Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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A new website has been launched to help ensure that every Wyomingite has the resources they need to vote this year. Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray announced that “Wyoming Votes” is intended to contain all the pertinent information a voter needs to make sure their voice is counted. Available at letsvotewyo.org, the site includes functionality that will help you check where your polling place will be for the coming elections. Typing in your zip code and street address will allow you to check your polling location, precinct number and the...
CORRECTION Last week’s newspaper listed the day of the parade, bicycle rally, color run, livestock sale and Tris Munsick concert incorrectly. Parade day will take place on Saturday, July 27. The youth rodeo is scheduled for July 20, the ranch rodeo for July 23 and the youth rough stock rodeo for July 25. Fair week is coming right up, this year to the theme of "Country Freedom". Promising all the familiar contests and attractions, there will be a few small schedule changes to watch out for t...
Just under 61,000 acres of land have been treated for grasshoppers, bringing an end to this year's insecticide program through the Crook County Weed & Pest District. The district launched the program in response to predictions of a bad grasshopper season this year, planning an overhead spray of Dimilin® to combat the pests. The process began in March with outreach to gauge public interest, after which District Supervisor Alycia Conroy-Davis worked to obtain an emergency insecticide managemen...
A lawsuit has been filed against Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) by the company responsible for the electronic medical records (EMR) system that was recently replaced throughout the district. TruBridge Inc has filed the suit in the Southern District of Alabama, claiming that the district broke its contract and owes the company just under $1 million in damages. According to the complaint, CCMSD entered into an agreement with TrBridge for the use of its EMR system, Evident. The system was to provide full accounts receivable...
Crook County Sheriff’s Office reports a successful search and rescue operation last week in which a young man was reunited with his father and brother at Reuter Campground. The report came in at around 9:15 p.m. on June 20 that an 18-year-old who had been camping with his brother and father had gone missing. According to the father, the male had gone mountain biking at around 5 p.m. on the trail system, but had not returned by 8 p.m. The father had gone looking for him, but was not able to locate him before dark so called 911 to report him m...
Numerous laws go into effect this week from this year’s session of the state legislature. From new crimes to benefits for emergency personnel, some of the statutes that became active on July 1 include: School and Childcare • School districts have additional duties related to notification and consent. For example, there are now procedures to provide notice about a child as soon as possible if there is a change in their well-being and policies must be adopted to, “reinforce the fundamental right of parents and guardians to make decisions regar...
Rare Element Resources (RER) released a progress report this week on construction of its demo plant in Upton. Despite budget issues caused by inflation, the company expects to begin operation at the end of the summer. It’s been all systems go at the site since RER’s ground breaking ceremony last October. Shortly after, the company announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) had finalized its review of the demo plant that the company anticipates will soon be built in Upton, officially completing the federal permitting process prior to con...
Fire restrictions are back in place on BLM land within Crook County and the agency is asking for the public’s help to prevent human-caused fires by being safe and responsible while enjoying the outdoors. “Preventable wildfires threaten lives, property, and precious resources every year,” says Craig Short, BLM High Plains District Fire Management Officer. “Firefighters are needed more than ever to keep Americans safe, so please, do your part to prevent human-caused wildfires.” A fire ban was initially put in place in March due to the abundance...
It isn’t shaping up to be a good summer for Wyoming’s rabbits. Following last week’s announcement from Wyoming Game & Fish that Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 appears prevalent this year, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is now warning about tularemia, otherwise known as “rabbit fever”. This serious disease can spread to humans in a number of ways and can cause serious symptoms. According to WDH data, eight confirmed and suspected cases of tularemia have been reported so far in 2024 – four times the normal amount for the whole year....
Bear sightings near populated parts of the county have been more common than usual so far this year, according to Game Warden Nate Holst. A few sightings have taken place near Sundance, as well as one in Moorcroft that Holst says was hanging around for a while near the D Road. The latest sighting near Sundance took place on Monday evening, says Holst. In this case, the spotter thought it was a grizzly due to its coloring, but it was identified as a blond phase black bear. Grizzlies are not...
Keyhole State Park will be celebrating independence next weekend with a series of outdoor events for the whole family to enjoy. On July 4 itself, head to the dam area between 5:30 a.m. and noon to take part in a bird banding exercise. Park staff will be joined by the Audubon Rockies, the regional office of the National Audubon Society in an annual exercise that helps to conserve migratory birds by understanding the health of populations and individual creatures. Banding involves determining age...
Give a little, take a little at the county's newly installed seed library. If you have an excess of garden seeds, consider donating them. If you have knowledge of how to make them grow to abundance, consider sharing it. And if you could benefit from either seeds or know-how, you can visit the Moorcroft Branch Library to make use of this new community resource, introduced in conjunction with the No Goats No Glory 4-H Club. The seed library is an effort to provide donated seeds and local knowledge...
Team 307 returned undefeated from the Colorado Live Showcase in Denver, a summer basketball tournament in front of dozens of college coaches. The team formed this year under coach and organizer Thomas Bush, with the aim of increasing basketball play opportunities for local kids over the summer months and helping them work towards their personal goals, as well as towards college sports. The showcase took place on June 21 and 22 and the team went 3-0, says Bush. The first game was against Meeker,...
For half a century, the Sundance Senior Center has offered services and socializing to the older members of this community. Celebrate the center’s 50th anniversary and its commitment to supporting and enriching the lives of seniors at an open house this July. The event is scheduled for July 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to the whole community. Enjoy a lunch, along with beverages and time to visit with friends and neighbors. The event will be hosted by Sundance Senior Center and Crook County Senior Services....
Wyoming Game & Fish is asking citizens to keep their eyes peeled for dead rabbits, whether in your yard or on your property or in another outdoor area. The department is currently monitoring for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHD2V), which was first detected in this state in 2020 and has already been identified in 20 rabbits across eight counties this year. The disease is highly contagious and is believed to kill between a third and half of wild rabbits that become infected. It has been detected in wild cottontails and jackrabbits but may...
The county is entering the final stages of setting the budget for the coming year and it seems like holding steady will be the name of the game. While revenue from the mill levy has increased, other revenue sources went in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, inflation has made its presence known on numerous budget lines. This, along with an eye to future sustainability, has led the commissioners to decide that it won’t be possible to greenlight any departmental projects during the fiscal year of 2024-25. Revenues Revenue has been a mixed bag t...
An analysis of the comments sent to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) while the agency worked on its new Public Lands Rule suggests that more than nine in ten were in favor of placing more focus on conservation. Wyoming, however, has strongly objected to the rule and is calling for it to be retracted. Last week, Governor Mark Gordon announced that the states of Utah and Wyoming had filed a lawsuit to challenge the rule. “Ever since this abomination of a rule raised its ugly head, demonstrating the Biden Administration’s disregard for the law...
A Gillette man faces a fourth charge of driving while under the influence after being found asleep at the wheel on the shoulder of the interstate on-ramp. A Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper responded on June 13 at 3:13 p.m. to a traffic report about a vehicle that was having trouble staying on the roadway. He found Peter Wayne Sachse’s vehicle parked on the shoulder of the on-ramp at milepost 199 of I-90. Sachse was allegedly asleep at the wheel. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Upon makin...
A sizeable fire northwest of Hulett had been fully contained by Monday morning, thanks to the combined efforts of local, state and federal firefighters. Located northwest of Hulett, the Creek Fire was reported late in the afternoon of June 11 and is believed to have been caused by lightning, according to Incident Commander Karsten Milek. The fire reached approximately 1470 acres on a mixture of private, state and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. A command center was set up at the...
The Sixth Judicial District officially has a fourth judge. Governor Mark Gordon announced last week that he has appointed Mike McGrady to fill the newly created role for the district that covers Crook, Campbell and Weston counties. A bill passed by the Wyoming Legislature earlier this year increased the number of judges in the district from three to four and appropriated $1.24 million to fund the additional judge for the first two years, beginning on July 1. It also authorized three full-time positions for the personnel necessary to staff and...
I would never describe myself as domesticated, though I was the only 19-year-old in my student halls who forewent the fast food to batch cook chicken and vegetable stews. I can whip up a soup in a heartbeat, I can make pastry and put anything in it you might fancy, I can whip up a broth from scratch and I can bake a cake that doesn't bring shame to my family. All of this makes it sound like I have a handle on the homemaking thing, right? Unfortunately not. The gaps in my knowledge are wide...
The Independence Day holiday brings with it two familiar opportunities to enjoy patriotic firework displays. On July 4 itself, the Devils Tower will form the backdrop for a display at the KOA. The event begins in the afternoon, when proudly coiffed visitors may take part in the annual mullet contest. Should your hairdo not meet the requirements but you’re still feeling competitive, you can instead sign up for a cornhole tournament. Meanwhile, enjoy music on the deck and food from vendors. The firework display will be set off as night falls. V...
Once a year, ham radio enthusiasts around the nation spend a full day demonstrating their skill and service to the community. But Field Day is not just about spending 24 hours testing technical skills and reaching out to other operators across the country and the world. It’s also about being prepared. “It’s basically the nation’s largest amateur radio emergency preparedness exercise,” says Katie Allen of the Black Hills Amateur Radio Club (BHARC). “So that we know when weather or other natural events, or even nonnatural events, occur and c...
A structure fire near Oshoto last week saw a family home already engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived on scene. “The structure burned all the way to the ground,” says Dallas Burch, Oshoto Zone Warden, confirming that the house was a total loss. The landowners called the fire department at 1:30 p.m. on June 12 to report that their main house was on fire. Five engines responded from the Oshoto Fire Zone, as well as a couple of nearby landowners with personal vehicles. Three units from the Moorcroft Fire Department also ans...
The spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza into dairy cows has now been confirmed in Wyoming, making it one of 12 states to be affected by this recent outbreak. Instances of bird flu appearing in cattle began near the end of March, when animals from two Texas herds tested positive. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control believe the spread is linked to the movement of cattle, rather than through wild birds, with further local spread between dairy farms. Over 90% of affected farms reported thickened or clotted milk from the animals,...
