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Wyoming brings antitrust action against asset managers for ESG policies

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Wyoming is part of a coalition of states that has brought an antitrust enforcement action against asset managers Blackrock, State Street and Vanguard “for their coordinated and anticompetitive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) schemes to disrupt the energy industry,” according to a news release from Gov. Mark Gordon’s office.

Each defendant — three of the largest institutional investors in the world — has individually acquired substantial stockholdings in every significant publicly held coal producer in the United States.

Each thereby has acquired the power to influence the policies of these competing companies and significantly diminish competition in the coal markets, the release said.

“In 2021, Blackrock, State Street and Vanguard publicly announced their respective commitment to use their shares to pressure all portfolio companies in which they held assets to align with a climate activist agenda. Those goals included reducing carbon emissions from coal by over 50%,” the release said.

“Wyoming is committed to protecting our core industries, whether from federal overreaching regulations or unfair market manipulation. I commend our attorney general for her diligence in pursuing all options to protect the coal industry,” Gordon said in the release.

“Under the guise of ESG policies, they have leveraged their holdings and voted their shares to artificially constrain the supply of coal and significantly diminish competition in the markets for coal, which resulted in increased energy prices for American consumers and extraordinary profits for the asset managers,” Gordon continued. “Pushing back against anti-competitive ESG policies, especially when they unfairly exact profits from increased energy costs to Wyoming families and businesses, is one of the ways Wyoming continues to defend our coal industry and help power the country.”

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Former Smith’s employee pleads guilty to stealing thousands of dollars

GILLETTE (WNE) — A woman accused of stealing money from Smith’s while she worked there will plead guilty.

On Nov. 14, Katheryn Cranmer, 39, reached a plea deal in which she agreed to plead guilty to felony theft and, in return, the state will recommend a four-to-six-year prison sentence, suspended for three years of supervised probation.

On July 11, Smith’s reported that Cranmer had stolen $43,000 over the past six months while she was a manager at the store.

Another manager told police that Smith’s loss prevention staff had an open investigation due to the store “coming up short in the drawer” for multiple months in a row. One of these employees said the investigation began in March, and it was determined that the shortages started in January.

From watching video footage and looking at logs, employees identified Cranmer as the suspect.

Loss prevention staff estimated that Cranmer stole $43,000 from January to June. When she was confronted about this, she admitted to taking $5,800, but was adamant that she didn’t take $43,000.

She agreed to speak with police, and said that, since January, she was tasked with refilling the self-checkout kiosks with cash once a month. She used the loan machine to withdraw cash for the kiosks, according to the affidavit.

She started taking no more than $100 on top of the amount required to refill the kiosks. She admitted to doing this until June and believed she had stolen $5,800 this way.

Investigators reviewed financial records that showed transactions made by Cranmer that were not consistent with the deposits into the self-checkout kiosks. According to the records, Cranmer took anywhere from $350 to $1,800 each time through this method.

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Barrasso visits Wyoming National Guard in Middle East on Thanksgiving

CASPER (WNE) — The Wyoming National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery Forward had a special guest for Thanksgiving dinner.

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso traveled out of the country to celebrate Thanksgiving with the first full battalion deployment in over 70 years to conduct a field artillery mission in the Middle East, sharing a meal on Thursday with troops serving in the United Arab Emirates and in Kuwait.

“Hundreds of Wyoming’s finest soldiers are bravely serving in the United Arab Emirates and in Kuwait in one of the largest overseas deployments of Wyoming service members,” Barrasso said in a news release. “These soldiers are a long way from home defending our nation and our freedoms. Each of them makes Wyoming proud, and I made sure to let them know how grateful folks back home are for their service. It was an honor and privilege to visit with and share stories of their families and our great state with these brave men and women.”

More than 360 Wyomingites are serving in the Middle East, according to Barrasso’s office, with 23 hometowns represented in the UAE and 40 hometowns represented in Kuwait.

In a YouTube video, Barrasso is shown holding a Wyoming state flag and shouting “Powder River, Let ‘Er Buck!” with soldiers in both countries, talking with soldiers at the dinner table and touring both bases.

Barrasso also held a town hall with troops at both bases and was briefed by military officials on Middle East operations, according to the release.

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Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers

CASPER (WNE) — A Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers has infected 68 people in 19 states, including Wyoming, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Eighteen people have been hospitalized; nobody has died.

Two cases of infection are in Wyoming.

Several surrounding states have been affected to varying degrees, with the largest outbreak in Montana with 16 people.

The cucumbers in question were grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. and sold between Oct. 12 and Nov. 26.

SunFed Produce recalled its cucumbers on Wednesday after it was alerted by the United States Food and Drug Administration that its cucumbers were associated with salmonella illnesses.

“As soon as we learned of this issue, we immediately acted to protect consumers. We are working closely with authorities and the implicated ranch to determine the possible cause,” SunFed President Craig Slate said in a press release.

The CDC is advising individuals to throw away any produce from SunFed and any unidentifiable cucumbers.

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Man who was shot while stalking gets prison time

POWELL (WNE) — Stalking a romantic rival resulted in a Powell man getting shot in June, and it resulted in a prison sentence as well.

At a Tuesday hearing in Park County District Court last week, Jacob P. Ely accepted a two- to four-year prison sentence on a felony count of stalking.

The charge stemmed from a June 23 incident in which Ely — despite having been ordered to stay away from his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend — followed the boyfriend to his home in rural Powell. After spotting Ely pursuing him, the man pulled over and a confrontation ensued.

Ely, 41, reportedly tried hitting the man with a baseball bat, and he shot Ely in the right calf. Ely fled, but was eventually taken to a hospital and then to jail, where he’s remained since.

District Court Judge Bill Simpson called it a “terribly unfortunate event.” “[It] could have been worse, and it was bad enough as it was,” he said, calling Ely’s actions “unforgivable and inexcusable.”

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to the felony stalking charge in exchange for a few other counts being dismissed — including a couple related to allegations that he’d previously stalked his ex and harassed her boyfriend in April.

Charging documents say Ely was suspected to have driven around the woman’s workplace, parked near her home and to have been behind a series of anonymous, threatening messages sent to the woman, her boyfriend and her friends. “... Wait to see what’s about to blast through your window,” one of the messages said.

The roughly five months Ely has spent in jail will count toward his two to four years of prison time. The conviction is Ely’s second felony, following a 2018 conviction for possessing a controlled substance.

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Wyoming Sugar sees record yield in Washakie County

WORLAND (WNE) — The 2024 Wyoming Sugar sugar beet harvest came in breaking records in Washakie County despite weather challenges.

Head Agriculturist Jacob Bullinger reported a yield of about 36 tons per acre, which is what he believes is a record.

The county yield exceeds the company’s overall yield of 33 tons per acre.

The harvest went well despite some delays due to muddy yard conditions as well as wet fields.

In early October, workers at the Wyoming Sugar Factory in Worland experienced elevated temperatures and unanticipated wet weather, which temporarily suspended harvesting operations. Despite these weather fluctuations, the sugar beets remained largely unaffected.

“The sugar content is exceptionally high, averaging around 19.6,” said Bullinger.

While the benefits of a fruitful harvest are evident, increased tonnage also presents challenges.

Due to the overwhelming volume, beets have been piled on the edges of fields, he said. Despite this slight hurdle, processing at the factory is proceeding smoothly, and the processing campaign is expected to be completed by March, he added.