by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough traveled around Wyoming late last month, raising awareness of how many veterans the PACT Act has helped so far, and how many more people can now access VA benefits. “Starting March 5, if you’re a veteran of any deployment in the post-911 period, any deployment related […]
Wyoming
Posted inCommunity
New UW Extension educator bolsters local food efforts
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Jennifer Faulkner will serve as a local foods coordinator in the Department of Agricultural and Applied economics for the University of Wyoming Extension. Faulkner grew up on a Wyoming cattle ranch and managed a ranch operation in Riverton for three years. As a rancher, she was highly active in the local foods […]
Posted inCrime
Suspect ID’d in Cheyenne fatal response to armed domestic violence call; 3 officers on leave
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Three Cheyenne police officers are on administrative leave following the death of a suspect in an armed domestic violence call Friday evening. The Cheyenne Police Department said in a release Monday that the investigation, in accordance with the agency’s policy, has been turned over to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations. Police […]
Posted inSports
Pokes face Fresno State in MW Championship first round Wednesday
By Nick Seeman, UW Media-Athletics LARAMIE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Cowboys head to Las Vegas to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first round of the Mountain West Championship inside the Thomas & Mack Center on Wednesday at noon MDT. The Cowboys are the eighth seed in the field with the Bulldogs finishing […]
Posted inSports
Cowgirls lose in Mountain West Quarterfinals
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The Wyoming Cowgirl offense went cold at the worst time Monday night at the Mountain West Championship. The Cowgirls lost 62–54 in the quarterfinals to Boise State as the Broncos ended the game on a 15–4 run over the final five-plus minutes. The action was fast-paced to open the game as […]
Posted inAgriculture
UW Extension to host season extension, food production conference in Sheridan
CASPER, Wyo. — The University of Wyoming Extension will host a one-day conference on season extension and small-scale food production at Sheridan College on Saturday, April 6. The conference, which is supported by the Wyoming Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Program, is part of UW Extension’s Harvest Wyoming initiative, an Extension news release states. Event […]
Posted inWyoming
High hopes, or hype, for rare earth mining in Wyoming?
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile There’s a lot of hope, and maybe some hype, for commercial-scale rare earth element mining in Wyoming, which is home to one of the largest proven high-concentrated deposits in North America. That interest comes at a time of increasing demand for rare earths, which are essential components for modern technologies but are […]
Posted inState Politics
Gordon doesn’t sign ‘parental rights’ bill, calling it unnecessary, dangerous
by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile In his first such boycott of the 2024 legislative session, Gov. Mark Gordon let a “parental rights” bill go into law without his signature, noting in an accompanying letter that he can’t see a need for it. Considering that Wyoming law “is clear in stating ‘the liberty of a parent to the care, custody […]
Posted inLegislature
Lawmakers strike budget deal that restores funding for school construction, Gordon energy initiative
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile CHEYENNE—A second set of lawmakers took about 12 hours to accomplish what their colleagues couldn’t get done in five days — negotiate a single, unified budget between the House and the Senate. The compromise budget maintains funding for the University of Wyoming’s gender studies program, which has been a frequent target of […]
Posted inLegislature
Transvaginal ultrasounds likely required by Wyoming’s new abortion regulations
by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile A bill sitting on the governor’s desk would place more regulations on abortions in Wyoming, including a required ultrasound at least 48 hours before terminating a pregnancy. Pushback on similar legislation led to an outcry in Utah in part because of what it may mean: required transvaginal ultrasounds. House Bill 148 – […]
Posted inLegislature
Curbs on foreign land ownership, immigrant driver’s licenses fail in House
by Maya Shimizu Harris, WyoFile CHEYENNE—Restricting foreign influence and immigration in Wyoming was a priority for some lawmakers this session, yet repeated, and at times unconventional, attempts to advance legislation addressing these issues failed. Earlier this session, three bills — two that would have restricted foreign land ownership in Wyoming and another deeming driver’s licenses issued […]
Posted inPolitics
Shot down, resuscitated: Wyoming Senate bucks precedent to target gun-free zones
by Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile CHEYENNE—Sen. Dave Kinskey showed no interest Tuesday in letting the traditions of the Wyoming Senate stand in the way of civilians who want to carry firearms into public schools. A bill that stripped state and local governments’ authority to create gun-free zones in places like schools, college dormitories, the Wyoming Capitol and […]
Posted inEducation
Casper’s Elora Nation is Wyoming’s 2024 Poetry Out Loud State Champion
CASPER, Wyo. — The annual Poetry Out Loud State Finals Competition was hosted by the Wyoming Arts Council on Monday, Feb. 26 at the Surbrugg/Prentice Auditorium located at Laramie County Community College. Elora Nation secured the title of Wyoming’s 2024 State Champion for the second consecutive year. Nation, a senior enrolled in the Penn Foster […]
Posted inLegislature
Wyoming’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors advances
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of harming themselves, please call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text “WYO” to 741-741 for the Crisis Text Line. by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile CHEYENNE—Young people diagnosed with gender dysphoria may […]
Posted inLegislature
Chaos grips Wyoming Legislature after budget negotiations implode
by Maggie Mullen and Maya Shimizu Harris, WyoFile CHEYENNE—Budget negotiations at the Wyoming Legislature spun out of control Monday night, with the Senate lobbing accusations of bad faith after House members declared a stalemate and walked away. The drama sparked questions about when and how lawmakers would finalize a budget and again raised the specter of a special […]
Posted inLegislature
School choice bill sheds early childhood component as it advances through Senate
by Katie Klingsporn, WyoFile A Senate committee Friday stripped the early childhood education component of a bill designed to help families pay for non-public school or pre-K expenses — excising support some say is desperately needed to fill Wyoming’s preschool gaps. “The pre-K aspect of this bill is the only part of the bill that really […]
Posted inLatest News
Eight Cowboys earn seeds ahead of Big 12 Championships
By Bud Denega, University of Wyoming Athletics LARAMIE, Wyo. — The Big 12 released its championship brackets Monday. A total of eight Cowboys garnered a seed at their respective weight. Jore Volk (125) led the way, reeling in the No. 5 seed. He compiled a 19-6 overall record, which included a 7-6 mark against ranked […]
Posted inWyoming
And then there were two: Barrasso bows out of Senate leadership run
CASPER, Wyo. — Sen. John Barrasso announced he will not seek the Senate Republican leadership role after Mitch McConnell steps down from the position later this year. According to NBC News, Barrasso made the announcement in a letter to colleagues on Tuesday morning, saying he will instead seek the number-two position as Whip. NBC News […]
Posted inLegislature
Ultrasound, waiting-period requirements added to Wyoming abortion restriction bill
by Madelyn Beck, WyoFile Wyoming’s bill to further regulate abortion clinics was amended late last week to require an ultrasound at least 48 hours before terminating a pregnancy. House Bill 148 – Regulation of surgical abortions’ initial focus was on requiring clinics offering procedural abortions to be licensed surgical centers and for its doctors to have admitting privileges […]
Posted inLegislature
Bill granting greater access to police records for misconduct inquiries advances
by Maya Shimizu Harris, WyoFile Support in the Wyoming Legislature remains strong for a bill that would provide greater personnel records access for police misconduct investigations — an issue that arose following an effort to decertify former Albany County law enforcement Derek Colling, who shot and killed local resident Robbie Ramirez in 2018, stalled after a court blocked […]
Posted inLatest News
$40M anonymous gift to fund new staff housing at Yellowstone National Park
GILLETTE, Wyo. — The National Park Service and National Park Foundation announced Thursday that $40 million dollars was gifted to the park from an anonymous group of donors for the expansion of employee housing within the park. The donation will fund an additional 70 new modular units and improvements to existing housing that the park […]
Posted inLegislature
Senate and House must bridge $1.1 billion budget chasm — and soon
by Maya Shimizu Harris and Maggie Mullen, WyoFile With two fiscal plans that differ by more than a billion dollars, lawmakers appointed to negotiate a unified state budget have more than their share of work cut out for them. On Friday, lawmakers finished sorting through 295 budget amendments — a record number of proposals that foreshadowed the $1.1 […]
