Kate Meadows
Kate Meadows is a journalist, creative nonfiction author and book editor who focuses on agriculture and city/county government issues. She grew up in Pinedale, Wyo., as a fourth-generation Sublette County resident and got her start as a journalist at The Pinedale Roundup and Sublette Examiner. She earned an MFA in Professional Writing with concentrations in journalism and creative nonfiction from Western Connecticut State University.
Latest from Kate Meadows

Skyrocketing Costs, Drought A ‘Perfect Storm’ For Wyoming Farmers and Ranchers
High fertilizer costs and severe drought is leaving Wyoming’s famers and ranchers making tough choices. “It’s kind of the perfect storm for agriculture,” one farmer said, adding many aren’t fertilizing this year because it’s too expensive.
Kate MeadowsApril 30, 2026

Business Council Fights For Its Future As Lawmakers Weigh Cuts, Reforms
The Wyoming Business Council is again making a case for survival as it prepares to meet Thursday with the Wyoming Joint Appropriations Committee. Co-Chair John Bear said he wants to "hear from people who ... can defend the usefulness of this agency.”
Kate MeadowsApril 29, 2026

Legislator Says State Needs To Figure Out Who Gets Money From Data Center Boom
State Sen. Cale Case on Wednesday said as Wyoming’s data center industry continues to boom, the state needs to figure out who gets the money generated by them. “Are we getting enough taxes from these things, and where do those taxes go?” he asked.
Kate MeadowsApril 29, 2026

100-Year-Old Rawlins Water System Keeps Failing, But City Can’t Afford To Fix It
Two breaks in the 100-year-old Rawlins city water system this week leaves residents in a familiar spot — on notice they may lose water. The former mayor estimates the cost to fix the system at between $50 - $60 million, which is money they don't have.
Kate MeadowsApril 29, 2026

Angry Cheyenne Residents Speak Out Against Annexation And Proposed Data Center
Dozens of angry Cheyenne residents spoke out Monday against a 1,200-acre annexation and possible data center before City Council tabled the decision. “To me it looks like a quick way to make a nice big buck,” said one woman about the landowner's motive.
Kate MeadowsApril 28, 2026

Opposition To Cheyenne Data Centers Grows As City Moves To Add Them
Opposition to Cheyenne data centers is growing as residents become more vocal and sign petitions against them. One councilman says development has happened so fast, it’s "completely outstripped the ability of the county and the city to plan."
Kate MeadowsApril 27, 2026

Art Of The Hunt: South Dakota’s Largest Antler Dealer Sells 60 Tons A Year
A side gig for a pair of South Dakota men has exploded into a booming business selling 60 tons of elk, deer and moose antlers a year. Some prized specimens can sell for thousands of dollars each.
Kate MeadowsApril 26, 2026

Family-Owned Dairy Farms Disappearing Across U.S. As Commercial Operations Grow
Nationally, 39% of dairy farms disappeared between 2017 and 2022 as the industry is moving toward more commercially-owned operations, instead of family businesses. While dairy farms in Wyoming aren't following that trend, its farmland in general does.
Kate MeadowsApril 25, 2026

Powder River Energy Plans $23.5 Million Solar-Battery Project Near Moorcroft
A $23.5 million utility-scale solar generation and battery storage project is moving forward near Moorcroft. It will allow Powder River Energy to be in control of a power generation source for the first time in its 80-year history.
Kate MeadowsApril 24, 2026

No Affordable Housing: Only 2 Teton County Sheriff's Deputies Live In Teton County
Working as a first responder in the nation’s richest county illustrates a complex problem: How does a sheriff's deputy who earns a starting salary of $70,000 live in a town where the median home price is $3 million? They don't. Only 2 of 30 live there.
Kate MeadowsApril 23, 2026

Some Citizens Angry After Comments Turned Off For Cheyenne City Council Livestreams
Cheyenne’s mayor has turned off comments on City Council meetings livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page. Some say that's an overreaction to criticism, while the mayor says many comments were reckless, threatening and out of hand.
Kate MeadowsApril 22, 2026

Daughter Of Council Member Kicked Out After Resolution On Recording Meeting Dies
The daughter of a Guernsey City councilwoman was kicked out of a council meeting Tuesday night after a resolution that would have banned residents from recording meetings died without a motion. “Way to flip-flop, Joe,” she said, while exiting the meeting.
Kate MeadowsApril 22, 2026

Guernsey Town Council Considers Ban On Recording Meetings From Audience
The Guernsey Town Council is considering a resolution that would ban people sitting in the audience from recording meetings, instead putting them in a specified area. One councilman says it "borders on being unconstitutional."
Kate MeadowsApril 21, 2026

Rock Springs Flying J Employee Dies After Getting Pinned Between Trucks
An employee at the Rock Springs Flying J Travel Center truck stop died Sunday morning after getting pinned between trucks while managing commercial traffic in the parking lot. Veteran truck drivers say it's an accident that could have been prevented.
Kate MeadowsApril 20, 2026

Crook County Fight Puts Spotlight On Wyoming Rec Districts And Taxing Authority
A new recreation district formed in Crook County following a dip in property tax revenue is revealing a deep divide over taxes and how community amenities and programs get funded. "I didn’t expect it to be so severe and nasty," said the school board chairman.
Kate MeadowsApril 20, 2026

160-Megawatt Laramie Solar Project Makes Deal With Black Hills To Get Power On Grid
A 160-megawatt solar project on Laramie city-owned land has reached a milestone with NextEra Energy Inc. signing an agreement with Black Hills Power Inc. to deliver electricity to the power grid.
Kate MeadowsApril 19, 2026

Opponents Say Turbines On Way To Turning Laramie Range Into A ‘Wyoming Wind Wall’
Opponents of a growing number of wind energy projects say they fear the Laramie Range is on its way to becoming a “Wyoming wind wall.” Supporters say the projects mean more than $40 million in annual lease payments for landowners and can be developed responsibly.
Kate MeadowsApril 17, 2026

Why WYDOT’s New Plow Trucks Cost $500,000 Each
Wyoming Department of Transportation officials say two new massive snowplows that each cost more than $500,000 are major upgrades to the state’s fleet of heavy machinery. They make up for the cost by being super-efficient.
Kate MeadowsApril 14, 2026

Sublette County Doesn't Have A Stoplight — And They Like It That Way
Sublette County is larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined and has more than 1,500 miles of roads. It doesn't have a stoplight and people like it that way. “A stoplight would mean Pinedale is Californicated," one resident said.
Kate MeadowsApril 12, 2026

Right To Repair: John Deere Settlement Could Mean Payouts For Wyoming Farmers
Accused of monopolizing the tractor repair market, John Deere agreed this week to settle a long-running right-to-repair lawsuit. Farmers are skeptical, saying the company’s promises come across as, “Trust us, we really mean it this time.”
Kate MeadowsApril 10, 2026

Wyoming Ranchers Split On Opening Mexico Border To Beef After Screwworm Outbreak
Wyoming ranchers are split on the USDA considering a phased reopening of the U.S.-Mexico border to beef following a devastating screwworm outbreak. Some say it could mean lower prices, but others will be “greatly opposed to it."
Kate MeadowsApril 10, 2026
