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
With Two New Monkeypox Cases, Wyoming No Longer Has Fewest In Country
The Wyoming Department of Health confirmed two more cases of monkeypox, one in Natrona and one in Campbell County. With four cases, Wyoming no longer has the fewest monkeypox cases in the country.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 27, 2022
Wyoming Highway Patrol: 83-Year-Old Man Likely Caused Fatal Head-On Wind River Canyon Crash
An 83-year-old Texas man driving a Cadillac Escalade may have caused the fatal head-on collision that killed a Casper father and son, along with himself.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 26, 2022
Lawsuit: States Don’t Believe USDA’s Claims That Bathrooms, Pronouns Aren’t Affected By New Rules
Twenty-one states are suing the USDA stating they dont believe its claims that the agencys new gender-identity policies wont affect bathrooms and pronouns.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 26, 2022
Wyoming Hockey Community Mourns Father, Son Killed in Wind River Canyon Crash
A Natrona High School teacher and his young son are among three who died in collision that closed Wind River Canyon for hours Saturday.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 26, 2022
Wyoming Banks: Gun-Tracking, Political Movements Use Banks As ‘Pawns’
A group representing Wyomings banks opposes a new merchant code that will categorize credit-card purchases made in gun shops. "We oppose any effort to use the banking industry for surveillance," the exec director said.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 23, 2022
Clair McFarland: The Essence Of Shin Guards, And Other Pungent Memories
Clair McFarland writes: "My firstborn son has huge feet. Like, tripping-the-bystanders, cheating-at-swimming, dont-wake-the-neighbors-when-you-stomp-to-the-bathroom feet."
Clair McFarlandSeptember 23, 2022
Barrasso, Lummis Back Bill That Thwarts Biden’s $80 Billion IRS Expansion
U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis have signed on to a bill to prevent the IRS from using an unprecedented nearly $80 billion infusion of new funds on audits of taxpayers making less than $400,000 a year.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 22, 2022
Wyoming, GOP AGs Demand Credit Card Companies Stop Tracking Gun Sales
Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill and 17 other GOP attorneys have told credit card companies tracking gun-shop transactions to change course or prepare for legal challenges
Clair McFarlandSeptember 22, 2022
Wyoming Littles: Triceratops A Good State Dinosaur, Because Self-Defense
First and second graders in Clearmont, Wyoming on Wednesday said that the state dinosaur, triceratops, fits Wyoming because triceratops are great at self-defense.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 21, 2022
Man Claims University of Wyoming Fired Him For Being White, Straight, Christian Male
A former University of Wyoming student and employee said he was fired for being a white, straight, Christian man and for opposing the school's required staff diversity course that pushes critical race theory.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 21, 2022
The Mystery of Shoshoni, Wyoming’s Missing Cats
With nearly 20 cats missing from the Shoshoni area without a trace, many locals suspect humans of trapping the cats.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 20, 2022
Tucson Police May Charge Luke Bell’s Fentanyl Supplier With Manslaughter
An Arizona police sergeant tasked with stemming the flow of illegal fentanyl told Cowboy State Daily that if police can implicate a specific person who gave Luke Bell fentanyl, causing his death, they'll charge that person with manslaughter.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 20, 2022
Man Who Killed Girlfriend With Car To Stay In Prison, Wyoming Supreme Court Rules
Casper resident Jerald Fallon accelerated to about 40 miles per hour, in reverse, for 137 feet and rammed his girlfriend in the bottom and lower back, launching her about 76 feet, killing her.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 20, 2022
Autopsy Report: Luke Bell Died Of Accidental Fentanyl Poisoning
Wyoming-raised country singer and songwriter Luke Bell died of an accidental fentanyl poisoning, according to a Tucson, Arizona, forensic pathologist.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 19, 2022
State GOP Censures Cale Case For ‘Unconscionable’ Effort To Challenge Chuck Gray
The Wyoming Republican Party on Saturday voted resoundingly to censure, or publicly rebuke, Sen. Cale Case, for his efforts to recruit a conservative, Independent candidate to challenge Rep. Chuck Gray in the Secretary of State general-election race.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 18, 2022
State GOP Votes Not To Recognize Independents; Independent Candidate Says That’s OK
The Wyoming Republican Party in Riverton on Saturday voted against supporting Independent candidates, regardless of their ideology; Independent State House candidate Jeff Martin, who was at the meeting, said he supports the resolution.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 17, 2022
Wyoming Lawmakers Propose To Nearly Double Cigarette Taxes
The Legislature's Joint Revenue Committee on Wednesday passed a draft bill that would add a 44-cent per pack hike in cigarette taxes.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 16, 2022
Pronoun Controversy: Teachers Will Not Get Prosecuted In Sweetwater County For ‘Misgendering’ Students
Teachers in Sweetwater County do not need to fear state criminal prosecution for calling a student by their wrong pronoun, according to the countys top prosecutor.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 16, 2022
Wyoming Officials Approve 3 Charter Schools After Heated ‘Indoctrination’ Debate
The state's top five elected officials approved charter schools in Chugwater, Casper and Cheyenne Wednesday following a meeting where the public sparred about whether charter schools or public schools "indoctrinate" children politically.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 15, 2022
Sweetwater School Board Defends Teachers Hiding Students’ Transgender Status From Parents
The Sweetwater County School Board on Monday defended teachers' ability to hide students' transgender status from parents where "safety" concerns exist, despite heated inquiry from the father of a transgender student.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 14, 2022
Gun Advocate Fears Feds Behind Credit Cards Tracking Gun Sales; ATF & FBI Won’t Comment
A Gun Owners of America spokesman on Tuesday told Cowboy State Daily he fears the federal government will use a new credit card system tracking gun sales. The ATF and FBI would not comment.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 14, 2022