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Zakary Sonntag

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The Science Zone in Casper is one of a number of groups that get money from AmeriCorps.

Wyoming Groups Lobby To Reverse $400 Million In Cuts To AmeriCorps

A number of Wyoming groups are lobbying the state’s congressional delegation to reverse $400 million in cuts to AmeriCorps. But, so far, they have expressed support for DOGE and its mission to cut wasteful spending.

Zakary SonntagMay 05, 2025

Keri Sommer of Cody, Wyoming, started Bears of Honor to remember fallen military service members and first responders. It's become much more, using their uniforms to make Bears of Honor that are cherished by those families.

Wyoming-Made Honor Bears Give Strength To Gold Star Families

A Wyoming woman’s mission to help gold star military and first-responder families does more than give them renewed strength. Her Bears of Honor program uses their uniforms to make Teddy bears that keeps their service and honor alive.

Zakary SonntagMay 04, 2025

Seclusion and its access to Wyoming's wilderness make this riverbend cabin near Pinedale one of the state's most wish-listed vacation rentals.

Wyoming’s Most Wish-Listed Vacation Rentals Are Remote Cabins And A Dome

Wyoming’s short term-rental market stands apart from the rest of the country. The state’s most wish-listed vacation rentals show people want to be in the middle of nowhere, but they don't necessarily want to rough it.

Zakary SonntagMay 03, 2025

Butch’s Bar in Evansville is a glorious local dive bar. It’s a neighborhood bar that wands you for weapons at the door, a biker bar where a group of bikers gets pissed if you call them a biker gang.

Drinking Wyoming: Butch's Bar, Name It If You Can

Trying to label Butch’s Bar in Evansville is like trying to nail a Jell-O shot to the wall. It’s a dive bar that moonlights as a dance club. It’s a neighborhood bar that wands you for weapons at the door. It’s a biker bar where bikers don't like it when you call it a biker bar.

Zakary SonntagMay 03, 2025

Dash cam photos offer some detail of the suspect's semitruck in a fatal hit-and-run near Rock Springs that left a commercial truck driver dead.

Trucking Community Devastated By Fatal I-80 Hit-And-Run Near Rock Springs

Four days after a semitruck driver was killed while stopped on the shoulder of I-80 near Rock Springs, the Wyoming Highway Patrol is escalating its search for the hit-and-run driver. Industry insiders say they’re devastated by the “freak” incident.

Zakary SonntagApril 29, 2025

Casper resident Hubert Townsend pays tribute to the late Pope Francis at Saint Anthony Church in Casper.

Wyoming Catholics React To Death Of Pope Francis With Eye To Future For Church

Wyoming Catholics are reacting to the death of Pope Francis with sorrow and hope. Even a self-described Casper “cafeteria Catholic” says it’s affected him emotionally, and he’s “excited to see who the new pope is” going to be.

Zakary SonntagApril 27, 2025

Tech Squeezes Millions More Barrels Of Oil From Wyoming Wells

Wyoming’s Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute is partnering with private companies to give aging oil fields a new lease on life. The technology is allowing millions more barrels of oil to be squeezed out of existing wells.

Zakary SonntagApril 13, 2025

Robot Horses Are Coming — Would A Real Wyoming Cowboy Ride One?

It’s not science fiction anymore — Kawasaki has unveiled it’s developing a futuristic, hydrogen-powered, fully-functional and rideable robot horse. Would Wyoming cowboys ever replace their real horses with robots?

Zakary SonntagApril 13, 2025

Rob O'Neill is the Navy SEAL who killed the world’s most wanted terrorist. He told Cowboy State Daily that the May 2, 2011, mission to kill Osama bin Laden “went to hell” from the start. He thought he was going to die, then put three bullets into bin Laden’s head.

He Thought He Was Going To Die, Then He Killed Osama bin Laden

The man credited with killing the world’s most wanted terrorist tells Cowboy State Daily the May 2, 2011, mission to kill Osama bin Laden “went to hell” from the start. He thought he was going to die, then put three bullets into bin Laden’s head.

Zakary SonntagApril 12, 2025

Rural populations in Wyoming are shrinking, recent Census data shows. Local officials and businesses in rural counties say fewer people makes it harder to thrive.

With Wyoming Already The Least Populated State, Rural Counties In Decline

Rural populations in Wyoming are shrinking in more than half of the state's counties, recent Census data shows. Local officials and businesses in rural counties say fewer people makes it harder to thrive.

Zakary SonntagApril 07, 2025

Instantly More Collectible: No One Wants Pennies, Until They're Gone

President Donald Trump’s order in February to stop minting new pennies has many people saying good riddance. It’s also creating a buzz because pennies are now instantly more collectible.

Zakary SonntagApril 06, 2025

How Much Does It Cost To Die In Wyoming? It Can Be Nothing Or Tens Of Thousands

Dying in Wyoming can be expensive for those left behind, but how expensive depends on a wide range of choices. It could cost nothing, as it’s legal to bury someone in your backyard, or it could cost $7,000 to $12,000 — or more — through a funeral home.

Zakary SonntagMarch 30, 2025

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A Wyoming crew with Utah-based Stauffer's Towing is featured on the new USA Network show "Rocky Mountain Wreckers."

Wyoming Tow Truck Crews Respond To All Calls On TV’s ‘Rocky Mountain Wreckers’

When a semi-trailer carrying 85,000 pounds of cow manure hit a patch of ice and went hurtling into a ditch, Cheyenne’s Big Al’s Towing was called — one of two Wyoming crews featured on the new TV show “Rocky Mountain Wreckers.”

Zakary SonntagMarch 23, 2025

Malachy Zion Springer and his partner Kayla Riley sleep in an abandoned sedan on a vacated lot near the train tracks in north Casper. They charge their cellphones at a local Subway.

Casper’s Invisible Couple: Homeless, Pregnant And Living In Abandoned Car

For much of their lives, Malachy Springer and Kayla Riley have been on and off the streets. They survive however they can, homeless, expecting a child and living in an abandoned car in a vacant lot.

Zakary SonntagMarch 22, 2025

The Saga Of Disposing Mattresses In Wyoming When "They Have A Zombie-Esque Will To Live”

In the world of waste disposal, mattresses are like retirement deniers — notoriously reluctant to accept their own end. “They’re a huge pain in the butt,” said one Wyoming landfill manager. He said mattresses have a personified and zombie-esque will to live.

Zakary SonntagMarch 22, 2025

Wyoming Trooper’s 2-Year-Old Son Slowly Recovering From Crash With Snowplow

Christian Smith, the 2-year-old son of Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Parker Smith, continues to recover in a Denver hospital more than a month after a devastating crash. He was hurt when a snowplow broadsided the family minivan, but is making progress.

Zakary SonntagMarch 19, 2025

At Element Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming, worship services are held in-person and also are livestreamed for people to attend remotely.

Vibrant Faith Communities Still In Wyoming Despite Christianity Decline

A 30-year national trend says fewer Americans are identifying as Christians but the decline has leveled-off because of the country's youngest demographic of adults ages 18-24. Here in Wyoming, some communities have bucked broader trends and are seeing an increase in parishioners.

Zakary SonntagMarch 16, 2025

Carson Hornecker, 14, operates a tractor on his family's Wyoming ranch.

Too Young To Drive? Not If You’re A Wyoming Farm Kid

Wyoming is one of nine states that still issues “hardship” driver’s licenses to 14-year-old ranch kids. But in reality, growing up rural in the Cowboy State means most farm and ranch kids have already been driving for years by then.

Zakary SonntagMarch 15, 2025

Nathan McLeland inspects a pumpjack on a stripper well in Weston County.

Wyoming Fights Biden Rule Some Say Tries To Price Out Oil And Gas Operators

Wyoming legislators have fought back against a Biden administration effort some say tries to price out oil and gas producers by hiking bond rates 1,400% and more. A $45 million pool of money will help those operators with their bonding.

Zakary SonntagMarch 04, 2025

Snowmobilers ride in Togwotee Pass near a sign post in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming.

Snowmobilers About To Pay More To Ride Wyoming’s Premier Trials

A bill that hikes annual registration fees for snowmobilers to ride Wyoming’s premier trails has passed both the state House and Senate. Proponents say it’s needed to keep up with the growing costs of keeping those trails among the nation’s best.

Zakary SonntagFebruary 20, 2025

Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Parker Smith with his wife, Aby, and 4-year-old son PJ, and 2-year-old son Christian.

Wyoming Trooper Faces Worst Nightmare — Responding To His Own Family’s Crash

A Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper faced his worst nightmare last week — responding to a crash involving his own family. A witness tells Cowboy State Daily about the urgent rescue of the trooper’s 2-year-old son, who remains in serious condition.

Zakary SonntagFebruary 18, 2025