Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 2052
Once again busier than would normally be expected at this time of year, the county's firefighters were called to two significant blazes over the last week. The first claimed a home near Sundance, while the second spread to over 200 acres near Barlow Canyon, north of Devils Tower. The structure fire on Tuesday night claimed a single family residence on Cow Camp Road, northwest of Sundance, but no injuries were reported to the residents or the firefighters who responded. The fire is believed to...
With fire season already underway, Crook County is now under burn restrictions. Fire Warden Charlie Harrison requested the restrictions be put in place last week, telling the county commissioners that more Wyoming acres burned in February than in the entirety of 2023. While the county has had a little moisture recently, in some places there was "barely any", he said, and temperatures are still above average. "There's no good news in the forecast," he said. While the restrictions have been put...
Why is the county willing to plow a 6.3-mile dead end that leads to a single family, but won’t consider doing the same for a quarter-mile stretch that serves 17 homes? County resident Eric Akola posed this question last week as he fulfilled his promise to keep appearing on the commissioners’ agenda until the issue is resolved. While the commission’s decision not to change its mind regarding adding more miles to the road maintenance roster was no great surprise, a new wrench appeared in the works at the revelation that Akola’s opinion...
Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) is gearing up to introduce mental health services for seniors through a program that would see all its costs reimbursed through Medicare. As this means the program would not cost the district to run, it’s possible that the revenue could in the future be used to fund an additional mental health service for younger age groups. Senior Solution The Board of Trustees heard a presentation last week from Kirby Johnson of Senior Life Solutions, a program offered by Psychiatric Medical Care of Tennessee....
Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) is purchasing a 12-unit property in Sundance to house employees, a decision made in response to the lack of housing currently available in this area. The local housing crisis has made it difficult to hire new employees, explains Trustee Mark Erickson, because they would need to commute from outside the community. The intent is to entice good candidates to accept roles within the district if they would otherwise be reluctant for this reason, he says. Now, says Erickson, the member of staff and...
A small issue with a phantom door needs to be resolved before the City of Sundance renews the contract with Crook County Medical Services District to house its ambulances in the fire hall. “Your folks like to leave the door open,” Mayor Paul Brooks told Anthony Vopat, EMS Coordinator. “We’re having some problems with this and the public sees it.” With the bay door open, it costs too much to keep the building heated, the mayor said, especially as someone had been turning the thermostat up to 70 degrees. However, according to Vopat,...
Now that the City of Sundance has a policy in place for providing utilities to out-of-town residences, the request that originally sparked its creation has finally been granted. Ron Anhorn first asked for approval to tie into the city’s water system from his 35-acre property on Wild Bunch Trail in May, 2023, but was told that the council could not really offer an answer until it had developed a firm policy and some time would be needed to consider and research the question. At that time, Public Works Director Mac Erickson listed several...
Counties like Crook may get to have a say in the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) new rules for old-growth forests after all. Earlier this year, the commissioners called for a rethink of the USFS’s plans to amend every national forest land management in the nation to create one overall strategy. In a comment letter, the county criticized the one-size-fits-all approach and failure to include local governments in the process. The new rules are expected to affect all National Forests in Wyoming, including the Black Hills. Dru Palmer, consultant...
There's not much chance of flooding this spring, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The county continues to slide into drought conditions after a winter that brought little snow. The flood outlook summary for this spring is below average across all of northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota. This is the time of year for ice cover on streams, rivers and lakes to melt and for ice-jam flooding to potentially occur. Flooding from snowmelt on the plains typically takes place betwe...
A structure fire on Tuesday night claimed a single family residence on Cow Camp Road, northwest of Sundance, but no injuries were reported to the residents or the firefighters who responded. The fire is believed to have begun at around 2:35 a.m. on March 6. At this time, the cause is unknown and under investigation. Sundance Fire Department responded along with a county fire unit. Upon arrival, crews found that the structure was burned to the foundation. Work began to extinguish the fire that...
Wyoming is still fighting the good fight to keep invasive mussels from its waters. With boating season underway, Wyoming Game & Fish has opened its check stations for the season. “Wyoming is one of the few states left in the nation that hasn’t detected the invasive zebra or quagga mussels in our waters,” said Josh Leonard, AIS coordinator in a press release. “Game & Fish is dedicated to keeping these destructive invasive species out of our state’s waters. That’s why it’s crucial that out-of-state boaters and residents who have...
Bills have fallen by the wayside at a steady pace throughout this year’s legislative session, but the first new laws have made it to the governor’s desk. As a budget session, the focus on non-financial matters has been necessarily limited. The budget bills spent the beginning of the week the Joint Conference Committee, which was tasked with finding a way to reconcile a $1.1 billion gap between the proposals put forth by the House and Senate. The two chambers went in different directions while examining the budget. While the House added addi...
After six dormant years, Sundance's American Legion post is proudly bringing its Easter egg hunt back to the community this March. Once again, little ones will get their chance to root out the goodies left behind by the bunny and fill their baskets to brimming just as quickly as they can. This will be Legion Post #45's first community-focused event since it re-formed about a year ago. Since that time, under the leadership of Phil Colozzi, Commander, the group has been working hard to establish...
The Wyoming Department of Transportation is getting ready for road repair season, starting with a project expected to be visible on I-90 throughout most of the year and will involve eight individual bridges. Also confirmed for the season is a striping project on U.S. Hwy 212. The bridge structure project will be completed by contractors S&S Builders and, weather permitting, began on March 4. It is scheduled for completion on November 30. The eight bridge structures to be repaired during the project are located between mile markers 152.96 and...
Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) is about to flip the switch on a new electronic medical records system (EMR) – a project more than a year in the making. Please forgive any hiccups in service while the new system is implemented, says a press release from the district announcing the launch. “At CCMSD, our mission is ‘Proudly providing high quality care, putting patients first’ and partnering with a new EMR will do just that,” states the press release. “Taking our software into the future to maximize efficiency and...
Another chest of federal funding for broadband access is soon to go live in Wyoming, this time through the “Internet for All” initiative. The federal government’s “Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program” (BEAD) aims to make sure that all unserved locations in the state – at a minimum, with “underserved” locations to also be targeted if possible – will be connected to the internet by the time the funds have been spent. According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is part of...
Two wildfires that ignited on Sunday burned a combined estimated total of 1600 acres and required a sizeable response from firefighters around the county and beyond. In New Haven, a fire located on a combination of private and state land is estimated to have reached 400 acres. According to Fire Warden Charlie Harrison, crews that responded to the fire included Oshoto, Carlile, Sundance, Pine Haven and Hulett. The lower portion of the fire was located in grass, but around 70% of the fire was in...
With an influx of influenza A and B cases spreading through the community, Crook County Public Health is alerting anyone who has not yet had their flu shot this year that a limited number of doses are still available. Public Health currently has fewer than 50 doses of regular flu vaccine and high-dose vaccine for those aged over 55 years. If you would like to take advantage of one of these remaining doses, contact Public Health at 283-1142....
With fire season getting an early start this year and several incidents already under their belts, county firefighters gathered last week for their annual meeting and training. "This class is what's called the annual refresher," says Fire Warden Charlie Harrison, explaining that it covers everything from escape routes to communications to ensure those aspects of the job stay uppermost in volunteers' minds. "It all ties back to that basic safety for firefighters." It's one of the requirements...
During a week that has been proclaimed National Invasive Species Awareness Week by Governor Mark Gordon, the state’s weed and pest organizations are asking the community to keep its eyes out for invasive species. “As people head outdoors this summer, we want them to know that a little bit of prevention contributes to a greater effort of keeping Wyoming wild and beautiful,” said Donley Darnell, Wyoming Weed & Pest Council (WWPC) President. “Invasive insects, noxious weeds and plant diseases cost the U.S. an estimated $40 billion annually...
Two Sundance women have been arrested on charges of burglary after allegedly taking money from the safe and a cash jar of a local bar. Lisa Alberts and Amber Nehmer have been charged with felony counts of burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. Both charges carry maximum penalties of ten years of incarceration, a $10,000 fine or both. According to court reports, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy was called to the Dime Horseshoe Bar on the afternoon of January 22 to respond to a report of burglary. Camera footage allegedly showed Lisa...
A $2.7 million grant for which the county applied last week would fund more than half the work needed to overhaul the courthouse. The seat of Crook County’s government needs significant work to address issues ranging from overcrowding and inefficiency to mechanical systems that are over half a century old. Once complete, the project will ultimately see a new look and new spaces throughout the two floors. This Mineral Royalty Grant through the State Loans and Investments Board, however, is intended for the less glamorous but more crucial part...
With the deadline now passed for new bills to be introduced during this year's budget session, the Wyoming Legislature has its agenda set for the next few weeks. The majority of the focus, of course, will be on the budget itself, which passed first reading by the House Committee of the Whole on February 16 and saw legislators undergo a marathon session on Monday that included the introduction of 80 amendments in the House, only 33 of which were adopted, and 59 in the Senate on second reading,...
A new clinics manager has joined the team in Sundance. Melaynee Trandahl, RN BSN, was a twelve-year veteran of Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) before stepping into the role of overseeing management of the clinic. In a press release, CCMSD said it was pleased to have, "Appointed a well-educated and long serving member of the team to the role of Clinics Manager." The role itself has also been changed, according to the press release, with the goal of promoting increased accessibility and responsiveness within the clinic, as well as...
Medicaid clients in Wyoming are experiencing another attempted scam this year, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). This time around, the caller is attempting to gather personal information and appears to be fraudulently attempting to sell medical equipment and services. "A client reported receiving a call from someone claiming to be from a department program that doesn't actually exist. The caller was pushing medical equipment and aggressively asking for personal information,"...