Writer

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.

Follow David Madison

Envelope

Latest from David Madison

Trump Order Further Tees Up Wyoming To Become Leader In Rare Earth Elements

Trump’s executive order last week to boost production of rare earth elements tees up Wyoming become a focus for that. Breaking China’s stranglehold on the world’s supply “is an emergency,” says Holly Krutka, who heads UW’s School of Energy Resources.

David MadisonMarch 24, 2025

Carson, a 120-pounds Saint Bernard, touched down in Ennis, Montana, on March 11 as part of a grassroots effort to rescue dogs from large urban animal shelters and deliver them to remote areas in states like Montana.

More Groups In Rural States Rescuing Big Dogs From Urban High-Kill Shelters

More large breed dogs are winding up in urban animal shelters with high kill rates. But rural shelters thousands of miles away, are rescuing them and saving their lives. Like Carson, a 120-pound Saint Bernard who just escaped death row in Los Angeles.

David MadisonMarch 23, 2025

First seen in 2022, the “Make Bozeman Montana Again” billboard is back, igniting debate on social media about the soul of Bozeman.

The Local Man Behind The “Make Bozeman Montana Again” Billboard

Derek Aspinwall told Cowboy State Daily that Bozeman, Montana, is changing to be more like an Aspen or Vail, Colorado. So he put up a billboard pleading with the community to slow the development and get back to its roots before it's too late

David MadisonMarch 22, 2025

The Flat Creek Apartments have 48 affordable housing units built on public land under an agreement with developers to keep rents at a level local workers can afford.

Trump Administration Calls For More Affordable Homes On Public Land

The Trump administration has called for more affordable homes to be built on public lands. Some builders say using free or low-cost public land would lower the cost of building more homes, and could help ease a longtime crunch for Teton County, Wyoming.

David MadisonMarch 22, 2025

The aftermath of months of camping protesters over the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2017.

Greenpeace Ordered To Pay $667M In Protest Damages Over Dakota Access Pipeline

Greenpeace was ordered by a judge Wednesday to pay $667 million related to a 10-month violent protest over building the Dakota Access Pipeline. Protesters camping at the North Dakota site damaged the land and created a policing and cleanup nightmare.

David MadisonMarch 20, 2025

The Laramie River Station power plant near Wheatland, Wyoming.

Trump Promises Comeback For U.S. Coal, To Reopen “Hundreds” Of Coal-Fired Plants

President Trump promised this week to reopen “hundreds” of coal-fired power plants and spark a comeback for the industry. Wyoming experts say that’s refreshing to hear, but it won’t happen as long as coal costs more than gas and renewables.

David MadisonMarch 20, 2025

Excess gas is flared off at the Sinclair oil refinery in southern Wyoming.

New Report Says There’s Still 'Substantial' Oil And Gas Under Wyoming

A U.S. Geological Survey report released last week says there’s still "substantial" oil and gas underneath Wyoming. The Powder River, Wind River and Bighorn basins still have nearly 50 million barrels of oil and close to 1 billion cubic feet of gas.

David MadisonMarch 19, 2025

Jack Gilmore is thrown from a bull during Professional Bull Riders action at the 2023 Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in this file photo.

Bull Riding Border War Brewing After Frontier Days Switches From PBR To PRCA

The Professional Bull Riders circuit will not return to Cheyenne Frontier Days this year after the Daddy of ’em All decided to go with PRCA Xtreme Bulls. So, PBR has set up its own competing event in Fort Collins for the same days in July.

David MadisonMarch 18, 2025

Pawnee City, Nebraska, where in addition to helping new homebuyers, a new grant program also provides money to those looking to invest in businesses in its charming downtown.

Nebraska Town Offers $50,000 House Down Payment If People Move There

To stem the stream of locals and businesses leaving town, Pawnee City, Nebraska, is offering a $50,000 incentive to move to the hometown of Larry The Cable Guy. The money is a down payment on a house for people who move there.

David MadisonMarch 17, 2025

A video posted on Facebook introduced the world to Delores “Dee” Baker, one of the few 100-year-old South Dakotans to do a shotski in a crash helmet.

100-Year-Old Dee Baker Wears A Crash Helmet When She Takes Shots Of Liquor

A viral video introduced the world to the oldest bar hopper in the Black Hills of South Dakota, 100-year-old Dee Baker. Baker wears a crash helmet when she takes shots of liquor. The centenarian is known as the life of the party in Lewie's Burgers and Brews.

David MadisonMarch 15, 2025

While Wyoming hasn’t passed a state ban, cities and towns like Thermopolis have enacted their own bans against adding fluoride to tap water. Utah voted this month to ban fluoride in drinking water statewide.

Utah To Become First State To Ban Fluoride In Drinking Water

While Wyoming hasn’t passed a statewide ban on adding fluoride to tap water, some communities like Casper, Evanston, and Thermopolis have enacted their own. Utah voted this month to eliminate fluoride in drinking water, the first statewide ban in the nation.

David MadisonMarch 15, 2025

Massive Alaskan Avalanche Claims Three On Mountains Wyomingite Helped Popularize

An enormous avalanche killed three men on Alaska’s Chugach Range early this month, a popular ski region for heli-skiiers. A Jackson guide was among the pioneers to develop the region’s thriving helicopter-skiing industry.

David MadisonMarch 13, 2025

Other Authors

Bison move through the facility at Stephens Creek.

Bison Burgers And Steaks Are Part Of Yellowstone Herd Management Plan

The annual buffalo harvest is underway just outside Yellowstone National Park. The controversial program delivers organic meat to Montana tribes and draws critics calling for an end to thinning the park’s bison herd.

David MadisonMarch 11, 2025

Ryan Pasborg ran into this burning house to save a Green River woman and her son.

Story Of Green River Heroism Takes Bizarre Turn With Phony AI Court Cases

A Wyoming judge has sanctioned a lawyer for citing fake AI cases in a lawsuit over what caused a nearly fatal house fire in Green River. A woman and her son were saved by Ryan Pasborg, who was given the nation's highest honor for heroism for his actions.

David MadisonMarch 10, 2025

Natrona County High School grads turned playwrights Matthew Spangler and Nina McConigley.

"Cowboys And East Indians" Play To Premiere At Denver Center For Performing Arts

Former Casper author Nina McConigley teamed-up with two other Natrona County High graduates to turn a pair of short stories into a Wyoming-inspired play. It will premiere January 2026 on stage at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

David MadisonMarch 09, 2025

A photo exhibit submitted by the Flathead Conservation District supporting its call for the demolition of this home built by John and Stacy Ambler, a couple from San Diego.

Judge: Couple Can Keep House Built Without Permits In Glacier National Park

A judge has spared a home built by a California couple inside of Glacier National Park in Montana. Critics of the ruling say Glacier National Park allowed a couple from San Diego to build whatever they wanted, however they wanted.

David MadisonMarch 09, 2025

Wyoming Remains A Sea Of Political Red, But There’s A Little More Blue Creeping In

While Republican voters continue to move to Wyoming and help make this famously red state even more red, data reveals that at the same time, there are a few more blips of blue. But they aren't enough to come close to challenging the GOP.

David MadisonMarch 08, 2025

A loaded coal train rolls past the Dry Fork Station power plant about 10 miles north of Gillette, Wyoming.

Lawmaker Announces Plan To Build Next-Generation Coal-Fired Plant In Wyoming

A new coal-fired power plant hasn’t opened in the U.S. since 2013, but that’s about to change. A leading state legislator tells Cowboy State Daily that plans are in the works to build a next-generation coal and CO2 plant in Wyoming.

David MadisonMarch 06, 2025

The Frontier Bar, Montana’s unofficial hub of cold beer diplomacy.

Along Montana-Canada Border, Tariffs Could Spike Prices For Beer, Fishing Lures

A lot of commerce flows across the 545 miles of border between Montana and Canada. With promised 25% tariffs going into effect Tuesday, locals expect prices for all kinds of things to spike, including beer and fishing lures.

David MadisonMarch 04, 2025

Valan Anthos, an attorney and "drag king," testifies against a bill that would allow parents to sue if their children are exposd to "hyper sexualized" shows. Anthos appeared in make-up and said his drag act was inspured by the boy band 'NSYNC.

Bill Moving Through Montana Legislature Would Let Parents Sue Over Drag Shows

Wyoming lawmakers recently chose not to advance a bill outlawing the use of public money for drag shows. Across the border in Montana, a bill is moving through the Legislature that would let parents sue over "hypersexualized" shows.

David MadisonMarch 03, 2025

An illustration showing what the front of the Field and Stream Lodge could look like.

New Field & Stream Branded Hotel To Launch In Montana

A new Field & Stream-themed lodge is being launched in the middle of hotel boom in Bozeman, Montana. It promises guests a throwback summer camp experience filled with the magazine’s outdoors nostalgia.

David MadisonMarch 02, 2025