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 spring snowmelt every year in the Absaroka Range above Cody, Wyoming, reveals a truly Wyoming-appropriate phenomenon — the Ishawooa Snow Horse. The topography and rate of snowmelt reveals an amazingly clear sillhouette of a horse's head.

Forget The Calendar, Cody’s Ishawooa Snow Horse Is The True Sign Of Wyoming Summer

Every year, the snowpack in the southern stretch of the Absaroka Range melts to reveal the Ishawooa Horse's Head. Ranchers on the South Fork have looked at it as a sign of summer and they've done it for more than a century.

Andrew RossiJune 15, 2024

This solar-powered EV charging station on the 5,000-acre Red Canyon Ranch in the middle of nowhere near Lander, Wyoming, was put there as part of a test to see how EVs perform in the brutal Wyoming weather and rugged terrain.

Wyoming's Loneliest EV Chargers Sits In The Middle Of Nowhere

Many may ask why the heck someone would put a solar-powered EV charger in the middle of nowhere in central Wyoming. Turns out it's left from Rivian's testing of EV trucks in the rugged and brutal Cowboy State terrain and weather.

Andrew RossiJune 15, 2024

It’s The Middle Of June, But There’s A Winter Storm Watch Out For Yellowstone

It may be the middle of June, but Yellowstone tourists may be in for a cold dose of Wyoming weather Monday and Tuesday with a Winter Storm Watch out for the national park and Beartooth Pass.

Andrew RossiJune 14, 2024

Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

Washington Man Gets Week In Jail For Leaving Boardwalk At Steamboat Geyser

A 21-year-old Washington state man has been slapped with seven days in jail after leaving the boardwalk at Steamboat Geyser for a better photo, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. Steamboat is the world's largest active geyser.

Andrew RossiJune 13, 2024

A pair of hikers enjoy a summer hike at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in this file photo.

Weather Is Transitioning From El Niño To La Niña Which Means Hotter, Drier Conditions

Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day says weather patterns have transitioned from an El Niño to a La Niña which means Wyoming can expect a hotter, drier summer.

Andrew RossiJune 13, 2024

This GMC Yukon that sits crashed and abandoned in rugged terrain off Highway 14-16-20 in northwest Wyoming sparked a lot of speculation. Truth is, a suspected drunk driver left it there.

Woman Claims Carjackers Crashed Her SUV Off Highway; Cops Say She Was Drunk

The Park County Sheriff’s Office says the claim by a woman that carjackers hit her over the head, stole her SUV then crashed it into a gully off Highway 14-16-20 is bogus. They say she was drunk and wrecked it herself.

Andrew RossiJune 11, 2024

This huge chunk of banded iron rock is a one-of-a-kind Wyoming discovery by Laramie resident Patrick Corcoran and his daughter, Cora. It's now on display at the University of Wyoming Geological Museum.

Wyoming Rock Hounds Going Nuts Over One-Of-A-Kind 2.5 Billion-Year-Old Boulder

Wyoming rock hounds are going nuts over a one-of-a-kind 2.5 billion-year-old banded iron boulder discovered by a father-daughter duo from Laramie who donated to the University of Wyoming Geological Museum.

Andrew RossiJune 09, 2024

The entrance to Jellystone National Park as it appears Hanna-Barbera's 1958 cartoon "Yogi Bear's Big Break." This episode was the first appearance of Yogi, Boo-Boo and Jellystone.

Yellowstone A Huge Inspiration For Yogi Bear And Boo-Boo In Jellystone

The original Yogi Bear cartoons by Hanna-Barbera shows Jellystone Park as a funhouse mirror version of Yellowstone, which was a key to its incredible success. An animation historian says Yogi and Boo-Boo were the original "tourons."

Andrew RossiJune 09, 2024

The remains of John "Liver-Eating" Johnson are marked in Old Trail town by a large marker and a sculpture of him. And he's not going anywhere. After his burial, two trucks worth of concrete filled in the gravesite. Note the monument names him as "Jeremiah" Johnson because of the movie, which wasn't his true name.

How Mountain Man ‘Liver-Eating’ Johnson Was Buried In Wyoming Decades After His Death

Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of the reburial of legendary mountain man John “Liver-Eating” Johnson in Cody, Wyoming. But how that happened is a tale almost as unbelievable as Johnson’s legend.

Andrew RossiJune 08, 2024

Aladdin Coal Tipple Is One Of Last Of Its Kind And Could Collapse At Any Time

Built between 1888 and 1895, the Aladdin Coal Tipple in northeast Wyoming is one of the remaining wooden coal tipples still standing in the Western United States, but it's in bad shape and could collapse at any time.

Andrew RossiJune 08, 2024

A herd of cows lingers around a watering hole in Albany County.

Bird Flu Confirmed In Wyoming Dairy Cattle For First Time, Stock Growers Not Worried

The Wyoming Dept of Agriculture on Friday said, for the first time, bird flu has been confirmed in a Wyoming dairy cattle herd. Jim Magagna, of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, said "It certainly didn't cause any concern with our group of beef cattle producers."

Andrew RossiJune 08, 2024

A “catastrophic failure” of Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass on June 8, 2024, saw a huge section wash down the mountain. A long closure of the “lifeline” between Jackson and Victor, Idaho, is expected.

'Catastrophic Failure' On Teton Pass; Road Closed After Highway Falls Off Mountain

A “catastrophic failure” of Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass overnight Friday saw a huge section wash down the mountain. The "lifeline" between Jackson and Victor, Idaho, is expected to be closed for weeks, according to WYDOT.

Andrew RossiJune 08, 2024

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A mudslide at about 4:20 a.m. Thursday morning has shut down Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass at milepost 15. The closure comes less than 24 after a large two-lane crack in the pavement of the highway closed the pass for a few hours.

Teton Pass Closed Down Again -- This Time For Giant Mudslide

A mudslide shut down Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass in the early morning hours of Friday less than a day after a humongous two-lane crack closed it.

Andrew RossiJune 07, 2024

Large cracks appeared on Wyoming Highway 22 over Teton Pass on Thursday, prompting it to close for several hours.

Forced Closure Of Teton Pass Due To Large Cracks Stretching Across Entire Road

Large cracks that stretched across the entire highway creating an 8-inch shelf in the road on Teton Pass forced its closure for a few hours on Thursday. Although it's reopened, WYDOT is assessing the damage and potential danger created by it.

Andrew RossiJune 06, 2024

Waltman Rest Area is one of Wyoming's busiest, but it will be closed for several weeks for rennovations. This is what the rest area looked like in September in photos taken by visitor Julissa Buddell and shared on Google.

WYDOT Flooded With Calls Over Closing Popular Rest Area For Renovations

The Waltman Rest Area in the middle of nowhere between Casper and Shoshoni is closed for three to four weeks for renovations. But that’s way too long for many fans of the stop, who have flooded WYDOT with calls about it.

Andrew RossiJune 05, 2024

The aftermath of the SUV impact in the classroom of the Cody Firearms Experience. Fortunately, this room is part of a separate building from the main business, so the popular Cody business hasn't been impacted by the incident.

Alleged Drunk Driver Severs Gas Line Plowing Through Cody Gun Range

A suspected drunk driver plowed through an indoor gun range in Cody on Saturday night and severed a gas line in the process. The owner said it was a miracle the building didn't blow up.

Andrew RossiJune 04, 2024

The pelt of Elyssa, the black-footed ferret on display at the Meeteetse Museums. This pelt was stolen from the museum, but thankfully undamaged by the ordeal and has since been returned to the museum.

Missouri Man Steals Endangered Ferret Pelt From Wyoming Museum

The pelt of an endangered Wyoming black-footed ferret is back where it belongs in the Meeteetse Museums after a visitor stole it on an “impulse.” Despite the odds of finding it, it was recovered intact and the thief arrested, prosecuted and punished.

Andrew RossiJune 03, 2024

When a rare alighment of six planets appear in the early morning pre-dawn skies over Wyoming on Tuesday, most in the state won't be able to see this Parade of Plaents because of cloud cover.

With Cloudy Wyoming Skies Expected, Good Luck Seeing Rare Parade Of Planets

When six of the solar system’s eight planets, and a crescent moon, align in Tuesday's early morning pre-dawn sky, Wyomingites will likely see nothing but clouds moving in from the Pacific Northwest.

Andrew RossiJune 03, 2024

Patricia Wyer gives treats to rescued racoons at the Broken Bandit Wildlife Center east of Cheyenne.

Why Wyoming Is One Of Only Two States Without A Zoo

Besides being the two least populated states, Wyoming and Vermont have something else in common — the only states without a zoo. While you could put one in the Cowboy State, it would be a permitting nightmare.

Andrew RossiJune 02, 2024

Someone poses next to the bronze sculpture of Grizzly 399. The sculpture was created at Eagle Bronze in Lander.

Grizzly 399, The Most Famous Bear In The World, Gets Her Own 8-Foot Bronze Statue

An 8-foot-tall statue of Grizzly 399 with the four cubs she raised in 2020 was dedicated Saturday at its new home at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois. The bronze on the statue reads, “Queen of the Rockies.”

Andrew RossiJune 02, 2024

This license plate would be coveted in Hot Springs County because it's the lowest one can get — 1. But as county No. 15, as shown at the left side of the plate, it only shows that the county was had the 15th highest assessed valuation in 1930.

The Numbering System Behind Wyoming's License Plates

If county numbers on Wyoming license plates were assigned by the same criteria as they were in 1930, there would be a lot of changes. Campbell County would be #1 instead of Natrona County. Converse County would be #2 instead of Laramie County. Here's why:

Andrew RossiJune 02, 2024

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