Writer

Kerry Drake

Latest from Kerry Drake

Cheyenne Woman Who Allegedly Let Teenage Daughter Use Fentanyl Captured

A Cheyenne woman who has been wanted by the police since 2023 for child endangerment after allegedly letting her teenage daughter use fentanyl and acted as her mom's "lookout" was captured earlier this month and waived a preliminary hearing on Monday.

Kerry DrakeAugust 11, 2026

Colorado Woman Charged With Kicking Wyoming Highway Patrol Officer In Face

A Colorado woman faces up to 13 1/2 years in jail for allegedly kicking a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer in the face after a traffic stop in Laramie County last week. The woman was pulled over after reportedly punching her mother while driving.

Kerry DrakeAugust 10, 2026

An Amtrak passenger train runs through Colorado's souther Front Range. An effort is underway to connect the Front Range and Cheyenne with passenger rail.

Colorado-Wyoming Passenger Rail Can Happen If Cheyenne Provides Funding Support

Leaders of a project to provide passenger rail service between Colorado and Wyoming say it can happen if Cheyenne does its part with funding support approved by voters. “If we can go to Mars, we can go 45 miles from Cheyenne to Fort Collins,” said one supporter.

Kerry DrakeAugust 10, 2026

The Hand family in the West Wing with then White House Chief of Staff Dick Cheney in 1976. Manus stands nexts to Cheney.

In 1976, Laramie Boy's Bicentennial Quest Took Him All Over North America & White House

Fifty years ago, it was all about the Bicentennial and Laramie's Manus Hand embarked on a project that took him to dozens of towns, cities and counties named Wyoming. Wyoming's Dick Cheney was President Ford's chief of staff and hosted the 12-year-old and his family.

Kerry DrakeAugust 02, 2026

Hail accumulation following flooding in Cheyenne in 1985.

‘I Didn't Want To Die In This Car’: Trapped In Flood, Journalist Almost Became The Story

Kerry Drake was planning a quick trip to Colorado on the evening of Aug. 1, 1985, when he was suddenly trapped in his car by rising floodwaters in Cheyenne. "My car was literally floating down the street, and I had no control over its movement," he writes.

Kerry DrakeAugust 01, 2026

Don Erickson, the 89-year-old former three-term mayor of Cheyenne, examines photos of the city’s deadly Aug. 1, 1985 flood in one of his scrapbooks at the Wyoming State Archives.

Night Of Terror: Wall Of Water Killed 12 In Cheyenne's Deadly August 1, 1985 Flood

On Aug. 1, 1985, Cheyenne was pummeled by a massive storm that unleashed a wall of water killing 12 people and causing more than $65 million in damage. The 65,000-ft thunderheads stalled over the city unleashing tornadoes, hail and unprecedented flooding.

Kerry DrakeAugust 01, 2026

A Colorado man has been charged in the death of a man in his car flung from his when it crashed in Cheyenne while running from troopers at 100 mph. The passenger “sustained injuries in the crash that were not compatible with life,” a trooper reports.

Colorado Man Charged In Death Of Passenger Thrown From His Car At 100 MPH

A Colorado man is charged in the death of a man flung from his car when it crashed in a Cheyenne parking lot while running from troopers at 100 mph. The passenger “sustained injuries in the crash that were not compatible with life,” a trooper reports.

Kerry DrakeJuly 30, 2026

Deer are by far the most hit on Wyoming's highways, but elk, pronghorn and moose are on also on the list. Wyoming is ranked ninth nationally in vehicle-wildlife collisions. “The buck deer came charging up so fast in front of me," said one motorist.

Drivers On Wyoming’s Remote Roads Hit A Lot Of Wildlife, And Deer Most Of All

Deer are by far the most hit animal on Wyoming's highways, but elk, pronghorn and moose are on also on the list. A report from State Farm says the odds of Wyoming motorists having an animal collision are 1 in 82, the 9th highest at-risk state in the nation.

Kerry DrakeJuly 19, 2026

A small group of a few dozen people railed against existing and proposed data centers at the Wyoming Capitol on Saturday. “Anytime you scream ‘wolf,’ there actually is a wolf coming. It’s data centers,” said organizer Taylor Haynes. "It’s our government.”

Wyoming Residents Join National Day Of Protest Against Data Centers

A few dozen Wyoming residents gathered at the State Capitol on Saturday as part of a national day of protest against data centers. Organizer Taylor Haynes called data centers "digital prisons" and said the need for artificial intelligence has taken away Americans’ freedom.

Kerry DrakeJuly 18, 2026

Most Destructive Tornado In Wyoming’s History Leveled Cheyenne 47 Years Ago

It was 47 years ago on July 16, 1979, when a massive tornado ripped through Cheyenne, leveling hundreds of homes and killing a 14-month old. Decades later, it’s still the most destructive tornado in Wyoming history.

Kerry DrakeJuly 16, 2026

Jerry Johnston of Cheyenne holds up a copy of the photo (top) that he took of the tornado that hit the capital city on July 1, 1979.

Reporter’s Notebook: How Photo Of 1979 Cheyenne Tornado Made National News

Cowboy State Daily reporter Kerry Drake covered the July 16, 1979 Cheyenne tornado for the Wyoming State Tribune newspaper. Now, 47 years later, Kerry discusses how he and his colleague reported on the deadly tornado, the biggest to ever hit the state.

Kerry DrakeJuly 16, 2026

Patrick Graham (left) and Jordan Dean (right) next to the giant galloping horse which they rebuilt

The Wrangler’s Galloping Horse Will Ride Again in Cheyenne

The galloping horse and rider at Wrangler’s Western-wear store has been a fixture in downtown Cheyenne since the 1950s, but it broke down four years ago and efforts to fix it failed. Now a Cheyenne family rebuilt the horse in time for Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Kerry DrakeJuly 13, 2026

Other Authors

"Threat Valley Massacre" is a campy horror-comedy-slasher mashup that debuts at this week’s Wyoming International Film Festival.

Wyoming Film Fest Features Horror-Comedy-Slasher Epic With Puppets, 11 Others

A campy horror-comedy-slasher mashup that debuts at this week’s Wyoming International Film Festival has an unexpected twist — it’s all puppets. “Threat Valley Massacre” is “probably the most hilarious film we’re playing this year," said an organizer.

Kerry DrakeJuly 06, 2026

Veterinarians at a Riverton animal clinic work to amputate the right front leg of Toa, a puppy rescued in Ethete after some children reportedly tied a fishing line around his leg.

Cheyenne Clinic 300 Miles Away Has Rescued 3,000 Wyoming Roaming Reservation Dogs

With no veterinary clinics or animal shelters, roaming dogs are a problem on the Wind River Indian Reservation. A Cheyenne clinic 300 miles away has rescued 3,000 stray pets from the reservation since 2017.

Kerry DrakeJuly 05, 2026

Stuart Pierson works his video production station at the PRCA Columbia River Circuit Finals in Redmond, Oregon.

Wyoming People: From Alaska To Vegas To Frontier Days, Stuart Pierson Is Mr. Rodeo

Wyoming's Stuart Pierson has created a interesting career for himself. Known as "Mr. Rodeo," the Centennial man travels across the country producing rodeos. On the road for 200+ days per year, Pierson says Cheyenne Frontier Days is still his favorite.

Kerry DrakeJune 28, 2026

Sheriff Says Laramie County Will Stop Being ‘Safe Haven’ For Human Trafficking

A sex solicitation sting in Cheyenne led to the arrest of two men last weekend. Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak says it’s the beginning of a new effort to stop human trafficking that has been ignored for too long by law enforcement.

Kerry DrakeJune 26, 2026

The biggest creator of fake news in Wyoming has decided to sell what he calls “my baby,” Casper Planet, the satirical Facebook page that has sparked reactions from hysterical to hopping mad all over the world.

Not Fake News: Creator Of Satirical ‘Casper Planet’ Says It’s Time To Sell

Justin Hathaway is selling his satirical Planet Casper Facebook page. He wants someone in Wyoming who will build on a legacy that includes telling 106,000 followers about king cobras spilling onto I-25 and a Yellowstone tourist bus sinking in magma.

Kerry DrakeJune 24, 2026

Boomers Rejoice: McDonald's Iconic Fried Apple Pie Returns To Wyoming For 250th

My assignment was to write a story about the reintroduction of McDonald’s iconic dessert, the fried apple pie, which hasn’t been available under the golden arches since 1992. The pie went on sale a week early in Wyoming, not Tuesday as was nationally advertised.

Kerry DrakeJune 24, 2026

The blinking red neon “Vacancy” sign that Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak installed outside the county jail 18 months ago and national attention from his “Truck Around and Find Out” sweeps of commercial drivers has attracted some potential new, temporary jail visitors — a film crew from the Discovery Channel show “120 Hours Behind Bars.”

Discovery Channel Wants To Film Reality Show In Laramie County Sheriff Kozak's Jail

The Discovery Channel wants to film an episode of its reality show "120 Hours Behind Bars" in the Laramie County jail. It's the latest bit of national attention Sheriff Brian Kozak has received since his "Truck Around and Find Out" sweeps made national news

Kerry DrakeJune 20, 2026

This week is the 55th anniversary of one of the most daring — or insane — feats in Wyoming history when Bill Briggs became the first to ski down the face of Grand Teton. “It's probably now or never,” he said about passing the point of no return.

It’s Been 55 Years Since Bill Briggs Became The First To Ski Down Grand Teton

This week marks the 55th anniversary of one of the most daring feats in Wyoming history, when Bill Briggs — the “father of extreme skiing” — became the first person to ski down the face of Grand Teton. “It was harder than I thought,” the 94-year-old recalled.

Kerry DrakeJune 20, 2026

Geno Stecks received the first ticket for violating Cheyenne’s new vehicle noise ordinance. He was driving this 2006 Subaru with a modified muffler.

Meet The First Driver To Get A Ticket Under Cheyenne’s New Noise Ordinance

Mechanic Geno Stecks got the first ticket under Cheyenne’s new noise ordinance while delivering a car part in the middle of the day. When the officer told him he couldn't hear his radio because of the exhaust, Stecks said, "Turn your volume knob up."

Kerry DrakeJune 16, 2026