Business & Tourism

A dairy cow at Shumway Farms with the retail store in the background.

Food Freedom Act Saved Star Valley’s Last Remaining ‘Little Switzerland’ Dairy

Jody Shumway had grit, stubbornness and creativity. But it ultimately took the Food Freedom Act to save Star Valley’s last "Little Switzerland" dairy. Shumway Farms now sells premium products direct to consumer, saving their 5th-generation farm.

Renée JeanNovember 17, 2024

Wyoming Whiskey Celebrating Life Of Grizzly 399 With New Limited Edition Bourbon

To commemorate the life of Grizzly 399, Wyoming Whiskey is creating a new limited edition bourbon. They say the dominant flavor is white chocolate mocha, with notes of red fruit and rich brown sugar while the finish has lingering hints of candied ginger and soft vanilla. Less than 720 bottles will be made.

Andrew RossiNovember 17, 2024

The Wyo Sports Ranch sits on 14 acres on the northwest side of Casper. It is scheduled to open on Jan. 6, 2025.

Casper’s Massive 130,000-Square-Foot WYO Sports Ranch A Draw For National Events

Set to open in January, the massive 130,000-square-foot WYO Sports Ranch in Casper is already a draw to host national events. The sprawling $49 million facility has 10 basketball courts, a huge indoor turf field and state-of-the-art tech.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 16, 2024

A still shot from a Fading West video showing a modular housing unit being placed on a pad.

Modular Homes Could Be An Answer To Busting Wyoming’s Housing Crunch

One estimate shows Wyoming needs more than 38,000 homes. Economic developers say it's hampering efforts to attract new businesses and workforce to the state. Modular homes could be the solution if the stigma can be overcome.

Renée JeanNovember 16, 2024

On the floor of a natural gas drilling rig, roughnecks move 25-ton blocks over a section of drilling pipe 8 miles north of Evanston, Wyoming, in this file photo.

Wyoming Has Lost 10,000 Mining, Oil And Gas Jobs Over Past Decade

Wyoming has lost 10,000 jobs in the natural resources and mining sector over the past decade, UW economist Anne Alexander said. Other job categories have stayed close to the same, or increased, but the mining category -- which includes oil and gas jobs — has dropped precipitously.

Renée JeanNovember 16, 2024

Mark and Mary Nelson with their grandchildren and daughters, Maggie Haron and Sadie Howard. Hippie Cow Creamery has become a full-time family business selling raw, unpasteurized milk to families in Cody and northwest Wyoming.

Cody's Hippie Cow Creamery Started With 1 Cow And Off-The-Wall Attitude

Hippie Cow Creamery in Cody started with one Jersey cow and an off-the-wall attitude. Their raw, unpasteurized milk business is exploding, and the family is as quirky as ever -- singing to their cows, dancing with their cows, and making farm-inspired music videos.

Andrew RossiNovember 16, 2024

Drought and wildfires is forcing more Wyoming ranchers to sell off more of their cattle. At Torrington Livestock Markets on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, it was the largest sale in at least a decade.

Drought, Wildfires Prompt Torrington’s Biggest Cattle Sale In A Decade

Drought and wildfires are prompting cattle ranchers in Wyoming and around the region to sell more of their cattle than ever. The Torrington Livestock market had its biggest cattle sale in a decade Friday, with 4,000 bovine sold.

Jackie DorothyNovember 15, 2024

A group of southeast Wyoming ranchers are exploring a plan to store carbon dioxide emissions underneath their land.

Carbon Storage Planned Under Wyoming’s Historic C.B. Irwin Ranch, And Others

A group of Wyoming ranchers, including the historic C.B. Irwin Ranch where Steamboat once lived, have joined forces to attract companies to store carbon dioxide emissions under their ranches. Collectively, they have 102,000 acres available.

Renée JeanNovember 13, 2024

Custodia Bank CEO Caitln Long, left, and President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump Presidency Gives Hope To Crypto Community In Wyoming

Wyoming’s digital asset laws have been praised as innovative and ground-breaking, but have faced difficulties under the Biden Administration. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to be friendlier to digital assets.

Renée JeanNovember 12, 2024

Conditions were snowy and deep in Leo Wolfson’s first day of the year on skis in the backcountry.

Back On Skis And It's Not Even Thanksgiving

The snowstorms that hit the Rocky Mountains last week produced some rare early November skiing -- if you are willing to work for it. Cowboy State Daily’s Leo Wolfson went backcountry skiing in northern Colorado on Saturday and said the conditions were ideal.

Leo WolfsonNovember 11, 2024

The new-look Wheels Motel in Greybull, Wyoming.

Wheels Motel In Greybull Gets Modern Update For A New Generation Of Visitors

Since taking over his parents’ motel in Greybull, Chris Harwood and his wife Roxana have turned the Wheels Motel into a homey, modern stop. The young couple didn't think they would ever live in Greybull but now can't think of a better place to raise their family.

Renée JeanNovember 10, 2024

Drinking Wyoming: Sheridan’s Frackelton’s Is Back— Again — With Elevated Cocktails

Frackelton’s has struggled to find a footing in an ever-tighter market, but the Sheridan favorite appears to be well and truly back now. And its bar scene is stronger than ever with elevated cocktails.

Renée JeanNovember 10, 2024

Ava Cole is surrounded by rocks of all types and her jewelry at Ava’s Silver and Rock Shop in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Wyoming Rockhounds Have Been Making Museum-Quality Jewelry And Art For 50 Years

If there’s something Wyoming has plenty of it’s rocks and minerals, but it takes true artists to turn them into something unique and valuable. That’s what Eddy and Ava Cole, from Thermopolis, have been doing for 50 years, turning out museum-quality jewelry and rock art.

Jackie DorothyNovember 10, 2024

"The Green Machine" prototype Cody, Wyoming, native Thomas E. Osborne invented in 1964. It became known as the world's first personal computer and led to a line of breakthroughs in bringing computing power to the masses, getting smaller and more powerful with each generation of machines.

World's First "Personal Computer" Was Built By A Cody High School Grad

Hewlett-Packard's 9100A, the world's first personal computer, was based on a prototype built by Tom Osborne of Cody. Called “The Green Machine,” it became fully functional on Christmas Eve, 1964. His prototype revolutionized the industry.

Andrew RossiNovember 10, 2024

The night sky is the perfect backdrop for The Mint Bar's iconic sign, setting it off like a gemstone in a jewelry box.

Drinking Wyoming: The Mint Bar Has Come To Life Every Night For 117 Years

If there's one bar in the Cowboy State that says "Wyoming," it might just be The Mint. The legendary neon bucking horse and cowboy has lit up Sheridan's Main Street since 1938 and has been a fixture in the state since 1907.

Renée JeanNovember 09, 2024

Cattle walk along a dire road in west Texas in this file photo.

In Texas, Cattle Run Loose After Bandits Ram Stolen Pickups Through Fences

Texas ranchers are increasingly dealing with people fleeing law enforcement, crashing stolen pickups through fences and turning their cattle loose.

Mark HeinzNovember 08, 2024

A formerly Chinese-owned cryptocurrency mining operation that was built about a mile from F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. In May 2024, President Joe Biden by executive order forced the Chinese-owned company to sell it.

Following Wyoming Example, Feds Limit Foreign Crypto Mines Near Military Bases

The U.S. Department of Treasury has moved to limit businesses like foreign-owned crypto mines near sensitive locations. The change follows the forced closure of a Chinese-owned crypto mine near F.E. Warren Air Force Base.

Renée JeanNovember 08, 2024

$9M For Mesa Solutions Expansion Could Unlock $20M Annual Impact For Casper Area

A $9 million grant from the Wyoming Business Council will allow Mesa Solutions to expand its footprint in the energy sector. It also could unlock a $20 million annual impact for the Casper area.

Renée JeanNovember 07, 2024

The marquee on the historic Cody Theatre would fall off the face of the building if it weren't wired on. It needs some serious repair, but needed clearance from the city and state to do it.

Marquee On Historic 87-Year-Old Cody Theatre Is Slowly Falling Off

The historic 87-year-old Cody Theatre’s slumping marquee is slowly falling off and is being held in place with wires. To fix it permanently, the building’s owner needs permits from the city of Cody and state of Wyoming.

Andrew RossiNovember 06, 2024

Wyoming Sheep Industry Cheers As Denver Voters Kill Slaughterhouse Ban

Denver voters killed an ordinance Tuesday that would have shuttered a large slaughterhouse that processed 20% of America’s lamb, and more than 50% of Wyoming's. Cowboy State ranchers are cheering the proposal’s defeat.

Jackie DorothyNovember 06, 2024

Cattle in the pasture at the Tim Millikin ranch earlier this year. When it came time to ship his yearlings, Millikin found he was missing nine.

Glendo-Area Ranchers Say They're Missing 9 Yearling Cattle, Offer $5,000 Reward

A ranch near Glendo, Wyoming, reports it’s missing nine yearlings this year and suspects they may have been rustled. And it’s not the first time.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 05, 2024

C.J. Box signs a barrel of bourbon at Pine Bluffs Distilling. The distillery created a Joe Pickett bourbon for release in 2025.

C.J. Box Partners With Wyoming Distillery To Make Joe Pickett Bourbon

Author C.J. Box’s iconic character Joe Pickett will get a bourbon named after him in spring 2025. The special 1,000-bottle release created by Pine Bluffs Distilling celebrates a uniquely Wyoming character with a Wyoming whiskey.

Dale KillingbeckNovember 04, 2024

The Crystal Castle 23 miles west of Cheyenne near Crystal Lake was built in the 1960s by a man named Harry Widholm, who used 30,000 glass embalming fluid bottles to create a lake cabin — his castle away from home.

Wyoming’s Crystal Castle, Made Of Embalming Fluid Bottles, Is For Sale For $325K

Vicki Launer has decided to sell Wyoming’s Crystal Castle near Crystal Lake and Curt Gowdy State Park for $325,000. The one-bedroom, one-bath home was made using embalming fluid bottles as bricks.

Renée JeanNovember 04, 2024

The Black Hills region of northeast Wyoming is starting to take off as a place where homebuyers can get more luxury for less. This 5,765-square-foot home features five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a lot of tech, like a robot lawnmower and self-cleaning pool.

$2.5 Million Black Hills Mansion In Northeast Wyoming Filled With Tech

Real Estate in the Black Hills of northeast Wyoming has started taking off, with people realizing that they can get more luxury for less. A $2.5 million five-bedroom, five-bath mansion is the latest example, filled with tech like a robot lawnmower and self-cleaning pool.