Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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WORLAND - While initial plans had the new Pit Stop Travel Center opening mid-summer this year, material shortages have delayed the project, according to owner Mike Bailey of Bailey Enterprises. Bailey said they are now hoping to be open the first to the middle part of September. "Everything we've ordered has taken way longer than normal but we are moving forward," he said. He said they are starting to get flooring in place inside and concrete work is beginning outside. Bailey said there will be...
WORLAND - For the second year in a row, the City of Worland's nomination for Community Hero was selected as the regional award by the Wyoming Association of Municipalities. On July 15, Worland Rotary Club was honored with the WAM Region 3 Community Hero Award. Worland Mayor Jim Gill made an award presentation before the council during Tuesday's regular meeting. According to Earla Checchi of WAM, "Successful communities often show places of care, attention, history and heritage." The Community...
Last year after fair ended that was it for events thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and then everyone waited with bated breath to see if students would indeed be returning to the classroom. This year, fair week has just ended and August is just gearing up with events and activities in Washakie, Hot Springs and Big Horn counties and Worland schools announced that students will be in the classrooms, starting the year without a mask mandate. If you think it’s been a quiet summer, you have missed a lot but August is packed full of fun, starting t...
WORLAND — Washakie County has seen a slight uptick in COVID-19 cases over the past month. Washakie County had 0 active cases on June 15 and as of Monday had 7 active lab-confirmed cases. On Tuesday the number of active was down to 3. The number of total lab-confirmed cases went from 724 on July 15 to 739 on Monday, July 26. During the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020, Washakie County has had 739 lab-confirmed and 206 probable cases of COVID-19 and 26 deaths. Probable cases are residents who had positive antigen tests or are s...
The Washakie County Fair is in full swing which got me to thinking about the time and effort volunteers put into making the fair happen. Yes, there are individuals who are paid to help with the fair in so far as it is part of the overall job description including Fair office staff during the week, 4-H educator, FFA advisors, Washakie County building maintenance staff, event judges, those who contract for pig wrestling, rodeos and monster truck events. But when it comes down to it, without the many volunteers, fair week would likely not happen....
WORLAND — The City of Worland is issuing seven citations to Clayton Draggoo, owner of Veile Mortuary this week after it was discovered he was installing a crematory at the mortuary location on Eighth Street without valid permits or zoning. Building Official Randy Adams reported to the Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission that Draggoo had declined to attend Monday’s meeting after a written request by Mayor Jim Gill. Draggoo initially approached the city council on Feb. 5 about his proposal for a crematory and was referred to Adams and...
When Vietnam veterans returned home from active duty they were not greeted with parades or “thank-yous’ or even a “welcome home.” At the time, anti-war sentiment was taken out on those who served this great country. Next week on Monday and Wednesday we can change all that and welcome home one of Worland’s own, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Alva Ray Krogman of the 504th Tactical Air Support Squadron. Most everyone knows the story, Krogman was shot down over Ban Kok Mak, Laos on January 17, 1967. Krogman was initially listed as missing in action an...
TEN SLEEP — The second earthquake in four months south of Ten Sleep struck about 3:17 p.m. Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey website. The quake measured 4. 1 magnitude 42 kilometers south of Ten Sleep (14 miles) with a depth of 14.4 kilometers (8.9 miles). No damage was reported but several people reported feeling the quake. Nikki Erickson said the quake’s epicenter was near her home. Erin Blutt reported hearing and feeling the earthquake. The previous quake this year was 9 kilometers further south of Ten Sleep on Apr...
In journalism you are taught to get the who, what, where, when, why and how. With so many avenues to get information in today’s world I began thinking about those questions and a few things recently made me realize that for today’s newspapers, the biggest question we need to answer is why? At a recent meeting of the Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission, there were several why questions broached. Why was the setback for permanent structures 20 feet? Why was the maximum height of a fence six feet? Building Official Randy Adams could ans...
WORLAND – July 1 is when most bills approved by the Wyoming Legislature go into effect and this year is no different. Among the many bills that go into effect are the new voter identification law and conceal carry. House Enrolled Act 70 updated the Wyoming statute on residency requirements for concealed carry. Under current law a person may carry a firearm in a concealed manner without a permit of the person meets certain requirements, according to the bill summary by the Legislative Service Office. One of the requirements is state residency o...
So I had two main themes planned for this column this week and well then something funny happened last night, well funny, endearing and just cute. When we adopted Tigger and Fluffy several months ago from New Hope Humane Society in addition to them getting use to their new home we needed to introduce them to our two dogs. Our dogs were used to Chuck and Buddy (RIP) but these were two new furry kitties. Fluffy, Shadow and Ivy seemed to hit it off right away but Tigger has been more cautious about everything and well to be honest he scared...
WORLAND – The Worland Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission approved one variance and tabled another for Veile Mortuary in Worland. Veile Mortuary was seeking a variance to extend the roof of the mortuary 12 feet along Culbertson Avenue. The extension is part of renovations that have been ongoing and includes a new entryway off of Culbertson. Building Official Randy Adams said that the extension is considered permanent structure and posts would be within the city right-of-way which is not...
TEN SLEEP - The Brokenback Creek Fire that started out as a half-acre fire quickly blew up to 1,300 acres in about five hours on Tuesday. Ten Sleep Fire Department was dispatched at 11:19 to the initial fire call that is now being handled by Bureau of Land Management with assistance from the Washakie County firefighters and Bighorn National Forest firefighters. The Brokenback Creek Fire is burning in grass and brush about five miles northwest of Ten Sleep near the Tensleep–Hyattville Road, a...
WORLAND — The Worland City Council heard from three citizens on three different issues at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Two of the citizens had concerns to bring forward to the council. Christina Smith had written a letter to the Northern Wyoming News (published June 10) and sent a similar letter to Mayor Jim Gill regarding one landlord with four housing units increasing rent by $200. Gill invited Smith to speak to the council. She said just because raising rent is legal she doesn’t like this becoming a standard and was concerned other...
WORLAND - The City of Worland is asking the public to help pick up items in the cemetery that are not secured in order for city crews to more efficiently and effectively maintain the cemetery grounds. Public Works Superintendent Nick Kruger said in an interview last week that the city has allowed people to put decorations on and around headstones during holidays but have asked people to pick them up after a specific timeframe. However, people have been leaving decorations up year round and that...
WORLAND — Spearheaded by retired firefighter Mike St Clair, a committee began working last week on a program for the 20th anniversary of 9-11. On September 11, 2001, four commercial airplanes were hijacked and sent to various targets in the United States. Two planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane crashed into the U.S. Pentagon Building near Washington, D.C., and a fourth plane was intercepted from the hijackers and crash-landed in rural Pennsylvania. There were 2,977 people from across the globe k...
WORLAND — The Washakie County Fair Board finalized the 2021 fair schedule with a few community events added to this year’s schedule. This year’s fair, July 24-31, includes the usual lineup of 4-H and FFA shows, live music Wednesday through Saturday, a youth and fair rodeo, pig wrestling and Monster Trucks. Three new events have been added this year — a Burger Bash, a youth water balloon event and a paint and pottery event. The Burger Bash will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 29. Teams will grill up their favorite burger (making 12 for judges...
WORLAND - Brigadier General Justin Walrath, Chief of Staff of the Wyoming Air National Guard, personalized Memorial Day to those gathered for services in Worland and in Ten Sleep on Monday. Speaking Monday morning to those gathered at the Riverview Memorial Gardens, Walrath opened his remarks stating, "It's great to be back in the Big Horn Basin. These small towns of the Basin remind me so much of my youth. The people here, teachers, coaches, pastors, my parents set my moral compass. Hard work...
WORLAND — After discussing a request from a father to keep caution signs up alerting drivers in a two-block area on Charles Avenue about a deaf child, the council forwarded the issue to the city traffic safety commission. The signs are at 12th and Charles headed west and 10th and Charles heading east. The city received a letter complaining about one of the signs potentially being on private property. Public Works Superintendent Nick Kruger said he surveyed the area and the sign in question in the letter is on city property. The father making t...
There is the saying that membership has it’s privileges and I am taking advantage of that today. While we do not allow letters of thank you I am taking the time to say thank you to the person who dropped goodies off at our office on Tuesday. The note was simple, “Just want to say thank you for all your hard work and dedication during these difficult times. Please enjoy these goodies and know your community appreciates you.” While I do not know for certain but I imagine we are not the only business receiving such a warm, thoughtful care package....
WORLAND - The recent incident of a Gillette man who reportedly caught himself on fire when he was smoking a cigarette while wearing an oxygen nasal cannula is not uncommon, but the risk can be greatly reduced, according to Washakie County Fire Warden Chris Kocher. Kocher said the State Fire Marshal's Office and fire chiefs around the state met several years ago and looked at the data in Wyoming. One of the highest risk for fatality due to fire was from oxygen-smoking related fatalities. "We sat...
You turn on the TV, scroll through social media, listen to conversations at the grocery store or over coffee and you hear and see the divisiveness that exists in our world today. On Monday, there is something that everyone should agree on, everyone should observe and celebrate no matter party affiliation, religion, race, gender or any other thing that may divide us. What is that? It is the observance of Memorial Day. Memorial Day, first established as Decoration Day following the Civil War, the holiday was set aside for families and friends to...
WORLAND - Family business opens on main street, finding a new home for screen and embroidery apparel printing. Sarah Lungren said she was needing a new challenge and started looking for new opportunities. She began talking to Signs of Sutherland, who closed the apparel shop in March 2020. Once they reached a deal for the equipment she and her husband Clint began looking for a building and they found it at 824 Big Horn Avenue. Fence Post Prints opened in mid March but Lungren said they began...
It’s time to hand out a few kudos. First, kudos to the “merry month of May.” I don’t know if May is necessarily merry but it is busy. That’s a good thing and this year it definitely does make May merry. Last week we covered the Washakie Prevention Coalition Drug-Free Community Walk, the Chief Washakie FFA banquet, Worland Middle School spring music finale, street vendor day, Washakie Museum STEAM Saturday, Worland High School graduation parade and WHS graduation and the Cloud Peak Counseling Mental Health Event to end the stigma of mental he...
WORLAND - The message was short, simple but serious - to remove the stigma attached to those who receive help for mental health issues and illnesses, as well as to raise awareness for mental health, to start the conversation and be available as community members for those who might need help. That message from Cloud Peak Counseling Director Mary Johnson started off the first Mental Health Event Friday morning. The hope for the event was to begin to rid society of the stigma attached to those...