WyoFile’s mission is to inform and engage Wyoming through in-depth reporting in the public interest. We make our reporting available to you and the rest of the Wyoming press corps, which can republish our work for free. WyoFile also shares a curated list of reporting from around the state to keep you up to date on local news. While WyoFile does not have a paywall, some local newsrooms do. If you see stories you value reading, we encourage you to consider supporting these local Wyoming newsrooms by subscribing or advertising. You can support WyoFile by becoming a member and donating to keep our news free for everyone.
Gillette City Council repeals malicious harms ordinance in 4-3 vote
Gillette News Record
After two months of public debate, the Gillette City Council voted 4-3 to remove a malicious harms ordinance from its city code. The ordinance, passed in 2023, made it a chargeable offense to harm or intimidate a person based on race, sexual orientation, religion and several other designated classes outlined in the ordinance, the Gillette News Record reports. Read the full story.
Park County balks at rental fee for state shooting complex
Powell Tribune
Park County commissioners have a small space they’re willing to rent to the Wyoming State Shooting Complex Joint Powers Board, but they’re not willing to rent it for the initially thought-of total of $1. “The appetite from taxpayers is, this will be a self-sufficient operation,” Commissioner Kelly Simone said. “If we give them rent for a year for a dollar … we are subsidizing.” Already, the project is getting $10 million from the state, with another $5 million likely to be considered in the upcoming legislative session, the Powell Tribune reports. Read the full story.
Laramie County doubles building permit exemption to 400 square feet
Cap City News
The Laramie County Commission is relaxing building permit requirements for small accessory structures, doubling the square footage exemption for sheds, shipping containers and similar detached buildings. The exemption — now 400 square feet, up from 200 — applies strictly to accessory structures and does not include tiny homes or habitable spaces, which require electrical permits and adherence to different codes, Cap City News reports. Read the full story.
City of Laramie greenlights landfill, water projects
Laramie Boomerang
The Laramie City Council is moving forward on a landfill expansion and water system repairs to support the city’s growth and safety needs. The council unanimously awarded a professional services agreement to Laramie-based Trihydro Corporation for engineering design on the landfill project, the Laramie Boomerang reports. “As things start to fill up, we need to continue expanding,” Public Works Director Brooks Webb said. Read the full story.