CARBON COUNTY, Wyo. — When Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken traces up for a 100-mile path race in the summertime of 2026, the problem gained’t simply be bodily endurance — it can even be about drawing consideration to the rising monetary pressure going through native emergency companies.
Bakken introduced he’ll run the Bighorn Path 100, an ultramarathon via Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains scheduled for June 19–21, as a fundraiser to help communications upgrades for the Carbon County Sheriff’s Workplace and the county’s search and rescue groups.
| READ NEXT: Rural officers’ largest tech downside isn’t failure — it’s not having it in any respect
Rising prices for important communications tools — together with radios, dispatch consoles and satellite tv for pc connectivity — mixed with diminished county income tied to property tax discount laws, have left the sheriff’s workplace looking for different funding sources, Bakken stated.
“As a substitute of merely accepting this actuality, I’m prepared to run a extremely, actually great distance in hopes of elevating some cash for our first responders,” Bakken wrote in a group replace asserting the hassle.
Based on the sheriff, 100% of the funds raised can be break up between the sheriff’s workplace and Carbon County’s east and west search and rescue groups. The cash can be used to improve operational communications tools, together with handheld radios and Starlink satellite tv for pc antennas designed to enhance protection in distant areas.
Carbon County has already felt the affect of diminished funding. Bakken stated the sheriff’s workplace misplaced two positions final 12 months and will face extra cuts if property tax reductions proceed to shrink native income streams.
The fundraiser can also be meant to lift consciousness amongst residents and policymakers about how state-level tax laws can have an effect on county governments and frontline emergency companies.
Bakken, who additionally serves because the county’s search and rescue coordinator, acknowledged the non-public problem forward. Whereas he has accomplished a marathon earlier than, the upcoming race can be his first try at a 100-mile occasion.
“I’ve little or no thought of what I get myself into,” he joked, including that the run ought to be “entertaining at the very least.”
Donations will be made on to the Carbon County Sheriff’s Workplace, both of the county’s search and rescue divisions, or via an internet GoFundMe marketing campaign established for the race. Bakken additionally stated volunteers focused on serving as pacers or crew members throughout the occasion are inspired to succeed in out.
Help Alex’s 100 Mile Race for Higher Gear
Alex Bakken, serving because the elected sheriff of Carbon County and SAR coordinator, is operating a 100-mile race to lift funds for dependable communication tools upgrades for the sheriff’s workplace and search-and-rescue groups. Your help helps enhance operational gear with out diverting native basic funds. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Donate to the GoFundMe
Lexington Officer Kaitlin Criminal, 25, was killed in a capturing that additionally injured her estranged husband, an off-duty firefighter, and her boyfriend, police stated
The suspect, accused of killing two college students and an MIT professor, was recognized via LPRs and a Reddit tip after a multi-state manhunt
Operating again Oscar Adaway III filed a felony criticism following a broadly considered incident throughout a Texas A&M sport the place a trooper was seen bumping South Carolina gamers
Lowell Police, Pridestar Trinity EMS and Lowell Hearth volunteered for the Heroes and Helpers buying occasion
The First Protection one-step detection course of affords a visible indication of fentanyl
