The school district in Cheyenne advanced a massive overhaul of its school model this month. The proposal must still be approved by the state School Facilities Commission before any demolition or construction can occur.
The overhaul is meant to address school conditions and a projected enrollment decline, but it would entail closing eight elementary schools and building, replacing or reconfiguring at least 12 other elementary and middle schools. This would all be accomplished in the next decade.
Under the new model, schools for kindergarten through fourth grade would feed into larger, more centralized schools for fifth and sixth graders.
The changes touch all three of the district’s “triads” — south, central and east — but the largest changes are in the south triad, where the plan calls for closing four elementaries, replacing two others and constructing a new middle school.
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“We have got to do something about our schools in the south triad,” Trustee Alicia Smith said during a Laramie County School District No. 1 board meeting Oct. 7. “We have to. We have needed to for years and years, and those kids and those teachers and those administrators in those buildings deserve so much more than what they’ve had to deal with.”
Dozens of parents spoke against the proposal during that meeting, saying the plan was developed and selected without public input and that it would rob the south triad of its neighborhood schools.
“You know in your heart this is not what’s best for our community,” said Lindsay Woznick, a district parent and local attorney.
The school board ultimately approved the plan with a unanimous vote, but many of the trustees said they were conflicted and felt like their hands were tied. Trustee Brooke Humphrey said the district had to do something about its aging schools.
“My heart is so torn, because as a mom, I get it, I totally get it,” Humphrey said. “But also as a community member, I get it … None of us want to have to make this decision, but we have to look at it as an all-or-nothing, because that’s how it’s currently being presented to us.”
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Technically, the school board only approved a study about the most cost-effective solutions. That study (produced by a private firm for the Wyoming State Construction Department) evaluated various proposals and highlighted one plan as its preference — the plan that involves closing eight elementaries.
But approving the study was a big step toward putting the overhaul into action. The state School Facilities Commission will have to weigh in on the study next month.
A coalition of parents is still attempting to save the eight schools now on the chopping block. They’ve circulated a petition asking district, city and state leaders to consider one of the other proposals outlined in the study. While organizers say the petition garnered 673 signatures in its first 10 days, school board trustees decided not to reconsider their earlier vote.
Some of those same parents are also lobbying the School Facilities Commission to reject the current proposal or otherwise reevaluate the way the study was conducted.
Laramie County School District No. 1 declined to comment for this story.
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.
