Public News Service

Despite a looming 2030 deadline to dramatically reduce fossil fuel emissions in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, PacifiCorp has ditched plans to invest big in wind and solar. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 15, 2024

Pacificorp throws a lifeline to Wyoming coal and natural gas industry

PacifiCorp's updated energy roadmap throws a lifeline to Wyoming's coal industry but critics said the new Integrated Resource Plan is a major setback …

Most of the USDA produce samples tested in this year's Dirty Dozen list from the Environmental Working Group were within the legal allowance for chemical pesticide residue. (Adobe Stock)

2024 Dirty Dozen lists produce packed with chemical pesticides

Nonorganic fruits and vegetables are loaded with chemical pesticides, including fungicides which can harm male reproductive systems, according to the …

The Food Bank of Wyoming operates 19 mobile food pantries and recently launched the Fresh Express Route, which distributes nutrient-rich produce to 50 hunger relief partners by semi-truck. (Adobe Stock)

WY Food Bank distributed 10.8 million pounds of food in 2023

Working with more than 150 hunger relief partners across the state, Food Bank of Wyoming was able to distribute nearly 11 million pounds of food in 20…

Women have worked at the historic Wyoming State Hospital as doctors, nurses, administrators, secretaries, security guards, and in departments such as the post office, purchasing, and scheduling. Some families have several generations of women who have worked at the facility. <br />(Courtesy of Save the Old WSH)<br />

Wyoming women’s history rooted in hospital campus set for demolition

The state has plans to demolish 26 Wyoming State Hospital buildings in Evanston, but some local residents believe the site, which dates back to 1886…

Nearly half of older adults surveyed said they prefer to vote at their polling place, in-person.<br />(Adobe Stock)

Older Wyomingites could decide 2024 elections

People in Wyoming aged 50 and over had the highest voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections compared with other age demographics, according to new …

Proponents of banning medical debt from credit reports makes the system more fair, since low-income people and people of color are disproportionately burdened by medical bills. (Adobe Stock)

Medical debt could be banned from credit reports

In response to a growing medical debt crisis in Wyoming and across the nation, the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed banning …

As of Aug. 15, 2023, the federal government lists 75 disasters in the U.S. and its territories, compared with 55 in the same period last year. (Adobe Stock)

Most Older Adults Lack Emergency Plan for Natural Disasters

Most older adults are not as prepared as they should be to respond quickly in the event of natural disasters which can strike with little notice…

The world's leading scientists have warned that fossil fuel emissions must be cut by 45% by 2030, and phased out entirely by 2050, to avert catastrophic impacts of a changing climate. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Proposal Continues New Oil and Gas Leasing on Public Lands

July was the hottest month in recorded history, but critics of the Bureau of Land Management's new oil and gas rules warned the proposal ignores the …

If commissioners approve Rocky Mountain Power's request, the utility is expected to bring in an<br />additional $140 million per year from ratepayers. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Ratepayers Could Be on Hook for Volatile Natural Gas Prices

The Wyoming Public Service Commission is holding its first public comment hearing today in Rock Springs on Rocky Mountain Power's proposal to increase…

Blacklegged ticks or deer ticks are widely known to transmit Lyme disease, and new research shows they can carry enough prions to infect deer with Chronic Wasting Disease. (Adobe Stock)

Ticks Can Carry Infectious Levels of Chronic Wasting Disease

Scientists are gaining ground in the race to understand what is causing the spread of chronic wasting disease, or CWD, in deer and elk. Stuart …

The Alliance for Historic Wyoming has a list of some 40 historic hotels and motels scattered throughout Wyoming online at historicwyoming.org. (Chambers House Bed and Breakfast)

Historic Lodging Offers Unique WY Vacation Option

As families in Wyoming head out for a summer holiday, historians are encouraging people to explore a range of historic lodging options, such as the …

Wyoming ranks in the bottom five states alongside South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, in children's health. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Wyoming Children Near Bottom Nationally for Health

Wyoming dropped from 14th to 27th nationally in this year's Kids Count Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which ranks states for …

More than 60% of rural counties lack a psychiatrist, and almost half do not have a psychologist, compared with 27% and 19% of urban counties, respectively. (Adobe Stock)

Addressing Challenges to Behavioral Health Care in Rural Wyoming

A new report spotlights some of the challenges to accessing behavioral health care for the one in seven Americans who live in rural areas. Kendall …

The EPA admits its new standards for air pollution at power plants could bring small increases in utility bills, but projects the plan would bring a total of $85 billion in climate and health savings. (Adobe Stock)

New EPA Standards Seen as Attack on Coal-Fired Power Plants

The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to cut pollution from power plants not already set to retire by 90% by 2030 is the most ambitious in ov…

A federal grant will help Western Wyoming Community College meet the demand for a projected 1,500 local health-care workers in the region over the next ten years. (Adobe Stock)

College in WY Wins $3 Million Grant to Expand Health-Care Worker Pipeline

Western Wyoming Community College has won a competitive $3 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration's task force charged with …

An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people are expected to be dropped from Medicaid rolls in Wyoming. (Adobe Stock)

Keeping Older Wyoming Residents from Losing Nursing Home Coverage

Congress has put an end to a pandemic-era policy prohibiting states from dropping Medicaid recipients from their rolls, and 15 million people in …

In 2011, coal produced 44% of all electricity in the United States. In 2022, it produced just 20% and is projected to drop to 10% or less by 2030. (Creativenature.nl/Adobe Stock)

Report: Half of Nation’s Coal Power Units to Retire by 2026

The U.S. is projected to retire half of its coal-fired power units by 2026, just 15 years after coal use for electricity reached its peak in 2011…

The current rate of species going extinct is estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times higher than natural background extinction rates, and is accelerating because of human activity including unsustainable use of land, water and energy use, and climate change. (Lucaar/Adobe Stock)

Congress Could Sidestep Endangered Species Act to Delist Grizzlies, Wolves

Congress is considering three bills that would sidestep the Endangered Species Act to de-list the Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone grizzly …

Just 18% of premature deaths from air pollution from coal-fired power plants occur in the states where facilities are located. (Tomas/Adobe Stock)

Report Counts Deadly Impacts of Coal-Fired Power Plants

Thousands of lives are cut short every year because of air pollution from coal-fired power plants in Wyoming and across the United States, according …

Grace Raymond Hebard's second home, known as the Doctor's Inn at 318 S. 10th St. in Laramie, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the University Neighborhood Historic District. (Andrea Graham/Alliance for Historic Wyoming)

Project Highlights Women Who Forged, Documented Wyoming's History

Wyoming became the first U.S. territory to give women the right to vote in 1869, half a century before the nation finally followed the Cowboy State's …

Just 47% of Wyoming residents prefer leaders place more emphasis on protecting water, air, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities over maximizing the amount of land available for drilling and mining. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Conservation Efforts, Environmental Priorities Remain High in Wyoming

Voters in Wyoming and across the West strongly support protecting water supplies, public lands and migration corridors for wildlife, according to the …

The 163 billion cubic feet of lost methane on public lands represents enough wasted natural gas to meet the needs of 2.2 million households; nearly as many households as New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming combined, studies show. (Adobe Stock)

Report: $500 Million Gas Lost at Oil and Gas Fields on Public Lands

Oil and gas operators waste a half billion dollars worth of natural gas on public lands every year, according to a new report. Chad Franke, …

Residents in Torrington will soon be able to access high-speed internet video conferencing for telehealth appointments. (Adobe Stock)

Small Internet Provider to Open Digital ‘Empowerment Center’ in Torrington

By Kristi Eaton for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Wyoming News Service for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaboration…

Rural hospitals in Medicaid expansion states are 62% less likely to close, in large part because expansion reduces the burden of uncompensated care, when patients without insurance can't pay for services. (Adobe Stock)

Lawmakers Consider Expanding Health Coverage for 19,000 Workers

A bill that would expand Medicaid coverage for some 19,000 Wyoming workers who earn too much to qualify for standard Medicaid, but can't afford …

Nearly one in five new mothers participating in Wyoming's Medicaid Pregnant Women Program lose their health insurance 60 days after giving birth. (Adobe Stock)

WY Lawmakers Consider Extended Health Coverage for New Moms

New mothers in Wyoming enrolled in the Medicaid Pregnant Women Program lose their health insurance 60 days after giving birth, but a new bill making …

Last March, Wyoming lawmakers passed a law that would ban abortions in most cases if the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, which the high court did in June. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Supreme Court Sends Suit Over Abortion Ban Back to District

The Wyoming Supreme Court has decided it will not weigh in on a lawsuit that has temporarily halted a ban on abortions in the state. Citing a state …

Industry groups are betting that limiting methane waste at oil and gas operations will help keep natural gas competitive as consumers demand cleaner sources of energy. (Adobe Stock)

Methane Air-Pollution Proposal Taps Wyoming Technologies

A new federal plan to reduce harmful air pollution by limiting methane waste at oil and gas facilities taps proven strategies already at work in opera…

One in eight individuals in Wyoming, and one in six children, do not know where their next meal will come from. (Adobe Stock)

Food Bank Ramps Up Thanksgiving Food Assistance

Turkeys and other holiday standards are still available for struggling families through food pantries, senior centers, school districts and other …

Lander-based Chelsea's Fund provides funding for Wyoming women who cannot afford to pay the full cost of an abortion, and help accessing care in neighboring states. (Adobe Stock)

WY Abortion-Rights Advocates Set Sights on Next Session

Last week's midterm elections saw conservative Republicans shore up their majorities in Wyoming's legislature, and Janna Farley - communications …

As buffalo herds graze, they inspire new vegetative growth across vast tracts of lands in a natural process that mimics the onset of spring. (Adobe Stock)

Buffalo Restoration Key to Wildlife Economy, Tribal Health

By Jake Bullinger for Bitterroot Magazine.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Wyoming News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pu…

Leading scientists warn the next decade is critical to averting the worst impacts of the climate crisis by transforming economies to run entirely on clean energy. (Adobe Stock)

Utilities' Plans Called Out of Sync with Clean-Energy Transition Demands

Pacificorp delivers energy to 140,000 Wyoming households, but it received a "D" grade in a new report sounding the alarm over utility companies' …

Food insecurity among adults ages 65 and older living alone reached the highest rates in 20 years between 2020 and 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Millions of Older Adults Experience Food Insecurity

Some 35 million people in Wyoming and across the U.S. struggle to put food on the table, and older adults experiencing food insecurity face numerous …

Education data showed 63% of Wyoming eighth graders scored below proficient in math, and 59% of fourth graders were below proficient in reading. Both figures are better than the national averages of 67% and 66%, respectively. (Adobe Stock)

New Annie E. Casey Publication Ranks Wyoming 14th for Child Well-Being

Wyoming ranks 14th in the nation for promoting children's overall well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's latest report on child …

The world's top scientists recently warned that climate pollution must peak, and then begin to go<br />down, within three years to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of a warming planet. (Adobe Stock)

Courts Asked to Block Oil and Gas Leases Over Health, Climate

A new lawsuit hopes to reverse the Bureau of Land Managment's recent approval of oil and gas lease sales on public lands across eight western states…

Wyoming's eight community health centers serve some 50,000 patients each year, and contribute $71 billion to the state's economy. (Adobe Stock)

Safety-Net Health Centers Eye ARPA to Expand Care

Wyoming lawmakers are set to distribute $85 million in federal pandemic relief for capital-improvement projects, and Tracy Brosius - the CEO of …

Wyoming-based Chelsea's Fund provides financial support for women seeking an abortion, and also is accepting donations. (Adobe Stock)

Post-Roe Resources Available for Wyoming Women

Abortion is on course to be illegal in Wyoming after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Friday. Justices ruled the 50-year …

Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease that kills elk, deer and moose and spreads rapidly when large numbers of animals congregate. It has been recently documented in Grand Teton National Park and immediately adjacent to several state-run feedgrounds. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Urge Phaseout of Elk Feedgrounds to Prevent Chronic Wasting Disease

As the Wyoming Game and Fish Department enters the third phase of its elk feedground management plan, conservation groups are calling on the state to …

Low-producing wells waste enough gas each year to meet the energy needs of more than 3.6 million homes in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Reducing Methane Pollution Seen as Potential Revenue Source

Smaller wells account for just 6% of the nation's oil and gas production but are responsible for half of all methane pollution in the U.S., according …

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of haze pollution in U.S. national parks. (Adobe Stock)

EPA Target of New Lawsuit for Not Enforcing Clean Air Act

A coalition of environmental organizations are taking the Environmental Protection Agency to court over its failure to enforce the Clean Air Act's Reg…

On April 22, AARP Wyoming will hold paper-shredding events in Sheridan, Rock Springs and Cheyenne, where folks can bring their personal documents to be safely discarded. (Adobe Stock)

Breaking the Silence on Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is experienced by at least one in 10 people aged 60 and older who live at home, and AARP Wyoming is working to ensure people have the …

The Wyoming Hospital Association estimated expanding Medicaid would cut uncompensated-care costs by more than $100 million a year. (Adobe Stock)

Medicaid Expansion Proponents Not Backing Down

Supporters of expanding Medicaid in Wyoming said they will regroup after lawmakers once again blocked an expansion proposal late last week. Jeff …

AARP Wyoming's Virtual Fitness Program is free, open to the public, and you don't have to be an AARP member to participate. (Adobe Stock)

Older Wyomingites Dance, Write to Keep Winter Blues at Bay

As winter's cold and dark days settle in, AARP Wyoming has launched a series of fitness, writing and other creative classes to help people connect …

PacifiCorp's Jim Bridger Power Plant, southeast of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, is Wyoming's number one polluter and the nation's third biggest source of haze pollution. (Adobe Stock)

Groups Promise Lawsuit Against EPA Over Lack of Air-Pollution Enforcement

Environmental groups filed a notice of intent this week to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over the agency's failure to enforce the …

Americans pay at least three times more than residents of other developed nations for the exact same prescription drugs. (Adobe Stock)

AARP Members Call on Congress to Rein In Big Pharma

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill late Friday, AARP is calling on lawmakers to pass …

According to a recent poll, 65% of Wyoming voters say they want their state legislator to support Medicaid expansion. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: WY Lawmakers Out of Sync with Majority of Voters on Medicaid

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Advocates for expanding Medicaid are regrouping after Wyoming lawmakers voted against an expansion bill during last week's special …

Wyoming's new voter districts are expected to impact how the state addresses falling fossil-fuel revenues, Medicaid expansion, and how local school boards shape public education. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming Voters Urged to Give Feedback on New Voter District Maps

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Wyoming lawmakers sort through new 2020 census numbers to update voting districts, watchdog groups are encouraging all residents …

Most Wyoming residents who would gain health coverage under Medicaid expansion are employed, and all earn below 138% of the federal poverty level - about $1,500 a month for an individual or $3,000 a month for a family of four. (Adobe Stock)

Health Professionals Urge Lawmakers to Expand Medicaid

RIVERTON, Wyo. -- Wyoming medical professionals are urging state lawmakers to act before it's too late to take advantage of a pandemic-related …

Raising women's hourly wages to match those of Wyoming men would add $153 million in labor income in a single year, a report says. (Adobe Stock)

Report Cites Economic Power of Wyoming Women

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Women left the workforce during the pandemic at higher rates than men, and a new report suggests full economic recovery won't be …

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