Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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The end of the school year is nearly here, which means it’s time for your kids to choose the summer recreation activities they would like to take part in. Select from options including t-ball, baseball, soccer, volleyball and basketball. T-ball is open to kids aged from four to seven and will be split into two age groups. For four and five year olds, classes will run from 1 to 2 p.m. between May 30 and June 27 at the high school field. Games will take place at the baseball complex. Kids must b...
The ongoing bird flu epidemic has now led to an outbreak in dairy cows, as well as a second human case. According to reports from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the disease has been confirmed in domestic livestock across the nation, including in South Dakota, Colorado and Idaho. A Federal Order was issued on Monday to prevent the spread of the disease by requiring that cattle be tested before any interstate movement, and to mandate that positive tests must be reported to the U.S....
A hundred years from now, the forest south of Sundance may look just the way it used to. The Fish Fire burned through just under 6800 acres back in 2022, leaving blackened scars in its wake. Left to its own devices, the land would likely take multiples of that timespan to heal those wounds, but the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) was on site last week to offer a helping hand. Along with a contracted crew of planters, Forest stewards arrived with boxes of foot-high seedlings to take advantage of a two...
Artists from Sundance High School made their mark at the 56th annual Wyoming High School State Art Symposium last weekend, showing off their work at the largest statewide art exhibition in the nation. Over 4700 pieces were on display in Casper, from 67 schools across Wyoming. Catch Downey, with a piece titled "Dishwashing Daydream", and Madeline Fleenor, with a piece titled "Walk in the Park", both won first place and were named First Lady winners, which means their artwork will be displayed at...
Filing opens for this year’s elections in a couple of weeks and, for the first time in Wyoming, this event will also mark the deadline by which you must declare or change your party affiliation before the primaries.Filing opens on May 16 and will run for two weeks, until May 31. The day before filing opens, May 15, is your final opportunity to declare your party affiliation. If you want to vote for either Republican or Democratic candidates in this year’s primary, you must be a registered voter for that party; if you are not affiliated, your ba...
Self-reliance has been the Wyoming way since its beginnings. After all, this state’s original settlers wouldn’t have lasted long without the know-how to create, mend and maintain. UW Extension Educator Sara Fleenor will be introducing a series of classes this spring to revive many of those traditional skills and bring them to new generations and arrivals – starting on May 8 with container gardens. Once a month for the foreseeable future, anyone who’d like to expand their homesteading repertoire is invited to join in. From sewing and beekeep...
The Crook County Facilities Department is introducing an annual fundraiser to support its ongoing goal to make the fairground an enticing destination for events both familiar and new. “It’s going to start building our pot of money for the future,” says Jasmyne Bryant, Event Coordinator. “We’ve been going after grants for some of our fairground improvements and part of that is that we do have to match money.” The proceeds from this fundraiser will kick-start a fund through which the department can continue its work to update and improve the...
Support your firefighters and you might walk away with a buffalo hunt tag or an all-American rifle. The Crook County Volunteer Fire Department has announced the prizes for this year’s fundraiser raffle and tickets are now available. The first prize this year is a cow buffalo hunt along with processing, valued at $4000. The second prize is a Ruger American rifle – Predator 308, with Sig Sauer scope, scope ring and shells, valued at $1100. Tickets can be purchased individually or you can cho...
The property tax refund program for homeowners has opened for applications, with an extra $20 million allocated by the Legislature this year and expanded eligibility. The program assisted 9000 families last year and is expected to help an additional 2000 this year. Homeowners can apply for a refund of up to one-half of the median residential property tax amount or 75 percent of their 2023 property tax bill, whichever is less. HB-04 made changes to the program this year to widen the eligibility requirements. To be eligible in the past, your...
For the first time since the StoryWalk® first graced the Sundance walking paths, its contents don't tell a single story. Instead, each frame will display a photograph of a piece of fusion glass artwork and the unique story behind it. The pieces were created by students of Sundance High School under the tutelage of art teacher Tobi Miller-Ayer. Depending on the complexity of the project a student has chosen, she says, they can take as little as a month or as much as a semester to complete....
Neiman Enterprises has announced layoffs and production reductions at Spearfish Forest Products, its last remaining facility in South Dakota. The company says the decision is due to a decrease in the timber sale program on the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF). “We have done everything possible to prevent this unfortunate outcome that will impact these employees, our community, and ultimately the health of the forest,” said Jim Neiman, President. “We’ve weathered economic and market downturns over the decades. These layoffs, however, are a d...
Somewhere in the north of England, not too long ago, a good Samaritan stumbled across a creature in need. We’ll never know the identity of our well-meaning citizen because it’s been redacted for the privacy I am sure they will be grateful for now this story has come to light. But we do know all about the good they did that day. Our tale takes place in Cheshire, and I would like to imagine it began in a sunlit glade, deep in the picturesque woods, with spring leaves rustling in the morning breeze...
Voters will be asked this year to again approve the Specific Purpose Sales and Use Tax (SPOT), which raises money that goes directly to the four municipalities and the county and is used for infrastructure needs that are often difficult to fund elsewhere. This time, at the suggestion of Pine Haven Mayor Karla Brandenburg, the amount to be raised for each entity may be increased from $1.5 million to $3 million. This doesn’t change the amount of the tax itself – it’s still just a penny, she said, and it’s a penny that is already in place,...
As the county moves to update its land use plan, the commission must make certain decisions about the process and its outcome. Key to these decisions will be the involvement of the public, and also the municipalities – especially, said Community Planning and Zoning Consultant Jayna Watson, if the commission still wants to encourage development towards the county’s population centers. A refresh of the comprehensive land use plan is a potential first step towards zoning, which the county has been considering as a way to provide more control over...
A scuffle over road maintenance on a quarter-mile stretch of Old Sundance Rd may have reached its conclusion for now, it seems, after the county commissioners said they would not add it to the agenda again for at least another year. The commission’s answer has not changed since Eric Akola first attended a meeting to request that this portion of road be plowed in the winter. “We are going to maintain the county roads that we maintain now,” stated Commissioner Fred Devish, later adding, “I don’t know how we can make it any plainer that an unmain...
Speed limits can be a tricky thing on a gravel road: driving at the posted limit doesn’t always mean you’re driving safely. This concern has led a county resident to request that the county reduce the speed limit on Barlow Canyon Rd to 30 mph, which passes right through the middle of his land. With new neighbors moving into the area and construction taking place nearby, Dave Wolfskill says the number of people traveling more quickly than he feels is safe has increased. He told the commission last week that this has led him to fear that har...
The City of Sundance is preparing to modernize its ordinances to tackle new challenges such as solar panels and tiny houses. Trevor Keyworth of the Land Use Planning Committee spoke with the council last week to confirm that examples of such ordinances have been sourced from other Wyoming municipalities for review. He asked council members to look them over to see whether they would like to adopt something similar and how they should or could be adapted for Sundance’s needs. Some of the issues u...
City of Sundance residents will once again receive a coupon this year for a free landfill day. This coupon grants every resident the opportunity to bring their trash to the city’s transfer station completely free of charge on a day of their choosing. For the last few years, the City of Sundance has issued a free trash coupon to each of its utility customers. Originally, the city hosted a single “free landfill day” each year. This process was changed several years ago when the landfill closed and the city transitioned to using a transfer stati...
With a fix in mind for the phantom door, the City of Sundance is ready to move forward with renewing its contract with the Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) for ambulance space in the fire hall. The council told EMS Coordinator Anthony Vopat last month that two issues needed to be solved before this could happen. According to Mayor Paul Brooks, the bay door was being left open and the thermostat was being turned up to 70 degrees. Both these things are costly, said the mayor. Vopat, however, had no knowledge of who had been...
The city’s efforts to solve a sewer conundrum do not appear to have been successful, leading the council to consider allowing a variance that would allow for a septic tank on the lot instead. The issue cropped up late last year, involving a parcel of land that was under development at the east end of town. City rules don’t allow for a lot within reach of a sewer line to have a septic tank. While it is in reach of a line, this particular lot sits at an elevation that makes it difficult to tap in at the available connection point. Heith Wad...
Bob Richey resigned his position as the Hulett trustee for Crook County Medical Services District last week and was immediately replaced with the appointment of Robin Hibbard. “I have his resignation with me today,” said Trustee Sandy Neiman, who told the board that Richey has stepped down due to personal circumstances. In the letter he submitted to the board, read by Neiman, Richey said, “It has been my honor and privilege to serve on the board but, due to unforeseen circumstances, I will no longer be able to meet my duties as treasurer and t...
Governor Mark Gordon’s recent bill signings have included several vetoes, which last week prompted a vote in both chambers on whether to schedule a special legislative session that would offer the chance to override them. Bills that got a thumbs down include one to reduce property tax by slashing 25% of the first $2 million of a home’s assessed value, an overturn of all gun-free zones and further regulation of abortions. A closed vote that required a simple majority in both chambers to pass saw the Senate vote in support of a special ses...
Beulah’s new water district has been given the go-ahead. The county commissioners approved a resolution on Tuesday morning that officially forms the Beulah Improvement and Service District and sets forth the next steps for its formation. Efforts to form the district began earlier this year, after the water company that serves 32 customers in the area applied for a significant increase to its monthly rates. The change would have increased the amount each customer of Beulah Land Water LLC pays by just under $200 per month – a 380% hike on the cur...
The Crook County Commissioners have officially requested the status of cooperating agency in the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) process of changing how it manages old growth forests. Earlier this year, the commissioners called for a rethink of the USFS’s plans to amend every national forest land management in the nation to create one overall strategy. The county criticized the one-size-fits-all approach and failure to include local governments in the process. The new rules are expected to affect all National Forests in Wyoming, including the Blac...
The Board of Trustees for Crook County Services District (CCMSD) will not at this time be introducing the Senior Life Solutions program to provide mental health care for residents aged 65 and above. Instead, the board has opted to fill a nurse practitioner vacancy with a candidate who has a dual specialty that includes mental health. The board heard a presentation at its last meeting from Kirby Johnson of Senior Life Solutions, a program offered by Psychiatric Medical Care of Tennessee. The program offers intensive outpatient group therapy...
