The North Dakota Department of Commerce has opened applications for the state’s Legacy Investment for Technology, or LIFT, loan program, with submissions due April 23. State officials said the program continues to play a key role in helping North Dakota companies commercialize intellectual property and expand innovation-driven businesses across the state. “We are grateful to Read More…
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced new coordinated efforts to combat government fraud during a joint press conference Thursday in Sioux Falls. The two offices emphasized a shared commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars, ensuring public funds reach intended recipients, and prosecuting individuals who defraud state, federal, or tribal programs. Read More…
First Interstate and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines are providing $700,000 in combined support to 34 nonprofit organizations across South Dakota, expanding funding for groups working on some of the state’s most pressing community needs. The total includes a $200,000 contribution from First Interstate, matched up to three times through FHLB Des Read More…
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality has released its 2025 State of the Environment Report, highlighting the agency’s work over the past year in air monitoring, water management, land reclamation and regulatory compliance. According to the agency, the report focuses on DEQ’s core responsibilities across air, land, waste and water, while also pointing to ongoing Read More…
Wyoming Medical Center’s first experience with a severe coronavirus patient came through a panicked phone call. The doctor on the line was from another hospital in Wyoming. They were frantic. A patient in their 20s had come in that day. On paper, in theory, such a young patient should’ve responded well to a respiratory Read More…
A top financial ratings service has listed western Wyoming gas drillers Ultra Resources and Jonah Energy among issuers of “top bonds of concern” whose securities could face “imminent” default. Fitch Ratings named the two companies that operate in the Pinedale Anticline, Jonah Field and Normally Pressured Lance, or NPL Field in an April 13 report Read More…
Appearing via video conference from the Sheridan County Detention Center, 55-year-old Dana Beartusk pleaded “not guility” to three counts of First Degree Murder. Beartusk was charged with the crimes for allegedly killing three family members in Big Horn during the evening hours of Sunday, March 29, reports Sheridan Media. District Court Judge John Fenn set the Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — Even in a pandemic, entrance fees at Idaho state parks still apply. State parks have seen a major increase in visitors since the coronavirus outbreak spurred closures and event cancellations across Idaho. But officials with the parks department say many of those visitors are not paying the required fees to get in. Read More…
LARAMIE — Wyoming will be handsomely compensated for its trip to Texas during the 2023 football season. UW announced the pending matchup with the Longhorns, scheduled for Sept. 16, 2023 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, earlier this year. Texas, which won’t be making the return trip to War Memorial Stadium, will pay UW $1.85 million for Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Some Wyoming school districts are deciding to remain closed for the rest of the school year. The Casper Star-Tribune reports that Natrona County on Monday joined a handful of other districts in deciding against reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic. Others include Albany and Campbell counties, and the Green River-based Sweetwater County Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO) – Gov. Doug Burgum is clarifying that North Dakota businesses which are not covered under his statewide executive closure orders are allowed to be open. Burgum ordered schools and a select group of businesses to close in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19. “If you are closed and if you aren’t Read More…
One of the advocates of a movement urging Idahoans to disobey the governor’s stay at home order has been arrested at a protest in Meridian. Forty-year-old Sara Brady, who’s affiliated with the anti-vaccine groups Idahoans for Vaccine Freedom Health Freedom Idaho, was arrested at Kleiner Park in Meridian Tuesday afternoon. As a video posted to Read More…
JACKSON, Wyo. — Census season is in full swing and Wyoming is falling far behind in its responses. The national self-response rate currently hovers at around 50.5%; Wyoming is lagging behind that at 41.7%—the majority of that response coming from online responders. Only West Virginia (39%), New Mexico (39.7%), and Maine (41%) have been slower Read More…
Futures prices for oil fell into the negatives for the first time in recorded history Monday, further straining a Wyoming economy already reeling from months of price declines, continuing strife in the coal industry and the shutdown of numerous businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. West Texas Intermediate oil contracts for the month of Read More…
AMMON — An Idaho Falls man was arrested Wednesday after investigators say he traded sex with a teenage girl for a vape pen. Investigators were alerted of the alleged sexual activity between the victim and Tyler M. Meng, 26, when Facebook sent sexually explicit messages to investigators, according to court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com. Meng Read More…
CHEYENNE– Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon held a COVID-19 Coronavirus press conference Wednesday afternoon, in which he said the state’s economy is a changed one and will continue to be different for a long time to come. To help combat the financial impacts of COVID-19, Governor Gordon has directed all state agencies to identify opportunities to immediately Read More…
**Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article implied the business is in Wyoming, Michigan. It’s actually in the state of Wyoming. LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has warned a business in Wyoming state to stop falsely marketing the types of face masks it sells, also sending it a cease-and-desist letter for Read More…
The Public Service Commission is holding two hearings on proposed projects this week, one Tuesday for a natural gas pipeline in Mountrail and Williams counties and another Friday for a wind farm in Burke County. Liberty Midstream Solutions is proposing a 4.7-mile steel transport to carry 80 million cubic feet per day of residue gas, Read More…
President Donald Trump on Saturday granted state leaders’ request for Wyoming to be declared a major disaster area because of the effects of the coronavirus. The declaration means state, local and tribal governments in Wyoming will be eligible for federal aid to help recovery efforts. As of Friday, Wyoming had recorded over 300 confirmed and Read More…
A Johnson County man who was infected with the novel coronavirus has died, the first such death in Wyoming, the Department of Health confirmed Monday. There has now been a death in every U.S. state. “This is a sad development we hoped we wouldn’t see in Wyoming and we want this person’s family to Read More…
State officials now believe the coronavirus outbreak in the state will peak sometime in May and restrictions on social interactions should be relaxed a little later that month, Governor Mark Gordon said Friday. “What we’re looking at is our peak coming sometime in early May and our behaviors, we will look at on a regular Read More…
CHEYENNE — In a video message to Wyoming students, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow told students they may finish the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year at home. The YouTube video was posted on the Wyoming Department of Education’s Facebook page on Monday, April 6. “With school closures in Wyoming extended, it’s possible that you Read More…
North Dakota’s two U.S. senators are hopeful about the outlook for the oil industry that’s plagued by low crude prices, after a phone call earlier this week between the presidents of the United States and Russia. Few details have emerged about the call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which came after several weeks of Read More…
BISMARCK — Cass County now has more cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by coronavirus, than any other county in North Dakota. The North Dakota Department of Health announced 17 new cases of illness Tuesday, March 31, including eight in Cass County. A ninth Cass County case was confirmed earlier Tuesday, but the department Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department says that legislation passed in 2019 to expand the regulated area for shed antler and horn collection in the state is now in effect. “The updated regulation expands the seasonal closure area to include expanded critical wintering habitat and enact a new opening time of 12 noon on Read More…
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Three Wyoming gun shops say their businesses have seen an uptick over the past week, mirroring a national trend fueled by the spread of the novel coronavirus continuing across Wyoming and the nation. “It’s borne out of fear that people are going to go crazy,” said Larry Frandson of Cody Wyoming Guns and Ammo, adding Read More…
EVANSTON – Wyoming gets an F in social distancing practices. National data company Unacast has utilized cellphone location data to rank every state in the nation on social distancing practices in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of March 25, Wyoming was the only state in the country to earn an F grade. The Read More…
FARGO — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has been in daily contact with lawmakers about the coronavirus and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of calling a special session, a spokesman said Wednesday. Mike Nowatzki, Burgum’s communications director, said that although “it’s too early to speculate” about whether to call in lawmakers, the governor’s office continues Read More…
The businesses lining the main streets of Wyoming speak volumes about the communities they inhabit. Successful restaurants reflect the tastes of the local residents. Retailers, and the wares they carry, often resemble the demographics of a community. Art galleries, music shops and others can indicate the existence of tourist traffic and a creative class that Read More…
The coronavirus has caused the price of gasoline in North Dakota to drop 15 cents in the past week, and some industry analysts say the downward spiral could see gas plummet to 99 cents a gallon. According to travel and navigation application GasBuddy, gas prices in the state are 37 cents lower than one month Read More…
The Wyoming State Health Officer signed an order, effective immediately, that prohibits gatherings of 10 or more in a single room or confined space due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news releasee from Gov. Mark Gordon’s office on Saturday. “People of any age can spread this disease to others who are Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — Editor’s note: In the above video, Idaho State Epidemiologist Dr. Christine Hahn answers viewer questions about the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic. We have received many questions from viewers regarding the accuracy of the confirmed coronavirus cases reported on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare website. Local public health districts may be confirming cases of Read More…
The spread of the new coronavirus has halted travel and prompted a price war between two of the world’s biggest oil producers, putting many in the Bakken on edge as the outlook for the oil industry turns bleak. “It’s been extremely brutal,” said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. “We’re going to Read More…
The Wyoming state government has launched a webpage to keep residents up to date on the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak as well as available resources. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon made the announcement on Wednesday. According to a release from the governor’s office: “We want to offer a single location to share information and resources from multiple Read More…
Governor Doug Burgum makes a historic announcement Sunday night closing schools statewide. Burgum says schools will be closed this week in North Dakota, for five days. Schools public and private will be closed by executive order March 16-March 20. A decision at the end of the week will be made as well. The Governor says Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Health said on Monday, March 16 that they will continue to monitor COVID-19 coronavirus in the state. “We don’t yet know exactly how easily COVID-19 spreads and how many people will experience severe illness,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH. “We expect Read More…
The North Dakota Emergency Commission voted Tuesday to accept up to $6 million in federal funds to contain and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19. Congress passed and President Trump signed legislation last week appropriating $8.3 billion for COVID-19 preparedness, prevention and treatment efforts. Of the total, $950 million will go to state Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. – This is a look at the toilet paper aisle at Target in Bismarck Monday afternoon. Dina Maas sent us this picture and says you can’t see it by this picture, but there were just a few packs of toilet paper left. Maas says Target also has a sign up at check-out limiting how Read More…
Wyoming oil producers are hoping for the best but realize global factors beyond their control could damage their industry, the spokesman for the Petroleum Association of Wyoming said Monday. “With the lower demands due to concerns over COVID-19 [the novel coronavirus] and, of course, the announced flooding of oil supplies from Saudi Arabia over the Read More…
As cases of coronavirus continue to grow in the U.S., Idaho is taking steps to try to slow its eventual migration to the state. There are no confirmed cases in Idaho, as of Wednesday afternoon, but six people have been tested and dozens are being monitored, according to state officials. Risk of contracting the illness Read More…
MINOT, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota regulators voted Wednesday to reject a permit for a proposed wind farm in Ward and McLean Counties. The Public Service Commission denied the permit for Southern Power’s Ruso Wind project by a 2-1 vote. But the commission left open the possibility of reconsidering the project down the road. The project Read More…
Edward Seidel, who touted economic development and the university’s role in enhancing the state’s economic well-being, has been unanimously selected to be the 28th president of the University of Wyoming. Currently the vice president for economic development and innovation for the University of Illinois System, Seidel was one of three finalists for the position. The Read More…
BUFFALO — Johnson County is cowboy country – the land of the Virginian, Butch Cassidy and Sheriff Walt Longmire. But soon those Western heroes will have company. A new congregation of cowboys and cowgirls will descend on the county soon, courtesy of the Buffalo High School English department’s annual January Jubilee program. The jubilee, which Read More…