Man identified in presumed Snake River drowning, search continues
July 6, 2026
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has identified the missing man in the Snake River Canyon as Tory J. Raether, 55, of Charlotte, North Carolina. Raether is presumed drowned after jumping into the river Saturday evening at Jumping Rock,... Read More
SVI Radio Interview: Jaclyn Lechner - Finding Neverland Auditions
July 6, 2026
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Chief Tom Schultz details, defends largest Forest Service reorganization in a century
July 6, 2026
• Three months after the announcement, hiring is underway and state offices and a relocated headquarters are being procured ahead of the controversial reshaping of a federal agency that will become reality this fall. By Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile.com... Read More
Audit spots some errors, but gives Wyoming Business Council passing grade
July 6, 2026
• Wyoming’s embattled economic development shop is in the midst of legislative reforms after narrowly escaping effort to dismantle it. By Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile.com Though there were some instances of incomplete, misclassified reporting and mathematical errors, an audit... Read More
Prosecutors to lay out their case against the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk
July 6, 2026
By MATTHEW BROWN and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Charlie Kirk’s widow and parents are expected this week in a Utah court where prosecutors seeking the death penalty will argue that the man charged with killing... Read More
3 firefighters killed in Colorado remembered for their bravery as wildfires churn in the West
July 6, 2026
By JESSICA HILL, WUFEI YU and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press With wildfires burning across many Western states, wildland firefighters gathered Sunday to pay tribute to three of their own who died after they were trapped by flames a week ago.... Read More
KICK IT OR KEEP IT: "Heaven" by Myles Smith
July 6, 2026
A song released last month by Myles Smith is up for vote in this week’s Kick It or Keep It. If voted to be kept, “Heaven” will be added to the Swift 98 playlist. Vote to either kick or keep... Read More
Search continues for North Carolina man presumed drowned in Snake River Canyon
July 5, 2026
Emergency responders plan to resume the search on Monday for a North Carolina man who went missing after jumping into the Snake River over the holiday weekend. The Alpine Volunteer Fire Department and Star Valley Search & Rescue responded to... Read More
(Video) Star Valley High School Students Share a Reading of the Declaration of Independence
July 4, 2026
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, students from Star Valley High School and Swift Creek High School joined together to create a special video reading of the historic document. The collaborative project features... Read More
Independent Letters to the Editor: July 1, 2026
July 4, 2026
The following Letters to the Editor appeared in the July 1, 2026 edition of the Star Valley Independent. Campaign Civility Dear Editor Last week I was disheartened to receive hate in my mailbox. In the form of a political mass... Read More
Independent Notes: Star Valley Search & Rescue steps up to our needs, again and again.
July 4, 2026
We live in some incredible Wyoming high county and with it comes the need for well trained first responders as exemplified this week when a two-vehicle accident resulted in one vehicle and it’s occupant in the Snake River above Alpine.... Read More
Cody hospital placed on lockdown following bomb threat
July 2, 2026
CODY (WNE) — The internal lockdown placed on Cody Regional Health following a bomb threat on Tuesday afternoon was lifted later that day. Lt. Juston Wead with the Cody Police Department reported that the hospital received a phone call... Read More
WDH warns residents about ‘spoofing’ phone scammers
July 2, 2026
CHEYENNE (WNE) — The Wyoming Department of Health is alerting residents to a recent phone scam where bad actors are “spoofing” official department phone numbers to solicit personal information. “Spoofing” is a form of scamming that involves a bad... Read More
SVI Radio Interview: Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon
July 2, 2026
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SVI Radio Interview: Violet Sanderson - Town of Afton Administrator
July 2, 2026
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Governor Awards Energy Matching Funds for Critical Minerals Project
July 2, 2026
Governor Mark Gordon (R-WY) announced that he has approved a project to receive Energy Matching Funds (EMF) from the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA). Visionary Metals Corp was awarded $250,000 for its Granite Mountains Nickel-Copper Project. Since 2022, the Wyoming State Legislature has appropriated $155... Read More
SVI Radio Interview: Mayor Ru Rok - Town of Star Valley Ranch
July 2, 2026
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Here’s a few local athletic standouts that the USA Today missed
July 2, 2026
If you’ll read the accompanying story in this week’s Independent about a vote to come up with five Wyoming-born athletes who defined the state, you’ll find a couple locals like Rulon Gardner and Peter Visser. Amazing accomplishments not only... Read More
Afton addresses ebikes, EMS and culverts in a work session
July 2, 2026
Bicycle traffic, EMS services, and water culverts were all part of Afton’s Town Council work sessions during June. The town is addressing the changes with bicycle traffic, both in the community and at the municipal parks. The council recently... Read More