Writer

Dale Killingbeck

Killingbeck is glad to be back in journalism after working for 18 years in corporate communications with a health system in northern Michigan. He spent the previous 16 years working for newspapers in western Michigan in various roles.

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Latest from Dale Killingbeck

Discarded tear and trash litters one of the Mount Everest base camps in this 2018 photo.

Wyoming Everest Climbers Pleased Dead Bodies Being Removed, Worried About Sherpas

Two Wyoming mountaineers who have been on Mount Everest say they appreciate renewed efforts to remove hundreds of dead bodies from the mountain. But they also don’t want to sacrifice Sherpas to do it.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 26, 2024

John “Dale” Leatham served as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Casper for more than 40 years.

Service Spotty At Wyoming’s Only International Airport Since Death Of Customs Agent

The Natrona County airport, Wyoming’s only international airport, has had spotty flight clearances since its longtime agent died. A foreign trade zone application to boost the region’s economy also remains on hold.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 25, 2024

The historic Rialto Theater in downtown Casper will reopen next month after extensive renovations to offer live comedy, music and’ events for kids.

Built In 1921, Casper’s Iconic Rialto Theater Is Renovated, Ready To Reopen

A newly renovated Rialto Theater in Casper, originally built in 1921, has been renovated and is ready to reopen. It’s been reimagined as a community venue for comedy, musical acts and events for kids.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 22, 2024

Thieves sometimes target parking lots at larger events looking for opportunities.

Most Wyoming Car Thefts Come Down To Leaving Them Unlocked, Keys In Them

Despite tech advances and a huge rise in video surveillance, a growing number Wyoming car thefts happen because they're left unlocked or with the keys inside. Multiple Cowboy State cities also report older vehicles are targeted more than newer.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 22, 2024

A photo of the DC-3 that crashed into Elk Mountain on Jan. 31, 1946.

Wyoming History: 21 Killed In 1946 When Flight 14 Slammed Into Elk Mountain

The air corridor across southern Wyoming in 1946 required planes to get over Elk Mountain before making a turn south. In January 1946, United Airlines Flight 14 couldn’t and 21 people died.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 21, 2024

Folk singer and educator Hank Cramer loves to spend time talking about historic events as well as singing songs that are related to those events – such as songs that would have been sung on the California Trail.

Retired Wyoming Army Officer Keeps Historic Overland Trails Music Alive

Retired U.S. Army officer Hank Cramer spends much of his summers traveling around Wyoming sharing the folk music and stories of its historic overland trails. For many pioneers, their music was key to keeping spirits up and motivated.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 21, 2024

The former W. F. Henning mansion in downtown Casper is on the real estate market and looking for its seventh owner. The 9,500-square-foot house has 16-inch walls, steel beams in the basement, and the original molding, light fixtures, and much more that made it grand.

Casper’s Historic 100-Year-Old Henning Mansion For Sale Again, Lists For $1.8M

A 9,500-square-foot home billed as the “biggest and most luxurious private mansion in the state” when completed in 1924 is available for the seventh time in its history. The Casper home is on the market for $1.8 million.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 21, 2024

John Wayne during a scene of the movie "Hellfighters."

Casper Still Excited For John Wayne Visit 56 Years After He Filmed ‘Hellfighters’

It’s been 56 years since Hollywood legend John Wayne visited Casper to film “Hellfighters,” but locals are still excited about it. The movie featured an elite hotshot crew of oil rig firefighters and filmed some of its most spectacular scenes in Wyoming.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 20, 2024

Eating Wyoming: Casper's Pho Saigon Has Loyal Following For Its Vietnamese Food

It may only be a 10-table family joint in Casper, but Pho Saigon is well-known for its Vietnamese pho. The traditional Vietnamese fare is made from a family that arrived in Wyoming from Vietnam in 2003.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 20, 2024

A typical Wyoming sheep herd and wagon in 1909.

At The Height Of Wyoming’s Sheep Wars, Raiders Clubbed, Shot And Blew Up Sheep

Upping the ante in their war against sheep men, Wyoming cattle ranchers clubbed, shot and blew sheep up with dynamite. While the Spring Creek Raid of 1909 is the most famous clash, it really began along Badwater Creek in 1904.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 20, 2024

Natrona County Officials Remove Road Barricade Erected By Ranchers

Barriers erected by a ranch family along County Road 505 were removed on Tuesday morning per the order of the Natrona County commissioners. The county announced it will now move forward to legally claim the road.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 16, 2024

Natrona County Ranchers Block Off Road Claimed By County

A Natrona County ranch couple blocked off a portion of County Road 505 where it crosses their property, potentially impacting two major road projects. One commissioner said, "The county is extremely concerned."

Dale KillingbeckJuly 15, 2024

Other Authors

Balloonist, Passenger Injured In Crash Landing At Casper Event On Saturday

A balloonist and passenger participating in the Casper Balloon Roundup sustained injuries when they crash landed on Saturday in Casper. Once thrown out of the basket, the balloon sailed another quarter of a mile away.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 15, 2024

Carmeron Wagner flies his balloon, left, in the early morning above central Casper.

Let's Go Hot Air Ballooning Over Casper

Cowboy State Daily reporter Dale Killingbeck on Friday hopped into a wicker basket, and let a pilot launch him into the air over Casper by blasting flames into a nylon balloon.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 14, 2024

Walter and Sharon Merschat have restored the exterior of the home that includes gingerbread-style siding at the top. Original windows had to be replaced because the mountain winds blew them out during the buildings first winter.

Casper Couple Transforms Former Drug House Into Wyoming Mountain Retreat

When Walter and Sharon Merschat heard that a 'drug house' was getting demolished by the City of Casper, they stopped inside to take a look. They saw the woodwork and told the city "you can't do this." The city gave them one month to move the house.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 14, 2024

A grid is laid out at the Willow Springs archaeological site. The site is in the Laramie Valley and once may have served as a stagecoach stop on the Overland Trail.

Forgotten 1860s Wyoming Stagecoach Stop Reveals Artifacts Thousands Of Years Old

A recent dig on a long-forgotten archaeological site at a private Laramie Valley ranch has uncovered more than 10,000 artifacts that date back to prehistoric times, the Plains Indian Wars and an apparent mercantile in the 1870s.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 14, 2024

Coates Road residents are concerned about the paved and gravel portion of their roads and the impact heavy haul gravel trucks would have on them if a proposed gravel pit is approved.

Group Says It Has 15,000 Signatures Opposing Controversial Casper Gravel Pit

An organized group says it’s gathered 15,000 signatures opposing plans to mine gravel from 300 acres of state-owned land at the base of Casper Mountain. The project’s manager said Thursday the project push go forward.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 12, 2024

In Brief: Man Charged With Fighting Arrest, Breaking Leg Of Casper Police Officer

A 41-year-old Evansville man who wanted to use drugs one more time before entering treatment is accused of breaking the leg of a Casper police officer while fighting his arrest.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 10, 2024

In Brief: Casper Man Shot During Fourth Of July Fight Over Fireworks

A man was shot and taken to a Casper hospital on the Fourth of July during a fight over personal fireworks. An argument between a small group of people and the man who was shot erupted at the basketball courts at a local park.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 08, 2024

Logan Wilson at this weekend's golf tournament for the foundation started in memory of little Brooks Anderson. Inset, Jamie Anderson gets her son Brooks to laugh. She said her journey of loss has caused her to go deep into the study of grief. She started a blog that has helped other women.

NFL's Logan Wilson Back In Casper Supporting Coach Who Lost Baby To SIDS

Casper's Logan Wilson was back in town this weekend participating in the Brooks Joshua Memorial Golf Tournament to raise awareness for SIDS. The NFL star's high school coach lost his baby to SIDS eight years ago.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 07, 2024

Three generations of auctioneers, Warren, Jace, and Ty Thompson, watch the proceedings at a livestock event.

3rd Generation Of Famed Thompson Auctioneer Family Fast-Talking Way To The Top

For three generations in Wyoming and Montana, the Thompsons have been the region’s famed fast-talking auctioneer family. It’s an art that’s in their blood, and they’re the best at it.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 07, 2024