Mark Shirley, NRCS District Conservationist received the Outstanding District Conservationist Award at the Wyoming Association of Conservation District’s Convention recently. A state-wide award, Shirley was nominated by Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins Conservation District and Medicine Bow Conservation District. Shirley is the District Conservationist for these two districts and Little Snake River Conservation District.

A comprehensive U.S. Forest Service report released Dec. 18 examines the ways expanding populations, increased urbanization and changing land-use patterns could impact natural resources, including water supplies, nationwide during the next 50 years.

Heading into a winter predicted to be drier and warmer than normal, snowmobilers and skiers got some much-needed snow last week.
The snow has been slow in coming this year. Highway 130 over the Snowy range and Highway 70 over the Sierra Madre range did not close until the end of the first week in December, the latest closing in a quarter century.

Snowmobilers should be aware that over-the-snow logging will be taking place along Forest Road 100 this season on private land within the Medicine Bow National Forest. A two and a half mile stretch of the road, which runs through both National Forest and private land, will be closed to all public traffic until the snow no longer needs to be plowed next spring.

Dr. Yusuf Ruhallah is about halfway through a month-long stay at the Platte Valley Medical Clinic. He is here to complete the rural medicine portion of his residency which he is completing in Cheyenne at the University of Wyoming Family Practice.
Born and raised in Pleasanton, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay area, Dr. Ruhallah said practicing medicine has always been a goal of his and he wants to go into family medicine.

Saratoga resident Royce Kelley read a letter to the Town Council at its meeting Tuesday in response to a motion approved by the Planning Commission at its Dec. 11 meeting to require a special use permit from individuals cutting and selling firewood in residential zones.