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A resolution to put a 1% specific purpose tax on the ballot in the upcoming general election was passed by the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners and the Green River and Rock Springs City Councils. The commissioners voted 3-1 to approve the resolution with the contingency that both the cities of Rock Springs and Green River also approve the resolution during their Tuesday meeting. Commission Chairman Jeff Smith was absent for Tuesday’s meeting and so did not vote. On Tuesday night,...
Sweetwater County’s budget for fiscal year 2022-2023 has been accepted, and will use under $600,000 of reserve funds to make up for shortfalls between projected revenues and expenditures. The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the budget during a special meeting last Thursday, June 23. Projections for FY2023 put revenues at a total of $46,835,696, while projected expenditures total $52,196,690, creating a shortfall of $5,360,994. Grant revenues and a...
Two vehicle accidents in Sweetwater County last week led to multiple injuries and one death. A fatal crash occurred at milepost 506 on US 191 south of Rock Springs in the early morning hours of June 19, according to a press release from Wyoming Highway Patrol. Around 2:47 a.m., Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were notified of a one-vehicle rollover. A 2006 Nissan Altima was headed north on US 191. The driver of the Nissan could not maintain his travel lane, causing the vehicle to exit the west s...
Both Castle Rock Ambulance Service and Sweetwater Medics will continue to be funded by Sweetwater County until the services can be combined into a countywide ambulance service, which could take place by the end of the year. The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners voted to extend their agreement with Castle Rock Ambulance Service and renew their contract with Sweetwater Medics during Tuesday’s meeting. The commissioners agreed to pay Castle Rock $348,000 annually during the next f...
The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office is disputing a claim by the Wyoming ACLU that the office is among the most egregious on civil rights violations of undocumented immigrants at the Sweetwater County Detention Center. According to a media release from the sheriff’s office, the office was falsely accused of ranking in the top 54 law enforcement agencies nationwide an ACLU report claims are the most egregious in civil rights violations. The actual list does not include the SCSO, or any Wyoming law enforcement agency. The claim focuses on par...
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will host an informational meeting to discuss plans to treat the pond at Bitter Creek Bark Park after an illegal introduction of goldfish to the water. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jun. 23 at the White Mountain Library. The illegally introduced goldfish were found in several Rock Springs area ponds following a tip from a concerned citizen in Aug. 2021. Residents are invited to attend this informational meeting to better understand the impacts illegally-introduced species can have on the...
Proposed projects for the specific purpose sixth penny tax coming up on the ballot in November are being limited to basic infrastructure needs like water and sewer. The Sweetwater County Commissioners voted during Tuesday’s meeting to move forward with two projects for the county to put forward, both of which involve water and sewer — one for Jamestown and one for North Rock Springs. The commissioners narrowed a list of five county projects down to a final two. The initially proposed projects we...
When the news gets bad and your children can’t avoid it, it’s best to talk with them. The rise of childhood stress and anxiety during the past two years with COVID-19, coupled with incidents such as the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, it’s understandable your child may feel anxious, nervous or afraid. It’s particularly concerning because it is so close in timing to the mass grocery store shooting earlier that same month. As disturbing as it is to address, parents should try to respond honestly but with a level head, according to Tammy Walker,...
A large number of Republican candidates have filed for Sweetwater County’s leadership positions, leading many races to be decided in the Republican Primary Election Aug. 16 if independent candidates are not added to the Nov. 8 General Election ballot. The filing period for many local and state offices ended Friday. The largest field of candidates is the group vying for the three available positions on the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners, with nine Republicans filed to run. No D...
Multiple emergency responders including the Green River Fire Department and Castle Rock Ambulance Service were called to a gas blowoff Monday afternoon that resulted in a temporary closure of Interstate 80. According to a press release from the Green River Fire Department, the department was dispatched to Mile Marker 95 on I-80 at 4:50 p.m. regarding a natural gas burst in the area. Upon arrival, traffic was diverted to the furthest lane to allow a better assessment of the situation. A GRFD rescue engine was placed in a position of safety to...
Nearly a week into the filing period for candidates, two large races have developed amongst Republicans seeking office. Those interested in seeking office have until May 27 to file as a candidate. In Green River, only incumbents have filed for election so far. Mayor Pete Rust filed to seek a third term as the city’s mayor, while Mike Shutran and Gary Killpack have filed for re-election in Ward II and Ward III respectively. According to filing information from the Sweetwater County Clerk’s Off...
Two Wyoming men were recently convicted on multiple wildlife violations in Sweetwater County. What started with concerns about wasted game birds led Wyoming Game and Fish Department game wardens — in coordination with Green River probation and parole officers — to uncover numerous wildlife violations committed in 2019 and 2020 by Justin Chewning and Steven Macy, resulting in close to $15,000 in fines and loss of hunting and fishing privileges for both men. During the course of a wasted game bird investigation, Game and Fish wardens learned bet...
After a month of discussions on the topic, the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners approved raises to the salaries of the county’s elected officials Tuesday. The commissioners voted unanimously to raise the county attorney and sheriff’s salaries to $145,000 a year — the maximum amount allowed through House Bill 91 after it passed the Wyoming legislature earlier this year. The commissioners and other elected officials, including Sweetwater County Assessor Dave Divis who has spoke...
A plan to manage wild horses in Southwestern Wyoming will result in many herds being removed from lands they're currently living on if approved by the Bureau of Land Management. This new management plan, if approved, will see the forced removal of herds in many locations throughout Southwest Wyoming, leaving the herd living near Pilot Butte and the Wild Horse Loop Tour in the White Mountain Herd Management Area unaffected. Initially, the plan was to render the herd a non-reproducing herd, but...
Felony charges against three men and a minor were filed last week in Sweetwater County Circuit Court following an alleged incident where a Rock Springs man was held against his will and beaten. Charges were filed against Damon Ray Longfellow, 21, of Rock Springs; Dominick James McCall, 19, of Reliance; Tyler Jerome Billstein, 20, of Rock Springs; and Alex Carrier, 16, of Rock Springs. Carrier was charged as an adult for his alleged participation in the event. Longfellow faces felony charges of k...
Several people have announced their intent to seek election to various county and state offices in the past two weeks. At the county level, Donnalee Bobak, the Sweetwater County Clerk of District Court, announced she will seek re-election in 2022. “I want to thank the citizens of Sweetwater County for their confidence in allowing me to serve them, and humbly ask for your continued support,” Bobak said in her announcement. Throughout her term, Bobak said she has worked on several initiatives, including serving on the design committee for Ful...
Sweetwater County will be able to purchase vehicles and make security upgrades for county departments and buildings thanks to coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds. During their meeting last week, the commissioners approved several purchases for the county, all of which will use federal funds the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The commissioners previously approved the use of local recovery funds for revenue loss and have already allocated $714,148.23 for...
A recent survey of residents about their views on a potential specific purpose sales tax is considered promising by local leaders and has already had impact on the types of projects that will be brought forward. The sales tax being considered is similar to previous 1% specific purpose taxes passed by Sweetwater County voters in 2012 and 2006, which listed the uses proposed for the tax. The tax initiative voters defeated in November would have been for a general purpose sales tax, which would...
Sunrise was cold and windy north of Farson last Sunday. Wyoming Game and Fish Game Warden Justin Dodd scanned the sagebrush through his binoculars. "There they are," he said, catching sight of white feathers. Roughly 20 sage grouse slowly moved around the patch of land. A lone antelope stood nearby, but he and the birds didn't seem to mind each other. Still, within half an hour, most of the sage grouse had either flown away or hidden themselves. But the fact there were birds present was a good...
A number of incumbents have announced their intent to seek re-election to county offices. Long-serving Sweetwater County Coroner Dale Majhanovich announced he would seek another term last week. Majhanovich, a Democrat, has served as the county coroner since 1993 and was first appointed Deputy Sweetwater County Coroner in 1982. Majhanovich is a Rock Springs native, having graduated from Rock Springs High School and attended Western Wyoming Community College and San Francisco College of Mortuary...
(Editor's note: this article was corrected to reflect Island Richards' roles with the Rock Springs Soccer Association and Avengers Soccer took place in the past.) A number of residents have announced their campaigns for offices in Sweetwater County over the past few weeks, many being affiliated with the Republican Party. On Monday, Sweetwater County Sheriff John Grossnickle announced his intent to seek a second term. Grossnickle, who has spent 25 years with the sheriff’s office, said in a p...
The Board of County Commissioners is hesitant to raise the salaries of elected officials across the board after recent discussion following the passing of House Bill 91. A group of elected officials came before the county commissioners during the April 5 meeting to discuss the possibility of raising the salaries of all elected officials in the county. The discussion was continued at this Tuesday’s meeting, where multiple commissioners expressed their hesitance to raise all the salaries. The d...
A 49-year-old Wamsutter resident will be spending the rest of his life in prison following a sentencing hearing where he plead guilty to 58 criminal charges. Russell Jay Byrne was sentenced Monday to a prison sentence of 74-100 years by Third Judicial District Court Judge Suzannah Robinson for charges including the possession, manufacture and distribution of child pornography, as well as the sexual abuse of three children. According to the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, a joint i...
Two obituary scrapbooks were recently donated to the Sweetwater County Historical Museum by the Sweetwater County Clerk's Office that can provide a unique glimpse into events in Sweetwater County from 1972 to 2010. Sweetwater County Clerk Cindy Lane said that among her office's mandated responsibilities is keeping track of deaths in the county to ensure that county residents who have died are removed from the voter rolls. In 1972, a number of deputy county clerks began clipping Sweetwater...
