An independent, reader-funded, non-profit news organization focused on the people, places, and policy of Wyoming. Send tips to editor@wyofile.com. ✉️ Newsletters: https://wyofile.com/newsletter-signup 📱 Mobile App: https://onelink.to/sadwq2https://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mupuxznaxs2aA pastor whose sermon encouraging Native peoples to turn away from their traditional ways stirred anger on the Wind River Reservation is seeking stalking protection orders against some church protesters. A judge will weigh the matter on Tuesday. #wyomingnews #pastorsarahlucas #windriver https://wyofile.com/wind-river-church-leader-seeks-stalking-orders-against-protesters-amid-04 Sep 2026 21:13 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupuxznaxs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mupgif6tlc2aA new film offers a unique perspective into the lives of bison: from the animals themselves. The documentary, which will be shown at the Smithsonian, uses footage from cameras affixed to their necks. #wyomingnews #bison #smithsonian https://wyofile.com/bison-become-cinematographers-in-new-documentary/04 Sep 2026 16:53 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupgif6tlc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mupatvpjqc26OPINION: The Seminoe Pumped Storage Project is a bad project in a bad location and a bad deal for Wyoming, writes guest columnist Bralli Clifford. Among other things, it threatens the Ferris-Seminoe bighorn sheep herd, one of Wyoming’s great wildlife success stories. #wyomingnews #seminoreservoir https://wyofile.com/some-places-in-wyoming-are-too-important-to-gamble-with/04 Sep 2026 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupatvpjqc26https://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mup7ji75ws2aThe crew that spawned from a 2025 effort to bolster understaffed USFS districts in Wyoming post-DOGE cleared trees and dug trails this summer, and still has two hitches to go. This photo montage shows the arresting transformation the auxiliary crew can have on overgrown trails. #wyomingnews https://wyofile.com/80-trail-miles-700-downed-trees-wyoming-forest-corps-brings-muscle-to-maintenance-backlog/04 Sep 2026 14:49 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mup7ji75ws2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3munjxgdddk2aNationwide, agency staffing has dropped by 36% since the Trump administration took over, and wildlife refuges, already debilitated by scant resources, continue to lose employees. “That hasn't improved,” a refuge advocate said. “How could it, if you lose 35% of your staff nationwide?” #wyomingnews https://wyofile.com/u-s-fish-and-wildlife-staff-tumbles-by-a-quarter-in-director-brian-nesviks-home-state-of-wyoming/03 Sep 2026 22:50 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3munjxgdddk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mun46qya222aThe rattlesnakes of Sinks Canyon: Some lack rattles, others den alone but shed their skins with friends.03 Sep 2026 18:44 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mun46qya222ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mumuysnlgc2zOPINION: Our understanding of wildfires in the West grows as we live alongside them, writes columnist Walt Gasson. https://wyofile.com/waiting-on-smores-until-the-danger-subsides/03 Sep 2026 16:35 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumuysnlgc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mumqmskr322aA legislative panel voted this week against repealing the tax altogether, marking a shift in a years-long effort to revamp the state’s tax system. Meanwhile, only 44% of eligible homeowners took advantage of a recently adopted exemption. #wyomingnews #propertytaxreform https://wyofile.com/wyoming-lawmakers-change-course-on-property-tax-reform-amid-signs-of-waning-support/03 Sep 2026 15:17 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumqmskr322ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mumnkrndyk2aOne of the most likely spots in Wyoming to spot a prairie rattler — Sinks Canyon — has never been studied until now. University of Idaho researcher Emily Martin’s scientific inquiry found a unique population full of quirky traits. #wyomingnews #wyomingwildlife https://wyofile.com/the-rattlesnakes-of-sinks-canyon-some-lack-rattles-others-den-alone-but-shed-their-skin-with-friends/03 Sep 2026 14:22 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumnkrndyk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mul2u65krc2aData center developers pitched local control to a packed room during a county commissioner meeting regarding a proposed $500 million campus near Casper. Residents had questions about water rights, pollution and local control. From Oil City News #datacenters #wyomingnews https://wyofile.com/pitching-940-acre-data-center-prometheus-hyperscale-asks-natrona-county-to-bypass-state-review/02 Sep 2026 23:14 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mul2u65krc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mukwhdhn2s2aImproved staffing across Wyoming correctional facilities allowed the Wyoming Department of Corrections to bring 240 inmates back from a Mississippi prison, where they were sent in 2023, according to WDOC Director Dan Shannon. #wyomingnews #departmentofcorrections https://wyofile.com/wyoming-stops-housing-inmates-in-mississippi-prison-thanks-to-improved-staffing/02 Sep 2026 21:56 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukwhdhn2s2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mukepbc4t22bOPINION: Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon was upset at the U.S. Justice Department’s aggressive attempt to monitor the state’s primary election at Cheyenne polling places. Columnist Kerry Drake asks why Secretary of State Chuck Gray defended an action opposed in the GOP’s platform. #wyomingnews #elections https://wyofile.com/wyoming-doesnt-want-federal-government-interfering-in-state-elections/02 Sep 2026 16:38 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukepbc4t22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mukb6orfgc23When Wyoming is in your soul, what art does it produce? For writers Nicholas Trandahl, Maria Kelson and K.J. Gillenwater, who were featured in a Friday panel in Lander, the answer is as expansive as the state’s skyline. #wyomingnews #wyomingwriters #equalitystate https://wyofile.com/redwoods-emdr-sci-fi-robots-wyoming-writers-share-inspiration-and-process/02 Sep 2026 15:35 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukb6orfgc23https://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3muk4devymc23Though a panel declined to sponsor legislation, calls are growing among economic development officials to loosen Wyoming's regulations to allow for "third-party" electrical generation providers. #wyomingnews #economicdevelopment #rockymountainpower https://wyofile.com/economic-growth-is-stunted-in-wyoming-due-to-lack-of-electrons-industrial-customers-say/02 Sep 2026 14:08 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3muk4devymc23https://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mui2bkhfmc2nRíhanna Kelver, a transgender woman facing charges after drawing a gun on a man who pushed her to the ground, is not immune from prosecution, a judge ruled. Kelver’s threatened use of deadly force wasn’t reasonable under the circumstances, the judge stated. #wyomingnews #standyourground https://wyofile.com/judge-rejects-trans-womans-immunity-request-in-laramie-gun-case-that-sparked-stand-your-ground-debate/01 Sep 2026 18:26 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mui2bkhfmc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3muhymbqugc2nOPINION: Rescinding the regulatory definition of ‘harm’ opens the door to degradation of habitat species need to survive, writes Ted Williams. #wyomingnews #endageredspeciesact #wyomingwildlife https://wyofile.com/trump-administrations-gutting-of-endangered-species-act-could-legalize-extinction/01 Sep 2026 17:56 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhymbqugc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3muhp4lbyg22nMilanii Engavo Sojos dropped out of school, became a teen mom and almost lost herself in partying and violence. Since leaving the reservation, she has doubled down on higher education and is now a CNA in Gillette. #wyomingnews #windriverreservation https://wyofile.com/from-clashes-to-care-fort-washakie-mom-finds-way-out-of-troubled-path/01 Sep 2026 15:06 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhp4lbyg22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3muhm4liczk2nAs drought and over-allocation of Colorado River water shock the West, two suits raise serious questions about irrigation in Wyoming and state plans to build a new dam and reservoir in Carbon County. #wyomingnews #coloradoriverplan #drought https://wyofile.com/colorado-river-drought-lawsuits-may-dampen-wyoming-dam-plans/01 Sep 2026 14:13 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhm4liczk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mufwl7m42c2nKenneth Durrah died naked and strapped to a restraint chair in the Campbell County Jail. In a lawsuit filed Monday, nearly four years after his death, his family alleges deputies used excessive force and ignored his medical needs. #wyomingnews https://wyofile.com/family-sues-campbell-county-sheriffs-employees-over-inmates-death/31 Aug 2026 22:15 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufwl7m42c2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mufregxdjs2nRuling notes that while a motion to dismiss was granted, the court did not determine whether the sheriff has authority to enter into such agreements without county commissioners’ approval. #wyomingnews #287agreements #ice https://wyofile.com/judge-dismisses-lawsuit-challenging-laramie-county-sheriffs-287g-agreements-with-ice/31 Aug 2026 20:41 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mufregxdjs2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3muf62piyds2cWyoming women laid out a model for nationwide suffrage and didn’t stop lobbying and organizing until their right was secured, write WyoHistory.org editors Leslie Waggener and Kylie McCormick. #wyomingnews #america250 #equalitystate https://wyofile.com/roses-carnations-and-a-vote-that-took-50-years/31 Aug 2026 14:56 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3muf62piyds2chttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mueynlnsok2nSix students at a Lusk prison graduated with University of Wyoming bachelor’s degrees earlier this month. They were the first group to reach this milestone under a program that offers higher education to incarcerated people. https://wyofile.com/i-made-a-promise-to-myself-how-higher-education-is-transforming-lives-in-wyoming-prisons/31 Aug 2026 13:19 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mueynlnsok2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mu3duemffc27Ríhanna Kelver, a transgender woman and vocal trans rights activist, faces felony charges after drawing a gun on a man who had pushed her to the ground. Citing higher levels of violence against trans people, her attorney is asking for self-defense immunity. https://wyofile.com/laramie-womans-case-sparks-debate-over-reasonable-use-of-force-under-wyomings-robust-stand-your-ground-law/27 Aug 2026 17:13 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu3duemffc27https://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mu2qxzzxak2nOPINION: Until the GOP stands up to Trump, columnist David Romtvedt writes, no Republican candidate will get his support. https://wyofile.com/democracy-in-my-county27 Aug 2026 11:35 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu2qxzzxak2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mu2qqhkkhk2nThe land, nestled in the Green River Basin between the Gros Ventre and Wind River ranges, has not seen livestock grazing since 2016, when Western Watersheds Project and other conservation organizations bought out the existing permit for grazing sheep. https://wyofile.com/judge-oks-cattle-grazing-on-controversial-bridger-teton-allotments-for-now/27 Aug 2026 11:31 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu2qqhkkhk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mu2q4fi26k2n"I can't point to any of the races where being opposed to data centers was a productive view," a Cheyenne politico said. #wyomingnews #wyomingelections #datacenters https://wyofile.com/how-did-data-center-skepticism-impact-elections-in-southeastern-wyoming/27 Aug 2026 11:20 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu2q4fi26k2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mtz6mlgce22nAs the state canvassing board met Wednesday in Cheyenne to certify the results of Wyoming’s primary elections, Gov. Mark Gordon raised concerns about what he described as “aggressive” and “irregular” conduct by DOJ officials observing the election last week. #wyomingnews #electionintegrity https://wyofile.com/gov-gordon-concerned-by-aggressive-doj-election-observers-during-wyomings-primary-election/26 Aug 2026 20:34 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtz6mlgce22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mtyzghduak2gOPINION: Many species could benefit from the new management rule enacted for grizzly bears, which incentivizes states, landowners and conservation groups to invest in recovery, writes guest columnist Jonathan Wood. https://wyofile.com/states-take-the-wheel-in-grizzly-recovery/26 Aug 2026 19:01 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtyzghduak2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mtyq4hcqtc2fOPINION: Wyoming’s Republican Party wasted its endorsement for governor on ideologue Brent Bien, columnist Kerry Drake writes, because it didn’t want to back state Sen. Eric Barlow, a more moderate candidate. #wyomingnews #electionresults https://wyofile.com/wyoming-gop-lost-power-credibility-with-wasted-bien-endorsement/26 Aug 2026 16:14 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtyq4hcqtc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/wyofile.com/post/3mtymsbifqc26From the Uinta County Herald: Court says petitioners failed to demonstrate how they were adversely affected by county’s approval of Prometheus Hyperscale’s flagship campus near Evanston. #datacenter #wyomingnews https://wyofile.com/judge-dismisses-citizens-request-for-data-center-permit-review/26 Aug 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:mcmjagdh4rrv5qgklslswvg4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtymsbifqc26