Cowboy State Daily - Wyoming News
News
Headlines
View all
Men Accused Of Dumping Wyoming Oil Field Waste In Utah Face Multiple Felonies
A pair of oil field waste haulers are accused of trying to cut corners and pocket more money by dumping Wyoming oil field waste near a town in Utah. They face multiple felony charges.
David MadisonMay 08, 2025

Huge Setback For Lummis As Landmark Cryptocurrency Bill Shot Down
Landmark cryptocurrency legislation backed by U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis collapsed Thursday on the Senate floor despite exhaustive, 11th-hour efforts to rescue it. Lummis says she’s “deeply disappointed.”
Sean BarryMay 08, 2025

Feds Don't Believe Sheridan Cop Killer Stole Guns From His Mom
A federal prosecutor Wednesday voiced skepticism of a Wyoming woman’s claims that her son stole her guns before he killed a Sheridan police sergeant in February 2024. She’s accused of buying the guns for her son, who is a convicted felon.
Clair McFarlandMay 08, 2025

Rawlins Residents Fed Up With Gravedigging Prairie Dogs In City Cemetery
Prairie dogs are digging holes daily in the Rawlins Cemetery, including into graves, and local residents are fed up with them. The city is tripling the number of poison traps around the cemetery to try and cut out the critters.
Andrew RossiMay 08, 2025

Yellowstone Bison Goring The Latest In A Bad Week For Floridians Vs. Wildlife
A Florida man who was gored by a bison in Yellowstone on Wednesday was lucky. Another Floridian was killed by a bear this week, and yet another by an alligator.
Mark HeinzMay 08, 2025

Florida Man Is First Bison Goring Of The Season At Yellowstone National Park
A 47-year-old man from Florida was gored when he got too close to a bison at Yellowstone National Park on Sunday. The National Park Service reported the goring Wednesday, confirming it’s the first of the season after two gorings in 2024.
Clair McFarland & Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

Casper Police Say Woman Shot By Officers Answered Door With Weapon In Hand
A woman shot and killed by Casper police may have lured officers to her house and provoked the shooting, Casper police reported Wednesday. She called 911 to report a burglar, but apparently “made the call to elicit the response.”
Dale KillingbeckMay 07, 2025

Friend Of Gillette Woman Missing More Than Two Weeks Fears For Her Safety
Gillette resident Kelsey Johnson, 32, was last seen April 14 getting into a pickup at a mobile home in Gillette, and her best friend is afraid for her safety. Johnson is believed to be in the Denver or Greeley area.
Jen KocherMay 07, 2025

Wonky Twists Hold Up Barrasso’s Bid To Kill California EV Mandate
Wyoming’s senior U.S. senator is a critic of red tape across the whole federal government. Now he and GOP colleagues are stuck in it themselves as they take on California’s electric vehicle mandate.
Sean BarryMay 08, 2025

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake — Thursday, May 8, 2025
Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.
Jake NicholsMay 08, 2025

Wyoming Could Capture Bigger Piece Of US Nuclear Power Than Just Mining Uranium
A pair of the major U.S. players in nuclear power announce a partnership to develop the industry across America — and Wyoming could be ground zero. There's potential for the state do more than just mine uranium.
Renée JeanMay 07, 2025

Group Of Mostly Blue States Sue Trump Over Halt Of Federal Wind Energy Permits
A coalition of 18 attorneys general from mostly blue states is suing the Trump administration over its directive to pump the brakes on federal wind energy permitting. Wyoming has plenty of wind turbines, but isn’t part of the lawsuit.
David MadisonMay 07, 2025

Hageman Spars With Colorado Democrat Over 'Gulf of America' Renaming
A Colorado Democrat sparred with Wyoming’s U.S. House representative Monday over whether renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America should be a priority. Hageman says Wyomingites support President Trump’s agenda, and that’s part of it.
Clair McFarlandMay 07, 2025

Casper Hopes For Happy Ending By De-Regulating Massage Parlors
The Casper City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to remove massage therapy businesses from regulation through the city’s health ordinances. It’s a good move, says a local massage therapist.
Dale KillingbeckMay 07, 2025

Man Accused Of Trashing Kinnear Post Office Faces Less Time Under Federal Charge
Federal charges against the man arrested on suspicion of trashing the Kinnear post office may mean a lighter sentence compared to state charges. His case was moved to federal court Monday.
Clair McFarlandMay 07, 2025

Wandering Colorado Wolf Transplanted From Canada Logs 1,230 Miles Around State
Colorado’s reintroduced wolves have been making tracks all over the state, including one female that’s logged more than 1,200 miles. At least two are also known to have ranged into Wyoming.
Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

Thermopolis Police Sergeant Who Triggered Fatal Shootout 2 Years Ago Resigns
The Thermopolis town council accepted the resignation of police Sgt. Mike Mascorro on Tuesday evening. Mascorro broke into a man’s home and triggered a fatal shootout two years ago. The man’s family sued Mascorro and the department last week.
Clair McFarlandMay 07, 2025

170 Pregnant Ewes Burn In Devastating Ranch Fire Near Wright
A large barn with 170 pregnant ewes inside burned early Monday morning on a ranch near Wright, Wyoming. The rancher said the barn was fine at 4:30 a.m., then by 5:15 was fully engulfed and too hot to approach.
Greg JohnsonMay 06, 2025

Grizzly 399 Offspring Hit And Killed By Car In Grand Teton
Grizzly 1058, a male from Grizzly 399’s famed 2020 litter of quadruplets, was confirmed dead on Tuesday, after apparently being hit by a vehicle in Grand Teton National Park.
Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

Warren Attacks Lummis-Backed Crypto Bill, Says It Will Allow Trump ‘Scams’
With Donald Trump’s family selling digital meme coins, Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren is attacking a cryptocurrency bill sponsored by Sen. Cynthia Lummis. Warren claims it will allow Trump to “continue to line his pockets with his crypto scams.”
Sean BarryMay 06, 2025

Judge Says UW Athletes Suing Over Trans Player Can’t Appeal His Pronoun Rule
A Colorado federal judge has denied a group of female college athletes, including three from the University of Wyoming, a chance to appeal his transgender pronoun usage rule. They also can’t challenge his involvement in the case.
Clair McFarlandMay 06, 2025

Hot Springs County Commission Fight Over Split From 'Socialist' State Group
The Hot Springs County Commission is fighting over whether to become the only member to pull out of group that represents all Wyoming's counties. One member wants to because of the group's "socialist" tendencies, while the chairman strongly disagrees.
Clair McFarlandMay 06, 2025

Man Who Fled Wyoming After Wife Stabbed Him Gets Plea Agreement In Beating
A Moorcroft man accused of nearly killing his wife has agreed to plead "no contest" to two counts of aggravated assault. Michael Hammond Jr. was stabbed by his wife after he launched what court documents say was a brutal and prolonged attack on her.
Clair McFarlandMay 07, 2025

Wyoming Businesses Expand To Asia Markets That Can’t Get Enough Cowboy Culture
More Wyoming businesses are finding eager buyers for their products in Asia markets that can’t get enough cowboy culture. That success has the state exploring more ways to bolster Wyoming trade with countries in Asia.
Leo WolfsonMay 06, 2025

Wyoming Delegation, GOP Install Bisignano To Head Up Social Security
Longtime banker Frank Bisignano was confirmed to run the Social Security Administration on Tuesday on a strictly party-line vote, 53-47. Sen. Cynthia Lummis said Bisignano will help address “understaffing impacting all six Social Security offices in Wyoming, as well as the closure of the Cody office.”
Sean BarryMay 06, 2025

Vandals Break Into South Dakota BLM Area, Drive Heavy Equipment Into Ditch
Vandals broke into a South Dakota public recreation area near the Wyoming border over the weekend and drove several construction vehicles into a ditch. It’s another instance of vandalism on public lands that has Wyoming contractors watching.
Andrew RossiMay 06, 2025

Spring Can Begin — Bob The Barrel Reaches The Shore Of Fremont Lake
After spending two months on the ice of Fremont Lake near Pinedale, Bob the Barrel finally reached the shore of Fremont Lake at 6:25 a.m. Sunday. Locals have been watching and waiting on the barrel to break through annually for 85 years.
Andrew RossiMay 06, 2025

Hot Springs County Keeps Getting Sued Over Controversial Tipi Retreat
Hot Springs County is being sued for a second time in four years over a controversial teepee resort and a private road used by multiple landowners. The dispute has divided officials, with a commissioner testifying against the county in court.
Leo WolfsonMay 06, 2025

Accused Serial Killer Trucker Convicted In Tennessee, Now Headed To Wyoming For Trial
The Friday conviction of long-haul trucker Clark Perry Baldwin for murdering a woman in Tennessee clears the way for his return to Wyoming for trial. His DNA has linked Baldwin to two cold-case murders in the early 1990s.
Clair McFarlandMay 05, 2025

BLM Approves New $5 Billion Pacific Soda Trona Mine Near Green River
The Bureau of Land Management announced Friday it's approved Pacific Soda’s proposed $5 billion Dry Creek Trona Mine Project south of Green River. The project promises hundreds of full-time jobs.
David MadisonMay 05, 2025

Huge "Once-In-A-Decade" Fireball Seen Over Wyoming, Other Western States
Hundreds of people reported seeing a huge purple-green fireball streak over several Western states Saturday night. The “once-in-a-decade” event displayed a spectacular spectrum of colors as it burned across the sky.
Andrew RossiMay 05, 2025

State GOP Wants Federal ICE Detention Center Opened In Wyoming
The Wyoming Republican Party passed a resolution at its meeting Saturday calling for the opening of a federally funded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Wyoming.
Leo WolfsonMay 05, 2025

Prosecutor Says Teen Girl Accused In Bonfire Shooting Has Biker Gang Ties
A prosecutor's recent court filing says a 16-year-old girl accused of shooting two men in Sweetwater County should be tried as an adult, pointing to her suspected ties to an outlaw motorcycle gang. Her next court hearing is May 14.
Clair McFarlandMay 05, 2025

States Move To Ban Glocks Over Worries They Can Be Made Fully Automatic
There’s already a ban on “Glock switches,” devices that can make the semiautomatic handgun fully automatic. Now some states are trying to also ban Glock pistols themselves.
Mark HeinzMay 05, 2025

History Says Yellowstone, Grand Teton Parks Can Expect More Than 8.4M Visitors
The superintendents of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are predicting an “outstanding” summer despite staff cuts to the federal parks system that have worried many outdoor enthusiasts.
Andrew RossiMay 05, 2025

3 Casper Police Officers Remain On Leave After Woman Shot On Burglary Call
Three police officers remain on leave a week after a local woman was shot and killed during a burglary call, the Caper Police Department confirmed Monday. Meanwhile, the Division of Criminal Investigation says it’s investigating.
Dale KillingbeckMay 05, 2025

Ringtail, Rare In Wyoming, Spotted Near Baggs — And Game And Fish Wants It
Ringtails, a distant cousin of raccoons, are a rare sight in Wyoming. A Baggs-area family spotted and photographed one, and Game and Fish hope to trap and release it somewhere safe from dogs.
Mark HeinzMay 05, 2025

Wyoming’s Home-Grown Live Horse Racing Sparks Resurgence Of Industry
Jack Greer grew up on the racetrack, and the Gillette resident is now part of a home-grown movement that’s sparking a resurgence of live horse racing in Wyoming. That’s partly because he and others in the Cowboy State are racing their own horses.
Jackie DorothyMay 05, 2025

Wyoming Groups Lobby To Reverse $400 Million In Cuts To AmeriCorps
A number of Wyoming groups are lobbying the state’s congressional delegation to reverse $400 million in cuts to AmeriCorps. But, so far, they have expressed support for DOGE and its mission to cut wasteful spending.
Zakary SonntagMay 05, 2025

After Surviving A Brain Tumor, Casper Boy Can’t Wait To Get A Service Dog
After Mikey Jonnassen was diagnosed with a brain tumor, doctors told his mom that he would spend the rest of his life bedridden. But he wasn’t having any of that. Now he’s walking, talking and looking forward to a service dog.
Mark HeinzMay 04, 2025

Wyoming’s Booming $2.2 Billion Outdoor Rec Tourism Stressing Some Communities
Pinedale is poised to double in size by 2040, growth that Town Councilman Scott Kosiba believes is due in no small part to the strength of a rapidly growing outdoor recreation economy. Call it a new economic model for boom towns, one driven in part by wealthy remote workers who can locate where they like to play, instead of just where they work.
Renée JeanMay 04, 2025

Rock Springs Deputy Who Rescued 3-Year-Old 15 Years Ago To Give Him Diploma
David Lew will graduate this month from Rock Springs High School. But he wouldn’t if it hadn’t have been for a Sweetwater County Sheriff’s deputy who rescued him from Flaming Gorge Reservoir when he was 3. Now that deputy will give him his diploma.
Dale KillingbeckMay 04, 2025
Daily Features
View all
Today's Wyoming sunrise was captured by Traci Mark outside of Cody. Traci writes, "Buffalo Bill sunrise."
Today's question to Don Day
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.
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
Opinion
Guest Column: When Conservatives Organize, the Left Cries Foul
Opinion by CSD Staff
Tom Lubnau: A Primer On Governmental Immunity
Opinion by Tom Lubnau
Guest Column: Economics In Action -- Understanding Government Inefficiency
Opinion by CSD Staff
Guest Column: Judicial Selection Process Is Secretive, Controlled By Liberal Legal Insiders
Opinion by CSD Staff
Dave Simpson: 'The Bad News Is, You've Got Cancer'
Opinion by Dave Simpson
Opinion
View all
Joan Barron: The Amendment That Bit Back
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "I would bet that the 2011 class of lawmakers had no idea that the amendment they passed against Obamacare would be used to protect abortion rights more than 10 years later. It opened the door for a person to claim that their health care decisions are protected by the Wyoming Constitution."
Joan BarronMay 03, 2025

Gail Symons: GOP Leaders Are Caught Between Power And Independence
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "What the GOP is experiencing is not a violation of rights – it’s the discomfort of having to choose between power and independence. You can’t complain about house rules when you are living rent-free. "
Gail SymonsMay 04, 2025

Cassie Craven: Leave Our Children Alone
Columnist Cassie Craven writes: “Telling kids anything except they're fearfully and wonderfully made in their given bodies is evil. Saying there's something about them that demands medicalization is an atrocity toward everything it means to be the adult in the room.”
Cassie CravenMay 04, 2025
Wyoming Life
View all
Wyoming Can Expect Warm, Sunny Weather For Mother’s Day — For A Change
Andrew RossiMay 07, 2025
For Wyoming Collectors, Vintage Glass Power Line Insulators Are Prized Finds
Jackie DorothyMay 04, 2025
Wyoming History: In 1930s-40s, United Made Cheyenne The ‘Air Capital Of The West’
Dale KillingbeckMay 04, 2025
Roast Or Let Roost? What Should Backyard Chicken Owners Do With Roosters?
Anna-Louise JacksonMay 04, 2025
Wyoming Allows, But Doesn’t Regulate, Self-Driving Cars — Yet
Leo WolfsonMay 04, 2025
Outdoors
View all
Wyoming’s Teton County Is World's First DarkSky-Certified County
Andrew RossiMay 04, 2025
Expect More E-Bikes Than Ever On Wyoming Trails This Summer
David MadisonMay 04, 2025
Yellowstone Makes Earthquakes With 53,000-Pound Vibrator Truck To Study Volcano
Andrew RossiMay 04, 2025
Laramie Climber Wants Sixth Shot To Summit Highest Peak In Myanmar
Jackie DorothyMay 03, 2025
Proposal To Change Landowner Hunting Tags Targets ‘Hunting Club’ Market
Mark HeinzMay 02, 2025
Crime & Courts
View all
Parent Of Powell Teen Finds Stolen Highway Sign In Garage, Turns Son In
Andrew RossiMay 04, 2025
Manhunt On After Murder Of Wyoming Man Shot In Michigan On Easter
Jen KocherMay 03, 2025
Man Accused Of Stealing $14 Million In Gold And Silver Strikes Plea Deal
Clair McFarlandMay 03, 2025
Wyoming Supreme Court Gives State, Not Teton County, The Win On Glamping Lease
Clair McFarlandMay 02, 2025
Eyewitness Recounts "Very Horrific” Crash That Killed 7 Outside Yellowstone
Clair McFarlandMay 02, 2025