Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Thursday, May 14th. I'm Mac Watson.

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Wyoming's largest livestock marketing company sold 9,000 head of cattle in a special drought sale on Wednesday when it typically sells 400-700 head a week. Cowboy State Daily's Kate Meadows reports that the owner of Torrington Livestock Markets says ranchers are "droughted out."

"Lander Nicodemus is a co-owner of the Torrington Livestock Markets, and he said that this is really a historic year for drought. The ranchers are selling off parts of their herds because they can't feed their cattle. There's no grass. The grass isn't growing, and with the conditions as dry as they are, they're really in a tight spot, and don't have any choice but to sell so that the cattle can either go to a feed lot early or go to somewhere else where there is pasture."

May is normally a slow season at Torrington Livestock Markets, Wyoming's largest livestock marketing company. But on Wednesday, a special drought sale pushed 6,500 head through the barn while showing another 2,500 head through its Cattle Country video auction platform.

Read the full story HERE.

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Secretary of State Chuck Gray is asking Fremont County commissioners to take "immediate" steps to eliminate a race-based county voting district. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports Gray also sent a similar letter to Gov. Mark Gordon about Wyoming's lone race-based state House district.

"The planners of these districts were really emphasizing we got to concentrate a lot of Native Americans here because of the case law that reigned at that time. The Supreme Court did a little bit of a twist here last month, making it harder to justify race- based districts. And, you know, and so Secretary of State Chuck Gray went super bold in a letter and said these race-based districts are not allowed. They're unconstitutional."

Racial factors went into drawing the state Legislature's House District 33 in 2021. At that time, the relevant case law indicated a need to create a mostly Native American House district in the area of the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Read the full story HERE.

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A huge wind and solar project near Chugwater to generate 450 megawatts of wind and solar power was unanimously approved Wednesday by Platte County planners. Cowboy State Daily's Kate Meadows reports many residents showed up to express their opinions about the project.

"The chug water energy project in Platte County got a thumbs up on Wednesday, when the Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to move the project forward. This is a major wind and solar project. It will cover up over 49,000 acres, and it will generate a combined 450 megawatts of electricity. Many landowners are in support of it. People also oppose it. Residents don't like their viewshed being messed with. They worry about contamination with, you know, solar panels and groundwater. But overall, the project did pass, and that's going to be a huge step for this energy company. NextEra in Wyoming."

Paul Norfleet, a sheep rancher who recently moved to Chugwater, who is in favor of the project, says NextEra's Chugwater Energy Project would allow his ranch to make some money. He added that revenue would go toward regenerating the land.

Read the full story HERE.

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