July 3, 2024
Rich archeological site at Sunrise reveals 15,000 years of history
SUNRISE – It’s been 10 years since John Voight shook hands with local archaeologists Dr. George Frisan and Dr. George Ziemens to allow exploratory archaeological digging on his property: a former world class iron ore and copper mine, complete with the ghost town of the mining camp Sunrise, and remnants of the first YMCA built in Wyoming.
“This PaleoIndian red ochre mine is unlike any other archaeology site and is one of the most significant sights in North America,” George Ziemens said to a crowd of over 250 people gathered in front of the old YMCA building at Sunrise during an annual tour on
June 22.
There have also been artifacts found in layers underneath those 13,000-year-old layers, with “good” dates as far back as 15,000 years using the ISL method.
New initiative seeks to hand count ballots in Wyoming elections
JACKSON — Supporters of hand tabulation systems instead of electronic ballot processing machines in Wyoming elections held an event in Wheatland to make their case to the public.
Saturday’s presentation featured Rick Weible, a computer consultant from South Dakota who pushed for election integrity laws in his home state. He has allegedly found 1,878 vulnerabilities in Wyoming machines.
He was brought in for his computer programming analyses, as well as a demonstration on the logistics of hand counting.
Weible explained how hand counting is more reliable and less expensive, according to Jill Kaufman of the Platte County Republican Party.
Platte County Clerk Ervin was among the 50 or so people who attended the gathering, and he listened.
There is no indication that the machines have been compromised or are inaccurate, Ervin said, but added there’s always room for improvement. It’s not an easy task to hack into machines that aren’t connected to the internet because it would have to be done in person, he said.
“That’s why we take the measures we do to make sure that physical contact and control of the machines is carefully guarded and secured, and why we go through the testing procedures we do to ensure that they’re continuing to count accurately,” Ervin said.
July 10, 2024
Divisive water tower slated to come down
WHEATLAND – The 23-year-old water tower located in the Black Mountain Subdivision on the southwest side of Wheatland is going to come down, sometime in August.
The water tower has been a point of controversy from its initial installation; within one year of its construction, the water tower started experiencing leaks and were being fixed as they occurred, which over the years become a more frequent occurrence.
In September 2023 the council adopted a plan to obtain grant funding to build a water tower alongside the current one, then once it was operational, to tear down the old one.
But then we had extreme sub-zero temperatures in December which dramatically increased leaking of the tower – by two to three times as much. “This changed its classification from very high priority to emergency,” Ray Catallier, civil engineer for CEPI, said. Catallier is overseeing the water project in Wheatland.
The catastrophic failure of the tower prompted the town to seek emergency funding from the top five elected state officials on State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB.)

Safety first community awareness
GLENDO — Emergency responders gathered in a field near Bennett Hill campground at Glendo State Park the last Saturday in June to share with the public what they do, answering questions and giving youth a chance to experience a few things about what they do.
Participating agencies were the Glendo Volunteer Ambulance Service, Glendo volunteer fire department, park rangers, Wyoming Game and Fish wardens, and Glendo State Park Rangers.

Volunteer firemen light up the skies in holiday celebration
WHEATLAND – A dazzling array of fireworks were seen in the skies above Wheatland in celebration of Independence Day last week.
The firemen sent $24,000 worth of fireworks in a top-notch display while Kent Smith of Smith Broadcasting coordinates to provide patriotic music on local radio stations KYCN and KZEW. There were a couple small fires in the grass at the fairgrounds from spectators and the big display which were promptly put out by fire crews on site. All fireworks in the county were prohibited because of a fire ban, unless a special permit was obtained.

Negligent irrigators discussed again
WHEATLAND – In a follow-up to discussions earlier this summer with commissioners about irrigation water causing near- or long-term road damage, Bookout asked for more direction from the commissioners in how they want him to estimate road damage costs – and how far they want him to go in addressing the issue – from irrigation water being sprayed onto county roadways.
He has looked at sample bids for repair costs, which go as far as including insurance and equipment maintenance in the total amount. Bookout added, it is hard to estimate true cost or repair from paved roads obtaining catastrophic damage from repeated water exposure from irrigation water.
“I think we start with a conversation.” Commissioner Ian Jolovich said.
Chugwater council accepts minor damage as expected from cookoff
CHUGWATER – In a relatively short meeting of the council of the town of Chugwater, the council determined minor damage should be anticipated from an event with the scale of the Chugwater Chili Cookoff and agreed to cover the repair costs.
This year, there was damage to the underground sprinkler lines at Staats park from tent spikes. Councilman Steve Kelley emphasized, there is no way to locate all the lines in the park, and he thought the costs to repair any damage was far inferior to the benefit the event brings to Chugwater.
“With [the revenue] the cookoff brings to the town, I don’t think we can complain – and no matter what, every year there are some things that need to be repaired,” Kelley said.

Reid Rasner kicks off 23-county tour in Wheatland
Reid vows to meet people where they are at
WHEATLAND – Reid Rasner, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, electrified Wheatland on July 2nd with a series of impactful events. Starting at the First State Bank and later at the Wild Whisk restaurant, Rasner engaged in dynamic meet-and-greets, addressing the critical issues facing Wyoming.
As he launches his 23-county tour, Reid Rasner is dedicated to connecting with Wyomingites across the state, ensuring their voices are heard and their concerns addressed.

July 17, 2024
East Oak Street fire contained with aid of multiple agencies, ladder truck
WHEATLAND – Multiple fire agencies were on-scene immediately after called to a fire on East Oak Street in Wheatland at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Multiple agencies were called to contain the spread and put out the flames of a garage with vehicles near it, in addition to a subsequent grass fire.
“The fire was contained pretty quickly,” Wheatland fire chief Bob Glasson said, emphasizing it would have taken several more hours to douse the flames without the aid of the town’s lone ladder truck, which was able to put a significant amount of water on the fire in a short period of time. “The ladder truck has been a real benefit to the community…It puts out a lot of water and definitely makes a difference.”

Water tower removal, food truck rules progress
WHEATLAND – At last week’s Wheatland council meeting, Alexander Construction Co. was awarded the winning bid to dismantle the Black Mountain water tank. The bid will include removal and disposal of all demolition debris and will be on-site as soon as they have the go-ahead from Catallier, who is also the project manager, that the constant-pressure valve system is functioning as intended to provide water to residents and businesses while the ground is stabilized, and a new welded steel tank is constructed.
Resolution 08-2024 adopting a food service license and permit fee schedule was passed on third reading, with an effective date of January 1, 2025. The ordinance will set rules for mobile or temporary food service providers with varying fees to obtain licensing, and sets rules for inspections, specifically of grease traps, and a mechanism to ensure taxes are properly attributed locally.

Funding, politics, and the bottom line: Wheatland Water Tower funding explained
WHEATLAND – The million-gallon water storage tank in the Black Mountain subdivision services the western half of Wheatland. The town had completed an engineering study that was approved in September 2023, setting a plan in place to tear down and replace the water supply tank that had reached a “very high priority” status resulting from unstoppable leaking issues over its 23-year history. In October 2023, the town also received an administrative notice from the EPA about the tank, citing a “significant deficiency.”
It was estimated five million gallons a year was leaking from bolted connections that were failing, and the space for water to come through increased dramatically after the freeze-thaw cycles of winter.
With the seriousness of the failing water tower, multiple elected officials (top 5 elected state officials, town council, and Platte County’s state legislative representative) sought every avenue available to provide funding to demolish and replace the tower. Finally, to cover the estimated project cost of nearly $9 million, funding was provided through the American Rescue Plan Act, sixth-penny special purpose excise tax, emergency and regular funding from the state’s Mineral Royalty Grant, and the Wyoming Water Development Commission through the Omnibus Bill.

‘Run for your life!’ the theme for barrel racing fundraiser by Project Safe
WHEATLAND — A full schedule of events, prizes and fun is planned for 1 p.m. this Saturday, July 20 at the Weiser Barn off Highway 34 outside Wheatland. The “Run for your life!” Broken Wings Barrel Race is a new way for Project SAFE, Inc. to raise funds to support the non-profit victim advocacy group that provides emergency assistance and support for victims of crime. In past years Project SAFE has held a 5K race, but wanted to try something new this year, not only to raise funds essential to the operation of the program, but to bring awareness there is help available for victims of violence.

Search continues at Grayrocks for missing swimmer
WHEATLAND — On Sunday, July 14, a statement was issued by the Platte County Sheriff’s Office detailing a search and rescue operation, beginning on July 12 at Grayrocks Reservoir after a man jumped off a boat and never resurfaced. As of July 14, Tip Top Search and Rescue is arriving to drop a more sophisticated sonar into the lake bottom. During this time we will be restricting boating access at the East end of Grayrocks Lake.

Vroom with a view: Customs and classics steal the show at Blue Mountain car show
WHEATLAND – Some were old, others were new, antique, or unique, but all had either swagger or shine at the 5th annual Blue Mountain Car Show in downtown Wheatland.
The Saturday event had car, truck, and tractor enthusiasts showing off their latest updates and good-naturedly claiming their car is the best. A long list of events, and 25 award categories included the typical antique, mid- and modern model years, big rig, truck, first responder vehicles, motorcycles, custom, people’s choice and top-tier sponsor’s personal choice awards. Popular airbrush artists from “Counting Cars” reality t.v. show, Mike Henry and Ryan Evans, were special guests who came to see the entries in the show and visit with fans in Wheatland.
A free public showing of “Gone in 60 Seconds” was shown at Cinema West movie Theatre after the award winners were announced. A street dance with music by DJ Majik wrapped up the event.

July 24, 2024
PCSD No. 1 approves budget, is fully staffed
WHEATLAND – Superintendent John Weigel told the school board in his update for good things happening, the district he is pleased with progress to fill open teaching positions. All regular education and needed special education positions have been filled, though the district is still looking to fill some part- and full-time paraprofessionals.
In the budget session held during the meeting, business manager Jamie Wilson presented the district’s budget for fiscal year 2024-2025, which was subsequently accepted by the school board. The full report is available at the district office, or on the website www.platte1.org under the business department link.

Total appropriations for the district for FY 2025 are $28,704,349 and include the general fund, special revenue, capital construction, food service, custodial and recreation funds. Of that, the total amount raised through taxes in the form of property tax mill levies is $5,211,289.

County commissioners discuss WYDOT projects
WHEATLAND – Platte County Commissioners met with representatives from the Wyoming Department of Transportation to touch base with projects in the county and across the state.
Mark Ayen, District Engineer for WYDOT’s district two gave an overview of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) purpose, goals and plans for the next five years. In Platte County, there is one more project scheduled, to overlay 12 miles of state highway 320, north of Wheatland; and the 16th Street reconstruction project is scheduled to go out to bid in September with construction starting in 2025. Next year, six bridge replacements are planned for I-25, and a replacement of one of the last timber bridges in the state of Wyoming (on state highway 312 near Ferguson Road). The current bridge will be replaced with a double or triple barrel culvert system.

July 31, 2024
Fire warden discusses conditions in county
PLATTE COUNTY – It’s hot, dry, and there is a lot of fuel that can burn. That’s the analysis of Platte County’s fire warden, Aaron Clark. And here’s his caution: “We’re still under a fire ban, and though it might seem okay to burn after a good soaking rain, it’s not. Things dry out fast – especially cheatgrass: it’s dry an hour after getting wet,” he said.
This weekend there have been some thunderstorms blow across the county, dropping varying amounts of moisture to the thirsty soil, but the “dog days of summer” are still here. Add to that, over the past couple weeks there has been a smoke haze from regional fires – including Montana and Colorado – which contributes to difficulty finding local fires, so Clark urges anyone who smells fresh smoke to report it, and a unit can be dispatched to look into it.

Body of missing swimmer found
WHEATLAND – Fishermen at Grayrocks Reservoir discovered the remains of a drowning victim that was the subject of a multi-agency search earlier this month. A variety of tools and resources were deployed over a period of three days in the attempt to find the body of 65-year-old Ricky Schanaman of Gering, Nebraska. The difficult search conditions of the underwater terrain inhibited search efforts, which officially ended Monday, July 15.
On Friday, July 12, Schaneman had jumped from a pontoon boat into the water for a short swim and never resurfaced, according to official reports.
On Wednesday, July 24th, The Platte County Sheriff’s Office and Wyoming Game and Fish Department were able to recover the body, which was given into the custody of the Platte County Coroner’s office.

Local newspaper’s parent company merges
WHEATLAND – Carpenter Media Group (CMG) and News Media Corporation (NMC) announced today plans for CMG to manage, and with an option to acquire, NMC.
The Platte County Record-Times is owned by News Media Corporation and is now part of the management agreement with Carpenter Media Group.
Longtime NMC leaders J.J. Tompkins and Billy McMacken will assume leadership roles with CMG, and the transition will begin immediately.
CMG owns and manages over 200 community and metro media titles in the U.S. and Canada and is dedicated to preserving and building community journalism and marketing services to develop and improve each community served.

Aug. 7. 2024
Pleasant Valley fire keeps firefighters, residents on their toes
GUERNSEY – A call came into Platte County Dispatch Center approximately 2:02 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, of a fire on Pleasant Valley Road near Guernsey. That was the beginning of a battle to stop the aggressive progressive of an intense fire across both Platte and Goshen Counties, eventually burning approximately 29,000 acres with a 32-mile perimeter and involving every possible fire suppression source available. High temperatures, dry conditions, difficult terrain, and merging with Goshen County’s Haystack Fire all contributed to the difficulty of containing the fire. Hartville residents and multiple county road residences were evacuated, and the town of Ft. Laramie nearly required evacuation. State highways were closed between the interstate and Lingle, and from Guernsey to Manville.
Camp Guernsey and American Red Cross of Wyoming opened overnight shelter services at the base barracks, and the community of Guernsey and surrounding towns donated water, supplies, food, and put together meals to support firefighters and individuals affected by evacuations.

Off-grid home lost in Pleasant Valley Fire
GUERNSEY — The retirement home of 82-year-old Karen Anderson-Gillis was unfortunately in the path of the flames from the Pleasant Valley Fire as it avoided containment efforts by firefighting personnel.
Anderson-Gillis had spent years working with her son to build her dream home, but on Tuesday afternoon, the Pleasant Valley Fire near Guernsey swept through the canyon where Karen’s labor of love stood, and within minutes reduced it to a smoldering mound of ashes and smoke.
Fortunately, she was not at the location when the fire came through.
But what was very unfortunate was that very few people knew about the little place in the hills. Unseen from the nearest main road, and with no registered utilities, fire crews became aware only when they drove in to the area to search for a possible backfire location. It was the reason early reports kept stating no structures had been lost in the fire.

Schools ready for new year of learning
WHEATLAND – There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes in Platte County School District No. 1 to prepare for a successful 2024 – 2025 school year. In an interview last week with Superintendent, John Weigel, he highlighted some things that will be different this year.
After receiving certification from Eastern Wyoming Community College to teach a CDL driving course with bus endorsements, school Transportation Director, Blaine Eppel, hosted the first training class in July with a nine-student class. Weigel said, in addition to the newly certified individuals, part-time substitute bus driver positions were filled, and the district received applications from individuals already CDL certified.
Though Professional Learning Collaboration (PLC) has been done in the district in the past, Weigel said it hasn’t been structured. This year, the district’s principals have completed PLC training and will lead a structured PLC program to assist teachers in working as a team, collaborating in teaching methods and choosing ways to measure the progress of individual students.

Aug. 14, 2024
Going, going, gone: Leaking water tower demolished
WHEATLAND – The skyline of Wheatland’s Black Mountain subdivision changed Monday when the troublesome water tower came down. Anderson Construction Co. is the general contractor for the project to take down the structure, and Monday morning a small crowd gathered to watch it happen.

Guernsey Fire Dept. holds post-fire meeting
GUERNSEY – The Pleasant Valley Fire was 100-percent contained as of Wednesday, Aug. 7, and encompassed an estimated 28,984 acres, according to official reports. The fire started Tuesday, July 30, on Pleasant Valley Road approximately one mile north of Guernsey and resisted the containment efforts of local, regional, and federal firefighters for several days.
“I’ve never seen a fire act like that – and I never want to again,” said Chris Orr, a seasoned firefighter in a post-fire meeting of Guernsey Rural Fire Department.
The meeting took place on a drizzly Thursday, just one day after 100 percent containment of the fire, with guests in attendance including volunteers who spearheaded impromptu support for supplies and meals. Appreciation was expressed for the abundance of community donations and support, as well as fire suppression assistance from fire departments from Platte and surrounding counties.
“As far as everything that went wrong, a lot went right. It’s not something a community practices - maybe we should, but I think we did really well,” said Platte County Emergency Manager Tony Krotz.
There were many donated supplies left over. Plans were made to distribute them among the fire departments in the county, following the reasoning the donations were made by Platte County residents for fire response, (and every fire department in the county responded to the Pleasant Valley Fire) so the surplus should be shared among the fire departments in the county.

County postpones federal grant decision
Town of Guernsey, county clear up communication confusion
WHEATLAND – A decision on a continuation agreement with MC2 Engineering was postponed by Platte County Commissioners until any “hooks” in potential federal grant funding to repair bridges are identified.
MC2 Engineering is an engineering company based out of Sheridan who also assists in identifying resources and funding, including from federal sources. They were hired last July by the commissioners to assist in grant-writing for the county. The proposed extension would end the contract on May 19, 2025, giving the time necessary to finish out the grant writing and application process for two grant opportunities they found that could assist the county with replacing a “temporary” Laramie River bridge on Palmer Canyon Road that was installed in the 2010’s after the existing bridge washed out.

Phase I of courthouse renovation wraps up
In the last action the commissioners will make concerning the Phase I of the courthouse renovation, the Commission unanimously approved terminating the lien that was required to be placed on the courthouse when the bond was taken out at the beginning of the project. The County Treasurer made the last payment to pay off the bond in July.

Aug. 21, 2024
Town of Glendo under investigation for mishandling money
GLENDO – The Town of Glendo is under investigation due to a report of “Suspicious charges and money handling,” according to Platte County sheriff David Russell. Upon receiving the report in July, Sheriff Russell assigned the case to a part-time investigator previously employed by DCI.
During Glendo’s Town Council meeting on Aug. 14, Mayor Susan Juschka confirmed the investigation, stating, “Tristany Hoffman has been terminated as our Clerk/Treasurer. It is an ongoing investigation through the sheriff’s office because of some bank anomalies.”

Wheatland Council appoints interim judge, tackles major new construction projects
WHEATLAND – A drone footage video of the Black Mountain water tower demolition was played for the public to start out the Wheatland council meeting last week.
With the tower down, Alexander Construction Co., is working with the Department of Environmental Quality to stabilize the ground that has been compromised from two decades of leakage from the water tower. The work is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 30. Bids for constructing the new welded steel tank will be accepted in September, with an award date by Oct. 1 to keep the project on track.
Wright said the engineering firm overseeing the whole project has said the project will need to be completed by June 30, 2025, which is the end of the town’s current fiscal year.
Following the briefing and approval of the agenda, the council appointed Doug Dumont as interim municipal judge for a six-month term.

PVCS welcomes bus system to community school
CHUGWATER – This fall marks the second year for Prairie View Community School in Chugwater, and after clearing a lot of red tape, its 88 students will be able to arrive on a newly-formed bus fleet.
PVCS director Bryce Cushman said he is excited the school will be able to provide this service for their students. By taking advantage of the bus driver training program recently offered by Platte Co. School District No. 1 in Wheatland, PVCS was able to add four drivers to their staff, for a total of six fully licensed bus drivers.
Another sign of progress for the school will be the hot, fresh meals that will be served this year, made mostly from scratch. PVCS has hired Danette Springs to head up the kitchen and cook meals that will cost under $4 per meal.
As an approved charter school under the purview of the WDE, Prairie View Community School in Chugwater provides school choice to the families of Chugwater and surrounding areas. Students in the school come from Laramie, Platte, and Goshen Counties. The school schedule runs on a four-day schedule, beginning August 20.

Glendo students start new four-day school week
GLENDO – Glendo students started school on Wednesday with a new four-day-a-week schedule.
When talking with students many of them mentioned their excitement for the Teton Science school trip the fourth through eighth graders will be taking. Some were not looking forward to school, and when asked why they replied, “Because it’s school.” Others look forward to specific classes indicating Ag, PE, and Math. One elementary student looked forward to “knowing what first graders do.”

Mr. Faegan, the third through fifth-grade teacher, talked about the new four-day school week and said with the extended day they can dedicate additional time to Science and Social Studies.

Five grants awarded to non-profits
WHEATLAND – Several Platte County groups were recently awarded a total of $65,400 in grant funds from Wyoming Intertie Community Investment Program, a foundation formed by Grid United’s Wyoming Intertie project to give back to local communities.
Platte ParaTransit, Inc. was awarded $28,000, Platte County Public Library was awarded $14,000, Town of Wheatland was awarded $10,000, Glendo Ambulance Service was awarded $10,000, and Keep Glendo Great was awarded $3,400.

PC Housing Authority celebrates 50 years
WHEATLAND – After 50 years, it was time for a celebration at Platte County Housing Authority, who provides access to low-income housing for seniors in the community. Last week, there was a 50th anniversary party open to residents, their families, present and past board members, local officials, and past employees. Everyone was treated to home-made dinner and deserts by Sybille Creek Livestock 4H Club and music by My Buddy Holly.

Sept. 4. 2024
Supported by the community, Glendo EMS plans ahead
History of Glendo Volunteer Ambulance Service demonstrates how community is essential to the non-profit
By Lisa Phelps
GLENDO – Mark and Alicia Green hosted over 120 people at a fundraiser/auction at B&A Marina in Glendo on Aug. 17. A fajita dinner was served to attendees with advance tickets. In addition to a 50/50 raffle, desert auction, and silent auction, a live auction was conducted with remote bids accepted – all to sell a multitude of donated items to benefit Glendo Volunteer Ambulance Service. The evening also included fundraising from an ice trough challenge, cornhole tournament, and flower sales from Christy Carlson.
The fundraiser was to support local emergency response services in Glendo. Receipts are still coming in, but $36,350 was raised, which will be used to help purchase supplies for the year and to put into a fund to purchase a new ambulance.

Sept. 11, 2024
Commissioners deny permit fee waiver for power company
WHEATLAND –Platte County commissioners chose to deny a request to waive the standard one-half percent total project cost building permit fee for Cheyenne Light Fuel and Power to construct approximately 70 miles of high-energy electric utility line across Platte County. The special use permit was approved with stipulations, which CLFP agreed to at the time.
Appearing via zoom call, Harris said though the commissioners’ meeting wasn’t the proper venue to discuss full details of reasoning, as a general statement; when the company reviewed the application information for the building certificate and accompanying fees, then looked at the state statutes they were based on, “It boils down to – looking at everything in whole – it seemed to us not to apply to power lines. There is a way to interpret it differently by taking information and definitions out of context, but we don’t have measurable square footage and do not have an address.”
Shockley said the verbiage requiring building permits says it’s required for building structures and any use of the land with an estimated cost over $50,000 (in this case, using the land to transmit power with a new power line). Addressing the Wheatland REA general manager’s concerns about future utility lines that may need to be constructed, Shockley explained, the fee for connecting a line from currently existing power lines to a new customer would be considered as part of the scope of the full project cost which is required to be included by the applicant of the building permit.

Former chief operating officer returns
to Wheatland as hospital’s CEO
Sandy Dugger has worked for Banner Health hospitals for 35 years
WHEATLAND – Banner Health Platte County Memorial Hospital (PCMH) has named Sandy Dugger the new CEO of the facility. Dugger served as the chief operating officer of Banner Health’s Wheatland and Torrington hospitals until she moved to California to assume the role of CEO at Banner Lassen Medical Center about six years ago.   
“I’m looking forward to reconnecting with former colleagues and having an opportunity to work with new people too,” said Dugger. “There are so many exciting projects in the pipeline for this hospital, I’m excited to be part of it.” 

Sept. 18, 2024
Ladder truck out of commission, unruly yards discussed by Wheatland council
WHEATLAND – The Wheatland town council authorized the mayor to engage in a work and transfer agreement for Wheatland Volunteer Fire Department’s only ladder truck, at the recommendation of the fire chief.
The Black Mountain water tower ground prep is scheduled to be completed the end of September, and bids for the new tank are due by Oct. 7.
Work is progressing on the little league field’s backstops and bracing.
Town clean-up efforts of parks department supervisor Toby Hohnholt and his crew were recognized, since they have put in the time and effort to weed eat around the town’s wells and fire hydrants. “It’s hard for residents to weed eat and mow if ours don’t look good. I want to acknowledge them for their hard work,” town clerk Candy Wright said.
This statement prompted discussion among the council and town attorney about the need for more residents and businesses to take pride in the look of the town and keep their properties clean of “huge weeds and junk.”

Glendo hopes to move forward with planning for community center
Fly-in declared a great success
GLENDO – The September meeting of the Glendo Town Council was brief last week, lasting just 30 minutes before a half-hour executive session.
Councilwoman Kelly Jones reported on the Sept. 7 Fly-in. She thanked all of those who participated in the event. They had twenty to twenty-five airplanes participate in the activities. Three hundred meals were served on Saturday with 150 meals on Sunday. Next year will be the 20th annual fly-in and the pilots were already asking about the plans.
Councilwoman Heather Schoning reported that it has been a stressful last three weeks with Visionary starting construction. “They’ve cut water lines, they’ve cut sewer lines, they cut Century Link lines, so it’s been an ongoing battle. But I think we have made headway.”
Schoning then talked about the community center. She said she would like to get the community together as soon as possible to discuss options and get a wish list started.

Platte County firefighters overwhelmed by worst fire season in decade
PLATTE COUNTY – The smell of smoke, along with visible plumes, have drifted across the county frequently the last couple months, and there’s a reason for it.
Platte County fire warden Aaron Clark says this year has been one of the worst fire seasons in a decade, and it’s due to hot, dry weather and a large fuel load. Summertime lightning storms have brought a small amount of moisture to the area, but everything’s so tinder-dry, any moisture benefits are short-lived. There have been a high number of lightning-ignited blazes, and it has taken a toll on volunteer firefighters responding to each and every call for a smoke check.
“[Our firefighters] are tired and stretched thin. We roll everything we can get, and when we need one engine to respond to a call, we call five because any fire has the potential to become a major fire, very quickly,” Clark said. He added, “The community in Platte County is fantastic, I think there are few counties in the state that have so much support.”
A fire ban has been in effect in all of Platte County since June.

Chugwater says ’no’ to de-annexation
CHUGWATER – In a roll-call vote, the Chugwater town council voted “no” unanimously to ordinance 320, which would have de-annexed approximately 173 acres west of the town.
Keith Miller, Travis Jorgensen, and Jennifer Jorgonsen are the petitioners and requested the de-annexation since they believe the governance of county ordinances better fit their agriculture land than those of the town, and they do not receive water or sewer services from the town. They also said the town does not have plans to extend services to the properties on the opposite side of the interstate from the platted portion of the town.
Resident Josh Hopkins maintained the loss of those parcels would not be good for the town of Chugwater financially in the long run.
Another resident, Ron Hall, concurred. He pointed out, if a resident has issues with an ordinance, they need to approach the council to request a variance of the ordinance.

Local circuit court magistrate to retire
WHEATLAND – Long-time magistrate for Platte County, Scott W. Cole, will be retiring at the end of the month. In the nearly 34 years he has been in the position now known as circuit court judge for the eighth judicial district there have been significant shifts in how the judicial system is structured.
Judge Nathaniel S. Hibben, one of the judges taking over the circuit court caseloads, said it is interesting to note Cole represents the last of a kind in many ways and has seen some major changes in the judiciary system in the state. He is the last lay magistrate in the state. Though he has a criminal justice degree and has had further judicial training, he is the last to sit as a judge in Wyoming’s judicial system without having a law degree. There are only three other magistrates serving in the state, though they all have law degrees.
“It’s worthwhile to celebrate [Scott Cole]. Everybody who knows him holds him in the highest esteem,” Hibben said from the perspective of the judiciary.

Sept. 25, 2024
Chamber director resigns
WHEATLAND – Last week, Platte County Chamber of Commerce director Shawna Reichert announced she is stepping down from her position of CEO of the chamber to pursue a new chapter in her professional journey. The board will be interviewing for a replacement beginning this week as they seek to have a smooth transition to a new director/CEO when Reichert leaves on Oct. 12.

Sheriff’s department K9 headed to surgery for herniated disk
WHEATLAND – Platte County Sheriff’s K9 officer, Pancho, will be headed into surgery on Sept. 30 after nearly four months of waiting. In May, a show of support from the community provided the $10,000 necessary through a go-fund-me and specifically K9-related donations to the sheriff’s department. The funds were raised within a few days, and after some veterinary appointments and treatment to make sure Pancho’s bloodwork showed him ready for surgery, Pancho is finally getting his chance at a more normal life.
It was determined by specialists at Colorado State University’s college of veterinary medicine, Pancho was suffering from a herniated disk, which was causing him to have mobility issues. One thing prompting the request for help to pay for the surgery was the need for a surgery as soon as possible, before there was permanent damage to Pancho’s spine, and the fact there isn’t the funding in the county budget to cover the expense.

County business discussed by commissioners
WHEATLAND – Platte County Commissioners approved a special use permit for NextEra Energy Resources to place a temporary solar MET weather monitoring station for 16 – 24 months to collect data, with a 200-foot setback off Lone Tree Road east of Chugwater. The station will have a fence two meters tall and will have weekly maintenance performed.
Representing NextEra, McKenzie Cole answered questions of commissioners, stating the information gathered is not publicly available, but will be collected internally and merged into the company’s database of information to be considered for potential development of a solar energy center.
Dumont reported a special use permit application was submitted, and certified letters were sent out for comment to neighbors regarding the issue brought up by Don Canaday, who filed a complaint his neighbors on State Highway 26 were using their property as a commercial business without the proper zoning permits.
A complaint about Croell Redi-Mix being in violation of mining setbacks and rules has been sent to the county attorney, Dumont said.
A meeting for public input on creating the Glendo EMS district had no one offering any comments. If approved, the newly formed district will provide a mill levy on property taxes to fund Glendo emergency medical services in its district boundaries, which will be the same as the Glendo fire district 2.