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A drilling rig near Pinedale, Wyoming, in this file photo.

$80 Million Bet Says Wyoming Can Unlock Secret To Getting More Oil From "Tight Rocks"

ThermoFisher Scientific is laying a $40 million bet, matched by $40 million from the Legislature, that Wyoming can get more oil from so-called "tight rocks." Squeezing even 1% more from those rocks is worth billions of dollars.

Renée JeanOctober 29, 2024

As part of the performance of “The Offering” a Kelly Walsh High School band member acts out a stabbing during a “sacrifice” on an altar.

Mock Sacrifice In Casper Marching Band Routine Draws Outrage From Parents

A controversial marching band performance that included acting out a sacrificial stabbing on an altar was the target of praise and outrage from local parents at a Monday meeting of the Natrona County School District Board of Education.

Dale KillingbeckOctober 29, 2024

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The American West: Cumberland Gap - Gateway to the West

Daniel Boone, with 30 axmen to assist him, blazed a trail through Cumberland Gap – the Gateway to the West. His route became known as the Wilderness Road and opened the nation to westward expansion.

James A. CrutchfieldOctober 30, 2024

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Gillette Police Claim Woman Chuckled While Trying To Frame Man For Assaulting Her

A Gillette woman faces two counts of false crime reporting on claims that she tried to frame a male friend for stabbing and beating her. Gillette police say she chuckled while making a 911 report.

Clair McFarlandOctober 29, 2024

These giant skeletons in front of a house on 9th Street don't seem to mind the snow falling in Casper on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024.

Wyoming Weather: Expect Halloween To Be Bone-Chilling And Breezy

The forecast for Halloween isn't too scary, although temperatures after sunset will be in the 20s and 30s once trick-or-treating starts. There also will be mild breezes and a low chance of witch-melting precipitation.

Andrew RossiOctober 29, 2024

The Sheridan County School District No. 2 administration building at 201 N. Connor St. in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Judge: Sheridan School Board Violated Man's Speech Rights During Mask Debate  

The Sheridan County School District Board chair wouldn’t allow a local man to criticize the superintendent over masking at a 2022 public meeting. A federal judge ruled last week that the man’s free speech rights were violated.

Clair McFarlandOctober 29, 2024

Jakob Klinger appears left on a video screen, in Casper Circuit Court Monday. He is charged with three counts of driving while under the influence with serious bodily injury.

Police Say Casper Man Was Drunk When He Plowed Into Car With Teens

A 23-year-old Casper, Wyoming, man faces three felony charges after police say he ran a stop sign while drunk Sunday night and hit a car with three teens. All three were injured as was the man’s mother in his pickup.

Dale KillingbeckOctober 29, 2024

This 150-megawatt solar farm along the South Greeley Highway south of Cheyenne is owned by Atlanta-based Southern Co. and is close to supplying Black Hills Energy with power. It's also in the middle of Wyoming's Hail Alley.

Legislature Won’t Restrict Utilities Condemning Land For Green Energy Projects

A committee of the Wyoming Legislature has rejected two bills that would have restricted the use of eminent domain to acquire land for carbon capture, wind and solar projects.

Leo WolfsonOctober 29, 2024

Rod miller headshot scaled

Rod Miller: Will The Freedom Caucus Lead The Charge For Government Transparency?

Rod Miller writes, "Maybe this is where the Wyoming Freedom Caucus proves its worthiness of the trust the voters have placed in them. If the Freedom Caucus’ campaign rhetoric about openness and transparency in government is not just a bunch of hot air, they’ll lead this charge."

Rod MillerOctober 29, 2024

Grizzly 104 predated Grizzly 399 as Wyoming’s most famous bear, until she was struck and killed by a vehicle in 2001. A taxidermy mount of her is on display at the Draper Natural History Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody.

Will Grizzly 399 Be Stuffed And Displayed Like Grizzly 104?

Before the reign of Grizzly 399, Grizzly 104 was Wyoming’s most famous bear, and there was worldwide heartbreak when she was struck and killed by a vehicle in 2001. She’s been stuffed and is on display at a Cody museum.

Mark HeinzOctober 28, 2024

Daniel Cantone is a super fan of the blockbuster movie "The Hunt for Red October." He now owns the Red October, the title Soviet attack submarine featured in the movie — at least an 11-foot model used to make the film. He's pictured here with his son, Thomas.

Powell Man Buys Model Submarine Used In The Hunt For Red October

A Powell man got into a bidding war in an online auction but was ultimately successful in purchasing the 11-foot model of the Red October used in the 1990 blockbuster movie “The Hunt For Red October." He also purchased a model of the Soviet submarine and another prop used in the movie.

Andrew RossiOctober 28, 2024

State Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, left, and state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, R-Cheyenne.

Legislators Fight Over Property Tax Relief Ahead Of Next Week’s Election

Legislators are fighting over a constitutional amendment that could lower property taxes for homeowners in Wyoming. Some argue Amendment A on next week’s ballot also opens the door for tax increases, if passed.

Leo WolfsonOctober 29, 2024

Traffic drives through a Wyoming snowstorm on Interstate 80.

Blast Of Winter Will Dump Several Inches Of Snow Across Parts Of Wyoming This Week

The latest weather system will diagonally slice from southwest to northeast Wyoming beginning Monday night. The blast of winter weather will dump several inches of snow across parts of the state this week.

Andrew RossiOctober 28, 2024

A home for sale in Cheyenne.

Wyoming Home Sales Strong Despite National Trend Approaching 30-Year Low

Wyoming overall is bucking a national trend that’s approaching a 30-year low for home sales. Casper and Jackson continue to see strong sales data, while cities like Cheyenne and Sheridan have seen some cooling in the marketplace.

Renée JeanOctober 28, 2024

The entrance to the 15-acre corn maze at Gallagher Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Clark, Wyoming.

Electric Fence To Keep Grizzlies Out Installed At Popular Wyoming Corn Maze

As grizzly bears expand their range, corn fields are too much for some hungry bears to resist. That’s why a popular corn maze near Clark, Wyoming, is surrounded by a five-strand electric fence.

Mark HeinzOctober 28, 2024

In many areas of the Pack Trail and Elk fires, crews are cleaning up damage and mitigation done to fight the fires.

More Snow Coming As Large Wyoming Wildfires Close In On Containment

Another blast of snow is expected to begin Monday night as firefighters report they’re closing in on confinement of the Elk and Pack Trail fires. The Elk Fire is 82% contained and Pack Trail 78% confined.

Greg JohnsonOctober 28, 2024

First-year University of Wyoming head football coach Jay Sawvel.

UW Football Coach Sawvel Reprimanded For Calling Referees Horsesh*t

University of Wyoming football coach Jay Sawvel was reprimanded Sunday after calling the referees officiating UW games this season horsesh*t. He also called his coaching horsesh*t in describing his 1 - 7 start.

Leo WolfsonOctober 28, 2024

Albany County, Wyoming.

Wheatland Men Accused Of Stealing Valuable Boulders From Albany County Ruby Mine

Two men who were recently living in Wheatland, Wyoming, are facing felony theft charges on claims they stole boulders from an Albany County ruby mining claim. The large rocks could contain rubies each worth up to $4,000. 

Clair McFarlandOctober 28, 2024

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Quick-Acting Staffers Save Moorcroft Student Who Overdosed At Volleyball Game

A Moorcroft Secondary School student who stopped breathing after a drug overdose at an Oct. 4 volleyball game was rescued by nurses and staffers. They used a swift dose of Narcan, the principal told Cowboy State Daily on Monday. 

Clair McFarlandOctober 28, 2024

Donald Detimore

Supreme Court Rules Child Molester Can't Bash Child Victim At Trial

A Wyoming district court judge was right to not allow a molester to raise allegations of unrelated sexual misconduct against his child victim at trial, the Wyoming Supreme Court says in a Friday ruling.

Clair McFarlandOctober 28, 2024

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The American West: The Strange Case of Nat Rasper’s Skull

Browns Park was a lawless place where outlaws came and went as they pleased. Raids by the law rarely reduced the supply of rustlers, murderers, and robbers in that harsh environment. Only after a telephone line connected the area with Rock Springs did the outlaw period come to an end.

Terry A. Del BeneOctober 28, 2024

Bison in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone To Remove 1,375 Bison, But Some Say It Should Be More, Not Less

Yellowstone will remove 1,375 bison through its Interagency Bison Management Plan. It's part of an ongoing effort to limit bison numbers that some say is driven by political pressure, and that the park should have more bison, not less.

Andrew RossiOctober 27, 2024

The final flight of the Yankee Lady over her home airport before the B-17's final cross-country flight, including over Wyoming.

Famous Yankee Lady B-17 Bomber Makes Final Flight Over Wyoming

The Yankee Lady, a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress, made her final flight across the West and Wyoming this past week. It was emotional for fans of the famous bomber, which was featured in the movie “Tora! Tora! Tora!”

Jackie DorothyOctober 27, 2024

With a huge wildfire season in Wyoming this year, one question people ask is why isn't cloud seeding used to induce rain and snow to fall on the fires. The simple answer is you have to have clouds to do that.

Why Couldn't Wyoming Wildfires Be Put Out By Cloud Seeding?

With almost a million acres of land burned up in Wyoming this year by wildfire, why not use cloud seeding to help? For cloud seeding to even have a chance, a cloud is needed -- something Wyoming hasn't had much of lately.

Renée JeanOctober 27, 2024

Mike Hennessy during a trip to Cheyenne, left, and the old storefront that used to be home to his great-great-granfather's grocery store.

History Come Alive: San Diego Man Discovers Documents About 140-Year-Old Cheyenne Building

A San Diego Man found a treasure trove of documents about a 140-year-old Cheyenne building. His great-great-grandfather ran a grocery store there that's now Bohemian Metals.

Renée JeanOctober 27, 2024

Weatherman Daryl Orr experiencing high winds in a live shot on Denver's Channel 7

Cheyenne Man’s Midlife Career Change: From TV Reporter To Truck Driver

When longtime Denver TV reporter Daryl Orr lost his job unexpectedly in midlife, he wasn’t worried — until everyone kept telling him he was overqualified. So the Cheyenne man decided to do something completely different: become a truck driver (and he loves it).

Renée JeanOctober 27, 2024

The Sweetwater County Library in Wyoming was built in 1979 on the site of a former cemetery. It was discovered during construction that not all the graves were reinterred up the hill at the new cemetery. Many of the library staff and patrons have witnessed unexplained occurrences that they believe are related to the disturbed graves of Green River’s former residents.

Haunted Wyoming: Sweetwater County Library Built On Pioneer Graves And Were Not Moved

If it sounds like the movie Poltergeist, there are similarities. The Sweetwater County Library was built on an old cemetery and the graves were supposed to have been moved. But not all of them were.

Jackie DorothyOctober 27, 2024

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Wyoming Rewind: Ten Sleep Hill Climb Was 100 MPH Of 2-Lane Road With No Guardrails

For 20 years, the Ten Sleep Hill Climb drew thousands of people to watch driver race up old Highway 16. It was a steep, dangerous race at more than 100 mph on a winding, two-lane road with no guardrails.

Jackie DorothyOctober 27, 2024

Members of the "Old Farts Society" Chuck Butler, George Dunlap and the group's oldest member, 90-year-old Bill Todd, get together at The Local in Gillette weekdays at 8 a.m. to solve the problems of the world.

Wyoming Coffee Klatch: Gillette’s Old Farts Talk Energy, Trump And “Ridiculous” Tax

At a meeting of the Gillette Old Farts Society coffee klatch earlier this week, one member said, "We're all a bunch of rednecks, and we think you should get to keep what you earn. So, if you work your butt off and earn money, you should get to keep it.”

Jen KocherOctober 27, 2024

The White Devil was a ghostly white stallion in the 1800s who protected his herds of wild mustangs against the cowboys who attempted to rope them. It is said that this spectral horse still roams the Rattlesnake Range above Casper, Wyoming.

Haunted Wyoming: White Devil, The Spectral Horse That Protects Wild Mustangs

The White Devil was a ghostly white stallion in the 1800s who protected his herds of wild mustangs against the cowboys who attempted to rope them. It's said that this spectral horse still roams the Rattlesnake Range above Casper, Wyoming.

Jackie DorothyOctober 27, 2024

Daily Features

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PinYour Wyoming Sunrise: Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Today's Wyoming sunrise was captured by Tyler Maxfield. Tyler writes, "Big Piney sunrise on October 29, 2024."

Photo by Tyler Maxfield

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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Dave Simpson: Where's The Pony In The Pile?

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "What could a President Harris do to top the cabinet appointments of Joe Biden? I'm thinking that bald guy with the red lipstick who steals suitcases from airport luggage carousels would be  a shoo-in for Secretary of Transportation."

Dave SimpsonOctober 28, 2024

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Cassie Craven:  Our Citizens Killing Themselves Is Worth The ‘Uprising’

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “Reading Susan Stubson’s column reminded me of a recent JD Vance interview, in which he said candidly, ‘Do you hear yourself Martha?’ We rank third in the nation for suicide – but that is not worthy of an ‘uprising’?”

Cassie CravenOctober 27, 2024

Rod miller headshot scaled

Rod Miller: Drugstore Cowboys in Westonistan

Columnist Rod Miller writes: "Will the commissars of Westonistan decide that their new borders, and the rich Ivermectin deposits within them, aren’t adequately protected by law enforcement and the military based in Cheyenne? Will they decide to raise a standing army of their own to do the job?"

Rod MillerOctober 27, 2024

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