It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Tuesday, November 4th. Bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily news center, I’m Mac Watson. “Brought to you by the University of Wyoming Center on Aging. Did you know that 1 in 3 Wyoming adults have pre-diabetes, and most don’t realize it? Are you tough enough to know your numbers? Take the quiz at: Find Out WY dot org."
–
The Mayor of Evansville abruptly resigned Saturday, saying the state’s political system is "broken.” Cowboy State Daily’s Dale Killingbeck reports that Candace Machado says that includes council members smelling of alcohol at meetings and "bullying" by state legislators.
“On Saturday, she dropped a letter to everybody that's on her Facebook page and said that she's resigning her office, and that was effective immediately. She has been the mayor for since November elected…She has some things to say about politics in Wyoming and in her town, and she said that she just is going to be me, and she's feels like it's just time for her to resign her office.”
Machado tells Cowboy State Daily that she believes the political system is too focused on the “status quo” and unwilling to allow for different ideas or solutions.
Read the full story HERE.
–
A Cody high school basketball coach is denying accusations of misconduct involving his players. Cowboy State Daily’s Jackson Walker reports the coach says they're motivated by parents who want him ousted from the team.
“Some of the parents at the school accused coach Sam Buck of texting players after hours touching them inappropriately and having inappropriate interactions with them while at school. Buck told Cowboy State daily, however, he feels that these accusations are motivated by parents that want him off the team. He said that these parents are being very aggressive trying to get their students playing time, and he said that their concerns are also tied to his wife, who used to be the head coach of that team, who decided to resign her position over separate issues relating to students.”
A three-day hearing happened in mid-October and a hearing officer is now expected to release findings this month. After a response period, school officials have 30 days to decide whether to dismiss Buck over the allegations.
Read the full story HERE.
–
Most of the firearms and ammunition tax revenue for wildlife conservation is coming from non-hunting sports shooters. Outdoors Reporter Mark Heinz reports that anti-hunters are trying to leverage that, but Wyoming shooters say it won’t work here.
“There's an excise tax called the Pittman Robertson fund dates back to the 1930s the idea is that you take tax revenue from firearms and ammunition sales and you use that to fund wildlife conservation through state agencies like the Wyoming Game and Fish Department…then I talked to a couple people in Wyoming, and they said that that's really not a concern here, because most people, it's not an either or. Most people in Wyoming are both. Most people who target shoot also hunt, or vice versa. And I did talk to one guy who's just not a hunter. He's a sport shooter. He says, Oh, I'm absolutely happy that my money's going to support hunting.”
The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 took an existing excise tax on firearms and reallocated it toward a grant fund for state wildlife agencies. It also established a program of matching federal grants to the states for wildlife restoration projects.
Read the full story HERE.
–
I’ll be back with more news, after this….
–
Even though Colorado leads the nation in electric vehicle sales, Wyoming is also leading the country when it comes to EVs in a new report. But not in the same category. Cowboy State Daily’s David Madison reports that Wyoming is near the bottom of the list at 44th, but the state is an "infrastructure pioneer.”
“Wyoming is a pioneer when it comes to installing chargers. So there's a good chance, even in our vast state, that you'll be able to find a charge...There's certainly an enthusiasm out there. Groups in Fremont and Teton county really active in getting more chargers and more
access for hotel guests and tourists coming in who need a charge as well.”
A March industry report by Edmunds ranks Wyoming 44th of the 50 states for percentage of auto sales being electric. According to the report, EVs make up about 8% of new car sales in the United States.
Read the full story HERE.
–
A Wyoming man found guilty of working with a drug cartel received 30 years in prison Monday. Cowboy State Daily’s Jackson Walker reports Gabriel Seth Rodgers of Sundance was convicted of trafficking an estimated 250 pounds of cocaine, fentanyl, and meth.
“Judge Allen Johnson, who oversaw the case in Cheyenne, had actually overseen a different case involving Rogers several years back, and had decided on a lenient sentence in that case in order to give him time to turn his life around. He said that unfortunately, Rogers didn't take advantage of that opportunity and decided to sentence him to a 30 year sentence.”
The state argued during the proceedings that Rodgers had set a state record, amounting to “one of the most significant” drug cases in Wyoming history.
Read the full story HERE.
–
The number of deer getting hit on America’s highways jumps significantly when daylight saving time ends and the sun sets sooner. Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz reports that not only is less sunlight a factor in more deer deaths, but in Wyoming, bucks being in the mating season and that makes matters even worse.
“You know how well that applies to Wyoming? You know, I talked to some people here…But anecdotally, yeah, it makes sense, because dawn and dusk is when deer are most active and when they're moving, and also this time of year, it was pointed out, this is the rut, or the mating season for mule deer.”
The end of daylight saving time means the number of deer getting hit on America’s highways jumps by 16% the week after clocks are moved back an hour, leaving more people driving in the twilight and dark.
Read the full story HERE.
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 watching - I’m Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.
