Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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The Wind River Family and Community Health Center in Arapaho no longer resembles the bustling family clinic it operated as once upon a time before COVID-19. Tents and a trailer have popped up outside, and the bulk of clinic activity now takes place in the parking lot, where physicians and staff in protective suits, masks, visors and gloves greet patients in their cars, assess their health or test them for COVID-19. And test they do. The clinic, which like most facilities in Wyoming was initially hampered by testing supply shortages, has...
CHEYENNE - Nationwide, there's been a decrease in the number of people seeking timely treatment for heart attacks and strokes, and the trend is being seen locally at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. There's about a 40% reduction in stroke and heart attack patients coming to hospitals nationwide, according to a Medscape article. Dr. Jessica Hughes, CRMC Emergency Department medical director, said the ER has seen about a 50% decrease in patients overall, including a 40% reduction in stroke and heart attack patients. The ER is used to seeing...
Do you want to make history? You already are! The Wyoming State Archives and State Museum, the University of Wyoming American Heritage Center (AHC), and Wyoming State Historical Society are working together to encourage you to consider how you would tell future historians about your experiences and memories of this unusual time. Do you keep a journal or a blog? Have you created your own mask for making essential trips outdoors? Are you creating artworks or craft projects to commemorate or pass the time? Are you talking on Facebook or Instagram...
CASPER — Futures prices for oil fell into the negatives for the first time in recorded history Monday, further straining a Wyoming economy already reeling from months of price declines, continuing strife in the coal industry and the shutdown of numerous businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. West Texas Intermediate oil contracts for the month of May plunged nearly 300 percent to nearly negative $38 per barrel ahead of Tuesday’s expiration date to purchase May contracts — one of the largest price drops in history. Prices are likely to rebou...
Four Deaths Added to Wyoming’s Coronavirus-Related Count Four Fremont County residents, all previously identified as laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, have died, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). The newly confirmed deaths include an older man, older woman, adult woman and adult man. Each had been hospitalized. Two of the four had existing conditions that put them at higher risk of serious illness related to the virus. There have been 320 confirmed and 116 probable cases reported so far from a...
LARAMIE – With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to infect people every day, people are still being encouraged to stay at home as much as possible. But there’s one errand that’s still essential: Grocery shopping. Although there is an increased usage of grocery delivery services from various chains and apps like Instacart, most people still will have to make some type of grocery run before Gov. Mark Gordon’s orders to limit gatherings of more than 10 people is expected to be lifted at the end of the month. To help mitigate time spent in the sto...
SHERIDAN — A recent survey from the University of Wyoming indicates about one-quarter of state residents believe the worst of the pandemic crisis has passed in the U.S., while nearly half say the worst is yet to come. The proportion of those who believe the worst is on its way declined from more than two-thirds in early April. The survey included nearly 500 state residents across all Wyoming counties. A consistent 10% have not altered their daily routines at all since the pandemic struck, compared to more than half who have made significant c...
JACKSON — In an ordinary summer a destination park as famous as Yellowstone brings on some 500 seasonal employees, about tripling its staff, to help handle the crush of 4-million-plus tourists drawn from around the world. In a world changed by the threat of an infectious pandemic, that influx of employees will be whittled down to approximately 200 seasonal employees — a 60% reduction, at least in the early summer. The reason is that those seasonal staffers will each be given their own bedroom and bathroom, a restriction meant to prevent spread...
As COVID-19-related costs mount for utilities, regulators are considering just how ratepayers will ultimately settle the bill. State orders in response to the pandemic currently authorize electricity and natural-gas suppliers to waive fees and suspend disconnects, but utilities still expect payment in-full at some point in the future. Regulated utilities are also asking the Wyoming Public Service Commission for permission to charge interest on deferred payments. “Those bills will still be due and payable when the moratorium on disconnections is...
WORLAND — Washakie County Emergency Medical Services has seen a decrease in the number of calls over the past month, according to Director Luke Sypherd. In an interview Monday regarding the EMS responses to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), Sypherd said people have and can continue to expect to see the emergency medical technicians wearing more personal protective equipment. “EMTs will be wearing more frequently masks, eye protection and gowns, to ensure they remain safe and unaffected by the virus. We need these responders to be hea...
WORLAND – Wyoming first lady Jennie Gordon came up to Worland from Cheyenne as a part of her Wyoming Hunger Initiative, and volunteered to help sign-in residents from the area seeking support and food through an unprecedented pandemic that has struck the country and impacted Wyoming residents. The Wyoming Hunger Initiative was started by Gordon in October of 2019 to help address childhood hunger issues in the Cowboy State. However, with the recent rise of coronavirus the goal of the initiative h...
As part of its continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Range Companies – Range Telephone Cooperative, Inc., RT Communications, Inc., and Dubois Telephone Exchange, Inc. – are coordinating with school districts in their subscriber areas to identify students who have a need for internet service in order to continue their education at home. The Range Companies are providing free installation and internet service to those K-12 and college student’s households through June 12, 2020. “We understand remote learning is necessary to help slow t...
WORLAND – Washakie County schools along with schools all across the state have begun the transition to "alternative learning," which has resulted in schools in Washakie County School Districts No. 1 and No. 2 to transition to mostly distance or adapted learning. Both schools have adapted their learning plans due to the recent spread of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in Wyoming and across the country, and have since begun the transition to primarily online learning as requested by the s...
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has submitted a request to President Trump asking for a major disaster declaration for Wyoming. The declaration would allow all 23 of Wyoming’s counties and the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes to access funding and services for crucial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Though Wyoming has not reached the dire situations of some states, this declaration will help us to prepare and mobilize resources when we need them,” Governor Gordon said. “I look forward to a swift response to our reque...
Coronavirus cases up to 239, Gordon asks for limit on fishing licenses Compiled from Wyoming News Exchange newspapers The number of coronavirus cases in Wyoming grew to 239 on Thursday, with Niobrara County seeing its first case. The Wyoming Department of Health, in its daily update on confirmed cases in the state, said nine new cases were detected Thursday in five counties, including the first in Niobrara County. Teton County saw its cases increase by five for a new total of 50. Johnson, Laramie and Uinta counties also each saw their case tota...
When the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) gets a positive test result, the provider who submitted the test and the local public health office are notified right away. The provider then notifies the patient. The WDH epidemiology staff or county public health staff interview the positive individual by phone. The interviewers strive to complete case interviews immediately following the notification of a positive test result. In some rare instances, this can be difficult. For example, patients who are hospitalized and intubated may not be able...
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon will sign a proclamation tomorrow declaring Friday, April 10, 2020 a Day of Prayer in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The day of prayer is cross-denominational with the intent to unify people of many faiths during the crisis. “Across all faiths and beliefs, we can all come together at this time of year to find a sense of peace and purpose,” Governor Gordon said. “I invite our leaders and citizens to pray that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, our soldiers and their familie...
Program director says Wyoming needy face obstacles to getting COVID-19 relief checks Individuals with adjusted gross incomes of up to $75,000 will receive $1,200 relief checks due to the coronavirus pandemic, but some low-income people or those without internet may need help in getting theirs, said the director of a University of Wyoming program that helps income-qualifying residents. “Most Wyomingites could use some extra cash even in the best of times,” said Mindy Meuli, program director of the Cent$ible Nutrition Program in the Uni...
With coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacting many aspects of daily life, the Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) wants residents to remember it’s important to reduce stress of parents and adults in the household. “Parenting can be extremely stressful,” according to Ed Heimer, Field Administrator and licensed clinical social worker with DFS. “Especially with the additional stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic.” To reduce stress, it’s important to have a routine. Sticking to an exercise routine will provide consistency in everyday li...
University of Wyoming students facing internet difficulties to access online courses can utilize Wi-Fi in parking lots of UW Extension offices across the state. Parking lot Wi-Fi is being offered in 14 counties and the Wind River Indian Reservation. Extension director Kelly Crane said Wi-Fi access in parking areas is often provided through cooperative agreements with county commissioners. UW closed its Laramie campus to the public in mid-March following spring break and required all courses be...
A hospitalized Johnson County man previously identified as being infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has died, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). The older man had health conditions that put him at higher risk of severe illness and complications related to COVID-19. There have been 275 confirmed and 98 probable cases reported so far from across Wyoming. This is the first reported death associated with the pandemic in the state. “This is a sad development we hoped we wouldn’t see in Wyoming and we want this per...
GILLETTE — So far during the coronavirus pandemic in Campbell County, eight of the 11 people who been confirmed positive for coronavirus have recovered. No one has been hospitalized because of COVID-19 yet. But the worst is yet to come, especially if the community lets down its guard, CCH officials say. There are several models that predict the spread of the novel coronavirus, and most of them project that Wyoming’s surge will start the last week of April and peak in the first or second week of May, said Dr. Nick Stamato, chief of medical sta...
RIVERTON — Wyoming’s recovery from the economic fallout caused by coronavirus will depend on mindset, says State Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander. “It’ll be hard to come back fast, and it’ll be a fairly long process,” said Case, who has a doctorate in economics and has long presided over the state senate’s revenue committee. “The longer you’re closed, the longer it is to get everybody back, and get your business back.” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon dispatched three orders this month closing public gathering spaces and close-contact businesses until at...
With a goal of supplementing the ongoing work of the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a “Community Protection Initiative” team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has arrived in the state for a temporary mission. Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH, said she invited the CDC team to supplement the work her staff is doing to help slow and limit the spread of COVID-19 in Wyoming. “The CDC indicated an interest in directing some of their...
Wyoming’s Second Coronavirus-Related Death Confirmed The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is announcing the death of a hospitalized Laramie County man previously identified as a laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case. The older man represents Wyoming’s second reported death associated with COVID-19. There have been 287 confirmed and 105 probable cases reported so far from across Wyoming. “Unfortunately, we have seen this disease touch another Wyoming family in the worst way,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health...