City Hall Meetings Resume
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City hall meetings resume Anyone wanting to attend a think it’ll be OK.” forts. He said while people may get Green River City Council meeting in Rust said the decision wasn’t comfortable because of a downward person will be able to do so start- infl uenced by loosened guidelines trend in infections, he recommends ing with the Council’s meeting next from the state, saying the Council residents to continue observing week. doesn’t feel as threatened by COV- various health guidelines, includ- Due to the ongoing coronavirus ID-19. The general trend of infection ing continued use or masks to limit pandemic, the Council decided to numbers, as well as the availability infections. host its meetings virtually when of vaccines resulted in the Council The Sweetwater County Com- COVID-19 infection rates began to deciding to meet in person. missioners resumed in-person spike in Sweetwater County. Prior “Just because we’re going back meetings last month after a renova- to that, meetings were hosted at doesn’t mean we’re abandoning tion project funded by CARES Act City Hall, with Council representa- protections,” Rust said. pandemic-response money allowed tives and spectators being socially He said the Council will continue for an overhaul of the commission- distanced. to wear masks while meeting and ers’ meeting room, allowing for a “I think everybody prefers face- Council Chambers will be targeted more socially distanced gathering to-face,” Mayor Pete Rust said. “I with heightened sanitation ef- and better meeting equipment. Wednesday, February 24, 2021 130th Year, 40th Issue Green River, WY 82935 Address Service Requested $1.50 Vaccination eff ort surges ahead By DAVID MARTIN Publisher Despite snowstorms last week postponing the delivery of a shipment of COVID-19 vaccine last week, Sweetwater County Public Health and Castle Rock Medical Center continue to vaccinate residents. According to Dr. Jean Stachon, Sweetwater County Public Health Officer, said between 25% and one- third of the county’s population having herd immunity, either from contracting COVID-19 or through a vaccination. An exact percentage is unknown because Dr. Stachon said there were likely residents who contracted COVID-19 and did not report the infection. To date, the county has had 3,518 infections, which include 50 active cases. The percent-positivity rate for testing has averaged 6.3% in the last week, which is still higher than the state average of 2.8%. As of Monday, She said there was one COVID-19 patient in Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s intensive care unit. Kim White, Director of Emergency Services at MHSC, said the emergency room still receives two or three COVID-19 patients a day. At Castle Rock Medical Center, Dr. Connie Fauntleroy said the medical center is planning to close its COVID-19 drive-through testing service and move it into the medical center building. She said the transition would take place next week. Queen of the hill Kim Lionberger, director of Sweetwater County Public Health, said the March vaccine allotments Charlotte Fauntleroy climbs to the top of a snow pile at Expedition Island Saturday morning as runners begin to fi nish the have not been disclosed yet, which has Frostbite 5K run. The Frostbite 5K attracted a record 183 participants across three events. Star photo by David Martin caused them to hold off on scheduling vaccination clinics until they know the volume to expect. Lionberger described the vaccination clinics last week, due Lab would help build education program to the winter weather, as a “hodge- podge” because they did not receive a By DAVID MARTIN spring and summer,” Thoman wrote in an email to the Star. scheduled shipment of the Moderna Publisher Thoman said there has been a decrease in the number of students vaccine, resulting in healthcare workers able to raise a livestock animal and showcase it at the fair, which she relying on limited amounts of vaccine A proposed land lab would be a building block for a larger agricul- said is essential to a complete agriculture learning program. doses to run the clinics. tural education program within Sweetwater County School District “Our inter-curricular program relies on three overlapping com- As the herd immunity percentage No. 2. ponents which include classroom/laboratory learning, FFA and climbs, Dr. Stachon said discussions The district’s board of trustees approved a request to apply for Supervised Agricultural Experiences. Students learn valuable prin- about May graduation ceremonies have Bureau of Land Management land between Green River and James ciples through activities in FFA and then put them into real world started taking place. She said she’s Town during the board’s meeting Feb. 9. practices,” she wrote. not sure what a ceremony will look At the time, superintendent Craig Barringer said a land lab would She said students wouldn’t get a full grasp of raising livestock like, but is working to help produce be years away if the district decided to move forward with the initia- from the classroom alone, saying they would learn nutritional re- a plan with three scenarios based on tive. quirements in a classroom setting, but would be able to run trials in how high infection rates are when Liz Thoman, the FFA advisor at Green River High School, said the a laboratory setting on the farm, experimenting on varying nutrition- the graduations take place. As far as land would be utilized to create a school operated farm and barn and al levels in different livestock feeds on sibling market goats or lambs. summer events, she isn’t sure what they could house a program to breed and market sheep, cattle and swine. “All of these activities could be conducted with a level of engage- will entail. “It would also offer Green River High School FFA students the ment and continuity that cannot possibly be reached in a classroom “I would think those events will take opportunity to raise and house animals for the county fair during the setting alone,” she wrote. place, just look a little different,”she said. WYDOT starts work on new interchange Staff Report industrial park nearby. The project includes replacing an A long-abandoned overpass will be existing bridge over the interstate to rebuilt as the Wyoming Department provide a higher vertical clearance, of Transportation begins work on a constructing eastbound and new interchange on Gookin Road west westbound ramps with continuous of Rock Springs. The bridge has been acceleration and deceleration lanes closed to traffic since April 2014 when to Dewar Drive and building a new it was struck by a truck carrying an overpass structure over the Union excavator. Pacific Railroad for access to the The project is scheduled to be industrial park. completed by June 30, 2023. WYDOT anticipates the new The project is also a partnership interchange will help improve between WYDOT, the City of Rock movement of freight within the state Springs and Sweetwater County. and nationally, helping to diversify The entities involved hope the new the economy in this part of the state. interchange will improve traffic It can also help entice future flowin the area and provide a direct growth in the industrial area by connection from Interstate 80 to an offering direct access to the interstate. A2 www.greenriverstar.com Wednesday, February 24, 2021 Obituaries Leah Louise Lind Hooton Leah Louise Lind Hooton, 89, passed away February 19, 2021 at Legacy House Assisted Living Center in Spanish Fork, Utah. She had been a resident of Legacy House for the past year and a former resident of Green River, Wyoming for 64 years. Leah was born December 15, 1931 on the Lind Ranch, five miles from Lyman, Wyoming. Her parents were Allyn Wilbur Lind and Electa Hortense Dansie Lind. Burial will be at the Lyman cem- etery. At Leah’s request, there will be a private family service only. Brenda Elaine Harsha Brenda Elaine Harsha, 69, passed away Monday, February 1, 2021 at Granite Rehabilitation and Wellness in Cheyenne, Wyoming following a lengthy illness. She was a life-long resident of Rock Springs, Wyoming. Harsha was born January 13, 1952 in Rock Springs, Wyoming; the daughter of Jack Edwards and Dorothy Tomich. Following Cremation, services will be held at a later date. Condolences may be left at www.vasefuneralhomes. com. WHP investigates fatal crash A combination of been closed due to haz- Caravan was identified speed and driver inatten- ardous winter conditions. as 53-year-old Luville tion is being investigated The driver failed to Hopkins of California. as the cause of a fatal notice traffic was being She was wearing a seat- vehicle crash east of Rock detoured to an exit and belt and transported to Springs Sunday. collided with the back Memorial Hospital of According to the Wyo- of a slow-moving 2020 Sweetwater County for Ready for a new ride? ming Highway Patrol, Freightliner Penske treatment of her injuries. the crash was reported at truck. The passenger, Mary 12:55 p.m. near milepost At the time of the Gallego, 79, of Sacra- We’ll help you get the 110.5 on Interstate 80. A crash, the road was icy mento, Calif., died at the 2019 Dodge Caravan was and snow covered due scene of the crash. She horsepower of your dreams traveling east on the in- to wind blowing snow was not wearing a seat- terstate and approached across the road. belt. a section of road that had The driver of the The driver of the truck NEW and NEW-TO-YOU was 27-year-old Anthony Montelongo Hewitt, of Auto Loans as low as Colorado. He was wear- ing a seatbelt and was 3.50% OAC uninjured.