Proudly Serving the Hulet and Devils Tower Community
Proudly Serving the Hulet and Devils Tower Community
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Crook County School District has this week announced a partnership with Care Solace to improve mental health care access for students, staff and their families. Care Solace is a social purpose organization that aims to remove barriers in accessing mental health care. It serves as a central hub of care, streamlining communication and coordination in order to connect people with the resources they need. The service acts as a “middleman” of sorts, acting to connect a person with mental health or substance abuse care provider. It is a com...
Almost a hundred seventh graders from across the county convened in Sundance last week for a day of learning about civics. Elected officials were on hand to introduce the students to the functions of local government and the impact each office will have on their adult lives. Arranged by Sara Fleenor, 4-H Educator, and educators from each of the three schools, the field trip included visits to each of the county offices, as well as the museum. The visit began with a welcome speech from Sundance...
The county commissioners were offended during last week’s hearing by the suggestion that road maintenance decisions have anything to do with racism. Terry McNeil approached the commission to complain about the state of New Haven Rd, which he travels as a driver for the Amish community. He suggested the road is not properly maintained due to a racist attitude towards the Amish, claiming that the Road and Bridge Department is just covering holes with dirt rather than cutting them out and is only grading as far as the Amish property. ...
Once upon a time, the word “zoning” was akin to a curse in this part of the world – but that doesn’t seem to be the case any more. To make sure this is more than an illusion, the county commissioners will include public forums in the process of researching possible new zoning rules. Last month, the commission kicked off the process of developing a possible zoning plan for the county by inviting a community planning and zoning consultant to do the necessary groundwork of figuring out exactly what the county wants and needs. As Jayna Watson...
At precisely 11 a.m. on November 11, the courthouse lawn will reverberate with the sound of rifle volleys and the revered bugle call that signals both “lights out” for a military day and respect and honor for military ceremonies. Members of the public are invited to join American Legion Post 45 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4311 in marking Veterans Day this year with a service at the war memorial in Sundance. This will be followed by a lunch and social time at the Sundance Senior Center. The service will begin at 10:30 a.m. “The three...
Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) continues to pursue the necessary steps to find out if it qualifies for a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan that will be used to either build a new hospital or renovate the current one. CEO Micki Lyons reported that a certificate of incumbency was recently sent to the USDA – a document that lists the names of current leadership. The next stage involves additional information from CCMSD, Lyons said. “In order to begin processing the loan, they will need rate and term sheets for three oth...
Ed Svoboda has been sentenced to between four and 14 years of incarceration and a $5000 fine for aggravated vehicular homicide. The charges relate to the death of his wife two years ago. Svoboda pled “no contest” to the charge as part of a plea agreement. Defense attorney Rob Oldham told the court during the sentencing hearing on Thursday that Svoboda chose to enter this plea not because he refuses to take responsibility for what happened to Kathleen, but because, “He really does not recall all of the details of what happened that day.” In Svob...
Crook County School District (CCSD) has updated its policy for evaluating the books that are available in the school libraries. Recognizing the right of the individual parent to request that their child not read a specific book, the policy sets up a system whereby a book can be challenged and removed, but kept at Central Office to be loaned out with parental permission. “Community members and staff are still able to challenge books in much the same manner as previously stated in the policy. Book challenges have become popular in some portions o...
The county commission will be hosting a public hearing on December 5 at 2 p.m. regarding some updates and amendments to its minor subdivision rules and the bylaws that apply to its planning and zoning commission. Should the updates to the subdivision rules be approved, the Crook County Commissioners will now have the authority to approve the covenants drafted for new subdivisions. The minimum size of an allowable lot, tract or parcel has been reduced from five acres to 2.5 acres. The updated rules would increase the size of a cul-de-sac at the...
To kick off the process of developing a possible zoning plan for the county, the commission has invited a community planning and zoning consultant to do the necessary groundwork of figuring out exactly what the county wants and needs. Jayna Watson brought a questionnaire to last week’s meeting that was intended to assess what each commissioner wants from the zoning rules. “The next step will be for me to write a scope of work for a planning consultant, who will be bringing to you a process and project that reflects your desires,” she said....
A joint powers board formed in 2016 to investigated options for a countywide solid waste district will likely soon be revived. The board, which included representatives from the county and each municipality, met regularly but ultimately disbanded without reaching a resolution. Last week, after a discussion that involved numerous elected officials from across the county, the county commissioners determined that resurrecting the board was the most reasonable next step in answering the lingering question of whether it’s worth constructing a l...
Two ranchers face property destruction charges after using bleach to paint markings, including drawings of penises, on a total of 189 cows and six bulls belonging to their neighbor. The father-son duo claimed their actions were intended to bring their neighbor’s attention to the problem of broken fences that weren’t being fixed quickly enough. The markings led to an estimated loss in value for the cattle of $141,750. According to the affidavit of probable cause, the Crook County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from a county rancher on Ju...
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis and all members of the Senate Western Caucus on which she serves as chairman, as well as U.S. Senator John Barrasso, voted to override President Joe Biden’s veto of the resolution that questioned the listing of the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species. In total, 47 senators voted for and 45 against, failing to meet the two-thirds majority required to overturn the veto. “The Biden administration’s heavy-handed interpretations and ongoing abuse of the ESA continues to punish private property owners rathe...
Rare Element Resources (RER) is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony and open house on Monday for its planned separation and extraction demonstration plant in Upton. Construction is expected to begin at the plant before the end of the year. The event is a celebration of progress towards the eventual goal of constructing a full-scale separation plant using the company’s proprietary extraction technology, which it says is environmentally friendly and can successfully produce pure oxides that are more than 99.5% pure. The open house will also i...
Early Head Start is expanding in Crook County and looking for moms and dads who would be interested in some extra support during their little one’s first years. The program is provided through Wyoming Child and Family Development Inc, a nationally recognized program partnering with parents that is free of charge for pregnant women and children up to three years of age. It involves a weekly home visit focused on the child with the aim of promoting the parents’ ability to support their development. All children are welcome, including those wit...
If you would like to be able to apply pesticides to your property, Crook County Weed & Pest encourages you to attend this fall’s local Private Pesticide Applicator Program class, hosted by UW Extension. The class will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on November 13 in the community room of the Crook County Courthouse. It is tailored for people who want to be able to apply or supervise the application of restricted use pesticides on their own or leased properties, or to do so for other people for no charge or as an exchange of services (in other word...
Crook County School District (CCSD) continues to fare well in meeting the state's performance expectations, including across-the-board proficiency results assessment that are higher than the average for the state in this year's WY-TOPP assessments. At the elementary and middle school level, Sundance Elementary and Moorcroft Elementary are both exceeding expectations this year, according to the latest Wyoming Department of Education data. Hulett School is meeting expectations. All three schools...
Hunting seasons this fall may be negatively affected by poor deer numbers, according to Sundance Game Warden Nate Holst, but elk and turkeys are doing just fine and should make for plentiful harvest opportunities. Deer The deer population in this county was hit by an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) a couple of years ago, which affected both white-tailed deer and pronghorn antelope. Cases were identified across the east of the state, including in Crook County, in 2021. EHD is not unusual in Wyoming; in fact, wildlife managers...
A well-known style of scam in which a person claims to be a member of law enforcement and demands money for an outstanding fine or warrant is reported to have now taken place in Crook County. According to the Crook County Sheriff’s Office, a series of scam calls have been made recently to residents of the county. The call involves a male voice on the phone who claims he is Sheriff Jeff Hodge, badge number 387, and is calling about you having warrants, needing to come in and provide DNA sample or pay fines. The call ends with the statement t...
In the light of recent cost-of-living increases and a nationwide period of high inflation, Crook County Medical Services District is seeking new ways to increase its liquidity. The Board of Trustees recently approved a rate increase for services and, last week, listened to a presentation from a local government investment pool called Wyoming CLASS. The name stands for “Wyoming Cooperative Liquid Assets Securities System”, a program organized in 2020 to provide public entities in this state with a competitive investment alternative. Par...
Newly announced congressional candidate Reid Rasner will be visiting Sundance during his weekly “town hall meetings” tour of Wyoming next month. Rasner will be present between 10 and 11 a.m. at the Crook County Library on September 16. The meetings are intended to kick off Rasner’s “We the People” tour as he campaigns to win U.S. Senator John Barrasso’s seat in 2024. Rasner describes himself as a proud fourth-generation Wyomingite. He has a diploma from Natrona County High School and a degree from the University of Wyoming and is now a wealt...
Your annual opportunity to rid your home of difficult-to-dispose-of electronics is coming up in a couple of weeks. Crook County Natural Resource District (CCNRD) will be offering this year’s e-cycling events on September 9 and, as always, the first 100 lbs will be free. Properly e-cycling your electronics protects your own digital safety as well as groundwater and the environment. CCNRD utilizes ProTech Computing of Gillette to collect and transport items to MeTech Recycling in Denver, an R2-certified facility. At that point, the electronics a...
Fresh off the road from the West Coast, newly appointed County Fire Warden Charlie Harrison might be new to the area, but he's certainly not new to firefighting. He has, in fact, been fighting fire since he was an Explorer Scout at the tender age of 14. "I spent 36 years in the retirement system but I had been a volunteer before I became a paid guy," Harrison says. Retirement didn't stick – after a three-year vacation, Harrison found himself looking for a new challenge. "You know, there's a l...
It’s been many years since even a mile of extra road was added to the county’s maintenance list – and that’s not about to change any time soon. Unable to fund any road work above what the Road & Bridge Department currently performs, the county commissioners intend to stay the course when it comes to requests from the public for additional maintenance. The commissioners made their position clear during a conversation with landowners who live off Old Sundance Road in the area where it meets Beaver Creek Road. Spokesperson Eric Akola explain...
The commissioners last week decided to compensate a couple for the loss of their calf after it was spooked by a county vehicle and died of its injuries from running into the side of the truck. Laramie and Cheyenne Seymour approached the commission to request advice on dealing with the county’s insurers, the Local Government Liability Pool (LGLP). According to Laramie, the couple has not been successful in requesting that LGLP cover the cost of the loss, which is estimated at around $1500. Laramie explained that the pair had spoken with v...
