CASPER — The death of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Casper two months ago continues to complicate the Casper/Natrona County International Airport’s international service and trade zone opportunities.
Longtime agent John “Dale” Leatham, who provided customs services for 48 years in Wyoming, died in May. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service has not yet filled his position.
In the meantime, people and businesses who had normally used Casper as a destination for international travel or trade has had spotty service.
Since his death, customs clearances have been slowed at the state’s only international airport and a federal foreign trade zone application remains on hold.
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The federal agency has been sending customs agents from Denver to fill in, but those fill-in agents have been sporadic, according to Airport Director Glenn Januska.
Januska said there has been a significant decrease in the number of aircraft cleared at the airport, but it’s hard to measure the number of planes that might have chosen to clear in Casper if service was fully operational. Under Leatham, the airport would clear nearly 500 airplanes a year.
“The customs office in Denver has been trying to send customs officers up to Casper when they can, understanding that they still have roles and functions in Denver,” Januska said. “So, we’ve had some coverage for the operation here, but certainly not to the extent that we had when Dale was here.”
A Financial Hit
From a revenue standpoint, the impact of reduced international landings translates to a loss of some money for private companies who sell aviation fuel at the airport.
Typically, an international flight arrives with fuel gauges depleted. The airport, which has a 30-cent fee associated with each gallon of aviation fuel sold, also is losing revenue from any flight that bypasses Casper for another entry point.
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Januska said it’s impossible to know how many international planes have bypassed the airport, and not all flights choose to get fuel. The fuel fee also is not broken down between international or national flights, so providing a dollar amount in terms of impact is difficult.
Casper City Council reluctantly agreed to pay up to $400,000 for the last half of 2024 to help keep a SkyWest Delta Connection flight between Casper and Salt Lake City flying. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
A map in the customs office has pins showing where flights have originated from over the years. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Dale Leatham holds some 50-caliber machine gun shells he found on airport property – the site of a World War II Army Air Corps base. (Dale Killingbeck, Cowboy State Daily)
Foreign Trade Zone
At Advance Casper, President and CEO Justin Farley said the loss of Leatham has slowed, but not stopped, plans for a foreign trade zone opportunity at the airport.
“We are going to lease a space out there and designate it a foreign trade zone for an international company that is looking to move here,” he said. “We had met with Dale, with this company, and we have been on pause since then.”
Farley said his understanding is that U.S. Customs is reviewing the trade zone application and that the process is still active, but questions remain as to who will fill Leatham’s position permanently and when.
“We’d like to know who is going to be there and gauge what their interest in their involvement in our (foreign trade zone area),” he said. “Dale was super unique and a fan of this company. (His loss) was tragic for his family and our community.”
Farley said the expectation is that a customs officer will still tour the company by the end of September or October to ensure that the foreign trade zone area would meet the requirements for additional security.
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Advance Casper is moving forward based on its understanding that there will be a new permanent customs agent at some point.
Under the arrangement, Advance Casper would take care of the paperwork and reporting necessary for the foreign trade zone to operate and also provide some of the transportation required.
“Our hope is we prove that model out where Casper would be a great logistics hub,” Farley said.
He said in addition to Advance Casper’s work on behalf of the international company, another Casper company has its own separate application pending for a foreign trade zone.
“We are moving forward from the standpoint that these are active applications, and we absolutely need a customs agent,” he said. “In addition to all the people that (Leatham) cleared and used our airport for that purpose, we felt that as a community that it was super important to keep (the foreign trade zone) so they wouldn’t drag their feet and say everything will have to go through Billings (Montana) or Colorado, which we view as a real risk.”
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A New Agent
Januska said U.S. Customs is aware of the importance of putting an officer in place.
His last email from the agency more than a month ago informed him that the task of selecting an agent belongs to the agency’s human resources. There is no firm timeline.
The customs official told Januska that the selection would likely happen within the month.
Once a candidate was selected, Januska estimated it would take another month before the officer moved to the region, which would put the new officer in position in mid-to-late September.
“We knew going into this that it was not going to be a quick process,” Januska said.
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Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
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.
MORE | Shootings
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.
