Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming, for Thursday, May 22nd. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - Brought to you by the Wyoming Community Foundation, who asks you to give back to the place you call home. "5 to thrive" is YOUR opportunity to leave a legacy for generations to come. Support the community nonprofits you care about with a gift through the Wyoming Community Foundation. Visit wycf.org to learn more.

A pair of controversial wind projects that promise to spread out over more than 180,000 acres in Niobrara and Converse counties has deeply divided these eastern Wyoming communities, locals say.

The projects were approved 4-1 last month by the Wyoming State Land Board. But a town meeting hosted by Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray showcased the opposing views on these green energy projects. Cowboy State Daily's Greg Johnson was at the meeting.

"The people here are pretty upset, and to the point that a former commissioner said that… friendships are ending over this. The people…that you know they don't help each other out the way they did because of their stances on… these wind projects. And the big issue, it seems like, in addition to some people just being against… wind, because wind is subsidized and it competes with our legacy fossil fuels… they're divided over the property rights issues… I talked to a guy who is a fourth generation rancher… he said that this will just destroy the value of his land. It'll destroy his view. He held up a picture of the view he has, which is an amazing view, but he said it'll just be full of turbines if it goes through."

Throughout the meeting, some in the audience expressed frustration with Gov. Mark Gordon for his voting for the project, and Gray elaborated, saying the governor is, quote, "out of touch" with Wyomingites.

Read the full story HERE.

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The Wyoming Democratic Party's chair of eight years is leaving his position to take a role with a nationwide group that supports state Democratic parties.

Party Chair Joe Barbuto is stepping down from his seat Thursday, to begin a new role with the Association of State Democratic Committees. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that the last eight years have seen quite a few changes for Wyoming Democrats under Barbuto's leadership.

"What really came out, as he was recounting those eight years, is what a wild ride it's been for Democrats in Wyoming. They lived to see their own, revere Liz Cheney as a hero for standing up to Trump, which I think a lot of Wyoming Democrats would never have predicted. They lived to see the alleged infiltration of their ranks by far right operatives… And you know, when I interviewed his vice chair, who's going to be acting chair while he's out, and before the election in June, she was like a lot of what we do is just letting Democrats know that they're not alone, that they should organize, that they should gather, that they're not some freak breed out there in rural Wyoming."

O'Doherty told Cowboy State Daily she knows of potential candidates for the chairmanship, but declined to name them Wednesday. Elections will be held June 1 in Rock Springs.

Read the full story HERE.

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Three Wyoming counties ar