Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Friday, October 10th. I'm Mac Watson, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily news center… "Brought to you by the Wyoming Business Council. Wyoming youth are our future, but they're leaving the state at ALMOST TWICE the national average. What would bring them back home? Share your bold ideas with the Wyoming Business Council at wbc dot P U B forward slash story."

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In an interview with Cowboy State Daily's Jackson Walker, the Evanston, Wyoming, Mayor Kent Williams on Thursday confirmed that the city plans to discontinue the use of its gas chamber to euthanize animals.

"Evanston, Wyoming was the only remaining city in the US to still use a gas chamber…the mayor actually told Cowboy State daily that they are going to disband the use of their chamber…This decision is a huge win for animal advocates who felt that the use of a gas chamber to euthanize animals was cruel and inhumane. Now, Chief of Police, Mike Vrainish told Cowboy State daily, however, he still feels that the gas chamber was a humane way to treat animals, especially given the alternative of a lethal injection."

The move by the city of Evanston comes after a unanimous Tuesday decision by the Green River City Council to ban the use of its chamber.

Read the full story HERE.

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The Outdoors Heritage Coalition, a Montana-based sportsmen's group, and two legislators have filed a lawsuit against the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Outdoors Reporter Mark Heinz reports some hunters and lawmakers are saying if Montana doesn't loosen wolf hunting and trapping restrictions, the predators can't be killed fast enough to put a significant dent in the state's wolf population.

"We reported previously that a lot of people bulked over their proposal to up the the kill quota for the hunting and trapping season this year in Montana, up to 500 they settled. They lowered a little bit to 452, but now there's kind of a counter suit, an actual lawsuit has come out to Montana legislate legislators and then a a Sportsman's Coalition group up there are suing the state, saying that the regulations are too restrictive, and they need to be able to kill more wolves faster in order to get the population knocked down. And Montana is sitting the best estimates right around, maybe just shy of 1100 wolves right now."

The lawsuit is the latest move in ongoing disputes over Montana's wolf management policies.

Read the full story HERE.

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A man accused of conspiring with his friend to kill a 23-year-old Big Piney man with a compound bow back in February agreed last week to plead guilty to a lesser charge than the one filed against him seven months earlier. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports this means the death penalty is off the table for the 19-year old defendant.

"Prosecutor dropped his pursuit of the death penalty so he was facing life in prison, and rather than go to trial, he struck a plea agreement last week in which the prosecutor would drop that down to the second degree conspiracy, which is 20 to life, and the the prosecutor and the defense attorney would agree on a 54 to life recommendation."

Orion Schlesinger was charged in February with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, which is punishable by life in prison or the death penalty, and with felony theft, which is punishable by up to 1