Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming, for Thursday, June 27th. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - Presented by Cheyenne Frontier Days - starting July 19th, from sun-up to sun-down - there's something for everyone! Check it out at C-F-D RODEO DOT COM!

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Catastrophic hailstorms haven't been kind to solar developers, and insurance companies have noticed. Premiums to insure the large solar projects planned for Wyoming's Hail Alley - the region primarily in the southeast and east-central part of the state - continue to rise, according to energy reporter Pat Maio.

"What I found interesting was a conversation I had with a London based insurance company that says nobody has gotten to the point yet where they can predict the financial impact that a hailstone greater than two inches can have on a solar panel… a lot of these developers are starting to talk upfront about their insurance costs, when they're looking for financing to basically build these farms. So if you don't have your insurance all lined up, you know, early on, you're probably not going to get financing is what he was saying."

Today, most claims surpass $100 million, with that payout not near enough to cover the total cost of hail-damaged equipment.

Read the full story HERE.

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The California man arrested Tuesday for allegedly killing two people during a brazen 2015 daytime robbery in downtown Cheyenne actually broke the years-long cold case himself by telling inconsistent stories about his alleged alibi.

That's what court documents say about 68 year old Douglas Smith, who is charged with shooting and killing 76 year old George Manley and 67 year old Dwight Brockman. Cowboy State Daily's Leo Wolfson reports that the murders occurred while Smith was allegedly robbing The Coin Shop in downtown Cheyenne.

"There was many kind of inconsistencies in Smith's story from when he originally called 911 on the murder that took place at the coin shop in downtown Cheyenne. There was lots of things that didn't quite add up with Smith's story, including the timing of the events and where he was in relation to the supposed suspect that he saw in the shop, that also threatened him, supposedly, with a handgun."

Smith is facing life in prison for his alleged role in the double homicide.

Read the full story HERE.

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A 15-year-old co-defendant accused of slamming 14-year-old Bobby Maher to the ground outside the Eastridge Mall and holding him down while another teen stabbed Maher to death has pleaded not guilty.

Cowboy State Daily's Dale Killingbeck reports that Dominique Harris entered the plea Wednesday in Natrona County District Court.

"His attorney is saying that, while they pleaded not guilty, he's reserving an opportunity to plead not guilty by reason of mental illness or deficiency, based on some school records he was investigating. So the trial is scheduled for September, but the judge said that's just tentative for now."

Harris' co-defendant, Jarreth Plunkett, was arraigned June 21 and pleaded both not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental illness or deficiency to the four charges he faces, including first-degree murder.

Read the full story HERE.

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During a Wednesday morning rally in Washington, D