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.
Latest from Andrew Rossi
![Thermal explosion and baby mammoth 7 26 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Thermal-explosion-and-baby-mammoth-7.26.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
No, A Preserved Baby Mammoth Wasn't Unearthed By Yellowstone Thermal Explosion
Not everyone got the joke Wednesday when a Wyoming satire outlet posted a fake story that a baby mammoth was unearthed when a Yellowstone thermal pool violently erupted. It’s not the first time people have been fooled by the Casper Planet.
Andrew RossiJuly 26, 2024
![Rain or shine, the show must go on. In this file photo, Kaycee Thomas from Cheyenne volunteers on the CFD Contestant Committee chasing steers out of the arena during a downpour July 26, 2023.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Cheyenne-Frontier-Days-rain-7.25.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Nothing Stops Cheyenne Frontier Days, Including Monsoons
It will take more than drenching rain expected with severe thunderstorms this weekend to do much to impact Cheyenne Frontier Days. Nothing stops the rodeo, not even the monsoon weather the area gets at this time of year.
Andrew RossiJuly 25, 2024
![Yellowstone erupt 7 24 24 v2](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/yellowstone-erupt-7-24-24-v2.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Yellowstone Volcano Scientist Says Black Diamond Eruption Was "Small," Can Get Much Bigger
Despite the intensity and size of the Black Diamond Pool eruption in Yellowstone on Tuesday, geologists categorized it as a "small" hydrothermal explosion. The scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory said they can get bigger. Much bigger.
Andrew RossiJuly 24, 2024
![Images from a video taken by the Steve and Vlada family shows a violent eruption of Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park on July 23, 2024.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Black-Diamond-Geyser-in-the-Buscuit-Basin-explodes-Vlada-March-7.23.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Violent Yellowstone Thermal Pool Eruption Explodes Boardwalk, Spews Mud And Rocks
Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park violently erupted Tuesday, sending dozens of tourists running as the boardwalk they were standing on exploded. The eruption spewed black water, mud and rocks, but no injuries were initially reported.
Andrew RossiJuly 23, 2024
![An impromptu call for people to drive by the home of a Rock Springs boy on his 10th birthday rallied more than 100 cars and motorcycles Sunday, July 21, 2024.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Birthday-drive-by-452323193_965974875325770_2248325387000444638_n-7.22.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Rock Springs Rallies With Surprise Birthday Drive-By For 10-Year-Old
When Breezy Turner asked if a few people with cool cars could drive past her house to celebrate her son's 10th birthday, more than 150 people got in their cars and on their motorcycles for an unforgettable celebration.
Andrew RossiJuly 23, 2024
![Mount Moran in Grand Teton National Park is shrouded in haze from wildfires in this file photo.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Mount-Moran-smoke-Frank-Kovalchek-Flickr-7.22.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Wyoming Has Few Widlfires Burning, But Plenty Of Smoke
Wyoming has had a quiet widlfire season so far, but is still blanketed with smoke from fires burning in Montana, Oregon and Canada. Some of that may begin to clear up later in the week.
Andrew RossiJuly 22, 2024
![A vehicle covered with dissolved silica in the Noris Geyser Basin parking lot in Yellowstone National Park. The dissolved silica is in the water erupted from the 400-foot Steamboat Geyser and left behind when the water evaporates.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Steamboat-silica-7.21.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Steamboat Geyser Erupts, Covers Cars With Millions-Year-Old Gunk
Last week, Yellowstone visitors were thrilled when they got to witness a rare eruption of Steamboat, the world's tallest geyser. Many were not that happy with the million-year-old gunk that covered their cars, however.
Andrew RossiJuly 21, 2024
![2023 Mongol Derby](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/mongol-derby-4-7-20-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Wyoming Woman To Ride 620-Mile Mongolian Derby, World’s Toughest Horse Race
Dede Anders of Powell is confident her medical and equestrian experience will help her win the grueling 620-mile Mongol Derby. Anders will embark on a 9-day ride, spending 11 hours a day in the saddle across 620 miles of Mongolia's vast, isolated wilderness.
Andrew RossiJuly 20, 2024
![Apex, a 75% complete Stegosaurus fossil, is on display at Sotheby’s in New York City prior to its auction. It fetched a record $44.6 million.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Apex-the-Stegosaurus-GettyImages-2161536009-7.20.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Record $45 Million For Stegosaurus Could Prompt Finders To Sell Rather Than Donate
Apex, a 75% complete Stegosaurus skeleton, sold for a record $44.6 million at a Sotheby's auction this week. The huge price tag could influence Wyoming ranch owners to cash-in at private auctions over donating their prehistoric finds.
Andrew RossiJuly 20, 2024
![The lemonade stand in Mentock Park on Thursday, July 18, 2024. The kids were selling lemonade for two hours before being closed down.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Cody-lemonade-stand-IMG_2398-7.19.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Cody Cops Shut Down Kids’ Lemonade Stand In City Park
A group of kids set up a lemonade stand in Mentock Park in Cody on Thursday, but within a few hours, the stand and the kids were shut down for not having a permit after someone called the Cody Police Department.
Andrew RossiJuly 19, 2024
![The Park County Animal Shelter is the only facility of its kind in northwest Wyoming, serving communities within a 100-mile radius. But it's on a path to close before the end of the year if it doesn't get more donations.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Park-County-Animal-Shelter-II2A2108-Enhanced-NR-7.19.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Without Cash, Northwest Wyoming's Only Animal Shelter Could Close In Months
The cash-strapped Park County Animal Shelter, the only one in northwest Wyoming, could only have a few months left if donations don’t pick up. While costs have increased, donations have fallen off for the shelter that serves the Bighorn Basin.
Andrew RossiJuly 19, 2024
![Bison charge 7 18 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/bison-charge-7-18-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Yellowstone Tourist Family "Not Idiots" After Trying To Avoid Charging Bison
If anyone is an authority on who qualifies as an idiot in Yellowstone, it's Jen Mignard, the founder of "Yellowstone: Invasion of the Idiots." She has officially ruled that a Long Island family who was charged by a bison are officially "not idiots" as they followed the rules.
Andrew RossiJuly 18, 2024
![Iceberg 1 7 18 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/iceberg-1-7-18-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
There's A Reason It's Called The Snowy Range, It's Stays Snowy In The Summer Too
Hikers know when they travel up to Wyoming's Snowy Range in the middle of summer that they will still see snow, "icebergs," and glaciers. "The Snowy Range is appropriately named," meteorologist Don Day said.
Andrew RossiJuly 18, 2024
![Search rescue 7 16 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/search-rescue-7-16-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Park County Search And Rescue Coordinate Five Rescues In Four Days
Between July 5 and 8, Park County Search and Rescue coordinated a slew of rescues, including some which were life-threatening. Multiple agencies and helicopters across northwest Wyoming responded to the emergencies.
Andrew RossiJuly 16, 2024
![Stockton Buck, left, and Rachel Lear are two of four Wyoming students awarded in the latest round of mikeroweWORKS Foundation scholarships.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Mike-Rowe-Stockton-Buck-and-Rachel-Lear-7.13.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Four Wyoming Students Win Mike Rowe's Work Ethic Scholarships
Four Wyoming students are among the latest round of Mike Rowe Work Ethic Scholarship winners which were announced on Thursday night. The popular “Dirty Jobs” TV host says he’s fighting a shift in society that doesn’t value hard work.
Andrew RossiJuly 13, 2024
![Vehicle getting dragged out of inactive Semi-Centennial Geyser on Friday, July 12, 2024](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/geyser-yellowstone-7-12-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Tourist Drives Car Into Acidic, Inactive Yellowstone Geyser; Five People Injured
A tourist with four passengers drove a car on Thursday into an acidic and inactive Yellowstone geyser. All five were transported to a nearby hospital. The car was completely submerged and Grand Loop Road was closed as crews worked to recover it.
Andrew RossiJuly 12, 2024
![With temperatures nearing 95 in Cheyenne on Friday, the Dairy Queen on Pershing Boulvard was a popular place. The drive-thru line stretched around the building a little afte 3 p.m.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Huge-line-at-Dairy-Queen-Unknown-7.12.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Heat Records Fall Across Wyoming, And More Could Follow
The heat wave that’s been baking much of the U.S. West is making its way into Wyoming. Several towns in the western part of the state set record highs Thursday, and more will follow as the heat moves across the Cowboy State.
Andrew RossiJuly 12, 2024
![Cody Theatre owner Ryan Fernandez stands next to the swamp cooler in the historic Cody Theatre. Despite its age, the nearly 90-year-old unit still works with only a few minor improvements needed.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Oldest-Air-Conditioner-IMG_2230-7.7.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Nearly 90 Years Old, Wyoming's First Air Conditioner Still Works
When the Cody Theatre opened on the historic Western town’s main street in 1937, one of its main attractions was being the first air-conditioned building in Wyoming. Nearly 90 years later, it's still working and is a great example of if it ain't broke, don’t fix it.
Andrew RossiJuly 07, 2024
![The mounted skeleton of Diplodocus carnegii, "the Star-Spangled Dinosaur," in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This 87-foot-long Jurassic giant from Albany County, Wyoming, was one of the first complete skeletons of a large dinosaur ever found and mounted.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Diplodocus-Andrew-IMG_1250-7.6.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
125 Years Ago, The Largest Dinosaur Of The Time Was Unearthed In Albany County
On July 3, 1899, one of the most significant paleontological discoveries occurred when a massive 87-foot skeleton of a Diplodocus was unearthed in Albany County. It was the largest dinosaur ever found at the time and sent shockwaves through the paleontological world.
Andrew RossiJuly 06, 2024
![Courtesy: Climbers light up Devils Tower on Thursday, July 4, 2024.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/devils-tower-at-night-7-6-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Climbing Devils Tower At Night Is Dark, Dangerous — And "Otherworldly"
Anyone looking toward Devils Tower after sunset on the Fourth of July might have noticed balls of light slowly ascending its sheer sides. Those were climbers wearing lights and they say, the experience at night is "otherworldly."
Andrew RossiJuly 05, 2024
![The iconic "Buffalo Bill — The Scout" sculpture at the end of Sheridan Avenue in Cody, Wyoming, depicts the town's founding father, Buffalo Bill Cody. It was rededicated Thursday, the 100th anniversary of its unveiling.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Buffalo-Bill-The-Scout-IMG_2337-7.5.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Cody's Buffalo Bill Statue Rededicated On 100th Anniversary
The iconic Buffalo Bill statue named "The Scout" was rededicated on Thursday, the 100th anniversary of its placement. Historians say the statue for the town of Cody is what the bucking horse and rider is to Wyoming or what the bald eagle is to the U.S.
Andrew RossiJuly 05, 2024