Back to school financial education workshop, backpack giveaway
Chase Community Manager Victoria Curtis will be in Laramie to distribute 450 backpacks to students and host a free, family-friendly financial education workshop focused on practical ways families can plan for school-related expenses, set spending limits and make smart purchasing decisions together.
The workshop is scheduled from 1-3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at Foundation Builders Community Center, located at 804 Dally Ridge Rd. Online registration is available at events.chase.com/300091076.
The workshop can help with:
• Creating a back-to-school budget (supplies, clothing and fees/extracurriculars) before shopping.
• Splitting lists into “must-have, nice-to-have and wait-and-see” to curb impulse buys.
• Doing an at-home inventory first to reduce repeat purchases.
• Setting a per-child spending cap and involving kids in comparing prices and trade-offs.
• Planning lunches and snacks to avoid added costs once school starts.
Last day to apply for SUN Bucks food program is Aug. 31
CHEYENNE — The Wyoming Department of Family Services would like to remind families that the last day to apply for the SUN Bucks summer food program is Aug. 31.
“When we started this program in the spring, we estimated we would have 32,000 eligible children in Wyoming. We now have over 36,000 children enrolled. We found that we have a greater need than we had expected,” said Wyoming Department of Family Services Director Korin Schmidt in a news release.
The SUN Bucks program helps families buy groceries for school aged-children who are eligible for free and reduced meals. Children can receive SUN Bucks if they qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Personal Opportunities with Employment Responsibilities (POWER) program, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), are income eligible and on Medicaid, or are income-eligible and attending a school that participates in the NSLP.
Families receive one SUN Bucks card for each eligible child, which will be pre-loaded with a $120 food benefit. The SUN Bucks card can be used to buy groceries at any authorized Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailer.
As of Aug. 10, more than 36,500 children have been enrolled in the program, $4.4 million in benefits were issued, and $1.9 million, or 43% of the benefits, were redeemed. Most children were automatically enrolled.
Families with eligible children who were not automatically enrolled can apply online or with a paper application by Aug. 31 and still receive the full benefit of $120 to buy groceries. Families can check their child’s enrollment and apply online at sunbucks.dfs.wyo.gov/. Online applications will close at midnight on Aug. 31.
Gov. Mark Gordon directed DFS to implement the program in Wyoming with an executive order on April 15 for the summer of 2026.
Families whose child was automatically enrolled and have not received a card can call customer service to verify their mailing address. For more information visit the DFS website at dfs.wyo.gov, email sunbucks@wyo.gov, or call the SUN Bucks Customer Service Line between 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday at 307-777-8SUN (307-777-8786).
Wyoming Aviation Festival and Air Show set for this weekend
CHEYENNE — Join the Wyoming Aviation Heritage League on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15-16, at the Cheyenne Airport for the Wyoming Aviation Festival and Air Show.
Visitors can explore authentic World War II aircraft from the Commemorative Air Force, vintage warbirds, modern military aircraft and classic airplanes that continue to inspire generations.
Watch aerobatics by Nick Slabakov’s Extra 300 and Karl Gashler’s T-6 Texan, then enjoy educational exhibits, aviation vendors, local food trucks, tours of Cheyenne’s historic airport tower and special guest speakers celebrating Wyoming’s aviation heritage.
Admission is just $10. Children under 14 are free with a paying adult. Parking is $15 per vehicle, and flights aboard select aircraft will be available for purchase.
Visit wyomingaviationheritage.org for details.
Game and Fish encourages CWD testing this hunting season
CHEYENNE — As the 2026 hunt season gears up in areas across Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department would like to remind hunters to have their harvested animal tested for chronic wasting disease.
Game and Fish needs help from hunters this fall to collect lymph node samples from deer and elk for chronic wasting disease testing in focused monitoring hunt areas across Wyoming. Hunters play a critical role in helping Game and Fish understand the disease and achieve CWD monitoring goals.
CWD is 100% fatal to infected deer, elk and moose. Continued monitoring of CWD over time is important to help Game and Fish understand the potential impacts of the disease, as well as evaluate future management actions.
To submit a harvested animal for testing, hunters can visit a game check station, drop off the animal at a Game and Fish regional office or collect a sample themselves by following online guidelines and submitting it directly to the Wildlife Health Lab. Animals harvested from any hunt area, even outside of focus areas, will be accepted.
If you hunt in a focus area selected for monitoring or mandatory sampling, you may receive additional communications about how to submit CWD samples. Hunters can view 2026 monitoring and mandatory sampling areas to determine if they may be asked to participate in surveillance efforts.
Results from Game and Fish surveillance are typically accessible online within three weeks through a hunter’s website dashboard, or within 10 working days via the Wyoming State Veterinary Lab in Laramie for a fee.
To minimize risks and meat processing costs while waiting for results, hunters are encouraged to quarter and freeze their meat, wear latex or rubber gloves during field dressing, minimize handling of brain and spinal tissue, bone out meat and refrain from eating the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen or lymph nodes. Processing tools should be cleaned of tissue and disinfected in a 40% household bleach solution for at least five minutes before rinsing.
Hunters can further assist wildlife management by reporting sick animals, having harvests tested in designated focus areas and adhering to Wyoming’s carcass transport and importation regulations. More information about CWD, and interactive maps, can be found at wgfd.wyo.gov/CWD.
From Laramie Boomerang and Wyoming Tribune Eagle