is the snow being pushed...
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...
In the summer of 2019, a new well and water tank were installed in Pine Haven for the betterment of the existing population and in anticipation of future growth. As the tank was built and raised onsite nearby, the well was drilled at the corner of Pine Haven Street and Vista Grande Drive. To keep the wells fresh, the plan was to “switch back and forth” between the existing and the newly dug founts, according to Councilwoman Karla Brandenburg. Everything seemed fine as the pump was started the...
On Friday, RCS poured concrete for both the East and West contact chamber walls. After curing, they will begin stripping the forms for the walls at the end of the week. They continue to work on the rip rap for the lagoon cells; they have finished around lagoon cell one and continue on to lagoon cell two....
Man killed Monday in Grand Teton National Park avalanche JACKSON (WNE) – A man was killed in an avalanche in Grand Teton National Park on Monday, authorities said. Matthew Brien, 33, of Jackson and originally from Pennsylvania, was buried in the avalanche, according to the Teton County Coroner. The slide was reported around 12:30 p.m. Park rangers and Teton County Search and Rescue were called to the slide in the Broken Thumb Couloir, off the north side of 25 Short in the park. Avalanche danger in the area has hovered between high and c...
Moorcroft Council members donned a different hat Monday night to come together as the municipal planning board until they can reestablish that committee. This was deemed necessary to answer two specific questions from individuals who are in the process of replatting within town limits. The first was for the single lot on which both the former Sinclair station and a “shop” with an upstairs apartment share one water tap to the station and one sewer tap to the shop. Owner Clinton Jones asked for permission to separate the lot into two. The com...
There are currently four individuals from Pine Haven who are receiving assistance from Crook County Family Violence, according to executive director Sandy Stevens, who attended last Tuesday night’s meeting of Pine Haven’s council. She spoke about how the organization has been doing over the past year and sought a donation of $1200 to help in the coming year. The department included three staff members, director, crisis advocate and prevention education coordinator; however because of budget cons...
As Crook County and the surrounding area finally escapes the clutches of the bitterly cold temperatures of the last two weeks that originated at the Arctic, the subsequent 0-20 above of this week seems positively balmy. Like others who are responsible for animals in the pastures, local rancher Rosalie Brimmer (pictured above) comments on feeding her horses through the cold and terrible wind chill, “It makes it miserable [and]hard on livestock.” She said that her animals have “some” protect...
Moorcroft Mayor Dick Claar reappointed the same council members for the standing committees as sat on them last year, adding new councilman Austin Smith to the vacated seats at the meeting of the council last week. These committees include finance and personnel, to which Councilmen Paul Smoot and Dale Petersen are appointed; streets, alleys and buildings: Councilmen Ben Glenn and Smith; water and wastewater: Petersen and Glenn; sanitation and landfill: Smith and Smoot; and police and emergency...
