The Voice of the Community Since 1909, Serving Moorcroft and Pine Haven, Wyoming

Articles from the August 20, 2020 edition


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  • Results are in

    Sarah Pridgeon|Aug 20, 2020

    In an upset to the status quo, Tyler Lindholm lost his bid to retain the House District #1 seat for another two years to challenger Chip Neiman. Election night brought fewer surprises at the local level, with Kelly Dennis on track for another four years as county commissioner after defeating challenger Bob Latham. Also at Tuesday night’s primary, Republican incumbent Liz Cheney was Crook County’s vote, leading challenger Blake Stanley by a considerable margin, and Democratic candidate Lynette Gr...

  • Lagoon project gets final approvals

    Grace Moore|Aug 20, 2020

    Moorcroft is being compelled by USDA to approve and pay outstanding bills of approximately $167,849 in total for lagoon design by HDR Engineering. These must be paid before the town is allowed to conduct the third and final reading of the ordinance that allows the town to use sewer revenues as partial payment of loans for the lagoon project. These outstanding invoices are refundable. However, the town has hesitated to pay due to financial considerations. Barbara Bonds, the town’s bonding attorney, had spoken with Lorraine Werner, USDA C...

  • Rib Rally sells out

    Grace Moore|Aug 20, 2020

    The Moorcroft Area Chamber of Commerce (MACC) hosted their annual Rib Rally meal last Wednesday, serving 225 guests with a plate of ribs, beans, chips and watermelon. Co-organizer Elaine Buckmiller estimated 80% were bikers and the other 20% locals. Care was taken to keep the 12 volunteers fresh through set up, serving and tearing down the canopies, tables, chairs, etc by working in smaller groups for two hours at a time; with this system in place, everyone was able to enjoy the experience and...

  • Pine Haven council bemoans misuse of slash pile

    Grace Moore|Aug 20, 2020

    At last Tuesday’s meeting of the Pine Haven Town Council, Public Works Director Sunny Schell shared with the governing body her frustration with the behavior of a few town residents who abuse the privilege of using the town slash (burn) pile by dumping old appliances, concrete, decks, household garbage and furniture, forcing the town to dispose of the waste items. This costs the town thousands of dollars in labor and fees to pick up in a municipal vehicle and pay landfill charges. The entire situation only worsens during the annual clean up d...

  • Marie Packard

    Aug 20, 2020

    Marie Lucille (Coffield) Packard, passed peacefully at home from COPD, surrounded by her loved ones. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend and teacher. She was born December 12, 1933 in Reeder, North Dakota to Hubert and Lucille (Larson) Coffield. Marie grew up on the family ranch north of Reva, SD, where she attended elementary school. Marie was the youngest of six children and was sent to attend high school in Hill City, SD, living with her relatives until graduation in 1950. As a child and young woman, Marie was an avid rider...

  • Mary Ann Boe

    Aug 20, 2020

    Mary Ann Boe of Spearfish, SD, died peacefully at her daughter’s home in Sioux Falls, SD, on August 13, 2020, at the age of 93. Preceded in death by parents, Joe and Novice Short; husband, Leon (Bob) Boe; brothers: Leo, Lloyd and Denny Short; daughter, Sally Boe; and grandson, Randy Nankivel. She will be dearly missed by her children: Dean, North of Arpan, SD, Susan Obermoller (Douglas) of Sioux Falls, SD, Sharon Boe of Spearfish, SD, Michael (Roberta) of Torrington, CT, and Patrick of Worthington, MN; grandchildren: Andrew Obermoller (...

  • John Edward Queen

    Aug 20, 2020

    John Edward Queen, 84, of Moorcroft passed August 11, 2020 in Sundance, WY after a courageous battle with cancer. John was born April 24, 1936 to Elmer and Bertha (Crago) Queen at the home of Aunt Georgie Crago. He was joined by older sister Sadie. In 1943, they moved to the Barton Ranch to live in a one-room schoolhouse. John attended country school and later went to Sundance High School. He started his ranching career at the Campstool Ranch. He married Phyllis Davis on Oct 18, 1959 in Newcastle, WY. To this union were born Thomas Elmer in...

  • Mary Isadora Johnson

    Aug 20, 2020

    Mary Isadora Johnson, 86 of Moorcroft, WY, formerly of Spearfish and Lake Norden, SD, passed away on Saturday, August 15, 2020, at the Crook County Nursing Home in Sundance, WY. Funeral Services were held on Thursday, August 20, 2020 at the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church in Moorcroft, WY. Interment will be at 2:30 p.m. central standard time on Friday, August 21, 2020 in the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church Cemetery at Lake Norden, SD. Mary I. Johnson was born on December 10, 1933 in Moorcroft, Wyoming, the daughter of Waldon and Isadora (Roberts)...

  • Earl Gray

    Aug 20, 2020

    Earl Gray, 91, of Sundance, Wyoming, passed away on August 13, 2020. Earl Gray was born May 26, 1929, outside of Alva, Wyoming, to Frank Gray Sr. and Rena (Loe) Gray. The youngest of four siblings, Earl went to country school until his father’s passing, when the family moved to Sundance. During high school, Earl was involved in many clubs and activities including the school newspaper, The Annual, the class plays and the Letterman’s Club. He played football and basketball. During summer vacations he worked at various jobs around Sundance, inc...

  • Paul Pilch

    Aug 20, 2020

    Paul left this world surrounded by some of his favorite things. He carefully packed his fishing pole, binoculars, Metroline dart set, big candle belonging to his girlfriend, photo albums and framed photographs of his son and mom and himself enjoying family activities. He carried them to his backyard and sat them down. With a black marker he wrote goodbye messages on the glass of the pictures. While looking through a gap in his trees to view Keyhole Reservoir where he frequently fished from his boat, Paul, 53, chose to move beyond this life. At...

  • Willie Hertel

    Aug 20, 2020

    Willie Hertel, 85, of Moorcroft died Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, at home of cancer. Please join us in a celebration of life at 11 a.m. Friday at Gillette Memorial Chapel with a procession to Mount Pisgah cemetery following the services. We invite everyone to join us at the American Legion, 200 Rockpile Blvd., for a luncheon following services. Willie was born November 1, 1934, in Mobridge, South Dakota, to Fred and Anna (Simerman) Hertel. When he was one year old, his mother passed away and he went to live with his father’s cousin, Fred, and h...

  • Sandra Kay Hance

    Aug 20, 2020

    Sandra Kay Hance née McCullough, 70, of East Helena passed away July 6, 2020 surrounded by family. She was born to Leonard A. McCullough and Margaret R. DeGering, on January 17, 1950 in Gillette, Wyoming. Sandie and her family lived and worked the Empire Ranch in Moorcroft, Wyoming. She was a skilled horsewoman and a talented saxophone player. Sandie was known for her great sense of humor and her caring nature. She graduated from Moorcroft High School in 1968 and received her BA in English from Carrol College. She worked for the same company...

  • State Briefs

    From Wyoming News Exchange Newspapers|Aug 20, 2020

    Wyoming launches app for coronavirus exposure SHERIDAN (WNE) — Gov. Mark Gordon recently announced that Wyoming has launched Care19 Alert, an exposure notification app that will alert users if they have been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19. Wyoming is one of the first states in the country to launch a COVID-19 app using Bluetooth Low Energy technology developed by Apple and Google, which does not rely on personal information or location data. Users opt-in to download and utilize the free app. “The Care19...

  • Portraying Hemingway

    Grace Moore|Aug 20, 2020

    The talented Duffy Hudson returned to Moorcroft this week with two very different performances hosted by West Texas Trail Museum and the Moorcroft Public Library celebrating the One Book Wyoming Campaign during August. The first was a simple interactive magic show for the youngsters with many children and their parents taking part in the fun. The second presentation was a poignant interpretation of the life and writing philosophy of Ernest Hemingway. Hudson, speaking as the author, described Hemingway’s early life under the cruel and p...

  • Card of thanks

    Aug 20, 2020

    Our Thanks We would like to thank Zone 25, Zone 8, many friends and neighbors and County Fire Warden Doug when we had the fire on August 17. The prompt action certainly saved several buildings. The Dennis Family Ranch...

  • MHS welcomes new principal

    Grace Moore|Aug 20, 2020

    Moorcroft High School welcomes Principal Kirby Baier to the neighborhood. Baier has worked in education as a teacher, coach and administrator for around 16 years and has actually worked in Crook County as principal of the Hulett High School from 2007 until 2012. “My first assignment was in Custer, SD,” Baier remembers, “As a math and science teacher, where I taught for three years.” He has also coached wrestling, football and track over the years. The new MHS principal went on to receive...

  • Two new faces at MK-8

    Grace Moore|Aug 20, 2020

    MK-8 is happy to introduce two new faces amongst their team of great teachers, seventh/eighth grade English teacher Tessa Garman and STEM teacher Kaylee Zorc. Tessa Garman Garman was born and raised in the Devils Tower area, on the family ranch. Her dream has always been to live on the ranch and teach kids. Her reason for becoming a teacher, Garman smiles, “I know it sounds cheesy, but I want to be the kind of teacher I needed when I was young and chose English specifically for that because i...

  • Fire on Little Missouri Road

    Grace Moore|Aug 20, 2020

    At approximately 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, Crook County Fire was called out to a blaze on the Dennis Ranch along the Little Missouri Road. A storage shed had set fire due to a faulty electrical system totally engulfing the structure and burning around 25 acres of grassland. A trailer house that was threatened was saved by the quick response and diligent attention of the five fire trucks from the Oshoto station and the volunteers from the surrounding area who arrived in another five vehicles. This occurrence is considered an accident by Fire...

  • Cyanobacteria bloom confirmed at Keyhole

    Aug 20, 2020

    The Wyoming Department of Health has issued a recreational use advisory for Keyhole Reservoir due to a harmful cyanobacterial bloom (HCB). On August 10, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality received a report from Keyhole State Park of dog illnesses that were potentially linked to cyanobacteria exposure. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality visited the reservoir on August 12 and collected water samples. Cyanobacteria densities were found to exceed the 20,000 cells/mL recreational use threshold as identified in Wyoming’s H...