Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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WORLAND — With Acting Mayor William Worley presiding, the Worland City Council on Tuesday declared a vacancy on the council, accepted a bid and approved the annual Fourth of July fireworks area at the gravel pits northwest of the city. City Attorney Kent Richins said with Ward 1 Council member Scott Schaeffer announcing at the May 3 meeting that he had moved out of Ward 1 into Ward 2 a vacancy must be declared. The council voted to declare the vacancy. The vacancy will be filled at the next election. Filing period is underway. The Ward 1 s...
When James P. Owen wrote “Cowboy Ethics: What Business Leaders Can Learn from the Code of the West,” there was a rush for businesses and organizations to accept the Code of the West as a code of conduct, despite the fact that the code has been around for decades. Burlington schools adopted it as a motto and the Wyoming State Legislature adopted the Code of the West as the official state code. With high school and college graduations going on this month and next it is a time where I try to impart some wisdom learned throughout my life. This year... Full story
WORLAND - Two Banner Washakie Medical Center employees were honored with national DAISY awards at a ceremony during National Nurse's Week on Thursday, May 12. The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune...
WORLAND - Examining bone injuries on a foot is nothing new for the Washakie Medical Center radiology team, but running a 64-slice CT scan on a 150 million-year-old bone was out of the ordinary for the team last Thursday, May 5. The metatarsal fossils are a project of Wyoming Dinosaur Center intern Jackson King. King said the fully intact foot of a Sauropod was found by a family at one of the public dig sites through the Center's Dig For A Day program. He said the foot, named "Little Foot" by the...
There are several advantages to working for a community newspaper one of which is the variety of things we get to cover on a weekly basis is perhaps the best thing about being a community journalist. In looking at the past week, on Thursday I started the day by going to Worland High School for the University of Wyoming Signing Day, recognizing those who commit to attending UW for academics. It was a family event with many parents in attendance for the brief program. After that it was a few blocks over to the Washakie Medical Center to wait for...
WORLAND — Filing period for federal, state, county and local races begins today (Thursday). Locally there are two Ward 1 four-year Worland City Council seats up, currently held by Adam Martinez, who was elected to a two-year term in 2020, and Barbara Brookwell, who was appointed to the council last year. Brookwell said this week she does plan to file to retain her seat. There is one two-year term up on Ward 1 with Scott Schaeffer announcing last week that he has moved out of Ward 1 into Ward 2. He can remain on the council for one more m...
WORLAND — With the Washakie County Fair just over two months away the Washakie County Fair Board is busy working to finalize a schedule and finalize contracts for entertainment. During Monday’s regular board meeting, Chairman Jeff Lapp reported that Washakie County Attorney John Worrall is working with Daniel Kosel to finalize the music entertainment contract. The board is contracting with Kosel to arrange the musical entertainment for the Washakie County Fair with free concerts on Thursday and Friday and a paid concert in the stage area fea...
WORLAND — Washakie County voters will be asked to weigh-in on a one-fourth of a cent general purpose sales tax that will be used for funding ambulance services in the county. For the past eight years, when voters have supported the one-cent general purpose tax, Washakie County has not received funding from the distribution. This year the commissioners considered seeking funding from general purpose sales tax if renewed by voters this November. Chairman Fred Frandson said they realized that being part of the overall distribution would take fundi...
WORLAND — The Washakie County Commissioners launched the survey asking residents to rank the eight entities seeking the continuation of the one-cent general purpose tax. The survey is available online or in this week’s issue on A11. Surveys must rank all eight entities or they will be invalid. Surveys must be completed and turned in by 5 p.m., May 20. Surveys can be dropped off at the county clerk’s office in the courthouse, Worland City Hall, Ten Sleep Town Hall and the Northern Wyoming News. Hard copies will be available at most of the entit...
Four years ago in this space I asked residents to partake in the survey regarding the one-cent sales tax. There were under 400 responses for the survey. This year I appeal to potential voters to again partake in the survey. There are two important questions facing the county this year, whether to continue the one-cent general purpose tax and assist eight entities throughout the county; and whether to support a new quarter of a cent (one-fourth of one penny) to fund the county ambulance services. Four years ago 10 entities were on the survey... Full story
WORLAND - The Washakie County Homemakers announced their 2022 Unsung Hero last week, right before National Homemakers Week. Worland business owner and community volunteer Kathy Mercado is being honored as the Washakie County Homemakers 2022 Unsung Hero. She will receive a plaque and be honored at the group's fall meeting. All county Unsung Heroes around the state will be recognized at the state convention next month. In her nomination of Mercado, Homemaker member Linda Abell wrote, "A true...
The return of commercial bus service to Worland this week was a sign of what can happen when agencies and businesses work together for the betterment of a community. For two years Express Arrow bus service has been coming through Worland but not stopping. There were stops in Thermopolis, 30 miles south, and in Basin, 30 miles north, but no stop here in Worland. I’m not here to speculate on what did not happen the past two years but rather I want to focus on the what did happen this year. Washakie Development Association Executive Director LeAnn...
WORLAND — On Tuesday, the Washakie County Commissioners authorized Chairman Fred Frandson to sign a purchase agreement for property at 603 North Road 11 for an ambulance station. The county has been seeking a new location for a new ambulance station since contracting with Cody Regional Health last year. They acquired a parcel of land at the corner of Eighth and Robertson, but architect estimates to construct a new facility came in at $2.6 million, more than $1 million over the budget the county has from American Rescue Plan Act funding. F...
WORLAND — The City of Worland and the Town of Ten Sleep have both indicated they would like to continue to receive funds from the general purpose one-cent sales tax if voters approve the tax in November. The Northern Wyoming News has been profiling the eight entities that are seeking funding from the tax for the next four years. This if the final profile. A survey asking residents to rank the organizations will be available next month online and in the Northern Wyoming News. Rankings will help determine the percentages each entity receives. T...
WORLAND - The Crisis Prevention and Response Center (CPRC) receives just 2% of the general purpose one-cent sales tax funding collected in Washakie County. Executive Director Katrina Rice said they are seeking the 2% funding again if voters approve continuing the fifth-penny tax in November. In the past four years, Rice said the tax was utilized to pay off the loan that aided the costs of the facility's new addition. "Additionally, this funding has allowed the CPRC to pay for repairs that are...
The Worland and Ten Sleep senior centers each receive 5% of the current 1-cent general purpose tax in Washakie County. They are hoping to continue to receive distribution from the penny tax if it is approved by voters in November. TEN SLEEP SENIOR CENTER According to the Ten Sleep Senior Center Executive Director Randy Firnekas, the tax funds will be used for operations, maintenance and to secure matching funds for grants used to keep center programs stable. Firnekas said they have seen some rev...
WORLAND - The Worland Community Center Complex receives 25% of the general purpose one-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2018. WCCC Executive Director Steve Hunt in his letter to the Washakie County Commissioners notifying them of their intent to seek funding from the tax, the tax provides about 70% of their total revenue operating budget for one year. "Operating a former middle school as a community center is extremely expensive especially during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. Utilities...
WORLAND - Wyoming Boys School (WBS) newly-named superintendent Dale Weber discussed changes in the past three years through the COVID-19 pandemic and budget cuts as well as some upcoming changes to the juvenile facility. Weber said he was named the superintendent about a month ago, replacing Gary Gilmore who retired at the end of 2021. Weber, who had served as deputy superintendent since 2015, said he will look at filling that vacancy, but he has been getting comfortable in his new role and...
More than two years ago everything changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years ago we saw some businesses closed by the order of the governors, including here in Wyoming. We saw events cancelled or the number of spectators and participants limited. Then came the masks and even for the first part of last year everywhere you went a mask was either required (school events) or recommended. Wyoming got rid of the mask mandate earlier than most states. We didn’t have the huge lockdowns that other states put their citizens through. Businesses w... Full story
WORLAND — For the past six years the Washakie County 4-H Roadrunners Club has volunteered at the Fur Ball, the annual fundraiser for New Hope Humane Society. Former club leader Stephanie Voss said in 2015 she had been talking to event organizer Deb Coronado who was looking for volunteers. She said for about two years the club volunteered with the Boys Scouts to serve the food, bus tables and help with the auctions. She said her husband, Brian Voss, oversees the live auction and directs the club members. The Vosses will be assisting again t...
WORLAND — Red Cross of Wyoming assisted two adults and one child affected by a house fire on Holly Avenue in Worland on Friday, April 8. Red Cross assistance can provide care, comfort, mental health and health services, disaster supplies, lodging, and assistance for other immediate needs. Further assistance will be provided as needed. The Worland Fire Department was called to 300 Holly Avenue for a house fire at 5:37 p.m. on Friday. According to the WFD, “Upon arrival a garage and much of the home was fully involved. Crews made an agg...
WORLAND - The Washakie Development Association and Worland Youth Learning Center are hoping to be included in the general purpose one-cent sales tax for the next four years, if the tax is continued by voters. The two organizations would be new entities added to the distribution of the tax that comes before voters every four years. Other organizations on the tax and seeking to continue to be included in the distribution are the Worland and Ten Sleep senior centers, Crisis Prevention and Response...
Green takes the gold in anatomy WORLAND — Worland High School Science Olympiad member Tate Green took first place at the state tournament in anatomy and physiology. Coach Karen Grzybowski said Green’s category was a “challenging lab practical.” Green led a strong team with six groups medaling at the competition in Casper on Saturday. Grzybowski said, “This year’s Science Olympiad team had the best showing yet. Eight of our 11 members placed in the top three for their events and our team score was lower than it has been in the past. Just like g...
WORLAND — The Worland Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission discussed scheduling appeals hearings for two items for Veile Mortuary during their regular meeting April 11. Bill Hibbler, attorney for Clayton Draggoo of Veile Mortuary said they were appealing two separate matters, a building permit for a 10-foot expansion of the garage and a building permit for a crematory, both at 301 South Eighth. The board in June of last year did approve a variance to allow the expansion of the garage. Approving the variance did not include approving a bu...