Bigfoot99 News - Bigfoot 99 Radio

JUNE 17, 2025 |

Photo – Carbon County Courthouse – Bigfoot99 file photo

Carbon County officials will spend more than $50,000 upgrading old, out-of-date computers.

During the June 3rd Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, IT Director Matt Webster reported that in the previous year, the county allocated $100,000 for enhanced security measures on its computer network. Director Webster said less than half of the funds were used for that purpose and requested that the remaining $54,204.40 be used to purchase new computers.

The multi-factor authentication upgrades were paid for with money from the Chokecherry and Sierra Madra Wind Energy Project impact assistance fund.

IT Director Webster said many county employees are using computers that are between five and six years old. “In fact”, Webster said, “a few county-owned computers are over a decade old and will not support the mandatory Windows 11 upgrade in October.”

IT Director Webster said, according to his estimates, 25 to 30% of the county’s computers need to be replaced. Webster said the remaining Chokecherry impact assistance money will cover the cost of 75 new computers, bringing the entire county into Windows 11 compliance.

Webster recommended setting aside money every year to pay for future computer upgrades, something that the IT Director said has not been a high priority for the county.

IT Director Webster suggested replacing computers after three years of service.

Commissioner John Espy expressed his support for the computer purchase, adding that future funding is uncertain and costs are likely to rise.

The Board of Carbon County Commissioners gave IT Director Webster authorization to use the remaining $54,204.40 from the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project impact assistance fund to purchase new computers for county employees.

The post Commissioners Approve Replacing Out-of-Date Computers first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 16, 2025 |

Photo – Medicine Bow Airport beacon light – Courtesy Larry Liebrecht

Larry Liebrecht, a nationally recognized transportation historian, will give a presentation about the Medicine Bow Airport this Thursday.

At the next Medicine Bow Airport Advisory Board meeting on June 19th, Larry Liebrecht, from the Colorado Aviation Historical Society, will speak about the historical significance of the town’s landing strip.

Speaking to Bigfoot99, Liebrecht said his interest in transportation history began in the mid-1970s while volunteering at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. While working at the Paul E. Garber Facility annex, Liebrecht restored aircraft for the national museum.

In 2019, Liebrecht was in Casper with a group of Colorado aviation archaeologists searching for the remains of a B-24 Liberator that crashed in the 1940s. After the mission failed, Liebrecht’s team was headed home when a blown tire forced them to stop at Medicine Bow. While awaiting repairs, Liebrecht learned about the existence of the Medicine Bow Airport outside the town.

The transportation historian said he was immediately captivated by its remarkable state of preservation.

After his initial introduction, Liebrecht began working with the Wyoming Historical Society to learn more about the Medicine Bow Airport. The historian obtained Steve Wolff’s 2012 National Parks Service application to list the airfield on the National Register of Historic Places. Liebrecht said Wolff’s documents hold valuable information, much of which will be presented at Thursday’s Medicine Bow Airport Advisory Board meeting.

Included in Wolff’s application to the National Parks Service is the firsthand account of Betty Jean Cruickshank Cole-Keller, whose father, Edwin Cruickshank, served as Caretaker and Weather Observer for the Medicine Bow Airport when it was founded in 1928. Originally established by the Department of Commerce’s Lighthouse Service, the airport was called Site 31 and consisted of a beacon tower and a single office building, which was used as a bunkhouse for Cole-Keller and her brothers.

Two years later, in 1930, the original Site 31 was replaced with a new airport, now called Site 32. A new tower and office building were constructed, as well as a powerhouse to provide electricity for the electric beacon light. For an unspecified amount of time, Cole-Keller’s father was the sole employee at the airport, responsible for providing weather data and operating the lighting system. Eventually, additional homes were built at the site to house a three-man crew and their families.

The houses are no longer there, with only the foundations marking where the structures once stood. Liebrecht, a Colorado Aviation Historical Society member, said Wolff’s National Park Service application describes the old homesteads as having little historical significance to the airport. Liebrecht said he disagrees with this assessment.

Liebrecht said future archologists are likely to discover many important artifacts in the ruins of the old houses.

The transportation historian said the caretaker families often maintained airport equipment in their homes.

Last summer, Colorado pilot Nathan Finneman explained the significance of town’s airport to the governing body of Medicine Bow. Finneman described the airmail directional arrow and outbuildings as the best-preserved in the western United States.

Shortly after Finneman’s presentation, the town formed the Medicine Bow Airport Advisory Board to protect and maintain the existing buildings, including the beacon tower and telegraph office. Liebrecht said the board’s highest priority should be replacing the telegraph office roof.

Liebrecht said the next goal should be restoring the buildings to their original 1930s appearance. Medicine Bow could keep the original equipment and structures while operating a fully functional airport.

Liebrecht said his presentation to the Airport Advisory Board will focus on the history of the landing field. He will also include suggestions for how the area can be preserved for future generations.

The Medicine Bow Airport Advisory Board will hold its next meeting on Thursday, June 19, at 6:00 p.m. in the town Community Center, located at 221 Pine Street.

The post Transportation Historian to Advise Medicine Bow Council first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 16, 2025 |

Photo – Lawrence Property fire – Bigfoot99 file photo

In Rawlins, city officials have set aside funds to clean up the Lawrence Salvage Yard.

Last July, a fire broke out in central Rawlins, just south of East Spruce Street, at a former salvage yard once owned by the Lawrence family. The fire, the largest in the city’s history, scorched 4.5 acres of the 12-acre property. Investigators determined that illegal fireworks sparked the blaze.

In November, the city entered negotiations with the current property owners, Jack and Elden Cozort, to buy the land, remove all debris and scrap metal from the property, and eventually sell the 12-acre parcel to a private developer.

The purchase agreement states the property will include roughly 40 scrap vehicles and other pieces of equipment, including what is described as a 1971 Ford pickup truck filled with “seabed fossils.”

The governing body of Rawlins bought the Lawrence Property last December for $230,000. The money was taken from the city’s Dangerous Building Fund; an account specifically created to purchase and renovate abandoned and derelict properties.

At the December 17th Rawlins City Council meeting, then-Mayor Terry Weickum said revitalizing the fire-damaged property in the center of the city will bring numerous economic opportunities.

However, the city must first pay to clean the former salvage yard. Speaking at the June 3rd Rawlins City Council meeting, City Manager Tom Sarvey explained that he allocated $200,000 in the upcoming 2025 through 2026 fiscal year budget for the project.

City Manager Sarvey said he expects to recover the city’s costs by selling scrap metal found at the site and eventually the property itself. The money generated by the sale will be placed back into the Dangerous Building Fund, allowing the city to continue revitalizing abandoned and derelict properties.

The Rawlins City Council voted to approve next year’s budget with the added $200,000 to renovate the Lawrence Property. Proceeds from the parcel’s eventual sale will be used to replenish the Dangerous Building Fund back to its $500,000 threshold.

The post Rawlins Officials to Clean Burned Salvage Yard first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 16, 2025 |

Photo – Saratoga Police Department patch – Bigfoot99 file photo

The Saratoga governing body approved several equipment purchases for the town’s police department, including training pistols.

Last month, the Saratoga Town Council voted to purchase a 2024 Dodge Ram 1500 patrol vehicle for the police department. Fully equipped, with speed radars and storage bins, the truck cost $62,309.

During the June 3rd Saratoga Town Council meeting, Police Chief John Moore explained that he had been told the new patrol truck would include all necessary equipment for immediate deployment. However, Chief Moore added that the initial $62,000 quote did not cover the mounting equipment for his police computer. Moore requested approval to spend an additional $1,489 on the mounts.

Chief Moore said he did not have any extra computer mounts that would fit into the new patrol truck. The Saratoga Town Council unanimously voted to approve the purchase.

Next, Chief Moore requested $564.20 to purchase a Glock 47 9mm pistol and light from ProForce Law Enforcement, a California-based police equipment supplier. The police chief said he is the only Saratoga police officer using a personal firearm rather than one issued by the town.

Also, from ProForce Law Enforcement, Chief Moore asked to spend $2,606 on four Glock 17 training pistols and 1,000 rounds of simulated ammunition. The police chief said the training rounds use reduced energy propellent to fire paint markers, enhancing the realism of exercises. Chief Moore said he has enough money left in his department’s budget to cover the cost of the training equipment.

Chief Moore said he initially planned to request approval to spend $1,210 on four tactical police helmets. However, after finding the same helmets available online at a fraction of the price, Chief Moore rescinded his request.

The total cost for the Glock 47 service pistol, four Glock 17 training pistols, and 1,000 rounds of simulated ammunition came to $3,170.20. The Saratoga Town Council unanimously voted to approve the purchase.

The post Saratoga Town Council Approves Police Equipment Purchase first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 13, 2025 |

Photo – Map of TransAmerica Trail proposed route – Bigfoot99 file photo

The proposed 13-million-dollar bike path from Rawlins to Walcott Junction has stalled due to a lack of funding.

As reported by Bigfoot99, the Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting bicycle travel, is working to build a paved bicycle path from Oregon to Virginia, called the TransAmerica Trail. The Adventure Cycling Association prefers to have the trail run along existing two-lane roadways. However, here in Carbon County, the section of the trail between Rawlins and Walcott Junction will need to run parallel to Interstate 80, since no other route exists between the two points.

The solution: a $13.6 million 20-mile-long paved bike path to allow cyclists to avoid Interstate 80 on their way to and from Saratoga. The committee responsible for securing funding for the bike trail had planned to use the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program, or TAP, to fund the project.

Speaking at the June 3rd Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner John Espy said WYDOT has refused to provide TAP funding to the project. Commissioner Espy explained that the state funding requires year-round maintenance, even in winter when cyclists are unlikely to use the path.

Additionally, if the bicycle trail was paid for using WYDOT funding, it would need to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Commissioner Espy questioned how the path could remain clear when Interstate 80 frequently shuts down due to heavy snowfall.

The TransAmerica Trail was originally planned to follow WYDOT rights-of-way along I-80, eliminating the need for easements from private property owners. Commissioner Espy said the proposal was scrapped due to the requirement of a concrete barrier along the entire path. The trail committee now may negotiate with landowners to build it on private property.

Commissioner Espy said no one is sure who will maintain the trail once it is completed. The Commissioner proposed the Adventure Cycling Association fundraise the maintenance costs rather than placing the burden on the county.

The TransAmerica Trail was also discussed during the June 3rd Rawlins City Council Meeting. City Manager Tom Sarvey explained to the governing body if the bicycle path was funded using a WYDOT TAPS grant, it would need to be kept clear of snow at all times.

City Manager Tom Sarvey said WYDOT was unwilling to change the grant requirements for the bike trail.

Like Commissioner Espy, City Manager Sarvey said the TransAmerica Trail committee is unsure who will maintain the bicycle path if it is built.

Work on the TransAmerica Trail bike path has been put on hold while the Adventure Cycling Association attempts to secure alternative funding and procure easements from landowners along Interstate 80.

The post TransAmerica Bike Path Put on Hold for Lack of Funding first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 13, 2025 |

Photo – County Road 401 – Bigfoot99 file photo

The Board of Carbon County Commissioners reluctantly agreed to deplete impact assistance funds to pay for repairs to Sage Creek Road.

In January, the Commissioners hired WLC Engineering and Surveying of Casper to design repairs for deteriorating sections of County Road 401, also known as Sage Creek Road. After receiving the report, the county opened bidding for a contractor to complete the necessary repairs.

At the June 3rd Board of County Commissioners meeting, Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz announced she had received only one bid for the County Road 401 repair project. The Rawlins-based paving company, 71 Construction, submitted a bid of $587,652 to apply a new three-inch layer of asphalt over the damaged sections of road.

County Road 401 was repaved in 2018. Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz said the road was not prepared properly before paving and was further damaged by heavy truck traffic. Fritz said the county will likely need to repair the same sections of the road again in the future.

Fritz said 71 Construction plans to excavate the six damaged sections of Sage Creek Road and may uncover issues requiring further attention and added costs.

Commission Chairman Travis Moore said the county is not responsible for the poor condition of County Road 401. Chairman Moore said a federally hired contractor completed the work and assured the county it was done properly.

Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz said the Board of Commissioners did not accept the road after the federal repaving project. Instead, an unidentified individual, presumably within the county government, approved the completed project, placing the county in its current situation.

Commission Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett asked Fritz if WLC Engineering had suggested more than a three-inch asphalt overlay as a permanent solution for County Road 401.

The Road and Bridge Superintendent said the engineering firm recommended removing the entire six miles of damaged roadway and constructing a new road, which would increase the total cost of the project to $6 million.

Fritz said geogrid fabric, used for soil stabilization, will be placed beneath the asphalt overlay, increasing the road’s water resistance.

Commissioner John Johnson asked Attorney Ashley Davis if the county had any recourse to address Sage Creek Road’s poor condition. Attorney Davis said the county had no control over the past project, as all decisions were made at the state and federal level. Therefore, the county cannot hold the federal government accountable for the repairs.

Additionally, Attorney Davis said any warranty on the repair work is past its expiration date.

The County Attorney also said her office has been unable to locate the contract documentation between the contractor and the federal government, despite submitting a Freedom of Information Act request.

The current speed limit on County Road 401 is 55 miles per hour. Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz said the speed should be lowered to 45 for safety. However, Fritz said the Wyoming Department of Transportation is unlikely to approve the change.

County Attorney Ashley Davis said the Wyoming legislature recently removed the requirement to conduct a speed study before modifying a road’s speed limit, meaning the county can potentially set speed limits on Sage Creek Road without WYDOT’s approval.

The Board asked Road and Bridge Superintendent Fritz how she plans to pay the $587,652 for the Sage Creek Road repairs. Fritz responded she has approximately $300,000 left in impact assistance money. Additional funding must come from either the county or the Road and Bridge budget.

Fritz reminded the commissioners that she promised to keep $1 million in the county’s road fund. If her department is required to cover the full cost of the Sage Creek Road project along with other scheduled bridge repairs, Fritz said she would be left with only $400,000 in reserve.

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to accept 71 Construction’s $587,652 bid to repair County Road 401. The TransWest Express impact assistance fund will be depleted to pay for the project, with the remaining money being taken out of the county’s road fund.

Road and Bridge Superintendent Kandis Fritz said the project will be completed by September 12th.

The post Construction will Start on County Road 401 This Summer first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 13, 2025 |

Photo – Drawing of an electric car – Bigfoot99 file photo

In Washington, D.C., U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, attended the White House signing ceremony Thursday where President Donald Trump signed legislation repealing the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandate.

The legislation to repeal the EV mandate passed the Senate last month with the support of all Republican Senators.

The U.S. Senate voted last month to block California’s landmark mandate phasing out gas-powered cars, dealing a substantial blow to the state’s aggressive transition to electric vehicles.

The vote was largely along party lines with 51 voting to rescind the mandate wavier, while 44 voted against it.

Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia, called California’s zero-emission standards for both cars and diesel trucks extreme and a threat to the economy. Capito said the California mandates “replace the will of consumer with the will of the government.”

Senator Barrasso, in a statement following yesterday’s formal signing of the legislation, said, “The goal of radical climate extremists was to ban gas-powered vehicles forever. This Republican majority stopped them. Wyoming families do not need or want Washington bureaucrats to pick the car or truck they are able to drive.”

Last month’s action in the Senate to defeat the legislation followed a vote on April 30th that shocked environmentalists when 35 Democrats joined Republicans to block California’s electric car mandate.

The battle could now move to the courts in a legal battle between California and the Trump administration. State leaders, including Governor Gavin Newsome and Attorney General Rob Bonta held an angry news briefing last month saying they will file a lawsuit.

“We’re going to fight this unconstitutional attack on California in court,” Newsom said in a statement.

The post Electric Vehicle Mandate Repealed first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 12, 2025

Photo – Uplift Rawlins logo – Courtesy Uplift Rawlins

A group of concerned citizens in Rawlins has banded together to beautify the city.

In May, city residents Don Woolley, Jenita Calton, and several others established Uplift Rawlins. Calton told Bigfoot99 the organization was formed to enhance the appearance of their hometown.

Fellow Uplift Rawlins member Woolley said the group consists of residents committed to improving their community rather than just voicing frustrations about the city’s appearance. Woolley said Uplift Rawlins members will tackle small projects throughout the city, specifically those outside the city’s official responsibilities.

Initially, Uplift Rawlins will focus on two community improvement projects. Jenita Calton said the group’s first initiative is to fill flower planters throughout the city.

The second program introduced by Uplift Rawlins is the Home and Business of the Month Award. Don Woolley explained that the group is looking for homes and businesses that have made strides to improve their outward appearances.

Woolley explained Uplift Rawlins members will select five Home and two Business of the Month Award winners. The group member asked for nominations from the public. Additionally, Woolley said Uplift Rawlins is also seeking judges to help select the monthly award winners.

The Home and Business of the Month competition opened last weekend. Woolley said Uplift Rawlins has already received several home and business nominations.  Each monthly award winner will be announced on social media. Winners will receive a sign to display at their home or business, recognizing their effort. Woolley said Uplift Rawlins is also considering giving winners a small prize, such as a coffee mug.

Home and Business of the Month nomination forms can be found on the Uplift Rawlins Facebook page. Additionally, we will include links to the award nominations in this story when it is posted to the Bigfoot99 website later today.

Uplift Rawlins is also working to renovate the flower beds at the Rawlins Cemetery. Member Jenita Calton said the beds are large and will require a lot of work to restore.

Uplift Rawlins member Don Woolley said the 10-member group is always seeking additional volunteers. Each member contributes their own unique expertise to the organization.

Anyone interested in helping Uplift Rawlins beautify the city can contact the organization through its Facebook page or attend an in-person meeting. The next Uplift Rawlins meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 23rd, at 6:00 p.m. at the Rawlins Music Academy, located at 208 West Cedar Street.

Additional links related to Rawlins Uplift story:

Uplift Rawlins Facebook page: Uplift Rawlins | Rawlins WY | Facebook

Home of the Month Nomination Form: Rawlins “Home of the Month” Nomination Form

Business of the Month Nomination Form: Rawlins “Business of the Month” Nomination Form

The post New Organization Focuses on Beautifying Rawlins first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 12, 2025

Photo – BLM logo – Bigfoot99 file photo

In Washington, D.C., U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) on Wednesday applauded plans by the Trump Administration to repeal climate rules put into place by the Biden administration. The Biden era schemes were meant to put power plants out of business.

In a statement, Republican Senator Barrasso said, “America is an energy superpower. Under Republican leadership, we are acting like it.”

The senate leader continued, “The Biden administration’s outrageous climate rules would have shut down power plants and increased energy costs for families across the country. Repealing these rules will take the handcuffs off of Wyoming’s energy workers so they can unleash affordable, reliable American energy. Thanks to President Trump, the war on American energy is officially over.”

In April 2024, the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency finalized rules targeting American power plants and designed to cripple the energy industry. The rules would have required existing coal-burning power plants, and future plants burning natural gas, to begin capturing their carbon dioxide in the 2030s.

Later Wednesday, the upturning of the Biden era rules, continued when Lee Zeldin, director of the Environmental Protection Agency, proposed repealing Clean Power Plan Version 2.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon welcomed the news. The governor applauded the repeal of Biden’s Clean Power Plan. “The lopsided and misguided policies of the Biden administration have already wreaked enough havoc on our nation’s power supply and delayed our progress providing the beautiful clean coal President Donald Trump recognizes as essential to having a reliable, affordable and dispatchable energy supply for our nation.”

The governor encouraged the EPA director to “proceed with all due urgency.” The EPA has cut $20 billion in Biden-era grant funding since Donald Trump took office and named Lee Zeldin director of the agency.

In the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, Senator Barrasso questioned U.S. Energy Secretary Doug Burgum. The senator contrasted the sharp differences between the Biden and Trump administration’s stances toward energy.

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso began his questioning by asking Energy Secretary Burgum about leasing and permitting plans for energy development projects. The night-and-day difference between the two presidential administrations was apparent immediately, especially in terms of the speed and efficiency in permitting new development.

Projects that took more than a year during the Biden administration now take two months to process.

Senator Barrasso also asked about the upcoming revision to the proposed Rock Springs management plan. The Bureau of Land Management announced last week that the controversial plan developed during the Biden Administration in opposition to residents of Sweetwater County will be undergoing changes in the next few months.

Senator Barrasso described the Biden plan for Sweetwater County, which was finished during his final few months in office, as “punishing to the people of Wyoming.” The Energy Secretary talked about the changes to the radical Democrat plan underway now.

As federal officials prepare to rewrite the controversial Rock Springs plan to manage 3.6 million acres of land. A study from the University of Wyoming calculated the Biden plan would have cost the Cowboy State at least $245 million in lost revenue over four years.

The post Rock Springs Land Management Plan to See Changes first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 12, 2025

Photo – Small trout in a cup – Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish

Wyoming Game and Fish is celebrating the second successful year of Trout in the Classroom.

In 2023, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department launched three new conservation education programs for Wyoming students: National Archery in the Schools, Hunter Education, and Trout in the Classroom.

Game and Fish Conservation Education Coordinator Katie Schlafke explained how Trout in the Classroom is a national program that’s been around for roughly 30 years. Two years ago, Wyoming Game and Fish introduced the program to the Cowboy State through a partnership with Wyoming Trout Unlimited.

Schlafke said Trout in the Classroom provides students with hands-on instruction about the importance of their local lakes and river systems.

Schlafke said schools enrolled in the Trout in the Classroom program receive rainbow trout eggs for students to hatch.

At the end of the school year, the young fish are released into Game and Fish approved lakes around the state.

All rainbow trout eggs used in the educational program are all spawned at the Boulder Rearing Station, in Boulder, Wyoming. The Dubois Hatchery then prepares the eggs to be distributed around the state.

Here in Carbon County, the Rawlins Middle and Encampment K-12 Schools participated in this year’s Trout in the Classroom program. Conservation Education Coordinator Katie Schlafke said that of the 200 eggs received by Rawlins Middle School’s sixth-grade class, roughly one quarter survived and were released into Saratoga Lake at the end of the school year.

Schlafke said the Encampment K-12 School students were a little more successful raising their rainbow trout eggs. The Game and Fish Conservation Education Coordinator said by the end of the school year, approximately 75 trout fingerlings were released into Saratoga Lake.

Game and Fish agents released all the rainbow trout fingerlings into Saratoga Lake on May 8th.

Schlafke said both the Rawlins Middle and Encampment K-12 Schools will continue offering Trout in the Classroom during the upcoming school year. The Conservation Education Coordinator advised educators interested in the program to visit the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website for more information.

Participation in the Trout in the Classroom program isn’t free. Schlafke said schools are responsible for purchasing the equipment necessary to raise the rainbow trout hatchlings.

Schlafke said the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Wyoming Trout Unlimited offer grants to help schools offset the cost of the equipment.

Schlafke said the conservation-themed program has been positively received by participating schools.

Schlafke thanked Wyoming Trout Unlimited and the partner hatcheries for giving students access to the Trout in the Classroom program.

The post Trout in the Classroom has Successful Second Run first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.