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Expert: Child abuse in small towns is more common than people realize
News Letter Journal
As executive director of Child Advocacy Centers of Wyoming, Jewel Parrish oversees services aimed at supporting children and families across the state, including those in rural areas like Weston County. While child abuse can feel like a distant issue, Parrish said one of the biggest misconceptions is that it does not happen in places like Newcastle. According to 2025 data from the Child Advocacy Centers of Wyoming, 1 in 7 children in Wyoming experiences abuse. For rural communities like Weston County, the challenge is not just awareness but access to services, the News Letter Journal reports. Read the full story.
Citing increased regulations, Casper’s Platte Hemp Company to close
Oil City News
Platte Hemp Company, opened by Sam and Alicia Watt in late 2019, will close permanently at the end of this month. The decision comes as their business faces increased state regulation on kratom and CBD products and competition from a proliferation of vape shops owned by larger out-of-state companies, Sam Watt told Oil City News. The Wyoming Legislature passed a bill this year regulating the sale, testing and use of kratom products, creating stiff penalties for selling it to anyone under the age of 21. Read the full story.
Teton County sheriff’s stance unchanged despite petition to undo 48-hour ICE holds
Jackson Hole News&Guide
A petition signed by 542 people is asking the Teton County sheriff to stop honoring federal immigration detainers without a judicial warrant at the Teton County Jail. In a letter sent April 15 to Sheriff Matt Carr and county commissioners, along with the petition, organizers say the sheriff’s office is holding people in jail at the request of ICE for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, despite the absence of a judicial warrant. They are asking county leaders to immediately end the practice, the Jackson Hoe News&Guide reports. Read the full story.
Rep. Larson not seeking re-election for House District 17
Rocket Miner
Rep. Joshua “JT” Larson of House District 17 announced he will not seek reelection to the Wyoming House of Representatives. Although representing the people of Rock Springs has been “one of the greatest honors” of his life, he said, he’d reached a point where he wanted to focus more on building his professional career, the Rocket Miner reports. “After giving it a lot of thought, I believe now is the right time to step aside.” Read the full story.
Cheyenne teacher announces bid to succeed Rep. Daniel Singh
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
In the wake of Rep. Daniel Singh, R-Cheyenne, announcing he will seek a move from the state House of Representatives to the Senate, one candidate has already announced a bid to succeed Singh. Andrew Server, an English teacher at Cheyenne’s East High School, said he is running as a conservative Calvin Coolidge-style Republican to continue many of Singh’s priorities, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. Read the full story.