It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming, for Wednesday, October 2nd. I’m Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - brought to you by the Cowboy State Daily Morning Show with Jake! From 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, Cowboy State Daily’s Jake Nichols brings to life the latest news, weather, sports and in-depth conversations that matter to you.
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Though it originally planned to pit its women’s volleyball team against a California squad with a transgender player in its lineup, the University of Wyoming announced Tuesday it will forfeit instead.
State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that there was a progression of pressure on the University to forfeit their scheduled October 5th match with San Jose State, which has made headlines recently after a junior player was revealed to be transgender.
“First, we have an advocacy group, a women's rights group sending out a letter to Mountain West Conference president saying there could be… legal ramifications if you guys continue to entertain this… But then whether it played into southern Utah University's decision, and then Boise State University's decision, we don't know… as they both bowed out of their matches against San Jose… But then on Tuesday, some Republican lawmakers started circulating a petition-style letter, fixing their signatures, urging the university to bow out, saying this isn't the will of people.”
The letter has overtones of negative financial consequences, pointing out that the University of Wyoming is a publicly funded land grant institution.
Read the full story HERE.
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Nestled at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains, the tiny town of Dayton is usually a quiet, peaceful place of about 830 people where everyone knows and helps each other.
Overnight Sunday, it was also on edge as locals watched an out-of-control wildfire burn down the face of the mountain overlooking the town. Cowboy State Daily’s Greg Johnson spoke to residents about what it was like to watch the fire approach.
“Dayton is kind of at the bottom of the Bighorns. And they just said, you know, the mountain face, the fire was just coming down…it was kept pretty much on the mountain face. But one of the town council members, described in a few areas it got pretty close, including, he estimated, within about a quarter mile of the high school. But for the most part, it wasn't really threatening the town enough that they ordered evacuations.”
Read the full story HERE.
Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that the owner and a couple of workers at the Parkman Bar and Grill in Dayton were up early scrambling eggs and frying up sausages to make hundreds of breakfast burritos and sandwiches for volunteers helping fight the Elk Fire, which has burned more than 25,000 acres just to the southwest.
“They do lunch and dinner, and they're open till midnight some nights, 2am some nights. So breakfast is not really normally their thing, but they're making an exception this week… making burritos and breakfast sandwiches, packing snack bags and making lunches and dinners for some of the volunteer firefighters… these guys in the community are banding together to kind of help feed these guys… it's the Wyoming way right, to help each other out when times get tough.”
Cases of Gatorade are also coming in to distribute to firefighters, along with all kinds of high-protein snacks, nuts, apples and granola bars for snack bags.
Read the full story HERE.
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The Pack Trail Fire in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in northwest Wyoming is now approaching 18,000 acres consumed.
Renee Jean reports that as of Tuesday, the fire has forced the evacuation of at least 60 homes so far, and dozens more may also have to be evacuated.
“They've got a lot of structures along Highway 26 that are at risk right now, the Lava Mountain Lodge, the KOA campground, a couple of ranches… 60 homes have been evacuated. Hundreds more are in the ‘set’ phase. You know, be ready to go at any moment. So you know, we're not out of the woods with that fire yet either. The wind is supposed to pick up tomorrow, kind of like it did over the weekend. So there could be another push here with the fire.”
A complex incident management team out of California has been assigned to take over management of the fire. The existing team now on site for Pack Trail Fire has between 100 to 200 people.
Read the full story HERE.
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Casper radiologist Dr. Eric Cubin wants his seat back on the Wyoming Board of Medicine immediately, as his lawsuit alleging Gov. Mark Gordon forced him out is being litigated.
Cubin resigned from the board in April after Gordon threatened to remove him over Cubin’s vocal support and lobbying for legislation banning transgender surgeries and treatments on minors in Wyoming, known as “Chloe’s Law.” Cowboy State Daily’s Leo Wolfson reports that Cubin claims Gordon forced him off the state board, which has caused him “irreparable injury,” “economic injury” and “harm to his professional reputation.”
“As a member of that board, Cubin would have a role in deciding the licensure status of practitioners that broke that law. So for Gordon, that was a step too far, but Cubin has long argued that he never stated his position as a member of that board when he lobbied with legislators, and that Gordon broke his first amendment rights.”
Cubin said he believes being restored to the board will serve the public’s interest.
Read the full story HERE.
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The couple suing a Wyoming school district on claims that staffers worked to socially gender-transition their teen behind their backs is planning to bring a nationally known expert to trial with them.
Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that if the case of Sean and Ashley Willey vs. Sweetwater School District No. 1 goes to trial as is expected, Dr. Miriam Grossman - a physician, author and public speaker - will provide testimony for the parents.
“Dr Miriam Grossman, who has written books on the subject, who was an expert source in a very attention grabbing film, “what is a woman” on the subject? And she's, you know, she's given testimony before Congress, so now they're bringing in a renowned expert to talk about this, student’s, I guess, just spectrum of health for the sake of the court, or potentially a jury to get the picture.”
The Wyoming Legislature passed two parental rights in education laws this year, and both roughly trace their origins to the Willeys’ case.
Read the full story HERE.
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A new line of watches gaining international attention for its support of former President Donald Trump originated in Wyoming.
The gold and silver watches are registered to a company called TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC. According to Cowboy State Daily’s Leo Wolfson, the company is located in Sheridan, at an address associated with a company that helps clients register limited liability companies in Wyoming.
“The watches themselves run from about $500 to $100,000. The $100,000 watches come with 18 karat gold and more than 100 diamonds, so they're very extravagant gifts. But it's important to note that the proceeds from these watches are not going to go to former President Donald Trump's current, ongoing presidential campaign, and they're really kind of seen as a separate themed thing… ”
Andrew Pierce is listed as the organizer of Trump Watches. Pierce was also the registered agent for 45Footwear LLC, a Wyoming-registered company that sold a limited-edition line of shiny gold high-tops called Trump Sneakers this spring.
Read the full story HERE.
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The wife of Johnson County’s top prosecutor admits starting a 30-acre fire during what’s been a disastrous fire season for northern Wyoming.
Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that 42-year-old Laura Ruby, wife of Johnson County Attorney Tucker Ruby, pleaded guilty in Buffalo Circuit Court to violating the county’s fire ban, and starting the fire that plumed out of control on August 21st - the same day that other catastrophic fires began in the area.
“That was the day the House Draw fire actually started. The Campbell County fires trace roughly to that date, so that just that corner of Wyoming ignited that day. And so, you know, Ruby pleaded guilty and gave, honestly, a frank, it seemed, it seemed like a very genuine confession to the court last month saying I started these burn barrels. My son wanted to go inside, and I did walk away when they were about half burned down, and I looked outside and I saw a tree on fire, and I called 911.”
Ruby agreed to pay a $70 fine and $70 in court costs.
Read the full story HERE.
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The routine at the Wapiti Elementary School west of Cody is much like that at any other rural Wyoming schoolhouse.
Except the children sometimes have to run “grizzly drills,” and the school grounds are surrounded by a bear-resistant fence. That’s according to outdoors reporter Mark Heinz.
“This is a really tall fence that's made from a special kind of wire that the bears, at least, should not be able to climb over and get to the kids. So that surrounds the entire school, and … they have a drill where the recess teacher will blow a whistle three times in rapid succession. That means run back and get inside the school because somebody spotted a bear. And it's, you know, the bears have been getting a lot more prevalent through that whole Wapiti area… the lead teacher said they really haven't had a bear incident there in several years… but it's a matter of being prepared.”
Luckily, no grizzlies have tested the school's safety measures yet - but a can of bear spray is kept readily available in the front office of the two-room, K-5 schoolhouse.
Read the full story HERE.
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And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on Cowboy State Daily Dot Com - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our YouTube channel. I’m Wendy Corr, for Cowboy State Daily.
