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One of several new trona projects planned outside of Green River had received official BLM approval. The Bureau of Land Management recently announced that the organization issued a record of decision approving the Dry Creek Trona Mine Project south of Green River in Sweetwater County. "The approved project authorizes Pacific Soda, LLC to construct mine well fields, processing facilities, storage ponds, a co-generation facility, landfills for salt and lime, transportation facilities, natural gas...
The safety of Wyoming's miners could be facing setbacks due to federal funding cuts and the firing of federal employees. Miners at WE Soda, the trona mine outside Green River formerly owned by Genesis Alkali, are already seeing the effects of actions taken by the federal government, particularly through the canceling of a study meant to assess the impact of trona dust on the health of miners. "The lady who was going to do the study is fired," Marshal Cummings explained. "The industrial...
The body of a woman missing for roughly two months is believed to have been found near a crashed car on White Mountain north of Rock Springs. Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jason Mower explained that the sheriff’s office received a report of a suspected dead body found around 12:30 p.m. Sunday in a ravine near a crashed car on White Mountain. “We have reason to believe the decedent is Melissa Ann Amadio, 41, of Rock Springs,” Mower said, noting that the sheriff’s office was waiting for final confirmation from a forensic...
The hospital is looking to make improvements to the obstetrics suite to help with an increased number of patients, and is hoping for the county's help with funding for the project. Representatives from Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, including CEO Irene Richardson, first presented the idea for the capital project to the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners at their March 18 meeting. They discussed it in further detail again during the April 15 meeting, where the commissioners...
Local protests regarding national issues continue to take place in Sweetwater County. Last Saturday, residents of both Green River and Rock Springs gathered along Dewar Drive in Rock Springs once again to protest actions by the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency. The protest followed on the heels of a similar demonstration on April 5, and was one of many that took place as part of ongoing national protest efforts led by groups like 50501, which stands for "50...
After a contentious year in the Wyoming Legislature, representatives from Sweetwater County continued some of the session's main debates back at home. Sweetwater County's legislators participated in a Legislative Recap Panel hosted by the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce at Young at Heart Community Center last Thursday night. Legislators Laura Taliaferro Pearson, Bob Davis, Marlene Brady, John Kolb, Darin McCann, Scott Heiner, Cody Wylie, Stacy Jones and J.T. Larson all took part in the panel,...
Sweetwater County Sheriff John Grossnickle recently signed a new memorandum of understanding with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, expanding the Sheriff's Office's participation in ICE's 287(g) program under the Task Force Model. The agreement is currently pending final approval by federal authorities. With the agreement, the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office becomes the first local law enforcement agency in Wyoming to join the 287(g) Task Force Model-an enhanced partnership that...
The first annual Rocky Mountain Mining Summit is coming to Sweetwater County this fall. "The mining industry will shine bright this fall in the heart of Wyoming," event organizers said, announcing that the summit will take place September 9 - 12 at the Sweetwater Events Complex. "This new industry event is designed to bring together mining professionals, industry partners, students, and community members to celebrate and explore the powerful impact of mining in the Rocky Mountain region and...
Nearly 100 people skirted Dewar Drive in Rock Springs Saturday, taking part in one of the numerous "Hands Off" protests that took place around not only Wyoming but across the nation. The protests, according to the Wyoming Democratic Party, were to raise awareness and let the Trump administration and DOGE know that citizens want the government's "Hands Off" things like Medicaid/Medicare, Social Security, personal data, public lands, veteran services, consumer protections, schools, libraries, free...
The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office marine unit recently announced its upcoming recreational boat safety training classes. "We've designed these trainings for fishermen and recreational boaters," Jason Mower from the Sheriff's Office explained. "Training topics will include common terminology, trailering, marlinspike seamanship, docking and mooring, navigation, vessel handling, weather conditions, communications, safety and emergency equipment and procedures, state law, and much more." A...
Sweetwater County residents will soon be receiving their 2025 Notice of Value on their properties, and have a number of options available to apply for property tax relief. Sweetwater County Assessor Dave Divis said that residents will be receiving their Notice of Value "within the next few days." The assessor asks residents to review the information. Anyone who disagrees with the value of their property has 30 days from the date mailed to discuss the value with the assessor and provide...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
A fugitive who evaded authorities for more than four decades after a 1982 bombing in Wyoming has finally been captured. Stephen Craig Campbell, 76, was arrested on Feb. 19, 2025, at a remote property in Weed, New Mexico. Campbell had been wanted since 1982 on an attempted first-degree murder charge in Sweetwater County. For over 40 years, he remained a ghost-evading law enforcement, collecting government benefits, and living under an assumed identity until investigators uncovered his...
Person-centered care means focusing on our patient's individual needs and finding out what matters most to them, according to Karali Plonsky, the new Patient Experience Director at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. It's an important tool in improving clinical outcomes and our patient's overall experiences at MHSC, said Plonsky, now overseeing the hospital's new Patient Experience Department. "The aim of this department is to bring person-centered care to the forefront of everything we...
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 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....
Sheriff's deputies are investigating a weekend shooting that left two young adults injured after gunfire erupted at an impromptu gathering north of Rock Springs late Saturday night, according to a press release from the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office. At approximately 11:30 p.m. on February 1, deputies responded to reports of shots fired near "The Pits" in the Winton area outside of Reliance, where a group of juveniles and young adults had come together for a bonfire. Both victims suffered...
Two of Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County's three x-ray machines will be out of commission for up to six months during a remodeling project that began recently. The core x-ray area will be updated, the x-ray rooms will be enlarged, and two new x-ray machines and associated equipment will be installed, said Medical Imaging Director Tracie Soller. In the meantime, the Radiology Department will use the digital x-ray in the Emergency Department, which was replaced within in the last year. "We...
A hometown hero was recently honored for his quick actions that helped save the life of his friend. Skyler Hossele was presented with a Citizens Lifesaving Award from the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office during the January 21 Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners meeting. "We firmly believe in honoring individuals who demonstrate extraordinary courage and selflessness in service to others," Sheriff John Grossnickle said during the presentation. "In keeping with this commitment, I am...
