Cowboy State Daily Video News: Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Wednesday's headlines include: * Riley Gaines Joins UW Sorority Sisters At Court * Casper Police Investigating Shooting Death Of Student * Chinese Cryptocurrency Mine Ordered Closed In Cheyenne

WC
Wendy Corr

May 15, 20246 min read

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(Cowboy State Daily Staff)
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Political activist Riley Gaines was among a defiant and determined group that rallied for Wyoming Kappa Kappa Gamma members Tuesday, saying the sorority let down its UW chapter by giving the sisters, quote, “the brother they never wanted.”

Tuesday’s gathering on the steps of the Byron White U.S. Courthouse in downtown Denver was a celebration of women and the rights of six University of Wyoming Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority members suing to keep their organization for women only, according to Cowboy State Daily’s Greg Johnson.

“But the real theme of the day, not only was to support the sorority sisters in their appeal of their lawsuit. There's a real theme that what they are doing is feminism. And that … they're pro woman. But they're not anti anything else. And there was a lot of frustration with the legal process.” 

A panel of three judges is considering whether the sorority could have acted in bad faith, and whether the six women who sued over the move appealed their case too early.

Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that oral arguments took place Tuesday in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver – which encompasses Wyoming – in the case of Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma.

“This was the only day of oral argument. It was really short. It was 40 minutes, and ended with one of the judges saying, Judge McCue saying, we're gonna take this under advisement. And so with these 10th circuit appeals, I've seen them take months under advisement, so I certainly don't promise a result anytime soon.” 

A Chinese-owned cryptocurrency mine that set up a mile away from F.E. Warren Air Force Base is a national security risk and must shut down and sell out.

That’s according to an executive order signed by President Joe Biden on Monday afternoon, which requires offshore cryptocurrency company MineOne Partners Limited, as well as any related MineOne entities, to immediately cease operation, remove all equipment and improvements, and transfer ownership of their facility to an approved buyer, according to Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean.

“The information about this facility was generated from a tip that came from the general public. It's not known who that was, the tip was sent anonymously. But the company was required to report to this agency called SIFIUS. They are the agency that kind of tracks these kinds of threats to domestic military bases. And so the company was required to notify them that it was located near the military base, but it did not. And the agency decided that a mitigation plan in this case was not going to be sufficient. So that is why they're going to have to sell out and shut down.”

The order gives the company 120 calendar days to complete the transfer of its real estate, and to certify that transfer in writing to the Committee on Foreign Investment.

Casper police are investigating the shooting death of a high-school age student in a southwest neighborhood early Tuesday morning. 

Cowboy State Daily’s Dale Killingbeck reports that “involved parties” are in custody and witnesses are being interviewed.

“That follows the death and fatal stabbing of 14 year old Bobby Maher on April 7, at the city's mall. So this is just continuing to be a story about young people and violence, and a culture where people in the city are calling for change.” 

A Casper youth pastor has scheduled a meeting of the new Blue Heart Collaborative with area youth agencies and nonprofits Friday from 5 - 7 p.m. to address the culture of youth violence in the city. 

Wyoming is joining 25 other states in suing President Joe Biden’s administration for its newly proposed Title IX rules. Although not specifically stated, the new rules may prevent bans on transgender women participating in female sports. 

Politics reporter Leo Wolfson says that the lawsuit expresses considerable skepticism about the concepts of gender identity and transgenderism.

“Wyoming filed this lawsuit Tuesday against these rules, as that was already predicted, by Superintendent of public instruction, Megan Degenfelder. They filed it with the states of Kansas, Utah and Alaska, becoming the 26th state now in total that have fought these new rules. Gordon said that he believes that it's just a matter of fairness and sanctity in women's sports, that the new standards threaten these ideals.” 

Secretary of State Chuck Gray had sharply criticized Gordon for not filing a lawsuit sooner.

Boswell Road is a popular route for outdoors enthusiasts, running along the southern end of the Snowy Range mountains in Albany County. The route itself actually dates back to stagecoach routes in the 1870s - but sections of it are now closed. 

Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz reports that nobody seems to know who has jurisdiction over the route -- including landowner and former Gov. Matt Mead, who owns property that Boswell Road cuts right through.

“The county has had some maintenance over it, they tried to declare it a county road in the 1980s and 1990s. They kind of gave up on that idea last year. The Forest Service of course, parts of it are on the National Forest forest, parts of it are also on private property, Bureau of Land Management and state of Wyoming land… And with nobody having jurisdiction, some of the people who have private parcels or shutting sections of the road down, which they have every right to do, but that has ripple effects all through, you know, these different demographics, whether it be ranchers or, you know, hunters, whoever.”  

Mead told Cowboy State Daily that he’s not sure when or how the quandary over the road will be resolved. 

And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming’s only statewide newspaper by hitting the subscribe button on cowboystatedaily.com. And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel! I’m Wendy Corr, for Cowboy State Daily.

Radio Stations

The following radio stations are airing Cowboy State Daily Radio on weekday mornings, afternoons and evenings. More radio stations will be added soon.

KYDT 103.1 FM – Sundance

KBFS 1450 AM — Sundance

KYCN 1340 AM / 92.7 FM — Wheatland

KZEW 101.7 FM — Wheatland

KANT 104.1 FM — Guernsey

KZQL 105.5 FM — Casper

KMXW 92.5 FM — Casper

KBDY 102.1 FM — Saratoga

KTGA 99.3 FM — Saratoga

KJAX 93.5 FM — Jackson

KZWY 106.3 FM — Sheridan

KROE 930 AM / 103.9 FM — Sheridan

KWYO 1410 AM / 106.9 FM  — Sheridan

KYOY 92.3 FM Hillsdale-Cheyenne / 106.9 FM Cheyenne

KRAE 1480 AM — Cheyenne 

KDLY 97.5 FM — Lander

KOVE 1330 AM — Lander

KZMQ 100.3/102.3 FM — Cody, Powell, Medicine Wheel, Greybull, Basin, Meeteetse

KKLX 96.1 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Ten Sleep, Greybull

KCGL 104.1 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin, Lovell, Clark, Red Lodge, MT

KTAG 97.9 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin

KCWB 92.1 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin

KVGL 105.7 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Basin, Ten Sleep

KODI 1400 AM / 96.7 FM — Cody, Powell, Lovell, Basin, Clark, Red Lodge

KWOR 1340 AM / 104.7 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Ten Sleep

KREO 93.5 FM — Sweetwater and Sublette Counties

KGOS 1490 AM — Goshen County

KERM 98.3 FM — Goshen County

Check with individual radio stations for airtime of the newscasts.

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Authors

WC

Wendy Corr

Broadcast Media Director