Cowboy State Daily - Wyoming News
News
Headlines
View all
Mouth-Ripping Barbed Hooks Banned On North Platte Blue-Ribbon Trout Fisheries
Barbed fishing hooks inflict ghastly injuries to prized trout in the North Platte River near Casper. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission this week banned barbed hooks along sections of the river, a move fishing guides say is overdue.
Mark HeinzJuly 18, 2025

Cody Woman Accused In Murder-For-Hire Claims Entrapment By Undercover Agent
A Cody woman accused of soliciting a man she thought was a hitman to kill her daughter’s boyfriend in late 2023 says in a Thursday court filing she plans to tell a jury that the “hitman” — an undercover law enforcement agent — entrapped her.
Clair McFarlandJuly 18, 2025

One Of Wyoming’s 2 ‘Catchnet’ Systems Saves Driver Of Runaway Truck On Teton Pass
One of Wyoming’s two “catchnet” systems to stop runaway vehicles saved the driver of a box truck that lost its brakes on Teton Pass on Thursday. The catchnet uses a series of energy-absorbing nets that can slow and stop high-speed and heavy vehicles.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 18, 2025

Sued By Ousted Library Director, Campbell County Says She's No LGBTQ Hero
In a scathing court filing Wednesday, Campbell County denies wrongdoing in the 2023 firing of the local library director, who is suing. The county says her claims are full of bogus “self-praise” and that she's no LGBTQ hero.
Clair McFarlandJuly 18, 2025

Wyoming Company Helps Develop Tech-Driven Early Alzheimer’s Detection Tool
Wyoming technology company Lunavi has helped develop a tech-driven digital tool to detect Alzheimer’s disease before most other tests can. It will make the tests inexpensive and available to anyone with an internet connection.
Renée JeanJuly 18, 2025

House Votes To Defund Public Media, Gouging NPR and PBS
By a 216 - 213 vote, the U.S. House on Thursday approved a Trump administration plan to rescind two years' budget from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman voted for the measure, which also impacts PBS and NPR.
Jimmy OrrJuly 18, 2025

‘I-90’ Jane Doe, Suspected Victim Of Serial Killer, Identified After 33 Years
A young, petite, pregnant woman found dead with beating and strangulation injuries 33 years ago in a borrow ditch 15 miles north of Sheridan has been identified as Cindi Arleen Estrada. She’s one of two alleged Wyoming victims of an accused serial killer.
Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2025

Wyoming Irrigators Frustrated By Getting Shut Off Earlier In Colorado River Basin
Western Wyoming irrigators are frustrated after being shut off earlier than normal to send Colorado River Basin water downstream. State officials are holding public meetings to keep tabs on Wyoming’s share of the Colorado River.
David MadisonJuly 17, 2025

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Friday, July 18, 2025
Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.
Jake NicholsJuly 18, 2025

Degenfelder Fighting Judge's Block On School Choice Program
Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder announced Thursday the State of Wyoming is challenging a judge’s order that blocks the state’s new school-choice program. “I am grateful for the Attorney General’s swift action,” Degenfelder said.
Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2025

Laramie County Jail To Open Wyoming’s First In-House Mental Health Sections
Nearly half of the inmates in the Laramie County jail have some sort of mental illness, and about 11% are “extremely” ill. That’s why the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office created Wyoming’s first in-house jail pods specifically for mentally ill inmates.
Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2025

Hageman Wants Answers About Prosecution Of Grand Teton Trail Runner
Idaho ultrarunner Michelino Sunseri is awaiting a verdict in a criminal trial for cutting a switchback while running up Grand Teton last fall. U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman says she’s investigating a possible overzealous prosecution.
Sean BarryJuly 17, 2025

Park Service Kills "Food-Conditioned" Black Bear In Yellowstone
The National Park Service announced Thursday that a black bear in Yellowstone was killed because it had developed a taste for human food. The last straw was ransacking a tent and tearing down food storage poles.
Andrew RossiJuly 17, 2025

Casper Drug Mule Pleads Guilty, To Testify Against Others In Meth/Fentanyl Ring
A 49-year-old Casper woman who was trafficking meth, fentanyl and cocaine from Colorado to Wyoming pleaded guilty Thursday in a plea deal with prosecutors. She received eight years in prison, and in return will testify against others in the drug ring.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 17, 2025

Friday Or Bust: House Under Legal Deadline For PBS, NPR Cuts
The U.S. House of Representatives has a legal deadline of Friday at 11:59 p.m. to vote on the proposed $1.1 billion in cuts to public television and radio. Wyoming's congressional delegation is firmly in favor of the cuts.
Sean Barry & Clair McFarlandJuly 18, 2025

Montana Considers Killing Nearly Half Of Its Wolf Population
Montana is considering setting a wolf kill quota of 500 for the 2025-2026 wolf seasons, nearly half of its wolf population. It would allow hunters and trappers to take as many as 15 wolves each.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2025

Supreme Court Petition Is Final Hail Mary For Wyoming Corner-Crossing Landowner
The landowner at the center of Wyoming’s famous “corner-crossing” case has lost every court battle against hunters who crossed at the corner of his property to get to public land. Wednesday, he filed a petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2025

Casper Man, 20, Denies Pulling Loaded Handgun On Girls At Skate Park
A 20-year-old Casper man accused of pulling a loaded handgun on three teen girls at a skate park pleaded not guilty Thursday in Natrona County District Court. He’s accused of racking the weapon and pointing it at the girls “gangster style.”
Dale KillingbeckJuly 17, 2025

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Thursday, July 17, 2025
Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.
Jake NicholsJuly 17, 2025

Federal Court Rejects Climate Change-Based Challenge To Wyoming Drilling Permits
A federal court on Tuesday rejected environmental groups’ effort to overturn thousands of oil and gas drilling permits in Wyoming and New Mexico. The court said they couldn’t show how drilling in Wyoming would directly impact polar bears in the Arctic.
David MadisonJuly 16, 2025

Small Army Of Cybersecurity Warriors Trains To Digitally Defend Energy Industry
As Wyoming aspires to be an energy powerhouse, a new generation of cybersecurity defenders is training in Wyoming and at the Idaho National Lab. As AI booms, so does the need to protect that critical infrastructure from digital threats.
David MadisonJuly 16, 2025

Wyoming Senators Say Their Votes To Defund Public Media Due To Left-Wing Bias
In statements and interviews with Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday, Sens. Lummis and Barrasso said their votes for massive cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are warranted because of what they call a left-wing bias of its public media outlets.
Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2025

Man Killed In Officer-Involved Shooting ID'd As 37-Year-Old Worland Resident
The man killed in an officer-involved shooting Monday in Worland was 37-year-old Derek Fyffe, the coroner confirmed Wednesday. He reportedly shot at officers as they approached him near a bridge, who returned fire.
Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2025

Wyoming’s Obsidian Trails A Roadmap Of Critical Ancient Trade Routes
Archaeologists use obsidian to determine how far people traveled on ancient trade routes across Wyoming. Each obsidian flake bears a unique volcanic fingerprint that points to its place of origin, which can be hundreds of miles away.
Jackie DorothyJuly 16, 2025

Cheyenne Man Accused Of Using Brass Knuckles, Pistol To Steal Xbox
A 32-year-old Cheyenne man is accused of using brass knuckles, and then a pistol, in his attempt to take a $700 Xbox video game console from someone’s home. He now faces five criminal charges that could send him to prison for decades.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 16, 2025

Mud And Rocks Washed From Elk Fire Area Close U.S. 14 Overnight, More Could Follow
It’s what WYDOT officials have expected since the Elk Fire burned nearly 100,000 acres in the Bighorn Mountains last fall. Heavy rain caused a mud and rockslide, closing a section of U.S. Highway 14 overnight Tuesday. More debris flows could follow.
Andrew RossiJuly 16, 2025

Wyoming Judge Blocks School-Choice Program, This Time For Months
A Wyoming judge on Tuesday blocked Wyoming's school-choice program from going into effect, for a period of months or years during a legal challenge against it. The program is likely unconstitutional, wrote the judge.
Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2025

After Hours Of Testimony, Commission Rejects Changes To Landowner Hunting Tags
After landowners showed up in force to oppose proposed changes to landowner hunting tag requirements, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission rejected the changes Tuesday.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2025

One Man Dead, Officer Wounded In Shootout With Police In Worland
A man is dead and an officer wounded after a Monday shootout on a bridge in Worland, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and Worland Police Department confirmed Tuesday. The officer sustained non-life-threatening gunshot injuries.
Clair McFarlandJuly 15, 2025

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.
Jake NicholsJuly 16, 2025

Now A Legislative Committee Investigating Weston County Clerk's Election Errors
The Management Audit Committee is forming a task force to investigate the Weston County clerk's handling of the 2024 election, where multiple errors warped uncontested races. Secretary of State Chuck Gray applauds the move, while others question it.
Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2025

Pumpkin King Is So Serious His Greenhouse Has Air Conditioning — His Home Doesn’t
Worland’s “Pumpkin King” is serious about growing a 2,000-pound pumpkin. He’s pampering them with 500 gallons of water a day, sends his soil for lab testing and has installed air conditioning in his greenhouse, something his own house doesn’t have.
Andrew RossiJuly 15, 2025

Hageman’s Bill To Delist Grizzlies Passes House Committee
A U.S. House committee advanced legislation Tuesday sponsored by U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, to remove Yellowstone-area grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act list. The bill also would ban courts from blocking the delisting.
Sean BarryJuly 15, 2025

Former Thermopolis Police Sergeant Claims He Can't Be Sued For Fatal Shootout
A former Thermopolis police sergeant in a Monday court filing denied any wrongdoing in a fatal April 2023 shootout that left a local man dead. Former Sgt. Mike Mascorro also says he's protected by qualified immunity, therefore can't be sued.
Clair McFarlandJuly 15, 2025

Federal Court Halts Roundup Of Rare Wyoming Curly-Haired Mustangs
A plan to round up rare curly-haired mustangs from herds in southcentral Wyoming is on hold after a Tuesday federal court ruling. The court sided with horse advocate groups against the BLM’s plan.
Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2025

Bear Spray Leaves 30 People On Jackson Tram ‘Choking, Coughing And Puking’
There were about 30 people on a Jackson Hole Mountain Resort enclosed tram Monday when a can of bear spray went off. A woman on the tram says it left people "choking, coughing, and puking.”
Andrew RossiJuly 15, 2025

Energy Secretary Wright Says Wyoming Coal Is Still America’s Energy Future
Along with opening the first new rare earth mine in the U.S. in 70 years last week, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says Wyoming is key to President Trump’s agenda. While on a decade-long downturn, he said Wyoming coal is America’s energy future.
David MadisonJuly 15, 2025

Cyclists Say Exclusive Tour De Wyoming One Of Best Bike Tours In The Nation
The Tour de Wyoming rolled out for a loop trail around Sinks Canyon at about 6 a.m. Tuesday as the cyclists hit the event’s halfway point. Camped in Lander, riders in the exclusive 250-bike event say it’s one of the best in the nation.
Renée JeanJuly 15, 2025

Yellowstone Announces Discovery Of A New Baby Blue Thermal Pool
Yellowstone National Park announced Monday the discovery of a new 13-foot baby blue hot spring. It emerged with little volcanic fanfare in the Norris Geyser Basin and has scientists excited.
Andrew RossiJuly 14, 2025

Black Bears In Sheridan County Towns So Routine People Say They're Neighbors
Black bears showing up in Sheridan, Story, Dayton and other towns around the Bighorn Mountains has become routine for folks there. Locals say they feel like the bears are neighbors, but “repeat offender” bears sometimes have to be killed.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2025

Man Gets 4.5 Years For Stealing $14M In Gold And Silver From 90-Year-Old Dad
A 61-year-old New Zealand man was sentenced Monday to 4-4.5 years in a Wyoming prison after stealing $14 million in gold and silver from his 90-year-old father’s house in Lincoln County, Wyoming.
Clair McFarlandJuly 14, 2025

Montana Follows Wyoming In Push To End Biden-Era Coal Lease Rules
Following Wyoming’s lead, Montana’s congressional delegation is pushing to reverse Biden-era BLM rules that would end coal mining in the Powder River Basin.
David MadisonJuly 14, 2025

Man Killed In Pinedale Alley Was Shot From 2-3 Feet Away
The Sublette County Coroner confirmed Monday the identify of the 67-year-old local man shot to death Friday in a Pinedale, Wyoming, alley. The man was shot from about 2-3 feet away, the Sublette County Coroner says.
Clair McFarlandJuly 14, 2025

Jackson Woman Stupefied By Dead Mystery Critter Floating In Shoshone River
A Jackson-area woman found a cat-sized dead animal floating in the South Fork of the Shoshone River on Saturday. She doesn’t know what it is and is going nuts trying to positively identify the critter. And it's not a cat.
Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2025

Giant Utah ‘Fire Devil’ Is What Happens When Wildfire Makes Its Own Weather
Firefighters on the scene of the 10,000-acre Deer Creek Fire in southern Utah captured video of a massive vortex of fire and smoke swirling in the middle of the blaze. These dangerous "fire devils" are what can happen when wildfires make their own weather.
Andrew RossiJuly 15, 2025

Suspected Green River Bomber To Have His Sanity Checked
The man accused of injuring his ex-wife with a bomb in 1982, then running from the law for 43 years, will have his sanity checked. Stephen Campbell also is accused of stealing $140,000 in Social Security benefits using the name of a dead college classmate.
Clair McFarlandJuly 14, 2025

One Weekend A Year, Lander’s The Center Of The Rock Climbing World
Lander, Wyoming, is an international destination for rock climbers. This past weekend was the 32nd International Climbers’ Festival, which makes Lander the center of the rock-climbing world, drawing hundreds of rock climbers.
Renée JeanJuly 14, 2025

Cheyenne’s Capitol Avenue Bronze Project Closes In On 100 Sculptures
For Cheyenne art dealer Harvey Deselms, dreams really do come true. He dreamed of bronze sculptures lining every corner of Capitol Avenue, and now the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project is closing in on its 100th installation.
Renée JeanJuly 14, 2025

A Teen Driver Hit His Car, So Cheyenne Man Bought Her A New One
Someone slides through an icy intersection and collides with your car, what do you do? If you’re Bryan Pedersen, a Cheyenne financial advisor, you buy the other driver — who was at fault — a new car.
Greg JohnsonJuly 13, 2025

The Last Person To Explore The Hidden Tunnels In Ames Monument
The remote Ames Monument in southeastern Wyoming is a complete oddity. Although there are four levels of tunnels in the pyramidic structure, it's been sealed up for decades. It was unsealed, however, for one day in 2010 and a descendant of the Ames' family was allowed to explore it.
Zakary SonntagJuly 13, 2025

Hundreds Of Landowners Angry Over Proposed Wyoming Hunting Tag Changes
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday could face hundreds of landowners and residents angry over proposed changes to the landowner hunting tag program. The new regulations could cut as many as 70% of the current allotment of landowner tags.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2025

Bearded Bison Advocate Started His Own Buffalo Ranch North Of Yellowstone
Matt Skoglund is a bearded bison advocate who left a law career in Chicago for a Western ag lifestyle. Now his bison ranch north of Yellowstone has become a model of natural ranching that serves customers in Montana, Wyoming and as far away as Florida.
David MadisonJuly 13, 2025

Killing Older Horses An Option To Trim Wyoming Mustang Herds, Coalition Says
A coalition of conservation and hunting groups claims that holding facilities for mustangs across the West are bursting at the seams. Euthanizing older horses could be a necessary last resort to get things under control, they say.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2025

Meet Dr. Cowboy, The Animal Chiropractor Putting More Buck Into Rodeo Bulls
When a rodeo bull refuses to buck, Dr. Cowboy uses his animal chiropractic tools to bring them back to life. He has successfully convinced even the most stubborn cowboy that this newfangled tool and technique is just the cure for their ailing bulls.
Jackie DorothyJuly 13, 2025

Wyoming Rite Of Passage: 600 4-H Kids Show Out At State Shooting Competition
Learning to shoot is a Wyoming rite of passage and one of the fundamental programs of the state’s 4-H clubs. More than 600 4-H kids gathered in Douglas this past week to show out at the Wyoming State Shoot.
Jackie DorothyJuly 14, 2025

Now Retired, Wyoming Sheriff Still Haunted 28 Years After Camper Went Missing
David Crouch, 27, went missing while camping in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in August 1997. He was last seen on the banks of Island Lake with a fishing rod in hand. His disappearance has haunted retired Sublette County Sheriff Hank Ruland for nearly three decades.
Jen KocherJuly 12, 2025
Daily Features
View all
Today's Wyoming sunrise was captured by Sharon Barber. Sharon writes, "We are so very blessed to live here in the Centennial valley! Nothing beats summer time in Wyoming!!"
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
Dennis Sun: Quit Blaming Cows
Opinion by Dennis Sun
Jonathan Lange: Attorney General Kautz Came Out Swinging
Opinion by Jonathan Lange
Guest Column: If You're Curious About Court, Get In There
Opinion by Wyoming Judicial Branch
Tom Lubnau: Why Is There An Effort To Make Public Comment To The Legislature Impossible?
Opinion by Tom Lubnau
Bill Sniffin: It Is Time To Hit The Road For Treks Around The Cowboy State
Opinion by Bill Sniffin
Opinion
View all
Joan Barron: Can We Get Rid Of Prison Gerrymandering?
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Although the inmates are convicted felons and cannot vote, they are counted as part of the overall population. They have been called 'Wyoming’s ghost constituents.'"
Joan BarronJuly 12, 2025

Jonathan Lange: The Flood Shows Why We Protect Parental Rights
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: “In the real world, parents will fight to the death rather than give up their children to a system that harms them - physically, mentally, or spiritually.”
Jonathan LangeJuly 11, 2025

Guest Column: If You're Curious About Court, Get In There
The Wyoming Judicial Branch writes: "You’ve read the headlines, but how do you know exactly what a judge, jury, or justice decided in any given case, and why? It’s easy to find out. With some exceptions, Wyoming courts are and always have been open to the public."
Wyoming Judicial BranchJuly 18, 2025
Wyoming Life
View all
Kaboom! Since Explosion In 2020, Torrington Hasn’t Had Fourth Of July Fireworks
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2025
307 Safe As Wyoming’s Only Area Code For At Least Another 20 Years
David MadisonJuly 12, 2025
Wyoming Ranch Chef Brings Cowboy Cookin’ To National Audience With New TV Show
Renée JeanJuly 12, 2025
160 Years After It Was Lost, Treasure Hunters Still Search For Lost Cabin Gold Mine
Jackie DorothyJuly 12, 2025
Two Old Guys Build A Cabin By Hand In Wyoming’s Snowy Range
Zakary SonntagJuly 12, 2025
Outdoors
View all
A Library Card Will Also Get You A Backpack And Into Wyoming State Parks
Amber SteinmetzJuly 14, 2025
Bells On Mountain Bikes Could Help Cyclists Avoid Grizzly Maulings
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2025
Teton County Search And Rescue Responding To More Calls Than Ever
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2025
‘Swamp Moose’ Sightings In Bighorn National Forest Was 8-Year-Old Prankster
Andrew RossiJuly 12, 2025
Trees Are Blocking Wyoming Trails, And They Can’t Be Cleared Fast Enough
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2025
Crime & Courts
View allFormer Wyoming Cop Forgives Bank Robber Who Shot And Left Him For Dead 43 Years Ago
Jen KocherJuly 13, 2025
One Dead In Pinedale Shooting, Possible Self-Defense Situation
Clair McFarlandJuly 11, 2025
Rock Springs Mother Accused Of Shooting Son In The Neck
Clair McFarlandJuly 11, 2025
10 Years After Cheyenne Coin Shop Double Murder, Trial To Begin
Greg JohnsonJuly 11, 2025
Cheyenne Man Who Made Courthouse Bomb Threat To Testify Against Accomplice
Dale KillingbeckJuly 11, 2025