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
Wyoming Girl Who Fought Off Attacker Forgives Him As He Gets 36-40 Years
A man who attacked and tried to kidnap a Wyoming girl outside a Riverton movie theater was sentenced Thursday to 36-40 years in prison. His victim told Cowboy State Daily that as she fought him off, she was determined to not be another memorial on Facebook.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 20, 2025
Green River Tunnel Open To 2-Way Traffic Again After Devastating Crash
The Wyoming Department of Transportation has opened two-way traffic through the Green River Tunnel on Thursday for the first time since a devastating 26-vehicle crash last Friday. Traffic is moving through the eastbound lanes at reduced speeds.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 20, 2025
Two Dead In Crash Outside Of Green River; Not Part Of Tunnel Detour
Two people died and one person was injured in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday evening outside Green River, at a junction that isn’t part of a congested detour through the town, the Wyoming Highway Patrol says.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 20, 2025
Senate To Hear Bill Banning Sexually Explicit Shows From Getting Public Money
The Wyoming Senate got a bill Wednesday that would ban public money going to support sexually explicit events and entertainment. The bill would also keep government buildings from hosting those events in their spaces.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 20, 2025
Wyoming Anti-Squatter Bills Close To Becoming Law
A bill that would help law enforcement remove squatters passed the Wyoming House on Wednesday. If the Senate approves late changes to it, it will head to the governor's desk. Another bill targeting fake landlords is pending in the House.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 19, 2025
Wyoming Cops Release Dramatic Video Showing Shooting Of Man With Baseball Bat
A compilation of body, dash camera and home video released Tuesday shows what led two law enforcement officers to shoot and kill a Thermopolis man threatening them with a baseball bat. The man’s distraught father asks, “Why’d you have to shoot somebody?”
Clair McFarlandFebruary 19, 2025
Man Who Bleached Romantic Rival To Stay In Prison Under “Deadly Weapon” Law
Liquid bleach can be a deadly weapon, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The decision comes after a man who splashed bleach in his romantic rival’s face challenged his felony conviction.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 19, 2025
Two Rawlins Men, One From Canada ID'd As Green River Tunnel Crash Fatalities
Authorities Tuesday released the names of the three men who died Friday in a devastating Green River, Wyoming, tunnel collision. They are Christopher Johnson, 20 of Rawlins; Quentin Romero, 22 of Rawlins; and Harmanjeet Singh, 30 of Nova Scotia, Canada.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 19, 2025
Mother Of Alleged Sheridan Cop Killer Charged With Giving Guns To Felon
The 71-year-old mother of the man suspected of shooting and killing a Sheridan police sergeant last February has been federally charged with giving guns to a felon. The indictment doesn’t say whether that felon was her son.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 18, 2025
Byron Man Discusses Wife's Last Days Before Murder-Suicide
Twelve hours after his wife shot her four children and herself, Cliff Harshman sat in a hospital waiting room. “I sat and wept. And I cried to God: ‘Please forgive her. Help me forgive her,’” he told Cowboy State Daily. “I lost my best friend. My kids. Everything.”
Clair McFarlandFebruary 18, 2025
Single Mom Caught In Green River Tunnel Says Hero Led Survivors From Fiery Crash
A local single mom who was caught in an explosive 26-vehicle crash Friday in the Green River Tunnel says a hero named Ray led her and others out of the tunnel. She dragged her arm along the wall to escape in the thick, black smoke.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 17, 2025
Final Death Toll In Green River Tunnel Crash At 3, Cause Under Investigation
Investigators said Monday that the final death toll in the 26-vehicle collision inside the Green River Tunnel on Interstate 80 is three dead. The cause and circumstances remain under investigation.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 17, 2025
WYDOT Director Says Green River Tunnel Crash Started Outside Tunnel
The 26-vehicle fatal crash inside the Green River Tunnel on Interstate 80 started outside of the tunnel, WYDOT Director Darin Westby told Cowboy State Daily on Monday. Work crews continue to clear debris from the roadway.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 17, 2025
Olivia, 7-Year-Old Lone Survivor Of Byron Murder-Suicide, Dies In Utah Hospital
Olivia Blackmer, 7, was the lone survivor of a Feb. 10 murder-suicide in Byron, Wyoming, by which her three sisters and mother died last week. Olivia pulled through a brain surgery early last week, but ultimately died Saturday, her family has confirmed.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 16, 2025
Government Overreach, Sloppy Drafting Kill 2 Of 3 Wyoming Immigration Bills
The Wyoming Legislature killed two of three immigration-related bills after critics said they were poorly written. They also say the bills included overreach to constricted law enforcement agencies already cooperative with federal immigration officials.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 14, 2025
Fire, Weakened Structure Keeps Responders Out Of Tunnel For Hours; Motorists Run For Safety
Fire and rescue crews at an explosive tunnel collision outside Green River could not enter the tunnel for hours Friday after the initial crash. The fire inside was too intense, and the tunnel’s structure had been weakened. Motorists inside the tunnel had to run for safety.
Clair McFarland, Jimmy Orr & Andrew RossiFebruary 14, 2025
Response Shifts To Recovery After “Huge Explosions,” Multiple Fatalities In Crash In Green River Tunnel
Heavy, black smoke billowed out of both ends of the Green River Tunnel along Interstate 80 after a fatal multivehicle pileup and fire inside Friday afternoon. Witnesses report feeling and hearing “huge explosions.” By late Friday night, the response had shifted from rescue to recovery.
Andrew Rossi, Clair McFarland & Jimmy OrrFebruary 14, 2025
It's Been A Year Since Sheridan Police Sgt. Nevada Krinkee Was Killed On Duty
Feb. 13 will always be a day the Sheridan Police Department will never forget. It was a year ago Thursday that Sgt. Nevada Krinkee, a popular veteran of the police force, was killed in the line of duty. His sacrifice is being remembered in Sheridan and around Wyoming.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025
Probation For Accused Jackson Flasher Who Claimed His Pants Accidentally “Fell Down”
A man accused of flashing his genitalia at women and girls in Jackson and telling police his pants accidentally "fell down" was sentenced to one year probation, mental health treatment and community service.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025
Shooting Of Classmates Has School Coping, Praying After Byron Murder-Suicide
The Rocky Mountain Elementary School has brought in four extra counselors and a support dog to help its 171 students in the aftermath of a Monday murder-suicide that killed one of its students and left another in critical condition.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025
Explosion at Newcastle Refinery Leaves Town Without Electricity, 911 Service
An explosion at an oil refinery in Newcastle on Wednesday night, unleased a power surge that killed the town’s electricity and 911 service. One person said the explosion was like something out of a “horror movie.”
Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025
7-Year-OId Survivor Of Byron Murder-Suicide Clings To Life After Brain Surgery
The father of the only survivor of a Monday murder-suicide that claimed the lives of three girls and their mother says 7-year-old Olivia Blackmer is “still fighting.” Her brain swelling has been spiking, but she's still responding to medication, he said.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025
Riverton Woman Gets 3-5 Years In Prison For Shooting Boyfriend's Foot
A Riverton woman was sentenced to between three and five years in prison Tuesday for shooting off part of her boyfriend's toe during an argument. Jordan Weliever also was ordered to pay about $6,100 to the state to reimburse the victim’s medical expenses.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 13, 2025
Lander Mayor Monte Richardson Dies Unexpectedly
Lander Mayor Monte Richardson died unexpectedly Wednesday. He had served as mayor since 2019. The City Council will meet Tuesday to appoint an interim mayor.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 12, 2025
Husband Of Woman In Byron Murder-Suicide Says She Was Depressed, Struggling
The Wyoming woman who shot her four daughters then herself Monday suffered from depression and other struggles, her husband told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday. He said his wife's break has been both heartbreaking and shocking, because she “was not a monster.”
Clair McFarlandFebruary 12, 2025
Dad Of Two Girls Shot In Byron Murder-Suicide Pleads, “Pray For My Baby”
The father of 7- and 9-year-old girls shot Monday in a murder-suicide in Byron, Wyoming, is praying frantically for the one of four young children who survived. He pleads for the world as well to “pray for my baby.”
Clair McFarlandFebruary 12, 2025
No Outward Signs Byron Mom Suspected Of Shooting Kids Was Struggling, Neighbors Say
Sheriffs deputies described walking in on a nightmare scene Monday in a home where a mother is suspected of shooting her four children, then herself. A next-door neighbor says he was blindsided and never saw any outward signs the mom was struggling.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 12, 2025
Byron Mom Suspected Of Shooting Her 4 Daughters Then Herself Dies
The Byron mother who called 911 to say her four daughters had been shot then turned the gun on herself died Tuesday afternoon, the Big Horn County Sheriff told Cowboy State Daily.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 12, 2025
Small-Town Wyoming Mom Called 911, Reported Her Four Kids Shot Then Shot Herself
A Byron, Wyoming, mother called 911 to report her four daughters had been shot, then shot herself in the head Monday, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday. Three children are dead, while the condition of the fourth and mother are unknown.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 11, 2025
Five Gunshot Victims, Some Dead In Byron Shooting
Law enforcement agents found five gunshot victims at a home in Byron, Wyoming, the Big Horn County sheriff's office announced on Monday. Some were found dead; two were taken to medical care.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 11, 2025
Razor Wire, Drugs And 'Coyotes' - Wyoming Troopers Say Texas Border Problems "Massive"
Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers who went to Texas last summer to assist state patrol and enforce the U.S. border told legislators on Monday that their experiences were eye-opening. “The problems Texas is facing are massive,” one trooper said.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 11, 2025
Jackson Newspaper Gives Community A Heads-Up During Active ICE Investigation
A Jackson newspaper announced that an ICE raid was taking place Friday in Jackson Hole, while it was still occurring. One former ICE official called it "bullshit" and a breach of safety and trust. Another said the media is going to report what it thinks is news.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 10, 2025
Baby Safe After Car Thief Abandons Vehicle Near Riverton
A three-month-old baby who was in the back of a stolen Ford Escape was returned to its mother on Sunday evening near Riverton after the car thief abandoned the vehicle. The perpetrator has not yet been located.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 10, 2025
Wyoming Committee Kills 'Sweeping And Almost Vindictive' Anti-Obscenity Law
A Wyoming Legislative committee killed a broad anti-obscenity bill on Friday. Republican Rep. Tom Kelly said lawmakers shouldn't lose sight of the real problem of sexually-graphic books in kids' library sections, but the solution isn't to advance a “sweeping and almost vindictive law."
Clair McFarlandFebruary 08, 2025
Appropriations Committee Advances Sweeping Immigration Bill That Would Make It Felony To Harbor Illegals
A Wyoming immigration bill that would levy state-level felony charges against people who harbor or transport illegal immigrants kept its $1 million price tag Friday, when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved it. The state Senate will debate the bill next.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 07, 2025
Death Penalty On The Table In Bow And Arrow Death; Prosecutor Says Man Was 'Impaled'
Sublette County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich said he hasn’t ruled out seeking the death penalty for two Big Piney men charged Friday with first-degree murder, in the death of a man investigators say was killed by a bow and arrow. The victim was "impaled" by a man who later bragged about the act to friends, Melinkovich alleged in court.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 07, 2025
No Charges For Thermopolis Officer, Deputy Who Shot Baseball Bat Attacker
There will be no criminal charges filed against the police officer and sheriff's deputy who shot and killed a Thermopolis man who charged them with a metal baseball bat. The special prosecutor on Friday said the agents acted within Wyoming's self-defense laws,
Clair McFarlandFebruary 07, 2025
Two Big Piney Men, 18 and 19, Charged With First-Degree Murder In Bow And Arrow Death
Sublette County sheriff's investigators found a 23-year-old man dead of apparent arrow wounds Wednesday in a Big Piney home. Two men aged 18 and 19 were charged with variations of first-degree murder Friday morning.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 07, 2025
University of Wyoming 'Will Have No Problem Complying' With NCAA Transgender Sports Ban
The NCAA on Thursday barred males from participating in women's sports. The University of Wyoming, which forfeited two women's volleyball matches last fall against a team with a trans player, said it will have “no problem complying.”
Clair McFarlandFebruary 07, 2025
Teen Girl Accused In Reliance Bonfire Shooting Charged As Adult
A 16-year-old Rock Springs girl has been charged as an adult after Sweetwater County Sheriff’s investigators say she shot two men who were in a fight with her boyfriend. The shooting happened late Saturday near a bonfire party spot outside Reliance.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 06, 2025
Fremont County Library Director Publicly Reprimanded After Speaking Against Obscenity Bill
The library director for Fremont County was reprimanded Thursday for not clarifying she was speaking personally, when she criticized a proposed state law seeking to punish librarians for exposing kids to obscenity. Anita Marple said she'd clarify her position, and learn from the experience.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 06, 2025
Judge Won’t Dismiss Sheridan Man’s “Sucker-Punch” Manslaughter Case Early
A judge declined Tuesday to dismiss the case of a man accused of killing a Sheridan hockey coach with a blow the coach's girlfriend called a "sucker punch." Cody McCalla claimed he acted in self-defense after getting into a fight with the victim.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 06, 2025
In Brief: Man In Big Piney Home Found Dead, Other Man Questioned
A man was found dead of "significant injuries" Wednesday in a home in Big Piney, the Sublette County Sheriff's Office reports. Another adult male was detained for questioning.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 06, 2025
Wyoming Delegation Applauds Trump's Trans Athlete Ban
Wyoming's congressional delegation cheered President Donald Trump's Wednesday executive order defunding schools that let males play female-only sports. ”The far left’s attack on female athletes is the women’s rights issue of our time,” Sen. Lummis said.
Sean Barry & Clair McFarlandFebruary 05, 2025
Governor, AG Say Judge Misapplied Law When Striking Down Abortion Bans
The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office argued this week that a judge misapplied the law when she struck down two abortion bans in November. The AG claims in a filing that the judge leaned on an abortion-friendly doctors' testimony when proclaiming abortion "health care."
Clair McFarlandFebruary 05, 2025
Huge Immigration Bill Gets A Makeover; Wyoming Sheriffs Still Hesitant
A Senate committee proposed changes Tuesday to a massive Wyoming immigration bill that would make sheltering or transporting illegal immigrant a felony, among other mandates. The state's law enforcers can work within the new version, but they'd "hesitate" to say they support it, their lobbyist said.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 05, 2025
Evanston Snowmobiler Killed In Avalanche; Friends Say Man Was 'Too Good For This Earth'
Scott Wright, 37, of Evanston, Wyoming, was killed in an avalanche in Utah on Monday, authorities say. A friend of his told Cowboy State Daily that Wright was an avid snowmobiler who loved working on the machines and building them.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 05, 2025
Degenfelder Hopes Trump Will Eliminate U.S. Dept Of Education
Wyoming Superintendent Of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday that she hopes President Trump eliminates the U.S. Dept of Education. States should determine their own rules for federal funding, she said.
Clair McFarlandFebruary 05, 2025