Albany County

A rare earth mineral mining company speculates that a site in Albany County will be relatively affordable to mine.The company Western Rare Earths recently announced promising finds from its Halleck Creek project. Apparently, concentrations of rare earth minerals at the site are much better than expected, and the minerals extend at least 300 feet into the ground.

Appelhans was appointed to the role in 2020, and defeated two primary challengers and a general challenger to keep the seat.

One of the biggest races this year in Albany County is the race for sheriff. The incumbent, Sheriff Aaron Appelhans, must defend his seat from challenger Joel Senior. Both took part in a debate last week hosted by the University of Wyoming Political Science and Criminal Justice clubs and moderated by Jeff Victor of the Laramie Reporter and Wyoming Public Radio. Here are some highlights of the debate.

A chunk of private land in Albany County was purchased by a conservation group recently, and the hope is to guarantee public access to the land for hunting.

The western side of the state, specifically areas near Jackson, Alta and Pinedale, have seen on and off again smoke and haze this week from regional fires.Jackson-based meteorologist Alan Smith said it is coming from two large wildfires. The Moose Fire is near Salmon, Idaho and is more than 38,000 acres. Additionally, the Oak Fire is near Yosemite National Park, and at almost 19,000 acres is California’s largest wildfire.

A controversial wind turbine project outside of Laramie received approval from the U.S. Department of Energy to move forward.The Rail Tie Wind Project, spearheaded by power company ConnectGen, has been in the works since 2019. The end goal is a 504 megawatt wind farm with up to 149 wind turbines in southeastern Albany County.

A large wind farm has now won approval from both Carbon and Albany County Commissioners, and now awaits state and federal approvals before construction can start.

Some Laramie residents gathered Thursday in front of the Albany County Courthouse to honor the lives lost during and after the attack on the U.S. Capitol Building last year.

In Laramie, the city council is exploring rental regulations. The idea has floated around for years in a town where at least half the population rents their home. Wyoming Public Radio's Jeff Victor reports the idea has more support than ever before.

A massive wind farm planned for Albany County is one step closer to approval.