Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming, for Thursday, June 6th. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - presented by Cheyenne Frontier Days. From sun-up to sun-down - there's something for everyone! Check it out at C-F-D RODEO DOT COM!!

The town of Thermopolis on Tuesday cleared a police sergeant of wrongdoing and returned him from administrative duty to full duty, more than a year after the sergeant broke into a suspect's home and triggered a fatal shootout.

Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that although Sgt. Mike Mascorro broke into the Thermopolis home of Buck Laramore without a warrant April 28, 2023, the town of Thermopolis elevated Mascorro back to full duty Wednesday.

"The illegal entry opinion from the special prosecutor that oversaw this case sparked quite a bit of public debate and protests in the town of Thermopolis. Essentially, its mayor and attorney said, we disagree with the special prosecutor's opinion on this case, and we disagree that he entered illegally. We think he had exigent circumstances that justified him breaking into that home."

Wyoming's Peace Officers and Standards Training, or POST, had investigated Mascorro before the shooting and cleared him of wrongdoing in other controversial incidents. After investigating again following last April's shooting, POST did not revoke Sgt. Mascorro's certification.

A rare white bison calf was born late Tuesday in Yellowstone National Park. Wildlife photographer Erin Braaten told outdoors reporter Mark Heinz that she was there at just the right time to practically witness the calf's birth in Yellowstone's famed and wildlife-rich Lamar Valley.

"I talked to the lady. She and her family, they come from Kalispell, Montana, they're one of those Yellowstone regulars, they come two or three times a year. On the road, she saw something that was off color, and lo and behold, it was a White Bison calf that had just been born. So she got some good photos that she sent to us."

Braaten said she has Native American heritage, and the birth of a white Bison calf has profound meaning - it's a symbol of hope.

The High Country Suites in Pinedale — known to locals as the Haliburton Hotel — was sold to billionaire Joe Ricketts last month, just after his purchase of White Pines Ski Resort.

Ricketts, who founded the stock trading firm Ameritrade and owns the Chicago Cubs, has drawn criticism from locals, according to Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean.

"He's pushing a controversial 230,000 square foot resort in the Hoback valley near Bondurant. The resort has drawn criticism from residents of the valley, he's been buying up property in the valley - every time someone sells he buys it up, kind of buying out his neighbors. Many of his neighbors still recall his proposal to rename Bondurant to Little Jackson Hole some years back, so he didn't make any friends with that particular proposal."

Plans for the hotel are unclear at this point. Timing of the sale suggests the hotel purchase could eventually be linked with Ricketts' plans for the 363-acre White Pine Ski & Summer Resort.

I'll be back with more news, right after this.

The Campbell County School District is considering a new rule that targets students who switch schools for athletic participation with potentially the toughest policy in Wyoming. The proposal would require any student who switches schools to sit out a year of varsity sports competition before playing for their new school.

As Cowboy State Daily's Leo Wolfson reports, in certain sports, a single player can make a monumental difference in determining a team's succes