Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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During fair week, Breck Buer says you might see him picking up fairgrounds trash in the morning and playing guitar on stage in the evening. An electrician, a musician and a dedicated Christian, Buer is Washakie County’s head of maintenance. Buer hails from a tiny town in northwestern South Dakota called Buffalo. After attending electrician school in Rapid City, Buer initially took a job in Jackson, Wyoming, but came to Worland in 1998, soon after his father moved here. He found work with Jadeco Electric and married a local gal. “I met my wif...
The Washakie County Commissioners unanimously approved the county’s budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024-2025 at their meeting on Tuesday, July 9. According to Chairman Aaron Anderson, large unexpended balances from federal funding flows in FY 2023-2024 will continue to pay dividends during FY 2024-2025 and beyond, in terms of investments being made by Washakie County to keep county roads, emergency services, public health, computer systems and other essential infrastructure components in good shape. Some of the significant federal funding s...
Speaking to a small audience composed almost entirely of grey-haired elders, author and anti-human trafficking advocate John DiGirolamo presented crucial information that he said all parents of teenage and even younger children should know. At the Worland Community Center on Monday, July 1, DiGirolamo described in detail the many devious means by which online predators target kids, and the ways that even young children may scheme — successfully — to circumvent parental restrictions on their internet use. He also showed that even teens, who...
The Bighorn Basin Outdoor Recreation Collaborative steering committee met June 27 to discuss new funding. BBORC member and president of the Tensleep Nowood Trailbreakers volunteer group CJ Grimes said that the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation has now received its fiscal year 2025 funding from the “Wyoming Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund.” These funds were allocated for use by the Wyoming State Legislature in 2023 and approved that year by Governor Mark Gordon. Grimes stated that Wyoming Outdoor Recreation will be the conduit of...
Kyle Borger, executive director of WYO HELP, came to the Washakie County Commissioners at their meeting June 18 to request a donation for his organization’s activities in Washakie County. According to its brochure, “WYO HELP is a community action agency managing multiple grants in an effort to provide stabilization services to families in need, training and education for families, and planning support for all communities to improve the health of all families.” In addition to Worland, the organization has branches in Lusk, Moorcroft, Newca...
Washakie County Emergency Management conducted a test of the CodeRED emergency alert system on Monday, June 10. In contrast to its previous drill, conducted in 2018, which reached 88% of eligible Washakie County mobile phones and landline phones, the test conducted June 10 reached only 37% of these numbers. Although the alert system in this year's drill made 5,371 phone calls, it reached a total of only 2,013 Washakie County residents who had registered with the CodeRED system. Voice calls were...
In its regular meeting on Monday, June 10 the City of Worland Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission voted to approve a special exemption requested by Daylen and Keristyn Carrell for a mini-storage business at 417 Robertson Avenue. This address is zoned for General Business but is adjacent to Light Industrial zoning, in addition to other General Business zoning. The Board first opened a public hearing on the matter, which found no concerns from Worland residents. Upon the recommendation of Building Official representative Jesse Frisbee, a...
Washakie County Commissioners on Tuesday, June 4 approved $5,631 in funding for the Oxbow Center to address problem gambling in the community. Oxbow Center CEO Mary Johnson presented the commissioners with a proposal for programming that would raise awareness of problem gambling behaviors, help those affected by problem gambling to access support, provide staff training and certification in evidence-based practices, and provide resources and treatment to people seeking care, through purchase of treatment materials and assessment tools....
WORLAND – The Washakie County Fair Board met Monday for its regularly scheduled meeting. They discussed a range of issues as the county fair nears. The fair will take place from Jul. 27-Aug. 1. Fair Board President Jeff Lapp recently spoke with Washakie County Public Health Nursing Manager Amanda Heinemeyer to discuss the likely COVID-19 mask and social distancing requirements that will apply at the time of the fair. Heinemeyer told Lapp that the situation remains uncertain, but that Governor Mark Gordon’s next briefing on the matter, sch...
WORLAND – In the three months since the state of Wyoming started issuing a series of public health orders and directives, hoping to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection in the state, Wyoming businesses have been hurting. Unemployment is on the rise with the state rate at 9.2% in April and Washakie County's rate at 7.4%. Many people who work for these businesses have had to scramble to feed their families. When Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies brought its drive-up mobile food pantry to W...
WORLAND – The Banner Health Washakie Medical Center Board of Trustees convened their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 26 but unlike last month’s meeting, which used the Skype conferencing software to hold the meeting remotely, this month’s meeting was held in a conference room at the hospital. All attendees maintained adequate “social distancing,” as recommended by the Wyoming Department of Health. Banner Health Washakie Medical Center Chief of Staff Dr. Vernon Miller reported to the board that elective surgeries are once again permitted...
TEN SLEEP – Kodi Schwarz always aspired to be an excellent elementary school educator. Only four years into her dream career, she has already been recognized as such in her own hometown. A kindergarten teacher at the Ten Sleep School, Schwarz was named Teacher of the Year at the May 11 Board meeting of Washakie County School District No. 2. Schwarz grew up on a cattle ranch around 20 miles south of town, and graduated from Ten Sleep High School in 2012. In 2015, she received her Bachelor of A...
WORLAND – A three-shot volley fired by members of Floyd Minch American Legion Post 44 broke the stillness of the Memorial Day moment, as Worland residents, guest speakers and visiting dignitaries gathered at Riverview Memorial Gardens to remember the many thousands of men and women in every branch of service who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the U.S. and its freedoms. After all assembled made the Pledge of Allegiance on Monday, Stacy Green sang a beautiful rendition of the N...
WORLAND - U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) was in Worland for the Memorial Day services on Monday, May 25. In a brief but wide-ranging conversation following services, Barrasso expressed concern for the plight of local small businesses that may have hit a brick wall in their efforts to obtain Coronavirus Emergency Loans or other types of special federal relief funding to help small business survive. He suggested that such businesses should give his office a call. "Whenever we hear that...
WORLAND – In an unprecedented time of global change, whole sectors of industry in Wyoming, the U.S. and the world have taken a serious blow. What has been the impact on local outdoor recreation businesses? According to the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), a U.S.-based coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations and organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a “catastrophic” impact on business. “We knew there have been tremendous impacts to our members and to the entire outdoor recreation industry, but our survey results show th...
WORLAND – Two months of COVID-19 restrictions have led to a steep decline in revenues at Banner Health Washakie Medical Center, according to Chief Financial Officer Jennifer McMillan. McMillan gave her report to WMC’s Board of Trustees in their regularly scheduled meeting on May 5. The meeting was held remotely by means of the Skype conferencing software. McMillan said that the financial outlook seemed promising in the first half of March, but it took a steep nosedive when federal, state and county-level guidance for preventing COVID-19 tra...
WORLAND – An evening traffic jam on Howell Avenue in Worland last Friday, April 24, was the unexpected public indicator that Mrs. Shirley Runge had reached 90 years of age. The lifelong Worland resident, born Shirley Hampton in 1930, was surprised by the outpouring of good wishes and congratulations from friends and loved ones in a "drive by" birthday celebration. Because of the "social distancing" situation with the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), Samantha Strickler and some others among S...
WORLAND – Much remains unclear about the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), with interrelated questions still unanswered about its means of transmission and degree of transmissibility, its actual prevalence in the community and its lethality. One thing that is known is that health care providers must do their utmost to protect not only their patients but themselves and their staff from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Because almost everything about COVID-19 is uncertain, medical clinics in the Big Horn Basin have taken serious m... Full story
WORLAND – "I've got a 3D printer, and was just looking for ways to help," and help Steve Radabaugh did. With N95 face masks and other materials used to protect against the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in short supply in the Big Horn Basin and around the country, this help was needed. Radabaugh's wife Sarah, a Worland chiropractor, made the first request – for a comfort accessory to the masks. The accessory, as Radabaugh described it, is "the little bands that go on the back of the head to...
WORLAND – When Meg Stark realized that there was a shortage of medical masks in the country, she reckoned the local hospital might need some to help slow the spread of COVID-19. She was right. Along with Sue Howe, Stark organized a group of women at the end of March to sew medical masks for Banner Health Washakie Medical Center, other local agencies and “anybody that wants them,” as Stark explained. By last Thursday, the women had sewn 1,175 masks, with 550 so far going to WMC, hundreds more for the Washakie County and Hot Springs County Public...
SHERIDAN – A Sheridan-based limited liability corporation (LLC) has been accused of falsely marketing what it describes as N95 medical respirator masks, but which may not meet U.S. safety standards; as well as making large profits on these sales. According to a press release on the state of Michigan's website, that state's Assistant Attorney General, Darrin F. Fowler, sent a cease and desist letter to "Seek Everest LLC," an entity registered in Wyoming through the services of Registered Agents I... Full story
By GEORGE HORVATH WORLAND – As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues and statewide orders on gatherings and businesses extended, everyday life in Wyoming has changed. Last Friday, Governor Mark Gordon and state Health Officer Alexia Harrist extended three existing state public health orders until April 17. Washakie County Commission Chairman Fred Frandson reported that they have also extended the county’s Level 3 status until April 17, limiting county operations and restricting public access to county facilities. The Cit... Full story
Information in this article and other COVID-19 coverage in this issue were up to date as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 25. Please check wyodaily.com for updates throughout the day and week. WORLAND – With 37 COVID-19 cases reported as of Tuesday in nine different Wyoming counties, including one case in Cody, the likelihood of additional Big Horn Basin cases emerging is not getting any lower. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who have COVID-19 infection may have only mild symptoms of illness, or no s... Full story
Information in this article and other COVID-19 coverage in this issue were up to date as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 18. Please check wyodaily.com for updates throughout the day and week. WORLAND – An increase of four new COVID-19 cases Tuesday night in Wyoming moved Washakie County from a Level 2 to a Level 3 status prompting the closure of all county facilities including the courthouse, libraries in Ten Sleep and Worland, University of Wyoming Extension office and meeting rooms and the fairgrounds, according to Washakie County Commission Ch... Full story
The Washakie County Fair Board met March 9 for its regularly scheduled meeting and heard from a potential rodeo contractor. The Fair Board began advertising last week in the Northern Wyoming News for bid packages for this year’s County Fair Rodeo and County Fair Youth Rodeo. Rodeo contractor David Love of Gillette attended the meeting to express his interest and to learn what kinds of rodeo events the Board would like to see, as well to know its preferred timing and timeframe for these events. The Board asked Love to submit two proposals, a...