Public News Service

80% of Wyoming adults say that EMS should be considered an essential service, according to a 2024 AARP survey. (Kirill Gorlov/Adobe Stock)

Survey: Wyomingites support increased EMS funding

Some emergency medical services, or EMS, are consolidating or closing across Wyoming, while the need for services is increasing. In 2021, Wyoming EMS …

The Sage Creek Community Club could soon be on the National Register of Historic Places. (Alliance for Historic Wyoming)

Bighorn Basin community halls tour to promote preservation efforts

The Sage Creek Community Club is 100 years old this year and is one stop on a tour this weekend of similar buildings in the region. The small…

Of the 17 states that have enacted music therapy legislation, 11 have placed the law in its own statute chapter, and others have grouped it with other forms of therapy. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Group aims to get music therapy licensure in Wyoming

Advocates in Wyoming trying to get music therapy licensure recognized in the state are hitting roadblocks. Members of the Wyoming Music Therapy …

Alrededor del 67% de las personas LGBTQ+ declararon haber necesitado un servicio de salud mental en los �ltimos dos a�os, frente al 39% de las personas no LGBTQ+, seg�n KFF. (Chris Allan/Adobe Stock)

Una compañía teatral de WY habla de sanidad sobre el escenario

Al finalizar el Mes del Orgullo, los defensores de la salud quieren que los miembros de la comunidad LGBTQ+ conozcan de las opciones de atención …

Around 67% of LGBTQ+ people reported needing a mental health service over the past two years, compared with 39% of non-LGBTQ+ people, according to KFF. (Chris Allan/Adobe Stock)

WY theater company talks health care on stage

As Pride Month winds down, health advocates want members of the LGBTQ+ community to know about health care options, despite any challenges to …

Participating in the arts may improve older adults' health, well-being and independence, according to the National Institute on Aging. (Adobe Stock)

WY grant supports creative aging through arts

Teaching artists can now apply for grant funding centered on programs for older Wyomingites. The Creative Aging Project Grant, from the Wyoming Arts …

The Food Bank of Wyoming distributed nearly 10 million pounds of food to patrons last year. (Adobe Stock)

Grant helps WY pantries source food locally

As summer begins, people who rely on Food Bank of Wyoming will start seeing more local options, thanks to a new grant. The U.S. Department of …

Constructed in a Spanish-Colonial style, the Parco/Sinclair Theatre opened on June 9, 1924. (Photo by Alliance for Historic Wyoming Staff)

$2 million investment in historic theater winning over skeptics

On May 21, the town of Sinclair is hosting a free screening of the Wyoming PBS documentary "100 Years on the Lincoln Highway" at the newly restored …

The Food Bank of Wyoming operates 19 mobile food pantries and recently launched the Fresh Express Route, which distributes nutrient-rich produce to 50 hunger relief partners by semi-truck. (Adobe Stock)

WY Food Bank distributed 10.8 million pounds of food in 2023

Working with more than 150 hunger relief partners across the state, Food Bank of Wyoming was able to distribute nearly 11 million pounds of food in 20…

Tours of the mid-century modern M Building, renovated by Diane McGinley and her husband in downtown Casper, is just one of this year's many sites to be celebrated during Preservation Month, which was started by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1973. (Diane McGinley)

M Building Kicks Off WY Historic Preservation Month

The Alliance for Historic Wyoming is putting a spotlight on the people responsible for preserving places during Preservation Month, which kicks off …

In 2011, coal produced 44% of all electricity in the United States. In 2022, it produced just 20% and is projected to drop to 10% or less by 2030. (Creativenature.nl/Adobe Stock)

Report: Half of Nation’s Coal Power Units to Retire by 2026

The U.S. is projected to retire half of its coal-fired power units by 2026, just 15 years after coal use for electricity reached its peak in 2011…

The 163 billion cubic feet of lost methane on public lands represents enough wasted natural gas to meet the needs of 2.2 million households; nearly as many households as New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming combined, studies show. (Adobe Stock)

Report: $500 Million Gas Lost at Oil and Gas Fields on Public Lands

Oil and gas operators waste a half billion dollars worth of natural gas on public lands every year, according to a new report. Chad Franke, …

The Glen Canyon Dam currently generates energy for nearly six million households in Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. (Adobe Stock)

Falling Lake Powell Water Levels Put Wyoming Hydro Power at Risk

Part of the deal Wyoming struck for sending its water down the Colorado River was that state residents would be able to tap electricity generated at G…

Since 2017, AARP has awarded more than $12.7 million to more than 1,060 projects, including 10 in Wyoming, through the Community Challenge to nonprofit organizations and government entities. (Adobe Stock)

AARP Wyoming Seeking Projects to Help Improve Communities

AARP Wyoming is putting out the call for creative projects to help improve communities, whether by creating new public transportation and housing …

One in eight individuals in Wyoming, and one in six children, do not know where their next meal will come from. (Adobe Stock)

Food Bank Ramps Up Thanksgiving Food Assistance

Turkeys and other holiday standards are still available for struggling families through food pantries, senior centers, school districts and other …

In 2021, volunteers drove or flew 42 injured raptors 9,583 miles and donated more than 165 hours of their personal time to help wild birds rehabilitate. (Adobe Stock)

Teton Raptor Center Nears Historic Restoration Goal

The Teton Raptor Center was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help the site become a year-round de…

Each year, AARP Wyoming honors volunteers age 50 or older for their community service, including helping repair and rebuild homes damaged in Hurricane Katrina. (Adobe Stock)

Andrus Award Seeks Nominations to Celebrate Community Volunteers

AARP Wyoming is accepting nominations for its 2022 Andrus Award for Community Service, which honors older Wyomingites who are sharing their …

Lemley Mill is part of the 30-square-miles South Pass Historic Mining Area, part of the traditional homelands of the Crow, Cheyenne, and Eastern Shoshone Nations. (Historicorps/BJ Klophaus)

Volunteers at Work on Lemley Mill, Miner’s Delight Saloon

Volunteers have set up camp and are hard at work on the historic Lemley Mill in Wyoming's South Pass Historic Mining District, where the Red Desert …

Local municipalities and counties can apply to Wyoming's state historic preservation office for funding to conduct their own historical surveys. (Adobe Stock)

Towns Tap Surveys to Uncover Wyoming’s Hidden History

Summer brings plenty of opportunities to get out and discover hidden historic treasures in your community, and preservation advocates are encouraging …

Even though Wyoming officials have tried to prioritize mental-health care for youths, many facilities are having difficulties keeping their doors open due to budget cuts. (Adobe Stock)

Holiday Poses Challenges for Foster Youths Aging Out of System

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Young people in Wyoming who have not been adopted officially age out of the foster-care system when they turn 18, joining 24,000 …

The most recent major renovations to Cheyenne's Union Pacific Depot were completed in 2006. The building now ishome to the Cheyenne Depot Museum. (Adobe Stock)

Saving More of Wyoming’s Older Buildings Could Boost Local Economies

RIVERTON, Wyo. - Community and economic-development leaders are gathering in Riverton this week for the 2021 Wyoming Working Together Conference…

Wyoming consistently has ranked among states with the highest youth confinement rates in the nation. (Adobe Stock)

Report: COVID Funds Could Help Close School-to-Prison Pipeline

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Federal school funding in response to the global pandemic, totaling nearly $190 billion, could help districts in Wyoming and across …

Advertising curtains, such as this one inside Kearney Community Hall, are common in community halls as stage backdrops, and were used to raise funds through local businesses paying to have ads. (Andrea Graham/Alliance for Historic Wyoming)

Historic Community Halls Open Doors for Tour, Potlucks, Pie Auctions

BUFFALO, Wyo. -- The doors of five historic community halls across Johnson and Sheridan counties were opened this past weekend for 15 people curious …

A recent national survey from the Surgo Foundation found that Wyoming has the third-highest proportion of COVID-19 skeptics in the nation. (van3ssa/Pixabay)

Wyoming Behind Most States in COVID Vaccine Distribution

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Wyoming ranks among the bottom of states for COVID vaccination rates, and state health officials are encouraging all eligible …

A majority of women are breadwinners in their families. (Pixabay)

Survey: Moms Want More Than Breakfast in Bed This Mother’s Day

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Mother's Day draws near, a new survey conducted by the Institute for Women's Policy Research offers a clearer picture of what …

More than eight in 10 Americans surveyed support creating a jobs program that would hire unemployed coal workers to safely close down old coal mines and restore the natural landscape. (TripodStories-AB/Pixabay)

PacifiCorp Decision May Spur 'Just Transition' for Coal Workers, Communities

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. -- All eyes will be on the Wyoming Public Service Commission this week as PacifiCorp is expected to announce earlier closing dates …

Election experts say vote by mail will increase civic participation among front-line workers who pull 12- to 72-hour shifts and can't always make it to physical polling sites. (US Navy)

Poll: Most U.S. Voters Trust Mail-In Ballots

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- A majority of American voters - 58% - say vote by mail should be available to everyone in the upcoming November election due to …

Calls for justice for the killing of Robert Ramirez in Laramie after a 2018 traffic stop have resurfaced in the wake of global protests targeting police violence against people of color. (Becker1999/Wikimedia Commons)

Statewide Community Forum on Racism Set for Saturday

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As the nation continues to grapple with police violence against people of color, the ACLU of Wyoming is hosting a virtual community …

Wyoming's decision to not expand Medicaid coverage has cost the state nearly $1 billion in federal tax dollars since 2013. (U.S. Army Reserve)

Pressure Mounts to Expand Medicaid During Coronavirus Emergency

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- As more Wyoming workers lose their job-related health insurance because of downturns in the coal, oil and gas industries during the …

Critics of the Bureau of Land Management's move to cut royalty payments worry the action incentivizes oil production during what's been called the biggest oil glut in history. (Matryx/Pixabay)

Federal Oil Royalty Cuts Expected to Impact State Budget

SHERIDAN, Wyoming -- As Wyoming faces a potential $2.8 billion budget deficit fueled by the COVID-19 crisis, lawmakers are bracing for a significant …

Wyoming residents are helping neighbors most at risk for COVID-10 by delivering groceries and shoveling springtime snow. (Oddharmonic/Flickr)

Wyoming Communities Step Up Support Efforts in Pandemic

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Wyoming residents are responding to life under the COVID-19 pandemic by stepping up to help neighbors, small businesses and …

School food service staff members in Wyoming are shifting gears as classrooms close, and finding creative ways to make sure children don't go hungry during the COVID-19 crisis. (Wyoming Department of Education)

WY School Districts Offer Healthy Meals for Kids at Home

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Wyoming joins the national effort to protect public health in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis by closing classrooms, school …

Wyoming's retired firefighters, teachers and other public sector workers have lost an estimated 21% of their spending power since the last pension inflation adjustment in 2008. (Pixabay)

Retired Teachers, Police, Other Public Workers Could See Pension Bump

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- The cost of health care, groceries and housing has increased dramatically since 2008, the last time Wyoming's retired public …

Tips for avoiding the flu include regularly washing hands with soap and water, reducing stress, getting eight hours of sleep, eating nutritious food, getting frequent exercise and getting a flu shot. (Pixnio)

Telehealth Options as Flu Season Nears Peak

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported increased numbers of flu cases across the U.S., including flu-related …

Vertical Harvest operates on one-tenth of an acre, yet grows produce at a rate equivalent to a traditional five acre soil farm. (Vertical Harvest)

Other-Abled Workers Fuel Vertical Farm in Jackson

JACKSON, Wyo. – An indoor vertical farm in Jackson that produces and sells roughly 100,000 pounds of fresh produce annually is powered by a …

AARP Wyoming's Movies for Grownups series, which seeks to fight social isolation in people age 50 and older, kicks off Oct. 3 with

Addressing Costs of Social Isolation in Older Americans

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – In the build-up to National Good Neighbor Day on Sept. 28, the AARP Foundation is encouraging all Americans to make a point to …

Just 663 Wyoming children live in high-poverty areas, and teen births have dropped by 55% since 1990. (Pixabay)

Wyoming Ranks Near Last in Children's Health

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Wyoming ranks 49th nationally for child health, and an estimated 14,000 Wyoming kids do not have health insurance. That's …

In 2017, 7 million people visited national park sites in Wyoming, including Devils Tower National Monument, generating over $1 billion in spending and supporting 12,000 jobs. (Mpujals/Pxhere)

Time Running Out for Funding Wyoming National Park Site Repairs

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – National Park Service sites in Wyoming need more than $700 million in deferred repairs, with Yellowstone alone in need of …

Compared with their peers, youths in foster care are more likely to experience early pregnancy, homelessness and incarceration. (Beth Rankin/Wikimedia Commons)

Wyoming Foster Youths Face Challenges in Transitioning to Adulthood

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Young people in foster care are falling behind their peers and are on track to face higher levels of joblessness and …

The 2018 Wyoming Conference on Aging will outline strategies, including exercise, for managing chronic health conditions. (USAF)

Experts Gather in Laramie to Address Wyoming's Aging Population

LARAMIE, Wyo. – The Wyoming Conference on Aging, a three-day event set to kick off Oct. 2 in Laramie, aims to be a one stop shop for the latest …

Land and Water Conservation Fund state assistance grants have supported hundreds of projects across Wyoming, including Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. (National Park Service)

Conservation Program to Expire by Sept. 30 if Congress Doesn't Act

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The Land and Water Conservation Fund, which taps a portion of offshore drilling fees to ensure recreational access for hunting…

The last time a median-income earner could afford a median-priced home in Jackson was in the mid-1980s. (Jan Kronsell)

Final Vote on Jackson Affordable Housing Expected Monday

JACKSON, Wyo. – Jackson and Teton County officials are set to meet this afternoon, and their decision on the future of commercial and …

Casper's Tuesday summer market includes a two-bites club for children. If they take two bites of that week's fruit or vegetable, they earn money to spend with local vendors. (Pixabay)

Casper Market Doubles Food Bucks for SNAP Recipients

CASPER, Wyo. – The Food For Thought Summer Market at David Street Station in downtown Casper is starting to swell as the season's peak harvest …

Residents of Evanston say the proposal to build a private immigrant detention center in town has cast a dark cloud over the community. (Ken Lund)

Proposed Evanston Detention Center Brings Racial Tensions to Surface

EVANSTON, Wyo. — As Uinta County officials push for a new private immigrant detention center based in Evanston, residents have become …

The city of Jackson is working on becoming an

New Online Tool Measures Community Livability

CASPER, Wyo. – A new online tool launched by AARP allows anyone to see how their community stacks up against others in Wyoming and across the …

More than 17 million people live within a mile of an active oil or gas well, including more than 2 million children and elderly people - groups especially vulnerable to air pollution and contaminated water. (Joshua Doubek/Wikimedia Commons)

Physician Groups Publish "One-Stop Shop" for Fracking Science

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Physicians' groups are sounding the alarm on the health risks posed by hydraulic fracturing, and have published a compendium …

Between 2010 and 2014, 24 pedestrians and six cyclists died as a result of accidents with cars and trucks. (AJEL/Pixabay)

State Task Force Delivers Blueprint for Creating More Walkable Cities

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – A group appointed by Gov. Matt Mead to find ways to make Wyoming towns safer for pedestrians and cyclists released its report …

While older Americans may lead more solitary lives, researchers have found that loneliness is highest among teenagers and young adults. (Pixabay)

Survey: Loneliness a Top Concern Around Holidays

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Many people associate the holidays with warm and positive feelings, but for others, it can be a lonely and difficult time…

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - September 18, 2024

2024Talks - September 18, 2024

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WY: Community Issues and Volunteering