Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming, for Friday, July 26th. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - brought to you by Wyoming Senior Olympics, reminding you that this year's Summer Olympics start July 31st in Cheyenne - and volunteers are needed! Become a volunteer today at Wyoming senior Olympics dot org.

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The body of a man found wrapped in a tarp and left at the Mirror Lake Recreation Area in Albany County, Wyoming, in early July has been identified as a 56-year-old Colorado man whose death is being investigated as a homicide.

Cowboy State Daily's Jen Kocher reports that the former "John Doe" who was found with no identification has been identified as James Bitner of Blackhawk, Colorado.

"Law enforcement are being very tight lipped in this case. And that's not uncommon, but it's very tight lipped. And I do know, there weren't any details that either the coroner or sheriff would share about this case at all, except about how the body was identified, and that was through his fingerprints. I will tell you, there's a lot going on here in terms of the agencies involved. They have Wyoming State Police, Albany County Sheriff, and they also have three agencies in Colorado, including their state police."

The discovery of Bitner's body over the Fourth of July weekend shut down the popular Snow Range picnic and fishing site near the base of Medicine Bow Peak for two days as law enforcement investigated the scene.

Read the full story HERE.

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A campaign organization run by former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney has been actively paying into and receiving donations through a Democratic fundraising platform this year.

Cowboy State Daily's Leo Wolfson reports that the mission of her group, named "Our Great Task," is to unite Republicans, Democrats and Independents in a combined effort to ensure that, quote, "Donald Trump and those who have enabled him are defeated."

"Our Great TAsk has been utilizing a Democrat fundraising platform called Act Blue… Act Blue basically acts as kind of an intermediate, like middleman to allow people to kind of donate to her group and other groups through them… what's interesting, though, is Act Blue is really solely dedicated to the Democratic campaigns."

Cheney was Wyoming's congresswoman from 2017-2023, rising to the No. 3 position in the Republican caucus, before losing that role due to her opposition of Trump.

Read the full story HERE.

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A Utah man who worked as a concessionaire employee in Yellowstone National Park was sentenced Tuesday to five years' probation for making threats one day after a fatal shootout in the same park.

Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that 55-year-old Robert Sherman of Holladay, Utah, was overheard making threatening statements referencing another mass shooting at the Roosevelt area of the Park, the day after a Xanterra employee was shot and killed in Canyon V