The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming
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Crook County has joined the call for the U.S. Forest Service to rethink its draft assessments for the revised Black Hills National Forest Plan. A comment letter submitted by the county commissioners touts "significant concerns" with the science used to create the drafts, and with the level of public input solicited so far. "I think we probably have some of the most comprehensive comments that will be submitted," commented Dru Palmer of Dru Consulting, who prepared the 21-page letter on behalf of...
A fire burning in steep, rugged terrain on Iron Mountain, seven miles south of Sundance, had grown to 6500 acres by Tuesday afternoon after expanding overnight as high winds caused it to run past the control lines. At time of going to press, the fire was zero percent contained with no estimate as to when it would be brought under control. "Exact longevity is hard to tell at this point," said incident commander Timothy Sherwin on Tuesday morning. The cause of the Fish Wildfire is under...
A male subject with an active Wyoming warrant was shot and killed by law enforcement on Saturday morning after two shootouts took place on I-90 near Sundance. According to the Crook County Sheriff’s Office, the subject was contacted by a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper on Saturday night at around 10:10 p.m., as he was walking along I-90 near milepost 184. The trooper learned that there was an active warrant for the subject’s arrest. The trooper immediately called for backup from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and the subject was advis...
A full burn ban will be in effect across the county beginning July 22. Fire Warden Doug Leis sought the blessing of the Crook County Commissioners last week to implement the restrictions, anticipating that what started as a moisture-filled summer may turn more dangerous in the coming weeks. "Everybody has been really enjoying this nice, green grass – and a lot of it – but it's just going to be a lot more to burn when it dries out," Leis explains. After a long period of drought, this will cha...
At a special meeting last week, the commissioners appointed Melissa Jones as the new Crook County Clerk. The commission followed the statutory rules governing the appointment of a replacement for an elected official who resigns their position before the end of a term. This involves asking the elected officials political party – in this case the Crook County Republican Party – to provide the names of three candidates for their consideration. Brad Marchant attended the special meeting in his capacity as chairman of the local party, which had con...
Can Crook County control its own future without zoning? This question has been troubling the Crook County Commissioners, who dedicated time on Wednesday for further discussion on the problem of large-acre parcels and subdivisions cropping up with little opportunity for input from the county. However, it’s unlikely the commission will consider moving forward on zoning until the soon-to-be-approved large-acre subdivision rules have been given a chance to solve ongoing concerns about lack of oversight on new development. The Process The new l...
No matter who wins at this year’s elections, the Crook County Courthouse is set to see some significant changes. As candidate filing closes for the year, several incumbents within the county offices have opted not to run for another term. Running for the first time – all unopposed on the Republican ballot – will be Julie Altaffer for Clerk of District Court, Tammy Jundt for Crook County Treasurer, Dan Thomas for Crook County Assessor and Melissa Jones for Crook County Clerk. Also unopposed are two courthouse incumbents. Jeff Hodge will run a...
A draft of the proposed new rules for large acreage subdivisions has been made available ahead of a public hearing with the Crook County Land Use Planning and Zoning Commission. Following the hearing, the commission will vote on whether to recommend the Crook County Commissioners schedule their own public hearing to approve and adopt the new rules. The purpose of the proposed rules, which applies to subdivisions that include parcels between 35 and 140 acres in size, is to establish “standards and procedures for the protection of the common i...
The majority of Wyoming residents feel our schools don’t prepare children for the future, according to Governor Mark Gordon’s education advisory group. A public survey that garnered over 7000 responses – including 326 from Crook County – saw 59% of people answer “no” to the question. School district employees were the most likely to believe the way Wyoming educates its kids prepares them for the future at 48%, followed by parents and guardians at 44%, while concerned citizens were the least likely at just 29%. Just 33% of former and current...
A Moorcroft man will serve up to ten years for aggravated assault and battery after allegedly ramming a woman’s truck into a power pole. On April 17, 2020, a Moorcroft Police Officer was dispatched for a domestic violence call and advised that a couple was fighting in their yard. The officer reported that the male subject, later identified as Nathan Schuerman, rammed the truck the female was driving into a power pole and left the scene, before later returning. When the officer arrived, he observed a male subject and instructed him to walk o...
Just as the year's tourist season gets underway for the Vore Buffalo Jump, the historical site plans to invite members of the public to attend an open house event on June 4. Whether you've never had the chance to visit or would be interested to see how excavations are progressing, the Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation (VBJF) invites you to join archaeologists and site hosts for a tour and a chance to experience the fun activities offered during field trips. The open house will be free to the public...
Three local candidates have thrown their names in the hat for the upcoming elections, aiming to vie for Crook County’s two seats in the Wyoming State Legislature. Senator Ogden Driskill announced he will stand again for Senate District 1, saying he will run on his past record and “with a promise of continued leadership in keeping Wyoming strong.” If elected, he says this will be his last term. “I have a proven track record of accomplishing things – not just hollow promises,” he says. “Many who are in this role become frustrated as being an e...
Sticking close to home again when making his decision, Governor Mark Gordon has selected Crook County Deputy Attorney Lynda R. Bush as the Sixth Judicial District’s next Circuit Court Judge. “I want to thank Governor Gordon for the honor of this appointment, and I look forward to serving the citizens of Crook and Weston Counties,” Bush said. Bush was selected from a list of three candidates that were submitted to the governor by the Judicial Nominating Commission for his consideration. Also on the list were Jacqueline K. Brown of Casper and N...
What began as a thunderstorm on Friday evening ended in the most significant blizzard so far this season, bringing travel to a standstill, canceling events and cutting power in some places across the area. It turned out to be a much more severe blizzard than many had been expecting. According to the National Weather Service, a low pressure system approached the plains on Friday, pushing warm, moist air ahead of it. This caused thunderstorms to develop on Friday evening, which became severe in...
The Vital Statistics Services division of the Wyoming Department of Health has released data showing that 2021 was a second year of unprecedented death rates in this state. However, there were also more births and marriages in Wyoming, and fewer divorces. A total of 6572 deaths were recorded in 2021 and 5986 in 2020. For context, 2019 saw a lower death rate of 5122. Specific figures for Crook County in 2021 were not available at time of going to press. However, local death rates did show a considerable jump in 2020 with 106 deaths recorded, as...
Law enforcement in Crook County is facing three new – and very concerning – trends. According to Sheriff Jeff Hodge, there have been local increases in the use of fentanyl, suicide threats among the youth and the need to employ force during arrests. “Some of the trends I think people are not aware of – and, if they’re not, they should be,” he said last week. Fentanyl Fentanyl, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine. It was developed for pain management...
County level elected officials have requested that the Crook County Commissioners consider granting them a pay increase for the next four-year period. County Attorney Joe Baron spoke to the issue, citing issues including competition with private industry, retention and cost of living as arguments for making the increase. “Every four years, the board of commissioners has to set salaries for elected officials,” he said. This process cannot happen once an elected official is instituted; it must be complete before they take office. The Wyoming Leg...
Karey Hedlund of Moorcroft appeared in District Court last week to present a motion demanding more specific details of the times and dates of the child abuse she is alleged to have committed. Her lawyer, Steven J. Titus, argued that trying to build a defense based on accusations that span six years is akin to finding “a needle in six years’ worth of hay.” Hedlund entered a plea of not guilty in January to 16 charges of child abuse and one of aggravated assault and battery. Titus argued, based on precedent from previous Wyoming cases, that...
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will once again be holding public open houses around the county this month to discuss the proposed hunting seasons for 2022. Meetings are scheduled in both Sundance and Hulett and comments will be accepted until April 1. The first of the two meetings will take place in Sundance on March 21 in the courthouse basement from 4 to 6 p.m. The next day, March 22, the Greater Hulett Community Center will host a meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The intent is to gather public input on general hunting regulations, as...
Mary Kuhl was given a deferred sentence on Friday for crimes related to misconduct during her time as county treasurer. She will serve two years of supervised probation as part of a plea agreement, after which the charges will be expunged from her record. Kuhl originally pled “not guilty” to one felony charge of unauthorized use of monies, as well as to one misdemeanor count of official misconduct and two misdemeanor counts of issuing false certificate. The allegations against her included that she listed a customer’s license plate tabs as lost...
Alexandra Hansen, an artist from Aladdin, invites the community to an elegant event this March that aims to introduce the work of new artists from around the Midwest. The Black Hills Art Gala will take place at the Matthews Opera House in Spearfish. Hansen, a wildlife artist, is among the talent that will be showcased in the event. "I organized this art gala in an effort to bring a few new artists to the area," she says. "It's a beautiful variety of artists from Nebraska, Colorado, Montana,...
A Moorcroft resident was killed on Tuesday in a vehicle crash that took place on the interstate near Moorcroft. The crash occurred when a passenger vehicle collided with a semi truck that was experiencing engine troubles. The incident took place at around 8:58 a.m. on February 22, at milepost 162 eastbound. A semi truck combination was traveling eastbound in the right lane at around 30 to 40 mph with its hazard lights activated due to engine troubles, says Lt. Tim Boumeester, Wyoming Highway Patrol. A passenger vehicle was also traveling...
A South Dakota man faces a barrage of felony and misdemeanor charges after a high-speed chase near Moorcroft on Thursday, which led to the alleged discovery of controlled substances and forgery devices in his vehicle. On February 17 at around 8 a.m., a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper responded to a vehicle pursuit near milepost 118 on I-90 eastbound. The trooper was in Moorcroft at the time the pursuit began and headed west to reach the location, looking for a bridge deck where he could set spikes for the fleeing vehicle. Before he found one,...
The county commissioners selected two projects to benefit from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding last week: an E-911 system for the Sheriff’s Office and a communications tower to boost the signal to the radios used by emergency responders. Time was set aside on the monthly agenda to discuss dispersing the county’s ARPA funds now that the final rules are available, which dictate exactly how the money can be spent. The funds were issued in response to COVID-19, which means the allowable uses all relate in some way to the issues caused by th...
State statistics released last week reveal that Crook County School District (CCSD) continued to maintain its record of higher-than-average graduation rates during the 2020-21 school year. Across the county’s three high schools, the graduation rate was 87.2%. This compares favorably to the state average of 82.4%. “We continue to be above the state average but our goal is always to have 100% of our students succeed. There is always room for improvement,” says Superintendent Mark Broderson. “We strive to provide each student with the tools t...
