Wyoming
More than $100 million at stake for Wyoming in Trump's fed grants freeze – WyoFile
Food Bank of Wyoming recently learned it will not receive $535,000 that was promised in a 2023 grant — one of the many casualties of President Donald Trump’s elimination and freeze of congressionally approved, Biden-era federal programs.
The elimination of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement — a grant aimed at feeding the most vulnerable while connecting Wyoming ag producers with local eaters — comes at a time when “the food insecurity need in Wyoming is at its highest level in 10 years,” Food Bank of Wyoming Executive Director Jill Stillwagon told Oil City News.
Funding for Wyoming’s Home Energy Savings program, which the Wyoming Energy Authority recently established after navigating months of red tape and collecting input from Wyoming residents, is considered “frozen.” Administrators have received no indication of whether it will ultimately be axed or allowed to continue, according to state officials. That puts $69 million in hard-fought-for federal funds in limbo when skyrocketing electric bills are an increasing threat to low-income households.
The administration’s on-again, off-again whiplash of threats and exceptions to federal programs — further complicated by ongoing court battles and the Elon Musk-led purge of federal employees — throws into question perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars that could go to Wyoming communities and households.
“Our office is getting information program by program, if we receive any updates at all.”
Michael Pearlman, Communications Director for Gov. Mark Gordon
Federal officials have mostly declined to answer questions or provide even basic information, making it hard, if not impossible to know how much money is at stake.
State officials say it’s extremely difficult to account for the status of hundreds of grant applications and awards because they are being managed by various state agencies, individual communities and other groups. When WyoFile asked Dru Palmer — manager of Wyoming’s State Grants Integration office, which was created to help reel in Biden-era federal dollars — for an accounting or estimate, the inquiry was forwarded to Gov. Mark Gordon’s office.
“Right now, a lot is still up in the air in this space,” Gordon’s Communications Director Michael Pearlman told WyoFile via email. “Our office is getting information program by program, if we receive any updates at all. Each federal agency is issuing its own guidance in terms of what programs can move forward, and which ones are still paused.”
‘Tip of the iceberg’
The Lander-based Wyoming Outdoor Council has identified more than $100 million that the state, Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes and other entities have applied for under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that is now either terminated or “frozen,” according to the council’s Energy and Climate Associate Jonathan Williams. In addition to the Home Energy Savings program, there’s a freeze on Solar for All grant money totaling some $30 million, which includes a potential $8 million dedicated to the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Wyoming’s Solar for All grant award also dedicated money for workforce training to install solar infrastructure, specifically in low-income and tribal communities.
Some Wyoming ag producers — who are desperate to survive rising electric costs — have invested tens of thousands of dollars in solar installations, Williams added, with expectations to receive rebates via the long-standing Rural Energy for America Program. But those rebates also appear to be in question.
“We think this is the tip of the iceberg,” Williams said.
There could be as much as $2 billion at stake in Wyoming, according to a Grist report. But Williams says it’s nearly impossible to know for certain.
The council recently hosted a public webinar highlighting its concerns regarding programs “gone dark” as well as the potential benefits if the flow of federal grant dollars is allowed to move forward.
“A lot of these programs would just help residents save money — help communities save money,” Williams told dozens of webinar attendees on Thursday, adding that the vast majority of grants are one-time investments. “There’s certainly some other co-benefits, as well, worth acknowledging. I’m thinking specifically of human health impacts, the ability of communities and tribes to respond to natural emergencies like wildfire and drought and, certainly, just quality of life.”
Though Wyoming’s congressional delegation opposed the Biden-era initiatives, they eventually joined state leaders in efforts to train local municipalities and others in grant writing seminars and provided other resources to help Wyoming communities take advantage of the opportunities.
“These aren’t abstract government initiatives,” the outdoor council’s Tribal Engagement Coordinator Big Wind Carpenter said. “They really are helping benefit our communities here on the ground in Wyoming … We’re talking about weatherization, energy efficiency upgrades — these are fundamental building blocks to allow residents to access services that they otherwise couldn’t afford.”
What municipalities are saying
City officials in Cheyenne — where technology and manufacturing have been booming for years, and where city staff is deft at pulling in grant dollars — say there’s unanswered questions regarding supposedly settled federal grants as well as those in the pipeline.
“What I’m hearing from our federal partners is, ‘Just proceed as you have been until you hear otherwise’ and ‘Don’t do anything that could be used as a reason or an excuse to cancel your grant,’” Cheyenne’s Economic Resource Administrator Renee Smith told WyoFile.
In some cases, she said, particularly with grants administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, city and state officials sometimes hear of grant status updates before the regional office is informed. Staff at the U.S. Forest Service, according to Smith, have said they’re worried about the ability to process grants due to personnel cuts made by the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.
“We were going to go after a couple of Forest Service grants and, basically, everything just got shut down,” Smith said. One of the city’s in-the-pipe grants via the U.S. Department of Agriculture Urban and Community Forestry program was paused for a few weeks before federal officials resumed processing it, she said.
The city is still pinning hopes on an EPA grant to conduct a greenhouse-gas inventory which, if one is completed, qualifies Cheyenne and Laramie County to “unlock” many more potential grants for community solar and other renewable energy projects, Smith said. But the Trump administration has indicated a massive budget cut for the agency.
“That’s going to have massive, massive repercussions in our state,” Smith said, adding that EPA-administered grants help fill a major funding need in Wyoming for municipal water infrastructure.
What worries Smith the most, however, is that federal agencies are not accepting new applications for grant programs.
“I honestly think that we will see the impacts, not this year, but next year,” Smith said. “There are no grants for me to apply for right now. There’s nothing. So if I’m not writing grants, we’re not getting grants next year to do infrastructure projects next year.
“I’m less worried about our existing programs because we have contracts in place,” she added.
A contingent of Wyoming community advocates and town officials will sojourn to Washington D.C. this week, according to multiple sources who spoke to WyoFile, to plead for support of federal dollars already promised to Wyoming. Meantime, Gordon and Wyoming’s congressional delegation, they say, have been making the case for exceptions under the sweeping cuts.
“They are listening,” Smith said.
Welcome to Week 2 of the Wyoming High School outdoor track and field season. More teams will compete for the first time this year. The in-state track meets will be in Newcastle, Wheatland, Burlington, Pine Bluffs, Sheridan, and Rock Springs. A handful of schools will compete in either Colorado, Nebraska, or Utah.
2025 WYOPREPS OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD SCHEDULE WEEK 2
Here is the Week 2 schedule. It is subject to change.
LAURA CHORD MEMORIAL at Newcastle HS – Arvada-Clearmont, Hulett, Moorcroft, Newcastle, Sundance, Upton; out-of-state schools = Custer, SD; Edgemont, SD; Hill City, SD; Lead-Deadwood, SD.
Girls Team Scores = Custer 193, Hill City 107, Upton 72.50, Newcastle 64.50, Moorcroft 49, Lead-Deadwood 42, Hulett 38.50, Edgemont 16, Arvada-Clearmont 13.50, Sundance 7.
Boys Team Scores = Custer 179.50, Newcastle 125, Hill City 104, Lead-Deadwood 63.50, Upton 49, Sundance 47, Hulett 33, Moorcroft 29.
WHEATLAND INVITATIONAL at Wheatland HS (moved up from Friday) – Douglas, Glenrock, H.E.M., Kaycee, Laramie, Wheatland.
Girls Team Scores = Laramie 212, Douglas 176.50, Glenrock 58.50, Wheatland 56.50, Kaycee 36.50, H.E.M. 22.
Boys Team Scores = Laramie 294, Douglas 98, Glenrock 86, Wheatland 58, Kaycee 29, H.E.M. 16.
Laramie girls won 8 events, while the Laramie boys captured 10 events.
BURLINGTON HS INVITATIONAL at Burlington HS – Burlington, Greybull, Lovell, Powell, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Ten Sleep, Thermopolis, Tongue River, Western Heritage Lutheran Academy, Wind River, Worland, Wyoming Indian.
Waiting on the results…
PINE BLUFFS EARLY BIRD at Pine Bluffs HS – Burns, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Rock River, Southeast, Wright; out-of-state schools = Alliance, NE; Chadron, NE.
Girls Team Scores = Chadron 135, East 104.2, Central 97.7, Wright 80.2, Burns 75, Southeast 51.5, Alliance 40, Pine Bluffs 18.7, Lusk 12.7.
Boys Team Scores = East 250.5, Burns 95, Alliance 73, Chadron 49.5, Wright 49, Lusk 43, Pine Bluffs 42, Central 29.5, Southeast 19.5, Rock River 2.
SHERIDAN QUAD at Sheridan HS – Buffalo, Campbell County, Sheridan, Thunder Basin.
Girls Team Scores = Sheridan 186.50, Thunder Basin 184.50, Buffalo 93, Campbell County 62.50, Big Horn 40.50.
Ashley Rogge of Thunder Basin swept the 2 hurdle races and won the high jump.
Boys Team Scores = Sheridan 216, Thunder Basin 175.50, Campbell County 83, Buffalo 53.50, Big Horn 40.
Sheridan’s Chance Morris won the 100 & 200. Garrett Otto swept the 2 hurdle races. Campbell County’s Raynor Ranum won both throwing events.
Out-of-State events:
BINFIELD INVITE at Scottsbluff, NE – Lingle-Ft. Laramie, Torrington.
Torrington’s Brooklyn Ausmus swept the 100 & 200. Lingle’s Brody Roberts won the boys’ 200 & 400.
JOHN GANSER INVITE at Sidney, NE – Cheyenne South.
Sarah Hedlum won the D1 1600. Trey Downham won the D1 200 & 300 hurdles.
STRATA INVITATIONAL at Union HS in Roosevelt, UT – Big Piney.
Big Piney girls placed 3rd at 85.50 team points. The BP boys took 6th with 24 points. Micah Strong from BP won the girls’ 100 & 400 meters and 3rd in the 800 meters.
TIGER QUAD MEET at Rock Springs HS – Green River, Lander, Lyman, Rock Springs.
Out-of-State events:
ALPHA INVITATIONAL at Timpanogos HS in Orem, UT – Cokeville, Evanston, Mountain View.
BLUE & GOLD INVITATIONAL at Univ. of Northern Colo. in Greeley, CO – Douglas.
NIWOT INVITATIONAL at Niwot, CO – Cheyenne Central.
UVU HIGH SCHOOL INVITATIONAL at Utah Valley University in Orem, UT – Evanston, Star Valley.
Wind River Track Meet
Gallery Credit: Frank Gambino
CASPER, Wyo — The U.S. Justice Department announced the following sentences rendered in the District of Wyoming this week. The summaries from the U.S. Attorney’s Office are as follows:
Firearm Offenses
Jeffrey Cletus Geist, 58, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on March 12, 2024, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office stopped Geist on his motorcycle for a traffic violation. A canine was deployed on the exterior of the motorcycle and immediately alerted to the presence of narcotics. Deputies located three bags of methamphetamine and a 9mm handgun.
“Geist is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm,” the release said. Geist was indicted on Sept.18, 2024 and pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on March 11 in Casper.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne Martens prosecuted the case.
Joshua Roye Dunn, 36, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced to 36 months of supervised probation for being in possession of an unregistered firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sheridan Police Department investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Dunn was indicted on July 18, 2024, pleaded guilty on Dec. 13, 2024, and Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on March 26 in Cheyenne.
Drug Trafficking and Illegal Reentry of a Previously Deported Alien
Cesar Antancio Torres-Cazares, 36, of La Piedad, Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and time served for illegal reentry into the United States. He will be deported following his imprisonment.
According to court documents, in November 2023, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation began investigating a cocaine drug trafficking organization in the Jackson, Wyoming, area. Agents conducted a controlled buy from Torres-Cazares, which led agents to his residence, where they found large quantities of cocaine and proof of distribution. After he was arrested, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was contacted because Torres-Cazares is not a U.S. citizen, had previously been removed from the U.S., and had not applied for permission to reenter.
DCI and ICE investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Griswold and Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the cases. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 26 in Cheyenne.
Public Land Violations
Douglas Wolfley, 49 of Fairview, Wyoming, was sentenced to a 10-day term of incarceration with credit for 2 days served after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in Yellowstone National Park, his third DUI conviction in 10 years. He also pleaded guilty to possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.
In addition to the term of incarceration, Wolfley was placed on 3 years of unsupervised probation, terms of which include a ban from Yellowstone National Park during that period and was ordered to pay $3,050 in fines and court costs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes prosecuted the case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on March 18, 2025.
Angela Flaherty, 44, of Seattle, Washington was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration after pleading guilty to violating 36 CFR 7.13(j), which requires all foot travel in thermal areas of Yellowstone National Park be confined to marked trails or boardwalks.
“Ms. Flaherty left the boardwalk and viewing area surrounding Old Faithful geyser and walked approximately 10 feet onto the cone of Old Faithful. Some of her conduct was captured on video by another park visitor,” the release said.
In addition to the term of incarceration, Flaherty was ordered to pay $40 in mandatory court costs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes prosecuted the case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on March 19, 2025.
Yiyang Shen, 25 of Doraville, Georgia was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration and five years of unsupervised probation, the terms of which include a ban from Yellowstone National Park, after he drove off the designated roadway and parked his vehicle in a thermal area in Yellowstone. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle in a prohibited area in a manner that caused damage to park resources and foot travel in a thermal area not confined to any designated and marked trail or boardwalk. In addition to the terms of incarceration and probation.
Shen is ordered to pay $1,050 in fines and court costs. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on March 12, 2025.
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