Gibbons, who has been on the run from the law for ten years, is wanted on eight felony counts in Utah and ten felony counts in Arizona.

The Sheriff’s Department acted on a citizen’s tip to arrest Gibbons on Monday.

“This is someone in our community that needed to be put away,” stated Sheriff Shane Johnson.  “There are victims and family members who have been waiting nearly ten years for some justice with this person.”

Johnson specifically acknowledged the efforts of Jody Gardner during the process of finding Gibbons.

For complete details on this developing story, please read the August 21, 2008 edition of the Star Valley Independent.

The grand prize in the Patriots Pen contest is a $10,000 bond and an all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. All those placing first through forty-fifth will all receive money, not less $1,000. Patriots Pen is open to all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students enrolled in school.

For those interested, this year’s theme is “Why America’s Veterans Should Be Honored”. Those who wish to participate need to contact the local VFW Post. The deadline for essays to be turned in to the local VFW Post is November 1, 2008.

“I’m a firm believer in these children’s programs,” said Chuck Sutter, VFW member and Wyoming Veteran’s Commissioner. Another program, Voice of Democracy, will be taking place at the same time. Voice of Democracy is the VFW’s premier scholarship program. Each year more than 100,000 high school students compete for more than $42.5 million dollars in scholarship money and incentives. The highest level winner will receive a $30,000 scholarship.

The Voice of Democracy program has participants record an audio essay to submit to be judged, which will be under the theme “Service and Sacrifice by America’s Veterans Benefit Today’s Youth by…” this year.

“I really do believe in the program,” said Sutter.

Interested high school students should contact the local VFW Post to get specific guidelines and rules for the contest. The deadline will be November 1 for this contest as well. Many Star Valley students have done well with the programs in the past and the local VFW Post is hoping for large participation this year. Those with questions may contact Chuck Sutter at (307) 883-4312.

Proceeds from the event will be placed in a scholarship fund Bennett’s children Philip, Samuel, Emily, and Elizabeth.

The event will begin on August 23 at 6:30 with registration and check-in at Canyon View Park in Afton, which will proceed into the bike tour. Participants can choose all lengths of tours to allow for many people that go throughout Star Valley.

Following the bike tour a BBQ dinner will be served at 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Canyon View Park. Tickets for the dinner will be $12 for adults and free for children five years old and younger. The dinner will be a great opportunity to mingle with other members of the Star Valley community, as well as the Bennett family including his wife, Jamee.

Wasatch Back Band will be performing during the BBQ and community get-together.
The bike tour will be a great opportunity for riders to take in the scenic views of Star Valley, all while getting a healthy workout and contributing to a very worthy cause.

The BBQ dinner is open for anyone who is interested and everyone is encouraged to attend to show their support for the Bennett family and to contribute to their college educations.

The 2008 CASVAR will be the fourth annual bike tour that the Cycling Association of Star Valley (CASV) has sponsored. Currently, there are 65 people pre-registered for the bike tour, which is an average amount. However, the number of participants is hoped to be higher as the tour is for such a worthy cause.
Bennett and his wife were two of the original members of CASV, and in this instance CASV is giving back to the family of the man who gave so much to them and his community.

Online registration will be accepted at www.casv.org or by calling (307) 883-9779. Registration forms are available at the Afton Town Hall and Northern Title Company in Thayne. Pre-registration is not required, but highly encouraged.

Content researched and taken from the Independent by Rozie Erickson

25-years ago:

• Palisades was one of the dams approved to receive $76 million for improvement to increase generating capacity from 119 to 209 megawatts.

• Ad: Back to School savings at The Cobbler–shoes for the family, Afton. Puma football cleats $29.95, reg. $38.95.

• Racquet Ranch & Spa opening next week. Free introductory racquetball lessons.

50-years ago:

• Ad: Highest Quality Coal–There has just been completed a new road to the Cottonwood Coal Mine 40 miles from Alpine up Greys River to Sheep Creek. Then follow the signs on the new road up Sheep Creek which leads to Daniel, Wyo. Lump, $7.00; Nut and Screened Oil Stoker, $6.00.

• Ad: At Star Valley Feed Co., in Afton, For BIG Litters and Husky Pigs, Purina Sow Chow; a supplement which you mix with your grains, available with high levels of antibiotics; a real pig builder and sow conditioner.

• Ad: Special Values for Fair Week at Ken’s Furniture & Appliances. Free! With each Bedroom set sold, your choice $49.95 set of box springs or $49.95 inner spring mattress; with each living room set sold, 1 floor lamp free.

75-years ago:

• A meeting will be held Sunday in the Ag. room of the high school for all fellows who wish to play football this season. Training schedule will be worked out and plans for boxing and wrestling meet at the county fair arranged. Be sure you are there if you want a suit. Freshmen coming in this year should also report.

• Kemmerer May Have $90,000 Post Office–Word came to Kemmerer the fore part of the week by telephone from Cheyenne, that under the Works bill program, Kemmerer was approved on the list for a $90,000 post office building. No further details are available.

• The ranch house belong to Ralph Astle northeast of Grover, burned to the ground Wednesday of this week. Ralph had his bedding, dishes, clothing, and camping outfit in the house, which was all destroyed.

100-years ago:

• Local items: A number of the Child family of Fairview were visiting at Thayne Tuesday so the Thayne people got busy and arranged a dance, and all had a glorious time in the evening.

• Miss Maud Stock and her cousin Miss Rose Findlay, left Monday for a trip to Fishaven. Miss Opal Nield takes Maud’s place at the telephone switch board until she returns.

• Ad: Free Delivery Service–In order to keep pace with the growing demands of our business and to meet the wishes of our patrons, we shall make free delivery of goods as follows: In the city limits all orders received up to 3 p.m. will be delivered daily. All orders received from Grover, Aubrun and vicinity up to Tuesday evening of each week will be delivered Wednesday; and from Osmond, Smoot, Fairview and vicinity up to Wednesday evening will be delivered Thursday. Very truly yours, Burton Mercantile Co.

Be sure to click below for some exclusive video footage of Monday’s round. Also, be sure to check back over the next several days for the Star Valley Independent’s coverage of the University of Wyoming media day and exclusive interviews with members of the Wyoming Cowboys football team and coaching staff.

“Their task was daunting, and they picked a tough time to accomplish it,” wrote Bill Call. Following a rough start in 1942 and in the middle of World War II, the legendary CallAir cabin plane was created and was designed as a mountain plane.
Early on CallAir’s history, Barlow Call came to Star Valley and brought many flying skills that would really show what the CallAir aircraft could do. He used the plane for hunting, ferrying, and measuring snow, like the CallAir airplane, Barlow Call has been named a legend of Star Valley.
The CallAir Aircraft factory had be flexible in order to stay afloat, so in the early fifties Herb Andersen was hired as the new plant manager and he brought with him efficiency and discipline and a new marketing plan. During Andersen’s management, CallAir discontinued its cabin plane and began manufacturing a new crop-duster plane.
CallAir changed owners in the sixties with new owners being Doyle Child and Ted Frome. The new owners then replaced the previous crop-duster plane with the CallAir A-9. It was a success from its beginning with as many as 850 manufactured and sold in subsequent years.
Following that, a still-bigger spray plane was designed, the B-1. About 35 of them were built in Afton.
From that point on the company progressed to make many different types of aircrafts and today manufactures the famous Pitt Special Acrobatic Biplane and the rugged upper-winged Husky.
The CallAir factory has over the years employed literally hundreds of Star Valley residents. Star Valley is and will long be known as the place in the Mountain West where airplane manufacturing has thrived for more than 70 years.

Last week, the Stir had it’s first apparel winner as Rick Walker claimed a Star Valley Cheesemakers hat.  Shane Williams has a chance to claim that same prize this week.  When you earn four points, you win something, simple as that.  I’ll keep a tab after that and every four points will result in another prize.  At the end of the fall season, the person with the most points will win something a little bigger . . . . . . no, not me.

Use the comment section to guess, and I’ll let you know if you’re right or not.  Tell your friends and let’s make the Stir something that could be a lot of fun over the course of the 2008-09 school year.

Here’s this week’s question which has to do with SVHS Cross-Country

In the opening event of last season, Trevor Ricks won the Teton Challenge at the Targhee Resort, setting a new course record in the process.  This week’s question is:

What two other Braves placed in the top ten of that race?

Bonus Question: Ricks’ new record was the only time under what time mark? (i.e. under 80 minutes, 90 minutes for yours truly)

There ya go, please no internet researching, and I’ll be responding as quick as I can to  guesses.  Please feel free to guess multiple times, but please wait for my responses before doing so.

Got a good idea for a Sports Stir question?  Let me know by zipping me an e-mail at svidahl@silverstar.com

This Week in Star Valley is researched and written by Rozie Erickson.  All content appeared between the days of July 30, and August 6, from these four time periods in the Star Valley Independent.

By Rozie Erickson

25-years ago:
Bible school will be held at the Baptist Community Church in Afton next week, announced Pastor Amo Stephens. He said the activities will include Bible stories, games, crafts and contest for boys and girls from age 4 to 12 years. Silly Billy will be in attendance at the school to have fun with the children.
• Customers in the Freedom and Alpine exchanges will be able to get help quickly by dialing 911, the new emergency number, according to Brad Olsen, manager of the Silver Star Telephone Co. that serves that area. Olsen urged everyone to write the number down, and keep it near the phone, memorize it and teach children how to use it, too.

50-years ago:
Bp. Ezra Jensen of Grover was knocked unconscious and received burns on his chest and stomach when he was struck by lightning last Friday. Jensen was talking on the telephone about 2:30 p.m. when a bot of lightning apparently hit the telephone lines nearby. Several telephones on the line were put out of order by the bolt and a radio in the Jensen home was badly damaged.

• Ad: At Walker’s Variety, The Friendly Store, a White Shoe Sale. Take advantage of these reduced prices in Quality Shoes at our Store. Values to $3.89, only $1.97; Values to $4.90, only $2.77; Values to $6.90, only $3.77. Now arriving–New Fall Fabrics. But now for Back-to-school Clothes, Dan Rivers, Shirley Fabrics, Velveteens, Sand Crepes, Suiting, Taffetas.

75-years ago:
Death has summoned Mrs. Jerusha Walker Blanchard, one of the pioneer women who by the genius of her housewifely skills helped to make the localities in which she lived blossom as the rose. She recalled vividly the happy days spent in the home of the Prophet Joseph, when her playmates were the sons of the prophet, Joseph, Fredrick, Alexander and David, playing hide and go seek. Mrs. Blanchard came west in 1860 in a company of 15 or 20 wagons.

• Weeds! Weeds! Weeds!–Canada thistle, white top, Russian knapp weed and wild morning glory are simply taking certain sections of the country. To acquaint farmers with these weeds and best control methods a meeting is being held at Freedom. A field trip will be taken and methods of control discussed. Every farmer should be in attendance. County Agent.

100-years ago:
Ad: L.C. Procter, Dental Surgeon, Afton, Wyo.
• Ad: Hay makers wanted. We have an application for hay makers to put up on shares about 45 acres of good grass, south of Afton.

• The Union Creamery will open Saturday, August 1st for business after being closed since May 2nd, and everything bid fair to be a successful run. The company has been successful in engaging the services of Mr. Orey Mitchell and experienced Creamery man who hails from Seattle.

According to a press release from the Town of Afton, the Estate satisfied the creditors who were involved in the construction of the course.  The Town has received executed deeds from the Estate as well as the Design firm, Next Step Engineering and Design, LLC.

First Bank of Afton has signed and delivered a release of mortgage terminating the Bank’s lien on the property.

The Estate was able to complete this step using approximately $1.3 million transferred from the Town of Afton after the untimely death of Mr. Morehouse in a tragic jet accident last September and the National Air Races in Reno, NV.

Afton Mayor, Alan Stauffer, feels that it’s important that people understand that the $1.3 million dollars will now be paid back to the town coffers from the sale of homes and building lots surrounding the  18-hole course.

“It’s also important that people realize that there is no way the Town would have accomplished this project without the generous contribution of Mr. Morehouse, or the continued cooperation of Leslie Morehouse Gardner and her family,” he added.

Construction for the final phase of the golf course has been underway since May, and completion of the project is anticipated to be in October of this year.

Look for a more detailed interview from Mayor Stauffer as well as golf course specifics on the new course in the July 17, 2008 edition of the Star Valley Independent.

Crews have been rebuilding the highway over the pass. This Monday through Friday, the highway will be closed from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. and from 2:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Also, blasting is scheduled for 7 p.m. each day during the week. The blasting could cause delays of up to an hour.

This latest phase of the project involves stabilizing three landslide zones and adding a box culvert and a bridge to help wildlife cross the highway.

Culverts also are being built for snowmobilers and trees are being removed to improve visibility for drivers.