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
Rep. John Bear Calls Sen. Ogden Driskill A ‘Doofus’ In Clash Over Budget
House Appropriations Chair John Bear weathered scrutiny this week over his scripts telling other legislators how to tweak the budget. Bear said he was running his motions through others, since he chaired the meetings - and then called Sen. Driskill a 'doofus.'
Clair McFarlandJanuary 17, 2026
World’s Largest Soda Ash Company Credits Lummis With Averting India Tariffs
The world's leading producer of soda ash on Thursday credited U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis for averting India's planned tariffs on the product. They say the tariffs would have hurt Wyoming trona producers and Lummis' action saved jobs and millions of dollars.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 16, 2026
Riverton Man Accused Of Stabbing Family Member And Dog In Bloody Clash
Police say a 22-year-old Riverton man stabbed a family member and wounded a pit bull that was trying to protect the victim. The suspect was arrested hours later hiding in an abandoned home. He faces up to 23 years in prison.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 16, 2026
Wyoming vs China? JAC Advances $16M Rare Earths Loan In Budget To Counter China
In what he called a win over China, Sen. Ogden Driskill advanced a proposed $16 million state-backed loan to bolster a rare earths processing plant. One industry rep said, "This is truly Upton versus China — this is how Wyoming pushes back against China.”
Clair McFarland & Renée JeanJanuary 16, 2026
Gov's Office: "This Is Nuts" As Bill To Kill Wyo Biz Council Heads To Legislature
The governor's policy director told members of the Joint Appropriations Committee on Thursday that their advancement of a proposal to kill the Wyoming Business Council was "crazy" and "nuts." The bill will now head to the Legislature.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 15, 2026
Legislators Vote To Give Wyoming Prosecutors More Money
At the urging of two members of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, legislators advanced $3 million Wednesday to help counties fund prosecutors' offices. It's part of a series of tweaks to the second draft of the state's two-year budget.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 15, 2026
Blocking $58 Million For Tribal Clinic Could Cost Wyoming More Than It Saves
The CEO of a tribal health clinic and a state lawmaker voiced concern Wednesday over a legislative committee’s push to block $58 million in federal money. The denial, which is not final, was part of a slew of proposed Wyoming Department of Health cuts.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 14, 2026
BLM Officer Charged With Murder In Lander Bar Fight
A field officer for the federal Bureau of Land Management was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder, on claims he choked a man to death in a Lander bar fight.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 14, 2026
Legislators Vote To Defund And Dismantle Wyoming Business Council
Nine of Wyoming’s top legislators advanced a bid Tuesday to defund and dismantle the Wyoming Business Council. Opponents call the move short-sighted while supporters say it stops government from unfairly competing with private businesses.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 14, 2026
Wyoming Lawmakers Propose Cutting Governor's Budget To UW By $61 Million
The Joint Appropriations Committee on Tuesday voted to reduce the governor’s recommended state budget for the University of Wyoming by nearly $61 million. State Sen. Ogden Driskill opposed the action calling them "spiteful and vindictive."
Clair McFarlandJanuary 13, 2026
Jillian Balow, Former Wyoming Schools Chief, Announces Run For House
Republican Jillian Balow, former Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction, is running for the state's lone U.S. House Seat. This pits her against Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Casper businessman Reid Rasner, both MAGA-style candidates.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 13, 2026
Lander Police Chief Says There Are Multiple Suspects In Fatal Bar Fight
The Lander Police Department has multiple suspects in a Friday-night bar fight that turned fatal. The police chief expects arrests in “the next couple days,” he told Cowboy State Daily on Monday.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 12, 2026
Wyoming Lawmakers Resist Gordon’s Push For $111.8 Million For State Worker Raises
The Wyoming legislative committee crafting a preliminary state budget voted Monday to deny the governor’s $111.8 million recommendation to give state employees raises. The debate is not over — the whole Legislature gets the budget next month.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 12, 2026
Degenfelder Officially Running For Governor After Trump Endorsement
Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder on Monday announced she is running for governor. Degenfelder had been "strongly considering" the move and had received an endorsement from President Trump urging her to run last week.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 12, 2026
Barrasso Endorses Hageman's Candidacy For U.S. Senate
Wyoming’s senior U.S. Senator announced Monday morning that he’s endorsing U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman to serve alongside him in the upper chamber. He said Hageman “is going to be terrific in the U.S. Senate.”
Clair McFarlandJanuary 12, 2026
‘RUN MEGAN, RUN!’ Trump Promises Endorsement If Degenfelder Runs For Governor
If she decides to run for governor of Wyoming, Megan Degenfelder has President Donald Trump’s “Complete and Total Endorsement,” the president wrote Friday in a post to Truth Social. Degenfelder has said she’s “strongly considering” a run for governor.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 09, 2026
Woman Can Bring Pygmy Goat Back To Powell After Settling Lawsuit With City
A pygmy goat named Porsche Lane can return to Powell after her owner, Venus Bontadelli, settled a lawsuit with the city Thursday. The city had denied her owner a permit, which the city called a plain reading of its rules and the goat's owner called an arbitrary use of power.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 09, 2026
Prosecutor Says Legislators Didn't Break Law With Weston County Clerk Subpoena
The prosecutor pursing charges against Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock on Thursday disputed her claim that Wyoming legislators broke the law and violated her rights. He says she’s the one who broke the law by not complying with a legislative subpoena.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 09, 2026
Lawmaker Unveils Bill To Prevent DUI Charges For Drunk Horseback Riding
A state representative from Casper wants to keep people from being charged with drunk driving if they're drunk while riding a horse, mule or donkey. The bill made one defense attorney laugh and left prosecutors wondering if a specific case inspired it.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 09, 2026
Big Piney Teen Gets 54 Years To Life For Bow And Arrow Killing Of Autistic Friend
The teen who did not pull the trigger of the compound bow that killed his autistic friend last February, but who conspired to that end and watched the killing, was sentenced Thursday to between 54 years and life in prison.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 08, 2026
Green River Woman Accused Of Murder Has Suspected ‘Intentional’ Fall In Jail
A Green River woman accused of killing her husband with a bottle of Baileys took what officials say appears to be an “intentional fall” last week from a second-level mezzanine in the jail. Linda Malone remains in a Salt Lake City hospital.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 07, 2026