Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Tuesday, November 11th. I'm Mac Watson. This newscast is "Brought to you by the University of Wyoming Center on Aging. Did you know that 1 in 3 Wyoming adults have pre-diabetes, and most don't realize it? Are you tough enough to know your numbers? Take the quiz at: Find Out WY dot org."

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Cody Roberts, the Daniel, Wyoming, man accused of running over a wolf with a snowmobile, bringing it into a bar, then shooting it, pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty Monday. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Roberts appeared virtually in court, answering the judge's questions with polite but short responses.

"In felony cases in Wyoming, pretty much always we see them plead not guilty at that first arraignment, and that's because it gives them time to

prepare for trial if they're going to trial or negotiate if they're going for a plea agreement. And so you usually don't plead anything other than a not guilty variation, just to give that breathing room if it's a felony."

Sweetwater County District Court Judge Richard Lavery appeared via a virtual link from his seat in Green River. He told Roberts that if a jury convicts him or gives a variation of a guilty plea, he could lose his second amendment and voting rights. Under the animal cruelty felony, Roberts could also face up to two years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines.

Read the full story HERE.

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President Trump on Friday pardoned mountain runner Michelino Sunseri, who was convicted of using a closed trail in Grand Teton National Park during a record-setting trail run. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Wyoming Representative Harriet Hageman had called this case government overreach.

"This is interesting, because we saw Troy Lake, the diesel mechanic, pardoned Friday. And then now we're finding out Michelino, his pardon Friday. This was Hageman's little cause, whereas Troy lake was Lummis' cause all along, Lummis came out swinging for him. This one was more Hageman's. She was calling this overzealous prosecution. She was wanting to investigate this as a case of prosecutors getting too big for their britches. And then Trump went ahead and pardoned him on Friday."

On Sept. 2, 2024, Sunseri set a new Grand Teton speed record, ascending and descending the mountain in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 10 seconds—almost three minutes faster than the previous record. Days later, Wyoming-based federal prosecutors charged him with a crime for running on a "restricted" social trail.

Read the full story HERE.

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Wyoming ranchers have been calling for investigations of large meat packers for decades, and are cheering President Trump's move to do that. Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that ranchers are saying the system is broken and Congress needs to change the laws.

"The fix is better competition. If we could sell meat across state lines, ranches could develop their own brands, they could sell direct to consumer. That would have an immediate competitive impact in the market, because people have choices. More choices than they have now, tends to help bring prices down, because people have to compete. When you only have four companies doing everything, how much competition is there really, you know, and it makes the more, the fewer players you have, the more likely it is that they'll kind of nudge, nudge, wink, wink, and just never raise their prices."

President Donald Trump is calling for an