Proudly Serving the Hulet and Devils Tower Community
Proudly Serving the Hulet and Devils Tower Community
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This weekend, watch out for your annual treasure-hunting opportunity, with destinations throughout the county joining together for one giant yard sale. Look for a bargain, find the perfect gift or simply browse until something strikes your fancy. The Junkin’ vendors will be spread around the county, with stops available in and around all four municipalities. Garage and yard sales are a summer staple, but are generally not an organized event. Hoping to boost every vendor’s success while making things easier for bargain hunters, Crook County’s lo...
The impacts of rapid inflation – and the need to fix a situation in which it actually costs Crook County Medical Services District money to see patients in the clinics – has led the Board of Trustees to consider an increase across the board in its charges. The board considered a proposed annual budget that had been prepared by Zoe Elyada, GL Accountant, at Wednesday’s monthly meeting. “We clearly need to go in and make some changes before the final budget is given to you, but from our standpoint, I need to know what you guys are willing...
The latest figures from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services shows that Crook County enjoyed an employment bump last year. The county saw a 4.5% increase in employment between the end of 2021 and the fourth quarter of 2022, which equals 112 more jobs. Of those, 102 were in private industries. Payroll also headed in an upwards direction, increasing by over $2 million, or 6.4%, between the end of 2021 and the fourth quarter of 2022, bringing total wages in the county to $34,223,596. The average weekly wage in Crook County increased by...
Two Crook County natives are to be honored this year with an induction into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame. Jeff Garman and Wallace Canfield have been named to the Class of 2023. The Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame (WCHF) seeks out and celebrates the men and women who introduced this state to its ranching heritage, honoring the cowboys and ranchers who helped to break those first trails. This year, 25 more nominations have been added to the prestigious list. Alongside Crook County’s two honorees, the Region 1 class includes Marion Scott of G...
Every so often, something crops up that leads you to question the way things have always been done. Such was the case last week for the county commissioners, when County Attorney Joe Baron and County Clerk Melissa Jones brought to their attention a quirk in how the county’s audit is set up. Specifically, Crook County Weed & Pest is included as a “component part” of the county’s audit, along with the library and fair. However, said Baron, the latter two entities are considered to be “component parts” because they share in the county’s 12...
When the majority of the basement level of the courthouse was taken up by historical artifacts, it wasn’t obvious to the beholder just how much space there is available. Now the museum has taken up its new home in Old Stoney and those 10,000 square feet lie empty, it’s time for a new lease of life for the county’s seat of government. Eventually, the basement floor will allow for more spacious offices and additional storage, as well as an additional – but smaller – community room to provide a more intimate space for gatherings. Right now, thou...
If you own vacant property in Crook County, you may have received a letter from a real estate company offering to purchase it from you. County Assessor Dan Thomas shares a key piece of information about these letters: the price at which they offer to purchase your land is not based on information provided by his office. This is important for property owners to know because the price you are offered may be significantly lower than what your property would be appraised for. “Mailing addresses are public information,” he explains. “On our websi...
Christopher Walter has been charged with strangulation after an incident late last month at a motel in Hulett. According to court reports, Hulett Police Department responded to a reported verbal dispute at the motel on March 25 that occurred at around 5:30 a.m. During the dispute, Walter’s actions allegedly transgressed into physical and mental harm. He is accused of striking a female victim several times in the face with an open hand, leading EMS to suspect a broken jaw. He is also accused of placing his hands around the victim’s neck, str...
A Belle Fourche man has had his sentence for aggravated assault reimposed after repeatedly breaking the terms of his probation. Myles Dillon was originally given a suspended sentence following an incident at a Hulett motel in which he allegedly beat a victim to the point of severe trauma, including kicking him in the face and striking him with a chair. The incident occurred on August 8, 2021, outside a room in a Hulett motel. Injuries to the victim were reported to include severe trauma to the head, face and neck and a potential collapsed...
The Wyoming Department of Revenue has opened applications for its newly expanded property tax relief program, which is intended to assist homeowners struggling to pay property taxes. “With this program, Wyoming is taking a step forward toward helping those who need it most,” announced Governor Mark Gordon. “We recognize the importance of keeping property taxes low so families can remain in their homes and communities. We are committed to ensuring that this program helps homeowners in need. Target relief ensures that those who need assis...
Garage filled with items you no longer need? Can’t bring yourself to throw out those gently used tools? Applications are now open to vendors for this year’s Country Junkin’ event. Find a new home for your well-loved belongings as, for three days this summer, bargain hunters travel the length and breadth of the county on the hunt for treasures from second hand goods to vintage items and food. Country Junkin’ is scheduled this year for June 2 to 4, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the first two days and from 8 a.m. until noon on the Sunday. Vendors...
U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis has once again expressed her disapproval of the decision to upgrade the northern long-eared bat’s status to endangered – this time, in the form of a joint resolution. As the new listing for the bat went into effect, Lummis was among a group of eleven lawmakers who submitted a joint resolution in protest. The resolution states that Congress “disapproves the rule submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service…and such rule shall have no force or effect”. It was introduced to the Senate, read twice and refer...
The county is in the process of setting up protocols for issuing grants to local organizations involved in combating the opioid addiction crisis. The funding for the grants comes from a large-scale class action lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies that were involved in supplying opioids. The county commissioners signed a resolution in 2021 to accept the statewide settlement agreement and receive the associated funds. The OneWyo Opioid Settlement is part of a nationwide settlement and is eventually expected to net somewhere between $82,000...
Black Thunder Oil, the new owners of assets that once belonged to BW Oil, approached the Crook County Commissioners last week to request assistance with penalties on tax payments that the company didn’t know were owed. Jeff Waliezer of Black Thunder explained that the company had not received any notice of these taxes until a bill arrived with a ‘past due’ penalty. Black Thunder acquired the assets after BW Oil defaulted on three years of tax payments totaling over $300,000 in 2016, leading the Crook County Treasurer’s Office to launch the pro...
The Black Hills region appears to have escaped the more severe levels of wildlife mortality that have affected much of Wyoming this winter. The Wyoming Game & Fish Department has announced that active monitoring of the big game across the state has shown increased mortality due to the increased snowfall and extreme temperatures over the last few months. “Wyoming is used to tough winters, but it has been a while since we have had a winter where severe conditions were so widespread across the state,” said Doug Brimeyer, Wyoming Game and Fish Dep...
Crook County’s recent population growth is considerably higher than the state and national averages, according to new data released by the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information’s Economic Analysis Division. Between July of 2021 and 2022, Crook County saw a 1.8% increase in its population – as compared to a 0.4% increase nationwide and 0.3% in Wyoming. While 16 of Wyoming’s counties saw population increases during that time, Crook County’s rate was beaten only by Lincoln County’s 2.4% (and was matched by 1.8% in Big Horn County)....
The northern long-eared bat is now officially listed as “endangered”. The implementation of this upgrade to the bat’s status was originally set to take place on January 30. However, this was delayed until the end of March to address concerns over the impact that the listing might have on infrastructure projects across the bat’s territory. The delay, according to an announcement from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) in the Federal Register, “Is necessary for the Service to finalize conservation tools and guidance documents to avoid con...
Did you know that you can check out a blood pressure monitor at the county library? That you can get help from senior services to clip your toenails if you are unable to reach your feet? That there are thousands of sandbags available through the emergency management department to protect your home in the event of a flood? Crook County’s various agencies and institutions have these health and human needs services available and many more besides. But do members of the public know they exist, or where and how to access them? This question was t...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering recovery assistance for livestock losses in Wyoming due to the storms and frigid weather of winter. Assistance on offer includes both technical and financial, with the goal of helping farmers and livestock producers to recover from the impacts of adverse weather events. “These recent winter storms have taken their toll on livestock producers in Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, leaving producers with snow removal costs as well as increased feed expenses,” said Rob...
Ty Stutzman was elected the new chairman of the Crook County Republican Party at a meeting of the Central Committee last week, winning the vote against incumbent Jeff Burian. “I was elected by the people who were sitting in front of me, the central committee. They are my boss and I believe that, as chairman, you need to listen to everybody and be open to everything,” Stutzman says of his goals in this new position. “I would like to see the Republican Party grow and get younger people involved, but the biggest thing is that I believe, as chairma...
Two very different requests came before the Crook County Commissioners last week from landowners hoping to sidestep the new regulations for large-acre subdivisions. While the first was for a single chunk from a personal property that the owner would like to sell, the second was a subdivision containing more than 30 individual tracts that was completed by a developer around the time the new rules came into being. In the first instance, the request was for a 36.7-acre parcel south of Pine Haven. Colt Massie explained that he had bought several pa...
When Paul Stille of Leo Riley & Associates presented this year’s county audit, it once again included reference to an issue within the Weed & Pest department that suggested operational difficulties severe enough to have caused a “near complete breakdown in the accounting process”. However, he was quick to note that the issue has now been solved and only appeared in the audit because the timeline spilled over into the fiscal year of 2021-22. “This will be gone this year,” he said. “Last year I came and met with you about the problems th...
A wildfire prevention program in California is set to bolster the timber supply here in Crook County, according to an announcement made by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) last week. Through this program, Neiman Sawmills is expected to receive surplus fire salvage logs from areas with too much wood and not enough of a market for it. “We’re honored to be a partner with the Forest Service and NWTF on this pilot project,” said Jim Neiman, President of the family-owned forest management company with operations across the west. “Collectively, we’re h...
For about three years, the state stopped reviewing whether Wyomingites enrolled on the Medicaid program were still eligible – but things are about to change. As the Wyoming Department of Health prepares to resume the practice of reviewing people’s eligibility for Medicaid coverage, it is urging citizens to make sure their contact details are up to date. “We just started sending renewal notices by mail to clients. We’ll be reviewing eligibility in the same manner as we did before the pandemic so it’s not something new,” said Lee Grossman, s...
Keeping someone safe if they are prone to wandering can be a challenge, but the Crook County Sheriff's Office can help. The office sponsors Project Lifesaver, a nationwide program designed to help you protect someone who is cognitively impaired. Project Lifesaver is supported by donations and grants and completely free to its participants. Members of the community are invited to reach out to the office for more information if a loved one has been diagnosed with a condition such as dementia or...
