It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Monday, February 9th. I’m Mac Watson.
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The 2026 Wyoming Legislative session begins on Monday morning at 10am. Gov. Mark Gordon will deliver a State of the State address followed by a State of the Judiciary from Wyoming’s Supreme Court Chief Justice. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland will anchor our coverage and tells us what to expect from the Budget Session.
“It's a budget session, so the top objective is supposed to be creating a two year budget for the state of Wyoming. And that's been a little flashier, a little more controversial than in some budget cycles past, because we're talking at this juncture about possibly a $40 million cut to the University of Wyoming, significant changes to the Wyoming Department of Health, both increases and denials and beyond the budget. They're talking about defunding and dismantling the Wyoming Business Council, which is an agency geared toward government backed economic development, a controversial agency right now. They're also talking about advancing an amendment into the Constitution. It would have to also pass the ballot box in November that would allow the legislature to restrict or ban abortion, some other big topics, you know, ongoing voter integrity, the energy industry, kind of the same recurring stuff we've seen in recent years, and also possible further changes to our property tax structure. Four of the biggest players are House Speaker Chip Neiman and Senate President Bo Biteman. They have a gate keeping function, and then also, since it's a budget session, a couple of big players are the chairman of the two appropriations committees, House and Senate, and that's Representative John Bear and Senator Tim Salazar.”
Cowboy State Daily will stream the State of the State at 10am on our homepage at cowboy state daily dot com.
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Salt Lake City investigators have discovered fresh evidence in the disappearance of former Jackson resident, Anne Elyse Elliott, who was 31-years old when she vanished more than six years ago. Cowboy State Daily’s Jen Kocher reports that the news of this first big break has brought hope to her younger sister Emily Nardacci, of Pinedale.
“The new break in the case is there were no spottings of Anne since she left that detention center on January 4, so that was the last time she was spotted. However, police now have confirmed sightings of her in the North Temple area they are in. They have confirmed sightings of her the same day she was released from the detention center, and they are now eagerly looking for people who may have seen her that day who can fill in the blanks…the Salt Lake City Police Department is actively working this case, and they ask for anyone with information, no matter how small it seems to contact their department. ”
It was originally reported to family that Elliott had been contacted by police in April of that year, but the Salt Lake City Police Department has since clarified that sighting never happened.
Read the full story HERE.
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Kate Anderson didn’t start out to heal hopeless racehorses on her ranch outside of Chugwater. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that now she rehabs million-dollar Thoroughbreds once thought beyond saving.
“The first thing she does when she gets these horses that need help is she turns them loose and lets them go find the terrain that suits their feet the best. They start running around and moving and eating native grasses and something about all of that helps heal a lot of these horses. Her work is also attracted the attention of researchers. This guy who's a hoof expert from the University of Michigan, she's working with him to kind of study what's happening out there. Why is this working? What is it about this? How can we adapt some of this into the race horsing industry to, you know, help these horses have better outcomes before they get there?”
There’s been a consistent belief in the racehorse industry that Thoroughbreds just have genetically deficient feet. They’re like hothouse beauties that must be coddled to the end of their days. But from what Anderson has seen at her ranch, this turns out to be something of a myth.
Read the full story HERE.
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Investigators found special‑education violations tied to student privacy and parental rights at Sweetwater County School District No. 1. Cowboy State Daily’s Zak Sonntag reports that now a Rock Springs mother is calling for the censure of the school board chair — months after he publicly censured her husband.
“It is a particularly heightened dynamic, because it was this same family who was censured by the school board just months earlier, Rachel Seppie, husband, Cole Seppie, was a board trustee, and while he was a trustee, he was censured for behaviors that he was investigated for, and it just gets dicier from there, because he has filed a counter-complaint of retaliation, arguing that the investigation of him was based on ulterior motives related to, among other Things, complaints that his wife had made against the district pertaining to what is now come full circle in this investigation… I asked the superintendent, do you intend to apologize or make any censure? And the superintendent responded, ‘Well, this matter isn't over, because we are asking for them to reconsider the decision, and we disagree with the characterization of Rachel Seppi for the underlying reason for this censure.’”
In January, the WDE issued a decision in a special‑education complaint that found SCSD out of compliance with federal rules governing student confidentiality and parents’ participation rights. That decision has triggered a corrective action plan requiring mandatory training to be monitored by the state.
Read the full story HERE.
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I’ll be back with more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this.
Cowboy State Daily news continues now…
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Former NBA player, “Moose” Dabich of Hudson, was fishing without a license back in 1972 and didn't want to get in trouble. But two boys spotted what they thought was Bigfoot and ran off to tell authorities. Cowboy State Daily’s Jackie Dorothy reports that Dabich says he blames an old coat.
“So the coat that he was wearing wasn't even meant to be worn. Moose Dabich had a coat that he kept in his car, so in case he had an accident, he could put it on the ground and get under his truck and take care of it. Well, it was cold. It was the only coat he had, and he described it as very ugly, and it was polyester, furry looking yellow coat. So these two boys were convinced that they had seen Bigfoot. They ran into Lander. The word started spreading. The news editor heard their story and believed it. And he happened to be kind of an artist, so he sketched out what he believed the boys had seen, and it made the front page news.”
Dabich tells Cowboy State Daily that he can understand how the two boys mistook him for Bigfoot in the ugly coat since he is 7-feet tall.
Read the full story HERE.
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Hell’s Half Acre, an otherworldly alien landscape in a remote section of central Wyoming, is reopening in May. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that access to that area has been restricted since 2005.
“They've built an observation deck out there. They don't have to cut the fence anymore to get a good view and get a good picture, get a good selfie. They can there's picnic tables there where they can have a nice little roadside lunch. If they want, a little roadside picnic. If they want. There's going to be some interpretive signs there that talk about the history of the place, not just the starship Trooper movie, though, this place has a history that's stranger than fiction in some ways. At one time, there were wild camels running around down there, prehistoric creatures, you know, that are no longer, that are all extinct today.”
Once upon a time, Hell’s Half Acre brought millions to the community in tourism money. With the popularity of film trails, it’s thought it could once again drive some tourism revenue in the Natrona County area, and the site is being added to various apps that help road trippers find film locations.
Read the full story HERE.
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Until about March, folks might see blindfolded bighorn sheep or deer flying around, slung in harnesses under helicopters. Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz reports that the animals are playing a critical part for scientists.
“If you see an animal, a big horn, cheaper mule deer, blindfolded and slung underneath a helicopter flying around, don't freak out. Nobody's kidnapping him. It's not some kind of secret spy mission…This is the time of year when they like to capture animals, you know, take blood samples, tissue samples, you know, test body fat content, that sort of thing, to kind of get a snapshot of herd health…So don't freak out. It's business as usual this time of year.”
Game and Fish Cody Region Wildlife Biologist Tony Mong tells Cowboy State Daily that December through March is the best time to capture and study animals because in the summer months they’re in more rugged terrain and raising their offspring.
Read the full story HERE.
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Wyoming's turn to play the "Survivor 50 Challenge,” which means people in every state are given clues to find a hidden “immunity idol.” Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports that clues for Wyoming were released over the weekend.
“So, the clues provided are near a town named for David Edward. You can always ski on it when it's cold. It may be winter, but the springs stay hot. At 189 don't take the opportunity for granted. That doesn't leave much ambiguity in terms of where the immunity idol has been hidden for Wyoming's survivor 50 challenge, it's granite hot springs because it's off Wyoming and highway 189 and it's south of Jackson, which was named for David Edward Jackson.”
Whoever finds an immunity idol in the mountains south of Jackson, they’ll get to share a unique moment in the popular reality show’s history. The Survivor 50 Challenge is a celebration of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,” the 50th season of the genre-defining CBS reality show.
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.
