Wyoming Hunger Initiative, Fortis Construction team up to put 4 food pantries in Cheyenne. CHEYENNE, Wyo. - At four places around Cheyenne, residents can now find special food pantries stocked full of canned and nonperishable goods. The pantries, reminiscent of little libraries, are for the community to take from and give to as they please. They were built by crews from Fortis Construction, a Portland-based contractor now operating in Cheyenne, in collaboration with First Lady of Wyoming Jennie Gordon's hunger-fighting nonprofit Wyoming Hunger Initiative. Since Gordon made fighting hunger the top priority of her time as first lady, the Wyoming Hunger Initiative has made strides in combating food scarcity. However, she said in a ceremony dedicating Cheyenne's four new pantries, there hasn't been a worse time for hunger in recent memory. "It's become even more important over these last eight years because of the way that the economy is, the cost of living dramatically increasing," she said. "Our mission is, number one, to not reinvent the wheel, and that's why we're working with organizations already in this space to support their missions, give them resources and help to network people to share those resources and best practices." That's why the pantries are going up where nonprofits fighting hunger are already operating. Gordon dedicated the pantries at the Cheyenne Meals on Wheels Office, where one of the pantries has already seen a lot of use and has already been restocked. The other three can be found at Needs Inc., the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless and the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. The partnership supports the resources already in place to fight hunger, but adds a less public-facing element to accessing food resources that might be a barrier for some. "Sometimes walking through the door of a resource can be the most challenging thing," Gordon said. "Having these pantries in front of organizations that also serve people is making a huge impact." Fortis did more than build the sturdy-looking pantries. Every year, the company chooses a cause and taps its staff to partner with local organizations to make a difference. The company chose food insecurity, so partnering with the Wyoming Hunger Initiative and getting organizations like Meals on Wheels involved was a natural choice. "It's a company-wide initiative and it's really important that we give back to the community that we live and work in," Tracie McMaster of Fortis said. "There are lots of us that live in this community that want to support it in the way that we can. That's what we decided to do here." They also had the responsibility of deciding what should go into the pantries. They landed on nutrient-dense, shelf-stable ingredients, including canned vegetables and whole grains. They even stocked the pantries with can openers for anyone who needs them. "One thing that was really important to us was making sure we weren't just filling the shelves with random items," Hannah Netzley of Fortis said. "We wanted food that we donated to be useful and to make it as easy as possible to turn those items into an actual meal." The nonprofits hosting the pantries will take over restocking duties from now on, but they know better than any organizations in Cheyenne what it takes to keep a population healthy and fed. The four pantries are already stocked and in place, ready for anyone who needs them.

Insurer sues Fortis, Harvey & Price over $1.4M water damage at LCC. Sept. 24, 2026, 4:03 a.m. PT * An insurance company for Lane Community College is suing two construction contractors for nearly $1.5 million. * The lawsuit alleges negligence led to a major water leak in the college's Health Professions Building in 2024. * The leak originated from a water line that was allegedly improperly installed or secured by the contractors. An insurance company representing Lane Community College is suing a local construction contractor after a water leak at the school's Health Professions Building caused nearly $1.5 million in damages in 2024. Property and Casualty Coverage for Education, also known as PACE, filed a nine-page lawsuit in Lane County Circuit Court Sept. 18 accusing Fortis Construction, Inc. and Eugene-based Harvey & Price of negligence. Lane Community College contracted Fortis to serve as the construction manager and general contractor for the Health Professions building. Fortis subcontracted with Harvey & Price to perform plumbing work on the construction project, which included installation of water supply lines, fittings and connections serving dental equipment in a material laboratory. Once Harvey & Price workers completed work on the water line, Fortis turned the building over for use and the Lane County Public Works Department issued a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy Extension allowing students and staff to use the building on Aug. 29, 2024. After students and staff has begun using the building, Harvey & Price allegedly returned for additional work at the request of LCC and pursuant to an agreement separate from is subcontract with Fortis. PACE claims Harvey & Price disconnected, reconnected, altered, adjusted and failed to properly secure the water line to the dental equipment, which led to a leak on Sept. 21, 2024. Water leaked through the building's third-floor classroom, down to the main floor, damaging multiple classrooms, offices and other areas. PACE says an investigation into the cause revealed the water line separated because it was improperly installed and connected either during original project work or post occupancy. At the time, LCC was insured under a policy of property insurance issued by PACE, which paid LCC for the water damages. As a result, PACE incurred a minimum of $1,428,792 in damages. PACE requests a jury trial. The insurer claims both companies were negligent and accuses Harvey & Price of breaching implied warranty of workmanlike performance. Fortis Construction is also a named defendant in a personal injury lawsuit involving a University of Oregon student who was rendered paraplegic after she was struck by a large tree limb near a Fortis Construction site at the university's Eugene campus in 2025.