LUSK – A power outage plunged all of Lusk into darkness last Fri- day. Wyoming Municipal Power Agency (WMPA) Operations Manager James Harty stated that the outage was attributable to a burned-out regulator for the downtown substation, which is owned by the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). A crew led by Electric Superin- tendent Pete Kruse identified the source of the problem and a WAPA expert was subsequently dispatched. The expert had to travel from Casper, which meant a few hours of darkness for Lusk residents.

“It was a matter of having the right guy at the right place,” Harty said.

While the regulator’s expiration was most likely caused by age, Harty did not rule out the possi- bility that excessively hot weather also played a causative role.

“It’s a possibility,” said Harty. “I’m sure that the weather had contributed some to the regula- tor’s early demise.”

For now, the burn-out regula- tor is being bypassed and a re- placement is on the way. Harty stated that regulators typically have a lifespan of approximately 20-years. No arrival date for that component has been established yet.

Once the power was restored on Friday, the Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office expressed its grat- itude via Facebook to all the par- ties who turned the town’s lights back on.

“We would like to give a big thanks to everyone that was working so quickly to get the power back on,” the Facebook message read.

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER, SINCE 1886