Clair McFarland
Clair McFarland is a general assignment reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Riverton, Wyoming. She specializes in crime and court reporting and social issues coverage. Clair also writes a twice-monthly column on motherhood and country living.
Previously, Clair wrote for The Ranger, the Lander Journal and the Wind River News. She is an award-winning journalist, columnist and poet, who joined Cowboy State Daily on Valentine's Day, 2022.
Latest from Clair McFarland
Man Dubbed The ‘High Country Harasser’ Has Mental Health Issues, Mother Says
A man accused of harassing hikers along the Continental Divide Trail in Wyoming needs mental help, his mother says. She also takes issue with his being dubbed the “High Country Harasser,” but agrees he could pose a danger to others and himself.
Clair McFarlandAugust 01, 2025
Grand Jury For Cody Roberts Over Wolf Torture A Rare Route In Wyoming
A grand jury is being convened for Cody Roberts, the Daniel, Wyoming, man who ran down a wolf, taped its mouth shut and showed it off before killing it in 2024, according to a Wyofile report. Convening a grand jury is rare in Wyoming, but not unheard of.
Clair McFarlandJuly 31, 2025
One Dead, Another Hurt In Head-On With Semi On Highway 220 Near Muddy Gap
“You need to get people coming,” a commercial truck driver said he told the 911 operator Wednesday night about a head-on crash between a car and a semi. Authorities confirm one person was killed in the crash on Wyoming Highway 220 near Muddy Gap.
Clair McFarlandJuly 31, 2025
Trump Nominates Cheyenne Legislator To Be U.S. Attorney For District Of Wyoming
Trump on Wednesday nominated state Sen. Darin Smith for the U.S. Attorney post in Wyoming. If confirmed, Smith would lead federal prosecutions across Wyoming, including national parks and the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Clair McFarlandJuly 31, 2025
Cody Police Say Man Wielded Knife Before Officer Shot Him
The man shot by a Cody Police Department officer Monday evening was wielding a knife, the agency reported Wednesday. The 22-year-old Gillette man also was wanted on warrants for alleged domestic abuse, including assaulting a pregnant woman.
Clair McFarlandJuly 30, 2025
Cheyenne Fifth Grade Teacher Arrested, Accused Of Molesting Girls
An elementary school teacher in Cheyenne has been arrested on suspicion of touching multiple female students inappropriately during the past school year. Brian Wrhel, 55, remains in the Laramie County Detention Center.
Clair McFarlandJuly 30, 2025
Supreme Court Sides With Wyoming Public Defender Who Quit Over Contempt Order
A Gillette-based state judge didn’t take the proper steps when holding a tardy public defense attorney in contempt, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The lawyer quit after the judge punished him, worsening a critical shortage of public defenders.
Clair McFarlandJuly 29, 2025
One Dead In Officer-Involved Shooting East Of Cody
A man who led Cody police on a chase through the town Monday night was killed in an officer-involved shooting after he stopped. The incident began with police trying to pull the man over for not having a license plate, police say.
Clair McFarlandJuly 29, 2025
Hageman's Popularity Has Many Uncertain If They’ll Run For Governor
Harriet Hageman’s potential bid for Wyoming governor has put other candidates on hold. Only two have officially declared and others, including Secretary of State Chuck Gray, wait for her decision.
Clair McFarlandJuly 29, 2025
Former Lusk Domestic Violence Center Director Accused Of Stealing $65K From Group
The former director of a domestic violence center in Lusk is facing a felony theft charge on claims she stole more than $65,000 from the nonprofit group. An investigative report alleges Sabrina Kruse had a secret debit card linked to the center’s account.
Clair McFarlandJuly 28, 2025
Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers To Take On ICE Functions
Wyoming Highway Patrol has joined a growing list of agencies that have agreed to do some ICE enforcement. Gov. Mark Gordon announced the agreement Monday for WHP troopers to “assist ICE with immigration enforcement while performing their regular duties.”
Clair McFarlandJuly 28, 2025
Clair McFarland: Sure, Let The 11-Year-Old Drive. It'll Be Fine
Clair McFarland writes: "The little, feisty twin gripped the wheel and stared down our neighborhood of empty dirt roads and winding canals. I threw a goodbye kiss to my home and thanked the Lord for the 35 good years he gave me on this earth."
Clair McFarlandJuly 27, 2025
ICE Grabs Illegal Immigrants In Western Wyoming As Agency Eyes Massive Expansion
ICE officers arrested multiple foreign nationals in a coordinated early-morning operation across Western Wyoming this week. They also discussed implanting teams and offices across Wyoming with a massive new funding increase.
Clair McFarlandJuly 26, 2025
Evanston’s Hillcrest Motel, A Sanctuary For Squatters, Catches Fire Again
One of the buildings of the defunct Hillcrest Motel in Evanston, Wyoming, was destroyed Saturday in an early-morning fire. There have been about eight fires in three years with a persistent squatter inhabitation at the motel complex.
Clair McFarlandJuly 26, 2025
'High-Country Harasser' Arrested on Continental Divide Trail In Carbon County
Nicholas “Cottonmouth” Sampson — aka the “High-Country Harasser” — was arrested in Carbon County on Thursday after allegedly threatening and attacking hikers along the Continental Divide Trail for years, authorities report.
Clair McFarlandJuly 26, 2025
Wyoming Freedom Caucus Opposes More Nuclear Waste Storage Sites
The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is pushing back against expanding nuclear waste storage in the state, opposing efforts supported by some Republicans, the state’s Libertarian Party and others. It also follows a Trump order to fast-track nuclear production.
Clair McFarlandJuly 26, 2025
Officer Who Set Off Fatal Shootout Gives Up Certification, Can’t Be A Wyoming Cop
The former Thermopolis police sergeant who triggered a fatal shootout when he unlawfully entered a suspect’s home surrendered his state policing certification Thursday. That means Mike Mascorro can’t be a cop in Wyoming.
Clair McFarlandJuly 25, 2025
Man Who Walked Into Sheriff's Office And Confessed To Molesting Child Makes Plea
A 73-year-old Green River man who walked into the local sheriff’s office last summer and announced he’d fondled a preteen girl decades earlier pleaded “no contest” on Thursday. Prosecutors agreed to cap their prison sentence request at five years.
Clair McFarlandJuly 25, 2025
Mom Of Missing Cody Woman Believed Murdered Asks For Help Looking For Evidence
Park County authorities and a grieving mother urge hikers to look out for a pink tote and a Dodge Durango seat. They are potential evidence in the 2023 disappearance and suspected murder of Cody woman Katie Ferguson.
Clair McFarlandJuly 24, 2025
Airman Who Died In Air Force Gunshot Incident Identified As Kentucky 21-Year-Old
The airman who died in an on-duty incident Sunday at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne has been identified as a 21-year-old from Kentucky. In a Thursday statement, the U.S. Air Force also confirms his death involved a gunshot and a Sig M18 pistol.
Clair McFarlandJuly 24, 2025
Wyoming Legislators Debate Whether To Let Nuclear Waste Sites Multiply
Wyoming lawmakers are wrestling with whether to green light potentially numerous nuclear waste sites throughout the state. Some say it’s good for the economy, while others say it’s not worth the risk.
Clair McFarlandJuly 24, 2025