LOVELL
What's Inside ...
Detour to move 2
Lovell Homecoming 3
Fair building delivered 5
Volleyball teams win 9
LOVELL, WYOMING • VOLUME 109, NUMBER 13 - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 • 75¢
DAVID PECK
After removing truck driver Dennis Spurbeck from his cab,
Lovell paramedic Scott Murphey (top) and firemen Michael
Jameson and Kevin Jones assist the driver to an awaiting
stretcher being prepared by EMTs Heidi Christenson and
Craig Shidler following the Tuesday morning crash on the
west face of the Big Horns.
DAVID PECK
Lovell Fire Chief Jim Minchow (right) checks out the scene on U.S. 14A 25 miles east of Lovell
Tuesday morning where this tanker truck hauling latex crashed into the side of the mountain
after its brakes failed. The crash caused the highway to be closed during the initial investigation
and also overnight.
Tanker truck crashes, spilling
latex and closing highway
A tanker truck hauling some 5,500 to 6,000 hospital.
gallons of liquid latex crashed and rolled about 25 According to information released by the Wyo-
miles east of Lovell on U.S. 14A on the face of the ming Dept. of Transportation, 59-year-old Dennis
Big Horn Mountains early Tuesday morning, par-
tially blocking traffic and sending the driver to the SEE '14A CLOSED AFTER CRASH,' page 7
Blood draws begin .................
in preparation for
upcoming Health Fair
BY PATrl CARPENTER
Residents began lining up to have their
blood drawn on Sept. 6 in preparation for the
Wyoming Health Fair. The availability of
low cost blood draws will continue through
Saturday, Sept. 13, in the multi-purpose
room at New Horizons Care Center.
SEE 'BLOOD DRAWS END SEPT 13,' page 7
Walk to End Alzheimer's
set for Sept. 20
BY PA'n'I CARPENTER
Someone is diagnosed every 69 seconds
with Alzheimer's disease. In an effort to do
something about that statistic the North Big
Horn Senior Center is sponsoring a "Walk
SEE 'ALZHEIMER'S WALK SEPT. 20,' page 7
PATti CARPENTER
The Western Sugar Cooperative began its annual beet processing
campaign on Monday, Sept. 8. Truckloads of beets from Powell and
Montana are already being delivered to the Lovell plant. Local farmers
are expected to begin their harvest soon.
Sugar campaign
begins early
BY PATrl CARPENTER
Wheels are turning on local roads and
at the Western Sugar plant in Lovell as this
year's campaign begins a bit ahead of sched-
ule. Trucks could be seen rolling through the
gate at the Lovell operation on Monday, Sept.
8. The first beet piles are already growing in
size and the 24/7 operation of processing them
into sugar is in motion.
According to the plant's agriculturalist
Mark Bjornstead, only one farming operation
in the area, Rodriguez Farms in Powell, has
started digging beets and delivering to the fac-
tory this week. Others are expected to follow
suit over the next few weeks.
Many of the trucks observed making deliv-
eries are from the Clark's Fork area of Mon-
tana, where farmers began their harvest a
week earlier than the farmers in the Big Horn
Basin. Bjornstead said it was too early to com-
ment on the condition of the local beets and
their sugar content.
The Lovell Chronicle, 234 E. Main, Lovell, WY 82431. Contact us at: 548.2217. www.lovellchronicle.com
Extreme Weight Loss show filming in downtown Lovell on Sept. 20
BY PATrl CARPENTER
A one-block area of Main
Street between Nevada and Ore-
gon will be cordoned off for a few
hours on Saturday, Sept. 20, at
7:30 a.m., for the filming of a seg-
ment of ABC's Extreme Weight
Loss show, which will feature the
weight loss journey of Lovell res-
ident Jennifer Snell. The event it-
self will begin at 9 a.m. The street
closure is expected to be in effect
until around noon while the film
crew documents Snell's return
home from a boot camp she has
been attending in Colorado for the
past several weeks.
The series, which features pro-
fessional trainers Chris and Heidi
Powell, documents the makeover
of a number of overweight indi-
viduals, who, with the help of the
show's staff, set out to lose half of
their body weight during a peri-
od of one year. Snell was selected
three months ago to participate
on the show, which will document
an entire year of her effort to lose
half her body weight, which was
at an all-time high of 341 pounds
when she became a participant on
the television show in May.
Snell, a dispatcher for the
Lovell Police Dept., is 42 years
old, married, with two young chil-
dren..Her goal is to lose about 180
i
pounds, which is roughly half of
her body weight. Her husband
Dan and children Hannah, 6, and
Timothy, 5, have been supportive
of her efforts. According to Snell,
she couldn't have done it without
them.
Producer Serena Settlemi-
er said Snell, who originally be-
gan her participation as an "alter-
nate" candidate for the show, has
now been selected as a regular
and will be featured in an episode
of the show. She said the decision
was made because of her efforts.
Settlemier said the exact amount
of weight she has lost so far is a
carefully guarded secret that will
be revealed when the show airs
next summer.
"Jen has made great strides
in therapy, which has helped her
to understand why she gained
the weight in the first place," said
Settlemier. "She is doing great
and has overcome many obstacles
during her weight loss journey."
The event on Sept. 20 is open
to the public, but the producers of
the show are asking the public to
sign a release allowing their ap-
pearance on the show and must
agree to be photographed as they
enter the event. They are also
asking the public not to take pho-
tographs at the event.
COURTESY PHOTOS
Lovell resident Jennifer Snell was selected to participate on
ABC's Extreme Weight Loss show, which will document an
entire year of her effort to lose weight.
"We are asking people to be
respectful of the surprise element
we are trying to achieve by not
taking pictures and posting them
on social media sites until after
the show has aired," Settlemier
said. "We are also asking people
who do not wish to be televised
not to show up for the event."
Settlemier said the purpose
of the event is to welcome Snell
home and to celebrate her jour-
ney so far. She encourages those
attending to bring signs bear-
ing messages of encouragement.
She said Snell will make a speech
about her experience so far.
"This is an opportunity to con-
gratulate her for making a com-
mitment to getting healthy," said
Settlemier. "It's also a chance to
show her the support she has in
her own community for the trans-
formation she is undergoing. It's
also a chance to show the world
that Lovell is the kind of commu-
nity that is supportive of people
who make this kind of effort."
Snell said she was initially at-
tracted to the show because it fo-
cuses as much on the emotional
aspects of being overweight as the
physical causes. She also likes the
fact that her own efforts can in-
spire others, who may be watch-
ing the show.
"I am incredibly blessed,"
said Snell. "My new self is emerg-
ing. It's been the hardest thing
I've ever done, truthfully, but I
wouldn't change a thing. ABC's
Extreme Weight Loss peeps are
the best. I look forward to the rest
SEE 'EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS IN
LOVEL,' page 7
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