Interchange, May 2024

Looking at the road ahead

Meet the multi-layered Planning program

By Mark Horan

There’s no such thing as a typical day for the 47 staff who work in the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Planning program.

“We’re a pretty diverse program,” said Planning program Manager Mark Wingate as he described the three sections his staff oversee: Systems Planning and Programming, Environmental Services, and Local Government Coordination.

Systems Planning and Programming

This section collects, interprets and analyzes traffic, transportation and socioeconomic data. This information is then used for a variety of purposes including long range transportation planning, needs analysis support, city and county transportation plans, urban system modeling and planning, and Federal Highway Administration information requirements.

The Systems Planning and Programming section is further divided into three groups:

• Policy and Planning: This section conducts long range and risk/resiliency planning. The group develops the Long Range Transportation Plan, which is the connection between WYDOT’s Strategic Plan and the needs analysis process. In addition, the group is involved with freight and railroad planning, community planning and assistance, urban systems and Metropolitan Planning Organization coordination and administration, and railroad coordination concerning at-grade crossings, fencing and fire guard monitoring. The group is also responsible for collecting data related to public road inventory, vertical clearance, and the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Performance Monitoring System.

Policy and Planning personnel interact with cities and towns in various capacities. According to Wingate, there is “grant money available that we administer that can be used for planning studies, such as corridor studies, transportation master plans, etc.”

Photo: WYDOT

WYDOT’s Local Government Coordination section administers state and federal money to community entities such as the Cheyenne Transit Program, whose city bus is pictured above.

Be sure to check out the online version of Interchange at http://issuu.com/ wydot.pao or click on the link found on the employee’s internal website home page.

“The entity requests the funding through the District, and then, if approved, our personnel develop the agreement and administers the funding,” he said.

Planning also provides federal funding to and interacts with the two Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Casper and Cheyenne to assist them with their planning efforts. In addition, the Urban Systems Program, administered by Planning, is a Transportation Commission-approved $5.7 million program that provides federal construction funding divided among the 16 urban communities (5,000 population and above) in the state.

• Transportation Surveys, Counter Shop, and Weigh in Motion: The groups in this section collect traffic data using permanent and portable counter methods. Responsibilities include maintenance and installation of permanent traffic counters, traffic analysis and projections, production of the annual Vehicle Miles Book, and Weigh In Motion data collection and reporting.

• Programming: This section conducts mapping and map production and extracts data from the State Planning and Operational Database. Staff in this group work with the Districts on scope statement development and development and maintenance of the Transportation Asset Management Plan. They also work with WYDOT’s Bridge Program, Materials Lab, and the Districts to develop strategies for meeting goals in the TAMP. Other responsibilities include archiving construction projects, working with IT on data sharing and collection, and collaborating with the Districts on scope statement development. Furthermore, the group works with Materials Lab, Bridge, Highway Safety, the Districts, and Project Development on Asset Management and STIP development and responds to all mapping requests from the counties and WYDOT programs.

Environmental Services

Environmental Services is another major program that falls under the Planning Program. Environmental Services staff ensure that WYDOT’s transportation process complies with all state and federal environmental laws and mandates through public disclosure in a timely and economical fashion. They play a crucial role in the design process, making sure each project has the proper clearances necessary. ES also provides the department with all necessary policies to protect Wyoming’s environment while promoting efficient and effective operation of its transportation system. This section coordinates preparation of environmental documents and provides assistance to field operations during design, construction and maintenance activities.

Specific responsibilities held by Environmental Services include handling National Environmental Policy Act related actions (such as categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements) for all construction projects. Additionally, the group performs archaeological and biological clearances for construction projects and assists with wetland identification, delineation, and monitoring. They also develop seeding recommendations for construction projects. Staff within the Environmental Services program act as WYDOT’s liaison to state and federal agencies, such as Wyoming Game and Fish, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, and more.

Local Government Coordination

Local Government Coordination is the Planning Program’s third main section and is responsible for administering WYDOT’s off-system and local programs, cooperative agreements and public transit programs. LGC acts as WYDOT’s liaison with local governments, local government associations and public/ private groups supporting local and statewide transportation issues. Public Transit programs are administered by WYDOT with partnership arrangements with local public transit providers and local, private and non-profit organizations. Cooperative agreements are prepared by LGC with local, state and federal agencies.

Continued on page 4

Stephanie Lowe, a cultural resource specialist with Environmental Services, stands in front of a historic bridge in Fremont County.

Photo: Stephanie Lowe/WYDOT

A sample of the many documents produced by WYDOT’s Planning program.

Photo: Mark Horan/WYDOT

LGC is split into several groups:

• Transit: This group administers and distributes approximately $18 million in Federal Transit Administration and state transit funding to around 43 local transit providers throughout the state. Staff in the Transit section assist the providers in procuring buses for their transit needs, develops and amend agreements with the providers, and review and approve reimbursement requests. Transit staff produce the State Management Plan, the Coordinated Plan, and the Transit Asset Management Plan to help guide day-to-day work. The group is responsible for reporting all data to the FTA. Most of the transit providers in the state are associated with the local or nonprofit entities, and the transit group administers the FTA funding to the local transit providers on a grant-based system.

• Local Programs: The Local Programs section administers approximately $5 million annually through the Transportation Alternatives Program. This program is a competitive grant process for local communities, towns, counties and other local governments to build non-motorized infrastructure in their communities. Local Programs focuses on bicycles, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users on the highway system. The group also administers funding to the counties for dust mitigation through the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement Program.

Depending on the program and the nature of the project, the work that goes on in the Planning Program takes time. Planning studies for a 20-30 year outlook on the state’s transportation sys-

Roadmasters Chapter

tem can take several years, as can projects tied to WTDOT’s State Transportation Improvement Plan.

“As with most programs, and the Department as a whole, the vast distances we have to deal with makes some things more difficult,” Wingate said, adding that getting the proper training and assistance to the small – sometimes one-person – transit providers can be challenging.

In terms of program evolution, Wingate said “there is an increasing number of federal requirements that Planning must adhere to so a lot of our operations remain consistent.” However, several other areas have seen changes over time.

“The scope statement process in programming has evolved over the past several years to help the preliminary design phase control scope creep and costs,” Wingate said. “Other areas such as mapping, inventory, data collection and traffic surveys are either migrating, or have fully converted, to incorporating geospatial technology in order to keep up with industry standards and streamline operations.”

Overseeing the Planning Program has been a positive experience for Wingate, who spent 15 as the Systems Planning Engineer and the last three years as the State Planning Engineer.

“I enjoy the people I work with, and I like the diversity –there’s something different every day,” he said.

As to the future of the program, Wingate said his vision is “to keep providing quality service to our customers, both internal and external, and hopefully be able to become a more prominent presence in helping the local communities with their planning needs.”

District Briefs

Headquarters Commission awards

almost $46.74 million in contracts in April

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded nearly $46.74 million in contracts for seven Wyoming Department of Transportation construction projects during its April 18 regular business meeting.

An almost $23.48 million bid was awarded to Worland-based McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co. for a mill and overlay project involving asphalt paving, grading, traffic control, aggregate surfacing and milling work on approximately 8 miles of both eastbound and westbound Interstate 80 in Sweetwater County. The contract completion date is June 30, 2026.

Sundance-based Croell Inc. was awarded a $17.15 million bid for a combined mill, overlay and isolated reconstruction project involving asphalt paving, milling, bridge rehabilitation, utility upgrades, sidewalk work, electrical work, traffic control, curb and gutter work, pavement striping, storm water drainage and aggregate surfacing work at various locations covering approximately 6.8 miles on Main Street between Interstate 25 and Interstate 90 interchanges in Buffalo. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2025.

The commission awarded a more than $6.1 million bid to JTL Group Inc. DBA Knife River based out of Cheyenne for a contract patching project. The project involves asphalt paving and traffic control work at various locations within Carbon, Converse, Goshen, Laramie, Natrona and Platte Counties. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2024.

A nearly $2.65 million bid was awarded to Cheyenne-based Simon Contractors for a mill and overlay project involving asphalt paving, chip seal, traffic control and milling work on approximately 5.5 miles of US Highway 26 in Goshen County. The contract completion date is July 31, 2025.

Cowley-based S & L Industrial was

awarded three projects during this meeting:

• Awarded an almost $1.47 million bid for a guardrail update project involving guardrail work, structure work, traffic control and grading work at various locations within Converse, Goshen, Niobrara & Platte Counties. The contract completion date is Nov. 30, 2024.

• Awarded a $161,355 bid for a sign replacement project involving sign work and traffic control at various locations within Fremont, Lincoln, Sweetwater and Uinta Counties. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2024.

• Awarded a $161,169 bid for a spot safety improvement project involving pavement striping and traffic control work at various locations within Campbell, Crook, Johnson and Sheridan Counties. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2024.

All of the projects awarded by the Transportation Commission this month are funded primarily with federal dollars. Almost all WYDOT projects are awarded to the lowest bid.

District 1

Work underway on I-25 in Cheyenne

CHEYENNE – Crews with Simon Contractors and the Wyoming Department of Transportation began work along Interstate 25 in Cheyenne April 22.

The work took place at the US Highway 85, I-25 interchange.

Crews closed the US 85 southbound to I-25 southbound ramp. A small detour was in place as the work took place.

Crews applied a mill and overlay on the ramps and driving lanes. Work is a continuation from 2023.

Work was completed in two weeks.

Bridge rehabilitation project underway on I-80 near Laramie

LARAMIE – Crews with Reiman Corp. and the Wyoming Department of Transportation began a bridge rehabilitation project on Interstate 80 near Laramie.

The project began at milepost 302.91 in the eastbound lanes then crews moved to the westbound structure at mile marker 300.44. Other locations included I-80 eastbound structure at 245.94 and Wyoming Highway 76 at milepost 221.68, the Union Pacific Railroad overpass by the East Sinclair interchange.

All four structures have varying bridge rehabilitation work taking place on each. A 14-foot width restriction was in place during the project.

Motorists on the interstate should expect possible delays due to single lane shifts through construction zones and lowered speed limits.

The work is scheduled to be completed by fall 2024.

US 30, Van Buren intersection in Cheyenne

CHEYENNE – Crews with Reiman Corp., Aztec Construction and the Wyoming Department of Transportation opened the US Highway 30/East Lincolnway and Van Buren intersection in Cheyenne on April 6.

The city of Cheyenne began work on Van Buren April 8. To relieve traffic congestion caused by the ongoing US 30 work, contractors reopened the intersection.

Work underway on Curtis Street in Laramie

LARAMIE – Crews with the Wyoming Department of Transportation and S&S Builders began work on Curtis Street in Laramie on April 8.

The project took place between McCue Street and 3rd Street.

Work includes minor bridge repairs to the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge and Briefs continued on page 6

Briefs continued from page 5 the Laramie River Bridge, as well as a mill and overlay. There was a 12-foot width restriction in place for the duration of the project.

The project is anticipated to be completed by the fall.

Brief closure on Dell Range in Cheyenne

CHEYENNE – Crews with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, Reiman Corp. and Aztec Construction closed Dell Range Boulevard at US Highway 30/East Lincolnway on April 4.

The closure began at noon, impacting evening commuters.

Crews removed surfacing, placed pipe and brought the roadway back up to grade with temporary surfacing until paving operations can commence.

During the closure, traffic was detoured to the Whitney Road intersection. The duration of this closure was a week long.

Paving work underway on I-80 in Cheyenne

CHEYENNE – Crews with Simon Contractors and the Wyoming Department of Transportation began work along Interstate 80 in Cheyenne.

This work is a continuation of the project that began in 2023 and involves concrete slab replacement and a new asphalt overlay.

Other work included sealing joints, milling and paving on ramps and I-80 later this spring into summer.

Work is anticipated to be completed by late summer.

Brief closure on Whitney Road in Cheyenne

CHEYENNE – Crews with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, Reiman Corp. and Aztec Construction closed a portion of Whitney Road between US Highway 30/East Lincolnway and the US 30 service road on April 2.

Crews removed surfacing, placed pipe and brought the roadway back up to grade with temporary surfacing until paving operations can commence.

During the closure, the north service road was open as a detour.

Striping work on Snake River Bridge

JACKSON – The Wyoming Department of Transportation, along with contract crews from Ames Construction, striped on Wyoming Highway 22 to accompany the new traffic configuration at the intersection of WYO 22 and Wyoming Highway 390. Striping operations took place April 10-11.

The work did not involve any lane closures. The striping work was a mobile operation, and was under flagging operations on the WYO 390 leg of the intersection. WYDOT monitored queues of motorists that may be delayed by the striping truck and manually flagged operations at the intersection to prevent extensive delays for traffic at the intersection.

WYDOT continues to review traffic behavior, and modify traffic control signage and placement help motorists navigate the construction area. WYDOT’s first priority is safety of motorists and construction crew members. Please travel slowly through the construction zone and follow all speed limits, directional signs, and flagging instructions.

New signal activated on WYO 22 eastbound bypass

JACKSON – The Wyoming Department of Transportation, along with contract crews from Ames Construction Inc., activated the new, permanent signal at the intersection of Wyoming Highway 22 and Wyoming Highway 390, and opened the eastbound WYO 22 bypass on April 3.

On April 2, crews set electrical cabinets and installed the signal detection software on the newly constructed traffic signal at the intersection.

On the evening of April 3, crews activated the signal and shifted traffic in a new alignment at the intersection that includes the bypass for eastbound WYO 22 traffic.

WYDOT would like to advise drivers of the new configuration, and remind eastbound WYO 22 motorists that once they bypass the signal and travel over the wildlife bridge on the west side of the Snake River Bridge, they are required to yield to traffic on WYO 22 that just turned off WYO 390 and merge accord-

This new configuration is expected to remain in place for the remainder of the construction season.

Pothole repairs planned for WYO 22, Snake River Bridge

JACKSON – The Wyoming Department of Transportation, along with contract crews from Ames Construction Inc., repaired potholes on the Snake River Bridge on Wyoming Highway 22 in the early morning hours of April 2.

The patching work took place overnight from April 1 into the morning of April 2 from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. and required lane closures. Flaggers were on-site to direct alternating traffic through the remaining operational lane. Drivers encountered delays.

Recent freeze-thaw cycles have resulted in numerous potholes, necessitating ongoing maintenance to keep the old bridge functional and safe for travel during construction of the new one.

WYDOT begins work on Interstate 80 west of Green River

ROCK SPRINGS – The Wyoming Department of Transportation, along with contract crews from Kilgore Companies LLC, doing business as Lewis & Lewis Inc., started work on Interstate 80, west of Green River near the Sweetwater County line. Crews began working on the shoulder at various locations in the eastbound and westbound lanes beginning April 1.

On April 15, work began in the westbound lanes. Drivers experienced a shift to a single lane while crews prepared for

An aerial view of the old Snake River Bridge (WYO 22) and the new structure to its left.

Photo: WYDOT

the milling and paving of the westbound lanes from milepost 57 to 65.

In preparation for the milling and paving work of the eastbound lanes that will take place later this spring, WYDOT has elected to make some pavement repairs with the paving operations in the westbound lanes in an effort to make the driving surface smoother to support head to head traffic this summer.

At the end of April, drivers encountered single lane closures on the westbound lanes, while crews paved the driving lane, and then the passing lane. Once the westbound lanes have been paved, crews will begin work on milling and pavement rehabilitation, as well as pipe replacements, on the eastbound lanes of I-80. Drivers will encounter the switch to head to head traffic the second week of June, tentatively scheduled and weather permitting. Prior to the traffic switch, drivers will encounter short, intermittent single lane closures in the eastbound lanes at various locations.

After mid-June, there will be typical head-to-head traffic in the westbound lanes. Near late August, traffic will be switched to head to head in the eastbound lanes while paving is completed in westbound lanes and several pipes are replaced. The work is scheduled for completion Oct. 25, 2025.

The scope of work for the project includes: milling and paving rehabilitation, grading, drainage and miscellaneous work in both the eastbound and westbound lanes.

Drivers should be aware that the Cedar Mountain Interchange at milepost 61 will see periodic ramp closures while paving operations are underway, so traffic is advised to use the Church Buttes Interchange at milepost 53 or Granger Junction Interchange at milepost 66. Detour signage will be in place, including roadside message boards to advise traffic about closures.

Contract crews from Kilgore Companies LLC, doing business as Lewis & Lewis, Inc. will also be conducting

grinding operations at various locations on 12 miles of I-80 beginning at milepost 65 near Little America on April 15, tentatively and weather permitting. This is corrective work to smooth out pavement irregularities from the project that was completed last year. Work will take place in both the eastbound and westbound lanes and drivers should expect to see one to two mile single lane closures at a time with reduced speeds. This operation was tentatively scheduled to last 15 days.

District 4

WYDOT launches public input opportunity for Big Horn Y intersection study

SHERIDAN – The Wyoming Department of Transportation launched an online, self-guided input tool to share information and gather input from the public regarding the Big Horn Y Intersection near Sheridan.

The Big Horn Y Intersection is located south of Sheridan and is often used by residents and visitors commuting to and from outlying communities.

The study included a detailed analysis of the intersection and provide recommendations for the improvement of traffic mobility, safety, and operations. The public was invited to provide input to be considered as part of the study. The project team was interested in challenges and opportunities related to traffic volumes,

operations and road conditions.

The public was able to participate in this study using the online tool through April 30.

District 5

Drainage improvements on pavement overlay project between Greybull, Basin

BASIN – A 5.8-mile drainage and pavement improvement project is underway between Greybull and Basin on US Highway 16/20.

The $3.8 million project includes drainage improvements. Work includes installation of new pipe, ditch cleaning and realignment.

“Three pipes are being installed to increase hydraulic water flows to divert water back to the Bighorn River, and to alleviate future flooding over the highway,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation project engineer Jordan Erz of Worland. “We appreciate motorists’ patience as these pipes are being installed across the highway at approximately milepost 202.60, just south of the Greybull River.”

The Greybull-Basin project also includes asphalt pavement milling and a pavement overlay and chip seal starting at milepost 197.70, where the highway transitions from four lanes to two lanes just north of Basin. The north end of the project ends at the south end of the highway overpass over the railroad tracks on the south end of Greybull.

Portable digital message signs in Basin and Greybull provide periodic project updates through the spring and summer

Erz said prime contractor Mountain Construction Co. of Lovell does not plan roadway milling and paving until August.

Contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2024.

I-80 west of Green River.

Photo: Stephanie Harsha/WYDOT

Director Westby hosts Town Hall meetings

Seven meetings covered director’s goals, agency’s future

By Jordan Young

WYDOT Director Darin Westby traveled to each District in early April to conduct his first Town Hall meetings with employees.

Westby spoke at one meeting in each District and two meetings at headquarters, covering themes like his personal leadership style, brand management, the desirability of working at WYDOT, and why infrastructure like roads and bridges are important to the state and nation.

“We impact everybody’s lives,” he said during the second Town Hall at Headquarters. “That’s what we are going to try to keep selling over and over until it becomes a mantra that other people are selling for us. That way we can be successful in getting you what you need to meet our mission. It seems herculean, trying to change a global culture of infrastructure as an expectation, but I love that challenge.”

Other topics included results from the recent legislative budget session, results from the recent employee satisfaction survey, communication, and the importance of the Three R’s – Recognition, Retention and Recruitment. Westby said it’s particularly important that the Three R’s are listed in that order.

“If you’re not recognizing your work force that are probably doing more than you’re asking them to do, then you’re going to have a problem with retention,” he said. “How are we creating a culture of recognition within an organization to ensure everybody appreciates the success of everything that goes on?”

Throughout the informal presentations, employees had the chance to ask questions and give feedback. Questions from

employees covered topics like benefits, pay and suggestions for how to improve morale. Westby highlighted one question from the meeting in Thermopolis, where someone asked about a rumor that alternate work schedules were going away. That rumor turned out to be completely false.

“Luckily, we were able to put a squash to that right then and there,” Westby said. “But more importantly, it gave me the opportunity to talk about rumors, to talk about letting things boil up to a point of discontent. … Don’t let comments burn you up inside, don’t wait until it festers and boils up to a point where it’s almost difficult to solve. Let’s have the conversation when it’s fresh, when we can actually solve it.”

In addition to the topics and questions, a few districts used the meeting to highlight years of service milestones, including District 1’s Marty Mayfield celebrating 40 years of service, District 2’s Brett McKinley celebrating 15 years of service, and District 5’s Robert Scheidemantel celebrating 25 years of service.

Attendance to the Town Halls was strong, with a combined total of roughly 931 people at the meetings in person, and 261 virtual attendees. In the District 4 Town Hall, District Engineer Scott Taylor joked that instead of a sign-in sheet, they could just turn in their district directory.

For those who weren’t able to attend in April, a full recording of the afternoon Town Hall with Headquarters in Cheyenne is available on the intranet: https://employees.dot.state.wy.us/home/ executive_staff/town-hall-meetings.html

“If we are not successful with our mission, the state fails,” Westby said. “When you think about all the commercial product that comes across our state; if we’re not successful, the country fails.”

Photo: Mark Horan/WYDOT

Photo: Doug McGee/WYDOT

Director Darin Westby (standing on right) speaks to the large crowd of District 4 employees who attended the Town Hall meeting in Gillette.

Director Darin Westby explains his leadership philosophy to a crowd of Headquarters employees during the spring 2024 Town Hall meetings at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.

WYDOT widens access to road-closure data to save lives in severe weather

Agreement with Google aims to prevent stranded motorists led astray by GPS

By Jordan Young

When snow, high winds, and other severe weather conditions require the Wyoming Department of Transportation to close a major route like Interstate 80 – one of the nation’s primary eastwest highways – conditions on secondary roads are often even more dangerous. Yet without sufficient data, some navigational apps may reroute motorists and commercial vehicle operators onto those very roads.

WYDOT is now working to improve safety and facilitate the efficient movement of freight and tourism by sharing road-closure data directly with Google and other navigation companies.

“WYDOT is constantly innovating and adapting to the challenges of Wyoming’s harsh winters and meeting our mission to keep people and commerce moving,” said WYDOT Director Darin Westby in an April WYDOT news release. “Last winter saw too many close calls, and we are excited to arrive at a practical solution that will keep both travelers and search-and-rescue responders safer.”

Navigational apps generally report road closures and recommend alternate routes based on data collected from other drivers who are using the app. As a result, information about infrequently traveled, local roads may not be updated often enough to reflect fast-changing conditions.

In Wyoming, some I-80 motorists following suggested detours have ended up stranded on inaccessible county or forest service roads without fuel, food or water. This also creates hazards for the Wyoming Highway Patrol and other emergency responders tasked with finding and rescuing these motorists. Road closures and ill-advised detours during just one storm in 2023 resulted in 28 search-and-rescue missions in Sweetwater County alone. Other counties, like Carbon County, have resorted to signage and other attempts to alert drivers to the dangerous conditions on the “alternate route” provided by navigation apps.

To help prevent such emergencies, WYDOT has expanded third-party access to a powerful tool known as the Situation Data Exchange, or SDX. WYDOT partner Trihydro, an engineering and environmental consulting firm based in Laramie, developed the SDX in support of the Wyoming Connected Vehicle Pilot, a WYDOT project funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The SDX stores and distributes data collected from wirelessly connected vehicles, including WYDOT fleet vehicles and snowplows. WYDOT also consults with

Since Google Maps uses phone data for route planning, delays from weather or construction on I-80 would often trigger the maps software to think the road is closed, prompting it to give an alternative route that is inconvenient or outright dangerous. WYDOT’s work with Trihydro on the SDX system gives third parties like Google a way to improve map and route accuracy.

individual counties to include information on local and conditional closures. Navigation companies with access to the SDX will have a new, reliable source of real-time travel information including weather advisories, variable speed limits, road closure notifications, and vehicle weight restrictions.

“Wyoming is leading the way in improving highway safety by making vital traveler information available to all road users, from residents and visitors to commercial truckers,” said WYDOT GIS/ITS Manager Vince Garcia.

WYDOT began by reaching out to Google, which has entered into an agreement with Trihydro to be a third-party distributor of SDX data through Google Maps.

Eric Kolb, GIS Senior Staff Data Engineer for Google Maps, said in an April WYDOT news release that WYDOT and Trihydro’s SDX team designed and implemented “an exemplary messaging system that maximizes coordination between Wyoming’s jurisdictional levels and navigation companies to create and relay road incident updates and closures.”

A family from Wisconsin were marooned by technology after their GPS sent them down an unmaintained rural road in Sweetwater County during a road closure on I-80 in January 2023. WYDOT’s work with Trihydro on the SDX system hopes to prevent this from happening again.

“The SDX provides Wyoming’s high-quality data in the desired format through a convenient interface, all of which reduces Google Maps’ effort to acquire and translate Wyoming’s road incident updates into its navigation database,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure working with the WYDOT and Trihydro teams to both understand and encourage their motivations and capabilities.”

WYDOT hopes to finalize agreements with Apple and other navigation system providers in the near future to ensure that accurate, up-to-date travel information is available to as many motorists as possible. Meanwhile, WYDOT officials continue to coordinate with the USDOT to expand access to the SDX. This effort is the culmination of years of work with the goal of improved safety for travelers, first responders and others affected by wintry hazards on Wyoming highways.

Photo: WYDOT

Photo: Google Maps

redundant software.

WHP signs cooperative MOU with Game and Fish, State Parks

Single citation system will cut costs

By Jordan Young

In late March, the Wyoming Highway Patrol signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources to further enhance law enforcement operations in the state.

The MOU allows the three agencies to share the e-citation system WHP currently uses for electronic citations, strengthening partnerships and providing a cost savings to taxpayers. Rather than paying separately for three iterations of similar software, the MOU allows the agencies to share the same software at an enterprise level.

WHP Captain Tim Romig said the system also provides “consistency when submitting citations to the Wyoming Supreme Court repository” since the software has been used by WHP

since 2019.

“This combined effort, made possible by members of the WHP, WYDOT Contracts, the Attorney General’s office, Wyoming Game and Fish, and Wyoming State Parks, took dedication, forethought and patience,” Romig said. “The diligent work of all involved will save funding that can now be utilized in other areas to enhance services provided by the State.”

Colonel Tim Cameron, Game and Fish Chief of Wildlife Rich King and State Parks Chief Park Ranger Mark Caughlan signed the MOU at the WYDOT campus in Cheyenne. Afterward, refreshments were provided as officers and other employees from each agency had the chance to network.

Wyoming Highway Patrol, Wyoming Game and Fish and Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources recently signed an MOU to share an e-citation system. This MOU helped save costs on

Photo: Jordan Young/WYDOT

WHP Colonel Tim Cameron (left) smiles and shakes hands with State Parks Chief Park Ranger Mark Caughlan after the two agencies signed an MOU to share e-citation software.

Photo: Jordan Young/WYDOT

WHP Colonel Tim Cameron (left) smiles and shakes hands with Game and Fish Chief of Wildlife Rich King after the two agencies signed an MOU to share e-citation software.

Photo: Jordan Young/WYDOT

TechTalk Cybersecurity incident vs. event

What are they, how to report them and why reporting matters

By Enterprise Technology Services

Cybersecurity threats pose a significant risk to organizations of all sizes. As technology continues to evolve, so do the tactics of cyber criminals looking to exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain or to cause disruption. This makes it critical that all cybersecurity incidents, no matter how minor they may seem, are reported promptly and adequately.

In today’s digital landscape, we all must stay vigilant against cyber threats. But do you know the difference between a cyber incident and a cybersecurity event? Understanding the distinction is critical for proper reporting.

What is the difference between a cyber incident and an event?

A cybersecurity incident occurs when something unexpected happens with a computer system, such as a service abruptly halting or functioning less effectively. It can occur due to errors, accidents, or intentional actions. This encompasses instances where regulations governing computer usage are violated or when someone attempts to compromise the integrity of a computer system or the data it contains. It denotes situations where computer malfunctions occur or malicious activities are perpetrated.

Cybersecurity events are alerts indicating that something unusual is happening in our computer systems. These include instances such as when someone attempts to log in and fails or when our systems detect anomalous activities such as pings or scans. While these events can be concerning, they do not necessarily signify a breach of our security. Nevertheless, they provide valuable insights into potential issues and aid us in identifying emerging threats before they escalate.

What is incident reporting and why it matters

Cybersecurity incident reporting is the process of notifying relevant parties when a security breach or cyberattack occurs. These incidents must be handled quickly and with care to mitigate damage and prevent future attacks.

By reporting incidents through the appropriate channels, organizations can initiate incident response plans to contain and remediate issues before they escalate into more serious breaches. Detailed reporting also provides valuable information that can be analyzed to identify trends, uncover systemic weaknesses, and improve defenses against future attacks. Proper documentation creates an audit trail that demonstrates due diligence in the event of litigation or regulatory inquiries.

It is critical to report these incidents because they provide the context needed by security professionals to document responses. Reporting a security incident or concern and why it matters

When an incident occurs, it’s crucial to document the details. The who, what, when, where, and how to provide invaluable insight. This incident report becomes a road map, decoding how to prevent future mishaps. Assessing the breach’s origin helps identify vulnerabilities.

The report fuels more innovative policies, tighter compliance,

and proactive risk management. Prompt and proper reporting allows the State to take swift action, conducting forensic analysis and remediating vulnerabilities. Use the below information as a guide when gathering information to report an incident or event.

• Date and time when the incident or event first occurred;

• Date and time when the incident or event was detected;

• Description of the problem. Include any odd behaviors observed;

• Provide any technical information, if available. (IP addresses, hostnames, file names, system logs, etc.);

• Identify any known system(s), data or other assets were affected or compromised, and the current status. This includes any sensitive customer or employee information that may have been exposed; and

• If known, outline the business impact in terms of operations disrupted, functions disabled, or financial losses.

A cybersecurity incident can have far-reaching impacts on an organization, so it’s critical to gather the right details to make an effective report. Focus first on establishing the basics—who, what, when, where, and how the incident occurred. The goal is to provide the information needed without introducing unnecessary confusion.

Photo: stock image

Highway Safety

Fatigued and drowsy driving crashes

By Kari Fictum, Highway Safety

Fatigue can have costly effects on health, safety and quality of life. Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness or lack of energy that can have many causes, including lifestyle factors, medical conditions, or medications. Many people find it difficult to keep up with the demands of work, family, social obligations and enjoyable leisure activities and find themselves sacrificing sleep as a means of “keeping up.” Lack of sleep often leads to feeling drowsy, sleepy, or fatigued. The negative outcomes of fatigue include health consequences, impaired cognition and performance, workplace accidents and motor vehicle crashes.

Unfortunately, determining the precise number of fatigued or drowsy-driving crashes, injuries and fatalities can be difficult. Trained crash investigators look for evidence and gather testimonies to try to determine whether fatigue contributed to a crash, however, the investigation is not always conclusive. Fatigued driving crashes are largely based on the investigator’s educated opinion. As a result, fatigued crashes are likely underreported due to the difficulty of establishing whether the driver was drowsy at the time of the crash.

jects struck by a fatigued driver in single vehicle crashes include fencing (18.7 percent), guardrail (16.5 percent), delineator post (10.9 percent), cable barrier (10.5 percent), earth embankment or berm (7 percent), sign support/post (6.2 percent), trees or shrubbery (4.4 percent), utility pole or light support (3.8 percent), ditch (3.7 percent), and bridge rail (2.3 percent).

Fatigue or drowsiness can result in traffic crashes any time of day or night. In Wyoming, 2018-2022 crash data show that fa-

tigued driving crashes occur most frequently between the hours of 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. (28.6 percent) and 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. (24.1 percent).

In Wyoming, during the most recent five-year period (20182022), 1,838 traffic crashes involved at least one fatigued driver that may have contributed to the crash, which accounts for around 3 percent of all traffic crashes. These crashes included 206 critical crashes (9 percent of all critical crashes), 574 serious crashes (5.5 percent of all serious crashes), and 1,058 damage crashes (2 percent of all damage crashes) resulting in 58 fatal injuries, 190 suspected serious injuries, 493 suspected minor injuries, and 307 possible injuries. Almost 10 percent of fatal crashes (53) involved a fatigued driver.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, fatigued driving crashes often involve only a single driver (no passengers) running off the road at a high rate of speed with no evidence of braking. In Wyoming, during the most recent five-year period, just over 76 percent of fatigued driver involved traffic crashes were single vehicle crashes. Of these single vehicle fatigued driver crashes, 63.5 percent were collisions with a fixed object and 33.6 percent were non-collision crashes which include overturn or rollover, jackknife, etc. The most common fixed ob-

Fatigued driving crashes also tend to occur more frequently on rural roads and highways. Wyoming crash data for the most recent five-year period show 72 percent of fatigued driving crashes occurred in a rural location.

NHTSA tips to drive alert:

1. Getting adequate sleep (7-8 hours per night) on a daily basis is the only true way to protect against drowsy driving.

2. Delay driving until you are well rested.

3. Avoid drinking any alcohol before driving. Consumption of alcohol interacts with sleepiness to increase drowsiness and impairment.

4. Check medication labels to see if drowsiness could result from their use. If so, use public transportation when possible.

5. Stay vigilant for signs of drowsiness, especially when driving during peak hours of fatigued driving crashes.

6. If you start to get sleepy while driving, drink one to two cups of coffee and pull over for a short 20-minute nap in a safe place. This has been shown to increase alertness in scientific studies, but only for short time periods.

FAST FACTS

Wyoming crash data from 2018-2022 report that:

• Around 3 percent of all traffic crashes involved a fatigued driver.

• Just over 9 percent of all critical crashes involved a fatigued driver.

• A fatigued driver was involved in almost 10 percent of all fatal traffic crashes.

• Roughly 76 percent of all fatigued driver involved traffic crashes were single vehicle crashes.

• Nearly 64 percent of fatigued driver involved single vehicle crashes were collisions with a fixed object.

• Fatigued driving crashes occur most frequently between the hours of 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

• The majority (72 percent) of fatigued driving crashes occur in rural locations.

CRASH CATEGORIES:

Critical Crashes – fatal and suspected serious injury crashes.

Serious Crashes – suspected minor injury and possible injury crashes.

Damage Crashes – no apparent injury and injury unknown crashes.

BY THE NUMBERS

Wyoming crash data

April 1, 2024 vs. (April 1, 2023):

Fatalities: 14 (33)

Serious Injuries: 76 (100)

Alcohol-Involved Fatalities: 2 (2)

Bicycle-Involved Fatalities: 0 (0)

CMV-Involved Fatalities: 3 (16)

Drug-Involved Fatalities: 2 (8)

Motorcycle-Involved Fatalities: 1 (0)

Pedestrian-Involved Fatalities: 1 (3)

Speed-Related Fatalities: 6 (21)

Data current as of 04/10/2024

Employee Safety

The 10-13 bulletin board in Lovell

By Jerry Fritz, D5 Safety Officer Kudos

to the Lovell Maintenance Crew for posting the 10-13 update on the bulletin board. The 10-13 information is used when a snowplow operator calls TMC with an update on the road condition for a particular road section. This can change multiple times during a day, depending upon the weather. In Lovell and several other stations in District 5, it is standard practice to write the 10-13 information on the bulletin board at the end of a crew member’s shift. This gives the oncoming crew member information about what to expect on the roads and where the most critical areas need work.

By placing this information on the bulletin board, it sets up the oncoming crew member for success. Communication is a key for the safety and success of our plow drivers.

The bulletin board shows any combination of number codes during a shift. 8-1 is dry; 9-1 is favorable weather.

Total number of employees:

Total number of highway fatalities:

Photo: WYDOT

Annual Maintenance Conference a success

Inaugural “Equipment Rodeo” held in conjunction

By Jordan Young and Mark Horan

Thanks to favorable weather, the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s annual Statewide Crew Leaders Meeting drew more than 300 attendees to Casper on April 9-11. The event invited WYDOT supervisors and crew leaders from around the state to come together with external partners and vendors to share ideas and innovations.

Maintenance Staff Supervisor Marc Anderson, whose staff are the primary organizers for the annual event, said that this year’s two keynote speakers were exceptional.

The first keynote was given by Monica Rowan, who is the records and data management evidence supervisor for the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Rowan spoke on the rise of designer drugs within Wyoming and the United States.

“She did a great job enlightening the group about a really serious topic,” Anderson said.

The second keynote, titled ‘Teamwork and Leadership in a changing world’, was presented by 12-year veteran Denver Bronco Karl Mecklenburg.

“He was extremely personable and adapted his address to make it relatable to WYDOT,” Anderson said.

The All-Pro linebacker, known by the nickname “Albino Rhino”, stayed for the reception that evening to visit with people

and sign autographs, which Anderson said was “a very generous move on his part.”

In addition to the keynotes, the meeting included breakout sessions hosted by WYDOT personnel and other agencies and external partners in the equipment and maintenance realm. Thirty-three breakout sessions covered a vast array of topics such as recruitment strategies, safety, supervision/leadership and wildlife movement. Representatives from Human Resources, Financial Services, Procurement, and Wyoming Retirement were among the presenters.

“That’s what makes the conference,” Assistant Chief Engineer

During

District 1 equipment operator Leslie French competes in the front end loader portion of WYDOT’s equipment rodeo, which kicked off the 2024 Statewide Crew Leaders Meeting. French ended up winning the event.

Photo: Marc Anderson/WYDOT

the multi-day Statewide Crew Leaders meeting, attendees had the chance to attend a variety of breakout sessions covering topics from Human Resources to weightbased wind closures and safety.

Photo: Stephanie Harsha/WYDOT

for Operations Tom DeHoff said. “Those presentations share different innovations and ideas both internally and externally with great success.”

DeHoff also praised the Maintenance Staff team during the April Transportation Commission meeting.

“It takes time and attention to put that together, on top of their regular job tasks,” he said.

For the first time, WYDOT hosted an equipment rodeo to kick off the supervisors meeting. Each district sent four drivers (one in each category) to compete in a mini course.

Event winners were as follows:

• Motor Grader – Troy Teter, District 5

• Loader – Les French, District 1

• Skid Steer – Mandy Kyar, District 4

• Backhoe – Ryan Colby, District 4

The winning district with the lowest combined times was District 4, consisting of Kyar, Colby, Jim Donahue and Carson Morales.

DeHoff said equipment rodeos are something other DOTs have implemented with great success and the competition was a great way to reward non-supervisor employees for honing their equipment skills. Both DeHoff and Anderson were appreciative of the effort that Equipment Trainers Larry Pavone and Tim Devoss put into organizing the event.

“The rodeo was a way for these operators to show off their skills with finessed maneuvers and technical abilities,” DeHoff said. “We got good remarks on how it went, and it was good to see that competitive camaraderie amongst the team members.”

Next year’s maintenance conference will tentatively be held at Little America in Cheyenne and will be a joint event with engineering crews. The two groups alternate between separate and co-op meetings.

“Getting together once a year to share ideas and knowledge is really important,” Anderson said. “It’s a great way to get information from HQ back out to the districts; hopefully supervisors and crew leaders will take the information they gathered at the conference back to their crews.”

Anderson appreciates his staff for putting on the event, noting it “takes a lot of planning every year.”

“I’m grateful to everyone from our office who helped out,” he said. “I also want to thank WYDOT Executive Staff for taking the time to attend.”

(Left to right) WYDOT Vocational Trainer Tim Devoss, Moorcroft Maintenance Technician Jim Donahue, Sheridan Maintenance Technician Carson Morales, Sundance Maintenance Technician Mandy Kyer, Sheridan Maintenance Technician Ryan Colby and WYDOT Vocational Trainer Larry Pavone. District 4 won the equipment rodeo overall with the lowest combined times in each event.

Photo: Laura Dalles/WYDOT

One of the breakout sessions offered during April’s Statewide Crew Leaders Meeting was a rundown of WYDOT’s new weight-based wind closure system, which was presented by WYDOT GIS/ITS program manager Vince Garcia and WYDOT GIS/ITS Developer Suzie Roseberry.

Photo: Stephanie Harsha/WYDOT

WYDOT’s Maintenance Staff, pictured here with Denver Bronco Karl Mecklenburg (in orange), puts on the Statewide Crew Leader’s meeting every year, an effort which involves a lot of time and planning. Mecklenburg was the keynote speaker this year.

Photo: Marc Anderson/WYDOT

WYDOT’s Human Resources Department poses with Denver Bronco Karl Mecklenburg during the Statewide Crew Leaders Meeting in Casper.

Photo: Kevin Jackson/WYDOT

District News

Headquarters

Welcome

Eric Falk, Emergency Communications District 1 Radio Shop; Benjamin Fowler, Geology; Logan Harrison, Driver Services-Policy and Records; and Jason Polly, GIS/ITS.

Promotions and Transfers

Andrew Bartel, Traffic; James Dahill, Geology Administration; Ryan Drake, Highway Development-Project Development; David Messman, Office Services-Printing; and Brandi Miller, Budget.

Service Awards

Kevin Brookshire, Highway DevelopmentPhotogrammetry and Survey – 35 years;

Douglas Hatch, Traffic – 35 years;

Andrea Allen, Highway Development-Project Development – 25 years;

Doug McGee, Public Affairs – 25 years;

Kevin Mickle, Traffic – 25 years;

Jeffrey White, Civil Rights Office – 25 years;

Benjamin Kiel, Patrol-Capitol Services Protection – 15 years;

Shane Carraher, Patrol-Capitol Services Protection – 10 years;

Harrison Copeland, Port of EntryCheyenne US 85 – 10 years;

Dale Armstrong, Driver ServicesCDL – 5 years; and

David Beals, Highway DevelopmentProject Design-Support – 5 years.

Environmental Services Supervisor

Nick Hines (right) presenting Kelly Cope with her 5-year service award.

District 1

Welcome

Clinton Harvat, Elk Mountain Maintenance; Bradlee Lyon, Rawlins Mechanics; Dominic Morris, Pine Bluffs Maintenance.

Service Awards

Martin Mayfield, Rawlins Maintenance – 40 years; Ralph Tarango, District 1 Administration – 35 years;

Aaron Kirlin, Patrol-Laramie – 15 years;

Clifford Schrock, Patrol-Elk Mountain – 5 years; and Jason Simmer, Patrol-Cheyenne – 5 years.

Retirements

Paul Roseberry, a highway maintenance technician with District 1 Maintenance in Cheyenne, retired in March with almost three years of service.

District 2

Welcome

McCrea Call, Wheatland Maintenance; Jonathan Manders, Douglas Construction; Kortney Pace, Driver Services-Casper.

Photo: WYDOT

Miller

Brookshire

Mickle

Messman

McGee

Allen Dahill

Carraher

Hatch

Copeland

Kiel

Mayfield

Kirlin Simmer

Tarango Schrock

Promotions and Transfers

District 3

Welcome

Joshua Hansen, Chugwater Maintenance; William Hatch, Torrington Construction; Michael Hill, Douglas Maintenance; Cory Johnson, Torrington Construction; Alice Palkow, Port of EntryLusk; and Jeramiah Pittsley, PatrolDouglas.

Service Awards

William Hatch, Torrington Construction – 25 years; Daniel Anderson, Casper Maintenance – 10 years; Craig Jepson, Douglas Construction – 5 years;

Glenn Maguire, Douglas Construction – 5 years; Corey McCallister, Patrol-Casper – 5 years; and Tyler Randig, Patrol-Casper – 5 years.

Kenneth Chaney, Rock Springs Mechanics; Kenneth Rouse, Lyman Maintenance.

Promotions and Transfers

Tara Finley, District 3 Traffic Staff; and Kyle Krantz, Port of Entry-Evanston.

Service Awards

Remington Roberts, PatrolEvanston – 10 years; Wallace Schulthess, PatrolEvanston – 5 years; and Tyler Smith, Patrol-Jackson – 5 years.

District 4

Welcome

William Jones, Gillette Maintenance;

Promotions and Transfers

Erik Brannigan, Traffic-Electrical; Michael Fischer, Traffic-Electrical; and Dawn Turner, Gillette Construction.

District 5

Welcome

Elaine Palmer, Cody Construction. Promotions and Transfers

Zachary Olson, Riverton Maintenance.

Service Awards

Jeramy Pittsley, Patrol-Cody – 15 years;

Kaycee Shroyer, Patrol-Cody – 15 years;

Richard Gurney, Lovell Maintenance –10 years; and Beau Fidler, Lander Construction – 5 years.

Lucas Strawn, Gillette Maintenance.

Hansen Pittsley

Hatch

Maguire

Randig

McCallister

Jepson

Finley

Schulthess

Krantz

Roberts Smith

Strawn

Turner Fischer

Brannigan

Jones

Pittsley

Gurney Shroyer

Training 2024 WY Lead cohort group will kick off in May

By Jim Boyd, Training Services

WY Lead is WYDOT’s internal leadership academy. It is a structured leadership development program for existing supervisors or those with previous leadership experience who are interested in advancing with WYDOT. This leadership academy has been developed in collaboration with senior leadership, a leadership development program planning team, and a curriculum review team.

Elements that stayed the same from the previous year include:

• An even greater focus on experiential learning (e.g., project work plus agency outings / “field trips”); and

• One-on-one mentoring / coaching with senior leaders (e.g., Leadership Development Plan).

TRAINING @ A GLANCE WYDOT TRAINING

The inaugural WY Lead group ran from March of 2023 through late September and explored leadership readings, mentoring with WYDOT Leadership, and building organizational awareness. This group plus a curriculum management team provided feedback and recommendations on future program improvements, many of which will be implemented in 2024.

Major changes include:

• An increase in in-person meetings versus online meetings; and

• More in-person class time for participant interactions and project work.

More than 30 applications were received for the 2024 WY Lead cohort, with the WY Lead Selection Committee currently reviewing them. Each application is first scored anonymously, then ranked and shared for discussion during the Selection Committee Meeting. Candidates that are selected for the program will be informed by May 1 with the program starting on May 20.

More information on the WY Lead program can be found on the Training Services Intranet page in the WY Lead area, or you can reach out to any of us in Training Services through dot-training@wyo.gov.

TRAINING @ A GLANCE WYDOT TRAINING

In May:

in June and July:

State Jobs Expo a success

WYDOT and WHP were part of the recent Wyoming State Government Jobs Expo at the Capitol Connector in Cheyenne. The expo was a way for the public to see what a career in public service could look like for them. The job fair was very successful and even saw appearances by WYDOT Director Darin Westby and Governor Mark Gordon.

“Wyoming state employees serve the public in so many ways, and I’m grateful for their dedication and commitment to the people of Wyoming,” Gordon said in his social media post about the event.

WYDOT and WHP were both represented at the State Job Expo at the capitol in early April. Both tables offered informational brochures and other giveaways. WYDOT and WHP staff explained the benefits of working for either agency.

Photo: Kevin Jackson/WYDOT

CONSIDERING RETIREMENT?

Join A&I HRD Employees’ Group Insurance virtual meetings to learn if you qualify, how to enroll and what benefits can be retained.

Meetings are the third Tuesday of every month 12:00-1:00 pm.

Contact Employees’ Group Insurance to learn more (307) 777-6835

Awards

Service Award Recipients

Service award luncheons are held by the Transportation Commission for employees celebrating milestones of 25 years of service or greater.

Service award recipients at this month’s luncheon: (Standing from left) Martin Mayfield, 40 years; Kevin Mickle, 25 years; Christopher Salmon, 25 years; Kevin Brookshire, 35 years; and Deidre Bennett, 30 years. (Seated from left) Andrea Allen, 25 years; Jeff White, 25 years; Robert Alles, 35 years; and Susan Frahm, 25 years.

Passings

Kayla S. Trujillo

Kayla Shantaye Trujillo, 24, of Sheridan, died April 6, 2024, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital.

Trujillo was born June 5, 1999, to Shauna and Frank Trujillo in Sheridan, Wyoming. In her short 24 years she touched the hearts of everyone who knew her, including her coworkers. Acquaintances spoke highly of her happy loving personality.

In 2000, she became a big sister to Dustin whom she loved to play with and torture everyday as older siblings do. While growing up, Trujillo attended schools in Sheridan and Glenrock where she had great adventures. She started out young as a cheerleader, then moved on to band. She was part of the Wyoming All State Marching Band and had the best adventures marching at the Hawaii Kai for Thanksgiving 2014, in Hawaii, and the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California in 2016. Trujillo graduated high school at Sheridan High in 2017.

In 2019, started with Patrol at the Sheridan Port of Entry and her coworkers say she was bright, spirited and well-liked by both

coworkers and the truck drivers coming through. North Region Port of Entry Manager Robert Haugen said that many regular drivers through the port looked forward to working with her.

“That’s going to be hard, telling her regulars that she’s gone,” he said. “She was professional, friendly and great at educating the drivers.”

She was proud of the job and she had a goal to work her way up just as her grandmother did when she worked there.

Trujillo had three blessings that she lived for – her children Jaceigh, Mason and Tyrell. She loved her children and all their adventures together from snuggling, movies, to camping and hunting. Her love for her whole family was extraordinary.

“Whenever she’d talk about her kids, she would light up,” Haugen said.

Then Trujillo was blessed with true love, something that she had longed for her whole life and she found that with her partner in life, Shaun Kobielusz.

A Fund has been set up for Trujillo’s three children under the Memorial Fund for Kayla Trujillo at Cowboy State Bank in Sheridan and Ranchester.

A public viewing and celebration of life was held on April 17, 2024, at Kane Funeral Home.

Photo: Jordan Young/WYDOT

Trujillo

WTDEA Headquarters Chapter hosts bowling tournament

By Carlie Dakins

The WTDEA Headquarters Chapter hosted their annual bowling tournament on April 20. Two Bar Bowl in Cheyenne was the place to be for Saturday afternoon fun on a cold drizzly April day where a good time was had by all 14 teams that participated. Prizes were awarded for the top four overall team scores, as well as random gift card giveaways, a 50/50 raffle and a Bust the Bank raffle.

First place and $200 went to Bowling 4 Beer (Josh Baker, Sam Clarke, Jennifer Freier and Rodney Freier, Jr.) with a score of 2,994.

Second place and $150 went to Boom-Shakalaka (Shannon Ferree, Brandi Miller, Justin Miller and Andy Tatum) with a score of 2,954.

Third place and $100 in winnings went to Disaster Piece (Damion Fauver, Heather Kapus, Steven Kapus and Jeff Madden) with a score of 2,950.

Last, but certainly not least, fourth place and $50 was awarded to Curves and Gutters (Rob Bates, Max Kump, Sergio Ramos and Emily Worthan) with an overall score of 2,945.

Congratulations to the top four teams, and many thanks to the other 10 teams that came out to play: The Bowling Stones; DS Squad; Guardians of the Gutter; I Can’t Believe It’s Not Gutter; Mind in the Gutter; Power Force; Spare Time; Splits and Giggles; Strike a Pose; and Time to Spare. Everyone had fantastic team names and some teams even wore costumes! It was a great time.

Mind in the Gutter’s Dave Wilson, husband of Kim Wilson in Equipment, won the Bust the Bank when it totaled nearly $225. The Wilsons graciously donated $100 back to the WTDEA. Sara Lei from Internal Review won the 50/50 raffle, a total of $142.

Holly Garrison from Public Affairs won a $100 Visa gift card donated by WyHy; Chrystal Fauver from POE won the $50 gift card donated by Westby Edge Brewing; and Lea Enstad from ROW won the $25 Murdoch’s gift card.

Headquarters Chapter president Stephanie Lowe, left, with the members of Bowling 4 Beer as she presents them with their $200 prize.

Photo: Carlie Dakins/WYDOT

Second place winners, Boom Shakalaka, with Stephanie Lowe (second from right) as they received their $150 prize.

Photo: Carlie Dakins/WYDOT

The fourth place victors of Curves and Gutters standing with Stephanie Lowe, left, as she presents them with their $50 prize.

Photo: Carlie Dakins/WYDOT

Stephanie Lowe, left, presenting the third place winnings of $100 to Disaster Piece.

Photo: Carlie Dakins/WYDOT

The annual Easter coloring contest had a good turnout from the family of members. The contest, which has an age range that spans decades, had a good showing from each age range. Soon, the 3 and under “budding art stars” will be coloring the more detailed sheets handed out for the contest.

Each of the winners from each age range was awarded a sweet treat for their hard work.

Pets

Audrey Hobbs, with Construction Staff, comes home to this cutie every day after work. Chewy is a 10-year old Brussels Griffon and was adopted by Hobbs when he was 6 months old.

Photo: Audrey Hobbs

Teeter, a Great Pyrenees, surveys her yard from the vantage point on the deck. Teeter is two-and-a-half years old and shares her home with Vickie Calaway in Bridge.

Photo: Vickie Calaway

Ladonna Hurd with Contracts and Estimates has Mia, a rescue cat. Mia was rescued six years ago.

Photo: Ladonna Hurd

Bulldozer, a 1 year old dachshund, lounges comfortably in a lap. He is a companion to Local Government Coordinator Sara Janes-Ellis.

Photo: Sara Janes-Ellis

Granger, a 4 year old tabby cat belonging to Local Government Coordinator Sara Janes-Ellis, lounges in his cat tree

Photo: Sara Janes-Ellis

(From left to right) Eight year old cattle dog/border collie mix Cowdog, 1 year old border collie mix Hank, and 11 year old pit bull mix Eva enjoy long walks in Powell with their best friend, Elaine Palmer.

Photo: Elaine Palmer

SUBMIT A PHOTO OF YOUR RIDE

Photo: Kelly Rounds

Eight-week old kitten Elsa, loved by Kelly Rounds with Project Development in Cheyenne, plays with a toy.

Photo: Kelly Rounds

Charlie, a lovable mutt, served as Transportation Commission Secretary Caitlin Casner’s best “amigo” until his passing last year.

Macie, a 1 year old Golden Retriever puppy, keeps Transportation Commission Secretary Caitlin Casner plenty busy!

Moose, a 3 year old Yorkie, is loved by Transportation Commission Secretary Caitlin Casner. Photos: Caitlin Casner

Make Your Mental Health a Priority

When it comes to managing mental health, you are not alone Reach out to your Assistance Program to speak with a mental health clinician about any issue impacting your well-being.

Choose from in-person sessions, video counseling, or telephonic counseling. Mental Health Sessions provide short-term counseling to help:

• Manage stress, anxiety, grief, depression

• Cope with change or challenges

• Build self-awareness and practice self-care

• Resolve conflict and improve relationships

• Address substance misuse and recovery

• Talk through any personal issues

Your Assistance Program is confidential, free to use, and open to family members, and mental health sessions are provided by our network of clinicians.

Contact FEI Behavioral Health

Call: 800-638-3327

Visit: myassistanceprogram.com/fei

Beach Umbrellas Logic Grid Puzzle

Four families are going to the beach in the morning and are bringing their family-size umbrellas. Which family has the yellow umbrella?

Answer to the April 2024 Break Time sudoku:

Clues:

1. The green umbrella shields five people.

2. Family Thorpe arrived at the beach one hour after the family with the blue umbrella, and one hour earlier than the largest family.

3. Family Kendal has the green or yellow umbrella. They have one more family member than Bensons.

4. Ridleys don’t have the white umbrella and aren’t the smallest family.

5. The smallest family doesn’t have the yellow umbrella.

6. If the Kendals arrived at 8:00, then the largest family arrived at 9:00.

7. If the family with the green umbrella arrived at 7:00, then Ridleys are six people.