Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Thursday, January 22nd. I'm Mac Watson.

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The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday announced it's pausing criminal prosecutions of diesel "delete" procedures under the Clean Air Act. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that the DOJ's maneuver follows Trump's Nov. 7 pardon of Wyoming diesel delete mechanic Troy Lake.

"Trump's Department of Justice is halting its criminal prosecution of tampering with emissions devices under the Clean Air Act so that affects diesel mechanics across the country. You could still face civil penalties. What they're saying is, look, the Clean Air Act doesn't allow for criminal prosecutions in this area…CBS News reported that there are 20 ongoing investigations and multiple ongoing cases."

The DOJ "is exercising its enforcement discretion to no longer pursue criminal charges under the Clean Air Act based on allegations of tampering with onboard diagnostic devices in motor vehicles," so says a Wednesday post to social media platform X by the DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Read the full story HERE.

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A two-judge panel ruled Tuesday that the BLM violated the Clean Air Act in approving a 3,500-well project. Cowboy State Daily's David Madison reports that this affects Jonah Energy and could impact Wyoming's bottom line.

"For everyday Wyoming residents, this matters in that the Jonah Field has been a long revenue generator as far as taxes from generating a stream of revenue exporting natural gas, using natural gas to power utilities and all kinds of things. This was the next chapter in continuing what Jonah Field has meant to the economy, or at least the coffers of Wyoming State Government…What could this mean to the state's bottom line? It's that big a deal. We're talking about 3500 wells that are now in question. 140 something 1000 acres of development, really, Jonah kind of a standard bearer of natural gas development in the state."

Vice President of Jonah Energy, Paul Ulrich, tells Cowboy State Daily that "The impact to Wyoming is severe. Vacating this decision — and thus vacating our ability to develop a 3,500-well project that is the future of natural gas in Wyoming."

Read the full story HERE.

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Two helicopters slammed into each other Monday while trying to land near Parkman in Sheridan County during a Wyoming Game and Fish operation to capture mule deer.

"On Monday in Sheridan County, there was an incident where near a landing area or an assembly area, assembly area where they were doing a mule deer capture survey, these helicopters collided in the landing process. Luckily, from what I've been able to determine, nobody got hurt in a game and fish confirmed that there were no Game and Fish personnel directly involved with this."

According to the NTSB, a pair of Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters were both substantially damaged when they collided with each other on landing near Parkman, Wyoming.

Read the full story HERE.

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Park County School District 6 unanimously voted Tuesday to fire teacher and girls' basketball coach Sam Buck after two Title IX probes found misconduct with students. Cowboy State Daily's Kate Meadows reports that Buck denies the allegations and calls the process a flawed witch hunt.

"High school basketball coach