It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Monday, December 1st. I’m Mac Watson.
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Wyoming’s shortage of nurse practitioners could get worse if the federal government takes nurse practitioners off its list of “professional” degrees. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that slashing federal student loan assistance could put the nurse practitioner program out of reach for students, and could negatively affect the medical landscape in Wyoming.
“Wyoming has a lot of remote communities that can't, you know, whatever they do, they're probably not going to attract a full fledged doctor to come and practice there. They're just not enough people there to support the practice. And so these nurse practitioners have been filling a very essential role in a lot of remote communities across Wyoming, they're the only source of local care in many of these smaller communities. So making this degree harder to get is kind of, you know, has the potential to constrict or put a chokehold on that pipeline of creating some of these new nurse practitioners.”
The University of Wyoming says it will be difficult to offer its nurse practitioner program for much less than they now charge for tuition, but they do say they’re looking at financial work-arounds for students.
Read the full story HERE.
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Researchers at Brain Chemistry Labs, a state-of-the-art biology laboratory in Jackson, are studying the brains of dolphins in a quest to cure Alzheimer’s disease. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports researchers have discovered a link between the disease, the dolphins, and toxic algae blooms.
“Brain chemistry labs has been working with partners like Sea World and the University of Miami and Florida for quite a long time, and the this attempt to see if there was a connection between what was going on in the brains of beached whales and dolphins and the cyanobacterial blooms that have become more of a concern on the eastern coast of Florida and around the world. And what this study did was found a concrete link between these cyanobacterial blooms, the neurotoxins therein, and the brain damage being caused to dolphins and whales, which in turn, has implications on humans, because Miami, Dade County in Florida has the highest incidence of Alzheimer disease in the United States. So they think that it's more than a coincidence that you have these dolphins dying of a or at least dying as a result of a neurodegenerative brain disease, and the fact that there's an extremely similar disease in humans in the same spot.”
Dolphin brains are distinctly different from human brains, but the tissue damage caused by neurodegenerative diseases looks the same.
Read the full story HERE.
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Kaci Bulkley of Campbell County is already an accomplished hunter at the age of 12. Outdoors Reporters Mark Heinz says this past fall, she stunned seasoned hunters by dropping a huge bull elk with one shot from 600 yards away.
“Her dad is a gunsmith, so he's able to custom make a rifle for and it's just that they practiced and they practiced at longer ranges. And so she had the aptitude for her but, yeah, but her mom was saying, ‘No, she did.’ I mean, people online trying to call us – liars, like, ‘Nope, nope. My daughter absolutely made that shot.’”
The bull’s antler rack scored in the 320-inch range. Kaci has also bagged coyotes, antelope, and a mule deer buck that scored 184 inches.
Read the full story HERE.
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A Wyoming couple’s European cruise on the Rhine River 5,000 miles from Worland became quite eventful when the wife learned the stranger who sat across from her at dinner was actually her cousin who was also born in Worland.
“The first night on the cruise, they're on the Rhine River, cruising down the river with some friends. Some friends went with them from Cheyenne, and there's two other seats at the table. So this older couple comes and says, ‘Hey, can we sit with you guys?’ They sit down. They start talking small talk, and they learn that the wife of this couple that just sat down is from what was originally born in Worland, and so the Cheyenne couple, the wife says, ‘Well, I was born in Worland too.’ They get talking, and they find out that she was a cousin. They were both cousins of one another through a grandfather. So they never knew each other existed.”
Ron and Diane Downey of Cheyenne tell Cowboy State Daily that meeting someone from their hometown in Europe is one thing, but then the odds of discovering you’re related is just “astronomical.”
Read the full story HERE.
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I’ll be back with more news from Cowboy State Daily, after this….
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Critics of a bill co-sponsored by Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso says it would turn prime wilderness into a surveillance zone. Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz reports that Senator Barrasso says it would protect wildlands from being trashed by smugglers and illegal immigrants.
“The promoters of the bill are saying what this will do is it will kind of open up, pave the way for more infrastructure and border security anywhere within 100 miles of the Southern or northern borders. What critics are saying is that, you know a couple things. Number one, they're talking about putting in watch and surveillance stations and fences and roads all along there. And you get up to what they call the Montana High Line up there in northern Montana, they say they're going to be cutting through a lot of wilderness, and delicate High High Plains land, and also they might intrude on some private land up their private farms and land ranches. So it's drawing a lot of criticism.”
Some outdoorsmen tell Cowboy State Daily that could lead to the disruption to northern breeding grounds and migration routes in Wyoming and Montana.
Read the full story HERE.
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Rep. Harriet Hageman's mother, Marion, celebrated her 102nd birthday this month, and remains as passionate as ever about inspiring those around her. Cowboy State Daily’s Jackie Dorothy says Marion’s positive outlook on life has always been inspired by “picking up the pencil.”
“Marion lives today in a nursing home in Torrington, and she still stays active, and one of her favorite activities is her illustrations. Since she was a young teacher, she has been sending letters that not only are written, but illustrated, showing the life and all of the activity around her. These drawings, these illustrations have also inspired other artists to stand up and make a lifetime. These drawings and illustrations have also inspired other artists to pursue their dreams of art, from her own children to past students.”
Through her inspired life, Marion has been rancher, teacher, artist and mom to six kids of her own — and 40 foster children.
Read the full story HERE.
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The novel agricultural research of a University of Wyoming senior could help NASA pioneer the future of space farming. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi introduces us to Drea Hineman, a senior majoring in plant production and protection in the UW Department of Plant Science who is researching how to grow food in zero gravity.
“What's happening at UW is they're using a unique system that mimics zero gravity or low gravity conditions, and seeing how that impacts plant growth. And the really cool thing that they're doing is trying to figure out how to drain salt or make it so that the salt doesn't impact the plants. Because any farmer will tell you, if you can't drain your field to get certain nutrients out, the plants aren't going to grow as well. That's a lot more difficult when you don't have any gravity and you're just got plant pods floating around in space.”
Drea tells Cowboy State Daily that she inherited her love of gardening from her grandfather growing up in Gillette and her novel agricultural research could help revolutionize gardening in space.
Read the full story HERE.
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Southern Wyoming's Brush Creek Ranch is a 5-star experience that has repeatedly beaten the luxurious Amangani resort in Jackson for Condé Nast's nod as the No. 1 stay in America. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that the secret to its success is it’s all about the guest.
“I think the first thing that stood out to me about the whole experience is they like, called me up. What are you interested in? You know, what are your goals for this day? What would you like to do while you're here? And next thing I know, I have this itinerary in my inbox that's basically planning out my stay…I don't know if too many places that will just instantly make your wish happen. Your wish is their command. Sometimes even your unspoken wishes are their command…So they're really super attentive to the guests.”
Brush Creek Ranch is bounded by the Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre mountains in southern Wyoming. The closest public airport to Brush Creek is in Laramie, which means a lot of travelers end up driving through the Snowy Range to get to this legendary Wyoming place.
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 watching - I’m Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.
