Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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The highlight of the Sept. 5 meeting of the Ten Sleep Town Council was the approval of an amendment to a contract between the Town of Ten Sleep and HDR Engineering Inc. from Gillette. The contract for the project of extending the water/sewer network in the town was set to award just under $50,000 for the initial phase of the project. The new amendment, which will go into effect at the time of project completion, adds $359,250 to the contract and brings the engineering cost to $489,186. Mayor Ernie Beckley said the total cost of the project is...
Like many who travel through Ten Sleep, Grace Kienzle mused on what it would be like to live in such a place. She said, "My now husband and I went on a trip to Yellowstone last August, and we drove through Ten Sleep on our way. As soon as we got here, I said 'Oh my gosh, where are we? I want to live here.'" Fate would have it that Kienzle would do exactly that when she accepted the position of K-12 music educator at the Ten Sleep School for the 2023-2024 school year. A 2023 graduate of Dakota...
The Circle J Ranch is currently host to a unique group of volunteers; retirement-aged members of the Methodist Church from across the country are spending three weeks doing summer projects for the ranch. The ranch had two projects that it wanted done ahead of the Apple Fest on Sept. 30 – painting and repairs to the boys dormitory and constructing stairs at one of the ranch's entrances – and they brought in the NOMADS to get them done. Project Leader Suzanne Cronin, a volunteer from Texas, explai...
A team of researchers led by Dr. Larry Loendorf recently completed the field work for a project to record and categorize superimposed rock art at Medicine Lodge Archaeological Site. Having worked in archaeology for 60 years, Loendorf believes that time is of the essence in his field. Whether it be natural erosion or human activity, rock art is disappearing and being destroyed at an incredible rate. For this reason, 12 years ago Loendorf started Sacred Sites Research, a nonprofit organization ded...
Approved as the sole certified staffing change of the August 28 meeting of the Washakie County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees meeting, Worland alumni Connor Warner will return as an elementary extended learning instructor. Warner will also be serving as an assistant football coach. Warner has experience playing football at the collegiate level, having played defensive back at Dickinson State University. COMMUNICATIONS Hayden Reichel graduated late after completing his graduation requirements. Omar Deniz was recognized late for having...
The Board of Directors of the Washakie Medical Center held office elections during their meeting on August 22 which resulted in no changes from the previous term. Dean Carrell was re-elected as president, Sheri Gunderson remains vice president, Bryony Volin remains board secretary and Ryan Baumeister is treasurer. Each officer obtained unanimous votes from their fellow board members. FINANCIALS Washakie Medical Center reported $3.8 million in gross revenue for the month of July, down $700,000 from July of 2022, according to Banner Health Chief...
To those who know her, it came as no surprise that Desiree Ross found herself entered to compete in the Face of Horror contest. Surrounded by costumes and trinkets in her store, Second Treasures in Worland, Ross explained the details of the contest. This contest consists of over a month worth of rounds of fans from across the country voting for their favorite contestant, judging from pictures and responses to questions that they submit to their profile. After nine rounds, the grand prize winner...
James Seckman was present at the Aug. 14 Washakie County School District No. 2 meeting to deliver a report to the board on the results of the annual audit for the fiscal year 2022-2023. Seckman said that he was able to identify no major issues in the audit, and expressed that the results were positive overall. One issue that did come up as a possible point for improvement in Ten Sleep School employees was “segregation of duties,” a concept that is difficult to practice in a small district, he noted. NEW SCHOOL UPDATE In an update on the new...
The 22nd Nowoodstock Festival, a music event held every year in the summer in Ten Sleep, will take place this weekend. “We’ve got an awesome lineup again this year,” said Kurt Steinke, assistant festival director. He added, “We have an excellent lineup, including local acts but also some nationwide bands. Davina and the Vagabonds are kind of our headliners this year.” According to the band’s website, “Davina Sowers and the Vagabonds have created a stir on the national music scene with their high-energy live shows, level A musicianship,...
Although volunteers and law enforcement have been unable to locate Breanna Mitchell, after nearly two weeks of searching Washakie County Sheriff Austin Brookwell said that he and his team have learned the value of having a mobile command center for just such scenarios. He told the commissioners at Tuesday’s regular meeting that having a designated place to coordinate drone flights and interagency rescue operations would be a huge improvement for them. For this reason, he and Washakie County Homeland Security/Emergency Management Director K...
After over eight years with the University of Wyoming Extension Office, Caitlin Youngquist has left her position as an agriculture and horticulture educator. Youngquist worked for most of her career with the Extension Office in the Northwest area, consisting of Park, Big Horn, Washakie and Hot Spring counties. Associate Director of the University of Wyoming Extension Office Bridger Feuz said, “Caitlin offered a broad spectrum of programming in both agriculture and horticulture with special emphasis on soil health and management. University o...
Rattlesnake Ridge, a band comprised of Worland residents, will provide the opening entertainment Saturday night at the Washakie County Fair ahead of an incredible special guest from Nashville, Tennessee: country singer/songwriter Deana Carter. Carter on behalf of her and her team said, “We’re so excited to see you guys, we’re gonna have a big time in a beautiful place. Come ready to have fun and sing your heart out.” Over the course of her music career, she’s grown accustomed to playing for stadiums and arenas – a far cry from the Grass Stage o...
The budget hearing of the Washakie County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees on July 19 was brief, but the general fund amount of $3,614,275 was announced and adopted by the board. The school’s business administrator Rachel Casteel prefaced this number by saying that all numbers discussed in the meeting were still preliminary and subject to change. Superintendent Annie Griffin said, “We will have further conversations in August when more information is available.” Recreational funds were announced to be $37,000, for the purpose of maint...
Pretty Punchy, a country-western band comprised of brother and sister Levi and Jess Klemm, will take the stage at the Washakie County Fair on July 27 at 8 p.m. The pair plays acoustic guitar and sing, usually alternating on who gets to take lead every other song. Levi said you can expect from them smooth harmonies from 1970s, '80s and even '90s country-western songs that many will know, as well as some lesser known ones. He added, "We have a handful of our songs that we'll perform, but mainly...
The Washakie County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees approved the fiscal year 2023-2024 budget at the regular monthly meeting Monday. Chief Operations Officer Charlie Cauffman shared that the total appropriations for the district for the period of July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 would be $46,544,293. The funds are categorized as follows: General Fund: $24,535,000 Special Revenue (Grant) Fund: $4,181,000 Major Maintenance Fund: $3,354,988 Capital Construction Fund: $4,499,867 Debt Service Fund: $2,192,683 Recreation District Fund: $648,002...
Worland had its first farmers market of the year on July 8, with offerings including a free pancake breakfast and products for sale from local growers and artisans. Many Worland natives came out to partake in the market, as did several visitors. One such visitor was none other than U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming). He was treated to a pancake and sausage links and then spoke with the public. In between mingling, he paused for a brief interview with the Northern Wyoming News. He said that...
Most notable of the events of the June 27 meeting of the Washakie Medical Center Board of Trustees was the introduction of a new board member who stepped in to fill the vacancy left by Kurt Johnson when he moved away. Jacquelyn Dennis, assistant curator at the Washakie Museum & Cultural Center, was selected by the Washakie County Commissioners as the newest member of the hospital board. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2021 and relocated to Worland in 2022 with her husband Connor Dennis, who works as a music educator for...
A highlight of the June 26 meeting of the Washakie County School Board No. 1 Board of Trustees was the hiring of coaching staff for the spring season of the 2023-2024 school year. Tracey Wiley was rehired as the head coach for high school outdoor track. Rob Woffinden, Tammy Montoya, Ryan Utterback and Amber Tibbits were rehired as assistant coaches for high school outdoor track. Ron Overcast was rehired as the head coach for high school boys soccer. Zach Lempka was rehired as assistant coach for high school boys soccer. Jesus Davila was...
Although summer is upon us, the communications between Worland law enforcement and school staff are as strong as ever. According to a statement made jointly by the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office and Worland Police Department, shortly after 10 a.m. on June 7, a 22-year-old male subject placed on a Title 25 hold was being treated at The Lighthouse, a residential mental health facility in Worland, and left the facility on foot after making threats of harming himself. (A Title 25 hold is defined by the Wyoming Department of Health as an e...
Seven Worland High School students competed at the National Speech and Debate competition June 11-16 in Phoenix, Arizona. Tessa Barnhill and Lucy Martinson competed together on a World Schools team, Lexani Damiano and Chase Johnson competed in cross-examination debate, Myles Lass competed in extemporaneous debate, Justice Nelson competed in original oratory and Jorden Valli competed in pro/con debate. They were chaperoned by assistant coach Emily Myers and head coach Rick Dorn during the trip....
Andrea Cooley, a fourth grade teacher at West Side Elementary, was selected by the Washakie County School District No. 1 Board as the 2023 Master Teacher Award winner and was presented the award at the May 22 board meeting. "It's such an honor to be acknowledged," said Cooley. This award is given annually by the school board to recognize a teacher within the district that has gone beyond their calling as an educator. Through her 12-year career in Worland, Cooley has shown continued dedication...
Looking back over his time spent teaching and administrating in Washakie County School District No. 1, Randy Durr said, "It's gone fast, it's just incredible how quick that's gone." In November 2022, Durr declared that he would be retiring from his position at Worland High School. His retirement was approved to be granted effective the end of the contract year, in the summer of 2023. Rather than retire, however, he has accepted the role of Superintendent of the school district in Harlowton,...
Banner Washakie Medical Center CEO Jay Stallings shared at the May 23 meeting of the Board of Trustees that the week of May 15 was a national celebration for both hospitals and nurses. Washakie Medical Center held events and honored individuals to show support to their health care workers. Awards and their winners were: Contribution to Patients – Rosanne De La Rosa Nurse Leadership – Brandy Kottman Contribution to Profession – Keith Van Brunt Contribution to Society – Shelly Ramos Friend of Nursing – Jen Buckman De La Rosa was also recognize...
Ten Sleep graduating senior Eli Mitchell won first place in architectural drafting at the Wyoming SkillsUSA competition in April. Mitchell was a part of a five-member team that competed for Ten Sleep under the direction of career technical education teacher Jason Thoren. The team competed in Casper April 24- 26 at the Wyoming SkillsUSA Competition, an event with more than 700 competitors and over 50 categories held to test the abilities of vocational students from across the state. The...
There was no shortage of award-winners or recognitions at the May 22 meeting of the Washakie County School District No. 1 board of trustees. The meeting began by recognizing Paul Ramos as the recipient of the Bell Ringer Award. This award is given annually to a person who gives outstanding contributions to the district behind the scenes. Ramos, who was the keynote speaker of the 2021 graduation ceremony, never hesitates to try and make a difference in the lives of students at the high school. Soon after, West Side teacher Andrea Cooley was...