Interchange – January 2023

Smolinski named new CTO

By Jordan Achs

In November, Director Reiner announced Nate Smolinski as WYDOT’s new Chief Technology Officer.

“I’m very excited to take on this role and am looking forward to working with Director Reiner and the rest of Executive Staff to continue seeking opportunities and solutions to provide for WYDOT’s employees and customers,” he said. “This agency has an extremely dedicated and passionate work force, and it has been an honor to work alongside and support your efforts.”

Smolinski started with WYDOT in fall of 2011 in the former Telecom department as a telecommunications specialist. He moved up the ladder, serving as senior telecommunications technician in Lander and Emergency Communications district supervisor in Sheridan.

In the summer of 2016, Smolinski moved to Cheyenne for a promotion to WyoLink system support manager and, in 2019, emergency communications program manager.

He also serves as a representative for WYDOT and the state

on a number of national boards and committees, including the Cyber Infrastructure and Security Agency National Conference of Statewide Interoperable Communications; the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group; and as the state point of contact for ATT – FirstNet’s Wyoming initiative.

Prior to his time with WYDOT in Wyoming, Smolinski oversaw a communications contracting company installing networks and infrastructure for New York State Government Facilities.

Smolinski replaced Troy Babbitt, who retired from the CTO position in July 2022.

“As an agency, we’ve got several large projects on the radar, and I’d like to thank those other programs and individuals who have been assisting in ensuring the solutions we are working towards will meet your needs,” he said. “Our Emergency Communications, IT and ITS/GIS programs will continue working together in order to provide everyone with the necessary resources to accomplish our mission.”

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.

Jordan Achs Public Affairs

Matt Groth Public Affairs

Mark Horan Public Affairs

Carlie Van Winkle Public Affairs

Andrea Staley District 1 Jeff Goetz District 2

Stephanie Harsha District 3

Laura Dalles District 4

Cody Beers District 5

Sgt. Jeremy Beck Patrol

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.

District Briefs

Headquarters Commission awards

$41.2 million in contracts in December

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded $41.2 million in contracts for nine Wyoming Department of Transportation construction projects during its December 15 regular business meeting.

The commission conditionally awarded a nearly $17.96 million bid to Casperbased Oftedal Construction, Inc. for a project involving grading, traffic control, drainage, electrical, concrete, sidewalk and curb and gutter work on approximately 0.6 mile at various locations within Sheridan County. The bid is conditionally awarded pending concurrence by the City of Sheridan. If approved, the contracted completion date is November 30, 2024.

The commission awarded a $7.47 million bid to Cheyenne-based Reiman Corp. for a project involving paving, structure replacement, grading, milling, traffic control and other work on about 8 miles of Wyoming Highway 223 in Laramie County.

S & S Builders, LLC, based out of Gillette, was awarded a $2.72 million bid for a project involving bridge rehabilitation, paving, concrete work, traffic control and other work in various locations within Fremont and Park Counties.

The above two projects have a contracted completion date of November 30, 2023.

Lovell-based Mountain Construction Company was awarded a $7.12 million bid for a project involving paving, grading, traffic control and other work on 8.7 miles of US Highway 14A in Big Horn County.

The commission awarded a $5.52 million bid to Afton-based Avail Valley Construction-WY, LLC, for a project involving paving, traffic control, structure rehabilitation, milling, chip seal and other work on 5.3 miles of US Highway 26/US Highway 287 in Teton County.

Worland-based McGarvin-Moberly

Construction Co. was awarded a $2.04 million bid for a project involving paving, erosion control, traffic control, chip seal and other work on approximately 5 miles on Wyoming Highway 431 (Gooseberry Creek Road) in Washakie County.

The above three projects have a contracted completion date of June 30, 2024.

Cheyenne-based Knife River was awarded a $2.27 million bid for a project involving paving, traffic control, grading, milling, chip seal and other work on about 2.3 miles of US Highway 26/Wyoming Highway 789 in Fremont County.

S & S Builders was also awarded an almost $1.37 million bid for a project involving work on the Catchnet structure system, grading, traffic control and other work on US Highway 16 in Johnson County.

Advanced Electrical Contracting, Inc., based out of Sheridan, was awarded a $679,743 bid for a project involving electrical work, concrete paving, sidewalk work, curb and gutter, traffic control, grading, striping and other work at the interchange of Interstate 80 and Wyoming Highway 150 (Front Street) in Uinta County.

The above three projects have a contracted completion date of October 31, 2023.

All of this month’s awarded projects are primarily funded with Federal dollars. Almost all WYDOT projects are awarded to the lowest bidder.

Emergency relief order for propane delivery

CHEYENNE – Gov. Mark Gordon signed an executive order to allow motor carriers delivering propane to operate outside the regular operating daylight hours.

Under the emergency relief order issued by the governor, a state of emergency exists in Wyoming for the prompt delivery of propane. This emergency requires that propane transportation and delivery within the State of Wyoming be exempt from 49 CFR 395.3.

However, nothing contained in this order shall be construed as an exemption from the controlled substances, alcohol use and testing requirements (49 CFR

382), the commercial driver’s license requirements (49 CFR 383), the financial responsibility requirements (49 CFR 387), applicable size and weight requirements, or any other portion of the regulations not specifically identified in this order.

While under this order, propane transportation or delivery companies shall not require or allow any fatigued driver to operate a propane delivery vehicle. A driver who informs a carrier that they need immediate rest shall be given adequate rest before the driver is required to return to service.

This order will expire no later than midnight, January 14, 2023.

Governor Gordon bans TikTok on state devices due to cybersecurity concerns

CHEYENNE – Gov. Mark Gordon has announced a ban on TikTok from all state electronic devices and networks to address cybersecurity concerns that have been raised by the app’s foreign ownership and the potential influence of foreign governments.

In a memo addressed to all state employees, the Governor directed that TikTok will be permanently removed and access blocked, from all state government electronic devices and networks. This ban extends to all state-issued cell phones, laptops, tablets, desktop computers and other information technology equipment capable of internet connectivity.

“Maintaining robust cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and Wyoming is committed to identifying threats that could impact public safety,” Governor Gordon said. “The potential for foreign governments to access information collected by TikTok is extremely troubling.”

The Governor’s announcement means Wyoming joins at least 12 other states that have banned TikTok from state devices.

The Governor’s memo also directs the State’s Enterprise Technology Services, Wyoming Office of Homeland Security and the Wyoming Information Analysis Team to conduct a coordinated review of

Private donations help fund WYDOT wildlife project on I-25

CHEYENNE – Recent fundraising and monetary donations will help the Wyoming Department of Transportation complete a critical wildlife project on Interstate 25.

The project has received more than $300,000 in donations, thanks in part to recent fundraising efforts through the WYldlife Fund and Muley Fanatic Foundation, including donations from the Knobloch Family Foundation, Williams Energy Foundation, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, among others.

The donations will be used to help fund approximately 15 miles of 8-foot tall wildlife fencing along both northbound and southbound lanes of I-25 between Buffalo and Kaycee. The fencing will help guide animals, like mule deer, to safe places to cross the busy interstate.

“The WYldlife Fund is committed to advancing wildlife crossing projects throughout Wyoming,” said Chris McBarnes, president of the WYldlife Fund. “These projects are proven to immediately impact wildlife in a positive way while keeping drivers on the go. Wyoming is leading the way when it comes to the implementation of wildlife crossings and we will continue to do our part to make sure this doesn’t change.”

The fencing project was recently awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission to Mills-based King Enterprises, with an expected completion date of November 2024. The total cost of the project is about $4.4 million.

“Wildlife projects like this one are certainly an example of the exemplary partnership between our agency and other public and private stakeholders,” said Luke Reiner, WYDOT director. “Our sincerest thank you to all who donated to help such a worthy cause.”

Key stakeholders in this project include the Wyoming Game and Fish and Transportation Commissions, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust, advocacy groups like the WYldlife

Fund and the Muley Fanatic Foundation and other private donors.

Beyond donating directly to specific projects, another way to contribute toward wildlife infrastructure around the state is by purchasing a Wildlife Conservation license plate. More information and application instructions can be found on WYDOT’s website.

District 1

Wyoming Highway Patrol investigated fatality of EMT personnel

RAWLINS – On December 21, 2022, a fatal crash occurred at milepost 197 westbound on Interstate 80 west of Rawlins. At 3:55 a.m., Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers were notified of a two vehicle crash involving a semi-tractor with trailer and a pickup truck pulling a small enclosed trailer.

At approximately 4:15 a.m., first responders were attending to possible injuries involved in the initial crash. While first responders were on scene, a 2019 Freightliner semi-tractor with trailer

struck the two first responders and collided with the rear of an ambulance. One of the first responders was critically injured and the other sustained fatal injuries.

The first responder, a member of the ambulance service on scene, who sustained fatal injuries was identified as 29-year-old Tyeler Harris of Saratoga, Wyoming.

The driver of the tractor-trailer that crashed into the original incident scene has been identified as Saviol Saint Gean, of Brooklyn, New York. Driver inattention is being investigated as a possible contributing factor of the crash.

WHP and Laramie County Fire District No. 2 hosted a child seat safety check station

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Highway Patrol and Laramie County Fire District No. 2 held a free child seat safety check station event December 17.

The event was held at Laramie County Fire District No. 2 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Child seats were available at no

any other technology-based threats posed to state government networks.

cost to those in need, as supplies lasted. Troopers and firefighters also checked for proper installation of child seats being currently used by parents or guardians who were seeking clarification on proper installation.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 59 percent of child seats are incorrectly installed in vehicles.

Wyoming law enforcement arrest three during the Border War Operation 2022

LARAMIE – Law enforcement agencies in Laramie and Albany counties made 108 traffic stops, arrested three impaired drivers and made one arrest for controlled substances during the Border War Impaired Driving Enforcement Operation on Nov. 12.

Since 2015, law enforcement in Wyoming and Colorado have teamed up as part of a multi-state impaired driving enforcement operation. For the 114th Border War game, traffic enforcement was concentrated on US 287, Interstate 25 and Interstate 80, to and from the game that was played in Fort Collins this year.

Wyoming law enforcement in Laramie and Albany counties also issued 25 speeding citations, three seatbelt citations, 40 other citations and issued 54 warnings.

The weather was not a factor in southeastern Wyoming during the operation nor were there any fatal crashes reported during the operation.

Agencies involved in Wyoming included the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Laramie Police Department, Albany County Sheriff’s Office, University of Wyoming Police Department, Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and the Cheyenne Police Department.

Parsley Bridge open to live traffic

CHEYENNE – Crews with Reiman, Corp. and the Wyoming Department of Transportation opened the Parsley Bridge to live traffic on Nov. 22.

Numerous hits from commercial truck traffic on Interstate 80 in past years have caused several closures and frequent repairs to the bridge. The new bridge has

an increased clearance height above I-80 which should mitigate future collisions and closures at this location.

Due to weather and material delays this season, there may be brief closures in 2023 for some minor adjustments. All structural work has been completed.

District 2

Salt Creek Highway reopened

CASPER – WYO 254, better known as Salt Creek Highway, was recently reopened to traffic where it intersects with West Yellowstone Highway. Work on the bridge over Casper Creek was sufficiently completed to open the road to traffic.

The traffic signal at the intersection is again live after several months of flashing yellow for those traversing Yellowstone Highway.

cluded paving and a bridge replacement, concrete retaining walls, pathways and wildlife crossings as well as miscellaneous work north of the Hoback Junction.

District 3

Snake River bridge lanes north of Hoback Junction now open

JACKSON – The Wyoming Department of Transportation reopened all lanes on the Snake River bridge north of the Hoback Junction. The new lane configuration includes two lanes for northbound traffic from the Hoback Junction to Jackson, two lanes for southbound traffic from Jackson to the Snake River bridge, and one lane past the bridge to the Hoback Junction. Crews will return later this spring for punchlist items to complete the work.

The project is the second half of a broader corridor improvement project between the Hoback Junction and Jackson on US 26/89/189/191. The work in-

N Street Bridge closed for inspection

ROCK SPRINGS – The Wyoming Department of Transportation restricted access to the N Street bridge near the Rock Springs Civic Center on Dec. 13 and again on Dec. 14 for routine bridge inspection work. Crews needed to close the bridge to motorists to mobilize equipment, crews and to perform drilling work to collect core samples for evaluation.

Residents of the area and local traffic were able to access the surrounding neighborhoods and driveways, but through traffic was advised to find an alternate route or detour to Pearl Street.

Briefs continued on page 6

A look facing south over the WYO 254 bridge to the West Yellowstone Highway intersection.

Photo: WYDOT

New lanes open on Snake River bridge north of Hoback Junction.

Photo: WYDOT

Restricted access to the N Street bridge while inspections took place.

Aerial image: Google

District 5

Fremont County Safe Rides program kicked off on New Year’s Eve

RIVERTON – A $28,000 highway safety grant help funded an events-based safe rides program in Fremont County, beginning New Year’s Eve in Lander and Riverton.

“The $28,000 grant helped us build on efforts by the Fremont County DUI Task Force to provide safe rides home for people during holiday festivities and public events,” said Fremont County Association of Governments Administrator Gary Michaud.

Citizens aware of a large public event where alcohol is being consumed are encouraged to contact Michaud at the Wind River Transportation Authority.

The Fremont County DUI Task Force is an identified need targeted by the Governor’s Council on Impaired Driving. The task force consists of legislators, local elected officials, police, Wyoming highway troopers, sheriff’s deputies, local judges, representatives of the county attorney’s office, Fremont County Prevention Office and others, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Fremont County DUI Task Force events include saturation patrols by the police departments in Lander, Riverton and Shoshoni, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Wyoming Highway Patrol.

The $28,000 highway safety grant is intended to help WYDOT reach its 2023 statewide goals of reducing the annual number of fatalities and serious injuries in crashes related to drunk drivers. Fremont County leads the state in impaired-related vehicle fatalities.

“This is not a category where we want to be the leader in Wyoming or the nation. Reducing impaired-related vehicle deaths should be a top priority for Fremont County. These tragedies have impacted all of us. We must take action,” Michaud said.

Avoid pushing snow into state highways

LANDER – The Wyoming Department of Transportation is issuing a reminder that it is a violation of state law to place snow on state roadways.

“Shoveling or plowing snow into the roadway where it will obstruct traffic and make it dangerous to pass is illegal in Wyoming,” according to Riverton Maintenance Foreman Shane Pugh.

State statute 36-10-401 stipulates that anyone who obstructs a public road or highway, common street or alley, public bridge or navigable river in a way that makes it inconvenient or dangerous to pass is breaking the law. Each violation is punishable by a fine of up to $100 and a jail sentence of up to three months.

“One way to take care of snow is to pile it on your property,” Pugh said.

Other concerns:

– Piling snow at the ends of driveways along highway shoulders and pushing snow across roads can create hazardous conditions;

– Piling or depositing snow that obstructs vision is a safety issue;

– And, keeping sidewalks clear is important to help people walk safely out of the roadway.

Another concern is when residents and businesses pile snow at the ends of driveways along the highway shoulder, Pugh said. This “banked snow” can reduce visibility for vehicles trying to enter the roadway.

“When the snow banks get higher than your average car, it makes it very difficult for motorists to see other vehicles,” said Pugh. “Our crews work to keep the shoulders clear for motorists’ safety and we need residents and business owners to do the same.”

Leaving a trail of snow on the pavement while plowing across the road also can cause problems. The snow may become packed and create ridges on the road, or, as temperatures change, the area may become icy.

“Careless plowing creates an added hazard to unsuspecting motorists and to road maintenance personnel,” Pugh said. “Winter can be a difficult time to get around for those on foot, so please take the extra effort to clear your sidewalks and help everyone stay mobile and safe.”

Meet WYDOT’s Grants and Contracts Policy office

By Jordan Achs

After the Federal Government passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Wyoming Department of Transportation knew it would need a dedicated team to keep up with all of the grant offerings through the bill.

The Grants and Contracts Policy program was created to meet that mission.

“We’re here to help other WYDOT programs and departments find grant opportunities and walk them through the process of requesting authorization to apply for eligible grants,” said Ali Ragan, Grants and Contracts Policy program manager.

Beyond help with grants, the office also assists programs and departments with drafting contracts. Having one source for contracts can help streamline processes with the Attorney General’s Office.

“We can help programs decide which type of contract works best for the work and can ensure the language matches what the AG needs and meets WYDOT policy,” Ragan said. “This can help expedite the review process and ensures contracts are consistent.”

For assistance with grants and contracts, you can email

The Grants and Contracts office staff from left: Natalie Crawford, Bret Lamblin, Ariel Villa, Dalena Phipps, and Ali Ragan.

dot-grants-contractspolicy@wyo.gov or call 777-4970. You can also find out more on the program’s webpage on the intranet or on the public website.

State Parks

Give the gift of adventure this year

By Gary Schoene, Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources

A Wyoming State Park Gift Certificate gets people outdoors and promises new adventures in some of Wyoming’s most spectacular destinations!

The gift certificates are redeemable for annual permits, which provide 2023 access to all state parks, historic and archaeological sites and recreation areas. Gift certificates are available at the Wyoming State Museum Store in Cheyenne. Orders may also be placed by phone by calling 307-777-6323.

Additionally, Wyoming State Park’s annual “Early Bird Special” is on now, with discounted prices on annual day-use permits through February 15. During the Early Bird sale, resident annual daily use permits are $42 ($48 regular price) and non-resident permits are available for $89 ($96 regular price).

Permits can be purchased at most State Parks and Historic Sites, but please call ahead as some parks and sites are closed during the winter months.

Permits are also available through Reserve America online at www.wyo-park.com, by phone at 877996-7275, or in-person statewide at the following locations:

Casper: Rocky Mountain Discount Sports and Wagner’s Outdoor Outfitters; Cheyenne: Wyoming State Parks (Museum Gift Store);

Cody: Cody Chamber of Commerce; Douglas: Douglas Hardware Hank; Gillette: Rocky Mtn. Discount Sports; Glendo: Howard’s General Store; Guernsey: Howshar Hardware; Lander: One Stop Market;

Laramie: West Laramie Fly Store;

Pine Haven: Paradise Foods;

Riverton: High Country Sporting Goods;

Shoshoni: Fast Lane;

Thermopolis: White Horse Country Store;

Torrington: Frontier Mart;

Wheatland: Platte County Chamber of Commerce; and Worland: Outdoorsman.

Photo: Jordan Achs

Plowing with pride at Pole Creek

By Seth Taylor, Buffalo Bulletin

As two cars cautiously passed the plow rumbling along U.S. Highway 16, Chuck Thompson raised his hand in greeting, morning sunlight glinting off the fresh snow and into his eyes.

“We wave at everybody,” he said. “It’s kind of our trademark.”

Rising into the Bighorn Mountains, Thompson fiddled with the control panel to his left, lowering the plow’s blade and shoving aside snow from the previous day’s storm. As the sound of metal on pavement commenced, a jet of snow spewed into the air.

Thompson loves plowing snow. It’s something about the way a snowbank evaporates before the plow’s blade, the feeling he gets when he looks in the mirror and sees a road freshly cleaned. For stranded travelers or anyone trying to get from one side of the mountain to the other, plows can be literal life savers, Thompson said.

“We’re out here for the grandma going to see her grandkids, the single mother taking her kids somewhere,” he said.

Thompson is in his 25th year driving plows for the Wyoming Department of Transportation and he’s in his fourth year as foreman at the Pole Creek Camp in the Bighorns. Thompson and two other workers live at Pole Creek with their families and between the three of them, they keep the highway and Powder River Pass clear of snow. The pass, at 9,666 feet, is the highest pass in Wyoming kept open year round.

Thompson, between sips of coffee and minute adjustments to the plow’s blade, has nothing but compliments for his crew.

“I’m just a paper pusher,” he joked.

Robert Betz, with white hair stuffed beneath a ballcap, is the longest-tenured member of the crew. He’s plowed the pass for 25 years and lived at Pole Creek for about 20.

Bruce Kent, a tall, gangly man, has lived at Pole Creek for nine years, part of a 17-year stint at WYDOT. After going two years on the mountain without shaving or cutting his hair, the others started calling him Sasquatch and they staked bigfoot crossing signs around the camp. He doesn’t mind.

The men are not quite a family. They work together and they live steps away from each other. They’re laid back and they try to have fun. But they still try to separate the personal from the professional. After all, they have a job to do.

“We do have a lot of pride in the road,” Kent said.

In the summer, taking care of the road consists of fixing signs, replacing broken delineators, clearing out culverts and performing maintenance on anything that requires it. In the winter, it’s mostly about plowing snow.

According to the Water Resources Data System and State Climate Office, the Bighorns receive well over 200 inches of snow a year. At least one inch falls between 60 and 80 days a year and even on days without precipitation, the wind can turn a clean road into a snowy one, Thompson said.

They plow at least once a day, trading off eight-hour shifts from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. The first shift begins at 5 a.m., the second at 7:30 a.m. and the third at 1 p.m. During that time, the men are responsible for keeping about 36 miles of Highway 16 clear, from the national forest boundary on the eastern side of the mountains to Deer Haven Lodge on the western side.

Thompson loves it. He’ll ride for hours, traversing the same

20-mile stretch and listening to country music.

“I never was a country music fan,” he said, “but most of the stations you can get around here for years are country music, so it’s kind of growing on me.”

Kent, on the other hand, is beginning to tire of the job. It used to be fun, but these days the monotony gets to him. He goes for hours, just sitting in the plow, eyeing his lunchbox and trying not to empty it before lunchtime.

“This week I’ve been in that truck for eight hours, eight hours, eight hours, nine hours,” he said. “And that’s a long time to be sitting there going back and forth.”

Thompson insists that the job itself, driving a 30-ton truck along a winding mountain road in a winter storm, isn’t that hard once you get the hang of it. It’s one of those things you just have to learn by doing. At this point, he knows the mountain roads so well that he can tell where he is even in a blizzard, when all he can see are flakes of snow flashing in the headlights.

The men’s worst fear is an accident – seeing someone stopped in the road ahead of them, too late to brake, or watching a vehicle skid across the centerline and into the plow’s path, nowhere to go. None of the men have been in any major accidents, but they’ve had “a lot” of close calls.

“It makes you think a little and then you just kind of go on with your job,” Betz said.

“The problem is, you don’t want to kill somebody,” Kent said. “And most of the time if they’re going to come across the lane and hit you, it’s probably not going to be good for them and nobody wants that on their conscience.”

As difficult as navigating the mountain road is, it’s far better than plowing the interstate, the three men agreed. On the interstate, you have to be good at plowing – and you have to be good at “people dodging.” And unlike the interstate, people don’t complain much when Highway 16 is closed or snowy. It’s a mountain road, Kent said. People know what to expect. More often than not, they’re just happy the plows are there at all.

One woman, who often travels Highway 16 from Spearfish to Worland to visit her grandkids, drops off cookies at the shop as a thank you, Thompson said. Pepsi truckers, who often haul loads from the Worland bottling plant across the pass, express their gratitude by delivering a pallet of Pepsi products each year at Christmas time.

The mountain road is changing, though. More and more people are making their way into the Bighorns. Kent estimated that traffic has tripled in the past five years.

“This holiday, hell, it looked like an interstate up here,” he said.

The Bighorns receive well over 200 inches of snow a year. At least one inch falls between 60 and 80 days a year and even on days without precipitation, the wind can turn a clean road into a snowy one.

That means there are more inexperienced drivers, especially long-haul truckers who don’t know how to handle the winter driving conditions. More than ever, the crew’s time is taken up by helping stranded semis.

The changes also mean more accidents, the worst of which happen in the summer when the road is clogged with tourists. Since 2019, nine people have died in mountain crashes, accord-

ing to WYDOT.

“When someone pulls up in our driveway in the summertime, that’s always the first thing on my mind and a lot of times that’s what it is,” Thompson said. “So a lot of times we’re the first ones to respond.”

The benefits of the job far outweigh the negatives, though, the men agree.

The men and their families live in three squat houses set aside from the shop at Pole Creek. The camp dates to the 1950s, Thompson estimated, but the houses were built in 1972. With three bedrooms and one bathroom each, the houses – paid for by WYDOT – are just right for the men and their families. The porches face a clearing where they commonly see elk. From their backyards, they can peer into the forest, where shadows emerge from between the trees. This time of year, Christmas lights line the eaves.

For the most part, it’s a quiet life. Thompson likes to hunt, hike and fish. He and his family will watch TV at night, a cooking show or, this time of year, college basketball. One of their greatest pleasures is planting game cameras in the forest and checking every so often to see what they’ve captured. They go to Buffalo as little as possible, not because they don’t like it, but because they’d rather be at Pole Creek.

“We love it,” Thompson said.

Living at Pole Creek does mean that the families have limited social lives, but they’re just fine with that.

“We just got where we like solitude, I guess and it seems like the more you’re up here, the more you like it,” Thompson said. To their own chagrin, the men have become hermits.

“That’s what we’re turning into up here is just a bunch of old farts,” Thompson told Kent. “He’s been asking about if we have Christmas parties and all that stuff. We’re kind of getting antisocial in our old age.”

“Yeah,” Kent responded. “I don’t know – they having a Christmas party this year?”

“I haven’t heard of one,” Thompson said.

Kent laughed. “They might not even tell us about it.”

“We’re pretty well left alone up here –” Thompson said.

“– and we kind of like it that way,” Kent finished.

The isolation can be difficult for some people, especially for those with young families (the men’s families are all grown). Yet it’s rare for someone to leave. Since 1972, just three workers have lived in Kent’s and Betz’s houses. About six have lived in Thompson’s house, he said. When someone does leave, people clamor for the job.

All three men are nearing retirement. By the end of the decade, a whole new crew will be at Pole Creek for the first time in 20 years. Kent has about a year left and Thompson is already thinking about how he’ll replace him. It won’t be easy, he said.

“He comes to work with a smile on his face every morning,” Thompson said. “He likes to joke and he’s always in a good mood.”

People have already spoken with Thompson about replacing Kent and he expects there to be applications from across the state. And because Thompson himself is nearing retirement, he knows he might be picking a replacement for himself as well.

Heading down the mountain, the fragile blue sky that hung over the Bighorns disappeared behind a cloud bank rolling over Buffalo. Stray snowflakes flitted across the windshield as Thompson drove. With one hand on the wheel and the other latching and unlatching his coffee mug, he considered what he’ll look for in a replacement.

He’ll look for someone who is easygoing and easy to get along with. Someone who doesn’t have much family drama, who will make a good neighbor. Someone who’s a good worker, who isn’t just there for the free house and the forest access.

“I guess my biggest thing is I just want somebody who cares,” he said. “Whether they do things the way I do or not isn’t that big a deal. I just want somebody that cares.”

This article originally appeared in and is reprinted with permission of, the Buffalo Bulletin.

Photos: Seth Taylor

The three highway department employees at Pole Creek usually plow U.S. Highway 16 west at least once a day in the winter. Sometimes, they spend the entirety of their eight-hour shifts traversing the same stretch of road in order to keep it free of snow.

Inset: Chuck Thompson has been driving snowplows for 25 years, 12 of which have been in the Bighorn Mountains. He is now the foreman at Pole Creek, where he and two others live and work to keep the mountain pass clear of snow.

Employee Safety Substance abuse

By Jerry Fritz, D5 Safety Representative and Lt. Lee Pence, Wyoming Highway Patrol

In 2022, Lt. Lee Pence, with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, drove past a horrific accident in Superior, Wisconsin. The tragic accident left one man dead and led to the death of a child.

“I traveled by this crash the morning it happened. It was so ugly, that I looked it up when I got back to Wyoming and found the subject was a police sergeant. My first thought was that it likely wasn’t his first time driving drunk, it rarely is,” said Lt. Pence. “Second, someone around him likely saw red flags and did nothing. Although he was off duty, I suspect this guy likely came to work from time to time with alcohol on his breath. He was coherent enough (likely a seasoned drunk) after the crash to discard his empties.”

There have been several incidents during the past year that involved WYDOT personnel showing up for work while intoxi-

impaired individual, co-workers, employers and those who have a relationship with a company, whether as consumers, clients, or partners.

Chapter 1: General Provisions (State of Wyoming Personnel Rules)

Section 8. Substance Abuse.

(a) Policy. It is the policy of the State of Wyoming to maintain a workplace free of substance abuse as set forth by Executive order 1990-2

(b) All employees shall be given a copy of the executive order 1990-2 Substance Abuse Policy.

(c) Employees shall be informed that they must abide by the terms of the policy as a condition of employment and of the consequences of any violation of such policy.

Frostbite, hypothermia and cold stress

This winter Wyoming will experience severe cold temperatures, strong winds and the chance for frostbite, hypothermia and cold stress to set in very quickly. Planning is the first step. If you are in a position that requires you to be in the elements, dress warm and minimize the amount of time you are exposed to the wind and frigid air. Wear warm clothes and fabric that wicks away moisture. Have a go-bag that includes extra winter weather clothes for your travels, or if you are operating a plow. Ensure your vehicle is equipped with tools and equipment you may need during an unexpected breakdown. At home, make sure your pets are well protected while you are away.

Cold stress

Cold stress occurs by driving down the skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur and permanent tissue damage and death may result.

Four factors that contribute to cold stress are: cold temperatures, high or cold wind, dampness and cold water. A cold environment forces the body to work harder to maintain its core temperature. Cold air, water and snow all draw heat from the body. So, while it is obvious that below freezing conditions, combined with inadequate clothing, could bring about cold stress, it is important to understand that it can also be brought about by temperatures in the 50’s coupled with rain and/or wind.

Frostbite

Frostbite is caused by the freezing of the skin and tissues. Frostbite can cause permanent damage to the body and in severe cases can lead to amputation. Frostbite typically affects the extremities, particularly the face, ears, fingers and toes. Reddened skin develops with gray and white patches in the fingers, toes, nose, or ear lobes; tingling, aching, a loss of feeling, firm/hard skin and blisters may occur in the affected areas.

Frostbite first aid

• Protect the frostbitten area, e.g., by wrapping loosely in a dry cloth and protect the area from contact until medical help arrives.

• DO NOT rub the affected area, because rubbing causes damage to the skin and tissue.

• DO NOT apply snow or water. Do not break blisters.

• DO NOT try to actively re-warm the frostbitten area

Hypothermia

Hypothermia occurs when the normal body temperature (98.6°F) drops to less than 95°F. Hypothermia is most likely at very cold temperatures, but it can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or immersion in cold water.

Mild hypothermia symptoms appear when the victim is alert but shivering. Moderate to severe hypothermia begins when shivering stops, confusion and slurred speech begin, heart rate and

breathing slows, leading to loss of consciousness or even death.

Hypothermia first aid

• Call 911 immediately in an emergency.

• To prevent further heat loss: Move the worker to a warm place. Change to dry clothes. Cover the body (including the head and neck) with blankets, and with something to block the cold (e.g., tarp, garbage bag). Do not cover the face.

• If medical help is more than 30 minutes away: Give warm, sweetened drinks if alert (no alcohol). Apply heat packs to armpits, sides of chest, neck and groin.

Preventing cold stress

Planning for work in cold weather is the most important defense in preventing cold stress. Wearing appropriate clothing and being aware of how your body is reacting to the cold are important to preventing cold stress. Avoiding alcohol, certain medications and smoking can also help to minimize the risk.

Protective clothing

Wearing the right clothing is the most important way to avoid cold stress. The type of fabric also makes a difference. Cotton loses its insulation value when it becomes wet. Wool, on the other hand, retains its insulated qualities even when wet.

Work schedules – limit the exposure time

• Developing JSA’s that identify potential hazards and the safety measures that will be used to protect workers

• Limiting the amount of time spent outdoors on extremely cold days

• Providing warm areas for use during break periods

• Try to work in pairs to keep an eye on each other and watch for signs of cold stress. Victims of hypothermia may not recognize symptoms.

• Encourage employees to drink plenty of liquids, avoiding caffeine and alcohol. It is easy to become dehydrated in cold weather.

• Monitoring the weather conditions during a winter storm, having a reliable means of communicating with workers and being able to stop work or evacuate when necessary

• Having a means of communicating with workers, especially in remote areas.

• Avoiding exposure to extremely cold temperatures when possible.

WHP commissions Class 103

Likely one of the smallest graduating classes in WHP history

By Jordan Achs

Two Highway Patrol recruits received an early Christmas present this year as they graduated and received their badges on December 23, 2022.

Chad Dollick, who will be based in Gillette, and Clancy Gines, who will be based in Rock Springs, were the final recruits to graduate the 103rd Highway Patrol Academy Class.

To get to graduation, Dollick and Gines underwent a 20 week training academy together. Dollick received the Firearms Proficiency Award, the Academic Award and the Colonel’s Leadership Award during his time at the academy. Gines received the Overall Fitness Award.

The ceremony took place at the Wyoming Supreme Court and included the presentation of colors by the WHP Honor Guard, an invocation from WHP Chaplain John Byerly, remarks from Interim Administrator Lt. Colonel Shannon Ratliff and Academy Coordinator Sergeant Harley Kalb, and remarks from Chief Jus-

tice Kate Fox and Justice Lynne Boomgaarden of the Wyoming Supreme Court.

“As new Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers,” Boomgaarden said during her speech, “you will protect our communities, hold individuals accountable and ensure justice. Thank you for stepping up to fill that critical role in our justice system. … By receiving your badge, each of you in Wyoming Highway Patrol Class 103 has shown you’re a person of integrity and extraordinary skill. We also are confident that, as you become important members of the communities you’ve been assigned to serve, you’ll be

First row, from left: WHP Lt. Col. Joshua Walther, new Trooper Clancy Gines, new Trooper Chad Dollick, and retired Lt. Col. Shannon Ratliff. Second row from left: Sgt. Harley Kalb, Lt. Kyle McKay, Capt. David Wagener and Maj. Karl Germain. The group stands at the Wyoming Supreme Court to celebrate the commissioning of Gines and Dollick as the state’s newest Troopers.

Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Kate Fox leads Wyoming Highway Patrol recruits Chad Dollick, left, and Clancy Gines, right, through their oath of office during the WHP Academy Class 103 Commissioning Ceremony in late-December.

Photo: Jordan Achs

Photo: Jordan Achs

genuine, supportive, fair and will respectfully listen.”

When it came time for the oath, every trooper in the room raised their hand and spoke with the two recruits, honoring that the oath is an everlasting and special commitment.

“We did this for a couple reasons: It’s important for all of us to revisit our commitment, our responsibility and our accountability to those we serve, and it’s equally important that we all demonstrate our solidarity and support for you,” said Ratliff.

The pinning of the badges was done by the recruits’ family members, honoring their role in the journey to becoming a WHP Trooper.

“Each of you have sacrificed much over the past 20 weeks, and so have your families,” Ratliff said. “A huge thank you to your families, who have had to make everything happen in your absence, and who will continue to love and support you throughout your careers.”

The two newest Troopers will continue their training in the field with other troopers in their jurisdictions.

“Dollick, Gines, thank you for stepping up and being the Trooper that is needed,” Kalb said during the ceremony. “You have worked incredibly hard, and it has all paid off. Class 103, you are dismissed.”

Chad Dollick

Trooper Chad Dollick and his wonderful family left California in pursuit of a less stressful and more beautiful place to live. They initially landed in South Dakota but eventually migrated to Wyoming. Dollick joined the Wyoming Highway Patrol with a decorated background in law enforcement. He and his family are excited to be in the Cowboy State to explore and protect. He will be based in Gillette.

Clancy Gines

Trooper Clancy Gines is a Wyoming native. Born and raised in Farson, Wyoming, Gines is eager to give back to the community that raised him. He studied criminal justice at Chadron State where he played football. He was awarded a bachelor’s degree that will benefit him and the state well in his law enforcement career. Gines will be based in Rock Springs.

Dollick

Gines

Training Leading others at WYDOT

By Kurt Borgaard, Training Services

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams

The Wyoming Department of Transportation is committed to training and developing the leaders needed for the agency to excel in accomplishing its mission for the people who use our transportation system. The WYDOT University Program provides access to ongoing formal and informal education designed for continuous learning throughout the phases of an employee’s career. The purpose of this article is to focus on the development of those who lead others within our agency: our managers and supervisors.

WYDOT University provides both a required and recommended progression of training and education so that our supervisors and managers are better prepared to meet the challenges they face in helping accomplish the agency’s mission.

Required training opportunities

WY Supervise is a structured and formal new supervisors’ workshop. It is assigned to all first time supervisors through WYDOT’s Learning Management system, the WELL. This program is meant to help new supervisors transition into their new roles as quickly and easily as possible.

Recommended training opportunities

There are a number of optional learning opportunities that managers and supervisors have through WYDOT University to develop their leadership skills.

Supervisor learning themes

Supervisor learning themes align with Wyoming’s supervisor/ leader competencies and functional competencies. Each theme includes content that is focused on one area. Available learning themes in the WELL include:

• Coaching

• Evaluating performance

• Innovation

• Recruiting/onboarding

• Team building

Plus more coming in 2023 including: fostering an inclusive workplace, conflict management and motivating others.

Any employee can enroll in a supervisor learning theme via the WELL. The learning themes can also be reviewed on the “recommended learning” page under Training Services (WYDOT-U) on the employee intranet.

Training@aGlance

In January:

Training@aGlance

Start Date Development Stage Class Description

Check out these upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT-U, the Transportation Learning Network (TLN) and the WELL.

Check out these upcoming training opportunities from WYDOT-U, the Transportation Learning Network (TLN) and the WELL.

Class Hours Location

1/17/2023

New Employee

Google and WELL In-Person Training

8:30 am-11:30 am Various 1/24/2023 Technical Tuesdays with Trauner 6-Part Project Scheduling Series: No. 2-The Basics 8:00 am-9:30 am VILT 1/24/2023 Leading Self Myers Briggs (MBTI) and Teams 8:30 am-4:30 pm Cheyenne 1/31/2023 Technical Tuesdays with Trauner 6-Part Project Scheduling Series: No. 3-Submitting, Reviewing and Approving 8:00 am-9:30 am VILT 1/26/2022 Leading Others Leading Across Generations 1:00 pm-3:00 pm VILT

Coming in February:

Date Development Stage Class Description

Class Hours Location

2/7/2023

Leading Others Managing Unprofessionalism in the Workplace

8:30 am-4:30 pm VILT 2/9/2023 Leading Self Skills for Resiliency

8:30 am-10:30 am VILT 2/21/2023

New Employee

Google and WELL In-Person Training

Leading Others WY Supervise COHORT 1

– 2/15/2023: Supervisor Fundamentals

8:00 am-5:00 pm Various

8:30 am-11:30 am Various 2/15/2023

– 2/16/2023: Communication: Connect Through Conversations & Addressing Poor Performance

– TBD: Virtual Check In (VILT) date determined by cohort participants

– 3/22/2023: Driving Change (VILT)

– 3/23/2023: Resolving Conflict (VILT) 2/23/2023

Leading Others High Performing Teams

Visit the Training Services intranet page f m e inf mation.

8:30 am-11:00 am VILT

*All new employees are assigned the Know WY Learning Plan and should register for one of these Know WY workshops in the WELL

Visit the Training Services intranet page f m e inf mation.

Welcome

Emma Garvin, Office ServicesMailroom; Tara Grube, Highway Safety-Data Analysts; Charlyne Horton, Facilities Management-Administration; Samuel Karl, Patrol-Support Services; Amy Klingenberg, Driver ServicesCheyenne; Andrea Ortiz, GIS/ITS; Charles Reynolds, Patrol-Dispatch; Jamie Schwaiger, Highway Safety; and David Van Matre, Port of EntryCheyenne I-80.

Promotions and Transfers

Robert Armstrong, Highway Development-Photogrammetry/Survey; Natalie Crawford, Grants and ContractsAdministration;

Headquarters

Ruth Crockett, Procurement ServicesBuying; Stephen David, Highway Development-Photogrammetry/Survey; Brittney Duarte, Budget; Ryan Higgins, Materials-Surfacing; Kelsey Johnson, Bridge-Hydraulics; Kayla Martini, Right of Way-Appraisals; Colton Parish, Right of Way-Engineering; and Dalton Underwood, Bridge-Engineering Design.

Service Awards

Kimm Brookshire, Financial Services-Disbursements – 30 years;

Debra Ferguson, Environmental Services – 25 years;

Thomas Allen, Planning-Counter Shop – 15 years;

Della Beasley, Patrol-Records – 15 years;

Enid White, Materials-Pavement Management Systems – 15 years

Lawrence Pavone, Maintenance Staff – 10 years; and

Brett Lavoy, Facilities Management-Custodial – 5 years.

Retirements

Vincent Lucero retired on Nov. 14, 2022 with 34 years of service to the state. He began his career with the old Wyoming Highway Department, WYDOT’s predecessor agency, in December

1988 in the Traffic Sign Shop as a design specialist.

Cradle Call

Cole Bostron, with Field Operations, and his wife, Cassy, welcomed daughter Ellie Louise to the family on Dec. 9, 2022. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces.

Mark Horan, of the Public Affairs Office, and his wife, April, welcomed another daughter to their family on Dec. 11, 2022. Parker Olivia weighed in at 7 pounds, 3.8 ounces. She joins big sister Sydney at home.

Photo: Cole Bostron

Photo: Mark Horan

Crockett

Higgins

Parish

Armstrong

White

Lavoy

Brookshire

David

Johnson

Underwood

Crawford

Pavone

Beasley

District 1

Welcome

Timothy Duke, Laramie Maintenance; Cayden Schulz, Laramie Mechanics; and Michael Seawall, Laramie Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers

Damion Fauver, Cheyenne Maintenance; Leslie French, Medicine Bow Maintenance; Derek McCoy, Rawlins Mechanics; and Jonas Ostmeyer, Emergency Communications-Telephone.

Service Awards

Kristian Cueva, Cheyenne Construction – 5 years; Edward Tirado, Lusk Maintenance –15 years; and Erik Dieckmann, Lusk Maintenance – 5 years.

Retirements

David Peel retired Nov. 2, 2022 from District 1 GIS/ITS as computer technician program manager after 27 years of service. Peel began his career with WYDOT in September 1995.

Welcome

Noel Castillo Alvarez, Casper Maintenance; and James Kuhns, Torrington Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers

Zachary Armstrong, Casper Mechanics.

Fauver

French

Dieckmann

Peel

Armstrong

Welcome

David Degraw, Cokeville Maintenance; Trevor Gipson, Afton Traffic-Striping; Travis Herbin, Lyman Maintenance; Robert Jahn, Evanston Maintenance; Christine Mullen, Jackson Maintenance; Jasper Munns, Evanston

District 3

Maintenance; Jon Williams, Pinedale Maintenance; and Jordi Williams, District 3 Administration.

Promotions and Transfers

Donald Lawless, Jackson Maintenance; Deny Leonard, Lyman Maintenance; Mark Libert, Evanston Construction; and Jesse Zumpfe, Labarge Maintenance.

Service Awards

Delsa Sanderson, Patrol-Jackson – 15 years.

District 4

Welcome

Ryan Colby, Sheridan Maintenance; Ryan Ebbers, Gillette Maintenance; Carey Hieb, Gillette Maintenance; Ryan Markley, Gillette Maintenance; Cody Nuckolls, Buffalo Maintenance; Kelly Ortiz, Buffalo Mechanics; Matthew Petty, Traffic-Signing; Jason Slebiss, Moorcroft Maintenance; and Wesley Terrell, Gillette Construction.

Promotions and Transfers

Dea Koch, TrafficElectrical; Vincent Phillips, Sheridan Construction; and

Service Awards

Sean Stouffer, Port of Entry-Sundance – 5 years; and Rebecca Wetherington, Port of Entry-Sheridan – 5 years.

Retirements

Jeffrey Fox retired on Nov. 2 from Rock Springs Traffic striping crew as supervisor with more than 27 years of service to the state.

He is involved with the Sweetwater County VNEA and has served as president of the chapter.

David Neilson retired on Nov. 2 with more than 25 years of service to the state. A Kemmerer native, he began his WYDOT career in October 1997 as a transportation tech II in Kemmerer.

District 5

Welcome

Benjamin Gustafson, Dubois Maintenance; and Frederick Moore, South Pass Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers

William Knighton, Thermopolis Maintenance; Todd Long, Lander TrafficStriping; and Jeramy Pittsley, PatrolCody District Office.

Service Awards

Neil Thomas, Riverton Maintenance – 30 years.

Sean Stouffer, Port of Entry-Sundance.

Lawless

Libert Fox

Leonard

Sanderson

Neilson

Koch

Wetherington

Stouffer

Knighton

Pittsley

Long

Thomas

Wellness

Wyoming on Wellness and the Walkingspree app

Starting Jan. 1, you can begin earning points for logging activities in the Walkingspree app.

From hitting daily step goals, to taking care of yearly blood screens and wellness exams, every step you take toward better health earns you rewards.

For every 100 points you earn, if you’re the subscriber on the State of Wyoming Cigna health plan, you’ll automatically receive a raffle ticket for a $50 gift card. Hundreds of gift cards every quarter are to be given away through the Wyoming on Wellness

program. Spouses, children over 18, and employees not on the Cigna health plan are welcome to join Walkingspree but are not eligible for the incentives.

Register for Walkingspree by January 14 to receive an extra 100 points – one raffle ticket for a $50 gift card!

See how to get started with Walkingspree – and which activities will earn you the most points – by visiting wyomingonwellness.org.

Ring in the new year with WYDOT’s Wellness Program, earn comp time

By Carlie Van Winkle

If you have a health-related New Year’s resolution for 2023, you may want to consider joining the WYDOT Wellness program. Now in its 17th year, WYDOT Wellness offers employees the chance to get exercise during the day, without having to burn annual leave time in doing so.

The program was implemented in 2006 as a means of incorporating physical activity into daily routine, in the interest of promoting better health and well-being.

State government policy gives each state agency freedom in how it structures its own wellness program, including the option of offering an incentive. In WYDOT’s case, the incentive is in the form of administrative leave, or “comp time.”

Those who participate on a consistent basis and track their progress earn four hours of administrative leave, if they complete a minimum of 13 hours of exercise each month for six consecutive months. That minimum requirement translates to an average of 30 minutes of exercise per day.

WYDOT employees are authorized to use their break times to take a walk or other types of wellness activity. Wellness activities can also be tracked and logged before and after work or on weekends.

Three dozen wellness activities are eligible, covering a wide spectrum, from aerobics to Zumba. Walking is far and away the most popular activity type, accounting for roughly half the total exercise time logged.

Eligible exercises are those that are primarily recreational and include a significant physical activity component which contributes to improved fitness. The goal is encouraging employees to adopt active exercise in addition to work done during their everyday lives.

Information about the Wellness Program is available on the intranet, under Useful Links & Files. Look for the Files section and find Wellness Frequently Asked Questions.pdf. Employees who are already enrolled can select the Wellness Program tab under Useful Links & Files on the same intranet page to log exercise time and type, and track their status. Those who are interested in joining or simply learning more about the program can also contact the Public Affairs Office for more information.

Exercise types eligible for

Wyoming Health Fairs

The Wyoming Health Fairs offers free services to eligible State of Wyoming Health Plan Participants (those covered on the Cigna health insurance) and services are offered in several locations throughout the state.

To find an event near you, visit the Wyoming Health Fairs/ Wellness Health Fairs website at https://wyominghealthfairs. com/corporate-partnerships/state-of-wyoming

You can also schedule your appointment and find more information on these benefits by contacting WHF toll free at (800) 979-3711.

WYDOT road reporting system

Hi,

I just wanted to give you guys a shout-out on the state’s awesome road reporting system. My boyfriend is a jet fuel truck driver who was caught out in the storm. I was able to give him real time road reports as he drove and it was super helpful. By contrast, Montana’s system is nearly impossible to decipher. Since you probably hear more complaints than compliments this time of year, I just wanted to pass that on.

Thanks, Jen K. via email

Pretty as a postcard

Hello,

I noticed this picture on web camera this morning and I think it would be a great idea to turn it into a post card. I don’t know how you guys could do that but it’s a beautiful picture that represents winter in Wyoming well. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to keeping our roads safe and open.

Brenda J. via email

All in a day’s work

Devon Nelson, a senior project manager with Program Performance, received a thank you note (right) from the children she went to speak to at Buffalo Ridge Elementary in Cheyenne about what WYDOT does and then read a book to the students.

Passings

David Schwabauer

David Schwabauer, 63, passed away November 25, 2022 at his home.

Schwabauer was born August 21, 1959, the fourth child and only son of David and Edna Schwabauer. He attended school in Sheridan and graduated from Sheridan High School in 1978.

Schwabauer was hired in 1984 as a construction tech in Gillette and promoted to a highway construction tech in 1985. He left for a short period of time in 1986, was rehired in 1987, only to leave once again due to workloads being diminished later that year. A few months later Schwabauer was brought back on as a highway maintenance worker. One more promotion in maintenance and he went back to construction in 1989 as a construction tech.

In 1991, he was promoted to the posi-

tion of engineering technical specialist. In October 1995, he left Gillette and moved to Sheridan to fill the senior traffic tech position of which he held for 25 years. He retired in June 2020 with 35 years of service to WYDOT.

The joys of Schwabauer’s life were his sons, Seth and Spencer. They vacationed each summer, visiting interesting places. Spencer and his dad went deep sea fishing in Cabo San Lucas and brought back some very nice trophies while he and Seth enjoyed the trips to Las Vegas.

Schwabauer

Photo: WYDOT

Devon Nelson, with Program Performance, reading a story to elementary school children after chatting to them about WYDOT does.

Photo: WYDOT

Travel and Tourism

2022 United Kingdom mission

Amy Larsen, Wyoming Office of Tourism

The Wyoming Office of Tourism along with representatives from the other Great American West states, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota participated in an overseas sales mission to the United Kingdom market December 4-8, 2022.

The week in London consisted of multiple business meetings and networking functions with targeted trade (53), airline (4), receptive (2) and media (15) contacts to fulfill destination and product trainings, establish and generate new leads, and strengthen relationships within the market, all while reconnecting with key tourism contacts during a period of recovery and growth for the GAW within the market. Among the trade, we received overall very positive sentiments, with several reporting full staffing recovery and growing booking demand, especially for the GAW. Many companies have new people on board, requiring ongoing training and education, which lent well into the timing of the region’s mission to this market. Normal booking patterns are returning, with peak booking season happening around this time and January being the key month for seeing

clients commit to travel. The travel trade remains busy with inquiries and bookings but are still finding time to improve or add to their product offerings. Many requested assistance with building themed itineraries, bookable product (accommodation) and more in-depth staff trainings, and even expressed interest in attending family tours to the region in 2023.

The media reported they are fully recovered and are again filling their travel calendars 12-18 months out. Freelance media in this market are no longer making competitive commissions for story coverage (the standard is around $400 from a major outlet), and now expect fully paid-for press trips before committing to travel. Coordinated group press trips are seen as ideal for this five-state region, making note that the shortest lead time required for recruitment sits at five months in advance to secure quality participants. Topics that tend to work well in this market for destinations like the GAW are stories around new air routes, unique accommodations, wildlife, wide-open spaces, anniversaries, Indigenous culture / heritage / experiences, and dark skies.

U.S. Forest Service

Bottle Creek trails in Sierra Madre Range temporarily closed for winter logging

office in Saratoga. Updates are posted on the Forests’ website, Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Maps and information about closures were posted at trailheads and on area sign boards.

SARATOGA – Winter logging activity along Forest Road 443 on the east side of the Sierra Madre Range has temporarily closed most of the Bottle Creek trail system.

The impacted cross-country ski trails are near Wyoming Highway 70 in the Medicine Bow National Forest. Trails are managed and maintained by the Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

Initially, all trails were closed except for the CCC loop. As operations progress throughout the winter, Forest Service staff will evaluate whether additional trails can safely be opened for public use.

For the most up-to-date trail status please contact the District

An alternate winter trail system is available for use on the west side of the Snowy Range. Logging operations have been completed at the Brush Creek trails system off Highway 130 and those trails are open and groomed this winter.

All recreationists are reminded to be aware of and avoid heavy equipment operating in the area. Do not enter areas which are posted closed, as they are closed for public safety.

Temporary trail and road closures are a short-term inconvenience needed to provide safe access in the long-term. Visitors need to be aware of ongoing changes that may affect travel on Forest roads or maintained trails.

As operations progress, trails will be evaluated and opened if possible.

Holiday Spirit Plows on parade

It reads: “Ahoy! All you Sweetarts and Smarties you are not DumDums or [Milk] Duds or Nerds but Hot Tamales that bring Extra [Almond] Joy to many Jolly Ranchers. You are so Kind and Nice! to the truckers Mike and Ike to register those Whatchamacallits. [WY]DOT[s] has roads with Zero potholes and has never Built a RockyRoad. Big Hunk truckers can drive to the Andes or to New York for a shopping Spree or do the Mambo or Charleston. The MVS staff will have Mounds of Snickers when they Take5 to SKOR 100 Grand on PayDay from Mr. Goodbar. It was a Wyoming Gold Mine. Have a Starburst. Merry Christmas, [Hershey] Kisses and a [Santa shaped candy]

Some WYDOT snowplows (including a rotary plow) and Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers participated in their local community holiday parades last month, including in Laramie, Cheyenne and Buffalo. The parades are a great way to foster partnerships with local communities, share safety messaging and even advertise for job openings.

A Christmas card made by MVS employee Shannon Degrazio, her daughter, Bronwyn, and her mom made for the MVS office.

Photo: Shannon Degrazio

District 5 Public Involvement Specialist Cody Beers’ door.

Photo: Cody Beers

Photo: Cody Beers

WYDOT office in Basin

Photo: Aspen Thomas Rawlins WYDOT office tree

Photo: Angela Kennedy

Lander Maintainer Santa Claus, aka John Farr, suited up for duty again this past Christmas Day.

Photo: Mike Hitshew

A WYDOT plow participates in the Laramie Christmas parade in early December and featured some safety messaging about giving plows room to work.

Photo: WYDOT

A WYDOT Rotary plow is staged at the Laramie Train Depot during the city’s Christmas festivities last month. The plow featured some job advertising to help the agency’s recruitment efforts.

Photo: WYDOT

A WHP Trooper and WYDOT Plow participate in the Cheyenne Christmas parade this year in downtown Cheyenne.

Photo: WYDOT

A WYDOT plow participated in the Buffalo Christmas parade this year with some safety messaging for the spectators.

Photo: WYDOT

District 5 honorary Santa, T-rex.

WTDEA

WTDEA Headquarters Chapter hosts Bowling Holiday Extravaganza

WTDEA Headquarters Chapter recently hosted the Bowling Holiday Extravaganza, of which there was a pretty great turnout of some really fun coworkers, their friends and family. WTDEA appreciates everyone who participated. A 50/50 raffle was held, with Jennifer Freier , wife of Budget Program Manager Rodney Freier, winning $217.50.

Two “bust the bank” raffles of $200 and $160 were held as well. Congrats to those winners. Several amazing gifts (thanks to Tina Erickson for getting most of these together) were also raffled off with Chris Fisher, of Cheyenne Construction, winning the ultimate prize of a one-night stay at Brush Creek Luxury Resort for four people.

Below are the list of teams with their final scores, congratulations to the top three teams.

1st place: Gutter-Done 2921 $400

2nd place: Bowling 4 Beer 2675 $200

3rd place: Wheatland 2648 $100

4th: Spare Change 2511; 5th: Pin Ticklers 2507; 6th: Disaster Piece 2329; 7th: Ballbarians 2329; 8th: Spares & Pairs 2317; 9th: A League of Their Own 2316; 10th: Don’t Count On Me 2312;

Lifetime membership award given in District 3

Ty Jereb, District 3 chapter president, presented a lifetime membership award to Mark McCracken, with Farson Maintenance, who will be retiring later this month. WTDEA thanks him for his lifetime membership and for being a representative for our association. We wish him the very best in retirement.

11th: Stop Drop & Bowl 2310; 12th: Grinch Gang 2305; 13th: Spare Me the Trouble 2303; 14th: The Royal We 2301; 15th: Bowl Movements 2290; 16th: Drunkin’ Fruitcakes 2284; 17th: The Big Ballskis 2283; and 18th: Gutter Girls 2276.

WYOMING TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION

We are looking for employees to join us in our fellowship You can become involved by signing up with your local District chapter, attending meetings, joining the board of officers and participating in planning events and fundraisers that can help keep all of our employees connected. The more members we have that are willing to step up – the further our mission can spread. The WTDEA was founded in 1956 with a primary purpose of encouraging harmony, promoting employee morale and serving as a liaison between employees and staff.

McCracken (left) was presented with the WTDEA lifetime membership jacket by Jereb ahead of his retirement later this month.

Photo: WYDOT

Team “Gutter-Done” won first place at the WTDEA Bowling Holiday Extravaganza in November.

Photo: WYDOT

WTDEA HQ Chapter announces winners of 7th annual holiday decorating contest

By Jordan Achs

The seventh annual holiday decorating contest at WYDOT Headquarters was once again a great way to spread Christmas cheer. There were 17 entries total across the four categories. The winners were:

• Financial Services – Winter Wonderland (category: program)

• Right of Way – Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer, painted by Jordan Remley (category: door)

• Environmental Services – Prairie Dog (category: display)

• Mailroom – Santa’s Workshop (category: individual room/ cubie)

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who participated!

Annual family Christmas party held in Cheyenne

By Mark Horan

‘Twas three weeks till Christmas And all through the rink WYDOT families were skating And enjoying cold drinks.

Susan took tickets and collected the cash

There were fifty-eight skaters that attended the bash. The young ones went round the corners with care

As the smell of hot pizza hung in the air.

And Heidi and Justin helped pick up trash

While Chelsey and Stephanie tried not to crash.

Thanks to the Wilsons, David and Kimberley

For making sure Santa was there bright and early.

Children won prizes in limbo and races

They had a great time from the look on their faces.

A successful event, at the end of the day Made possible each year by WTDEA.

Financial Services, Winter Wonderland

Photo: WYDOT

Right of Way, Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer, painted by Jordan Remley

Photo: WYDOT

Environmental Services, Prairie Dog

Photo: WYDOT Mail Room, Santa’s Workshop

Photo: WYDOT

Outdoors

Photos: JJ Rogers

(From left) JJ Rogers, with Rawlins Maintenance, in the pickup with his elk; JJ’s son, Andrew, also got his elk this year; and Annie, wife of JJ, with her bull elk taken with a rifle.

Erik Brannigan took this photo on July 4 in Alpine Junction, Wyoming, at the eastern edge of Palisades Reservoir that straddles the Wyoming-Idaho border.

Photo: Erik Brannigan

Curt Melson and his Red Desert Elk for the next outdoors edition in Interchange. Melson is retired and worked as a surveyor for WYDOT in Rock Springs for many years.

Photo: Curt Melson

Terry Uhrich, with Casper Equipment, and his German Wirehaired Pointer, Ember, at the NAVHDA Invitational in September 2022 held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Out of 97 dogs entered in this prestigious test, only 29 dog and handler teams passed. Ember and Uhrich managed to be one of those 29 teams and she earned her Versatile Champion title.

Photos: Terry Uhrich

Will Finkle, 13-year old son of Isaac Finkle with Sheridan Construction, proudly shows off his first antelope.

Photo: Isaac Finkle

Chase Cimburek, with Rock Springs Engineering, took this bull elk with a Smith and Wesson Model 69 revolver chambered in .44 Magnum up in the alpine above 10,000 feet in the Absaroka Range.

Photo: Chase Cimburek

Heath Oetken, with Sheridan Maintenance, took his two nephews hunting. The young man on the left is from Virginia on his very first Wyoming hunt and the young man in the pickup is from Sheridan. Smiles all around with a successful hunt.

Photo: Heath Oetken

Sean Stouffer, with Sundance Port of Entry, harvested this giant bull elk near Moran Junction in 2020. The dark antlers with lighter tips is striking.

Photo: Sean Stouffer

Sheridan Mechanic Brian Brownell’s 15-year old son, Britton, shot this 4-point mule deer buck with an original Winchester 38-40 lever action with open sights on his family’s property.

Photo: Brian Brownell

Justin White (right), with Sheridan Construction, is an avid bird hunter and recently gathered up these geese with fellow hunters.

Photo: Justin White

Jacob Williamson, with Sheridan Construction, harvested this 4x4 whitetail 6 miles from his truck. Thankfully, Vincent Phillips, also with Sheridan Construction, was along to help pack it out.

Photo: Jacob Williamson

Sunny Parsons, daughter of Ian Parsons with the Cody Construction crew, caught and released this beautiful 19-inch tiger trout through the ice near Cody just after freeze-up.

Photo: Ian Parsons

Above: Silas Speidel, Sundance Foreman Rusty Speidel’s 15-year old son, harvested both the bull elk and buck with his bow. This was his first year bowhunting.

Brian Blakeman, with Sheridan guardrail, and his son, Kade, came across these two bull elk near Meeteetse.

Photo: Brian Blakeman

Dorran Larner, with Sheridan Construction, harvested this 6/7-point bull elk from 80 yards with a rifle. He had the help of his horses to cover more than 10 miles to pack the animal out.

Photo: Dorran Larner

Laura Dalles, District 4 Public Involvement Specialist, has been taking fly fishing classes and put her knowledge to the test and snagged this little fella on the Big Horn River near Ft. Smith, Montana.

Photo: Laura Dalles

Carlie Van Winkle, with the Public Affairs Office, did a bit of kayaking down the North Platte at Alcova Reservoir this past August.

Photo: Carlie Van Winkle

Photos: Rusty Speidel

S N O T T Y N B N E O H L Q E F I T Z M B F O O D E L B A B T Y L G U D G N T N I Z T A N T A W O S I T T E R S G E U D I B R F I R U D I R U M S N R T A W H E Q U I T R W P V B A Y N E M I N T S A N D E N C R C R U N T I I E L E L W T G N B N G F T Q U K I M H E H P I H E U N L U E O R S S D E O U E M E N F U E B G I L N V M I G L M N O E N A L R S R E Y A R N O N N H L A T I D N W N S D N N O L G U A S D L E C S R I E C L T E F V T H E W I W D W B S I S A B J G N O L S R I Y T S D O A I S Y A I E M A M N N H K E O M K W W Z R V E S C E G P S O G N Z A N D A A G Y L G R N X B A Q U P E B O V G J M R T V C Y X K E P E K A S J A E O U E A C L O U D Y I A E O H T S Q L S R P G W L R T A Y X R N G U E R N N M R U I O U F A J S E C E D A H R R S K T C R O O K G S Y S N W B C R K N L O E B R A T O C T I W E S T O N B S X E E L O A O C M W T I A S E F N T A Q U W H I T E K J T R E L M S S O L W G P R L R J A I T J E L K O L I O O J T O I N A T E A H A S G E L O L C E O R P H A I H R U T N E E O N Y T O H O T M D K E M O N E T A X N N R N E Y B D E H X E R O A E O N D H O T S P R I N G S I C O O L G D A T R N L R T N H N I C E H W O E W S O N T H O C A R B O N O P E O T C O A N L E A F R A O N G I C B R D E S R C A O T N Q A V R T G R L L S S H H T O O S T O R Y O V R L E I U M M E L T I N G Q H I E O N N D E L L H L I N C O L N P S T A R D K O X A G E N G V I O W C Z E A R I N G X B V A L E A A S J K H L S R

E A N T H O S N O W S H O E S G O R N Y H S I T O P O R Z O S U N D A N C E R N L B Y R O N C E T E I S H V S H K N I O B R A R A T O L Y S I T E E N A R R C H E E S O U T H P A S S N J F R O Z E N R E N O J C T Y

Interchange

Wyoming Department of Transportation

5300 Bishop Blvd. Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009-3340 Address

Pre-sorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Cheyenne, WY 82009 Permit No. 24