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Anna-Louise Jackson

Latest from Anna-Louise Jackson

Drinking Montana: The Talking Bird At The Talking Bird Can Curse Like A Sailor

If you’re easily offended, just keep driving by the Talking Bird in tiny St. Regis, Montana, on Interstate 90. That’s because George, the talking bird at the Talking Bird, can curse like a sailor when the mood hits him.

Anna-Louise JacksonSeptember 15, 2025

Wyoming native Mark Valenzuela and friends at a Buffalo Bills game in Buffalo, New York

Reporter's Notebook: The Very Real Bond Between Wyoming And Buffalo, New York

Reporter Anna-Louise Jackson writes, “Something special has happened in Buffalo over the past several years that’s fostered a sense of kinship between Wyoming and Buffalo, New York, thanks to Josh Allen and an award-winning wing-maker."

Anna-Louise JacksonSeptember 13, 2025

A group of Josh Allen fans in Buffalo for a game, including 7220 Sports founder and Wyomingite Cody Tucker, second from right. The sign shows Buffalo appreciates Wyoming as much as the Cowboy State has embraced the Bills.

Buffalo To Wyoming: Thanks For Josh Allen, And Welcome To The 'Bills Mafia'

Since former University of Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen was the No. 1 draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2018, many Wyomingites have adopted the team as their own. In return, Buffalo has bonded with Wyoming, welcoming its fans into their rabid “Bills Mafia."

Anna-Louise JacksonSeptember 06, 2025

The Double Dub's crew celebrates another successful festival with a total of four awards this year. (Anna-Louise Jackson for Cowboy State Daily)

Four-Peat: Wyoming’s Double Dub’s Wins Top Award At Buffalo Wing Fest — Again

Laramie, Wyoming’s Trent Weitzel and his Double Dub’s chicken wing crew are in a class by themselves. On Sunday, they won the top award at the National Buffalo Wing Festival for an unprecedented fourth straight time.

Anna-Louise JacksonSeptember 01, 2025

Richard Zawistowski, left, and Michael Lonergan bought VIP tickets to this year's festival which included some perks like those wing-shaped koozies they're holding.

Laramie's Trent Weitzel Defending Title At 2025 National Buffalo Wing Festival

Laramie’s Trent Weitzel is back in Buffalo, New York, at the most prestigious chicken wing festival in the U.S. to defend his title. He’s the three-time defending Festival Favorite winner — not to mention Josh Allen’s favorite.

Anna-Louise JacksonAugust 31, 2025

Now that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have announced their engagement, the rumors are thick the pop culture power couple is moving to Montana. They’ve been spotted at the uber-exclusive Yellowstone Club, and it’s No. 1 on the Bozeman gossip hit parade.

Taylor Swift - Travis Kelce Engagement Fuels Rumors Their Next Move Is To Montana

Now that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have announced their engagement, the rumors are thick the couple is moving to Montana. They’ve been spotted at the uber-exclusive Yellowstone Club and people say they’ve been shopping for real estate in Bozeman.

Anna-Louise JacksonAugust 30, 2025

Bullfrogs will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. Here, a bullfrog feeds on anogther frog.

Invasive — And Cannibalistic — Bullfrogs Are Taking Over The West

States across the U.S. West are declaring war on invasive bullfrogs that eat everything in their path — including other bullfrogs. In Wyoming, officials say they’re a problem, but prefer the public doesn’t hunt them.

Anna-Louise JacksonAugust 24, 2025

The Bureau of Land Management has identified more than 790,000 acres of federal land in Wyoming as eligible for potential sale or disposal. A new interactive map from onX shows where those parcels are, along with 6 million acres across 17 states.

Interactive Map Shows 790,000 Acres Of Public Land Eligible For Sale In Wyoming

The Bureau of Land Management has identified more than 790,000 acres of federal land in Wyoming as potentially eligible for sale or disposal. A new interactive map from onX shows where those parcels are, along with 6 million acres across 17 states.

Anna-Louise JacksonAugust 18, 2025

If you’re traveling along I-90 east of Butte, take exit 241 and a 30-minute drive north on a dirt road to a unique geological formation with a Whitehall address. There you’ll find a big pile of rocks, aptly known as Ringing Rocks, which chime if you tap them lightly with a hammer.

Explore Montana: Stunning Views, Rocks That Chime Like Bells And Bathing In Radon Gas

From quirky cabin signs to historic landmarks, there are a number of off-the-beaten-path destinations around Montana. They include rocks that chime like bells when hit with a hammer to radon bathing to stunning views from Beartooth Pass.

Anna-Louise JacksonAugust 17, 2025

In 100 pounds of sapphire gravel from the Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine in Phillipsburg, Montana, they found a total of 26 sapphires that were 1 carat or larger.

Who Needs Diamonds When You Can Propose With 100 Pounds Of Sapphire Gravel?

It may not have been the marriage proposal she dreamed of as a child, but Melissa Absher said yes nonetheless. Her boyfriend proposed with a 100-pound bag of gravel and this romantic overture: “Let’s go find your sapphire.”

Anna-Louise JacksonAugust 09, 2025

On a recent outing in Mount Spokane State Park, northeast of the city in Washington state, Jon Gelder and his wife, Heather, found bountiful berry bushes.

It’s Huckleberry Season, But Don’t Ask A Picker Where To Find Them

Throngs of huckleberry hunters are out as the season for picking the wild-growing fruit is hitting its peak in Wyoming. But don’t you dare ask a picker where to find them, as they protect their prime patches the way anglers do a favorite fishing hole.

Anna-Louise JacksonJuly 20, 2025

There’s No Official Design For The Bison On The Wyoming State Flag

State statutes spell out many details about the Wyoming flag: colors, sizing, placement of the elements. But not for the large bison that dominates it. That’s why you’ll see many different bison depending on who makes the flag.

Anna-Louise JacksonJuly 04, 2025

Other Authors

The main restaurant, complete with a Western-inspired saloon, at Cowboyland in Voghera.

Welcome To Voghera: Cheyenne’s Sister City In Italy

Did you know Cheyenne has a sister city in Italy? It’s Voghera, where Napoleon once stood and you can see the gun that shot Mussolini. It also has a Western soul and familiar feel, including a cowboy-inspired theme park and Frontier Days posters.

Anna-Louise JacksonJune 28, 2025

Since 1978, Carlo Betti Ricci has sold all sorts of items celebrating Wyoming and the American West and in his store, Jack and Gill, that's located in the beach destination of Rimini, Italy. He also loves Donald Trump, but says Ronald Reagan is his favorite U.S. president.

Meet The Italian Shop Owner Who Loves Wyoming And Everything American West

For nearly 50 years, Carlo Betti Ricci has run a store in Rimini, Italy, that shows his love for Wyoming and the American West. That includes Wyoming flags, a jackalope and even framed underwear worn by John Wayne.

Anna-Louise JacksonJune 14, 2025

Why So Many Brands Name Products For Montana, But Not So Much Wyoming Or Colorado

Branding experts say there’s a reason you’re more likely to see Montana-named products on store shelves than other Western states like Wyoming or Colorado.

Anna-Louise JacksonJune 08, 2025

It’s been more than three years since Cromwell Island on the west side of Flathead Lake in northwest Montana went on the market. Will anyone buy their own private island for the $72 million asking price?

Will Anyone Buy This $72 Million Private Island In Montana?

If you want your own private island that’s accessible year-round on Montana’s Flathead Lake, you’ll need $72 million. It’s been more than three years since the 350-acre island with a huge unfinished, 45,000-square-foot French-style villa was first put on the market.

Anna-Louise JacksonJune 07, 2025

Great American Road Trip Summer 2025: Hotels Will Be More Expensive But Gas Will Be Cheaper

Thanks to the increased demand among people seeking the Great American Road Trip this summer, booking hotels will be more expensive for those road trippers but gas will be the cheapest in many years.

Anna-Louise JacksonJune 01, 2025

There’s a chain of Western-themed restaurants in Italy that tries to tap into the popularity of the Wild West. For Americans, it’s enough to make them mutter “mamma mia” — and there’s no whiskey.

Eating Wyoming: What Italians Think Passes For Western Food

There’s a chain of Western-themed restaurants in Italy that tries to tap into the popularity of the Wild West, complete with swinging saloon doors and tables that resemble covered wagons. Wyoming got a shoutout on the menu with the "Cheyenne Chicken."

Anna-Louise JacksonJune 01, 2025

A Colorado man has become a social media celebrity traveling the world while living out of his $200,000 Lamborghini Urus with Montana license plates. His around-the-world tour has already taken Connor Camperghini through 35 countries.

Man Travels World Living In Lamborghini, Says Border Crossings Are "Interesting"

A Colorado man is traveling the world while living out of his $200,000 Lamborghini. He shipped his car to Germany and has been to 35 countries so far, including Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. He’s trying to figure out how to visit Afghanistan.

Anna-Louise JacksonJune 01, 2025

The Thorofare Ranger Station in the southeast corner of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has long been credited as the most remote place in the Lower 48. A geographer testing this claim found Maine is more rural than Wyoming.

Most Remote Place In Lower 48 Is In Wyoming, But State Not As Rural As It Seems

Wyoming rightfully lives up to the distinction as home to the most remote place in the continental U.S. That’s the Thorofare Ranger Station in Yellowstone. But when considering what percentage of each state’s population lives in a rural area, Wyoming comes in 12th.

Anna-Louise JacksonMay 18, 2025

The iconic arch to the Mountain View Cemetery in Butte was knocked down in a hit-and-run incident last month, though it's been restored and returned to its rightful place. "It looks better than ever," said Gaye Evans, the caretaker.

Arch At Evel Knievel Cemetery Back Up After Plowed Over By Truck

The trademark arch at the entrance to Evel Knievel’s final resting place — Mountain View Cemetery in Butte, Montana — was plowed over by a truck a month ago. Like the famous daredevil, one crash can’t keep it down.

Anna-Louise JacksonMay 18, 2025