Gillette histories

From the Nov. 12, 1953 News Record:
No complaints were heard from the student body of the Gillette Grade School last Thursday noon when an announcement was made that due to a breakdown in the heating system, there would be no classes that afternoon, L.O. Brewer, superintendent said. An afternoon’s work on the auger of the bind-fed stoker was the only trouble and it was welded after having broken. Classes were resumed on Friday morning as per schedule.
From the Nov. 15, 1973 News Record:
A group of Campbell and Converse County ranchers united by their opposition to the proposed Burlington Northern Railroad between Gillette and Douglas, have gone on record as opposing the proposed spur line into the Atlantic Richfield Co. coal lease area in southeastern Campbell County. The spur line would skirt most of the federally owned land and stay on private land owned by Mrs. Dorothy Reno. Earl Scott, chairman of the group, said, “It looks as if they (BN) have made an effort to stay on private land.” Mrs. Reno replied, “It is a hangman’s noose for our ranch.” She added that the spur line as proposed would cut the majority of the ranch’s pastures. It was suggested by many at the Nov. 9 meeting that it was felt BN wanted to keep the railroad on private property because individual landowners would be easier to deal with than the federal government. The government has large holdings in the area in the form of Bureau of Land Management lands and the Forest Service lands. It was pointed out by Mrs. Reno that if the railroad spur were to take a direct route to the mine site, it would cut the distance in half. The proposed spur is 14 miles long and a direct line would be about 6 miles long.
From the Nov. 4, 1981 News Record:
A vote of confidence in Campbell County Memorial Hospital is how hospital officials are interpreting voter approval of a building expansion bond issue. These officials also said that Tuesday’s vote of nearly three-to-one for the $12.5 million expansion plan shows that county voters believe health care services are important to the Gillette area. The expansion will bring the facility’s bed capacity to 131, or more than double the current 52 beds. It would add fourth and fifth floors to the building, and the top one would be left unfinished to accommodate future expansion. It also includes a 14-bed psychiatric chemical dependency treatment unit. Janet Evans, county election assistant, termed the voter turnout “very poor.” She said 1,364 of the county’s 8,420 registered voters cast ballots.