MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — The search continues for Yellowstone National Park employee Austin King, who went missing in the park last week. King, 22, was last heard from on Sept. 17, when he called friends and family from the summit of Eagle Peak. Since Saturday, 85 emergency personnel, two helicopters, a search dog team […]
Outdoors
Posted inEmergency
Yellowstone employee goes missing in park; search and rescue efforts begin
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — A search and rescue mission is underway at Yellowstone National Park, where a park employee was reported missing earlier this week. Austin King, 22, was last heard from on Sept. 17, when he called friends and family from the summit of Eagle Peak in the park’s remote southeast corner. A […]
Posted inOutdoors
A fruitless fall harvest attempt
By Mike Koshmrl Tens of thousands of Wyoming residents relish long days in the mountains every fall, a prime time of year for hiking, hunting and — when everything lines up — the harvest of wild game. I’ll fess up to being one of them. My cousin snapped this photo of my backside, a marvelous view […]
Posted inEmergency
La Bonte Fire now 72% contained as suppression, containment efforts continue
DOUGLAS, Wyo. — The La Bonte Fire, located south of Douglas, is now roughly 72% contained as it continues to burn across 3,484 acres. Recently, Wyoming Type 3 Incident Management Team 6 transferred command of the wildfire to a local Bureau of Land Management High Plains District Type 3 Incident Commander. As containment increases and […]
Posted inLatest News
Yellowstone releases video of July 4 officer-involved shooting
CASPER, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park released body camera footage from a July 4, 2024, officer-involved shooting at Canyon Village, according to a press release from the Park on Thursday. The briefing video shows the significant sections of the body cam footage from some of the involved law enforcement officers, in efforts to help community members gain a […]
Posted inNational Park
New Hampshire woman sustains thermal burns at Yellowstone National Park
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Monday afternoon, a 60-year-old woman visiting Yellowstone National Park from Windsor, New Hampshire, reportedly suffered second- and third-degree burns to her lower leg while walking in a thermal area near Mallard Lake Trailhead at Old Faithful. This incident is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024. According to a […]
Posted inCounty
County commissioners remove mining provisions from zoning codes, halt Prism Logistics gravel mine plans
CASPER, Wyo. — On Tuesday, the Natrona County Board of County Commissioners removed provisions allowing for mining along parts of Casper Mountain, effectively halting Prism Logistics’ current efforts to build a gravel pit in the Squaw Creek area at the base of the mountain. The decision came after community member Gregg Werger proposed an amendment […]
Posted inCounty
Resident aims to halt gravel mine with zoning change; public hearing Tuesday
CASPER, Wyo. — A Natrona County resident is hoping to halt Prism Logistics’ plans to build a gravel mine in the Squaw Creek area by changing the county’s zoning regulations. A public hearing on the matter will be held at the Natrona County Board of County Commissioners’ 5 p.m. meeting on Tuesday. County resident Gregg […]
Posted inOutdoors
Wyoming wildlife officials OK rancher payment plan for elk-eaten grass
By Mike Koshmrl DOUGLAS, Wyo. — Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners have OK’d a new compensation program that may resolve a sometimes-fiery debate over whether the state should pay livestock producers more for forage eaten off their rangeland by over-populated elk herds. The solution establishes criteria for payment eligibility based on the degree to which a local elk […]
Posted inWyoming
The fastest-ever climb of the Grand Teton, a record lost and a trails debate
By Katie Klingsporn When 32-year-old ultra runner Michelino Sunseri collapsed in exhaustion in the Lupine Meadows parking lot on the morning of Sept. 2, he thought he had just achieved an impossible dream. Sunseri had raced to the top of the iconic Grand Teton, slapped the pinnacle, then flown back down the chimneys, ledges, boulder fields […]
Posted inEmergency
Rocky Mountain Region receives millions to combat wildfire crisis
CASPER, Wyo. — In light of the many forest fires burning throughout Wyoming and neighboring states, it was recently announced that $100 million will be invested in projects that support the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. This is part of a robust plan to protect the most vulnerable communities, critical infrastructure and natural resources from […]
Posted inOutdoors
Hunters reminded to obtain conservation stamp before hunting
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently reminded hunters getting ready for their hunts that they must have a conservation stamp before heading afield this fall. Licensed hunters must possess a conservation stamp valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. Holders of a daily hunting license are exempt from this […]
Posted inLatest News
Edness Kimball Wilkins Park rolls out special beach mat
CASPER, Wyo. — Edness Kimball Wilkins State Park has acquired an accessible beach mat to enhance recreational opportunities, according to a press release. Mobi-Mat makes the heavy-duty portable ramp from 100% recycled polyester material, “to create a stable and durable surface over soft or unstable ground,” according to the press release. The ramp provides light- […]
Posted inWyoming
Tourism to Yellowstone National Park contributes $828 million to local economy
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — A new National Park Service report shows that 4.5 million visitors to Yellowstone National Park in 2023 spent roughly $623 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 8,560 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $828 million. “I’m so proud […]
Posted inWyoming
Off the pavement: Adaptive riders teach trail accessibility
By Katie Klingsporn FREMONT COUNTY, Wyo. — Joe Stone struggled momentarily with the chain latch as he closed the gate behind him. He held his hands up, and a time-keeper called out how long it took him to open, traverse and re-secure the swinging pipe fixture. “Forty-seven seconds,” Stone repeated. “That is actually pretty good. The […]
Posted inAnimals
Anthrax kills Wyoming moose, more than 50 cattle, for first time in decades
By Christine Peterson One moose and more than 50 cattle have died of anthrax in the past month in south-central Wyoming, officials confirmed Wednesday. Anthrax occurs naturally in soil but has not been documented in Wyoming in livestock since the 1970s and in wildlife since 1956. No humans have been infected, according to the Wyoming Department […]
Posted inCommunity
Study: Seasonal closures adversely affecting angler success in wild trout fishery near Cody
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Wildlife managers could look to shorten one of the longest-standing seasonal fishing closures statewide west of Cody, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The seasonal closure is for the North Fork of the Shoshone River and Buffalo Bill Reservoir, which support self-sustaining wild rainbow and Yellowstone cutthroat trout without stocking […]
Posted inEmergency
House Draw Fire losses reach $25 million and are likely to grow
By Joshua Wolfson The House Draw Fire caused an estimated $25 million in economic damage when it consumed nearly 175,000 acres of mostly private land in Johnson County, a preliminary evaluation found. That figure will almost certainly rise as ranchers in the fire’s path more fully assess their losses and livestock fall ill due to smoke […]
Posted inEmergency
Firefighters improve containment of Remington Fire
CASPER, Wyo. — Fire crews were hard at work battling the Remington Fire in northern Wyoming on Saturday, and the wildfire is now 81% contained, according to Bureau of Land Management reports. The Remington Fire, located 14 miles northeast of Leiter and spanning multiple counties in southeast Montana, covers 196,368 total acres. The fire was […]
Posted inOutdoors
Wildfires blacken key sage grouse, pronghorn habitat in northern Wyoming
By Christine Peterson Even some pronghorn, the fastest land mammals in North America, could not outrun the blazes burning across northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana. Wildlife biologists don’t have a final tally, but right now they’ve documented as many as 50 antelope died recently while trying to navigate fences to escape one of northern Wyoming’s four […]
Posted inState Government
Gordon signs executive orders to share resources for Wyomingites affected by wildfires
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Gov. Mark Gordon has signed two executive orders to assist agricultural producers impacted by the fires that have burned across northern Wyoming. He also renewed his commitment to support recovery efforts, including developing plans for thoughtful restoration of the landscape. The first order eases restrictions to transport loads of livestock feed and […]
Posted inCommunity
Delays on Togwotee Pass expected due to Fish Creek Fire suppression efforts
“As these trees burn they could fall onto the highway unexpectedly, creating a dangerous situation for the firefighters and public that might be travelling on the highway,” the incident command update said.
Posted inOutdoors
State wildfires making way for invasive plants
By Wyoming Weed and Pest Council CASPER, Wyo. — Over several weeks, wildfires have ravaged northeastern Wyoming, burning nearly half a million acres of land in the Cowboy State and Montana. State firefighters have made progress containing the flames, but the risk of new fires continues as summer rolls on. Data from the National Integrated […]