The Wyoming Arts Council has announced that a new call for entry for public art is open. The Wyoming Department of Health, along with the Veteran’s Commission and State Construction Department, are building the Veteran’s Home of Wyoming Skilled Nursing Facility, located in Buffalo. Through the State of Wyoming’s Art in Public Buildings program, artwork will be commissioned for the exterior of the building. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is open to artists with a deadline of July 17, 2020. This is a national RFQ. Wyoming artists will be given preference. The call is available on CaFE (callforentry.org). Additional details, including eligibility requirements, timelines, and budget information are available on CaFE and on the Wyoming Arts Council website, wyoarts.state.wy.us/. Wyoming artists are encouraged to apply. Art in Public Buildings legislation for the State of Wyoming is administered through the Wyoming Arts Council. For more information, please contact Rachel Clifton at the Arts Council at rachel.clifton@wyo.gov or (307)256-0500.

The Cheyenne Animal Shelter is now accepting registrations for the third annual Discers for Whiskers disc golf tournament to be held Saturday, July 11, at Dave Romero Park, 1317 Parsley Boulevard. Entry fees begin at $25 and prizes will be given to the top amateur finishers with $150 added cash to the professional purse. The tournament will follow both the COVID-19 PDGA and Wyoming Public health requirements. Learn more or to register your team, log onto cheyenneanimalshelter.org. No same day registration allowed. For 50 years, the Cheyenne Animal Shelter has extended the hand of kindness to neglected and abused companion animals in Cheyenne and Laramie County.

Laramie County Library System invites the community to participate in its virtual Summer Reading Challenge, Imagine Your Story, which will take place solely online through September 31 in an effort to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Registration for the Summer Reading Challenge 2020 is open to individuals of all ages. Registration is available at lclsonline.org/summer-reading-celebration/. The challenge is free and does not require a library card to participate. For those that wish to register but do not have access to the internet, please call (307)634-3561 for assistance. Every person who completes the challenge by reading 25 books, days or hours will receive a completion prize for their hard reading work. Summer reading is a critical component in maintaining academic skills, and helps fight the summer slide where students lose some of their reading and learning gains from the previous school year.

The Cheyenne Celtic Festival will be held Friday-Sunday, September 18-20. On Friday, 2:00pm-7:00pm, at the Depot Plaza, corner of Capital and West 15th, attend a Highlander strength competition and end with a Calling of the Celtic Clans at 6:45pm. On Saturday-Sunday, the full Celtic festival with clans, bagpipes, vendors, food, beer and Highland games will be held from 10:00am-4:30pm both days at the Lions Park softball field, 408 South Lions Park Drive.

Laramie County Library System has reopened with restrictions to reduce the spread of COVID- 19. Due to the reopening of all library facilities, curbside pick-up services are no longer available as of Tuesday, June 23. Laramie County Library System highly encourages anyone wishing to utilize the library to review the complete list of restrictions and changes at LaramieCountyLibrary.org/covid before visiting any facilities. With restrictions in place, the Cheyenne library will return to its normal operating hours of 10:00am-9:00pm Monday-Thursday, 10:00am-6:00pm Friday and Saturday, and 1:00pm-5:00pm on Sunday. Go to LaramieCountyLibrary.org or call (307)634-3561 for updated information.

Here comes Trader’s Annual 2-week issue! The issue runs from Friday, July 17 through Thursday, July 30. Our office will be closed Monday-Friday, July 20-24 and will reopen Monday, July 27, at 8:00am. All classified and display ads must be turned in by 4:00pm on Wednesday, July 15, to run in this special issue.

Curious about what is blooming out on the prairie or looking for hardy perennials for your yard? Check out www.facebook/laramiecountyextension where pictures and descriptions are posted. The Laramie County Extension is putting on a free Zoom program on growing strawberries and raspberries in Laramie County on Wednesday, July 8, 6:30pm. The UW Laramie County Extension Office is open and working as a virtual office. They are taking phone calls and emailed questions to help with everything from food safety, canning, cooking, baking, horticulture and 4-H to Community Development Education. To register for the Zoom meeting go to laracnty@uwyo.edu or for more information call (307)633-3483.

As public health officials have advised, we are taking steps to minimize person-to-person contact and do our part in helping to slow the spread of COVID-19, which has proven dangerously contagious. Therefore, for your health and the health of our employees we are changing our hours to 8:00am-3:00pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We will be open Wednesday from 8:00am-4:00pm. If you would like to place an ad outside these hours you may phone in your ad by calling (307)634-8895 and leaving your ad, contact name and phone number on our voicemail. You may also place your ad online at wyotraders.com. With this temporary change of office hours, our new weekly deadline will be 4:00pm Wednesday. Stay healthy!

The Laramie County Senior Services, 2101 Thomes Avenue, will be having a fundraiser dinner on Friday, July 3, from 4:00pm-6:00pm. The menu will consist of a smothered burrito/green chili, Spanish rice and beans, for $7/plate, cash only please. All proceeds will go to the Laramie County Senior Services’ Nutrition Program. For more information, call (307)635-2435.

Cheyenne Frontier Days™ has partnered with ANB Bank, Union, Cheyenne Beverage, Cowboy Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, First Interstate Bank and Black Hills Energy to host the annual fireworks display for the City of Cheyenne. The 2020 fireworks show is designed to maximize aerial displays for visibility from locations all over Cheyenne. On July 4, Lions Park will be open to foot traffic only and Carey Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic, so plan to enjoy the show from your own neighborhood or other open, flat areas. The Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Laramie County School District have offered their parking lots for those who wish to view the fireworks. Tune in to local radio station KFBC at 1240 AM and 97.5 FM to hear the patriotic broadcast accompanying the fireworks display. The fireworks display will begin at approximately 9:35pm. For more details, please go to cfdrodeo.co/July4th.

In celebration of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, First Lady Melania Trump is honoring the centennial anniversary with an exhibit showcasing artwork by young Americans. Titled Building the Movement: America’s Youth Celebrate 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage, the exhibit will celebrate 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Submissions are encouraged from students in grades 3-12; depicting individuals, objects, and events representing the women’s suffrage movement. The exhibit will showcase one selected piece of artwork from each state, the District of Columbia, and the United States’ major territories. Entries must be received by July 6, 2020, at 5:00pm ET. For artwork requirements, visit https://www.womensvote100.org/buildingthemovement.

Blue Federal Credit Union has kicked off its first Get Outside with Blue campaign. The campaign encourages everyone to get outside and go on a summertime adventure. During the campaign, random participants will be selected to win one of 50 gift cards and be entered to win one of two $1,000 grand prizes. Blue wants to encourage members as well as others to enjoy the summertime to the fullest by encouraging people to get outside with Blue. Through the end of August, both Blue FCU members and non-members can win gift cards and one of two $1,000 grand prizes. To enter, participants must post a personal picture of the outdoors being enjoyed using the hashtag #getoutsidewithBlue and tagging Blue’s social media accounts. To learn more about the Get Outside with Blue campaign as well as the full list of rules, visit bluefcu.com/outside.

The Cheyenne Animal Shelter’s Fur Ball Committee announced that the 2020 Fur Ball is going “virtual.” In light of COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, the Cheyenne Animal Shelter will not be hosting the Fur Ball at Little America. There will be a one-week online auction that will begin on Friday, July 24 and culminate in a one-hour live broadcast (method to be determined) on Friday, July 31. Please email bookkeeper@cheyenneanimalshelter.org for refund options. The Cheyenne Animal Shelter will keep in touch with guests to provide login information and how the online bidding process will work. They appreciate the public’s understanding and while COVID-19 has prevented the ability to see people in person, they look forward to seeing everyone “virtually” in July!

If you have missed getting your child vaccinated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, don’t worry, the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department can get you caught up on all of your vaccinations. Vaccines are one of the best ways parents can now protect their children from disease, and now more than ever, we need to make sure the community is safe from preventable diseases. Come visit the local public health nurse, walk-ins welcome, at Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department, 100 Central Avenue or call to schedule an appointment at (307)633-4000.

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church food pantry has reopened. Fridays, 8:30am-11:00am, corner of Henderson and Deming, come to the church parking lot, please wear face masks. (307)632-4488.

In observance of Independence Day, the programs will not operate and the office will be closed Friday-Saturday, July 3 and 4. The Cheyenne Transit Program (CTP) fixed-route bus service is still suspended but ADA Paratransit services have continued to operate as normal. CTP will make single passenger paratransit and general public curb to curb service available to all residents of Cheyenne for essential trips only, at no cost to the rider. Register by calling (307)637-6253. A name, address, telephone number and date of birth will need to be provided. Schedulers are normally available Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm and Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm. Service will be provided on a first come, first serve basis.

You can take a guided tour of Powars II to see the archaeology at Sunrise Mine. The tour is Saturday, August 15, the gates open at 11:30am and the 3-hour mine and town tour leaves at 1:00pm. This tour will include the Paleoindian Red Ochre Mine and Historic Town of Sunrise. Wear old shoes because they will get stained. $20 for adults, $35 for families, please no credit cards, also lunch is available for purchase for a no-host barbecue at Miners & Stockman’s Steakhouse to follow the tour. Call George Zeimens for information (307)575-2010. Proceeds to benefit the Western History Center. Don’t miss this once in a life-time opportunity!

The Cahoon’s Craft Corral is looking for vendors to participate in their fair on Saturday, July 11, 9:00am-5:00pm, next to Riverbend Nursery, 9010 Yellowstone Road. Rent of space proceeds go to Meals on Wheels. For more information, please call (307)638-9275.