Former Montana utility regulator will lead the $4 billion federal power-marketing agency serving the Pacific Northwest U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced Travis Kavulla as administrator and CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration, putting the former Montana utility regulator in charge of the agency that markets wholesale power across the Pacific Northwest. “Travis Kavulla’s Read More…
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has released its first round of funding opportunity overviews under the Rural Health Transformation Program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s effort to reshape healthcare delivery in underserved communities across Idaho. The funding opportunity overviews are designed to give stakeholders an early look at the expected Read More…
The Justice Department announced a final settlement with the state of North Dakota in the case of North Dakota v. United States, resolving litigation stemming from the violent and disruptive protests surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016. While the federal government disputed the district court’s legal analysis of North Dakota’s claims and its own Read More…
(The Center Square) – In a reversal, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has ordered that surveillance cameras be turned on during the FIFA World Cup Tournament. Wilson said in a statement Friday that the decision to activate the cameras followed updated information from Seattle police and the FBI “on the current global and local threat environment.” Read More…
ROCK SPRINGS — Visitors to the Flyrks.com website will now have an easier time finding information about aviation and the range of amenities in Sweetwater County. The new and improved website is part of a wider effort to be more responsive to airline passengers, pilots, and the community in general, said Airport Director Devon Brubaker. “The Read More…
BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) – Headlines about housing from 1992 editions of the Idaho Statesman feel eerily familiar. Growth puts squeeze on number of available rentals in area Report says Idaho has housing woes Officials look for ways to ease growth burden Forum focuses on need for more affordable housing That year, Cecil Andrus — Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – District Court Judge John Grinsteiner retires in one month, which left the Supreme Court questioning whether the South Central Judicial District chambers would be filled, relocated or abolished. Because of the increasing caseload in the area, the judgeship will remain in Mandan. The district consists of nine counties with more than Read More…
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – Wyoming Department of Transportation has received notification from their public affairs office, that a driver’s license phone scam had started circulating July 16th. Text messages are being sent to cell phones regarding false final notices for license waiver validations. Other D.O.T. offices have been experiencing the same scam for the last 6 to 8 Read More…
Wyoming Game and Fish commissioners backed agency staff last week and approved compensation for trophy game damage to stock that amounted to $388,696 less than two ranchers claimed. With one dissenting vote in the two separate cases, the appointed citizen commission approved $71,339 to Josh Longwell of HD Ranch and $11,626 to Christian Peterson of Read More…
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Les Schwab Tire Centers, the nation’s highest-ranked, most customer-focused tire retailer, announced Monday it has reached an agreement to acquire Plains Tire Co., an 80-year-old tire company with nine stores in Wyoming. Les Schwab will purchase Plains Tire for an undisclosed sum, said Les Schwab CEO Jack Cuniff. READ FULL STORY
(The Center Square) – Wyoming is launching a reemployment campaign to help encourage Wyomingites back into the workforce following the pandemic. It’s a campaign simply to let people know they exist and offer a wide variety of services for free, according to Ty Stockton, communications manager for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. He noted the pandemic Read More…
Alawsuit filed in federal court in late June alleges that Paul McCown, the former chief financial officer at Wyoming Catholic College, defrauded an investment firm out of $15 million. According to the suit, filed by New York-based advisory firm Ria R Squared, McCown is accused of faking bank statements that falsely said his bank account Read More…
About 125 soldiers from a Bismarck-based National Guard unit will be sent to the U.S. border with Mexico later this year for an undetermined amount of time, the North Dakota guard said Tuesday. The soldiers from the 957th Engineer Company are expected to begin the deployment this fall, the military said. READ FULL STORY
CASPER, Wyo. — Governor Mark Gordon is donating a wild bison hunting license to be raffled in order to raise funds to support Wyoming wildlife conservation. It is the third year in a row Gordon has donated a wild bison license for such efforts. “The bison is the symbol of Wyoming and a fitting hunt Read More…
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz will be looking to set some new ways with a fresh start, but there are some traditions he is keeping alive. Among them is his annual charity softball game in North Dakota. Wentz, along with several other former players from North Dakota State, partake in the event to help raise money for Read More…
In 2017, Caitlin Long, a former managing director at Morgan Stanley, was just trying to donate some Bitcoin to her alma mater, the University of Wyoming, she says. But the University of Wyoming wasn’t set up to accept Bitcoin donations, and because her Bitcoin had appreciated in value, her donation would go much further if Read More…
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – Governor Brad Little and State Controller Brandon Woolf announced Monday Idaho cities with populations below 50,000 will start receiving their share of $54 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Governor Little and the Idaho Legislature unanimously accepted the federal funds, which will be used by local government in Idaho to respond Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A $2.75 billion project aimed at protecting Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, from chronic flooding is gaining ground. It’s getting a $569 million loan from the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, local officials have picked an international consortium to build and provide some up-front capital for a key piece that involves diverting Red Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — 15 cars on a Union Pacific train derailed at around 2:15 am Monday near Hillsdale, Wyoming, UP Senior Communications Manager Mike Jaixen said in an email on Monday afternoon. No injuries were reported and crews are working to clear the tracks, according to Jaixen. Those efforts are expected to continue into Monday Read More…
JACKSON, Wyo, — With Fourth of July on the horizon, a report produced by WalletHub shows that Wyoming is ready to celebrate American independence. Ranked the 7th most patriotic state in the U.S., statistics indicate that Wyomingites demonstrate a distinct love for one’s country. To determine where citizens have the most American pride, WalletHub compared the Read More…
HUDSON, S.D. — A 10-year-old boy who died in the Big Sioux River saved one of his younger siblings who had fallen into the water, family members said. The body of Ricky Lee Sneve was recovered Saturday night, Lincoln County sheriff’s officials said. His mother, Nicole Eufers, told the Argus Leader that Ricky was out on the Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — When Governor Mark Gordon announced this June that Wyoming has been selected for the construction of a new “advanced” nuclear reactor, he said it would be “game-changing and monumental” for Wyoming. The system that would be built at one of four sites in Wyoming is called the “Natrium” reactor. It was co-developed by TerraPower, founded Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. Marshals Service and numerous Treasure Valley law enforcement agencies conducted a joint operation for less than two weeks that resulted in 91 arrests. According to a statement released by the U.S. Marshals Service, police arrested 43 gang members of the Aryan Knights, a white supremacist prison gang founded in Read More…
BOISE – On Tuesday, May 18, Idaho Governor Brad Little appointed Lori Wolff to take over as administrator of the Division of Human Resources (DHR). “Lori Wolff has a proven track record leading several major projects for operational and technology improvements within state government, and I am confident she will carry over that focus on Read More…
A freshly transplanted barbecue pitmaster is on the verge of opening a new Boise restaurant. Neighbor Tim’s BBQ is preparing to launch in a small space at 7802 W. Goddard Road, across from Capital High School. Hungry Idahoans can watch the business’ Facebook page for updates on the opening date: “Very, very soon,” Neighbor Tim’s proclaimed in Read More…
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Idaho Power is asking to increase two rate adjustments with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. If approved, the average monthly bill could increase by $2.71 for a homeowner using 950-kilowatt hours per month, the power company said Wednesday. Here’s what Idaho Power says is the reasoning behind the request. READ FULL STORY
Wyoming is partnering with tech mogul’s Bill Gates nuclear power company to build the state’s first Natrium advanced nuclear reactor power plant. The state’s partnership with the firm founded by Gates, TerraPower, and Washington state power firm Pacificorp was announced Wednesday in an event hosted by Gov. Mark Gordon, according to Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. – In 1941, the land about nine miles west of Casper looked like most of the areas outside of city limits – miles of flat , wind-swept prairie covered in sage, migrating antelope and numerous other small critters. That changed with breakneck speed the following year, when the United States Army Airforce commissioned Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — It’s no secret that businesses across the Gem State are struggling to find employees. One restaurant, 208 Pho and Vegan, has had to temporarily close two of its locations due to the lack of workers. An Ngyuen, the owner of the Vietnamese restaurant, has three locations of 208 Pho and Vegan. The Read More…
Wyoming’s lawsuit over a blocked coal export terminal is moot because the company behind the proposal is bankrupt and won’t be building the project, the federal government argued in a new filing to the U.S. Supreme Court. In her brief, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued that because the Millennium Bulk Terminal project is Read More…
WEST FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — North Dakota’s first traffic control company is expanding with a new sign manufacturing shop. 3D Specialties broke ground in West Fargo for its brand new company Sign Solutions USA. The 100,000 foot building is the newest member of the Dakota Fence Company. Sign Solutions USA will focus on manufacturing and Read More…
RAPID CITY, S.D. – A court decision has enabled Black Hawk residents to continue with their lawsuit against the state of South Dakota. The lawsuit claims the state is responsible for damages after sinkholes started opening in the Hideaway Hills subdivision, revealing an abandoned gypsum mine and forcing more than a dozen families to evacuate. READ FULL STORY
Gov. Mark Gordon has tapped his constituent liaison to serve as Wyoming’s next public records ombudsman, his office announced. Darlena Potter had served in the liaison role since September 2019. She has previously worked in state and local government, the governor’s office said. In her new role, she will attempt to resolves challenges over Read More…
A pair of climbers had started their climb up the face of a ridge in an Alaska national park when a chunk of glacier ice came crashing down from the peak. The block of ice slammed into the climbers as it fell from Ruth Glacier in Denali National Park early Thursday, the National Park Service said. A Read More…
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced a goal Wednesday to make the state carbon neutral by the end of the decade. He challenged the state’s energy and agriculture industries to work toward the goal through innovation, a theme he has repeated frequently throughout his four years in office. Increasingly, states and businesses are pledging to Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — The Natrona County School District will no longer require students or staff to wear face masks in schools starting Friday. NCSD said on Thursday that their request for a variance from statewide mandate requiring masks in schools was approved Wednesday. “Starting May 14th, 2021, face coverings will be OPTIONAL for all NCSD Read More…
Southwest Airlines announced on April 30 that it will add several new nonstop flights flying out of Boise Airport this summer. Included among the mix of new routes is nonstop service to Orange County and Dallas Love Field. The airline will also bring back daily service to Chicago-Midway, San Diego and San Jose, along with Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. –The State of Wyoming filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against the Biden Administration’s Executive Order “pausing” oil and gas leasing on Federal lands, Governor Mark Gordon’s office announced Tuesday. “The current de facto leasing moratorium is bad policy for Wyoming and contrary to law,” Governor Gordon said. “This Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The Dickinson Public School District is now offering a permanent kindergarten through 12th-grade online academy option for students. Administrators say the decision comes after students expressed interest for the program. More than 280 students are enrolled in distance learning, and some of them are to looking to continue in that mode Read More…
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Yesterday, Governor Mark Gordon announced that Wyoming’s Integrated Test Center will host one of two projects selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for Phase III funding of a large-scale pilot carbon capture project. DOE announced yesterday that it has awarded $99 million to two projects for Phase III of their Demonstration Read More…
Recognition in the annual IBM Watson Health top hospital and health system ranking is the Pulitzer Prize of health care. Once again, Idaho has two health systems serving Idahoans on its lists for 2021 as well as three hospitals. Just like last year, both the St. Luke’s and Saint Alphonsus health systems were among the Read More…
Elk herds are thriving in Wyoming, which means more opportunity for more hunters. Last week, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) announced that the state wildlife commission approved the addition of 2,000 more licenses for the upcoming elk season. According to the Jackson Hole News & Guide, the “major herds are nearly 30% over objective” and there’s Read More…
A press release put out by the Wyoming Department of Health announced the mistaken exposure of lab test result data with the health information of over 160,000 Wyoming residents. The department said they became aware of the exposure of approximately 164,021 Wyoming residents on March 10, 2021, with a workforce member mishandling health information as early as November 5, 2020. READ FULL Read More…
Passenger numbers at North Dakota’s eight commercial service airports in March increased from the previous month and year but remained well below pre-coronavirus pandemic levels. The airports in Bismarck, Minot, Williston, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Fargo, Devils Lake and Jamestown collectively had 72,504 passenger boardings last month, up from 51,240 in February and from 60,821 in March Read More…