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

Blood moon eclipse JG Photography via Alamy 3 1 26

How To Best Experience And Photograph Wyoming's 96% Lunar Eclipse On Thursday

A 96.2% full lunar eclipse will be visible over Wyoming on Thursday night, and most people will get to see the best of the blood-red spectacle before bedtime. Here's a full rundown of what to expect, where to see it, and how to photograph it.

Andrew RossiAugust 26, 2026

"He Can Swim!": Three-Legged Bison Amazes Fans By Swimming Yellowstone River

"Tiny Tim," a bison that's survived two winters hobbling on three legs, swam the Yellowstone River on Saturday during a 10-mile journey. “He only had one leg to pull himself out of the water, but he did it. It was phenomenal," said one photographer.

Andrew RossiAugust 25, 2026

Santa Claus and his elves entertain tourists in the towering lobby of the Old Faithful Inn in an August tradition.

Ho, Ho, Ho! They're Celebrating Christmas In Yellowstone National Park

It's August 25, and that means folks in Yellowstone are celebrating Christmas. Seasonal staff at Old Faithful Inn have been setting up trees, dressing as elves, and welcoming Santa in a 1936 Yellowstone bus for more than six decades.

Andrew RossiAugust 25, 2026

Cody LDS Temple Opens For Tours Monday So Public Can 'Feel The Spirit That's Here'

The controversial new Cody Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple opened up for public tours on Monday. The 9,950-square-foot structure will be dedicated Oct. 25, after which only LDS members in good standing will be allowed inside.

Andrew RossiAugust 24, 2026

Legend has it Thomas Edison had his "Eureka!" moment for the light bulb while fishing at Battle Lake in Carbon County, Wyoming. Nope, says a historian.

No, Thomas Edison's 'Eureka!' Light Bulb Moment Wasn't While Fishing In Wyoming

Legend has it that Thomas Edison's "Eureka!" electric light bulb moment came from a burning pole while fishing at Battle Lake in Wyoming in 1878. There's even a historical marker at the site. But Wyoming historian Phil Roberts says the story is a myth.

Andrew RossiAugust 23, 2026

Pennsylvania Couple Starts Tradition With First Brand At Wyoming Ranch Wedding

When Spencer Long and Morgan Kulik got married at the Diamond View Ranch near Powell earlier this month, they had a branding — with their own brand. The Pennsylvania couple's goal is to own ranch where horses and cattle will bear their family’s brand.

Andrew RossiAugust 23, 2026

In the month since the Cowboy State Daily told 4-year-old Charlee Lacey's story of collecting “hero patches” from first responders, she’s been flooded with hundreds of them.

First Responders Send Hundreds Of ‘Hero Patches’ To 4-Year-Old Rock Springs Girl

In the month since Cowboy State Daily told 4-year-old Charlee Lacey's story of collecting “hero patches” from first responders, she’s been flooded with hundreds of them. Her mother says there are "no words" to express how much they mean to the girl.

Andrew RossiAugust 22, 2026

When the next lunar eclipse reaches its maximum at 10:12 p.m. on Thursday, 96.2% of the moon will be covered by the Earth’s shadow. What makes it unusually striking will be its deep blood-red color, said a former Wyoming state climatologist.

"Unusual And Spectacular": Next Week's Lunar Eclipse Will Be Blood-Red And 96% Full

When the next lunar eclipse reaches its maximum at 10:12 p.m. on Thursday, 96.2% of the moon will be covered by the Earth’s shadow and blood-red. “We'll see a reddish moon with a slight sliver of silver at the edge,” one Wyoming astronomer explained.

Andrew RossiAugust 21, 2026

The intersection of Carey and Randall avenues in Cheyenee across from the Wyoming Capitol was a hot corner for political signs.

Campaign Signs Are Classified As Trash By All Of Wyoming's Municipalities

Now that Wyoming’s primary election has come and gone, the innumerable campaign signs that popped up over the last year are starting to disappear. Although they could be re-used for many things, they are classified as trash by all Wyoming municipalities.

Andrew RossiAugust 21, 2026

Herd Of Wandering, Hungry Cattle Doesn’t Care Grazing Is Banned At Yellowstone

A herd of cattle inadvertently broke into Yellowstone National Park earlier this week, grazing where no cattle have grazed for more than 120 years. That’s because the park has banned issuing grazing permits in Yellowstone.

Andrew RossiAugust 19, 2026

Denise Yelton and Todd Beaver were enjoying the Needles Highway in South Dakota’s Custer State Park when they saw a motorhome get stuck try to squeeze through the 8.4-foot-wide Needles Eye Tunnel.

RV Driver Tries To Scrape Through South Dakota Needles Eye Tunnel, Gets Stuck

A couple was videotaping the Needles Eye Tunnel in South Dakota’s Custer State Park on Friday when a motorhome tried to thread the narrow opening and became stuck. "I think he just thought he could get through," they said.

Andrew RossiAugust 17, 2026

Crews work to pull an overturned truck out of the water along a roadway in Yellowstone's Hayden Valley.

Truck Veers Off Road, Lands Upside Down In A Creek In Yellowstone's Hayden Valley

A Ford F-150 was recovered by a giant crane in Yellowstone National Park after it veered off the road and landed upside down in a creek in the Hayden Valley on Sunday. "The cab was at least partially submerged by the time we got over there," said a witness.

Andrew RossiAugust 17, 2026

Other Authors

Lindsay Woods reunites with fellow rider Jarissa Sabal on Day Nine of the 2026 Mongol Derby. Sabal, who Woods said was "her best friend," had been separated for the entire race until they rode across the finish line together.

Wyoming Woman's 620-Mile Mongol Derby Quest Ends Unconscious In A River

Lindsay Woods of Jackson was poised to win the grueling 620-mile Mongol Derby but heatstroke and food poisoning left her unconscious in a river, ending her bid on the remote Mongolian Steppe, "I really could have won it," she says.

Andrew RossiAugust 17, 2026

A slew of 55 million-year-old fossils from Earth’s earliest primates have been discovered in southwestern Wyoming, offering new insights into the evolution of humanity’s sap-sucking ancestors. The tiny primates were around the size of a mouse lemur.

"Something Strange Going On": 55 Million-Year-Old Primate Fossils Found In SW Wyoming

A slew of fossils from Earth's earliest primates have been discovered in southwestern Wyoming. Scientists say the tiny primate fossils, around the size of a mouse lemur, is evidence something strange was going on in Sweetwater County 55 million years ago.

Andrew RossiAugust 16, 2026

South Dakota Grandfather Identified As Man Killed In Multi-Vehicle Wreck Near Yellowstone

Terry Zaske, a grandfather from South Dakota, has been identified as the motorcyclist killed in a multi-vehicle wreck near Wapiti on Wednesday. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says the driver of a pickup truck caused the six-vehicle accident.

Andrew RossiAugust 14, 2026

Hundreds of people gathered at the Christ Episcopal Church in Cody on Friday to mourn and celebrate Ann Simpson, who died on July 31.

'Grace Personified': Hundreds Celebrate 'Idyllic Life' Of Ann Simpson In Cody

Ann Simpson was remembered by family members Friday as a "grace giver" who lived a "an idyllic life" in the Bighorn Basin. Hundreds gathered at the Christ Episcopal Church in Cody to celebrate Simpson, wife of the late Sen. Al Simpson for 72 years.

Andrew RossiAugust 14, 2026

Screenshot of a lightning strike that came within 50-feet of two South Dakota Highway Patrolman on Wednesday.

South Dakota Troopers Nearly Struck By Lightning While On Manhunt

Two South Dakota Highway Patrol troopers were nearly struck by lightning while on a manhunt Wednesday evening. Body cam video captured the lightning strike followed an immediate yell. "That's one way to light up a manhunt," the patrol said.

Andrew RossiAugust 13, 2026

A dimwitted tourist shared a video of himself illegally perched above the 109-foot-tall summit of the Upper Falls of the Grand Canyon in Yellowstone.

Dimwitted Tourist Illegally Climbs Yellowstone's Upper Falls, Brags About 'Risky View'

A dimwitted tourist posted a video of himself illegally climbing above the Upper Falls of the Grand Canyon in Yellowstone earlier this week. He bragged about the "risky view" and how it gave him adrenaline. The Instagram post could result in charges.

Andrew RossiAugust 13, 2026

A multi-vehicle accident between Cody and Yellowstone National Park involving multiple motorcycles on Wednesday morning resulted in one confirmed fatality and five serious injuries, the Wyoming Highway Patrol tells Cowboy State Daily.

UPDATE: Fatality Reported In Crash Involving Four Motorcycles, WYDOT Truck Near Cody

An accident involving multiple motorcycles and a WYDOT truck has resulted in at least one fatality and serious injuries on U.S. Highway 14-16-20 near Cody. "I counted at least three bodies that I could see lying on the ground, not moving," one witness said.

Andrew RossiAugust 12, 2026

Yellowstone Tourists Watch As Rangers Use Kitchen Knives To Dismember Bison

A crowd gathered in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley on Monday as three rangers used kitchen knives to dismember a bison carcass. "They opened up her belly and backside to expose more flesh and blood for the predators to smell," one tour guide said.

Andrew RossiAugust 11, 2026

A new culvert being installed under the Brooks Lake Road in Shoshone National Forest. A July 22 mudslide filled the old culvert with 10 feet of mud, which Wind River Ranger District Jeff von Kienast described as "the consistency of wet cement" with boulders as big as vehicles.

After 18 Days, Road To Brooks Lake Lodge Finally Reopened After Massive Mudslide

The road to Brooks Lake Lodge and campgrounds has reopened after an 18-day closure due to a massive slide that covered the road with 10 feet of mud, trees and boulders. The Wind River Ranger District shuttled guests to the lodge during the closure.

Andrew RossiAugust 11, 2026