Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Under the Biden Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued another new ruling related to municipal drinking water across the country while a federal judge has ordered the agency to further regulate a common water additive. Focus has been on the EPAs ruling regarding Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which has a stated goal of replacing all lead pipes within 10 years. This year, the EPA issued another ruling regarding testing for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl...
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken hosted an avalanche awareness workshop at the Platte Valley Community Center on December 5, introducing the Carbon County Search and Rescue - Avalanche Observation Team. Bakken introduced websites which have weather forecasts and avalanche predictions in the state. The websites included bridgertetonavalanchecenter.org, ewyoavalanche.org and avalanche.state.co.us. Carbon County does not have a forecast station for avalanches and, with Wyoming being one of the mos...
Many are convinced that this life has been given to them to do whatever they want and technically it’s true that God has given every human a free-will to choose. Most will agree this is one of the greatest gifts mankind has been given, but the problem is that our carnal human nature does not want what God wants. You see, the Lord desires to use us exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or imagine but the only way we can truly please Him is to do what He says. This sounds simple, but it’s no secret that humans are experts in the are...
Think about persecution. This story was published by Open Doors, 2/9/21, … The camera lens homes in, mapping the man’s face, measuring the space between his eyes, the distance between the nose and mouth, the angle of his cheekbones, the shape of his chin. Instantly, that data is converted into a string of numbers or points, called a “faceprint.” His face is recognized, compared with tens of millions of photos of faces in a database. His identity is confirmed. And he doesn’t even know he has been “detected,” “recognized,” and “tracked.” AI tec...
CHEYENNE — A ban on cellphone use in the classroom is quickly becoming a popular policy adopted by state legislators across the country — and Wyoming could soon be one of them. At least 18 states have passed laws or adopted policies banning or restricting the use of cellphones in the classroom, according to an Education Week analysis published in June. A bill headed for the 2025 general session, sponsored by Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, would implement a statewide ban on cellphone use and smartwatches in the classroom during ins...
SHERIDAN — President-elect Donald Trump’s Agenda 47 campaign pledged to close the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., in an effort to send all education work back to the states. Although eliminating the department would not only require congressional approval but also a supermajority of 60 votes in the Senate, according to a Washington Post article, local school superintendents recently shared their thoughts on the possible future of education. “It would take time. This is not something that immediately would take place, even if Congr...
JACKSON - When Tenley Thompson decided to try being the voice of a famous grizzly bear online, she didn't start with Grizzly 399, the most famous bear in the world. Instead, she started with her daughter, Grizzly 610. Unlike 399, who was relatively tolerant of human presence, 610 is known for having an attitude - a comportment that Thompson thought would play well on Twitter, which was ballooning at the time. "She's charged plenty of people," Thompson said of 610. "My favorite is when they tried...
POWELL — With everything to lose if discovered, an intelligent and well-kept man spoke softly of his past from a dark corner of a Cody coffee shop. He kept his back to the wall, his eyes shifting, aware of every customer coming through the door. As he told his story calmly, the tension of the situations — from work undercover among some of the most dangerous gang members in the country to international drug interdiction — were enough to turn a parent's hair gray. And no matter how much the m...
Pickleball players swarmed the Recreation Commission meeting Monday night expressing concerns over the possible increase in recreation fees in the new year. The fee increase would directly impact the pickleball fans and their ability to afford to play their sport. The members of the commission were taken aback by a packed house for the monthly meeting. “Wow! We appreciate everyone coming in and advocating for yourselves,” said Recreation President Megan James. “This committee is not trying to ma...
For over 40 years, the Saratoga Lake has boasted a pinnacle event in the state of Wyoming in the form of the Saratoga Lake Ice Fishing Derby. Fish aficionados from all over converge on the lake to try to capture the prize for the largest trout based on length and girth. In 2021, a graduate student from the University of Wyoming discovered an invasive non-native species of Yellow Perch in Saratoga Lake. The anglers during the 2022 fishing derby also caught more than just trout. By all accounts,...
SHERIDAN — US Bath Store is a member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Its website contains pages of five-star reviews and name drops dozens of giant companies like Marriot, Disneyland and the American Red Cross to prove it is “trusted by thousands of customers, big and small.” It even has a physical address at 30 N. Gould St. in Sheridan, Wyoming. That’s why 58-year-old Russell Trahan wasn’t expecting to get scammed. The Orlando, Florida resident ordered a cabinet shelf and step for his hot tub from the online company in April 202...
LANDER - There's a famous photo of Lander taken by local photographer Ted Carlson. In it, a herd of cattle spans the center of Main Street, led by a cowboy on a horse. According to a post by the Pioneer Museum from a few years ago, this image of the Ellis ranch cattle drive was likely captured sometime in the early 1980s. It's captioned "Rush hour in Wyoming," and at one point was hung everywhere in Lander. "I would've promoted Lander as a cowboy town [when I came here] 35 years ago," said...
CHEYENNE - Union Pacific Railroad ended its eight-week Big Boy No. 4014 "Heartland of America" tour a little more than a month ago, and Ed Dickens and the Steam Team are looking full speed ahead to their future tours, while reflecting on what makes the Big Boy and Union Pacific staples among train buffs. The schedule was announced in early August, and the tour kicked off in Cheyenne on Aug. 28, passing through three dozen communities and 10 states. As part of the tour, the Union Pacific...
On the ballot November 5, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County’s (MHCC) hospital district initiative barely failed to pass by 89 votes. Per a press release, this does not mean MHCC is closing its doors. The hospital does face financial challenges, but this was only one component of the overall financial picture. “I personally look at the campaign as a win. To take a grass roots approach to the campaign and to have accomplished what we did in just under 4 months is incredible. All techniques were used to market the district; digital mar...
The two Saratoga Town Council meetings in November centered around the renewal of liquor licenses for various businesses in Saratoga. Two of the businesses, the Rustic Bar and Lazy River Cantina, have seen fights and unruly behavior at least twice a month. According to acting police chief John Moore, fights and other disturbances at the businesses have not caused problems for the department. Every liquor license was renewed at the November 5 meeting except for one. The only establishment to...
Floaters and anglers are aware of the improvements made at Treasure Island, a popular public access on the North Platte River off Highway 230 between Riverside and Saratoga. But, if a person hasn’t been to Treasure Island in a few years, a lot of changes have taken place. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (G&F) had their annual meeting in Saratoga two weeks ago, and one of the activities included was the improvements at the Treasure Island public access area. Steve Gale, the Wyoming Game & F...
CHEYENNE (WNE) — Average gasoline prices in Wyoming have fallen 7.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.95 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy.com’s survey of 494 stations in Wyoming. Prices in Wyoming are 20.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, and stand 19.9 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. According to GasBuddy price reports, the lowest price in the state Sunday was $2.59, while the highest was $3.59, a difference of $1 per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.4 cents per gallon in the...
GILLETTE (WNE) — Three men were arrested Sunday evening for kidnapping and attempted first-degree murder for allegedly assaulting a 36-year-old man. Deputies responded to the Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport at about 4 a.m. Sunday for a report of a man sleeping in the entryway of the terminal building. He did not have a shirt or shoes on, and he had serious injuries to his face. His jaw was swollen and he was unable to open his left eye, said Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds. He was taken to the emergency room by EMS to be treated. Investigators...
“I think it’s important for us as clerks to all know what happened so we can prevent the same thing from happening again.” Carbon County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett, in her post-election update to the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) on November 12, touched on the ballot errors reported out of Weston County. In her last election update as county clerk, Bartlett also voiced her opposition to hand-counting ballots, a process which was given a trial run in Campbell County. Wrong Ballots In Ca...
With the scenic Snowy and Sierra Madre mountain ranges, the North Platte and Encampment rivers and breathtaking vistas many Platte Valley residents have likely thought it would only be a matter of time before Hollywood arrived. It has, but probably not in the way most would expect. According to Lieutenant John Moore with the Saratoga Police Department, prop money has recently been found throughout Saratoga. The props are realistic enough, judging by the $20 bill Moore brought with him to the...
Following a chase in vehicles and on foot the afternoon of November 10, a Saratoga man is facing multiple charges, including two felonies. The charges were so numerous, in fact, they required seven feet of paper to print the citations. Aiden Swanson is facing charges including felony possession of methamphetamine, convicted felon in possession of a firearm and nine misdemeanors including littering. The chase, which began in Saratoga, went out onto county roads and through private property as...
The Never Forget Park committee recently received word that the Town of Saratoga will be a recipient of an award of approximately $278,200 from the federally funded Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Wyoming's LWCF project is administered by Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Grants Office. Using no taxpayer dollars, the LWCF invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing to help establish and improve parks and other outdoor recreation areas. This award requires a match from the Town of Saratoga, which includes cash and...
The Encampment Town Council had a full agenda November 14. The most difficult decision was what to do about a resident who had ignored their request to stop building an overhang on his property. The overhang is encroaching on state property and was denied a building permit at the November 1, 2023 meeting of the Encampment Planning Commission. According to the minutes from that meeting, the resident had already begun to build the overhang, but did not provide sufficient evidence in his plan. The...
DOUGLAS - When graphic novelist and author Jason Viola visited Douglas elementary schools last week, he found not just a warm welcome but an excited bunch of students eager to learn about his writing and art. Viola came from Boston, Massachusetts where he co founded a non-profit organization, Boston Comic Arts Foundation. Through his foundation, Viola assists others through the power of comics to educate, inspire and bring people together. "I co-founded the Boston Comic Arts Foundation to...
RIVERTON - On Monday afternoon, a semi-truck loaded with hurricane relief supplies rolled out of Riverton High School and began the long journey to North Carolina. Dozens of RHS National Honor Society students stood by for the sendoff, exhausted from a long day of packing boxes and satisfied with the completion of a multiweek effort. "The idea first started during our NHS meetings shortly after the hurricanes," said RHS Student Council and Honor Society member Aquinnah Wiblemo. "Some of our...