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.
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That doesn’t mean it would be easy here in the aftermath ofnuclear 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.
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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.
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“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.
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“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.
Tucker Fagan (Cowboy State Daily Staff)
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.
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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.”
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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.
When a clinic closes in Wyoming, it doesn’t just close a door; it can cut off access to care for entire communities.
For many residents, getting to a health care provider already means traveling long distances across multiple counties, and local clinics are often the only nearby option for basic health care. With one Title X Family Planning clinic in western Wyoming now closed, the challenge is becoming even more real for many people.
Reproductive and sexual health care is a key part of overall health, but it’s often one of the first services people lose access to when clinics close. Title X Family Planning is a federal program that helps people get essential preventive care, no matter their income. These clinics offer services like birth control, cancer screenings, STI and HIV testing, and care before pregnancy. They help people stay healthy, catch problems early, and plan for their futures.
The need is real. Wyoming’s Title X Family Planning network remains a critical part of the state’s health care system, helping bridge gaps in both access and affordability. With 9 clinics currently serving communities across the state, these providers cared for nearly 12,000 patients through more than 28,000 visits between 2022 and 2025. For many, these clinics are their only source of care: 49% of patients were uninsured, and nearly half were living at or below the federal poverty level.
In a state where distance and cost can both be barriers, affordable care is essential. About 14.6% of Wyoming women ages 19–44 are uninsured, higher than the national average. Title X clinics help meet this need by offering low- or no-cost care, while also connecting patients to referrals and additional health services when needed, ensuring more individuals can get the care they deserve.
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These clinics are also on the front lines of prevention. In recent years, they delivered more than 3,100 cervical cancer screenings and about 20,000 STI and HIV tests. Services like these support early detection and treatment, helping reduce the need for more serious and costly care down the line.
In rural states like Wyoming, once a clinic closes, it is very hard to bring it back. These clinics are more than buildings; they are part of the local health care system that keeps communities healthy.
The good news is that Title X Family Planning clinics are still open, working every day to serve their communities. The Wyoming Health Council supports this network of clinics and works to ensure that people across the state can access the care they need. Through partnerships, education, and community-based programs, the organization helps connect Wyoming residents to reproductive and sexual health services, no matter where they live.
In a state where distance, cost, and provider shortages all play a role, these clinics, and the work supporting them, are more than just a convenience. They are a lifeline.
To help sustain this work and protect access to care across Wyoming, consider making a donation to the Wyoming Health Council.
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Donation Link: givebutter.com/WYTitleX
Required Federal Funding statement: This project is supported by the Office of Populations Affairs (OPA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award 1 FPHPA 006541-0-00 totaling $978,380 with 100 percent funded by OPA/OASH/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by OPA/OASH/HHS or the U.S. Government.
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CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council voted Tuesday to approve on first reading a zoning change for a vacant 2.4-acre parcel located at 1530 SE Wyoming Boulevard, transitioning the property from residential to commercial use.
The ordinance reclassifies Lot 4 of the Methodist Church Addition from Residential Estate to General Business. Located between East 15th and East 18th streets, the irregular-shaped property has remained undeveloped since it was first platted in 1984.
While original plans for the subdivision envisioned a church and an associated preschool, Community Development Director Liz Becher reported those projects never materialized.
According to Becher, the applicant sought the rezoning to facilitate the potential installation of a cell tower or an off-premises sign. Under the new C-2 designation, a cell tower up to 130 feet in height is considered a permitted use by right, though any off-premises sign would still require a conditional use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The applicant also owns the adjacent lot to the north, which the city rezoned to general business in 2021.
Becher said the change aligns with the “Employment Mixed Use” classification in the Generation Casper comprehensive land use plan. This designation typically supports civic, institutional and employment spaces.
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Despite the new zoning, the property remains subject to a subdivision agreement that limits traffic access. Entry and exit are restricted to right turns onto or from East 15th Street, and no access is permitted from East 18th Street.
The council will vote on two more readings of the ordinance before it is officially ratified.
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Two men were detained in Wyoming in connection with a fatal shooting at a downtown Salt Lake hotel that killed one man.
Carlos Chee, 23, and Chino Aguilar, 21, were both wanted for first-degree felony murder after the victim, identified as Christian Lee, 32, was found dead in a room at the Springhill Suites near 600 South and 300 West.
According to warrants issued for their arrest, Chee and Aguilar met with Lee and another woman at the hotel to sell marijuana. During the alleged drug deal, Aguilar allegedly shot and killed Lee after he tried to grab at his gun.
MORE | Shootings
Investigators said they found Lee dead in the room upon arrival, as well as a single shell casing on the floor and a small amount of marijuana on the television stand.
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The woman told investigators she had met Chee on a dating app and that he agreed to come to the hotel to sell her marijuana. She had been hanging out with him in the room, which Lee rented for her to use, when Lee asked them to leave. Lee was then shot and killed following a brief confrontation.
Chee and Aguilar allegedly fled the scene in a 2013 Toyota Camry with a Texas license plate that was later found outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming just a few hours later.
The two men were taken into custody and detained at the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
