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The site about 20 miles southwest of Green River could produce 6 million tons of soda ash and sodium bicarbonate a year.

Turkish Company Offers $285 Million To Buy Interest In Huge Wyoming Trona Mine

Sisecam, a Turkish company, is offering $285 million to buy out a minority stake in one of Wyoming’s huge new trona mines.

Renée JeanDecember 02, 2024

The Selfie Control Instagram filter from the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board tells people when they're too close to take photos of wildlife.

App Aims To Keep Tourists From Getting Mauled When Taking Selfies With Wildlife

The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board is trying to keep tourists in Wyoming from getting gored and mauled by wildlife. Its Selfie Control Instagram app tells people when they’re too close for photos.

Mark HeinzDecember 02, 2024

Paul Montoya

Former Laramie Council Hopeful Pleads To Sabotaging Wyoming Public Radio Equipment

Former Laramie City Council candidate Paul Montoya has pleaded no contest to sabotaging Wyoming Public Radio equipment. He maintains his innocence, telling Cowboy State Daily on Monday the charges weren’t “worth the time and expense” to bring.

Leo WolfsonDecember 03, 2024

Work on the new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Cody, Wyoming, continues Dec. 2, 2024. It includes setting up electrical service for the site.

Bird, Not Controversial New LDS Temple, To Blame For Cody Power Outages

A flurry of angry social media posts say construction of a controversial new LDS temple caused a series of power outages in Cody on Sunday and Monday. But they’re wrong. The city says a bird fried by a power line is to blame.

Leo WolfsonDecember 02, 2024

After repeated promises he wouldn't pardon his son Hunter, President Joe Biden did just that Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, when he gave his son a blanket pardon for anything he has or may have done for a more than 10-year period.

Hageman Slams Biden For Pardoning His Son After Repeated Promises He Wouldn’t

Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman slammed President Joe Biden for unconditionally pardoning his son Hunter Biden on federal gun and tax evasion charges Sunday. Biden had repeatedly insisted he wouldn't.

Leo WolfsonDecember 02, 2024

Terrence Paul Jenkins

Wyoming Man Agrees To Plead Guilty To Trying To Kidnap Teen Girl

A man from St. Stephens, Wyoming, has agreed to plead guilty to trying to kidnap a teen girl from a Riverton movie theater in 2022. The girl managed to fight Terrence Jenkins off even after he held a knife to her neck, court documents say.

Clair McFarlandDecember 02, 2024

The Colorado State University volleyball team celebrates its Mountain West Conference championship win over San Jose State University, which has been targeted for controversy this season over a transgender player.

Colorado State Beats Team With Trans Player To Win MWC Volleyball Championship

After months of controversy surrounding a transgender player on its team, San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball squad lost to Colorado State University in the Mountain West Conference championship Saturday.

Clair McFarlandDecember 02, 2024

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Critics Say Unchecked Traps Killing Wyoming Mountain Lions, Pets

Some claim traps should be checked more often to save pets and wildlife that get caught in them. But one experienced trapper says they already do that, and freeing a mistakenly trapped grizzly isn’t a DIY job.

Mark HeinzDecember 01, 2024

Slim Coats and Oscar Taylor race in the whitewater race through the Wind River Canyon.

That Time Boaters Famously Rode The Dangerous Wind River Rapids In Rowboats

From 1948 to 1951, the Wind River Canyon White Water race was the most dangerous — and famous — river race in America. The Wyoming Memorial Day event featured racers navigating the rapids and rocks in rowboats.

Jackie DorothyDecember 01, 2024

The Angel Studios movie on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who became a spy and was arrested by the Nazis is in theaters nationally this past week. One of the producers of the film is Pinedale’s John Scanlon.

Pinedale Man A Producer For New Nazi Spy Movie “Bonhoeffer”

Pinedale resident John Scanlon's 12-year project as a producer in the new movie “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin." was released this past weekend and enjoys a soaring 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The historical thriller tells the story of a pastor who stood up to the Nazis during the Third Reich.

Dale KillingbeckDecember 01, 2024

Gideon Land Developer's Rob Rule.

Controversial Montana Land Developer Has A New Big Project, But No Land

After a failed luxury community project, Robert Rule is back pitching a grandiose Montana land development. This time, he wants to build a community for veterans, but the controversial developer has just one problem — he has no land.

David MadisonDecember 01, 2024

A hunter killed a cow elk in southeast Colorado last week and discovered these bizarre deformities to the animal’s hooves. He’s not certain what caused the weird growth, but it seems to mirror the effects of an elk hoof disease that’s been spreading in Washington State.

Hunter Baffled By Elk’s Weirdly Deformed Hooves

A Colorado hunter killed a cow elk last week that looked normal and healthy — except for some weirdly deformed hooves. Biologists say the elk is not a mutant, but the bizarre hoof deformities mirror the effects of an elk disease that’s spreading in other states.

Mark HeinzDecember 01, 2024

Matt Bortz, a paleontologist and curator of fossils at the Duke Lemur Center’s Museum of Natural History, shows the skeleton of Metacheiromys, a relative of modern pangolins that lived in southwest Wyoming during the Eocene Period.

Why Duke University's Lemur Center Travels To Wyoming Every Summer

Scientists from the Duke Lemur Center at Duke University come out to Wyoming every summer to find fossils from the earliest ancestors of modern-day lemurs and primates. They say the Bridger Basin is the Madagascar of the Eocene Period.

Andrew RossiDecember 01, 2024

E.C. Waters fleeced rich Yellowstone visitors by price-gouging them for trips across Yellowstone Lake on one of his ships.

Yellowstone Outlaw E.C. Waters Ripped Off Rich Visitors, Ran A Zoo Of Horrors

One of Wyoming’s most notorious and ruthless outlaws was E.C. Waters, who fleeced rich Yellowstone visitors and abused animals. At one point, the animals in his Dot Island “zoo” were so hungry they were eating each other.

Greg JohnsonDecember 01, 2024

Montana bareback rider Azreal "Bad Azz" Lara, 16, won the Junior World Finals Barback Riding Championships in 2023 and is back in Las Vegas this week to defend his title.

16-Year-Old Montana Bareback Champ Azreal Lara To Defend Title At Junior World Finals

Azreal “Bad Azz” Lara is ready to defend his 2023 Junior World Finals Bareback Championship this coming week in Las Vegas. The Montana 16-year-old has a simple secret to great 8-second rides: “I don’t like getting bucked off.”

Anna-Louise Jackson for Cowboy State DailyDecember 01, 2024

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The American West: Henry Rowe Schoolcraft And His Search For The Mississippi

Henry Schoolcraft mounted a small expedition to search for the headwaters of the Mississippi River, hoping to succeed where several explorers before him had failed. With additional orders to visit as many tribes as he could, he set out on a journey that would forever link his name with the river.

James A. CrutchfieldDecember 01, 2024

Pictured on the right is Jim Harrower, his daughter Jean, and son Jim Jr. Not pictured is his wife Alice and his youngest son, Bob, with the only real outside contact being the few ranches that existed in the area. A great kinship developed between the Harrower family and the surrounding ranch families as they relied on each other for such things as medical care and companionship.

Legacy Of 1920s Wyoming Park Rancher: Mountain Peaks, Red Desert Elk Herds, Mountain Man Museum

With his intimate knowledge of Wyoming trails, Jim Harrower lobbied to protect the Oregon Trail, immigrant graves and South Pass City. He helped found the Rendezvous pageant and the Museum of the Mountain Man, both in Pinedale.

Jackie DorothyDecember 01, 2024

Rod miller headshot scaled

Rod Miller: Mutton Conductin’ in the Cowboy State

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Coyotes are the reason Dad finally got out of the sheep business. He tried everything to keep them from murdering our sheep. He even bought a helicopter to hunt coyotes and that didn’t even make a dent. Coyotes are smart as hell, and they just kept out-thinking us."

Rod MillerDecember 01, 2024

Cassie craven 8 22 24

Cassie Craven:  Did You Talk About Politics At The Turkey Table?

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “I asked my soon-to-be 9 year old, what I should write a column about this week. She thought for a moment and said, if you could tell Jesus something what would you say? Well, I would tell him thank you."

Cassie CravenDecember 01, 2024

Donner summit 11 30 24

The American West: When Luke Halloran Was "Rescued" by America’s Most Famous Cannibals

Feverish and too weak to travel, Luke Halloran was abandoned on the trail and left alone to die. But his luck seemed to have changed as he was rescued by some strangers. Their names: George and Tamsen Donner.

Terry A. Del BeneNovember 30, 2024

Turkeys and livestock guard dogs follow Corinna around at Schadey's Acres as she prepares to lay down a line of grains for the birds to eat.

Life On The Farm: Raising Turkeys and Yaks In Albany County, Wyoming

When Michigan HOA rules wouldn't allow Corinna and Patrick Schade to grow at least some of their food, they moved to Wyoming. Now they've raised more than 350 heritage turkeys alongside a growing herd of yaks in Albany County.

Renée JeanNovember 30, 2024

Archaeologists isolating and excavaing an articulated series of vertebrae from a mammoth found at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir near Cody in April 2018.

Cody's Prehistoric Mammoth Was A Big Discovery — And A Federal Crime Scene

The discovery of a mammoth at Buffalo Bill Reservoir in April 2018 was a big deal for Cody. It also became the focus of a federal investigation when it was discovered the mammoth was found on federal land — after it was already dug up.

Andrew RossiNovember 30, 2024

Tate, Mike Miller's 3-year-old herding dog, was happy as all get-out herding sheep through Gillette on Saturday.

Wyoming Lamb Industry Is Losing To Australia, Which Has 70% Of The U.S. Market

The Wyoming Sheep Industry is facing stiff competition, with 70% of America’s lamb and sheep meat imported from Australia and New Zealand. Wyoming sheep herders are selling direct to consumers to try and gain market share.

Jackie DorothyNovember 30, 2024

This opossum showed up last week in a garage in Pine Bluffs. Opossums aren’t known to permanently occupy Wyoming, but they might occasionally wander in from Nebraska.

Wyoming Isn't Known For Having Opossums But It's Got At Least One

Wyoming doesn’t have a known wild opossum population, but that could change as two neighboring states have them -- Nebraska and Colorado. One showed up in Pine Bluffs last week and seems to have a fondness for cat food.

Mark HeinzNovember 30, 2024

Sheridan native Buzz Wiggins invented the Aeflo system, which allows people to carbonate their water on the go.

Sheridan Native’s Portable Water Carbonizer Taking The Beverage World By Storm

Although other water carbonizers exist, what has made Buzz Wiggins' invention successful is the portability of it. If someone wants to carbonize their water 10 miles into the backcountry they can do that. If they decide they want to carbonate their water at the office, they can do that too. 

Leo WolfsonNovember 30, 2024

Climbing on cliffs over the ocean in Italy.

Car Crash Derails Wyoming Athlete’s Quest To Sail 7 Seas And Climb 7 Summits

Sara Hastreiter had set a goal to become the only female, and only the second human ever, to sail all seven seas and to climb all seven summits. She was more than halfway there when a serious car crash derailed her efforts.

Jackie DorothyNovember 30, 2024

Alea West tends bar at the Lamp Lounge in Cheyenne. She says that while she relies on tips, she thinks the "tipping culture" trend has gone too far.

Tipping In Wyoming: Even Some Bartenders Are Saying It's Out Of Control

According to one poll, 72% of U.S. adults feel that tipping is expected in a lot more places today than five years ago. And while most are fine with tipping in a sit-down restaurant or a bar, only a fraction believe tipping in a coffee shop or a fast food joint is OK.

Renée JeanNovember 30, 2024

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Josh Allen Announces Engagement To Actress Hailee Steinfeld

Former University of Wyoming and current NFL superstar Josh Allen has proposed to actress and pop singer Hailee Steinfeld. He announced their engagement Friday in an Instagram post of the proposal.

Greg JohnsonNovember 30, 2024

Ryder Tillard and Allen Woodard play Fortnite as elite players for the esports team at Eastern Wyoming College. They'll play for the national college championship Dec. 9, 2024.

Eastern Wyoming College One Of 8 Teams In National Fortnite Tournament

Within a year, Eastern Wyoming College’s esports team has become one of the best in the nation, earning a top seed at next month’s national Fortnite championiship. Teammate Ryder Tillard is among the best Fortnite players in the world.

Andrew RossiNovember 30, 2024

Ranch A was once owned by a the Annenberg family and only the elite of the Black Hills were allowed on the property. Today, it is owned by the state of Wyoming and is available for rent for weddings and events.

Once The Playground Of The Rich, Wyoming’s Ranch A Makes A Comeback

Ranch A, located just south of Beulah, was founded by media mogul Moses Annenberg and became the center for the rich and elite. Years of opulence were followed by shady politics, eventually resulting in the once luxurious lodge falling into disrepair. But it's made a big comeback.

Jackie DorothyNovember 29, 2024

Brian Hunter spent more than two months in 2013 running across Mongolia in an effort to raise funds for street kids and orphans in the nation’s capital.

Wyoming Pastor’s Epic 1,500-Mile Run Across Mongolia Could Become A Movie

Teton County Pastor Brian Hunter ran 1,500 miles across Mongolia to spotlight the nation’s abandoned and forgotten orphans. Now that epic quest could become a documentary movie.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 29, 2024

Many national polls got it very wrong — again — in guaging the results of the presidential election.

Ego And Bias: Pollster Explains How National Polls Got The Election Wrong — Again

Most national polls were wrong — again — in this year’s presidential election. A national political pollster told Cowboy State Daily that ego and bias are why many just can’t seem to get it right.

Leo WolfsonNovember 29, 2024

The Wyoming Capital in Cheyenne, left, and Lander's famous main street.

How Lander Nearly Became Wyoming’s Capital City

Wyoming voters were asked to decide in 1904 if Cheyenne should remain the state capital city, or if it should move to another city. Although Cheyenne won that vote, Lander came close.

Leo WolfsonNovember 29, 2024

Daily Features

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PinYour Wyoming Sunrise: Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Today's Wyoming sunrise was captured by Dan Gay. Dan writes, "This photo was taken west of Lake DeSmet, Buffalo Wy. I enjoy reading my daily cowboy news."

Photo by Dan Gay

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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Rod miller headshot scaled

Rod Miller: Mutton Conductin’ in the Cowboy State

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Coyotes are the reason Dad finally got out of the sheep business. He tried everything to keep them from murdering our sheep. He even bought a helicopter to hunt coyotes and that didn’t even make a dent. Coyotes are smart as hell, and they just kept out-thinking us."

Rod MillerDecember 01, 2024

Cassie craven 8 22 24

Cassie Craven:  Did You Talk About Politics At The Turkey Table?

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “I asked my soon-to-be 9 year old, what I should write a column about this week. She thought for a moment and said, if you could tell Jesus something what would you say? Well, I would tell him thank you."

Cassie CravenDecember 01, 2024

Sniffin headshot 11 30 24

Bill Sniffin: Here’s Why Trump Will Be Successful – He Will Apply Business Principles

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Can you run government like a business? If you could, should you? I think Donald Trump is about to find out the answers to those questions and the people of America will benefit from it."

Bill SniffinNovember 30, 2024

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