A Colorado family has seen great business in recent years for their firework sales company thanks to a relatively new shop in Wyoming. The Elliott family built “Artillery World Fireworks” just north of the Colorado and Wyoming border in an effort to sell fireworks to Coloradans that are otherwise illegal to sell in the centennial state.
Coloradans have long traveled to Wyoming to purchase the fireworks they cannot find in Colorado. However, now when they enter Wyoming, they are greeted in-part by a large white building that is covered with signage boasting of the ownership’s Colorado ties.
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Pete Elliott is the owner of the fireworks company which was started by his father in Colorado in the 1960’s. Since then he has expanded around Colorado and now into Wyoming.
And in tradition, Pete has included his family in the success of the company today.
Working the store in Wyoming is a 13-year-old a big personality and a work ethic of an executive. Aubrey Elliot, Pete’s daughter, is one of his four kids that help out at the family business.
“I know how to sell, run register and all that kind of stuff. So, I love helping out when I can,” Aubrey told CBS News Colorado’s Dillon Thomas.
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Aubrey said she loves working the family shop through the first half of her summer. And after doing so for a few years, she has grown a knowledge for the business which is a great asset to her father, colleagues and customers.
She walked Thomas through the three-building warehouse of fireworks and explained in-detail what fireworks were legal in Colorado and why that was the case. She then walked through the other buildings filled with fireworks that are illegal in Colorado and explained how they work and why they are considered dangerous or illegal in Colorado.
Aubrey was a clear example of a family that loves their business.
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“I have a little brother that is a straight up pyro,” Aubrey said.
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Having family members that want to work in the family business is beneficial for the family, especially in a community which they are still setting roots for their company.
“It is amazing having a family business, especially these days,” Pete said.
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“It is always hard to find help here, since we are not from Wyoming,” Aubrey said.
While finding staff to work the stand, which is located in a rural field just north of the border east of I-25, may be difficult, what isn’t difficult is finding customers.
“We had lines all the way back to our warehouse,” Aubrey said. “We have a lot of our customers that come from Colorado. A lot of people come in here saying they love that we are Colorado owned. It is really important to them when they come up here.”
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Aubrey said she is excited to wrap up a successful 4th of July season, saying it was fun. However, she said she is looking forward to going back to her home near Denver for the remainder of the summer alongside her friends.
“I love it up here because I love to help, but I miss my house,” Aubrey said.
Dillon Thomas
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Dillon Thomas is multi-Emmy Award winning general assignment reporter/MSJ for CBS News Colorado. Read his latest reports or check out his bio and send him an email.
When a clinic closes in Wyoming, it doesn’t just close a door; it can cut off access to care for entire communities.
For many residents, getting to a health care provider already means traveling long distances across multiple counties, and local clinics are often the only nearby option for basic health care. With one Title X Family Planning clinic in western Wyoming now closed, the challenge is becoming even more real for many people.
Reproductive and sexual health care is a key part of overall health, but it’s often one of the first services people lose access to when clinics close. Title X Family Planning is a federal program that helps people get essential preventive care, no matter their income. These clinics offer services like birth control, cancer screenings, STI and HIV testing, and care before pregnancy. They help people stay healthy, catch problems early, and plan for their futures.
The need is real. Wyoming’s Title X Family Planning network remains a critical part of the state’s health care system, helping bridge gaps in both access and affordability. With 9 clinics currently serving communities across the state, these providers cared for nearly 12,000 patients through more than 28,000 visits between 2022 and 2025. For many, these clinics are their only source of care: 49% of patients were uninsured, and nearly half were living at or below the federal poverty level.
In a state where distance and cost can both be barriers, affordable care is essential. About 14.6% of Wyoming women ages 19–44 are uninsured, higher than the national average. Title X clinics help meet this need by offering low- or no-cost care, while also connecting patients to referrals and additional health services when needed, ensuring more individuals can get the care they deserve.
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These clinics are also on the front lines of prevention. In recent years, they delivered more than 3,100 cervical cancer screenings and about 20,000 STI and HIV tests. Services like these support early detection and treatment, helping reduce the need for more serious and costly care down the line.
In rural states like Wyoming, once a clinic closes, it is very hard to bring it back. These clinics are more than buildings; they are part of the local health care system that keeps communities healthy.
The good news is that Title X Family Planning clinics are still open, working every day to serve their communities. The Wyoming Health Council supports this network of clinics and works to ensure that people across the state can access the care they need. Through partnerships, education, and community-based programs, the organization helps connect Wyoming residents to reproductive and sexual health services, no matter where they live.
In a state where distance, cost, and provider shortages all play a role, these clinics, and the work supporting them, are more than just a convenience. They are a lifeline.
To help sustain this work and protect access to care across Wyoming, consider making a donation to the Wyoming Health Council.
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Donation Link: givebutter.com/WYTitleX
Required Federal Funding statement: This project is supported by the Office of Populations Affairs (OPA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award 1 FPHPA 006541-0-00 totaling $978,380 with 100 percent funded by OPA/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by OPA/OASH/HHS or the U.S. Government.
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CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council voted Tuesday to approve on first reading a zoning change for a vacant 2.4-acre parcel located at 1530 SE Wyoming Boulevard, transitioning the property from residential to commercial use.
The ordinance reclassifies Lot 4 of the Methodist Church Addition from Residential Estate to General Business. Located between East 15th and East 18th streets, the irregular-shaped property has remained undeveloped since it was first platted in 1984.
While original plans for the subdivision envisioned a church and an associated preschool, Community Development Director Liz Becher reported those projects never materialized.
According to Becher, the applicant sought the rezoning to facilitate the potential installation of a cell tower or an off-premises sign. Under the new C-2 designation, a cell tower up to 130 feet in height is considered a permitted use by right, though any off-premises sign would still require a conditional use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The applicant also owns the adjacent lot to the north, which the city rezoned to general business in 2021.
Becher said the change aligns with the “Employment Mixed Use” classification in the Generation Casper comprehensive land use plan. This designation typically supports civic, institutional and employment spaces.
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Despite the new zoning, the property remains subject to a subdivision agreement that limits traffic access. Entry and exit are restricted to right turns onto or from East 15th Street, and no access is permitted from East 18th Street.
The council will vote on two more readings of the ordinance before it is officially ratified.
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Two men were detained in Wyoming in connection with a fatal shooting at a downtown Salt Lake hotel that killed one man.
Carlos Chee, 23, and Chino Aguilar, 21, were both wanted for first-degree felony murder after the victim, identified as Christian Lee, 32, was found dead in a room at the Springhill Suites near 600 South and 300 West.
According to warrants issued for their arrest, Chee and Aguilar met with Lee and another woman at the hotel to sell marijuana. During the alleged drug deal, Aguilar allegedly shot and killed Lee after he tried to grab at his gun.
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Investigators said they found Lee dead in the room upon arrival, as well as a single shell casing on the floor and a small amount of marijuana on the television stand.
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The woman told investigators she had met Chee on a dating app and that he agreed to come to the hotel to sell her marijuana. She had been hanging out with him in the room, which Lee rented for her to use, when Lee asked them to leave. Lee was then shot and killed following a brief confrontation.
Chee and Aguilar allegedly fled the scene in a 2013 Toyota Camry with a Texas license plate that was later found outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming just a few hours later.
The two men were taken into custody and detained at the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
