Wyoming
Gillette Police Retire Biko, The ‘Michael Jordan’ Of Wyoming K-9 Officers
GILLETTE — Trevor Johnson wasn’t sure how well Biko was going to handle early retirement. After all, it’s tough to wind down when you’re an 8-year-old, hard-working K-9 that approaches every day like it’s an endurance race.
So far, Biko appears to be handling it nicely.
Splayed on the sidewalk in front of the Gillette Police Department wholly focused on gnawing through a cut-off chunk of blasting pipe, Biko quietly chewed while eyeing Johnson.
The pair have worked together for the past three-and-a-half years until Johnson’s recent promotion to corporal. Though happy to advance his career, it also meant giving up his role as K-9 handler, which was a bittersweet tradeoff.
Johnson said he misses his canine companion, and Biko’s whining still tugs on his heartstrings as he heads out the door to work. There’s also a notable absence in Johnson’s patrol car where Biko’s crate once sat.
Nonetheless, Johnson has been surprised at how easily the high-energy Belgian Malinois has transitioned into his new role as a family dog, alongside Johnson’s other retired K-9, a German Shepherd named Lord, whose lower back trouble took him out of the game prior to Biko joining.
In Gillette, when a K-9 retires, he spends his remaining years with his handler. That’s only fair, given the strong bond that handlers form with their K-9s over the course of their careers.
And Biko had a great one, born to catch criminals.
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You can take the K-9 out of the police department, but not his instinct to find and pursue. (Jen Kocher, Cowboy State Daily) -
Bilko recently retired as a K-9 officer for the Gillette Police Department. He was born for police work, earning a reputation as the “Michael Jordan” of K-9s. (Jen Kocher, Cowboy State Daily)
Michael Jordan Of K-9s
During his less than four years with the Gillette Police Department, Biko participated in 200 arrests and 1,500 calls for service.
Johnson beamed like a proud father as he recounted Biko’s high points, marveling at the dog’s deft skills sniffing out drugs and apprehending bad guys.
It’s safe to say Biko is built for the job with the right temperament for working hard. This is why Johnson specifically requested a dog of this breed after Lord retired because they’re well known for their skills and high drive.
“They’re super hard-working and are like the Michael Jordan of dogs,” Johnson said. “And Biko was an absolute monster when it comes to apprehension with a really good nose for drugs.”
Johnson has no idea the sheer volume of drugs Biko helped get off the streets of Gillette and Campbell County, but said it was a lot. One of his favorite all-time busts was when Biko sniffed out a baseball-sized magnetic pouch full of meth stuck to the undercarriage of a car.
Biko had indicated under the car, so Johnson searched the interior thinking the smell was seeping out from inside the car but couldn’t find anything. Biko continued to sniff under the car, prompting Johnson to crawl underneath with a flashlight until he found it.
“No way any human would have been on that without his nose,” he said.
Another career highlight was when Biko likely saved an intruder from being shot by police in what Johnson believes was an intentional suicide attempt. The perpetrator had been trying to break into the backdoor of a house with a knife while goading the responding police officers to shoot him.
Johnson and Biko went around to the backyard where Johnson gave a “one dog warning,” at which point the man dropped the knife and surrendered.
“I think that Biko may have saved that guy’s life that day,” he said.
On other occasions, Biko saved Johnson from getting into physical altercations with people significantly larger than him, Johnson said, just by his mere presence.
Well-muscled yet lithe with an intimidating growl and bark, Biko made a formidable partner.
On-The-Job Training
The most challenging part in training Biko was establishing trust with his handler. Biko had initially been with another police agency out of state but was sent back to the kennel when it didn’t work out.
Where developing a bond with Lord had been fairly easy, Biko was a tougher sell. The first time Johnson saw Biko, in fact, the dog lunged at him through the fence. That didn’t dissuade Johnson, though he questioned what on earth he was getting himself into.
After bringing him back to Gillette from the kennel in Alabama, Biko temporarily lived at the animal shelter where Johnson would sit outside his kennel on the ground feeding him treats as his legs fell asleep. It took time, but once that bond was established, there was no breaking it.
“I’ve got the most loyal animal on the planet,” he said.
Training came much easier given the canine’s drive and energy. All four K-9 handlers on the police department train their dogs together, including throwing on bite suits and going toe-to-toe with the dogs.
Once they learn the basics, the dogs are constantly undergoing training on top of their shift work.
“It’s so much fun,” Johnson said. “I still can’t believe we get paid to do this.”
Accidental Career
It was his desire to work with dogs that attracted Johnson to Gillette, which already had a thriving K-9 program.
Johnson, who is originally from Michigan, moved to Wyoming 11 years ago after taking a job with the department.
He wasn’t a guy who grew up dreaming of being a cop. In fact, he accidentally fell into law enforcement while a student in Michigan working for Dow Chemical. His grandfather also worked there, and Johnson said it’s the kind of place where you work until retirement.
Part of his coursework required Johnson to take either criminal justice or fire safety courses. He went with crime and found himself hooked.
“They were a blast,” he said. “It was the first time I had really thoroughly enjoyed going to school.”
He then enrolled in the police academy, graduated and applied for a bunch of jobs. The economy in Michigan was tight, so he took a job as a certified nursing assistant while he sent out applications.
Finally, he got a call from Gillette and made arrangements to fly out for an interview. Not long after that, however, his hometown department called him in for an interview on the same day.
He was torn and asked the Michigan agency if he could interview on another day but was told absolutely not. So, he called Gillette to ask to reschedule and they were wholly accommodating and willing to work with him.
That’s all Johnson needed to hear. He cancelled his interview in Michigan and took the job with Gillette, even though it meant moving so far from home.
Then he fell in love with Wyoming and began working with dogs his second year on the force.
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Bilko, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois was a rock star K-9 officer for the Gillette Police Department before his recent retirement. (Courtesy Gillette Police Department) -
Bilko, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois was a rock star K-9 officer for the Gillette Police Department before his recent retirement. (Courtesy Gillette Police Department)
Final Call
Like Biko, Johnson is getting used to his new career in an administrative role as Biko adjusts to life as a family dog and not a hard-working K-9.
“It’s going to be a lengthy process,” Johnson said as he now trains Biko to harness his energy as a home dog. The hyperactivity and intensity will never go away, Johnson said, but Biko has adjusted well to living in the house with Johnson’s wife and three children.
“He was very difficult to earn that trust initially, but now my kids are literally sitting on the ground reading him books at night,” Johnson said.
And better yet, Johnson has no fears of leaving his family alone when he’s working night shifts because he has two built-in guard dogs, that also come in handy for other fetching purposes, like when he loses his cellphone.
Like other officers, Biko got his last call in a ceremony the day he retired, and also got a retirement badge for his years of service.
Deputy Chief Brent Wasson thanked both Biko and Johnson for their service.
“The Gillette Police Department extends its heartfelt gratitude to Cpl. Trevor Johnson for his unwavering dedication to Biko, and to Biko for his years of steadfast service to our community,” he said. “We wish Biko a long and happy retirement.”
And though Biko is officially retired, his skills remain as sharp as ever.
On Johnson’s cue, Biko leaped up and ceded the blasting pipe that Johnson then picked up and held between his hands. Biko eyed the pipe intensely until Johnson gave another command and he lurched forward and dug his teeth into it.
Once released, Biko returned to casually gnawing as Johnson looked down at Biko’s leash in his hand. The leash is the first piece of equipment to go on and the last to come off at night, he said.
“It’s a sentimental thing to me,” he said. “It’s like it becomes a part of your body.”
Now that leash will go to Tyler Dillman, who has been selected as the handler for the department’s newest K-9, King.
Jen Kocher can be reached at: Jen@CowboyStateDaily.com
Wyoming
Hoping to draw Colorado interest, construction begins at $80M betting facility in Laramie County
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Foundation work is beginning this week on Wyoming’s next horse betting and gaming house.
The $80 million Wyoming Downs facility in Laramie County, one of two the company is investing in over the next couple of years, is poised to be one of the largest facilities of its kind in the state. The company is aiming for a spring 2027 opening.
The facility will host upwards of 600 historic horse racing machines, Wyoming’s largest TV wall, multiple dining options and more across 58,000 square feet. More land was bought for future hotel development. Commuters driving between Cheyenne and the Colorado border can see clearly from Interstate 25 the expansive development.
That placement along the travel corridor is purposeful, Wyoming Downs and 307 Horse Racing President Kyle Ridgeway said.
“I think that the targeted consumer for this is from Colorado or from the Front Range,” Ridgeway said. “I anticipate we’re going to have plenty of people from Cheyenne come down here to play and enjoy the amenities, but when you look at 600,000 people within a 30-minute drive, that’s what justifies this investment and brings all that tax revenue in from another state, which is fantastic.
“We don’t get the opportunity to do that in Wyoming very often.”
There is still plenty to offer Cheyenne residents besides the facility’s amenities. Ridgeway said in a speech to attendees at the project’s groundbreaking Tuesday, June 2, that more than 150 permanent jobs will be supported by the facility on top of the dozens supported by the companies’ corporate offices and the 400-plus involved in the project’s construction.
Groathouse Construction, a Wyoming business, is the project’s general contractor. Wyoming Downs said it believes putting the project in local hands also helps keep the project uniquely Wyoming-focused.
Ridgeway added the facilities have already proven themselves to be effective tax revenue generators for the local governments. The Wyoming Gaming Commission’s 2025 report, released in late May, shows bettors wagered $2.49 billion on historic horse racing machines last year, a jump from the $2.11 billion wagered in 2024.
Wyoming Downs facilities generate roughly $25 million in taxes annually across the state, and Ridgeway estimated after the ceremony that the upcoming $80 million facility alone will generate an additional $3 million for Laramie County once the property has been in operation for a few years.
Horse betting sites have been increasingly popping up across Wyoming this decade. The Wyoming Downs location will be Cheyenne’s second large-scale horse betting facility since 2024, when the 30,000-square-foot Horse Palace at Swan Ranch opened. Ridgeway said Wyoming Downs is still offering something fresh for tourists and residents.
“This’ll have amenities that Swan Ranch doesn’t have, including the largest TV wall in Wyoming and a pretty super-cool sports viewing area with a restaurant and just a level of finish and class that I don’t think Wyoming has quite seen yet with these types of properties,” he said.
Ridgeway said he thinks resident fatigue with these facilities isn’t as strong as it appears, especially given the tourism benefits of off-track betting.
“Wyoming’s been built on mineral extraction and tourism, and what this is is a touristic facility. I’m not aware of any particular pushback about this specific facility outside of — you see random social media comments where people say, ‘Oh, another gambling facility.’ But where this is located, I think people in Cheyenne have generally been supportive of,” he said.
The Laramie County facility will be just one part of a larger project Wyoming Downs is working on over the next few years. Construction will begin in early 2027 on a similar facility in Evanston looking to draw in Utah and western Colorado crowds.
Some of the company’s current facilities, notably in Casper, Cheyenne and Rock Springs, will see millions poured into renovations as well. New smaller-scale parlors will also go up in Gillette and Green River this year, according to an information packet provided by the company.
More details will come as the construction process develops, Ridgeway said. Details about amenities, such as what the complex’s dining options will look like, remain undisclosed, though Ridgeway promised that options will be “excellent.”
“We haven’t made final selections on what the options are, but we have a number of different options on the table that we’re considering for what we want to offer for the customers,” Ridgeway said. “You have to have something that’s high quality for where this is located. If somebody’s going to drive 25 or 35, or even 45 minutes to come here, they got to be able to sit down and have a quality meal.”
For more information as it becomes available and to learn more about Wyoming Downs facilities and 307 Horse Racing‘s events and offerings, see the companies’ websites. Renderings for the upcoming Cheyenne facility commissioned by the company are available for viewing below.
Related
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Two of the Republican candidates for Wyoming governor, Megan Degenfelder and Brent Bien, went head to head in Campbell County this evening. They both highlighted differences in some areas but agreed on energy, public lands, government oversight, abortion and election security.
Degenfelder, Wyoming’s superintendent of public instruction, introduced herself as “a Wyoming ranch kid whose parents clawed their way into the middle class” and said she believes Wyoming is “worth fighting for” because she believes the Wyoming people’s lives are at stake.
Bien, a retired Marine Corps colonel and combat veteran, pointed to his military career and leadership experience.
“My whole adult life has been about leadership, about principled conservative leadership,” he said. “My objective is to restore principled conservative leadership, accountability and discipline to Cheyenne.”
Nuclear energy
Both candidates supported Wyoming’s role in energy production but opposed bringing outside nuclear waste into the state.
“I do not want Wyoming to be … the permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel. I will not allow that to happen on my watch,” Bien said.
Degenfelder said Wyoming should consider nuclear power as part of its energy future but added, “If it works for us to be able to have nuclear as part of the portfolio, then it has to be right for Wyoming and that is ensuring that we do not accept anyone else’s waste, period.”
Public lands
The candidates also opposed privatization of public lands.
“No one loves public lands more than I do,” Degenfelder said. “You start selling that to the highest bidder, Wyoming loses who we are.”
Bien said he is “absolutely opposed” to federal lands being sold to private interests.
“If they do decide to dispose of it, then we as the state of Wyoming should get first-right refusal at no cost,” he said.
Attorney general and judicial appointments
When asked what each would be looking for in an attorney general and judicial appointment, both candidates called for conservative leadership.
Bien said he would seek an attorney general from outside state government.
“I want a clean set of eyes to look at what everything’s been that’s been going on,” he said. “I want someone who will put people first and it will put Wyoming first.”
Degenfelder said she wants stronger advocacy from state agencies.
“I want a bulldog in not just the attorney general’s office, but in all state agencies,” she said. “I want an attorney general that is so aligned to my mission and vision and what I believe that there’s an amicus brief on my desk the next morning after an action takes place.”
Immigration
Both candidates supported stronger immigration enforcement.
Bien explained he wanted to cooperate with ICE “to the fullest extent possible” and to make sure immigrants who are not in the United States legally would be sent out of the state.
Degenfelder said illegal immigration is already affecting communities in Wyoming.
“If you’re here legally, you got nothing to worry about. If you aren’t, it’s time to go home,” she said.
Energy development and green energy
Energy policy generated some of the sharpest comments of the night.
Degenfelder argued renewable energy projects should compete without government support.
“I’m also an economist and so I’ll tell you the way that you kill these green energy, you make them play on the same playing field,” she said. “No more tax subsidies, no more handouts, ensuring the regulatory environment is just as equal.”
Bien took a firmer stance against renewable development.
“Folks, there’s no place in Wyoming for this green energy,” he said. “I want these things bonded up front and where we’re not paying for these like we did all the gas wells. The answer for me is absolutely, unequivocally no.”
Economic development
Degenfelder argued government should focus on infrastructure such as water and sewer systems rather than directing economic development.
“Government does not create jobs. Private business does,” she said.
Bien echoed that sentiment.
“The only business that government has in business is simply to get out of the way. It’s to cut taxes. It’s to deregulate,” he said. “Right now, we’re turning into state capitalism where we have our own state government picking winners and losers.”
Government audits
Both candidates supported increased auditing of state government.
“This state has not done a full-blown budgetary audit since 1989,” Bien said. “Whoever’s belly-aching loudest is going to get audited first.”
Degenfelder agreed.
“We should be auditing every single state agency, every single budget line all the time,” she said. “Government is a beast, and you need someone in there who can tame it and who knows how to do it.”
Abortion
Abortion was another topic where both candidates expressed strong opposition.
“Life starts at conception and there are no exceptions,” Degenfelder said. “We are now one of the most openly abortion states in the country because of that ruling by the Supreme Court. We’re working against the devil here.”
Bien also opposed abortion.
“Folks, for me, there are no exceptions. Life does begin at conception,” he said.
Election integrity
Bien advocated for hand-counting ballots.
“I am very much a proponent of hand tabulation being the primary method of counting all cast paper ballots and I will push that way,” he said.
Degenfelder called for paper ballots statewide.
“Every single ballot should be a paper ballot,” she said, adding that she supports “banning dropboxes.”
Republican platform
Both candidates pledged support for the Wyoming Republican Party platform.
“80% is a no-brainer, and we need to require that out of our elected officials,” Degenfelder said.
Bien said he expects to be held to “100%” of the platform.
“The party’s been co-opted. You have to have an ‘R’ behind your name to win in this state,” he said.
Candidate priorities
During a segment where candidates selected their own discussion topics, Degenfelder highlighted school choice, career and technical education, removing pornography from school libraries and protecting Wyoming’s water rights.
Bien focused on education and agriculture, criticizing student proficiency rates and proposing policies aimed at strengthening Wyoming’s agricultural industry, including declaring agriculture critical infrastructure and reducing regulations on small butcheries.
Technology and education
Although technology and its place within education was not discussed during the debate, County 17 asked both Degenfelder and Bien their thoughts regarding student technology in schools.
Bien said technology is being used too much in classrooms and is making it harder for students to think on their own.
“What it’s doing is it’s dumbing down our kids,” Bien said. “Our kids aren’t learning how to critically think anymore. They go straight to one of the AI things and it generates an answer for them.”
Degenfelder said she backed a bill to ban cellphones during instruction time.
“I supported a bill that came through the legislature a couple of years ago that actually would ban cell use during instructional time, and I stand by that,” Degenfelder said. “I think that it’s appropriate to take cellphones out of classrooms, and what we find is that kids thrive.”
Closing statements
In closing remarks, Bien emphasized his experience as an outsider candidate.
“I am the only outsider in this race, but I am the only one who’s got an inordinate amount of leadership experience,” he said. “Folks, you deserve a government that you can trust.”
Degenfelder pointed to her endorsements from President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman.
“I get asked a lot, ‘How did you get the Trump endorsement?’” Degenfelder said. “The answer is really simple. I earned it.”
Alongside other candidates, Bien and Degenfelder will be competing for support in Wyoming’s Republican gubernatorial primary Aug. 18.
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