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Lovell, Wyoming 82431
Price 75¢
DEQ allows open burning
with restrictions
BY DAVID PECK
Given the go-ahead by
the Wyoming Dept. of En-
vironmental Quality, the
Lovell Town Council vot-
ed this week to approve a
spring open burning period,
though there are restric-
tions.
Open burning will be-
gin today (Thursday, April
15) and will run through
Thursday, June 10. The
DEQ granted a setback
waiver on April 8.
As the town council
started debate on Resolu-
tion 2010-5 - the typical
resolution passed over the
years by the council -- dur-
ing Monday's regular April
council meeting, Council-
man Scott Allred said he
liked the idea of spreading
out the burning period so
smoke won't be concentrat-
ed on certain days.
Councilman Brian
Dickson then noted that the
letter from the DEQ allow-
ing the open burning period
not only requires the town
to meet with the DEQ with-
in 45 days of the April 8 let-
ter to form a plan to comply
with Wyoming Air Quality
Regulations but also to fol-
low certain restrictions the
town had offered in a March
19 letter from Lovell Town
Administrator Bart Grant
to DEQ Air Quality Direc-
tor Greg Meeker.
"As I understand this
letter, we're bound by this
plan," Dickson said. Attor-
ney Sandra Kitchen agreed
with Dickson, noting, "You
have to include them all
(the conditions in the Grant
letter). You have no author-
ity to waver from the let-
ter."
Some of the conditions
are included in the origi-
nal resolution, but some
are new. The conditions in-
clude:
mml
A. To promote good dis-
persion techniques, burn-
ing is to be conducted only
between the hours of 7 a.m.
and 4 p.m. A burn-down pe-
riod will be permitted, how-
ever all smoke and embers
shall be extinguished by 6
p.m.
B. The Town will be di-
vided into two areas, north
of Main Street and south of
Main Street. Burn days will
be alternated. The north
area will be permitted to
burn on even calendar days
and the south area allowed
to burn on odd days.
C. Only leaves, limbs,
grass clippings, weeds,
brush and other forestry
type waste may be burned.
No other type of garbage or
refuse will be permitted.
D. Burning is to be lo-
cated in a manner to pre-
clude the spread of fire to
other materials.
See 'BURNING,' page 8
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Volume 104, Number 44
Concert season begins
Members of the Lovell High School band play during a pre-festival concert
Tuesday at the LHS band room. Pictured are (l-r) Rochelle Henton, Shyann
Wilske and Tony Rodriguez.
DAVm lCK
Wyoming State Auditor Rita Meyer spoke about her
pride in Wyoming and America's men and women in
uniform during her keynote address at the Lovell
Area Chamber of Commerce Community Banquet
Friday night.
Chamber banquet
Meyer honors veterans, Wyoming people
BY DAVID PECK
Members of the Lovell Area Cham-
ber of Commerce gathered for their
annual community banquet Friday
night at the Lovell Community Cen-
ter, enjoying good food and good com-
pany, presenting annual awards and
hearing from Wyoming State Auditor
Rita Meyer, who spoke about Wyo-
ming's pride in those who serve in the
military.
The evening included the pre-
Sentation of the annual outstanding
educator and citizen awards (see re-
lated stories). Rocky Mountain El-
ementary School first-grade teacher
Chris Townsend was noted as the Dis-
trict One outstanding educator, al-
though she could not be present to re-
ceive the award. LHS Principal Scott
O'Tremba then presented the District
Two Outstanding Educator Award to
LHS special education teacher Karen
Wardell.
Ray Peterson of Cowley then ac-
cepted the Outstanding Citizen
Award.
The evening also included re-
marks by outgoing Chamber Presi-
dent Bart Grant, who listed many of
the programs and accomplishments of
the Chamber during 2009 and early
2010 including a new slogan for the
Chamber: "Your Outdoor Adventure
Starts Here," a project to rework the
billboard west of Greybull, repairing
the information kiosk at the Bighorn
Canyon NRA visitor center, the "great
turnout" for the Holiday Mingle, the
annual Christmas Lighting Contest
and the addition of a downtown light-
ing award, and more.
Grant thanked Chamber Director
Suzanne Winterholler for the work
she puts in throughout the year for
the Chamber.
MEYER SPEECH
Before getting to her main topic,
Meyer began by saying she appreci-
ates the leadership of the Chamber
for putting together Friday's program,
and she also noted the "fabulous" leg-
islators north Big Horn County enjoys
in Sen. Ray Peterson and Rep. Elaine
Harvey.
During her keynote address, Mey-
er spoke about her pride in the men
and women who serve in the U.S. mil-
itary, but she said that without the
families and communities that sup-
port them, "it would be difficult, if not
impossible, for them to serve."
She added, "Thank you for what
your community does to support our
men and women in uniform."
Meyer noted that Lovell and other
Big Horn Basin communities under-
stand what it's like to send young men
and women into war, "because you've
been doing it for over 100 years." A
year ago, she said, Wyoming people
said goodbye to more than 700 Wyo-
ming National Guardsmen for their
deployment and who have now, "by the
grace of God, returned safely home."
Servicemen and women, she said,
take an oath to support and defend
the Constitution of the United States
against all enemies, foreign and do-
mestic, and the unspoken part of that
oath is a willingness, when called, "to
lay down one's own life to protect and
secure certain freedoms for others."
Every generation has found
Americans with courage equal to the
tasks of our country, Meyer said, and
she said the farms, ranches and small
towns of Wyoming have always pro-
duced an abundance of young men
and W0.en willing to assume the dis-
cipline and duty of military life, "the
kind of men and women and families
we see here tonight."
"No one has the ability to under-
stand how or why the spirit of a patri-
ot takes roots in the heart and mind of
an individual," Meyer said. "But I tru-
ly believe there must be something in
the Wyoming wind that nurtures the
spirit of patriots because our young
men and women continue to willingly
and honorably answer the call to mili-
tary service."
Meyer said she read a New York
Times article recently that said it was
time to "wind down talk about the
tragedy of 9-11," implying that Ameri,
cans are growing weary remembering
the events of that day.
"I believe we need to do just the
opposite," Meyer said. "I believe we
need to turn up, not down, the volume
of rhetoric and action against the face
See 'CHAMBER' page 8
Lovell boy recovering from discus blow
BY DAVID PECK
A Lovell seventh-grader was ex-
pected to return home this week af-
ter undergoing emergency surgery in
Denver Saturday to repair his skull af-
ter he was stuck in the head by a dis-
cus during the Powell middle school
track meet that morning.
CJ Murphey, son of Scott and Shel-
ley Murphey of Lovell, was waiting in
line to take his turn during the discus
competition around 9:30 a.m. Satur-
day when an errant throw by a fellow
competitor struck him "point blank"
on the head, Scott Murphey said.
The discus struck CJ on the right
side of the head above the temple,
Scott said, above the major arter-
ies that run through the temple and
about even with his hairline.
CJ was rushed to the Powell Hos-
pital, and at first it was thought that
he could be treated there, but then
emergency medical workers realized
the damage was greater than they
first thought.
"They realized it (the depression)
was deeper than that," Scott said.
"He had a pretty big brain bruise. It
got into the dermis - the lining of the
brain and a little portion of the brain,
creating a little void. There was no
brain swelling but avoiding infection
is key."
The impact caved in a portion of
CJs head a little larger than a sil-
ver dollar, Scott said. He said his son
doesn't remember the impact but oth-
er than that has no short-term mem-
ory loss.
"He can tell you the whole story,"
Scott said.
CJ was stabilized at the Powell
Hospital and taken to the Powell Air-
port, where a medical emergency air-
plane from St. Vincent's Hospital in
Billings had landed. CJ and Shelley
were flown to Denver and transport-
ed to The Children's Hospital in Au-
rora, a facility that is about two years
old, Scott said. He got to the hospital
around 1 or 2 p.m.
"He was met by the trauma team
for a quick assessment, and it was
very positive, but serious," Scott said.
"They wanted to get the pressure off
his brain because of the depression."
CJ went into surgery around 2:30
or 3 and came out around 6:45, Scott
said. The surgical team relieved the
pressure and took out some small
bone chips. They then screwed in a
titanium plate and stapled him up,
Scott said, adding that the doctors left
almost all of his hair intact.
During all of the morning dra-
ma, Scott was heading to Lovell with
members of the Lovell FFA Chapter
who had been attending the state con-
vention in Cheyenne. At first, he fig-
ured on seeing CJ in Powell, but when
the bus was around Wheatland, Scott
was informed that CJ would be taken
to Denver.
Scott was heading in the wrong
direction but knew he had to get the
FFA students home. Dale Walker vol-
unteered to meet the bus with Scott's
Suburban and trade vehicles, taking
the students on to Lovell while Scott
made an about face. The two vehicles
met near Moneta and Scott hurried on
to Denver, driving straight through as
fast as he dared. ICU was closed when
he arrived, then reopened around 7:45
p.m., he said, when he was able to see
his boy.
Meanwhile, Shelley was getting
support from her sister, Kenna Steele,
and niece Tommi Osburn, who drove
from Casper to be with Shelley. Back
home, oldest son Jonathan was taking
care of his younger brothers Jake and
Trace.
Since the surgery, CJ has been
making remarkable progress, Scott
said. There have been some ups and
downs, but while doctors thought ini-
tially that he would return home no
sooner than Friday, by Monday night
they were saying he could be released
See 'CJ,' page 8
Rocky Mountain hosts
junior prom Friday night
BY DAVID PECK
"Out on the Town" is the theme of the Rocky
Mountain High School Junior Prom, which will
take place this Friday night for the final time at the
RMHS Gym in Byron.
According to junior class sponsor Geranne Ras-
mussen, the prom will run from 8:30 p.m. to mid-
night with the grand march scheduled for 9 p.m., fol-
lowed by the annual promenade and the crowning of
the junior prom royalty.
Prom costs $7 per person or $10 per couple, and
spectators attending the grand march will be charged
$3 each. Spectators are asked to come in the back
door behind the school next to the boys locker room.
Colors for the 2010 prom are black and silver
with a little red, Rasmussen said. Students were to
be decorating after school all week, she said.
Students are invited to attend a practice tonight
(Thursday) at 6:30 p.m.
Music will be provided by the DJ "Enigma" of
Powell, and the photographer is Pistachio Alley of
Powell.
Sally Bernhisel, Teddie Tippetts and Emily Sim-
mons have choreographed and taught the prome-
nade. The junior class sponsors, along with Rasmus-
sen, are Dave Beemer, Richard Mayes and Berta
Newton.
Following the prom there will be a bowling party
at Victory Lanes from 12:30 to 2 a.m. with parental
chaperones on hand.
The Lovel Chronicle, 234 E. Main, Lovell, WY 82431. Contact us at: 548-2217. www.lovellchronicle.com
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