Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 2318
A Washington man faces a felony charge of possession of methamphetamine after being pulled over because his vehicle’s validation sticker was covered in tape. On March 25 at around 4:10 p.m., a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper observed a vehicle traveling west on I-90 near milepost 152 with an obscured validation sticker. The year tab, he reported, appeared to be torn and flapping in the wind. The trooper caught up with the vehicle and was still unable to read the year tab sticker as it seemed to be covered with something. The trooper stopped t...
Wyoming is getting more crowded – and Crook has been welcoming more new residents than almost any other county. According to new data from the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information, Crook County gained the second most newcomers during 2023, leading to a population increase of 2.3%. This percentage represents a total of 173 new people now residing in the county, bringing the population estimate to 7592. Sublette County beat this percentage only slightly at 2.5%. A total of 17 c...
The second of Wyoming's seasons is upon us: it's time for road repairs to begin. WYDOT announced last week that motorists will begin noticing repair work on the interstate this week. Traffic control is set to be placed this week in the section of I-90 between the state line and mile marker 202. Croell Inc. will be completing a paving project in this section as the contractor selected by WYDOT, which will also include repair of several bridges. At the beginning of April, traffic in the eastbound...
Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) is among the healthcare providers set to benefit from a statewide initiative to increase access to ultrasound technology. Funded by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the initiative will see $13.9 million divided among hospitals and healthcare centers to purchase 143 ultrasound devices and to provide training for the new equipment. CCMSD will receive a grant total of $415,000 for ultrasound equipment in the hospital and each of...
Sara Fleenor may be new to the position of Ag and Natural Resources Extension Educator, but she's no stranger to the philosophy behind the role. For the past 12 years, she has served as 4-H Educator for Crook County. She will now add adults to her roster – and she couldn't be more excited to explore the possibilities. Over her time as the 4-H educator, she introduced numerous opportunities for kids to learn about rural life. These ranged from the hoop house and geodome on the fairgrounds; to t...
Sundance residents will soon be asked for their help to determine whether any lead is present in the water pipes that lead to their homes. The city is in the process of creating a complete inventory of every service line within its water system, a requirement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of changes being made to its rules on lead and copper in public drinking water systems. “We really need your help,” says Public Works Director Mac Erickson. At this time, according to Erickson, around 300 of the city’s utility customer...
Never let it be said that my nation fails to give our all when we take on a project. You might even say that we get a bit carried away. Such is the case with the humble honeybee. To be clear, the bees haven’t done anything wrong, unless you count the fact that they keep keeling over. It’s not ideal, but you can hardly blame them. It’s the reaction of the Brits to this news that can be problematic – not because we don’t care, but because we arguably care too much. Since the news came out that...
The Bureau of Land Management has followed in the county’s footsteps and placed stage one fire restrictions on its public lands in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties. “Last summer’s moisture and cool weather brought an abundance of grass and other fine fuels to public lands within the district,” says High Plains District Fire Management Officer Craig Short. “This, in combination with the lack of moisture and warm, windy weather we’re experiencing, has created an environment susceptible to wildfires.” It is now prohibited to building, mai...
My column this week is a cry for help. I've spent more than a decade trying to make one of my favorite dishes work this far above sea level and I've finally run out of ideas. I've come to know that this community boasts a few world class bakers, so now I'm hoping for a miracle. In exchange for your assistance, I humbly offer a recipe that is widely regarded to be the best thing Britain has ever invented: the Yorkshire pudding. Of course, to use this recipe, you'll need to first be able to tell...
Sheriff Jeff Hodge reminds the community that fire restrictions have been put in place for the county – and that this decision was made for a reason. The county fire warden has determined that the dry conditions have created high fire hazards. Despite these conditions, individuals in recent days are known to have been setting off fireworks within the limits of the City of Sundance. This, says Hodge, is not against the county’s fire restrictions, but it is a breach of city ordinances. Specifically, it violates municipal ordinance 7, section 8:...
The Sixth Judicial District is adding a fourth judge to its ranks thanks to legislation that was signed into law last week. The Sixth Judicial District covers Crook County, as well as Campbell and Weston counties. The bill 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 support the new judge. SF-53 sailed through the legislature with...
Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) has announced the appointment of Wesley Davis, DNP, as its Chief of Staff. Davis is already a familiar face to those who patronize the hospital in Sundance, where he has served in the emergency department and adult inpatient services since joining the district in 2018. Davis is board-certified in emergency, family and adult-gerontology acute care. He is also an assistant professor and emergency nurse practitioner specialty coordinator at the University of South Alabama College of Nursing and...
Crook County Junkin’ Weekend is coming back this year and vendor sign-ups are now open. Once again, the countywide yard sale will run for three days across numerous locations, each one offering unique items for treasure hunters. This year’s event has been scheduled for June 7 to 9, running from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first two days and until noon on the Sunday. Vendors are welcome to offer their wares throughout the event, but you can also select custom times if you are unable to be available for part of the weekend. While you can use you...
A Sundance man faces a felony charge of driving under the influence with a child passenger, second offense. According to court reports, at 5:15 p.m. on March 11, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report that Tyrell Burrows had come to pick up one of his children and got into an altercation with a teacher. Burrows had allegedly left the campus with a child in his pickup. The deputy reports that he was aware of Burrows from previous incidents and knew his home address, so he and a second deputy headed there. As they arrived, they a...
After the warmest winter on record for the United States, there are indications that Wyoming may still get its fair share of spring showers. Predictions for the next couple of weeks suggest above average precipitation and cooler-than-normal temperatures in this area, with the temperatures then rising but the possibility of extra moisture lasting through until at least the middle of April. This is a marked change from a winter that has now been reported as the warmest on record – an estimated 5.4 degrees above average for the United States as a...
If you receive a call from an Illinois-based number claiming to offer advertising or be associated with a local organization, the Sundance Chamber of Commerce wishes to make it known that this is not a company with whom they are working. The call is likely a scam, says Jamie Jessen. At least one person is known to have paid the caller when contacted. The caller will claim to be from a company currently offering local ads, but, says Jessen, it may not be made entirely clear what these ads are supposedly for. If you have received a call of this...
Once again busier than would normally be expected at this time of year, the county's firefighters were called to two significant blazes over the last week. The first claimed a home near Sundance, while the second spread to over 200 acres near Barlow Canyon, north of Devils Tower. The structure fire on Tuesday night claimed a single family residence on Cow Camp Road, northwest of Sundance, but no injuries were reported to the residents or the firefighters who responded. The fire is believed to...
With fire season already underway, Crook County is now under burn restrictions. Fire Warden Charlie Harrison requested the restrictions be put in place last week, telling the county commissioners that more Wyoming acres burned in February than in the entirety of 2023. While the county has had a little moisture recently, in some places there was "barely any", he said, and temperatures are still above average. "There's no good news in the forecast," he said. While the restrictions have been put...
Why is the county willing to plow a 6.3-mile dead end that leads to a single family, but won’t consider doing the same for a quarter-mile stretch that serves 17 homes? County resident Eric Akola posed this question last week as he fulfilled his promise to keep appearing on the commissioners’ agenda until the issue is resolved. While the commission’s decision not to change its mind regarding adding more miles to the road maintenance roster was no great surprise, a new wrench appeared in the works at the revelation that Akola’s opinion does no...
Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) is gearing up to introduce mental health services for seniors through a program that would see all its costs reimbursed through Medicare. As this means the program would not cost the district to run, it’s possible that the revenue could in the future be used to fund an additional mental health service for younger age groups. Senior Solution The Board of Trustees heard a presentation last week from Kirby Johnson of Senior Life Solutions, a program offered by Psychiatric Medical Care of Tennessee. T...
Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) is purchasing a 12-unit property in Sundance to house employees, a decision made in response to the lack of housing currently available in this area. The local housing crisis has made it difficult to hire new employees, explains Trustee Mark Erickson, because they would need to commute from outside the community. The intent is to entice good candidates to accept roles within the district if they would otherwise be reluctant for this reason, he says. Now, says Erickson, the member of staff and...
A small issue with a phantom door needs to be resolved before the City of Sundance renews the contract with Crook County Medical Services District to house its ambulances in the fire hall. “Your folks like to leave the door open,” Mayor Paul Brooks told Anthony Vopat, EMS Coordinator. “We’re having some problems with this and the public sees it.” With the bay door open, it costs too much to keep the building heated, the mayor said, especially as someone had been turning the thermostat up to 70 degrees. However, according to Vopat, the open...
Now that the City of Sundance has a policy in place for providing utilities to out-of-town residences, the request that originally sparked its creation has finally been granted. Ron Anhorn first asked for approval to tie into the city’s water system from his 35-acre property on Wild Bunch Trail in May, 2023, but was told that the council could not really offer an answer until it had developed a firm policy and some time would be needed to consider and research the question. At that time, Public Works Director Mac Erickson listed several p...
Counties like Crook may get to have a say in the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) new rules for old-growth forests after all. 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. In a comment letter, 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 Black Hills. Dru Palmer, consultant for...
There's not much chance of flooding this spring, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The county continues to slide into drought conditions after a winter that brought little snow. The flood outlook summary for this spring is below average across all of northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota. This is the time of year for ice cover on streams, rivers and lakes to melt and for ice-jam flooding to potentially occur. Flooding from snowmelt on the plains typically takes place betwe...
