Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Tuesday, July 8th. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - Brought to you by Cheyenne Frontier Days. Ten days of rodeo thrills, Xtreme Bulls, live concerts, carnival rides, western heritage, and unforgettable cowboy spirit in Cheyenne, Wyoming! Don't miss the 129th Daddy of 'Em all July 18-27th.

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Lucas Goodeill and his cousin Skyler Tomlinson, both 18, were out on Beck Lake in Cody on an inflatable raft on the afternoon of July 4 when a thunderstorm swept them into the water. A stranger onshore who saw them go in acted quickly and saved their lives.

Lucas' mother doesn't know the name of the man who saved her son's life. But she told Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi that wherever he is, she has a simple message for him - thank you.

"One of those afternoon thunderstorms swept in, and it caused the placid waters to get really choppy. So these guys, they're in a inflatable raft that capsized, and they, these are 18 year old kids. They're strong, they're good swimmers, and they were barely able to keep themselves afloat… And then this mystery man, he had been shouting encouragement at them from the shore. Then he grabbed two life vests from his canoe. He dove in, he swam to them, got the life vest to them, and then he pulled them to shore… so we don't know who this guy is, but the mother of one of the two teens, she wanted to send her deepest thanks, because she said she's a widow, and this is her only son."

Jeanne acknowledged that the boys should have been wearing life jackets when they were on Beck Lake, and that lesson has been learned. They picked up new life jackets over the weekend.

Read the full story HERE.

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Bethany Wheeler was still shaken, but grateful, Monday, after her husband and father-in-law barely escaped a trailer home fire just south of Laramie late Friday.

The fire destroyed Dennis Wheeler's home and nearly all of his possessions. But Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that the devastation could have been much worse.

"They suspect that fireworks set a shed ablaze that was right next to a guy's trailer home. Trailer home went up, and I spoke with the family, I spoke to the daughter in law. She said her husband was able to get his dad out of there with just seconds to spare. She says pretty much right when they got out, the whole thing went up in flames… The guy completely lost his home and most of his possessions, but he is okay."

Although he escaped in time, Dennis, who is a disabled veteran, lost nearly everything. Bethany said she and her husband's children, as well as neighbor children, were terrified by the near-fatal fire, adding that none of the kids in the park want to celebrate the Fourth with fireworks anymore.

Read the full story HERE.

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Secretary of State Chuck Gray and the Wyoming Freedom Caucus say they aren't done pushing reforms to improve election integrity, above the raft of new laws that went into effect July 1.

Wyoming has already passed landmark reforms for election integrity, but more needs to be done. That's what Gray told Cowboy State Daily's Matthew Christian on Monday.

"Chuck Gray said he wanted to see pen and paper ballots and also