Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming, for Friday, August 30. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - brought to you by ServeWyoming - Wyoming's center for volunteerism and AmeriCorps service for the last 30 years! For volunteer opportunities, visit ServeWyoming dot org"

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Dr. Eric Cubin filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming against Governor Mark Gordon for forcing him off the Wyoming Board of Medicine in April.

Gordon pushed him off because of Cubin's public support of a law banning transgender medical treatments and surgeries on minors. Cowboy State Daily's Leo Wolfson reports that the Liberty Justice Center, a nonprofit advocacy group representing Cubin on a pro bono basis, is arguing that Gordon infringed on Cubin's First Amendment rights through retaliation.

"This all came in response to Cubin actively lobbying state lawmakers on a bill that prevents medical providers from providing transgender treatments and surgeries to minors in Wyoming. Cubin had been advocating in support of this bill while he was actively a member of the Board of Medicine. Gordon thought that was inappropriate and a conflict of interest, so he forced him to resign off the board. So now Cubin is suing."

The Liberty Justice Center is requesting a court order reinstating Cubin to the board.

Read the full story HERE.

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The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report Wednesday on a plane crash in northern Wyoming in late July that killed all seven on board, including three members of the popular gospel music group, the Nelons.

Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that the pilot told the Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center that he'd lost his autopilot function, as the plane performed sharp right and left turns while climbing and dropping through the air about 12 miles northeast of Recluse, Wyoming, the afternoon of July 26.

"It's not sounding exactly like the expert analysis that we got very, very early on, where… a crash investigator was saying that the plane was pitching up and down and possibly shedding parts. It's sounding rather like the plane started looping or zigzagging left and right while climbing and falling moments before it hit the ground… the preliminary report said that one witness saw the plane barrel roll before it hit the ground. The pilot declared an emergency. The control tower was saying things like, oh, you know, here's the altitude guidelines. Where do you need to land? What do you need? Do you need help? And then they lost contact."

Three members from the Gospel Hall of Fame quartet The Nelons died in the crash, as did the pilot and three other people on board.

Read the full story HERE.

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It's been more than 16 months since 30 tons of ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in explosives in Wyoming coal mines, left Cheyenne's Dyno Nobel factory on the western edge of the city April 1