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The alleged torture of a moose in Uinta County is the latest in a string of Wyoming residents accused of cruelty to animals, raising concerns about the state’s reputation. “It makes us look like a bunch of freaking jackasses,” outdoorsman Zachary Key said.

Moose, Wolf, Horse And Wombat Cruelty Allegations Staining Wyoming’s Reputation

The alleged torture of a moose in Uinta County is the latest in a string of Wyoming residents accused of cruelty to animals, raising concerns about the state’s reputation. “It makes us look like a bunch of freaking jackasses,” outdoorsman Zachary Key said.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2025

A riverbank improvement project West of Cody aims to save the country’s oldest ranger station from sliding into the North Fork river, while also helping Yellowstone cutthroat trout and bighorn sheep.

With 1,000 Logs, Project Aims To Save The Nation's Oldest Ranger Station

Crews are dropping more than 1,000 logs along the banks of the North Fork of the Shoshone River in hopes of protecting the nation’s oldest ranger station. The massive floods of 2022 caused severe erosion and the Wapiti Ranger Station is in danger of falling in.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2025

At an appropriations hearing Friday, Wyoming Adjutant General Greg Porter fielded a question by Senate Committee Chair Tim Salazar about UFOs in Wyoming. Porter said he preferred not to discuss UFOs in open testimony.

Lawmaker Questions Wyoming Adjutant General Over Presence Of UFOs

At an appropriations hearing Friday, Wyoming Adjutant General Greg Porter fielded a question by Senate Committee Chair Tim Salazar about UFOs in Wyoming. Porter said he preferred not to discuss UFOs in open testimony.

Clair McFarlandDecember 13, 2025

A real-life skunk encounter inspired Wyoming author Craig Johnson’s annual ‘Longmire’ Christmas story this year. Johnson will read the story at libraries across Wyoming and Montana, a tradition more than 20 years old.

Longmire Author Craig Johnson Embarks On Annual Christmas Story Tour

A real-life skunk encounter inspired Wyoming author Craig Johnson’s annual ‘Longmire’ Christmas story this year. Johnson will read the story at libraries across Wyoming and Montana, a tradition more than 20 years old.

Renée JeanDecember 12, 2025

Wyoming’s congressional delegation says President Trump took the state’s coal industry out from under an economic guillotine Thursday by killing rules that would have ended coal after 2041. They say the Biden-era plan was “asinine” and lifting it is huge for the state.

Delegation Says Lifting Biden-Era Plan That Would Kill Coal Is Huge For Wyoming

Wyoming’s congressional delegation says President Trump took the state’s coal industry out from under an economic guillotine Thursday by killing rules that would have ended coal after 2041. They say the Biden-era plan was “asinine” and lifting it is huge for the state.

Greg JohnsonDecember 12, 2025

Courthouse - Casper woman, 34, faces charges for the Nov. 7 wrong-way crash in Casper that claimed a 43-year-old woman’s life and caused significant injuries to her male passenger.

Casper Woman Charged In Fatal Wrong Way Crash That Killed Mother Of Two

A 34-year-old Casper woman appeared in court Thursday to face charges in the Nov. 7 wrong-way crash that killed a 43-year-old Casper mother of two and put her father in ICU. Police say the suspect's blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 12, 2025

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Interim U.S. Attorney Darin Smith Advances In Scathing Nomination Hearing

The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary advanced President Donald Trump’s nomination of former state Sen. Darin Smith for Wyoming’s U.S. Attorney seat Thursday, though two Democratic senators cast Smith as unqualified and politically charged.

Clair McFarlandDecember 13, 2025

U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis is sponsoring a bill to prevent some countries from participating in federal agency rulemaking. She condemns comments China submitted on proposed EPA rules this year that seek to cripple U.S. coal and oil production.

Lummis Aims To Stop China From Influencing U.S. Coal, Oil Production

U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis is sponsoring a bill to prevent some countries from participating in federal agency rulemaking. She condemns comments China submitted on proposed EPA rules this year that seek to cripple U.S. coal and oil production.

Sean BarryDecember 12, 2025

Senate Appropriations Chair Tim Salazar, R-Riverton

UW Seeks Extra $54 Million On Top Of Its $440 Million State-Funded Budget

Some members of the legislative Joint Appropriations Committee asked questions about the need for UW to receive an additional $54 million on top of its $440 million state-funded budget. UW leaders countered that extra funding was necessary.

Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2025

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Del Ray John “Voice of Jackson Hole” Dies At 80

Del Ray John, who was known for 40 years as "The Voice Of Jackson Hole" died on Wednesday at the age of 80. A Vietnam vet and community fixture, he started every show with the national anthem and signed off the same way, too: "Enjoy yourself and enjoy each other."

David MadisonDecember 12, 2025

Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1 and Rock Springs firefighters responded to a Rock Springs-area home Tuesday that was filled with smoke and flames fueled by winds. The home was a total loss.

Merry Christmas: Family Of 8 Loses Everything, Including Pets, In Wind-Whipped Fire

A Rock Springs family of eight lost their rural rental home, four pets and all their possessions in a fast-moving fire driven by high wind Tuesday. They’re now split up among relatives while the community rallies to help them find new housing.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 11, 2025

Glacier National Park is ending its reservation system for getting into the park, which was meant to keep the park from getting mobbed. But insiders say national parks are getting overrun anyway.

Glacier National Park Drops Reservation System As Crowds Keep Growing

Glacier National Park is ending its reservation system for getting into the park, which was meant to keep the park from getting mobbed. But insiders say national parks are getting overrun anyway.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2025

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Man Dead, 8-Year-Old Girl Shot At Rural Lincoln County Home

A domestic violence incident at a home in rural western Wyoming on Tuesday left a man dead and an 8-year-old child with a gunshot wound, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday.

Greg JohnsonDecember 11, 2025

Juvenile female caught in November and tagged in study of wind farm-related eagle deaths.

Conservation Group Sues, Claims Feds Hiding Wyoming Wind Turbine Eagle Deaths

The Albany County Conservancy is accusing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of concealing eagle deaths in Carbon County. A biologist on the ground says golden eagle deaths are soaring due to wind farms.

Renée JeanDecember 11, 2025

A Wyoming pilot flying to a visit with a doctor ran out of fuel and made a safe emergency landing on U.S. Highway 14 near Greybull. He made his appiontment, then after refueling, authorities blocked traffic so he could take off and return home.

Pilot Headed To Doctor Makes Emergency Landing On Wyoming Highway

A Wyoming pilot flying to a visit with a doctor ran out of fuel and made a safe emergency landing on U.S. Highway 14 near Greybull on Monday. He made his appointment, then after refueling, authorities blocked traffic so he could take off and return home.

Andrew RossiDecember 11, 2025

Former Santa Fe Opera General Director Charles MacKay

Charges Dropped Against Former Opera Director Accused Of Soliciting Boys In Powell

Criminal charges have been dropped against the former director of the Santa Fe Opera who was accused of propositioning two teenage boys for oral sex outside of a Powell grocery store. The case was sealed, and his spokesperson said he’s relieved.

Scott SchwebkeDecember 12, 2025

The financial landscape of college athletics is straining the University of Wyoming’s athletics budget as it tries to keep up with exploding NIL deals for Division I recruits. The school is asking the Legislature for an extra $3 million a year.

University Of Wyoming Wants Extra $3 Million From Legislature After NIL Deals

The financial landscape of college athletics is straining the University of Wyoming’s athletics budget as it tries to keep up with exploding NIL deals for Division I recruits. The school is asking the Legislature for an extra $3 million a year.

Clair McFarlandDecember 12, 2025

William Ingleby

Road-Raging Cheyenne DoorDasher Accused Of Pointing Loaded Gun, Fighting With Teen

A 24-year-old DoorDasher is accused of going on an anger-fueled rampage around Cheyenne on Monday. He faces multiple charges on suspicion of threatening people with a loaded 9 mm handgun and physically fighting a 17-year-old.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 11, 2025

Wyoming’s U.S. senators voted Thursday against extending Obamacare tax credits. John Barrasso also blasted Obamacare as an “unaffordable” mandate loaded with “juicy subsidies” for insurance companies. An alternative GOP bill was blocked by Democrats.

Barrasso Blasts Obamacare As Senate GOP Kills Tax Credit Extension

Wyoming’s U.S. senators voted Thursday against extending Obamacare tax credits. John Barrasso also blasted Obamacare as an “unaffordable” mandate loaded with “juicy subsidies” for insurance companies. An alternative GOP bill was blocked by Democrats.

Sean BarryDecember 11, 2025

Mark Anderson

Uinta County Commission Chairman Arrested, Charges Under Review

The Uinta County Commission chairman was arrested last week on suspicion of domestic battery, the Evanston police chief confirmed Thursday to Cowboy State Daily. Possible charges against Mark Anderson are under review by an out-of-county prosecutor.

Clair McFarlandDecember 11, 2025

Brody Cress of Hillsdale, Wyoming, secured a top spot at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas on Monday by riding Virgil, a legendary animal voted the best saddle bronc horse of 2025.

Brody Cress Rides Legendary Bronc To Thrilling Top-2 Finish At NFR

Brody Cress of Hillsdale, Wyoming, secured a top spot at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas on Monday by riding Virgil, a legendary animal voted the best saddle bronc horse of 2025.

Jackie DorothyDecember 11, 2025

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Hoskinson Takes Issue With Governor’s Comments On Gillette Construction Layoffs

Cryptocurrency billionaire Charles Hoskinson says the construction company formed to build a 75,000-sq.-ft. health clinic in Gillette did not lay off all of its employees, nor should the timing of the 136-person layoff have been a big surprise to anyone. 

Renée JeanDecember 10, 2025

Wyoming Sportsmanship, a group formed after the torture of a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming, is calling for justice for a cow moose allegedly roped, dragged and abused by three men in Uinta County. “This is egregious, pathetic, and disgusting," spokesman Paul Ulrich said.

Wyoming Sportsman Group Demands Justice After Trio Accused Of Torturing Moose

Wyoming Sportsmanship, a group formed after the torture of a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming, is calling for justice for a cow moose allegedly roped, dragged and abused by three men in Uinta County. “This is egregious, pathetic, and disgusting," spokesman Paul Ulrich said.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 11, 2025

The Wyoming Highway Patrol had confirmed at least 21 blowovers on Wyoming's highways during Tuesday's winter windstorm.

At Least 21 Blowovers Reported in Wyoming During Tuesday's Hurricane-Force Winds

The Wyoming Highway Patrol has confirmed at least 21 blowovers on Wyoming's highways during Tuesday's winter windstorm. Wind speeds as high as 105 mph were recorded.

Andrew RossiDecember 10, 2025

Members of the Joint Appropriations Committee are meeting in Cheyenne this week

With Feds Ditching Public Media, Wyoming Public TV Request to State Triples

Wyoming Public Television CEO Joanna Kail asked state lawmakers on Wednesday to fill a $3 million funding gap from federal cuts that Congress made earlier this year. One legislator asked why the outlet's product is worth the backing of government.

Clair McFarlandDecember 10, 2025

Energy Secretary Chris Wright got some hands-on experience at the Fuel Conditioning Facility at Idaho National Laboratory. The facility features two heavily shielded hot cells with remotely operated manipulators, allowing technicians to safely handle radioactive materials from behind five-foot-thick shielding walls while supporting expanded fuel cycle research and development.

Betting Big On A Nuclear Waste-Fueled Future: What Wyoming Shuns, Idaho Is Embracing

As Wyoming communities recoil from nuclear waste, the Idaho National Lab continues to embrace waste as an untapped resource. Energy Sec. Chris Wright, who visited the lab earlier this week, described the happenings there as a "nuclear renaissance." 

David MadisonDecember 10, 2025

The two pack horses that wandered off in late October north of Moran are still missing. An owner of one of the horses has conducted aerial searches, both in a small plane and with a thermal drone.

Search Intensifies For Horses Missing Six Weeks In Wyoming Backcountry

Two horses that went missing north of Moran in late October still haven't been found despite aerial searches. An outfitter is also missing horses in the same area, and the parties have joined forces in their search efforts.

David MadisonDecember 11, 2025

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Fatal Shooting Of Friend In Sublette County Ruled Self Defense

A special prosecutor ruled Tuesday that a Sublette County man who fatally shot his friend last July used reasonable defensive force as the other man swung an animal trap at him.

Clair McFarlandDecember 11, 2025

Robert Hoover

Ex-Bar Nunn Fire Chief Gets Suspended Sentence For Stealing From Charity Boot Drive

The former Bar Nunn fire chief on Wednesday received a suspended three-to-five years in prison and three years of supervised probation for stealing from the 2024 MDA Fill the Boot fund drive last year. “What I did was wrong,” he told the judge. “I apologize.”

Dale KillingbeckDecember 10, 2025

The possibility of the death penalty is off the table for both Big Piney teens accused of ambushing and murdering their friend with a bow and arrow. Rowan Littauer, pictured, pleaded not guilty Monday, as did his alleged accomplice Orion Schlesinger on March 20.

Second Man Pleads Guilty In Big Piney Bow And Arrow Murder

A Big Piney man pleaded guilty Wednesday, to killing another man with a bow and arrow in February, then riddling his scalp with BBs. Rowan Littauer could face between 75 years and life in prison if District Court Judge Kate McKay accepts his plea agreement.

Clair McFarlandDecember 10, 2025

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Massive Tree Damages Broadway Theater in Downtown Rock Springs

In what theatre critics would call an overblown performance, Tuesday's windstorm knocked over a massive tree behind the Broadway Theater in downtown Rock Springs. The tree went "through the roof," but the Christmas shows will go on, they say.

Andrew RossiDecember 10, 2025

Roping and riding a terrorized cow moose and then roping and dragging it gave cowboys on a Uinta County ranch enough of a thrill to capture the event on video. Now those videos are being used to charge the trio with felony violations for cruelty to animals.

Cowboys Charged In Felony Animal Abuse Case For Roping, Riding, Dragging Moose

Roping and riding a terrorized cow moose and then roping and dragging it gave cowboys on a Uinta County ranch enough of a thrill to capture the event on video. Now those videos are being used to charge the trio with felony violations for cruelty to animals.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 09, 2025

WYDOT web camera on I 80 Vedauwoo - West

105 MPH Winds Recorded in Wyoming on Tuesday — And There's Windier Weather Ahead

Winds as high as 105 mph were recorded on Tuesday, and most of I-80 and I-25 were closed to high-profile vehicles because of gusting winds. Meteorologists say it's a result of cold air trading places with warm air, and there’s more ahead.

Andrew RossiDecember 09, 2025

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Oops! Overloaded Semi Driven By Alleged Undocumented Nicaraguan Rolls Into Patrol Car

An overloaded semi-truck with 23 violations backed into a Laramie County Sheriff’s Office patrol car Monday during a traffic stop. Sheriff Brian Kozak said the truck had faulty brakes and was driven by an undocumented Nicaraguan man, who was arrested.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 09, 2025

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Cheyenne Foundation Purchases Outlaw Saloon, Will Turn It Into Rec Center

The future of Cheyenne’s Outlaw Saloon, Wyoming’s largest bar, is settled. The Maury and Bonnie Brown Foundation purchased the building and will turn it into a rec center. Peaches Tyrrell, who's overseeing the project, says it will be a "YMCA on steroids."

Renée JeanDecember 10, 2025

If you purchased a Cowboy Draw ticket at the Daniel Junction Foodmart in Sublette County recently, you’ll want to check your numbers.

Daniel Junction Foodmart Store Sells $2.2 Million Wyoming Lottery Ticket

Someone who bought a Cowboy Draw ticket at the Daniel Junction Foodmart in Sublette County is $2.2 million dollars richer. The winning ticket was pulled on Monday at the outpost in Sublette County.

Jimmy OrrDecember 09, 2025

Energy Secretary Chris Wright toured the Idaho National Lab Monday with INL Director John Wagner, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and Idaho Gov. Brad Little, as a gaggle of press tagged along — including Cowboy State Daily and The New York Times. The group walked through the DOME facility, where the microreactor manufacturer Radiant plans to test a reactor before a July 4, 2026 deadline set by the Trump administration.

Energy Secretary Tours 17 Labs And Urges Wyoming To Join “Nuclear Renaissance”

During a tour of the Idaho National Lab on Monday, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright described Wyoming as a “tremendous energy state” and urged support for nuclear fuel manufacturing like what BWXT is proposing for Gillette.

David MadisonDecember 09, 2025

Toadstool Hoodoos in Kanab, Utah, along with file photo of human skull

Archaeologists Seek Thief Who Stole Human Skull From Utah Burial Site

Archaeologists are searching for a person who stole a human skull from an 1,700-year-old burial site near Kanab, Utah. Officials call the act "disgusting." "The fact that grave robbing is still happening is shocking to me," said the lead archaeologist.

Andrew RossiDecember 09, 2025

Josh Baker, right, comforts his friend, Bhuvan Unhelkar of Sarasota, Fla, who was seriously injured in September while horseback riding in Cody

Florida Professor Survives Horrific Fall During Wyoming Horseback Ride

A Florida professor was seriously injured in a horseback fall near Cody, sliding into a tree and crushing several vertebrae. After emergency surgery, he recovered and plans to run a half-marathon but vows never to ride again.

Scott SchwebkeDecember 09, 2025

House Appropriations Chair John Bear (left) and Wyo Dept. of Health Director Stefan Johansson (right). FILE PHOTOS

Wyoming Lawmakers Worry 'Bear Care' Is Just More Government In Insurance Market

Wyoming lawmakers on Monday criticized the Wyoming Department of Health’s proposed emergency insurance program, “Bear Care.” Rep. John Bear said, "Government created the problem in the first place. I'm not inclined to want to compete in the private sector."

Clair McFarlandDecember 08, 2025

Areas in the Snowy Range in Albany County received over 75 inches of snow in 40 hours over the weekend.

Holy Cow! Wyoming's Snowy Range Gets 75 Inches of Snow From Weekend Snowstorm

Areas in the Snowy Range in Albany County received over 75 inches of snow in 40 hours over the weekend. The wet, heavy snow boosted the snowpack in Wyoming's southern mountains by more than 30% during that period. The town of Centennial received 12 inches.

Andrew RossiDecember 08, 2025

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Duo Charged With Kidnapping Teenage Girl Wanted By ICE

The two men the Wyoming Highway Patrol arrested last week for kidnapping a teenage girl are wanted by ICE. The men, 33-year-old Pedro Giron Perez and 22-year-old Alexcer Solis Gomez, remained Monday in the Carbon County Detention Center.

Clair McFarlandDecember 09, 2025

Daily Features

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PinYour Wyoming Sunrise: Sunday, December 14, 2025

Today's Wyoming sunrise was captured in Casper by Patricia Scheuerman. Patricia writes, "Taken during winds of 50 mph. We can still discover beauty in nature's most annoying aspects if we choose to."

Photo by Patricia Scheuerman

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

Sponsored

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Legacy 16

Creating a Legacy in Comprehensive Dental Care

Legacy Dental is a new dental partnership built upon the foundation of generational practice and guided by the principles of bringing innovative and comprehensive care to patients in need.

November 21, 2025

A volunteer with Food Bank of Wyoming helps sort and pack food at a mobile pantry in Pinedale in October 2025.

Government Shutdown Reveals Long Term Hunger Crisis in Wyoming

With the current hunger crisis stemming from the government shutdown, the Food Bank ramped up the amount of food it is sourcing and distributing, made possible thanks to donor support and emergency funds from the state.

November 17, 2025

John Hardee and Sean Michaels stand outside the Hilltop Bank branch in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Two Officers in Hilltop Bank’s Cheyenne Office Share an Uncannily Similar Career Story

Both Josh Hardee and Sean Michaels began their careers working in finance before they felt the calling to public service. Even if their day-to-day lives look a bit different these days—Hardee spent nearly two decades with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, while Michaels rose through the ranks of the U.S. Navy during a decorated military career—the Hilltop officers say that calling to serve others has remained.

November 10, 2025

Opinion

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Dave Simpson: Surprise! You've Got New Neighbors!

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “I'm surprised that Cheyenne's current economic boom has arrived in our neighborhood with so little advance warning.”

Dave SimpsonDecember 08, 2025

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Cassie Craven:  City of Cheyenne - An Ode to Local Government

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “In an era of Wyoming politics, in which RINOS and Dems decry “local control” losses, are they really crying about their inability to run the table?”

Cassie CravenDecember 08, 2025

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Gail Symons: For The New GOP It's Loyalty Over Leadership

Columnist Gail Symons writes, "It's laughable that the current leaders of the state Republican Party, fused with their Freedom Caucus cohorts, blather about the so-called old guard. In over 50 years, I have not seen the level of cronyism that these folks have institutionalized."

Gail SymonsDecember 08, 2025

Wyoming Life

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Outdoors

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Crime & Courts

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