The Year in Review

January

As the annual Wyoming Legislative Session kicked off, Jason Perry was honored during the opening ceremonies for his work as Hulett's ambulance director and his efforts to get all of Hulett's EMTs certified as paramedics.

Meanwhile, Ogden Driskill took the oath as President of the Senate and Chip Neiman was selected as House Majority Floor Leader – which, to the best of his knowledge, was a position never before offered to a freshman legislator.

The Moorcroft Council began the year by making plans to preserve the Moorcroft Town Council and move Town Hall into the building. Soon after, the council opted to seek grant funding for the project in the amount of $450,000.

Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) began to contemplate finding funding for a new hospital building and decided to look for possible opportunities for grants or loans.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delayed the effective date of its decision to upgrade the northern long-eared bat to "endangered" after receiving a letter from a group of senators, including U.S. Senator Cynthis Lummis, that expressed concern over its impact on ongoing infrastructure projects.

The nationwide bird flu outbreak grew to become the largest on record, with Crook County one of the few counties in Wyoming in which no cases had been detected in wild birds.

A new K-9 unit joined the Crook County Sheriff's Office. "Condor", a year-and-a-half old Belgian Malinois, is a certified narcotics K-9.

February

The Just Slayin' ice fishing tournament enjoyed another popular year.

Moorcroft hit a snag with its C&D pit after hearing that it was not breaking even, and began weighing the potential costs of closure.

Pine Haven considered allowing chickens in town and asked for public input, which led the council to decide against the idea.

Wyoming Game & Fish (WGF) opened its check stations at Keyhole to protect the waters from zebra mussels, which had been found just 30 miles from the Wyoming border at Pactola Reservoir.

CCMSD announced that the paperwork was complete and it was ready to form its own internal fundraising foundation after disagreements with the Crook County Medical Foundation over the Red Bluffs Clinic in Hulett.

March

Moorcroft's Wolves claimed one of the first women's wrestling champs in Rebecca Anderson, with the wrestling team also taking second at state.

Native son Chancey Williams announced he would debut at the Grand Ole Opry.

The decision to move Moorcroft's Town Hall into the MTC was made official, though the move would not happen until the council was able to secure the necessary funding.

The toughest winter in a while impacted Crook County's ranchers. After two months in which the state was under some combination of weather warning for 66.5% of the time, calving season brought extra challenges. The U.S. Department of Agriculture began offering recovery assistance for livestock losses due to the storms and frigid weather of winter.

Moorcroft's Public Works announced it had cleared 2400 tons of snow from the downtown in a single week.

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced that a wildfire prevention program in California would bolster the timber supply in Crook County, with Neiman Sawmills to receive surplus salvage logs from areas with too much wood and no market for it.

After the CCMSD Board of Trustees held an in-depth conversation with a representative from the USDA, funding for a new county hospital was looking more possible than ever. The board agreed to submit a preliminary application to the USDA for a potential loan of $50 million in order to kickstart the USDA's internal process of reviewing the particulars to see what might be possible.

April

A hearing was scheduled for a planned bentonite mine near Pine Haven that had caused concern within the community due to its proximity to several homes in the area. Citizens shared their concerns over the potential path of fugitive dust and its effects over time.

The Moorcroft Council granted permission for Rage Baseball to make use of its upper baseball field.

Northern long-eared bats were officially classified as "endangered" in response to the continued spread of white-nose syndrome.

May

Spring Fling saw volunteers gather 225 gallons of used oil, three large bins of metal and 104 loads of garbage from throughout Moorcroft. Pine Haven's event was also a success, filling two construction-size dumpsters.

Strata Energy's Ross Project hosted U.S. Senator John Barrasso and Governor Mark Gordon to speak with representatives of the industry about what can be done to support and encourage uranium production in this state.

Rare Element Resources (RER) announced it was awaiting the "last piece of the puzzle" to construct a demonstration plant in Upton to finish out the testing process on its patented technology: a source material license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Once home to the county museum, the courthouse basement was stripped as the first stage of a major overhaul that will see upgrades to the building's mechanical system and a new layout that will provide more spacious offices and additional storage, as well as an additional – but smaller – community room to provide a more intimate space for gatherings.

The impacts of rapid inflation – and the need to fix a situation in which it actually costs CCMSD money to see patients in the clinics – led the Board of Trustees to consider an increase across the board in its charges.

June

Moorcroft Chamber of Commerce hosted a Safety Day, with 16 businesses talking to passers-by about a wide range of dangers they may come into contact with in their daily lives and how to handle them.

Kids Day at Waters Park provided a day of fishing and fun for youngsters.

RER announced the completion of a $4.4 million grant from the Wyoming Energy Authority that will be used to assist with the cost of constructing the company's planned demonstration plant in Upton.

Increased vigilance for invasive mussels had 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.

Five kids were announced to be representing Crook County in rodeo this summer, with three of them set to compete during the seven days of the 75th National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in Gillette. Two meanwhile headed for the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, GA for the week-long National Junior High Finals Rodeo (NJHFR).

July

Jubilee 2023 jumped the event up a notch with events ranging from rodeo and parades to a splash bash running all the way through from Thursday to Sunday.

Pine Haven Volunteer Fire Department hosted Lights at the Lake, the popular annual July 4 fundraiser at Keyhole. The council later heard that the event had been challenged by federal agencies concerned over the impact on endangered bats and federally owned land.

To the theme of "A Brand of Its Own", the Crook County Fair officially kicked off. Events began with entertainment including the youth and ranch rodeo, the ice cream social and animal shows including horses and 4-H dogs and ended with the grand finale of parade day.

The Bureau of Land Management opened its public scoping period 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.

During the annual presentation from WYDOT on proposed state transportation improvement projects, District Engineer Scott Taylor told the county commissioners that rising costs have had a serious impact on what the department is able to achieve. The department was forced to delay $70 million's worth of projects in 2023 due to this issue, Taylor said.

August

The 20th Annual Devils Tower Car Show attracted 127 entrants, the largest turnout yet. Keyhole hosted Lantern Fest to celebrate the last days of summer, with kids releasing lanterns into the lake.

Rib Rally, hosted by the Moorcroft Chamber of Commerce, fed over 100 people throughout Wyoming Wednesday during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Crook County Commissioners submitted official comments on the Bureau of Land Management's plans to revise its resource management plan (RMP) for northeast Wyoming. Pointing out that the county needs its natural resources to survive economically, the commission's letter urged the federal agency to be mindful of the priorities laid out in the Crook County Natural Resource Management Plan

Crook County Family Violence and Sexual Assault Services changed its name to reflect an expansion to its service territory. The organization now works under the trade name of Northeast Wyoming Advocacy Resource Center (NEWARC) and covers both Crook and Weston counties.

RER was granted its source materials license from the NRC, a "critical step" in moving ahead with the company's planned demonstration plant in Upton.

The Sheriff's Office introduced its own active shooter training to the community, starting the process to offer Critical Incident Response Training in each of the municipalities.

Game & Fish announced that Crook County would be one of the focus areas for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing and on the list of areas from which hunters would be asked to submit samples.

September

Pine Haven Days over Labor Day weekend included a parade, bbq, pancake feed and fun activities for the kids.

A new effort to introduce a solid waste district to cover the whole county was launched following a conversation between Sundance Mayor Paul Brooks and Commissioner Fred Devish about the repercussions on the city's transfer station of Crook County no longer having a landfill. The Moorcroft Council pledged support for the idea.

The Honorable John R. Perry, retired District Court judge for the Sixth Judicial District, was the year's recipient of the Larry L. Lehman Award for Judicial Excellence.

October

Pine Haven celebrated the community's volunteering spirit with a gala at the community center, including music and a buffet. The 85 place settings turned out to not be nearly enough for the many guests who joined the fun.

The town's annual Octoberfest also saw numerous guests take part in fundraising efforts by the fire auxiliary.

RER hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its demo plant in Upton. A crowded room of local and state officials and individuals from both Crook and Weston counties filled the community center to listen to remarks from dignitaries including RER's CEO Brent Berg, newly appointed Director Paul Hickey, General Atomics CEO Neal Blue and Senator John Barrasso.

The county began the process of developing a possible zoning plan for the county and invited a community planning and zoning consultant to do the necessary groundwork of figuring out exactly what the county wants and needs.

A joint powers board formed in 2016 to investigate options for a countywide solid waste district was revived when the county commissioners determined that doing so was the most reasonable next step in answering the lingering question of whether it's worth constructing a landfill for the whole county.

Moorcroft was granted funds from the State Lands and Investments Board for closure of its landfill.

Crook County opted to retire the position of Fair Secretary and instead hire an event coordinator who would take on the task of promoting more use of the fairgrounds.

November

The 16th Annual Harvest Feastival entertained around 250 guests, with members of the National Honor Society serving from a variety of 21 homemade soups.

Councilman Dan Blakeman stepped down from the Pine Haven Council because he was moving away from the town.

Neither Crook County nor the City of Sundance was successful in securing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding during for a Consolidated Emergency Response Facility and renovation of the fire hall respectively. However, Pine Haven was awarded $222,000 for a sewer main project in Glenn Vista, while Moorcroft received $800,000 for the second phase of its Powder River Water Main project.

Despite creaks and groans and a couple of hair-raising moments, the gazebo was successfully moved across the courthouse lawn on Wednesday to rest in its new home, where it will offer a better view of town for those looking to enjoy an al fresco lunch hour and for visitors to town.

The school district announced a partnership with Care Solace to improve mental health care access for students, staff and their families.

December

Moorcroft shone with festive lights as the annual parade ushered in the Christmas season.

The school district requested that the Moorcroft Council consider the idea of allowing it to take custody of the mound in the center of the U-shaped parking area on the east side of South Little Horn. The Moorcroft Interfaith Community meanwhile requested to buy the title to two lots within the playground area of the Moorcroft Town Center.

The Pine Haven Council abandoned plans for a nonsmoking ordinance after the town's bar owners, from whom the request originally came, agreed to ban smoking on the premises themselves.

The assessment phase for the Black Hills National Forest Plan Revision process was announced to be complete and a total of 20 revised, forest-wide resource assessments were released.

The Crook County Commissioners approved updates to the regulations for minor subdivisions and the bylaws of the Land Use Planning Commission following a public hearing.

Over a thousand homes in Crook County are set to have access to broadband internet for the first time thanks to federal grant awards that aim to make access available across the nation. Two local projects were among 32 applications to be approved for funding: one for the Aladdin-Beulah area and another for the Moorcroft and Pine Haven area.

Game & Fish announced that, despite breaking records for high-risk watercraft inspections this year, the state's waters appeared to still be free from invasive mussels.