2025-Year-in-Review Series Part One

We begin our year-in-review series today with a look back on some of the top news stories of 2025. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has more.

On April 21, 34-year-old Cody McCalla was sentenced for killing a man during a fight. Following eight emotionally charged victim impact statements from family members and loved ones, District Court Judge Ben Kirven accepted the terms of the plea agreement reached with the State and sentenced McCalla to 4 to 6 years in prison for the charge of involuntary manslaughter. Judge Kirven ordered McCalla to pay $4,063 in restitution to the State of Wyoming Victims Compensation Fund.

McCalla was arrested for the crime on July 12, 2024 for punching 48-year-old Patrick Mudd in the face, causing traumatic brain injury that resulted in Mudd’s death. The altercation between the two men was the result of a parking dispute outside of the Sheridan County Fairgrounds. Also on April 21, The Sheridan City Council at their business, approved General Purpose Excise Tax service agreements with a number of local nonprofit agencies that applied for funds. In total, $484,500 was allocated to 17 different nonprofits.
City Councilman Andy Patceg voted no on all 17 service agreements and prior to the City Council considering the individual funding requests, Patceg explained why he would not be voting in favor of any of the GPET service agreements.

On March 13, Jacob Meyer was sentenced to serve 3 to 5 years in prison for the charge of sexual assault in the second degree. Meyer was convicted in December of 2024 following a two-day jury trial in District Court. The jury deliberated for less than an hour and came back with a verdict of guilty.  Meyer was arrested by the Sheridan Police Department on May 6, 2024 for sexually assaulting a Sheridan High School student. Meyer, at the time he committed the crime, was an Assistant Principal at SHS.

We’ll continue our year-in-review tomorrow, with a look back at a few more of the stories that made the news in 2025.