News

New computers for county libraries

Published by admin on Wed, 02/10/2021 - 11:40am

The Big Horn County Library System is reaping the benefits of an endowment fund that was established several years ago and a U.S. stock market that rocketed to all-time highs at the close of 2020.

Twenty-one new computers have been installed in the Basin, Greybull and Lovell branches and the best of the used ones they replaced went to Frannie and Deaver branches, according to Lisa Chestnut, the director of the Big Horn County Library System.

All of the new computers are for the public’s use and address a need identified by a consultant group that evaluated the entire library system a few years ago. “One of their recommendations was that we needed to improve our technology,” said Chestnut.  

Chestnut said the county’s tech department evaluated all of the existing computers in the five branches. “Every one of them, minus about five, needed upgrading,” she said.  Several were 15 to 20 years old.

BHC Republicans vote to censure Rep. Cheney

Published by admin on Thu, 02/04/2021 - 3:12pm

Big Horn County Republican Party leaders voted unanimously on Monday night to join a number of other Wyoming counties in censuring U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney for her recent vote in favor of the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

The resolution from the Central Committee of the Big Horn County Republican Party has since been forwarded to the State Central Committee, which meets Friday and Saturday in Rawlins, according to Scott Brown.  A resident of Lovell, Brown serves as Big Horn County’s state central committeeman, where he’s joined as a voting member by his wife who is state committeewoman and BHC Republican Party Chairman Gary Welch.

The approval of the censure came during an “emergency” Zoom session which Brown described as being “probably the most well attended meeting we’ve had since the convention last spring,” with about 16 people listening in and participating.

DeWitt completes half-marathon with personal best time, 2:45

Published by admin on Thu, 01/28/2021 - 3:08pm

I was a cold winter day when Marci DeWitt completed a “virtual” half marathon – right here in Greybull. The GHS grad ran her 13.1-mile race on the River Road Walkway – in the snow.

Two hours and 45 minutes later she chalked another race completed, a personal best time, and almost an hour better than she did in her first race: 3:32.

How did she feel when she completed the route? 

“Completely exhausted,” she admitted. 

The route over the walkway was much different than what she originally signed up for. Marci had committed to race in the Hapalua Half in Hawaii on April 6. Due to COVID-19 that race was cancelled.  The Team in Training fundraising goals were transferred to another race and Marci chose to compete in the Disney World half-marathon on Jan. 9, 2021. Unfortunately COVID stuck around and that race was cancelled also. 

So Marci went “virtual.”

GPD adding a K-9 officer

Published by admin on Thu, 01/14/2021 - 2:30pm

While calls for service were up, the number of people cited or arrested by the Greybull Police Department declined last year, falling to five-year lows as the community, state and nation grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his year-end report, Greybull Police Chief Bill Brenner indicated that the GPD made 58 arrests, down from 66 the previous year, and wrote 144 citations, down from the 217 written in 2019 and less than half than the 302 written in 2017.

Calls for service shot up to 7,540.

“It’s been a strange year with COVID-19,” said Brenner.

The chief spoke of one year-end stat in particular during Monday’s meeting of the Greybull Town Council, telling council members that he’s proud of the drop in drug arrests — there were just four in 2020, the fewest for the town since 2015 — while cautioning them against complacency.

Sugar Shack: Gone but not forgotten

Published by admin on Thu, 01/07/2021 - 3:58pm

Where did it all go? For 17 years Sherrie Asp Winkler lived her dream of “owning an old-fashioned soda fountain.”

Her dream became reality in 2000 when she moved her small ice-cream shop, then housed in the back of the building now occupied by Beijing Gardens, across the street to a historic brick building. The Sugar Shack quickly became not just a soda shop that served Tournament Queens, Green Rivers, Cherry Cokes and old-fashioned milk shakes and malts. It became a favorite gathering place for businessmen, retirees and friends to enjoy coffee with friends. Each man (or woman) had his very own cup on the shelf, and either Sherry or her sister and right-hand man Margo Asp Cannady would have the cup filled and ready and waiting at the table. 

Over time the Sugar Shack became a “museum” with countless items of high school memorabilia that drew GHS grads and Greybull natives who had moved to far-away places back again and again. 

First vaccines administered in South Big Horn County

Published by admin on Thu, 01/07/2021 - 8:53am

The first doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine were administered Wednesday in south Big Horn County.

Mary Freund, a certified nurse practitioner, was first in line at Three Rivers Health, where a total of 10 employees would eventually get their shots. All of them will require a second dose after 28 days have passed.

Incoming, outgoing council members discuss future

Published by admin on Wed, 12/30/2020 - 1:19pm

A changing of the guard will occur in the coming days with the swearing in of new Greybull Town Council members Terra Robbins and David Bernard, which will officially end the tenures of Clay Collingwood and Marquerite VanDyke.

No special meeting is planned, as Robbins and Bernard plan to visit Town Hall informally after the first of the year to take the oath of office.  Newcomers on the town’s political scene, they were the top two vote-getters in the November general election.

VanDyke, who was beaten by Robbins and Bernard in the general election, has logged six years on the council and admits that she’ll miss it.  “I’ve truly enjoyed the whole experience,” she said. “It’s nice when the town council works with the mayor and (administrator/finance director) Paul (Thur) to get things accomplished — it gives you a great feeling.

“Also, seeing how Greybull has turned things around and how nice things are starting to look again.”

Bighorn Canyon Supt. Tranel promoted but leaves behind strong team

Published by admin on Thu, 12/17/2020 - 12:56pm

Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Supt. Mike Tranel has received a promotion to become deputy superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, but he’s not leaving the cupboard bare with a strong team in place at the park near Lovell, he said in an interview this week.

Tranel, a 35-year veteran of the National Park Service, oversees four Park Service units from his main office in Lovell as superintendent of the Powder River Group: Bighorn Canyon, the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Devils Tower National Monument and the Fort Laramie Historic Site.

Antelope Butte to open Dec. 18

Published by admin on Thu, 12/10/2020 - 1:49pm

While brown continues to be the primary color of the landscape at lower elevations, Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area in the Big Horn Mountains reportedly has a solid base of snow as it readies for the opening day of its 2020-21 ski season on Friday, Dec. 18.

“We are anticipating a great season,” said Nikki Ulug, development coordinator for the Antelope Butte Foundation. 

With the exception of Christmas Day, the ski area located 35 miles east of Greybull on U.S. Highway 14 will be open every day between Dec. 18 and Monday, Jan. 4.  After that, lifts will run Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays through the beginning of April.

While it won’t be available this season, Antelope Butte is making progress in its effort to reopen the lodge. Among the many approaches that Antelope Butte has used to raise money is a trail-naming program.

County officials react to state mask mandate

Published by admin on Thu, 12/10/2020 - 10:12am

The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office will not enforce Gov. Mark Gordon’s statewide mask mandate. Still, county officials are hopeful the order will help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Monday’s updated public health orders include a statewide mask mandate, tighter restrictions on gathering sizes and fewer hours for certain businesses.

The orders took effect on Wednesday, Dec. 9.