No absentee ballots for Sheridan election

SHERIDAN - Some Sheridan residents are upset that the city is not providing absentee ballots for the Feb. 28 special city election.

City Clerk Art Elkins said the reason there are no absentee ballots is that state statute doesn't provide for absentee ballots in elections conducted by municipalities.

Elkins said he has sent a query to the secretary of state to determine if the city can have absentee ballots.

The election is being held to determine whether Sheridan should hire a city administrator to run the day-to-day operations of city government.

S. Korea makes donation to Cody

CHEYENNE - The Republic of Korea is making a $100,000 donation to help construct a Korean War Memorial in Cody.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal and two Korean War veterans accepted the first payment from two Korean representatives during a ceremony on Tuesday in Cheyenne.

Korean Consular General Bon Woo Koo said it is important to act quickly when honoring those who served during the war because many Korean veterans are growing older.

The official dedication of the memorial in Cody is scheduled to take place on Sept. 6.

Sinclair water tank nearly emptied

SINCLAIR - This town's water tank was nearly emptied when the Sinclair Oil Refinery tapped into it after the refinery's system used to pump water from the North Platte River failed.

Sinclair Mayor Phyllis McWhorter, who is a Sinclair Oil Refinery employee, said she gave refinery officials permission to use some of the town's water after being notified of the situation the night of Jan. 23.

"We can't let the refinery go without water, that could be a catastrophe," McWhorter said.

According to Lee Groshart, Sinclair's outgoing water supervisor, the refinery's generator station somehow flooded, knocking out its pump system.

Groshart said the refinery has a large pond set aside for emergency situations when water can't be pumped from the river.

McWhorter said refinery officials decided to tap into the town's water supply when the water level in the fire reserve began to dwindle.

Both Groshart and McWhorter said the refinery has since installed pumps and is no longer tapping into the town water, which comes from Rawlins.

Sheridan County plans to get $140,000 for dust control

SHERIDAN - Sheridan County officials expect to receive about 60 percent of the federal funding they requested to control dust on two gravel roads.

The county asked for $236,160 in federal funds, but likely will only get $140,722 from the federal government.

County officials plan to chip in another $35,000 or so out of their own budget.

Sheridan County officials say they're hoping to enter into agreements with suppliers for bentonite, magnesium and calcium chloride to resurface Ulm and Upper Powder River roads in Sheridan. They're also making plans to store the materials and work with officials in Johnson County to find places to mine bentonite.

Recommendations from a state committee and other counties about the allocation of federal funds will be presented to the Wyoming Transportation Commission Feb. 21 in Cheyenne.