Latest news with #Cheyenne
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Two Cheyenne sites to be studied for potential new passenger rail station
CHEYENNE – As conversations of passenger rail service returning to Colorado's front range progress, Cheyenne continues to prepare for how it may be able to tack onto the north end of the proposed railway service. On Friday, members of the Cheyenne City Council heard a presentation from Quandel Consultants, which has partnered with the Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization in identifying a potential site for a new passenger rail service station in Cheyenne. Of six potential locations and plan that have been tossed into the mixer, only two remain. Randy Grauberger, a senior rail consultant for Quandel, broke those two down for the city's governing body Friday afternoon. Grauberger said he could see Cheyenne becoming a rail service hub, potentially. This is rooted in conversations of several different passenger rail projects across the country involving Cheyenne. This includes the proposed Front Range Passenger Rail service which, if realized, would connect Pueblo, Colorado, to Fort Collins, Colorado, via Denver on a BNSF Railway line. That same line runs north through Casper and Billings, Montana, via Cheyenne, which could be possibilities for passenger rail service if the project extends. Grauberger described two other projects on Union Pacific lines that could connect Salt Lake City to the Minneapolis area via Cheyenne and Rapid City, South Dakota, and another line down to Denver from Cheyenne via Greeley, Colorado, also from Salt Lake City. 'That puts Cheyenne as a hub, almost, for passenger rail service if you get Front Range Passenger Rail and then three different Amtrak routes also coming through, again, there's no certainty that those will occur, but they have been identified in a federal plan.' With momentum growing for these projects and significant federal funding available, Grauberger outlined two potential sites for Cheyenne to plant its roots back into passenger rail service, saying he recalls the last passenger rail car in Cheyenne dating back to around 30 years ago. Reed Avenue Rail Corridor In the heart of the city's West Edge revitalization efforts, Grauberger proposed two alternatives for the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor Site. One option, which he called the 'steam plant' alternative, would see a stretch of new rail constructed 30 feet to the west of the existing BNSF tracks running through the corridor north of 20th Street, penetrating through the historic steam plant. passenger rail station 2 Diagram A Grauberger said this alternative would require renovating the steam plant, which is not included in the estimated $26.7 million to $28.2 million price tag, based on the valuation of the U.S. dollar in 2023. Indicated by a brown rectangle in Diagram A, the single-level station itself would be north of the existing steam plant, indicated in light blue, and offer baggage handling, concessions, a waiting area and a covered canopy. The pink line denotes passenger access where cars or buses could drop passengers off at the station, and the yellow rectangle to the west would be a two-story parking structure. However, this plan poses the highest budget risk, Grauberger said, as it would involve an uncertain steam plant renovation and acquisition of seven parcels of land. He proposed an alternative that is slightly less expensive, does not involve a steam plant renovation and only requires the acquisition of three parcels of land. This alternative has a similar concept but instead of running through the steam plant, the rail car would load or unload passengers at the same station site and then park in a stub track to the west of the existing BNSF line if there were any oncoming freight traffic. Grauberger said there are typically only two or three freight trains per week utilizing this section of BNSF track. A stub track is a spur track or siding that dead-ends, meaning it will sit parallel to the line and pull back onto the main track when it is ready to service passengers. Diagram B indicates the stub track would line up near the east side of the steam plant and go south nearly to Lincolnway. Passenger rail station 3 Diagram B This alternative leaves the possibility for the steam plant to be renovated privately as part of the Reed Avenue beautification efforts. Grauberger said this alternative would cost an estimated $24.1 to $25.1 million, also using estimates based on the value of the U.S. dollar in 2023. 'A lot of the support was the fact that everybody's excited about Reed Avenue corridor, with or without a passenger station, but they felt that with the station that even just provides extra energy and excitement for a renovated Reed Avenue corridor and all the other exciting things that the city is anticipating,' he said. Old Happy Jack Road The second location is the more expensive of the two sites but also poses the lowest budget risk due to its location and the fact it would not require parcel acquisition as the city already owns the land. This would be a little further to the west at the intersection of Missile Drive and Old Happy Jack Road. Indicated in diagram C, the new platform is shown in the thin orange line parallel to the existing BNSF track. As in the other diagrams, the brown rectangle would be where the new station is, and the pink line would be for vehicle pick-up and drop-off access. passenger rail station site 1 Diagram C The thicker orange line would be an extension of Grant Avenue, connecting Old Happy Jack Road to Missile Drive, and the gray triangle to its east would be single-story parking. Grauberger said that while there is less development in this area, it would accommodate some of the development to its south as multiple hotels have opened in the area recently in the Old Hitching Post Urban Renewal Area. However, the land here is uneven and would require some earthwork and a two-story train station. As a result, the price tag for this site is estimated to cost $30.9 million in 2023 estimates. Similar to the other station option, it would also offer baggage handling, concessions, a waiting area and a covered canopy. Additionally, this location would require an elevator for accessibility to the second story. Next steps The timeline for this project is currently unclear. Grauberger said that if the Front Range Passenger Rail project is approved, it could be connected to Fort Collins by 2029. He estimated it could take an additional four years after that to get a connection to Cheyenne. In total, this project would require municipal and county collaboration as well as working with the Colorado state government and the federal government to finalize planning and secure funding sources. Quandel provided five recommendations to the Cheyenne City Council moving forward: * Site the station as close as practical to downtown Cheyenne; * Continue to study and develop Old Happy Jack Road and Reed Avenue Corridor sites; * Stay engaged with the Front Range Passenger Rail District and submit an application to enter the Cheyenne Extension into the FRA Corridor Identification and Development Program; * Continue to stay in communication and share information with BNSF, UP, and Amtrak; and * Stay engaged with FRA and Amtrak as the FRA moves any Long Distance Service Study recommendations forward.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Kick off the summer with Cheyenne Frontier Days
Enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to Xtreme Bulls and a Cheyenne Frontier Days concert of your choice from the full lineup! This contest ends on June 1.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cheyenne Floyd Is Pregnant! 'Teen Mom' Star Expecting Baby No. 3
Cheyenne Floyd Davis and husband Zach Davis are expecting their second baby together The new arrival will join Ace, almost 4, and Ryder, 8, whom Cheyenne shares with ex Cory Wharton The couple revealed the exciting news via Instagram and during the 'Teen Mom: The Next Chapter' finale that aired Thursday Cheyenne Floyd Davis and Zach Davis have something major to celebrate. After sharing their fertility journey on the latest season of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, the couple has exciting news to share: they are expecting their second baby together. Cheyenne announced the news at the end of the finale. She found out via two positive tests just four days before she and Zach were set to start fertility treatments. Cheyenne also shared the news on Instagram, where she cradled her baby bump in a family video. "And when we had nothing left to give, we surrendered it all to God," she captioned the post. "We told Him we couldn't carry it anymore — and He answered. Not in our timing, but in His. This little life is proof that even in the waiting, even in the heartbreak, miracles are still being written." In addition to son Ace, who turns 4 later this month, Cheyenne is also mom to daughter Ryder, 8, whom she coparents with ex Cory Wharton. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The pair's journey on Teen Mom has shown what a year of struggling to get pregnant did to Cheyenne and Zach, both as individuals and as a married couple. In a scene where they discuss Cheyenne's sadness as they met with doctors to learn more about what issues they faced, she candidly tells her husband, "I think we need help." "I think we both definitely want to be married and have a healthy marriage, but I want to feel more connected because I feel like in order for it to work, we have to be transparent and we have to be open rather than just shutting down," she said. The two debate the merits of the idea, with Cheyenne emphasizing, "We're not at a point of saying, 'We hate each other and we want a divorce. Now let's bring a baby into this to fix our marriage.' We love each other. We want our marriage to be strong and successful, and healthy, for ourselves and for the babies. So I'd rather address it now before it is too late." Teen Mom: The Next Chapter airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers move to create felony for stalking a minor after Glenrock teen's tearful story
CHEYENNE – Wyoming lawmakers voted Tuesday to draft a bill that would create a felony for an adult charged with stalking a minor with at least a three-year age gap. Stalking is charged as a misdemeanor under current Wyoming law (W.S. 6-2-506), with imprisonment up to one year, a fine up to $750 or both. This charge goes up to a felony when the stalker causes bodily harm, violates a restraining order or violates parole, among other listed reasons. There is no current distinction in state statute for an adult stalking a minor, versus an adult stalking another adult. A Glenrock teenager broke into tears as she advocated for state legislators to create harsher penalties for adults who stalk underaged victims. Gillian Holman, accompanied by her parents, testified in front of the Legislature's Joint Judiciary Committee during its meeting in Torrington. The high schooler told committee members she was harassed and stalked by a 41-year-old woman for the last year and a half. This same woman, Marcie Smith, was found guilty of stalking another Glenrock high school student, Preston Sorensen, according to reporting by the Glenrock Independent. Preston's mother, Brandi, also testified in front of the committee that day. 'My son, a 6-foot-5 champion wrestler who rarely fears anything, froze in fear that night upon hearing a woman's voice outside, believing she had come for him,' Sorensen said. 'He told me he had never been more afraid in his life.' Committee members appeared deeply moved by the anecdotal testimony of the two Glenrock teenagers. Lyman Republican Rep. Joe Webb's voice broke as he addressed Gillian, her parents and Sorensen. Rep. Joe Webb, R-Lyman (2025) Rep. Joe Webb, R-Lyman 'I'm sorry,' Webb said. 'We have a problem in Wyoming. You've made it clear we have the responsibility to correct it.' The director of the Division of Victim Services in the Wyoming Attorney General's Office, Cara Chambers, told the committee House Bill 189, 'Harmful communication-minors,' would have criminalized Smith's behavior as a felony. Rep. Jayme Lien, R-Casper, was the primary sponsor of HB 189 in the recent legislative session. The bill passed through the House of Representatives before it died on the Senate floor. 'Stalking is one of the most nefarious crimes I've had to deal with, honestly,' Chambers said. 'It does so much harm long term to the victims, and (they are) some of the most common indicators of future violence.' During the meeting, Lien successfully moved to draft a second bill related to grooming, modeled after Montana legislation. This bill includes a requirement to register the sex offender upon conviction. Gillian's story In November 2023, mass anonymous text messages were sent to Gillian's fellow high schoolers, with supposed screenshots of Gillian speaking badly about them. In February 2024, her parents received text messages 'from an anonymous number claiming to be a concerned parent,' she said. The messages accused Gillian of engaging in 'inappropriate and sexual behavior' with male students at her school. 'What at first seemed like a simple little text to get me in trouble led to a year of stalking and harassment,' Gillian said. Her parents warned her to be cautious of her surroundings and physical safety. The text messages reached a point at which Gillian feared she would be raped. Police identified Gillian's stalker in October 2024 as Marcie Smith, who is a mother of a fellow high schooler. 'My stalker was in a position of power as a chaperone on a school trip,' Gillian said. 'She used this against me to further scare and intimidate me.' In November 2024, a year after the text messages were first sent out, Gillian was able to get a temporary three-year restraining order. In March, she testified in a criminal trial about what she had been through and how the stalking affected her personal and school relationships. The woman was given two years of unsupervised probation and court-mandated counseling, Gillian said. 'This is what Wyoming's current stalking laws have done,' she said. 'They give room for a 40-year-old to stalk, torment and harass a child and walk away with barely a slap on the wrist.' Gillian thought her life would return to normal after that. But she saw her stalker resume attending basketball games and school events she attended. Gillian said she constantly looked over her shoulder and scanned the room for the woman to show up. This past Sunday, Gillian asked one of her friends to check if her stalker was attending the graduation ceremony, 'because I didn't want to enter the gym until I knew she wasn't there.' 'I'm constantly trying to figure out how I can keep myself safe. It is not easy to continuously share what happened, but I have to at least try,' Gillian said. She broke into tears at this point. 'I have to at least try to make it better for future stalking victims in Wyoming.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
4 deadly weapons the military never made
Just as the U.S. military has invented many everyday items – whether they meant to or not – they also brought many weapons to light, including those that never made it to battle. Though the research and effort went into creating said weapons, ultimately they were found unnecessary. However, the process behind these weapons is a story worthy of the history books, including the research that got them there. In the mid 60s, the U.S. Army called on Lockheed, an aerospace manufacturer, to create a new attack helicopter. Named the AH-56 Cheyenne, the bird was to become the Army's first dedicated attack helicopter. It consisted of a four-blade rotor system that could provide high-speed flight capabilities. In 1966, a contract for 10 prototype helicopters was awarded, with the first flight taking place a year later. The plan was for more helicopters to be made, however, during testing, there was a fatal crash, which caused additional delays. Eventually, the contract was canceled in 1969. By 1972, all Cheyenne helicopter production had stopped. Instead, the Cheyenne research was morphed into the Apache helicopter, which was considered less technical and more survivable in a crash. Apaches are still used in the U.S. Army today. Known as Project X-Ray, in the early 1940s, Uncle Sam experimented with the idea of using bats as bomb transportation devices. Essentially, bats would wear an explosive device that could later be detonated via timer. The bats would be dropped via plane and given time to roost in attics and other buildings within a 20-40 mile radius before exploding. The bombs were incendiaries, intended to set fires. It was even signed off on by then-President Teddy Roosevelt. In fact, it's his presidency that brought the idea into fruition at all; the bat bomb inventor, a dental surgeon, was acquainted with Eleanor Roosevelt. Tests were completed and found that each 14 gram bat could carry between 15 and 18 grams of napalm, which was then affixed via glue. The venture was considered a success; on weight, it caused more damage than standard incendiary bombs of the time. When regular bombs sparked between 167 and 400 fires, X-Ray sparked 3,625 to 4,748 fires. However, it was canceled when the Navy Fleet Admiral heard it would take another year of testing to complete. An estimated $2 million was spent on the research. (That's more than $36 million in 2025.) However, it was canceled due to the timeline and ongoing worry about humanity – ultimately, Uncle Sam realized it was unethical to not only kill innocent animals, but also potentially light fires, putting civilians at risk. Imagine being a military spouse – or a random civilian – and waking up to a house fire that was caused by a random bat. During WWII, the German government came up with its own unique weapon idea that never saw the light of war. The Krummlauf was a machine gun with a curved barrel, which, in theory, would allow soldiers to shoot around corners or obstacles while still hitting their target. A mirror was added to help the user see targets around said obstacles. A larger version was also planned to be put on tanks. Versions of the gun were made to curve at 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees. In practice, however, the barrels proved inconsistent and short-lived. The barrels could only handle about 300 rounds (just 160 for the 45-degree variant), putting great force on the metal and bullets alike. The bend would also shatter bullets, causing them to exit like a shotgun shell rather than a single bullet. Various efforts were made to reduce this, like adding holes to allow pressure to escape. Testing was able to create some accuracy with the 30-degree model, but ultimately, the wear and tear and unpredictability of bullet pieces left the project short of its intended goal. Another WWII weapon came to light with the UK's Great Panjandrum, a rocket-propelled cart set to carry explosives. Its intent was to approach 10-foot concrete walls surrounding the Atlantic; it would also need to be launched via landing craft to keep soldiers off of beaches, which were thought to be a killing ground. It was calculated that more than 1,000 kg of explosives would be needed to create a tank-sized hole. The Panjandrum's job was to carry said explosives, which were suspended between two 1-foot-by-10-foot steel-treaded wheels. Rockets would propel the device, which was expected to weigh about 4,000 pounds when fully loaded. All factors combined, the device would travel around 60 mph, hitting the wall with a rough force to ignite its explosives. The UK attempted many tests, most of which were viewed by civilians on vacation, as a popular beach was chosen for testing and was not closed for the events. Starting with a few rockets at first, testing included up to 70 rockets to launch the Panjandrum. However, it would not travel straight or consistently, and caused danger for high-ups observing its use. Therefore, it was canceled after being determined to be unstable.
