INSIDER
Bridges in Yellowstone and Denali parks are among dozens getting federally funded upgrades
Read full article: Bridges in Yellowstone and Denali parks are among dozens getting federally funded upgradesFederal highway officials have announced $635 million of grants to repair or replace old bridges across the U.S. The grants awarded Thursday include improvements to a 200-foot-high bridge in Yellowstone National Park and the replacement of a bridge not far from a landslide zone in Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve.
Pilot declared emergency, loss of autopilot before crash that killed 3 members of famed gospel group
Read full article: Pilot declared emergency, loss of autopilot before crash that killed 3 members of famed gospel groupA preliminary report says the pilot of a plane that crashed in northeast Wyoming in July, killing three members of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame quartet The Nelons, declared an emergency and the loss of the autopilot shortly before the incident that in total killed seven people.
With possible interest rate cuts ahead, here’s how you can prepare
Read full article: With possible interest rate cuts ahead, here’s how you can prepareWith potential interest rate cuts on the horizon, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hints at relief for consumers and small businesses. Lower interest rates could mean more affordable loans, mortgages, and refinancing opportunities.
Move over grizzlies and wolves: Yellowstone visitors hope to catch a glimpse of rare white buffalo
Read full article: Move over grizzlies and wolves: Yellowstone visitors hope to catch a glimpse of rare white buffaloThe recent appearance of a rare white bison calf has excited wildlife watchers in Yellowstone National Park.
Large chunk of Wyoming's Teton Pass road collapses; unclear how quickly it can be rebuilt
Read full article: Large chunk of Wyoming's Teton Pass road collapses; unclear how quickly it can be rebuiltA large chunk of a mountain pass highway in Wyoming has collapsed, severing a well-traveled commuter link between small towns in eastern Idaho and the tourist destination of Jackson.
Trump picks up more national delegates as the only choice for Wyoming Republicans
Read full article: Trump picks up more national delegates as the only choice for Wyoming RepublicansRepublicans in Wyoming have awarded former President Donald Trump all 29 of their national delegates in a presidential preference poll.
Biden wins more delegates in Wyoming and Alaska as he heads toward Democratic nomination
Read full article: Biden wins more delegates in Wyoming and Alaska as he heads toward Democratic nominationPresident Joe Biden has nudged further ahead in the Democratic nomination for reelection by winning the party contests in Wyoming and Alaska.
Angst over LGBTQ+ stories led to another canceled show. But in a Wyoming town, a play was salvaged
Read full article: Angst over LGBTQ+ stories led to another canceled show. But in a Wyoming town, a play was salvagedA canceled middle school play indicates there is still a ways to go before there is full LGBTQ+ acceptance in Wyoming.
Colorado releases first 5 wolves in reintroduction plan approved by voters to chagrin of ranchers
Read full article: Colorado releases first 5 wolves in reintroduction plan approved by voters to chagrin of ranchersWildlife officials have released five gray wolves into a remote forest in Colorado, kicking off a voter-approved reintroduction program.
Federal judge denies cattle industry’s request to temporarily halt wolf reintroduction in Colorado
Read full article: Federal judge denies cattle industry’s request to temporarily halt wolf reintroduction in ColoradoA federal judge has denied a request to halt the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado just days away from the predators’ release.
US judge to decide Friday if Colorado can reintroduce wolves over cattle industry objections
Read full article: US judge to decide Friday if Colorado can reintroduce wolves over cattle industry objectionsA federal judge says she will decide by Friday whether to temporarily halt the impending reintroduction of gray wolves to Colorado under a voter-approved initiative.
A judge is considering Wyoming abortion laws, including the first explicit US ban on abortion pills
Read full article: A judge is considering Wyoming abortion laws, including the first explicit US ban on abortion pillsAttorneys for both sides in a challenge to Wyoming abortion restrictions that include the nation’s first explicit ban on medication to end pregnancy have urged a judge to uphold or strike down the new laws without holding a trial.
Wyoming holds off on auctioning huge piece of pristine land inside Grand Teton
Read full article: Wyoming holds off on auctioning huge piece of pristine land inside Grand TetonWyoming officials have decided to hold off on auctioning a pristine and valuable chunk of state-owned land within Grand Teton National Park.
Houston ATM bandits arrested after stealing cash boxes, leading police on chase in Wyoming
Read full article: Houston ATM bandits arrested after stealing cash boxes, leading police on chase in WyomingTwo men and one woman from Houston were arrested after they were caught stealing cash boxes from ATMs in Wyoming, the Cheyenne Police Department said.
`The Laramie Project' stages a special reading in Wyoming on the 25th anniversary of Shepard murder
Read full article: `The Laramie Project' stages a special reading in Wyoming on the 25th anniversary of Shepard murderIt has been 25 years since the body of Matthew Shepard was discovered in Laramie, Wyoming.
Conservative book ban push fuels library exodus from national association that stands up for books
Read full article: Conservative book ban push fuels library exodus from national association that stands up for booksMore libraries are cutting ties with the American Library Association as the professional group stands up for books some say children shouldn't have access to because of their content.
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline ahead of Federal Reserve’s Powell speech
Read full article: Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline ahead of Federal Reserve’s Powell speechAsian shares are mostly falling, discouraged by a Wall Street slump that followed a blowout profit report from Nvidia and mixed reports on the U.S. economy.
A woman pleads guilty to fire that kept a Wyoming abortion clinic from opening for a year
Read full article: A woman pleads guilty to fire that kept a Wyoming abortion clinic from opening for a yearAn abortion opponent has pleaded guilty to a federal arson charge after telling investigators that anxiety and nightmares about Wyoming’s first full-service abortion clinic in years led her to break into and burn the planned facility.
Judge blocks Wyoming’s 1st-in-the-nation abortion pill ban while court decides lawsuit
Read full article: Judge blocks Wyoming’s 1st-in-the-nation abortion pill ban while court decides lawsuitA judge has blocked Wyoming’s first-in-the-nation ban on abortion pills before it was set to be implemented July 1.
Build begins on Wyoming-to-California power line amid growing wind power concern
Read full article: Build begins on Wyoming-to-California power line amid growing wind power concernWyoming and federal officials formally kicked off construction Tuesday of a massive transmission line project to export wind power from Wyoming to southern California.
College student accused of setting fire to Wyoming's only abortion clinic pleads not guilty
Read full article: College student accused of setting fire to Wyoming's only abortion clinic pleads not guiltyA college student who authorities say admitted setting fire to a building slated to become Wyoming’s only full-service abortion clinic has pleaded not guilty to an arson charge.
Feds: Woman charged in Wyoming clinic fire opposes abortion
Read full article: Feds: Woman charged in Wyoming clinic fire opposes abortionAuthorities say a woman accused of setting fire last year to a Wyoming abortion clinic that was under construction told investigators that she opposes abortion and was experiencing anxiety and nightmares over the facility opening.
Flights canceled, highways closed as winter storm wallops US
Read full article: Flights canceled, highways closed as winter storm wallops USA brutal winter storm has closed interstate highways from Arizona to Wyoming, trapped motorists in their cars, knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people and prompted the first blizzard warning in Southern California in decades.
Election skeptics slow to get sweeping changes in GOP states
Read full article: Election skeptics slow to get sweeping changes in GOP statesRepublicans in some heavily conservative states won their campaigns for secretary of state last year after claiming they'd make major changes aimed at keeping fraud out of elections.
Over 100 Crashes on Wyoming roads amid heavy snow. See footage of the dangerous road conditions.
Read full article: Over 100 Crashes on Wyoming roads amid heavy snow. See footage of the dangerous road conditions.A major winter storm and Arctic blast, which the National Weather Service is calling a “once in a generation” event, is impacting nearly every state.
Businesses, White House plan for possible rail strike Friday
Read full article: Businesses, White House plan for possible rail strike FridayBusiness and government officials are bracing for the possibility of a nationwide rail strike at the end of this week while talks carry on between the largest U.S. freight railroads and their unions.
Climate change alters life at Fed's Jackson Hole conference
Read full article: Climate change alters life at Fed's Jackson Hole conferenceWhen officials of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City sought a location for an annual economic symposium in 1981, they chose Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for a simple reason: It had fly-fishing.
Yellowstone flooding forces 10,000 to leave national park
Read full article: Yellowstone flooding forces 10,000 to leave national parkYellowstone National Park officials say more than 10,000 visitors have been ordered out of the nation’s oldest national park after unprecedented flooding tore through its northern half, washing out bridges and roads and sweeping an employee bunkhouse miles downstream.
Woman banned from Grand Teton in missing man false report
Read full article: Woman banned from Grand Teton in missing man false reportA woman accused of intentionally providing wrong information in the search for a missing man in Grand Teton National Park has been banned from the park for five years and must pay $17,600 in restitution.
In US, states struggle to replace fossil fuel tax revenue
Read full article: In US, states struggle to replace fossil fuel tax revenueMajor energy producing states from Alaska to Pennsylvania are reaping a windfall from soaring oil and natural gas prices, stoked by the war in Ukraine and the U.S.-led ban on Russian oil imports.
Wyoming defamation lawsuit against Alec Baldwin is dismissed
Read full article: Wyoming defamation lawsuit against Alec Baldwin is dismissedA federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Alec Baldwin over online harassment filed by the family of a Wyoming Marine who was killed in Afghanistan.
Rail unions turn to arbitration in dispute over BNSF rules
Read full article: Rail unions turn to arbitration in dispute over BNSF rulesBNSF’s two largest unions will ask an arbitrator to throw out the railroad’s strict new attendance policy instead of appealing a court order preventing them from striking.
S Carolina push to be 49th state with hate crime law stalls
Read full article: S Carolina push to be 49th state with hate crime law stallsSouth Carolina remains one of only two states without a hate-crimes law, and proponents worry that efforts in the Legislature are stalling to increase penalties for crimes committed against minorities and others victimized by prejudice.
Wyoming beats Kent St. 52-38 in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Read full article: Wyoming beats Kent St. 52-38 in Famous Idaho Potato BowlLevi Williams ran for 200 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 127 yards and another touchdown to lead Wyoming to a 52-38 win over Kent State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Bill Gates venture picks Wyoming city for sodium nuke plant
Read full article: Bill Gates venture picks Wyoming city for sodium nuke plantA small city in the top U.S. coal-mining state of Wyoming will be home to a Bill Gates-backed experimental nuclear power project near a coal-fired power plant scheduled to close soon.
Rep. Liz Cheney says Trump is at war 'with the rule of law'
Read full article: Rep. Liz Cheney says Trump is at war 'with the rule of law'Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming says former President Donald Trump is at war “with the rule of law and the Constitution” and that GOP lawmakers who sit by silently are aiding his efforts.
No charges for Wyoming librarians over sex ed, LGBTQ books
Read full article: No charges for Wyoming librarians over sex ed, LGBTQ booksA prosecutor in a deeply conservative corner of Wyoming says he won't charge library employees for making sex education and LGBTQ-themed books available to young people.
COVID cases falling, but trouble signs arise as winter looms
Read full article: COVID cases falling, but trouble signs arise as winter loomsTumbling COVID-19 case counts have some schools around the U.S. considering relaxing their mask rules, but deaths nationally have been ticking up over the past few weeks.
Officials: Items linked to Laundrie, potential remains found
Read full article: Officials: Items linked to Laundrie, potential remains foundThe FBI and a family attorney say items believed to belong to Brian Laundrie and potential human remains have been found in a Florida wilderness park during the search for clues in the slaying of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito.
Wyoming librarians under fire for books about sex, LGBTQ
Read full article: Wyoming librarians under fire for books about sex, LGBTQProsecutors in Wyoming are evaluating whether to file criminal charges against officials at a public library for stocking books some say are obscene in sections for children and teenagers.
Missing Houston hiker found in Wyoming forest died by suicide, coroner confirms
Read full article: Missing Houston hiker found in Wyoming forest died by suicide, coroner confirmsMore than a month after 46-year-old Robert “Bob” Lowery vanished while visiting Wyoming, authorities received a tip that there had been a sighting of the Houston father back on August 20, 2021, on the Black Canyon Trail in Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Grand Teton National Park.
Climate impact of coal sales from US lands scrutinized
Read full article: Climate impact of coal sales from US lands scrutinizedU.S. officials have launched a review of climate damage from coal mining on public lands as the Biden administration expands scrutiny of government fossil fuel sales that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
Liz Cheney's Trump vote prompts new Wyoming censure effort
Read full article: Liz Cheney's Trump vote prompts new Wyoming censure effortSome local Republican Party officials in Wyoming have announced that they will no longer recognize Liz Cheney as a party member because of her vote to impeach Donald Trump.
Michigan police cuff Black real estate agent, client at home
Read full article: Michigan police cuff Black real estate agent, client at homePolice in west Michigan handcuffed a real estate agent, his client and that man’s 15-year-old son after a neighbor wrongly reported that the three Black people were breaking into a home.
Texas’ Ted Cruz, John Cornyn among US senators hold news conference about the border
Read full article: Texas’ Ted Cruz, John Cornyn among US senators hold news conference about the borderRepublican Sens. Ted Cruz, John Cornyn, John Barrasso, of Wyoming, and Rob Portman, of Ohio, will hold a press conference to discuss public health at the border.
Wyoming senator trying to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney discloses impregnating 14-year-old at 18
Read full article: Wyoming senator trying to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney discloses impregnating 14-year-old at 18Wyoming state Sen. Anthony Bouchard has disclosed that he impregnated a 14-year-old girl when he was 18.
Most Texas Republicans in Congress stay silent as GOP ousts Liz Cheney from leadership ranks
Read full article: Most Texas Republicans in Congress stay silent as GOP ousts Liz Cheney from leadership ranksScientists: Grizzlies expand turf but still need protection
Read full article: Scientists: Grizzlies expand turf but still need protectionFish and Wildlife Service is a grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo. Grizzly bears are slowly expanding in the northern Rocky Mountains but scientists say they need continued protections and have concluded no other areas of the country would be suitable for the fearsome animals. The Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday released its first assessment in almost a decade about the status of grizzly bears in the contiguous U.S. Conservationists and some university scientists have pushed to return bears to areas including Colorado’s San Juan Mountains and California’s Sierra Nevada. Grizzly bears have been protected as a threatened species in the contiguous U.S. since 1975, allowing a slow recovery in a handful of areas.
Wyoming election changes pushed by Donald Trump Jr. fail
Read full article: Wyoming election changes pushed by Donald Trump Jr. failFILE - In this Jan. 20, 2021, file photo, Donald Trump Jr. waits by Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. – Wyoming lawmakers rejected a measure that would have required candidates to win a majority of votes in primary elections to avoid runoffs — a change endorsed by Donald Trump Jr. in his campaign to undermine Republican U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney. Trump Jr. called for Cheney’s defeat after she voted to impeach President Donald Trump over the storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters. But for the most part, Wyoming’s Republican elected officials have continued to support her. AdTwo Republican state legislators —- Sen. Anthony Bouchard, of Cheyenne, and Rep. Chuck Gray, of Casper — already have announced they are running against Cheney, Wyoming’s lone congresswoman.
Denver's airport reopens after powerful winter storm
Read full article: Denver's airport reopens after powerful winter stormThe storm system, fueled by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, had moved out of the region and into northeastern Nebraska by Monday, said Evan Direnzo, a meteorologist for the weather service in Boulder. Denver's airport runways were closed just before noon on Sunday due to blowing snow and poor visibilities and some stranded passengers spent the night at the airport. AdIn Wyoming, the National Weather Service warned that driving would remain dangerous for the next several days there because of slick and snow covered roads. Classes were also called off at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and the University of Colorado’s main campus in Boulder. In the Denver metro area, all bus routes were suspended but limited train service was operating, including from downtown’s Union Station to the airport.
Winter storm closes roads in Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska
Read full article: Winter storm closes roads in Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)A powerful late winter snowstorm intensified over the central Rocky Mountains on Sunday with heavy snow and wind leading to airport and road closures, power outages and avalanche warnings in parts of Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. The National Weather Service in Wyoming called it a “historic and crippling” winter storm that would cause extremely dangerous to impossible travel conditions through at least early Monday. Farther south, a record of over 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow had fallen just outside Cheyenne by noon Sunday, the weather service reported. More than 19 inches (48 centimeters) of snow had fallen at the airport by 11 a.m. Sunday, the weather service said. AdAn avalanche blocked Colorado Highway 14 in north-central Colorado on Sunday, the Department of Transportation said.
Investigation of Wyoming toddler found dead continues
Read full article: Investigation of Wyoming toddler found dead continuesStuffed animals and notes of condolences are seen attached to a fence Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, around a dumpster at a Cheyenne, Wyo., apartment complex where a 2-year-old boy was found dead. – Police in Wyoming continued Monday to investigate the death of a 2-year-old boy whose body was found in a dumpster at an apartment complex. Orona didn't return a Facebook message seeking comment and didn't have a listed phone number. AdPolice and firefighters conducted an extensive search Friday after hearing of the missing toddler. They used a reverse 911 call to tell people within a half-mile (1 kilometer) of the Lexington Hills apartment complex to be on the lookout for him.
McCarthy meets with Rep. Greene; GOP faces Cheney decision
Read full article: McCarthy meets with Rep. Greene; GOP faces Cheney decisionHouse Republicans are effectively deciding whether to prioritize the former president’s norm-shattering behavior and conspiracy theories and retain the loyalty of his voters over more establishment conservative values. AdThe House GOP Steering Committee, a leadership-dominated body that makes committee assignments for the party, also met late Tuesday but no decision was announced. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and others have boosted pressure this week on McCarthy and the House GOP to act. McConnell praised Cheney, R-Wyo., as “a leader with deep convictions and courage,” but House GOP lawmakers planned to meet privately Wednesday to decide her political fate. AdThe looming decisions over Cheney and Greene represent a moment of reckoning for a party struggling with its future.
Grizzly, 34, confirmed as Yellowstone region's known oldest
Read full article: Grizzly, 34, confirmed as Yellowstone region's known oldestThis 2020 photo provided by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department shows the worn, mostly toothless jaw of Grizzly 168. – A 34-year-old grizzly bear captured in southwestern Wyoming has been confirmed as the oldest on record in the Yellowstone region, Wyoming wildlife officials said. Grizzly bear 168 was captured last summer after it preyed on calves in the Upper Green River Basin area. Biologists could tell grizzly 168 was responsible after examining the calves. Grizzly 168 has outlived all females documented within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by four years, and female grizzly bears tend to live longer, officials said.
US government approves routes for Wyoming CO2 pipelines
Read full article: US government approves routes for Wyoming CO2 pipelinesThe U.S. government has approved routes for a system of pipelines that would move carbon dioxide across Wyoming in what could be by far the largest such network in North America, if it is developed. – The U.S. government has approved routes for a system of pipelines that would move carbon dioxide across Wyoming in what could be by far the largest such network in North America, if it is developed. In all, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management designated 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) of federal land for pipeline development through the Wyoming Pipeline Corridor Initiative, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. Energy markets drive development of carbon capture projects for oil development, said Matt Fry, state of Wyoming project manager for the pipeline initiative. Sage grouse numbers have dwindled substantially over the past century and much of their habitat in Wyoming carries development restrictions.
Effort in Arkansas to enact hate crimes law in jeopardy
Read full article: Effort in Arkansas to enact hate crimes law in jeopardyHutchinson is advocating for a hate crimes bill in the upcoming legislative session, but the measure faces some obstacles. Georgia in June became the latest to enact a bill, leaving Arkansas, South Carolina and Wyoming as the remaining outliers. Asa Hutchinson, who as a U.S. attorney prosecuted racist militia members but without a hate crimes law's specific penalties. The potential for hate crimes laws getting approved is mixed in the other remaining states. Bentonville-based Walmart and Springdale-based Tyson Foods have also said they support enacting a hate crimes law.
Utah man pleads guilty in Yellowstone dig seeking treasure
Read full article: Utah man pleads guilty in Yellowstone dig seeking treasureThis undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows Fort Yellowstone Cemetery, in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. A Utah man has pleaded guilty after authorities said he was caught digging in a Yellowstone National Park cemetery in search of hidden treasure. – A Utah man has pleaded guilty after authorities said he was caught digging in a Yellowstone National Park cemetery in search of hidden treasure. Craythorn caused more than $1,000 in damage by digging in the Fort Yellowstone Cemetery between Oct. 1, 2019, and May 24, 2020, prosecutors alleged. Several people seeking the treasure had to be rescued from precarious situations and as many as six died.
$2K reward offered in Wyoming grizzly bear killing case
Read full article: $2K reward offered in Wyoming grizzly bear killing caseFILE - In this July 6, 2011, file photo, a grizzly bear roams near Beaver Lake in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. Wildlife managers are offering an up to $2,000 reward for information about the illegal killing of a grizzly bear in central Wyoming. Grizzlies in the Yellowstone region are federally protected as a threatened species. – Wildlife managers in Wyoming are offering an up to $2,000 reward for information about the illegal killing of a grizzly bear. Grizzlies in the Yellowstone region are federally protected as a threatened species.
New migration maps serve as tools to help big game in West
Read full article: New migration maps serve as tools to help big game in WestThey watch as big game animals in the West chase emerging spring greenery to ever-higher elevations, then return to lowlands to avoid the worst of winter's cold and snow. Roads, such as Interstate 80 from Wyoming to California, also hold up and kill migrating big game animals. Reintroduced populations of Western big game animals need decades to rediscover migration routes, research suggests. Mark Gordon in February designated three mule deer migration corridors with plans for others where state officials would encourage but not force help from landowners. And we now have a whole toolbox full of tools that we can use to maintain these migration corridors,” Kauffman said.
RECRUITING: St. Thomas' Kopp releases Top 5, includes University of Houston
Read full article: RECRUITING: St. Thomas' Kopp releases Top 5, includes University of HoustonHOUSTON - The Elite 11 changed everything for Maddox Kopp. On Wednesday, Kopp narrowed his list to a Top 5 - Houston, Tulane, Wyoming, Colorado and Ole Miss. When asked what he's examining the most in his ultimate decision, Kopp said it all comes down to fit. (recruitment still open) @STHFootball pic.twitter.com/FMwbpWfLIn Maddox Kopp (@maddox_kopp) August 5, 2020Having a Division I prospect in the Kopp household is nothing new. Miller (2018 Houston Christian graduate) is currently at Northwestern and Anderson (2019 St. Thomas graduate) is at Lamar University, both of whom play basketball.
One Good Thing: Stars celebrate boy who saved sister from dog attack
Read full article: One Good Thing: Stars celebrate boy who saved sister from dog attackA 6-year-old boy in Wyoming is being hailed as a hero for saving his sister from a dog attack. Bridger Walker jumped into action when a German Shepherd mix charged toward his 4-year-old sister. Bridger’s family says while he was shielding her, the dog leaped and latched onto his cheek. Hathaway said, "I'm not an Avenger, but I know a superhero when I see one!" The Walker family says they’ve also heard from Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland and Hugh Jackman.