Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884

Agencies provide reports on monthly activities

A busy election day led the county commissioners to hold a shortened regular meeting this month and ask agencies to deliver their reports electronically. The reports provided include:

Public Health

A report from Carol Stutzman celebrates a successful vaccination season for Crook County Public Health. Over the month of October, a total of 550 immunizations were administered.

“This year, we saw several adults who have never had a flu vaccine before, come and get a vaccine,” she reports.

The agency ran out of vaccines on October 22 and is expecting to receive another 150 doses shortly.

Stutzman also reports that state budget cuts have meant the “Vaccines for Uninsured/Underinsured Adults” (VUA) program has been discontinued. A final, limited order was placed in September and only ten vaccines remain.

The program mostly impacts vaccines for shingles and tetanus, which Medicare does not pay for. It does not affect the flu and pneumonia vaccines and, as of now, the hepatitis program is still viable.

The report also includes a reminder that, due to the increase in COVID-19 cases, the Emergency Operations Center is once again operational.

Emergency Management

Emergency Management Coordinator Ed Robinson reported numerous activities over the previous month, including participation in a quad-state meeting of emergency managers and all statewide COVID-19 partners calls.

Robinson attended the State Emergency Response Commission meeting, assisted public health with COVID-19-related issues, assisted county agencies with grant applications to the State Lands and Investments Board and ordered, received, inventoried and stored personal protective equipment from the state.

Facilities

According to Facilities Director Larry Schommer, the change in weather and uptick in COVID-19 cases have both posed a challenge recently. The entire courthouse, public health building and library have been disinfected with the assistance of the school’s disinfecting fogger, he reports.

To ensure that someone is always available to maintain the courthouse boilers, Schommer reports that his department’s staff will be staying separated as much as possible to avoid a simultaneous need to quarantine.

A request has been made to the State Lands and Investments Board for units for air circulation and treatment within the courthouse. A second request has been made for air purifier units for the existing air handlers in the courthouse, jail and public health building.

WYDOT

Preston Beckstead of WYDOT reports that traffic control has been removed from the bridges on the interstate near Beulah, with traffic restored to normal flow. Work still remains on the overpass and Beulah exit, however, with traffic control hopefully to be removed before Thanksgiving.

The maintenance department is considering a different snow removal schedule this year, with plowing to begin later in the day.

Devils Tower National Monument

Acting Superintendent Nickolos Myers reports high visitation in the month of October with 29,908 recreational visits – a 73% increase from last year. The campground is now closed for the season and the visitor center and bookstore remain closed with no estimate on a potential reopening date at this time.

Construction for the project to improve accessibility at the Tower is ongoing and will continue for the rest of the year.