Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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Crook County School District (CCSD) is among numerous educational institutions nationwide that was affected by last week’s data breach of PowerSchool. The district has confirmed that data stolen from its student and teacher database tables was mainly limited to demographic information and that no current staff or student social security numbers were accessed. The PowerSchool application also remains secure and fully operational, according to a letter sent out by Superintendent Mark Broderson. However, the district is, “Treating this sit...
The county commissioners are putting together a steering committee to guide the creation of its updated comprehensive land use plan. The committee will be comprised of up to ten residents of Crook County, who will meet monthly with contractors as development of the new plan continues. Members of the committee will be appointed through a combination of requests for applications and personal invitation. The aim will be to ensure that the committee represents as wide a variety of people as possible, particularly in terms of geography. The...
The county commission is moving forward with its plan to get rid of burn permits during periods when fire restrictions are in place. The reasoning behind the move is that the fire warden is already authorized to temporarily lift burn re-strictions when conditions improve, and seldom approves permits during a full ban. Combined, the commission feels these facts negate the need for individual permission. The commissioners discussed the possibility of retaining the permits during stage one...
Though it’s not looking as though a final round of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding will be on offer to complete the cost of the 3rd Street waterline project, the City of Sundance did receive a modest windfall as the program came to an end. In addition, Public Works Director Mac Erickson is expecting assistance from the state in the quest to find out whether any lead still exists within the city water system. 3rd Street With tight deadlines to commit the funding, the city had hoped that some ARPA grants would be re-turned to the state a...
Should the city put the contract for trash collection back out to bid this year? Though the contract is not up for renewal until the middle of the year, the question was posed by Council Member Randy Stevenson during last week’s regular meeting. The citizen feedback that led to his suggestion turned out to not be entirely accurate, but the council still considered the pros and cons. According to Stevenson, he and Council Member Joe Wilson had heard from business owners that a Thursday pickup is problematic. Most of their business takes place a...
Though the Sundance City Council is not particularly interested in a land swap proposed by a private landowner, it’s not an idea that has been dismissed out of hand. The proposal was brought to council members during last week’s work session by City Attorney Mark Hughes. As he represents both sides of the question, he stressed that he was not offering an opinion and was only providing information. One of the two small parcels is described as being located at the post office end of town, the other near the old daycare. The issue, said Council Me...
The county has still not been able to solve a wastewater issue several months after first contacting the landowner who is said to have installed outhouses without planning permission. A hearing was scheduled during the regular monthly meeting last week for Abe Yoder to discuss the situation. However, he was not in attendance. On the basis that the commission had reason to believe a request for an extension was at that time in the mail, it was agreed that the conversation would be delayed until February. Unauthorized Outhouses After working on...
U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis have once again introduced a bill that aims to protect the name of the Devils Tower National Monument. Wyoming’s current U.S. Senators regularly submit bills to achieve this aim, the first in 2015 when Barrasso did so alongside U.S. Senator Mike Enzi and the most recent in 2022. “As America’s first national monument, Devils Tower is an iconic landmark cherished by people in Wyoming and a famous stop for people visiting our great state,” said Barrasso in a press release. “It is important we protec...
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has announced that it will no longer be pursuing a nationwide plan to manage old growth forests. Chief Randy Moore released a statement on Friday that he has made the decision to withdraw the notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. “Since this work started, we have learned much through this process. We have gained a wealth of information and perspectives, and we deeply appreciate the input we received from so many,” he stated. “This process has helped us to identify the best available scien...
The Wyoming State Legislature convenes for its 68th session next week, with plenty of options available for citizens who wish to engage. As an odd-numbered year, 2025 will be a General Session, which is limited to 40 days and begins on the second Tuesday in January. A typical legislative day sees committee meetings from 7 until 10 a.m., followed by the House and Sen-ate convening in Chambers until noon. After lunch, at 2 p.m., both Chambers reconvene; upon ad-journment, committee meetings...
As Patrick Sean Carroll received his sentencing for marking his neighbor’s cattle with bleach, the judge’s main concern was to see a truce between victim and accused. Along with his son, Carroll was Two accused of using bleach to paint markings, including drawings of penises, on a total of 189 cows and six bulls belonging to their neighbor. The duo claimed their actions were intended to bring their neighbor’s attention to the problem of bro-ken fences that weren’t being fixed quickly enough. Both entered into plea agreements, with Patrick...
The county is dusted with snow as 2025 begins – a marked change from last year, which saw tempera-ture records broken and less precipitation than usual. According to the Rapid City Weather Forecast Office, the region as a whole saw only around 80% of its usual snow and rain for the year. Only April and August brought above-average precipitation. Though the year began chilly, with temperatures around four degrees below average, the situation flipped in February and temperature readings came in around eight degrees higher than average. Spring and...
There may be a spring in your step, but spring certainly won’t yet be in the air when runners take their marks for the chilliest run of the year. Sundance’s traditionally bracing start to Superbowl Sunday will be taking place this year on February 9, and registration is now open for early birds who want to secure a commemorative t-shirt or hoodie to prove you braved the cold. As always, a pancake breakfast will be served before you bundle up in your scarves and mittens. Runners and walkers can...
Crook County School District has been given a clean bill of health on its annual audit, with the only concern of note being the same issue that affects almost every institution in this small county. Namely, separation of duties. Auditor Paul Stille wrote in his schedule of findings that an effective internal control structure includes procedures to protect against theft and waste, ensure compliance with policies, promote efficient operations and ensure accurate operating and accounting data. This requires that someone other than the employee...
A Moorcroft man faces felony charges of assault and strangulation after allegedly attacking two women on New Year’s Eve. Just before midnight on December 31, a Moorcroft Police Department officer responded to a report of a domestic disturbance with two females sustaining injuries. Dispatch advised that a male party, identified as Nicholas Hogen, had thrown a glass a one female, who was claiming her nose was broken, and that the other female had injuries to her arm. The reporting party also claimed that Hogen had held a knife against one of t...
A Pine Haven man was arrested for aggravated assault on Christmas Eve after allegedly attempting to break into a residence while making threats towards the occupant. A Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy was called to a Pine Haven residence at around 10:15 p.m. on December 24 for a report of a male subject attempting to get into the residence. The subject was identified as William Bradley Jr., who had left the house a few days prior after a physical altercation. He allegedly arrived back at the house yelling and calling the female victim names...
January The year began with a life-threatening cold snap that saw weather warnings across most of the lower 48 as Arctic air migrated down from Canada. The lowest wind chills were recorded east of Pine Haven at -57 degrees F and Hulett at -56 degrees F. The cold led to issues for the Sundance Volunteer Fire Department during a blaze in the attic of a home. One of the trucks gelled up in the -44 degree temperatures, and a second did the same when volunteers returned the next morning in response...
Families that qualify for the new Wyoming Education Savings Account (ESA) are now able to indicate their interest to the Wyoming Department of Education. Homeschooled and private school students may be eligible for this annual funding to support the child’s education. The first phase of the application went live on January 1, allowing applicants to input basic information. No documentation will be required. Phase two will begin in April, when families that indicated interest will receive instructions via email to continue the process. This s...
According to the Wyoming Governor’s Office, the state’s $1.1 billion allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have now been fully committed, which means it’s unlikely that any of those funds will need to return to the federal government. ARPA grant funding has been used for numerous projects in Crook County since it was made available during the pandemic. For example, in early 2023, ARPA funding was secured by the City of Sundance to update the only block on Ryan Street that still has old waterlines and reconnect three exist...
Nestled beside the Sundance Senior Center, the Budget Shop has now been a fixture of the community for over two decades, raising money for its next-door neighbor through the sale of donated items. Of the volunteers who offer their time to its service, one has been there since before the doors even opened. Barbara Janssen was among the group that spotted an opportunity and brought it to the Sundance Senior Citizens board. The Budget Store building had previously housed a budget shop by the name...
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced four upcoming opportunities to give in-person feedback on its draft resource management plan for the Newcastle Field Office and Nebraska. If ultimately approved, the new resource management plan would replace the current, 23-year-old version now used by the Newcastle Field Office. The plan covers all the lands within the Newcastle Field Office’s boundaries in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties, and also the entire state of Nebraska. While this may seem unbalanced, the decision was made to c...
The Crook County Commissioners have logged concern that they are not being included in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planning process for greater sage-grouse management. The BLMS’s Greater Sage-grouse Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment and final environmental impact statement were published on November 15. The plan will address management of the bird and its habitat in ten western states, including Wyoming. The purpose of the amended plan is to respond to updated scientific information, change land uses and provide for c...
After last week’s much-needed shot of moisture, Fire Warden Charlie Harrison has temporarily suspended all burn ban restrictions in Crook County. This respite is intended to allow time for residents to burn slash and trash piles as needed while conditions are favorable, but the restrictions will be reinstated should this area enter another dry spell. In a statement, Harrison said, “The conditions will be monitored and adjusted as needed.” To ensure that the smoke from your burn is not misin...
The father-son duo who marked their neighbor’s cattle with bleach have been ordered to pay just under $10,000 in restitution – around a tenth of the amount requested by the prosecution. Judge Mike McGrady determined the figure following a restitution hearing last week, after which Patrick Sean Carroll was also given a sentence of suspended jail time and a $750 fine. His father, Tucker Carroll, will be sentenced at a later date. Both parties entered plea agreements in which father Tucker entered an Alford plea (in which the de-fendant maintains...
An organization with a strong and long-lasting presence in Crook County is celebrating its 150th anniversary this month. The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Wyoming was chartered in Laramie on December 15, 1874. It was followed a few years later by the establishment of Sundance Lodge #9, on December 6, 1887. In honor of the occasion, the Sundance City Council signed a proclamation honoring the anniversary and recognizing members of the lodge for the many years they have...
