“Shane come back… Shane… Come back…,” child actor Brandon De Wilde shouted out at the mysterious cowboy who rode into the sunrise after saving the boy’s town from bad men. It is the last words of the movie “Shane”, which was filmed entirely in Jackson, Wyoming. That was 1955 and it was the last major studio production filmed in the Cowboy state. There have been a few big budget movies, such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, which have shot some scenes in Wyoming but the state is not us...
Slowing the wind
Joshua Wood|Nov 17, 2021
It is often joked that in Wyoming the wind is so prevalent, when there’s a day without it everyone in the state falls flat on their faces. This seems especially true for Carbon County, especially around Hanna and Medicine Bow. Due to the surplus of wind in the area, the past decade has seen a number of energy companies converge on the Cowboy State with wind energy projects. What has been unknown since windmills and transmission lines began cropping up, however, is the impact it has had on l...
A fast fall meeting
Micky Jones|Nov 17, 2021
With no additions to the agenda, and no public guests, the November 11 meeting of the Encampment Town Council had a quick .eeting. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the council started right away with the October 2021 financial statement. The council approved regular monthly bills of $22,045.69 for payroll and contracted liabilities. Moving along to updates on the Sewer Lagoon Improvement Project, the town council and Engineer Jon Nelson discussed options for improvement and safety features of...
New Marshal for Hanna
Mike Armstrong|Nov 17, 2021
The Hanna Town Council met on November 9 at Hanna Town Hall with Mayor Lois Buchanan present, along with council members William Dys and Sam Sikes. Council members Tracy Fowler and Jayson Norquist were absent. After the agenda and minutes from the October 12 regular meeting and October 25 special meeting were approved, a new marshal was sworn in. Ted F. Kranenberg Jr. took the Oath of Office in front of his family and the people in attendance for the meeting. Public Works Director Larry Korkow...
Medicine Bow lends a helpful hand to Hanna
Mike Armstrong|Nov 17, 2021
The Medicine Bow Town Council met on November 8 for their regular monthly meeting at the Medicine Bow Community Hall with all council members present with the exception of Dawndee Yocom. Mayor Sharon Biamon was also in attendance. After the agenda and minutes from the regular meeting of October 11 were approved the town went onto financials. Town Clerk/Treasurer Karen Heath went over the bills item-by-item for a sum of $60,666.84. The council ratified the total. Kay Embree, Medicine Bow Clinic...
Though the lower portions of the Platte Valley have experienced some slightly warmer weather in recent weeks, winter is on its way. On November 11, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) announced the seasonal closure of Wyoming Highway 130 through the Snowy Range. According to the press release from WYDOT, blowing and drifting snow combined with upcoming weather conditions and road conditions warranted closing the high country section of Wyoming Highway 130, also known as Snowy Range...
Boosters received
Joshua Wood|Nov 10, 2021
Booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech (Pfizer) and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in Carbon County. Amanda Brown, Nurse Manager of Carbon County Public Health, provided the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) with a number of updates surrounding vaccines during their November 2 meeting. These included the status of booster doses in Carbon County, pediatric doses of Pfizer and their availability, and Carbon County's vaccination rate. Boosters "I've been getting a lot of questions...
Saratoga council passes vaccine resolution
Joshua Wood|Nov 10, 2021
The Saratoga Town Council waded into the polarized and politicized debate over vaccines on November 2 as they unanimously passed a resolution relating to vaccine requirements, despite apparent concerns expressed by legal counsel prior to the meeting. Resolution 2021-04, which was drafted by Councilmember Jon Nelson, did not appear on the agenda for the meeting but was added by the council member following the Call to Order. After reading the resolution into the record, Nelson elaborated on his...
Kicking the can
Joshua Wood|Nov 3, 2021
Though the Town of Saratoga is well into the Fiscal Year 2021/2022, work is continuing on the audit for Fiscal Year 2019/2020. During the October 19 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Mayor Creed James informed the rest of the council the audit had been “a lot more in depth” than the auditors-fa*gnant, Lewis & Brinda-had originally anticipated. Due to the increased amount of work, Tim Fixter of fa*gnant, Lewis & Brinda had submitted a change order as it was believed it would require an addition...
I can see clearly now
Joshua Wood|Oct 27, 2021
Though the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) hasn’t yet painted crosswalks at the intersections of 1st Street and Bridge Avenue, the Town of Saratoga has taken steps to address both driver and pedestrian safety. At the October 19 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Councilmember Jon Nelson informed the rest of the governing body he had approached business owners at the intersection about extending the “No Parking” zone along 1st Street. Those businesses are Koyoty Sports, Laura...
Saratoga council discusses burial plots
Joshua Wood|Oct 27, 2021
While it may not be affordable for some people to live in Saratoga, one can spend eternity here for nearly dirt cheap prices. The low cost of burial plots at the Saratoga Cemetery was a point of discussion for the Saratoga Town Council during their October 19 meeting. According to Town Clerk Marie Christen, the current cost for a burial plot is $50. “People laugh and they want to buy 20 plots because it’s so affordable,” said Christen. “I know, when my grandma passed away a couple years ago, the...
Encampment drones on
Micky Jones|Oct 27, 2021
The Encampment town Council had a busy agenda for their October 14 meeting. The possibility of a police drone was one topic of attention. Mother Mountain Anglers and Encampment Preschool Director Rachel Swanson were in attendance as well. Other guests included Carbon County Commissioners Travis Moore and Carbon County Emergency Manager Lenny Layman who were in attendance to give the council an opportunity to clarify any questions they may have about the proposed fire district. Drones Police...
A watchful eye
Micky Jones|Oct 27, 2021
The Riverside Town Council had a short agenda for their October 14 meeting. One large ticket item on the agenda was the possibility of a neighborhood watch program. Councilmember Mark Helwick brought the program to the council’s attention after a seeming increase in crime in the area. After the summer’s recent manhunt and other criminal activities the Riverside town council is looking into multiple avenues for the safety of its residents. According to their website, NNW.ORG the Neighborhood Wat...
Carbon County treasurer to retire
Joshua Wood|Oct 20, 2021
After nearly four decades working for Carbon County, Treasurer Patty Bentsen is preparing to retire. The announcement was tearfully delivered by Bentsen during the October 5 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC). While the commissioners ultimately accepted Bentsen’s resignation, effective December 3, it was not without statements from Bentsen’s fellow elected officials. “On May 13, 1985 Mary Aydelotte gave me an opportunity to become a part of (the) Carbon County workf...
Medicine Bow swears in new deputy
Mike Armstrong|Oct 20, 2021
The Medicine Bow Town Council met at October 11 at the Medicine Bow Community Hall for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting. Mayor Sharon Biamon and three council members were present. Councilmember Lucy Schofield was absent. The Council approved the agenda and the minutes from the August 9 regularly scheduled meeting. There was no meeting in September due to COVID-19 illonesses when the meeting was scheduled. The financials for September and October were approved. The total for September...
Commissioners opt for plaque over building name
Joshua Wood|Oct 20, 2021
Too few buildings and too many good employees. That appeared to be the reasoning given by the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) during their October 5 meeting when they revisited the idea of naming a county building after a former county employee. As was reported previously (see “A building by another name?” on page 1 of the October 6 Saratoga Sun), Encampment resident Gary Jacobsen appeared before the county commissioners to consider naming the road and bridge building in Enc...
North Fork reports to Hanna Council
Mike Armstrong|Oct 20, 2021
The Hanna Town Council met on October 12 at the Hanna Town Hall to a packed room. Mayor Lois Buchanan was present as were council member Jayson Nordquist and council member Sammy Sikes. Council members Tracy Fowler and William Dys were absent. The council approved the agenda and minutes from the regularly scheduled meeting on September 20 and the special meeting held on September 27. Public Works Director Larry Korkow told the council CJ Mahon Construction was done with their work and Howard...
Water mess
Joshua Wood|Oct 13, 2021
Flooding is not often a concern of Saratoga's in the fall months, as it is usually low water season. On the night of October 5, however, the Saratoga Town Council called a brief recess because water was literally flooding Spring Street in front of town hall. The culprit was a broken water main running from River Street to 1st Street. As council members and town hall staff moved their vehicles from the front of the town hall, it almost seemed like a small-scale disaster movie. Water, no longer co...
'Saving lives is part of my job'
Mike Armstrong|Oct 13, 2021
On October 1, the Hanna Marshal's office received two Individual Patrol Officer Kits (IPOK) from the Wyoming Central Healthcare Coalition (HCC). "The Central Wyoming Health Care Coalition received 150 of them and we distributed them around the area of the state that we cover," Melissa Sikes, a charter member and representative of the Central region of HCC said. "I got six for the Hanna Marshal office, two for Medicine Bow Marshal office and two for the Sheriff's office for outlying officers."...
No simple answer
Joshua Wood|Oct 13, 2021
The discussion of affordable housing returned to the chambers of the Saratoga Town Council on October 5 as Reverend Steven Niccolls addressed the governing body on behalf of the Platte Valley Ministerial Association. During the September 21 town council meeting (see “Determining the need” on page 1 of the September 29 Saratoga Sun), Councilmember Ron Hutchins raised the subject under council comments and asked if anyone in town had any information. Primary among the questions Hutchins had was...
Controlled burns planned
Staff Report|Oct 13, 2021
Medicine Bow National Forest fire personnel are hoping to conduct prescribed burns in the northwest portion of the Sierra Madre Range in the coming weeks. The targeted burns will improve vegetation conditions and wildlife habitat. The burns will also reduce fire danger by mitigating fuel loading to reduce future fire hazard. The primary burn units this will include approximately 430 acres near Forest Roads 435 and 456, between Jack Creek Campground and the National Forest boundary. The burning operations are part of the Divide Peak Prescribed...
CCEDC Director nominated
Mike Armstrong|Oct 13, 2021
The Carbon County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) met on September 27 at Michael’s Big City Steakhouse in Rawlins. The board approved the agenda and regularly scheduled meeting July 12. The financials were approved next. Yvonne Johnson, Director of CCEDC gave her report. She said the office operations changed on August 2. Johnson said when they switched from CenturyLink to Spectrum, the CCEDC website was lost because CenturyLink owned the domain and email. A proposal from Cindy Loose o...
A building by another name?
Joshua Wood|Oct 6, 2021
When it comes to traveling in Carbon County, there are many unsung heroes who make it possible. Chief amongst those are the employees of the Carbon County Road and Bridge Department. On September 7, Encampment resident Gary Jacobsen appeared before the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) to change that. In what Jacobsen would later call a “good precedent”, he proposed the county commissioners consider naming the road and bridge building in Encampment to honor long time employee Dav...
A path to affordable housing
Joshua Wood|Oct 6, 2021
As growth continues to come to Saratoga, the topic of affordable housing appears to be becoming more and more relevant. In May 2021, Saratoga resident Steve Niccolls appeared before the Saratoga Planning Commission and requested the board examine what options were available. For several months, that discussion didn’t appear to take place until the September 21 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council when the subject was raised by Councilmember Ron Hutchins. Now the topic has been brought up, it m...
Water, water everywhere
Joshua Wood|Oct 6, 2021
While the Platte River may be low this time of year, a minor flood occurred in front of the Saratoga Town Hall during the October 5 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. As the governing body was going about their twice-monthly meeting, Sergeant Tyler Christen requested a short recess for council members to use their vehicles. Upon exiting the front of the town hall, water could be seen bubbling up from under Spring Street and running towards 1st Street. The large break caused a sudden loss in...Full story
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