Interchange January 2021
Vol. 49, Issue 1
Keep roads safe in 2021 Follow safe driving habits every day
Put down distractions, always wear seat belts and never drive drunk By Aimee Inama As we begin the new year, motorists are reminded to keep themselves and others safe by practicing safe driving habits to prevent crashes, injuries and deaths. Some safe driving habits include not driving drunk, not driving distracted and always wearing seat belts. “Safe driving habits are something a person should always practice regardless of the time of the year,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation Director K. Luke Reiner. “Whether it’s a holiday or just a regular day, we want motorists to get to their destinations safely. Put down the distractions, wear your seat belts and never drive drunk. Let’s start off 2021 right by following this guidance.” In 2019, Wyoming had 147 fatalities from crashes, of which 39 were alcohol
fatalities. In Wyoming and for most of the nation, it’s considered illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher. Over the past five years, alcohol fatalities have fluctuated with 36 in 2018, 40 in 2017, 32 in 2016 and 51 in 2015, information from WYDOT’s Highway Safety program indicated. On the national level, almost 30 people each day die in drunk driving crashes. In 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated there were a total of 10,511 drunk driving fatalities. To stay safe, WYDOT officials remind motorists to always have a sober driver. Additionally, if someone has a friend who is about to drive drunk, they should take their friend’s keys and get them a sober ride. Motorists also should report a drunk driver on the road to help keep other
motorists safe. “It’s imperative people don’t drink and drive because alcohol impacts a person’s ability to think and function clearly,” said Col. Kebin Haller, of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “Drunk driving fatalities are 100 percent preventable.” Distracted driving also contributes to crashes, injuries and fatalities each year in Wyoming and across the nation. Any activity that diverts a driver’s attention is considered a distraction, such as cell phone use, eating, drinking, talking to people in a vehicle and changing a radio station. “When a person texts and drives, their actions may only take a few seconds but within that time, they have already traveled the length of a football field,” Haller said. “Taking your eyes off the road could Continued on page 3
Contents Features 1 Keep roads safe in 2021 Follow safe driving habits every day
7 WHP participates in safety initiative Troopers remained vigilant on New Year’s Eve
Interchange
Vol. 49, Issue 1
Interchange is published for employees of the Wyoming Department of Transportation by its Public Affairs Office and a number of field correspondents. Interchange invites submissions from all employees. Please send them to either your district correspondents or to: Carlie Van Winkle, Interchange editor 5300 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, Wyoming, 82009-3340 or send an email to carlie.vanwinkle@wyo.gov.
Staff WYDOT Director:
Also in this issue
K. Luke Reiner
Letters................................................................................................................ 2
Public Affairs Manager:
District briefs.................................................................................................... 3
Editor:
By the Numbers.............................................................................................. 6
Contributors:
Training.............................................................................................................. 9 HR Happenings............................................................................................... 9 District news..................................................................................................10 Passings...........................................................................................................12 Outdoors.........................................................................................................13 Break Time......................................................................................................15
Doug McGee
Carlie Van Winkle Aimee Inama Carlie Van Winkle Jordan Achs Jeff Goetz Stephanie Harsha Laura Dalles Cody Beers Sgt. Jeremy Beck
Photography: Rick Carpenter
Public Affairs Public Affairs District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 Patrol Public Affairs
Be sure to check out the online version of Interchange at http://issuu.com/wydot.pao or click on the link found on the employee’s internal website home page.
Letters Wyoming statewide highway maintenance spot-on Cody Beers, a HUGE shoutout to you and the WYDOT crews. Drove home to Cody from Denver today via US 287 and on over to Rawlins, to Muddy Gap Junction and then Riverton and the canyon. Saw the work the crews had done to make sure the roads were clear. Know that the Cappiello family is safe and sound and settled in at home, and also know that we are ever-thankful to WYDOT for all they do.
Vin Cappiello
Kindly recycle this publication after reading.
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A WYDOT PUBLICATION
District Briefs Headquarters
Commission awards $26.6 million contract to construct new interchange off I-80 near Rock Springs
Driver Services offices in Cheyenne, Rawlins closed due to COVID-19 exposures CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) has closed the Driver Services offices in Cheyenne and Rawlins on Tuesday due to COVID-19 exposures. WYDOT is closing the offices to do a deep cleaning, conduct contact tracing and due to staffing shortages. “At this time we are taking it day by day and are looking for personnel to staff the office,” said Misty Dobson, Driver Services program manager. “We want to remind our customers that many of our services can be conducted by phone and online.” Additionally, customers in the Cheyenne area can visit the Driver Services offices in Laramie and Torrington if they need to conduct business in person. Customers in the Rawlins area can visit the Driver Services offices in Laramie or Rock Springs. WYDOT’s Driver Services offices throughout the state have implemented safety and cleaning protocols since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Driver Services employees wipe down their stations with cleaners after each transaction and have plexiglass barriers at their desks to provide separation between themselves and the customers. Examiners wipe down the vehicles used for road testing and wear masks. Applicants are also required to wear masks.
Photo: WYDOT
Continued from cover cause you to get into a crash and get injured, or worse, it can cost you your life.” In 2019, Wyoming had 921 distracted driving crashes, resulting in 12 fatalities and 354 injuries, information from WYDOT’s Highway Safety program indicated. Nationally, in 2018 there were 2,841 fatalities and about 400,000 injuries, the NHTSA indicated. The data was the latest the organization had available. To prevent distracted driving, motorists need to devote their full attention to driving and not do anything else. Proper seat belt use is another way motorists and their occupants can keep themselves safer when driving. Seat belts are important because they help keep occupants secure. Drivers and passengers who don’t wear their seat belts can risk being ejected from their vehicles if they get into a crash. Wyoming had an 83 percent proper seat-belt usage rate in 2019, information from WYDOT’s Highway Safety program indicated. Out of the fatalities for 2019, 44 percent, or 51 total, were not wearing their seat belts. Wyoming’s seat belt usage rate has remained relatively the same for the past few years with 2018 having an 84 percent proper usage rate, 2017 having an 83 percent rate, 2016 having an 84 percent rate and 2015 having an 82 percent rate. Wyoming’s numbers are below the national average of 90.7 percent. Nationally, out of 37,133 motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2017, 47 percent were not wearing their seat belts, information from the NHTSA indicated. The data was the latest NHTSA had available. Winter conditions can also contribute to crashes and injuries. Where available, WYDOT uses variable speed limit signs to slow traffic down for conditions. The department also has dynamic message signs to alert motorists of conditions or crashes ahead. Additionally, WYDOT has its 511 website that provides road and travel conditions to the public. The website also has an assortment of other travel-related features to help motorists such as the 511 app for smartphones. To learn more, visit: WYDOT Highway Safety: http://www.dot.state.wy.us/home/ dot_safety.html NHTSA: https://www.nhtsa.gov/ WYDOT’s 511 website: https://wyoroad.info/ n
CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded Reiman & High Country Construction JV Limited Partnership, of Cheyenne, the $26.6 million work in Sweetwater County. The commission awarded that and four other projects totaling $37.7 million at its recent meeting in December. For the I-80 work, crews will build the new interchange to improve traffic flow and access to businesses in the city. The Wyoming Department of Transportation is working with the city of Rock Springs on the project, which also includes replacing an overpass that was previously closed, installing a new road and widening a bridge over a creek. The contract completion date is June 30, 2023. The other contracts the commission awarded include resurfacing and bridge repairs. The commission awarded Reiman Corp., of Cheyenne, a $6 million contract for concrete slab repair, bridge work and overlay work on about 4 miles of I-80 beginning at the intersection of Curtis and Third Streets in Laramie in Albany County. Crews will make concrete repairs to the surface, make various repairs to about 10 bridges and add a high-performance overlay to the road, with the exception of the bridges, to improve the road surface. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2022. McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co., of Worland, won a $4.6 million contract for a resurfacing project on eight miles of Interstate 25 between Glendo and Douglas in Converse County. Crews will mill and overlay 3 inches of road and will use the old material on the median by the cable barrier. Then they will then resurface the road with 4 inches of material.
Cheyenne Driver Services office closed to deep clean due to COVID-19 exposure.
Briefs continued on page 4 January 2021
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Briefs continued from page 3 WYDOT is doing the work to improve the road surface. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2021. The commission also awarded contracts for: • $243,287 to Reiman Corp. for a bent cap replacement bridge contract on WYO 239 at the Salt River Bridge between Freedom and the Idaho state line in Lincoln County by Oct. 31, 2021, and • $47,355 to S & L Industrial, of Cowley, for bridge railing modification, guardrail and other work on I-80 between Rawlins and Laramie in Carbon County by June 30, 2021.
Laramie County Shop with a Cop program CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Highway Patrol, Laramie County Sheriff ’s Office, Wyoming State Parks, Cheyenne Police Department and Pine Bluffs Police Department teamed up again this year for the Cheyenne area “Shop with a Cop” (SWAC) event on Dec. 18. The SWAC program was started in Laramie County by the Wyoming Highway Patrol Association (WHPA) in 2015 and involved the aforementioned law enforcement agencies. SWAC and other similar charitable giving events happened in almost every community in the state throughout the holiday season, thanks largely to the WHPA. The idea is to have the child shop with a law enforcement officer to build trust with young people while assisting families in need. Each Laramie County Elementary School selects a student to participate in SWAC. The child chosen is given $100 to shop for themselves with the officer, deputy or trooper. The staff in each elementary school in Laramie County select the children because they know their needs and stories in their respective buildings. In 2019 WHP was able to raise more than $6,100 for this cause and took 37 students shopping and assisted countless students with free lunches. School counselors, social workers and faculty joined officers in donating to the cause. Other businesses and individuals also expressed a desire to contribute to this program. To make this financial giving possible, the WHPA, a registered non-profit organization, established an
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account for the event making the donations tax-deductible. Any additional funds that come in go to the school districts to pay for school lunches for students who cannot afford to on their own. The WHPA hopes children will not have to miss lunch again for the remainder of the school year. It also helps fund the “Breakfast After the Bell” program at McCormick Junior High. These programs will keep on going through the remainder of the school year as long as funds exist. The children were also provided with a complete Christmas meal to take home to their families for a holiday, including a turkey and all the trimmings. The large food bags were coordinated by spouses of the officers who had raised additional funds, purchased the food and donated turkeys from the Laramie County Gobbler Gang. Wyoming’s First Lady’s Hunger Initiative also partnered with SWAC throughout the state to ensure each participating child and their families didn’t go hungry through the holiday season. Due to the coronavirus, the officers and students were required to wear masks throughout the event. Officers had hand sanitizer available to the students and they shopped with them using social distancing throughout the store. Walmart had a checkout counter designated specifically to the SWAC event. Once the checkout was complete, the officer escorted the student outside Walmart to meet their parent/guardian.
FMCSA Emergency Declaration extended CHEYENNE – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has again extended its emergency declaration regarding commercial transportation of essential COVID-19 supplies. The federal government extended the declaration through Feb. 28, 2021, as it was scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2020. Specifically, the updated declaration covers transportation to meet immediate needs for: • Livestock and livestock feed. • Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. • Supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission
of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectants. • Vaccines, constituent products, medical supplies, and equipment, including ancillary supplies/kits for the administration of vaccines related to the prevention of COVID-19. • Food, paper products, and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores. Commercial motor vehicle drivers who can safely operate a motor vehicle while transporting the listed essential supplies related to the COVID-19 emergency outbreak will be allowed to continue to operate beyond standard hours of service. “It’s imperative we do our part to help keep needed supplies moving throughout our state and the nation during these unprecedented times,” said WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner. “This extension will help support the commercial transportation industry with their vital mission of helping our communities get the supplies they need.”
District 3
Broken-down vehicle leads to abducted child ROCK SPRINGS – On Dec. 11, Wyoming Highway Patrol was notified of an Amber Alert. The Amber Alert was issued after a 10-year-old child was abducted from the area of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Law enforcement was told the suspect vehicle involved in the incident was possibly headed toward Pueblo, Colorado. On Dec. 12, a WHP trooper was notified of a broken down vehicle in the road around milepost 32 on WYO 430 south of Rock Springs, Wyoming. The trooper located the vehicle and realized it was similar to the one described in the Amber Alert. The trooper spoke with the driver and received inconsistent and vague responses. The driver also initially told the trooper he was alone in the vehicle. The trooper detained the driver and again inquired if the female suspect from the Amber Alert was inside the car. The driver admitted the female and the juvenile were both in the vehicle. All occupants were asked to exit and the juvenile from the Amber Alert was found unharmed. The trooper later discovered misdemeanor amounts of marijuana and
methamphetamine inside the vehicle. The child was released to the Wyoming Department of Family Services. The driver and passenger were arrested and have been identified as Eugene A. Trujillo and Gabriella A. Rodriguez. Trujillo has been charged with kidnapping, interference with custody, accessory before the fact and child endangerment with methamphetamine. Rodriguez has been charged with kidnapping, interference with custody, child endangerment with methamphetamine and two counts of third offense possession of a controlled substance. The incident is still under investigation.
District 5
State Snow Removal Operations 2020-21 plan DUBOIS – WYDOT maintenance crews use a detailed plan to attack winter storms when they occur in the Cowboy State. Limited resources, including a lack of manpower and limited state funding, require priorities to be made. WYDOT’s Snow Removal Operations 2020-21 Plan is a prioritized list of routes based on traffic counts and school bus routes. What follows is the level of snow-plowing service as determined by the maintenance manual and snow plan: – Level 1A roads have 24-hour service. The only Level 1 (A) roads are the interstate highways in Wyoming; – Level 1B. Crews strive to provide service up to 20 hours a day with minimum service necessary that will allow traffic to move safely at a restricted rate. Plowing methods and frequency should be sufficient to keep snow ridges and dangerous drifting to a minimum; – Level 2. Crews strive to provide service up to 16 hours a day for traffic observing reasonable winter driving precautions. Plowing methods and frequency should be sufficient to minimize minor snow ridges and dangerous drifting; – Level 3. Crews provide minimum service necessary for traffic observing reasonable winter driving precautions and speeds. Plowing methods and frequency should be sufficient
to minimize larger snow ridges and dangerous drifting during daylight hours; crews apply abrasives (sand/ salt) and chemicals when necessary on hills, curves and hazardous locations; and crews close the road when warranted by visibility limitations or other extreme situations. If necessary, crews allow roads to close because of the weather and reopen as soon as resources are available; – Level 3B roads. Crews provide minimum service as resources become available; crews apply abrasives and chemicals as necessary on hills, curves and hazardous locations; road conditions shall govern; and the public may travel at their own risk, as conditions allow; and – Level 4 roads. Crews close these roads in the fall as mandated by heavy snow and weather. Crews reopen these roads as soon as practical in the spring. “Cleanup operations at the end of the storm are to be performed during normal scheduled working hours after all other levels of snow control service have been accomplished,” the Snow Removal Operations 2020-21 Plan stated. “This operation shall include the clearing of any snowblocked approaches, removal of drifted areas off the roadway, and snow piles at intersections and turnarounds, etc.” “In short, high volume roads are plowed up to 24 hours a day, and usually consist of interstate highways and urban routes, such as I-80 in southern Wyoming,” said WYDOT District 5 Maintenance Engineer Lyle Lamb. “Medium routes are plowed to keep them passable and reasonably safe, and are a secondary priority to high volume routes. Low volume routes are only serviced after high volume and medium volume roads have been cleared, and are only plowed during daylight hours. Closed refers to seasonally-closed roads, where the cost of keeping them clear outweighs their use.” “Exceptions to the plan include school bus routes, which are plowed twice a day regardless of their priority,” Lamb said. The snow removal priority plan is available at www.wyoroad.info.
Concrete rehabilitation project shut down CODY – A winter project shutdown occurred the week of Dec. 14 on the $4.93 million concrete rehabilitation project in downtown Cody. “All concrete work is completed through Alger Avenue on 17th Street as per the construction requirements of Phase 2,” said Resident Engineer Todd Frost of Cody. Current project work includes concrete slab replacement work in the westbound lanes of 17th Street between Alger Avenue and Draw Street. “We expect project cleanup to be complete throughout the project work zone,” Frost said. Last week, street grinding was completed in the westbound lanes of Sheridan Avenue between 14th and 15th streets, and from Walgreens to East Sheridan Avenue, including a portion of East Sheridan Avenue. Frost said project highway striping was completed Dec. 9 between 14th Street and Alger Avenue. “We appreciate our WYDOT stripers for their patience and waiting to stripe until this late in the year,” he said. Work remaining in 2021 includes: – Replacement of broken curb and gutter, double gutter, double gutter, sidewalk, and concrete pavement from Alger Avenue through Stampede Avenue; – Grinding and texturing concrete from East Sheridan Avenue through Stampede Avenue; – Cleaning and sealing concrete joints from 14th Street through Stampede Avenue; – Placing sod at Good to Go, Holiday Inn and Antler Inn in spring 2021; – Paving at Comfort Inn and as needed in spring 2021; – And landscaping and sprinkler repairs will be completed at Walgreens, Wendy’s, Holiday Inn, Pinnacle Bank and other areas as needed when the ground thaws in spring 2021. The Sheridan Avenue project (#CodyImprovements) includes removing and replacing existing damaged concrete slabs, resealing existing concrete joints, grinding and texturing existing roadway, Briefs continued on page 6 January 2021
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upgrading Americans with Disabilities requirements at every street corner between 10th Street and Stampede Avenue, replacing broken curb and gutter and sidewalk, and upgrading wiring at traffic signals. The project begins at US 14/16/20 milepost 51.78 at the intersection of 10th Street and Sheridan Avenue in front of the Park County Courthouse, and it proceeds 1.20 miles on US 14/16/20 to the intersection of 17th Street and Stampede Avenue on Greybull Hill. “Email updates and weekly public meetings will resume in the spring when the contractor begins preparing to resume work operations,” Frost said. Phase 3 of the project, by contract, proceeds from Alger Avenue up Greybull Hill to the end of the project and must be completed through concrete grinding and texturing prior to June 15, 2021. By contract, the project will be shut down from June 16, 2021 through Aug. 23, 2021. Phase 4 of the project, by contract, requires all remaining work to be completed by Sept. 30, 2021. Contract completion date is Sept. 30, 2021.
Snow plow struck on US 26 west of Riverton RIVERTON – A Wyoming Department of Transportation plow truck was hit by a passenger vehicle Dec. 2 on slick US 26 roads west of Riverton. The near head-on crash caused minimal damages to the truck’s plow, but heavy damages to the passenger vehicle. No serious injuries were reported. The plow truck was moving slowly at the time of the crash. Wyoming Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. WYDOT Riverton heavy equipment operator Mike Crawford said it’s important for citizens to realize that WYDOT plow trucks are out on the highways during and after snow storms. WYDOT has numerous bright yellow plow trucks, and when working the roads, these plow trucks have amber, red and blue flashing lights mounted on top of the cab and on the back of the sanders. Snow plow trucks and the plows are huge machines and equipment, capable of moving tons of snow every minute. Operators of these snow plows are highly trained professionals. These snow plow professionals need
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cooperation from drivers so they can do their jobs and keep the road safe for drivers. Give them room to operate. “Stay well back from operating snow plows, and be aware of oncoming plow trucks,” Crawford said. “These trucks are spreading sand, anti-icing and de-icing chemicals on the roadway.” Crawford said it’s always a good idea to stay vigilant when approaching snow plow trucks, too. WYDOT employees are out on the highways every day and many nights, including holidays, attempting to provide a safe, high quality and efficient transportation system for the citizens of Wyoming. WYDOT employees are on the roads when the conditions are the worst, and they’re out there between storms, too. With limited visibility, snow plow drivers can’t see vehicles behind them if the vehicles are too close to the plows. “Remember, the safest driving surface is behind the plow. If you must pass, don’t pass on the right into the plume of snow being moved,” Crawford said. “Be sure on two-lane highways that you have plenty of time to pass. Keep a close watch. These huge plow trucks often stir up their own snow cloud while doing their work. It’s sometimes impossible to see what’s com-
Total number of employees: As of Dec. 4, 2020
1,926
One month ago
1,900
One year ago
1,962
ing at you when passing a plow truck due to the ever-present snow cloud created by the plow truck.” WYDOT snow plows usually operate at slower speeds than other traffic. “Always remember our plows are helping to keep you safe,” Crawford said.
S&S continued work on east side of 17th Street CODY – S&S Construction continued work on 17th Street in Cody on Dec. 8. Grinding of pavement began prior to the slab replacement on Greybull Hill. Crews enjoyed the unseasonably balmy 50 degree temperature with slight winds. n
Photo: WYDOT
Briefs continued from page 5
Pavement grinding on 17th Street in Cody.
WHP Total number of highway fatalities: As of Dec. 8, 2020
120
One year ago
142
WHP Safety and Training The Western States Traffic Safety Coalition (WSTSC) initiated a special effort this New Year’s Eve to ensure the dangerous driver behaviors of impaired drivers have no place to hide from the vigilance of their officers/troopers. The WSTSC is made up of 11 states including the Arizona Department of Public Safety, California Highway Patrol, Colorado State Patrol, Idaho State Police, Montana Highway Patrol, Nevada Highway Patrol, Oregon State Police, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Utah Highway Patrol, Washington State Patrol and the Wyoming Highway Patrol. These law enforcement agencies were committed and unified in keeping the people of their communities safe during the holiday. Even during this COVID-19 national health emergency, some may feel New Year’s Eve is the ultimate party night and engage in risky driving behavior, but police will be alert throughout the western region for impaired drivers. Impaired driving has a devastating impact on the quality of life for those in all communities. Assertive traffic law enforcement activity with a targeted public safety focus is the purpose of this partnership. Nationally, over the past five years, an average of 300 people have died in impaired driving crashes the week between Christmas and New Year. Last year, there were 10,142 people killed nationwide in impaired driving crashes accounting for nearly one-third of the yearly driving fatalities. These deaths are 100% preventable. The tragedy of these deaths is felt year-round, but for many, most strongly during the holidays.
Photo: Rick Carpenter
Wyoming Highway Patrol participated in New Year’s Eve safety initiative
In recent years, specifically drug-impaired driving has become a major highway safety issue. Driving impaired by any substance – alcohol or drugs, whether legal or illegal – is against the law in all states. Law enforcement officers are trained to observe drivers’ behavior and to identify impaired drivers. Additionally, law enforcement agencies have provided specialty training to some of their officers as drug recognition experts (DRE) to identify those drivers impaired by drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol. Even in states where marijuana laws have changed, it is still illegal to drive under the influence of the drug. All the state law enforcement agencies involved have ensured their officers/ troopers and DREs are properly trained to recognize and handle drug-impaired drivers as a direct investment in safety. The WSTSC encourages everyone to plan ahead, especially when celebrating any holiday, and to never drive impaired or high. n
Game & Fish By Sara DiRienzo, Wyoming Game & Fish Wyomingites are being asked to keep a lookout for dead rabbits in their yards, rural property and other outdoor areas. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is collecting wild rabbit carcasses for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 testing, known as RHDV2. Testing rabbits is key to monitoring the disease spread. Game and Fish recently confirmed the presence of the disease in Wyoming in a wild eastern cottontail in Albany county. RHDV2 is a fatal disease of rabbits and hares. An estimated 3550% of infected wild rabbits succumb to the disease. Samantha Allen, Game and Fish state wildlife veterinarian, said all of Wyoming’s rabbits and hares are susceptible – that includes game and non-game species like cottontail rabbits, jack rabbits and potentially, pygmy rabbits. Domestic rabbits are also at risk; however, other domestic pets and livestock are not at risk from the disease. The first indication of RHDV2 infection is dead rabbits that do not demonstrate an obvious cause of death, like a dog bite. “Any rabbit could become infected with the disease – so it could be a cottontail living in your yard or the one you see while
hiking,” said Allen. “Please report any dead rabbits you find. Testing these carcasses is the only way to know how the disease is spreading in Wyoming.” The disease has also been confirmed across the west in California, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. RHDV2 does not pose a threat to humans, but rabbits carry other diseases which can, like tularemia and plague. The public is advised not to touch or pick up any dead wild rabbits. Rather, note the location and call the Game and Fish Wildlife Health Lab at (307) 7455865 or the nearest regional office. Game and Fish personnel will evaluate the situation and make plans to collect the rabbit. n Photo: Patrick Wine
Keep a lookout for dead rabbits in yards, rural property, outdoor areas
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40Years of Excellence
January 2021 Message
Saving for Retirement During Challenging Times Despite the economic fallout related to COVID-19, there are steps you can take now to help ensure a sound retirement.
—In your 20s and 30s
Focus on the basics. Build a healthy credit score by using credit cards wisely and paying bills on time. Live below your means so you can pay off student loans and build an emergency fund. It’s also helpful to start saving for retirement, taking full advantage of any employer-match programs.
—In your 40s and 50s
Continue to save and spend wisely. Strive to pay down high-interest credit, such as car loans and credit cards. If you have children, consider setting up college funds, especially those that offer tax benefits. Keep adding to your retirement account and see if your employer’s retirement plan provides free financial advice.
—In your 60s
Avoid retiring too soon. Job losses are disproportionally high for this age group. If retirement comes unexpectedly, consider taking a part-time job to postpone taking Social Security or tapping into your nest egg prematurely. Try to pay off your mortgage and seek professional advice to make sure your investment portfolio is allocated properly.
NEED HELP? Your EAP can provide additional guidance and resources.
JANUARY 20, NOON ET How Much Will I Need for Retirement? Many financial institutions suggest saving a specific amount to retire safely. While it’s important to build a substantial nest egg, this one-size-fits-all approach has its challenges. In this webinar, we’ll help you analyze your situation from many perspectives, so you can set a goal that’s right for you.
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REGISTER Presented by Michael Di Maio Founder, New Focus − New Jersey
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Training What to expect from Training Services in 2021 By Amy Bale, Training Services Training Services is excited to tell you about several big projects releasing in 2021. First, WYDOT continues to commit itself to training and developing the leaders needed for the agency to excel in accomplishing its mission and has decided that all new first time supervisors should go through a new supervisors program. Starting in early 2021, new supervisors will be assigned to the WY Supervise New Supervisors Learning Plan. Training Services has been working on updating the WY Supervise program to include updated content from WYDOT programs as well as managerial content identified via a front line supervisor assessment sent mid-2020. There are some big changes to the WY Supervise program with more information to come. For a more complete look at the program, please check out the WY Supervise program schedule on the Training Services Intranet page. Also, with an expected launch in February, WYDOT’s maintenance employee learning plans will be updated and simplified into a single learning plan for all classifications. This learning plan will replace the current learning plans and make the process of completing training easier. The new learning plan will contain agency required training, job specific required training, and Onthe-Job training (OJT) checklists that will allow supervisors to determine when training is needed based on job requirements. Training Services is also developing learning plans with content that will cover the State of Wyoming’s core and functional
WY Supervise
WYDOT New Supervisor Program
competencies for non managerial employee development. These new Learning Tracks will be open to all employees for self registration, and each track will be announced and offered as soon as content has been curated. You will be able to find these Learning Tracks in the WELL using either the WYDOT catalog or search features. Watch for announcements in the Interchange and through email for the titles and release dates of these Learning Tracks. Finally, based on feedback from the WYDOT 2020 Training Needs Assessment, we are working on a redesign of the WELL to simplify the system and make it easier to find and access training. The new home page will give users immediate access to their learning plans, enrollments and transcripts . Additionally, the number of catalogs will be reduced to two. The Internal Course Catalog will contain all training conducted or hosted by WYDOT. The External Course Catalog will give users access to training that is conducted or hosted by outside vendors such as TC3, TLN and LinkedIn Learning. The search feature will allow users to search for either Internal or External training using titles, keywords, or course numbers (for example, “flagger” or “habits”). More information will be coming regarding these changes. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Training Services at dot-training@wyo.gov. n
HR Happenings Know WY
WYDOT New Employee Onboarding Program
As of Jan. 1, the on-boarding process for new employees will be updated. History The Know WY On-boarding program is an on-boarding process for all new WYDOT employees. All new employees are automatically assigned the Know WY Learning Plan upon hire in WYDOT’s Learning Management System, the WELL. What’s the change? In addition to the employee meeting with HR on day one of employment and attending the Know WY Virtual Workshop within the first few months, an informational on-boarding webinar has been added for new employees. Starting in February, the webinar will be held the second Monday of every month. All employees should plan to attend the webinar in the morning.
Maintenance employees should also plan to complete additional training in the afternoon of the webinar. Log in information will be provided to the employee and their supervisor. Why the change? Feedback from employees and programs has indicated a need for employees to receive specific training within their first weeks of employment. The content of the week two on-boarding webinar will address the identified subject areas. How will it affect new hires? New hires, working with their supervisor should plan to attend the week two on-boarding webinar from their office or shop. In some locations, employees may attend from a computer lab. More information can be found on the WYDOT employees website at: http://employees.dot.state.wy.us/home/ wydot-training-services/talent-development-at-wydot/ required-training.html n
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District News Headquarters
Promotions and Transfers Brett Lavoy, Office Services-Mailroom; Justin Mordahl, Geology; and Brittney Rexius, Financial Services-General Ledger.
District 1
Promotions and Transfers
service to WYDOT and WHP. She began her career in September 1989 with WHP dispatch and remained there until her retirement. n
Wyatt Houston, Elk Mountain Maintenance.
Congrats
Barker
Director Luke Reiner presented Leroy Everitt (top center) and Eric Puente (bottom second from left) with their service awards in December.
Photo: Rick Carpenter
Leroy Everitt, Right of Way-Administration – 35 years; Eric Puente, Traffic – 30 years; Clayton Barker, Patrol-Capitol Services Protection – 15 years; Scott Gamo, Environmental Ser-
Photo: Rick Carpenter
Service Awards
Gamo
Houston
Timothy Morton was selected as the District 1 Maintenance Engineer in Laramie. He assumed his new duties Dec. 1. Ryan Shields was selected as the District 1 Traffic Engineer in Laramie. He assumed his new position Dec. 1. n
Morton
Shields
District 2
Service Awards
vices – 15 years; Douglass Still, Port of Entry-Cheyenne I-80 – 15 years; Brandon Hoover, GIS/ITS – 10 years; Amy Lambert, Wood Right of Way-Engineering – 10 years; Dana Wood, Right Of Way-Appraisals – 10 years; Brock Anderson, Right of Way-Engineering – 5 years; and Ezekiel Hernandez, Facilities Management-Custodial – 5 years.
Shaw
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Justin Collins and Larry Murphy, of Lusk Maintenance crew 2035, entered their chili into a local chili cookoff. The WYDOT team beat out six other Lusk businesses for the coveted “Golden Pot” and bragging rights for a full year in the 2nd Annual Lusk Chili Cookoff.
Bliss
Retirements
Retirements Ginger Hebert retired on Nov. 16 from Patrol-Dispatch with 31 years of
Photo: WYDOT
Lambert
Richard Shaw, Lusk Maintenance – 20 years; Pennie Bliss, Douglas Construction – 15 years; and Frederick Dappen, Wheatland Maintenance – 5 years.
Photo: WYDOT
Still
Congratulations
Dappen
A small group gathered with the local crew in Torrington to help Doug Hughes, Torrington Shop Foreman celebrate his retirement.
Douglas Hughes retired on Oct. 30 from Torrington Mechanics as a Heavy Mechanics supervisor. Hughes began his career with WYDOT in July 2007 and retired with 13 years of service to the state. n
District 3
District 4
Service Awards
Brad McCullough, Rock Springs Construction.
Anthony Niswender, Gillette Construction – 30 years; Dudley Bethea, Sundance Mechanics – 25 years; and Troy Tyree, Port of Entry-Sheridan – 10 years.
Service Awards Lon Richardson, Lyman Maintenance – 25 years; and Eric Loveland, Afton Mechanics – 10 years.
Richardson
Congratulations Congratulations to Serena Jorgensen and Tanner Passey on passing their Level III training on Dec. 11. They are now able to do paperwork inspections.
Eva Desoi, daughter of Candice Hearn with Wamsutter Maintenance, recently graduated from U.S. Army boot camp in Columbia, South Carolina on Dec. 3 and was stationed in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Her advanced individual training will begin and she will start her journey toward becoming a pilot. n
District 5 Craig Brown, Basin Maintenance – 5 years.
Promotions and Transfers Christopher Hill, Basin Mechanics.
Hill
Shoopman
Armstrong
Brown
Retirements Edward Golson retired Nov. 6 from Burgess Junction Maintenance with 33 years of service to the state. Golson, a Lovell native, began his career with the old Wyoming Highway Department as a striping laborer in Sheridan. He also held positions as highway Golson traffic maintenance technician, striping technician and equipment operator in Sheridan before moving to Burgess Junction. n
January 2021
le Afte yc
ading! Re
Schlager
Bethea
r
Troy Teter, Lovell Maintenance – 15 years; Chad Schlager, Riverton Construction – 10 years; Shane Shoopman, Ten Sleep Maintenance – 10 years; Shannon Armstrong, Basin MainteTeter nance – 5 years; and
Niswender
ease Re c Pl
Service Awards
Photo courtesy of Candice Hearn
Promotions and Transfers Noteworthy
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Passings David E. Cunningham David E. Cunningham, 64, of Rock Springs, passed away on Dec. 8, 2020. He was born on July 7, 1956 in Cozad, Nebraska to Paul and Patricia Cunningham. He attended schools at District No. 19, east of Cozad, until sixth grade. He then went to Cozad Public Schools, graduating with the class of 1974. After high school, he attended Fort Hays State in Hays, Kansas, but soon decided to return to Nebraska. Cunningham began working for the Nebraska Natural Gas Company in Gothenburg. While there, he began a career in law enforcement with the Gothenburg Police Department Cunningham before transferring to the Dawson County Sheriff ’s Department. He met and married his first wife, Janae Mandelko, in 1983 – which later ended in divorce. In 1985, Cunningham attended the Wyoming Police Academy in Douglas and was accepted into the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Shortly thereafter he moved to Evanston where he met his second wife, Lori Mathson. During his time with the WHP, he lived in Evanston, Torrington and finally Rock Springs, where he retired at the rank of captain from the Wyoming Highway Patrol on Oct. 31, 2013. After retirement, he hired on as a driver for PTI, where he enjoyed driving train crews across the state. Cunningham never had any kids of his own, but loved Lori’s children and grandchildren as if they were his. He was always willing to provide and support them, even when life as a step parent could be challenging. He was loved and cherished by friends and family, and will always be remembered for his giant bear hugs. He was a member of the Elk’s club, eventually becoming exalted ruler. He was also a lifetime member of the Wyoming Highway Patrol Association. Cunningham enjoyed College football – his favorite teams were the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wyoming Cowboys. He enjoyed going to concerts, gambling, road trips, fishing and watching NASCAR races.
LET’S MAKE
IT ZERO!
Drive safely out there. 12
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Funeral services were held on Dec. 18 at Crandall Funeral Home in Evanston. Interment followed at Evanston City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations go to the Wyoming Highway Patrol Association. Please contact Lt. Matt Arnell for donation information at: matt.arnell@wyo.gov
Alan M. Morgan
Alan “Max” Morgan of Cheyenne, died on Nov. 9, 2020. Morgan was born in 1949 in La Junta, Colorado to Robert and Johnna Morgan. He was the second of four sons and started life in Fowler, Colorado. Growing up, he lived with his family on the eastern plains of Colorado and in the Colorado Platte River valley prior to moving to Newcastle, Wyoming. Morgan graduated from high school in Newcastle in 1967 and attended the University of Wyoming. His time at the University of Wyoming was altered by the Vietnam War – his college days were interrupt- Morgan ed when he left to serve in the U.S. Army in Fairbanks, Alaska. Morgan was honorably discharged and returned to the University of Wyoming and finished his degree in journalism in 1975. Morgan briefly worked for the Wyoming Highway Department, WYDOT’s predecessor agency, in the Public Affairs Office during the mid-1970s. Subsequently, he worked in oil fields in North Dakota and Southern Colorado. Later in his career, he changed to the logistics industry working in distribution facilities in Denver and Cheyenne at the Walmart Distribution Center when it opened. He loved to play golf and was an avid Wyoming Cowboys fan. He especially enjoyed playing the F.E. Warren Air Force base course early in the morning, getting in a quick round of golf before it was hot or windy. He also immensely enjoyed all his great nieces and nephews. Morgan was a lifelong caring soul who managed his mother’s care as she aged as well as helping his brothers, sisters in law and others along the way. Memorial Services will be held at a later date. Internment will be in the Oregon Trail Veterans Cemetery in Casper. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations are made to an American Military Veterans Service organization of your choice. n
Andrea Falk Lien, former summer intern in the Materials Program and daughter of Mark Falk, Geology, harvested this bull moose in the Snowy Range.
Photo: Callie Strode
Photo: Mark Falk
Outdoors
Photo: Chase Cimburek
Photo: Chase Cimburek
Emergency Communication’s Callie Strode took 6-year-old daughter, Anyka, fishing at Grey Rocks Reservoir where she caught her very first fish – a 4.5 pound carp! She caught it and had help from Grandpa and her mom to reel it in.
Rock Springs Engineer Chase Cimburek did well this past hunting season. The mule deer (left) was taken in steep terrain in the Wyoming Range using a Winchester Model 70 Rifle. The Elk (right) was taken in the Wyoming Range using a 102-year-old Swedish M96 Mauser.
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Break Time Let’s play sudoku! The rules of the game are simple: each of the nine blocks has to contain all the numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number can only appear once in a row, column or box.
Answer to the December 2020 Break Time word search:
2 4
7 1 6 4 8 5 3 4 6 5 2 9 3 2 7 8 1 6 3 2 8
7
1
1 3 8
4 5
9 5 1 6 7
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