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WyoFile

@wyofile.com
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An independent, reader-funded, non-profit news organization focused on the people, places, and policy of Wyoming. Send tips to editor@wyofile.com. ✉️ Newsletters: wyofile.com/newsletter-signup 📱 Mobile App: onelink.to/sadwq2

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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 55m
OPINION: Herds typically experience a reproductive bounce after a difficult winter. But that trend might not always remain, writes guest columnist Chris Madson. #wyomingnews #pronghorn #winter wyofile.com/the-plight-o...
wyofile.com
Opinion | The plight of the pronghorn: Part 1
Herds typically experience a reproductive bounce after a difficult winter. But that trend might not always remain, writes guest columnist Chris Madson.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 5h
OPINION: The Heritage Foundation touts classical curriculum as the cure for America’s future. But columnist Jessica Brauer, an alumna of the classical system, sees herself as far from the conservative think tank's ideal case study. #wyomingnews #heritagefoundation #schoolchoice
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Opinion | What my classical education actually taught me
The Heritage Foundation touts classical curriculum as the cure for America’s future. But columnist Jessica Brauer, an alumna of the classical system, sees herself as far from the conservative think ta...
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 6h
The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily revived a controversial federal database that Wyoming and other states have uploaded their voter lists to, clearing the way for the Trump administration to use the information to verify voters’ citizenship ahead of November’s election. #wyomingelections
wyofile.com
Wyoming elections chief applauds Supreme Court's ruling on controversial voter data system - WyoFile
The Trump administration has used the SAVE system to identify noncitizens voters on rolls.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 6h
The department had been running a largely flat budget for about a decade, but the cost of diesel fuel, vehicles and the need to increase salaries to attract top employees has been driving up costs. From Powell Tribune #wyomingnews #gamenadfish #inflation wyofile.com/dire-financi...
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‘Dire’ financial situation: Game and Fish interim director warns of future severe budget concerns - WyoFile
The cost of diesel fuel, vehicles and salary increases to attract top employees has been driving up costs.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 22h
An attorney for April Morganroth told a judge there is reasonable cause to believe that she has a mental illness or deficiency. A judge must now decide whether to order a mental evaluation for the former journalist, who’s also been accused of fabricating quotes. #wyomingnews
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Mental evaluation sought for Wyoming journalist accused of forgery - WyoFile
An attorney for April Morganroth told a judge there is reasonable cause to believe that she has a mental illness or deficiency.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 29/09/2026
Stunted vegetation in the Green River Basin doesn’t bode well for pronghorn and other species surviving the coming winter. While migratory animals fared better and put on fat, those that dwell year-round in the lowlands struggled to the point of starvation. #wyomingnews #wyomingwildlife #drought
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Malnutrition killed Wyoming pronghorn in peak summer as vegetation withered during record heat, severe drought - WyoFile
Stunted lowland vegetation in the Green River Basin doesn’t bode well for one of the state’s premier herd's survival the coming winter.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 29/09/2026
OPINION: Rebecca Bextel, the activist who ignited Wyoming’s “Checkgate,” is now running for governor. While columnist Kerry Drake believes she will lose big, he’s forever thankful she contributed to the Freedom Caucus’ implosion. #wyomingnews #checkgate #elections
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Let’s thank the politician who helped drive the Freedom Caucus out of power - WyoFile
After Checkgate, far-right Rebecca Bextel is stirring things up as the Constitution Party’s candidate for governor, columnist Kerry Drake writes.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 29/09/2026
Wyoming's behemoth trona mining and soda ash industry — its largest global export commodity — needs to "make some noise," one CEO says. The industry that records $1.3 billion in annual exports is in jeopardy, and it's going to need federal help to compete with China. #wyomingnews #sodaash
wyofile.com
A flood of Chinese soda ash has Wyoming's industry swimming in troubled waters - WyoFile
Though plans to expand the state's trona mining and soda ash industry have stalled, they're essential to surviving a fundamentally altered global market, one CEO says.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 28/09/2026
Gillette renters’ money is going to landlords likely based outside Wyoming, according to a Gillette News Record analysis of property data. #wyomingnews #landlords #privateequity #housing
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Out-of-state companies have swallowed up Campbell County housing rentals, records show - WyoFile
Gillette renters’ money is going to landlords likely based outside Wyoming, according to a Gillette News Record analysis of property data.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 28/09/2026
OPINION: This election season is a time for all Wyomingites to not only vote, but help strengthen our system to be more inclusive and accessible to all voters, writes the Equality State Policy Center board of directors. #wyomignews #2026elections
wyofile.com
Opinion | Your democracy needs you
This election season is a time for all Wyomingites to not only vote, but help strengthen our system to be more inclusive and accessible to all voters, writes the Equality State Policy Center board of ...
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 28/09/2026
The gnarled, spindly and not-very-tall whitebark pine began growing in Paintbrush Canyon at the same time as the Siege of Constantinople and shortly before vikings began raiding Europe. #wyomingnews #whitebarkpine #grandteton
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1,289-year-old whitebark pine, oldest on record, found in Grand Teton National Park - WyoFile
Beetles killed the tree in 2021. It had been growing since 732 A.D.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 28/09/2026
Data has shown that Wyoming kids often end up in the state’s adult judicial system, where the goal is punishment rather than treatment, training and rehabilitation. What determines when Wyoming kids can be treated like adults in court? #wyomingnews #juvenilejustice #criminaljustice
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When can Wyoming children be treated like adults in court? - WyoFile
Data has shown that Wyoming kids often are treated as adults in the state’s judicial system.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 28/09/2026
The news shot around Grand Teton National Park like the crack of a well-hit baseball echoing off Cascade Canyon. The Trump administration is scouting the park for a site to play a Major League Baseball game. When WyoFile did its own scouting, visitors panned the idea. wyofile.com/grand-teton-...
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Grand Teton National Ballpark? Visitors call it a field of nightmares. - WyoFile
Park visitors greet news of a potential MLB game in front of the Tetons with disbelief.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 25/09/2026
Federal agents detained Feride Bardakci at a bus stop Sept. 15 for allegedly overstaying her student visa. After learning of Wyoming community’s support, she plans to contest her removal. From Jackson Hole News&Guide #wyomingnews #ice
wyofile.com
After ICE arrest, Jackson restaurant worker’s community springs into action - WyoFile
Federal agents detained Feride Bardakci at a bus stop Sept. 15 for allegedly overstaying her student visa. After learning of Wyoming community’s support, she plans to contest her removal.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 25/09/2026
Roberts beat a Freedom Caucus-aligned lawmaker for a House seat and is soon headed to Cheyenne. The outgoing commissioner spoke to WyoFile about the recent Game and Fish turmoil, agency morale and navigating controversies. #wyomingnews #molliespack #codyroberts #freedomcaucus
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 25/09/2026
OPINION: Let’s celebrate the past, but more importantly, let’s make sure we’re securing the future, writes guest columnist Sam Mead. #wyomingnews #publiclands
wyofile.com
Opinion | Celebrating the Wyoming way of life on Public Lands Day
Let’s celebrate the past, but more importantly, let’s make sure we’re securing the future, writes guest columnist Sam Mead.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 25/09/2026
Photo Friday: A photo of discarded wind turbine blades being buried at a local landfill moved Casper sculptor Chris Navarro. The "Windborne" art installation transforms an industrial byproduct into something functional and inspirational, he says. #wyomingnews #photofriday #art #windturbine
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Bucking the wind: Wyoming artists transform wind blade into snowfence - WyoFile
The "Windborne" art installation transforms a discarded wind turbine blade into function inspiration, Casper artist says.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 25/09/2026
President Donald Trump last week ordered federal land managers to boost public access to public lands, including to landlocked parcels in Wyoming and to Western whitewater rivers. #wyomingnews #publiclands #cornercrossing
wyofile.com
Trump orders plans to unlock isolated public land, revise river-trip permitting - WyoFile
The efforts are contained in a push to bolster hunting heritage.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 24/09/2026
OPINION: President Trump pitched $5,000 to each American adult citizen as a ‘dividend,’ but let’s not pretend to be fooled, writes columnist David Romtvedt. #wyomingnews #trump #elections wyofile.com/what-a-bribe/
wyofile.com
Opinion | What, a bribe?
President Trump pitched $5,000 to each American adult citizen as a "dividend" if Republicans win, but let’s not pretend to be fooled, writes columnist David Romtvedt.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 24/09/2026
Liberty Counsel is defending a church on the Wind River Indian Reservation that’s embroiled in controversy after its pastor delivered a sermon urging Native congregants to renounce Northern Arapaho traditions. #wyomingnews #windriverchurch #pastorsarahlucas
wyofile.com
Who is the Christian legal group representing the Wind River church embroiled in sermon controversy? - WyoFile
Amid tribe’s call for banishment, Florida-based Liberty Council says Foundations for Nations church “will not be leaving its property.”
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 24/09/2026
El Nino could mean less wind for our notoriously blustery state. It could also produce above-average snow in the southern part of the state and below average in the north, "It's hard to do worse" than last winter without El Nino, a Wyoming meteorologist says. #wyomingnews #elnino #wyomingwinter
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What will 'super' El Nino bring to landlocked, parched Wyoming? - WyoFile
While poised to wreak havoc across the globe, El Nino might mean a closer-to-normal Wyoming winter after a wild, snowless one last season.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 24/09/2026
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is weighing pros and cons of feeding wildlife, which could lead to more chronic wasting disease. That’s raising questions about health risks beyond the herd. #wyomingnews #wyomingwildlife #CWD
wyofile.com
National Elk Refuge fields questions about what feeding elk could mean for Jackson Hole’s water - WyoFile
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is weighing pros and cons of feeding wildlife, which could lead to more chronic wasting disease. That’s raising questions about health risks beyond the herd.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 23/09/2026
OPINION: Humans yearn for a place that has meaning, that connects us to the earth and to our people, writes columnist Walt Gasson. #wyomingnews
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 23/09/2026
The Wyoming Judicial Branch says it’s awaiting more details regarding the scope of a cybersecurity breach of a third-party software company once used by the Wyoming Supreme Court and state district courts. It may have included data from cases between 2015 and 2025. #wyomingnews #cybersecurity
wyofile.com
Wyoming courts investigate extent of personal data exposed in cybersecurity breach - WyoFile
While the breach of third-party software did not impact the judicial branch’s current internal system, data from certain cases between 2015 and 2025 may have been exposed.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 22/09/2026
Backers of the proposed Alkali Creek Dam near Hyattville expect to condemn ranch property if landowners don’t agree to sell easements necessary for construction and operation of the troubled project, letters shared with WyoFile show. #wyomingnews #eminentdomain
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Backers of troubled Alkali Dam project threaten condemnation of private land - WyoFile
Water district sends “final offer” to landowners, saying it expects to “reluctantly initiate eminent domain proceedings” if offers are declined.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 22/09/2026
Powerful Wyoming organizations are teaming up to challenge a grassroots effort to cut property taxes. The campaign seeks to convince voters that it’s worth supporting local services instead of making further tax cuts. With KHOL 89.1 FM #wyomingnews #propertytax
wyofile.com
Teachers, hospital leaders launch $1M campaign to fight property tax ballot measure - WyoFile
Effort comes after 30,000 Wyomingites supported a 50% statewide tax break.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 22/09/2026
WyoHistory.org editors Kylie McCormick and Leslie Waggener revisit the chaotic 1891 night when a clerk’s “wet ink” note sparked accusations of fraud, vote buying and a political meltdown in Wyoming’s first Legislature. #wyomingnews #wyominghistory #legislativenews wyofile.com/wet-ink-the-...
wyofile.com
History | Wet ink: The forgery accusation that nearly wrecked Wyoming’s first Legislature
WyoHistory.org editors Kylie McCormick and Leslie Waggener revisit the chaotic 1891 night when a clerk’s “wet ink” note sparked accusations of fraud, vote buying and a political meltdown in Wyoming’s ...
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 22/09/2026
OPINION: Sen. John Barrasso is known for his frequent television appearances. But when he had an opportunity to defend the freedom of the press, Wyoming’s senior senator backed President Trump over the First Amendment, columnist Kerry Drake writes. #wyomingnews #barrasso #trumppressban
wyofile.com
Opinion | Barrasso loves attention from the media, but not protecting press freedoms
Wyoming’s U.S. senator backs President Trump’s ban on news outlets that say negative things about administration, columnist Kerry Drake writes.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 22/09/2026
Voters finally felt the threat to public lands had reached a critical point, observers say. From High Country News #wyomingnews #publiclands #election #freedomcaucus
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Wyoming chooses public lands at the ballot box - WyoFile
Voters finally felt the threat to public lands had reached a critical point, observers say.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 22/09/2026
Yellowstone National Park’s last original wolf pack, Mollie’s Pack, emerged unscathed from a Wyoming hunting season that opened last week and has already closed. The famous pack made headlines for leaving the safety of its longtime territory in the park. #wyomingnews #molliespack
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No Mollie’s Pack, Yellowstone wolves killed, state reports after hunt area’s quick close - WyoFile
Hunters fill a four-wolf limit in just four days, closing down two hunt areas for the season and sparing a wandering wolf pack.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 22/09/2026
Authorities don’t yet know what prompted the attack, which has caused concern within the broader Sikh community. The Sweetwater County prosecutor cautioned against making assumptions about the case.
wyofile.com
Sikh truck driver stabbed at Wyoming rest stop, suspect faces attempted murder charge - WyoFile
Authorities say there is no known motive for the attack, which has caused concern within the broader Sikh community.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 21/09/2026
In case you missed it: A new lawsuit accuses the TD Ameritrade founder’s former agent and a Star Valley developer of conspiring to run up costs, rig appraisals and falsely suggest that the U.S. Forest Service was interested in a land trade. #wyomingnews #billionaire #landswap
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Wyoming billionaire Joe Ricketts alleges he was defrauded out of $34 million in failed federal land swap - WyoFile
New lawsuit contends that TD Ameritrade founder’s former agent and a Star Valley developer conspired to run up costs, rig appraisals and falsely suggest that the U.S. Forest Service was interested in ...
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 21/09/2026
Though global engineering giant Bechtel was expected to see the ambitious nuclear power project through to completion, it wasn't able to reach an agreement with Bill Gates-backed TerraPower. Still, "construction in Kemmerer will maintain its current schedule," the company says. #wyomingnews #nuclear
wyofile.com
Lead contractor pulls out of Gates’ Natrium nuclear power plant project in Wyoming - WyoFile
TerraPower says construction will continue as planned as it seeks a new contractor, with its in-service date of 2031 intact.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 21/09/2026
OPINION: Guest columnist Paul Hansen, a first-time election judge, reflects on his experience and looks ahead to November’s general election. #wyomingnews #electionjudge
wyofile.com
Opinion | How Election Day looks from the inside
Guest columnist Paul Hansen, a first-time election judge, reflects on his experience and looks ahead to November’s general election.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 21/09/2026
University of Wyoming faculty told WyoFile they remain optimistic, if not cautiously so, about President Shane Reeves’ stance on academic freedom after Reeves was named in a federal lawsuit that accuses him of firing a West Point professor for teaching about climate change. #wyomingnews
wyofile.com
University of Wyoming optimistic on academic freedom despite censorship lawsuit naming new president - WyoFile
Faculty leadership largely back Shane Reeves in wake of litigation stemming from his time at West Point.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 19/09/2026
Authorities don’t yet know what prompted the attack, which has caused concern within the broader Sikh community. The suspect faces an attempted first-degree murder charge, and the Sweetwater County prosecutor cautioned against making assumptions about the case. #wyomingnews
wyofile.com
Sikh truck driver stabbed at Wyoming rest stop, suspect faces attempted murder charge - WyoFile
Authorities say there is no known motive for the attack, which has caused concern within the broader Sikh community.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 18/09/2026
Photo Friday: WyoFile’s Jared Steinman celebrates the value of an unsuccessful hunt. #wyomingnews #hunting #photography wyofile.com/enjoying-my-...
wyofile.com
Photo Friday | Enjoying my backyard on a beautiful September day
WyoFile’s Jared Steinman celebrates the value of an unsuccessful hunt.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 18/09/2026
OPINION: Wyoming still has what other states sold off. Rescission of the Roadless Rule could take what’s left of our backcountry, writes guest columnist Dan Smitherman. #opinion #roadlessrule #backcountry wyofile.com/what-politic...
wyofile.com
Opinion | What politicians could learn from horses
Wyoming still has what other states sold off. Rescission of the Roadless Rule could take what’s left of our backcountry, writes guest columnist Dan Smitherman.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 18/09/2026
The noxious invasive grass has been detected west of the Bighorns for the first time. Killing it won’t be easy or cheap, at a time that resources are declining. #wyomingnews #invasivespecies
wyofile.com
Destructive ventenata — arguably worse than cheatgrass — sweeps west across Wyoming - WyoFile
The noxious invasive grass has been detected west of the Bighorn Mountains for the first time.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 18/09/2026
Fremont County voters passed a tax in August that unionized EMTs and paramedics say was part of a deal to eventually move them from contract employees to working for the county. They’ve pledged to strike Sept. 28. “Let ‘em,” said one commissioner, who maintains there was no such deal. #wyomingnews
wyofile.com
Unionized Fremont County first responders say they'll strike over rift with local officials - WyoFile
The county commission voted to let a contract with the employer 30 EMTs and paramedics expire while negotiating a deal with a regional hospital where they can't organize.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 18/09/2026
The ruling finds that the state failed to adequately fund teacher salaries, but it reverses requirements to pay for safety officers, computers and nutrition. With the Wyoming Tribune Eagle #wyomingnews #schoolfunding #teachersalaries
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Supreme Court finds Wyoming must spend more on teachers, strikes down other funding demands - WyoFile
Mixed ruling from high court in school funding suit draws praise from both lawmakers and educators. Decision reverses requirements to pay for school safety officers, computers and student nutrition.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 17/09/2026
Immigration enforcement agents have shown a “shift in tactic” according to one Jackson immigration attorney after arresting a 26-year-old Turkish woman Tuesday afternoon at a bus stop. The woman was targeted for overstaying her yearlong visa. #wyomingnews #immigration #ICE
wyofile.com
Immigration attorney notes ‘shift in tactic’ after ICE arrests Turkish woman at Jackson bus stop - WyoFile
The 26-year-old was targeted for overstaying her yearlong visa, DHS says.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 17/09/2026
Timothy Allen Smith lived with his wife in Star Valley Ranch. The 53-year-old pilot was on a multiday hiking, fishing and camping trip when flooding swept through the Grand Canyon. #wyomingnews #grandcanyon From @apnews.com
wyofile.com
Body found in Grand Canyon was missing Wyoming man, wife says - WyoFile
Timothy Allen Smith lived with his wife in Star Valley Ranch. The 53-year-old pilot was on a multiday hiking, fishing and camping trip when flooding swept through the Grand Canyon.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 17/09/2026
OPINION: Built the ‘Wyoming Way,’ data centers could bolster economic development and help support our state’s existing energy industries, writes the Wyoming Driven Innovation advisory board. #wyomingnews #datacenters #economicdevelopment
wyofile.com
Opinion | Wyoming is the ideal state for tech facilities
Built the ‘Wyoming Way,’ data centers could bolster economic development and help support our state’s existing energy industries, writes the Wyoming Driven Innovation advisory board.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 17/09/2026
FFeeding Laramie Valley has lost grants, shed positions and discontinued programs in the turbulent era that began with DOGE. #wyomingnews #foodinsecurity #doge
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Devastated by DOGE, Wyoming food nonprofit navigates new funding landscape - WyoFile
Feeding Laramie Valley lost grants, shed positions and discontinued programs in the last two years. As the program focuses on survival, Wyoming food insecurity grows.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 17/09/2026
Douglas debates allowing automated surveillance system plus agreement to share data with state law enforcement. Nearby Glenrock pushes pause on Flock contract renewal while Flock cameras are vandalized in Jackson. #wyomingnews #flockcameras #lawenforcement
wyofile.com
Two neighboring Wyoming towns diverge over controversial automated license plate readers  - WyoFile
Douglas debates allowing automated surveillance system plus agreement to share data with state law enforcement. Nearby Glenrock pushes pause on Flock Contract renewal while Flock cameras are vandalize...
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 16/09/2026
A new lawsuit accuses the TD Ameritrade founder’s former agent and a Star Valley developer of conspiring to run up costs, rig appraisals and falsely suggest that the U.S. Forest Service was interested in a land trade. #wyomingnews #billionaire #landswap
wyofile.com
Wyoming billionaire Joe Ricketts alleges he was defrauded out of $34 million in failed federal land swap - WyoFile
New lawsuit contends that TD Ameritrade founder’s former agent and a Star Valley developer conspired to run up costs, rig appraisals and falsely suggest that the U.S. Forest Service was interested in ...
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 16/09/2026
OPINION: Wyoming voters rejected the Freedom Caucus during the primary and sent most of its members packing. If that can happen, columnist Kerry Drake asks why Wyoming’s electorate can’t rise up and refuse to send Harriet Hageman and Chuck Gray to do President Trump’s bidding.
wyofile.com
Opinion | Wyoming can still deny Trump his cronies in Congress
The president has bribed voters, pledged to ‘cheat like hell’ and tried to ban mail-in ballots, opines columnist Kerry Drake. Why should that earn him GOP loyalty?
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 16/09/2026
The controversial hydroelectric project has sparked an outpouring of criticism from local wildlife and fisheries advocates. Some say they're hopeful BLM's pending review might reshape what they see as a threat to Wyoming's recreational economy and culture. #wyomingnews #environmentalimpact
wyofile.com
Seminoe pumped-water storage critics cheer news that BLM will perform additional analysis - WyoFile
The pending review appears to allow for more local and expert considerations regarding the controversial project that threatens wildlife and fisheries, concerned residents say.
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WyoFile @wyofile.com · 15/09/2026
Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said her Democratic counterparts ‘moved the goal posts’ after the bill’s backers met their demands. Lummis has been a key advocate for the legislation, which would have created a new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency. #wyomingnews #cryptoregulation #cryptonews
wyofile.com
Lummis blasts Democrats after Senate blocks cryptocurrency regulation she long touted - WyoFile
Wyoming’s junior senator said her Democratic counterparts ‘moved the goal posts’ after the bill’s backers met their demands.
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