2024 Year in Review

January

4

Travelers and local visitors stopping by the Cal S. Taggart Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Visitor Center east of Lovell will soon notice a new look for staff members greeting those entering the building – a brand new visitor desk. The new desk features new museum quality display cases and improved accessibility, Chief of Interpretation Christy Fleming said.

Revenues are strong in the North Big Horn Hospital District. Revenues were ahead of budget by more than a quarter million dollars for the month of November, said Chief Financial Officer Darcy Robertson at the December 19 North Big Horn Hospital District Board of Trustees meeting.

11

It’s been the talk of the town for a week – ever since three excavators started tearing down the Hal Price building on the northwest corner of Main and Nevada last Wednesday, Jan. 3. Something big was happening. Word soon got around that Devin and Stacy Bair were tearing down the Price building in order to build something brand new – a top-quality restaurant with an appeal to families: The Overlook.

School District No. 1 held an assembly Friday in partnership with the Big Horn County Sheriff’s office to recognize the many accomplishments of Big Horn County deputy Shane Brost and other deputies in conjunction with Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

18

Cutting edge technology in the form of a state-of-the-art robotics surgery program will transform surgical services at North Big Horn Hospital in Lovell, according to Dr. Michael Hill, who pioneered the practice at the Billings Clinic before moving to Lovell nearly two years ago. The new Intuitive da Vinci Xi was recently acquired by the North Big Horn Hospital District and is the first surgical robotics program in the Big Horn Basin.

New Lovell Chief of Police Roger Haney was appointed, approved and sworn in before a room full of friends and family members at the Lovell Town Council regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

The new Lovell Police Department building at 142 E. Third was officially dedicated on January 9 at noon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

25

A group of Big Horn County Fire District #1 volunteer firefighters are traveling to Seattle, Washington, in March to participate in the 2024 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Annual Firefighter Stair Climb. Firefighters from across the country will meet in downtown Seattle on March 10 for the 33rd year to climb the Columbia Center Building, which is the second tallest building west of the Mississippi River and the tallest in Seattle.

The North Big Horn Landfill, which was announced last September to be in the process of shutdown, will remain open. Gary Grant, manager of the landfill, said that a decision has been reached to keep the landfill open for the foreseeable future. The landfill is located 2.5 miles out of Lovell and is a 71-acre facility.

Pat Steed is at it again. North Big Horn County’s master craftsman of all things horse drawn tried out his latest restoration project Sunday afternoon at his home in southwest Lovell, a more than 100-year-old hay sled.

February

1

The Lovell cheerleaders did it again, and this time it wasn’t even close. One year after edging Big Piney by .45 of a point – 76.650 to 76.200 -- to capture the championship in the Class 2A Game Day division of the Wyoming State Spirit competition, the Lovell High School cheerleaders repeated as champions Friday in Casper, this time topping second place Cokeville by four points – 88.850 to 84.800.

Dalton Banks, District 26 representative in the Wyoming House of Representatives, is heading into his second legislative session during his first term in office, the budget session of the 67th Legislature.

8

 North Big Horn Hospital is remodeling their laboratory to allow for more space and modernized equipment. The North Big Horn Hospital District Board of Directors approved the $577,000 upgrade, to be completed by Groathouse Construction, at the January board meeting.

The reinvigorated Lovell Rodeo Club is going full steam ahead this month with fundraisers members hope will lead to needed improvements at the Lovell Rodeo Grounds.

15

Marie Bucher has taken the big step to become the new postmaster in Lovell, and like her predecessor, Victor Cordes, she will make the commute daily from Powell, where she has been the supervisor at the Powell Post Office.

For one Lovell second grader, a surprise appearance at the Cody USA Wrestling tournament Saturday was a dream come true. Cotey Smith, 7, a member of the North Big Horn Rams team, was competing at the Cody tournament when his very famous great-uncle, and his hero, Randy Couture, paid him a visit.

22

A proposal and request for support of a motorcycle rodeo in North Big Horn County greeted the Lovell Town Council as the council opened their February 13 meeting at town hall. Tom “Buck” Klindt of Cowley, speaking on behalf of the Iron Cowboys Riding Club, is hoping to stage the Lovell Iron Cowboy Days, which he said could be “Wyoming’s own answer to Sturgis of Red Lodge.”

Members of the public will find out more about the University of Wyoming’s presence in Big Horn County, and UW alumni will connect with their alma mater during a “UW in Your Community” gathering Monday, March 4, in Lovell.

29

Lovell senior wrestler James Love captured the heavyweight title at the State Wrestling tournament Saturday with a dramatic triple overtime sudden death victory over Christian Reilly of Hullett.

The snowpack is below average in the Big Horn Mountains, according to Jeff Coyle, Water Supply Specialist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) Wyoming Snow Survey.

March

7

University of Wyoming faculty, officials and students paid a visit to Big Horn County Monday for a special “UW in Your Community” event designed to inform the public about the university and connect alumni with their university. The officials made three stops at local high schools and finished the day with the main event at the Lovell Community Center.

An event that is designed to be part fundraiser and part community gathering is set to take place this Saturday in Deaver. The Deaver-Frannie Volunteer Fire Department is hosting community dinner and silent auction to benefit the fire department.

A meeting of the minds and information session regarding the extension of a federal withdrawal of public land in Big Horn County for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range was held Thursday at the Lovell Community Center.

14

North Big Horn Hospital employees gathered in the hospital lobby Monday morning for a big announcement, several wearing special headbands with the number 100 swaying on antennae-like projections. The “100” headgear was a dead giveaway for the announcement, made by CEO Eric Connell: North Big Horn Hospital has been recognized by the Chartis Center for Rural Health as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital for 2024.

Rep. Dalton Banks, R-Cowley, said the Wyoming legislature’s budget session that concluded last week produced “some good compromises” on legislation that will be helpful to his constituents and the state’s residents.

For the first time in more than 40 years, the Lovell Bulldogs can proudly display a trophy from the state basketball tournament for Class 3A. The Bulldogs claimed the rare feat by winning two of three games at the tournament March 7-9 in Casper, capturing the consolation championship.

21

The hunt for the newest principal at Lovell Elementary School continued last Thursday night with a community forum in the Lovell High School multi-purpose room. The potential new administrators interviewed were Christopher Jensen, Jeremy Laing and Lydia McCracken.

Last Thursday, March 14, a group of hand-selected locals gathered at the Lovell Community Center to hold a broad discussion on the community’s outdoor recreation opportunities and local economy. Organized and moderated by town administrator Jed Nebel, the topics ranged from the community’s involvement, or lack thereof, in the Big Horn Basin Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (BBORC) to the ongoing development of a mountain bike trail system on public lands to future development of the northern Big Horn Basin’s recreation areas to improve accessibility and navigation for locals and visitors alike.

28

The Big Horn County School District No. 2 board last week named Christopher Jensen as the new principal of Lovell Elementary School beginning the 2024-25 school year.

It couldn’t have been more perfect timing for James Ellis, CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) to join the staff at North Big Horn Hospital. Ellis brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the newly created staff position.

April

4

The towns of Cowley and Lovell are the latest area communities to receive a fiber optic upgrade from local telecommunications provider TCT that will take top level service directly to the doorstep. Work was scheduled to begin this week in Cowley, with Lovell to follow in a couple months, TCT CEO Richard Wardell said last week.

A group of Big Horn County Fire District #1 volunteer firefighters traveled to Seattle, Washington, on March 10 to participate in the 2024 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s annual Firefighter Stair Climb.

11

Strong winds and dry conditions created a perfect storm that led to several brush and farm fires last week that kept members of the Lovell Volunteer Fire Department scrambling.

Assistant chief Bob Mangus said firemen responded to 13 calls between April 1 and April 9, including a massive fire on Friday that kept firemen engaged for more than six hours.

Still stinging from a defeat in Park County, Sen. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, said last week that while he still prefers a hand count of votes cast in this year’s elections to electronic tabulating machines, he doesn’t feel he has the support to push for such a change in Big Horn County. At least for this election cycle.

18

A benefit “muley” team roping event is planned to help a family in need at the Cowley Rodeo grounds on April 27. The full day event, starting at around 10 a.m. is a fundraiser for Billy Slabbert, a 4-year-old Cowley boy, who suffers from cerebral palsy. The funds will pay for much needed and very specialized medical based physical therapy that Slabbert, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at three months old, desperately needs.

Community members and students will fan out across Lovell and the immediate area this weekend to participate in the third annual Lovell Day of Service. Held in conjunction with Global Youth Service Day, the Day of Service will actually be two days of service this year, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 19-20.

25

CEO Eric Connell reported on the status of facility improvement projects underway at North Big Horn Hospital and New Horizons Care Center at the monthly meeting of the hospital board of trustees on April 16. Connell said a roofing project and work on the patio at the care center is nearing completion and should be finished before the next board meeting.

One of the winningest coaches in Lovell High School history is calling it a career after 14 years at the helm of the Lovell Lady Bulldogs girls basketball team. Chris Edwards announced his resignation in a letter submitted to the School District Two administration on Tuesday, April 2. His resignation was accepted by the Lovell School Board on April 15.

New Horizons Care Center resident Pete Harvey has outlived his eight brothers and sisters, his wife of 47 years and all of his friends. The centenarian will celebrate his 100th birthday with his family at a private party held at the care center on Sunday, April 28. He said he’s related to “pretty much every Harvey in the area.”

May

2

Once again, North Big Horn Hospital has been listed among the best of the best critical access hospitals across the nation. Hospital CEO Eric Connell received a letter of notification this week that the hospital is ranked in the Top 20 of more than 1,300 rural hospitals across the nation.

It came as no surprise to Lovell High School Skills USA team advisors Bret George and Jode Kraft when their team of 24 students was named high point chapter in the 3A division at the Skills USA State Leadership and Skills Conference held at Casper College last week. The students have a reputation of being very motivated and are often one of the most competitive teams to look out for at events.

9

Four Rocky Mountain High School seniors have received top academic honors as they conclude their academic careers with the Class of 2024. Noah Bisby and Kaitlyn Christensen are co-valedictorians, each with a 4.0 grade point average. Gwynff Bodtke and MacKelle Moss are the salutatorians, each concluding their high school academic careers with a 3.984 GPA.

A storm on Sunday afternoon brought strong wind gusts that sent a trampoline in Lovell up and over a power line, tree branches and other debris flying, destroyed an expensive wind sock at the Cowley airport and caused severe damage to a privately-owned airplane hangar.

The TCT fiber optic community-wide upgrade project in Cowley took a while to get going but is now in full swing, CEO Richard Wardell said this week, with contractor Drover Construction of Alaska working steadily in town amid some challenging weather conditions.

16

A quintet of graduating senior girls will be honored next Monday evening during the 2024 commencement ceremony at Lovell High School, school officials announced last week. Jadalie Marchant is the valedictorian and carries a 3.9423 grade point average. She also scored a 32 on the ACT, and in a rarity, salutatorians Hallie Cornia and Carissa Lindsay have a 4.0 GPA, but each had a slightly lower score in the ACT, a 31. Honor students, based on a vote by the Class of 2024, are Croix Tryon and Madison Wolvington.

A local business best known as the “best little horse house in the west” is closing its doors after 43 years of retail service. LuAnne Campbell, her husband Rick and mother-in-law Pat opened Frannie Tack Shop, sensing the need to make top quality horse tack, other supplies and, most important of all, expert advice available to horsemen and women of all ages. LuAnne and Rick continued to build the business after Pat died in 2015.

Rocky Mountain High School senior MacKelle Moss was honored Saturday afternoon during the regional track meet in Shoshoni with the prestigious Wilford Mower Award as the top Class 1A-2A female student athlete in Western Wyoming.

Even as he worked the 1A-2A West Regional Track and Field Meet as a starter Saturday in Shoshoni, longtime multi-sport official Joe White of Lovell was honored for his 50 years of service as an official in Lovell.

23

The opportunity to become superintendent of schools in Colstrip, Montana, is one that presented itself many times before Scott O’Tremba decided to go for it. O’Tremba, who is currently principal of Lovell Elementary School, will be beginning his new job in Colstrip this summer.

A talented Lovell High School boys track team reached the highest rung of the championship ladder for Class 3A in school history over the weekend at State, placing second out of 16 teams at the state track and field meet in Casper.

30

A key design element for the planned Overlook Bar and Grill in Lovell arrived at the North Big Horn County Airport last Wednesday, May 22 – a homebuilt Hatz biplane that will hang in the restaurant when it is completed.

The North Big Horn Hospital Board of Trustees spent a significant amount of time discussing the need for additional mental health services in the community at its most recent meeting held on May 21.

June

6

It’s looking like a relatively skimpy election year in Big Horn County, with few races developing during the filing period, which ended last Friday, May 31.

Former Lovell High School seminary teacher of 11 years, Travis Peterson, and his family have loaded up and moved across the country to Tupelo, Mississippi, to a new position for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

13

Payton Bischoff of Lovell was recently named the 2024-25 Miss Wyoming High School Rodeo Queen in Rock Springs.

Pete Baxendale is a busy guy. The owner and operator of Midway Construction and Dirt Work has three major projects in the works this summer, starting with a project to resurface the track at Lovell High School.

20

A patriotic group of citizens gathered at the Lovell downtown veterans park Friday evening to witness the ceremonial retirement of worn American Flags by local veterans.

At the Big Horn County School District No. 2 monthly school board meeting on June 10, the board approved the salary changes for coaches and sponsors to reflect the extended time required when teams progress in post-season play.

27

Longtime educator Chauna Bischoff has been selected by the Mustang Days Committee to act as official parade marshal of the Mustang Days Parade on Saturday. Mustang Days parade coordinator Kristine Henley said Bischoff’s name came up more than once, and she seemed like a good fit for the distinguished honor.

North Big Horn Hospital’s staff surgeon, Dr. Michael Hill, introduced his new assistant “Eve” on Thursday. Eve is a daVinci Xi state of the art robotic surgical assistant purchased by the hospital earlier this year. Hill said the equipment causes less trauma to the patient during surgery and allows them to recover more quickly and with less pain than previously used methods. Hill said the benefits of using robotics increase with the severity of the surgery.

July

4

A peaceful stop to admire Porcupine Falls was disrupted Friday afternoon when a tree fell on a group of four recreating in the Big Horn Mountains. The group of four were sitting near the falls when a large part of a lodge pole pine tree, approximately 28 inches around, cracked off and then fell 10 feet from a creek located above, hitting all four people. A GPS alert beacon was activated by the group following the accident, allowing Sheriff’s Department dispatchers to pinpoint their location very quickly.

Following a five-year hiatus, the Big Horn Canyon Triathlon will return to the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area this Saturday. Formerly organized by Ben Zeller, the Lovell Recreation District is sponsoring the triathlon this year, with Zeller playing an advisory role.

11

A passion for running and coaching and a long and successful career have led longtime former Rocky Mountain cross country and track coach John Bernhisel to a hallowed place among Wyoming coaches – the Wyoming Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Bernhisel will be inducted into the hall on Friday, July 19, during the hall of fame banquet at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper.

Two young men and two teenagers were seriously injured in the Fourth of July holiday last Thursday in one of the worst fireworks-related accidents in Big Horn County in recent years.

18

Just as parents, students and educators prepare for another school year, bus barn manager Michael Montanez is busy cleaning, prepping and ensuring all buses are safe and ready for students. Montanez will undoubtedly have the buses polished and ready, but who will drive them? This tight-knit community is facing a critical shortage of bus drivers, creating a pressing need for new hires.

The fiber optics upgrade project being done by local telecommunications provider TCT is just about complete in Cowley, and the work is now moving to Lovell, TCT CEO Richard Wardell announced Tuesday.

25

Following the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump, the eyes of the nation were fixed on Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last week during the four-day Republican National Convention.  Among the thousands who filled the Fiserv Forum each day were two residents of Big Horn County. Sharon Hall of Lovell and Roxanne Brewer of Basin were members of the 29-person Wyoming delegation. Brewer, vice-chairman of the Big Horn County Republicans, went as the voting delegate and Hall, the chairman of the party, as the alternate.

Playing some of their best baseball of the season, the Lovell Mustangs punched their ticket to the state tournament with a 3-1 record at the Class A West District Tournament in Green River over the weekend.

A room full of laughter and bliss brings the residents of the New Horizons Care Center together through music and song, thanks to longtime musician and community member Bret Savage. Every Sunday evening at 7 p.m., Savage and musicians like Wade Brost bring a special kind of joy to the residents of the care center. For more than 25 years, the dedicated musician has shared his love of music, creating a tradition that has become a beloved fixture in the community.

August

1

It was all-hands-on-deck once again as numerous first responders from Carbon County, Montana, and Big Horn County, Wyoming, combined their efforts to assist a 15-year-old ATV crash victim from Powell, who had accidentally driven off a cliff near the ice caves in the Pryor Mountains on Sunday morning.

It took nearly three hours for six local firefighters armed with chainsaws to contain a fire at Barry’s Landing on Sunday evening due to dense brush and extremely dry conditions.

A strong performance in postseason tournaments has cemented the 2024 season as a success for the Lovell Mustangs as they wrapped up the year with a 2-2 record at the Class A State American Legion Tournament after going 3-1 at the West District tournament.

8

Newly hired Lovell Elementary School principal Christopher Jensen and his family have officially moved to the area and are underway with preparations for the upcoming school year.

Big Horn County School District No. 1 superintendent Matt Davidson this week explained the reasons and intent of the new professional boundaries policy adopted at the July 17 school board meeting.

15

A battle for the Republican nomination for one of two Wyoming seats in the United States Senate is the race of primary interest as voters across the Cowboy State go to the polls Tuesday for the Wyoming Primary Election. Incumbent Senator John Barrasso is receiving a strong challenge for the GOP nomination from fellow Casper resident Reid Rasner, along with John Holtz of Laramie. Scott Morrow of Laramie is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Make it a four-peat for Lovell Mustangs standout Carlos Rodriguez. The shortstop/pitcher from Greybull was named to the Wyoming Class A All-State baseball team for the fourth time in an announcement made at the single-A all-star game in Green River over the weekend. Lovell outfielder and pitcher Tucker Jackson was named to the first team for the second time.

22

John Barrasso and Harriett Hageman easily won their respective Republican nominations for Congress Tuesday, and Big Horn County voters matched the statewide vote, strongly supporting each incumbent.

Four of the five men who were charged with breaking into and vandalizing the old Byron high school building last year were sentenced Friday morning in the Fifth Judicial District Court of Big Horn County.

29

The gleaming new Bulldog blue surface of the paving and overlay project for the Lovell High School track and related field event runways is in the final stages of curing after weeks of construction, general contractor Pete Baxendale reported this week.

The filing period for school and hospital boards and other special districts closed Monday, and a double-digit race has developed for the Lovell School Board, with 10 candidates filing.

September

5

Phase 2 of the Constitution Park (former name) Project at Armory Park is coming along well, seeing big gains in recent weeks, general contractor Pete Baxendale of Midway Construction and Dirt Work reported this week. Phase 2 includes a new walking path along the perimeter of Armory Park, the renovation of the softball field including new fencing and dugouts, new lighting for the walking path, a new amphitheater and a new irrigation system for the eastern section of the park surrounding the amphitheater.

Andrew Kinstetter recently became the shepherd of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lovell. He goes by Father Andrew because, “Father Kinstetter sounds too formal for me,” he said.

12

Best-selling author Craig Johnson, known for his popular Walt Longmire mystery series, made a stop at the Lovell Library last week as part of his current book tour.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has again been cleared by a Cody judge to begin building its new temple in the area.

After nearly a decade of careful planning and dedication, Cowley’s new community center is finally nearing completion. The project, which has been spearheaded by Mayor Joel Peterson, promises to be more than just a meeting space. It is set to serve as the heart of the town, offering a venue for local events, town functions and a critical facility for emergency response.

19

Growers in the Western Sugar Cooperative Lovell Factory District are producing a bumper crop, and the factory is humming as the fall campaign begins, factory manager Shannon Ellis reported at the Lovell Area Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon Monday.

Community members gathered in Lovell Saturday morning for a special event – A Morning with Mustangs -- featuring live music, games, wild horses and a fascinating presentation by longtime Little Bighorn College professor Dr. Tim McCleary, who spoke on the importance of horses in Crow history.

The Big Horn County District #1 school board met on Thursday, Sept. 12, in Cowley, where chairman Joseph Bassett announced that David Banks of Cowley had sent a letter resigning from the Board effective September 13.

26

A state-of-the-art GE Signa Voyager magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mobile unit paid its first visit to North Big Horn Hospital (NBHH) on Thursday of last week. The unit will return every two weeks to offer MRIs to patients in need of the service of the hospital. According to MRI technologist Mindy Miller, five patients were served during the visit, with several more already scheduled for future services. An MRI is a noninvasive medical imaging test that produces detailed images of almost every internal structure in the human body, including the organs, bones, muscles and blood vessels. MRI scanners create images of the body using a large magnet and radio waves. The service will be made available to patients of North Big Horn Hospital on provider referral on a regular basis. The mobile unit is housed in an enormous van that was hard to miss parked between the New Horizons Care Center and the emergency room ambulance entrance.

The Lovell Police Department has welcomed back Steve Coleman, an officer with deep ties to the community and a wealth of experience in law enforcement.

A very special, historical item was presented to the Lovell-Kane Area Museum last week, a bridle set used by pioneer rancher Caroline Lockhart at her ranch north of Barry’s Landing.

The bridles are for twin buggy horses pulling a carriage, according to Pat Steed, who is loaning the items to the museum.

October 

3

A longtime community leader and concerned citizen, Dave Winterholler, has dived into the Lovell swimming pool issue in hopes of advancing the project and finding a solution.

The smell of smoke and sight of ashes falling from the sky on Sunday drove home the fact that, while Big Horn County has to this point been spared, devastating wildfires are raging in other parts of Wyoming. The worst of them are the Pack Trail and Fish Creek fires in the Dubois area and the Elk Fire on the east side of the Big Horns in the Dayton area.

10

The exploding Elk Fire in the Tongue Ranger District of the Bighorn National Forest has a Cowley family sitting on pins and needles this week. Todd and Emily Simmons have seen the fire threaten the historic Willow Hollow camp they purchased two years ago after the facility operated as Camp Bethel for many years.

As the Elk Fire rages on the eastern slope of the Bighorn National Forest, hunters on the western side are trying to figure out how they are going to get to their favorite hunting spots and what impact the fire is going to have on elk and deer movements. Tuesday, Oct. 1, was the initial opening day of the big-game rifle hunting seasons. 

Volunteers from the Big Horn Basin who work tirelessly to help provide food for hungry families were honored Thursday night, Oct. 3, at a special event held at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, including a Lovell couple. One of the organizations honored Thursday at the Northwest Regional Summit was the Lovell Food Pantry housed at the Lovell United Methodist Church, and First Lady Jennie Gordon presented a volunteer recognition award to food pantry volunteers Linda Martin and Steve Ramsey. The couple was nominated by fellow volunteer and church member Susan Peck.

17

Sugar beet harvest in the Lovell Factory District of the Great Western Sugar Cooperative has turned into a test of careful pile management at beet receiving stations under continuing daytime temperatures of 70-80 degrees.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 15, the Elk Fire encompassed a total of 91,905 acres of the Bighorn National Forest with 26% of the fire contained and portions of U.S. Highways 14 and 14A reopened by the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

Thomas Lynn Bridges has been selected to fill the Cowley seat vacancy on the Big Horn County School District No.1 Board of Trustees.

An old saying goes, “Many hands make light work,” and that was certainly the case on Saturday as a couple dozen citizen volunteers gathered at the Sand Draw Cemetery east of Lovell to spruce up the grounds for a project organized by the Lovell-Kane Area Museum board of directors.

24

There’s a new staff member at Lovell schools. He’s just a little furrier than most. Zeke, an 11-month-old golden retriever being trained by Wes Mangus of K-9 Elite, is the new facility support dog who will be working at – and has already been training at – Lovell Middle School. Mangus brought Zeke to the October 14 Lovell School Board meeting to meet the board members.

North Big Horn Hospital is one step closer to expanding women’s health services with the hiring of Brenda Camp, MD, a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecological services. Hospital CEO Eric Connell announced the hiring of Dr. Camp at the most recent board of trustees meeting held on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

31

In what is being billed as the most important presidential race in a generation, voters across the United States will go to the polls – with many already having voted – on Tuesday in the 2024 General Election.

A question will appear on ballots across the Cowboy State next week, asking residents whether they’d support a change in the state constitution that was set in motion by lawmakers intent on lowering property taxes.

November

7

The historic Hyart Theatre in downtown Lovell remains closed this week as new carpet is installed in the lobby and main theater seating area.

Voters in Big Horn County School District No. 1 and No. 2 voted in five new school board members, largely choosing change over incumbency. In Lovell, incumbent school board member Stacy Bair topped the ticket, receiving 1,017 votes, unofficially, but three other candidates defeated the three remaining incumbent board members, two of whom have served for many years. Voters chose newcomers Lance Anderson, 584 votes, Tyler Angell, 565 votes, and Tess Peterson, 533.

The Rocky Mountain Lady Grizzlies got to hoist a regional championship trophy for the second time in three years Saturday as they vanquished the Thermopolis Lady Bobcats in four sets to capture the 2A West Regional volleyball title in Lander.

14

Community members gathered at the Lovell Fire Hall Tuesday night for a meeting of the minds regarding the future of the Lovell swimming pool, and while no consensus was reached, many ideas and opinions were shared from the audience of some 40 residents.

A grateful community celebrated veterans and their service this week in the form of three programs on Veterans Day Monday and a veterans breakfast Saturday at the Lovell Fire Hall. Robert Boyd Stewart American Legion Post 11 joined forces with the North Big Horn Senior Citizens Center to hold the annual Veterans Day program at the senior center Monday at noon, and the dining hall was packed to the gills for the event.

When Dusty Miller mounts her horse, she carries with her five generations of Wyoming farming heritage and a pioneering spirit that’s blazing new trails. Recently crowned Miss Rodeo Wyoming 2025, the 23-year-old Cowley native represents a unique blend of her family’s agricultural roots and her own passion for rodeo.

21

A very special event to honor local soldiers soon to be deployed oversees will be held amid the festivities of the Main Street Mingle this Saturday. An Open House Deployment Farewell will be held Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Bair family’s MJ (Michael Jordan) Court, 1050 Shoshone Ave. Organizer Stacy Bair said the event was organized to honor six Big Horn County soldiers who are soon to deploy, as well as all other Wyoming soldiers currently deployed.

Big Horn County School District No. 2 was given a clean bill of financial health in a report delivered at the Lovell School Board meeting last week. Presenting the results of his annual audit at the regular November 11 board of trustees meeting, CPA James Seckman of Powell reported not only strong financial numbers but also excellent fiscal stewardship.

28

TCT is continuing its fiber optic conversion project on the north end of Big Horn County with the infrastructure in several areas between Cowley and Lovell now upgraded.

The leadership and board of the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center this week expressed disappointment with the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Resource Management Plan amendment for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range that was released on November 15.

December

5

 The Warrior Veteran Support Center in Lovell will be shuttering its Main Street office on December 16. The non-profit organization has been in existence for 2 1/2 years, providing services during that time to 88 local veterans and literally hundreds more who felt comfortable stopping by to ask a quick question, get a referral or just to have a cup of coffee and chat with fellow veterans Les Files and Jim Blick.

If a temporary pay adjustment expires on December 20 of this year with the adjournment of the 118th Congress, 15,000 federal wild land firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior face pay cuts of up to 50% of their base pay.

12

 For more than 16 years, Doug Hazen has served the Lovell community as a teacher, coach and administrator, but after that long, successful and enjoyable run, he has decided it’s time for a change. The longtime local career of District Two Superintendent of Schools Hazen will be coming to an end next spring with his announcement at Monday’s school board meeting that he is resigning effective at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

Funding provided by the CDC and State of Wyoming, which went toward providing mental health resources and education to students and their families in schools across the Big Horn Basin, will lapse at the end of December. The program allocated monies to schools in Cowley, Lovell, Greybull, Burlington and Basin in Big Horn County, and Meeteetse in Park County.

19

A very special award was presented at the December meeting of the Lovell School Board. Longtime Lovell Elementary School teacher Teri Winland was presented with the Champion of Education award from the Wyoming School Boards Association.

Sen. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, and Rep. Dalton Banks, R-Cowley, will have new committee assignments when the Wyoming Legislature convenes Tuesday, Jan. 14, for the start of its scheduled 37-day session.

24

The selection process for the Wyoming All-State Music awards is complete, and for Lovell High School, it was a bountiful harvest of honors. Nine Lovell High School students were selected for the Wyoming All-State Choir, which is believed to be a record for LHS.

Eddy Hulbert, a well-known local cowboy and silversmith who lived and worked at the Cedarvale Guest Ranch at Hillsboro, Montana, near Barry’s Landing northeast of Lovell for many years will soon be honored with an exhibit at the Lovell-Kane Area Museum. The exhibit coincides with Hulbert’s upcoming induction into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame.