Valeria Fugate
MMJ/State Reporter
Cheyenne, Wyoming
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Valeria was born and raised in Canada, exposed to different cultures and languages early on, spurring her love of people, travel, and stories. People are amazing! As a Multimedia Journalist, she loves all things culture, politics, and music. Valeria has written for a global magazine and was on a multi-cultural video platform. Her hobbies include photography, writing, videography, rollerblading. She also loves traveling, scuba diving, spending time with her family, being near or in the ocean, music, and dance.
To contact Valeria, please email valeria.fugate@wyomingnewsnow.tv
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The Wyoming Legislature continued its second day of the Special Session on Wednesday. They discussed the effects of following or not following the Federal vaccine mandate in Wyoming.“We’ve had the most people ive seen in two chambers. The most i’ve ever seen. And i think they are not being heard it think theyre not being heard of what the key issue is. That they dont want to be forced to do something and its tied to their jobs,” said Anthony Bouchard, State Senator, District 6. Today the Senate discussed senate files 1003 and 1019.
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The Wyoming Legislative Special session started Tuesday morning. The meeting will help decide the direction the state will take regarding the Federal vaccine mandate.
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he Federal vaccine mandate has ruffled feathers in Wyoming, stirring concerns over liberty, the government, and individual state practices. The Wyoming Legislature special session meeting started on Tuesday. The preliminary meeting discussed the rules of engagement for voting on the mandate. The original schedule was designed around adopting the special session voting rules, which were voted against.
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Even though it seems late in the season to be doing construction in Downtown Central, the impact can still be felt.“A lot of times, as slabs are completed, the traffic control will move around a little bit. But with it being concrete it does need time to cure. So sometimes there are cones where, there might not be necessarily active work,because that concrete is curing,” said Jordan Achs, Public Relations Specialist for WYDOT.
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The Wyoming Independent Citizens Coalition (WICC) and the City of Cheyenne are organizing a painted mural for the overpass that bridges the south Greeley Highway. The city is looking to add lighting to improve security for this bridge and add this mural to beautify this section of the town, incorporating cultural aspects of this community. The coalition will help install a mural to inspire fellow community artists and combat vandalism and tagging.
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It’s a family outing for the Halloween season without driving to Colorado. Locals can stop by the local church to get their holiday pumpkin for a cause. The pumpkin patch on the front lawn of the First United Methodist Church is part of their annual fund-raiser.
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If you’ve been getting frustrated by the amount of construction you’ve seen in the Capitol City, you’re not alone. Some businesses along the south Central corridor have been feeling the pinch. With so much construction, local businesses have seen their profit and business margins down by 40 percent. Leaving most of them wondering, when is all of this going to be done?
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The DDA and Visit Cheyenne are organizing a pre-Halloween pub crawl this weekend. This is the third year of the organized event. People can purchase a wristband online or at the event, at Dillinger’s or Freedom’s Edge Brewery.
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Wyoming Humanities has received almost $600,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Wyoming Humanities Grant funding was made possible by the American Rescue Plan.
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October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, calling our attention to not only personal information security but the security of future campaigns and elections.
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The Laramie County Combined Communication wants everyone to know they have a new feature and another in the works that can help in an emergency.“Pictures of small children, family members that may be autistic and have a habit of wandering off, we can have that photo available to us immediately and get it out to the responders before they’re even on the scene. So that they’re already looking for that person,” said Amber Young, Director of Laramie County Combined Communication Center.
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Every year, 6,000 big game animals get hit in the state of Wyoming, adding up to $50 million in property and Big Game loss.“I’ve just seen the city grow around the county. In the last 5 years the majority of them (deer) are getting run over between Highway 30 and East Pershing. I’ve probably seen at minimum of 8 young ones hit,” said Nick Micheals, resident. In 2017 the Wildlife Roadway Summit got together various departments to gather data on the impact of big game and roads collisions.
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Bradford Lund, the grandson of Walt Disney, is fighting to keep his father’s legacy within the family. On Wednesday, he’s headed to the Wyoming Supreme Court to fight for Eagle South Fork.The Wyoming ranch at the center of this issue is a property that has been in his family for over 40 years.
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Monday, the City Planning Commission hosts a public hearing at 6 pm.“So, this plan really looks at traffic safety as well as moving people. So were not just talking about moving cars but we are addressing things like pedestrian safety access as well as building links within our greenway system,” said Jillian Harris, Senior Transportation Planner, Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization. The hearing will be at the Kiwanis Community House in Lions Park.
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Autumn is the season of falling leaves, warm spices and according to France Stinchcomb, the current Wyoming State Record holder, BIG PUMPKINS.
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A unique heart surgery was performed for the first time in Wyoming this week, and who knew it would have all started years ago with a museum visit. Chicago-based, Atman Shah, is an Intervention Cardiologist who travels the country helping to mend people’s hearts.
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The Cheyenne regional airport held a meeting Thursday. The main topics of discussion were the runway project, wrapping up the subsequent two phases of the airport construction, and U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, (R), Wyoming.
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V.A. Health Care Services is trying to improve its processes and is asking for veterans’ help.“It’s going to allow Veterans to get in contact with the V.A. and talk about how to navigate what for some can be a pretty onerous endeavor we’re more than happy to do that.”The Wyoming veterans commission is hosting a forum to gather veterans to discuss V.A. health care.
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If you love photos and the outdoor, you could be a winner.“A lot of people think this contest is only for professionals. That is not the case at all. We end up with people every year who make it into our photo contest issue with an i-phone or cell phone shot,” said Tracie Binkerd, Editor of the Wyoming Wildlife Magazine.
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This morning Wyoming woke up to snow, ice, and high winds in the state. WYDOT explains what drivers can do to keep winter driving as safe as possible. WYDOT trucks have been out salting and plowing roads Wednesday.
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The City of Cheyenne planning and development was recently recognized with 5 awards from WYO-Pass and Western Planner.“Planners are there first. They are there to help with developers, and subdividers, and landowners and builders too. Take their raw land or maybe under-utilized land and turn it into something that can be good for them and something that can be good for the community,” said Charles Bloom, Director of Planning and Development, City of Cheyenne.
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The Greenway is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and the City of Cheyenne is looking to start two new projects. The first project will be an underpass that will connect the LCCC and the Sweetgrass properties. This project will start in the next two weeks and will be done next spring. The second is a Greenway connection through Lions Park, along Carey Avenue and Kennedy, which is expected to be done by mid-summer.
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The University of Wyoming research and analysis center looks at the Indigenous missing persons issue
It’s Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day, Monday. The University of Wyoming is researching missing indigenous people. Dr. Emily Grant, a community psychologist and research scientist for the school, came to the forefront when Gabby Petitio’s missing person case landed in Wyoming. Grant’s research the disparity in missing Indigenous people media coverage when compared to Petitio’s.
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Magic City is celebrating its 50th anniversary Friday. The workforce organization is celebrating with members from the last 50 years, after 18 months of pandemic lockdown. Former board and staff members will be in attendance. About 150 former and current staff are expected for tonight’s company celebration.
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The Children’s Museum of Cheyenne Foundation has been a work in progress and finally seems to be moving forward.“What we’re most excited about is being able to serve children in our community and being a place for informal education and play and one of the ways of experiencing the children’s museum is through the hands-on interactive experiences that children will have,” said Caroline Veit, President of the Board for the Children’s Museum of Cheyenne.
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Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department held a one-day walk-in clinic Thursday. Vaccinations offered were the Covid vaccines, Pfizer boosters and the flu shot. Recipients trickled in all morning and appointments, or walk-ins will be available until 6 pm. The location is 614 South Greeley Highway. Vaccines are available for anyone 12 and older.
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Parents are growing more concerned about the number of students riding on school buses. With three students riding per bench, why aren’t there more buses on the roads and where are all the bus drivers? The pandemic has put a dent in how many drivers were available to drive students to school, some fearful of exposure to the virus. Others are retiring or moving out of state, adding to the shortage.
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Sen. Cynthia Lummis create a bill to name a Cheyenne Federal building after a Women’s Rights Pioneer
U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis, along with Senators John Barrasso and Chris Van Hollen, helped create a bill to name a Cheyenne federal building after women’s rights pioneer. Louisa Swain was the first woman ever to vote in a U.S. election, and it happened on Sept. 6th, 1870, and Wyoming was the first government in the world to grant women the right to vote consecutively.
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We continue our series with congresswoman Liz Cheney. Discussing the Rule of Law and trust in the political process. Transcribed from the interview: How important is the rule of law for leaders to abide by?
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Cyber Wyoming is holding a security conference Wednesday, Oct. 6th through 8th.“We need to make sure we’re a little bit more critical thinkers when we’re on line, that we read and we research. The second thing is the league of women voters every year, or maybe every couple of year puts out a media bias chart. So, try to read your media, have your media sources be in the middle of that chart,” said Laura Baker, President of Cyber Wyoming Alliance.
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State Reporter Valeria Fugate sat down with Congresswoman Liz Cheney and discussed infrastructure and reconciliation. Wyoming new now would like to welcome Congresswoman Liz Cheney to our studios. Welcome, and thank you for coming!
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Cheyenne residents were involved in a deadly crash in Colorado. It happened on Friday, Oct 1st, around 6:40 in the evening. Five people were traveling south on I-25. Colorado state patrol says the car moved into the right lane; it overcorrected and rolled. A woman and a four-year-old died on the scene. Another four-year-old, a man and a one-year-old were taken to the Medical Center of the Rockies.
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As we continue Hispanic Heritage month, we look at a local teacher who is making a difference. This year East High school's math teacher Jennifer Ponce has been focusing on teaching her students lessons in leadership. Between the Laramie county school district one and ponce's fund-raiser. They are helping to pay for some students' registration and lodging to attend the event.
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On Saturday, people from all over the nation came out to march for Women’s Rights, and Cheyenne was no exception. Cheyenne’s Women’s March Rally happened at 10 am on Saturday in front of the Wyoming supreme court building. Crowds gathered with signs and speakers from Doctors, Reproductive Health Experts, Advocates and citizens spoke about their experiences and expertise.
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The Women’s March is gearing up to kick off nationally on Oct.2nd. Still, changes in legislation in several states, including our equality state, has organizers focused on the social impact of this upcoming event. Wendy Volk is a fifth-generation Wyomingite and local businesswoman passionate about women’s right to reproductive health.
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USDA Rural Development has approved a loan of over 2 million dollars for a child care facility in Evanston.But the USDA hopes to use the program across Wyoming. Recently USDA and the department of health and human service has launched a joint childcare guide.
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Urban Renewal Authority meets Thursday. The Urban Renewal Authority is considering and reviewing two applications for grant funds.One project, the Hitching Post, is up for remediation of contaminants and demolition. The total of the project is $1.2 million and was approved by the URA.
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As forest fires have topped headlines recently, we look into what factors have contributed to the fire season we’ve seen. While Wyoming has been relatively lucky when it comes to our fire season, other states have not. With the catastrophic fires we have seen this last year in the west.
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Despite Wyoming’s high-risk state numbers and low vaccination rates, currently at 37.68% for adults and 32% for eligible children’s vaccines in the U.S.Cheyenne Regional Hospitals and affiliated Medical group clinic staff have a 75 percent vaccinations rate thanks to hospital vaccination incentives.
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The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will be asking select hunters in select Elk areas to submit blood samples from their harvest. The department is using those samples to test for the presence of Brucellosis throughout the state. This disease can be transmissible to Elk, Bison and domestic cattle.
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As the Covid-19 number continues to rise, parents are becoming curious about when children younger than 12 may be eligible for the vaccine. Wyoming is currently sitting last in vaccinating eligible kids with the Covid vaccine in the nation. The Laramie county vaccination rate is sitting at about 32 percent for kids.
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As the supply chain strains under the restrictions of Covid, a truck driver shortage adds to the pressure we’re seeing. As of 2018, the truck driver shortage nationwide was almost 61 thousand, and if the current trend holds, the shortage will be over 160 thousand drivers in 2028.
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The Department of Workforce Services (D.W.F.S.) held a virtual town hall meeting Wednesday.They shared information on development grants for pre-hires, apprentices, interns, and up-skill training for new workers and employees. The business training grants cover tuition, registration, class materials, fees, and some travel expenses for classes.
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Folks might be seeing some changes in the next few weeks as they drive through the west side of Cheyenne. The re-development of the hitching post project has been ten years in the making, deemed a blighted property by the City of Cheyenne.
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The housing and urban development program will soon be sending help for people who are experiencing homelessness.“We won’t make progress, unless we decide we’re going to make hay while the sun is shining, right? Unless we decide we are going to take some of those covid era funds and make permanent solutions,” said Brenda Birkle, executive director of my front door.
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The Laramie County Juvenile Services Center cut the ribbon on a new project this week. “We wanted to do something for the youth in the community that come to the crisis centers. Our kids, a lot of them have a difficult time talking but if you get them out doing something they’ll start to open up,” said Jamie Eaton, Crisis Care Coordinator.
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Blockchain technology is Wyoming’s future in data security. The committee on Blockchain Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology had a meeting in Laramie Tuesday. “We need to bring it to the states, so that we can bring it into Wyoming. Not only be on the front line but be able to benefit from what that brings to us, “said R.J. Kost, Senator for District 19.
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Critical Race Theory has come under fire as a touchstone for racial equality in recent months. Although it’s not taught in most schools, some historical race issues are taught in some schools. Raising the question of whether the history and civics taught in most schools are diverse or inclusive enough?
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Some people say dogs are man’s best friend. Well, others know, they can even save a life.The American Warrior Initiative, a non-profit of the Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, believes in giving back to Veterans. On Friday, the warrior initiative held a dinner and will surprise 5 Veterans with 5 service dogs.
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Today, Wyoming is petitioning to de-enlist the Grizzly Bear off the endangered species roster.“Wyoming again is leading. We’ve led on the sage grouse, we’ve led on migration corridors, we’re leading on the Grizzly Bear and we’re leading on the Wolf . Wyoming knows how to do it and I think the Federal Government should respect that, ” said Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.