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Airport, Youth Alternatives reports heard by commissioners

The Hot Springs County Commissioners held the first of their two monthly meetings on Tuesday, covering a lot of ground from airport business to the Youth Alternatives program and even received a pat on the back from the National Weather Service in Riverton.

Nate Messenger, CFO at the Hot Springs County Airport said he has been keeping an eye on some minor drainage issues around the property now that we've seen some warmer weather melting the snow.

One of the issues is water seeping under the concrete pad where the fueling system for planes is located. Messenger feels there is going to have to be some additional sealing of the concrete pad to prevent possible heaving from freeze/melt cycles under the pad.

Messenger also informed the commissioners he has been in contact with the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation to do a special fly in at the airport.

The company provides flights to seniors and military veterans living in long-term care facilities the chance to soar like eagles, flying in the cockpit of a Boeing Stearman, the airplane used to train military aviators in the late 30s and early 40s.

The company's motto is to "take them back to a place in time when they were invincible, ruling the sky as proud military aviators."

All of the flights are given completely free of charge.

The Youth Alternatives program currently has 17 students under Barb Rice's watch, 15 boys and two girls.

Rice said there are actually two participants from outside the county, Shoshoni and Worland, and communication between the diversion program and those towns has been smooth.

One of the projects Rice has planned for the program is a day or two at the skate park where they will take measurements and make plans for having a concrete pad poured to set a picnic table or two on.

Rice would like to see as much of the work as possible done by the kids and other volunteers as well as get a majority of the supplies donated by local businesses or individuals.

She has also been in contact with the Counseling Center and the at-risk team to coordinate some parent and family training and activities that would be fun as well as supportive for the families. While it would not be a monthly thing to start, Rice feels it would be a good way to begin expanding the services the program provides.

Tim Troutman with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Riverton accompanied Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Gordon to Tuesday's meeting to inform the commissioners Hot Springs County has once again been named a Storm Ready Community.

The Storm Ready Program has been in effect since 1999 and Troutman said Hot Springs County has gone above and beyond to ensure its citizens are as prepared as possible for severe weather, including tornadoes, floods and other forms of severe weather.

One of the items on the program's checklist is several ways to inform the public of impending severe weather. Hot Springs County has seven different ways to do this, three times the number needed for our population.

We also have six different methods of monitoring weather, especially high water monitoring, giving us nearly twice as many ways of getting the heads up when severe thunderstorms or possible flooding is on its way.

In addition, we have four ways to alert the public of severe weather in the county and have periodic, active training classes for weather spotters.

Troutman said this made Hot Springs County a "slam dunk" for being Storm Ready for the next three years.

Speaking of water, the commissioners also had a report from Road and Bridge Supervisor Dave Schlager, who said they are currently monitoring the small streams and rivers since we've had an abundance of snow and now a few days of warmer temperatures and wind.

Schlager said they are just keeping an eye on things for now, but are ready if the situation should change.

The commissioners also discussed the county's website.

The company that initially created the website is now out of business and no updates have been done on the site for quite some time.

The commissioners decided the website needs a facelift and will be taking proposals, including quotes on the work that needs done, from those who are interesting in taking the project over.

Along with the proposal, the commissioners would like to be provided with examples of previous work.

Proposals need to be turned in to the county clerk's office by March 7.

 

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