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Tuesday, AUGUST 26, 2025  |

Lightning knocked out power for thousands of Carbon County residents.

On Sunday evening, a powerful storm passed through southern Wyoming, leaving roughly 5,000 residents without electricity. Rocky Mountain Power Media Team Member Jonathan Whitesides said a lightning strike caused the electrical grid to automatically shut off, as designed.

Whitesides said the Rawlins circuits were affected by the power outage, including the Platte, Sage Hill, and Parco substations. Rocky Mountain Power crews had the lightning arrestors repaired by early Monday morning. However, Whitesides said crews kept the power off for several more hours while they worked to identify and resolve additional problems.

Speaking to Bigfoot99 on Monday morning, Whitesides said power was expected to be restored around 11:30.

Electricity was restored to most customers at 11:06 a.m. yesterday, with service returning to the rest of the county shortly afterward.

A power outage Sunday night also affected residents in Saratoga and Encampment.

The post Thousands Lose Power in Carbon County first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Tuesday, AUGUST 26, 2025  |

Photo – Saratoga outdoor swimming pool – Courtesy Town of Saratoga

Some Saratoga residents are reportedly dissatisfied with the current Recreation Director.

Carter Edwards was hired as Saratoga’s Recreation Director last fall, following the resignation of Kim Hemenway earlier in the year. During the August 19th Saratoga Town Council meeting, former council member Kathy Beck raised concerns about the state of the town’s recreation department under Edwards’s leadership.

Beck, who served as the council liaison to the Recreation Commission, presented a list of grievances to the governing body. Chief among them was a lack of communication from the Recreation Department.

Beck said a community survey showed that residents want improvements to the existing sports facilities and more fitness activities. The former council member also pushed for more Pickleball support, including additional town-sponsored tournaments.

Beck said Saratoga residents are frustrated by the recreation center’s irregular hours for athletic programs and fitness classes, and by the difficulty of finding accurate information online.

Beck accused Recreation Director Carter Edwards of being difficult to reach. Also, the former council member said recreation center staff have reportedly been rude to patrons.

Beck said she has been informed that Rec Director Edwards misuses town vehicles. The former council member questioned the rec director’s commitment to his position.

Beck also said the recreation center locker rooms are often locked to avoid cleaning and that bathrooms lack basic supplies, such as paper towels.

Beck continued to level complaints against Recreation Director Edwards, including that his poor planning contributed to the cancelation of last year’s Saratoga youth soccer season. Additionally, the former council member said members are dissatisfied with the quality and quantity of the equipment available in the recreation center.

It wasn’t all bad news, though. Beck said users of the town’s outdoor public pool reported liking the improvements made during the winter. However, swimmers said the water was often too cold. Despite their complaints, Beck said the Recreation Director refused to raise the temperature of the pool.

Beck urged the Town Council to be more transparent about what’s going on with the Recreation Department. The former council member said the governing body must take the allegations seriously or risk harming the town’s reputation.

Mayor Chuck Davis said Beck’s report gives the impression that the town’s Recreation Department is falling apart but emphasized that this was not his belief. Mayor Davis offered to investigate Beck’s complaints and discuss his findings with the former council member at a later date.

The post Complaints on Rec Director Reported to Town Council first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Tuesday, AUGUST 26, 2025  |

Photo – Planes parked at Saratoga Airport – Courtesy Saratoga Jet Center

Honda plans to conduct high-altitude testing at Shively Field next month.

During the August 19th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Saratoga Jet Center Manager Larry De Andredes announced that Honda Racing Corporation reached out to him with a request to use the airport runway. The team plans to test its racecars at high elevations. De Andredes said he was quick to agree to the request.

Honda Racing Corporation is the motorsport subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company. The organization participates in a variety of two- and four-wheeled motorsports, including MotoGP and the INDYCAR series.

De Andredes said he believes Honda Racing Corporation is preparing for next year’s INDYCAR or IMSA SportsCar Championship season. Saratoga’s airport provides an ideal location for high-altitude testing.

De Andredes said Honda plans to bring three tractor-trailers of equipment along with two test cars. The racing team will set up on one of the airport’s parking ramps. The Saratoga Jet Center Manager said over the course of three days, September 30th to October 2nd, the Honda Racing team will perform a series of high-speed tests along the runway.

De Andredes said Honda Racing Corporation conducts testing at airports across the country, including the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The details of the arrangement haven’t been finalized, but De Andredes said the Honda team may request police and fire personnel to be present during the testing. The organization has offered to cover any costs incurred by the town.

De Andredes said Honda Racing Corporation is aware that Shively Field will remain open during the event. The Jet Center Manager added that pilots will be notified of the testing and he will monitor radio traffic to ensure everyone is aware of the activities.

Presumably, the Honda team will be asked to clear the runway when a pilot requests permission to land.

Mayor Chuck Davis asked if the public would be able watch the testing. De Andredes responded that Honda Racing Corporation may not want to call attention to the event. However, the Jet Center Manager said people should be able to spectate from the airport parking lot.

De Andredes said he didn’t know how Honda found out about the Saratoga airport.

The Saratoga Town Council unanimously voted to allow Honda Racing Corporation to use Shively Field for high-altitude testing from Tuesday, September 30th, to Thursday, October 2nd. De Andredes offered to update the governing body as he learns more about the event.

The post Racing Team Plans High-Altitude Testing at Saratoga Airport first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Monday, AUGUST 25, 2025  |

More than 5,000 Rocky Mountain Power customers in the Rawlins area were thrown into the dark overnight because of an area-wide outage.

In Saratoga, electricity was lost around 8:15 p.m. on Sunday evening. Power was restored to the Platte River Valley around 2:30am. Again at 4:15 on Monday morning, power went off briefly in the Saratoga area but was quickly restored.

According to the Rocky Mountain Power website, 5,418 customers in Rawlins were without power in the 6 a.m. hour.  This was the message customers hear when they called the utility company’s support line.

Nearly another 200 customers were without power at the northern end of Carbon County in the Bairoil area on either side of Highway 287. Customers in the Kemmerer area were also experiencing outages.

The post Many Without Power on Monday Morning first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Monday, AUGUST 25, 2025  |

Photo – 2025 Tax Levies – Courtesy Carbon County Treasurer’s Office

County officials, earlier this month, discussed the effect lower property taxes have on municipal funding.

During the August 12th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, the Board approved the county’s 2025 mill levy assessments. Mill levies are property tax rates set by local governments to fund public services. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

Carbon County lost $73.4 million in assessed property value over the past fiscal year, falling from $784,023,233 in 2024 to $710,601,836 this year.

Commissioner Sue Jones asked County Assessor Renee Snider to explain why the mill levies were down. Assessor Snider said recently passed property tax relief measures were responsible for the majority of the reduction.

Carbon County School District Number One receives 63.2 mills from state, county, and special school taxes. Last year, District One was valued at $541 million. However, according to County Assessor Snider, property tax relief programs contributed to a reduction of more than $61 million, bringing the District’s value down to $480 million.

It’s a similar story for School District Number Two. In 2024, the District’s 57.5 mill levies were valued at nearly $243 million. This year, those same levies are worth just over $230 million, a 5% reduction in assessed value.

At the August 12th meeting, Assessor Snider also said oil and gas production was down, further reducing the tax revenue allocated to Carbon County by the state Board of Equalization.

Board Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett said the state legislature is considering making the long-term homeowner exemption permanent. The exemption provides a 50% reduction in property taxes for residents aged 65 and older who have paid taxes on a residential property for at least 25 years. The measure is set to expire at the end of this fiscal year.

Assessor Renee Snider added that lawmakers are currently debating a proposal to repeal the eight-month residency requirement tied to Senate File 69. The measure grants a 25% property tax exemption on the first $1 million of assessed value for all residential properties and associated lands. Beginning in 2026, the law is set to require homeowners to physically live in Wyoming for at least eight months out of the year.

Additionally, state lawmakers have drafted a bill to completely eliminate all property taxes in Wyoming, replacing the lost revenue with increased sales and use taxes.

The Wyoming Joint Revenue Committee met on August 21st and 22nd to evaluate the impact of the current property tax relief measures and discuss potential changes. In the end, the Committee voted to amend the homeowner property tax exemption bill to remove the eight-month residency requirement. The Committee also postponed a decision to extend the long-term homeowner tax exemptions until the November legislative session.

The post County Discusses 2025 Mill Levy Assessments first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Monday, AUGUST 25, 2025  |

Photo – Rawlins Water Pretreatment Plant – Courtesy City of Rawlins

The Rawlins pretreatment plant is keeping water flowing to the city.

Earlier in the summer, Rawlins officials warned about potential irrigation restrictions due to the dry conditions. During the July 1st Rawlins City Council meeting, City Manager Tom Sarvey announced that Sage Creek Springs, the city’s primary source of drinking water, is no longer producing enough to meet current demand.

The city’s parks crews, who use approximately one million gallons of water per day, were asked to cut their usage in half. Additionally, the pretreatment plant was restarted, adding roughly one million gallons per day to the city’s water supply.

Built in the year 2000, the pretreatment plant takes raw water from the North Platte River and removes the majority of particulates and debris, known as turbidity. The pretreated water is then sent to the treatment plant for further refinement. Without the pretreatment plant, the raw river water would quickly clog the treatment plant filters. Although the facility is a quarter of a century old, it has seen little use since its construction. After the catastrophic water system failure in March of 2022, which left many residents without water for nearly a week, city officials invested millions of dollars to bring the pretreatment plant back online.

The water conservation methods appeared to have worked, as residents were not placed under irrigation restrictions this summer. During the August 19th Rawlins City Council meeting, Public Works Director Cody Dill said the pretreatment plant has taken a lot of strain off the city’s water system and its employees.

The City provides a website to track the current water flows. As of Monday, August 18th, the various springs and wells that supply the city with water were producing 2.7 million gallons. Residents and city staff used 2.1 million gallons of water that day, leaving enough to continue filling the city’s water storage tanks.

Rawlins Water Flows and Storage Data Website: Flows and Storage Data | Rawlins, WY – Official Website

The post Water Pretreatment Plant is Working as Planned first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Friday, AUGUST 22, 2025  |

Photo – Chief of Police and Acting City Manager Mike Ward – Courtesy City of Rawlins

The Acting City Manager of Rawlins updated the City Council on his priorities.

Rawlins City Manager Tom Sarvey is taking an extended leave of absence. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Sarvey is suffering from a serious medical issue, but no official details have been released. However, his absence is expected to be long enough for the governing body to appoint a temporary replacement.

On August 5th, the City Council selected Downtown Development Authority Executive Director and District 15 representative Pam Thayer to serve as Acting City Manager. One week later, the Council held a special meeting to choose Rawlins Police Chief Mike Ward as Thayer’s replacement.

Speaking to Bigfoot99 after his appointment, Acting City Manager Ward said he doesn’t plan to make any major changes while Tom Sarvey is on medical leave.

Chief Ward provided his first report to the governing body as Acting City Manager during the August 19th City Council meeting. Ward said he has spent his time getting acquainted with the role and thanked the Council for providing him with the resources needed to succeed in his new position.

Acting City Manager Ward said he has consulted with the city’s various department heads to develop a list of critical focus areas. Chief Ward said he plans to prioritize the State’s legally required annual audit, staffing needs, water issues, and grant applications during his time as Acting City Manager.

Chief Ward reported that Pam Thayer and Assistant Finance Director Beverly Hannum have already begun preparing the state audit.

Before being named City Manager, Tom Sarvey served as both Interim City Manager and Interim Finance Director. Upon his official appointment, Rawlins was left without a Finance Director.

At the August 19th meeting, Acting City Manager Ward said he is placing a high priority on filling the Finance Director position. Chief Ward said Riverton Finance Director Mia Harris is reviewing five applicants to determine who is qualified for the role. Those who meet the criteria will be called in for an interview.

In the 2025 through 2026 fiscal year budget, the City Council approved pay raises for all city employees. Chief Ward said he is working to implement those salary increases.

The Acting City Manager also announced the upcoming annual city cleanup day. Next month, city employees will collect trash along the Interstate 80 corridor.

Speaking to Bigfoot99 after his appointment, Chief Ward described himself as a police officer and a leader of officers first, adding that he fully intends to resume his position as Chief of Police once City Manager Tom Sarvey returns from medical leave. In the meantime, the Acting City Manager said his new role is an opportunity for him to serve the community in a new way.

The post Acting City Manager Gives His First Report to City Council first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Friday, AUGUST 22, 2025 |

County officials have concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed Seminoe Pumped Storage Project.

rPlus Hydro, a Utah-based energy development company, is proposing the construction of a large-scale electrical storage project in Carbon County. The company plans to build an artificial lake atop Bennett Mountain at Seminoe Reservoir, which will serve as a type of battery. When electricity is abundant, water is pumped 1,000 feet up into the higher storage lake from the lower reservoir. When energy demands outpace production, the water is allowed to flow downhill through an underground hydroelectric turbine, generating electrical power.

Naturally, construction of a facility of this scale, including miles of new roads, an upper reservoir, and extensive underground workings to house the electrical generators, will have a substantial impact on the local environment. Even after the project is operational, it will continue to affect the area, with the water level of Seminoe Reservoir expected to fluctuate by 6 to 18 inches as the pumped storage facility draws water into the upper reservoir and releases it to generate electricity.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, has asked the Board of Carbon County Commissioners to submit an official letter of support for the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project. During Tuesday’s meeting in Baggs, County Attorney Ashley Davis announced that she is drafting a letter for the Board’s approval. However, Attorney Davis said she is having trouble determining if the older environmental studies being used by FERC are still applicable in this case.

Attorney Davis also expressed concern about the economic impact of the construction project. The County Attorney said the five-year construction timeline could seriously damage the local economy.

Even with reduced hours of five to four days a week, Attorney Davis said construction will still prevent people from visiting the popular recreational area. Commissioner John Espy added that the location is also home to some of the most prosperous sheep grazing land in the county.

Commissioner Sue Jones said rPlus has not sufficiently addressed the environmental concerns of federal and state officials. Commissioner Jones blamed the novelty of the pumped storage project for the lack of clear guidance.

Commissioner John Johnson said the project has the potential to generate a significant economic boon for the county. However, Commissioner Johnson warned that it could just as easily cause serious environmental damage.

Commissioner Sue Jones said members of the public appear to misunderstand the purpose of the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a hydroelectric dam. Instead, the facility is designed to support the Aeolus wind energy farm, near Medicine Bow, by storing water that can be released to generate electricity when demand exceeds production. However, Commissioners Jones said rPlus has not finalized an agreement with PacifiCorp, the owner of Aeolus, to purchase electricity generated by the pumped storage system.

Following the discussion, the Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to send a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission supporting the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project that includes the concerns raised during the meeting.

The post Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Ask County Commissioners for Letter of Support first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Friday, AUGUST 22, 2025  |

Photo – Map of proposed Pumped Storage Project – Courtesy rPlus Hydro

Officials with the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project clarified recent statements made by the county commissioners.

The Utah-based energy development company, rPlus Hydro, is planning to construct a pumped storage facility at Seminoe Reservoir. rPlus Hydro Managing Director of Hydro Strategy Matthew Shapiro said the plan calls for the construction of a 13,000-acre-foot artificial lake atop Bennett Mountain. When electricity is plentiful, water will be pumped 1,000 feet uphill from the lower Seminoe Reservoir into the higher storage lake. When energy is in high demand, Shapiro explained, the water will flow downhill through an underground hydroelectric turbine, generating power.

The first pumped hydroelectric storage systems were built in Europe in the 1890s. However, the technology is relatively uncommon here in the United States, with the majority of the facilities being built between 1970 and 1990.

Managing Director of Hydro Strategy Shapiro said pumped storage is a quick and easy way to support the country’s electrical grid, and Seminoe Reservoir is an ideal place for such a facility.

Unlike conventional hydroelectric powerplants, pumped storage facilities do not require the construction of a dam. Instead, Shapiro said electricity is generated in a large underground powerhouse. The same turbines are used to pump water back into the upper reservoir.

Shapiro said the Seminoe Pumped Storage Facility will be capable of generating up to 900 megawatts of electricity, roughly the same power output as the coal-fired Dave Johnston Power Plant in Glenrock, Wyoming.

Water levels at Seminoe Reservoir will fluctuate as water moves between it and the upper storage basin. Shapiro said the upper lake is designed to hold 13,000 acre-feet, though only 10,000 acre-feet will be actively cycled while the facility is operating. Because the upper basin is much smaller than Seminoe, the Director of Hydro Strategy said the impact on the reservoir will be small.

At the June 2024 announcement meeting in Sinclair, rPlus Energies Program Manager Lars Dorr said the water level of the Seminoe Reservoir will change by 6 to 18 inches when the facility is operating.

Shapiro said rPlus Hydro has conducted extensive studies to assess the potential impact of the pumped storage facility on the downstream ecosystem, including the Blue-Ribbon fishing habitat known as Miracle Mile. Shapiro said the studies show that the project will have little to no effect.

When the facility is operating, Shapiro said water temperatures in Seminoe Reservoir will be continuously monitored. If temperatures drift outside normal ranges, the facility will be shut down until they return to normal.

Once construction is complete, the facility will transmit electricity across 25 miles of newly built transmission lines to the Aeolus substation near Medicine Bow. Shapiro said the power can then be sent wherever it’s needed.

However, Shapiro said rPlus Hydro has not yet found a buyer for the electricity produced by the Seminoe Pumped Storage Facility, which is required before construction can begin.

At their August 19th meeting, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners stated that rPlus Hydro had not signed an agreement with PacifiCorp, owners of the Aeolus substation, to route power generated by the Seminoe Pumped Storage Facility to the grid. Shapiro confirmed the Board’s comments, adding that rPlus had applied for access to the substation, but later withdrew the application. The Director of Hydro Strategy said the company intends to reapply at a later date.

Also, during the August 19th meeting, County Attorney Ashley Davis said rPlus has stated that building the pumped storage facility will impact tourism at Seminoe Reservoir for five years. Shapiro responded to the County Attorney’s comments by saying construction will not prevent people from accessing the popular recreation area.

On July 14th, Wyoming Industrial Siting Administrator Jenny Staeben informed the Board of Carbon County Commissioners that rPlus Hydro had not reached out to the Industrial Siting Council for a construction permit and may be under the mistaken assumption it does not require one. All construction projects in Wyoming with an estimated build cost exceeding $253 million must obtain a permit from the Industrial Siting Council before beginning construction. With an estimated price tag of over $3 billion, the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project falls under the scope of the ISC.

rPlus Hydro Managing Director of Hydro Strategy Matthew Shapiro said his company has been in contact with the Industrial Siting Council since the project’s inception and is well aware this project requires a permit.

Last fall, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, accepted the final license application for the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project and held public comment meetings in Casper and Rawlins. The next step is for FERC to finalize its environmental impact report. Shapiro said after another round of public comment meetings, he hopes FERC will approve the project by next spring.

If all the permits are acquired and a customer can be found to purchase the electricity generated by the Seminoe Pumped Storage Facility, Shapiro said construction could begin in 2028. The Managing Director of Hydro Strategy said the project is the best way to meet the state’s increasing power demands.

When completed, Shapiro said the pumped storage facility is estimated to generate up to $10 million a year in tax revenue and employ approximately 30 people.

The post rPlus Hydro Clarifies Recent Statements Made at Commissioner Meeting first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Thursday, AUGUST 21, 2025  |

Photo – Map of Pennock Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management Area – Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish

County officials do not object to allowing the public into the Pennock Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management Area.

During the August 12th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Chairman Travis Moore requested a motion to sign a 20-year public access easement with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the Pennock Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management Area, east of Saratoga. Before the vote, Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett asked for clarification on what the agreement would entail.

Commissioner John Johnson said without a public hearing, the Board should not offer its opinion on the matter.

Commissioner John Espy agreed that the Board should not be involved, saying the agreement is between the state agency and private landowners.

Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett said she believed the Board’s approval of the contract was necessary for Game and Fish to receive designated state funding. However, the letter stated that the Board only needed to be informed of the public access easement. Vice Chair Bartlett said that requirement has been fulfilled.

The Board of Commissioners did not vote to sign the letter of support.

The matter was discussed once again the following week. During the August 19th County Commissioners meeting in Baggs, County Attorney Ashley Davis reported that she spoke to Wyoming Game and Fish Services Division Chief Sean Bibbey about the letter. Attorney Davis said Bibbey informed her that the letter was simply to notify the Board about the renewed public access easement at the Pennock Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management Area. Additionally, by not signing the letter, Bibbey said the Board was not denying the state agency any additional funding opportunities.

Attorney Davis presented the Board with three options: the Commissioners may choose to sign the letter, decline to sign it, or request a public hearing with Game and Fish to discuss the agreement. However, the County Attorney said few local governments opt for the public hearing.

Commissioner John Espy said the Board should send a letter simply stating that they do not object to the agreement. Commissioner John Johnson agreed, adding that the Pennock Mountain hunt area is often overcrowded.

The Board unanimously voted to send a letter to Wyoming Game and Fish stating that they do not object to the public easement agreement at the Pennock Mountain Wildlife Habitat Management Area.

The post Commissioners Have No Objection to Pennock Mountain Public Easement first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.