Wyoming
Canadian Company Says There’s Still Plenty Of Gold Near Former Boom Town
The Carissa Gold Mine at South Pass City was one of the Cowboy State’s most productive gold mines, drawing thousands of hopeful miners to South Pass City in 1867. The miners never found their mother lode, though, and the Carissa petered out within just a couple years.
The town — which, along with the mine, is a state historic site today — remains remote and all but deserted.
But a new gold explorer has been digging around in that area, and believes the old historic strike wasn’t far off the mark, after all. The old miners just lacked the technology to go deep enough. Past that level where water starts pouring into the mine.
Canada-based Relevant Gold, founded by geologists Rob Bergmann and Brian Lentz, say they have already found several promising metal belts in Wyoming, including one near the old Carissa Mine. And, unlike those historic miners, they do not lack the technology to go after it.
They are gearing up for what they believe is going to be a transformational summer this year in Wyoming.
“When you look at historic mining projects, the reason they shut down is always economic,” Bergmann, Relevant Gold co-founder and CEO, told Cowboy State Daily. “That doesn’t mean the resource has necessarily run out, though. And that’s exactly what we see in South Pass.”
The Abitibi What?
The data Relevant Gold has collected includes both drilling samples, as well as new magnetic surveys, performed in partnership with Wyoming Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey. But it also includes historical geological information, which University of Wyoming scientists have known about for a while.
In fact, it was that research that led Bergmann to think that the area that is today Wyoming has been sitting on an immense gold belt deep below the surface of the earth. Maybe even Abitibi gold belt immense — a formation that spans Ontario and Quebec and is well-known in mining circles for producing tremendous amounts of gold.
The Abitibi belt formed between 2.6 to 2.8 billion years ago, a timeframe geologist have linked to volcanic activity that led to precious metal deposits like silver, gold, copper and nickel. The extension of the Abitibi formation into Wyoming was documented by University of Wyoming researcher Kevin Chamberlain.
“His work is one of the reasons we were so attracted to Wyoming,” Bergmann said. “He has published the science showing there’s this connection to these old rocks from Canada in Wyoming.”
Other Gold Belts Exist
The Carissa Mine area isn’t the only place in Wyoming that Relevant Gold is exploring. In fact, this summer, the company plans to drill at its Bradley Peak project, which is located in the Seminoe Mountains near Rawlins.
“There was historic mining there, similar to South Pass City, and it’s never been drilled before,” Bergmann said. “We are the first to go test the rocks below the surface, to see if there are opportunities there to unlock value.”
Bergmann said the company will also be looking at several other areas throughout Wyoming, to find and flag the areas where it believes there’s the highest potential.
“We will put it through our systematic exploration process,” he said. “We start by looking at all the data to analyze an area, and then we’ll put a plan together for boots on the ground.”
Bergmann said he and his partner, Lentz, have built a number of successful companies in the natural resource space, including one called Big Rock Exploration.
The success of that company allowed the duo to capitalize this new venture, Relevant Gold, in 2020, with a mission focused on following Canada’s Abitibi formation in Wyoming to map out its metal belts.
So far, they believe they’ve identified five, large-scale projects in Wyoming.
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Children and adults gathered by the sides of Willow Creek during Gold Rush Days at South Pass City to try their hand at panning for gold. (Renée Jean, Cowboy State Daily) -
Home and office of Esther Hobart Morris. (Renée Jean, Cowboy State Daily)
CK Project Near Cheyenne Still Going
While Relevant Gold’s headquarters is in Vancouver, Canada, the company does have a field office in Riverton, Wyoming, as well as an operational office in Minnesota. They listed on the Canadian exchange starting out because that venue is friendlier to a more speculative enterprise like a gold prospecting company.
Relevant Gold has been gaining steam, lately, though, with the data its team has put together on likely gold belts in Wyoming. That data attracted some high-powered investors, Bergmann said.
Among them is major gold producer Kinross Gold Corp., which has purchased a significant number of shares in the company, as well as prominent mining industry figure, William G. Bollinger, who has also placed a significant, multi-million dollar bet on the future of Relevant Gold.
Bollinger, in a news release about his investment, said he believes Relevant Gold is on the cusp of a huge gold breakthrough, a breakthrough that’s happening in Wyoming.
“This substantial common share purchase is a mark of my confidence in this talented team and the highly prospective potential of this under explored and untapped resource,” he said in the statement.
Relevant Gold is now the second gold prospector to land in Wyoming. The other project, CK Gold Project, is located near Cheyenne at the site of the historic Copper King Mine, developed in 1881, in Wyoming’s Silver Crown Mining District.
That project ceased mining just before World War II, but mineable quantities of gold, copper, and other metals remain in the area.
That project is still underway, Cowboy State Daily has confirmed with the company that owns it, U.S. Gold Corp. They just released a study in January, exploring feasibility of the mine, and expect to begin production in 2027.
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.
One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.
Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.
“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”
The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”
The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.
It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.
The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.
Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”
Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”
The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.
SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.
Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”
Both bills go into effect July 1.
LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference announced the Cowboys’ 2026 football schedule Monday, a slate that opens with the Border War and concludes with back-to-back home games in Laramie.
Wyoming opens the season Sept. 5 on the road against Colorado State in the 118th edition of the Border War. The Cowboys then host Northern Colorado on Sept. 12 in the home opener before traveling to Central Michigan on Sept. 19.
The Cowboys begin Mountain West play Sept. 26 at home against Hawaii in a matchup for the Paniolo Trophy. Wyoming then faces back-to-back road games at North Dakota State on Oct. 3 and San Jose State on Oct. 10.
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Wyoming returns to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17 to host conference newcomer Northern Illinois before facing Air Force at home on Oct. 24. The Cowboys will have an open week on Oct. 31.
The Cowboys open November with road games at UNLV on Nov. 7 and at UTEP on Nov. 14, marking Wyoming’s first meeting with the Miners as members of the Mountain West. Wyoming closes conference play by hosting New Mexico on Nov. 21 and wraps up the regular season with a nonconference game against UConn on Nov. 28 in Laramie.
Each Mountain West team will play four home and four road conference games during the 13-week season, which will conclude with the Mountain West Football Championship Game featuring the two teams with the highest conference winning percentages. The championship game date will be announced later.
With the conference schedule set, Mountain West television partners CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and The CW will begin selecting broadcast games, which could include moving some contests to non-Saturday dates. Network assignments and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.
Season ticket renewals for the 2026 Wyoming football season are now available. Fans can renew their tickets online by visiting gowyo.com/tickets and logging into their account.
The 2026 Wyoming prep girls’ basketball season is nearly done. Two state champions were crowned in Classes 1A and 2A last Saturday. Southeast won the 1A title for the third consecutive season, and Sundance won the 2A title for the first time in eight years. Class 3A and 4A held their regional tournaments, which qualified teams for the state tournament later this week in Casper.
WYOPREPS WEEK 12 GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDINGS 2026
These are the girls’ basketball team records for all games played through March 7, 2026. For all but 16 teams, this is the final record of the season. Those squads will play in the 3A-4A state tournament starting on Thursday in Casper.
1A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Burlington 24-5, 8-0
Riverside 14-10, 6-2
Dubois 11-10, 4-4
St. Stephens 3-16, 1-7
Meeteetse 1-20, 1-7
1A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cokeville 23-4, 10-0
Little Snake River 23-4, 8-2
Farson-Eden 16-12, 5-5
Saratoga 13-11, 5-5
Ft. Washakie 8-13, 2-8
Encampment 3-19, 0-10
1A Northeast: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Upton 16-7, 10-0
Kaycee 13-12, 7-3
Hulett 12-13, 7-3
Arvada-Clearmont 9-12, 4-6
Casper Christian 4-13, 2-8
Midwest 1-16, 0-10
1A Southeast: (Overall Record, followed by Reg. Season Points)
Southeast 24-5, 40 points
Lingle-Ft. Laramie 17-11, 31 points
Lusk 15-13, 26 points
H.E.M. 13-11, 24 points
Rock River 6-14, 12 points
Guernsey-Sunrise 2-18, 4 points
2A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Thermopolis 16-13, 5-1
Greybull 16-15, 4-2
Rocky Mountain 9-17, 2-4
Shoshoni 11-18, 1-5
2A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Wyoming Indian 23-7, 6-0
Big Piney 8-16, 4-2
Kemmerer 2-21, 1-5
Wind River 2-23, 1-5
2A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Sundance 23-4, 5-0
Big Horn 21-6, 4-1
Tongue River 18-11, 3-2
Pine Bluffs 17-12, 2-3
Moorcroft 7-18, 1-4
Wright 3-23, 0-5
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3A West: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cody 24-0, 10-0
Lander 21-4, 9-1
Pinedale 20-5, 7-3
Powell 16-9, 6-4
Lovell 16-10, 4-6
Worland 9-16, 2-8
Lyman 10-11, 2-8
Mountain View 4-19, 0-10
3A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Wheatland 22-4, 10-0
Buffalo 13-11, 8-2
Douglas 14-11, 6-4
Burns 16-13, 5-5
Torrington 10-11, 5-5
Glenrock 12-13, 3-7
Newcastle 1-22, 1-9
Rawlins 2-21, 0-10
4A Northwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Green River 23-2, 6-0
Natrona County 9-16, 4-2
Kelly Walsh 8-15, 2-4
Rock Springs 5-20, 0-6
4A Southwest: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Star Valley 16-7, 5-1
Evanston 16-10, 5-1
Riverton 7-19, 1-5
Jackson 3-19, 1-5
4A East: (Overall Record, followed by Conference Record)
Cheyenne East 21-3, 11-1
Cheyenne Central 16-9, 10-2
Sheridan 14-10, 7-5
Thunder Basin 14-10, 6-6
Laramie 12-11, 6-6
Campbell County 1-19, 1-10
Cheyenne South 1-21, 0-11
*The second Campbell County-Cheyenne South girls’ game was canceled.
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Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Marcello Monterastelli Photography & Jared Newland, WHSAA
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