Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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Powder River Energy (PRECorp) is gearing up to construct a new substation and replace a power line in the Inyan Kara area. The work, along with a second project that’s in the beginning stages right now, is intended to support Oneok Pipelines as they increase capacity on the two pipelines that run through the county. Inyan Kara Substation The upcoming project, known as the Inyan Kara Substation, is with the Wyoming Public Service Commission (PSC) for a decision on issuing a certificate of public convenience and necessity, which will allow c...
Following in the steps of Crook County, the Bureau of Land Management has now lifted the fire restrictions that were previously in place for BLM-administered public lands in Crook, Niobrara and Weston counties. In a statement from the Newcastle Field Office, the BLM said that it will “join county partners in rescinding restrictions following recent and expected precipitation that has reduced fire danger in northeastern Wyoming”. However, even at this time of reduced risk, the BLM warns that it is still important to be aware of the con...
Crook County has seen the second highest population growth in Wyoming over the past three years, according to new figures released by the Wyoming Economic Analysis Division. The population estimates released last week show that every municipality in the county has grown during this time period, but that the majority of new residents are living outside city limits. The county’s population began at 7176 in April, 2020 and then grew by 130 the first year, 111 the second and 173 last year. This brought the total population to 7952 by July, 2023, a...
Harold Chant of New Underwood, South Dakota has been sentenced to three to five years for driving while drunk after being pulled over on the highway for unsafe driving. According to court reports, Chant was pulled over for failing to maintain a single lane of travel on Hwy 14 at mile marker 202.2 at around 10 a.m. on November 2, 2023. Chant was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was observed to have bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and the odor of alcohol about his person. He allegedly admitted to drinking a lot “last night” and said he had...
The Crook County Museum District (CCMD) is taking another crack at securing the money to finish Old Stoney. According to Mayor Paul Brooks, it's not a moment too soon. At last week's meeting, the Sundance City Council passed a resolution to apply for funding through the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) as a "pass-through" agency for the Crook County Museum District (CCMD). If approved, the money will be used to finish the top floor of the building, returning it to its original use as an...
City of Sundance staff and council members wished a fond farewell to Helen Engelhaupt last week. Engelhaupt, a smiling fixture at the front desk of City Hall for almost 20 years, was presented with a plaque to commemorate her years of service to the city and wish her well upon her retirement. Meanwhile, at the county courthouse, staff gathered on Thursday to wish Ken Kary well on his retirement and thank him for his service to the Facilities department, where his work has impacted every office...
The county commissioners have officially approved the presence of the 1% Specific Purpose Sales and Use Tax on this year’s general election ballot. Better known as the SPOT Tax, this is far from new to the county, having been used to raise extra revenue for counties and towns since it was authorized by the legislature in 1984. In Crook County, it is an additional penny on top of the obligatory four percent state sales tax and the one percent general purpose tax. One difference this year, however, will be the amount. At the suggestion of Pine H...
Like all municipalities in Crook County, the City of Sundance has been invited to take part in the process to update the county’s comprehensive land use plan. Even at this early stage, the council can see merit in cooperation. “This is one of those times where we can hang together or hang separately,” said Mayor Paul Brooks, noting that the city began its own planning in the 1980s and it took many years to strike the necessary balance. If there’s something that can bring the city more up to speed, he said, “I’m all about being a part of it....
Polling places are now set for Crook County’s voters this year, with only one change from the last election. Beulah voters will be returning to their community building to cast their ballots, an acknowledgment of the several years of work that community members have put in to refurbish the site. Due to safety concerns, the Beulah voting location was moved in 2020 to the Northeast Wyoming Visitors’ Center. The biggest issue was a water leak in the roof, causing the plaster to collapse over the entrance on election day in 2018. Water was als...
An accord has been reached on the contract between the City of Sundance and Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) to rent space for ambulances in the fire hall. This arrangement has been ongoing for a few years, but the council wanted to clear up a couple of issues before renewing it. Discussion has taken place for the last couple of months on what those issues are and how to solve them, so CEO Micki Lyons visited the council last week to make sure everyone was on the same page. Mayor Paul Brooks described the two problems, starting wi...
It’s the hearts of Sundance’s firefighters that are burning this time, thanks to new regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that are set to go into effect this summer. “Wyoming is an OSHA state, so it kind of looks like we’re going to get hammered with these new OSHA regulations, but we do have public comment up until July 21,” Fire Chief Gari Gill told the council last week. “I would ask all of you to send in a letter on what it’s going to cost us – which is going to be pretty significant.” According to a pr...
With the U.S. Forest Service planning to tackle fire danger through prescribed burns across the county in the near future, representatives approached the county commissioners last week to seek advice on reassuring the public of both the safety of and need for the fires. Bearlodge Ranger District’s Patrick Champa, District Ranger, Chris Zoeller, Fire Management Officer N Zone, and Josh Hoffman, Fuels Assistant Fire Management Officer attended last week’s meeting of the commission to give an overview on two planned burns. The South Slope and Nor...
A Hazmat team was called to the Crook County Courthouse on Friday after it became the third Wyoming courthouse in a week to receive suspicious mail. As with the previous two cases, the letter tested negative for hazardous substances. The incidents are now being investigated by the FBI. According to Crook County Sheriff's Office, the suspicious letter arrived in the regular mail distribution and was reported at around 3:10 p.m. Prior to this incident, all offices in the courthouse had been...
The late John "Jack" Schelldorf, well-known local rancher, has been selected for induction into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame this year. The Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame (WCHF) seeks out and celebrates the men and women who introduced this state to its ranching heritage, honoring the cowboys and ranchers who helped to break those first trails. This year, 23 more nominations have been added to the prestigious list. Alongside Crook County's two honorees, the Region 1 class includes Matilda...
Shunting electronic medical records from one system to another has left Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) with a temporary shortfall of $2.3 million. In the old days, says Mark Erickson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, this would have been a significant problem. But now, after efforts have been made to shore up CCMSD’s financial situation, it’s just a setback that needs a little admin work to solve. “Everybody is going to get paid, there’s no need for any panic,” assures E...
A Moorcroft woman faces felony possession charges after controlled substances were located at her home during a separate search related to a poaching case. On April 23, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy executed a search warrant on a Moorcroft residence for the possession, manufacturing and consumption of marijuana and methamphetamine. The warrant was granted because controlled substances were located during a separate search warrant for a poaching case that was conducted by Wyoming Game & Fish. The occupant, Tracy McGee, allegedly e...
With predictions of a bad grasshopper season ahead, Crook County Weed & Pest has launch a program for larger properties that it hopes will keep the hungry insects from causing too much damage. The district is also offering its assistance to landowners with smaller parcels who would like to tackle the potential influx. “They are an intrusive, invasive little insect,” says Alycia Conroy-Davis, District Supervisor. “They eat everything.” Hay, soy beans, alfalfa – it doesn’t make a difference, the grasshoppers are willing to eat it. In fact, a gra...
An outbreak of E. coli has been reported in a brand of organic walnuts known to be sold in stores in this area. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 12 people have so far been infected, seven of whom were hospitalized and two developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a rare disease that affects the kidneys and blood clotting functions and can lead to kidney failure. The walnuts in question are bulk organic walnuts from Gibson Farms, Inc. with expiration dates between May 21 and June 7, 2025. They are known to have been sold within Wyo...
Head to the high school gym in a couple of weeks to watch Sundance’s finest basketball players take on a team of washed-up adults. It’s all in the name of raising money for Team 307, a newly formed basketball team for local kids to increase their play opportunities and help them towards their personal goals of pushing sports to the next level. “My aim is to get kids in this area to see they can go play college basketball, or college sports in general,” says Thomas Bush, team organizer and coach. The brand new team already has 12 players...
Harper Memorial Scholarships worth a total of $110,000 have been awarded to 25 seniors and alumni of Sundance High School this year. The scholarships are awarded through the Orville D. Harper and Wanda J. Harper Revocable Trusts and are intended for graduates of the school to assist them as they attend any in-state university or college. Students can apply for the scholarship for each year of their higher education. Long-time Sundance residents and ranchers, the Harpers believed strongly in education and were staunch supporters of the Universit...
From handcrafted beds of alder wood, accented with forged iron brackets and clavos, to sofas of Brazilian cowhide and American top-grain leather, Sundance's newest storefront showcases the artistry of John Powers. John moved to this area just over a year ago along with his wife, Wendy, who is the business mind behind Mountain High Furniture. The couple made the move from Denver just over a year ago, looking to enjoy the serenity of life in a smaller town, and was expecting to limit their...
The Sundance Chamber of Commerce is working to secure monthly sponsorships from local businesses that will be used to fund the cross on the summit of Sundance Mountain. The cross has lit the night sky for more than 60 years and has been a popular landmark to city residents since it first appeared. The current effort is not the first time the community has come together to keep it shining in the darkness. Crews from the Tri-County Electric Association originally erected the giant cross just in...
A Moorcroft man faces charges of attempted murder and kidnapping after allegedly beating a woman and then fleeing to Nebraska after she stabbed him in the neck in self-defense. On April 17 at around 7:30 p.m., an officer of Moorcroft Police Department was dispatched to a town residence in response to a domestic disturbance during which a male subject was stabbed with a knife. On arrival, the officer observed the reporting party “moaning and obviously in intense pain”. The woman, who claimed Michael Hammond had beaten her for an extended per...
Sometimes, it takes a fire to prevent a fire. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is proposing to target areas of the Bearlodge Ranger District in Crook County with planned burns, with the aim of improving the odds of managing future wildland fires safely and effectively. Hazardous fuels have built up within the estimated 8382 acres that have been identified, such as grass, brush and fallen trees. Clearing this accumulation through a planned fire helps to provide fire managers with areas in which to manage future fires. Though it may seem...
A structure fire on Friday ultimately claimed 60 acres of land due to strong winds. According to Fire Warden Charlie Harrison, county fire units were deployed just before noon on Friday to a report of a structure fire on Lytle Creek Rd, six miles east of Carlile Junction. On arrival, firefighters found an outbuilding fully consumed by fire, which had already spread to nearby vegetation and was being pushed by the strong winds. Multiple structures were threatened. The initial response team included ten engines, two water tenders, two dozers and...
