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The dream of turning the old Washington Elementary building into a transitional home for single mothers and their children is continuing to move forward. Debra Moerke, the founder of the McKenzie Home Project, spoke to both the Green River City Council and the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners this week to give an update on the project's latest developments. The project started three years ago, with Moerke's own life experiences and grief helping inspire the idea. From first...
William Duncan of Green River recently pleaded "not guilty" to six counts of alleged sexual exploitation of children, two counts of allegedly aiding a child's violation of the law, and one count of alleged rude/insolent/angry touches without injury. Duncan was arrested by the Green River Police Department on a warrant for these counts on March 10. Duncan entered a plea of "not guilty" during his arraignment on Monday, March 31 in the Third Judicial District Court of Judge Suzannah Robinson. His...
April is a month full of awareness for important causes, many of which were recognized by the city and county this week with special proclamations. National Library Week, National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month all take place in April. Proclamations recognizing these causes were read at the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners meeting and the Green River City Council meeting. National Library Week...
The school district will be transitioning to the leadership of the new superintendent, Dr. Scott Cooper, over the next few months. Sweetwater County School District No. 2 began the process of looking for a new superintendent after the current superintendent, Craig Barringer, announced his retirement in January. Barringer will remain with the district until his contract ends on June 30. In looking for the next Superintendent of Schools, the SCSD No. 2 Board of Trustees worked with the Wyoming...
Unrest connected to incidents happening at a national level continues to be felt throughout Wyoming and Sweetwater County, from concerns over local access to Social Security to Tesla-related vandalism to changes in town hall formats following protests. Social Security access Last week, Sweetwater County residents became concerned over whether or not the Rock Springs Social Security office would close, although it was later confirmed that the office will remain open. On Thursday, March 20, an...
The causes of the deadly Interstate 80 tunnel accident on February 14 are starting to be better understood, thanks to the official investigation being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB released preliminary information from their investigation into the accident last week, explaining how the crash began and what vehicles were involved. The accident began around 11:33 a.m. on Friday, February 14, when a Toyota Tundra pickup truck spun to the left and struck a metal... Full story
A chorus of both cheers and boos echoed in the Small Hall at the Sweetwater Events Complex last Saturday afternoon when U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman stood up in front of the crowd. The mixed responses continued as she addressed the hundreds of people who gathered for her town hall event, with supporters praising her work and cheering her words while protestors raised signs and yelled out disagreement. "I'm perfectly happy to have all of you here, but you're not going to do heckler speech... Full story
The city of Green River has been making decisions in an effort to keep multiple things moving forward, from permits and grants to studies and events. During this week's City Council meeting, the council approved decisions and had discussions concerning the new Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Killdeer Wetland Project, a planned study looking for water leaks under city roads, and ongoing planning for the upcoming Flaming Gorge Days. As the new Wastewater Treatment Plant continues to be built,...
Last Saturday afternoon I sat in a room full of our own community members and listened to them yell at each other to shut up, call each other liars, tell each other they didn't know what they were talking about, and basically treat each other more like nameless strangers on the other side of a computer screen than like neighbors. The Town Hall event with Representative Harriet Hageman was interesting, to say the least. Personally, I had friends and family members on both "sides," both cheering... Full story
Many local drivers have found themselves spending more time in the car than they'd like to recently, especially when traveling on I-80 going to Green River from Rock Springs. With traffic delays caused by road work following the recent tunnel accident, as well as weather delays and accidents caused by a major winter storm last week, many residents ended up stuck in traffic, sometimes for multiple hours. While traffic on westbound Interstate 80 has currently moved back to being head-to-head...
Residents can now prepare for a cut on their property taxes, while local services and entities prepare for a cut to their budgets. After months of discussion regarding what changes could affect property taxes this year, and how those changes could affect local funding, Green River and Sweetwater County now have a better idea what to expect. One of the main bills affecting property tax, Senate File 0069, was passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Mark Gordon with a 25% cut to property...
The Westvaco and Granger trona mines outside Green River that were owned and operated by Genesis Alkali have now been purchased and will be operated by WE Soda. "WE Soda is pleased to announced it acquired Genesis Alkali, the largest producer in the U.S. of natural soda ash," the company shared in a press release Monday morning. "Obviously, the Westvaco and the Granger sites have been very successful for 70 years, and they've got a great workforce," Craig Rood, Director of Government Affairs...
Workers from Sweetwater County and across Wyoming gathered on the steps of the State Capitol last Friday to make their voices heard. "Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, workers of all trades, today I stand before you to talk about something that affects every single one of us -- our safety, our rights, and our ability to work with dignity," Marshal Cummings said in a speech at the event. Cummings, the union president for United Steelworkers Local 13214, helped organize the rally to...
While some of our community members stood on the steps of the Wyoming Capitol last Friday, others stood on the stage of the Broadway Theater, but both groups shared a message about the importance of workers and their need to be protected. This week, three different plays are being performed in our community, and while they all have very different stories, they all have very timely messages. I feel especially connected to the three plays this weekend. One of them, I'm performing in. One of them... Full story
Stories about mythical Greek gods and heroes, 1920s radium dial painters in New Jersey, and 1930s nightclub goers in Berlin may not initially seem to have much in common. However, all of these stories present their own challenging truths, and all of them are coming to life on stages across Sweetwater County this weekend. "Hadestown (Teen Edition)," performed by the Green River High School Theater Department, is a musical retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. "Radium Girls" from the Acto... Full story
First responders in Green River have had a busy and difficult few weeks. Following a pile-up crash at the Interstate 80 westbound tunnel on February 14, local first responders have also had to respond to another fatal crash as well as a house fire. "When it rains, it pours," as the Green River Fire Department said. Less than a week after the tunnel accident that claimed three lives, another vehicular crash claimed two more lives, this time of Green River residents. On Wednesday, February 19, at... Full story
The question of how property tax cuts could lead to reductions in local services continues to be a topic of discussion and concern locally, even as bills that could impact property taxes are still working their way through the legislature. The City of Green River has continued to keep an eye on the changes affecting multiple bills related to property tax, waiting to see what the effects on local budgets and services could eventually be. Meanwhile, discussions on the topic have continued across...
On the morning of Valentine's Day, the community of Green River was rocked when citizens looked outside and saw thick black smoke billowing out of the I-80 tunnel. A pile-up accident involving over two dozen vehicles led to a fire inside the westbound tunnel on Interstate 80, leaving three dead and several injured. While the tunnel itself did not sustain structural damage and is not in danger of collapsing, according to officials, the concrete lining inside was significantly damaged, and it is u... Full story
"What can we do?" This was the question on the minds of many community members in Green River and throughout Sweetwater County last weekend after a tragic accident at the tunnels along Interstate-80. As residents heard about the accident, and about the efforts of local first responders, law enforcement, and emergency services that responded, many wondered how they could show their support to everyone involved. Lunch and someone to listen "A whole bunch of people started reaching out, saying,... Full story
The future of the controversial Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Bureau of Land Management's Rock Springs Field Office is less certain than ever after federal orders have essentially paused the process in order to review and potentially revise the plan. Sweetwater County elected officials recently shared the news that orders have been given that could revise the plan. The RMP would address how public lands in the county are managed, and has been strongly criticized by officials. "The Rock...
With Valentine's Day this week, the subject of love may be on people's minds more than usual. Unfortunately, the subject of empathy, often connected to and associated with love, seems to be under attack and up for debate these days. Empathy is simply defined as "the ability to understand and share the feelings of another." Merriam Webster goes into even more detail, defining it as "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings,... Full story
Exploring and greeting people between rows of motorcycles and Harley Davidson products, a number of dogs searched for their forever homes, and several found them, last weekend. The annual "For the Love of a Pet" event hosted by Flaming Gorge Harley Davidson brought together local animal control and animal rescue organizations on Saturday afternoon, giving Green River and Sweetwater County residents a chance to see available pets, learn about adoption, and get pets microchipped. Staff and... Full story
With legislation to drastically cut property taxes moving forward through the Wyoming Legislature, elected officials in Sweetwater County are speaking out to warn citizens of the potential effects these cuts could have, including the loss of public services and facilities. Both the Wyoming House of Representatives and Senate have put forward bills to cut residential property taxes. While numbers have varied between a 25% and 50% cut, current bills that are going forward are promoting a 50% cut....
Over 100 students from eight different schools filled the pavilion on Expedition Island last Friday, sometimes quietly working away on problems with pen and paper, sometimes loudly cheering on their teammates after they called out a correct answer. The Green River MathCounts Invitational brought together "mathletes" from middle schools across Southwest Wyoming. The students had the chance to test the math skills they've been working on the past several months, and to prepare for even bigger comp...
Concerns about the future of the Jamestown/Rio-Vista Fire District, and the future of fire protection in the Jamestown area, have been answered as three community members have stepped up to serve on the fire district board. Long-time fire district board members Dave Buller and Patsy Moody brought their concerns to the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners during the December 17 commission meeting. Buller and Moody shared that the terms of all three board members were set to expire at...
