News

Wyoming's Gov. Mark Gordon has tested positive for COVID-19. His office said he has only minor symptoms at this point, including a dry cough, and "plans to continue working on behalf of Wyoming remotely."

Grizzly 399 is arguably one of the most famous grizzly bears in the U.S. due to the amount of attention she has gotten over the years. This year is no different.

She and her four cubs have been spotted outside of Grand Teton National Park, and Jackson residents started worrying she could be in danger.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is starting the process to rework its elk feedground management plan. The first step is a public comment period.

For the past couple of years, Game and Fish has grappled with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a neurological disease that is deadly to deer, elk and moose. A public process looking at CWD management resulted with the need to examine the management of the 22 elk feedgrounds in northwest Wyoming. 

Wyoming legislative leaders say they will delay the bulk of the 2021 legislative session until the state's COVID-19 outbreak is under control.

Wild turkey hunting didn't start in the state until 1955.

But the process began in 1935, when the Wyoming Game and Fish Department traded sage grouse with New Mexico for 15 Merriam's Turkeys. There were nine hens and six toms.

Researchers at the University of Wyoming are working to identify invasive plants using drones and satellites.

Invasive plant extension specialist Dan Tekiela said invasive grasses in Wyoming create fuel that makes fires larger. He said they also decrease biodiversity and hurt the ecosystem, which can harm agriculture.

Organizers have canceled Sheridan's annual winter festival to prioritize public health and safety.

February 2021 would have marked the third annual Sheridan Winter Rodeo, but the event is canceled due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washakie County Commissioners have voted out their public health officer, after what some describe as a miscommunication between the commission and Dr. Ed Zimmerman.

The Campbell County Commissioners have chosen a replacement for the late Roy Edwards. Former Campbell County Commissioner Chris Knapp will take over the term of Rep. Edwards and represent District 53 at the state legislature.

Multiple energy companies, Wyoming and Converse County are hoping to see a final decision signed that would enable a major oil and gas project to move forward before the Biden administration arrives on Jan. 20, 2021.

Several officials gave an update to the state legislature's Select Federal Natural Resource Management committee.

Researchers at the University of Wyoming are studying how moose cool themselves down.

UW researcher Tana Verzuh said the moose population in the Snowy Range is declining and that rising temperatures may be a cause.

The state legislature's Joint Education Committee has moved forward with a bill that would require school districts to provide suicide prevention training to students.

The state legislature's Joint Revenue Committee set aside time during a recent meeting to learn how the wind industry is currently being taxed in the state; no bill on the subject was under discussion.

The University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates has created an online database of skulls and skeletons.

Matt Carling, faculty curator of the museum and associate professor in zoology and physiology, said the Coe Library assisted the museum in creating the free database.

The Wyoming Community College Commission (WCCC) has approved Campbell County's application to form a new community college district in a unanimous vote on Friday, November 20.

Gillette College is currently a part of the Northern Wyoming Community College District (NWCCD), which is governed in Sheridan County due to the taxing structure. The formation of a new district in Campbell County would give residents more power over decisions at the college by allowing residents to vote for its own board of trustees.

Trumpeter Swans were first documented in Yellowstone National Park in the early 1900s, and they were common until the 1960s when their population started to decline. By 2010, there were only about 60 swans in the park. The loss of these birds has brought together more than seven different federal, state, and private agencies in the quest to bring them back to their former numbers.

Environmental groups are hoping to see action on climate, energy, and environmental justice when President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.

The Interior Department is facing criticism for putting up barriers to conservation projects nationwide funded through the new Great American Outdoors Act.

The Legislature's Joint Revenue Committee has voted to recommend approval of a nine cent fuel tax increase to pay for highway maintenance. Wyoming Department of Transportation Director Luke Reiner said WYDOT faces a funding gap of $136 million and the tax increase would help chip away at that.

Nine counties have joined three others and the Wind River Reservation in mandating masks in indoor public settings.

Sweetwater, Sheridan, Park, Lincoln, Goshen, Carbon, Sublette and Hot Springs now have a county mask mandate effective Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 4.