Wyoming unemployment rises slightly to 2.9% in May 2024
CHEYENNE—The Research and Planning Section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported Wednesday that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose slightly from 2.8% in April to 2.9% in May.
Wyoming’s unemployment rate has remained within the narrow range of 2.8% to 3% for 15 months. The U.S. unemployment rate in May was 4%.
From May 2023 to May 2024, unemployment rates rose in 19 counties, remained unchanged in three counties, and fell slightly in Teton County (down from 2.7% to 2.6%). The largest increases occurred in Big Horn (up from 2.8% to 3.4%) and Sublette (up from 2.8% to 3.4%) counties.
The highest unemployment rates in May were found in Big Horn, Sublette and Uinta counties (each at 3.4%). The lowest unemployment rate was reported in Niobrara County at 2.1%. It was followed by Weston and Crook counties (each at 2.3%).
June unemployment data will be released on July 22.
Powell man shot in weekend altercation
POWELL—A Powell man was shot in the leg early Sunday morning after he allegedly stalked and confronted his exgirlfriend’s current boyfriend.
Jacob P. Ely had previously been ordered to stay away from the couple, and he was already facing charges that allege he’d harassed them via threatening, anonymous text messages. Ely is facing two new criminal charges in connection with Sunday’s altercation.
The man who shot Ely has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors obtained a warrant for Ely’s arrest on Tuesday, though it’s unclear when he might be taken into custody; as of Monday morning, Ely was still receiving medical care at a Billings hospital.
Ely will face a misdemeanor count of violating a protection order — for allegedly being outside his ex’s Powell home early Sunday morning — and a felony count of stalking, for allegedly following the woman’s current boyfriend to his home.
The man told the Park County Sheriff’s Office that after leaving the woman’s home early Sunday, he saw Ely’s silver Chrysler 300 “following him at a very close distance.”
The man pulled over and both men got out of their vehicles, according to the man’s account, with Ely armed with a baseball bat and the man armed with a Ruger SR1911 pistol. The man said Ely grabbed onto his shirt and then, after being pushed off, started to take a swing with the bat.
That, the man said, prompted him to shoot Ely in the lower right leg.
He called 911 just before 5 a.m., while Ely fled the scene, the affidavit says.
At the time of Sunday’s altercation, Ely was out on bond on charges that he harassed the man and his ex back in April. The woman had obtained a protection order that month for her, her boyfriend and her children that prohibited Ely from having any contact whatsoever with the individuals.
Ely’s ex and her boyfriend also received a slew of anonymous phone calls and text messages that demeaned the woman with insults and contained ominous warnings.
SkyWest subsidy comes to an end
CASPER—The flight times. The size of the aircraft. The lack of ability to attract customers. The money required to keep it running. It was just not doable anymore.
The Natrona County Board of County Commissioners has voted to stop funding the minimum revenue guarantee that subsidized a SkyWest Airlines flight from Casper to Salt Lake City and back.
The day before, on June 17, the Casper-Natrona County Airport Board voted to do the same.
For the airport’s only other carrier besides United Express — which flies to and from Denver — local entities expressed disappointment and regret, but said that it is time to let it go.
SkyWest is a regional airline that has partnered with Delta to offer a flight to Salt Lake City, a Delta hub, where passengers can make their connection to other locations. SkyWest currently operates two flights per day out of Casper: one in the morning outbound, and one in the evening inbound.
But Delta sets the ticket prices and the times of their flights.
The state and county subsidize the flight; the state gives 40% and the county 60%. It is not, on its own, profitable.
Ultimately, SkyWest will be the one to decide the flight’s fate. But no one the Star-Tribune talked to said that they believe continuing the flight would be a good business decision for the company, and no one has any idea when SkyWest would decide to cut the Delta-branded flight, if it does.
A call to Delta’s communications and media line asking about the future of the flight was unanswered as of Tuesday.
Grand Marshal of Cody parade will ‘Git-R-Done’
CODY—Cody is gearing up for a star-studded Fourth of July celebration as comedian Larry the Cable Guy takes the lead as the grand marshal of the 2024 Cody Stampede Parade.
Larry the Cable Guy, known for his signature catchphrase “Git-R-Done,” will lead the parade on July 4. This year’s theme is “Git-R-Done, in Western Style.”
“Cut off those shirt sleeves, and let’s show Larry the Cable Guy a true Wyoming Welcome,” the parade committee stated.
The parade, a highlight of the five-day rodeo extravaganza, will feature a mix of floats, horses, fire trucks, marching bands, and local businesses. Larry the Cable Guy will ride in a wagon from Paradise Carriages pulled by draft horses.
Debbie Herman, president of the parade committee, said the comedian was eager to join.
“He loves to come to Cody,” she said. “He had a good time when he was here a couple of years ago. When it came time for us to pick a grand marshal, there was already a relationship established.”
The committee is also working on finding a vehicle resembling Tow Mater from the “Cars” movies for the Kiddie Parade on July 2.
The parade has a rich history of attracting big names as grand marshals, including actors John Wayne and Wilford Brimley, pilot Chuck Yeager, and “Yellowstone” star Cole Hauser.
Larry the Cable Guy’s participation as grand marshal is expected to draw large crowds, boosting the local economy and adding to the festive atmosphere. “Whenever you have a name, a personality, that brings people to the parade, the area,” Herman noted. “It’s good for the economy and the town. We’re fortunate that we can capitalize on that again this year.”
