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
Riverton’s Day Drinkers Agree With Wyoming Lawmaker: They’re Not Homeless
As a Wyoming legislative committee discusses $500,000 to build a homeless shelter in Riverton, a state lawmaker said the town's wanderers aren't homeless, they've come to town to drink. The wanderers generally agree.
Clair McFarlandNovember 07, 2023
Safe Havens Would Have To Ask If Abandoned Babies Are Indian Under Proposed Law
Wyoming lawmakers are contemplating whether “Safe Haven” public agencies that take in abandoned babies should be required to find out if those babies are American Indian.
Clair McFarlandNovember 07, 2023
Already Facing 20 Years, Wyo. Teen Accused Of Beating, Pointing Gun At Another
In his last free days before being sentenced on an attempted manslaughter conviction, a Cheyenne teen is now accused of beating up another teen, stealing his shoes and PlayStation and pointing a gun at him.
Clair McFarlandNovember 07, 2023
Wyoming Library Association Blasts Degenfelder's Opt-In Guidance For Sex Books
The Wyoming Library Association on Monday said it has a problem with Megan Degenfelder’s guidance that could make kids get parental permission to have access to sexually-graphic books in schools.
Clair McFarlandNovember 06, 2023
Cody Dad Not Guilty In Toddler's Murder, Stepmother Got Life In Prison
Moshe Williams, 33, is not guilty in the 2021 murder of his 2-year-old daughter, a jury ruled Friday. His then-girlfriend Carolyn Aune, however, has been sentenced to life in prison for the crime.
Clair McFarlandNovember 06, 2023
Wyoming Tribes Say They’re Exempt From Paying Legal Fees
Wyoming’s Native American tribes already owe a gas and oil company $13.1 million, and the company's attorneys are trying to collect $81,000 in fees, but the tribes say because they’re sovereign, they don’t have to pay the legal tab.
Clair McFarlandNovember 05, 2023
Never Mind: Gillette Man Reverses Self-Defense Claim In Bloody Beer Bottle Fight
Though he’d asked for a Friday hearing to show he acted in self-defense, a Venezuelan immigrant in Gillette accused of hurling a beer bottle at another man’s head now says he’d rather work on a plea agreement.
Clair McFarlandNovember 03, 2023
Pro Choicers OK To Argue In Court Whether Abortion Is, Or Is Not, Health Care
The pro-choice plaintiffs suing Wyoming over its abortion bans say they’re OK to argue in court a statement by four doctors that abortion is not health care.
Clair McFarlandNovember 03, 2023
Lost In Wyoming Wilderness In A Snowstorm, Faith Pulls Pastor Through 3-Day Test
When the pastor of a small Wyoming church became lost in the Wyoming wilderness during a snowstorm, he — and those praying for his safe return — leaned on their faith to pull him through.
Clair McFarlandNovember 03, 2023
Evangelist Says Settlement With UW Over Transgender Speech ‘A Win For All’
Todd Schmidt, the Laramie evangelist who recently settled his free-speech lawsuit against University of Wyoming officials over his calling out a transgender student by name on campus, says the outcome is “a win for all.”
Clair McFarlandNovember 03, 2023
Clair McFarland: High Heels Are Only Useful For Kicking Bad Guys In The Throat
High heels are the cigarettes of shoes. They’ll soon be known for their health risks, relegated to glass cupboards at the store and advertised amid disclaimers.
Clair McFarlandNovember 03, 2023
Gillette School Bus Driver Loses Consciousness, Plows Into Fence With 17 Kids Onboard
A school bus driver from Gillette had a sudden medical event, lost consciousness and drove through a ditch and barbed-wire fence, stopping when the bus high-centered on a hillside. There were 17 elementary school kids on the bus.
Clair McFarlandNovember 02, 2023
Alleged Embezzler Now Accused Of Punching Man Who Tried To Kiss Him
A Fort Washakie man accused of embezzling from a tribal health clinic and pistol whipping someone is now charged with allegedly shattering the teeth of a man who tried to kiss him outside a Jackson bar.
Clair McFarlandNovember 02, 2023
Degenfelder: New Guidance Targets Sexually Graphic School Books, Not Viewpoints
Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder unveiled statewide guidance Wednesday for school districts about sexually graphic books. It targets sex acts, not viewpoints.
Clair McFarlandNovember 01, 2023
Cheyenne Judge Should’ve Heard Dad-Beater Who Wants His Bloody Shoes, Cash Back
The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a Laramie County District Court judge should have listened to a man convicted of severely beating his father when the man asked for the return of his bloody sneakers and $699 in cash that were seized at his arrest.
Clair McFarlandOctober 31, 2023
Green River Man Accused Of Breaking Into Home And Cleaning The Kitchen
Delroy Trujillo of Green River is accused of breaking into another man's home, cooking a pizza and cleaning the kitchen, then leaving with several guns and crossbows. He also dropped his wallet at the scene, court documents say.
Clair McFarlandOctober 31, 2023
ACLU Accuses Gordon Of 'Grandstanding' On NCAA Policies For Transgender Athletes
The ACLU of Wyoming says Gordon is "grandstanding" by signing a letter Monday urging the NCAA to make its transgender policy fairer to females because it goes against his position that Wyoming's ban on trans female grade-school athletes is "draconian."
Clair McFarlandOctober 31, 2023
Gillette Police Investigate After Human Skull Found In Storage Unit
While going through the contents of a Gillette storage unit sold at auction, a human skull was found, believed to be from a white male age 30-50. Local police are investigating.
Clair McFarlandOctober 30, 2023
Gillette Man Accused Of Trying To Kidnap Woman Not Too Mentally Ill For Trial
A Gillette man accused of trying to kidnap a woman from a Walmart store and take her to his home has withdrawn his plea of not guilty by reason of mental illness and will face a jury trial.
Clair McFarlandOctober 30, 2023
Men Claim Wyoming Ranch Was A Nightmare Of Forced Teen Labor, Trafficking
Two men who spent time at the Triangle Cross Ranch in Powell, Wyoming, claim in a federal lawsuit they were trafficked to the ranch, where they were abused and used as forced labor.
Clair McFarlandOctober 30, 2023
Laramie County Sheriff Releases Bodycam Video Of Deadly 2022 Shootout
Saying the public should be able to see bodycam videos of officer-involved shootings, Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak released a narrated account of a deputy's deadly shootout with a defiant suspect last Halloween.
Clair McFarlandOctober 27, 2023