Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming! I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom, for Thursday, May 16th.

The Wyoming sheriff who is advertising his open deputy jobs with a billboard in the heart of Denver is being inundated with messages from potential new hires.

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak, based in Cheyenne, said he's heard from about 100 "contacts" or prospective hires in the past 24 hours since Cowboy State Daily reported on the billboard in a story that was picked up across the nation.

But Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that the mayor of Denver disputes the claims made on the billboard, saying that the city's police department is funded just fine, thank you very much.

"The Denver Mayor bristled at the billboard, pointing out that Denver Police make a lot more, especially in higher level positions. I mean, sometimes $30-$40,000 a year more than Laramie County Sheriff's deputies do. And just sort of pushing back on this idea that the cops are lacking funding there in Denver - there was an $8.4 million cut to the Department last month to address the city's migrant crisis. And the mayor is basically saying no, that's not defunding, we're just moving some things around and it's not actually hurting any officers."

Kozak said he believes that with Wyoming's generally lower cost of living, and the state's lack of income tax, agents on the northern side of the state line have "more money in their pocket" at the end of the day.

A Casper 17-year-old was charged with first-degree murder Wednesday in the shooting death of a local high school girl.

Cowboy State Daily's Dale Killingbeck reports that the teenager, identified only as E.C. in court documents, had reportedly bragged about wanting to have a "gun battle" with police.

"He was charged today, this afternoon, in Casper Circuit Court and listened intently as the judge read the charges of first degree murder and also a stalking charge against him. Bond was set at $1 million. And the prosecutor, in asking for the $1 million bond, said that a month ago he had been talking about some kind of shootout with police. So, the judge agreed and set bond at $1 million."

The judge did not mention the victim's name, Lenea Brown, which was released by the Natrona County Coroner's office earlier Wednesday.

The president of Rocky Mountain Power says their proposed $116.3 million electricity rate hike for Wyoming residents is due to increased inflation and coal market disruptions.

Cowboy State Daily's Pat Maio attended an information workshop hosted by RMP president Dick Garlish, who pointed out that this hike would be in addition to an 8.3% increase that went into effect Jan 1st.

"The President was telling me, Dick Garlish, that the inflation really hit them hard - like a grocery store or like the gas at the pump, you know, they've been hit hard by that. Plus, there's been a lot of disruptions in the coal market, there was a huge coal mine fire in Utah at the Lila Canyon mine that forced them to look elsewhere for coal. And because you're buying that coal, like on a spot market basis, the coal is gonna be a little bit higher."

Other RMP workshops are planned in Riverton and Rock Springs this week, and Cody on May 28.

The iconic sign for the historic Hitching Post Inn is going to find a new home at the Paul Smith Children's Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens.

Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean said the Gardens will be involved in efforts to restore the sign, which was the last remnant of a hotel known for decades as the Second Capitol of Wyoming.

"That's really a great location for