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Before leaving for the start of the 68th Wyoming Legislature this week, local legislators stopped by to talk to the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners and see what main areas of concern, like property taxes, may need to be addressed. During the public comment portion of the January 7 meeting, Senator John Kolb and Senator Stacy Jones spoke with the commissioners about topics that may come up during this year's legislative session, with an emphasis on bills that may be put forward...
A search for a missing pilot and aircraft that began on Tuesday evening culminated on Wednesday afternoon with the discovery of the crash site in a remote area near Little Mountain, southwest of Rock Springs. The pilot, identified as Kelly Melvin, 50, of Green River, was found deceased at the crash site, the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office reported. At approximately 1:22 p.m. on Tuesday, January 14, sheriff's office deputies received a missing person report for a pilot whose private aircraft...
With the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) having released the Record of Decision regarding the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Rock Springs Field Office, Sweetwater County is considering what a future under the new RMP could look like, as well as hoping that future doesn't come. While the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners recently met with Governor Mark Gordon to discuss the RMP on the same day that the Record of Decision was released, the commissioners still took time to...
As the first local government meetings of the year got underway this week, the elected officials leading the community acknowledged the changes and continuations to their governing bodies. For the Green River City Council, two incumbent members and one newly elected member were sworn in at the start of the January 7 meeting. Current Council Members Sherry Bushman and Robert Berg, alongside new Council Member Jessica Maser, took the oath of office Tuesday night, led by Judge Jason Petri. The...
Last Friday, our team had the privilege of meeting a local hero: 6-year-old Mason! Mason displayed incredible courage and quick thinking on the morning of December 19 when he noticed something was wrong at home. Upon waking to his grandma's alarm, Mason found her unresponsive on the floor. Concerned for her welfare and with few options, Mason dressed, went to school, and immediately told a trusted adult about the situation. Thanks to his actions, first responders arrived at his grandmother's...
The state of Wyoming is still a principal figure in the advancement of women in government. This past Friday, Governor Mark Gordon along with Green River High School teacher Bridgette Neilson and students from her government class hosted a special ceremony to proclaim January 5, 2025, Nellie Tayloe Ross Day in acknowledgment of the 100th Inauguration Anniversary of Wyoming's and our nation's first female Governor. Nielsen's class prepared the Proclamation during a student-lead lesson inspired...
As the year ends and the nation prepares for the incoming of a new presidential administration in January, the hotly-debated fate of public lands in Southwest Wyoming seems to hang in the balance. When he was in town last Friday, Governor Mark Gordon met with the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners and local legislators to discuss the latest developments with the Bureau of Land Management's plans for the Rock Springs Field Office Resource Management Plan (RMP). On the same day, the...
Without board members, can there be fire protection? That's the question and concern that board members of the Jamestown/Rio-Vista Fire District brought to the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners this week. "We have served for many years, and we're coming to the end of our terms," Dave Buller explained, adding that the board has kept the fire service in Jamestown going. "Our concern is, in the first part of the year, how does that continue without a board?" Buller and Patsy Moody,...
Tata Chemicals is pursuing the use of nuclear microreactors to help power its Green River manufacturing site. Tata Chemicals North America recently announced that its subsidiary, Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners LLC, has signed a letter of intent with BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC to explore the deployment of up to eight nuclear microreactors. The two companies have been collaborating since September of 2023 on the feasibility of integrating BWXT's Advanced Nuclear Reactor for electricity and...
On the evening of December 9, the Sublette County Sheriff's Office was contacted to assist the LaBarge Police Department with a fleeing suspect. Sublette County deputies and the drone team responded after LaBarge Police had made contact with a subject, John Fowler, at a residence in LaBarge. During the interaction, it was discovered that Fowler had an active U.S. Marshals warrant for multiple felony charges. Fowler fled from the residence, initiating a search that extended into the early hours...
The Medical Staff of Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County recently elected new officers for the coming year. During a recent meeting, the medical staff elected Hospitalist Alicia Gray, M.D., as chief of staff, and Internal Medicine Specialist Israel Stewart, D.O., as vice chief of staff. Otolaryngologist David Liu MD, will serve as secretary/treasurer. General Surgeon Brianne Crofts, M.D., will serve as immediate past president. The MHSC Medicine Department re-elected Radiation Oncologist...
"The people" – that's what Jodi Cheese likes most about her job as Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County's new practice manager of the Specialty Clinics of Sweetwater Memorial. "Taking care of staff so they can take care of our patients is an important and rewarding part of my job," Cheese said. It's what makes Cheese the perfect fit for the job, said CEO Irene Richardson. "Jodi's career at MHSC has followed a path that appears tailor-made for this management position," Richardson said. "We w...
The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners plan to meet with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon at the Sweetwater County Courthouse on Friday, December 19....
Roughly halfway through the budget year, the county commissioners are reevaluating capital projects and considering where funds could be moved around and whether projects that were initially put off can now be moved forward. Amid general discussions of adding additional capital projects to the budget during their December 3 meeting, the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners approved a budget amendment moving money out of the capital reserve fund and approved a $4.6 million project to...
County revenue that comes from mineral tax valuations often goes up and down. Recently, it went down in a larger amount than is typical, meaning several local entities will take a significant decrease to their funding. An error in reporting for valuations led to adjustments needing to be made, which will "reduce the amount that's going to be distributed on the next distribution from the treasurer's office in the neighborhood of about $750,000," County Assessor Dave Divis explained. Divis spoke...
On Tuesday, October 8, Western Wyoming Community College's (Western's) Powerline Technology program was honored with the Wyoming Economic Development Association (WEDA) Innovation Award, recognizing its significant impact on the state's workforce and economy. WEDA's Executive Director, Brett Kahler shared, "WEDA's Innovation Award is given in recognition of projects that significantly impact Wyoming communities and its residents. The award celebrates partnerships and innovation in economic...
On a recent Monday, new hires at Genesis Alkali went through onboarding and orientation. The next day, they received a letter telling them they were going to be laid off. On Tuesday, November 5, employees at Genesis were informed that there would be a reduction in workforce at the company. When the United Steelworkers Local 13214 union was informed of the layoffs, they were told 30 employees would be let go, according to Union President Marshal Cummings. He was also told the company was aiming...
As the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport continues to work on a new terminal and plan for the future, Airport Director Devon Brubaker says that things are going "phenomenally well." Brubaker gave an update on the airport to the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners during their November 5 meeting, going over the progress being made on the new terminal project, the funding the airport has received to cover the project, and some considerations and plans for the future. "It is on...
A female inmate in her late 20s died Friday afternoon at the Sweetwater County Detention Center following a suspected medical emergency, officials said. Detention deputies found the woman unresponsive in her cell around 3:20 p.m. They immediately began lifesaving measures and called for emergency medical assistance. Responders from Fire District No. 1 and Castle Rock Ambulance arrived shortly after, but efforts to revive the inmate were unsuccessful. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the county coroner’s office are i...
Cindy Nelson has witnessed firsthand the positive impact a focus on person-centered care can have on an institution. She's now able to take that focus to the next level. Nelson will join Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County's senior leadership team as its new Chief Experience Officer (CXO). As part of the hospital's strategic plan, there is a focus on growing and developing staff to increase retention and satisfaction, said Chief Executive Officer Irene Richardson. Two of the hospital's five...
From the time she did her first clinicals in nursing school, Tiffany Uranker knew the Emergency Room was her home. Having worked at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County for 15 years, she now is director of the Emergency Department. "MHSC is looking forward to having Tiffany in the director role where she will be able to share her expertise and further develop programs to enhance the care provided to the patients and families within our community," said Chief Nursing Officer Ann Clevenger....
Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County recently received a 4-star rating on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Care Compare website. The CMS Care Compare star ratings are meant to help consumers understand the quality of care provided by hospitals. Consumers may find this information by searching under hospitals on the www.medicare.gov/care-compare website. Hospitals in this program are placed in peer groups which helps with like comparisons. Sweetwater Memorial was among the...
By HANNAH ROMERO Editor Voters turned out and made their voices heard across Sweetwater County and across the country on Election Day. Much of the attention on the election went to the presidential race, which was won by Former President Donald Trump. While votes were still coming in late Tuesday night, the election was called early Wednesday morning. The Associated Press reported that Trump's win in Wisconsin put him over the threshold of 270 electoral college votes needed to secure the...
Plans for the future of public lands in Southwest Wyoming continue to be debated as the Bureau of Land Management's proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Rock Springs Field Office goes through some of the final phases of the review process before the BLM's final decision. "Since the BLM announced their draft RMP back in August of 2023, Wyoming's State Agencies, counties, industries, and stakeholders have all worked tirelessly to wrangle this document into a workable, legal, and...
Editor's Note: For our General Election voter's guide, local candidates in contested races and races that weren't part of the primary election were given the opportunity to run short articles free of charge and/or to place paid advertisements. The articles serve as a chance for candidates to tell voters about who they are, why they are running for their position and what they hope to accomplish if elected. Not every candidate replied to the newspaper's invitation to be part of the election...
