Wyoming

Wyoming files suit against Biden administration's new fuel economy rules

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2024

Wyoming files suit against Biden administration's new fuel economy rules

Wyoming has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s new fuel economy standards. The rules will require light-duty vehicles to average 50 miles per gallon by 2031.

The rules are meant to save on fuel costs while reducing pollution, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. But Gov. Mark Gordon said the standards aren’t workable in Wyoming, where long distance travel and extreme cold mean that electric vehicles may not be the best option.

“They have no reason to overreach into Wyoming’s driving habits,” Gordon said in an interview. “Most people here drive pickups. They might have loads of livestock that they have to haul and electric vehicles don’t necessarily make sense for that.”

Gordon said the new rule amounts to a federal mandate to force a consumer transition to electric vehicles. In a joint letter from January, governors from 16 states urged Pres. Joe Biden to reel in his ambitions regarding electric vehicles.

Due to the remote nature of the state’s roads, Gordon said the new rules, which would also require charging stations every fifty miles, don’t consider the reality of driving in Wyoming.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that he’s working to find solutions for the unique circumstances of the Cowboy State.

“We’re conscious that a one-size-fits-all approach is not going to work,” said Buttigieg in an exclusive interview with Wyoming Public Radio. “We’re in good dialogue with the governor and with WYDOT [Wyoming Department of Transportation] about how to make sure that we apply that common sense here in this program.”

Wyoming is currently engaged in 58 lawsuits against various federal agencies, according to the governor’s office. Gordon said that the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the Chevron doctrine, which had given agencies leeway when ambiguous legal language left room for interpretation, may impact Wyoming’s lawsuits.

“It may mean that regulators will have to take the process more seriously,” Gordon said. “It may rein in some energy regulation and federal overreach.”

This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.

Source link

Wyoming

Casper approves Wyoming Boulevard property rezoning

Published

6 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Casper approves Wyoming Boulevard property rezoning

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.

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.

Source link

Wyoming

Two men detained in Wyoming in connection with deadly shooting at downtown Salt Lake hotel

Published

18 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Two men detained in Wyoming in connection with deadly shooting at downtown Salt Lake hotel

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.

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.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION (2)

_____

Source link

Wyoming

Man shot, critically injured by deputy during ‘disturbance’ in Rock Springs, Wyoming

Published

1 day ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Man shot, critically injured by deputy during ‘disturbance’ in Rock Springs, Wyoming

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyoming (KUTV) — A man was hospitalized with critical injuries after he was reportedly shot by a deputy responding to reports of a disturbance.

Deputies with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Rock Springs Police Department responded to the Sweetwater Heights apartment complex in the 2100 block of Century Boulevard just after 4 a.m. on Monday to investigate reports of a disturbance involving an armed individual.

Information that dispatch received indicated that the individual had shot himself. When officials arrived, they found the individual on the balcony of an upstairs apartment “who appeared to have a gunshot wound consistent with the initial report,” a press release states.