Wyoming
Much Of Wyoming May Be Safe If US Is Nuked, But Cheyenne Likely To Be Vaporized
The dynamics of nuclear tensions have changed since the Cold War, and Wyoming might not take a direct hit if the bombs fly. But it’s still best to keep putting the fear of God into the world’s despots, a retired top-tier military official said.
A FEMA map showing the places in the United States that would supposedly be the safest during a nuclear war leaves Wyoming pretty clear, but doesn’t tell the full story about how safe the Cowboy State would be in a nuclear war.
And while most of Wyoming is seemingly marked safe from being vaporized by hellfire, Cheyenne and the surrounding areas are pegged to be hammered into oblivion by multiple strikes.
Stay Strong
That might have been true decades ago, but things might go differently today. Wyoming might not get nuked at all, retired Air Force Col. Tucker Fagan told Cowboy State Daily.
That doesn’t mean it would be easy here in the aftermath of nuclear war, he said. It’s likely much of the country’s vital infrastructure and supply chains would be destroyed.
So, just as during the Cold War with the now-defunct Soviet Union, it’s best to keep letting the world’s despots know that they’d have nothing to gain and everything to lose by going nuclear, Fagan said.
“As long as we are strong and we can deter, and Russians and Chinese and North Koreans are afraid to die, that’s the essence of deterrence,” he said.
Fagan is the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Nuclear Section under President Ronald Reagan and the former Commander of F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne.
When it comes to the scenarios of nuclear war, Fagan is an expert. Along with his top-level military experience, he created the “nuclear football” for President Ronald Reagan.
Putin Would Probably Go After People, Not Silos
Fagan said he’s seen the map that supposedly shows the safest places in case of nuclear war, and others like it.
The problem is, they rely on the Old Cold War philosophy. Arms stockpiles peaked in the 1970s and ’80s, when each of the sides had more than enough weapons, more than 10,000 each, to lay waste to each other many times over.
Had a nuclear war erupted in those days, missile silos would have been a prime target. And Cheyenne, along with much of southeastern Wyoming has plenty of those.
Treaties have since cut the nuclear arsenals of the U.S. and Russia, down to about 1,500 warheads each, Fagan said.
But as Russian President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated in his country’s war against Ukraine,Fagan said, the primary target would probably be America’s people.
“What’s the Russian objective, what are they doing in Ukraine? Killing people,” he said. “They’re after the people, because they know the people will not be subjugated.”
Americans would similarly refuse to be subjugated, so Putin would try to kill as many as possible, Fagan said.
And to do that, he might not want to waste warheads on a sparsely populated places like Wyoming, he said.
Scare The Dictators Themselves
Despots like Putin don’t care about the lives of ordinary citizens, even those in their own countries, Fagan said.
That’s why it’s important for the U.S. to make sure the dictators themselves know they wouldn’t survive going nuclear.
“You need to let them know you have the ability to kill even them. They don’t want to die. Do you think those autocrats care about their people?” he said. “I’m talking about Putin, Xi Jinping (China) and Kim Jong Un (North Korea), they don’t want to die.”
If any of the despots launched, and Wyoming didn’t get hit directly, it would still be miserable here, Fagan added.
“We would still lose electricity, and supply chains would disappear,” he said.
States Would Have To Band Together
There is a glimmer of hope in the case of major national disaster, nuclear war or otherwise, Wyoming All Hazards Association President LaRae Dobbs told Cowboy State Daily.
Each Wyoming county has an emergency plan, which dovetails in with state and regional plans, she said.
And those plans include what to do in case of a huge breakdown at the national level.
“It’s more focused on what are the cascading events that are being caused, rather than what was the event that caused it,” she said.
The first order of business would be making sure supplies of food, water and medicine kept flowing, as much as possible, she said.
Toward that end, Wyoming and surrounding states have strategic stockpiles, of such things, she said.
“We would immediately rely on the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security to coordinate with other surrounding states,” Dobbs said. “We have mutual aid agreements with the other states.”
Emergency coordinators at the county level are the key to making it all work, she added.
“We know each other by name and by sight, but the majority of our communities don’t even know we exist,” Dobbs said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
CASPER, Wyo. — There was magic, or something like it, in the air on Saturday as the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds presented the 2026 Casper Holistic Expo, Casper’s longest running holistic expo and a hallmark of the beginning of spring in Natrona County.
Countless vendors from Casper and beyond gathered with their goodies to present them to eager customers searching for something a little different.
The holistic expo featured crystal and metaphysical shops, tattoo and body piercing studios, henna and glitter tattoo studios, holistic shops, tarot readings, fortune tellers, magic and so much more. There was truly something for everyone, and Christina Kuhn, the lead organizer, said that nobody who came to the expo would leave disappointed.
“This actually started over 20 years ago,” Kuhn said. “I’ve been doing it for years. My mom did it for seven years before me. And Judy Ick, who actually does our photography, she did it before that. So it’s been a very long, very longstanding and growing event.”
Kuhn said that the Holistic Expo has grown exponentially over the years.
“When Judy passed it down to mom, there were 38 booths,” she said. “After mom passed it down to me, there were 78. Now I think we’re up to, like, 98.”
The booths are as eclectic as the people who run them. There’s magic, mysticism and moonlight; storytellers and palm readers; conversationalists and creators. There are CBD products, organic teas, energy testing, and even fudge.
“Some of this is kind of a special niche,” Kuhn shared, “but some of it is not. We’ve got a chiropractor. We’ve got people that are working with healing modalities. Some of it’s spiritual stuff. We’ve got crafts, too.”
There’s a wide variety of vendors and customers as the Holistic Expo, and Kuhn said she wouldn’t want it any other way. The most important thing they do, Kuhn said, is donate to local nonprofits.
“People can either pay the $5 door fee — anybody that’s 13 or over — or they can donate five nonperishable goods,” Kuhn said. “We started donating that to poverty resistance, and then we did City Park Church. This year we’re donating to the Wyoming Food for Thought Project.”
Kuhn said this was just a simple way to give back to the community, a community she and her business have been a part of for years. Kuhn owns a store in downtown Casper called A Place for Passion, and the Holistic Expo also allows her to bring some merch from her store and put in on display with a variety of other items. It’s a fun way to spend a weekend, she said, and she’s proud to be a part of it.
“Good lord, I’ve been doing this for a long time,” she said. “I helped my mom with it for ages and she wanted somebody that would carry on and keep expanding and doing well with it. Before I was helping run the show and managing it, I was a booth. I started sharing a booth with my mom because I only had a few things and I wasn’t sure how well they’d sell. But then it just expanded and took off, and now here I am.”
Kuhn said it means a lot that she’s able to continue the Holistic Expo for her mother.
“It’s nice to keep expanding something, especially something that contributes so much to the community,” she said. “There are so many people that come out and enjoy everything that they get here. And it’s a big opportunity for them to connect with others, to connect with people that have stuff they want to offer them.”
That, Kuhn said, is her favorite part of the Holistic Expo — meeting people.
“It’s just nice connecting with people and helping them out in any way that you can,” she said. “Everybody’s got their own knowledge, gifts, products that they’re putting out — services, whatever it is. So being able to share that with others is awesome. You’ve got to come check it out. It’s an awesome experience. There’s a little something for everyone.”
The Casper Holistic Expo is happening Saturday until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Industrial Building at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds.
Photos from the Holistic Expo can be seen below:
Related
A 6-inch megalodon shark tooth was found by a Wyoming teen during a dive trip off Manasota Key, Florida earlier this week.
Sixteen-year-old Aiden Andrews and his father Brian were on a guided dive with Fossil Junkies, a local fossil-hunting tour company.
Captain John Kreatsoulas told FOX 13 Tampa Bay reporter Kimberly Kuizon that while finding small megalodon teeth isn’t uncommon, finding one that size is quite rare.
Video captured the moments when Aiden and his father celebrated underwater after making the remarkable discovery.
Popularized by Hollywood monster movies, the Carcharocles megalodon was the largest shark to have ever lived, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
Scientists believe the largest megalodon reached up to 60 feet in length and weighed up to 50 tons.
And as Andrews can attest — they possessed teeth the size of a human hand.
According to the Smithsonian, megalodon lived between 23 and 3.6 million years ago across all of Earth’s oceans.
Wyoming
Outdoor Fun Awaits At Local Parks With Izaak Walton League’s Hiking Series From April To September
Hiking can be an activity that you enjoy doing on your own, but sometimes you need a little extra inspiration, and a group hike is exactly what you need. If you’re looking for a group to explore the outdoors with, the Charles E. Piersall chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America hiking group may be what you’re looking for.
The mission of the IWLA:
To engage the community in the conservation, restoration, and promotion of environmental protection, we focus on the sustainable use and enjoyment of our natural resources, including soil, air, woods, waters, and wildlife. This commitment is essential for a sustainable future, and activities like hiking help foster a connection with nature
The group is open to all ages, and even your pup can join in on the fun if they’re on a leash. There is a series of hikes planned beginning on April 1. Nope, this isn’t a prank; it is a real chance to meet other outdoor lovers and take in some of the area’s best hiking trails. The hikes are scheduled on the odd Wednesdays from April to September, weather permitting.
Join us to connect with others who appreciate the beauty of outdoor hiking and environmental advocacy hiking. Remember to bring drinking water, snacks, good walking shoes or boots, and a jacket. A walking stick or hiking poles can also be helpful.
Here are the hikes they have planned for this summer.
April 2026
- Wednesday, April 1, 6 pm, Morad Park to Paradise Valley:
- Wednesday, April 15, 6 pm, Edness K. Wilkins State Park:
- Wednesday, April 29, 6 pm, Tate Pumphouse, Golf Course loop:
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
- Wednesday, July 1, 6 pm, Muddy Mountain, North Face:
- Wednesday, July 15, 6 pm, Muddy Mountain, Beaver Ponds:
- Wednesday, July 29, 6 pm, Casper Mountain, Biathlon:
August 2026
September 2026
16 Types Of Hikes Explained
7 Trails To Hike In Central Wyoming
There’s no doubt about it, the entire state of Wyoming is covered in amazing hiking trails. If you’re visiting central Wyoming here are 7 trails that you should check out. I’ve organized them from easier to harder, ending with Laramie Peak.
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