Wyoming

Rod Miller: When Transparency Wins, Wyoming Wins

Published

1 year ago

July 14, 2024

You may not realize it but you, as a Wyoming citizen, won a landmark court victory the other day. The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) and its leadership were slapped down hard before the bar of justice for trying to keep secrets from us.

In a scathing decision, district judge Steven Sharpe reamed the education bureaucrats and their leader, former state Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder, for lying about spending public money on a private political event. Schroeder and his co-defendants were also assessed minimal dollar fines, but we’ll get to that later.

Here in Wyoming, we are accustomed to being able to see everything for miles around us. There are damn few skyscrapers to block our view.

There should likewise be damn little that blocks our view about what our government is doing. That is why The Wyoming Public Records Act (WPRA) is on the books. Everyone should know that law, and know how to use it when our elected or appointed officials try to get away with sneaky, shady bullshit.

Consider the WPRA the best tool in the citizen’s toolkit to use when government tries to lie to us about what it is doing. Keep that tool handy, well-oiled and sharp.

To recap the controversy: Schroeder decided to host a political rally in Cheyenne with the organization No Left Turn in Education, and enlisted Kathy Scigliano, handmaiden for the Laramie County Moms for Liberty, to recruit attendees. Disregarding the fact that the political rally was outside the purview of his department, Schroeder ordered that the WDE pay for travel and other arrangement for the event.

Plaintiffs in the case that came before Judge Sharpe, George Powers and Rodger McDaniel, got wind of the plans and filed a request for records pertaining thereto through the WPRA.

Schroeder and his subordinates lied about the existence of such records, withheld information and generally obfuscated in an attempt to conceal from the public the fact that state money was illegally spent to organize and conduct this rally.

Lengthy legal gymnastics and several judicial hearings ensued, with the end result being Sharpe’s decision that Schroeder et al violated the Wyoming Public Records Act, operated in bad faith, lied to the public and tried to hide their skullduggery.

Aside from the humiliation of having their greasiness publicly exposed from the bench, the defendants were fined from a hundred to seven hundred bucks each. I consider these fines paltry and inadequate, given the severity of violating oaths of office, snookering the voters of Wyoming, wasting public money, lying to the citizenry, behaving like some “secret government” and being assholes generally.

A few hundred bucks is a mere rap on the knuckles for these offenses. If defendants lose a WPRA case, then fines should hurt like hell and they should be compelled to pay plaintiff’s attorney fees!

As you read this, another case involving the WPRA is ongoing in a Park County district court.

A citizens’ group, opposed to the construction of a huge Mormon church in their neighborhood, has been trying for a couple of years to get background info from municipal planners who gave the go-ahead for construction. The group wants to know if the approval was sufficiently arms-length and above board, or if there was collusion between the church and responsible city officials.

But they’ve been stonewalled.

The defendants in this case in Cody, officials on public salary, should pay close attention to Judge Sharp’s ruling from Cheyenne. VERY close attention.

And the Wyoming Legislature should also be paying close attention to these two cases; with an eye toward tightening up the WPRA, closing loopholes, stiffening penalties and making it more user-friendly for laypersons, not just lawyers, to avail themselves of the act when they want to know what government is doing.

After all, knowing what your government is doing in your name is the first requirement of good citizenship.

Rod Miller can be reached at: RodsMillerWyo@yahoo.com

Source link

Wyoming

Former Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 16

Published

6 hours ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Former Wyoming Cowboys in the NFL: Week 16

LARAMIE — Marcus Epps hasn’t experienced the best injury luck over the last couple of seasons. After sustaining a season-ending knee injury a season ago, Epps has missed time this year with injury, as well.

That being said, when the former University of Wyoming safety is available, he produces. Sunday, with a lot at stake, was no different.

Epps had a pair of tackles in the Eagles’ 29-18 win at Washington. The victory clinched the NFC North Division crown.

For the season, Epps has recorded 12 tackles in 11 games played for 10-5 Philadelphia. The Eagles travel to Buffalo in Week 17.

Below is a list of all the former Wyoming Cowboys and how they performed in Week 16:

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (quarterback)
Allen got a little dinged up in the Bills’ 23-20 win at Cleveland. He was 12-for-19 for 130 yards, while adding 17 yards on seven carries via the ground. Allen sustained a foot injury during the game, but X-rays, fortunately, came back negative. For the season, Allen is 296-for-425 for 3,406 yards with 25 scores and 10 interceptions. On the ground, he’s carried it 105 times totaling 552 yards with a dozen touchdowns for 11-4 Buffalo, which clinched a playoff spot. The Bills host Philadelphia in Week 17.

Andrew Wingard, Jacksonville Jaguars (safety)
Wingard had a mild game in the Jaguars’ 34-20 win at Denver. He laid claim to one tackle. For the season, Wingard possesses 79 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, eight passes defended and one quarterback hit for 11-4 Jacksonville. The Jaguars travel to Indianapolis in Week 17.

Frank Crum, Denver Broncos (offensive line)
Crum participated in the Broncos’ 34-20 loss to Jacksonville. He played 15 snaps, four on offense and 11 on special teams. For the season, Crum has played 114 snaps, 48 on offense and 71 on special teams for 12-3 Denver. The Broncos travel to Kansas City on Christmas.

Logan Wilson, Dallas Cowboys (linebacker)
Wilson put forth his best game since joining the Cowboys mid-season. He registered five tackles in Dallas’ 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. For the season, Wilson has 62 tackles, four passes defended and one fumble recovery between his time in Cincinnati and now with the 6-8-1 Cowboys. Dallas travels to Washington in Week 17.

Carl Granderson, New Orleans Saints (defensive end)
Granderson boasted a good game in the Saints’ 29-6 win over the New York Jets. He made three tackles. For the season, Granderson owns 46 tackles, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, three passes defended and six quarterback hits for 5-10 New Orleans. The Saints travel to Tennessee in Week 17.

Chad Muma, New England Patriots (linebacker)
Muma, who was signed by New England from Indianapolis’ practice squad, played in the Patriots’ 28-24 win at Baltimore. He didn’t record a stat. For the season, Muma has made five tackles in six games played between the Colts and now the 12-3 Patriots. New England travels to the New York Jets in Week 17.

Treyton Welch, New Orleans Saints (tight end)
Welch has yet to be elevated from the practice squad.

LOOK: Pokes’ unis through the years

Source link

Wyoming

GOP Rep. Harriet Hageman launches Senate run in Wyoming

Published

18 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

GOP Rep. Harriet Hageman launches Senate run in Wyoming

Rep. Harriet Hageman, a Republican, is running for Senate in Wyoming next year, seeking to replace retiring GOP Sen. Cynthia Lummis, who announced last week that she would not run for re-election.

Hageman, 63, was elected to be the state’s lone representative in Congress in 2022 after ousting then-Rep. Liz Cheney in a primary. Hageman had Donald Trump’s endorsement against Cheney, a vocal critic of the president, and the congresswoman name-checked the president in her three-minute launch video on Tuesday.

“I stood with President Trump to deliver the largest tax cut in American history, helping working families keep more of their own money,” Hageman said, later adding, “We worked together to secure the border and fund efforts to remove and deport those in the country illegally.”

“We must keep up this fight, and that’s why today I’m announcing my campaign for United States Senate,” Hageman said. “This fight is about making sure the next century sees the advancements of the last while protecting our culture and our way of life. We must dedicate ourselves to ensuring that the next 100 years is the next great American century.”

Hageman had been eyeing a run for governor, but ultimately decided to run for Senate, noting in an interview with Cowboy State Daily published Tuesday that “it’s important that we have someone who can hit the ground running the moment [Lummis] retires. That’s not the place for on-the-job training.”

Hageman added that Trump is “well aware” that she is running for Senate, and she would welcome his endorsement.

It’s not yet clear if Hageman will face a tough fight for the GOP nomination. There are multiple opportunities for other Wyoming Republicans to run statewide, given the open governor’s race and Hageman’s campaign opening up her at-large House seat.

The winner of the GOP primary would be in a strong position to win the Senate seat in the deep-red state. Trump won Wyoming by nearly 46 percentage points last year. Hageman won her second term in 2024 by 48 points.

Although Wyoming is a solidly Republican state, Hageman faced a rowdy crowd at a town hall earlier this year. She was met with boos as she commented on federal government cuts, the Department of Government Efficiency and the future of Social Security.

Hageman called the outbursts “over the top” and said, “It’s so bizarre to me how obsessed you are with federal government.” Her adviser dismissed the disruptions as “pre-planned” and “political theater.”

Source link

Wyoming

After Strong Demand, Wyoming Childcare Provider Grants to Reopen in 2026

Published

1 day ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

After Strong Demand, Wyoming Childcare Provider Grants to Reopen in 2026

A statewide grant program supporting childcare providers drew 90 applications in just two rounds of funding earlier this year. For the Wyoming Interagency Working Group on Childcare, which launched the initiative, the response affirmed that the program is addressing a significant community need. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has more.

In 2025, the Wyoming Interagency Working Group on Childcare worked collaboratively to award $183,537 to 24 providers. In an effort to build on that success, the grant program will reopen January 2 with applications closing March 1, 2026. Administered by the Wyoming Community Foundation, grants of up to $20,000 per applicant will be awarded with a renewed focus on communities with the greatest childcare shortages.

Grant awards will be prioritized based on requests from high-needs communities as will be outlined in the application and on the Wyoming Community Foundation’s website, along with plans to increase the number of children and families being cared for and engagement or planned engagement with business support services through the Small Business Development Center. Funding for this round of grantmaking includes the Wyoming Maternal and Child Health Unit, Wyoming Department of Family Services, the Wyoming Community Foundation, and the Business Studio at LCCC. To apply for a grant or if you have questions about the application process, you can click here.

Source link