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Before there was a bridge across the Bighorn River, people took their lives in their own hands trying to cross on their own or on a ferry.

Wyoming History: Before There Were Bridges, Crossing Rivers Was Dangerous And Deadly

To early pioneers, Wyoming rivers could be the most dangerous adversary they faced. Fording high waters claimed many lives in the early years of the Cowboy State and cut off entire towns from the rest of the world. 

Jackie DorothyDecember 25, 2024

Enjoying an evening in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge at Yellowstone National Park.

Christmas In Yellowstone 2024: No Better Place To Celebrate

Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi had the tough assignment of spending Christmas in Yellowstone. Without crowds and the park transformed by snow and winter, it’s become a holiday tradition for families seeking an unforgettable experience.

Andrew RossiDecember 24, 2024

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Extension Keeps Rural Wyoming Connected For Remote Health Care

Tucked into the government spending bill that averted a shutdown this past weekend is something important for rural Wyomingites. It’s an extension of remote health care.

Leo WolfsonDecember 25, 2024

The Wyoming Pioneer Museum in Douglas has a small display about the Lightning Creek fight. Here is a photo of the Oglala men arrested for the murder of Sheriff Miller and then set free.

Wyoming History: Boy, 11, Sheriff Among 7 Killed In 1903 Fight At Lightning Creek

Called the “last blood-spilling fight” between Indians and white residents in Wyoming, seven were killed in the 1903 fight at Lightning Creek. That includes an 11-year-old boy and an over-zealous Weston County sheriff.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 25, 2024

Grammy Award-winning Christian rock duo for King + Country filmed the music video for its emotional version of "The Little Drummer Boy" in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains.

Popular Version Of “The Little Drummer Boy” Has A Silent Star — The Bighorns

The popular Christian rock duo for King + Country uses Wyoming as the backdrop for the music video of their remake of the Christmas classic “The Little Drummer Boy.” The majesty of the Bighorn Mountains helps make the video magical.

Renée JeanDecember 24, 2024

Santa dangles precariously from a cliff some where in Wyoming, prompting Fred Lowry to observe that "even the most experienced drivers can run into trouble in the Wyoming mountains!"

Nobody Knows Why Santa Keeps Getting Stuck Dangling Over A Cliff Near Casper

Santa Claus seems to get into trouble along Highway 220 near Casper each Christmas season, left dangling over a cliff. Nobody knows how he gets there, but plenty come out to see Santa hanging on for dear life.

Andrew RossiDecember 24, 2024

Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" finally gets his coveted Red Ryder BB gun.

Christmas Is Time For First Guns For Many Wyoming Kids

Like in the classic 1983 moving “A Christmas Story,” all many Wyoming kids want for Christmas is their first gun. For some, that’s the legendary Red Ryder BB gun.

Jackie DorothyDecember 24, 2024

Eula Wulfjen Kendrick, played by Barbara Cavanagh, talks about newspaper clippings in her scrapbooks with her two guests, Matatie Wulfjen Williams (Michelle King) and Madge Eggleston (Kathy Pavatt).

Party Like It’s Christmas 1924 At The Kendrick Mansion In Sheridan

The Kendrick Mansion in Sheridan comes to life for the holidays. The setting serves as the backdrop for a day in the life of the Kendricks at Christmas -- an intimate and cozy trip back into time.

Renée JeanDecember 24, 2024

Stacey’s bartender Chloe Garrison.

Holidays At Four Corners, Montana: Christmas Crack And Gourmet Meat

Not hip enough for a Christmas stroll and about as scenic as a Costco parking lot, Four Corners, Montana, is home to Bozeman’s ugliest building and under-the-radar holiday traditions. But the Christmas Crack is worth the stop.

David MadisonDecember 25, 2024

Every year for the past 17 years, the Williams family of Laramie has gone into the Snowy Range Mountains to find and cut their own Christmas tree.

Cutting Your Own Tree Doesn’t Have To Be A “Christmas Vacation” Experience

Going out into the woods to cut your own Christmas tree is a time-honored Wyoming tradition. The Williams family of Laramie has been doing it for years, and it’s not a “Christmas Vacation” experience.

Mark HeinzDecember 24, 2024

Folks in Green River may not know Robert Bostick personally, but they know his house. It’s the one covered in thousands of holiday lights forming the Grand Tetons, life-sized wildlife cutouts and his tribute to all things Wyoming.

Green River Man Turns His Home Into Holiday Tribute To All Things Wyoming

Folks in Green River may not know Robert Bostick personally, but they know his house. It’s the one covered in thousands of holiday lights forming the Grand Tetons, life-sized wildlife cutouts and his tribute to all things Wyoming.

Tracie SullivanDecember 24, 2024

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Cowboy State Daily Video News: Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Tuesday's headlines include: - Neighbors Team Up To Demolish Drug House - Supreme Court Upholds Child Abuse Conviction - Christmas Is Magical In Yellowstone National Park

Wendy CorrDecember 24, 2024

A house in a subdivision about 15 miles west of Cheyenne that had attracted squatters and drug activity, and had terrorized neighbors for years, has finally been raided and torn down.

How Neighbors Teamed Up With Wyoming Sheriff To Get Drug House Demolished

Residents in a Laramie County subdivision said they felt terrorized by squatters who had moved into an abandoned home and turned it into a drug house. It took months of collaboration with local officials but got it successfully torn down.

Renée JeanDecember 23, 2024

Adobe Town is like another planet.

Sweetwater County Clings To Hope Congress Will Kill Controversial BLM Plan

Sweetwater County officials say they feel in limbo at the center of a controversial BLM plan to manage 3.6 million acres of federal land in Wyoming. Their best hope to kill the plan now sit with Congress.

Mark HeinzDecember 23, 2024

State Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper

Casper Legislator Wants Special Elections, Not Appointments, To Fill Vacancies

Casper Republican Steve Harshman wants to change how Wyoming fills its top elected seats when there are vacancies. He says there should be special elections, not appointments from political parties.

Leo WolfsonDecember 23, 2024

This porch pirate was caught on a doorbell camera taking a 5-year-old Cheyenne boy's Christmas gift.

Cheyenne Porch Pirate Caught On Camera Grinching A 5-Year-Old’s Christmas

Porch pirates just seem to keep getting more and more bold. But people are fighting back with door cameras, drop boxes and pranks like putting old junk in new boxes. That didn't stop one Grinch from stealing a Cheyenne 5-year-old's Christmas.

Renée JeanDecember 24, 2024

Carolyn Aune

Not Taking Dying Toddler To The ER Is Child Abuse, High Court Rules

A Cody, Wyoming, woman who got life in prison for not taking a dying toddler to the hospital lost her appeal to the Wyoming Supreme Court on Friday. The court ruled that failing to get medical attention for the girl as she died is child abuse.

Clair McFarlandDecember 23, 2024

Toy Town, an independent toy store in Casper was full of shoppers on Monday seeking last-minute gifts.

Josh Allen Collectibles Among Hot Christmas Items At Casper Toy Store

Casper’s Toy Town was full of last-minute shoppers Monday, and even this close to Christmas there were still some plumb items available. That includes a Funko pop culture collectible of former UW quarterback and Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 23, 2024

Campbell county sheriff suv

Campbell County K-9 Bites Car Chase Suspect Who Said Feds Controlled His Mind

Benjamin Ray Larson led Campbell County Sheriff’s officers on a chase this month and didn’t surrender until officers deployed a K-9 to force him to comply with orders, state troopers report. The K-9 bit Larson, who also claimed the feds had taken over his mind.  

Clair McFarlandDecember 23, 2024

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Bird Flu Is Making Christmas Dinner More Expensive In Wyoming

While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that human infections of bird flu are rare, the most recent outbreak is affecting Wyoming’s grocery prices — and people’s holiday dinners.

Jackie DorothyDecember 23, 2024

The Walmart Superstore in Riverton, Wyoming.

Accused Of Stealing Steak And Hot Dogs, Wyoming Woman Could Get 20 Years

Kimberly Duran, 32, of Ethete, Wyoming, faces up to 20 years in prison on claims she stole steak, hot dogs, house slippers and other things from the Riverton Walmart. She's been convicted of theft 21 times prior and is scheduled for court Friday.  

Clair McFarlandDecember 23, 2024

Stallions Bubba and Scarface have curly manes, a rare characteristic found among the Salt Wells Creek mustang herd near Rock Springs.

BLM Plans To Round Up Extremely Rare Wyoming Curly-Haired Mustangs

Vast stretches of harsh desert near Rock Springs are among the few places in the world where mustangs with curly coats can be found, but the Bureau of Land Management plans to round them up, which has horse advocates upset. 

Mark HeinzDecember 22, 2024

The tiny Wort Cabin in downtown Jackson started in 1929 as a bakery, and has remained an active commercial space since. Now the local historic preservation board hopes it can survive the skyrocketing real estate valuations of the Jackson market.

Can 95-Year-Old Wort Cabin Survive Jackson’s Skyrocketing Real Estate Market?

The tiny Wort Cabin in downtown Jackson started in 1929 as a bakery, and has remained an active commercial space since. Now the local historic preservation board hopes it can survive the skyrocketing real estate valuations of the Jackson market.

Andrew RossiDecember 22, 2024

Chef Juan Coronado, co-owner of Railspur, demonstrates how to prepare the classic holiday dish beef Wellington.

Think Beef Wellington Is Too Hard To Make? Think Again, Says Wyoming Chef

There’s a reason Gordon Ramsay’s famous beef Wellington costs $119 dollars per person. it’s a complex dish that marries high-quality ingredients in a visually stunning way. But Wyoming chef Juan Coronado says with a few smart changes, it doesn’t really have to be such a chore.

Renée JeanDecember 22, 2024

A dusting of snow covers Jackson Town Square in Wyoming as it's lit up during the holidays.

There's A Chance For White Christmas Across Wyoming But Don't Count On It

There's a change coming that could start soon enough to carry a taste of winter weather across Wyoming on Christmas Day. But don’t hold your breath waiting for a Norman Rockwell white Christmas, Don Days says.

Andrew RossiDecember 22, 2024

Old cowboy boots stuck upside down on fence posts can mean many things. They can be there to honor beloved horses, fallen cowboys or just to look cool. One thing’s for sure — it’s just Western.

It’s Just Western: Old Cowboy Boots On Fence Posts Can Mean Many Things

It’s a commonly asked question of city folk and Easterners when they visit the great American West. What’s with the cowboy boots on fence posts?

Jake NicholsDecember 22, 2024

One of two Cessna Citation jets the state of Wyoming owns, bought for $14.6 million in 2002.

Wyoming’s State Planes Get Some Criticism; Others Say They Pay For Themselves

Wyoming’s two current state planes were purchased during former Gov. Jim Geringer’s administration. He recalled the time when the door flew off mid-flight while he and U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas were onboard. “He about lost it,” Geringer laughed. “I don’t blame him.”

Leo WolfsonDecember 23, 2024

Daily Features

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PinYour Wyoming Sunrise: Thursday, December 26, 2024

Today's Wyoming sunrise was captured by Gari Cheever. Gari writes, "This is the sunrise on Christmas Eve in Alta, WY. We love every morning on the westside of the Grand Tetons, but this sunrise was particularly beautiful."

Photo by Gari Cheever

Today's question to Don Day

Mark James Mullins of Douglas
In regard to your thunderstorm season article, can you reassess the data on a per-capita basis, especially when considering population of the states? It could affect me as I own a hill on my property which I plan a communications tower and likely will have a lightning rod installed when it goes in.
Don Day
FEMA has a good lightning database that takes into account lightning risk, potential property loss, etc. based on population and lightning frequency. Data is available on a county by county basis. Lots and lots of lightning data available here which may help in quest for more lightning information. https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/lightning
DD

Opinion

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Lange at chic fil a

Jonathan Lange: The Reopening Of Notre Dame Signals Renewed Hope For Our Civilization

Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: "Notre Dame’s reopening is a visible sign that the Prince of Peace has not abandoned us for our many sins. The Word of God still has free course. It is preached and available throughout the Christian West. We should not take that for granted."

Jonathan LangeDecember 21, 2024

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Dennis Sun: A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer

I ain’t much good at prayin,’ and you may not know me, Lord – for I ain’t much seen in churches, where they preach Thy Holy Word.

Dennis SunDecember 21, 2024

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Sally Ann Shurmur: New Babies In The Family Highlight Real Meaning Of Christmas

Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Three new Shurmurs have joined the extended clan in the month of December. It’s never a bad time to have a baby.”

Sally Ann ShurmurDecember 19, 2024

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