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WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2026 |

Photo – Sgt. Casey Lehr and K-9 Officer Argus – Courtesy Saratoga Police Department

Saratoga officials authorized the police department’s K9 handler to attend a training course in Jackson.

During the April 15th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Police Chief John Moore said the National Police Canine Association was holding certification training in Jackson, from May 5th to the 8th. Chief Moore asked to send Sergeant Casey Lehr and his dog, Argus, to the course, adding that certification from multiple agencies will strengthen the K9 team’s capabilities.

The National Police Canine Association is a nonprofit organization focused on the training, development, and certification of police canine teams. Through regional and national training seminars, the association offers patrol, detection, tracking, trailing, and specialized tactical certifications for police operations.

Chief Moore said the course would cost $330 plus $139 per night for lodging in Jackson. The police chief requested approval to have Sergeant Lehr attend the four‑day training session.

Chief Moore said Sergeant Lehr and K9 Argus are performing their duties effectively.

In addition to the hotel and course costs, the chief requested extra funds for meals, saying he anticipated the entire trip to cost roughly $1,000.

The Saratoga Town Council unanimously voted to approve $1,000 for the K9 training course in Jackson. The funding will come out of the police department’s K9 training budget.

The post Saratoga K-9 Team Headed to Training in Jackson first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

WEDNESDAY, May 6, 2026 |

Photo – Annette Penman – Courtesy Sue Jones

Community members gathered to wish Annette Penman a happy retirement and acknowledge the impact she had on Carbon County.

During Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, attendees honored Annette Penman’s decades of service to the community. In her role as Community Relations Administrator at HF Sinclair, Penman ensured the refinery supported local emergency response and law enforcement needs.

County Emergency Management Coordinator Lenny Layman said that after learning Penman was retiring, he wanted to publicly recognize her contributions to the county. Layman said that six years ago, Penman embraced his plan to establish the Carbon County Coordination Center and bring all emergency and disaster operations under one roof.

Layman said many people say they love Carbon County, but Penman demonstrates her love of the county through her actions.

Next, Rawlins Police Chief Mike Ward said collaboration between the public and private sectors benefits the community. Chief Ward said Penman reflects that approach through her support of the Rawlins Police Department.

Carbon County Search and Rescue volunteer and Michael’s Big City Steakhouse owner Mike Lujan recalled that in high school, Penman was the cheerleader for the wrestling team. Despite losing the match, Lujan said Penman continued to support him, and he thanked her for continuing to back numerous agencies and charitable organizations around the county.

Sinclair Police Chief Jeff Sanders said Penman has been instrumental in directing HF Sinclair donations to events, the town’s new senior transit bus, and the Shop with a Cop program. Through her efforts, Chief Sanders said Penman has impacted nearly every aspect of the Town of Sinclair.

Rawlins Downtown Development Authority Director and House District 15 Representative Pam Thayer recounted that when Penman worked for Rocky Mountain Power, she was always pleasant to speak with. After moving to HF Sinclair, Thayer said she knew Penman’s commitment to improving her community would continue.

Carbon County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Yvonne Johnson said Penman is a wonderful leader and friend.

Sheriff Alex Bakken said Penman has played a key role in helping his department pursue funding opportunities.

Commission Chairman Travis Moore said through her actions, Penman has cemented her legacy of helping in Carbon County. Chairman Moore said she is consistently willing to assist her community.

Commissioner John Johnson said Penman ensured that a large corporation like HF Sinclair continued to invest in the local community. Commissioner Sue Jones said Penman always went above and beyond to help, and Commission Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett said the turnout for Penman’s retirement demonstrated the positive impact she has had on the county.

Following the Board’s remarks, the meeting was briefly suspended while attendees were served cake.

The post HF Sinclair’s Community Relations Administrator Retires first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Monday, May 4, 2026 |

Photo – Seminoe Reservoir, beach at the boat club – Courtesy Bureau of Reclamation

Wyoming Game and Fish is concerned about the unusually warm and dry winter and how it will affect wildlife.

The past winter has been one of the driest and warmest on record. Because of that, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is closely monitoring wildlife habitats around the state.

Due to the lack of precipitation, water levels at the Seminoe and Pathfinder reservoirs are extremely low at this time. Game and Fish Casper Region Fisheries Supervisor Matt Hahn said despite the low water, fish populations in both lakes are unlikely to be affected.

Both reservoirs are between 30 and 40 feet below average. Hahn said water levels are the lowest in 20 years and that the drop has created new risks that boaters should be aware of.

While fishing restrictions are unlikely for the Seminoe and Pathfinder reservoirs, Hahn warned that the low water levels may raise temperatures in downstream habitats. If conditions worsen, Hahn said Game and Fish may ask anglers to limit fishing in those areas.

Hahn said Game and Fish prefers voluntary restrictions over official closures. However, if temperatures continue to rise and anglers disregard the agency’s requests, river fishing access may be prohibited.

Between the Pathfinder and Seminoe reservoirs lies the Miracle Mile. Hahn said the blue‑ribbon trout fishery is not showing any negative effects from the warm and dry weather and is unlikely to see any restrictions this summer.

Casper Region Public Information Specialist Janet Milek said the unusually warm and dry winter is also expected to negatively affect land animals. Milek said the mild winter spared their fat stores, but the lack of moisture will limit the grasses the animals rely on to rebuild their reserves for the next year.

Meanwhile, Game and Fish biologists are hoping for a wetter winter. In the meantime, Milek said the agency is doing what it can to support the animals through summer.

In the Laramie Region, which covers the Snowy Range and Platte Valley, Game and Fish is reporting “some of the driest conditions observed in the past 30 years.” The latest snowpack measurements show the North Platte Basin at 34 percent of average, the Laramie Basin at 12 percent, and the South Platte Basin at a critically low zero percent. Because of the extremely dry conditions, fisheries biologists have stopped stocking fish at Shirley Basin and Elk Mountain reservoirs, where their survival is unlikely.

The post Low Precipitation Effects on Wildlife is Concerning to Game and Fish first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Monday, May 4, 2026 |

Photo – Harriet Hageman – Bigfoot99 file photo

County officials sent a letter of thanks to Congresswoman Hageman for directing federal funding to local projects.

During the April 21st Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting in Encampment, County Clerk Lisa Smith presented a letter to Congresswoman Harriet Hageman for the board’s approval. Commission Vice Chairwoman Gwynn Bartlett explained that the letter thanks the congresswoman for authorizing the county’s Federal Community Project Funding request. Vice Chair Bartlett said the money will be used to purchase emergency generators for county‑owned buildings.

Federal Community Project Funding is the modern version of congressional earmarks, where members of Congress can request money for specific local projects. Funding amounts will not be released until Congress passes a full appropriations bill. Lawmakers are still working through the current appropriations cycle, but disagreements between the House and Senate, particularly over Department of Homeland Security funding, are slowing the process.

Commission Chairman Travis Moore said he thanked the congresswoman in person during her April 7th town hall in Rawlins. During the meeting, Representative Hageman explained that state entities, including counties and municipalities, reach out to her with federal funding requests for infrastructure repairs or law enforcement. The congresswoman said she takes those proposals to Washington D.C., where she works to move them through the federal legislature. However, many communities are competing for the same pool of money.

Congresswoman Hageman said in 2023, her first year in office, she secured $14.96 million for Wyoming projects, including $2 million for the Bitter Creek Reconstruction Project in Rock Springs. Last year, congress did not allocate any funding for local projects. This year, the congresswoman said she provided $25.8 million for Wyoming communities, including $600,000 for the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.

In this Federal Community Project Funding cycle, Congresswoman Hageman said she requested money for the maximum number of state projects, 20, including emergency generators for Carbon County.

Congresswoman Hageman said she won’t know if the funding was approved for at least a year.

Commission Chairman Travis Moore thanked the congresswoman for allocating federal funds for the sheriff’s vehicles and emergency generators. Chairman Moore added that the county had never needed generators until it experienced a widespread blackout in March that left Rawlins and the Platte Valley without power for roughly two and a half hours. Moore said the event showed that medical supplies in the Jeffrey Memorial Community Center, where the town hall was being held, could not be accessed without an upgraded generator.

On April 21st, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners unanimously voted to send Congresswoman Hageman a thank you letter for supporting the emergency generator funding request.

The post County to Send Thank You Letter to US Representative Harriet Hageman first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

Monday, May 4, 2026 |

Photo – Big Boy steam engine – Bigfoot99 file photo

The world’s largest operational steam locomotive will tour the east coast of the United States for the first time.

Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 locomotive will begin the eastern leg of its 2026 excursion tour next month. On May 25th, Big Boy will leave the Union Pacific Steamworks in Cheyenne and head east as part of its coast‑to‑coast America 250 tour, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Twenty-five Big Boy locomotives were built for the Union Pacific railroad between 1941 and 1944. The 4‑8‑8‑4 units, a reference to their wheel arrangement, were specifically designed to haul freight on the steep grades of the Wasatch Mountains between Ogden, Utah and Green River, Wyoming. Each Big Boy was 133 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds. The locomotives operated for 20 years, with most of the fleet retiring by 1962. Of the original 25 units, only eight survive today. Most are on static display in museums across the country, including Steam Shortline Park in Cheyenne.

Big Boy 4014 is the only engine of its class restored to operating condition and is the largest functional steam locomotive in the world. In 2013, Union Pacific reacquired the locomotive from the Rail Giants Train Museum in Pomona, California. After six years of restoration work, 4014 was christened at the Cheyenne Depot Museum on May 4th, 2019. Since that time, the locomotive has typically gone on one or two excursion tours per year, mainly west to California, except in 2020 when the COVID‑19 pandemic canceled the tour schedule.

On March 29th, Big Boy 4014 began its 2026 west coast excursion, traveling from Cheyenne to Laramie and then to Medicine Bow, where it made a short scheduled stop. Ed Dickens, Union Pacific’s senior manager of Heritage Operations and the lead engineer for Big Boy 4014, told Bigfoot99 that the brief stops not only give the public a chance to see the train up close, but also allow maintenance crews to oil the running gear, a requirement unique to steam locomotives.

After roughly 30 minutes, Big Boy headed west, traveling through Hanna, before stopping overnight in Rawlins. The next morning, Dickens and the steam team continued their journey, stopping in Wamsutter, Rock Springs, and Green River before continuing into Utah, Nevada, and California.

On April 14th, Big Boy left Truckee, California, and made its way back to Cheyenne. After a month‑long repair and refit, Union Pacific will begin the eastbound leg of the 2026 excursion. Big Boy will leave Cheyenne on May 25th and make its first public stop in Kimball, Nebraska, before overnighting in Sidney.

Big Boy will spend the rest of May in Nebraska, with a public appearance in Ogallala and an overnight stay in North Platte on May 26th.

On Wednesday, May 27th, Union Pacific will hold a private employee event in North Platte. The next morning, Big Boy will visit Gothenburg, Overton, Kearney, and Grand Island.

After final stops in Columbus and Omaha, 4014 will leave Nebraska on May 31st, heading into Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio through June. In July, Big Boy will travel through Pennsylvania and New York state, spending Independence Day in Philadelphia.

On Tuesday, July 7th, 4014 will begin its return trip to Cheyenne, with appearances in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado along the way. With one final public appearance in Greeley, Colorado, on July 29th, Big Boy will return to the Wyoming state capital.

None of the overnight stops are open to the public.

As part of the tour, the nonprofit Union Pacific Museum will sell tickets for rides in vintage passenger cars pulled by Big Boy through the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania on June 14th. Tickets are available at www.UPtrainTix.org. The fundraiser will be the only passenger excursion offered on the 2026 eastern tour.

A link to the full Union Pacific Steam Schedule will be included in this story when it is posted to Bigfoot99.com.

Union Pacific Steam Schedule: Big Boy No. 4014’s Schedule | Union Pacific

The post UP’s Big Boy 4014 Will Tour Eastern United States for First Time first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

TUESDAY, May 5, 2026 |

Photo – MHCC Saratoga Clinic – Bigfoot99 file photo

Memorial Hospital of Carbon County is rolling out new practices to improve the facility, including opening the cafeteria to the public.

On Wednesday, April 29th, Memorial Hospital administrators held a business breakfast to inform the public about the state of the Rawlins medical center. After more than a decade of financial strain, Chief Executive Officer Kerry Ashment opened the meeting with a positive financial report.

Next, Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Hinkle introduced Memorial Hospital’s new Director of Clinics, Jared Frakes. Frakes, a former Rawlins police lieutenant, emphasized the importance of maintaining existing providers within the organization, saying patients prefer visiting doctors they know and trust.

Chief Operating Officer Shinkle said one of the main ways Memorial Hospital is improving operations is by no longer outsourcing medical coding and billing. Hinkle said bringing the process in-house makes it more likely that insurance providers will approve services quickly, which helps maintain cash flow.

Hinkle said Memorial Hospital hired a full‑time remote certified medical coder in March. The hospital has also added a local part‑time coder, with another expected soon. By bringing those services into the facility, Hinkle said patients and providers can be confident their bills will not contain errors.

Hinkle said enhancing upfront payments is another way Memorial Hospital is improving its internal operations. The chief operating officer said staff can determine what, if any, copay a patient owes when they are first seen. By ensuring the money is collected at the time of service, Hinkle said the hospital will bring in more revenue, especially in the emergency department.

Hinkle also said Memorial Hospital administrators are committed to limiting the need for staff to work overtime. By using more local personnel and fewer costly out‑of‑town contractors, Hinkle said the hospital can reduce expenses.

Hinkle added that overtime payments can escalate quickly, creating unplanned burden on the hospital’s budget. Every dollar spent on overtime is a dollar that can’t be spent on new medical services or equipment.

Hinkle said administrators are also working to optimize clinical operations, describing the family practice clinics as the gateway to Memorial Hospital. She said that at the end of last year, both the Saratoga and Rawlins clinics began offering more same‑day appointments.

Hinkle said Memorial Hospital is recruiting a new orthopedic provider. The previous physician assistant, Bob Keel, left the organization last year to continue practicing medicine in Utah. Hinkle said University of Wyoming nurse practitioner student Chanel Thrasher will join the team later this summer. As a Saratoga resident, bringing Thrasher on board has been more straightforward than attempting to hire someone from outside the area.

In addition, Hinkle said part‑time orthopedic physician Fred Baldwin will help meet the community’s musculoskeletal needs.

The chief operating officer said Memorial Hospital is also increasing its public outreach, by hiring a marketing director and obtaining the required licenses to open the Windy City Café to the public.

Memorial Hospital of Carbon County’s Windy City Café officially opened on May 4th. The café offers homestyle meals, including a daily salad and coffee bar, at an affordable price. All Veterans are invited to visit on Friday, May 22nd, from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. for complimentary cinnamon rolls and coffee as Memorial Hospital’s way of saying “thank you” for their service.

At 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, Memorial Hospital is hosting a pain‑management Lunch and Learn with Holistic Pain Management at the Rawlins Senior Center. Members will receive a free lunch while learning about the local pain‑management opportunities offered by the two organizations.

On August 29th, the Memorial Hospital Foundation will host the 8th annual Fun Scramble at the Rochelle Ranch Golf Course in Rawlins. Hospital administrators are hoping to raise at least $60,000. Proceeds from the fundraiser golf tournament will go toward the purchase of two new industrial washing machines.

At last week’s business breakfast, Chief Executive Officer Kerry Ashment reassured the community that Memorial Hospital of Carbon County will not be closing. After years of oversight issues under previous administrators, Ashment said current leadership has begun the time‑consuming process of stabilizing the cash‑strapped medical center.

The post MHCC Continues Working to Improve Services first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

TUESDAY, May 5, 2026 |

Photo – Property tax records – Bigfoot99 file photo

As the filing deadline for elected offices approaches, county commissioners are encouraging residents to run or, at least, turn out to vote in the August primary elections.

In 2025, statewide residential property tax relief programs have reduced tax revenue for every county and municipality in Wyoming. In Carbon County, the combined impact of programs such as the 25 percent Homeowner Property Tax Exemption, the 50 percent Long‑Term Homeowner Exemption, and the Property Tax Refund Program resulted in an estimated $500,000 loss in county revenue.

During the most recent legislative session, state lawmakers made the 50 percent Long‑Term Homeowner Exemption permanent, and the 25 percent Homeowner Property Tax Exemption is set to expire next year.

Speaking during the April 21st Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting in Encampment, Commissioner Sue Jones said the tax relief programs will continue having a negative impact on the county’s finances this fiscal year. Commissioner Jones said County Assessor Renee Snider has reported that several properties in the Platte and Little Snake River valleys have already hit the annual four percent property tax increase limit.

As an example, Commissioner Jones said her father’s property taxes dropped by $502 under the relief programs. While modest on its own, the reduction becomes significant when viewed across the entire county. Jones said this November, she hopes voters choose lawmakers who better understand how the tax revenue is used.

Commissioner Jones said that as municipalities receive less tax revenue, they are likely to charge residents more for sewer and water access, since those services are often partially funded by the tax revenue. The commissioner urged Carbon County residents to vote in the August 18th primary, saying that most of the state’s political races will be effectively settled at that point.

Commissioner Jones said Carbon County saw a nearly $500,000 reduction in revenue in 2025. While the projected impact is expected to be smaller this year, the commissioner said any reduction will have an effect on the county’s budget.

Commissioner Jones said the four percent tax cap had the greatest impact in Teton, Lincoln, and Sheridan counties. While Carbon County saw only a modest increase in property values, Jones said those other counties experienced sharp spikes in home prices during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Commissioner Jones said Teton County lost approximately $8 million in 2025, solely due to the four percent property tax cap.

A measure will be on this November’s ballot to amend the state constitution to reduce all residential property taxes by 50 percent, further reducing the county’s ability to provide road maintenance, law enforcement, museums, libraries, and senior centers.

Carbon County residents interested in running for an open elected position must submit their filing paperwork to the county clerk’s office between May 14th and May 29th.

The post Commissioner Encourages Residents to Run for Office first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

TUESDAY, May 5, 2026 |

Photo – City of Rawlins logo – Courtesy City of Rawlins

Rawlins officials approved $135,000 to upgrade the city’s sewer‑inspection camera system.

During the April 21st Rawlins City Council meeting, Public Works Director Cody Dill presented a $135,336.64 request to retrofit the city’s trailer‑mounted video inspection system. Dill explained that the existing camera technology is significantly outdated, adding that the equipment is needed to maintain the city’s sewer infrastructure.

A trailer‑mounted video inspection system includes everything needed to perform camera‑assisted sewer inspections. Operators deploy a robotic crawler with a tilting high‑definition camera into a sewer main. The crawler moves through the pipe while operators in the trailer monitor a live video feed and identify defects such as cracks, root intrusion, or blockages.

Dill said he was not asking for an entirely new camera trailer, which can cost upward of $300,000. Instead, the public works director said he would be satisfied with upgrading the equipment on the city’s existing trailer for a significant savings.

Dill clarified that retrofitting the existing trailer would save the city roughly $80,000 compared with buying a new inspection system.

The city received two bids from sewer‑inspection system suppliers, CUE Incorporated and Ten Point Sales and Marketing. Both companies submitted prices to upgrade the city’s current equipment and for an entirely new unit. CUE quoted $279,688 for a new trailer and $135,336.64 for the upgrades. Ten Point Sales and Marketing was higher, at $314,947 for a new unit and $252,917 for an upgrade.

The Rawlins City Council unanimously approved the lower bid from CUE Incorporated. Funding for the upgrades was already included in the public works department’s annual budget.

The post Rawlins Will Upgrade Video Inspection System first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

THURSDAY, April 30, 2026 |

Photo – MHCC – Bigfoot99 file photo

Memorial Hospital administrators shared a positive financial outlook with the community.

Yesterday morning, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County held a quarterly business breakfast where members of the community were invited to learn about the state of the Rawlins medical center. Chief Executive Officer Kerry Ashment began with good news, saying the number of days the hospital can pay its bills using only existing cash, called days cash on hand, has been increasing. Ashment said the gain is small but shows improvement.

Despite the revenue improvements, Ashment reminded attendees that Memorial Hospital still has four sources of prior financial obligations, which he referred to as “legacy debt.” The hospital CEO said the facility is still paying off its electronic health record provider, Oracle Healthcare. Ashment added that Memorial Hospital, like all medical centers, is required to maintain a system to electronically transmit medical records.

The second source of “legacy debt” is Memorial Hospital’s former medical advisory group, Ovation Healthcare. Ashment said hospital administrators, in general, were dissatisfied with Ovation’s performance and chose to terminate the contract last December.

Ashment said Memorial Hospital is still working with Ovation on the facility’s three‑year improvement plan and specific contractual obligations.

The CEO continued, saying Memorial Hospital also owes the Wyoming Department of Health close to $1 million from a prior loan taken out when the facility was short on cash. When asked if administrators would seek debt forgiveness from the state, Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Hinkle said Memorial Hospital is committed to repaying the loan.

The fourth and final source of “legacy debt” is Macro Helix, a Georgia‑based 340B program management and software firm. The 340B program is a federal drug‑discount initiative that requires drug companies to sell outpatient medications to hospitals and clinics at sharply reduced prices. CEO Ashment said that after discovering Macro Helix was overcharging the hospital for 340B services, administrators chose to contract with another company.

Ashment said Memorial Hospital will finish paying Macro Helix by the end of May, leaving the facility with only three remaining sources of “legacy debt.”

When Ashment took over as CEO roughly one year ago, Memorial Hospital was over $9 million in debt. After selling the Rawlins and Saratoga clinic buildings, Ashment said that amount was reduced by nearly half.

Ashment emphasized that Memorial Hospital of Carbon County is not closing. The CEO said recent financial improvements show the Rawlins medical center will remain open indefinitely.

Ashment said he will look into adding additional medical services as Memorial Hospital continues to pay down its debt. The CEO said his goal is to restore the community’s trust in its local hospital.

The post MHCC Gives Positive Financial Outlook to Area Residents first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

THURSDAY, April 30, 2026 |

Photo – Ferguson Building – Bigfoot99 file photo

The State Loan and Investment Board approved a $750,000 request from the City of Rawlins to build workforce housing.

On April 23rd, the State Loan and Investment Board held a special workshop to consider 22 Unmet Housing Needs Grant Program funding requests. The City of Rawlins was among the grant applicants, seeking money to convert the Furguson Building into “attainable workforce apartments.”

In 1912, Ferguson Mercantile, then the largest general‑merchandise business in western Wyoming, purchased the J.E. Hugus and Company building at the northeast corner of 5th and Cedar Streets in Rawlins. The site operated as a general store until the late 1960s, when Ferguson Mercantile closed. The structure then sat largely unused for decades and, by the early 2000s, was in an advanced state of disrepair.

In 2013, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners purchased the Hugus‑Ferguson Building for $150,000 with plans to relocate the Carbon County Museum into the structure, but renovation costs estimated at up to $1 million made the move untenable. The Museum Board abandoned the plan in September 2020, and two years later, ownership was transferred to the Rawlins Downtown Development Authority, which still holds the property.

Last spring, the Downtown Development Authority commissioned a study of the Ferguson Building to determine if the structure could serve as a hotel or apartment complex. Ayers Associates, the firm hired by the state to conduct the study, determined that more housing was needed and suggested renovating the building into affordable apartments.

After receiving the completed report in January, the City of Rawlins submitted an Unmet Housing Needs Grant Program application to the State Loan and Investment Board. On April 23rd, SLIB met to consider the requests.

While discussing a $500,000 application from the City of Lander for housing infrastructure, Secretary of State Chuck Gray introduced a motion to ensure that only U.S. citizens benefit from the Unmet Housing Needs Grant Program. Under the proposed conditions, Secretary Gray argued that individuals in the country on temporary work or student visas, known as nonresident aliens, could technically qualify for homes built using the state funds. In addition, Gray said the State Loan and Investment Board, not the municipalities, should be responsible for verifying that applicants are legal residents.

Secretary Gray said Wyoming residents find it “offensive” that state funding could go to nonresident aliens.

State Treasurer Curt Meier said the Wyoming Constitution expressly prohibits the state from stopping nonresident aliens from buying property. Treasurer Meier said approving Secretary Gray’s motion would constitute a breach of public trust.

Treasurer Meier said that by discriminating against nonresident aliens, the members of the State Loan and Investment Board would be guilty of perjury and would no longer be able to hold public office in Wyoming.

Secretary Gray objected to the treasurer’s interpretation of the state constitution, arguing that the relevant provision only applies to the right to possess property and does not relate to the disbursement of state funding.

Secretary Gray introduced several amendments to withhold Unmet Housing Needs Grant Program funding from nonresident aliens, but none received a second.

The Board eventually moved on to consider the funding request from the City of Rawlins. State Auditor Kristi Racines moved to authorize the city’s $750,000 grant request to transform the Ferguson Building into workforce apartments. Secretary Gray introduced an amendment to ensure that the state-funded housing is only available to legal U.S. residents.

To verify that every housing applicant is a U.S. citizen, Secretary Gray said the Office of State Lands and Investment must use the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program and report the results to the State Loan and Investment Board. The motion died for lack of a second.

Before the Board voted on the city’s application, Auditor Racines said the Ferguson Building apartments will not include income limits. The homes will instead be offered to Rawlins’ workers at a fair market price.

Secretary Gray said he supports the city’s housing project but will still vote against the application. The Secretary of State said he cannot back any project that may direct state funding to nonresidents, adding that many in Wyoming share his view.

The State Loan and Investment Board approved the city’s $750,000 request to convert the Ferguson Building into an apartment complex. As promised, Secretary of State Gray voted against the motion.

The post Rawlins Receives Grant Approval to Build Workforce Housing first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.