Local Lookout: Still no Weston County clerk | Data center moratorium? | CWD detected near Pinedale

Weston County commissioners fail to appoint interim clerk
News Letter Journal
Weston County commissioners did not appoint an interim county clerk after a split vote and procedural uncertainty left the board without a majority choice, potentially pushing the decision to a judge. Driving the decision, according to several commissioners, is the fact that the Republican Party did not forward interim County Clerk Amber Green’s name to the board, the News Letter Journal reports. The board interviewed three candidates forwarded by the county Republican Party, but none secured enough support for an appointment. Read the full story.

Some Cheyenne residents push for data center moratorium
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Several hundred Cheyenne residents have signed a petition asking the city to place a hold on data center developments in the area. Critics of the petition, however, see the issue as less about data centers and more about the process in which the city and county approach land-use changes so that residents don’t feel blindsided by such developments. Although officials like Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins have said there’s no evidence to cause concern about the impact on water and electricity, petitioners are now more concerned about transparency and the fabric of the community, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. Read the full story.

Next Frontier Energy Summit explores AI, energy and Wyoming’s future
Laramie Boomerang
Energy leaders, policymakers and industry representatives gathered in Laramie this week for the sixth annual Next Frontier Energy Summit, a two-day conference focused on the future of energy production, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and carbon management in Wyoming and across the nation. Discussions frequently returned to Wyoming’s potential role in supplying the energy, manufacturing capacity and infrastructure needed to support rapidly expanding artificial intelligence and data center industries, the Laramie Boomerang reports. Read the full story.

Chronic wasting disease shows up on Muddy Creek Feedground near Pinedale
Buckrail
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease on the Muddy Creek Feedground. Since the disease was detected at the Horse Creek Feedground in 2025, its spread has been anticipated. This is the fifth feedground in the state to confirm a positive case. The feedground is located near Pinedale in Elk Hunt Area 98, Buckrail reports. Read the full story.

Casper adopts resolution formally acknowledging blight
Oil City News
The Casper City Council passed a resolution that formally recognizes blight in seven areas of the city, a move that comes after the council approved the findings of a blight study. The resolution opens the door to tools that could help pay for urban renewal. For example, tax increment financing, or TIF, serves as a mechanism where the increase in tax revenue from new development is reinvested directly back into the specific blighted area, Oil City News reports. Read the full story.

Sheridan police warn of rise in digital scams as technology evolves
The Sheridan Press
Sheridan police are warning of digital scams that are becoming more complex and common. The financial losses have been significant. “This year alone, we’ve had an $80,000 and a $16,000 scam already, and it’s just May,” Sheridan Police Department Police Officer Elizabeth Shafer said. Every type of scam is reaching Sheridan residents, from impersonation calls to online schemes, The Sheridan Press reports. Read the full story.