Features Reporter

Andrew Rossi

Andrew Rossi is a features reporter for Cowboy State Daily based in northwest Wyoming. He covers everything from horrible weather and giant pumpkins to dinosaurs, astronomy, and the eccentricities of Yellowstone National Park.

Previously, Rossi was the News Director for Big Horn Basin Media in Cody. He earned several awards from the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters, including multiple awards for Best News Reporter and Best News Talk Show.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Rossi previously worked at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis. He has collaborated with Disney/Pixar, the BBC, The Washington Post, the Wyoming Office of Tourism, and several other national and international media outlets. He is also a cofounder of The Cody Theatre Company in Cody.

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Latest from Andrew Rossi

The Liberty Bell in the courtyard of the Campbell County Courthouse. The bell is made of wood, chicken wire, and papier-mâché on a wooden frame, and nobody knew how it got there until Gillette Main Street admitted that it was a gift for America's 250th anniversary.

Mysterious Liberty Bell Appears Outside Campbell County Courthouse

A Liberty Bell mysteriously appeared next to the Campbell County Courthouse in Gillette, and, for days, no one knew how it got there. "Nobody seemed to know where it came from, but we think it's a delight," said one Campbell County employee.

Andrew RossiOctober 01, 2026

Screenshot of Evie the horse living with bison in Yellowstone

A Horse Is Living With Bison In Yellowstone And Is Not Interested In Coming Home

A 6-year-old horse named Evie has taken up with a herd of bison in Yellowstone since July. The Park Service wants her evicted before winter and her owner wants her back, but the horse has resisted all attempts to wrangle her. "She's not interested in being captured," one photographer said.

Andrew RossiSeptember 30, 2026

Alpine Fire Rescues Man In Mud, Reunites Him With Prosthetic Leg

A Utah man's side-by-side — and prosthetic leg — were rescued from thick mud in Palisades Reservoir on Monday by Alpine firefighters. "He was beached on top of his side-by-side with one leg," said Alpine Fire Chief Mike Vogt.

Andrew RossiSeptember 29, 2026

A rendering of a permanent roundabout at the intersection of the intersection of Greys River Road and U.S. Highway 89 from 2023. A permanent roundabout would be much bigger and more expensive than the temporary demonstration.

'Hate And Discontent': Alpine's Temporary Roundabout Lambasted By Critics

Alpine Mayor Eric Green says he knew he would get pushback over the temporary roundabout demonstration in the community but didn't anticipate the intense wave of vitriol. "I never thought people would show so much negativity towards roundabouts," he said.

Andrew RossiSeptember 29, 2026

A 1,551-pound pumpkin explodes after it's dropped from 200 feet in the air onto an inflatable pool Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at the Wyoming State Weigh-Off and Pumpkin Drop in Worland.

The Pumpkin Drop Is Back! 1,551-Pound Pumpkin Dropped From 200-Foot Crane Explodes

A tradition unlike any other. A 1,551-pound pumpkin led the way in getting dropped from a 200-foot crane in Worland on Saturday afternoon to the delight of a cheering crowd. More than five tons of pumpkins exploded at the annual Wyoming Pumpkin Drop.

Andrew RossiSeptember 27, 2026

Cliff Linster, the man who found the type specimen of Wyoteuthis linsterorum near Ten Sleep. The new species of Jurassic squid was named in honor of Cliff, who passed away in June 2026, and his family.

Wyoming's Newest Fossils Are Chunky Jurassic Squids And Named After Ten Sleep Man

Wyoming's newest fossils are chunky 160-million-year-old squids found in northern Wyoming and named after Cliff Linster of Ten Sleep, who discovered them, and died in June. "I'm honored to have an extinct giant squid bear our family name," his son said.

Andrew RossiSeptember 26, 2026

The Zuniga family in Lander turns heads everywhere they go when walking their 6-month-old pet fox Scrappy, who’s a hyperactive attention hog that loves to be petted.

Meet Scrappy, Lander Family’s Hyperactive Pet Red Fox Who’s An Attention Hog

Lander resident Adrian Zuniga turns heads everywhere he goes when walking his 6-month-old pet red fox Scrappy, who’s a hyperactive attention hog that loves to be petted. And yes, it’s legal to have a fox as a pet in Wyoming — if your county allows it.

Andrew RossiSeptember 25, 2026

Beartooth Highway To Close For Season Oct. 13 — If Snow Doesn't Shut It First

The Beartooth Highway will close Oct. 13, though snow is likely to shut it down earlier than that, says Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day. The summit would have snow already if it weren't for the Super El Niño.

Andrew RossiSeptember 24, 2026

Visitors in Yellowstone National Park are worried about what’s wrong with “the spinning bison” in Hayden Valley. A wildlife photographer said the massive bull has "either injuries from a fight, near total blindness, neurological damage, or all the above."

Yellowstone Visitors Worried About 'Spinning Bison' As Bull Circles Endlessly In Pond

Visitors in Yellowstone are worried about what’s wrong with “the spinning bison” which is circling endlessly in a pond. A wildlife photographer said the bull has "either injuries from a fight, near total blindness, neurological damage, or all the above."

Andrew RossiSeptember 24, 2026

What's left of the wooden fence around a Cody home's backyard after a hit-and-run driver took it out just after midnight Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.

Cody Hit-And-Run Driver Demolishes Homeowner’s Fence, Hit With Felony Charge

A hit-and-run driver accused of demolishing a Cody homeowner’s wooden fence just after midnight Wednesday has been hit with a felony charge. “I could not believe the damage and amount of fence that had been destroyed,” said a neighbor.

Andrew RossiSeptember 23, 2026

Pinedale’s Tip Top Search and Rescue rescued an injured horseback rider out of a tight crevice last week using sophisticated short-haul helicopter rescue training.

Pinedale Search And Rescue Pulls Bucked Horseback Rider Out Of Tight Crevice

Pinedale’s Tip Top Search and Rescue rescued an injured horseback rider out of a tight crevice recently using sophisticated short-haul helicopter rescue training. The man became wedged after his horse bucked him near Mount Darby in Sublette County.

Andrew RossiSeptember 22, 2026

"Valley of the Giants: Romans 15:13," an oil painting by Thomas Kegler, on the runway of the 45th Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale. Kegler's painting, which won the 2026 Spirit of Buffalo Bill and People's Choice Awards, sold for $22,500.

Top 11 Selling Art From Cody's $1 Million Buffalo Bill Art Show And Sale

Here are the top 11 highest-selling pieces at the 45th Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in Cody over the weekend where more than $1 million was raised. “Every year’s different, but it’s always glorious,” said Katelyn Parker, the director of the show.

Andrew RossiSeptember 21, 2026

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The rugged Morrison Jeep Trail, which rises 6,500 feet onto the Beartooth Plateau northwest of Cody, Wyoming, has been blasted with explosives to open it for the first time in four years.

Morrison Jeep Trail Blasted To Open Its 27 Rugged Switchbacks After 4 Years Closed

The rugged Morrison Jeep Trail, which rises 6,500 feet to the Beartooth Plateau northwest of Cody, Wyoming, has been blasted with explosives to open it for the first time in four years. Hardore off-roaders seek the trail out for its 27 steep switchbacks.

Andrew RossiSeptember 20, 2026

Elk 24 goes after a car at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone in a video by the National Park Service, one of

To Protect Harem, Yellowstone's ‘King Of Mammoth’ Elk Will Fight Anything — Even Cars

Yellowstone’s huge Elk 24 — aka the “King of Mammoth” — will fight anything during the rut to protect his harem, even cars. Because other bull elk seem to avoid Mammoth, Elk 24 is usually ready to pick fights with anything and anybody in the area.

Andrew RossiSeptember 20, 2026

Auctioneer Troy Black keeps bids coming in for "High Ride," an oil painting by David Frederick Riley, during the 45th Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale.

Cody's Buffalo Bill Art Show And Sale Bidders Pony Up More Than $1M In The Dark

A city-wide power outage didn't stop bidders in this weekend’s Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale from ponying up more than $1 million during one of the nation’s premier Western art events. The biggest spender was a bidder who bought nine pieces for more than $135,000.

Andrew RossiSeptember 20, 2026

Slowly But Surely, Wyoming's Once-Stunning Aspen Alley Making A Comeback

After years in decline and die-off, the once-stunning Aspen Alley corridor in southern Wyoming’s Sierra Madre Mountains is making a comeback. Withing five years, “We'll have aspen so thick it'll be hard to walk through there,” says an area rancher.

Andrew RossiSeptember 19, 2026

Christy Risley of Spokane, Washington, was walking around Grant Village with her dog when she found a sizable — and illegal — "Hobbit hole" dug into the side of a sandy hill along Yellowstone Lake.

Nobody Knows Who Dug Out Illegal ‘Hobbit Hole’ Discovered Near Yellowstone Trail

A visitor walking her dog on a trail near Grant Village in Yellowstone discovered a sizable — and illegal — "Hobbit hole" dug into a sandy hill. "It was definitely manmade, not Bigfoot with a chainsaw," she said.

Andrew RossiSeptember 19, 2026

The "big block" containing the articulated arm and ribcage of "Rex Junior," a sub-adult Tyrannosaurus rex from the Zerbst Ranch in eastern Wyoming. This specimen, being studied at the University of Chicago's Fossil Lab, could be the best-preserved and most important T.rex specimen ever found.

Found On Newcastle Ranch, 'Rex Jr.' Could Be Most Important T. Rex Ever Discovered

"Rex Junior" is a partial but perfectly preserved Tyrannosaurus skeleton found on the Zerbst Ranch in eastern Wyoming. A paleontologist said that the "extraordinary specimen" could rewrite 100 years of knowledge about how the T. rex looked.

Andrew RossiSeptember 19, 2026

Man Dies When Car Plunges 50 Feet Into Snake River Canyon, Unnoticed For Hours

An unidentified man is dead after his vehicle drove through a guardrail and fell 50 feet from U.S. Highway 89 into Snake River Canyon on Thursday night. The vehicle was "there for a couple hours, at least," first responders told Cowboy State Daily.

Andrew RossiSeptember 18, 2026

Spooked By Grizzly, Smokey The Llama Has Gone Missing In Absaroka Range Near Cody

Smokey, a 6-year-old experienced backcountry llama, has been lost in the Absaroka Range along the South Fork of the Shoshone River near Cody since Sept. 2. He was spooked by a grizzly, and has been seen hanging out with an elk herd.

Andrew RossiSeptember 18, 2026

“What will happen in Sheridan this winter is likely going to be different than what happens in Laramie and Cheyenne," Meteorologist Don Day said.

Don Day's Winter Forecast For Wyoming: More Snow In The South, Dry In The North

Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day says El Niño will dominate the next nine months, likely bringing a lot of moisture and less wind to southern Wyoming. Meanwhile, northern Wyoming might have to endure "two bad years" of snowpack in a row.

Andrew RossiSeptember 15, 2026