JANUARY

Gordon relaxes
health orders 

Bars and restaurants resume normal operating hours Jan. 9

CHEYENNE – Wyoming bars and restaurants can resume normal operating hours after a decline in COVID-19 related hospitalizations, Governor Mark Gordon’s office announced Saturday. New health orders, effective Jan. 9, allow bars and restaurants to serve customers between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Gatherings remain limited to 10 people and face coverings are required in public indoor spaces, consistent with previous orders that are set to expire Jan. 8. “Thank you to the people of Wyoming who recognized the strain on their hospitals and health care workers and acted accordingly,” Gordon said in a press release. “I also want to express my gratitude to those businesses that adapted to these temporary measures. These have not been easy times for anyone We are not out of the woods yet, but continued personal safety measures while the vaccine is being distributed will enable our state’s schools and businesses to continue to remain open.” Wyoming hospitals reached a peak 247 COVID-19 related hospitalizations on Nov. 30, according to the release. As of Jan. 2, 99 Wyomingites are hospitalized due to COVID-19. Locally, Torrington Community Hospital is reporting one COVID-19 related hospitalization.

Patterson and Kelly sworn in as councilmen 

Adams says goodbye to Law after eight years of service

TORRINGTON – The first Torrington City Council meeting of the New Year saw City Attorney James Eddington swear in two new councilmen and say goodbye to former councilman Bill Law. Mayor Randy Adams started the meeting by saying a few words about Law and presented him with a plaque to honor him for his eight years of service to the city of Torrington. Adams allowed Law to speak on his final day in public office. “It’s been a pleasure and as I look back, I cannot believe how fast these eight years have gone,” Law said. “I think it’s because of you people that I enjoyed it that much.” After Law said his farewell as a councilman, Richard Patterson and Dennis Kelly were sworn in by Eddington to their new positions as councilmen in Torrington. There is still one more open position that remains on the city council. The deadline for submitting a resume to Clerk-Treasurer Lynette Strecker is Friday, Jan. 8, at 4 p.m. To be considered for the position, applicants must be registered voters living within the city of Torrington. The new councilmember will be sworn in and seated during the next meeting on Jan. 19.

GCPH
administers COVID-19
vaccines to
residents aged 70 and older

TORRINGTON – Vehicles lined up outside of the Wyoming National Guard Armory for Goshen County Public Health’s inaugural drivethrough COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Tuesday. Inside cars, Goshen County’s 70 years of age and older population cranked the heat necessary for a frigid morning and waited to receive their first dose of the Moderna COVID19 vaccine. Outside, GCPH staff donned heavy jackets and gloves and prepared to help Torrington Police Department direct traffic through the assembly line. A lone chocolate frosted donut sat uneaten on a table near the four vaccine stations in the armory’s covered maintenance bay, seemingly abandoned as eager vaccine recipients arrived a few minutes ahead of the clinic’s 9 a.m. start time. An October drive-through flu shot clinic was a test run for the events on Jan. 12, but GCPH Director Kelly Beard was still uncertain how smoothly it would run. Eight hours and 200 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines later, it
proved successful. 

Goshen County Library
celebrates MLK Day virtually

GOSHEN COUNTY – The Goshen County Library helped local readers recognize Martin Luther King, Jr., Day safely amid the pandemic. The library released new resources each hour of the day on their Facebook page, including YouTube videos detailing the life and legacy of King and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, a reading list for all ages, worksheets and a storytime video. Goshen County Library Director Cristine Braddy said libraries typically celebrate the day with events and in-person resources, so the staff at Goshen County Library cultivated resources to share with visitors online. “It kind of runs the gamut from preschool all the way up,” Braddy said. “It feels like now is a good time to revisit the Civil Rights Movement and what was happening during that time.” The resources listed on the Goshen County Library website and Facebook page will be available through Black History Month in February and afterward. Books listed as children, young adult and adult reading recommendations are available either at the library or for digital download through the apps Libby or Cloud Library, Braddy said.

FEBRUARY

Shinost
receieves
Community Hero Award

TORRINGTON – The Torrington City Council met on Tuesday, Feb. 2, for its first meeting of the month where Teri Shinost was presented with the Community Hero Award. Mayor Randy Adams said Shinost was presented the award for her knowledge, hard-work and the care that she shows to the Torrington community. He also pointed out her positive attitude, can-do work ethic and her will to accomplish anything she sets her mind to. “[Shinost] is the poster child for a do everything, anytime it’s needed, kind of person that is essential in every community,” Adams said. “For these, and for many, many other reasons, Teri Shinost is our next Community Hero.” Shinost began working for the city of Torrington as a meter maid when she was 19 years old. She moved from there to the dispatch center where she still works in a support role to this day. While Shinost did a lot of work as a dispatcher, she is most known by the community for her role as an animal control officer and the work that she does at Waggin’ Tails Shelter.

GCSD families move from online to in-person learning

GOSHEN COUNTY – Goshen County families are sending their students back into the physical classrooms as COVID19 case numbers drop in the county and school buildings. Donna Fields, director of curriculum for Goshen County School District No. 1, said there are currently 45 students learning remotely, via Zoom, at the same time as their in-person classmates, and 39 students participating in asynchronous virtual learning through the district. This number does not include students quarantine due to exposure to a positive case. Back in August, 150 total students were signed up to learn outside of the physical classroom. GCSD families have the option of changing their child’s mode of education at any point, but most transitions were made around the holiday break. “Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we had a lot of students that were struggling and returning to school was a better option for the student,” Fields wrote in an email to the Telegram. Gwen Walsh, fifth grade teacher at Trail Elementary, started the year with her physical classroom of masked-up students and a large screen with a Zoom window of eight students learning from their homes.

Goshen County musicians participate in virtual allstate ensembles

GOSHEN COUNTY – Some of Goshen County’s most promising young musicians gathered in front of screens in the Torrington High School auditorium for a virtual all-state music performance on Feb. 15, a stark change from the ty pical cluster of a few hundred students from across the state gathered in one place. The Wyoming High School Activities Association (WHSAA) opted to hold the festival virtually this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Students spent their day off working with clinicians in band and choir programs, learning new music Despite the physical separation between students, it was a social event. Sometimes, too social, according to Erin Jespersen, Lingle-Fort Laramie band and vocal teacher. “It was a fun experience for (L-FL and THS students), because they got to interact with each other and socialize. They actually disabled the chat feature on Zoom, because all the kids across the state were chatting,” Jespersen said. Choir students performed three pieces led by the clinician and an accompanist. Jespersen said the musicians were muted due to the lag on Zoom. “It seemed to go really smoothly,” she said. 

Sen. Barrasso visits THS

TORRINGTON – U.S. Sen. Dr. John Barrasso, M.D., made an appearance at Torrington High School (THS) Thursday morning, Feb. 18. THS Principal Chase Christensen welcomed the senator before handing over the microphone. “Please join me in welcoming John Barrasso,” Christensen said. Barrasso took the microphone and thanked Christensen for the invitation to come and speak to the school. He told the students he was glad to be able to come back to Torrington and see the children “all grown up.” He explained how he had been invited to Trail and Lincoln Elementary Schools about six years ago and had spoken with the student that were now before him. “It was great visits at both Trail and Lincoln,” Barrasso said. Barrasso told the students Wyoming had great opportunities for them. He mentioned the Hathaway Scholarship and how everyone could earn one by staying out of trouble and keeping their grades up. He told the students Hathaway was Wyoming’s governor for two terms, was the Secretary of the Interior and came from Torrington before becoming the governor. 

MARCH

The local newspaper press is back in business

TORRINGTON – A thunderous noise was heard emanating from Main Street in Torrington this past Wednesday through Friday, March 10-12. Turns out, the noise was coming from none other than the office of the Torrington Telegram. The local newspaper press is operational once again. It’s been a few years since Torrington ran its own press, but Publisher Rob Mortimore is ecstatic to have the press operational once again. “It gives me great excitement for our newspapers and communities to have the opportunity to bring a press operation back,” Mortimore said. “As we see many presses across the country closing up, for us to be in a situation to open ours back up speaks volume’s to where Wyoming Newspapers, Inc., is heading.” After a business decision moved local newspaper pr int ing operations to Cheyenne in June 2019, Mortimore found it would be mutually beneficial to bring press operations back to Torrington. The press operations will bring back five full-time jobs to the area and offer cost efficiency. In addition, Mortimore expressed there is a sense of pride in having a local press. “We felt we needed to be in control of our own publications and deadlines,” Mortimore said. “Not to mention, economically it makes more sense for us to print in Torrington. When the press was closed in June 2019, it was in need of upgrades and maintenance. We’ve managed to take this opportunity to enhance our printing capabilities, which will lead to cost savings immediately.”

Candlelight vigil held for local youth

TORRINGTON – Friends and family of Tyler Schaub and Samantha Hill gathered together at Wiseman Field for a candlelight vigil. The vigil was held March 18 and was for friends and family to partake in a moment of silence and prayer for Tyler’s family in their time of grief and for Samantha to have the strength to keep fighting. Kari Brafford and Dawn Bivens organized the event as a safe way for friends and family to remember Tyler and Samantha and to help stop people from traveling to the scene of the accident. “Tyler played on my son’s travel team and I’m close with Samantha and her family,” Brafford said. “We wanted a safe place for the kids to get together instead of traveling out to the accident scene and trying to do some type of memorial there.” There were also counselors in attendance from Torrington High School to speak with anyone in attendance who might have needed help

Goshen
County’s first
Johnson & Johnson vaccines

GOSHEN COUNTY – The first doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine were given in Goshen County on Tuesday, March 23. The vaccine was available to 50 people that day, at the National Guard Armory. Heather Saul of Goshen County Public Health and David Saul, vice president of the Goshen Irrigation District were two of these 50. Heather had heard of some people’s side effects after they had gotten the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. That, along with the inconvenience of getting two doses, made her jump at the opportunity to get the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Another reason for wanting to be vaccinated was to alleviate some fears other people might have. Though Heather, herself had been a little nervous, she noted how a lot of people are afraid of uncertainty. She said if people see someone they know getting vaccinated, they might be more likely to look into the option for themselves. A fter checking in and briefly filling out paperwork, the two were seated at the nurses’ stations. The nurses described the requirements and what to do if they experienced symptoms. For example, they said if soreness occurred, the best remedy would be a cold pack.

APRIL

Board approves
application for variance

TORRINGTON – Tuesday night, March 30, the Goshen County School District board met for a special meeting and work session in the high school auditorium. During the meeting, the GCSD board approved having County Health Officer Dr. Ted Church apply to the state for a variance of the statewide mask mandate for schools. The mask variance agenda item prompted a high turnout of parents, community members and students. The board considered approving applying for a face coverings variance for the remainder of the school year after hearing arguments from the public for and against a variance. The board voted 5-4 in favor of the mask variance. The roll-call vote began with Board Chairman Mark Jespersen. Jespersen and Board Members Matt hew Cushman, Dylan Hager, Taylor Schmick and Michael Sussex voted in favor of applying for a variance. Board Vice Chair Zachary Miller, Board Clerk Kerry Bullington, Board Treasurer Carlos Saucedo, and Board Member Katherine Patrick voted against the application.

Animal control plans
for feral cat project

TORRINGTON – The problem of stray cat s in Torrington has been around a while, according to Animal Control Officer Teri Shinost, but the department is working on a new project to vaccinate, sterilize and rehome them. “We recognize that it’s a problem we’re going to have to address because people in our community are asking for help,” Chief of Police Matt Johnson said. Currently, Shinost is putting together a list of potential homes for feral cats outside of Torrington’s city limits. People interested in barn cats can call 307-532- 7002 or email tsmith@torringtonpolice.org for more information. A feral cat, according to Shinost, is any cat that is too poorly socialized to be handled and cannot be placed into a typical pet home. A series of Facebook posts from Torrington’s shelter, Waggin’ Tails addressed the topic. “Although the cats themselves are often at the center of the storm, feral cats are a ‘people problem.’ They are the offspring of outdoor intact cats – owned or abandoned. Some people feed them, others provide veterinary care; some feel sorry for them but do nothing, others believe they should be removed and destroyed.”

MAY

The grand opening of
“a perfect memorial” 

The Candy Thompson
Memorial Dog Park

TORRINGTON – On a dreary Saturday, Michael Thompson and Holly Hatley officially welcomed community members to the Candy Thompson Memorial Dog Park – a project that took nearly three years to be approved and completed. “We started and finished on a dreary day,” Thompson said, referencing a previous article in The Telegram on the memorial. The grand opening At 1 p.m. on May 22nd, Thompson and Hatley thanked several community members for their support on the project. After the ceremonial ribbon was but by Candy’s grandchildren, energetic dogs played with one another and tested out the park’s agility equipment. Hot dogs, chips and drinks were provided, and the Bee Chilled Ice Cream Truck made an appearance. “The grand opening was awesome. We were just thrilled,” said Hatley. The new park, which is located on East G Street, in Jirdon Park, features three different fenced in areas – one for group play, one for training and agility and another for timid dogs.

JUNE

Madison Beach being completed
at Register Cliff

GUERNSEY – According to the sign erected at Register Cliff, the site is “one of the most prominent of the many places along the Oregon Trail where emigrants would carve their names into the soft rock; more than 700 names can still be seen on this cliff and on other rock outcroppings nearby. It is a memorial to the emigrants who felt a need to leave their mark on the significant journey of their lives in which they left behind the world they were born into and traveled for months to a new one.” The newest name that is to be inscribed at the site of the weary travelers is the name of a young sojourner who ended her journey in this world all too soon. Madison Cook who was brutally murdered in Torrington, April 20 will be memorialized as the new launch/evac beach will be named in her honor. A plaque will be erected under a hand-fashioned metal sunflower sculpture that was created because it was Cook’s favorite flower and reminded so many people of her countenance of happiness and radiance that emanated from her spirit.

Sew Addicting grand opening

TORRINGTON – For all the sewing, quilting and knitting fans in Torrington and Goshen County there will be a new store for you to call home, after the grand opening of Sew Addicting. The new store had its grand opening to the public on Wednesday, June 9. The owner, Ruth Van Mark, purchased the store from its previous owners, The Covered Wagon Quilt Shop, in early May when the owner of The Covered Wagon, Judy Edwards, told Van Mark that she was going to be selling her business and asked if she were interested in purchasing the store. “I like to quilt, and I’ve always loved sewing,” Van Mark said. “I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of owning a fabric store, so when the lady who previously owned it told me she was interested in selling and asked if I was interested in buying, I started thinking about it and it came together really quickly, and I bought it.” Van Mark said her passion for sewing began when she was in fourth grade and was involved in 4-H classes here in Goshen County. She has only been quilting for the past five years, but really enjoys it as well. Before pu rchasing the store, Van Mark used to frequent The Covered Wagon Quilt Shop as a customer. It was her go-to spot for all her quilting and sewing needs, and when she was presented with the opportunity to purchase the store, she jumped on it.