Features Reporter

David Madison

David Madison is an award-winning journalist and documentary producer based in Bozeman, Montana. He’s also reported for Wyoming PBS. He studied journalism at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and has worked at news outlets throughout Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Montana.

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Latest from David Madison

Wyoming Sheep Jams Reveal Mounting Pressures On Local Ranches And Farms

Wyoming sheep jams are a reminder of the big struggles ranchers face. Rising costs and industry changes threaten family farms, prompting new efforts to protect them.

David MadisonOctober 15, 2025

After Radiant Nuclear dumped Wyoming for Tennessee on Monday, questions surround the future of the state’s nuclear industry. Legislators and elected officials are pointing fingers of blame and speculation over the decision. Gov. Mark Gordon and state Sen. Ed Cooper, right, decry losing Radiant, calling legislators opposed to the project "Club No." Two of those are state Reps. Rachel Rodriguez-Willaims and Bill Allemand, left.

Legislators Pointing Fingers Over Radiant Nuclear Killing Wyoming Project

After Radiant Nuclear dumped Wyoming for Tennessee, state lawmakers are left pointing fingers at each other. Some legislators say the state made a catastrophic mistake in not embracing the industry.

David MadisonOctober 14, 2025

After months of debate and amid regulatory uncertainty in Wyoming, Radiant Nuclear announced Monday that it’s ditching its controversial plan to build nuclear microreactors and store spent fuel in Natrona County.

Radiant Nuclear Picks Tennessee Over Wyoming To Build Nuclear Microreactor Facility

Radiant Nuclear announced Monday afternoon that it will build its first nuclear microreactor manufacturing facility in Tennessee, abandoning plans for the controversial project near Bar Nunn, after months of heated debate over spent nuclear fuel storage.

David MadisonOctober 13, 2025

Greybull's Historic Pump House Seeks New Life As Riverside Brewery Or Restaurant

An old pump house in a vacant lot by the Bighorn River in Greybull has had locals talking about the building's potential for years, and this summer when it went up for sale, it caught the attention of HGTV stars and some interested buyers.

David MadisonOctober 12, 2025

Moose resident Yvon Chouinard combined forces with the godfather of flying fishing in Yellowstone National Park Craig Mathews to write a new book about doing more with less: "Pheasant Tail Simplicity: Recipes and Techniques for Successful Fly Fishing."

Patagonia Founder, Wyoming Conservationist Preaches Fly-Fishing Simplicity & Naked Climbing

Wyoming resident and conservation icon Yvon Chouinard joined forces with Craig Mathews — the "dean" of fly fishing in Yellowstone in a new book that urges anglers and the rest of the world to do more with less -- like climbing El Capitan completely naked, at night.

David MadisonOctober 11, 2025

Otto the Slobbering Bear on the Jesse Hall dormitory at the University of Montana. Inset: Otto appears on the football helmets

Montana's Forgotten ‘Slobbering Bear’ College Mascot Gets His Helmet Debut

The University of Montana is reviving its quirky 1970s basketball mascot, Otto the Slobbering Bear, with a helmet debut for homecoming. The throwback design honors UM’s 1995 football title and has sparked mixed reactions online including some who call it a "meth bear."

David MadisonOctober 11, 2025

Wyoming Tech Startup Aims To Finally Clean Up Cold War Uranium's Deadly Legacy

A Casper company just received the first license of its kind to remediate radioactive uranium mine waste — a "watershed moment" for communities -- like Jeffrey City, Wyoming -- living with contamination since the 1950s.

David MadisonOctober 10, 2025

Wyoming Bigger Player In Nuclear Energy World With Acquisition In Powder River Basin

Snow Lake Resources, a uranium exploration and development company, now owns all of the Powder River Basin's Pine Ridge uranium project, after an acquisition of another company, making Wyoming a bigger player in the nuclear energy game.

David MadisonOctober 08, 2025

"Angry August": Jackson Debates Lodging Tax As Residents Say Crowds Are Annoying

Elected officials in Jackson met Monday to discuss putting a new lodging tax before voters. One councilwoman said she shares concerns with residents who don't want to promote the town anymore. "I mean, people are angry. August went on longer than normal," she said.

David MadisonOctober 07, 2025

Wyoming brother and sister Tristan Scott, top, and Anjan Katta are leading the charge for a new, “healthier” way of unplugging while staying connected with the Daylight Computer. The company got a huge boost this summer when the device was praised by popular podcaster Joe Rogan.

Wyoming Siblings And Their Daylight Computer Get Huge Boost From Joe Rogan

A Wyoming brother and sister are leading the charge for a new, “healthier” way of unplugging while staying connected with their Daylight Computer. The company got a huge boost this summer when the device was praised by popular podcaster Joe Rogan.

David MadisonOctober 05, 2025

A pair of technicians work in the control room on the platform of a natural gas drilling rig in this file photo.

Casper Startup Betting On AI Roughneck To Fill Oil Field Gaps Left By Retirements

Experienced roughneck techs in Wyoming's oil and gas fields can hear a pump belt slipping from 20 feet away, but they’re retiring faster than the industry can fill their shoes. A Casper startup is creating an AI roughneck to fill those gaps.

David MadisonOctober 05, 2025

Mike “Moose” Dabich at home in Hudson, Wyoming. From crashing through doors in tiny Hudson, Wyoming, to battling basketball legends Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell on the court, Dabich’s life journey is a slam dunk of grit, humor and mountain-sized memories.

The Challenging And Charmed Basketball Life Of Hudson’s Mike “Moose” Dabich

From crashing through doors in tiny Hudson, Wyoming, to battling basketball legends Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell to snatching a gun pointed at Doug Moe, Mike “Moose” Dabich’s life journey is a slam dunk of grit, humor and mountain-sized memories.

David MadisonOctober 05, 2025

Other Authors

At Thunder Basin High School in Gillette, the youngest high school in Wyoming deliberately fires up school spirit to kick off homecoming week.

Wyoming Homecoming: Building Traditions At One Of State's Newest High Schools

Thunder Basin High School hasn't even welcomed back a class for its 10-year reunion yet. But one of the state's newest high schools is deliberately crafting rituals and traditions meant to last generations, including lighting its logo on fire for homecoming.

David MadisonOctober 04, 2025

Erin Galloway, the new solo face of the hit social media series “Our Wyoming Life,” depends on her two teammates — Jeff Lake and Martha Larson — to pull off feats like the recent annual squash harvest.

It's Her Wyoming Life: The Now-Solo Face Of State's Largest Ag YouTube Channel

Erin Galloway took over the popular Our Wyoming Life YouTube channel from her ex-husband in 2024 and continues to grow it into an influential voice for Wyoming agriculture. Oh, and she's also raising three kids and running a cattle operation.

David MadisonOctober 04, 2025

More than 300 people filed into the Cam-plex Heritage Center Theater on Tuesday night for a presentation from BWXT about its proposed nuclear fuel manufacturing facility in Gillette.

BWXT Pitches Nuclear Fuel Plant In Gillette As Locals Wrestle With Mixed Emotions

BWXT officials promise a $500 million nuclear fuel plant will bring more than 200 jobs to Gillette without creating or storing nuclear waste there. But residents told the company Tuesday they're wrestling with the idea of a nuclear future.

David MadisonOctober 01, 2025

Exporting Wyoming coal to Asian markets could help the state make up for lost revenues with federal royalty rates dropping from 12.5% to 7%, Gov. Mark Gordon said Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. He also said AI and data centers present huge potential for the state.

Gordon: Coal Exports, Production Boost Could Make Up For Lower Revenues

Gov. Mark Gordon on Tuesday said exporting Wyoming coal to Asian markets could help the state make up for lost revenues with federal royalty rates dropping from 12.5% to 7%. He also said AI and data centers present huge potential for the state.

David MadisonSeptember 30, 2025

Campbell County's 20-year-old Remotec F6B robot named Judy, originally bought with post-9/11 Homeland Security grants, will retire. That announcement caused a commissioner to wonder, "Where do old robots go to die?"

'Where Do Old Robots Go To Die?' Campbell County Retires 20-Year-Old Bomb Squad Robot

Campbell County's 20-year-old Remotec F6B robot named Judy, originally bought with post-9/11 Homeland Security grants, is retiring. That announcement caused a commissioner to wonder, "Where do old robots go to die?"

David MadisonSeptember 28, 2025

Wyoming Sugar Beet Growers Project Near-Record Harvest And Sugar Content

Rain across northern Wyoming temporarily halted sugar beet harvest operations last week, but growers are confident they can keep pace with factory demands as the annual harvest ramps up. If projections hold, this season will mark the second-highest sugar content on record.

David MadisonSeptember 28, 2025

Montana’s tireless “Coal King,” the late Duane Ankney, beat a path between Colstrip and Helena, Montana, and then Washington D.C., advocating for the industry where he made his career.

Legacy Of Montana's Coal King Lives On As Industry Gains New Political Momentum

Since Duane Ankney died in August, tributes have poured in celebrating Montana's "Coal King" for his legislative efforts and tireless advocacy. The greatest tribute might be the significant political momentum the coal industry is now feeling.

David MadisonSeptember 27, 2025

Wyoming mountain bikers are ripping a page from the playbook of snowmobilers to raise money to build better trails. Proposed legislation would create the first systematic fee structure — aka "greenie tax" — for non-motorized trail users at state parks.

Proposed 'Greenie Tax' Would Make Coloradans Pay For Using Wyoming Trails

More than 60% of mountain bikers at Wyoming's Curt Gowdy State Park are out-of-state, mostly Colorado. New legislation supported by Rep. Karlee Provenza would make them pay for it. "I'm all for figuring out how can we have Colorado pay for their usage of our land," she said.

David MadisonSeptember 27, 2025

After vanishing over the Pacific in 1942, Sgt. Thomas Cotner was presumed lost forever. Now a researcher's discovery in a remote New Guinea jungle has revealed the sacrifice of a young Casper, Wyoming, man who flew directly into the teeth of war.

Missing Wyoming WWII Vet’s B-17 Bomber Discovered In New Guinea Jungle

After vanishing over the Pacific in 1942, Sgt. Thomas Cotner of Casper was presumed lost forever. Now eight decades later, wreckage of the B-17 Flying Fortress where Tom served as a radio operator and gunner was discovered.

David MadisonSeptember 27, 2025