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Articles written by Zach Spadt


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  • Council seeks funding for new airport hangar

    Zach Spadt|Mar 7, 2019

    The Pine Bluffs Municipal Airport may be getting a new hangar and maintenance shop should the Wyoming Business Council approve a $173,000 grant request from the town. Expected to cost approximately $477,000 the new building would also house a pilot’s lounge, restrooms and a room for flight planning. In addition to the potential grant, the Federal Aviation Administration would cover about $251,000 for the project, the Wyoming Department of Transportation would cover just shy of $16,800 and there would be a $25,000 local match. After a public h...

  • HEARTBREAK

    Zach Spadt|Mar 7, 2019

    The Pine Bluffs Hornets came within seconds of earning their second state basketball title in as many years. Instead, it was the Wyoming Indian Chiefs who found themselves storming the court at the Casper Events Center after a thriller that ended in double-overtime. After falling behind briefly early in the game, the Hornets held a healthy, if not comfortable, lead over Wyoming Indian for most of the game. Late in the third quarter, Pine Bluffs enjoyed an 11-point lead over Wyoming Indian and...

  • Lady Hornets fall in semi-finals, bounce back to take third at state hoops

    Zach Spadt|Mar 7, 2019

    After suffering a disappointing loss to Wyoming Indian in the semi-final round of the Wyoming state basketball championships in Casper, the Pine Bluffs Lady Hornets bounced back in a big way. Taking the court Saturday, the Lady Hornets defeated Niobrara County (Lusk) 51-37 to earn third place in 2A Wyoming girls basketball. After the first quarter, the game figured to be a close affair. However, after outscoring NCHS 20-9 in the second quarter, the Lady Hornets were finally out in front. The Lady Hornets held Lusk to 5 points in the third, but...

  • PBHS Class of 2020 raising money with donkey basketball next week

    Zach Spadt|Feb 28, 2019

    The Pine Bluffs Hornets and Lady Hornets may have wrapped up their regular season play, but there will still be basketball played on their home court. And it will be played on donkeys. On Tuesday next week, residents will have the chance to see local firefighters, High West Energy employees and Pine Bluffs High School students play basketball on donkeys. Proceeds will benefit the Pine Bluffs High School Class of 2020. A press release issued by the event’s presenter, Dairyland Donkey Basketball, called the event “wilder than a rodeo and fun...

  • Pine Bluffs earns second at EWC academic challenge tournament

    Zach Spadt|Feb 28, 2019

    Students from Pine Bluffs earned second place at the Eastern Wyoming College Wyoming Academic Challenge tournament held over the weekend. The team consisting of Greg Fornstrom, Reagan Pachel, Joey Romans and Diana Sanchez earned the honors. Pine Bluffs also took home first place honors in the small schools division. Cheyenne East won the overall tournament. According to a press release, teams of two-to-four competitors competed in four rigorous rounds of competition. Questions ranged from...

  • Lady Hornets drop finals match, place second at regionals

    Zach Spadt|Feb 28, 2019

    The Pine Bluffs Lady Hornets punched a ticket to the state championship basketball tournament set to begin this weekend. They did so after a 2-1 run at the regional tournament held last weekend. The To begin the tournament, the Lady Hornets defeated Moorcroft 58-49. Kammie Ragsdale, Wyoming’s leading scorer in girls 2A, led the Lady Hornets in scoring against Moorcroft with 22. Hyleigh Fornstrom followed with 13. On Friday, Pine Bluffs defeated Big Horn by 11 points. Ragsdale put on another impressive performance scoring nearly 30 points w...

  • Council hires new public works head

    Zach Spadt|Feb 21, 2019

    Pine Bluffs has its new public works director. During their bi-monthly meeting Tuesday night, Pine Bluffs Town Council members voted 4-0 to hire Loren Lovitt for the position which was vacated in January upon former public works director Jerry Lamb’s departure. Lamb took a job with the city of Cheyenne. Lovitt joined the Pine Bluffs Public Works Department in April, 2014 and is already familiar with the town’s systems. When Lamb left his job with the town last month, Lovitt took over Lamb’s duties. Since then, he has received good revie...

  • Rock Ranch Vodka honored with award

    Zach Spadt|Feb 21, 2019

    After a memorable first year in business, the crew at Pine Bluffs Distilling can add another feather to their cap: A bronze medal from the American Craft Spirits Association. Of more than 500 vodkas entered into the organization’s annual contest, Rock Ranch Vodka was one of only 21 selected for the bronze medal according to a Pine Bluffs Distilling press release. “At Pine Bluffs Distilling, we strive to create the best quality, locally produced Wyoming spirits,” co-owner Chad Brown said in a press release. “Winning a bronze at ACSA shows t...

  • Hornets conclude season 19-1

    Zach Spadt|Feb 21, 2019

    The Pine Bluffs Hornets capped off what can only be described as a successful regular season in Lingle Saturday. PBHS was 19-1 on the regular season and 6-0 in conference play. That’s how you get a top seed at the Wyoming 2A East Regional Basketball Tournament set to begin on Thursday. Games are being played in Wright and Gillette. Senior night dominance On Friday, seniors Tucker Norman, Andrew and Doug Fornstrom, Hunter Jeffres, Brad Shmidl and Colby Lamb played their final games at Pine Bluffs Junior-Senior High School before a packed c...

  • Lady Hornets drop home finale, rebound in Lingle

    Zach Spadt|Feb 21, 2019

    Friday night's home Pine Bluffs girls basketball game didn't go the way the Lady Hornets wanted. The team's 54-41 loss to Niobrara County (Lusk) came at the worst possible time, too: Senior Night. In Friday night's finale, seniors Kammie Ragsdale, Torri Long and Paige Thompson were honored before play got under way. Ragsdale went out on a good night, scoring 25 of the Lady Hornets' 41 points. Thompson added 6. Long's sole attempt at a shot was good for three points. On Saturday, Pine Bluffs...

  • Council approves grant request

    Zach Spadt|Feb 7, 2019

    Pine Bluffs Town Council Members Monday night voted to apply for $764,000 in grants and loans to bore an 800ft water well near the town's rodeo facility. In two resolutions, the council approved applying for a $382,000 grant from the Wyoming State Lands and Investment Board and an additional $382,000 loan from the SLIB. Pine Bluffs Treasurer Kim Patterson told council members the SLIB doesn't necessarily have to approve the loan, but seeking the loan and grant now is prudent. "(The well project...

  • House committee kills public notices bill

    Zach Spadt|Feb 7, 2019

    CHEYENNE - A Wyoming legislative committee killed legislation that would have dropped the requirement that local governing bodies publish public notices and minutes in newspapers. House Bill 242, sponsored by Rep. Bunky Loucks, R-Casper, would have created a state website for local governments to publish public notices. Those include bids, meeting notices and minutes, requests for qualification among other numerous notices. The legislation died 6-3 in the Wyoming House Corporations and...

  • Lady Hornets top Burns

    Zach Spadt|Feb 7, 2019

    BURNS - Torri Long and Dylan Sweeter combined for 26 of Pine Bluffs' 59 points in their win over Burns Friday night in a game dominated by the Lady Hornets for all four quarters of play. Long had 14 points while Sweeter had 12. Of long's points, 8 of those came from free throws. Sophie Howard had double digits in the rebound column with 10. Pine Bluffs completely shut out the Lady Broncs in the first quarter of play and held them to only 7 points in the second quarter. That's a mere 7 points...

  • Hornets tame Broncs

    Zach Spadt|Feb 7, 2019

    BURNS - Michael Shain and Justus Golding each scored in the double digits on the way to Pine Bluffs' dominant win over the Burns Broncs Friday night. Golding contributed 17 points while Shain added 15. The final score was 65-28 Pine Bluffs. Friday night's matchup was already decided by the end of the first quarter with Pine Bluffs leading 17-2. A strong second quarter would make the score 38-7 heading into the second half. Pine Bluffs combined for 17 steals during the game, with Andrew...

  • Rockin' in Denver

    Zach Spadt|Jan 31, 2019

    For most of the fall school semester and into this year, youths from the Mountain West gathered and learned the fundamentals of playing Rock n' Roll music. And that included Pine Bluffs eighth-grade student Jessi Weller. Weller joined students from seven-year-olds to high school seniors last semester for the School of Rock Program held in Denver. In School of Rock, kids of all ages learn the basic and advanced aspects of their respective instruments. At the end of the program, they perform in a...

  • Child marriage ban passes committee

    Zach Spadt|Jan 24, 2019

    CHEYENNE - Under Wyoming law, a minor can get married with certain approvals. However, if someone in that marriage were to become a domestic violence victim, before turning 18, he or she would be unable to visit a safe house. A bill in the Wyoming Legislature, sponsored by a group of bipartisan legislators, seeks to end that by outlawing child marriage outright. House Bill 60 passed the House Judiciary Committee on a vote of 8-1 Thursday, January 14. Sponsored by Rep. Charles Pelkey, D-Laramie,...

  • 'Sanctuary city' bill advances

    Zach Spadt|Jan 24, 2019

    CHEYENNE — A ban on so-called “sanctuary cities” in Wyoming moved a step closer to becoming law Tuesday afternoon after a committee vote. If House Bill 151 is enacted, local governments would be barred from refusing to comply with federal officials or law enforcement officers regarding the immigration status of residents or face losing their state funding. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, a sanctuary jurisdiction is one that has laws in place preventing local law enforcement or officials from complying with Immigration and C...

  • Home and road wins make Hornets 11-1

    Zach Spadt|Jan 24, 2019

    Two wins over the weekend improved the Pine Bluffs Hornets to 11-1 on the year. On Friday, the Hornets hosted Southeast and won that game 67-57. Though Southeast got the first points of the game, the Hornets never trailed after sinking a 3-pointer with 7:06 remaining in the first quarter. Pine Bluffs had a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter - and they never looked back. Michael Shain was the Hornets' points leader with 23. He was 3 for 8 in 3-point attempts. The junior shot 100...

  • Teacher of the Year

    Zach Spadt|Jan 17, 2019

    Each year, the Wyoming Department of Education releases a list of teachers of the year for each school district. For Laramie County School District 2, that honor went to a popular man around Pine Bluffs Junior-Senior High School: Dustin Lee is the 2019 LCSD 2 Teacher of the Year. Lee currently teaches Spanish at PBJHS, where he's worked since 2005. Prior to that, Lee spent a couple years in Weeping Water, Nebraska, a rural community roughly the size of Pine Bluffs in extreme eastern Nebraska....

  • Gun bill sent to committee

    Zach Spadt|Jan 17, 2019

    Monday voted to keep a bill repealing most gun-free zones in to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sponsored by Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Carpenter, Senate File 75 would give the Legislature the sole authority to regulate guns in public places. If SF 75 passes, Wyoming residents would be allowed to carry concealed firearms in government buildings and meetings such as local city council meetings and Legislative sessions. People would also be allowed to carry concealed weapons on public school...

  • Hornets win in Fort Collins

    Zach Spadt|Jan 17, 2019

    FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Four Pine Bluffs Hornets scored in the double-digits on Friday when they defeated Front Range Baptist 86-67 in Fort Collins. Justus Golding led Pine Bluffs in scoring with 18 total points. He was followed by Brian Steger (16), Andrew Fornstrom (14) and Michael Shain (14). Last Friday's win makes the Hornets 8-1 on the year. That doesn't include a game that was still being played at deadline Tuesday night. The game started out slow for Pine Bluffs with multiple lead changes...

  • Lady Hornets win in Colo.

    Zach Spadt|Jan 17, 2019

    Kammie Ragsdale scored 29 of Pine Bluffs' 70 points against Front Range Baptist in Fort Collins Friday afternoon. Of those, 24 came from 2-point shots, 3 came from and 2 came from free throws. She was followed by Torri Long who scored 11 pints. Eight of those came from 2-point shots and 1 came from a 3-point shot. It was a game that can only be described as a rout on the part of the Lady Hornets. On their way to scoring 70 points, the Lady Hornets' defense held Front Range to a meager 17...

  • Curtis named Pine Bluffs' Wyoming Municipal Power Agency representative

    Zach Spadt|Jan 10, 2019

    Pine Bluffs Mayor Alan Curtis will serve as the town’s representative on a cooperative for rural municipal power providers. He was confirmed during the town’s regularly scheduled council meeting held Monday night. Curtis will replace former representative Bill Cushing. The mayor said it was his opinion that a member of the town’s governing body should serve on the board. Curtis thanked Cushing for his service representing Pine Bluffs. According to its website, the Wyoming Municipal Power Agency is the wholesale electric provider for eight...

  • Fire destroys home

    Zach Spadt|Jan 10, 2019

    Firefighters and first responders from area agencies responded to a structure fire Monday night. According to a Laramie County Fire District 5 (Pine Bluffs) information release, Laramie County Combined Communications received a call at 8:57 p.m. reporting a structure fire in the 1200 block of North Main Street in Pine Bluffs. Firefighters from LCFD 5, LCFD 3 (Albin) and LCFD 1 (Laramie County) were dispatched to the scene one minute later. The first fire department unit was on scene within five...

  • Gordon becomes 33rd Wyoming Governor

    Zach Spadt|Jan 10, 2019

    CHEYENNE — Wyoming’s governorship changed hands Monday afternoon in two separate ceremonies when Gov. Mark Gordon took the oath of office. Early Monday morning, in a ceremony open only to relatives, construction workers and an Associated Press pool reporter Gordon was sworn into office at the Wyoming State Capitol, which is in its third year of major renovations. Secretary of State Ed Buchanan, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier, and State Auditor Kristi Racines were also sworn in the private ceremony. Spe...

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