Wyoming
Cowboy State Daily Video News: Monday, May 6, 2024
It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming! I’m Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom, for Monday, May 6th.
Upon hearing the phrase “air-dropping grizzlies,” a layperson’s mind might go wild with images of huge, roaring bears parachuting from the sky.
The reality isn’t quite that crazy, but outdoors reporter Mark Heinz says if all goes as planned, perhaps some Wyoming grizzlies could find themselves slung under helicopters, in a drug-induced stupor, on the last leg of their journey to a new home in Washington state.
“If anybody ever saw the movie Operation Dumbo drop, where they dropped an elephant with a parachute, it’s not going to be that fun. It’s pretty mundane, basically it just means they’re going – just as they would move grizzlies into some areas with trucks, it’s the same thing, except they use an aircraft. So the grizzly is put inside a cage or container – they’re tranquilized, of course, and then put inside a cage or container of some sort. And then they’re taken by aircraft to the location, and then allowed to wake up and get their bearings a little bit and then released. So sorry, folks, if you thought I was gonna have a story about Grizzlies dropping from the sky in parachutes.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal agencies have said that air-dropping bears will likely be the preferred method of getting new grizzlies to remote locations in Washington’s North Cascades Ecosystem.
Hot Springs State Park is the most visited state park in Wyoming. The state of Wyoming recently asked potential investors to dream big about the park’s future,
and Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that the state is willing to put a large chunk of money behind any improvements.
“The state is proposing to spend about $25 million there on upgrades, but that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to what its selected partner, Wyoming LLC, would be putting into the park. Their punch list includes really big projects – reconstructing the Hot Springs Hotel so that it has a convention center, positioning that so that the rooms, the motel rooms face the river instead of the parking lot. They’d reconstruct the teepee pools and turn that into kind of an adult oriented Wellness Center. The Star Plunge would keep its mid century historic theme, but it would get a poolside diner, kid friendly water features like slides and swimming pools. And then some of the other things they talked about possibly doing – adding a drive in theater, a brew pub, you know, the specific details of that are going to be worked out in upcoming negotiations. They’ll have to sign a long term lease with the state in order to do the project.”
The park has long laid claim to being the world’s largest mineral hot springs, and draws upward of 1.2 million to 1.9 million visitors a year.
The Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site, located near Hyattville in the Bighorn Basin, just completed the installation of a first-of-its-kind educational experience. And Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi says it’s a mind-blowing integration of technology and culture that immerses visitors in thousands of years of indigenous history through seasons, sights and sound.
“At medicine Lodge, they felt they were telling the story of the archeology, the history, and the wildlife that are there now, but they didn’t really have a way to tell the cultural story. And the culture of medicine lodge goes back for 1000s upon 1000s of years. So the cultural experience is just that it’s an experience. It’s not a museum exhibit, or like anything else that a lot of people probably experienced because the best way to experience culture is to have culture experience with you with the people who created it. And that’s exactly what the cultural experience is. It’s been several years in the making. And it’s an entirely unique thing and Wyoming possibly the United States because it lets the culture tell its own story.”
The Medicine Lodge Cultural Experience will officially open to visitors later this spring.
A local effort to establish passenger trail service connecting Cheyenne to Colorado’s Front Range may seem a pipe dream to some, but an effort to make it happen has been gaining momentum, according to Cowboy State Daily’s Leo Wolfson.
“Supporters of this project have been coordinating with the Front Range passenger rail project to kind of try to kind of hop on to that effort, which is basically a rail service that would connect Fort Collins through Denver and south to Pueblo. They are hoping in Cheyenne that there could be an extension built on to this project to connect Cheyenne to Fort Collins. It’s a really interesting effort and one that is possibly gaining steam, especially considering there’s going to be a ballot initiative going before the Colorado voters this November, that would provide a significant amount of funding for the rail line through a tax if if it is passed by the voters, which would really open up a door for the Cheyenne extension on the project.”
Under the best case scenario, the project would still be three to five years off, but Wolfson says supporters are trying to explore different options for different carriers, which could include Amtrak.
Updates to the Biden administration’s Western Solar Plan would allow more streamlined development of utility scale solar farms in Wyoming, which means more money being invested in solar farms here. But critics feel the Bureau of Land Management, which would oversee the project, isn’t considering all the options, according to energy reporter Pat Maio.
“They feel that the BLM is overlooking what is called distributed generation. So what is that? That is, like solar panels on parking canopies on tops of roofs of buildings. Suggestions are being made to build solar farms on top of abandoned coal mines, things of that sort. That’s distributed generation. The BLM doesn’t seem to be considering that, though – they seem to be kind of moving in a different direction where they would just build these huge agrivoltaic farms, you know, that would involve maybe sheep grazing underneath the panels and so forth, and cattle too.”
The plan is meant to serve as a road map for solar development in areas where the BLM doesn’t think dangers will be posed to local habitats.
Stacy Boisseau and her daughters have been the first in line to enter Yellowstone National Park through the East Entrance on opening day of the summer season for six years running. She did it again Friday, and Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi was there.
“Stacey and her daughters thought, why not be the first family in the park? And it’s just a tradition that they’ve kept going. And they say, they don’t plan on doing it every year. They like doing it every year, but it’s kind of an impulsive decision. They just decide a couple days before if they want to do it, and then they pack up the car, make all their plans and head up there. They won’t give me exactly the time that they get there to make sure they are there first but they get there early. And it is a long night in the chilly region of the east entrance. But they do it, not be to be first – they do it because it’s a fun tradition that they’ve developed, where they get to spend time with and enjoy each other, as a family wants to do.”
There will be a time when Boisseau and her family won’t be at the front of the line. But for one more year, they were together with an empty road in front of them, soon filled with more laughter and memories.
And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming’s only statewide newspaper by hitting the subscribe button on cowboystatedaily.com. And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel! I’m Wendy Corr, for Cowboy State Daily.
Radio Stations
The following radio stations are airing Cowboy State Daily Radio on weekday mornings, afternoons and evenings. More radio stations will be added soon.
KYDT 103.1 FM – Sundance
KBFS 1450 AM — Sundance
KYCN 1340 AM / 92.7 FM — Wheatland
KZEW 101.7 FM — Wheatland
KANT 104.1 FM — Guernsey
KZQL 105.5 FM — Casper
KMXW 92.5 FM — Casper
KBDY 102.1 FM — Saratoga
KTGA 99.3 FM — Saratoga
KJAX 93.5 FM — Jackson
KZWY 106.3 FM — Sheridan
KROE 930 AM / 103.9 FM — Sheridan
KWYO 1410 AM / 106.9 FM — Sheridan
KYOY 92.3 FM Hillsdale-Cheyenne / 106.9 FM Cheyenne
KRAE 1480 AM — Cheyenne
KDLY 97.5 FM — Lander
KOVE 1330 AM — Lander
KZMQ 100.3/102.3 FM — Cody, Powell, Medicine Wheel, Greybull, Basin, Meeteetse
KKLX 96.1 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Ten Sleep, Greybull
KCGL 104.1 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin, Lovell, Clark, Red Lodge, MT
KTAG 97.9 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin
KCWB 92.1 FM — Cody, Powell, Basin
KVGL 105.7 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Basin, Ten Sleep
KODI 1400 AM / 96.7 FM — Cody, Powell, Lovell, Basin, Clark, Red Lodge
KWOR 1340 AM / 104.7 FM — Worland, Thermopolis, Ten Sleep
KREO 93.5 FM — Sweetwater and Sublette Counties
KGOS 1490 AM — Goshen County
KERM 98.3 FM — Goshen County
Check with individual radio stations for airtime of the newscasts.
Wyoming
Casper veteran David Giralt joins race for Wyoming U.S. House seat
Wyoming
Rivalries and Playoff Positioning Highlight Week 11 Wyoming Girls Basketball Slate
It’s Week 11 in the 2026 Wyoming prep girls’ basketball season. That means it’s the end of the regular season. 3A and 4A schools have their final game or games to determine seeding before the regional tournament, or if a team is locked into a position, one last chance to fine-tune before the postseason. Games are spread across four days.
WYOPREPS WEEK 11 GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE 2026
Every game on the slate is a conference matchup. Several rivalry contests are part of this week’s schedule, such as East against Central, Cody at Powell, Lyman hosting Mountain View, and Rock Springs at Green River, just to name a few. Here is the Week 11 schedule of varsity games WyoPreps has. All schedules are subject to change. If you see a game missing, please email david@wyopreps.com.
CLASS 4A
Final Score: Laramie 68 Cheyenne South 27 (conference game)
CLASS 3A
Final Score: Lyman 40 Mountain View 26 (conference game)
CLASS 4A
Final Score: Evanston 41 Riverton 39 (conference game)
Final Score: Natrona County 42 Kelly Walsh 38 (conference game) – Peach Basket Classic
Final Score: #4 Thunder Basin 64 Campbell County 32 (conference game)
CLASS 3A
Final Score: #1 Cody 77 Worland 33 (conference game) – 5 different Fillies with a 3, and Hays led the way with 34 points.
Final Score: #2 Lander 49 Lyman 34 (conference game)
Final Score: #4 Wheatland 51 Douglas 40 (conference game)
Final Score: #5 Powell 48 Lovell 42 (conference game)
Final Score: Burns 56 Torrington 43 (conference game)
Final Score: Glenrock 78 Newcastle 30 (conference game)
Read More Girls Basketball News from WyoPreps
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Standings 2-23-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 7 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 1-28-26
Nominate A Basketball Player for the WyoPreps Athlete of the Week Honor
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 1-21-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 5 Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 1-14-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 4 Scores 2025-26
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Rankings 1-7-26
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 3 Scores 2025-26
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Rankings 12-24-25
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 2 Scores 2025-26
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Rankings 12-17-25
WyoPreps Girls Basketball Week 1 Scores 2025-26
CLASS 4A
Rock Springs at #2 Green River, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
#4 Thunder Basin at #5 Sheridan, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
#1 Cheyenne East at #3 Cheyenne Central, 6 p.m. (conference game)
Jackson at Star Valley, 6 p.m. (conference game)
CLASS 3A
#3 Pinedale at Mountain View, 4 p.m. (conference game)
#1 Cody at #5 Powell, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
Buffalo at Glenrock, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
CLASS 3A
Newcastle at Buffalo, 12:30 p.m. (conference game)
Glenrock at Rawlins, 3 p.m. (conference game)
Torrington at #4 Wheatland, 5:30 p.m. (conference game)
Wyoming Boys 4A Swimming & Diving State Championships 2026
4A Boys State Swim Meet for 2026 in Cheyenne
Gallery Credit: David Settle, WyoPreps.com
Wyoming
Political storm in Wyoming as far-right activist caught handing checks to lawmakers
Controversy has engulfed Wyoming’s state legislature after a conservative activist was photographed handing checks to Republican lawmakers on the state house floor, in an incident that has highlighted intra-conservative divisions and the role of money in the Cowboy state’s politics.
The political storm started on 9 February, when Karlee Provenza, a Democratic lawmaker, took a photo showing Rebecca Bextel, a conservative activist and committeewoman for the Teton county Republican party, handing a check to Darin McCann, a Republican representative, on the legislative floor. Marlene Brady, another Republican representative, stands in the photo’s background, a similar piece of paper pinched between her fingers.
“You have a person from the richest county in the country coming down to Cheyenne to hand out checks on the house floor,” Provenza said. “I have never seen something so egregious.”
Questions around the checks were soon swirling, and answers weren’t forthcoming. When asked what Bextel gave to her, Brady told a reporter for local outlet WyoFile: “I can’t remember.”
Then Bextel herself addressed the incident. “I raised $400,000 in the last election cycle for conservative candidates, and I will be doubling that amount this year,” Bextel wrote on Facebook on 11 February. “There’s nothing wrong with delivering lawful campaign checks from Teton county donors when I am in Cheyenne.”
Since then, it has emerged that the checks came from Don Grasso, a wealthy Teton county donor, who told the Jackson Hole News and Guide that he wrote the checks for Bextel to deliver to 10 Freedom caucus-aligned politicians. Grasso said the checks were intended as campaign contributions, and were not tied to specific legislation. It is unclear how many checks were ultimately delivered, but two of four confirmed recipients include the speaker of the house, Chip Neiman, and John Bear, the former head of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
The Wyoming house has formed a legislative investigative committee, and the Laramie county sheriff’s office said they’d open a criminal investigation.
Bextel declined to answer questions from the Guardian. Brady, McCann and Bear did not respond to requests for comment.
Neiman said he considered the criticism a “wraparound smear campaign”. He said: “It never once crossed my mind that this was bribery.
“These legislators, myself included, are now guilty until we can prove that we’re innocent. How is that right in this country? Isn’t that a little bit backwards?”
The scandal has highlighted long-standing divisions in Wyoming’s Republican party, which in recent years has seen a growing divide between old school, more moderate conservatives and a harder-right Freedom Caucus.
Several former Republican lawmakers forcefully condemned their colleagues for accepting the checks, and a local Republican party branch called for the lawmakers’ resignations.
Ogden Driskill, a Wyoming Republican senator, told the Guardian he does not consider Bextel’s actions to be illegal, but that “just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should”.
Bextel has spent years pushing against housing mitigation fees in Wyoming, and Driskill noted that she distributed the house floor checks just days before a bill she had publicly supported was set to be heard. Bextel was registered as a member of the press, not as a lobbyist when she delivered the checks.
“Ethically and morally, it’s bankrupt to a massive degree,” Driskill said.
Neiman said that he and other legislators who received checks have supported similar bills in the past: “Bribery is paying somebody to do something they would not otherwise do.”
Nationally, the 2024 election cycle saw record-spending from the mega-wealthy, as well as dark money groups. Wyoming followed the trend, in a tense red-on-red primary season.
For those gearing up to campaign this year, Teton county, the richest in the US, and Bextel’s picturesque home turf, is an essential stop. Its extreme wealth gives it a foothold on the national level as well. Palantir chief executive Alex Karp and Donald Trump attended an annual Republican leadership fundraiser at Jackson Hole in 2024, and JD Vance attended the same one in 2025.
Bextel pulls dollars from Teton county into the Freedom Caucus side of Wyoming’s conservative split. She hosted no-press-allowed meet and greets earlier this year benefitting leading candidates for Wyoming’s governor and open US House seat.
In an interview with the Open Range Record, a media network she co-founded, Bextel said controversy around the checks was solely because she was making “even playing field” in Wyoming against the state’s more moderate Republicans, who she calls “George Soros” candidates. She said that she will be sure to keep raising money – just away from the legislative floor.
“I guess I’m gonna ask all the gentlemen and gentleladies to step outside the Capitol while I hand them a check,” Bextel said. “Let me be clear: I’m doubling down.”
But it’s not just wealthy local donors putting their weight behind the factions. Last election cycle, out of state groups spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on anonymous and often inaccurate mailers.
“These actors, especially from the far right, they like to push the bounds of the norms,” said Rosa Reyna Pugh, an organizing and advocacy consultant at Western States Center, an Oregon-based non-profit focused on democracy in the western United States. “They like to see what policies they can kind of push, and see where they can play a piece,” Reyna Pugh said.
While Neiman and Driskill fight politically, they do agree on one thing: summer will bring an expensive and brutal campaign season.
“You’re going to see more dark money than you’ve ever seen. We’ve done absolutely nothing to enforce it. Our secretary of state has not even made a slight attempt to deal with it,” Driskill said. “You’re going to see lots and lots of outside money and I think you’re seeing it on both sides.”
As national questions swirl around pay-to-play politics and profiteering in the Trump administration, Provenza wants better for the Cowboy State.
“We should not be aligning ourselves with how the federal government is conducting itself or how federal elections conduct themselves,” Provenza said. “We owe something far better and more honest to the people of Wyoming than that.”
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