Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Thursday, July 31st. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - Brought to you by Cheyenne Frontier Days, who thanks everyone for another record‑breaking year. Mark your calendar for July 17 to 26, 2026 for the 130th Daddy of 'em All, celebrating the Year of the American Indian.

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The ambitions of Wyoming's emerging nuclear industry collided with the concerns of citizens at a Joint Minerals, Business & Economic Development Interim Committee hearing Wednesday.

Committee members discussed proposed legislation that could pave the way for manufacturers to build microreactors. The catch is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires manufacturers of microreactors to take back and store the spent fuel on site.

Cowboy State Daily's David Madison reports that the clash of opinions on the topic at Wednesday's meeting included raised voices and gavel banging.

"There's a lot of really sad and disturbing stories about past radioactive contamination. We had testimony from a member of the Northern Arapaho community who blames her breast cancer on uranium contamination in her community… And then at the same time, you had professionals who'd come out from the Department of Energy, who have the latest science, who have all the confidence in the world… I started covering this issue in the 1990s and it was a lot of deja vu that a lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same over the last 30 years, and Wyoming is really at the center of it."

Any decision on the legislation was tabled for now, and the issue will likely spill over into next year's legislative session.

Read the full story HERE.

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President Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated a state senator representing Laramie County to serve as the top federal prosecutor for Wyoming.

The selection of state Sen. Darin Smith of Cheyenne was lauded by Republicans statewide. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that, as top federal prosecutor in the state, Smith would be responsible for prosecuting federal crimes statewide, including all crimes that happen within national parks, and nearly all felony-level crimes that happen on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

"Wyoming's entire Republican delegation voiced support, saying he's a great pick. In his interview with me, he promised to be tough on violent crimes, tough on immigration related crimes, tough on any chance to curb a suspicious foreign adversary encroachment into Wyoming. He also said he doesn't want to do what he called frivolous prosecution… having worked in media on the reservation for nearly a decade now, I tried to, I sought to pin him down on whether he will seek better policing transparency on the reservation than we currently have. That's dismal at best. And he said he will seek transparency without sabotaging investigations."

Smith must get confirmed by the U.S. Senate before he officially becomes U.S. Attorney for Wyoming.

Read the full story HERE.

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A Laramie County fire chief and his wife made their first appearances Wednesday on charges that they allegedly imprisoned and starved their 13-year-old adopted son.

Darrick Mittlestadt and his wife, Angela, posted bond and were released from custody. Cowboy State Daily's Dale Killingbeck reports that the pair face charges of aggravated child abuse and conspiracy to commit aggravated child abuse, with prosecutors alleging that they blocked the door of their now 13-year-old son's room and starved him from Sept. 1, 2023, to June 22, 2025.