Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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A project to bring fiber broadband internet to more than 400 homes in the eastern portion of Crook County is expected to begin imminently. Jesse DuPont of Celerity Networks visited the Crook County Commissioners last week to introduce the project and provide information about the work, which will span the "greater Aladdin and Beulah area", as he termed it, and will be made possible through a federal grant. One of two county projects to successfully bid for the broadband infrastructure funds, it...
The Sundance Volunteer Fire Department has set itself the goal of improving the city's ISO rating this year. With the recent improvements to Sundance's water system, said Fire Chief Gari Gill, it might just be time to hit that achievement. ISO, which stands for Insurance Services Office, is a score assigned to a fire department based on how it matches up to the standards used by the organization to determine property insurance costs. It's scored in four areas, including emergency communication...
While the majority of January's regular meeting was focused on the administration required at the beginning of the year, a few timely issues were brought before the Sundance City Council on Tuesday. This year's deer cull has now come to an end with the expiration of the latest Wyoming Game & Fish permit. The council heard that 22 deer have been taken and the meat is being distributed to residents upon request. However, each of the culled deer is to be tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) and...
The developer of one of the county's newer large-acre subdivisions has received approval from the county commission for its petition to form an improvement and service district for the 46 parcels contained within. A public hearing took place for the proposed Yellowstone L&R Ranch Improvement and Service District. The developer is Yellowstone L&R Ranch, a South Carolina limited liability company. The purpose of the district is to repair and maintain the roads within the subdivision, though it wil...
The Crook County Commission has passed a resolution that will increase the amount of reimbursement Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) receives for ambulance services, with the intention of ensuring these services remain affordable to keep providing in the future. A public hearing for the resolution was set for January's regular meeting of the county commissioners, after a 45-day notice period is complete. At that hearing, the commission heard that County Attorney Joe Baron had...
The starting point has changed for chilliest run of the year, but Freeze Your Fanny will still be the opportunity for a fun and bracing start to Superbowl Sunday that Sundance has come to expect. Once again, enjoying the four-mile run or walk and tucking in to the hearty breakfast provided will also support the kids of your community. “Our big news this year is that we will be based at the Sundance High School commons instead of at the courthouse basement,” says Ann-Marie Mickle, who co-organizes the event with Jennifer Jungwirth. “The route...
Wyoming State Parks has announced the launch of a new reservation and permit sales system that it says will offer a more streamlined experience for recreationists looking to enjoy the state’s outdoor opportunities. The new website allows you to refine your needs when staying in a state park, from the type of camping or lodging you’d prefer through to the type of camping equipment you will bring. Once you select from the available options, you can view maps detailing exactly where each available site is located and additional information, suc...
January As the annual Wyoming Legislative Session kicked off, Jason Perry was honored during the opening ceremonies for his work as Hulett's ambulance director and his efforts to get all of Hulett's EMTs certified as paramedics. Meanwhile, Ogden Driskill took the oath as President of the Senate and Chip Neiman was selected as House Majority Floor Leader – which, to the best of his knowledge, was a position never before offered to a freshman legislator. Crook County Medical Services District (CCM...
One of the Sixth Judicial District Court’s three judges has been selected as a nominee to fill a vacancy on the Wyoming Supreme Court. The Honorable Stuart S. Healy III is among three names to have been submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission, along with Robert C. Jarosh and Timothy M. Stubson. The commission considered all applicants who expressed interest in the position of Justice for the Wyoming Supreme Court and, pursuant to the requirements of the Wyoming Constitution, submitted t... Full story
A Pine Haven man has been charged with aggravated assault and bound over to District Court after allegedly pulling a knife on a person who was attempting to make him leave a local bar. On December 8, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to a bar in Pine Haven for a disturbance involving a weapon. The suspect was later identified as Todd Allen Wiseman according to his driver’s license. According to court reports, Wiseman was asked to leave the bar after vomiting on the floor. Upo...
For the last few weeks, the Sundance Economic Development Task Force and the Sundance Chamber of Commerce have been running a promotion to encourage local citizens to "Shop Small". A number of $2 bills were distributed through the community – a rare currency that stands out in a stack of bills. The idea was that shoppers would notice when they were handed a $2 bill and would also notice when and where they spent it. Citizens were encouraged to spend them at local businesses in and around S...
A campaign calling for residential property taxes to be cut by 50% is not just about saving folks money. The most important aim of the ballot initiative is to make sure Wyomingites aren’t priced out of their own homes, say the three people who launched the campaign, but the secondary goal is about freedom. Specifically, BCR Voter Initiatives wants to empower the people to take back control of their government affairs and once again have a say in the future of their state. The campaign has caused controversy, particularly with those r...
As a festive spin on its annual efforts to assist the community with disposing of its unwanted goods, Crook County Natural Resource District (CCNRD) invites you to bring your used and broken Christmas lights to the office to be taken to Rapid City for recycling. “For this event, it is only string lights and extension cords,” says Bridget Helms, Office Manager. “We can’t accept anything else at this time.” The idea came about, says Helms, when CCNRD heard that Rapid City is taking these items for free recycling. “I asked EchoWorks at Western...
Over a thousand homes in Crook County are set to have access to broadband internet for the first time thanks to federal grant awards that aim to make access available across the nation. Two local projects were among 32 applications to be approved for funding, with a total of $70.5 million in federal funds to be spent expanding broadband to more than 11,000 locations across the state that do not currently have access to high-speed internet. “This is the single-largest broadband investment in Wyoming history,” said Governor Mark Gordon in the...
A series of public meetings has been scheduled for January to solicit input on plans to potentially introduce zoning to Crook County. These meetings will form the next step of the county’s exploration of whether zoning would suit this county in the light of the high level of development that has gone on over the last few years, and will aim to gauge exactly where the public stands on the issue. Meetings will take place in all four municipalities throughout January, led by a facilitator, and will focus on options for growth management. A c...
Wyoming Game & Fish announced this week that, despite breaking records for high-risk watercraft inspections this year, the state’s waters appear to still be free from invasive mussels. According to the announcement, the department inspected over 73,000 boats across the state. Personnel decontaminated 1154 watercraft and found mussels on 64 of them, both the highest number since the Aquatic Invasive Species program began in 2010. “This year we saw another increase in high-risk watercraft moving through Wyoming’s check stations,” said Josh Le...
Local veteran Ed Kinsall was honored earlier this month with a Quilt of Valor®, a handmade work of art created to honor his service during the Vietnam War and say, in the words of the foundation, "Thank you for your service, sacrifice and valor in serving our nation." The Quilts of Valor Foundation places its focus on comfort and healing, lovingly creating each civilian award for those veterans who need to know their sacrifice is acknowledged or never heard the words "welcome home". "I'm...
For the first time in a generation, look outside your window as Christmas Day draws to its close and you’ll see a full moon hanging in the sky. It’s a scene immortalized in many a festive tale, most famously “The Night Before Christmas”, in which, “The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave a luster of midday to objects below”. It also lit the way for everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer, and many a Christmas card and decoration has depicted Santa’s sleigh flying in front of a bright, full moon. In reality, the “Cold Moon” can...
Josh Idler has been jailed after being accused of breaking the terms of his bond and violating a protection order, which states that he cannot visit his wife’s place of employment or be within 500 feet of his children. Idler currently faces felony charges of child abuse and aggravated assault and battery, to which he changed his plea to guilty in October. Idler has also admitted to breaking the terms of his probation on a previous case in which he was adjudicated guilty of counts including reckless endangerment, child abuse and domestic a...
The Sundance Volunteer Fire Department is not giving up its hopes to expand and improve the fire hall, despite being unsuccessful in securing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding during the last two go-arounds. Fire Chief Gari Gill said last week that there are several options being pursued. The first is the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program through FEMA, which funds critically needed resources for emergency personnel. New grants will be available at the beginning of next year, he said, and these could be pursued for the fire hall...
City Attorney Mark Hughes is concerned about a petition currently circulating in this area – so much so that he felt the need to speak publicly about the damage it could do at last week’s meeting of the Sundance City Council. The night before, he said, he attended a meeting at which the Republican Central Committee was urged to adopt a petition that demands property taxes be cut by 50%. “I didn’t sign it, but I think a lot of people did. It was urged by the people there to sign the petition, and I just want to say publicly that people ought to...
Changes may be made to the rules for inclusion Crook County War Memorial to reflect the fact that some county veterans did not serve during wartime, while others have lived here for many years but do not qualify for their names to be included. Veterans who fall into these categories would not necessarily be added to the wall itself, but could still be honored with paving stones. The conversation was spurred by Kenny Byrne, who approached Commissioner Bob Latham a little while ago to discuss maintenance of the memorial and to suggest some...
The Crook County Commissioners have approved updates to the regulations for minor subdivisions and the bylaws of the Land Use Planning Commission following a public hearing last week. The updated versions differ only slightly from the proposals originally put forth by Land Use. Subdivision Updates One of the most significant changes to the minor subdivision rules was to reduce the minimum size of an allowable lot from five acres to 2.5 acres. “It does not mean they have to make 2.5 acre lots, but it gives them that opportunity if they want t...
The council is seeking a way to storm-proof the area of town around High Mile Road, where heavy rains have made it clear that a significant drainage issue exists. The problem was brought before the council a month ago, when a resident requested attention on the water jumping the curb with no gutter to catch it, which has led to flooding in nearby homes. He asked if there might be a possibility of adding drainage in the area. Brooks agreed that this is an issue that is also happening in the downtown, perhaps because roofs these days are larger t...
The roof of City Hall has been leaking for the last couple of years thanks to damage caused by hail, but the city’s insurance company was not inclined to pay for repairs. There’s “obvious hail damage on it,” said Public Works Director Mac Erickson last week, but the insurers did not feel it required repairs. Mayor Paul Brooks elaborated, explaining that the adjustor came out after a hail storm and said the dents in the roof did look like hail damage, but weren’t hurting anything. However, as time went on, the plastic underneath the asphalt memb...
