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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With tick season quickly approaching, the Wyoming Department of Health says simple steps can help state residents protect themselves and their family members from potentially serious tick-borne illnesses. Courtney Tillman, an epidemiologist with WDH, said past records show people typically start seeking medical help due to tick bites in May. Diseases sometimes spread by infected ticks in Wyoming include tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and Colorado tick fever (CTF). Tularemia symptoms include fever, swollen and painful lymph...
Site Name Elevation (ft) Current Snow Depth (in) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in) 30-yr Median SWE (in) Last Year’s SWE (in) Current Percent of 30 Year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 2.6 0.4 1.1 4.8 36 Blind Park Snotel 6870 0.0 0.0 7.0 8.7 0 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 10.0 2.3 5.2 8.1 44 Ditch Creek 6880 1.5 0.4 3.6 6.0 11 Little Bear Run 6240 0.0 0.0 2.5 5.2 0 Mallo 6420 0.0 0.0 5.9 9.5 0 Mount Tom 5560 0.0 0.0 2.9 5.8 0 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 13.0 4.9 6.6 7.6 74 Reuter Canyon 6280 0.8 0.1 7.0 10.1 1 Upper Spearfish 6500 5.0 1.2 5...
Site Name Elevation (ft.) Current Snow Depth (in.) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in.) 30-year Median SWE Last Year’s SWE Current Percent of 30-year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 0.5 0.1 2.1 4.8 5 Blind Park Snotel 6870 11.0 2.8 6.6 7.5 42 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 7.0 1.9 4.7 7.4 40 Ditch Creek 6880 11.1 2.6 3.5 3.8 74 Little Bear Run 6240 0.0 0.0 3.6 4.0 0 Mallo 6420 9.4 2.0 6.5 6.1 31 Mount Tom 5560 4.5 1.0 4.3 4.9 23 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 16.0 4.5 5.8 6.5 78 Reuter Canyon 6280 0.0 0.0 8.2 9.1 0 Upper Spearfish 6500 9.2 2.3 6.2 8...
Site Name Elevation (ft.) Current Snow Depth (in.) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in.) 30-yr Median SWE Last Year’s SWE Current Percent of 30-Year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 1.0 0.2 1.8 3.4 11 Blind Park Snotel 6870 11.0 2.1 4.7 5.3 45 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 8.0 2.1 3.2 4.5 66 Ditch Creek 6880 8.5 1.5 2.4 2.9 63 Little Bear Run 6240 3.7 0.6 2.7 3.3 22 Mallo 6420 10.6 2.0 4.7 5.9 43 Mount Tom 5560 9.0 1.0 3.3 4.4 30 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 13.0 3.8 4.7 4.6 81 Reuter Canyon 6280 4.4 0.9 6.0 7.3 15 Upper Spearfish 6500 9.7 1.5 4.0 5...
The University of Wyoming Extension will offer eight private pesticide applicator education programs at various locations in northeast Wyoming Jan. 25 through March 14, 2024. Private applicator licenses are required for anyone who applies or supervises the application of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs). The four-hour private applicator education programs provide an overview of certification requirements, pertinent regulations, pesticide safety and handling, proper disposal practices and more....
On New Year's Day, Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites hosted a record number of participants during their annual First Day Hikes with 1132 attendees hiking more than 2000 miles. This reflects a 206% increase in participation from 2023. Locally, Keyhole State Park welcomed 48 hikers to the event. "Each year, our agency strives to enhance this annual event in ways that will continue to encourage both returning and first-time guests to join us outdoors for this special occasion, and we were,...
Crook County is one of the focus areas for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing this year and hunters are asked for their help to collect lymph node samples. "Game and Fish is requesting samples from herds we've not addressed in a while, where we are trying to get a significant sample size so we can accurately determine what the CWD prevalence is in these herds," says Jessica Jennings-Gaines, Game and Fish Wildlife Health Laboratory supervisor. Deer hunt areas 1 through 6, all located in this...
With human cases in nearby states and a higher-than-usual number of mosquito pools within Wyoming testing positive for West Nile virus, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) wants people to remember to protect themselves from mosquito bites. “Wyoming’s reported human West Nile virus case numbers have been quite low the past several years,” Courtney Tillman, epidemiologist with WDH, said. “But with more positive mosquito pools being reported this summer than we have seen in nearly 10 years and cases popping up in neighbor states, a reminde...
Keyhole State Park will host Lanternfest Saturday, August 5. This family-friendly event will provide opportunities for kayaking and paddleboarding as well as glow painting and other outdoor activities and games, which are all free with the price of park admission. The event begins at 10 a.m. at Keyhole’s beach area south of the marina in which people are invited to help clean up the beach. From 5-8 p.m., activities will be held at the boat launch within Keyhole’s Tatanka Campground and will include kayaking and paddle boarding, glow pai...
A partial burn ban went into effect across the county on August 1, imposing caution on county residents as the summer weather finally settles in and the danger of wildfire increases. With the risk of fire set to increase as the rains clear up and the land dries out, creating a heavy fuel load and dry summer conditions the restrictions were approved by the county commissioners on Tuesday and aim to offset situations that could over-extend the county’s firefighting capabilities. The county will be imposing open burn restrictions that prohibit the...
Jennifer Pierson sent in this photo of a juvenille golden eagle she spotted Tuesday morning in Moorcroft....
The Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday opened a 45-day public scoping period to gather comments to inform an environmental impact statement for planned revisions to the resource management plans for the Newcastle Field Office and Nebraska planning area. The proposed revision would replace the existing 23-year-old Newcastle RMP that guides the management of approximately 287,900 acres of public lands and 1.7 million acres of federal mineral estate managed by the BLM in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties in Wyoming. Through this process, BLM...
Increased vigilance for invasive mussels has already resulted in five thwarted attempts to cross the Wyoming border this summer. Two of the five infested watercraft traveled through the check station in Beulah. Wyoming Game & Fish stepped up its efforts to stop zebra and quagga mussels from reaching waters in this state after an infestation of the invasive creatures was reported at Pactola Reservoir around this time last year, just 30 miles from the Wyoming border. This was the closest location...
The Pine Haven Chamber of Commerce partnered with North Eastern Wyoming Walleye Association (NEWWA) and Lakeview Carwash to host the fourth annual Kids Day at Waters Park last week. Winners of the competition were as follows. Hayden Salmon, age two, caught a 16-inch bass; Ava Till, five, a five-and-a-half-inch crappie; and Hunter Salmon, eight, a 22.5-inch carp; Agatha Tobin and Addie Salmon, both nine years old, an 18.5-inch walleye in the Big Enough-9 category. Rider Buckner, ten, a...
The month of June holds spiritual and cultural significance for the tribes closely associated with Mato Tipila – Bear Lodge (Devils Tower). The 1995 Devils Tower National Monument Climbing Management Plan established a voluntary closure for all climbing routes on the Tower out of respect for the cultural activities of Native Americans. The voluntary climbing closure has been implemented each June since 1996. As a result, the average number of climbers that choose not to climb during June has led to an 85% reduction. The National Park Service a...
With warmer weather finally arriving, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) wants residents to enjoy favorite activities while also avoiding certain illnesses often linked with summer fun. “If not done safely, many warm weather activities can sometimes cause unpleasant stomach-related symptoms and occasionally serious illness,” says Courtney Tillman, epidemiologist with WDH. Diseases such as cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis and shigellosis are diarrheal illnesses caused by swallowing water from pools or outdoor sources contaminated with ani...
Auquatic Invasive Species (AIS) technician Chad White discussed the threat of invasive species, plant, fish and crustation to Keyhole and other waterways during the Summer Kickoff event at Keyhole last weekend. Keyhole Reservoir is currently harboring one invasive plant and is under immediate threat from quagga mussels and their cousins, zebra mussels. “Recently, across the border in South Dakota, we’ve had positive identification of zebra mussels at Pactola, which is not very far from here and we do see a lot of cross border traffic of boa...
Start the summer off right at Keyhole State Park this Memorial Day Weekend! There will be many family-friendly activities about pollinators in a come and go as you like environment. This Kick-Off to Summer event takes place May 27 and 28 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Tatanka Group Shelter, and it is included in the Daily Use fee. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For questions, please contact Linley Mayer at [email protected] or 307-752-1429....
The North East Wyoming Walleye Association (NEWWA) hosted their annual Kids Day water safety and fishing class last week. With buses bringing fifth graders from Sundance and Moorcroft as well as fifth and sixth graders from Upton, the bright warm day at the Keyhole campground was packed with fun as the 134 kids walked from one to another of the five "stations", among which they learned how to cast, tie knots and make minnows race. Zayden DeCoteau, from Moorcroft Elementary, was one such...
The North East Wyoming Walleye Association (NEWWA) hosted their first Walleye Memorial Tournament last week with the admission of 50 boats, 60 teams and 11 kids. Brendan Garcia won the Too Big Fish award with a weight of 29.25 and the next three leading teams brought in the following total weights for the two day tournament: First position: Team five – Harold Mason Junior and Brianna Tylor Mason, 41.1 pounds; Second position: Team 29 – Cody Barber and Sasha Jacob Barber, 40.82; and Third pos...
The North East Wyoming Walleye Association (NEWWA) and the Pine Haven Chamber of Commerce are coming together on Saturday, June 3 to host a Kids Derby Day to encourage Free Family Fishing Day. Registration begins at 8 a.m. at the Reservoir Bar. At 3 p.m., these valiant fishermen must check in with their catch at Waters Park, before prizes are awarded and participants sit down to enjoy a barbecue, all provided by their hosts....
Meteorologist Jon Chamberlain of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Rapid City, SD presented a crash course last week on reading cloud formations to determine the severity of storms before they arrive and whether they carry rain, hail and/or the possibility of tornadoes. Chamberlain introduced pictures and short videos from around the area to demonstrate real situations and the conditions above us that create funnels (possible beginnings of tornadoes before they touch ground) and so much...
Rock climbing routes on the east and northeast faces 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 chicks. The closure is also implemented to protect climbers, as...
Simple personal actions can help residents escape some potentially serious insect-spread diseases linked with warmer weather and outdoor activities, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH). Courtney Tillman, epidemiologist with WDH, said avoiding mosquitos and ticks is the basic strategy and remains important. “Wyoming’s reported case numbers from the diseases these insects can cause are typically low, but we consistently see activity each year. And, unfortunately, the results can sometimes be severe,” Tillman said. West Nile virus...
A Wyoming Game and Fish Traditional Hunter Education Class will be held Fri.-Sun., May 5-7 at Moorcroft Elementary School. Class will be from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. Cost for the class is $10. Must preregister online at https://wyoming.storefront.kalkomey.com/em/events/4204. If you have questions regarding registration, please contact: Britt Hays with Wyoming Game & Fish 307-777-4538. If you have questions regarding the class, please contact: Chad White 307-689-6458....
