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
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 168
As of January 1, 2022, Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails will begin collecting sales and lodging taxes to comply with Wyoming State Statutes 39-15-101 and 39-15-201. Tax rates vary by county and will be collected on fees for overnight camping, annual camping permits, reservations and overnight rental facilities such as cabins, lodges, yurts and treehouses. “Wyoming State Parks has worked closely with the Department of Revenue to determine where taxes need to be applied to our fees in order to comply with state law,” Deputy Dir...
With the advent of winter on the reservoir, Keyhole State Park superintendent Wade Henderson talks about what to expect on the water this season. Temperatures in the Keyhole Reservoir have been reading in the high 30s as the fishing season enters December, however, diehard fishermen are not stymied by the lack of ice. "We still have people out and about who are fishing as the weather permits, catching walleye, crappy and pike, but everything else, right now, is kind of slow," notes Henderson....
Crook County Weed and Pest had another productive 2021 and has been successfully carrying out our programs over the course of the seasons as best as possible. The district dealt with many of the same issues all landowners and business owners dealt with in the area, especially the severe drought, which had an impact on many aspects of our programs. Wyoming statutes require the district board to hold a tour to annually evaluate programs. The board tour this year will be a mixture of an actual field tour to a prairie dog treatment site and a...
Black Hills National Forest Christmas tree permits are available for purchase either online at Recreation.gov, from your local Forest Service office or from private vendors throughout the Black Hills. Details about where to cut your tree and height restrictions may be found at Recreation.gov. To purchase a Christmas Tree permit online, visit Recreation.gov and search for Black Hills National Forest Christmas Tree Permit. It is important to carefully read the overview and need-to-know information prior to purchasing the permit. Visitors will...
The drainage to the west of the MK-8 playground in Moorcroft was momentarily roaring with the influx of water last Thursday, on its way to the detaining pond. But despite the welcome rain, by that afternoon, the drain and pond were again empty. Even so, the all-day rain and cooler temperatures brought relief and beauty as the air freshened and the ground drank deeply....
The Black Hills National Forest will conduct its third Moon Walk of the year on Sat., Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. The activity will take place at the Sundance Horse Camp, located about five miles from Sundance. Participants will learn how to identify some common constellations and hear stories about various star clusters. Speakers will also share some of the science related to star brightness, distances and other night sky observations. If you are looking for ways to engage your family on future campouts, especially after dark, this public event might in...
Major improvements to the accessibility of trails, exhibits, parking and restrooms were completed in July at Devils Tower National Monument. It is the first major upgrade to the park’s infrastructure since the mid-1950s, when annual visitation was about 130,000 compared to about 500,000 now. The project enhanced accessibility for visitors with disabilities and brought the park into compliance with federal accessibility laws and regulations. Superintendent Amnesty Kochanowski said, “We want all...
Fair champions...
Due to the extreme drought conditions and ever-decreasing water levels at the Keyhole State Park reservoir, Superintendent Wade Henderson advises guests to be cautious as they enjoy the park. With the burn ban in effect this summer, no open flame is allowed including in the propane-fed open-topped grills provided at most camp sites. “They are [currently] illegal. People can have gas or propane grills with non-transparent lids,” Henderson says. Henderson also warns guests playing on the wat...
Moorcroft, Pine Haven and Sundance Volunteer Fire Departments responded to a fast moving grass fire along Strong Lane near Pine Ridge on the south side of the Old Sundance Road at 11:44 a.m, Saturday, June 12. According to Moorcroft Fire Chief Rusty Williams, a “live” power line was torn down by wind the previous evening and lay smoldering on the dangerously dry ground throughout the night before blazing to life Saturday morning. Ten units including tenders, command trucks and fire engines wit...
The Moorcroft Community Gardens face the unusually warm June weather with color and life as all but five of the 8 x 4 x 3 boxes are groomed and planted with this summer’s crops. Two of the three “Garden Gnomes” who were working with their baby plants last Friday morning talked about how the enterprise is coming along. The grapes and clematis are coming back strong along the fence and the Virginia Creepers planted a few years ago to cover the gazebo have reached the monkey bars. “Our plan [i...
The Black Hills National Forest announces the Moon Walk interpretive program schedule for the 2021 season. In its 26th year, Forest visitors will explore the importance of caves and karst systems, beavers, learn about the stars in the night sky and nocturnal animal adaptations. The focus this year is to expand visitor awareness beyond the boundaries of the Forest. Speakers include The National Speleological Society, The Nature Conservancy, Black Hills Parks & Forests Association and the Black Hills National Forest. Moon Walks are held on a...
Noonan Park is busier this week than residents have seen it for decades. The repurposing of the basketball court and the finishing touches to the new restroom facilities are joined with the installation of the new playground equipment. The work on the playground and restrooms is tentatively anticipated to reach completion by the end of June, according to Public Works Director Cory Allison, “If we don’t have anything else come up.” To finish construction of the parking lot and loop, Allis...
On a blustery Friday morning last week, the Northeast Wyoming Walleye Association once again held their annual Kids Education Day in Coulter Bay for 42 Moorcroft youngsters and 15 from Upton. The kids traveled through five “stations”, learning about water safety and how to recognize aquatic invasive species, taught by Game and Fish personnel; knot tying and casting with NWWA volunteers; and for a treat, the students got to race minnows. Volunteers also provided a tasty lunch of hot dogs and bur...
The Northeast Wyoming Walleye Association (NWWA) is hosting their annual Kids Fishing Derby June 5 with registration starting at 9 a.m. at The Reservoir in Pine Haven. Anyone big enough to hold a fishing pole and under 19 years old can enter. There are three age categories: big enough-9, 10-13 and 14-18. Contestants may fish from shore or boat and any fish caught from Keyhole Reservoir is eligible for measurement. All fish must be presented for measurement at The Reservoir Bar and Grill before 2 p.m. to be considered. Prizes for each category...
In conjunction with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s ”Free Fishing Day”, on June 5, daily use fees are waived at all parks/recreation areas that provide angling. WyoParks locations offering free entrance are Boysen, Buffalo Bill, Curt Gowdy, Edness K. Wilkins, Fort Phil Kearny, Glendo, Guernsey, Keyhole, Seminoe and Hawk Springs. Camping fees are not waived. The fee waiver does not apply to reservations. Fishing opportunities also exist at the following sites, which offer free entrance year-round: Bear River, Hot Springs, Medicine Lodge...
This year saw some great fishing despite the low levels on Keyhole Reservoir as 52 teams prepared to put all their cunning and knowledge of the sport in play to catch the biggest fish in this two-day competition. Jeremy McInerney and Brad Humpal ended the weekend with a total of 51.1 pounds putting them in First Place. Troy Huckins and Phillip Bailey made an impressive second place, bringing in 45.28 total pounds. Third place went to Steve Jones and Greg Renstrom with a total of 34.88 pounds;...
Elk populations in Wyoming’s major herds are nearly 30% over objective Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel revealed as their governing commission approved hunting seasons and nearly 2000 additional licenses Wednesday. Some 101,800 elk populate the state’s 28 closely monitored herds, according to the estimates presented in the agency’s proposed annual hunting-season-setting regulations. That’s 28.6% above the objective for those groups. In addition to the 28 herds for which the agency makes individual population estimates — through t...
Caught in the act on Friday, several wooly residents north of Moorcroft decided they'd prefer to buffet on the other side of the fence....
JACKSON — Federal and state agencies have sorted out discombobulation that led to an awfully confusing 2020 onset to the popular antler gathering season in western Wyoming. When May 1 strikes in 2021, there’s one time to keep in mind: 6 a.m. That’s the day and time when the Bridger-Teton National Forest will lift its winter closures and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will allow people to pick up shed antlers off public land in the region. National Elk Refuge staff will lead a motorcade down Refuge Road at 6 a.m. to forest lands, and g...
Rock climbing routes on the southwest face and the southwest edges of Devils Tower summit will be temporarily closed effective immediately to protect nesting Peregrine and Prairie Falcons. The closure is implemented annually to provide the falcons with an undisturbed nesting location during this critical courtship and nest-selection period. The presence of climbers near falcon nests can be distressing to parent birds and disturbance from climbing activities may force falcons to abandon eggs or...
The first signs of spring are bringing romance back, as was made apparent by these demonstrative fellows early on Tuesday morning as they strutted their stuff near town hall in preparation for courting season....
GILLETTE — Paul Langevin first noticed the unusual substance beneath the ice on Keyhole Reservoir in December. As he’s done for decades, Langevin headed out on the frozen lake to bore a hole and drop a line. But when he broke through the thick layer of ice, it wasn’t just water that sprang up through the hole. “It was just so abnormal,” Langevin said about the green substance that emerged from his ice fishing hole. “It was so out of place.” The 70-year-old Pine Haven resident said he and other ice fishermen who frequented Keyhole State Park th...
We all have seen aspen, growing on a hillside, with their lighter shade of green than the surrounding pine. Perhaps in autumn when patches of gold show up on a hillside and we say, “The aspen are changing color.” But have you noticed an aspen forest when you walk into it? I remember years back, when I had been spending my days working in a pine forest. Day after day dark green forest. Then one afternoon, the forest glowed. The summer sunlight was filtering through the green aspen leaves making the whole area have a beautiful emerald glow. I h...
For ice fishermen and other winter enthusiasts wanting to visit Keyhole State Park this month, park supervisor Wade Henderson reports that, “The ice is anywhere between six and nine inches, depending on where you’re at. In some areas, the ice is cloudy and not great and in other places, several inches of clear over a couple inches of cloudy.” Cloudy ice is unsafe to traverse, according to Henderson, while clear is sound. The superintendent also warns guests on the reservoir about an unusu...
