All articles tagged with #wyoming
Public health officials confirmed a measles case in an unvaccinated adult in Teton County, prompting exposure alerts for Grand Teton National Park and Jackson from June 17–25. They urge 21-day symptom monitoring and avoidance of crowded places, especially for the unvaccinated, as Wyoming records its second measles case in 2026 and vaccination rates and measles-elimination context are discussed.
Paleontologists studying Wyoming fossils of the extinct entelodonts—known as "hell pigs"—say these pig-like mammals were likely semi-aquatic and occupied a whale- or hippo-like ecological niche, suggesting a lifestyle markedly different from modern pigs.
Wyoming public health officials warn that rabies has returned as wildlife, especially bats and skunks, can carry the disease; the first 2026 case was a rabid bat found in Sheridan County in May. Bites or scratches can transmit rabies, and bat bites may not be visible, so anyone with bat contact or a bat in their home should seek medical advice for possible post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Prevention includes not touching wild animals, washing wounds, and vaccinating pets.
A late-spring snowstorm is forecast to sweep Colorado and Wyoming, delivering freezing temperatures and possibly the season’s biggest snowfall, with wet snow observed in Fort Collins and snow expected around Denver.
Colorado is bracing for a major May snowstorm that could bring several inches to Denver and surrounding areas and Wyoming, potentially the largest in a decade or two, as warm spring temperatures collide with cold air. The storm should be followed by a return to 70-degree conditions later in the week, but could cause travel disruptions and power outages in a drought-stricken region.
Winter storm warnings stretch across parts of Colorado and Wyoming from May 4–6 as a Canadian cold front brings heavy snow—up to two feet in northern mountains—along with slick roads and possible power outages, while a broad storm system promises rain, thunderstorms and wintry mix from the Plains to the Northeast in the coming days.
WDH confirms Wyoming’s first measles case of 2026, an adult from Fremont County with unknown vaccination status, and enumerates exposure sites and times (including Walmart Riverton on Apr 24 and Maverik Powell on Apr 25). The release notes 15 measles cases in 2025, and warns of the virus’s contagious window and typical symptoms. Public health guidance urges those potentially exposed to monitor for 7–21 days, contact healthcare if symptoms appear, and emphasizes MMR vaccination (two doses ~97% effective) for protection.
Gov. Mark Gordon signed Wyoming’s two-year budget but used line-item vetoes to strike roughly two dozen items and footnotes, arguing it preserves separation of powers between the legislature and the executive. While the Legislature largely backed the governor’s funding priorities—such as state employee pay raises and preschool costs—the SUN Bucks summer meals program was cut, and footnotes directing agency spending drew vetoes. Funding for the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming was shaped by compromise, with conditions and review requirements added. The two chambers must still consider potential overrides (requires two-thirds in both houses). The unified budget ended up about $53 million shy of Gordon’s full recommendations, reflecting ongoing debates over state appointees, program scope, and reforms.
TerraPower, the Gates-founded nuclear startup, has secured NRC approval to build the first commercial-scale advanced nuclear reactor in the US, the Natrium plant in Wyoming, slated for completion by 2030. The 345 MW design uses liquid sodium cooling and a molten-salt energy storage system to boost output to 500 MW as demand spikes, part of broader efforts to strengthen grids for AI data centers and climate goals.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission unanimously approved TerraPower’s construction permit for the Natrium reactor in Kemmerer, Wyoming—the first new U.S. commercial reactor in about a decade—clearing the way for construction of a 345‑MW, sodium‑cooled design with a molten‑salt battery. The plant is expected to come online around 2031, backed by Bill Gates and supported by the Energy Department for partial cost sharing, though it still faces licensing, fuel, and cost‑overrun challenges as regulators continue to oversee its safety and deployment.
Trump-nominated Darin Smith, a former Wyoming state senator with no federal or criminal litigation experience, is awaiting Senate confirmation to become Wyoming’s US attorney and has drawn Democratic criticism as unqualified and potentially discriminatory; he has served as interim US attorney since his initial nomination, has faced questions about his January 6 Capitol presence (he says he was on the grounds but did not enter), and his confirmation is being weighed amid partisan dynamics.
The Wyoming Department of Health announced the death of a Fremont County child from influenza, part of a season dominated by the H3N2 strain; officials say flu can be serious, encourage annual vaccination, and outline preventive measures and antiviral treatment, noting nationwide pediatric deaths and that most affected children were not up to date on vaccines.
A Fremont County child has died from flu-related complications in the 2025-2026 season as the H3N2 strain dominates. Nationwide, 52 pediatric flu deaths have been reported, with about 90% of the children not up to date on flu vaccination. Health officials urge updated vaccination, staying home when ill, covering coughs, and handwashing; antiviral meds are recommended for higher-risk groups when started quickly, and flu shots remain widely available.
Christopher Robinson’s family-owned Ensign Group L.C. bought Pathfinder Ranches, a 916,000-acre Wyoming estate spanning four counties, for $79.5 million, a deal that makes the property larger than Rhode Island.
Pronghorns survived deep-time climate upheavals in North America through rapid reproduction, a drought-tolerant diet, and predator shifts, but today they face habitat fragmentation, warmer temperatures, drought and wildfires in the West—lessons in adaptation that humans may need to heed as climate change accelerates.