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Laramie celebrates Jubilee

Dani Esquivel — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:43:17 +0000

The Laramie Jubilee Days officially started on July 7 and is to end on July 15. But, with Independence Day just a few days before, Wyoming’s Hometown Celebration unofficially started its first event.

At the 22nd Annual “Freedom Has a Birthday” celebration, located in Washington Park, there were multiple entertainers, including the Municipal Band, Jilly Bean, the Hillbilly Ban, Basmati, the Jubilante Ensembles of Carbon County, Wyoming Gamlan, the Painter Brothers, Danno, the High Voltage Band, the High Life, Tuffy Tanner and Friends, Klep, Dare2Dance, Mannon Ward and Friends, Michael Jackson dance, Zumba and Doug Balmain.

Events kicked off on Saturday with the Kids Horse Show, Boots, Brushes, Brew-an Art class, and Mr. T Calcutta. On Sunday the Ranch Rodeo took place at the Albany County Fairgrounds.

With a day off on Monday, events started back up Tuesday with the Wyoming State Celebration at the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site, and the Junior Bull Riding took place at the Albany County Fairgrounds.

On Wednesday the carnival came to town and again at the Fairgrounds Mr. T Bull Riding was held.

The Downtown Laramie Brew Fest has been gaining popularity every year, according the Laramie Jubilee Days website. In 2010 the Brew Fest hosted 900 people and included live music, barbeque concessions, and beer samples from over 20 breweries from across the nation.

On Friday, the Old Laramie City Brother Tour will be held.

The tour will emphasize how prostitution facilitated the economic growth and development of the city of Laramie.

The tour takes a good look at original brother rooms in the Second Story First Bookstore and social, cultural and health issues surrounding the economics of prostitution will be discussed. ]

The tour is not appropriate for children 12 and under, also according the Jubilee Days website.

Dani Esquivel

Fire ban keeps campers home

Dani Esquivel — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:36:31 +0000

Due to drought conditions and the impact on Wyoming farmers and ranchers, Governor Matt Mead has asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to issue an agricultural disaster declaration for all of Wyoming, except Teton County.

“Wyoming farmers and ranchers are struggling to work through serious impacts caused by drought,” Mead said.

If the declaration is granted, it could provide federal emergency assistance to Wyoming producers, according to a governor’s office press release.

“Over the past month, county commissioners throughout Wyoming have requested agricultural disaster designations for the 2012 agricultural production year. After consultation with the Wyoming Farm Service Agency it is clear that every Wyoming county with the exception of Teton County has suffered grazing loss and dry land hay loss in excess of the disaster threshold,” Mead said.

The Board of Albany County Commissioners found there is an extreme danger of fire throughout Albany County because there is a presence of an excessive amount of flammable materials and open burning and the use of incendiary devices aggravate the high fire danger.

Effective June 15 and until further notice any open fire, discharge of any common fireworks or display fireworks and the discharge of a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition is prohibited on all land within Albany County.

In addition to the drought disaster declaration, 12 counties, including Albany County, have instituted fire bans.

“There is a ban on fires on all state lands,” Mead said.

“The legislature had the wisdom to leave this as a matter of local control and the county commissioners are in the best position to review conditions near to home and decide which activities should be prohibited,” Mead said.

There are multiple exceptions that can be found on the Albany County website.