Wyoming

Elk Fire Now At 74,000 Acres And Still Out Of Control, But Some Signs…

Published

1 year ago

October 6, 2024

Elk Fire Now At 74,000 Acres And Still Out Of Control, But Some Signs…

People in the potential path of an out-of-control wildfire that’s scorching its way across northwest Sheridan County may not be able to get to church services Sunday, but are doing plenty of praying.

It’s the same prayers they’ve been offering up for a week since the Elk Fire that began with a lightning strike southeast of Dayton blew up overnight last Sunday — and has continued to blow up since. After starting Saturday at more than 62,000 acres, the fire was last estimated Saturday afternoon at 76,000 acres and adjusted to 72,998 Sunday morning.

For those who’ve evacuated or been told to be ready to leave their homes, there’s a feeling of helplessness and fear at having to watch the flames and smoke advance without being able to do anything.

Chad Flanagan, a lifelong Dayton resident, told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday that it’s simply “heartbreaking” to see the face of the Bighorn Mountains that used to stand over the town like a protector instead glow orange with wildfire.

Others haven’t been so lucky.

The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office reports it’s confirmed at least two primary residences in the Horseshoe subdivision have burned, while the list of areas that have been evacuated has grown almost as fast as the fire.

There are some inspiring stories of hope emerging from the area as well.

A stunning photograph shared by the Wyoming Department of Transportation from a worker at Burgess Junction on the southwest side of the fire shows the successful efforts of firefighters to save a home. It stands unscathed as an island surrounded by a sea of black.

In the wake of the fire’s spread, some people have returned expecting to find their homes destroyed only to find miracles instead.

Laura Eaton, who lives on a ranch in Wolf south of Dayton, posted about her family’s miracle to Facebook.

“The fire moved an incredible distance last night and blew through the mountains and foothills around the ranch in about three or four hours,” she wrote.

Blown by “insanely high” winds that gusted more than 60 mph, she said the fire was about 2 miles north of the ranch at about 10 p.m. Friday, then by 7 a.m. was “already about 4-5 miles south of us, (and) the ranch is about 6 miles long … along the mountains.”

She expected the worst when returning Saturday.

“Driving into the ranch, it looks really bad,” she wrote. “The majority of the lower elevations seem unaffected, but the face of the mountains, South and North Red Canyons and the hill along Gentry Field by the race track have been hit hard.

“Driving up the ranch road and seeing all black around the hollow where the main part of the ranch is located, I was preparing for the worst. I was pretty sure it had all been wiped out.”

A WYDOT worker at Burgess Junction made a morning run Saturday to check the road conditions of what can be access and took this photo of a ranch house saved from wildfire from Sand Turn. (WYDOT District 4)

The Miracle

Instead, like that WYDOT worker, she found her home had been spared.

“Amazingly, all of the buildings have been spared,” she wrote, adding how grateful the family is to the firefighters working to protect people and property. “Of course, we have so many individuals who have put in the hours on the ground to be thankful for.”

But there’s another reason for the miracle of the Elk Fire not burning the ranch to the ground, Eaton wrote.

“Even with all the effort put into prevention and actively fighting the fire, with the conditions last night, I feel like the only reason we were spared is because of all the positive energy that has been sent our way,” she posted. “So thank you, all of you, for your love and prayers.”

Also devastated at how the fire is impacting where he calls home is country music star Ian Munsick, who grew up in the area.

“That’s my childhood right there,” Munsick told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday. “And when I write music, those are the mountains that inspired me the most.”

Munsick has been heartsick seeing the homes and towns he loves threatened by fire. That prompted him to start a GoFundMe campaign, The Elk Fire Relief Fund, to help all the rural fire departments involved in fighting the fire.

He even kicked it off with a little donation of his own — $15,000 from himself and $15,000 from his wife, Caroline.

“We have to do our part in helping them, because we physically couldn’t be there helping,” Munsick said. “It’s been pretty crazy to see the small community just rally behind this. And we have raised quite a bit of money in the last 12 hours, which is pretty cool to see.”

The fund has already exceeded the initial goal of $50,000 and had topped $76,000 by Sunday morning. Munsick was pleased, but not surprised to see the fund grow so quickly.

That’s just the Wyoming that he knows and loves, where there’s always a cowboy ready to lend a hand.

In this photo shared to her Facebook post about returning to her ranch after the Elk Fire moved through, Laura Eaton describes and shows how the fire didn't get their buildings. — In this photo shared to her Facebook post about returning to her ranch after the Elk Fire moved through, Laura Eaton describes and shows how the fire didn’t get their buildings. (Laura Eaton photo via Facebook)

Still Growing

Now at nearly 73,000 acres, the fire remains “extremely active,” the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team in charge of battling the Elk Fire reports Sunday morning.

The weather also isn’t helping, with a cold front bringing dry winds and low humidity, which is blowing the fire in multiple directions. And there isn’t much relief on the way from the weather.

“Sunday is the beginning of a warming and drying trend as high pressure builds over the region,” the update says, although it’s expected to be less windy.

There are nearly 600 people working to build breaks and lines around the fire, as well as clear out or burn any fuels within where safe to do so.

No new evacuations were ordered overnight Saturday, and none were lifted. Those area ordered to leave are:

• The area within Eaton’s Ranch Road to the intersection of Beckton Road, then south to Big Goose Road and west to Rapid Creek.

• Little Horn Canyon

• Eaton’s Ranch.

• Tongue River Canyon.

• Pass Creek and Twin Creek roads west of Parkman.

• All homes from X-X Ranch north to the Montana state line.

• Tongue River Canyon west of Dayton where the road turns to dirt.

• The Horseshoe subdivision.

• Homes west of Beckton Road from Dayton south to the intersection of Beckton and Eaton • Ranch roads.

• Eagle Ridge subdivision and homes directly east of U.S. Highway 14 up the mountain.

Along with Dayton now on “set” status, so are:

• South of Twin Creek Road from Parkman north of Amsden Road; also west of Highway 343, including along Smith Creek and Columbus Creek roads.

• Homes east of Tongue Canyon and Amsden roads.

The best and most current information about the Elk Fire is being posted to the U.S. Forest Service-Bighorn National Forest and Sheridan County Government Facebook pages.

Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.

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Wyoming

Group asks judge to restore abortion rights, block Human Heartbeat Act

Published

4 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Group asks judge to restore abortion rights, block Human Heartbeat Act

A group of abortion access advocates are asking the Natrona County District Court to block the Human Heartbeat Act. The law went into effect on March 9 and bans most abortions at six weeks.

That’s because cardiac activity can be detected with a transvaginal ultrasound at about six weeks — a time when abortion advocates say many people don’t know they’re pregnant yet.

The motion to the court states that the new law involves the same “fundamental problem” as other abortion-related laws already being considered by the court.

They are asking to add the law to an ongoing case over separate laws, which would require building renovations at abortion clinics and require transvaginal ultrasounds 48 hours before an abortion. Both of those laws have been temporarily blocked.

“[The Human Heartbeat Act] transgresses the constitutional guarantee of Plaintiffs’ and individuals’ to make health care decisions without interference from the government,” says the document filed on the afternoon of March 10 by Robinson Bramlet LLC.

Wyoming Public Radio obtained the filing from Chelsea’s Fund, an abortion-rights nonprofit and one of the plaintiffs in the case — part of the same group that has been challenging the state for years to protect abortion access.

They recently won their case in the Wyoming Supreme Court, when the majority of justices decided to strike down two near-total abortion laws enacted in 2024, saying they violated residents’ right to make their own healthcare decisions, which is specifically protected in the Wyoming Constitution.

The Legislature quickly got to work on more anti-abortion legislation, such as the Human Heartbeat Act, which Gov. Mark Gordon signed on March 9. It carries an exception for cases where the health of the mother is in jeopardy, but not for rape or incest victims, which Gordon called an “unfortunate flaw.”

Chelsea’s Fund Executive Director Janean Forsyth said she was disappointed the state again restricted access to “vital care.”

“I’m thinking about everyone from the 15 year old that we supported, whose grandmother actually reached out, a victim of sexual assault,” Forsyth said. “I’m thinking about a family with a very wanted pregnancy that we supported in eventually seeking an abortion for a severe fetal anomaly.”

Forsyth added that abortion laws like this result in medical providers leaving the state.

“So it’s not only affecting access to abortion care, it’s affecting reproductive healthcare access generally for parents and children, which is really unfortunate,” she said.

Wellspring Health Access in Casper, the state’s only abortion clinic, is cancelling appointments with patients seeking to end their pregnancies later in their term, according to Executive Director Katie Knutter.

Speaker of the House Chip Neiman (R-Hulett) sponsored the law. He said he wasn’t surprised it was met with legal action, as that’s been the trend in recent years.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Neiman said in a voicemail to Wyoming Public Radio after the lawsuit was filed. “And we’re going to move ahead and the people of the Legislature, Wyoming has spoken.”

Lawmakers decided against putting the issue directly before Wyoming voters as a constitutional amendment this fall. That’s after Gordon urged them to do so to end the legal cycle.

Neiman couldn’t be reached by publication time to comment on the decision to not pursue a constitutional amendment, but in a Jan. 26 town hall, he expressed worries that voters could codify the right to abortion.

In 2024, 64% of Nevada voters supported enshrining the right into the state constitution. A majority will have to vote in favor again later this year to recognize the right.

In his voicemail, Neiman added, “There’s folks out there that are completely good with killing kids, killing babies in the womb, and there’s other folks out here like the Legislature that are fighting desperately to preserve their lives.”

The abortion-rights group said it will ask the court to issue a temporary restraining order and block the new law while the legal challenge proceeds.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

Published

16 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

The top boys’ basketball players in Wyoming for Classes 1A and 2A were chosen for the 2026 high school season. The Wyoming Coaches Association has unveiled the all-state awards for this year, as voted on by the head coaches in the two classifications, respectively. The Wyoming Coaches Association only recognizes one team for all-state, and only these players receive an award certificate from the WCA. WyoPreps only lists all-state players as defined by the WCA.

WCA 1A-2A BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE SELECTIONS IN 2026

Each class selected 14 players for all-state, reflecting a broad recognition of talent across Wyoming. Notably, congratulations go to Hulett’s Kyle Smith, Brady Cook from Lingle-Fort Laramie, and Carsten Freeburg from Pine Bluffs, who earned all-state honors for the third straight year. In addition, eight more players achieved all-state status for the second time in their prep careers.

Class 1A

Paul McNiven – Burlington

Bitner Philpott – Burlington

Ammon Hatch – Cokeville (All-State in 2025)

Hudson Himmerich – Cokeville

Kyle Smith – Hulett (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Anthony Arnusch – Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Brady Cook – Lingle-Ft. Laramie (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Tymber Cozzens – Little Snake River (All-State in 2025)

Corbin Matthews – Lusk

Max Potas – Meeteetse (All-State in 2024)

Jace Westring – Saratoga

Hazen Williams – Saratoga

TJ Moats – Southeast (All-State in 2024)

Nic Schiller – Upton

Read More Boys Basketball News from WyoPreps

WyoPreps 1A-2A State Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps 3A-4A Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Final Basketball Poll 2026

1A-2A Boys Basketball Regional Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 11 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26

Class 2A

Caleb Adsit – Big Horn

Chase Garber – Big Horn

Carsten Freeburg – Pine Bluffs (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Mason Moss – Rocky Mountain

Oakley Hicks – Shoshoni

Kade Mills – Sundance

Cody Bomengen – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Zak Hastie – Thermopolis

Ellis Webber – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Joseph Kimbrell – Wright

Mitchell Strohschein – Wright (All-State in 2025)

Adriano Brown – Wyoming Indian

Heeyei’Niitou Monroe-Black – Wyoming Indian (All-State in 2025)

Cordell Spoonhunter – Wyoming Indian

The 2026 state champions were the Saratoga Panthers in Class 1A. They beat Lingle-Fort Laramie, 50-45, in the championship game. The 2A winners were the Thermopolis Bobcats, who repeated as champions, after a 45-38 victory over Wyoming Indian in the title game.

Lusk versus Rock River high school basketball 2026

Game action between the Tigers and Longhorns

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Lisa Shaw

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Wyoming

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

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.

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