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As the Saratoga Planning Commission continues to discuss affordable housing and short term rentals, they may be able to look to a recent report for some guidance. In February, the Wyoming Community Development Authority released its 2024 Housing Needs Assessment. More than 300 pages long, the report breaks down the state into various regions with Carbon County included in the Central Region with Natrona and Converse counties. Chairperson McCall Burau led the planning commission through the...
Taking a short break from discussing short term rentals, the Saratoga Planning Commission held a brief discussion over a proposed chicken ordinance during their April 9 meeting. Under current municipal code, it is mostly illegal to own chickens or other domestic fowl on residential lots within town limits. One of the only exceptions, per section 18.42.150© of the municipal code, are undeveloped areas in residential zones which are greater than five acres. This section of the code allows livestoc...
In the lowlands of the Platte Valley, it may seem like winter has been gentle on us in regards to the amount of snow received this winter. As April speeds by, it may even seem like we could be looking at a dry summer. Data from the Wyoming State Climate Office at the University of Wyoming, however, shows otherwise. According to Director Tony Bergantino, snowpack at National Resources Conservation Services (NCRS) sites in the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre ranges varies from over 80% to 110% of...
Jason Williams, Saratoga Panthers Basketball Head Coach, always teaches his players the value of teamwork as part of his coaching philosophy. On the basketball court, he is a tough disciplined coach who demands high expectations from his players on game day. Off the court, Willams is a devoted teacher, father, husband, and Christian. He is involved in many activities at Saratoga Christian Alliance Church. Recently, Williams and a group of Saratoga Middle High School students volunteered to do...
The Saratoga Senior Center has been holding an event called “Bring a Friend” from April 1 through April 30. Every time a senior brings a friend who is 60 years or older who does not have a current assessment, they will be qualified for a $25 drawing. Brenda Zeiger, Saratoga Senior Center manager, started this idea to encourage other seniors in Saratoga to come to lunch. Her plan is to increase the number of seniors at the senior center for lunch with this event. “I came up with this idea becau...
For grass seed producers and others concerned about controlling grass thrip populations, the University of Wyoming Extension has released a new management guide. The free digital publication, titled “Grass Thrips in Perennial Grasses Grown for Seed,” provides instructions on how to sample grass seed fields for thrips as well as recommendations for cultural and chemical control. The authors also address the efficacy, application rates, and possible advantages and disadvantages of six insecticides labeled for grass thrip control. These small ins...
PINEDALE — Although the news of Cody Roberts capturing and torturing a live wolf by running it down on his snowmobile and binding its mouth shut before killing it in Daniel has captivated the world, it started as a simple citation listed in the March 7 Sublette County Circuit Court Roundup. Game and Fish quietly investigated the incident on March 1 but did not publicize what happened. Five days after he was cited, Roberts paid a $250 fine for violating statute 23-3-402(839), “regarding live wildlife or exotic animals, CH 10.” For comparison, a...
CHEYENNE — Gov. Mark Gordon has decided the new voter registration rules proposed by Secretary of State Chuck Gray exceed his statutory authority. Gordon sided with the Wyoming Legislature’s Management Council — made up of legislative leadership from both chambers — in its disapproval of the new rules, which would have required people to provide proof of residency, not just identity, when registering to vote. Gray has said on multiple occasions, including an op-ed submitted to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle this week that Wyoming elections needed...
CASPER — After years of analysis, political wrangling and a contentious public comment period, the federal Bureau of Land Management officialized a sweeping overhaul of its oil and gas leasing program on Friday. The changes, which will affect how extractive industries operate on federal land, mark the first major update to the federal onshore oil and gas leasing rules since 1988, the first adjustment to bond rates since 1960 and the first increase in royalty rates in more than 100 years. The biggest — and most contested — change is the incre...
The clacking of billiard balls against each other filled the Platte Valley Community Center over the weekend as the 16th Annual Wyoming Open played out from April 4 to April 7. The competitors who played in this year’s tournament are were either a mix of locals or out-of-state spread out across three divisions: Sportsman, Classic and Masters. On Thursday, players competed in a single elimination call pocket 10-ball tournament. According to UPA (United Poolplayers Association) Rules, the o...
The Town of Saratoga recently hired two new full-time police officers who started on April 1. At the Saratoga Town Council meeting on April 2, Mayor Chuck Davis administered the oath of office to one of them, Casey Lehr. For several months, the police department has been operating with only three full-time officers which has stretched the department’s resources, said Police Chief Mike Morris in a later interview. He said the department has been “busy answering calls and doing what was nee...
Some cities and towns in tourist destinations like Wyoming and Montana have been capping, or are looking at capping, the number of allowable short-term rentals as a way to increase the number of long-term rentals for workforce housing. Some of these cities say requiring a permit through the ordinance gives the fire department authority to make safety inspections. This ensures properties are safe to occupy with working smoke alarms and other safety protections for the guests. The ordinance permit process gives towns a way to track the number of...
The City of Rawlins recently announced the selection of its new attorney. Pinita Maberry-Nave, who previously served as the interim city attorney, is a native to Rawlins and graduated from Rawlins High School. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy/Astrophysics from the University of Wyoming before earning her Justice Degree from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law in 2007. According to the press release, Maberry-Nave brings a diverse background to her new role as the...
The number of short-term rentals operating in Saratoga is unknown, unless the town creates an ordinance to track those with a permitting process. Airdna and another website which tracks these statistics do not agree, as previously reported in the Saratoga Sun. AirDNA and Key Data are the only two websites that provide this data information. Key Data, a vacation rental market data company based in the United Kingdom, cannot provide numbers more specific than Carbon County. The town does not require short-term rentals to have a business permit an...
If you are looking to make your garden beautiful by growing flowers, fruits and vegetables stop by the Saratoga Branch Library to pick your seeds. The Saratoga Seed Library program was created by the Saratoga Friends of the Library as a way to encourage people to garden in their own homes. This is the 9th year of the Seed Library program at the Saratoga Library. The program was founded by Jacob Mickelsen, former Executive Director of the Carbon County Library System and former branch manager of...
ROCK SPRINGS - Public acceptance of tattooing has increased in the last two decades. Even teachers, lawyers, doctors and politicians have tattoos. In 1976, the first tattoo convention was held in Houston, Texas. The event provided an opportunity for artists to see work from other artists all around the world or to have the chance to display their own work and be seen by their peers. The inaugural tattoo expo in the Lone Star State was a place for artists and outcasts alike to meet and to be resp...
RIVERTON - Compared to most of the United States, a relatively high percentage of Fremont County's residents are veterans. Many people who live here have spent time serving in the military – and many others want to support and give back to local veterans. A few times a year, people gather for a special veteran-focused event: Hunting with Heroes, which takes disabled veterans hunting, free of charge. "Wyoming is the only state in the union that allows this type of hunt," explained Riverton-based...
Photo by Joshua Wood Ellia Krugman keeps her eyes open for candy and eggs during the Encampment/Riverside Volunteer Fire Department Easter Egg Hunt on March 30. For more photos and results see A7 of this week’s Saratoga Sun....
The resubdividing of existing lots and how that could impact the future of zoning was a subject of the Saratoga Planning Commission during their March 12 meeting. At the heart of the discussion was property owned by Paul Newman located at 208 W. Saratoga Avenue. Rather than either the property being a single lot or two lots, it is a lot-and-a-half. “I’d like to put two brand new trailers on that lot-and-a-half but per zoning, I’m only allowed to do one per lot,” said Newman. “I’m asking to divide my lot-and-a-half into two three-quart...
About 23 years ago, another small town in Wyoming faced similar obstacles to building low-income housing like the Town of Saratoga. Hulett, Wyoming, with a population of 323 at the 2022 U.S. Census, is that town. James S. and Sally Ann Neiman, owned the Neiman Mill in Hulett, which cut pine for lumber. According to their daughter, and former manager of the Hulett Community Housing Authority, Connie Lindmier, her parents led the effort to find low-income housing for Hulett. They wanted to provide affordable housing for their employees. Ultimatel...
Mother Mountain Anglers, from Encampment, hosted the Fly Fishing Film Tour at the Platte Valley Community Center on Saturday, March 30. Community members attending the event took part in raffle ticket drawings. Free beer and drinks were also available to those who attended the event. People were able to learn about the skill and craft of flying fishing. The film documentary also raises important awareness of the environment and how climate change can affect the future of fishing as well as how p...
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted $64,362 to the North Platte Valley Medical Center (NPVMC) to purchase a Sonosite Ultrasound and a GE Logiq E10 R3 cardiac package as part of a statewide ultrasound initiative across Wyoming. The initiative includes nearly $13.9 million to help Wyoming hospitals and health centers purchase ultrasound imaging devices and boost sonography and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training opportunities across the state. “We are incredibly grateful that once again the Helmsley Charitable T...
The Valley Service Organization (VSO) has, once again, opened up the Youth Citizenship Award for graduating seniors from Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2). This scholarship awards a cash scholarship each year to a senior selected by the VSO Award Committee. VSO Chairwoman Cindy Walton has emphasized this scholarship is not based on grades. Instead, it is a cash award given directly to the student for their “community service and understanding of what it is to be a good citizen”. The award is open to graduating seniors from Sar...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners announced today that it will pay off approximately $9.6 million in debt related to the Courthouse and Carbon Building Improvement Project. The project, which renovated the two buildings was partially paid for using $18 million in specific purpose tax funds, otherwise known as the 6th penny tax funds that were passed by the voters in May of 2019. That left approximately $10 million the county financed with NBH Bank to complete the remodels. In October 2022 the county accepted $8,789,400 from the US Depart...
Just four years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended operations at the National Outdoor Leadership School, the nonprofit wilderness school and staple of Wyoming’s outdoor landscape has announced plans to shed jobs and close satellite facilities. NOLS, a global operation and major Fremont County employer with headquarters in Lander, will eliminate 60 jobs as well as suspend operations at three of its campuses come fall. The bulk of the layoffs, 42, will directly impact staff; the remaining 18 p...