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Severe windstorm whips through Cheyenne, causing widespread damage
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Most K-12 schools were closed Friday after a severe windstorm whipped through Cheyenne all day Thursday, resulting in multiple downed power lines, uprooted trees and damage to buildings and cars. Recycling and trash bins, basketball hoops, garden decorations, debris and more were scattered across town. City officials shut down trash collection operations early in the afternoon, and city buses stopped routes by midday for safety reasons as first responders scrambled to keep up with call after call for assistance, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. Read the full story.
Quilters’ handiwork offers comfort all around the world
Jackson Hole News&Guide
On a chilly morning, eight women hovered over a large table in the entryway of Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church, bright winter light spilling through the north-facing cathedral window. Their attention was on a queen-size quilt. For the past decade or so, the group of up to about a dozen women has been making quilts for Lutheran World Relief. In 2025, the global effort sent 315,888 handmade quilts to 15 countries — from Angola and Mali to Ukraine and Romania — wherever people are suffering from natural disasters, warfare or chronic poverty, the Jackson Hole News&Guide reports. Read the full story.
Health officials raise concerns about high rates of whooping cough this year
Wyoming Public Radio
The Wyoming Department of Health has confirmed 26 cases of whooping cough so far this year, and roughly two-thirds of those have been in Fremont County. Wyoming logged 148 cases last year — the highest count in over 70 years. Actual case numbers are likely higher because people might not recognize the symptoms or report the highly contagious respiratory disease, which can be especially harmful to infants, Wyoming Public Radio reports. Read the full story.
Legislature approves land for highways, Lander housing
Lander Journal
First, there was land for the city of Lander. Then, there wasn’t. After a significant tug-of-war over whether or not House Bill 69 would move forward with 90 acres for the city of Lander as well as land for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, the bill ultimately passed. For some time now, Lander Republican Rep. Lloyd Larsen had been talking to WYDOT about finding a new location in the area with more space for its various equipment and needs. Unused Department of Health land, conveniently located near the highway, presented a potential option. The city of Lander also raised the possibility that some of that land could help solve its housing crisis, the Lander Journal reports. Read the full story.
Jeanette Ward launches primary rematch with Rep. Julie Jarvis for House District 57
Oil City News
Former Rep. Jeanette Ward announced her candidacy for House District 57, setting up a Republican primary rematch against incumbent Rep. Julie Jarvis. Ward served in the Wyoming House of Representatives before losing her seat to Jarvis in the August 2024 primary. Ward said her voting record remains rooted in pro-life, pro-Second Amendment and pro-family principles, Oil City News reports. “If you know my principles, you can know how I will vote,” Ward said. Read the full story.