KEMMERER — Despite gusts of Wyoming wind, the Kemmerer Fall Fest was a success, bringing more than 300 smiling faces, some of which were painted by volunteers. The event was held on Saturday, Sept. 30, at the South Lincoln Event Center.
Every October, the nation observes National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is a disease that affects both men and women and is among the most common cancers. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. Next year, new breast cancer diagnoses are expected to number more than 200,000 for women and more than 2,000 for men.
LABARGE — The Eagle Bar in LaBarge celebrated its 100th anniversary last month that brought about 200 to a party. The celebration came with a food truck, live music, yard games, a slide show presentation and patron camaraderie on Saturday, Sept. 9.
KEMMERER — The Kemmerer City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 25, started with a presentation by Heidi and Jason Despain. Heidi is the owner of Quality Reality. The Despains presented a proposal to purchase the old Kemmerer Hotel property at 823 Pine Ave. (Hwy. 189). Heidi said, “We don’t have a set plan for the space, but we want to make it amazing.”
KEMMERER — On Sept. 15, the historic Fossil Train Depot building outside of Kemmerer received an interior second foundation to support the existing stone foundation. The added support will prevent further settling of the building.
Anna Chytka of Community Strong in Kemmerer was recently named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council. NSBA is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization, and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis.
In our contemporary, fast-paced world, the importance of physical and mental well-being is becoming increasingly apparent to many. Yoga stands out as a simple and accessible means to achieve this balance. Just as adults have turned to yoga to find serenity and equilibrium in their lives, it offers incredible advantages for children as well. Experts emphasize that introducing kids to yoga from an early age can lay the foundation for lifelong healthy habits and essential coping skills.
KEMMERER — Pilot Rene Felker took a moment to pose for a picture between flights in front of his plane named ‘Curious George’ at the Kemmerer airport on Saturday, Sept. 16, for the third annual Fly-in and Car Show. Felker lives in Ogden, Utah, and has volunteered to fly his plane at the event for the past three years.
A number of Wyoming officials are asking residents to speak up while they can concerning a recently-released plan by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that could affect farmers, ranchers, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts in southwest Wyoming. Some state legislators are calling foul after saying the BLM didn’t include one key group of stakeholders — landowners — when deciding how to manage 3.6 million acres of federal land and 3.7 million acres of federal mineral estate in the Rock Springs area. The land spans parts of Uinta, Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater and Fremont counties. Legislators also accuse the BLM of breaking federal law, along with its own rules, and have asked for more time for public comment before moving forward.
The Metal Recycle program has donated nearly $4,000 from July 2022 to July 2023. Local nonprofit Paws and Claws Animal Care and Adoption Rescue, Kemmerer Senior Center and Turning Point Shelter have received these proceeds.
KEMMERER — Mountain Pacific Quality Health, a quality health organization under the Wyoming Department of Health, awarded South Lincoln Nursing Home the top award for Excellence in Quality. Nurse center administrator Makayla Wynn said, “It is great to be recognized for the excellent care that we provide at the nursing center.”
A state legislative committee is moving quickly to consider a raft of new proposed measures that members say will help protect Wyoming ratepayers from a dramatic rise in utility costs. The impetus for the draft legislation — there are five draft bills and a draft resolution that will be considered Wednesday in Cheyenne — are two electric rate hike proposals by Rocky Mountain Power that add up to a 29.2% increase, according to members of the Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee. The multi-state utility, which is a division of Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp, is the largest single electrical provider in Wyoming.
KEMMERER — A mock emergency drill was held in Kemmerer, on Sunday, Sept. 10, with the Kemmerer Mine Operations Rescue Team. Other agencies that participated in the joint operation includuded South Lincoln EMS, Kemmerer Volunteer Fire Department, Lincoln County Search and Rescue, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Kemmerer Police Department and the Diamondville Police Department. The rescue team at the Kemmerer mine trains weekly on-site and once a quarter they have a joint training. Kemmerer Mine Operations Safety Manager Kris Clarke said, “We wanted to see how our communication would go in a mock mass casualty event and let everyone show off their skills.”
KEMMERER — Mikiko Munesada and her husband, Masanori Takano, made an incredible journey from Hiroshima, Japan, to Kemmerer, to find the gravesite of Munesada’s great-grandfather, Sakuichi Munesada, who was a coal miner at Sublet No. 6 until he passed away, due to an accident, in 1917. The couple was in town on Saturday, Sept. 2.
GREEN RIVER — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of our diverse aquatic ecosystems. To that end, annual fishing closures are in place to protect spawning kokanee salmon and other species in Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the Green River below Fontenelle Dam.
Kemmerer Mayor Bill Thek (left) and Kemmerer City Administrator Brian Muir present Natasia Diers an award for 15 years of service to the City of Kemmerer during the Aug. 28 city council meeting. “For many years she served in our administrative office,” Muir told the Gazette. “For the last few years she has served as city clerk/treasurer/HR and finance director. She does a great job, working hard and providing exceptional customer service to the citizens and residents, as well as support services to the staff and elected officials. We are so fortunate to have her.” (COURTESY PHOTO)
The Wyoming Public Service Commission (WPSC) held a public comment hearing in Casper on Thursday, Aug. 24, to hear comments from Wyomingites and legislators concerning a pair of proposed rate increases by Rocky Mountain Power. The event took place at the Thyra Thomson State Office Building and used a separate room for overflow participants. An 8% interim increase already went into effect in August, though officials and residents are asking the WPSC to reverse that increase. RMP has also proposed an additional increase of nearly 20% that, if approved, will be effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Lincoln County Search and Rescue responded to the area of Indian creek on Saturday, Aug. 26, after multiple injuries were reported from a UTV accident. Crews responded around 6 p.m. Three occupants and a dog were treated for injuries sustained from the accident. One occupant was airlifted from the scene and the other two occupants were transported by South Lincoln Emergency Medical Services to the Kemmerer hospital. One of those victims was later transported via airlift to a trauma center. “We wanted to say thank you to all the multi agencies that were involved,” a Facebook post by Lincoln County Search and Rescue states. “It took everyone to make this rescue a success and to get the help that all these individuals needed. You all are special people that this community needs in their back pocket. So thank you to the following: Lincoln County Search and Rescue, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, South Lincoln EMS, South Lincoln Hospital District, a member from Unita County volunteer fire department, the crew on Air Life Utah, an off-duty doctor, an off-duty EMS-trained individual, the public and Lincoln County Snowbears. Sorry to any agencies if we happened to miss you.” (COURTESY PHOTO/Lincoln County Search and Rescue)
Anheuser-Busch and Western Wyoming Beverages, in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), are providing more than 9,400 cans of emergency drinking water to help several agencies in southwest Wyoming, including the Kemmerer Volunteer Fire Department.
The Lincoln Conservation District (LCD) is holding a well and spring water testing day for southern Lincoln County rural residents to help you make sure the water you are using is safe and healthy. Group 1 will be “Human Consumption” to test for conductivity, sulfate, total hardness, nitrate, nitrite, sodium, total dissolved solids, pH, fluoride, chloride, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, bicarbonate and carbonate. The “Human Consumption” test cost is $151; however, the LCD will pay 50% of this cost, making your total cost $75.50. The Coliform Bacteria and E. Coli presence/absence test is also offered at a cost of $48; the LCD will pay 100% of this cost if you choose to do just the bacteria test.