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ROCK SPRINGS (Wyoming News Exchange) — A bat found in a backyard near Pilot Butte Avenue in Rock Springs has tested positive for rabies. On June 14, Rock Springs Animal Control responded to the 1000 block of Pilot Butte Avenue for a report of a bat found in the backyard of a residence. The bat had died and remains were sent to the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory for rabies testing. The bat tested positive for rabies. Transmission of rabies from bat to human may occur from bites, even if the bite is not recognized, according to the W...
Southwest Counseling Services recently received a $486,458 grant to combat substance abuse and suicide. During the Sweetwater County commissioners meeting last week, Laura Schmid-Pizzato, a representative of SCS, announced they intend to use the grant funding for a community prevention service. This service will target specific areas such as underage drinking, adult binge drinking, tobacco, opioids and other drugs and suicide. With the extra funding, SCS hopes to see a decrease in risk behaviors. Data on these types of behavior is gathered by s...
There's a sudden interest in buying land found in the Red Desert, as evidenced by an increasing number of calls to the Sweetwater County Land Use Department. "We get quite a few calls," Stephanie Muckley, administrative assistant for the department said. Call volumes range from a few each week to several per day, all of which come from outside Wyoming. Jim Zimmerman, the code enforcement specialist for the department, said he has spoken with people who blindly bought parcels without looking at...
Sweetwater Country Travel and Tourism will open its new visitor center at 1641 Elk Street in Rock Springs July 1. The center will host a grand opening celebration, scheduled from 4-6 p.m. The new center will serve as a hub to provide information on the attractions and amenities in Sweetwater County. The new center will be in addition to the Rock Springs and Green River Chamber Visitor centers and will operate with the same focus. Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism has partnered with and provided funding, to both chambers of commerce for...
A company-wide internal memo issued Monday at Genesis Alkali announced the company intends to layoff an unspecified number of employees, both hourly and salary. A plan is expected to be finalized by the end of June. Genesis Alkali declined to comment on the memo. The memo, from Executive Vice-President and President of Genesis Alkali Ed Flynn, cited “severe demand destruction” in natural soda ash as the main reason for the reduction in workforce. “Despite the temporary shutdown of Granger, emplo...
The Sweetwater County commissioners might be putting some real estate on the market soon. During a discussion Tuesday, Commissioner Wally Johnson said he doesn’t believe they would sell for a premium price, as the area’s economy is declining. Though, he also commented that it would only cost the county “a sign” to sell them. “I personally have no problem with getting rid of them,” Johnson said. “That was our plan to generate some income.” Commissioner Lauren Schoenfeld agrees with Johnson’s asse...
An investigation into the cause of the Saturday derailment east of Rock Springs is ongoing according to a representative of the Union Pacific Railroad. At 2:54 p.m., a UP train derailed 39 cars four miles east of Rock Springs, near the airport road. The derailment resulted in an explosion and fire. Smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles around the affected area. According to Raquel Espinoza, a spokesperson for UP, the train consisted of 116 rail cars carrying mixed freight, including alcoh...
While event cancellations may have the Sweetwater Events Complex struggling during the global pandemic, its future is bright after an announcement made last week. The events complex announced it will host the Newmar Kountry Klub International Rally July 18-22, 2022. “Although times are tough the Sweetwater Events Complex and its recruitment efforts are key to helping our local economy bounce back,” Larry Lloyd, the executive director of the complex, said. “All events at our facility directly stimulate our local economy through resta...
The murder conviction of a Utah man who killed a woman in Rock Springs was upheld by the Wyoming Supreme Court last week. Bradley Fairbourn was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder Feb. 15, 2018, which resulted in two life sentences without the possibility of parole. He later appealed the convictions, claiming he was denied a fair trial because of his attorney’s ineffective assistance and prosecutorial misconduct. He also claimed a v...
Republican Tom Crank is seeking re-election to the Wyoming House of Representatives in House District 18. Crank has served four years in the Wyoming House and has previously served six years as a Lincoln County representative on the Upper Green River Basin Joint Powers Water Board. He also has 38 years of experience in private engineering and land surveying, with 26 years of experience managing an surveying and engineering firm. Crank supports efforts associated with COVID-19 relief funding in...
Flaming Gorge Days is cancelled. Mansface Mountain Music Festival is cancelled. Sweetwater County Fair, with the exception of 4-H and FFA events, is also cancelled. It's understandable that people are wanting to get out of their homes as the summer months start and, also understandably, might be wondering what they can do as almost every major summer event in the county has been cancelled. We're here to help. There are countless excursions and adventures waiting for people just outside of town....
Weeks after announcing it would limit the Sweetwater County Fair to 4-H and FFA events and the cancellation of the Red Desert Roundup Rodeo, the Sweetwater County Events Complex announced it was seeking the 2020 National High School Finals Rodeo. Ultimately, the rodeo committee decided to host the event in Guthrie, Okla. ““We are thankful that the National High School Finals Rodeo has found a home for 2020. We appreciate the positive feedback from the community and wish we had better fin...
ROCK SPRINGS (Wyoming News Exchange) — Laura Etienne pleaded guilty Thursday morning to using funds from the Sweetwater County Combined Communications Dispatch Center to buy nearly $3,000 worth of personal items between 2016 and 2018. She and her husband Robin Etienne, former director of the Combined Communications Dispatch Center, were both arrested in January 2020 and charged with felony and misdemeanor counts related to misusing an Amazon Prime account set up for the center and making nearly $7,000 in combined unauthorized purchases. The cou...
The Sweetwater County Clerk’s Office is adding two more polling places to address concerns about voting in the county’s outlaying communities. One polling location will be added in Farson while the other will be added in Wamsutter. Initially, the clerk’s office limited the number of locations to seven within Green River and Rock Springs after the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office requested counties reduce the number of polling places to seven. According to a press release from the Sweetwater County Clerk’s Office, the initial directive...
The number of Democrats filing for both state offices and the Sweetwater County commissioner race jumped significantly in the final days of election filing, leading to a primary contest for Democrats in House District 60. Lindsey Travis and Mike Burd filed to seek election to Green River’s House District 60 as Democrats. The two join Republicans Ted Barney and Mark Baker in campaigning for the seat, creating an important Primary Election contest on both sides of the ballot. Democrats have a...
A Rock Springs man is facing a potential 240-year prison sentence if found guilty of possessing child pornography. James Adam Gehring, 34, of Rock Springs, is charged with 24 felony counts of sexual exploitation of children. “We are aware of approximately 2,000 images of child pornography,” Teresa Thybo, chief deputy Sweetwater County attorney said during Gehring’s initial appearance hearing Friday afternoon. Thybo said the state decided not to charge for each alleged pornographic image becau...
Four Rock Springs residents have tested positive for COVID-19 infections, according to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. In a press release sent to local media Saturday, MHSC officials said contact tracing efforts are continuing for all four individuals. Three of the four are reported to be in good condition and isolating at home. The fourth individual, a man in his 70s, is reported to be in stable condition and also isolating at home. After the four cases announced Saturday, the total number of known infections in Sweetwater County rose...
HPV education, cancer screenings and sunscreen dispensers are just a few of the programs Wyoming Cancer Resource Services’ Region V Coordinator wants to focus on in the next two years. This is the second time Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center has been awarded the two-year grant, which begins in July. The Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center, in conjunction with the Memorial Hospital Foundation, was recently awarded a grant totaling $178,200 to host the Wyoming Cancer Resource Services Regional Coo...
A Rock Springs man is facing a potential 240-year prison sentence if found guilty of possessing child pornography. James Adam Gehring, 34, of Rock Springs, is charged with 24 felony counts of sexual exploitation of children. “We are aware of approximately 2,000 images of child pornography,” Teresa Thybo, chief deputy Sweetwater County attorney said during Gehring’s initial appearance hearing Friday afternoon. Thybo said the state decided not to charge for each alleged pornographic image becau...
Tennessee will get the first crack at a trial against Clark Perry Baldwin, the man accused of killing two unidentified women in Wyoming. “We decided that since Tennessee has a known victim, and known victim’s family, that he will be tried there first,” Sweetwater County Attorney Dan Erramouspe said. “After that he will come to Wyoming to face charges.” Baldwin faces two counts of first-degree murder in Tennessee in the 1991 death of Pamela McCall and her unborn child. Erramouspe said this would...
A few more candidates have filed for election in the upcoming Primary Election in August. So far, a race has developed for the Green River City Council Ward I seat. Councilman Tom Murphy has filed for re-election and faces challenger Sherry Bushman. If the two remain the only candidates for the position, both will move on to the General Election in November regardless of the results. Should one or more people file for candidacy in the ward, the two candidates with the most votes will move on to...
A longtime member of the Sweetwater County Conservation District is seeking a chance to serve on the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners. Mary Thoman, a Republican, recently announced her intent to seek election to the board, saying her experience will help lead the county through the economic uncertainty the county faces. "We need leaders with experience and maturity to face the issues and make tough decisions to preserve our quality of life in Sweetwater County," she said in her...
The filing period for candidates seeking public office is open, resulting in several Republicans seeking one of two positions on the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners. According to information from the Sweetwater County Clerk’s Office, three Republicans have filed to seek election to the board of county commissioners. Commissioner Lauren Schoenfeld, along with Mary Thoman and Mark Peterson have registered as of Tuesday morning. Schoenfeld and Thoman both sought to fill Commissioner...
