OBITUARIES

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Jonathan Earl Mellott

Feb. 22, 1970 – May 23, 2023

Jon was born on Feb. 22, 1970 in Gillette to Donna and Earl “Melvin” Mellott. He grew up on a ranch north of Moorcroft and attended school in Moorcroft from Kindergarten to 12th grade.

In high school, Jon worked at the Texaco in town. When he was not working, one could find him piling as many friends as he could fit into his Willy’s Jeep. In May of 1988, he graduated from Moorcroft High School and left for the

Brandi Lee Forgey

Oct. 21, 1961 – May 29, 2023 eventually settling in Casper.

Brandi and her former husband Rick Legerski had two children, Shantel and Scotty.

U.S. Army.

He was a proud soldier, graduating as a Distinguished Honor Grad at Fort Eustis, Va. on Nov. 22, 1988. He served as an AH1 Attack Helicopter mechanic until 1992.

After coming home from the Army, Jon attended Casper College and the University of Wyoming, receiving a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business. Throughout college, Jon cowboyed on many ranches.

He moved back to Casper and worked on the Lonestar Ranch. During this time, Jon met Lisa Lehto. Their marriage blessed him with three stepchildren, Kurtis and Kortney Towns and Jesse Bunner, whom he loved very much.

She was active in the school’s Parent-Teacher Association and was always willing to help with activities the kids wanted to be involved in.

They later moved to Lusk, and Jon and Lisa welcomed their daughter Stevie and son Cole.

Jon decided being a “$50 cowboy” was not sustainable with five kids in the mix and got a job with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. In 2005, he started his own business selling insurance.

Jon and Lisa later divorced. He was very proud of his title Papa Jon, given to him by his grandsons. He took his job of spoiling them, then sending them back to their mom and dad very seriously.

Jon was very involved in the community of Lusk. He served on the city council, was a member of Elks Lodge No. 1797 and on the Legend of Rawhide Board, ment and knowledge of the industry. along with many other organizations.

Jon was very proud of his double yoke of oxen, trained by himself, Stevie and Cole, that pulled a wagon in the Legend of Rawhide.

Anyone who knew Jon, knew he did not know a stranger. He could make anyone laugh with his outlandish stories. He took his dog Cinch and a fishing pole with him wherever he went. He was a very proud cowboy, father and Veteran.

Jon is survived by his traveling partner and best (dog) friend Cinch; his children Stevie (Lonnie) Mellott of Boulder, Colo. and son Cole Mellott of Hopkinsville, Ky.; his stepchildren Kurtis (Dawn) Towns of Jefferson City, Mont., Kortney friends met along the way in her travels.

(Bryan) Reed of Port Charlotte, Fla. and Jesse (Lauren) Bunner of Oconto, Neb.; his grandsons Ames and Grant Lewis, both of Boulder, Colo.; his mother Donna Mellott of Moorcroft; his siblings Lynn (Fred) Dewey of Moorcroft, Cris (Charlotte) Mellott of Spearfish, S.D., Marilyn (Tod) Nelson of Lance Creek and Cindy (Mance) Hurley of Casper; along with numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father Earl (Melvin) Mellott, his brother-inlaw Rick Huether and his fiancé Misty Hogen. Funeral services were held on May 30 at the Fidler Roberts and Isburg Funeral Chapel in Sundance.

Brandi Lee (Wollerman)

Forgey, age 61, of Casper finished her work here on earth on May 29. Brandi was born to Richard and Patricia Wollerman in Casper on Oct. 21. The family lived in the Gas Hills and Riverton before

Later, she met Keith while working at Wear Parts. After he spent awhile working up to it, he asked her out and they were married in 1989. They went on many adventures, took trips together with friends and most of all spent many long days working together.

Brandi was an ardent supporter of youth, agriculture and the community. She was actively involved in 4-H and FFA programs as her children were growing up and beyond.

UW continued from page 1 entrepreneurship and youth entrepreneurship.

“Entrepreneurship and small businesses are really the backbone of Wyoming,” Garretson-Weibel says. “We want to do anything we can to make sure small businesses can remain profitable in the long run. Profitable small businesses make an overall stronger economy.”

The agricultural entrepreneurship section of the online hub will house a variety of topics with everything from how to raise specific animals, to how to market those animals for profit.

For those interested in food production, the hub will house guidance on topics such as cottage food laws in Wyoming, inspection, best practices and guidelines for in-home kitchens.

The youth entrepreneurship section will work directly with county 4-H educators and other youth organizations to build strong foundations of entrepreneurship to youth in the state.

Topics will include choosing a business structure, financing opportunities and getting started as a small producer.

“We are really hoping this program can reach people who may not be aware of all the opportunities 4-H has to offer to the students of Wyoming,” she says.

According to GarretsonWeibel, several training topics on agriculture entrepreneurship are already available online and youth content became available in midApril. Food entrepreneurship topics are expected to follow shortly behind.

“Those interested in utilizing these resources should check back often because we will be adding new topics frequently,” she says. “There will be a form to fill out to sign up for notifications on new available resources.”

WCNP

Described as spokes on a wheel, UW Extension is one of many partners of the Wyoming Community Navigator Program, which works towards the program’s ultimate goal of supporting entrepreneurship in Wyoming.

According to the website, “WCNP uses a hub-andspoke model to pursue its goals, where the Wyoming Small Business Development Center acts as the central hub, coordinating efforts of the spokes to target outreach and services to business communities in need throughout the state.”

“The program mobilizes and leverages the Wyoming entrepreneurial support network to reduce barriers small businesses, including those owned by groups such as Veterans, women and those from

Brandi was also an active committee member for the College National Finals Rodeo. She helped find musicians for the event for many years, was involved with the Style Show and was integral in the Special Olympics Rodeo.

Brandi was active in the Natrona County Cow-Belles and was instrumental in starting the Royal Court Program, growing youth beef ambassadors in her community. She helped many young women grow in their public speaking abilities, community involve- rural communities and communities of color, often face in accessing capital and technical assistance,” the website continues.

UW Extension plays a unique role in this program as

Brandi, along with Keith, also mentored and poured into the lives of the next generation of the agriculture industry when they came and worked on the ranch. They conveyed their understanding of the value of hard work, the importance of caring for livestock and the values of the Code of the West.

Dogs were an important part of Brandi’s life. She spent a lot of time training and working with her border collies and sheep. She traveled around to many clinics and dog trials and was very successful with many of her dogs. She was also able to spend time with many great they act as a “virtual education center with content focused on big ideas, innovation and success stories for small businesses in Wyoming.”

UW Extension is able to help stakeholders access the

Ultimately, her family and animals were her passion. She loved instilling her work hard, play hard mentality with her grandchildren.

They would be out making sure all oof the animals were fed and taken care of along with the rest of the chores that needed to be done. Then they could be found at the movies or some other fun thing Brandi found to entertain them with.

Brandi is survived by her daughter Shantel Anderson; son Scotty (Stacy) Legerski; sister Fritzi (Dean) Bicknese; brother Brock Wollerman; father-in-law Rod (Marinel) Forgey; grandchildren Bode, support available to them through the WCNP.

“One of the many perks of this program is we have access to a variety of experts and their knowledge,” Garretson-Weibel says. “This diver- sity of knowledge makes the program stronger as a whole.” habitat and backfilling it violated the Clean Water Act (CWA), which prohibits the discharge of pollutants into “waters of the U.S. (WOTUS).”

Tripp, Keith, Reagan and Kinsley; nieces and nephews; friends; six dogs and her livestock.

Brandi was preceded in death by her husband, mother, father, mother-in-law and grandparents.

A memorial celebration will be held June 10 at 1 p.m. at Forgey Land and Livestock, 4291 N. 6 Mile Road. Cards can be sent to PO Box 2581 Mills, WY 82644.

In lieu of flowers, a fund has been set up at Hilltop National Bank (Forgey Dog Park Fund) to continue the dream of building a dog park in town in her and Keith’s memory. Or, individuals can donate to a charity of their choice in her honor.

Callie Hanson is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

According to the case syllabus, published by the Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS), the EPA classified wetlands on the property as WOTUS because they were near a ditch which fed into a creek which drains into Priest Lake – “a navigable, intrastate lake.”

The EPA ordered the couple to restore the site and threatened them with fines of over $40,000 per day unless they applied for a federal permit.

Instead, the Sacketts filed a lawsuit, alleging their property was not defined under WOTUS.

A long-standing controversy

A long-standing contro- versy and the issue at hand is what bodies of water are considered WOTUS.

Under the most recent definition, which was issued by President Joe Biden in December 2022 and published in the Federal Register on Jan. 18, the EPA had authority to regulate various small bodies of water, including those on private lands, if they had a “significant nexus” to navigable waterways.

This includes “tributaries, adjacent wetlands and streams, if they alone or in combination with similarly situated water, significantly affect the chemical, physical or biological integrity of protected waterways.”

“Landowners who even negligently discharge pollutants into navigable waters without a permit potentially face severe criminal and civil penalties under CWA,” reads the case syllabus. “As things currently stand, the agencies maintain the significant nexus test is sufficient to establish jurisdiction over ‘adjacent’ wetlands.”

“By the EPA’s own admission, nearly all waters and wetlands are potentially susceptible to regulation under this test, putting a staggering array of landowners at risk of criminal prosecution for such mundane activities as moving dirt,” it continues.

Because of this, the court concluded the CWA’s use of waters encompasses “only those relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water forming geographical features described in ordinary parlance as streams, oceans, rivers and lakes.”

In a nine to zero decision, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, SCOTUS overturned a previous decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and invalidated the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule.

SCOTUS found the WOTUS definition too broad and decided to limit the EPA’s authority to only wetlands “with a continuous surface connection to navigable waterways.”

A well-received ruling

The Supreme Court’s ruling has been generally well received, especially across the agriculture industry.

In a May 25 press release, Ted McKinney, chief executive officer of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, comments, “The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Sackett vs. EPA comes as welcome news to farmers, landowners and state departments of agriculture who sought clarity on what has been an over-litigated issue for decades.”

“We take relief in this decision as the justices clearly state the ‘significant nexus theory is particularly implausible’ and the EPA has no statutory basis to impose the standard,” he adds.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) expresses their strong support for the ruling and notes they are currently engaged in litigation against the EPA regarding the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition.

“Cattle producers across the country can breathe a sigh of relief today. Since EPA’s adoption of the ‘sig- nificant nexus’ test, cattle producers have had to retain costly legal services to determine if water features on their property are federally jurisdictional,” says Todd Wilkinson, South Dakota cattle producer and NCBA president. “The Supreme Court’s opinion refocuses the CWA on protecting our water resource through regulatory clarity.”

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF President Zippy Duvall says AFBF is appreciative of the court’s careful consideration in regards to implications of the case.

“The EPA clearly overstepped its authority under the CWA by restricting private property owners from developing their land despite being far from the nearest navigable water,” Duvall states. “The justices respect private property rights. It’s now time for the Biden administration to do the same and rewrite the WOTUS rule.”

“Farmers and ranchers share the goal of protecting the resources they’re entrusted with, but they deserve a rule that provides clarity and doesn’t require a team of attorneys to properly care for their land,” he continues.

House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), both vocal critics of Biden’s WOTUS rule, called the SCOTUS decision a major victory for farmers, ranchers and land- owners. “This decision reaffirms the rights of property owners and provides long-needed clarity to rural America,” Thompson says. “In light of this decision, the Biden administration should withdraw its flawed final WOTUS rule. It is time to finally put an end to the regulatory whiplash and create a workable rule to promote clean water while protecting the rights of rural Americans.”

“The Biden administration clearly overreached its authority in defining which waters received federal protections, and I’m glad the Supreme Court agreed with what Republicans have been saying all along. After decades of uncertainty, we finally have a majority opinion from the Supreme Court which will lay this issue to rest once and for all,” says Lummis, a ranking member of the Fisheries, Water and Wildlife Subcommittee and chair of the Senate Western Caucus .

“This court ruling is a win for the hardworking farmers, ranchers, businesses and landowners of Wyoming who desperately needed regulatory clarity when it comes to WOTUS,” she concludes. “An irrigation ditch is not a navigable water, and the Supreme Court agrees with this statement.”

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

TRANSPARENCY continued from page 2 straight answers to our questions. We also want the good, the bad and the ugly – what’s going well, not so well and where improvements can be made.

The industry must be forthcoming and more transparent to build trust. Farmers and food companies can demystify processes by showing consumers the sustainabil- ity practices taking place today. Be willing to show progress when perfection is not yet achievable.

While strides are being made, there are many opportunities for those in farming and food to bridge the gap and earn trust with a public that wants assurances we’re all in this together.

Long-term, trans- parent and values-based engagement is the key to building trust, which will unlock the potential for agriculture and food production.

Charlie Arnot is the chief executive officer of The Center for Food Integrity. This opinion column was originally published in The National Provisioner on March 30.

Over $4,000 added purse for chopper events and $10,000 added purse for rodeo events

Woodcutting Events – Kid’s Events – Parade – Pancake & Sausage

6)

Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18, 2023

Noromycin 300 LA, BioMycin 200, Agrimycin 200, etc.; bolus oxytetracyclines such as Terramycin Scours Tablets and OXY 500 calf boluses; injectable penicillins such as Penicillin Injectable, Dura-Pen, Pro-Pen-G, Combi-Pen 48, etc. and intramammary penicillins such as Masti-Clear, Godry and Albadry Plus.

Other products include injectable sulfa-based antibiotics such as Di-Methox

40 percent and SulfMed

40 percent; sulfa-based boluses such as Albon, Sustain III and Supra Sulfa III; injectable tylosin including Tylan 50 and Tylan 200 and cepharin products including intramammary ToDAY and ToMORROW.

Swine products including injectable linomycin and gentamicin products will also fall under the new guidance.

Antiparasiticides, injectable and oral nutri- tional supplements, oral pro and prebiotics and topical non-antibiotic treatments will not be affected by FDA’s rule and will remain available through OTC marketing channels.

Establish a VCPR

A common concern among producers is the high price of veterinarian outcalls needed to obtain a prescription. However, according to the FDA, as long as a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) exists, vets are not required to examine individual animals before filling a prescription.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), a VCPR requires the veterinarian to assume responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the patient, while the client agrees to follow the veterinarians’ instructions.

Additionally, the vet-

For more information on the FDA’s new Guidance for Industry #263 or to establish a VCPR, contact your local veterinarian’s office.

Keisel selected for 2023 WAIC Educator of the Year

Jamie Keisel has been selected as the Wyoming Agriculture in the Classroom (WAIC) 2023 Educator of the Year. She currently teaches third grade at Greybull Elementary School.

Keisel is active in her school, local community and WAIC programs. She has been involved with writing, revising and teaching the Wyoming Stewardship Project (WSP), in addition to participating in the annual Bookmark and Beyond contest.

Keisel teaches lessons from both the agriculture and outdoor recreation and tourism units to both third grade classes at Greybull Elementary.

Keisel’s fellow Third Grade Teacher Misty Hernandez commented, “Jamie teaches our students to be good stewards of the land through her own examples and stories about the land and livestock she takes care of in her own life. When the students can see real-life connections from her, it increases their buy in to what she is teaching. Jamie truly loves teaching our students about agriculture in Wyoming and how to take care of our land and resources.”

Lessons come to life for her students when Keisel brings in guest speakers from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, conservation district and agricultural community. Her students write letters to local ranchers asking about stewardship practices before taking a field trip to see the ranch in person.

As the 2023 Educator of the Year, Keisel will be awarded a cash prize of $2,500 through WAIC. The award is funded by the Vermillion Ranch, the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and Mantha Phillips.

Crop prices reported

According to Farm Futures daily report, as of June 1, dry weather anticipated over the next month in the Eastern Corn Belt and optimism over the debt ceiling deal negotiated in the House of Representatives on May 31 helped corn futures to recoup losses, lifting prices eight to 11 cents per bushel higher and raising July 2023 futures above the six dollars per bushel benchmark.

Soybean prices rose 18 to 22 cents per bushel overnight on optimism over the debt deal and hopes flood damage to China’s wheat crop would renew international interest in U.S. soybean supplies.

After hitting a two-and-a-half-month low on May 31, Chicago wheat prices rebounded to 15 to 17 cents per bushel. Kansas City and Minneapolis futures also rose 12 to 18 cents per bushel higher on June 1.

erinarian must have sufficient knowledge of the patient to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the patient.

“This means the veterinarian is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the patient by virtue of a timely examination of the patient by the veterinarian or medically appropriate and timely visits by the veterinarian to the operation where the patient is managed,” explains AVMA.

The association also explains in a VCPR the veterinarian must be readily available for followup evaluation or arrange for veterinary emergency coverage and continuing care and treatment; provide oversight of treatment, compliance and outcome and maintain patient records.

Producers can fill out and file VCPR forms at their local veterinary office.

Don’t stock up Another misconception regarding the new rule is the limited availability of antibiotics.

Products are not being removed from the market- place and will still be readily available, producers will just have to purchase them through the veterinarian’s office they have a VCPR with or with a prescription in hand at stores that will continue to carry these products.

Many livestock health care professionals are encouraging producers to refrain from stocking up on OTC antibiotics to avoid getting a prescription and/ or out of fear products will be harder to find.

Producers need to remember these products have strict expiration dates and are sensitive to storage time and conditions. In fact, many products used after the expiration date will be less effective, may not work as intended and may lead to a higher incidence of treatment failure.

Purchasing a surplus of antibiotics now may result in a waste of product and money.

Austin Snook • 307-290-2161

Taylor Snook • 307-290-2273

Craig Deveraux • 307-746-5690

Dan Catlin • 406-671-7715

Clint Snook • 307-290-4000

Cheyenne Seymour • 605-641-0638

Therefore, it is critical – now more than ever – producers establish a VCPR with a trusted veterinarian so they can follow best antibiotic stewardship practices for their operation and easily transition these practices under FDA’s new guidance.

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Weston Garrett • 605-210-1629

Casey Sellers • 307-217-2614

Jim Forbes • 307-351-5932

Tye Curuchet • 307-351-8666

Daniel Escoz • 307-217-1440

Kade Kinghorn • 307-620-0525

Market Report • May 31, 2023

Sold some feeder cattle private treaty this week on a strong market. Weigh up cows were steady to slightly higher, fat cows in high demand. Feeding cows priced based on condition and fill. Weigh bulls were steady, with a light test on feeders coming in smaller packages selling on a steady market. Another regular cattle sale with a sheep and goat special next week. Thank you and we appreciate your business!