Local Lookout: Alleged prosecutorial misconduct | Shortage of psychiatric physicians | Hand counting ballots

U.S. attorney’s alleged misconduct now includes felony murder case
The Ranger
The attorney of a defendant facing a first-degree federal murder charge filed a motion to dismiss the case because of alleged prosecutorial misconduct. Jose Benito Ocon was allegedly high on meth, marijuana and alcohol last August when he shot Shaw Esau Whiteman in the head. The motion to dismiss Ocon’s case marks the seventh felony defendant to accuse acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming Darin Smith of misconduct before a grand jury that convened in March, The Ranger reports. Read the full story.

Sweetwater County faces ‘crisis level’ shortage in psychiatric physicians
Rocket Miner
Sweetwater County has more than 42,000 residents but just over one psychiatric physician serving the entire population, according to a county official. Sweetwater County Commissioner Island Richards issued a report on the state of local behavioral health following a special meeting of the Southwest Counseling Services Board. The meeting featured a Community Needs Assessment that shows, while the county has high rates of treatment facilities, it faces a critical, systemic shortage of psychiatric physicians and record-high overdose mortality rates, the Rocket Miner reports. Read the full story.

Committee presents hand-count proposal to Weston County commissioners
News Letter Journal
Weston County commissioners heard a proposal to eliminate voting machines and move to a full hand-count system during a recent meeting, sparking an extended discussion about election integrity, costs and logistics. Members of the Weston County Republican Party’s election integrity committee said the recommendation is the result of roughly six months of research and community outreach. The committee, formed in late 2025 and chaired by Susan Love, was tasked with studying the feasibility of hand-counting ballots and presenting its findings to commissioners. According to the group, local survey results showed strong support for the idea, with a large majority of respondents indicating they would like to see a return to hand-counted elections, the News Letter Journal reports. Read the full story.

Developers plan large data center near Casper, tout closed-loop tech to limit water use
Cap City News
A multimillion-dollar digital campus could reshape the Natrona–Converse county line just north of Interstate 25 by splitting its footprint between industrial power and high-tech computing. The developers of Prometheus Hyperscale’s proposed liquid-cooled data center, planned to be about 10 miles east of Casper, are navigating both a web of regulatory exemptions to speed up construction and Community Benefit Agreements with local municipalities to get the 1.5-gigawatt campus up and running by 2028. Speaking at a recent Casper College community learning series, Prometheus Hyperscale founder Trenton Thornock outlined his company’s vision, saying AI computing capacity is projected to triple in the coming years, Cap City News reports. Read the full story.

Investigation reveals cause of fire at popular Green River recreation area
Green River Star
The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office has concluded its investigation into the March 21 wildfire at Scott’s Bottom Nature Area that burned about 36 acres of city and private property, destroying multiple structures and other property at the CMS Horse Corrals. Detectives determined the blaze began as an escaped cooking fire inside a hollow log started by two juveniles who were fishing along the east bank of the Green River. “In dry, windy conditions, embers from the log spread into the surrounding grass, and the fire quickly grew beyond their control,” the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff’s office said names and other identifying information about the individuals involved in the case will not be released because they are juveniles. Read the full story.