AP Wyoming

By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A federal lawsuit alleges a white sheriff’s deputy in Wyoming subjected a Black subordinate to years of racist name-calling and torment and finally “sham” discipline that led him to quit. Former Albany County sheriff’s Cpl. Jamin Johnson is suing former Patrol Sgt. Christian Handley in U.S.

CEDAR HILLS, Utah (AP) — A teenager was seriously injured in a Utah sledding accident just as health officials were giving out helmets and warning of the sport’s potential hazard’s at a nearby safety event. KSL-TV reports that Saturday’s accident at a popular sledding site in American Fork Canyon south of Salt Lake City came

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — Two people were killed and a 1-year-old child badly injured when their car plowed into the back of a slow-moving tractor trailer on a Colorado highway. The Colorado state patrol says the 29-year-old driver of the car and a 31-year-old passenger when their car traveling at a high rate of speed

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) — A record number of visitors flocked to Yellowstone National Park last year despite fewer hotel rooms and campsites being available because of the coronavirus pandemic and construction projects. Just over 4.86 million visits were tallied in 2021, breaking the prior record set in 2016. Known worldwide for its wildlife

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Graham Ike had 29 points and 15 rebounds as Wyoming narrowly beat New Mexico 93-91. Hunter Maldonado added 25 points for the Cowboys. Jay Allen-Tovar led the Lobos on Saturday with a season-high 25 points.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Authorities in eastern Idaho say a man upset with being charged a $150 fee for smoking in his motel room fired multiple rounds from an assault-style rifle into the building before driving away. Authorities say the shooting occurred Friday morning at the Motel 6 in Rexburg, Idaho, and that no one

By HELENA DORE Bozeman Daily Chronicle BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park is about to turn 150 years old. Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly says officials want wants to use the March 1 anniversary to recognize the many American Indian nations that lived in the area for thousands of years before the park was created.

By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — The FBI says the boyfriend of slain cross-country traveler Gabby Petito admitted to killing her in a notebook discovered near his body in a Florida swamp. It was the first time the FBI placed blame for Petito’s death on boyfriend Brian Laundrie. FBI officials also

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge has sentenced a California man to nine months in prison for a drunken rampage in Yellowstone National Park. Prosecutors say 27-year-old Benjamin Bagala, of Santa Rosa, California, did thousands of dollars in damage to a hotel and struggled with rangers trying to subdue him at the hotel and in

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states shows the region’s rural economy remains strong. However, bankers say they have growing concerns about the rising costs associated with running farms. The overall Rural Mainstreet economic index released Thursday fell in January to 61.1 from December’s

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Hunter Maldonado had 20 points and 12 assists as Wyoming beat San Jose State 84-69. Omari Moore led the Spartans on Wednesday night with 15 points and eight assists.

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced another round of tribal housing grants. The $83 million will benefit 74 tribes across the country, boosting the amount awarded through the American Rescue Plan Act to over $200 million. The Oglala Sioux Tribe in South

By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press WINTHROP, Wash. (AP) — When COVID-19 hit in the winter of 2020, many escaped cabin fever by hitting cross country ski trails. Nordic skis quickly became the new toilet paper – they were hard to find and sold out in stores. But the future of Nordic skiing is uncertain as

By MARTHA BELLISLE Associated Press WINTHROP, Wash. (AP) — When COVID-19 hit in the winter of 2020, many escaped cabin fever by hitting cross country ski trails. Nordic skis quickly became the new toilet paper – they were hard to find and sold out in stores. But the future of Nordic skiing is uncertain as

By BRADY McCOMBS and MEAD GRUVER Associated Press KEMMERER, Wyoming (AP) — A tiny Wyoming town faces transformation when a company started by Bill Gates builds a new type of nuclear power plant there. Bellevue, Washington-based TerraPower plans to launch its Natrium reactor in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in the latter part of this decade. The reactor

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Many states in the U.S. are coming to the conclusion that solar, wind and other renewable power sources might not be enough to keep the lights on as they seek to dramatically cut their use of fossil fuels. Nuclear power is emerging as an answer to

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Many states in the U.S. are coming to the conclusion that solar, wind and other renewable power sources might not be enough to keep the lights on as they seek to dramatically cut their use of fossil fuels. Nuclear power is emerging as an answer to

RENO, Nev. — Graham Ike had 24 points and 11 rebounds as Wyoming topped Nevada 77-67. Drake Jeffries added 20 points for the Cowboys. Grant Sherfield led the Wolf Pack on Monday with 20 points and eight assists.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revisit part of its decision not to protect Yellowstone National Park’s bison as an endangered species. Buffalo Field Campaign and Western Watersheds Project groups argue that two separate groups of bison in the park are genetically distinct.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Richard “Rink” Babka, who was part of a U.S. medals sweep in the discus at the 1960 Rome Olympics, has died. Al Oerter and Babka were gold-medal favorites at the Rome Games. Oerter ended up winning gold, Babka took silver and Dick Cochran earned bronze. Babka tied the world record of

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Two police officers in Gillette shot and killed a man who allegedly charged at them with a “large edged weapon.” Police responded at 7 a.m. Sunday to a report that the suspect had made threats and refused to leave a residence. When officers arrived, the man refused orders to drop his

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A commercial beekeeping supply business has opened in far southwestern North Dakota that will serve people in three of the top five honey producing states in the country. State Department of Commerce officials say Commercial Bee Supply in Hettinger is meant bolster the beekeeping and other agriculture sectors in the community

LOGAN, Utah (AP) — Graham Ike scored 23 points including the game winner with 3.3 seconds left as Wyoming beat Utah State 71-69. Ike took the ball from the top of the arc, drove the lane and then scored a left-handed layup off the glass. Following a Utah State timeout, Rylan Jones missed a 3-pointer

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming’s state superintendent of public instruction is resigning effective Sunday to become the head of Virginia’s public school system. Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin has named Wyoming State Superintendent Jillian Balow to replace Rosa Atkins, who has been Virginia’s acting state superintendent since James Lane’s resignation in late December. Balow and Youngkin

By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming has asked the federal government to remove protections from grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park. If approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the request could allow the animals to be hunted. Wyoming officials say in their petition Monday the bears have

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — School officials in Wyoming’s capital have voted to lift a mask mandate and reduce COVID-19 isolation requirements. The mask requirement for students and teachers will be lifted Jan. 21 after Monday’s 4-3 vote by the school board in Cheyenne. The school district also required people exposed to the coronavirus to stay

CLACKAMAS, Ore. (AP) — A meat distributor based in Oregon, is recalling more than 28,300 pounds of ground beef because of concerns the meat may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The raw ground beef products from Interstate Meat Distributors, Inc. were produced on Dec. 20, 2021, and shipped to Oregon, California, Washington and other

RIVERTON, Wyo. (AP) — A group of newspapers in Wyoming has been sold to a local businesswoman. Publisher Steve Peck says Grace Andrus has purchased The (Riverton) Ranger, Lander Journal and Wind River News, along with the ADvertiser/EXTRA, from the Peck family. Peck has been The Ranger’s publisher since 1991. His 38-year career included working

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — South Dakota’s governor will take part in a Republican fundraiser in western Wyoming’s wealthy Teton County next month. GOP officials say the “formal event” with Gov. Kristi Noem will be Feb. 18 at the Four Seasons hotel in Teton Village. Individual tickets for the “Patriots Dinner” are $500 and tables of

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The city of Phoenix has outlined what it will contribute voluntarily to a regional plan to shore up a reservoir that delivers Colorado River water to three states and Mexico. The river already can’t provide seven Western states what they were promised a century ago. Phoenix,

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — The mayor of Wyoming’s third-largest city has resigned after text messages she sent with off-color and denigrating remarks became public. Gillette Mayor Louise Carter-King announced her resignation Thursday, two days after apologizing for the texts about City Council members and other local officials. Carter-King says in her resignation letter she never

By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney has made a surprise appearance in the House in a show of support for his daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney. They were the lone Republicans attending a pro forma session of the House on the anniversary of last year’s violence at the Capitol.

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Twenty of Yellowstone National Park’s renowned gray wolves roamed from the park and were shot by hunters in neighboring states in recent months. Park officials say it’s the most Yellowstone wolves killed in a season since the predators were reintroduced more than 25 years ago. Details

By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Power has submitted a 20-year plan to state regulators that phases out coal-fired power plants by 2028 as part of its effort to provide only clean energy by 2045. The public utility in a news release Tuesday said it submitted its 2021 Integrated Resource Plan

MONROE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana federal judge has ruled that President Joe Biden cannot require teachers in the Head Start early education program to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The decision hands a victory to 24 states that had sued the federal government. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty wrote Saturday that the Biden administration unlawfully

BLACKFOOT, Idaho (AP) — An eastern Idaho sheriff accused of threatening a church youth group with a gun can stay on the job but must surrender all of his firearms to the State Police. A judge’s ruling Wednesday also requires Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland to have no contact with the alleged victims. The Idaho

COOKE CITY, Mont. (AP) — Two Minnesota men died in an avalanche in the mountains north of Yellowstone National Park. Park County officials say a group of eight snowmobilers was riding near Scotch Bonnet Mountain north of Cooke City at mid-day Monday. One of the men got stuck on a southeast facing slope and another

By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer From South African undertakers to ultra-Orthodox Israeli rabbis, an unconventional cadre of people has joined global efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates. Launching campaigns that traditionally have been the realm of public health authorities, they’re opening church doors, going door to door, village to village, touting the benefits of

By SEABORN LARSON Lee Newspapers FOUR CORNERS, Mont. (AP) — Marijuana producers in Montana are getting ready for legalization of recreational marijuana starting Saturday. Providers are ramping up production ahead of difficult-to-predict demand. Several dispensaries are preparing for new business in the Four Corners area near Bozeman. Lee newspapers’ Montana State News Bureau reports Montana

HONOLULU — Hunter Maldonado had 22 points and 10 assists as Wyoming rolled past South Florida 77-57 in the Diamond Head Classic. Graham Ike added 20 points for the Cowboys. Jamir Chaplin led the Bulls on Saturday with 14 points and six rebounds.

BRET ANNE SERBIN Daily Inter Lake KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — Barbara St. John calls herself “The Bag Lady.” The nickname reflects St. John’s lighthearted approach to a serious undertaking: providing jackets that turn into sleeping bags for Kalispell’s homeless population. Since 2017, she’s outfitted about 150 people with specially made coats, the Daily Inter Lake

By DAVID MURRARY Great Falls Tribune GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Montana is experiencing its 4th driest year on record as an extended drought blankets much of the state. Every county in the state experienced some level of drought this year. The Great Falls Tribune reports the state is on average almost five inches behind

HONOLULU — Hunter Maldonado registered 17 points and seven rebounds as Wyoming edged past Northern Iowa 71-69 in the Diamond Head Classic. Nate Heise led the Panthers on Thursday with 19 points and eight rebounds.

By KAYLA DESROCHES Yellowstone Public Radio BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana schools are nearing a deadline to test their water for lead — and results so far aren’t great. The state for the first time is requiring all public schools to test their drinking water for lead. They have until December 31 to take initial

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Attorneys for an oil and gas company are asking a federal judge to reinstate a drilling lease on federal land considered sacred to Native American tribes in the U.S. and Canada. The energy lease in the Badger-Two Medicine area near the Blackfeet Reservation in northwestern Montana

HONOLULU (AP) — Jaiden Delaire scored 17 points, Spencer Jones added 15 and Stanford held off Wyoming 66-63 in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic. Stanford will play Liberty in a semifinal Thursday while Wyoming will take on Northern Iowa in the consolation bracket. Wyoming’s Graham Ike scored 25 points and grabbed 11

DENVER (AP) — Wildlife officials say a calf found dead in northern Colorado was killed by a wolf or wolves, and the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association says it marks the first wolf-related livestock fatality in the state in more than 70 years. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials performed a necropsy after receiving a report of a

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — U.S. officials have approved two solar projects in California and are opening public lands in other Western states to potential solar development. The moves are part of the Biden administration’s effort to counter climate change by shifting from fossil fuels. The company proposing the projects east

By ERICA HUNZINGER AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Scientists predict climate change will lead to unpredictable precipitation and possible water shortages in Arizona and throughout the West in the coming years — on top of the current drought. Four pro teams in the Colorado River Basin states of Arizona and California spoke with The

By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge in Missouri has issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors from being enforced in 10 states that sued. The order Monday comes on top of a nationwide injunction against the mandate issued earlier this month by

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A privately-owned nature reserve that’s trying to build a Connecticut-sized park where bison and other wildlife can freely roam on the U.S. Northern Plains says it is purchasing a 50-square mile ranch. The deal for the 73 Ranch in Central Montana along the Musselshell River expands the size of the American

By MAGGIE DRESSER Flathead Beacon WHITEFISH, Mont. (AP) — Downhill skiing champion Hilary Lindh had a pre-race mantra: Forward, fast and strong. It helped keep distractions at bay as she prepared for each race, during a career that included three Olympics and a silver medal at the 1992 games in Albertville, France. After retiring from

By PHIL DRAKE Independent Record HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot says there are serious warning signs that the U.S. Constitution and republic are at risk. He said many grew up in an America where being a neighbor meant more than living next door. He said there was a shared positive attitude

LEWISTOWN, Mont. (AP) — Authorities say a three-year-old girl was killed in a trailer home fire in central Montana. The Lewistown Police Department said a firefighter reported smoke coming from the home Thursday afternoon. When officers and firefighters arrived, they encountered a woman who said her daughter was inside. Rescuers attempted to enter the home

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states shows the economy remains strong in the region, but some bankers said they are worried about how inflation will affect farmers. The overall economic index slipped from November’s 67.7 to 66.7 in December but any score

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park is opening its roads to oversnow travel after suspending a wildlife monitoring program that found snowmobiles and other such vehicles were having minimal effects on animals. The park’s winter season began Wednesday. Its monitoring program for snowmobiles and multi-passenger snow coaches began after Yellowstone in 2013 imposed caps

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana wildlife officials have advanced plans that could allow grizzly bear hunting in areas around Glacier and Yellowstone national parks if states in the U.S. northern Rockies succeed in their attempts to end federal protections for the bruins. Montana wildlife commissioners on Tuesday signed onto a

DILLON, Mont. (AP) — Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch has bought a large cattle ranch in southwest Montana from a subsidiary of Koch Industries. The Beaverhead Ranch is spread across more than 500 square miles of private and leased land west of Yellowstone National Park. It has about 7,000 cattle and is home to 15

By HEIDI DESCH Whitefish Pilot WHITEFISH, Mont. (AP) — Air Force pilot Norbert Herriges was flying a mission over Pourrieres, France, on Aug. 12, 1944, when he was shot down by a German fighter pilot and killed. In spite of the Germans, the citizens of the town picked up his body and conducted a funeral.

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Kerr Kriisa added 17 points and No. 11 Arizona dominated Wyoming in the first half of a 94-65 win. The Wildcats continued their run of overwhelming opponents, smothering the Cowboys on the defensive end to set up easy baskets in transition

MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana officials are asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lift threatened species protections for grizzly bears in the northern part of the state. The request announced Monday comes after bear populations grew in recent years and run-ins between humans and bruins increased. That includes attacks

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — Colorado authorities say a Walmart store was evacuated after a shoplifter deployed bear spray against several employees. Officers responded to the Greeley Walmart on Sunday afternoon after receiving multiple reports about bear spray being deployed. Workers had tried to detain a male shoplifter but he allegedly assaulted the workers, spayed them

DENVER, Colo. (AP) — Police say a woman wanted for the vandalism of a cathedral in Colorado is believed to be in the Portland area. The Portland Police Bureau on Sunday requested help in locating 26-year-old Madeline Ann Cramer in connection with the October 10 vandalism at the Cathedral Basilica in Denver. Swastikas and other

IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Evacuations were ordered for about two dozen homes in a central Colorado mountain community as fire crews battle a wind-driven blaze. The fire on Sunday began as a structure fire, destroying a vacant cabin and another unoccupied structure, Clear Creek County Undersheriff Bruce Snelling told station KKTV. Significant smoke was

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Hunter Maldonado had 20 points as Wyoming won its eighth consecutive game to start the season, romping past McNeese 79-58. Christian Shumate led McNeese State with 12 points and eight rebounds.

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer Winter has started out weird in the United States. It’s been flip flop weather in much of the country with the Pacific Northwest getting record rainfall while Denver and the Rockies still are waiting for their first significant snowfall of the season. Meteorologists say a stuck jet stream, the

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (AP) — Reigning Olympic champion Sofia Goggia has won the first downhill race of the women’s World Cup season by a whopping margin of nearly 1 1/2 seconds at Lake Louise in Canada. Breezy Johnson finished second on Friday for the best showing of her World Cup career and her American teammate

By THOMAS PEIPERT and BRITTANY PETERSON Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Denver’s winter has started with a whimper, and the parched mountains to the west aren’t faring much better. The Mile High City has already shattered its 87-year-old record for the latest measurable snowfall. It’s also a little more than a week away from breaking

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Graham Ike had 35 points plus 14 rebounds as Wyoming extended its season-opening win streak to seven games, getting past Denver 77-64. Michael Henn led the Pioneers with 19 points.

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS Associated Press Officials in Oregon are asking for help locating the person or persons responsible for poisoning an entire wolf pack in the eastern part of the state earlier this year. The Oregon State Police said Thursday it has been investigating the killing of all five members of the Catherine Pack

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — As many as 900 bison from Yellowstone National Park could be shot by hunters, sent to slaughter or placed in quarantine this winter in a program that seeks to prevent the animals from spreading a disease to cattle. Federal, tribal and state officials agreed Wednesday that an additional 200 bison could

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming’s governor has appointed a state District Court judge to the state Supreme Court. Judge John G. Fenn has served on the Fourth Judicial District bench for Johnson and Sheridan counties since 2007. He previously was an attorney in private practice in Sheridan. Gov. Mark Gordon said Thursday that Fenn’s experience

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Workers have repaired a failed gate that releases water from a southern Montana dam, restoring water flow to a river known for its high-quality trout fishing. The gate that lets water out of Hebgen Dam just west of Yellowstone National Park malfunctioned early Tuesday and caused flows into the Madison River

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — More than 3,000 Wyoming youngsters will have their school lunch debt forgiven through an effort led by First Lady Jennie Gordon and others. The Wyoming first lady’s office announced Wednesday the effort raised almost $99,500 to forgive unpaid school lunch money owed by 3,224 schoolchildren. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has

By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Wildlife workers and volunteers were scrambling to save fish stranded by an abrupt drop in water levels on a Montana river that’s renowned among anglers. A malfunctioning gate on Hebgen Dam caused flows into the Madison River to plummet early Tuesday. Fly fishing shop owner Kelly

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming’s busiest airport will close for more than two months next year during a $42 million runway reconstruction project. Jackson Hole Airport in the southern end of Grand Teton is the only major U.S. commercial airport surrounded by a national park. The airport brings visitors to Grand Teton and Yellowstone and

FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) — Hunter Maldonado had 21 points as Wyoming topped Cal State Fullerton 79-66. Graham Ike had 17 points and nine rebounds for the unbeaten Cowboys (6-0). E.J. Anosike had 19 points for the Titans (3-4).

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Chevan Cordeiro threw for three touchdowns and ran for another as Hawaii became bowl-eligible with a 38-14 victory over Wyoming. Cordeiro completed 19 of 31 passes for 323 yards with one interception. He was the game’s leading rusher with 86 yards on 14 carries. Calvin Turner Jr. caught five passes for

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Drake Jeffries had a career-high 33 points as Wyoming rolled past Hastings College 108-59. Mathias Nchekwube led the Broncos on Friday night with 19 points.

By JUDITH KOHLER The Denver Post DENVER (AP) — Proposed reforms meant to ensure taxpayers don’t get stuck paying to clean up oil and gas sites could actually leave the public open to eventually covering billions of dollars in costs, according to environmentalists and local governments. The Denver Post reports that the Colorado Oil and

MIAMI (AP) — An attorney for the family of Brian Laundrie says he fatally shot himself in the head. Attorney Steve Bertolino said in a statement that Laundrie’s parents have been informed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide. Laundrie’s skeletal remains found

By ED WHITE Associated Press The U.S. is in better shape approaching its second Thanksgiving of the pandemic, thanks to the vaccine. But some cold weather regions are reporting surges of COVID-19 cases that could get worse in the days ahead as families travel the country. Nearly 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated. That leaves