Wyoming
Letter: Organizer Explains Issues Behind Saturday Protest – SweetwaterNOW
When you watch the news tonight, you will see that there were hundreds of demonstrations across the country, and they were put on by a coalition of many different groups. The groups involved in putting on these demonstrations across the country are the 50501 Movement, MoveON, Indivisable, Women’s March, Black Lives Matter, The Sierra Club, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and The Purpose.
Today’s demonstration in Rock Springs, and most of the other nine demonstrations that took place across the state of Wyoming today, was put on by the 50501 Wyoming group. The 50501 Wyoming group is a bipartisan group made up of both Republicans and Democrats, and it is the Wyoming faction of the national 50501 Movement. 50501 stands for 50 States 50 Protests 1 Movement. I know that there are a lot of people out there saying that this is the Democrats that are holding these demonstrations, but in fact, the person who started the 50501 Wyoming group is a registered Republican. There are a lot of things that have been happening in the state of Wyoming that have many Republicans worried, as well as Democrats, and Independents.
One of the issues that was being discussed during today’s demonstration was the closure of the Green River Wyoming’s MSHA office, by DOGE, and how that will affect the mining community in this area. The main issues that the members of the 50501 Wyoming group are concerned about are the DOGE cuts to, or elimination of:
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- The Wyoming U.S. Geological Survey Office in Cheyenne, WY
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department in Lander, WY
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in Cheyenne, WY
- The closure of the Social Security Administration office in Cody, WY
- The Closure of the Mine Safety Health Administration (MSHA) office in Green River, WY
- The Office of U.S. Attorneys in Lander, WY
- The funding freeze of Wyoming’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, and the Local Food for Schools program, as well as the $535,000 in DOGE cuts to the Food Bank of Wyoming, which is particularly concerning because food insecurity need in Wyoming is at its highest level in 10 years.
- DOGE firings of Wyoming State Parks employees
- DOGE firings of National Park Service employees
- DOGE elimination of 60,000 to 80,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- The DOGE firings of so many Wyoming U.S. Forest Service employees, on Feb.14, 2025, that they referred to it as “the Valentine’s Day Massacre”
- DOGE firings of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees, and the elimination of the Fish and Wildlife’s tribal Lander, WY office
- DOGE cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which affects Wyoming farmers
- DOGE firings of 30 or more full-time staff at the Bridger-Teton National Forest
- DOGE firings of 20% of permanent workers at the Shoshone National Forest
This is not a complete list of all the cuts or office closures that Elon Musk and his DOGE team have made in Wyoming, and it’s not a complete list of all the cuts and closures that happened across the country. These are just some of the many issues that the people in the 50501 Wyoming group are the most concerned with when it comes to the illegal cuts that DOGE has been making. The 50501 Wyoming group is very concerned that the goal of Elon Musk, and DOGE does not seem to be the elimination of wasteful spending, like they claim, but instead its goal seems to be to eliminate federal employees, federal offices, federal aid for those in need, and eventually the entire federal government.
There is also a long list of other issues, not related to DOGE, that our members, the citizens of Wyoming, and people all across the country are worried about. Things like our lack of national security, the war against education, the lack of funding for special education, people who immigrated to the United States LEGALLY being treated like criminals, LGBTQ+ rights, Women’s rights, Civil Rights, the protection of Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, the war in Isreal and the Gaza Strip, the war in Russia and Ukraine, Trump’s threats to take over the Panama Canal, Canada & Greenland (which could get us into a war), Trump’s trade war with every single country on the planet, the stock market tanking along with our 401Ks, how Trump’s tariffs are going to make the cost of everything go up for years to come, and much, much more!
Overall today’s protest was very peaceful, there were very few problems, and we received a lot of supportive honks and waves as people drove by, cheering us on. We are so proud to live in a country where we have a first amendment that gives us freedom of religion, freedom of the press, free speech, the right to petition our government, and last but not least, the freedom to assemble peacefully. It warmed my heart today to see so many Rock Springs residents, about 100 or so, exercising their first amendment rights.
For those of you who like to spread the false rumors that we are all paid by some imaginary billionaire, and that we are being bused in from out of state, you should know that I was born right here, in Rock Springs, in the old hospital at the top of C Street. I was raised in Rock Springs, and I have lived here my entire life. And most of the faces that I saw out there today, at the demonstration, were people I have known my whole life. There were both Republicans and Democrats there, and I’m sure a few Independents sprinkled in as well. They senior citizens, young Gen Z’s, and Gen Xers like me! They were all people who love and care deeply about the state of Wyoming, and Sweetwater County. I would like to think that, whether we agree or disagree, we can all respect each other’s first amendment rights to peacefully assemble when there are things happening in this country that we do not agree with. Peace!
Sincerely,
50501 Wyoming – Rock Springs Volunteer Representative
Julie Smith
The 2026 Wyoming High School boys’ soccer season is close to its finish. Only three weeks remain. 4A teams will conclude the regular season, as they jockey for positions going into next week’s regional tournaments. Meanwhile, 3A schools have this week and next week left in the regular season. They are trying to reach the top four of the league standings, as those are the teams that qualify for the state tournament in two weeks.
WYOPREPS WEEK 8 BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE 2026
Three matches this week feature ranked opponents squaring off. Sheridan will host Thunder Basin on Friday. In 3A on Saturday, top-ranked Cody is at No. 5 Mountain View, and four-rated Torrington goes to No. 2 Buffalo. Just like the ladies, you have some rivalry matches on the schedule with Rock Springs-Green River, Jackson-Star Valley, and Thunder Basin-Campbell County. Wednesday will bring new soccer rankings. This is the boys’ schedule for Week 8. Schedules are subject to change.
TUESDAY, MAY 5:
CLASS 4A
Final Score: #2 Sheridan 2 Campbell County 1 (conference match)
Final Score: Riverton 3 Natrona County 1 (conference match)
CLASS 3A
Pinedale at Rawlins – postponed to May 11 – changed to May 9 for boys’ match only!
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6:
CLASS 4A
Laramie at Cheyenne Central – postponed to May 9
Cheyenne South at Cheyenne East – postponed to May 9
Read More Soccer News from WyoPreps
WyoPreps Boys Soccer Standings on 5-4-26
WyoPreps Week 7 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Soccer Polls 4-29-26
Nominate a Boys Soccer Player for WyoPreps Athlete of the Week
WyoPreps Week 6 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches & Media Soccer Polls 4-22-26
WyoPreps Boys Soccer Standings on 4-20-26
WyoPreps Week 5 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches & Media Soccer Polls 4-15-26
WyoPreps Week 4 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 3 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 2 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 1 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
THURSDAY, MAY 7:
CLASS 4A
Final Score: #1 Jackson 8 Star Valley 2 (conference match)
Final Score: #4 Thunder Basin 3 Campbell County 1 (conference match)
Final Score: Rock Springs 2 #5 Green River 1 (conference match)
FRIDAY, MAY 8:
CLASS 4A
Final Score: Cheyenne Central 6 Cheyenne South 0 (conference match)
Final Score: #2 Sheridan 3 #4 Thunder Basin 1 (conference match)
Final Score: #2 Kelly Walsh 6 Riverton 0 (conference match)
Final Score: Laramie 3 Cheyenne East 1 (conference match)
Final Score: Evanston 2 Natrona County 2 – TIE (conference match) – Red Devils scored with 1 second left for the draw.
CLASS 3A
Final Score: #4 Worland 1 Rawlins 0 (conference match) – Kobe Bradshaw scored the GW goal on a PK in the 1st half.
Final Score: Douglas 2 Torrington 2 (conference match) – Shootout = Torrington wins 4-3!
Final Score: #1 Cody Lyman (conference match)
Final Score: #2 Lander 3 Pinedale 0 (conference match)
Final Score: Powell 1 #5 Mountain View 0 (conference match) – Gianrey Dallesandro with the GW-goal, assisted by Ethan Frame.
Final Score: #3 Buffalo 1 Newcastle 0 (conference match) – forfeit win for the Bison.
SATURDAY, MAY 9:
CLASS 4A
Laramie at Cheyenne Central, 11 a.m. (conference match)
Evanston at #2 Kelly Walsh, noon (conference match)
Cheyenne South at Cheyenne East, noon (conference match)
Riverton at Natrona County, noon (conference match)
Rock Springs at Star Valley, 1 p.m. (conference match)
CLASS 3A
Pinedale at Rawlins, 11 a.m.
#1 Cody at #5 Mountain View, noon (conference match)
Powell at Lyman, noon (conference match)
Torrington at #3 Buffalo, 2 p.m. (conference match)
#4 Worland at Douglas, 2 p.m. (conference match)
Final Score: Rawlins 1 Newcastle 0 (conference match) – forfeit win for the Outlaws.
Cheyenne Central vs. Cheyenne East HS Softball 2026
The Indians faced the rival Thunderbirds on April 15, 2026
Gallery Credit: David Settle, WyoPreps.com
James Forest Mothersbaugh Jr.: 1953 – 2025
James “Jim” Forest Mothersbaugh Jr. passed away on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at Central Wyoming Hospice in Casper, Wyoming, from complications of Multiple System Atrophy. He is survived by his wife, Becky Mothersbaugh; his sons, James Forest Mothersbaugh III and Blair Mothersbaugh; and Blair’s fiancée, Kelsey Baron.
Jim’s life was defined by music. He was a highly accomplished violinist, performing with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Puerto Rico, Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, and Savannah Symphony, among many others. He held degrees in violin performance, music education, and conducting from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut, with additional doctoral studies at the University of Iowa. He met his wife when they were both performing in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and passed his musical acumen to both of his sons. Jim taught orchestra and music theory to generations of students of all ages & abilities during his 28 years in the Natrona County School District. He conducted award-winning orchestras, taught students who went on to become professional musicians, and instilled a sense of purpose, character, and belief in both his students and colleagues that extended far beyond the stage. He was also an expert in the craft of re-hairing bows for string instruments, knew everything there is to know about The Beatles, and possessed a rare ability called synesthesia, which allowed him to see specific colors when hearing music. He leaves an extensive, enduring, and active legacy in the Wyoming musical community.
Jim will be immensely missed by his family, his friends, his colleagues, and his students. A celebration of life will take place at Backwards Distilling Company in Casper, Wyoming on June 28, 2026 from 2 to 5 p.m. Please RSVP at https://jimsmemorial.rsvpify.com/.
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