Around the 307
News, commentary, and other items of interest from the greater Wyoming landscape.
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Here are a handful of Wyoming news briefs for the week of October 6th, 2024:
On Monday, October 7th, the largest geyser in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), Steamboat, was at it again. Monday’s seven-minute eruption was the fifth this year. Unlike Old Faithful, Steamboat doesn’t have a regular eruption schedule. The scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Mike Poland, thinks the eruptions this year are the tail-end of what has been one of Steamboat’s most active periods in recorded history. Jill Valley, an anchor and reporter with KPAX TV in Missoula, Montana, just happened to be vacationing at YNP when Steamboat put on its latest show. She documented the eruption with this video (see below). Pretty amazing! You can read more about Steamboat’s latest antics here in this story from Cowboy State Daily.
Wednesday, October 9th, the Star Valley Independent (SVI) published this story about early hiring activities for the future Natrium Nuclear Reactor facility in Kemmerer, Wyoming. Employment opportunities are on the horizon with TerraPower and Bechtel (the major contractor/builder for the project). Development of initial training skills are critical to building a workforce ready to take on Wyoming’s future energy jobs.
And, last but not least, as of today it remains incredibly dry out there folks and the Cowboy State is still battling some immense wildfires. The Pack Trail Fire burning 23 miles southeast of Moran, Wyoming in the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) and Shoshone National Forest has now consumed over 71,000 acres and is 0% contained around its perimeter. The dry and windy conditions over the past week have increased this fire’s activity causing extreme fire behavior. Nearly 600 personnel are on-site working to suppress the blaze. The other massive wildfire in the state is the Elk Fire burning near Riley Point and West Pass on the Bighorn National Forest. The Elk Fire has burned over 84,000 acres and is currently about 32% contained. Over 900 personnel are on site battling this blaze. Pray for precipitation y’all!
That’s all for today ladies and gents! Thanks for reading and have a great week!
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