Good morning, Laramie.

Local hiker Lisa West Stonehouse visited Medicine Bow Peak this summer and found that the flag memorializing United Air Lines Flight 409 is missing.

She said she will bring a replacement next year to honor those lost in the 1955 crash.

Laramie-based Weitzel’s Wings skipped defending their Buffalo Wing Fest title in New York last weekend to give other teams a chance, yet the skeleton crew still won four awards and sold 200 wings during a wing-and-wine session (wings sold out in minutes).

The team plans to return to competitions soon.

Scientists report that DNA from Wyoming’s American cheetah—recovered from Natural Trap Cave—reveals the species had low population sizes in the Ice Age and that modern big cats may benefit from these findings; the study stresses protecting habitats for future conservation.

From 2024 to late June, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service workforce in Wyoming dropped by 25%, from 64 to 48 employees—mirroring a nationwide cut of 36% that has reduced refuge expertise, including at the National Elk Refuge.