Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Sorted by date Results 1 - 9 of 9
CHEYENNE — Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 24.5% of Wyoming’s incarcerated population has contracted the virus at some point, and there have been no deaths from COVID-19 among those individuals, the state Department of Corrections director told lawmakers Friday. The figure, which reflects testing data from all five of the state’s correctional facilities, was among a handful of COVID-19 updates provided by DOC Director Dan Shannon to the Joint Appropriations Committee during its agency hearings Friday. Along with the percentage of inca...
CHEYENNE— HollyFrontier Corporation announced Monday that it will be laying off about 200 employees at its Cheyenne refinery over the next 18 months. The layoffs will come as part of the company’s plan to convert its Cheyenne oil refinery into one that processes diesel fuel from renewable materials. HollyFrontier CEO Mike Jennings said in a statement Monday that the challenges of high operating and capital costs, compounded by the effects of COVID-19, forced the shift in operations at the refinery. “We realize that this decision affects many...
CHEYENNE - Even before the coronavirus pandemic swept the planet, killing tens of thousands and causing a global economic shutdown, Wyoming lawmakers had plenty to do in the coming months. With the Wyoming Legislature preparing for what will likely be its first special session since 2004, lawmakers’ primary immediate objective will be to address the widespread effects of COVID-19 through one or a few pieces of legislation. Yet lawmakers hope to not lose sight of the long list of issues that were already facing the state prior to the p...
CHEYENNE — Oil prices worldwide suffered a major hit over the weekend, reaching a four-year low in the United States, and the rapid changes in the global economy could have major implications for Wyoming. U.S. oil prices were down by as much as 34% on Monday, largely due to two factors: a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, and dropping demand as the coronavirus continues to spread globally. The effects of the rising supply and dropping demand of oil could be felt in Wyoming, where oil extraction is a linchpin of the state’s eco...
CHEYENNE — With the state Legislature’s budget session set to begin this week, lawmakers will likely spend hours debating how to address the state’s projected revenue shortfall. Yet some state officials and lawmakers hope part of that shortfall can be addressed through work that’s already been done. For the last three years, the Wyoming Government Efficiency Commission has worked to find ways to make the state run more smoothly. Their work essentially wrapped up last July, when the commission sent 19 recommendations to Gov. Mark Gordon and the...
CHEYENNE — A Republican state lawmaker has introduced a resolution that would encourage the Wyoming Department of Education to offer voluntary gun and hunting safety classes in the state’s high schools. If passed during the legislative session that begins next week, Senate Joint Resolution 1 would urge the Game and Fish Commission to collaborate with the Department of Education to create the safety classes as a physical education elective. Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, the main sponsor of the legislation, said the classes would help mit...
CHEYENNE – Despite objections from Gov. Mark Gordon, lawmakers on the Joint Appropriations Committee approved a bill Thursday that would raise the salaries of the governor and the other four elected state officials beginning after the 2022 general election. The bill would raise the governor’s salary from $105,000 to $150,000, while the other four officials – secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and superintendent of public instruction – would see their salaries jump from $92,000 to $120,000. The bill’s approval, which marks the...
CHEYENNE – With the state facing millions of dollars worth of unmet needs for its roads and bridges, a bill to create a task force to explore ways to fund repair work failed by a narrow margin Friday in committee. The bill would have created a 15-member group, comprised of legislators, stakeholders from transportation industries, and representatives from the Wyoming Department of Transportation and the governor’s office, to explore funding strategies used by other states and entities. Ultimately, the bill failed in the Joint Tra...
CHEYENNE - Wyoming first lady Jennie Gordon announced a hunger initiative Thursday aimed at fighting food insecurity for children and families across the state. The Wyoming Hunger Initiative will bring together various groups working on food security, according to a news release issued Thursday by Gov. Mark Gordon's office. "I am not interested in reinventing the wheel, but rather in making a difference for kids in Wyoming," Jennie Gordon said in the release. "If I can shed light on the work that is currently being done and bring organizations...
