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You still here 9 20 23

Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>You Still Here? Wednesday, September 20, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

You Still Here? Wednesday, September 20, 2023

 We have no idea what she's saying but it's fair to say she does not appreciate the joke...

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's general assignment reporter, Clair McFarland.

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Three of the Republicans hoping to become Wyoming’s next governor answered questions at a Tuesday forum in Cheyenne that were tailored to, and delivered in front of, a largely Christian audience.

Wyoming Family Alliance, an advocacy group that emphasizes Biblical principles and Christian ideals, also hosted U.S. House and U.S. Senate candidates at the forum.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, retired Marine Col. Brent Bien, and former state House Speaker and current Sen. Eric Barlow took the stage in the packed Metropolitan in downtown Cheyenne.

Wyoming Family Alliance president Nathan Winters posed questions about parental rights and autonomy, the role of faith in governance, education, abortion and religious freedom.

The governor’s candidates displayed minor policy and philosophical differences - yet greater disparities in tone.

Bien spoke in bold tones, pulled from his past experiences in active duty in Bagdad and elsewhere, and called for Wyomingites and every level of government to wage war on evil and usher in a revival of good.

Degenfelder, assertive in tone, pointed to what she cast as her own strong Christian faith, her studies of the Bible, her Wyoming roots and work as superintendent.

Barlow, the most conversational in tone, leaned on his work in the Legislature, spoke of his faith in personal terms as a matter of daily living, and brought an edge of pragmatism to the highly idealistic debate.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"On Abortion"}]

A rare policy difference between the three candidates surfaced when Winters asked a question about whether abortion ends a human life, and whether the candidates would support any exemptions to an abortion ban.

All three candidates agreed that abortion ends a life. Degenfelder and Bien said they wouldn’t accept any exceptions.

“I can’t accept any exception when it comes to life,” said Degenfelder, adding that a Jan. 6 decision by the Wyoming Supreme Court - proclaiming that abortion is a health care right - “has gotten it wrong.”

Bien said, “I unequivocally support zero, no exceptions, all the way across the board.”

When serving in Iraq, said Bien, a 6-year-old child had been shot in the head. He and his fellow service members were trying to get the kid to Bagdad in the middle of the night, but he bled out, said Bien. He said he was pro-life before that, but, reflecting on how dependent even 6-year-olds are on their parents, he said, “something about that made me absolutely resolute.”

Barlow said in his heart, he would not want exceptions to an abortion ban- except possibly an exception to spare the life of a mother in a medical emergency. But he warned that the Legislature gets messy when crafting laws.

“I believe in life and I voted multiple times for life in the Wyoming Legislature,” he said.

Some of the many abortion bans and restrictions Wyoming has tried to pass since 2022 contained exemptions, like abortion allowances for women who’ve suffered rape or whose unborn children are a product of incest.

That’s because the Legislature is a collaboration between numerous people, Barlow said.

“Because in the legislative process, you actually have to bring people on board. You actually have to advance policy,” said Barlow.

The governor’s role on abortion policy is limited. He or she can sign, passively enact, or veto abortion legislation. But, more pivotal right now, he or she chooses the state Attorney General - who then defends Wyoming in abortion litigation from pro-choice groups.

The state has been facing - and losing - abortion lawsuits for about four years. It is taking a fresh start now under the leadership of Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz, who has said in court that his office seeks to bring evidence that a state ban on abortion is justified. It’s a high bar given the court’s broad protections of abortion, but technically not impossible under the legal definition of those protections. To overcome those protections, the government would have to show a compelling state interest for a ban, and that its ban is narrowly tailored to meet that interest. 

Deciding Who Leads The University Of Wyoming

Winters asked about how a governor should approaching choosing trustees to lead the University of Wyoming.

Minor differences between candidates emerged here as well.

Degenfelder said UW should return to its rightful mission of being a land-grant university and feeding the Wyoming economy and job demands in useful and meaningful ways, rather than educating people for “women’s studies” and “careers that don’t exist.”

It’s time to find efficiencies in the university’s workings as well, she indicated.

She talked of her work to help rid the institution of diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) practices, and her own time at UW and as a member of the College Republicans.

Barlow said people ask him the UW trustee question a lot while he’s on the road.

In choosing trustees he’d emphasize finding people of character, he said.

“People who actually have a heart, and an ear for Wyoming. Who will listen to the interests and needs of… Wyoming’s people,” he continued. “And who abide by the constitution” and work well with other people.

UW is so “foundational,” he added, the Wyoming Constitution carves out its existence.

Community colleges, the K-12 school system, and industries all work in conjunction with UW as well, he said.

“UW may be a culmination for many folks,” said Barlow. “But there are many other opportunities” outside of UW as well.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Elect Them"}]

Bien said he’d like to see UW trustees face election, rather than the governor’s appointment process - but that that would require a change to the state Constitution.

He said he graduated from UW’s college of engineering in 1991.

“Since then, things have changed a lot, and I have not been pleased,” he said. Like Degenfelder, he expressed dislike toward the more modern-social-movement degrees available and urged UW to “get back to our roots.”

He’d appoint people who understand Wyoming’s job needs, show leadership, and “understand what this state is all about,” said Bien, adding that they should also be people of sound moral judgment.

He said he’d like to strive for UW to be a top institution in the nation.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The American Library Association"}]

Winters asked a question about a decision that falls uniquely under the purview of the Wyoming governor: whether Wyoming’s state librarian should be in league with the American Library Association.

The Montana State Library cut ties in 2023 with the American Library Association over the ALA president of the time self-identifying as a Marxist.  

The group has also garnered controversy for touting and defending sexually explicit books that are marketed toward kids and youth.

Montana was the first state to break from the 147-year-old organization.  

Unlike Montana, Wyoming doesn’t have a state library board, rather, a state library director under the governor’s direction.

 when Cowboy State Daily pressed the state library director and the governor’s office on the issue after Montana’s break from the ALA.

“My hat’s off to Montana,” said Bien at the Tuesday event. “We stop funding anything that promotes any type of hypersexualization.”

Degenfelder said that by taking ALA book suggestions in libraries and schools, Wyoming has let an organization that had been led by a Marxist determine material in them, and that that system is “broken.”

She agreed with Bien that the state shouldn’t pay dues to that group, and said state leaders should take the issue further, by equipping school boards with policy guidance, and letting parents know what problematic materials are in the libraries now.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Barlow pointed to the power of the purse."}]

Though the Legislature determines the state’s budget, the governor starts that process by proposing the budget, and he also can line-item veto certain provisions in the final budget.

“And then… there’s that red pen that says, nope, we’re not doing this,” he said. Certainly, he added, the governor can direct one person under his purview to do something or not do it. But the budget is a bigger tool, and “you hold (agencies) accountable to it.”

He also emphasized the need for parents’ to be involved in their children’s library access, and said he’d encourage that as governor.

Gov debate 6 9 26

<title>How Wyoming Gov Candidates Handled Questions From The Christian Lobby | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Gubernatorial candidates Eric Barlow, Brent Bien, and Megan Degenfelder fielded questions on Tuesday at a forum in Cheyenne before a largely Christian audience. Policy differences emerged on abortion, university leadership, and library policy.

How Wyoming Gov Candidates Handled Questions From The Christian Lobby

Mac Watson

Daily Video News

It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Wednesday, June 10th.  I’m Mac Watson

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"– "}]

The day after a gunfight that left a deputy shot and the suspect dead in Baggs, many questions still remain, especially the status of the officer. Cowboy State Daily’s Greg Johnson reports that the former mayor says Baggs is still a good town where residents know and help each other. 

“They're pretty shocked, but they're also pretty grounded. Yeah, but we still got to go to work. and as the former mayor told me so, she grew up in bags, was a career teacher, was a former mayor back in the 80s, and she said when she was mayor in the 80’s, she said there was a lot of drugs around, and there's a lot of crime that revolved around it. However, she said nothing ever rose to the level of the deputy being shot.”

Inquiries to the Carbon County Sheriff’s and coroner’s offices for more information about Monday’s shooting were not returned by the time this story was published; that includes the condition of the deputy and the identification and cause of death of the suspected shooter.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"–"}]

A Russian-speaking truck driver faces criminal charges after allegedly hitting a disabled car on I-80 and then leaving the scene. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that court documents say he failed an English proficiency test and simply nodded when shown the damaged vehicle.

“Anvarjon Ganiyevich Muminov was initially charged on Monday in Sweetwater County Circuit Court for a hit and run, as well as failing an English proficiency test, which is required by the federal government for all commercial truck drivers. The Russian-speaking man was arrested after witnesses said they saw him swerve and hit a vehicle that was parked on the side of the road, this was just outside of Rock Springs on I-80. When investigators picked up Muminov, they tried to ask him questions about what happened. They showed him a picture of the accident, and he simply nodded. That's when they administered the English proficiency test, which he failed. He is currently out on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond.”

What might have been an obscure traffic citation a year ago has become part of a national debate. Wyoming lawmakers, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, have all spent 

 pushing for stricter enforcement of English-language requirements for commercial truck drivers operating on Wyoming highways. 

After a string of 90+ degree days, snow is heading for Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that Meteorologist Don Day says all of Wyoming should expect cooler-than-usual weather in the next two weeks. 

“The National Weather Service is calling for up to two inches of snow at the highest points of Yellowstone on Wednesday, and there's going to be a cold surge, or cold trough, as meteorologists call it. It's going to be moving across the state this week, so temperatures are going to drop to below average for the month of June.Everyone expects expects it to warm up by the end of the month, but this is kind of unusual, but adds on to the string of unusual months we've had going back to November.”

Over the next two weeks, temperatures could drop between 15 and 20 degrees below average, or even lower. Day called it “an interesting pattern” that’ll put a dent in the sunny start of summer.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"– "}]

I’ll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this.

Cowboy State Daily News continues now….

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":"–  "}]

A 21-year-old Casper man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to grabbing and repeatedly pulling on a police officer’s testicles, biting his groin, and biting another officer. Cowboy State Daily’s Dale Killingbeck reports that the three felony charges each carry a potential of 10 years in prison.

“The 21-year old from Casper that is charged with grabbing the testicles of a police officer and biting his groin, as well as biting the shin of a second police officer, was in district court on charges related to police interference. Three of those are felonies, one's a misdemeanor, and he told the judge that he was going to plead not guilty.”

Sylvester Jakeson Seaton appeared before Judge Kerri Johnson for his arraignment with defense attorney Marty Scott. He told the judge that he had dyslexia but had read the affidavit containing the charges against him “only about 20 times.”

It was yet another data-center dominated night for the Cheyenne City Council on Monday, with intense, sometimes emotional public testimony on what would be the largest annexation in Cheyenne history. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that the annexation will support expansion of data centers.

“Councilman Larry Wolf asked that a proposed annexation of 3500 acres come out of the consent agenda, so that they could talk about it. His feeling is it shouldn't be treated as just any other old annexation. It's a very large annexation. Those who were kind of criticizing are their feeling is, it shouldn't be done without a plan already in place. Microsoft has said in public meetings that won't develop that property anytime soon. Councilman Wolf has publicly said, ‘why would we lock out that land for 10 years with no plan attached to it?’”

City staff and Microsoft representatives who were present confirmed the annexation is being advanced to support future expansion of data centers. No annexation vote was taken. 

Police say a drunken, shirtless, barefoot Michigan man threatened two women, smashed storefront windows and led authorities on a foot chase in downtown Jackson last week before getting tased. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that court documents say he threatened to shoot people and himself.

“24-year-old Kadin Decker was drinking at the million dollar cowboy bar with two women. When they left the bar, eyewitnesses say that he was visibly upset. He was shouting at the women as they walked to their car, yelling profanities. At one point, he said he was going to kill them and then kill himself. One of the women says that she knew there was a gun in the vehicle, so she positioned herself between the car and Decker. When police arrived, Decker took off on foot. He then smashed a glass door at the old-time photo booth. Eventually, police had to tase Decker. They said he continued to put up a fight until he was arrested.”

Kadin James Decker made his initial appearance in Teton County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon after being charged with two counts of property destruction and one count of interference with a peace officer.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"—"}]

And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on 

 - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our 

 channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app.  Thanks for watching - I’m Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

News image v2 6 10 26

<title>Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Wednesday's headlines include:
* Baggs Residents Helped Deputy
* Man: "I Didn’t Grab Cop’s Testicles!"
* Merry Christmas! Yellowstone To Get Snow

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Coy Knobel

Don Day Weather

Sunny, windy in much of Wyoming on Wednesday with a chance for afternoon rain in some areas. Breezy, with a chance of rain overnight. Highs from the mid 50s to low 80s. Lows from the low 20s to near 50.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

Red flag fire warning until 8 p.m. tonight. Sunny and windy today with a high near 76 and wind gusts as high as 50 mph. Partly cloudy and windy overnight with a slight chance of rain after midnight, a low near 41 and wind gusts as high as 50 mph.

Sunny and windy today with a high near 74 and wind gusts as high as 46 mph. Mostly clear and windy overnight with a low near 39 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph.

 Sunny and very windy today with a high near 70 and wind gusts as high as 55 mph. Mostly clear and very windy overnight with a low near 35 and wind gusts as high as 55 mph.

 Sunny and breezy today with a high near 64 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph. Mostly clear and breezy overnight with a low near 30 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph.

  Sunny and windy today with a high near 71 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph. Mostly clear and windy overnight with a low near 36 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph.

Sunny and windy today with a high near 62 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph. Mostly clear and windy overnight with a low near 26 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.

Sunny and windy today with a high near 59 and wind gusts as high as 43 mph. Mostly clear and windy overnight with a low near 25 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph.

 Increasing clouds and windy today with a high near 61 and wind gusts as high as 34 mph. Breezy, gradually clearing overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m., a low near 30 and wind gusts as high as 33 mph.

  Sunny and windy today with a high near 61 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph. Mostly clear and windy overnight with a low near 23 and wind gusts as high as 41 mph.

 Slight chance of rain after 4 p.m., increasing clouds and windy today with a high near 56 and wind gusts as high as 46 mph. Partly cloudy and windy overnight with a chance of rain and snow mainly before 8 p.m., a low near 32 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph.

  Slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., increasing clouds and windy today with a high near 60 and wind gusts as high as 38 mph. Breezy, gradually clearing overnight with a chance of rain and snow gradually ending after 8 p.m., a low near 27 and wind gusts as high as 34 mph.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

:  Chance of snow and rain, otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 49 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain and snow before 7 p.m., a low near 24 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

Sunny and windy today with a high near 75 and wind gusts as high as 38 mph. Partly cloudy and windy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m., a low near 39 and wind gusts as high as 34 mph.

:  Chance of rain mainly after 2 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 68 and wind gusts as high as 38 mph. Breezy, gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 7 p.m., a low near 41 and wind gusts as high as 31 mph.

  Mostly sunny and windy today with a high near 70 and wind gusts as high as 41 mph. Partly cloudy and windy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 42 and wind gusts as high as 44 mph.

  Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 66 and wind gusts as high as 33 mph. Breezy, becoming mostly clear overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 41 and wind gusts as high as 33 mph.

  Rain likely, increasing clouds today with a high near 66 and wind from 8-16 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 39 and wind from 14-18 mph.

:  Rain likely, increasing clouds today with a high near 65 and wind from 8-16 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 41.

Increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 71 and wind gusts as high as 31 mph. Partly cloudy and breezy overnight with a chance of rain after midnight, a low near 40 and wind gusts as high as 32 mph.

  Mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 73 and wind gusts as high as 33 mph. Breezy, becoming clear overnight with a low near 43 and wind gusts as high as 31 mph.

:  Mostly sunny today with a high near 73 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain after midnight, a low near 39 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph.

  Red flag fire warning until 9 p.m. tonight. Sunny and windy today with a high near 84 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph. Breezy, gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a low near 50 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.

  Red flag fire warning until 9 p.m. tonight. Sunny and windy today with a high near 80 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph. Partly cloudy and windy overnight with a low near 47 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph.

  Sunny and windy today with a high near 73 and wind gusts as high as 39 mph. Partly cloudy and breezy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 39 and wind gusts as high as 36 mph.

  Red flag fire warning until 9 p.m. tonight. Sunny and windy today with a high near 79 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph. Mostly clear and breezy overnight with a low near 45 and wind gusts as high as 35 mph.

  Sunny and windy today with a high near 70 and wind gusts as high as 45 mph. Partly cloudy and breezy overnight with a low near 40 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.

  Red flag fire warning until 9 p.m. tonight. Sunny and breezy today with a high near 84 and wind gusts as high as 35 mph. Breezy, becoming mostly clear overnight with a low near 48 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.

  Sunny and windy today with a high near 69 and wind gusts as high as 50 mph. Partly cloudy and windy overnight with a low near 38 and wind gusts as high as 50 mph.

  Sunny and windy today with a high near 71 and wind gusts as high as 50 mph. Partly cloudy and windy overnight with a low near 36 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.

  Sunny and breezy today with a high near 75 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph. Mostly clear and breezy overnight with a low near 37 and wind gusts as high as 40 mph.

Daycap small 6 10 26

<title>Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Crime & Courts

A barefoot Michigan man accused of threatening two women, smashing windows and running from police through downtown Jackson allegedly told officers, "Please just kill me," moments before a foot chase that ended with him being tased.

Kadin James Decker, 24, made his initial appearance in Teton County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon after being charged with two counts of property destruction and one count of interference with a peace officer.

An affidavit filed by Jackson Police Officer Liam Fowler shows the incident unfolded shortly before midnight June 5 in the heart of Jackson's busy downtown district.

[{"type":"text","text":"Foot Chase Thru Townsquare"}]

Court records show a flurry of 911 calls came in shortly after Decker, his girlfriend and another woman spent part of the evening drinking at Jackson's Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

Dispatchers told officers a shirtless man wearing black shorts and no shoes was yelling in the street near Jackson's Town Square. Callers reported the man had access to a firearm and was threatening to shoot people and himself.

When Fowler arrived, he found Decker walking eastbound near East Broadway and South King Street.

The officer noted Decker appeared to be bleeding from multiple injuries and had a large cut above his right elbow.

Fowler said he activated his emergency lights, stepped from his patrol vehicle and ordered Decker to stop.

[{"type":"text","text":"Instead, Decker looked toward the officer and replied:"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Please just kill me.\""}]

What followed was a foot pursuit through downtown Jackson as officers tried to catch the 6-foot-4, 220-pound man.

[{"type":"text","text":"Police say Decker repeatedly ignored commands to stop."}]

Officer Chase Decker — no relation to the defendant — eventually joined the pursuit. The affidavit says officers warned Decker several times that he would be tased if he continued running.

[{"type":"text","text":"He allegedly kept going."}]

Even after being tased, police say Decker continued resisting commands before finally being taken into custody.

[{"type":"text","text":"Broken Window And Threat"}]

Court records suggest the trouble began sometime after Decker and his girlfriend, Lucy Wadaga, spent part of the evening in downtown Jackson, including a stop at the Cowboy Bar.

Witnesses told police Decker became increasingly agitated and emotional as the night wore on.

After the women left the Cowboy Bar and returned to their car parked near East Broadway, Decker allegedly followed them and began shouting profanities.

Decker threatened to kill his girlfriend and repeatedly referenced having access to a gun, wrote Fowler.

The confrontation escalated when Decker reportedly punched the passenger-side window out, shattering the glass and scattering debris onto the street.

Witnesses described his demeanor as volatile and unpredictable. One told police Decker could appear calm and apologetic one moment before abruptly becoming angry and destructive the next.

After smashing the window, investigators say Decker crossed East Broadway and punched the glass door of Jackson Hole's Old Time Photos.

The damage to the vehicle and storefront was estimated to exceed $1,000, forming the basis for the two felony property destruction charges.

[{"type":"text","text":"Gun Recovered After Arrest"}]

Several witnesses reported hearing Decker make references to having a gun.

One woman told investigators she was particularly alarmed because Decker had access to a firearm inside their vehicle.

She said as she positioned herself between Decker and the car, she feared he might retrieve the weapon.

After Decker was arrested, officers searched the car and recovered a Sig Sauer P365 pistol from a black fanny pack.

The handgun contained a loaded magazine but did not have a round chambered, says the affidavit. 

Court records show he was released from custody June 8 after posting a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

As conditions of his release, Decker is prohibited from contacting the two women identified as victims in the affidavit.

[{"type":"text","text":"He is also barred from returning to Jackson Hole's Old Time Photos. "}]

The court did not require Decker to remain in Teton County, allowing him to return to Michigan as the criminal case moves forward.

Million dollar cowboy 6 9 26

<title>Michigan Tourist Accused Of Drunken Window-Smashing Rampage In Downtown Jackson | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Police say a drunken, shirtless, barefoot Michigan man threatened two women, smashed storefront windows and led authorities on a foot chase in downtown Jackson last week before getting tased. Court documents say he threatened to shoot people and himself.

Michigan Tourist Accused Of Drunken Window-Smashing Rampage In Downtown Jackson

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's business and tourism reporter, Renée Jean

Renée Jean

Business

It was yet another data-center dominated night for the Cheyenne City Council at its regular session Monday night, with intense, sometimes emotional public testimony on a proposed, roughly 3,460-acre annexation south of the Sweetgrass subdivision and east of South Greeley Highway. 

City staff and Microsoft representatives who were present confirmed the annexation is being advanced to support future expansion of data centers.

No annexation vote was taken. The routine item, which was initially part of a consent agenda, was a referral to the Public Service Committee.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Out-Of-Date Plan"}]

Ward 1 Councilman Larry Wolfe requested the council take the proposed annexation off the consent agenda so it could be discussed separately. 

The area, Wolfe contended, should not be treated the same as a 2-acre parcel of land. He questioned annexing so much territory into the city at once when there are no specific plans yet attached to it, even as the city is getting ready to update its long-range planning, which Wolfe suggested is 12 years out of date.

“As you look at this giant annexation, and as you look at all of the hullabaloo about it that we have faced as a city council, and your office has faced, did it occur to you all to think maybe this annexation could proceed in a couple of steps?” Wolfe asked Cheyenne Planning and Development Department Director Charles Bloom. “Maybe it might even be better off to just be considered in the future, two, three years from now, when you, in fact, have updated Plan Cheyenne?”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Not Staff’s Job"}]

Mayor Patrick Collins interceded, saying it’s not appropriate for staff to dictate the timing of an annexation. 

“The state law says that if they bring a petition to us, we must look at that petition,” Collins said. “And if it meets the criteria, shall by ordinance annex that property. And so I don’t know that it’s staff’s position to censor applications. That’s our job.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"On that point, Wolfe agreed."}]

“It’s your job to take a look at something of this magnitude and make a judgment about whether or not it ought to proceed through our regular processes,” Wolfe said. “Or, in fact, we might think hard about an annexation of this size for a topic of this controversy, and treat it in some different kind of manner. That’s my point.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Collins, on that point, demurred. "}]

It was yet another data-center dominated night for the Cheyenne City Council on Monday, with intense, sometimes emotional public testimony on what would be the largest annexation in Cheyenne history. The annexation will support expansion of data centers.

You Still Here? Wednesday, September 20, 2023

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