Wyoming Watch

On Saturday, Wyoming residents and visitors got to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime celebration at the Wyoming State Capitol for the nation's 250th birthday. The all-day event included a keynote speaker series, live music, dance performances, ceremonies, kids crafts and much more. This week on Wyoming Watch, local government and business reporter Alyssa Tolman presents just some of the highlights from t...

Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming, along with three local organizations, filed a lawsuit against Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak and the Laramie County Sheriff's Office over its controversial 287(g) agreements. The agreements allow certain deputies to enforce federal immigration laws under the supervision of ICE. The lawsuit alleges that Kozak broke three state laws when...

JoLynne "J.J." Lyon is a Utah-based author who grew up in Cheyenne. Her new book, released on May 1, titled "The Madres Deal," is about a detective named Shae Barcola, a woman with the power to make everyone around her tell the truth.   This week, Taylor Staples, our arts and entertainment reporter, spoke with Lyon about her new book.   Stick around until the end for a roundup of upcoming events i...

The Cowboy State is bolstering its rodeo reputation with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's recent development deal to relocate its national headquarters, the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and the Museum of the American Cowboy from Colorado Springs to Cheyenne. Estimates indicate the transition will bring $256.2 million to Laramie County, with a $15 million commitment from the state to support t...

Recently, the Laramie County Library has expanded its programs with the intent of improving local access to books and other library services. This includes the new rural access programs, telehealth access and the new Mobile Library that is set to begin serving the public later this month. This week on Wyoming Watch, Laramie County Library Executive Director Antonia Gaona and Marketing and Communic...

Cheyenne has been experiencing a rise in data center development for the past few years, and more projects are in development or being proposed. Due to a recent incident with members of the Cheyenne City Council being unaware a potential annexation on their agenda was for a data center, and with more and more developers eyeing the capital city as a premier destination for data centers, residents a...

Craig Johnson is a Wyoming author known for his long-running Longmire book series. The series features mystery-solving  Sheriff Walt Longmire, who's based in the fictional Absaroka County in Wyoming. Johnson's 22nd addition to the series, "The Brothers McKay," will be released on May 26. The book will revolve around Sheriff Walt Longmire investigating the murder of Pepper McKay, a widely disliked...

This year, one of Cheyenne's most well-known nonprofits, Day of Giving, will host its largest annual event for the first time without founder Greta Morrow, who passed away in November of last year. Morrow was often described as the heart and soul of the organization, which serves as a resource for other local nonprofits, collecting food, toiletries, clothing, cash and many other essentials that no...

A new immersive exhibit, Aloha Vaqueros, will be opening at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum on April 11, and remain up until Sept. 13. Aloha Vaqueros centers around the historical and cultural impacts of the Hawaiian paniolos and Mexican vaqueros, and how they paved the way for the American cowboy. The museum is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This week, Taylor Staples, our arts an...

Jeff Lippencott is the composer-in-residence for the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra's 71st season, "Celebrating America." CSO's last main concert of the season, "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue," is coming up on April 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cheyenne Civic Center. Lippencott was commissioned for multiple pieces throughout the season, including "American Patriot Hymn," which will make its world premiere...

Spring has only just begun, and yet Cheyenne is already seeing summer-like heat, with a record-breaking 83-degree day reinforcing a warm, dry pattern that has local meteorologists and water officials on alert.   This week, Alyssa Tolman, our local government/business reporter, spoke with a local meteorologist, a local weather department official and a local plant nursery manager to talk about how...

In February, Carrie Nix, a cardiac and pulmonary rehab manager at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, was nominated for Wyoming's first ever Go Red for Women: Woman of Impact campaign, which is hosted by the American Heart Association.    This week, Taylor Staples, our arts and entertainment reporter, spoke with Nix and Andrea Shipley, the development director for the American Heart Association in W...

On Wednesday, Air Force leaders celebrated the first completed military construction project for the Sentinel program. The project is expected to replace the U.S.'s more than 400 Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) with the new LGM-35 Sentinel ICBMs.    This week on WyomingWatch, our arts and entertainment reporter, Taylor Staples, speaks with our crime and public safety repor...

The Wyoming Highway Patrol has been experiencing extreme strain in the past several years, stemming from limited staffing, expansive patrol areas and low wages. Wyoming Highway Patrol Association President Lt. Matt Arnell hopes that recent wage increases for state employees passed by the Legislature will alleviate some of those stresses.    This week, crime and public safety reporter Ivy Secrest s...

The annual Delta Kappa Gamma Used Book Sale is a long-standing tradition in Cheyenne. More than 70 DKG volunteers are at the Frontier Mall every day organizing books to get ready for the opening of the sale's 42 nd  year next weekend. WTE Arts and Entertainment Reporter Taylor Staples spoke with longtime volunteers Kathie Selden and Nicole Kang about the sale and exactly what it takes to put it on...

The 68th Wyoming Legislature's budget session began Feb. 9. Several initiatives, such as the 2027-28 biennium budget and cellphone use in schools, have already been discussed – some for well over 10 hours.  This week, WTE crime and public safety reporter Ivy Secrest sat down with WTE freelance reporter Carrie Haderlie, who has been covering the legislative session at the Wyoming State Capitol.   S...

For the past several weeks, community members have fought against the Cheyenne City Council's administrative inspection warrants ordinance, which allow certain city officials to enter a property for safety or code-enforcement inspections when they are unable to get the property owner's permission. This week, WTE local government and business reporter Alyssa Tolman sat down with Cheyenne Mayor Patr...

This week, Ivy Secrest, our crime and public safety reporter, interviewed our state government reporter, Noah Zahn, about the Wyoming Legislature's upcoming Budget Session, which will begin on Monday.   Some of the bills going through the Legislature this month revolve around the state's budget, property taxes, election reform and the Rural Health Transformation Program.   Stick around until the e...

In recent weeks, local privacy advocates have begun a petition opposing the use of Flock Cameras in Cheyenne. Local law enforcement say the company's automated license plate recognition systems are a useful tool for developing leads and solving crime, but those opposed to the cameras say they violate privacy rights.    This week, WTE crime and public safety reporter Ivy Secrest sat down with Laram...

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins were in Cheyenne to meet with Wyoming veterans and hear some of their thoughts and concerns.    Our crime and public safety reporter, Ivy Secrest,   was at that meeting to hear what people had to say. This week on Wyoming Watch,  we're sharing some of those voices. Stick around until the end for a roundup of...

Last week on Wyoming Watch, we heard pro-choice advocate Dr. Rene Hinkle react to the Wyoming Supreme Court ruling that abortion will remain legal. This week, we hear the other side. WTE reporter Ivy Secrest speaks with Fred Harrison, the trial lawyer involved with Wyoming Right to Life who assisted in drafting the "Life is a Human Right Act" and who sees the ruling as an "abomination of free spee...

Earlier this week, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that abortion will remain legal in the state,  deeming two attempted bans unconstitutional. This week on Wyoming Watch, WTE reporter Ivy Secrest speaks with Dr. Rene Hinkle, an OB-GYN at Cheyenne Women's Clinic. Hinkle is one of the medical providers who is a plaintiff in this case that has been unfolding over since 2023. Stick around until the en...

This week, WTE reporter Noah Zahn speaks with WTE Managing Editor Brian Martin about the newsroom's top 10 news stories of 2025, from Laramie County Sheriff's Office's partnership with ICE to the potential abolishment of state property taxes. Stick around until the end for a roundup of upcoming events in the area and a recap of the top stories from the WTE newsroom over the past week.   New episod...

On Monday, WTE crime and public safety reporter Ivy Secrest and staff photographer Milo Gladstein witnessed several people detained for deportation during a ride-along with the Laramie County Sheriff's Office, following its new partnership with ICE. This week on Wyoming Watch, Ivy and Milo dive into what that experience was like. Stick around until the end for a roundup of upcoming events in the a...

On Wednesday night, a grass fire sparked south of Cheyenne .  With wind gusts reaching between 70 and 80 miles per hour, the flames spread quickly and burned a total of 56 5   acres  over just a few hours and led to the evacuation of nearby residents to South High School.   This week on the podcast, WTE local government reporter Alyssa Tolman speaks with Aaron Veldheer, who is the  chief deputy wi...