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Chugwater's newest business on its tiny main drag is BB West Vintage, a boutique clothing store which has just opened.

Italian-Trained Fashion Stylist Opens Vintage Western Boutique In Chugwater

A woman who grew up in the high-powered fashion industry in Italy and New York has decided to open a vintage Western boutique out of a former Standard gas station in Chugwater. She’d owned a boutique in Brooklyn so she knows how difficult retail can be.

Renée JeanJune 28, 2026

Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival is leaving Colorado and returning to Cheyenne as Wyoming’s capitol city becomes more of a convention destination. “They were at the Hitching Post 20 years ago at least, so this is actually a return," says Visit Cheyenne.

Cheyenne Swipes Major, Long-Time Cigar Convention From Colorado

The Rocky Mountain Cigar Festival is leaving Colorado after 16 years and coming to Cheyenne. The festival regularly hosts 2,500 fanatics from across the nation and around the world. It will take up nine hotels and put the city's trolley service to the test.

Renée JeanJune 28, 2026

Timothy Barkman raises the rare heritage breed on his family's 105-year-old homestead. They're an the ancient breed that looks part biblical legend and part heavy-metal mascot.

Lingle Farm Breeds Four-Horned Sheep That Look Like Heavy-Metal Mascots

When people see Timothy Barkman's four-horned Jacob sheep at his farm near Lingle, they stop and stare at the ancient breed that looks part biblical legend and part heavy-metal mascot. The breed likely originated in Syria roughly 3,000 years ago.

Kolby FedoreJune 28, 2026

Teresa Hoover, front, makes the many treats sold by her company Sheep Mountain by hand. She's one of many finding the dog treat business to be a lucrative side gig.

Those Doggone Treats: The Wild New World Of Pet Pampering Is Booming

Wyomingites are finding a lucrative opportunity in creating over-the-top dog treats for pets. Wheatland's Teresa Hoover makes freeze-dried turkey meatballs, chicken-and-fresh coconut crunch sticks, pumpkin muffins, and dehydrated chicken feet.

Renée JeanJune 27, 2026

Ian McGregor, co-owner of Farmstead Cider.

Wyoming’s Ghost Apple Orchard Trees Have Been Rediscovered And Are Producing

Wyoming was once thick with apples. In fact, it was a top apple producer. Now those forgotten apple trees are being rediscovered by small cider houses. "They're everywhere," said one cider house owner. "Lander was called Apple Town before Lander."

Renée JeanJune 27, 2026

One of Fort Bridger's most reliable "staffers" is Mac, who first arrived in 1888 and seems to have never left. Mac likes to be photographed, set off alarms and lock visitors in. Now Fort Bridger is embracing a new market — haunted tourism. There are many graves at the Fort Bridger site, including this Carter family plot.

Ghostly Gold Rush: Fort Bridger Chases Haunted Tourism Dollars

Haunted tourism isn’t fringe anymore. It’s become a $34 billion-dollar segment of the tourism industry. Fort Bridger is among those leaning into dark tourism this year with its most famous ghost, Mac, and a three-day paranormal experience next month.

Renée JeanJune 27, 2026

Mike Pannell, president of High Plains Railroad Preservation Association, stands beside the caboose his nonprofit restored for Cheyenne's 15th Street Railcar experience.

Inside Cheyenne’s $5 Million Railcar Experience Taking Shape For 15th Street

Installation began Saturday on Cheyenne’s new 15th Street Railcar Experience, a $5 million downtown project aimed at celebrating the city’s railroad roots. A Union Pacific caboose and two Pullman cars have been restored for the destination.

Renée JeanJune 27, 2026

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250th Great American State Fair In D.C.: Wyoming Showcases Cowboys, Scenery

Cowboys and scenic wonders were the primary Wyoming themes Thursday at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., where all 50 states were showcased. Courtny Hinds and Kota Provence, both Douglas residents, were on hand to give roping lessons.

Sean BarryJune 26, 2026

Erika Babbitt-Rogers of Laramie is a “worm wrangler” selling customers worms for fishing bait and food for pet reptiles. See also sells worm castings, or worm poop, as fertilizer.

Wyoming ‘Worm Wrangler’ Says Nightcrawlers Are Popular But Worm Poop Is Bestseller

Laramie's Erika Babbitt-Rogers considers herself to be a professional “worm wrangler." She says anglers and pet owners are regular customers, but the real demand is for worm poop. “Everybody’s wanting that worm poop on their gardens,” she said.

Mark HeinzJune 21, 2026

Wyoming needs tens of thousands of new homes, but only a fraction of the need is under construction because builders say the math doesn’t work. Middle-class wages aren’t high enough to afford to buy houses while home-building costs just continue to rise.

Why A Shortfall Of More Than 20,000 Homes Isn’t Enough To Get Wyoming Building

Wyoming needs tens of thousands of new homes, but only a fraction of the need is under construction because builders say the math doesn’t work. Middle-class wages aren’t high enough to afford to buy houses while home-building costs just continue to rise.

Renée JeanJune 21, 2026

The American Dream Drive-In in Powell is the last true drive-in still operating in Wyoming.

Wyoming’s Last Drive-In Theater, Powell’s American Dream, Open For 78th Season

The American Dream in Powell, Wyoming’s last operating drive-in theater, has survived since 1949 as a retro experience for movie-goers. The current owner bought it in 2004 just to save it. “I didn't want it to get knocked down," Kathleen Heny said.

Renée JeanJune 20, 2026

Helicopters, artificial intelligence, and geology are giving a modern mining company a second shot at finding gold in Wyoming fields that fizzled out more than a century ago. "We’re really targeting larger-scale gold,” said a company official. Above, the Carissa Mine and Mill in South Pass City.

How Modern Technology Is Reshaping The Search For Gold In Historic Wyoming Mines

Helicopters, artificial intelligence, and geology are giving a modern mining company a second shot at finding gold in historic Wyoming mines. The company believes there's a hidden gold belt and technology allows them to see 400 meters below the surface.

Renée JeanJune 20, 2026

A semitruck carrying millions of honeybees flipped over on U.S. Highway 191 in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Cheyenne beekeeper Michael Jordan called the scene "a devastating loss" of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the owners of the bees.

Semitruck Carrying Millions Of Bees Crashes In Yellowstone National Park

A semitruck carrying millions of honeybees flipped over on U.S. Highway 191 in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday. Cheyenne beekeeper Michael Jordan called the scene "a devastating loss" of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the owners of the bees.

Andrew RossiJune 17, 2026

Drought and consumer demand are pushing beef to record high prices, leaving Wyoming ranchers praying for rain even if Americans are willing to pay more. "It will rain — eventually," says Laramie County rancher Mark Eisele. Above, beef prices at a Cheyenne grocery store on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

Wyoming Ranchers Pray For Rain As Drought, Demand Push Beef To Record High Prices

Drought and demand are pushing beef to record high prices, leaving Wyoming ranchers praying for rain even if Americans are willing to pay more. "This is about drought, pure and simple," said a Laramie County rancher.

Kate MeadowsJune 17, 2026

Hoskinson Health & Wellness in Gillette, which envisioned itself as the "Mayo Clinic of the West" before announcing last month it would close, may have a buyer. The Hoskinson family announced Wednesday it's in talks to sell to a large hospital chain. Above, Charles Hoskinson.

Gillette's Hoskinson Clinic, Set To Close Next Month, Says It May Have Buyer

Hoskinson Health & Wellness in Gillette, which envisioned itself as the "Mayo Clinic of the West" before announcing last month it would close, may have a buyer. The Hoskinson family announced Wednesday it's in talks to sell to a large hospital chain.

Renée JeanJune 17, 2026

Uinta County Commissioner Mark Anderson was among those with lots of questions about the data center Prometheus Hyperscale has proposed on his family's ranch land in Uinta County during a May 2026 town hall meeting.

Uinta County OKs Huge Data Center, Some Fear They'll Get Left 'Holding The Bag'

Residents are split over the proposed massive Prometheus Hyperscale data center, which Uinta County commissioners gave a green light Tuesday. “My concern is, Prometheus promises all of these things ... and we end up holding the bag," said a critic.

Renée JeanJune 17, 2026

A daylong power outage shut down businesses and government in Cokeville for much of Tuesday, but it couldn’t halt a weekly seniors dice game moved beneath the shade trees. "I just tried to make the best of the situation," one senior center staffer said.

Lengthy Power Outage Darkens Cokeville, Disrupts Businesses And Seniors

The power went out across Cokeville on Tuesday, forcing the Town Hall to close and disrupting business during an extended outage. At the local senior center, "I just tried to make the best of the situation," said a staffer.

Kolby FedoreJune 16, 2026

Cows graze in a field near the Naughton power plant near Kemmerer, Wyoming, in a file photo.

Nothing Goes To Waste: Nebraska Builds Plant To Turn Cow Manure Into Natural Gas

A first-of-its-kind renewable natural gas facility under construction in central Nebraska will convert cattle manure into pipeline-quality natural gas from the poop produced by a huge feedlot. 

Kate MeadowsJune 15, 2026

Gov. Mark Gordon, center, listens as a Related Digital employee talks about the closed-loop system used to cool Related's data center east of Cheyenne.

Inside The $1.2 Billion Data Center Campus Being Built In Cheyenne

Work is nearing completion on the first 184,000-square-foot phase of the Related Digital data center campus in Cheyenne, which is expected to be finished in late 2026. The company says because of its closed-loop system, there’s no ongoing water required.

Renée JeanJune 14, 2026

Beekeepers gather around instructor Mike Morrison during an open apiary workshop at the Wyoming Honeybee and Pollinator Program's Etna location in May 2025.

Wyoming Beekeepers Want More Warning Before Mosquito Chemicals Fly

Most people are relieved when mosquito trucks start spraying, but not beekeepers as pesticides can wreak havoc on hives. There's not adequate communication they say. "You can't protect yourself from something you don't know about," one beekeeper said.

Kolby FedoreJune 13, 2026

At the R&B Cafe in Cheyenne, weekends are packed with hungry breakfast crowds in a file photo.

From Cafés To Clinics, Wyoming’s Labor Crunch Is Holding The Economy Back

Wyoming business owners say they are leaving a lot of money on the table because they can’t fill open jobs, forcing them to turn away customers and reduce hours. “I keep banging my head against the wall,” said one owner.

Renée JeanJune 13, 2026

A health expert said Friday that closing rural Wyoming hospitals is “an economic earthquake” in a rural state that already has huge holes in its access to health care. Six Wyoming hospitals are at risk of closure, including three within three years.

Six Wyoming Hospitals Are At Risk Of Closure, Wyoming Health Official Warns

At a healthcare summit in Laramie on Friday, one health official said six Wyoming hospitals are at risk of closure. Natrona Collective Health Trust CEO Beth Worthen said closing rural Wyoming hospitals would be “an economic earthquake."

Kerry DrakeJune 13, 2026

A proposed 5,600-worker man camp south of Cheyenne that would have been larger than 84 Wyoming cities and towns has been put on hold after weeks of community backlash. The developer says it's still “desperately needed” and is looking for a new site.

Developer Puts Massive 5,600-Worker Cheyenne Man Camp On Hold, Looks For New Site

A proposed 5,600-worker man camp south of Cheyenne that would have been larger than 84 Wyoming cities and towns has been put on hold after weeks of community backlash. The developer says it's still “desperately needed” and is looking for a new site.

Renée JeanJune 12, 2026

Crusoe, a founding partner in the huge 2.7-gigawatt Project Jade data center near Cheyenne, quietly pulled out months ago. That hasn’t slowed the project, which is going “full steam ahead,” remaining partner Tallgrass Energy told Cowboy State Daily. Above is construction on an AI data center Crusoe's building in Texas.

Partner Pulling Out Doesn’t Slow Huge 2.7GW Cheyenne Project Jade Data Center

Crusoe, a founding partner in the huge 2.7-gigawatt Project Jade data center near Cheyenne, quietly pulled out months ago. That hasn’t slowed the project, which is going “full steam ahead,” remaining partner Tallgrass Energy told Cowboy State Daily.

Renée JeanJune 11, 2026

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