Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. – As Wyoming continues to experience the direct and indirect fiscal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Mark Gordon has instructed all state agency directors to identify opportunities to immediately reduce spending. This is through the end of the current budget year, which ends June 30, and into the next two-year budget. Specifically, the Governor has immediately directed agencies to institute position freezes, halt general fund contracts greater than $100,000, and implement a rigorous review of major maintenance s...
Four members of the Northern Arapaho Tribe who had been hospitalized for treatment of the coronavirus have died as result of complications from the disease, bringing to six the number of lives claimed by the illness in Wyoming. The Northern Arapaho Business Council and Wyoming Department of Health both announced Tuesday that the four had died Monday. “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that the Northern Arapaho Tribe confirms the deaths of four of our own who tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19,” said Lee Spoonhunter, co-...
On Monday morning, Wyoming became the last state in the nation to report its first death associated with the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) announced that a patient in Johnson County who had health conditions that put him at higher risk of severe illness and complications had passed away. “This is a sad development we hoped we wouldn’t see in Wyoming and we want this person’s family to know they have our sympathy,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state healt...
Senator Ogden Driskill and Representative Tyler Lindholm called the Board of Trustees together on Thursday evening to present their idea to secure funding for a new Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) hospital building. The duo hope to secure up to $45 million of the estimated $1.25 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds that will be coming directly to Wyoming. Lindholm informed the board as the online special meeting was called to order that Congress passed the CARES Act to...
The Board of Trustees for Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) received word last week that CEO Nathan Hough has tendered his resignation to Health Management Services, the company contracted to provide management services to the district. “[Hough has] provided HMS with 30 days’ notice of his resignation from employment with HMS. Karl Rude, President of HMS, advised the Board of Trustees that HMS is working to fill the vacancy created by Mr. Hough’s resignation,” said the board in a statement. “The Board of Trustees is committed...
Just when you thought it was safe to plant those potatoes, winter reminded us once again that frigid temps, high winds and heavy snow are never far away. The icy weather that dropped out of Canada and across the nation over the weekend left behind a swath of record-breaking low temperatures and blizzard conditions that quickly left man and beast alike hoping for a return to more spring-like conditions....
Out of necessity, the Sundance City Council met via conference call on Tuesday. “We’re going to go on doing the bare minimum, we’re not going to make a lot of big changes,” said Mayor Paul Brooks of the immediate future while the outbreak continues. The bills still need to be paid, he said. Dan Mummert of Trihydro reported progress on the project to replace the tank in the canyon, informing the council that a revised geotechnical report has been received. The geology is similar to what was anticipated, he said, so no significant changes are nee...
Finding it difficult to source fresh fruit and vegetables? Whether you are struggling financially or looking to boost your nutrient intake, Amy Goodson at Cowgirl Pizza is here to help. Thanks to an anonymous donation of $2000, Goodson is making use of her connections to offer free bags of produce to anyone who might need them. She will also be using some of the donated money to provide produce to the Food Pantry, she says, and fruit to the Blessings in a Backpack group. Meanwhile, she adds, “We’re going to have bags of produce available for pi...
David James Carson was born on June 7, 1964, to Joseph A. and Darlene S. Carson in St. Ignace, Michigan. He attended public school in Sundance, Wyoming and Hardin, Montana. He graduated in 1983 from Hardin High School where he played basketball and football. David was proud of his heritage and his country. He was enrolled in the Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. He joined the United States Marine Corps in December 1983 and honorably served for two years. He later served in the...
Ross Garman, 58 of Sundance, Wyoming, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, April 12, 2020, at the Crook County Memorial Hospital in Sundance. Cremation has taken place and a public memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Roberts & Isburg Funeral Chapel of Sundance. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com...
Marselle May Saul, 78, died March 20, 2020, at the Mitchell Care Center in Mitchell, Nebraska. She was born December 26, 1941, at Reynold’s Home in Sheridan, Wyoming, where her father was a foreman at the local sawmill. Marselle, her older brother Delmer and her younger sister Carole attended Beaver Creek Middle School on Big Goose Creek until 1955 when the family moved into Crook County to their ranch on Sunny Divide. The ranch was somewhat isolated and getting to school in winter required the use of horses. Marselle and her brother had to r...
Three important anniversaries mark the month of April, each linked to a person’s right to have their boundaries respected. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month with Crime Victim Rights Week from April 19 to 25. If you see ribbons hanging in public places this month, know that Crook County Family Violence and Sexual Assault Services (CCFF) is using their bright colors to honor all three occasions and spread awareness of their importance. The blue ribbons and pinwheels represent child abuse awareness. The t...
Even in the midst of an outbreak, business continues as usual for Crook County and its constituent departments and offices. Each was asked to provide a written update to the County Commissioners last week, detailing the projects and ongoing work that are still being undertaken despite the need for social distancing. Crook County Fire Warden Fire Warden Doug Leis reported three fires in the last couple of weeks, including one at Sand Creek that was started by a transient, one at Little Mud Creek caused by re-ignition of a slash pile burn and...
County Clerk Linda Fritz formally announced her intention to close the polling station in New Haven for Precinct 23-23 last week. She cited reasons for the decision including the difficulty of securing election judges and the cost of keeping it open. Fritz sent a letter to all affected voters at the beginning of March, she said, adding, “My intentions are to move their polling station to the Greater Hulett Community Center.” Of the two election judges who staffed the New Haven polling station in 2018, Fritz explained that one is no longer abl...
Due to concerns over COVID-19 and for the safety and well-being of our communities, the Crook County commissioners have closed county facilities until further notice. Even though the doors are closed at the county libraries, library staff will still be working. Services still available include: • Curbside delivery of books, magazines, DVD’s, CD audio books and tax forms (please call 283-1006 and staff will gather items requested and bring to you in the parking lot) • Overdue fines are suspended for the duration and due dates are extended to Ma...
Dear NP, Since spring is in the air and many of us are working from home due to COVID-19, I would think it is the perfect time to start an exercise regimen. What are the key steps to starting and maintaining an exercise regimen and the benefits of aerobic exercise to our health? M. S. Dear M. S., The sun may be shining again after the long, cold winter, but sprinting right into your new exercise program might be a recipe for injury. It’s important to take it slow – starting at square one. If...
I like to think of myself as someone who is capable of change. Someone who embraces the new and combines it with the old in an ongoing effort to improve. I can “lol” with the best of them. I know what the instant grams are, and why I should be giving them my photographs. I am aware of those meme things and that it is now apparently the done thing to end a story about the knee surgery your great aunt just had done with the phrase, “and that’s the tea”. (Even though it has clearly been misidenti...
1 Years Ago The Times April 14, 1920 In the United States senate a few days ago the word “voluntary” in the army reorganization bill pending before congress for so many months. Thus compulsory training of youths for military service seems to be defeated. A.A. Helmer of Government Valley was attending to business matters in town yesterday. Mr. Helmer followed farming and cattle raising for many years with commendable success, but has more recently devoted his attention to sheep and wool in connection with his farming operations. He has gre...
Our Thanks The Sundance Country Club Board would like to express how grateful we are for the many donations, volunteer hours and support the golf course receives! We are lucky to have such a nice little course here in Sundance and it would not be possible with that continued support! Thank You!! Thank You A heartfelt thank you to the doctors, nurses, nurses’ assistants and EMS staff for the wonderful care I received while I was a patient in the Sundance hospital for the past few months. Your care was top notch and your compassion and medical a...
A clarification from Crook County Public Health and Dr. Larsen regarding last week’s article about myth-busting during the COVID-19 crisis. Referring to the section about the governor directing citizens to avoid grocery shopping in South Dakota, Dr. Larsen says: “The directive from the governor is meant to dissuade people from making unnecessary trips into and outside of our local area to help curb the spread of the virus. People are allowed to make trips that are necessary such as work, medical care, food/animal feed and child custody exc...
It would seem we were so inspired by Governor Mark Gordon’s speech last week that we took his guidelines on social distancing to the extreme and flung ourselves back into the past. While there, we accidentally referred to him in the first sentence of our editorial by his predecessor’s name, Governor Matt Mead. Fortunately, we have vigilant readers who are always ready to pull us back to reality, and for that we thank you....
Light shows in support of seniors, unusual Easter egg hunts, parades for those who can’t get out and programs to feed the warriors at the front lines of the coronavirus battle were all in the news in the past week as Wyoming residents continued to extend a helping hand to their neighbors. Here are a few examples: Schools light up scoreboards for seniors CASPER — First came the howls, cries into the moonless sky made in solidarity across Casper’s twilight. On Friday night there were also fireworks — a progression of unconventional behavio...
Gillette shatters previous cold temperature record GILLETTE (WNE) – Winter is proving a bit hard to shake this year, and Monday morning was a chilly morning worthy of the record books. Gillette’s long-time record tracking location southeast of Gillette observed a low of 4 degrees between the hours of 5 and 6 a.m. Monday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Bunkers in Rapid City, South Dakota. The low not only beat the previous record of 9 degrees set in 1997, it shattered it. Bunkers said dipping 5 degrees below a pre...
A warrant has been issued for the Arizona man who led law enforcement on a high-speed chase along I-90 last week, crossing the border into South Dakota and eventually crashing his vehicle near Spearfish. Christopher Elman faces numerous felony and misdemeanor charges. At around 3:15 p.m. on April 6, a Crook County Sheriff’s Department deputy received a report of a pickup truck speeding and swerving in and out of its lane, eastbound on I-90. Around milepost 172, observed the truck straddling both lanes and clocked its speed at 92 mph in the 75 m...
Carbon County Fire Department diver Josh Ejlersen ensures tow-truck cables are securely fastened to the back of a semi-trailer truck in the middle of the North Platte River near the Fort Steele about 22 miles east Rawlins. According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the truck’s driver, Preston Shirley of Indiana, lost control of the truck early Thursday morning while traveling west on Interstate 80 and it went into the river. The driver and a passenger had to be removed from the cab of the semi a...