Sorted by date Results 751 - 775 of 1122
A Rock Springs man made an initial appearance at Circuit Court in Rock Springs Tuesday, facing an involuntary manslaughter charge after allegedly killing a woman in a situation witnesses believe was accidental. Stephen Jeffrey Taranovich, 41, could face life in prison from the charge. According to the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, prosecutors have filed to enhance the penalty due to Taranovich’s previous felony convictions. Involuntary manslaughter otherwise carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a potential fine of up to $10,000,...
The Sweetwater County Commissioners will send a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in Washington D.C., opposing the Little Mountain juniper tree removal. During the Commissioners Dec. 16 meeting, the Commissioners voted 4-1 to send an opposition letter to Zinke. Commissioners Reid West, Don Van Matre, John Kolb and Wally Johnson voted in favor of the letter, while Commissioner Randy Wendling voted against it. In December, they sent a letter to the BLM letting the federal agency know...
Starting Feb. 1, the Rock Springs-Sweetwater County will no longer be the name of the local airport. From that date on, it will be known as the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport. Airport Manager Devon Brubaker spoke to the Sweetwater County Commissioners at its recent meeting about the name change. The Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Joint Powers Airport Board voted for the name change at its Jan. 10 meeting, to change the name to the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport effective Feb. 1....
By STEPHANIE THOMPSON People Editor The Special Purpose Use Tax, also known as the sixth-penny tax, will stop April 1. During the Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning, Chairman Reid West said Sweetwaer County treasurer Robb Slaughter is sending a letter to Kim Lovett, of the Excise Tax Division of the Wyoming Department of Revenue, requesting the collection of the Special Purpose Use Tax stop as of April 1, 2018. The $81.2 million tax was voted on and passed in the 2012 electi...
A Green River legislator seeks to ease restrictions for patients to legally purchase CBD, an oil extract from hemp plants its proponents claim can be used to treat a variety of medical problems. Stan Blake, D-Green River, plans to submit a bill to the Wyoming House of Representatives that would allow for any physician to prescribe CBD, also known as Cannabidoil, for use in medical treatment. Currently, the law only allows for a neurologist to recommend CBD. Blake’s bill, which is in draft f...
The Muley Fanatics Foundation is drumming up support for a legislative bill that would help create wildlife crossings through the purchase of special license plates. The bill, known as House Bill 39, would allow someone buying plates for their vehicle to opt for a special conservation place that would support conservation efforts within the state transportation system, including game fences, wildlife corridors, crossings and signage. Under the bill, anyone interested in purchasing the plate woul...
The Bureau of Land Management responded to the Sweetwater County Commissioners letter about the removal of juniper trees on Little Mountain with a letter of its own. After reading this letter, Commissioner Wally Johnson spoke to the issue at the Commissioners recent meeting. “I’m very disappointed, not surprised,” Johnson said. In December, the Commissioners sent a letter to the BLM letting the BLM know they felt the money being spent to remove the juniper trees on the west side of Little Mounta...
An early morning commute to work Monday resulted in the rescue of a girl suffering from hypothermia. According to Stephanie Harsha, public involvement specialist for the Wyoming Department of Transportation in Rock Springs, a highway patrol trooper was dispatched to the area between mile markers 94 and 98 after motorists reported a girl walking along the eastbound lanes. When the trooper arrived to the area, a motorist on their way to work had already picked the girl up and transported her to...
It’s never easy saying goodbye; and for Sweetwater County Assessor Pat Drinkle, she’ll say goodbye to her staff Feb. 3. Drinkle announced her intent to retire Tuesday morning, submitting a letter to the Sweetwater County Commissioners and in a press release to area media outlets. “We’re just going to enjoy life,” Drinkle said about her future plans. “You never know what will happen ... I don’t want to just not take advantage of spending time with my family.” Drinkle has served as county assessor...
Sweetwater County Sheriff Mike Lowell was given the go ahead to hire two additional full-time sworn detention officers. During the Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning, the Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the addition of two full-time detention officers at the Sweetwater County Detention Center. After a long discussion, the Commissioners agreed with human resources director Garry McLean’s recommendation. McLean walked the Commissioners through the whole operation o...
Sweetwater County residents looking for legal information from the county government will be able to find it in pages of this newspaper. The Sweetwater County Commissioners named the Green River Star its newspaper designee for 2018 after a unanimous vote Tuesday morning. The last time the Star was the county’s designee was in 2010. The county’s designee publishes legal information for the county, including meeting minutes and public notices. This information will be found in the legals section of the newspaper and will be available in this iss...
Even though several options were presented to the Sweetwater County Commissioners on how to staff the Third District Court and new Justice Center, only one additional position was approved at the meeting. After a lengthy discussion at the Commissioners recent meeting, the Commissioners voted unanimously to approve filling a vacant court security officer position at the pay grade level of 15.2. During the discussion, Sheriff Mike Lowell told the Commissioners that under his duties as a sheriff...
The Sweetwater County Commission agrees that Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport is a good name to the rename airport. During the Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning, the Commissioners voted unanimously to support the airports proposed name change from Rock Springs/Sweetwater County Airport to Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport. Commission chairman Reid West informed the other Commissioners that at the Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport Joint Powers Board meeting, the...
Despite the numbers not adding up, the Sweetwater County Commissioners approved a motion to restaff a clerical position in Juvenile Probation. With a four-one vote, the motion to restaff the position was passed. Commissioner John Kolb was the only one voting no stating if the numbers don’t add up, he can’t support the motion. According to Karin Kelly, Sweetwater County Juvenile Probation director, the request was being made after the department lost three employees. The prior secretary and the...
Founded in 1967, the Sweetwater County Historical Museum is celebrating its fiftieth birthday in 2017. To commemorate their golden jubilee, the museum has created a special exhibit highlighting its history, its role in the community, and the people who have made it a special place for community pride and preservation. In the 1960s, Sweetwater County was bustling with an atmosphere of progressivism. The stately old courthouse that had been built in 1875 after the county seat was moved from South Pass City to Green River was proclaimed to be in...
The Rock Springs Historical Museum staff has put the Marguerite Santa on display for the holidays, in his traditional spot in front of the firehouse doors. Viewers can stop and watch the small mechanical Santa play Christmas music on the pipe organ just like he did at Marguerite's Gift Shop years ago. The Marguerite Santa has been fascinating children and adults since it was put on display in Marguerite Parker Galicich's North Front Street Gift Shop window in 1946 or 1947. Stories differ...
Deciding whether or not to change the airport’s name to something more regional was a topic of discussion the Sweetwater County Commissioners weren’t ready to make a decision on just yet. During the commissioners meeting Tuesday morning, Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport manager Devon Brubaker addressed the commissioners about changing the airport’s name to Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport. “As the commission is well aware, we as an airport have been making significant strides to market...
The dead trees on Little Mountain have been a concern for one Sweetwater County Commissioner for a long time, but now the whole board is ready to address the issue. During a recent Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting, the board gave Commissioner Wally Johnson permission to write a letter to the Bureau of Land Management to address the thinning of juniper trees on Little Mountain. For months, Johnson has expressed his concerns to the board, the United States Forest Service and the BLM. At...
The Rock Springs/Sweetwater County Airport’s passenger numbers are up and the manager is hoping this trend will continue. During a recent Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting, airport manager Devon Brubaker said the airport is up 12 percent in passengers compared to last year at this time. Of course, more passengers equals more revenue. Not only is the airport seeing an increase in passengers, but more passengers are paying for upgrades and more people are connecting past Denver. ...
Sweetwater County’s full-time employees will have something extra to be thankful for this Thanksgiving since the commissioners approved a one-time incentive. The commissioners voted Tuesday morning to allow full-time employees the option to choose between a one-time incentive of $1,000, or a one-time incentive of $500 and two paid floating holidays. The vote passed in a 4-1 vote, commissioners Randy Wendling, Reid West, Don Van Matre and John Kolb voted in favor, while Commissioner Wally J...
Sweetwater County firefighters took on a second fire near Tipton early Tuesday morning. According to Sweetwater County Fire Warden Mike Bournazian, the fire was reported by a nearby Union Pacific train, as well as travellers along Interstate 80. Bournazian said winds in excess of 30 mph caused the fire to spread east and covered approximately a mile of land. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control several hours after it was first reported. Bournazian said other responders from Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1, the Wamsutter...
The Sweetwater County Commissioners voiced opposition to cutting down trees in front of the county courthouse. Last week, Karen Bailey, head of custodial services for the county, said the evergreen trees are in bad shape and may need to be pulled out. The trees, located at the front and North 1st West side of the courthouse, have been cut to resemble bonsai. While Bailey admits immediate action isn’t needed, she said nothing will be left of the bonsai if they continue trimming. She also said the heavy snows the county experienced also d...
A voluntary plan to help mitigate ozone levels in northern Sweetwater County was met with some resistance from one county commissioner, claiming the ozone amounts are fabricated numbers. The Ozone Contingency Plan approved in a 4-1 vote by the county commissioners, deals with days when ozone levels surpass an amount of 70 parts per billion. The agreement states the county will not operate road maintenance equipment or let vehicles idle during days where ozone levels are elevated past acceptable...
The county may bill the Union Pacific Railroad over costs associated with fighting a wildfire east of Rock Springs. Two weeks ago, the county fire department was dispatched to fight a fire near Tipton Road, which was caused by UP employees grinding rails as part of maintenance work on nearby tracks. The fire quickly expanded to more than 450 acres before being contained. Damages included power poles owned by Rocky Mountain Power, as well as railroad ties and some fencing. While giving his...
While school districts in the county grapple with the possibility of funding cuts, the cities are breathing a sigh of relief. Since June, sales tax revenues collected has increased from previous months. At the beginning of May, collections for the 2012 specific purpose sales tax, commonly referred to as the sixth penny tax, were listed at $1.06 million. In June, those receipts increased to $1.3 million and remained at that level throughout the summer months. Revenues jumped to $1.8 million at...
