Photo – Recycling center’s dedication announcement – Courtesy City of Rawlins The City of Rawlins will dedicate its recycling center to the late landfill supervisor Rawlins Landfill and Recycling Center Superintendent Patrick Martinez passed away from a sudden health emergency on December 2nd Martinez worked for the city of Rawlins for over 16 years the Rawlins City Council voted to dedicate the recycling center to Martinez renaming the facility the Patrick Martinez Memorial Recycling Center The city will hold a special dedication ceremony on Friday Rawlins Community Development Director Lou Lascano said the former Landfill and Recycling Center Superintendent played a significant role in ensuring the efficient operation of the city’s waste disposal services Rawlins Community Development Director Lascano said Martinez was instrumental in securing a new bailing machine at the recycling center increasing the city’s output of recyclable material by several times Lascano described Martinez as a visionary whose contributions continue to benefit the community Rawlins Community Relations Coordinator Mira Miller invited the public to next Friday’s dedication ceremony The recycling center will be closed during the event and attendees can enjoy free food provided by Rawlins firefighters The Patrick Martinez Memorial Recycling Center dedication ceremony is next Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony set for 5:30 Public Works Director Cody Dill will unveil Martinez’s memorial plaque during the event Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (74) passed away surrounded by family members on Thursday January 23 1951 to John Fuller Myers and Mary Griffith Myers Maurita graduated from Davis High School and later became a nurse 1967  she married Richard Holbrook and had three children They later divorced and she later married her eternal companion The couple made their home and raised their family in Paradise For over 30 years Maurita blessed many people as a nurse Maurita retired from nursing in 2002 to be a care taker for her mother After her mother passed Maurita continued to look for ways to serve by volunteering for Meals on Wheels and in the Humanitarian Center for the Hyrum Utah Stake for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Garry (Rachelle) Holbrook 10 grandchildren Kipplyn and Hannah Holbrook; and 3 great grandchildren Nahla and Kyrie Shwaery; her three brothers She is preceded in death by her loving husband A viewing will be held prior to the service from 10:00-11:30 A.M The interment will be held at Paradise Cemetery The Paradise 4th Ward will be providing a Zoom broadcast for anyone who would like to virtually  watch Maurita's funeral service. You can access it by clicking the following link: CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FUNERAL SERVICE VIA ZOOM Wyoming's Source for High School Sports News - Casper Sports The annual Nancy Steinberg Invite for track and field was held earlier this month which is a plus considering our wild spring weather in Wyoming The Rock Springs boys took 1st place with 180 points Rock Springs also placed first on the ladies' side with 146 points Here is the list of the top two finishers in each event for the boys and girls Bridger Cozzens-Little Snake River 45-9.75 Bridger Cozzens-Little Snake River 121-8.5 We have some super photos to pass along from the Rawlins Track Meet You can find them in our gallery below and look for someone you know Nine schools took part in the annual Nancy Steinberg event.\nRead More Photo – Chase and Milo are available for adoption – Courtesy Rawlins Rochelle Animal Shelter Homeless animals at the Rawlins Rochelle Animal Shelter are searching for loving families The shelter is home to 19 dogs and three cats Seven dogs are currently participating in the Cage to Save Program an initiative unique to Rawlins where inmates of the nearby Wyoming State Penitentiary spend nine weeks training shelter dogs in basic obedience and good canine citizenship Rawlins Police Lieutenant Daria Hooper said animals are being adopted from the shelter at nearly the same rate they are arriving Lieutenant Hooper asked to spotlight a nine-year-old Great Dane named Chase Great Danes typically live between seven and ten years The Rawlins Rochelle Animal Shelter would also like to highlight a young male black cat named Milo Lieutenant Hooper said Milo may be timid at first but quickly adjusts to people Volunteers are always needed at the Rawlins animal shelter Lieutenant Hooper explained that after passing a background check an animal control officer will teach the volunteer how to properly take care of the shelter animals The Rochelle Animal Shelter also offers a foster program Lieutenant Hooper said the foster program allows people to temporarily bring a shelter animal into their homes Lieutenant Hooper said the animal shelter is aways in need of donations of pet treats and blankets contact the Rawlins Rochelle Animal Shelter at 328-4534 Adoption fees are $35 for cats and $50 for dogs WY – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has appointed Zane Stewart as the new West Rawlins Game Warden Stewart developed a passion for the outdoors at an early age and working on ranches across Colorado and Wyoming He pursued his education at the University of Wyoming earning bachelor’s degrees in Wildlife Biology and Management as well as Environment and Natural Resources Stewart began his career with Colorado Parks and Wildlife before joining the Wyoming Game and Fish Department He successfully completed the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy in April 2024 and then trained in the Casper Region he was promoted to Senior Game Warden for the West Rawlins district "I am excited to serve as the West Rawlins Game Warden and look forward to working with the community and managing the area’s wildlife," said Warden Stewart Wyoming Game Wardens are responsible for enforcing wildlife laws Warden Stewart can be reached at 307-328-0313 Lisa Berger and Ilaria Rawlins had experienced plenty of success in their careers but a novel idea to start a women-owned bank was an opportunity they couldn’t turn down when Berger—at the time a real estate lawyer—bought AmeriTitle Downtown and needed a banker Her business partners had helped launch First Bexley Bank and recommended Rawlins Berger sold the business and remained onboard but sought something to fulfill her creative side “I wanted my next thing to be meaningful to me A business partner suggested opening a minority bank I love being able to do things people say I can’t or shouldn’t do,” she says With partners Jeff Meyer and Rawlins and their startup experience “It just made it that much more enticing and seemingly achievable.” The idea of a women-owned bank resonated with Rawlins a career banker who worked at First Financial Bank for seven years after it acquired First Bexley “I have forever been in an industry that’s heavily dominated by men I know that there’s tremendous opportunity in this space,” she says “Women-owned businesses are growing at two times the national average yet women business owners are denied three times more often than their male counterparts for a commercial loan.” Rawlins pitched her former First Financial boss who saw potential in the mission and his former colleague She knows retail banking inside and out and she’s learning quickly the other parts of banking,” he says “She recognizes what she doesn’t know and works hard at gaining additional experience and knowledge.” was a significant asset to the leadership team and he agreed to sign on as the fourth founder “It didn’t take me long to recognize Lisa as an entrepreneur—very smart I’ve rarely seen a person that goes after something more than she does,” Stollings says It took three and a half years for Fortuna The founders began a capital raise after receiving conditional approval from the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions in August 2023 Fortuna attracted 350 shareholders and raised $20.76 million topping the $20 million required by regulators The founders set the minimum investment at $10,000 to allow more people to participate About 75 percent of its investors are women Fortuna—whose primary focus is commercial customers—had about 150 clients $16 million in deposits and $3 million in loans Their five-year goal is to reach $250 million in assets which would align with other local de novo banks Berger and Rawlins emphasize that while Fortuna is women-owned and its philanthropic mission focuses on women We really want to hold their hands and help them grow,” Berger says AmeriTitle Downtown; founder and board chair Berger’s greatest wish for 2025: “I hope for tremendous growth and support for the bank and I also truly hope that we don’t run into any huge road bumps You don’t know what’s around the next corner.” Rawlins’ greatest wish for 2025: “The successful growth of Fortuna is first and foremost but I think what has to come with that is every employee in this office loving what they’re doing and loving the impact that they’re making.” Julanne Hohbach is the editor of Columbus CEO This story is from the Inspiring Women feature in the May 2025 issue of Columbus CEO. It has been updated to correct typographical errors in the bank’s shareholder and client counts. Subscribe at subscribe.columbusceo.com Photo – Wild horse herd – Courtesy Rawlins BLM office The Rawlins office of the Bureau of Land Management reminded the public last week that wild horses and burros on public lands are federally protected under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 Removing one from the range without authorization is illegal “This is a serious issue,” said Eddie Vandenburg a wild horse and burro specialist with the BLM Rawlins Field Office the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act protects these animals as living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West The law ensures they remain a natural part of our public lands and prohibits unauthorized removal If you believe a wild horse or burro may be in distress Photo – Former CEO of Boys and Girls Club Rawlins Theresa Pacheco – Bigfoot99 file photo parents and former employees of the Boys and Girls Club met for a second time to discuss alleged misconduct by the current Club CEO and the Board of Directors At the group’s first meeting on April 10th the Chief Executive Officer of the organization discussed her recent dismissal from the organization and answered questions from concerned parents the parents said they feared the current Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors and Interim CEO Christina Linn were failing to follow the organization’s bylaws and national guidelines The parents and former staff members accused Linn and the Board of not conducting background checks on new employees “Everyone who has worked with children at the Club during my tenure as Interim CEO has had a background check that came back clean Background checks are a BGCA National requirement.” The attendees at the group’s first meeting also criticized the lack of security cameras at the Rawlins facility she did not turn over the password to access the security cameras Linn said she was in the process of either resetting the old cameras or purchasing an entirely new system Linn reported that a new camera system had been installed in the building the parents agreed to request the official Boys and Girls Club bylaws from the Board of Directors to determine if Linn or the Board were violating Club doctrine At the meeting held last week on April 24th several former Boys and Girls Club staff members and a small handful of parents met again to discuss the next steps in their campaign against the organization’s current administrators Due to concerns among the group about retaliation against the parents and the kids Bigfoot99 agreed to withhold the names of those in attendance The meeting began with a discussion of the most recent Boys and Girls Club bylaws Parents and former staff had obtained a copy of the bylaws that were in effect in March the parents expressed concern that the bylaws may have been revised since that time because the organization’s Board of Directors meetings are no longer open to the public A former staff member mentioned that she sent an email to several Boys and Girls Club of America administrators detailing her concerns about the local branch She said the Vice President of Field Services responded saying he would investigate the allegations the Boys and Girls Club of America has little control over how local organizations operate Former CEO Pacheco said the national organization does have the authority to suspend or even terminate a local charter for safety violations Pacheco said the regional headquarters of the Boys and Girls Club in Denver also conducts an annual safety inspection of the Rawlins facility The representative will spend two days searching for safety issues and interviewing employees Pacheco said any violations found during the inspection are reported to Boys & Girls Clubs Regional Service Director Clyde McGuire and the Rawlins branch parents and former staff raised concerns about McGuire’s handling of a recent incident report The former Boys and Girls Club of Carbon County Youth Behavioral Specialist who asked that his name not be included in the story recounted an incident in which McGuire allegedly shared confidential information with Interim CEO Christina Linn The meeting attendees discussed reporting any future complaints to law enforcement rather than to the Boys and Girls Club of America corporate headquarters aiming to prevent any alleged impropriety by McGuire The parents attending last week’s meeting also explored the idea of creating their own afterschool program to replace the Boys and Girls Club Former CEO Pacheco explained that creating an entirely new childcare organization will be difficult and time consuming The meeting attendees suggested asking Memorial Hospital of Carbon County or the First United Methodist Preschool to provide a space for the new afterschool program while Pacheco searches for grant funding the parents said they will seek positions on the Boys and Girls Club of Carbon County Board of Directors and push for the policy changes they want Boys and Girls Club CEO Christina Linn is also looking for new Board members Linn urged private citizens to help in any way they can including joining the board or applying for employment The parents and former staff members did not set a date for another meeting Investigative stories and local news updates Coverage of the Hawaiʻi State legislature in 2025 Award winning in-depth reports and featured on-going series Get the week’s news delivered straight to your inbox “We need to make our housing market less attractive to investors and reclaim our existing housing inventory.” Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected The following came from Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, candidate for Maui County Council Molokai District. The other candidate is John Pele Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the General Election Ballot Maui County faces big issues related to the fires What’s the primary thing Maui needs to do now to recover from the fires?  The county’s primary focus should be community stabilization which will enable healing from the devastation.  Our community needs housing stability first and foremost but they also need clear evidence that the council is listening to the voices of the people and responding accordingly and assurances that the county is advancing initiatives to prevent a disaster of this magnitude from happening again the council went to West Maui to hear directly from our community receiving over 10 hours of testimony providing us with necessary direction We worked with the administration and partner agencies to quickly pass legislation to incentivize immediate shelter for fire survivors through property tax relief and approved policy to expedite building permits for the construction of temporary and permanent housing.  we increased the number of positions under the Maui Emergency Management Agency’s new leadership and approved funding under the Fire Department for expanded positions and new fire stations We also infused the Lahaina Community Land Trust with funding to offer capital for those seeking to rebuild or to acquire properties from sellers with the aim of preventing land speculators from driving up housing prices 2.  What should Maui do to encourage people to stay What can the county do to ensure that families aren’t priced out?  We need to overhaul a housing system that is failing the majority of our people.   I began redesigning our housing system through tax reform that incentivized and disincentivized uses This involved establishing a long-term rental program launching the Aina Kupuna dedication to preserve ancestral lands supporting homestead development through infrastructure policy and funding Tiering enabled the county to generate revenue from extractive industries while providing resident and small business tax relief.  This housing problem is not one we will build ourselves out of We need to make our housing market less attractive to investors and reclaim our existing housing inventory Residents seeking shelter shouldn’t be forced to compete with investors or is unaffordable for those who live here due to speculation and FEMA’s assistance we cannot keep allowing the construction of mansions that most of our people will never live in As one proposed development blatantly states: it’s anticipated that most market-rate housing will be part-time residences that will not be rented Do you support the new state law that allows counties to regulate and even shut down short-term rentals While counties already had the authority to phase out STRs in most districts the passage of Senate Bill 2919 enabled counties to phase out STRs in any district and correctly clarifies the county’s zoning power after a recent case was decided I commend Mayor Bissen for introducing the subsequent county legislation to phase out TVRs in the apartment zone which make up about half of the TVRs in our county The other half are in the hotel and resort zones and would not be impacted Complexes that request continued TVR-use can apply for a change in zoning to hotel/resort district and council would consider each application.   Finding a balance that ensures residents have a home and tourists have accommodations is not unique to Maui; it’s a worldwide issue Barcelona recently announced its plan to ban all short term rentals within the city only 34% of units are used for long-term use while 66% are used as vacation rentals – Maui has the most short-term rentals in Hawaii.  Continuing to allow the erosion of what makes Hawaii so special will result in creating “just another tourist destination.”  How should it be rebuilt and who should decide?  Generational families that have continued to protect Lahaina and traditionally stewarded the aina as our ancestors should lead and the government should follow with the necessary support Central to this discussion is building back in a way that promotes the close-knit community it was before the fire while accounting for overall safety.  Many community members have expressed the desire to prevent fires through establishing cultural corridors such as the restoration of Loko Mokuhinia and Mokuula and the food forests of Ka Malu Ulu o Lele acknowledging the wisdom of indigenous land management systems.  and accommodating sea level rise are critical Guidance for the rebuild can also be found in the recently adopted 2022 West Maui Community Plan It considers many of the mitigating factors that have been discussed since the fires and can aid us in building back a Lahaina better suited for our cherished community; one where our children grow up with one another and continue the legacy of moolelo connected to this aina What should elected officials do to restore trust in county government?  Restoring trust and confidence in government is an ongoing Accountability through consistent action.  These are attributes many of us may strive for must be held answerable to by the public.  Regular communication and being accessible for dialogue are important which is why I host a monthly town hall meeting on topics that are important to our Molokai community I strongly support the clean elections initiative and have testified at the past two legislative sessions asking legislators to establish the program to get money out of politics I’ve made it a point to decline campaign contributions that may give the community the impression that they are not the ones I answer to.  I continue to participate in the public funding program to double the value of contributions of less than $100 The public funding program demonstrates my commitment to elevate the voices of those who have historically been disenfranchised and denied political power Do you think Maui County should do more to manage water resources The county should do more to manage our water resources We should all be mindful to conserve water and aim for a net zero impact on the streams and the aquifers by investing in returning the amount we extract like through watershed protection and restoration it is a promise to provide water to that property forever I believe we should not approve more luxury developments with ultra-luxury landscaping which will demand over 20,000 gallons per month from central Maui when we are already stretched thin on such a precious resource The Grand Wailea uses over 500,000 gallons of water a day compared to a household of four I spearheaded creating new water rates for hotels and resorts to encourage reuse of water for landscaping and implement overall better conservation techniques.  Another opportunity is reducing treated wastewater from being injected into the ocean More water should be reused and treated as the valuable resource it is What is the first thing Maui County should do to get in front of climate change rather than just reacting to it?  There are a lot of components to climate change We have experienced different effects as a result: rising sea levels The first thing the county should do is develop a plan to address the specific issues of climate change which it did in 2022 with a group of diverse community members It is incumbent upon the Office of Innovations to implement the recommendations of mitigation and action strategies from this plan The strategies and actions are grouped into four categories: secure our people It formats the different strategies and actions by priority provides an approximate timeframe for completion or ongoing effort And I’m ready to approve the funding for these recommendations.  Homelessness is becoming more of an issue on Maui What do you think needs to be changed to help people get into housing It’s easier and less costly to keep people housed than it is to rehouse them I have always strongly supported rental and mortgage assistance programs The unsheltered issue is not a one-size-fits-all situation There are a variety of reasons folks are without shelter and for each circumstance Women Helping Women and The Maui Farm have been instrumental in providing a safe place for women suffering from domestic violence and needed to escape an unsafe situation.  Aloha House provides beds during rehabilitation The county has provided funding to support Aloha House expansion efforts to offer more beds as needs increase Maui has a low-barrier shelter to just get people out of the elements and there is a much longer list than there are spots available for both shelter types.  Maui Medic Healers Hui and other mental health providers are available to help with untreated trauma that may sometimes be the reason for substance abuse or domestic violence.  and different regions face different challenges What would be your approach to improve Maui’s transportation problems The Maui Island Plan calls for tourists to not exceed 30% of the resident population in large part because our current infrastructure was not built to accommodate the amount of people that live and visit here as evidenced by the capacity of our roadways and ridiculous daily commute traffic tourism was nearly 50% of the resident population with over 72,000 tourists a day. During Covid over 22,000 rental cars were removed from our roads We could offer shuttles to get rental cars off the road This mode of transportation has worked to reduce traffic in other popular tourist locations many of these destinations have offered the service free of charge to make the shuttle more appealing than renting a vehicle This solution could be funded through the transient accommodation tax and paid for by those staying in tourism accommodations Establishing more reservations in popular areas can also reduce congestion like Haleakala sunrise reservations or slot reservations at Waianapanapa Work-related traffic could be reduced if organizations are able to offer their employees later starts and early release or work from home options throughout the week Unfortunately, being named a finalist for a Pulitzer prize doesn’t make us immune to financial pressures. The fact is, our revenue hasn’t kept pace with our need to grow, and we need your help Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in Hawaiʻi. We’re looking to build a more resilient, diverse and deeply impactful media landscape, and we hope you’ll help by supporting our essential journalism Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter Photo – Rawlins water website – Courtesy City of Rawlins water website The City of Rawlins has launched a new water system information website the City of Rawlins Facebook page announced a new website containing information about the city’s water infrastructure and water-related projects Rawlins Public Information Officer Mira Miller explained city officials hired the Cheyenne-based social media firm an easy-to-understand resource for water news and information rawlinswater.org was launched last Thursday Miller said the website’s main homepage provides information on each of the four components of the Rawlins water system Miller said the website also details the repairs each system requires and the status of those repairs rawlinswater.org has sections dedicated to the latest news about the city’s water system reports and studies on the water infrastructure and links to the city website for more information Miller said the website will be updated as water projects are completed including the installation of the new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system at the city’s water treatment plant The Public Information Officer said residents may also subscribe to the city’s official webpage to receive email or text notifications To sign up for email and text notifications and click the ‘Notify Me’ icon Miller said the city will also make the water infrastructure website’s information available to residents without internet access Miller also announced the findings of the 2024 annual Rawlins water quality report The Public Information Officer said the official results can be obtained online The latest water quality report can also be found on the city’s new water website under the resources tab Visit rawlinswater.org for all the latest news from spring to spigot This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Denison’s purpose is to inspire and educate its students to become autonomous thinkers discerning moral agents and active citizens of a democratic society We are thrilled that you are considering Denison during your college search and we look forward to getting to know more about you and experiences to campus; see how Denison helps them make this college their own and upcoming events from all around the hill and beyond So Ilaria Hughes Rawlins ’92 helped start one A class at Denison helped nudge Ilaria Rawlins ’92 toward a new career path she’s CEO of one of the few women-owned banks in the country Rawlins leads the soon-to-open Fortuna Bank The bank boasts more than 65% female ownership and part of its mission is to provide better support she dreamed of being a TV anchor like Jane Pauley But after a junior year economics class piqued her interest in business Rawlins ended up working in banking after graduation Some of her experience included working with a startup bank and when she was approached about the CEO role I’d love to get back into a small community bank where we have the time and capacity to build relationships.” came from a career in commercial real estate law and had also founded a title company she began researching bank ownership statistics “I found the numbers absolutely startling,” she says Berger discovered that out of nearly 4,800 banks in the United States and she was only able to find two intentionally founded by women Rawlins and other Fortuna organizers say women in business often don’t have the personal connections in banking that men do so they may not get personalized attention when they apply for loans — and they get turned down more often despite research findings that women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men In addition to having fewer connections in banking women also may be more hesitant about taking risks “Women just aren’t presented with investment opportunities the way men are,” Berger says “They don’t make those investment decisions Fortuna board member Lori Kaiser has been a business owner for more than 30 years and is well acquainted with some of the challenges women can face “and was told to bring my husband along.” Even when she pointed out that her husband wouldn’t be involved in the business Kaiser points out that these enterprises are often small — basically self-employment situations A bank like Fortuna could take these businesses to the next level The founders emphasize that they want Fortuna to be a community bank for everyone but with a role addressing the gap in support for women Women are often passionate about their products and services but sometimes lack experience and knowledge of elements such as compliance “We want more women to make the leap to growing and scaling and to creating real wealth.” It initially appeared that fortune might not be on Fortuna’s side Weeks after they submitted their business plan to federal regulators business leaders and government officials were nervously remembering the 2008 economic crisis and worrying about domino effects Fortuna did end up getting approval but was required to raise at least $20 million to get started Finding that capital with a majority of women investors was not easy Rawlins calls it “probably the hardest professional time in my life.” “We talked to anybody who wanted to hear anything about it,” Berger says “Ilaria and I probably gave 1,000 speeches.” they lowered the minimum investment to $10,000 ranging from those small entry-level stakes to $1-2 million shares That larger base of investors provides a referral network of brand ambassadors who have a vested interest in the bank’s success but I have met a lot along the way — and wow are they a tight-knit community,” Berger says it all finally came together — final touches on hiring Fortuna was scheduled to open its doors in December with a grand opening planned for January 2025 It’s not where Rawlins thought she would be when she started her communication major but she’s found satisfaction in her career “and the ability to build relationships with people at pretty monumental times in their lives.” Stay up to date with the latest campus news and upcoming events Update: Fortuna Bank opened its doors after receiving final approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp success in her career comes down to relationships—and the same goes for the banking business After spending more than two decades in financial services Rawlins was tapped by a former client and a former boss to help found a bank with a mission to empower women “They reached out to me because of the relationships that we had before,” Rawlins says Two and a half years later, the upstart Fortuna Bank had received conditional approval from the Ohio Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp it had raised $17 million of its $20 million goal—85 percent—and had a management team waiting in the wings which has leased office space across from Grandview Yard on Goodale Boulevard aims to offer a different banking experience from a traditional institution—one based on relationships “Hopefully it feels a little bit more warm and welcoming,” Rawlins says “We won’t have a teller line—we’ll have private offices instead so people can feel like their conversations are being kept confidential And then we’ll have an open central area that can be utilized for programming like education and events.” The vision is that by connecting the community to the bank women will have the chance to meet financial services professionals who can counsel them on business funding Fortuna’s founders want to fill a niche for women bank customers who typically borrow less and seek less funding than their male counterparts They want to listen to their clients’ stories and make decisions based on relationships “We know because we’ve walked in their shoes We’ve seen some of the discrepancies and the financial literacy gaps that can take place for women We felt like that was a great place we could step into,” Rawlins says should feel out of place walking into Fortuna we’d love to be a great community bank for everybody.” 871 Goodale Blvd., Grandview Heights; fortunabank.com Business: Women-owned bank in organization Previous: Retail bank leadership roles with First Financial Bank and First Bexley Bank This story is from the Women in Business feature in the Summer 2024 issue of Columbus CEO. Subscribe at subscribe.columbusceo.com Photo – Tom Sarvey with Employee of the Quarter Joe Langenderfer with city council in the background – Courtesy City of Rawlins Rawlins officials name a veteran water treatment plant operator as the Employee of the Quarter the Rawlins city government honors a staff member who exceeds their usual responsibilities with the Employee of the Quarter Award During the April 15th Rawlins City Council meeting City Manager Tom Sarvey announced long-time city staff member and current water treatment plant operator Joe Langenderfer as the Employee of the First Quarter of 2025 City Manager Sarvey explained that Langenderfer is an exploratory employee possessing a detailed knowledge of the city’s infrastructure Sarvey said Langenderfer takes the time to ensure that new employees are properly trained Sarvey shared a story about when Langenderfer moved to Florida the water treatment plant operator remained available to answer questions about the city’s water system Langenderfer later returned to Rawlins and resumed his role on the city staff saying Langenderfer uses his free time to volunteer around Rawlins Sarvey thanked Langenderfer on behalf of the city of Rawlins and the Public Works Department for his contributions Employee of the Quarter winners receive a $300 bonus and have their names inscribed on a permanent plaque displayed in Rawlins City Hall Photo – Rawlins City Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo Progress on the updated Rawlins nuisance ordinance has stalled while awaiting input from stakeholders the Rawlins city council determined that the city’s nuisance ordinances specifically those governing derelict and abandoned vehicles The governing body asked City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave to rewrite the ordinances for improved clarity and easier implementation Attorney Maberry-Nave has been revising the nuisance ordinances to improve the city’s ability to enforce and track violations the newly established nuisance regulations must be read three times during three separate public hearings The Rawlins city council read and passed the amended ordinance during their March 18th and April 1st meetings A third reading is required before the proposed changes go into effect At the April 15th Rawlins city council meeting before the third and final reading of the ordinance she presented the changes to the relevant department heads to ensure they were satisfied with the outcome Attorney Maberry-Nave noted that several issues with the ordinance were identified One of the main concerns is how certain regulations will be enforced The Rawlins city attorney also said the stakeholders helped identify clerical errors in the documents that she had missed during their development Councilwoman Tonya Lewman asked why the stakeholders were not involved in the initial drafting of the nuisance ordinances Attorney Maberry-Nave clarified that they were included but changes to the lineup of department heads resulted in different interpretations of the regulations Attorney Maberry-Nave said the stakeholders did not recommend any major changes the changes that were made to the ordinance should be reviewed by the council The city attorney recommended holding another public hearing specifically to discuss the updated nuisance ordinances The Rawlins City Council agreed to hold a special work session to review the proposed changes to the nuisance ordinance The governing body did not set a date for the meeting Rock Springs won both the boys’ and girls’ team championships at a meet in Rawlins Rock Springs scored 146 to win the girls’ title while the Tiger boys totaled 180 points to easily win the boys’ division Green River finished third in the boys’ team competition (82.5) and the girls finished fourth (77.5) the Green River track is scheduled to compete at Casper Kelly Walsh Individual Highlights:Girls 100 Meter Dash: 2 Aria Wheeler (RS)Girls 100 Meter Hurdles: 1 Nicole Wilson (GR)Girls 300 Meter Hurdles: 1 Lovely LucioGirls 4×100 Meter Relay: 1 Rock SpringsGirls 4×400 Meter Relay: 2 Mikayla Dockter (GR) and Lilly Bodenhagen (RS)Girls Long Jump: 1 Chaz Hemlmandollar (GR)Boys 200 Meter Dash: 2 Austin Pfiefer (RS)Boys 300 Meter Hurdles: 2 Austin Pfiefer (RS)Boys 4×100 Meter Relay: 1 Rock SpringsBoys 4×400 Meter Relay: 1 Green River Boys 4×800 Meter Relay: 2 Ben Schank (RS)Mixed 4×100 Meter Relay: 2 Photo – Former Boys and Girls Club Executive Officer Theresa Pacheco – by Matt Copeland Bigfoot99 Parents and former Boys and Girls Club of Carbon County staff addressed concerns about the organization’s current administration former Boys and Girls Club Chief Executive Officer Theresa Pacheco held a meeting in Rawlins to discuss her dismissal from the organization and answer questions from concerned parents A written statement provided during the meeting states that Pacheco the long-serving CEO of the local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club the unnamed Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors “demanded” sensitive information Pacheco elaborated further on the circumstances surrounding the events leading to her termination a member of the current Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors was recording her daughter without permission The girl who was being recorded is a member of the club The parent of the child said she brought her concerns to Pacheco who presented them to the Board of Directors The Board then allegedly demanded the child’s enrollment information which Pacheco initially refused to provide The parent of the child explained that the Board threatened Pacheco’s job if she refused to provide the child’s information later assuring her that no disciplinary action would be taken if she complied Hoping to protect Pacheco from retaliation the parent of the child ultimately agreed to the demands of the organization’s Board the Board of Directors voted to suspend Pacheco for refusing to provide the requested information eight Boys and Girls Club staff members went on strike to protest Pacheco’s treatment by the Board The Board then terminated Director Pacheco for insubordination Pacheco brought her concerns to the National and the State Boys and Girls Club of America but received no response a representative from the Casper Boys and Girls Club visited the Carbon County chapter provided during last week’s parents meeting the Chief Financial Officer of the Casper Boys and Girls Club came to Rawlins to confirm the allegations against the Board of Directors said that he decided to resign due to the Casper CFO’s behavior during her visit Pacheco said she believes the children are uncomfortable with the new staff and suggested creating an alternative child-centered after-school learning program to replace the Boys and Girls Club of Carbon County Pacheco and her former employees would staff the new organization Many of the parents attending last week’s meeting approved of Pacheco’s idea to start a new child-care program the attendees acknowledged that creating an entirely new organization from scratch will take time the Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Boys and Girls Club of Carbon County could potentially be removed from her position for violating the organization’s policies Responding to a question from a concerned parent former CEO Pacheco said after she was terminated the Board disabled the security camera system in their Rawlins facility While not expressly written in the Boys and Girls Club of America’s policies many chapters of the organization have security camera requirements written into their bylaws Violating the bylaws may result in a staff or Board member’s termination Bigfoot99 reached out to Interim Chief Executive Officer Christina Linn about the allegations leveled against her and the current Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors Linn provided a written statement that said the cameras at the Club were removed because the only person with access is no longer associated with the organization Linn said in her written response that Pacheco ignored repeated requests from both her and the organization’s President Linn had the cameras removed because she felt it was unreasonable to allow a former employee to have access to the cameras at the Club The Interim CEO wrote that as soon as the previous CEO adding that she plans to order new cameras and have them installed by this weekend the current Board of Directors was accused of not performing legally required background checks on new employees The Youth Behavioral Specialist reported that he personally observed new hires working at the Boys and Girls Club before their background checks had been completed Former CEO Pacheco said background checks typically take between four days and two weeks Bigfoot99 also asked Interim CEO Christina Linn about this allegation Linn responded that everyone who has worked with children at the Boys and Girls Club of Carbon County during her time as Interim CEO has passed a background check Linn added that background checks are required by the National Boys and Girls Club of America “We finally have a board in place that is providing proper oversight We stand behind the decisions we have made I am working diligently to ensure we make continuous improvements within the organization.” Several parents attending last week’s meeting said they felt that the Board of Directors was wrong to fire Pacheco but that they were worried that the Board would retaliate against their children if they spoke out since they rely on the organization’s afterschool programs Pacheco and the former Boys and Girls Club employees advised the parents to make written demands to Interim CEO Linn and the Board of Directors for copies of the current bylaws policies the current administration is violating the parents can then report them to the National Boys and Girls Club of America in the hopes that the current Board will be forcefully removed While they wait for a response from the current Board of Directors the parents were asked to bring their concerns to Senators Barrasso and Lummis and Congresswoman Harriet Hageman Another Boys and Girls Club of Carbon County parents meeting has been scheduled for Thursday passed away peacefully with her family by her side to the late Joseph and Mertie (Smith) Vasquez Josephine was a member of the Farmington Church of God even winning a Missouri bowling Championship She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter  Josephine is survived by her loving husband and Robby Rawlins (Christine); 15 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; along with other family members that survive Visitation will resume on Friday at 9:00 AM until the time of the funeral Service at 11:00 AM with Reverend William Rawson officiating Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Leadington Memorials may be directed to the Farmington Church of God in Josephine’s memory An official website of the United States government Open Search  Mobile Menu — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming Rawlins Field Office is featured in the newly released "Grazing Management for the Future" six-part film series presented by the Intermountain West Joint Venture and BLM It focuses on BLM's Outcome-Based Grazing Authorizations (OBGAs) initiative and demonstrates how ranching families and federal land managers are working together to promote sustainable grazing practices that benefit both the environment and rural communities In the recent installment titled “First to Know” highlights PH Livestock’s innovative ranching practices and their partnership with the Rawlins Field Office a rangeland management specialist with the BLM Wyoming Rawlins Field Office ensuring that monitoring data is effectively integrated into grazing decisions to support long-term land stewardship is a benefit,” said Neils Hansen of PH Livestock “I want to be the first to know that there’s a problem out there so I can address it.” The entire film series offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the BLM's OBGA is improving grazing practices across the West while ensuring the health and productivity of public lands For more information about BLM’s Outcome-Based Grazing Authorizations, please visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/rangelands-and-grazing/livestock-grazing Grazing Management for the Future: Six-Part Film Series — Partners in the Sage The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations An official website of the Department of the Interior officials are considering repairs for the Ferguson Building and what future it may have in the city the Board of Carbon County Commissioners gifted the 130-year-old Hugus-Ferguson Building located on the corner of West Cedar and 5th Streets to the city’s Downtown Development Authority Requiring millions of dollars of restoration work has been trying to find a purpose for the building Speaking at the April 1st Rawlins city council meeting DDA Executive Director Pam Thayer provided the governing body with an update on the Ferguson Building Thayer explained that many of the decorative glass blocks installed above the doors and windows of the structure have begun to fall out Work to replace the glass blocks has been done entirely through donations of money and labor Thayer said the Downtown Development Authority Board Of Directors has voted to purchase new glass blocks Rawlins officials submitted four sites to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for Brownfields consideration: the Pink Motel created by the United States Environmental Protection Agency provides financial assistance to municipalities dealing with properties that have known or suspected environmental contamination the federal government awarded Rawlins $500,000 to assess whether any of these sites are contaminated Thayer said the Brownfields study on the Ferguson Building is expected to be completed by the end of April Approval from the Rawlins city council is required before work on any improvements identified in the Brownfields study can begin Thayer explained that Ayers and Associates the agency overseeing the Brownfields study explored options for repurposing the Ferguson Building as either a hotel or apartment complex While Ayers and Associates identified a need for more apartment space in the city the DDA Director said she pressed for a hotel stating that it will generate greater tax revenue focusing on a potential hotel in the Ferguson Building the Rawlins Downtown Development Authority has been using the front window space of the Ferguson Building for seasonal displays featuring artistic renditions of local landmarks.