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Shocking moment entire highway collapses after mudslide

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Shocking moment entire highway collapses after mudslide


A CATASTROPHIC mudslide caused a state highway to cave in completely.

The landslide occurred on Saturday morning at the State Highway 22 near Jackson, Wyoming.

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The landslide caused the entire highway to cave – and it is not drivable anymoreCredit: YOUTUBE/@WYDOTVIDEOS
The road has a massive crater in it following the landslide

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The road has a massive crater in it following the landslideCredit: FACEBOOK/Governor Mark Gordon/PHOTO COURTESY WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
The landslide occurred Saturday morning

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The landslide occurred Saturday morningCredit: YOUTUBE/@WYDOTVIDEOS
Authorities are unsure when the road will be open again

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Authorities are unsure when the road will be open againCredit: YOUTUBE/@WYDOTVIDEOS

The Wyoming Department of Transportation warned drivers of the disaster.

“The roadway at milepost 12.8 on Teton Pass has catastrophically failed and a long-term closure is expected,” the National Weather Service office in Pocatello, Idaho said Saturday morning. 

“No crews were hurt in the process, and no equipment was damaged. WYDOT is now reviewing a long-term solution and repairs.”

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Construction crews had been working on creating a detour around the damaged area and removing asphalt from the road to reduce the weight on the unstable ground. 

However, the landslide continued to shift, ultimately destroying the entire road.

SCRAMBLING

The landslide “breached the roadway with mud and debris, overwhelming the channeled drainage ditch and culvert,” the National Weather Service said.

“Crews are working on clearing the mud and debris this morning.”

“Everybody is mobilizing,” Teton County Commission Chairman Luther Propst said, per Wyofile.

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“The county is considering camping options at the fairgrounds for Idaho commuters who work in Jackson Hole. 

The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is also exploring camping possibilities, and St. John’s Health will certainly need to adapt quickly.

More than 300 feared dead after massive landslide buries entire villages

“The buzz is it will be closed for several weeks or months.”

State Highway 22 connects the Jackson Resort region with communities around Victor, Idaho.

Wyoming State Highway 22 had endured two days of mudslides and landslides. 

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On Thursday, the area was temporarily closed after a landslide at milepost 12.8 caused eight-inch cracks in the road.

The buzz is it will be closed for several weeks or months

Teton County Commission Chairman Luther Props

The road was already closed due to a previous mudslide, so no vehicles or construction crews were present during the landslide.

Photos show the landslide took out both travel lanes at its widest point.

Officials have not provided a timeline for reopening the highway.

The closure has extended the usual 35-minute trip through Teton Pass to at least 1 hour and 35 minutes.

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The longer commute is particularly challenging for Teton Valley residents who work in Jackson, where high home prices and living costs have led many to live outside the area.

The U.S. has reached out to Jackson police for comment.



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Wyoming

Ohio court transfers second transgender-sorority case to Wyoming

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Ohio court transfers second transgender-sorority case to Wyoming


by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile

An Ohio court transferred a lawsuit Thursday to Wyoming’s U.S. District Court because of its similarity to a high-profile case involving Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Wyoming and its admission of a transgender woman.  

“This case is about whether Kappa Kappa Gamma (“Kappa”) may allow transgender women to join its sisterhood,” U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Judge Michael H. Watson wrote in his decision. 

The same issue is the subject of another case in another federal district court, Watson wrote, and “because they are duplicative, these two cases should not proceed simultaneously, for a plethora of prudential reasons.”

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More specifically, Watson pointed to the “first-to-file rule,” which calls for the court in which the first suit was filed to oversee subsequent cases, too. 

The initial suit began in April 2023 when six members of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Wyoming filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming against the sorority for admitting Artemis Langford, a transgender woman. 

The lawsuit was dismissed. The suing sorority sisters’ appeal was also unsuccessful. In the midst of that legal battle, Patsy Levang and Cheryl Tuck-Smith, two Kappa Kappa Gamma alumni, filed a separate complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio against the organization after they were expelled from it.

The Kappa Kappa Gamma house is pictured on a fall day in 2023. (Madelyn Beck/WyoFile)

Levang and Tuck-Smith openly opposed Kappa’s trans-inclusive policy and supported the plaintiffs in the Wyoming case, including publishing an op-ed in the National Review. That violated the organization’s media policy, according to the sorority’s court filings. 

Kappa Kappa Gamma also claimed that Tuck-Smith violated a separate policy when she used the organization’s membership list to contact other alumni about the ongoing litigation. 

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Ultimately, the organization’s fraternity council — which functions as a board of directors — voted to terminate both Levang and Tuck-Smith’s membership. 

In their complaint, however, Levang and Tuck-Smith argue the termination was retaliatory. 

They also claim that Kappa Kappa Gamma “is bound to defend the single-sex nature” of the organization, and by including transgender women it has “improperly attempted to broaden its membership criteria,” among other things. 

“This case raises issues about whether a private, non-profit organization can disregard its mission and fiduciary duties, disavow its governing rules and bylaws, ignore its legal and ethical obligations, deceive and silence its members, and retaliate against those members who object to this conduct,” the complaint states. 

The case is now in the hands of U.S. District Court Alan B. Johnson, who dismissed the Wyoming complaint last year. 

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How did we get here?

The plaintiffs in the Wyoming case — Jaylyn Westenbroek, Hannah Holtmeier, Allison Coghan, Grace Choate, Madeline Ramar and Megan Kosar — accused the sorority of breaking its bylaws, breaching housing contracts and misleading sisters when it admitted Langford by vote of its members. 

In August 2023, Johnson dismissed the Wyoming case, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to adequately state a claim against Langford or her sorority, and that the government cannot interfere with how a private, voluntary organization determines its membership. 

Johnson ruled “without prejudice,” giving the plaintiffs the option to refile an amended complaint. He also gave them advice on how to do so.

“If Plaintiffs wish to amend their complaint, the Court advises Plaintiffs that they devote more than 6% of their complaint to their legal claims against Defendants,” Johnson wrote regarding their 72-page complaint. 

Instead of refiling, the plaintiffs hired two high-powered attorneys to appeal the dismissal to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

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In June, the appellate court dismissed the plaintiffs’ appeal, ruling that it did not have jurisdiction over the case since the lower court had not issued a final order. 

The court also told the sorority sisters they could either seek a final judgement from the district court, or amend their complaint as Johnson suggested. In the six months since then, the plaintiffs have done neither and the case remains pending. 

First-to-file rule

When actions involving nearly identical parties and issues have been filed in two different district courts, Watson wrote in his decision, the court in which the first suit was filed should generally proceed to judgment.

“And, as a corollary, the court in which the later suit was filed should generally transfer, stay or dismiss,” he wrote. 

Furthermore, Watson wrote, to not apply the first-to-file rule “would be to condone forum-shopping.

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“The Court does not accuse Plaintiffs of forum-shopping or bad faith, to be clear. But allowing Plaintiffs to proceed simultaneously on the same core claims in two fora, as Plaintiffs here seek to do, encourages forum-shopping.”

May Mailman, attorney for six students suing the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority for admitting a transgender woman to its University of Wyoming chapter, exits the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver after giving oral arguments in the case. She’s followed by plaintiff Hannah Holtmeier. (Tennessee Watson/WyoFile)

The status of the case in Wyoming makes that point clear, Watson wrote, since “six months have passed since the Tenth Circuit instructed the Westenbroek plaintiffs to either amend their complaint or move for a dismissal without prejudice. 

“They have not done so. Why not?”

Watson wrote that someone in the position of the plaintiffs might respond with another question. 

“Why would we proceed in a forum that dismissed our claim already when instead we can wait and see whether the Southern District of Ohio will be more receptive?”

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Alongside Johnson, the case was assigned to Magistrate Judge Scott P. Klosterman. However, the case was reassigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick after Klosterman recused himself for previously serving as an attorney for the defense in the Wyoming case.


This article was originally published by WyoFile and is republished here with permission. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.



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Wyoming

Pokes in the Pros: Week 16

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Pokes in the Pros: Week 16


LARAMIE, Wyo. — It wasn’t his sharpest game of the season, but at this point in the season it’s more about the end result than it is a beauty contest.

That result was a 24–21 comeback victory for Buffalo over New England. Josh Allen was 16-for-29 for 154 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He added 30 yards on six carries.

For the season, the former University of Wyoming quarterback is 291-for-456 for 3,549 yards with 26 touchdowns and just six picks. He’s rushed it 97 times for 514 yards and 11 scores.

Buffalo, which is 12–3, hosts the New York Jets in Week 17. The Bills still have a shot at the AFC’s No. 1 seed and are also closing in on locking up no worse than the No. 2 seed.

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

Carl Granderson, New Orleans Saints

Granderson logged a decent game in the Saints’ 34–0 loss at Green Bay. He recorded three tackles.

For the season, Granderson lays claim to 53 tackles, 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one pass defended and 13 quarterback hits.

New Orleans, which is 5–10, hosts Las Vegas in Week 17.

Tashaun Gipson, San Fransisco 49ers

Gipson didn’t record a stat in the 49ers’ 29–17 loss at Miami. For the season, he’s registered three tackles and one pass defended.

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San Fransisco, which is 6–9, hosts Detroit in Week 17.

Andrew Wingard, Jacksonville Jaguars

Wingard enjoyed a decent day in the Jaguars’ 19–14 loss at Las Vegas. He made one tackle and had a season-high three passes defended.

For the season, Wingard has recorded two tackles and now has three passes defended.

Jacksonville, which is 3–12, hosts Tennessee in Week 17.

Chad Muma, Jacksonville Jaguars

Muma didn’t record a stat in the Jaguars’ 19–14 loss at Las Vegas. For the season, Muma has logged 31 tackles.

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Jacksonville, which is 3–12, hosts Tennessee in Week 17.

Frank Crum, Denver Broncos

Crum didn’t play in the Broncos’ 34–27 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers. For the season, Crum has played in six games, participating in 33 snaps, with 24 of those occurring on special teams.

Denver, which is 9–6, travels to Cincinnati in Week 17.

Treyton Welch, New Orleans Saints

Welch is currently participating on the Saints’ practice squad. He has yet to be elevated this season.

Logan Wilson, Cincinnati Bengals

Wilson was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury prior to Week 14. For the season, Wilson recorded 104 tackles, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, four quarterback hits and one pass defended.

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Marcus Epps, Las Vegas Raiders

Epps’ season came to an end in Week 3. He tore his ACL after a 10-tackle effort. Epps finished the season with 19 tackles and one tackle for loss.



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Chance of a white Christmas wanes in southeast Wyoming

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Chance of a white Christmas wanes in southeast Wyoming


CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Snow showers may grace Wyomingites west of the Laramie Range, but Cheyenne residents may only see rain during Christmas.

The National Weather Service in Cheyenne reports that temperatures will continue to hover in the mid-40-degree range Christmas Eve through the end of the week. Skies will be sunny Tuesday.



Clouds will set in overnight and cover the skies during Christmas on Wednesday. There will be a slight chance of rain showers from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., then a slight chance of rain and snow after 4 p.m. Skies will return to mostly sunny Thursday.

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The highs and lows over the next several days are as follows:

  • Wednesday: High of 49, low of 25
  • Thursday: High of 48, low of 27
  • Friday: High of 43, low of 27
  • Saturday: High of 48, low of 32



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