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Headlines: Stage 1 fire restrictions enacted across Sublette County Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport to open new commercial airline terminal Fire ban on Game and Fish lands in northwest Wyoming Emerson School listed on National Register of Historic Places Proposed Temporary Turbidity increase in the Little Sandy River 8 shuttered Wyoming newspapers to be saved WHICH DOOR TO USE: Sublette County’s first hospital opens August 4 Fire danger elevated to VERY HIGH for Teton Interagency Dispatch area Pinedale Local: SCSD #1 Vehicles for Sale – Sealed Bid Notice Pet Adoption Day in Pinedale Aug. 24 Learn to Skate classes offered for 2025 Camp GROW offers Friday GROW Camp for youth ages 6–14 Community Health Screening Blood Draw in Pinedale Aug. 26 & 27 Sublette BOCES Fall 2025 Enrichment Classes

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Stage 1 fire restrictions enacted across Sublette County (posted 8/19/2025)
Sublette County Unified Fire
PINEDALE, WY - Beginning Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 12:01 AM, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions will be in effect across all of Sublette County. The Sublette County Board of Commissioners approved the fire restrictions following the recommendations of County Fire Warden Shad Cooper. Fire restrictions are necessary due to the current high fire danger, persistent drought conditions, and continued hot, dry, and windy weather.

Fire restrictions have also been implemented for the USFS Bridger-Teton National Forest and the BLM High Desert District.

The Sublette County Stage One Fire Restrictions prohibit all outdoor fires, incendiary devices, and the discharge of fireworks within the county.

The following exceptions are allowed only if the fire activity is controlled with a minimum 15’ radius of cleared area with no burnable materials nearby:
- Campfires at residences or campsites, contained within an established fire ring, with a minimum 15’ radius cleared of all burnable materials.
- Trash or refuse fires between the hours of 6:00 P.M. and 8:00 A.M, inside containers provided with spark arresters, and located within a cleared radius of a minimum of 15’ of burnable materials.
- Charcoal fires within enclosed grills are permitted.
- Use of acetylene cutting, electric arc welders, or metal grinding in a cleared radius of 15’ of burnable materials.
- The use of portable stoves, lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum, pressurized liquid fuel or fully enclosed (sheepherder type) stoves, and open fire branding activities in a cleared radius of 15’ of burnable materials is permitted.

Fire restrictions vary slightly depending on jurisdiction. For specific information about fire restrictions on public land, please see the following:
- USFS - https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/bridger-teton/alerts/stage-1-fire-restrictions
- BLM - https://www.blm.gov/announcement/blm-high-desert-district-announces-stage-1-fire-restrictions
- State of Wyoming - https://wsfd.wyo.gov/fire-management/fire-restrictions

Help Prevent Wildfires
- Avoid building campfires whenever possible during high fire danger.
- Never park on tall grass—hot exhaust can ignite dry vegetation.
- Keep trailer safety chains from dragging on the road.
- Extinguish and report any abandoned campfires immediately.

Sublette County Unified Fire
PO Box 2410
Pinedale, WY 82941
Tel: 307-367-4550
Email: unifiedfire@sublettecountywy.gov

Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport to open new commercial airline terminal (posted 8/19/2025)
Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport
ROCK SPRINGS, WY - The Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport (RKS) is proud to announce the upcoming opening of its brand-new commercial airline terminal, marking a historic milestone in the region's air service and infrastructure development.

The new terminal will begin welcoming travelers with a soft opening on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, offering passengers an upgraded travel experience with modern amenities, enhanced security features, and improved operational efficiency. Customers can experience ongoing work inside and around the terminal for several weeks as the final touches are put into place.

For those that would like to be one of the first passengers to experience the new terminal, tickets are available at www.flyrks.com for United Airlines Flight 5116 arriving at RKS at 1:23 pm or for United Airlines Flight 5114 departing RKS at 1:58 pm. A small event for passengers and airport employees is planned to celebrate these first flights.

"This new terminal represents more than just bricks and mortar; it's an investment in the future of Southwest Wyoming," stated Airport Director Devon Brubaker. "From boosting economic growth and connectivity to providing a welcoming first impression for visitors, this facility will serve our region for decades to come. We're excited to provide a first-class travel experience that reflects the pride and spirit of our community."

The terminal project, made possible through the support of federal, state, and local partners, reflects years of planning and collaboration. Travelers will enjoy expanded seating areas, improved concessions, and streamlined passenger processing designed to elevate the overall flying experience.

To commemorate this transformational project for Southwest Wyoming, the Airport will host a Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, September 12, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. The event will feature remarks from local, state, and federal leaders, a ceremonial ribbon cutting, and guided tours of the new facility. The community is invited to join the Grand Opening Celebration on September 12 and see firsthand how the new terminal positions the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport as a modern gateway for the region.

About Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport
The Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport is a commercial and general aviation airport serving Southwest Wyoming and is located 7 miles east of Rock Springs in Sweetwater County. It is owned by the City of Rock Springs and operated by the Rock Springs Sweetwater County Airport Joint Powers Board representing both the City of Rock Springs and Sweetwater County. Serving over 52,000 commercial passengers and over 11,000 general aviation flights annually, the airport supports over 320 jobs and $36.9 million in annual economic activity.

Fire ban on Game and Fish lands in northwest Wyoming (posted 8/19/2025)
Wyoming Game & Fish
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is implementing a fire ban on all Game and Fish Commission-owned and administered lands within Sublette, Teton and Lincoln counties effective immediately.

The fire ban applies to all 18 Wildlife Habitat Management Areas and 43 Public Access Areas across the three counties. Wildfires can drastically change the landscape and take many years to recover from. They can impact wildlife, agriculture and recreation, and can increase the spread of invasive annual grasses like cheatgrass. Many Commission-owned properties are managed as winter range for big game and other wildlife. A fire on one of these properties could significantly impact winter forage for wildlife. Game and Fish encourages everyone using public lands to be vigilant stewards and recreate responsibly.

Prohibited activities during the fire ban include:
• Building, maintaining, attending, or using any fire, campfire, charcoal grill, coal or wood-burning stove.
• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, at a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
• Lighting fireworks (always prohibited on Commission-owned lands).

For information on current county fire restrictions, please visit the Wyoming State Forestry website. Additionally, recreationists should consult with local U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management or other land management agency offices to learn about fire bans on those properties, as they may differ from county restrictions.

For more information, please contact the Jackson Region Game and Fish Office at (307) 733-2321 or the Pinedale Region Game and Fish Office at (307) 367-4352.

Emerson School listed on National Register of Historic Places (posted 8/18/2025)
The Sublette County Historic Preservation Board and Sublette County Historical Society are pleased to announce they received word from the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office that the National Park Service has formally listed the Emerson School to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

"Emerson School represents an important part of Wyoming's history and is an excellent addition to the NRHP," wrote Casey Waster, National Register Coordinator with the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office.

The National Register is the nation's official list of historic properties worthy of preservation.

The Emerson School is a one-room log building constructed in about 1909 on rural ranchland located approximately 20 miles southeast of Boulder, Wyoming. The school served students from nearby ranches for 45 years, from 1914 to 1959. It was one of the longer and later operating one-room schools in Sublette County.

The remote Emerson School was administered by Fremont County until 1923 when Sublette County was formed. Records indicate that the school accommodated between one and eighteen students in its single room in any given year. A total of thirty-four teachers and 64 different students have been identified as associated with the institution over the decades. In addition to being a classroom for first through eighth grade education activities, the Emerson schoolhouse was also utilized by local residents as a community center, being the site of dances, community meetings and religious education (Sunday school).

What is now Sublette County once had many such similar one-room rural schoolhouses serving nearby ranching families. But, today, nearly all have collapsed, disappeared, or lie on private land, some still serving as storage sheds on area ranches. Another of the few remaining school house structures in Sublette County, the Sommers-Price school, was moved and was restored as part of the restored and preserved buildings at the Green River Valley Museum in Big Piney. Few one-room schoolhouses exist today in their original locations in the nation, especially in settings similar to what things looked like when that school was in operation.

In 2023, a documentary was made about the Emerson School. The half-hour long film was researched and created by filmmaker Brooks Mitchell. In creating material for the production, he interviewed four former students (Gary Jensen, Laura Jensen, Chris Jensen Sundstrom, Glenna Grinder Johnson), along with a former teacher (Evelyn Evans Lohman), and local historian Jonita Sommers. (One Room Life Lessons)

In 1959, the decommissioned school building was left on private land on an area ranch and used for various purposes. The building was later lovingly restored back to its original schoolroom purpose by landowner Claire Faler and subsequently donated to the Sublette County Historical Society in 2020 so it could be preserved into the future. Physically, it is in excellent condition, and its interior is furnished with period furniture and books.

The Sublette County Historic Preservation Board, a County-appointed board, initiated the process to get the Emerson School listed on the National Register. There are 24 properties and districts listed on the National Register in Sublette County. The Sublette County Historical Society, a non-profit organization which also operates the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale, owns and maintains the Emerson School.

Related Links:
Documentary on Emerson Schoolhouse by Pinedale Online! September 6, 2023Sublette County Historic Preservation Board

Proposed Temporary Turbidity increase in the Little Sandy River (posted 8/16/2025)
Public comment due by August 27, 2025
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
PUBLIC NOTICE: The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) has received a request from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for a temporary increase in turbidity in Little Sandy River near Farson, Wyoming. The temporary increase in turbidity is associated with fish passage restoration.

Activity in cold water streams like the Little Sandy River is normally limited to a ten (10) NTU increase over background. Approval of this request would allow an exceedance of this limit for up to ten (10) total working days, subject to monitoring and reporting. This activity will follow the procedures in Chapter 1, Section 23(c)(ii), of the WDEQ Water Quality Rules, which allow for temporary elevated levels of turbidity in certain circumstances. The applicant has secured a U.S. Army Corps of Engineer 404 permit for the project.

Requests for information about the proposed temporary turbidity increase should be directed to Eric Hargett by email (eric.hargett@wyo.gov) or phone (307-777-7079). Written comments must be addressed to Eric Hargett, Wyoming DEQ/WQD, 200 W. 17th Street – 4TH floor, Cheyenne, WY, 82002, and be postmarked on or before 5:00 p.m. on August 27, 2025, to be considered. Electronic comments may only be submitted through and accepted by the Wyoming DEQ comment portal provided at http://wq.wyomingdeq.commentinput.com/. Phone comments will not be accepted.

8 shuttered Wyoming newspapers to be saved (posted 8/13/2025)
Including the Pinedale Roundup
Pinedale Online!
The Pinedale Roundup posted a notice on their Facebook page on Tuesday, August 12th, that an agreement has been reached in principle with News Media Corporation for Robb and Jen Hicks and Rob Mortimore to purchase the company’s Wyoming publications and resume publication immediately. The announcement comes six days after News Media Corporation suddenly announced the immediate closure of all of its publications, which came as a shock to employees and the affected communities.

Robb and Jen Hicks are the owners of the Buffalo Bulletin newspaper in Johnson County. Rob Mortimore is the former publisher of the eight newspapers while it was under News Media Corporation. The eight Wyoming papers include the Pinedale Roundup, Platte County Record-Times, Torrington Telegram, Guernsey Gazette, Lusk Herald, Uinta County Herald, Bridger Valley Pioneer and the Kemmerer Gazette. Robb Hicks said the agreement includes rehiring all the newspapers’ staff members and immediately resuming publication of all titles.

On August 6, the CEO of News Media Corporation announced that the company’s eight publications in Wyoming, as well as its newspapers in other states, would close immediately. Reasons cited were a downturn in revenue, increased costs, and a recent failed attempt to sell the company.

Robb and Jen Hicks have owned and operated the Buffalo Bulletin in Johnson County, Wyoming since 1996. The Hicks family has multigenerational ties to Wyoming newspapers that dates back over seven decades.

The Pinedale Roundup has been operating continuously in Sublette County since 1904, except for a closure from October 10, 1918 to December 25, 1919 due to personal reasons, World War 1, and possibly the outbreak of the Spanish flu.

Related Links:
Local Buyers Revive Shuttered Wyoming Newspapers, Keep Staff And Operations By Justin George, Cowboy State Daily, August 12, 2025

WHICH DOOR TO USE: Sublette County’s first hospital opens August 4 (posted 8/4/2025)
New facility brings full spectrum of care—primary, urgent, and emergency—to Pinedale, Wyoming
Sublette County Health
On Monday, August 4, 2025, Sublette County celebrates a milestone decades in the making: the opening of its first hospital. With this launch, Sublette is no longer the only county in Wyoming without a hospital—and local residents now have access to a full range of healthcare services close to home.

The new Sublette County Hospital is part of the Sublette County Health campus and offers a full Emergency Room, modern imaging services including MRI and mammography, outpatient lab draws, and more, all in addition to the ongoing services provided at the Pinedale Medical Clinic.

But with new services come new questions: Which door should you use?

Here’s a guide to help the community navigate the difference between routine care, urgent care, and emergency care—and which entrance to use at our new facility.

Routine Care — For regular checkups, medication refills, and minor concerns
If you have a scheduled primary care appointment, you’ll continue to use the Pinedale Medical Clinic entrance, just as you always have. This includes:
- Annual checkups
- Chronic condition management
- Prescription refill appointments
- Follow-up visits

Urgent Care — For issues that can’t wait for an appointment but aren’t life-threatening
The Urgent Care Clinic is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and is also accessed through the Pinedale Medical Clinic door. This is the best place to go for:
- Sprains or minor injuries
- Rashes or minor infections
- Earaches, sore throats, and fevers
- Small cuts

If you feel sick or hurt and aren’t sure if it’s an emergency, Urgent Care is a great first stop. If our providers determine you need a higher level of care, you can access the Emergency Room.

Emergency Room — For life-threatening or serious conditions
If you are experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, signs of a stroke, traumatic injury, or severe bleeding, come directly to the new Emergency Room entrance at the hospital. This entrance is open 24/7 every day. ER nurses will triage each patient—meaning they assess how urgent your condition is and ensure the sickest patients are treated first.

Please use the ER responsibly. If you walk into the Emergency Room—even with a minor issue—you will be registered, evaluated, and billed at the Emergency level. Under federal law (EMTALA), we are required to treat all patients who enter the ER at the Emergency Room level and cannot refer you back to Urgent Care, even if your condition is non-emergent.

However, if you walk into Urgent Care with a more serious condition, you are able to access the Emergency Room, ensuring you get the appropriate care.

Outpatient Services — Lab work, imaging, and specialty appointments
If you have an appointment for:
- Lab work
- MRI
- CT scan
- Mammogram
- X-ray
- Other outpatient imaging or testing
Please come through the main entrance of the new hospital and check in at the front desk in the new lobby.

"This hospital is a game-changer for our community," said Sublette County Health COO Lindsey Bond. "But we know the new options can be a little confusing at first. We’re here to help our residents get the right care at the right time—without having to leave the county."

As Sublette County enters a new era of healthcare access, understanding "which door to use" ensures the system runs efficiently, care is affordable, and every patient gets the level of treatment they need.

To learn more about Sublette County Hospital and available services, visit www.sublettehospitaldistrict.org.

There will be a ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Sept 25th at 2pm. The community is invited to join in celebrating this new facility.

Fire danger elevated to VERY HIGH for Teton Interagency Dispatch area (posted 7/30/2025)
No restrictions currently in place
Teton Interagency Fire
Teton Interagency Fire managers have elevated the fire danger rating to "very high" for Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and the National Elk Refuge. Conditions in the Teton Interagency Dispatch area are drying rapidly, and a fire may start easily, spread rapidly and burn intensely. Everyone is asked to practice heightened fire safety at all times.

Fire managers use a variety of factors to determine fire danger ratings including the moisture content of fuels (how dry grasses, shrubs and trees are); projected weather conditions (including temperatures and possible wind events); the ability of fire to spread after ignition; and the availability of firefighting resources nationwide.

So far this year, Teton Interagency Fire personnel have extinguished 75 unattended or abandoned campfires. Abandoned campfires can quickly escalate into wildfires, and if your campfire sparks a wildfire, you can be held responsible for the cost of putting it out.

What you can do
During times of elevated fire danger, the safest option is to not build a campfire at all. Dress warmly and use layers instead of relying on a campfire for warmth. If you choose to have a campfire where it’s allowed:
• Never leave a campfire unattended or abandoned.
• Have a shovel and water bucket on hand.
• Use several gallons of water to fully extinguish your campfire.
• Drown, stir, feel and repeat until the ashes are cold to the touch.
• Break up charred logs and cover all remains with dirt.

Other considerations
• Do not park on tall grass as that grass can ignite when in contact with a hot vehicle.
• If pulling a trailer, ensure your chains are clear of the ground as small sparks could start roadside fires.
• If you come across an abandoned campfire and it is within your power, please put it out and contact Teton Interagency Dispatch to report its location.

For the latest fire updates, safety tips, and current fire restrictions, visit TetonFires.com. To report smoke or a fire, call the Teton Interagency Fire Dispatch Center at 307-739-3630.

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Pinedale Online! is designed and maintained by Wind River Web Services LLC in Pinedale, Wyoming to offer a "slice of life" view of happenings in and around Pinedale, Wyoming. Webmaster for this site is Dawn Ballou. Although we try to cover as many local events as possible, we have a very limited staff and much of this site is done in our volunteer time. We welcome community volunteers who can provide pictures or event information. Photos by Pinedale Online unless otherwise credited. Please see our companion site Pinedale OFFline, www.PinedaleOFFline.com, updated annually on April Fool's Day. All site content is copyright 2025. No photos, stories or content may be used or reproduced without permission for commercial or non-commerical purposes. Please contact Pinedale Online for more information or permission about using pictures or content found on our site, or advertising on this website. If you find any broken links on our site, please let us know. Privacy Policy: E-mail inquiries may be forwarded to the local Chamber of Commerce, businesses or others who can best respond to questions asked. We use website server visitation statistics to compile web traffic analysis to refine our site content to better serve our visitors. Server statistics do not gather e-mail addresses or personally-identifiable information. Pinedale Online does not sell, trade or rent our opt-in lists or any personally-identifiable information to third parties. Thanks for visiting Pinedale, Wyoming on the Web!