City approves $39,775 bid

Seeking a long-term fix for recurring surface problems at the Powell Aquatic Center, city leaders opted to install a new PVC liner for the center’s leisure pool and continuous river. Last week, the Powell City Council unanimously approved a $39,775 bid for the project to Aquatic Renovation Systems, Inc., of Indianapolis, Ind.

It’s not the way you expect a day to begin in our quiet community.

Early Thursday morning, Powell police received a 911 call that someone was firing shots at a local motel. The man later told police he was holding hostages. Law enforcement officers surrounded the motel, and a standoff ensued.

Twenty tiny toes. Twenty perfect little fingers.

In the story of Kade and Karsten Gonzales’ birth, some numbers are more difficult to grasp.

Working Wyomingites unable to afford health insurance have a unique opportunity for medical coverage through Healthy Frontiers. Still in its infancy, the pilot program aids low-income residents in coverage for preventive care, medications and treatment.

Healthy Frontiers isn’t a free ride. Participants must be working at least 20 hours per week to qualify, and they also make payments to their health savings accounts.

Park County has more homeless pets than willing adopters. Many of the cats and dogs filling local animal shelters would make good companions, but often times, they must wait weeks, months — or years, in rare cases — before going to a new home.

Both Powell and Cody have no-kill animal shelters, so cats and dogs wait as long as it takes until they’re adopted. While we’re glad animals’ lives are spared, it’s a costly commitment.

State provides $100,000 for trailer, scale

The state of Wyoming will help pay for equipment at the city of Powell’s planned transfer station, but it won’t give as much as the city requested.

Last week, the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) voted to award the city $100,000 — roughly half the cost of one compaction trailer and a scale at the city’s transfer station.

Habitat for Humanity’s presence in Powell expands

Keeping a good thing going is tough. Growing it into something better is even more difficult.

That’s why we’re glad to see Mountain Spirit Habitat for Humanity succeeding in its mission to provide affordable housing in Park County while also strengthening its financial base.

Problem areas in pool to be fixed during upcoming closure

Peeling on portions of the pool surface at the Powell Aquatic Center will have to be addressed this spring while the facility is closed for annual maintenance.

Several small areas of surface in the center’s leisure pool and continuous river have flaked off.

The same aesthetic flaw occurred last year to a much greater degree, especially in the eight-lane pool. Crews resurfaced the entire eight-lane pool and also repaired sections of the leisure pool area last spring.

Public, private sectors must work together, take action

Here’s the grim reality: Wyoming remains one of the most dangerous places in America to work.

On average, a worker in Wyoming died every 10 days over the last 10 years, according to a recent report.

For the fifth consecutive year, Powell city residents are seeing their electric bills increase.

The Powell City Council unanimously approved a 15 percent increase for residential and commercial consumers that will show up on utility bills this month.