(Fri
7/23/10) - Delay on Gateway West... The
Bureau of Land Management is delaying the release of
its environmental study of a proposed
Wyoming-to-Idaho electric power transmission line.
The draft environmental impact statement for the Gateway
West Transmission Line Project was scheduled to
be released this summer, but that's been pushed back
to the last quarter of the year. Rocky Mountain Power
and Idaho Power propose to build the 1,150-mile line
from Glenrock, here in Converse County, to south of
Boise, Idaho, to carry wind-generated and and other
power from Wyoming to Idaho and other points west.
The BLM says its delaying the document's release to
address comments received during the internal
administrative review process as well as to clarify
management objectives related to sage grouse, visual
and other public resources. The BLM will hold a
90-day public comment period once the study is
released.
(Wed
7/21/10) - Still tough to find a campsite... Despite
several weeks of receding water levels, Glendo
State Park is still operating with about half of
the normal number of campsites. Gary Schoene of
Wyoming State Parks says many campsites at the lake
south of Douglas are still not useable... audio here
State parks
officials will try to open additional campsites as
soon as possible, but visitors can expect limited
camp spaces for at least another month. Many of the
flooded campsites will need to completely dry out
before they can be repaired. A restoration and repair
schedule for the park is currently under review and
is updated as damaged areas are accessed.
(Tue
7/20/10) - It's not too early to vote... With
the 2010 Primary Elections just under a month away,
absentee ballots are now available at the Converse
County Courthouse. County Clerk Lucile Taylor says
there are several reasons that people might want to
vote absentee... audio here
Taylor says
anyone can vote absentee... audio here
Absentee
ballots are available now at the Converse County
Courthouse in Douglas. The Primary Election is set
for Tuesday, August 17th.
 |
 |
| (Sun
7/18/10) - A Ramp to Remember By...
A big crowd turned out this evening for the
dedication of the new halfpipe at the Douglas
Skate Park at Bartling Park. The cast and
crew of "The Buried Life", an MTV
show, came to Douglas to help fulfill the
dream of local girl Katie Monson to build a
new ramp at the skatepark in memory of
friends lost. Katie said it's been a week
she'll remember... audio here |
| |
 |
 |
| Following a
short ceremony at 7:30 this evening, kids and
adults were invited to leave their handprints
in paint on the ends of the halfpipe. While
thundershowers threatened, a beautiful
double-rainbow graced the skies to the east
as boards and bikes rocked the ramp. |
(Mon
7/12/10) - The City of Douglas could get a new skate
ramp, courtesey of MTV. Producers of MTV's
program "The Buried Life" will ask the
Douglas City Council tonight for permission to build
the half-pipe ramp at Bartling Park. "The Buried
Life" follows four young men on a mission to
cross off one hundred things off their bucket list.
For every item they cross off, they help someone in
the community cross something off their own list.
Producers say their adventures have taken them
everywhere from Oprah's couch to a private basketball
game with President Obama on his White House court.
The plan for the episode shoot from Wednesday July
14th- Saturday 17th is to build a new skate ramp
extension (with a plaque) as a memorial for the teens
that have passed away in Douglas. Producers say the
skate ramp memorial will be a positive contribution
for the park as well as it will help the friends and
family of the teens who have passed away have final
peace and closure. On Saturday the 17th they'll
dedicate the finished memorial ramp to the town and
kids and families who were affected by the teens
untimely passing.
Other than
discussion of the new skate ramp, it looks like a
fairly quiet agenda for tonight's Douglas City
Council. Among items to be considered are the first
reading of an ordinance that will define the role and
duties of the council president, renewal of the
City's partially self-funded health insurance
program, and a request for proposals for a wage and
salary survey of city positions. Tonight's council
work session is set for 6:30pm... the City Council
meeting is at 7. Both are open to the public in the
council chambers at Douglas City Hall. Council
meetings are also broadcast live on Communicom Cable
channel 61. The complete agenda and packet for
tonight's meeting is available online at www.cityofdouglaswy.com
 |
 |
(Wed
7/7/10) -Father Hubbard gets a new
cupboard... about 30 community
volunteers helped Douglas's food bank move
into a new home this morning. Father
Hubbard's Cupboard volunteer Al Lesco says
the new location will give them much more
room to serve those in need... audio here
Father
Hubbard's Cupboard has shared a small
building in Washington Park with Helping
Hands for many years. Lesco says the food
bank workers will appreciate the extra elbow
room... audio here
Lesco
says Father Hubbards Cupboard exists to help
families and individuals who are in need of a
meal or two... audio here
Lesco
says that Father Hubbard's Cupboard is not
open regular hours... they'll pick up food if
somebody donates, and they'll come in and
fill food baskets as needed. The Helping
Hands group will continue to operate out of
the building in Washington Park. The new
address for Father Hubbard's Cupboard is 130
South 3rd. The ground floor of the CANDO
building, the old Douglas City Hall, is being
provided rent-free by the City Of Douglas,
who owns the building.
|
(Tue
7/6/10) - You can buy your tickets early and save.
With just over a month until the opening of the 2010 Wyoming State
Fair here at Douglas, pre-sale tickets go on sale
today. Mega Carnival passes are $55 dollars, season
admission pins are $15 dollars, the Rodeo Family
Value Pack is $40 dollars, and Joe Diffie with the
Lo-Cash Cowboys in Concert are $15 dollars. Pre-sale
ticket prices are good through Monday, August 9th...
after that, ticket prices go up to regular pricing.
Pre-sale tickets are available from 11am to 6pm
starting today in the lower level of the State Fair
Ag Hall Building. Call the Wyoming State Fair office
at 358-2398 for more information.
 |
(Fri
7/2/10) - No more free passes to the Douglas
Landfill... interim Douglas City
Administrator Forrest Neuerburg says that
from now on, everyone pays to dump their
trash... audio here
Neuerburg
says the landfill is barely breaking even
now, and the state has mandated some
expensive upgrades in the next few years... audio here
State-mandated
requirements will include installation of a
collection station and two lined cells to
dump in, as well as extending city sewer,
water and three-phase power to the landfill.
The city has just three years to get the
improvements done and in operation. So, from
here on out, we all pay per load to use the
dump.
|
(Fri 7/2/10) - Bike
wreck kills two... A North Carolina couple
have died after the motorcycle they were on collided
with a car in northeastern Wyoming. The Wyoming State
Patrol says 61-year-old Thomas Church and 52-year-old
Regina Church of Wilmington, N.C., were driving south
on U.S. 85, 41 miles north of Lusk on Wednesday when
a car headed north crossed over the center line.
Authorities say it's unclear why the car driven by
77-year-old Ingeman Aasness of Hawthorne, Calif.,
went into the other lane. They say when Aasness tried
to get back in his lane, his car ran head-on into the
Churches' motorcycle. The Churches died at the scene.
Neither was wearing a helmet. Aasness was treated and
released from the hospital in Lusk.
Seventy-three-year-old Cordelle Aasness was flown to
the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper.
(Thu
7/1/10) - ... but Don't Drink the Water!
Testing by the Wyoming Department of Environmental
Quality has determined that there are several areas
of Glendo Reservoir that are testing out with high
levels of e.Coli and other contaminants. According to
the DEQ report, the sites registering high levels of
e.Coli are located in backwater flooded areas that
have very little water circulation, and it's water
that is full of mud and debris, with little
likelihood of anyone swimming there. State Parks
administrator Dominic Bravo says campers and boaters
should take precautions... audio
here
Again,
Dominic emphasized that water in the open areas of
Glendo Reservoir are well within safe levels.
Water
levels on the North Platte River system are starting
to drop. Inflows into the upper North Platte drainage
have fallen off significantly, so the release rate
out of the upper reservoirs are being scaled back as
well. The release rates will continue to be scaled
back slowly over the next couple of weeks. At
midnight Tuesday, Glendo reservoir was at an
elevation of 4648.83 ft, the maximum elevation that
it will be at this summer. It will slowly be on the
way down now. Pathfinder Reservoir is still spilling,
it will continue to spill until July 11th . Converse
County Emergency Management Agency coordinator Russ
Dalgarn says we have only had a few homes here in
Converse County that were impacted by the high water.
These homes have basements and the rising ground
water has affected them. None of these homeowners
reported major damage. They just had to use their
sump pumps or other pumps to keep the water out of
the basements.
(Tue
6/29/10) - The 4th of July means picnics and
barbecues, flags and fireworks... and the
Douglas Volunteer Fire Department is looking for some
help from the community to help finish paying for
this year's fireworks show. The annual event features
a half-hour show that costs the department about $6
thousand dollars each year. According to the fire
department's Cher Bailey, they've collected about $45
hundred dollars towards this year's fireworks
display. The department sent out letters to area
businesses earlier this month and got good response,
but Bailey says some of the letters came back as
undeliverable, so they're putting out the call to
businesses and individuals once again to help cover
the final $1500 dollars of the show, which is
presented to the public free of charge. If you or
your business would like to make a donation, large or
small, eveything is appreciated, mail it to PO Box
679 in Douglas, or drop off your donations at My
Realty or Arrow Electric.
This year's
Boomin' 4th of July Celebration begins at dusk,
around 9:30pm Sunday night, at the back parking lot
at Douglas High School. While you won't be able to
park in the parking lot itself, you're welcome to
park on the adjoining streets... or bring a blanket
or lawn chairs and enjoy the show from the practice
field on the east end of the parking lot. As always,
music to watch fireworks by will be provided at the
high school and on your radio on KKTY-99.3 FM.
(Mon
6/28/10) - The City Budget is up for approval
tonight. At the June 14th Douglas City
Council meeting, a much-smaller draft fiscal year
2010-2011 Douglas Municipal Budget was presented in a
public hearing to the city council. After a couple of
weeks to digest the contents of the paperwork, the
council will tonight move ahead with action on that
budget. Tonight's council work session is set for
6:30pm... the City Council meeting is at 7. Both are
open to the public in the council chambers at Douglas
City Hall. Council meetings are also broadcast live
on Communicom Cable channel 61. The complete agenda
and packet for tonight's meeting is available online
at www.cityofdouglaswy.com.
(Fri
6/25/10) - Good news from up-river. Converse
County Emergency Manager Russ Dalgarn says the Bureau
of Reclamation has started to cut back the release
out of Grey Reef Reservoir at midnight last night by
250 cfs. At midnight they were releasing 7005 cfs.
They plan to continue cutting the releases at
midnight each day by 250 cfs for the next 5 days
until they reach the 6000 cfs release rate. We have
not been at that release rate since the 16th of June.
They plan to hold that rate through the 6th of July
before making any further cuts to the rate. July 21st
is the projected date to be near normal river flows
for this time of year.
With the
decreases in flow and height of the river levels the
ground water will slowly start to return to normal as
well aiding those living near the river with their
septic system flow issues. The projected maximum
level for Glendo Reservoir has been lowered to
4,648.79 for the 3rd of July. This will be an
increased elevation change of less than one vertical
foot from current conditions. Inflows into the upper
North Platte drainage have been lower than initially
anticipated providing more storage capacity in both
Seminoe and Pathfinder.
(Fri
6/25/10) - As expected, water continues to rise at
Glendo State Park resulting in increased
flooding to campsites, roadways and structures. The
good news, however, is that State Park officials have
opened additional designated campsites and three day
use areas. With the addition of these designated
campsites and the help of Glendo Marina, Glendo State
Park now has 202, which is roughly half of the number
of sites available during a normal year. Many of
these sites are already occupied. Glendo Marina
reports they have 40 campsites available In addition,
Howard's, located at the Glendo exit #111 off of I-25
is now offering 35 free spaces for RV camping, first
come, first serve only. Visitors can inquire at:
(307) 735-4252. Additionally, Glendo State Park staff
have opened four day use areas -the West and East end
of Shelter Point; the picnic shelter at Two Moon
campground and Dune Campground at Sandy Beach.
 |
 |
 |
| (Tue
6/22/10) - Too much water, and the tourists
are coming. That was the basic
message yesterday as state officials, the
media, area residents and stakeholders met at
Glendo Reservoir for an update on the North
Platte River system. High water levels have
forced Glendo State Park to cut back severely
on services offered. About 80 percent of the
Park's campgrounds are underwater, the 4th of
July weekend is less than 2 weeks away, and
over 15 thousand campers and boaters are
expected at the lake on the biggest weekend
of the year. John Lawson, with the Bureau of
Reclamation, says they expect levels to
continue to rise on the lake until July 4th,
with another 3 feet of water coming before
levels stabilize and begin to drop. State and
park officials are scrambling to come up with
a plan to deal with expected boaters and
campers on the upcoming holiday, as well as
expected cleanup and reclamation when the
water begins to go down. |
(Tue 6/22/10) -
River levels will rise just a bit more here at
Douglas. With warmer temperatures forecast
for later this week, the primary concern on the North
Platte River system is more snowmelt than anticipated
coming into Seminoe Reservoir in south centeral
Wyoming. The river system is close to being
"direct run", meaning that they are almost
out of storage space for runoff or anything that may
come from thunder storms. Converse and Natrona County
Emergency Management Agencies have told the Bureau of
Reclamation that we could handle an additional 500
cfs of water in the river. This small bump in total
flow from Grey Reef should only bring the level of
the river up one to two inches. However, it will
increase the storage capacity over the next 6 days by
10,000 acre feet in Seminoe Reservoir for the
additional forecasted runoff. This bump was scheduled
for midnight last night. We should see the results of
that release, a 1 to 2 inch rise in the river through
Converse County by 10pm tonight.
(Thu
6/17/10) - More water on the way... it looks
like we'll see high water on the North Platte River
here at Douglas for the next week or so. Record
inflows into Seminoe Reservoir, the first reservoir
on the North Platte River system, have caused Seminoe
and Pathfinder Reservoirs to fill quicker than
expected. The Bureau of Reclamation has begun
increasing releases out of Gray Reef Reservoir to
keep Seminoe and Pathfinder from filling past the
flood pool stage. The increased releases out of Gray
Reef will probably continue through next week, and
that will keep moderate to high flows on the North
Platte from Glenrock to Orin. As of Thursday morning,
river stages at Orin are running about 6 inches below
the bankfull stage. Glendo Dam is near capacity, and
the Bureau of Reclamation says they'll likely start
filling Guernsey Reservoir next week. Low-lying
campsites along the banks at Guernsey will probably
end up underwater. Low lying areas along the North
Platte between Glenrock and Orin should be
continually monitored for flooding for the next week.
Bureau of Reclamation says we'll probably see higher
river velocities on the North Platte than we've seen
for the past twenty-five years.
(Thu
6/17/10) - The wind won't stop the mail today...
this year is the 150th anniversary of the Pony
Express, and a commemorative ride passes through
eastern Wyoming today. 15 to 20 Pony Express Riders
are taking part in the ride... they made a mail
exchange and had breakfast at the Deer Creek Museum
in Glenrock at 5 this morning. The Pony Express meets
the Iron Horse in Douglas this morning from 9:30 to
10:30. The riders will change out horses, there'll be
a presentation commemorating the 150th Anniversary of
the Pony Express, there'll be refreshments, and the
riders will continue south to Glendo. Several area
post offices are also offering special commemorative
postmarks and special cachet souvenier envelopes.
Contact the post offices at Glenrock, Glendo,
Wheatland, Guernsey, Manville, Van Tassell, Lance
Creek, Lingle or Fort Laramie for more information.
The Pony Express ran from St Joseph, Missouri to
Sacramento, California, from April of 1860 to October
of 1861. Many local place names were originally Pony
Express stations, including Little Muddy, Deer Creek,
Boxelder, LaPrele, Bedtick and LaBonte in Converse
County, and Elkhorn, Horseshoe and Cottonwood in
Platte County.
(Tue
6/15/10) - Due to high reservoir levels and excessive
rain, many Glendo State Park campgrounds and
facilities have been closed til further notice.
State Park officials say it's likely that due to the
limited camping space available and the expected
rising water levels, the majority of the park will be
closed until the weekend. Gary Schoene of Wyoming
State Parks says people should be very cautious for a
variety of reasons... audio here
Flooding
has necessitated the closure of the
following facilities:
Elkhorn
Campground and boatramp, Bennett Hill campground and
boatramp, Indian Point campground and boatramp,
Waters Point, Colter Bay, Sagebrush, Broken Arrow,
and Burnt Wagon campgrounds, Muddy Bay camping area
and a partial closure of Sandy Beach campground.
The
following areas are still open as of Tue
6/15, 5pm... Red Hills, Reno Cove, Custer Cove,
Whiskey Gulch campground, Shelter Point campground,
Two Moon campground and part of Sandy Beach. Boat
ramps are still open at Reno Cove, Whiskey Gulch and
Glendo Marina.
If water
levels continue to rise, additional areas may need to
be closed. Boaters are urged to use caution and be on
the lookout for submerged trees and other debris. For
up-to-date information, call Glendo State Park at
307-735-4433.
(Tue
6/15/10) - Don't hold your breath on five lanes of
traffic on 4th Street in Douglas. In a
presentation to the Douglas City Council last night,
WyDot's Lowell Fleenor went over the state's
construction plans in Converse County for the next
six years. Fleenor said that dwindling funding has
forced WyDot to cut back and adjust some projects... audio
here
Fleenor
says WyDot has scheduled work on 4th Street for
fiscal 2012... audio here
In 2014,
WyDot is still planning major construction on East
Richards from the interchange to Mesa Drive... audio
here
Fleenor
said there'll be changes made to the way exit 135
flows into town... audio here
Fleenor
said that Richards from Mesa to 4th is on the
calendar for 2015, but at this point it will be
rehabilitation of the current three lanes rather than
an expansion to five lanes. He emphasized that
availability of funding and traffic patterns could
change WyDot's plans as time goes on.
(Tue
6/15/10) - Sleazy! A federal judge says the
state of Wyoming's treatment of a Wal-Mart trucker
kidnapped by a rogue state trooper during an aborted
murder plot was sleazy. U.S. District Judge William
Downes didn't rule Monday on the state's request to
dismiss the trucker's lawsuit. Former trooper Joe
Ryle of Douglas pleaded guilty last year to charges
that he kidnapped Colorado trucker Richard Smidt and
intended to kill him. Ryle said he planned to stage
an accident with Smidt's truck to extort money from
the company. The Wyoming Attorney General's Office
asked Downes to dismiss Smidt's lawsuit because he
signed a settlement last year. Smidt's lawyer says
the settlement is void because state officials never
told Smidt that Ryle had intended to kill him.
(Tue
6/8/10) -A Casper woman is dead following a Friday
accident just east of Shawnee on Highway 18/20. The
Wyoming Patrol says 80-year old Beverlyn Konings was
eastbound on US 18/20 when she lost control of her
vehicle. Evidence at the scene indicates she made a
series of steering corrections in her lane of travel
before she finally over steered sharply to the left.
This maneuver caused her vehicle to cross both the
east and west bound lanes before she then over
corrected sharply to the right. The vehicle rolled 1
1/2 times before falling off the end of a culvert.
The Highway Patrol says Konings was not wearing her
seat belt, and was ejected from the vehicle.
(Tue
6/8/10) - Converse County goes back to work.
In the latest numbers from the Wyoming Department of
Employment, Converse County mirrors State of Wyoming
trends as unemployment moves downward. April of
2010's unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent, down
from 6.4 percent the month before. 5.9 percent is
still up from a year ago, when April unemployment was
at 5 percent. State wide, the unemployment rated's at
7.2 percent, down from 7.7 percent in March, but up
from 5.5 percent a year ago. The national
unemployment rate stands at 9.5 percent.
(Thu 6/3/10) - Welcome,
Cameco! Gov. Dave Freudenthal is welcoming
to Cheyenne the nation's top uranium producer and
recipient of Wyoming's biggest state environmental
fine. Cameco Corp. recently moved its U.S.
headquarters to Cheyenne from Lakewood, Colo. Over
three years, Cameco has paid more than $1.1 million
in state environmental penalties for violations at
its Smith Ranch-Highland uranium mine northwest of
Douglas in Converse County. Freudenthal said
Wednesday the state is monitoring Cameco's mine
diligently. Cameco spokesman Ken Vaughn says Cameco
takes compliance very seriously and the problems that
led to a record $1 million fine in 2008 weren't
acceptable. Freudenthal last week accepted from
Cameco a $50,000 gift to the Wyoming Wildlife Trust
Fund, a state account for improving wildlife habitat.
(Tue
6/1/10) - Six candidates will vie for three seats on
the Converse County Commission. Friday, May
28th was the deadline to file for the August 17th
primaries, and the ballots are now set. In the County
Commission race, incumbants Jim Willox, Ed Werner and
Tony Lehner and challengers Major Brown, Doyle Evans
and Dean Horr will compete for three four-year terms.
Incumbant Ross Gorman faces a challenge from Russ
Dalgarn for the county coroner's office. Three
candidates have filed to run for Converse County
Sheriff... current sheriff Clint Becker will run
against George Meyer and Jeff Nelson. Pam McCullough
and Mike Eathorne will compete for the Clerk Of
District Court position. Four incumbants will run
unopposed... County Attorney Quentin Richardson,
County Clerk Lucile Taylor, County Treasurer Joel
Schell and County Assessor Dixie Huxtable.
(Tue
6/1/10) - No shortage of Republicans running
for Wyoming's governor's office. Gubernatorial
candidate Matt Mead is out on the campaign trail...
he stopped by the KKTY studios this afternoon, and
Mead says he's working hard to meet voters and
convince them to vote for him... audio here
Another
Republican gubenatorial candidate, Colin Simpson,
will be in Douglas Thursday afternoon for a
Meet'N'Greet. Simpson invites the public to come have
Coffee With Colin Thursday afternoon at 3pm at the
LaBonte Coffee Shop.
