It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming, for Wednesday, May 28th. I’m Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - Brought to you by the Wyoming Community Foundation, who asks you to give back to the place you call home. “5 to thrive” is YOUR opportunity to leave a legacy for generations to come. Support the community nonprofits you care about with a gift through the Wyoming Community Foundation. Visit wycf.org to learn more.
A U.S. Department of Energy emergency order aims to keep open a Michigan coal-fired power plant that primarily burns Wyoming coal, and was scheduled to shut down Saturday.
It counteracts a Michigan state law that requires utilities in that state to phase out all coal-fired generation by 2030. Cowboy State Daily’s David Madison reports that the DOE’s emergency order is a significant move.
“The State of Michigan passed a law in 2023 which really set the state up to move away from coal for electricity. But the current administration has said, No, we want you to at least stay at the ready, because they say they have concerns about capacity for the grid, that we that Michigan is going to need that extra, that extra generation capacity on standby, essentially, and it might mean that it burns more Wyoming coal down the road… What was interesting to me is, it's just another example of the wedges that are falling into the energy space politically.”
Matt Fry, director of the Center for Energy Regulation and Policy Analysis at UW, told Cowboy State Daily that the DOE’s order is generally good news for Wyoming’s coal producers, but not a game-changer.
Read the full story HERE.
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The Sheridan Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a man missing under mysterious circumstances for nearly a month.
53-year-old James “Bo” Galloway was last seen by family April 30th, and was reported missing to police May 5th. His family told Cowboy State Daily’s Jen Kocher that it’s unlike Galloway to go this long without contacting his daughter or other family.
“Madeline, is his only child, and the two of them are very close and very close to the point where they talk near daily. So when she didn't hear from him, they went over to his house, and there were some concerning clues. For example, his cell phone was found in the backyard, and it was smashed… and his car was there, so presumably he's gone somewhere on foot. He missed her graduation on Sunday, and she just the family is just, this is not right… Along with his cell phone found in the yard, his ex wife, Jamie, also found backpacks full of rocks, which were strange… and thought they seemed like they were something he might be using to protect himself with… earlier, she had had a conversation with him, in which he he suggested that his life might be in danger. He felt that somebody was threatening him, so that, combined with his phone, the rocks, you know, they're troubling signs.”
The police have no leads and are asking for people to submit tips and any other information to help find Galloway.
Read the full story HERE.
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The outlook for tourism in Hot Springs County continues to show mixed signals, leaving some worried about how things will turn out for 2025 with the continued closure of the Star Plunge, which features indoor and outdoor mineral pools and hot tubs, at Hot Springs State Park. The attraction is embroiled in a legal dispute between Wyoming State Parks and the facility’s owner, who has accused the state in a lawsuit of trying to cheat him.
But Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that visitor counts at Hot Springs State Park are up year over year for January, February and March, although lodging revenues show a noticeable downturn in overnight stays.
“People in town are really thinking about, you know, what else can they do to build tourism in the area, besides things that are in the hot springs state park, the park is very important, and they rely on it. But that doesn't mean they can't work on building up other aspects of their tourism. And I think the whole situation with star plunge has started that kind of train of thought with people. The street dance is back this year… And then, you know, they're planning that expanded discovery days with Chase Rice… so lots of people just kind of rallying for the town to save their summer tourism.”
Fishing is proving to be a bright spot for Hot Springs County’s tourism this year. Another bright spot was a recent mention of Hot Springs State Park by the New York Times, in an article listing alternatives to the ever-popular Yellowstone National Park.
Read the full story HERE.
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Nearly two weeks after a 16-year-old was shot in the head, a 21-year-old Cheyenne man appeared in Casper Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon charged with two counts of aggravated assault and battery in the case.
Sebastian Belden of Cheyenne was arrested Friday evening in the May 11 Mother’s Day shooting that Natrona County Sheriff’s Office investigators said involved the “mishandling of firearms.”
Cowboy State Daily’s Dale Killingbeck was in court for Belden’s arraignment.
“What that involved, according to the prosecutor, was just dangerously playing with weapons. And he and the victim, a 16 year old victim, and he shot the 16 year old in the head. It turns out that he's a member of the Wyoming National Guard. And the prosecutor said, you know, he can't believe you know that he was doing this after having been trained in weapons during basic training, and then is involved in this reckless shooting.”
Natrona County Assistant District Attorney Patrick LeBrun said he was unaware that Belden had moved from Casper and characterized him as a threat to the community.
He asked the judge to continue the $50,000 cash or surety bond initially set at Belden’s arrest.
Read the full story HERE.
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Wyoming's rare earth mining companies are scaling up for what could be the biggest opportunity in decades with a growing demand for minerals that power everything from smartphones to fighter jets.
Melissa Sanderson, a board director at American Rare Earths, told Cowboy State Daily’s David Madison that the expanding need for rare earth minerals is crucial for Wyoming’s exploding rare earth industry.
“It's no secret to anyone watching the rare earth minerals business that it's full speed ahead. There's been a declaration by the Trump administration that this is a priority. We need to generate domestic sources of rare earth minerals and… these minerals that we could that are really hard to pronounce, but they're in our everyday lives, from our smartphones to jet fighters and batteries… There's a hearing back in Washington DC that those in the industry in Wyoming were watching last week really just underlined the priority that we need to break up this bottleneck is how they described it, where we can't be sending American rare earth or to China to be processed. We need to mine more and process more, according to these industry insiders.”
The companies developing projects in Wyoming want the state to surpass California, current home of the only established and active rare earth mine in the U.S.
Read the full story HERE.
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The Wyoming Department of Transportation is implementing a $20 million computer system upgrade this summer, the most significant overhaul since 1986.
The agency is upgrading its Driver Services and Revenue Information Service systems in WYDOT offices statewide.
Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that WYDOT’s current system serves over 1,000 people per day. It’s so archaic that the department’s IT team can barely keep it up and running.
“Ronald Reagan was midway through his second term as President the last time WYDOT upgraded these systems. The top charting track on the Billboard Hot 100 was Falco's ‘Rock Me Amadeus.’ Chernobyl blew up the last time these systems were updated. So it's a pretty big shift, but the important takeaway is, not only is this going to make things more efficient for WYDOT, it’s going to be a net benefit for the people of Wyoming too.”
The new software’s online self-service features include renewing driver’s licenses, ordering driving records and handicapped placards, and scheduling appointments for a driving test. That’ll reduce the waiting times at WYDOT’s Driver Services offices, which anyone would perceive as a net positive.
Read the full story HERE.
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The 41-year-old Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper now serving 10-15 years in prison for raping his then-girlfriend in 2021 does not get a new trial.
That’s what the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled Friday in the case of Gabriel Lee Testerman, who claims that his case prosecutor and judge let his ex-girlfriend ramble about his character flaws before a jury.
But Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that the high court decided that those claims were not enough to overcome his guilty verdict for first-degree sexual assault.
“They were talking, especially the ex girlfriend… like, this is how he was in the relationship. This is how he was with the kids. This is something kind of unsettling that he did. And so in his appeal… Testerman was saying, this is character evidence. You can't just parade a bunch of evidence in front of the jury that I'm a bad guy. You have to stay focused on the crime unless you get pre approval from the judge, right?... they're just attacking my character. And the the High Court ultimately said, Well, you know, lot of this evidence was unsolicited, and the judge shut her down right away. And the evidence that wasn't unsolicited, a lot of it testament testified about himself, and some of it was pre approved in fact, and and then ultimately, the High Court said this did not throw your trial.”
A jury convicted Testerman on Feb. 1, 2024, of first-degree sexual assault for forcibly raping his ex-girlfriend three years earlier. A Laramie County district court judge sentenced Testerman last May to 10-15 years in prison.
Read the full story HERE.
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Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 won’t make any long cross-country trips or excursions out West this summer, but that doesn’t mean nothing special isn't planned.
The world’s largest operating steam engine, which lives in Cheyenne, will be co-starring in an event with a recently unveiled, cherry red locomotive that honors Abraham Lincoln. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that the No. 1616 is a diesel locomotive that borrows from the colors of Lincoln’s era to highlight the role the nation’s 16thpresident played in building the transcontinental railroad from 1862 to 1869.
“Abraham Lincoln, of course, was the president who signed the railroad act that set in motion the Transcontinental Railroad, which was an epic race between two companies at the time, one starting on the West Coast, one starting on the East Coast. How fast can you build that track to meet in the middle somewhere? They did finally meet at promontory Utah in 1869… Big Boy 4014 doesn't have a summer schedule really this year, but it does have a date with this new cherry red locomotive they've painted in honor of number 119, that locomotive that made it to Promontory, Utah, and so that's going to be in Greeley, Colorado in July.”
Four exclusive cab rides will be auctioned for rides on Big Boy between Cheyenne and Denver on July 17th, with proceeds going to the Union Pacific Museum Association.
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, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for tuning in - I’m Wendy Corr, for Cowboy State Daily.
