Bigfoot99 News - Bigfoot 99 Radio

JULY 1, 2025 |

Photo – Example of Monument Sign for Saratoga – Bigfoot99 file photo

Saratoga officials will seek additional funding to install new signage around town.

During the May 6th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Public Works Director Emery Penner presented a selection of wayfinding signs to the governing body. Penner said the designs were proposed by the town’s Planning Commission and Enoch Hart from Wyoming Signs, a Casper-based exterior signage company. The Public Works Director explained the replacement signs will guide residents and visitors to local points of interest.

According to documents provided by the Saratoga Public Works Department, the town is looking to purchase six motorized wayfinding signs, nine directional signs for the River Walk Loop along Veteran’s Island, three triangular informational kiosk maps, and two “Welcome to Saratoga” stone monument signs, for a grand total of $49,099.

At the May 6th meeting, Public Works Director Penner offered to seek grant opportunities to help fund the project, with the Town Council’s approval.

The matter was discussed again during the June 17th Saratoga Town Council meeting. Public Works Director Penner said the Carbon County Visitors Council, also known as Discover Carbon County, recommended dividing the sign project into two grant applications: one for the ‘Welcome to Saratoga’ monument signs and another for the remaining signage. By submitting multiple grant applications, the town may be eligible for additional funding.

Penner said he is inclined to accept advice from Discover Carbon County, as it is the agency responsible for distributing the grant money.

The post Saratoga Seeks Grants to Install Way Finding Signs first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JULY 1, 2025 |

Photo – Prairie dog – Bigfoot99 file photo

In the Town of Hanna, officials are once again considering reintroducing foxes to help control the town’s unchecked prairie dog population.

In April, the Hanna Town Council briefly discussed reaching out to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department about reintroducing foxes to town. The predators had been removed years earlier after reports of them attacking neighborhood pets.

Instead of reintroducing foxes, the governing body authorized specially trained town employees, including Marshal’s Department deputies, to use air rifles to manage the prairie dog population. Hanna’s prairie dog population has surged, particularly at the town cemetery, where the burrowing rodents have dug into coffins and unearthed human remains.

At the June 24th Hanna Town Council meeting, Deputy Marshal Roger Hawks said strong winds have made it nearly impossible to shoot the animals.

Deputy Hawks said he was considering purchasing a suppressed .22 caliber rifle, noting it would be less suspectable to the wind than the air rifle.

A Hanna resident asked if foxes could be used to help control the overpopulation of prairie dogs. Deputy Hawks said he supported the idea, but the decision was in the hands of the Town Council.

Mayor Charlie George said he was a government trapper in the past and was tasked with removing nuisance foxes from northern Carbon County. Mayor George said he is hesitant to reintroduce the foxes after their earlier removal, adding that the predators could have unforeseen consequences.

Mayor George said existing predators, such as badgers and cats, are helping keep the prairie dog population in check. While foxes will help with the issue, the mayor said they are just as likely to eat cats as well.

Mayor George offered to contact Elk Mountain Game Warden Jake Miller and see if it is possible to reintroduce foxes to Hanna. In the meantime, the Marshall’s Department will continue attempting to shoot prairie dogs.

The post Town of Hanna Continues Discussion of Prairie Dog Problem first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 30, 2025 |

Photo – One of three “Super Loads” headed to Medicine Bow – Courtesy WYDOT

A massive electrical transformer will move from Albany to Carbon County early this week, blocking traffic along Interstate 80 beginning Monday.

WYDOT says the super-load will leave the railyard at Laramie on Monday.  The massive, electrical transformer, which weighs over one million pounds, will be transported along Interstate 80 to the Snowy Range on-ramp at mile marker 311. The load then will be taken to the truck parking area, west of Laramie.

WYDOT District One Senior Public Relations Specialist Andrea Staley explained that the super-load will move very slowly to avoid damaging the road.

Staley said to expect delays on Interstate 80 this morning as the load is moved from the Laramie railyard to the truck parking area roughly four miles west of Laramie.

On Tuesday morning, the transformer will be moved from the parking area to Exit 272. From there, the super load will exit Interstate 80, travel along Highway 13 to Highway 30, and continue on to the Medicine Bow wind farms.

Staley said the super load is nearly as wide as the highway, which will prevent motorists from passing the trucks. The WYDOT Senior Public Relations Specialist said to allow for additional time to reach your destination while the loads are being moved.

Due to construction on Highway 30, Staley said the trucks will take the same route back to Laramie.

Today’s super load is one of three transformers set to be moved from Laramie to Medicine Bow between now and the end of August.

The post Electrical Transformer to Block Interstate Traffic This Week first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 30, 2025 |

Photo – CCSD #1 Main Office – Bigfoot99 file photo

Carbon County School District One Board members reverse course on banning homeschoolers from taking part in public school activities.

Following calls by some Carbon County School District trustees to “shut the doors” on homeschool students, the Board has since reversed course on Superintendent Mike Hamel’s proposal to bar non-traditional students from participating in public school classes.

Following the passage of House Bill 199, or the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act, District One Superintendent Hamel drafted a policy to prevent families who use education savings accounts from enrolling in public school programs.

Superintendent Hamel acknowledged that students have benefited from attending classes in the past, but stated that, due to House Bill 199, District One can no longer include those children in its state reports. The superintendent recommended charging those families a fee to enroll in school activities.

District One Special Services Director and Board member Tanya Wall pointed out that the school is unable to determine who is participating in the education savings account program until after they’ve registered for classes, leading School Board members Marnie Garner and Cheryl Engstrom to suggest barring all homeschoolers, with both members saying, “Shut the doors.”

The policy was originally slated to be passed during the June 26th School Board meeting. However, after further scrutiny by the Board members, the matter was indefinitely postponed.

That didn’t stop several homeschool parents from voicing their opposition to the proposed policy. Cody Anderson said barring certain students based on how they are educated contradicts the district’s stated commitment to inclusivity.

Anderson said the Wyoming state constitution guarantees all youth access to the same educational opportunities.

Next, Laura Clark, a homeschooling mother of four, urged the District One School Board to reject the proposal.

David Eisenhardt, a marine veteran and father of six children, voiced his opposition to the proposed homeschooler ban, specifically as it related to sports. Eisenhardt said children should not be penalized for the school district’s budgetary shortfalls.

Next, Chelsea Spencer personally attacked Superintendent Mike Hamel, accusing him of using homeschool students to make a political statement.

Board Chairman Mike Mann attempted to stop Spencer, stating that the Board does not openly discuss personnel matters. Spencer said Sheridan County School District Two tried to prevent an attendee from speaking about the superintendent in a public meeting.

A district court, however, ruled that the action violated the individual’s First Amendment rights.

Chairman Mann allowed Spencer to continue. The concerned citizen said she and her husband’s recent conversation with Superintendent Hamel established two key insights about the recommended policy: it wasn’t driven by financial concerns, nor was it a response to any actions by homeschool students. Spencer added that Hamel all but acknowledged the proposal was politically motivated.

After the public comment portion of the meeting concluded, Board Chairman Mike Mann thanked everyone for their passion and concern for students. Mann said he and the other School Board members thoroughly reviewed the policy since its proposal in May and concluded it should not be brought to a vote that night.

Chairman Mann said the School Board could have done more to inform parents about potential policy changes, especially when they pertain to homeschool students.

Board Vice Chair Matt Feldmann encouraged the homeschool parents to act as liaisons to the School Board. Feldmann said this would help the Board hear their concerns and ideas more clearly before making future policy changes.

Board Member Cheryl Engstrom acknowledged that she led the chant to “shut the doors” on homeschool students. Engstrom said she formed her conclusions before learning all the facts.

After speaking with several homeschool families, Engstrom said she would vote against the proposed policy change.

Superintendent Mike Hamel said he will continue working on the homeschool policy and present a revised draft at a future School Board meeting.

The post Home School Ban Reversed by CCSD#1 Board Members first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 30, 2025 |

Photo – Whitehouse – Bigfoot99 file photo

In a 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision on Friday the justices ruled that lower courts around the country cannot issue nationwide injunctions. Sweeping decisions by lower courts, the High Court ruled, is an abuse of judicial power.

The ruling came in the controversial cases of “birthright citizenship.”

The decision in Trump v. Casa vindicated the Department of Justice (DOJ) strategy of arguing against the idea of nationwide injunctions, rather than addressing the underlying substantive issue in the case.

The dispute over whether the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees citizenship upon birth. Conservatives argue that “birthright citizenship” is abused by illegal migrants to make their children into U.S. citizens, who can later sponsor the legal immigration of the rest of their families. They also argue that no other nation has birthright citizenship, and that the Fourteenth Amendment did not intend to create it.

U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, issued a statement Friday heralding the Supreme Court decision that limits nationwide injunctions.

The majority opinion was written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett. The court’s conservative majority found: “Universal injunctions likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has given to federal courts.”

Justice Barrett added, “Universal injunction was conspicuously nonexistent for most of our Nation’s history. Its absence from 18th- and 19th-century equity practice settles the question of judicial authority.”

Wyoming’s senior U.S. Senator John Barrasso celebrated Friday’s decision. In a statement following the decision, Senator Barrasso wrote, ““Unelected liberal judges have no right to rule the country. It isn’t checks and balances. It is purely partisan politics – and it is wrong. Today’s Supreme Court decision reins in radical judges that Senate Democrats jammed onto the federal bench over the past four years. It is a win for the rule of law and common sense. Nationwide injunctions issued by partisan, unelected district court judges is a new phenomenon. It has been abused by elitist extremists wanting to overrule the will of the American people. The Supreme Court got it right by putting an end to this abuse.”

The High Court’s decision on Friday appears to down of President Trump on the fundamental issue over which branch of government has more power, the Presidency or the Judiciary.

In a judicial tell, the High Court, Justice Barrett called out Justice Ketanji Jackson, a Joe Biden appointee, who wrote the minority opinion.  Barrett wrote, “Justice Jackson decries an imperial executive while embracing an imperial judiciary.”

Jackson, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan, criticized the decision, arguing that it posed an existential threat to the rule of law and allowed the Executive to violate the Constitution.

President Trump hailed the decision as a win for democracy by ending the ability of liberal judges to insert their own values over the American people.

For now, the Supreme Court ruling curtails the ability of lower courts to block the will of the President using nationwide injunctions.

The post Nationwide Injunctions Cannot Be Issued By Lower Courts first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 27, 2025 |

Photo – Trackman Golf Simulator – trackman.com

In Rawlins, City officials have delayed the purchase of a golf simulator for the Rochelle Ranch Golf Course.

During his January 2nd, 2024, presentation to the Rawlins City Council, Rochelle Ranch Golf Course Advisory Board president Timothy Hoffman announced the Board had secured a $29,000 grant to purchase an indoor golf simulator for the club house. Hoffman said the top-of-the-line Trackman simulator will allow golfers to stay in practice throughout the winter, expand course pro Kevin Gannon’s ability to teach, and introduce more kids to the sport.

The City Council approved an $11,000 grant match toward the purchase of the golf simulator.

Since the January 2024 presentation, no public updates have been provided about the simulator, prompting questions about the status of the purchase.

Following up on an inquiry from a listener about the status of the plan, Bigfoot99 reached out to Rawlins City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave for more information about the project. In an email response, Attorney Maberry-Nave confirmed that the funds were awarded and the City did contribute $11,000 toward the project. However, the actual purchase of the simulator has been “thoughtfully delayed.”

Attorney Maberry-Nave wrote that the decision was made to ensure all the necessary logistical considerations, such as the best location for installation, operational staffing, software subscriptions, and ongoing maintenance costs, were fully addressed before investing in such a significant piece of equipment. Rather than rush into a purchase that might result in the simulator sitting idle without the proper support structure, Maberry-Nave wrote that the City and Golf Advisory Board have taken a prudent approach to ensure long-term success and usability of the project.

Bigfoot99 then asked if the $29,000 grant had been spent, to which Attorney Maberry-Nave responded, “the funds have not been spent. While the City did earmark funds to support the golf simulator project, the allocation remains unspent as the purchase has not yet moved forward.”

Attorney Maberry-Nave added that the City remains committed to bringing this amenity to the community in a responsible and sustainable manner.

The post City of Rawlins Working Out Logistics for Golf Simulator first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 27, 2025 |

Photo – Rawlins City Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo

Organizations seeking public funding from the City of Rawlins will be required to present their requests to the City Council.

Every year, the City of Rawlins allocates a portion of its annual budget to support 13 non-profit and ancillary organizations, such as the Old Pen Joint Powers Board and Senior Services. This fiscal year, the city has set aside $217,500 for those agencies, the same amount offered last fiscal year.

Some City Councils have required the organizations to present their funding requests in person, while others have not. Traditionally, the presentations occurred in late spring, while city officials were still preparing the budget.

The current Rawlins City Council has not asked the ancillary and non-profit agencies to present their funding requests in person. During the June 17th City Council meeting, Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave asked the governing body for clarification on that matter.

Additionally, Attorney Maberry-Nave asked the Council if the organizations should be required to participate in city improvement projects, such as clean-up days, to receive funding.

Councilwoman Tonya Lewman asked if any new funding requests were submitted this year. Community Relations Coordinator Mira Miller responded that the Carbon County Library System is seeking additional support from the city. All other agency requests remain unchanged.

Next, Councilwoman Lewman asked if the existing contracts between the city and the non-profit agencies require them to participate in clean-up initiatives. City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave responded that the organizations must assist in city-led improvement projects. However, Attorney Maberry-Nave said she is unsure if the agencies are meeting that obligation.

Attorney Maberry-Nave redirected the question to Community Relations Coordinator Mira Miller. Miller said she is confident that every ancillary and non-profit agency, except the Children Advocacy Project, is complying with the contract. Miller added that the Children Advocacy Project is too far away and receives too little funding to be expected to participate in clean-up projects.

Councilman Steve Sanger requested a copy of the existing contract from Attorney Maberry-Nave. Councilman Sanger said he must review the agreement before deciding if additional stipulations or enforcement are necessary.

Attorney Maberry-Nave agreed to provide the City Council with the existing contract and highlight the sections of the agreement that pertain to participation in city improvement projects.

Mayor Jacquelin Wells asked the governing body if the non-profit and ancillary agencies should present their funding requests in person. Councilwoman Tonya Lewman said she would prefer to hear from all the organizations before making any allocation decisions, citing the new request from the Carbon County Library System.

The remaining City Council members agreed that the agencies should present their funding requests in person. Attorney Maberry-Nave said she will schedule three organizations to appear at a time during upcoming City Council meetings. The governing body will delay its funding decision until all agencies have presented.

The post Non-Profits Must Present Funding Requests in Person to Council first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 27, 2025 |

Photo – Hanna Museum – Bigfoot99 file photo

The Carbon County Visitors Council has introduced a summer challenge to visit every museum in the region.

Users of the Discover Carbon County phone application have access to the Museum Trail challenge. Carbon County Visitors Council Chief Executive Officer Leslie Jefferson said the challenge encourages users to visit all seven of the county’s museums. People who complete the challenge will receive a complimentary sticker and t-shirt from the Visitors Council.

To participate in the Museum Trail challenge, Jefferson said to simply download the Discover Carbon County app onto your phone. The app tracks which museums you’ve visited and shares the information with the Carbon County Visitors Council.

The Museum Trail challenge runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Jefferson said she first announced the initiative in May but would like to remind the public to visit our area’s important historical centers.

Jefferson encouraged people to download the Discover Carbon County app. The Carbon County Visitors Council CEO described the program as a mobile version of her organization’s website.

Jefferson said the Carbon County Visitors Council regularly updates the app with new trails and challenges.

While Fort Fred Steele isn’t part of the Museum Trail challenge, Jefferson still suggested visiting the State Historic Site.

Jefferson said museums preserve the heartbeat of the community by telling the stories of the people, places, and moments that shaped modern Carbon County.

The Discover Carbon County app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

The post CCVC Challenges All to Visit All Seven County Museums first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 26, 2025 |

Photo – Wind turbine – Bigfoot99 file photo

Former Mayor Terry Weickum briefed the Rawlins City Council on the potential impact of federal tax credit cuts on local wind energy projects.

During the June 17th Rawlins City Council meeting, former Mayor, Terry Weickum, explained that he was invited to Washington D.C. by a lobby group called United Today Stronger Tomorrow.

The organization is composed of representatives from western states, including Wyoming. Representatives from the wind energy group met with Wyoming Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso to discuss the most recent House Reconciliation Bill, which eliminates tax credits for clean energy development.

Former Mayor Weickum said federal tax credits for all renewable energy projects, including wind, are set to expire at the beginning of July. The House of Representatives gave developers 60 days to complete their projects before the tax credits come off the books.

Unlike the past few presidents, Donald Trump is not a fan of wind energy.

Weickum said that clean energy tax credits have been in place since 2005, during the George W. Bush administration. Instead of abruptly ending the tax relief programs after 60 days, Weickum said United Today Stronger Tomorrow is urging lawmakers to phase the subsidies out slowly. The group also requested the bill be rewritten to allow projects already under development to continue receiving the tax benefits. Weickum said the bill, as written, will negatively impact wind energy projects here in Carbon County.

Weickum said the Chokecherry Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project could be threatened by the loss of the tax credits. With both commercial and residential tax cuts set to expire, the former mayor said many renewable energy companies may be forced to close.

Weickum said the City of Laramie is currently installing solar panels on its city hall. The former mayor added that the contractor handling the project may go out of business if the tax credits are eliminated.

Weickum said that without the federal tax credits, upcoming renewable energy projects could face decades-long delays or be cancelled altogether.

The House Reconciliation Bill contains measures targeting Foreign Entities of Concern. The provision is designed to prevent companies with ties to certain foreign adversaries, such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, from benefiting from U.S. clean energy tax credits.

Speaking to the Rawlins City Council, former mayor Terry Weickum said the Foreign Entities of Concern Act will undermine many sectors of the American economy, including wind energy development in Wyoming.

Weickum added that the House Reconciliation Bill also eliminates the ability to transfer clean energy tax credits between businesses, preventing small and medium-sized projects from using the credits to secure additional funding.

Weickum urged the public, including the Rawlins City Council, to contact their representatives and oppose the elimination of the clean energy tax credits.

The post Former Rawlins Mayor Talks Wind Energy Tax Credits first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.

JUNE 26, 2025 |

Photo – Wyman sign and plaque – Courtesy Town of Hanna

The town of Hanna plans to honor George A. Wyman, the first person to ride a motorcycle across the United States.

Typically held on the second Tuesday of the month, the June Hanna Town Council meeting was rescheduled to June 24th to accommodate Mayor Charlie George.

During Tuesday’s Hanna Town Council meeting, Mayor George introduced a measure to post a memorial waypoint sign in the town. The Mayor explained that in 1903, George A. Wyman became the first person to ride a motorcycle across the country. During his journey, Wyman visited Hanna, then a bustling coal mining town.

George A. Wyman was born in 1877 in Oakland, California. By the 1890s, he had become a champion bicycle racer and adventurer. In 1902, while testing motorcycles designed by Roy C. Marks, creator of the first production motorcycle in America, Wyman conceived the idea for a transcontinental trip.

The following year, 1903, Wyman set out on his cross-country journey. Riding a 200cc, one-and-a-quarter-horsepower motorcycle designed by Marks, Wyman departed San Francisco on May 16th and arrived in New York City 50 days later, on July 6th.

Despite his achievement, Wyman received little recognition in his lifetime and was largely forgotten until 2015, when a group of dedicated historians and motorcycle enthusiasts founded the George A. Wyman Memorial Project. The group’s stated goal is to, “Promote the Wyman story, mark the points along the way from San Francisco to New York City, educate the motorcycling community and general public of the historic significance of the Wyman accomplishment.”

The organization plans to publish a guide directing motorcycle riders and the general public to the 160 waypoints along Wyman’s 1903 route, including Hanna, Wyoming.

At Tuesday’s Town Council Meeting, Clerk Vivian Gonzales presented a mockup of the proposed sign and a plaque detailing Wyman’s voyage, provided by the George A. Wyman Memorial Project.

Clerk Gonzales said the sign can be placed anywhere within Hanna, highlighting that Wyman visited the town.

Wyman documented his 50-day journey in The Motorcycle Magazine, a short-lived publication. In the August 1903 edition, Wyman recounted his journey from Walcott to Laramie. The rider wrote that he left Walcott on June 2nd at 6:30 a.m. and traveled east. Wyman wrote, “I passed through the mining town of Hanna, peopled mostly by Finns and Negroes, and past the railroad stations of Edson, Dana, Allen and Medicine Bow.”

Wyman’s motorcycle looked more like a bicycle than a contemporary Harley-Davidson. His cross-country trip took 51 days to complete. Wyman completed the trip 20 days before Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson completed the same trip by automobile. He carried only a small amount of gear. His pack included some warm clothes, money, a water bottle and cans for spare oil and gasoline. Like any tourist, he also carried a Vest Pocket Kodak camera, bicycle tools and a 38-Smith & Wesson revolver. The roads were dangerous then, as well as they are today.

At this week’s Hanna Town Council meeting, the governing body unanimously approved the Wyman Waypoint sign. Once the official sign arrives, town staff will choose a location for it, most likely the town hall or the Hanna Basin Museum.

The post First Person to Motorcycle Across U.S. Remembered in Hanna first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.