(Fremont County, WY) – How. Is. It. Already. NEW YEAR’S EVE…? Maybe it’s been the lack of snow (Let’s all say it together, “We need the moisture!”), but it doesn’t feel like 2026 is already just a few hours away.
2025 flew right on by for us at County 10, and it was another jam-packed year full of community news, sports, promotions, and events. Our staff put together some of their favorite moments from 2025, along with our top, most-read stories. Thanks again for another great year, 10’rs! We’re already looking forward to what 2026 brings!
Will Hill
Thinking about 2025, I’m really proud of the property tax coverage we provided. We published 14 articles covering elected officials’ comments, guidance from local officials, information about what property taxes fund, and the fallout of losing property tax funding. Our team followed through and delivered comprehensive localized information. I’m also really proud of where Randy Tucker’s historical series has gone. It started as a short-run series about some of the long-gone country stores in the area, and turned into a weekly series and even a book published together earlier this year.
Amanda Gaudern
- Student of the Year Banquet
This event is always a highlight for me. We get to honor the top students from each high school and award them a $500 scholarship. I love the behind-the-scenes planning — but the real joy is seeing the pride on the faces of parents and families.
- Porter’s Events – Fireside Fest & GRILLED Competition
These events are something I look forward to every year. People come out to enjoy good food, live music, and a fun day together — and it’s great to watch the community really show up. What stands out the most for me, though, is seeing our staff come together to pull off something with so many moving parts. These events require coordination across the whole team, and every year I’m reminded how lucky I am to work with such talented, dedicated people. Watching everyone execute these events beautifully is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
Charene Hererra
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all the support in 2025.
Looking ahead to 2026 has me so excited. As most of you know, I’m getting married in February 2026 …it’s my wedding year! And yes… I’ll be sharing the year with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (haha). Also, one of my closest friends just got engaged and will be getting married in 2026 too, so it feels like a big love-and-celebration season is coming.
A few of my favorite moments from 2025: the Father’s Day Porters event and Dad Olympics, serving on the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters board, and being appointed in 2025 to serve on the Wind River Visitors Council board. I’ve also loved growing the ‘Funny Farm’ this year. My first year raising turkeys and I’m so thankful for everyone who listened and supported my adventures. Another highlight was showing pigs in the adult class at the Fremont County Fair. So fun, and it was incredible to see the hard work the kids and families put in.
Here’s to a wonderful New Year! Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy 2026.
Katie Roenigk
One of my favorite storylines to cover this year was Wyoming’s ongoing property tax debate — not because I particularly enjoy thinking about taxes, but because I felt it was important for our readers to understand, in real time, what decisions were being made at the state level that would affect them locally. The situation evolved quickly, and I wanted people to have the information they needed to contact their lawmakers, weigh in, and stay engaged in the process. I also felt it was important for readers to hear what their elected officials were saying about property tax reform as those decisions were being made.
So, as lawmakers weighed new exemptions and reform proposals during the 2025 legislative session, I worked to keep readers informed about what was changing, who qualified for which relief, and how local officials and lawmakers viewed the legislation — including concerns about constitutionality and the quality of the proposals, alongside the arguments from those who support property tax relief.
Just as importantly, I focused on the local ripple effects. For example, as state property tax cuts filtered down, Fremont County opted not to fund social services and asked departments to prepare for 10 percent reductions, the City of Riverton cut $100,000 from its budget, Central Wyoming College pursued voluntary separation agreements to reduce costs without layoffs, and the CWC Board of Cooperative Higher Education Services limited dual enrollment course offerings for area high school students.
I also tracked how the changes at the state level created delays and uncertainty in local valuations, complicating county budgeting — and when values were finally set, they were down 18 percent, partly due to the property tax changes. Later, I wrote a clarifying piece to help residents understand what relief programs were available and which exemptions could and could not be combined.
With lawmakers now preparing for another legislative session and more reform — including calls to eliminate property taxes altogether — I’ve continued following local reactions and committee debates, as well as the measures that advanced and where local legislators stood on them.
Covering this issue has reinforced how closely state policy is tied to local services, and I look forward to tracking the debate in 2026 so I can help our readers stay informed, engaged, and involved in decisions that affect their communities and their finances.
Teri Caldwell-Udell
I chose the stories I wrote for Fremont County Prevention because they consistently reminded me why local journalism and community partnerships matter. Each piece required slowing down, listening, and learning—about prevention, mental health, substance misuse, and the very real challenges families in Fremont County face. These stories aren’t just informational; they’re rooted in care, compassion, and the belief that conversations can save lives. Writing them deepened my understanding of prevention work and reinforced how powerful it can be when a community comes together to support one another.
Rachel Mejorado
My end of the year highlight would be all the contests we ran in 2025. We ended up running 22 contests/giveaways and I love being able to bring our community together in this way and share some pretty awesome prizes from some pretty awesome businesses around the county:)
Vince Tropea
2025 was a truly wild news year, and I’m continually amazed by the connections I get to make in this community. From youth like Frankie Monroe, whose artwork/greeting cards brought hundreds of smiles to people’s faces, to an entire community that came together for a Shoshoni family in need, to a Lander mom’s mission to provide adaptive mobility carts for her kids and community, to a volunteer in Hudson recognized for her efforts to restore the Yablonski Memorial Library, to profiling the man behind the famous Wimpie Burger and his efforts to raise funds for the Lander Senior Center.
2025 was also the year I got to be a part of what felt like A TON of surprise stories, where folks had no idea they were on the receiving end of some type of award or donation. The energy at those kinds of things is infectious.
- Gannett Peak closed out school year with library dedication, new school song debut, ‘Great Outdoors’ project viewing
- Shoshoni Elementary’s Gilbertson receives WAEMSP 2025 National Distinguished Principal award
- VIDEO: First Interstate Bank surprises CES with $25k donation
- PAWS surprised Stock Doc with $50k check toward their vet bill debt thanks to recent donation from Lulu’s Fund
As always, the Coffee Time interviews are a yearly highlight, especially with annual visits from the LVHS musical kiddos and chats with inspirational folks like CooXooEii Black. Another yearly highlight is getting to host the Bar 10/County Trivia nights and the community it has created. And not gonna lie, I was pretty proud of this year’s April Fool’s post (sincere apologies, though, to those who weren’t fans of the joke!)
On a personal note, I was asked to join the local band The Tinderwoods this year, comprised of some pretty amazing local musicians and all-around great human beings. It’s been a much-needed creative outlet and release from the stresses of life, and has also led to getting to perform at community events like the Lander 4th of July weekend, the Lander VFW’s 80th anniversary, the Lander Library Christmas, a local food bank fundraiser, and the Porter’s/County 10 Fireside Fest. We even wrote a song about a County 10 news story, called ‘Marty the Moose.’ Cheers to more shows in 2026!
Jerran Anderson
- Lander boys swim 29th in a row in Feb: click here
- Lander girls swim wins, lots of post-season accolades in November: click here
- 4 County football teams made the playoffs. Lander and Riverton both advanced to the semi’s. Best seasons for both of them in over a decade: click here
- Lander golfers win conference. Keigann Watson and Joshua Lozier win individual championships: click here
- Fremont County resident and Shoshoni teacher Macey Mortimore won basketball referee of the year by the WHSAA: click here
- Brett Watson Memorial installed at Wolverine Field: click here
- Tons of Fair coverage/interviews/Coverage of the Jr. Livestock Sale:
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- I did the RPD Spotlight Series, had several of these, getting to know local law enforcement and all the different jobs they do: click here
- Charene and I did the Pink Ribbon Run again; it was the 5th year. Heard from local cancer survivor John Glenn, who shared his story: click here
- Riverton Boys & Girls Club honored Mary Axthelm: click here
Scott Fuller
- The most memorable was probably my PAWS story on Christmas Eve, because I got to share it with my kids.
- The dinosaur bones in Dubois story was probably the most fun to compile.
- The missing persons database bill signing was meaningful because I got to follow it from proposed legislation, to signing, to effective implementation.
Carl Cote
The fun days for a photographer in Fremont County are plenty every year, but the Lander 4th of July is a sure-fire winner for me. The parade is one of the few events where just about everyone is stoked to be there, the weather is great, and don’t forget the rodeo at sunset followed by fireworks.
Other highlights of my year include both of the great seasons Lander and Riverton football had, the figure 8 races in Riverton, and getting to know Dubois volleyball coach Katrina Dingman, as she coached her volleyball team to an appearance at the state tournament through her fight with cancer.
Randy Tucker
This was a trip down memory lane. My sister worked there and brought home burgers and fries one entire summer when I worked the night shift at the Louisiana Pacific Mill in Riverton. Tremendous amount of comments and shares.
Nick is a friend and a guy who lined up against many legendary football players I followed as a high school player. A friendly, grounded guy. I had more people stop to share stories about Nick than any other story this year.
Gary and Karen are the salt of the earth. They are key members of the ag community and personal friends. Their story is the essence of what hard work and determination can accomplish.
We only had one TV channel when I was a kid, Channel 10, KWRB out of Thermopolis. Groundbreaking and frustrating all at once. Tons of comments and stories shared about watching this station from readers.
Top Stories
In terms of pure numbers, here are some of County 10’s top/most-read stories of 2025, a healthy mix of crime, statewide stories, weather/breaking news, and some fun fluff:
- ‘We’re coming for you’ – U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI address recent Safe Trails Task Force operations in Fremont County
- Governor announces opening of property tax refund program application period
- Flip-flopped man gets too close to moose at Grand Teton National Park; Serves as reminder about wildlife safety
- FBI now offering $5000 reward for information leading to conviction of local man charged with meth distribution
- Winter Weather Advisory in effect Saturday night through Monday
- Multiple stalled semis shut down stretch of Interstate 80 between Laramie and Cheyenne
- Officials, investigators share details about I-80 tunnel crash near Green River at Feb. 15 press conference with Governor Gordon
- ‘We have exceeded our bounds’: Case questions constitutionality of long-term homeowners property tax exemption
Thanks again for an amazing 2025, Fremont County! We hope you enjoy recapping some of our favorite moments that we got to share with you this year!