Crime and Courts Reporter

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.

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Latest from Clair McFarland

One of the turbine's blades have been removed in preparation for removal.

Chevron Plans To Blow Up Wind Turbines With Explosives This Week Near Casper

Residents could notice a brief loud noise and temporary vibration when Chevron uses explosives later this week to remove 11 defunct wind turbines outside of Casper. The fire department says portions of the base will be blown up to bring down the towers.

Clair McFarlandAugust 26, 2026

Wyoming State Agencies Spend Millions On Commercials, Lawmakers Split On Appropriateness

Wyoming state agencies spend millions annually on commercials - some for required notices, some to influence driver behavior and some to promote vaccines. Legislators vary on where they draw the line with funding government ads.

Clair McFarlandAugust 26, 2026

Shots Fired: Nevada Sues Over Water Cuts, Could Drag Wyoming Into Court

Nevada sued the federal government Monday to dispute a water usage plan that it calls unfair to the economy of Las Vegas and surrounding areas. The act could drag Wyoming and other states into litigation, after they spent years negotiating outside court.

Clair McFarlandAugust 24, 2026

U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon show off the White House helipad construction on the South Lawn of the White House after an event in the Rose Garden of the White House on August 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. The multimillion-dollar granite helipad is designed to accommodate Marine One helicopters and is slated for completion in 2026.

Polls: Wyoming Has Highest Approval Rating Of President Trump In The Nation

President Trump’s approval rating may be dropping nationally but remains the highest in Wyoming. Two national polls say Wyoming has the highest approval rating for the president. Wyoming gives Trump a 14% net approval in The Economist poll and 22% in Newsweek.

Clair McFarlandAugust 24, 2026

Brent Bien (center in light blue shirt) at a campaign event in August, 2026

Governor's Race: Write-In Effort For Brent Bien Emerges, But He's Not Behind It

A groundswell of Brent Bien supporters are vowing to write him in for Wyoming's gubernatorial race in the general election. Bien told Cowboy State Daily he's flattered, but not pushing a write-in campaign. “I’ve got plenty to do, personal stuff," he said.

Clair McFarlandAugust 24, 2026

Another Trump Call For Imported Beef Riles Up Wyoming Ranchers

Wyoming ranchers are riled at President Trump’s Friday announcement that the U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported without tariffs. They say Wyoming would be better off if allowed to sell state-inspected beef across state lines.

Clair McFarlandAugust 22, 2026

About 90% of the $550,000 the Make Liberty Win PAC spent on Wyoming's primary went to Freedom Caucus candidates. Overall, those supported by Make Liberty Win failed in their races.

PAC That Spent $550K Helping Freedom Caucus Had 87% Failure Rate

For Virginia-based PAC “Make Liberty Win” $479,000 of the $550,000 it spent helping Freedom Caucus-aligned candidates went to lost races. Sen. Cale Case, who was targeted by the group, said he was unsurprised: "(People) are really tired of the negative campaigning.”

Clair McFarlandAugust 22, 2026

Mexican National Accused Of Snake River Canyon Rampage Wasn't Drunk, Prosecutors Say

The Mexican national accused of trying to ram numerous travelers in the Snake River Canyon two summers ago was not drunk, prosecutors said this week. “The individual deliberately targeted our vehicle and attempted to kill my family,” one driver said.

Clair McFarlandAugust 21, 2026

Authorities Not Saying If False Rasner Trump Endorsement Text Brings Consequences

Authorities are tight-lipped or uncertain over whether consequences could follow a mysterious text blast on Primary Election Day that said — falsely — that President Donald Trump had endorsed U.S. House candidate Reid Rasner.

Clair McFarlandAugust 21, 2026

Libertarian Party Nominates Republican Cale Case And Democrat Karlee Provenza

In a statement about how it should be able to send anyone it chooses into the election, the Libertarian Party nominated Republican Sen. Cale Case and Democrat Rep. Karlee Provenza at its convention. The Secretary of State’s Office rejected the nominations.

Clair McFarlandAugust 21, 2026

Eric Barlow (right) speaks to a voter days before the primary election.

No, Closet Democrats Didn't Nominate Republican Barlow For Gov., Politicos Say

Despite claims that Eric Barlow won the Republican primary for governor due to closet Democrats, political analysts disagree. Also, an analysis of voter registration and turnout percentages predicts Barlow winning even without the margin of likely crossover.

Clair McFarlandAugust 20, 2026

Wyoming Freedom Caucus Says It’s Not Dead After Devastating Primary Losses

After Tuesday's Republican primary election gutted the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, the caucus says it’s far from dead — and will regroup. “I don’t think any of us anticipated this kind of loss,” said former chair John Bear.

Clair McFarlandAugust 20, 2026

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House Speaker Chip Nieman and other Wyoming Freedom Caucus members outside the Capitol during this year's legislative session.

The Great Wyoming Freedom Caucus Massacre — By The Numbers

After Tuesday’s primary, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus is being gutted from about a 35-member bloc in the state House to about 10. Of those likely to reach the House after the general election, about 43 say they don’t align with the controversial caucus.