Dave Simpson: Was That A Nightmare, Or What?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes: “The liberal Lilliputians will continue their efforts to bring down Trump any way they can. But, from where I sit, Trump 2.0 looks pretty ding-dong good.”
Dave SimpsonNovember 11, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Is 2024 The Last Model Year For The “Real” Toyota 4Runner?
Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, “There are a lot of Toyota 4Runner enthusiasts who see the 2024 model year, which marks the end of the fifth generation for the SUV, as the ending of the 4Runner."
Aaron TurpenNovember 10, 2024
Cassie Craven: The Biggest Loser Wasn’t the Democrat Party, It Was the Machine
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “The machine itself was the biggest loser on election night. Dynasties like the Cheneys and Obamas are yesterday’s news. We witnessed a cultural revolution for America when Republicans took a landslide victory.”
Cassie CravenNovember 10, 2024
Rod Miller: Defining Moments in Our Democracy
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Given the magnitude of voter turnout this year, and the margins in contested races, there can be little doubt that the people have spoken loudly and clearly. That, to me, is a source of pride in our country and our state."
Rod MillerNovember 10, 2024
Aaron Turpen: AA is for Automotive Acronyms
Like any industry, automotive has a lot of jargon. Including a host of acronyms that are used without much explanation. It's not at the level of the military when it comes to letters that mean words, but it’s not far behind. Here are some of the most popular.
Aaron TurpenNovember 09, 2024
Joan Barron: The Boys Won The Presidential Election
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Democrats were expecting women to unite and vote for Kamala to demonstrate opposition to the position of the GOP and its candidate, Donald Trump on women’s productive rights. But that didn’t happen."
Joan BarronNovember 09, 2024
Bill Sniffin: American People ‘Woke’ Up Last Tuesday! Wyoming Celebrates Trump Landslide
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “The Biden-Harris administration was a cultural experiment that used programs that appeared to work in California so why not thrust these ideas on the entire people of the country? But much of the rest of the country was opposed being californicated.”
Bill SniffinNovember 09, 2024
Dennis Sun: Cows Rule
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Usually when someone attacks the beef industry, one doesn’t have to look far to realize there are some animal rights activist cow haters involved. It’s a lot like politics – truth and science be damned, say anything you want and hopefully it sticks on the wall."
Dennis SunNovember 08, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Weston County Shows Why Hand-Counting Is Needed Even In Computer Age
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: "The Secretary of State, with human eyes and common sense, caught the disenfranchisement of hundreds of Wyoming voters. The county clerk, the computer system and the County Clerk's Association didn't catch it."
Jonathan LangeNovember 08, 2024
Rod Miller: Triggered by Democracy? Seek Aromatherapy!
Rod Miller writes: “If pansy-ass students don’t have enough confidence in their own political beliefs to subject them routinely to the democratic process of wins and losses, they are better off making slime. They sure as hell won’t have what it takes to fight for them.”
Rod MillerNovember 08, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Between Naps, A Victory Week Summation -- And Babies
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, “You know who I am the happiest for this week — other than Kaden Anderson? My mom.”
Sally Ann ShurmurNovember 07, 2024
Clair McFarland: Trying To Vote While Mom's Threatening To Make Campaign Signs
Clair McFarland writes: “'Absolutely do not post ANY photos of my kids holding campaign signs,'” I pleaded. My mom, ever the pink boa to my black suit, chirped back 'Oh silly, it’s for the class presidency.'"
Clair McFarlandNovember 06, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Unraveling The Mysterious Legislative Majority Leadership Selection Process
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "With recent shifts in Wyoming's political landscape, we may see experience powerful committee chairs replaced by new ones who are more ideologically aligned with the current majority, which could dramatically impact the legislative session."
Tom LubnauNovember 06, 2024
Candy’s Column: Celebrating Wyoming’s Veterans
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, “One of the engraved statements on the Wind River Memorial is a sentiment often used on memorials: ‘Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.’"
Candy MoultonNovember 05, 2024
Rod Miller: Wyoming Gets Off the Couch, Like Those Cowboys at Lexington
From what I saw today at Storey Gym, nobody can say with a straight face that the people of Wyoming weren’t given a chance to speak. I have never seen so many people waiting to vote. I, for one, am impressed and humbled."
Rod MillerNovember 05, 2024
Dave Simpson: Old Dave's On Injured Reserve
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “Until further notice, I'm like a beached whale, washed up on our living room floor, with a bulky cast on my leg that's like having a 10-pound Walleye strapped to my calf, only stiffer.”
Dave SimpsonNovember 04, 2024
Cassie Craven: Go Vote
Columnist Cassie Craven writes: 12-year-old Joselyn was found with her hands and feet bound. She had no pants. The two men who raped and killed her were illegal immigrants who flooded the country with millions of others, under the watch of Kamala Harris.
Cassie CravenNovember 03, 2024
Rod Miller: When You Vote in Wyoming, Ignore the Fear-Mongering
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "According to Oral Eathorne, our elections are rife with crime. And according to Li’l Chucky Gray, since Colorado and the Big Elsewhere seem to have problems running secure elections, we in Wyoming are similarly threatened."
Rod MillerNovember 03, 2024
Joan Barron: Getting The Public In On Legislative Votes
Columnist Joan Barron writes: "Despite all this pursuit of more transparency, nothing was said during the committee meeting about recording votes on bills in the committee-of-the-whole, which is the meeting of the House or Senate to discuss bills that have been reported out of committees."
Joan BarronNovember 03, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Who Is The Best Political Expert In Wyoming? Take The CSD Political Quiz
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “I have issued this challenge to the staff of the Cowboy State Daily and also to all our readers. Who is the smartest political observer of them all?”
Bill SniffinNovember 02, 2024
Jonathan Lange: A Spider-Man In Every Voting Booth
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: “Nobody can pull the lever for you. When you stand alone in that voting booth, you are wielding a power that few people in history have ever been given.”
Jonathan LangeNovember 01, 2024
Dennis Sun: The New Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "If one looks at the makeup of the guidelines committee, they seem to be younger people who work at universities with PhDs. I would guess they all grew up in cities and don’t know how to garden. Their food and vegetables come in a box once a week."
Dennis SunNovember 01, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Keyboard Trolls Said I Wasn't A Real Wyoming Cowboys Fan
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Keyboard trolls said I wasn't a 'real fan.' Let me just grab the season ticket invoices and the Cowboy Joe Club membership fees and 62 years of game attendance and we can chat then."
Sally Ann ShurmurOctober 31, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Who Poses The Greatest Threat To Wyoming Jobs This Election?
Tom Lubnau writes, "The rallying-cry this campaign has been to cut the budget. Cutting the budget in Wyoming means cutting jobs. Dollars in Wyoming equal jobs. So, if the Legislature is serious about making meaningful cuts in the state budget, it is going to have to fire people."
Tom LubnauOctober 30, 2024
Candy Moulton: Preserving A World War II POW Camp
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "On the north side of Douglas, a nondescript building is the last remnant of a World War II Prisoner of War Camp that once had 180 buildings, covered a square mile of land, and housed 5,000 men who had been taken prisoner during fighting in Europe."
Candy MoultonOctober 29, 2024
Rod Miller: Will The Freedom Caucus Lead The Charge For Government Transparency?
Rod Miller writes, "Maybe this is where the Wyoming Freedom Caucus proves its worthiness of the trust the voters have placed in them. If the Freedom Caucus’ campaign rhetoric about openness and transparency in government is not just a bunch of hot air, they’ll lead this charge."
Rod MillerOctober 29, 2024
Dave Simpson: Where's The Pony In The Pile?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "What could a President Harris do to top the cabinet appointments of Joe Biden? I'm thinking that bald guy with the red lipstick who steals suitcases from airport luggage carousels would be a shoo-in for Secretary of Transportation."
Dave SimpsonOctober 28, 2024
Cassie Craven: Our Citizens Killing Themselves Is Worth The ‘Uprising’
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “Reading Susan Stubson’s column reminded me of a recent JD Vance interview, in which he said candidly, ‘Do you hear yourself Martha?’ We rank third in the nation for suicide – but that is not worthy of an ‘uprising’?”
Cassie CravenOctober 27, 2024
Rod Miller: Drugstore Cowboys in Westonistan
Columnist Rod Miller writes: "Will the commissars of Westonistan decide that their new borders, and the rich Ivermectin deposits within them, aren’t adequately protected by law enforcement and the military based in Cheyenne? Will they decide to raise a standing army of their own to do the job?"
Rod MillerOctober 27, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming Politics – The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “In a recent story, Cheney tried to explain how a person who is pro-life, such as herself, can support Harris. It was pretty convoluted. I always was a big supporter of Liz Cheney and her family. Alas, no more."
Bill SniffinOctober 26, 2024
Joan Barron: The Fourth Estate May Finally Win Something
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The fourth estate will keep the one fragile scrap it has left of journalist privilege: photojournalists will still be allowed to shoot photos from the corridors or halls outside the Wyoming Legislature’s senate and house."
Joan BarronOctober 26, 2024
Dennis Sun: Unmanaged Wild Horses Are A Problem
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "A recent study published by the University of Wyoming noted sage grouse are suffering from unmanaged, high numbers of wild horses in Wyoming’s various herd management areas.
Dennis SunOctober 25, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Did Any Adults Question Kelly Walsh's Bloody Marching Band Routine?
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "As I watched this disturbing routine, I could not help but ask myself: Who were the adults in the room? Who wrote it? Who choreographed it? Who selected the music? Did anybody, anywhere along the way, question its propriety?"
Jonathan LangeOctober 25, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Chasing The Elusive On The Field And At The Store
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, “The inquiries started coming in before the San Jose State debacle was even over. A Cowboy from a long time ago wanted to know the last time the Pokes finished the season with just one win."
Sally Ann ShurmurOctober 24, 2024
Rod Miller: Charlie Goodnight’s Ink Bottle
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "There’s an old legend among cowboys that Charlie Goodnight never allowed alcohol on his ranch. I found his dump on that ride, and poked through it for old whiskey bottles to test that legend. All I found was an ink bottle, purpled by the sun."
Rod MillerOctober 23, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Weston County Commissioners Can’t Ignore The U.S. Constitution
Tom Lubnau writes, "By demanding one representative and senator per county, Weston County is demanding 15 times the voting power for each of its citizens than they want to afford to the citizens of Laramie County. "
Tom LubnauOctober 22, 2024
Candy Moulton: We Checked An Item Off The Bucket List Before It Burned
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Our fire crews and residents near the fires need a break. Hey, Don Day, could you give Mother Nature a call and get the moisture spigot turned on again?"
Candy MoultonOctober 22, 2024
Dave Simpson: Smile When You Call Us 'Far Right'
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “Call us what you want – far right, farther right, right wing, whatever. It looks like good old conservative common sense to me.”
Dave SimpsonOctober 21, 2024
Rod Miller: Snow Is Just Another Four-Letter Word
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “I sincerely believe that hell will not be a hot place. It will be a cold, dead, snow-covered ridge-top where the wind never stops blowing and you forgot to put on your long johns.”
Rod MillerOctober 20, 2024
Cassie Craven: Critical Race Theory Is Repackaged Racism
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “Teaching our kids that because they are white, they are the 'oppressor' and should feel 'white guilt' is deceptive Marxist distortion. It promotes what it claims to eliminate.”
Cassie CravenOctober 20, 2024
Joan Barron: Former Tea Party Head Predicts Property Tax Ballot Issue Won’t Pass
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "With the general election drawing nearer, the activity to support passage of the '4 Property tax reform' ballot proposal is almost nil."
Joan BarronOctober 19, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming’s Is Famous For Broken Windshields – Here's Why
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Wyoming is the windiest state in America and that requires some special kind of heavier rocks on our roads in bad weather – which can come just about any time of year.”
Bill SniffinOctober 19, 2024
Dennis Sun: A Gold Mine on the Wyoming Plains
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "The University of Wyoming is a treasure for the state of Wyoming in many ways. It gives so much back to the state, its people and others around the world."
Dennis SunOctober 18, 2024
Jonathan Lange: The Undead Amendment A Should Never Have Been Exhumed
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: It is illegitimate for powerful people to use the color of state law to favor one use of private property while disfavoring another use of the same private property.
Jonathan LangeOctober 18, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: University Of Wyoming's Football Season Is Half Over, Now What?
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, “Remember in December when newly minted Wyoming head football coach Jay Sawvel said the one thing left for the Wyoming Cowboys to achieve was a conference championship? With half the season completed, there is one win."
Sally Ann ShurmurOctober 17, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Sometimes Wyoming Urban Legends Are True
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said a few weeks ago, 'Yes, they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.' The Greene weather discussion prompted thoughts of Wyoming-based conspiracy theories. Of the many out there, three come to mind."
Tom LubnauOctober 16, 2024
Rod Miller: Where the Sun Don’t Shine In The Wyoming Legislature
Columnist Rod Miller writes: "There should be no 'safe spaces' in the capitol where legislators can go to hide so their feelings don’t get hurt by a curious press or a demanding public. Any public official in Wyoming who thinks otherwise would be well-advised to remember Richard Nixon."
Rod MillerOctober 16, 2024
Candy Moulton: The Work of Fall - Celebrating Cowboys
Columnist Candy Moulton writes: “Judging from the young men and women who attended the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame Induction, there is a long line of men and women who’ll be ready to join the ranks when they have 45 years of cowboy work from the back of horse under their belts.”
Candy MoultonOctober 15, 2024
Dave Simpson: These Memories Last Forever
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "“Travel as many miles as you have to, pay whatever you have to for a ticket, and stand in line for as long as it takes to see the musicians you love, in their prime, live and in person.”
Dave SimpsonOctober 14, 2024
Clair McFarland: Firewood Warms You Til You're Sick To Your Stomach
Clair McFarland writes, "As we hauled logs I had to visualize my cozy fire to keep myself going. Don’t laugh: I’m a mother first, runner second. Lifter of anything heavier than a milk jug last."
Clair McFarlandOctober 14, 2024
Cassie Craven: They Don’t Want To Call Anyone Daddy
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “Why are we all pretending that a baby is not the result of male sperm? When a woman gets an abortion without the knowledge of the father, is that not the government allowing a decision to be made about his body too?”
Cassie CravenOctober 13, 2024
Rod Miller: There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World, The Cow Crew Figures
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Rawhide from Rawlins, who had a year of community college under his Stetson, offered his educated opinion. ‘The only two kinds of people in the world are men an’ woman. I read that in a biology book once.’”
Rod MillerOctober 13, 2024
Bill Sniffin: We Love Our Pets – Three Good Ones Left Us This Year
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "What a sad year – so far in 2024, we have had to say good-bye to three of our grand-puppies. These are dogs that lived to be 12, 14, 14 years. They had become parts of our lives and were big personalities in the families of three of our children."
Bill SniffinOctober 13, 2024
Joan Barron: It’s “Save Weston County” Time
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "What colors this development is the support of the whole idea by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. This is the group gaining power in Wyoming. That’s why I think it’s too early to dismiss this as sheer folly by a bunch of wackos."
Joan BarronOctober 13, 2024
Should You Put Winter Tires On Your Vehicle In Wyoming?
Should you get snow tires this winter? Automotive writer Aaron Turpen says it depends on where you live in Wyoming, how much winter driving you actually do, and what type of vehicle you’re going to be doing it in.
Aaron TurpenOctober 12, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Col. Thomas Hutchings Lived Purposefully
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Soft-spoken and tender-hearted, Colonel Thomas C. Hutchings, USANG, Retired was a man like none other. Last week, we suddenly lost this Wyoming treasure. Cowboy State Daily readers might remember last summer’s headline, 'Miracle On I-25: Cheyenne Man Doesn't Know Who Saved His Life After Crash.' That was Tom."
Jonathan LangeOctober 11, 2024
Dennis Sun: Information to Help You Decide How To Vote
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "For over 40 years, the American Farm Bureau Federation has sent each of the presidential candidates questions pertaining to agriculture. They are good questions, and I believe our readers could gain some value from them. I would encourage everyone to get online and read the full responses."
Dennis SunOctober 11, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Finally, A Sandwich In The Car
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, “Maybe (probably) it’s genetic, but tailgating is not as fun for me as the game. Or it could simply be that I have been going to college football games for so long that I remember when nobody tailgated."
Sally Ann ShurmurOctober 10, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Wyoming Politics Has Been Californicated, And We Are Worse Off For It
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "The crystal ball of political future does not bode well for Wyoming politics being local. Chuck Gray and the Freedom Caucus proved high dollar out-of-state style politics wins elections in Wyoming."
Tom LubnauOctober 09, 2024
Rod Miller: Remembering Yellowstone On Fire In '88
Rod Miller writes, "I was working in Governor Sullivan’s office when the Park caught fire in ‘88. As the news spread around the country, it caused the same sort of visceral reaction among folks. Yellowstone was on fire!"
Rod MillerOctober 09, 2024
Candy Moulton: Hey, Let’s Have Some Spur Spuds
Columnist Candy Moulton writes: “There’s history to potato growing and now our ‘root cellar’ is full of potatoes thanks to the Silver Spur Ranches and the Encampment FFA Chapter.”
Candy MoultonOctober 08, 2024
Note From The Editor: Welcome Two New Members Of Cowboy State Daily
Cowboy State Daily is thrilled to announce two new members of our newsroom. Justin George is our new News Editor, joining us from The Washington Post, and Reilly Strand is our new Chief Videographer, joining us from CBS-7 in Odessa, Texas.
Jimmy OrrOctober 07, 2024
Dave Simpson: Too Little, Too Late on Amendment A
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “Given the sea change we saw in the legislative races in the August primary, let's see if a more conservative legislature can come up with something better than this flawed, last-minute constitutional amendment."
Dave SimpsonOctober 07, 2024
Cassie Craven: University Of Wyoming Did The Right Thing In Forfeiting Volleyball Match
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “Height. Weight. Size. These impact women’s safety. I will not keep quiet about them for a game of virtue signaling and placating yet another man’s emotions. And if one more man lectures me about how I should, I may need to provide a dissertation on childbirth and what it really means to be a woman.”
Cassie CravenOctober 06, 2024
Rod Miller: Blooming Flowers & Political Hypocrisy In The Cowboy State
Rod Miller writes, "For my money, it is Cowboys (capital C) like Scott Harnsberger who may be the only thing that saves the Wyoming Republican Party from spiraling down into an authoritarian abyss of gnarliness that would make the Founders of the U.S. and Wyoming, both of whom cherished plurality and free speech, puke."
Rod MillerOctober 06, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Modern Flying Can Be Nerve-Wracking – Or Perfect
Bill Sniffin: “We old-timers can recall the amazing service the old Frontier Airlines provided last century with those ponderous Convair 580s, but this 2024 version of commercial aviation ended up being excellent, too.”
Bill SniffinOctober 05, 2024
Joan Barron: Wyoming's Gaming Growth Resembles Other Economic Booms
Joan Barron writes, "You could compare the explosion of the gaming industry to the development of coal mining in the Powder River Basin in the 1970s."
Joan BarronOctober 05, 2024
Dennis Sun: From the Ranch
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Despite drought, government overreach and inflation, ranchers surveyed said they are optimistic for the future."
Dennis SunOctober 04, 2024
Jonathan Lange: How We Can Help Congress And Our Secretary Of State Keep Elections Clean
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: "Funneling campaign cash through 'straw donors' allows it to be laundered through people who have no idea they are being used. Stolen money or money from foreign donors can be injected into both national and local campaigns undetected."
Jonathan LangeOctober 04, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: The Phone Call That Changed Everything
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, “Accused frequently of being overly dramatic, it’s not that when I say one phone call did change everything. Here’s the scoop.”
Sally Ann ShurmurOctober 03, 2024
Rod Miller: REAL Republicans & Broncpeelers Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Rawhide from Rawlins exclaimed, 'I got a text from ‘em, the Wyoming GOP I mean, an’ it said iff’n I didn’t swear to be a REAL Republican, I’d come down with a case o’ cooties from a Haitian hooker. They invited me to a rally to take the blood oath.'"
Rod MillerOctober 02, 2024
Tom Lubnau: A Celebration of the Life of Bruce Hauser and Sawmill Creek Band
Tom Lubnau writes, "We sought out Sawmill Creek in the Cowboy Saloon, Boot Hill, Cassie’s, the Sheridan Inn, the Beacon Club and the Fort. They played so often at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, if you put your ear up to pine knot in the bar, you heard a Sawmill Creek song."
Tom LubnauOctober 02, 2024
Candy Moulton: Following the Sandhill Cranes in Colorado
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "The fall migration of Sandhill cranes is a certain sign of winter to come, even as we have been dealing with unprecedented warm weather. But there are days when the mornings are cool, and the leaves are either at or past their peak in many regions of the high country."
Candy MoultonOctober 01, 2024
Dave Simpson: How Can The Election Be So Close?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Do we live in a country where endorsements by Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey and Meryl Streep overpower the fact that 10 million illegal immigrants – some say as many as 20 million – have entered our country illegally, and have been set free?"
Dave SimpsonSeptember 30, 2024
Clair McFarland: Put Some Garlic On It
Clair McFarland writes, "This isn’t medical or economic advice, but if I were prepping for societal fallout, I’d stockpile garlic. I’m not responsible for what happens to you if you adopt any of my hillbillyisms."
Clair McFarlandSeptember 29, 2024
Rod Miller: Stewing Pumpkin Spice Liver & Onions
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I want Cowboy State Daily readers to know that Clair McFarland is not the only writer in the stable who can pen warm scenes of domestic tranquility that take place in the kitchen."
Rod MillerSeptember 29, 2024
Joan Barron: That Hemp Prosecution Was A Mess
Joan Barron writes, "If you lived in Cheyenne and Laramie County and listened to the chattering on the streets when felony charges were filed —particularly among the young crowd—you knew the Palm-Egle case could be a prosecution disaster that would be thrown out of court."
Joan BarronSeptember 29, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Over 717,000 People Viewed Our ‘Robo Bear’ Video On Instagram – Wow!
Bill Sniffin writes: “Mark did well against the 'robo bear.' My attempt was pathetic. Despite my failure, the video of the encounter was a huge hit. This video has been viewed 717,000 times on Instagram.”
Bill SniffinSeptember 28, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Why is Wyoming Not Joining States Investigating Child Sex-Change Rules?
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: “If the people of Wyoming have an opportunity to join other states in protecting children from snake oil, it should fall under the purview of one elected by her people. As it stands, Wyoming is glaringly absent."
Jonathan LangeSeptember 27, 2024
Dennis Sun: It’s The End Of Grilling Season
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "We’ve all been concerned about food inflation the last four years, but we also need to appreciate what it costs to produce our food."
Dennis SunSeptember 27, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Charming Memories Regardless Of Conference
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, “This is Homecoming Week at the University of Wyoming, and the memories are flooding back. I am concentrating on them, rather than the absurdity that is the business of college football right now."
Sally Ann ShurmurSeptember 27, 2024
Cassie Craven: The House is Burning Down
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “Confusing the hearts and minds of kids while mutilating their bodies in a profit game, and something I cannot stand alongside. I will not sit down quietly because we live in an era of virtue signaling. I refuse to be an accessory to their crimes."
Cassie CravenSeptember 26, 2024
Rod Miller: Beer and Chinwags With Dead Folks Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, “'Supposin’ ya had a time machine,'” blurted Little Joe the Wrangler, out of absolutely nowhere, 'an’ you could go back in history an’ have a beer with anyone you want. Who would ya have a beer with?'”
Rod MillerSeptember 25, 2024
Tom Lubnau: How Sloppy Writing Cripples Wyoming’s New Abortion Law, Part 2
Tom Lubnau writes: "When these statutes reach the courts, as they already have, you will hear legislators claim it is 'activist judges' who are asking hard questions about these statutes. The truth is these legislators did not pass cogent laws."
Tom LubnauSeptember 25, 2024
Candy Moulton: Autumn Is A Magical Time In Beaver Creek, Wyoming
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, “This time of year, when we sit outside in the evening, we hear the elk bugling down on the creek, the distinctive cry of sandhill cranes headed south, and the cry of geese.”
Candy MoultonSeptember 24, 2024
Dave Simpson: The One Thing We Aren't – Surprised
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “Let's just hope the Secret Service gets its unexpectedly incompetent act together before some nut kills the former president.”
Dave SimpsonSeptember 23, 2024
Aaron Turpen: After More Than A Decade, Toyota Finally Redesigned The Sequoia
Automotive columnist Aaron Turpen writes, “Toyota finally redesigned the aged Sequoia into a new third generation for the big SUV. The new version has a hybrid powertrain, lots of towing capability and an afterthought third row.”
Aaron TurpenSeptember 22, 2024
Rod Miller: A Big Stone House In Wyoming Sand
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I grew up in a house made of native stone situated on the biggest active sand dune system in North America. The house was built around 140 years ago. Lowes and Home Depot didn’t exist back then, so those old-timers had to improvise to get building material to the site."
Rod MillerSeptember 22, 2024
Wyoming Winter Woes Include Black Holes, Yellow Highway Stripes, and No Interstate Traffic
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “I spend way too much time cautioning my family and friends about the perils of Wyoming driving during this season of long nights and short days - plus bitter temperatures, heavy snowfalls, and, yes, those doggone Wyoming winds.”
Bill SniffinSeptember 22, 2024
Joan Barron: Media Credentials Don't Mean Anything Anymore
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "What do media credentials from the Legislature Service Office get you? Well, not much anymore. In short, they have about the same status as a lobbyist or a bus driver from Greybull."
Joan BarronSeptember 21, 2024
Rod Miller: Hey, Pharmacy Board: It's Government's Responsibility To Listen
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Wyoming Board of Pharmacy, with armed Highway Patrol officers providing security, were at no risk of life and limb from an unarmed crowd of Wyoming citizens exercising their rights under the First Amendment."
Rod MillerSeptember 20, 2024
Dennis Sun: Hey, What About the National Debt?
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Our national debt has now grown over $35 trillion. Thanks to frenzied spending after the pandemic and costly programs initiated by the president and Congress, the debt load could easily top $50 trillion in 10 years."
Dennis SunSeptember 20, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Even At 0-3, There Is Still Good To Be Found In Laramie
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, “Nobody likes being 0-3. Few thought that would be the fate of this year’s Pokes, who went 7-0 at home and finished with nine wins last year.”
Sally Ann ShurmurSeptember 19, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Regarding The New Abortion Law's Word Salads, Part One
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes: "While abortions are illegal in Wyoming, the statute contains eight or nine exceptions. But those are so messily worded it is hard for a doctor to interpret them. Which in real time, can have serious consequences."
Tom LubnauSeptember 18, 2024
Rod Miller: The “Nouveaux Elite” And Democracy By The Numbers In The 307
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "A scant 24% of voting-eligible Wyomingites took the time to cast their ballot in America’s Great Experiment in democracy. That mathematically changes the concept of 'one person, one vote' into 'one person, four votes.'"
Rod MillerSeptember 18, 2024
Candy Moulton: Brown’s Park Historian Focuses on Queen Ann Bassett
Columnist Candy Moulton Writes: “Among the outlaws Ann Bassett knew were a few of the young men who were destined be part of the gang that came to be known as the Wild Bunch.”
Candy MoultonSeptember 17, 2024
Clair McFarland: There's No Way My Kid Is Old Enough For A Homecoming Dance
Clair McFarland writes: "He was part of an adventure in which I had no business except as tailor and chauffeur - like my right arm had detached and gone off on its own hero’s journey. Be free, you rogue autonomous portion of me!"
Clair McFarlandSeptember 16, 2024
Dave Simpson: Forget The Election. Let's Go To Dodge.
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “If you don't love “Gunsmoke” and Marshal Matt Dillon, played by the late James Arness, well, there must be something wrong with you, mister. Get some help.”
Dave SimpsonSeptember 16, 2024
Cassie Craven: Putin Probably Smirked After That Debate
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, "I waited for the cackle to get me in the Halloween spirit but alas, it never came. Vice President Harris had clearly been coached by the Greatest Showman of All Time, President Barack Obama."
Cassie CravenSeptember 15, 2024
Rod Miller: Recollecting Doug !@#%ing Crowe
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Crowe pulled out the frozen carcass of a muskrat. He blended the rodent with tequila and triple sec into the sixth or seventh pitcher of hooch. Reports vary from 'nobody knew the difference' to 'the dog wouldn’t even touch it.' Draw your own damn conclusion."
Rod MillerSeptember 15, 2024
Bill Sniffin: 50 Years Ago, World’s Space Race Focused On Sagebrush Hills Of Wyoming
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "In 1974, a three-man crew of astronauts from the USA and a two-man crew of cosmonauts from the USSR were picked to participate in this pioneering program. But first, they were going to participate in the One Shot Antelope Hunt in Lander."
Bill SniffinSeptember 14, 2024
Joan Barron: The Saga Of State Sen. Cal 'Fast Lane' Taggart
Columnist Joan Barron writes about the Wyoming Legislature’s fight against the 55 mph speed limit that drew the national news media to Cheyenne. And state Sen. Cal 'Fast Lane' Taggart led the way.
Joan BarronSeptember 14, 2024
Tom Lubnau: The Breakup Of The Mountain West Is A Symptom Of A Large Disease
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes: "While it is understandable these schools are jumping from the conference for a bigger payday, it is sad. With the worship of the dollar, we are seeing things more important than money start to vanish – competition, rivalry, loyalty and tradition. And we are worse off for it."
Tom LubnauSeptember 12, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Halls Of Fame, Sellouts And Good Bathrooms As Football Kicks Off
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, “There was plenty to be happy about in Laramie last weekend, even if the final score didn’t make the list.”
Sally Ann ShurmurSeptember 12, 2024
Rod Miller: Rumors Around the Ol’ Campfire, Part Deux
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Gossip around the ol’ campfire surmises a sudden vacancy in the Secretary of State’s office, a new gunslinger in town and scorched earth dessert.”
Rod MillerSeptember 12, 2024
Tom Lubnau: A Great Evening In The Black Hills With Starship And Marshall Tucker
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "The surprise of the concert was the ability of 86-year-old David Baldwin to hit all the high notes in the song 'Jane' – a song he wrote. His voice was strong and backup vocals and harmonies tight."
Tom LubnauSeptember 12, 2024
Candy Moulton: Dick Perue -- 73 Years Of Pumping The Press
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "The number of historical talks and treks Dick Perue has given and led is not known but imagine 70 years of involvement with museums throughout Carbon County and you get an idea of his contributions to Wyoming history.”
Candy MoultonSeptember 10, 2024
Dave Simpson: Cheneys Opt For 'Radical Liberal'
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "I figured there was nothing Liz Cheney could do to make me regret my three votes for her more than I already did. But, I was wrong. Good luck with those Democrats, Liz. They hated your dad, calling him Darth Vader.''
Dave SimpsonSeptember 09, 2024
Cassie Craven: We Need More Guns, Not Fewer
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “This isn’t about deer or prepping. This is about free and not. Life or death. Liberty or imprisonment. Eutopia will not come with more ‘gun control.’”
Cassie CravenSeptember 08, 2024
Rod Miller: The Achilles Heel Of The Wyoming Freedom Caucus Is Cowboy Football
Columnist Rod Miller writes: "If the Freedom Caucus wants to trim UW’s DEI budget, then most folks in Wyoming won’t quibble. But they’ll shoot themselves in the foot if their efforts result in Cowboy football becoming a Division II program."
Rod MillerSeptember 08, 2024
Joan Barron: A Year Before College Well Spent
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "I’ll bet your average plumber makes more money than a regular English graduate. And that may be one reason more people than ever are questioning whether college is worth the time and expense."
Joan BarronSeptember 07, 2024
Bill Sniffin: "The Dog Ate My Homework" And More On The Old Farts Clubs
Bill Sniffin writes, “No matter how legitimate, excuses just sound like ‘the dog ate my homework’ to some people.”
Bill SniffinSeptember 07, 2024
Dennis Sun: What Will Food Costs Do Before The Election?
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "With the general election coming up in a couple of months, the price for food is a big issue. Most people say the high prices are unfair, but they keep rising."
Dennis SunSeptember 06, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Compulsory Content For Preschool Is The Devil’s Playground
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: “Last year a bill that would lower the age for compulsory school attendance from 7 to 6 years old failed an introductory vote by 7-24. Now, the education lobby wants to compel not only 6-year-olds, but 3-year-olds as well. Parents are wise to be wary.”
Jonathan LangeSeptember 06, 2024
Rod Miller: Tyin’ the Knot – Wyoming Style
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "It is a little-known and under-appreciated fact around the ol’ campfire that I am a man of the cloth, and am ordained to perform weddings, circumcisions and exorcisms. I have officiated at five weddings to date. All five couples are still married and happy together."
Rod MillerSeptember 06, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Welcome To Laramie, It's Just Different
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "I would not want to be the Idaho Vandals this week. I think the Pokes are ready to deliver a beatdown. And I think the defense will remember what the hell they are supposed to do."
Sally Ann ShurmurSeptember 05, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Give The Freedom Caucus The Benefit Of The Doubt
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes: "I have learned to trust the collective wisdom of the Wyoming voters. They are the carny operating the ride. I may not understand why the voters made their choices, but I have learned there is a level of wisdom behind the voter’s choice, and to search for what that wisdom is."
Tom LubnauSeptember 04, 2024
Candy Moulton: Thursday Is The Only Time We Can Tell The Postal Service What We Think
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "“When your local postal manager tells you not to send a letter by certified mail because it will likely get lost in the system, you know the mail delivery in our area just plain stinks. Let’s pack a Zoom meeting this Thursday because the USPS needs to hear what the rural West thinks."
Candy MoultonSeptember 03, 2024
Dave Simpson: The Freedom Caucus Suits Him Fine
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "'The old cigar club is closed.' So said my crustiest Republican friend from Casper this week, about the results of the Aug. 20th primary election in Wyoming."
Dave SimpsonSeptember 03, 2024
Clair McFarland: Sometimes My Mom Walks In And Sets Me Straight
Clair McFarland writes: "That was when my mom walked in wearing one of her fancy halter top things, carrying a box of black licorice (my favorite) and a sequined purse with a conceal-carry pocket for her pistol — and called out 'Yoo-hoooo! Grandma’s here!'"
Clair McFarlandSeptember 01, 2024
Rod Miller: New Faces Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Straggling in to take their places around the campfire, our cowboy crew griped about the day they just had. Breaking in a new trailhand is never easy, but today was the first day riding herd for a dozen or so tenderfooted newbies."
Rod MillerSeptember 01, 2024
Joan Barron: Interim Committee Work Dampened By The Prospect Of New Legislative Leadership
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The Freedom Caucus has openly stated its status as anti-government, anti-tax, anti-spending and other antis as well. All these antis can have a paralyzing influence on legislative business."
Joan BarronSeptember 01, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Does Each Wyoming Town Have Its ‘9 Old Men’ Who Think They Run It?
Bill Sniffin writes: “In my travels, I am always looking for these coffee groups. They can be a true fountain of information and misinformation. This is where all the good news stories bubble up from."
Bill SniffinAugust 31, 2024
Dennis Sun: Sheep Are In
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Sheep have always been a vital industry in the West, even though numbers have been dropping over the years. Despite all of the hurdles of raising sheep, there is still a strong interest in them."
Dennis SunAugust 30, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Reflections On A Half-Million Acres Of Fire
Jonathan Lange writes: "A spontaneous government arose across county and state lines because people had an urgent task to accomplish. Should anyone attempt to hijack its power for personal gain, he or she would find that it dissolves as quickly as it arose."
Jonathan LangeAugust 30, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: When It Comes To Moms, We Hit The Jackpot
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "I’d love to introduce those who don’t already know her to my mom, who turns 93 on Saturday. In the NFL, she earned the reputation as the real one, still cleaning her own house, still cooking every night for her beloved Fritz."
Sally Ann ShurmurAugust 29, 2024
Tom Lubnau: How To Spot Artificial Intelligence Bots And Paid Political Operatives On Social Media
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Social media is full of cowardly trolls who set up fake profiles and comment, seemingly anonymously, to say what they don’t have the courage to say in person."
Tom LubnauAugust 28, 2024
Rod Miller: Peevish Populace Poses Problem for Puzzled Politicians
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "As the dust settles over the shifted tectonics of Wyoming politics after the primary, one factor at play in the election stands out to me: voters in Wyoming are pissed."
Rod MillerAugust 28, 2024
Candy Moulton: Miriam Baggott -- An Englishwoman Paves The Way For Homesteaders
Columnist Candy Moulton writes: “Miriam Baggott and her young daughter often fled their home and hid in the willows when they had reports of Indians roaming in the area. Other times Miriam hung quilts over the cabin windows so their lantern light would not be seen from a distance.”
Candy MoultonAugust 27, 2024
Dave Simpson: Nobody Told Us We're Too Old
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Can two guys with a combined age of 146 years build a house high in the mountains of Wyoming? All by themselves? Without heavy equipment? Jury's still out on that."
Dave SimpsonAugust 26, 2024
Rod Miller: Sam Western’s “The Spirit of 1889” – Essential Reading in The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Wyoming's constitution is so progressive that it collectivized resources like water and wildlife, and preserved them in public hands. Today’s Republicans would hoot and holler at 1889’s GOP and call them socialist at best and Chinese Communists at worst."
Rod MillerAugust 25, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Common Car Myths vs Reality
Aaron Turpen writes, "A while back, I wrote about gas saving tips, debunking some of the common misconceptions and validating a few others. Now let’s look at some other automotive myths and see if they have any footing in reality."
Aaron TurpenAugust 25, 2024
Joan Barron: The Two Party Solution
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The Wyoming Republican Party’s party’s center — the moderates, the traditionalists — is in danger of becoming irrelevant. Their power is being siphoned away by the party’s hard right wing."
Joan BarronAugust 24, 2024
Bill Sniffin: So Many Big Little Stories Came Out Of 2024 Primary
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Our 2024 Republican primary campaign was a barn-burner and full of meanness and hate. Yes, folks, politics in Wyoming, once again, is not political, it is personal.”
Bill SniffinAugust 24, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Thankfully, Two-Party Politics Has Returned To Wyoming
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "The increasingly lopsided ratio of Democrats to Republicans has effectively turned Wyoming into an unhealthy one-party state. The emergence of two clear caucuses within the dominant party helps the voter make an informed choice."
Jonathan LangeAugust 23, 2024
Dennis Sun: Slow And Even Slower
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Kamala Harris wants to have new price controls on food and is focusing on meat, especially beef. Her talk set off alarms in the cattle and beef business – futures dropped suddenly and live cattle prices dropped as well."
Dennis SunAugust 23, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Fanning The Flames, And Not Just Fire
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Turns out, you can get redder than red. And the moderates look left, and the right looks middle. But guess what? It’s what the people who voted want, pundits and the media be damned."
Sally Ann ShurmurAugust 22, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Identifying The Techniques Politicians Use To Dodge Tough Questions
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Since the primary election is over, we should evaluate the political deflection techniques used by candidates in the heat of the election. A deflection technique is a way to redirect attention away from the real topic."
Tom LubnauAugust 21, 2024
Rod Miller: The Wyoming Freedom Caucus Wins Some Big Pots
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "When the voters dealt the river card in Tuesday’s primary election, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus hit some inside straights and walked off with a lot of chips. All the bluffs and tells of the game were over."
Rod MillerAugust 21, 2024
Candy Moulton: Menor’s Ferry – This Time Of Year Huckleberries Were The Toll To Cross The Snake River
Candy Moulton writes: “During the wild berry season in late summer, Bill Menor charged ‘huckleberry rates’ to local people wanting to cross the Snake River in Jackson Hole on his ferry. A bucket of berries was good for a one-way ride over the river.”
Candy MoultonAugust 20, 2024
Dave Simpson: Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Democrat
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "I can't figure out how anyone could vote for these Republican Lite, Rockefeller Republican, milquetoast, go-along-to get-along Republicans. These it-can't-happen-here, ersatz Republicans who vote with Democrats, and some even used to BE Democrats."
Dave SimpsonAugust 19, 2024
Rod Miller: A Brief Refresher Course On Wolf Reintroduction In The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Over beverages at the Buckhorn, my old amigo Walt Gasson and I reminisced about the 'return' of wolves to Yellowstone. We agreed that it is a sordid tale of western love and betrayal. All it lacks is a high noon shootout on a dusty street."
Rod MillerAugust 18, 2024
Joan Barron: No More Ballots In Shoeboxes, Please
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "It appears Wyoming voters will not be confronted with hand-counted ballots this year. That fate was a possibility for a spell there when Republicans of the hard right variety questioned the validity of pre-election balloting tests..."
Joan BarronAugust 17, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Two Years Ago, Wyoming Was Center Of The Political Universe
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Two years ago, because of the feud between Liz Cheney and former President Donald Trump, the whole world descended on the Cowboy State to see how her reelection race would turn out.”
Bill SniffinAugust 17, 2024
Jonathan Lange: How To Know Where Candidates Got Their Money And Who's Funding Their Campaigns
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "For weeks, candidates have been making claims and counterclaims of “dark money” and out-of-state-interest groups backing their opponents. Now, voters have the means available to judge for themselves."
Jonathan LangeAugust 16, 2024
Dennis Sun: Some Good News
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "A new study challenges outdated information and management principles related to livestock grazing in the sagebrush steppe and how it was previously thought to negatively impact these ecosystems. Instead, the study saw desirable outcomes..."
Dennis SunAugust 16, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Oh Summer, We Hardly Knew Ya
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "There is no more optimistic place on the face of the earth than a Friday night in Laramie before game day. So long summer. My gold wardrobe is clean and ready."
Sally Ann ShurmurAugust 15, 2024
Tom Lubnau: The Season Of The Absurd Campaign Advertisement Is Upon Us
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Perhaps the most extreme example of the outrageous campaigning is calling House Speaker Albert Sommers a Chinese Communist."
Tom LubnauAugust 14, 2024
Candy Moulton: Famed John Brown Family Camped Here
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "When Janelle Malony takes to the stage to talk about her historical research, visitors are in for a true history lesson. Her pioneer family survived the Platte River Raid of 1864 with the families of Wyatt Earp and pre-Civil War abolitionist John Brown."
Candy MoultonAugust 13, 2024
Dave Simpson: They 'Doth Protest Too Much, Methinks'
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Plenty of opinions are flying around, as tends to happen in elections. But it strikes me as desperation to pin all this anger on the Freedom Caucus."
Dave SimpsonAugust 12, 2024
Clair McFarland: My Teen Says Crocs Are 'Stylish'
Clair McFarland writes, "We live in the sage country. No kid should ramble around these hills with holes in his shoes. Just put out an entry mat for the ticks, I guess.”
Clair McFarlandAugust 11, 2024
Rod Miller: Lines Drawn in Wyoming Soil Should Not Be Crossed
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Two examples of folks crossing a line in Wyoming and suffering for it popped up lately. I view this as very heartening. Its important to know that lines still mean something in a society where it seems that anything goes."
Rod MillerAugust 11, 2024
Aaron Turpen: 2024 Honda Passport Is A Ticket To 2-Row SUV Goodness
Automotive columnist Aaron Turpen writes, “I’m mostly positive about the 2024 Passport. I think Honda hit a mark with this one and it doesn’t get the attention it should. It’s a strong contender in a competitive market.”
Aaron TurpenAugust 10, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Here Is A True Saying: ‘In Wyoming, Politics Is Not Political. It Is Personal’
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Elections can be difficult times because of personal relationships. You can find yourself being friends with both candidates. Especially when the races turn nasty, it is truly unpleasant."
Bill SniffinAugust 10, 2024
Joan Barron: A Vietnam War Protestor’s Trial in Cheyenne
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Vietnam War protestor Randy Kehler died late last month at age 80 at his home in Massachusetts. His obituary in the New York Times makes no mention of the Wyoming federal court case or of his residence in Encampment."
Joan BarronAugust 10, 2024
Dennis Sun: It's Wyoming State Fair Time!
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "The Wyoming State Fair has been around since 1905, and its future looks brighter than ever. Wyoming is fortunate to have a state fair with our boom and bust economy. There are a lot of states that have given up on having a state fair for one reason or another."
Dennis SunAugust 09, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Your Noble Approach To Politics Can Restore Its Beauty
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Partisan harping against the transgressions of others merely adds to the mudslinging. Removing the speck from your brother’s eye should not be a campaign strategy."
Jonathan LangeAugust 09, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: What Is Home?
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Sixteen years ago this week, I put the last few things in my beloved girl truck, grabbed Frank the darling dog and closed the 30-year chapter of living in Casper."
Sally Ann ShurmurAugust 08, 2024
Tom Lubnau: If We Vote For Candidates In Bed With Liars, We Get What We Deserve
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Candidates who remain silent while knowing lies are perpetuated about their opposition are committing lies of omission. They do not care about the integrity of the system. They do not care about truth. They only care about power."
Tom LubnauAugust 07, 2024
Candy Moulton: Filming the West – Diverse Wyoming Stories
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, " In 15 years of conflict in Iraq, the United States had 4,541 fatalities. In 2016 alone, there were 5,712 Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women cases reported in the United States. Yet many people have no idea there was even one such case."
Candy MoultonAugust 06, 2024
Dave Simpson: Our Guys Aren't On Gordon's List
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "I agree with folks who suggest using Gov. Gordon's endorsement list as a guide on who NOT to vote for.”
Dave SimpsonAugust 05, 2024
Joan Barron: Radical Tax Reform Bill Could Be A Legislative Hammer
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The state is always bumping up against the constitutional dictate of equal and uniform whether it’s taxes or schools. How can you have a uniform and equal form of taxation that affects Teton, Laramie and Niobrara Counties the same?"
Joan BarronAugust 04, 2024
Rod Miller: Political Statesmanship In The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "An incredibly graceful act of political statesmanship occurred in Wyoming the other day, and we all should know about it. And we should all think about it."
Rod MillerAugust 04, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming Politics Featuring Flyers, Candy Bars, And The One And Done Club
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “We gave away 10,000 candy bars. I was the only candidate in history who gained weight during his campaign!”
Bill SniffinAugust 03, 2024
Mandy Fabel: The Westby Way- How Ingenuity, Hard Work Shaped The Director Of WYDOT
Columnist Mandy Fabel writes, "The year was 1994 and Darin Westby was building a miniature Formula 1 car for a race in Detroit, Michigan. As a graduating senior at the University of Wyoming College of Engineering, Darin needed a senior project."
Mandy FabelAugust 03, 2024
Dennis Sun: Antiquities Act Gone Bad
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Throughout the years, we’ve seen the Antiquities Act misused by presidents looking for a legacy, it is time for Congress to go back to the original intent and get away from the huge land grabs we’ve seen lately."
Dennis SunAugust 02, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Trust, But Verify
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Gov. Gordon’s recent text blast changed the game. Under the banner of, 'Trust, but verify,' he effectively made 50 endorsements in Republican primary races."
Jonathan LangeAugust 02, 2024
Dave Simpson: You Call This The Thrill Of Victory?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes: "A guy beating on a woman for 46 seconds before she gives up in tears sounds pretty damn Draconian to me. Good thing our lawmakers passed a bill, despite the governor's misgivings, to keep this insanity from happening here."
Dave SimpsonAugust 02, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: New Places Are The Best Part Of Road Trips
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Immediately out of Dubois, the bear caution signs began and I was so excited. We never did see one, but I marveled at the beauty we did see. I kept saying over and over how I couldn’t believe this was so close to home."
Sally Ann ShurmurAugust 01, 2024
Rod Miller: The Wyoming Freedom Caucus Elected Me Their New Chairman
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "When folks who read Casper Planet or other sources of satire wring their hands and whine that somebody should do something about all the lies, they’re correct. And the somebody who should do something is the reader."
Rod MillerAugust 01, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Let's Step Up For The Men And Women From Wyoming Serving Overseas
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "For the first time since the Korean War, the entire 2-300 Field Artillery Brigade of the Wyoming National Guard is deploying overseas. What can we do to deserve their service?"
Tom LubnauJuly 31, 2024
Candy Moulton: Bill Markley -- Telling Both Sides of the Story
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Author Bill Markley likes Butch Cassidy the best of all the outlaws he has researched. 'He always tried to not get anybody killed during the robberies he participated in,' he said."
Candy MoultonJuly 30, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Once Upon A Time, The Wyoming Republican Party Organization Had Integrity
Cowboy State Daily columnist and former Wyoming Speaker of the House Tom Lubnau writes, "Once upon a time, the Wyoming Republican Party Organization had integrity. These days, not so much."
Tom LubnauJuly 29, 2024
Dave Simpson: Harriet Delivered When No One Else Could (Or Cared)
Cowboy State Daily columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Harriet cut through the red tape and somehow got the Forest Service to do what it should have been doing for years.”
Dave SimpsonJuly 29, 2024
Clair McFarland: We Bought A Minivan With No Melted Sour Patch Kids In It
Clair McFarland writes: "True to his word, The Husband sold off our 2007 GMC Yukon and started shopping for a minivan."
Clair McFarlandJuly 28, 2024
Rod Miller: Wyoming Is a News Desert With a Helluva Lot of Rain
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "To call Wyoming a news desert is fake news. More folks are reading Wyoming news today than ever before. They’re just not getting ink on their fingers as they read it."
Rod MillerJuly 28, 2024
Joan Barron: Don’t Expect A 1968 Democratic Repeat
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Pundits recently pointed out similarities of the 2024 Democratic party shakeups and what happened in 1968. True, there are some eerie resemblances to the violent upheaval that surrounded the August 1968 convention."
Joan BarronJuly 27, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Brace Yourself For The Nuttiest 100-Day Election Campaign In American History
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “And despite all the confidence expressed by the Republicans, I believe the Dems still have a real chance to pull this off. The 12 million illegal aliens that arrived in the USA over the past three years could be the difference-makers.”
Bill SniffinJuly 27, 2024
Rod Miller: Mail Call Around the Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Joe the Wranger pulled a glossy door-hanger from his chap pocket. It says that Wyoming is fixin’ to be taken over by baby-eatin’ Bolshevik bombthrowers, an’ if we wanna save our Wyoming Values, we gotta vote fer these Freedom Caucus knuckleheads that came here from back east.”
Rod MillerJuly 27, 2024
Dennis Sun: Northern Cattle
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "For many years, we’ve been told steers fed in the North always bring more money than Southern-fed steers. We always took pride in the fact and bragged on it."
Dennis SunJuly 26, 2024
Jonathan Lange: The Future Of Drop Boxes In Wyoming
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "After bypassing the formal rulemaking process for five administrations, litigation may be the only way forward. By discovery, we can learn what happened. And by court authority, Wyoming voters can again be treated equally."
Jonathan LangeJuly 26, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: In My Opinion, The Republican Convention Was Great
Cowboy State Daily columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "The most emotional moment for me came on night one, when Donald Trump arrived in the arena, barely 48 hours after being shot in Pennsylvania. I marveled at his strength and thanked God that he survived the bullet meant to kill him."
Sally Ann ShurmurJuly 25, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Why Are We At Each Other Throats These Days?
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "In an episode of Twilight Zone entitled “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”, Rod Serling creates a mirror of society in 2024. Serling’s insight into the human personality is insightful and somewhat terrifying, even by today’s standards."
Tom LubnauJuly 24, 2024
Candy Moulton: Owen Wister in Wyoming
Cowboy State Daily columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Western novelist Owen Wister, who became famous for The Virginian, was a 'dude' in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, long before he wrote his classic novel."
Candy MoultonJuly 23, 2024
Dave Simpson: You Only Get Fired On 'The Apprentice'
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "“What does it take to get someone fired in this shockingly incompetent government? A dead former president? A dead candidate for president?"
Dave SimpsonJuly 22, 2024
Rod Miller: Wyoming’s Shameful New Political Club – The Cowards Caucus
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Several Wyoming legislative candidates are refusing to engage in political debates this season. The reasons they give for their refusal vary, but it all boils down to political cowardice, pure and simple."
Rod MillerJuly 21, 2024
Aaron Turpen: The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Gets Tougher As It Grows Up
Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, “The payoff for all of that my two-car garage no longer fits two cars change is interior roominess. And there’s a lot of it. Seating for six or seven is standard (depending on second row options) and its third row is actually usable.”
Aaron TurpenJuly 20, 2024
Joan Barron: “Don’t Be a Patsy”
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "This is the time to be skeptical as we enter what promises to be a tumultuous election year. One where we will encounter lots of political news, including misinformation, false information and the occasional new wacko conspiracy theory.
Joan BarronJuly 20, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Seriously, Are We Oldsters Still In Middle Age, Really? – Nah
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “The years between 65 and 75 were probably the best years of our lives. We were free of major responsibilities, had a little money saved up, could travel, were relatively healthy, and overall, life was pretty doggone carefree.”
Bill SniffinJuly 20, 2024
Dennis Sun: Checkoffs Pay Back
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "In the five-year period from 2019-23, for every dollar invested in the Beef Checkoff’s demand-driven activities, producers and beef importers who pay into the program received a $13.41 benefit."
Dennis SunJuly 19, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Only Passionate Love Can Lower The Temperature
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "My heart aches for Melania and Barron Trump — and all of President Trump’s children. To them, he is neither a political target nor an icon. He is a husband, a father, and a grandfather."
Jonathan LangeJuly 19, 2024
Skeptics Disagree With Study That Finds Wyoming Tops In The Nation In Energy Costs
Wyomingites pay more on their energy bills than anyone else in the U.S. and almost twice as much as the second-highest state, according to a new study. But economist and state Sen. Cale Case says the study is critically flawed.
Pat MaioJuly 19, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: You Can Go Home Again
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "If I didn’t love high school so much, maybe reunions wouldn’t be so important to me. Accused by both my mom and dad of only going to school so I could do 'the other stuff,' I cannot deny it."
Sally Ann ShurmurJuly 18, 2024
Aaron Turpen: People In Wyoming Drive A LOT
The average Wyoming driver drives 24,000 miles per year. No other state is remotely close to that. Vermont is in second place with 13,000 miles per year. By contrast, drivers in Rhode Island drive the least amount at 9,900 miles per year.
Aaron TurpenJuly 18, 2024
Tom Lubnau: When Scientific Model Is Criticized, Keep Model And Change The Name!
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Climate modeling used by policy makers in Washington, D.C. does not reflect reality. As a result, the environmental policy espoused by the government has little touch with the real world."
Tom LubnauJuly 17, 2024
Candy Moulton: Let the Wagons Roll
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Anyone who has been around horse drawn vehicles knows that one of the best builders today is Doug Hansen of Letcher, South Dakota, who readily admits he had a hobby – repairing wagon wheels – that turned into a business."
Candy MoultonJuly 16, 2024
Rod Miller: This Cowboy’s Hat (With Apologies to Chris LeDoux)
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Cookie stopped washing dishes long enough to say, 'Some folks can wear a cowboy hat, an’ some purely cain’t. That’s jes how God made the world, and there ain’t nothin’ that li’l sumbitch can do about it.'"
Rod MillerJuly 16, 2024
Dave Simpson: Stay Tuned, Goldwater Republicans
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "With only seven actual Democrats in the legislature currently, we have a wave of Born Again Republicans, who claim to have seen the light, experiencing a miraculous political party epiphany. Well, I'm not buying it."
Dave SimpsonJuly 16, 2024
Clair McFarland: Finding The Right Word After The Shooting
Clair McFarland writes: "This is what we’ve come to. Instead of being a people who self-identify by our faith, our family, and our goals, we present our political identities foremost, like a cattle brand."
Clair McFarlandJuly 14, 2024
Rod Miller: When Transparency Wins, Wyoming Wins
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "You may not realize it but you, as a Wyoming citizen, won a landmark court victory the other day. The Wyoming Department of Education and its leadership were slapped down hard before the bar of justice for trying to keep secrets from us."
Rod MillerJuly 14, 2024
Joan Barron: Gambling -- We’re In The Big Time Now
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "[The Freedom Caucus] probably would oppose creating a professional Gaming Commission. The hard right folks would rather we be another Vegas. Elections have consequences."
Joan BarronJuly 13, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Summer Is Half Over – How Is Your Bucket List Coming Along?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "“And if our days are numbered, what are we going to do with those limited days? That is why the old idea of putting together a bucket list has always been so important to me.”
Bill SniffinJuly 13, 2024
Dennis Sun: Selling Calves 101
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "I thought I would explain different ways to sell livestock, as there are numerous people in our region who have no idea what happens on the farm or ranch between now and the first of the year."
Dennis SunJuly 12, 2024
Jonathan Lange: It’s Primary Season, Do Your Homework and Coach Responsibly
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Because Wyoming is a 'small town with very long streets,' you may already know some candidates personally. This is one of Wyoming’s special charms! Few people in other states know their politicians like you do."
July 12, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: These Are Sal’s Favorites, What Are Yours?
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Even if I need help with almost everything, there are still so many things that bring me joy. Like ice cream. Ice cream brings me immense joy. Here's a listing my favorite things."
Sally Ann ShurmurJuly 11, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Out-Of-State Money Flooding Into Wyoming To Influence Elections
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, " It’s funny, a disproportionate number of candidates who are endorsed by these out of state groups have only lived in Wyoming a couple years."
Tom LubnauJuly 10, 2024
Rod Miller: Term Limits And Vox Populi In Wyoming
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I hope that the Supreme Court will reject anyone telling Wyoming voters whom they can and cannot vote for. I hope they affirm the right of the individual Wyoming voter to support whatever candidate they damn well please."
Rod MillerJuly 09, 2024
Candy Moulton: Bordeaux, Wyoming, Has Its Roots In The Fur Trade
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Anyone who has driven I-25 north out of Cheyenne knows that one of the windiest places on the highway is at Bordeaux. But you may not know why it has that name."
Candy MoultonJuly 09, 2024
Dave Simpson: Unfriend My Wife? Probably Not
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "My finger may have mistakenly hit an option to declare myself offended, and perhaps put the social media lid on – who'd a thunk it – my wife.”
Dave SimpsonJuly 08, 2024
Rod Miller: Don Bolles, Nosy Investigative Journalists and Your Right to Know
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Wyoming needs more not fewer investigative reporters turning over powerful rocks to see what lies beneath, regardless of how loudly the powerful will howl. Too many folks are willing to turn a blind eye toward corrupt power."
Rod MillerJuly 07, 2024
Joan Barron: It's Official, Esther Hobart Morris Will Stay In The Basement
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The movement [to move the statue of Esther Hobart Morris back out in front of the Capitol] apparently ended when the governor and the four other elected state officials agreed that Esther should be inside."
Joan BarronJuly 06, 2024
Dennis Sun: Freedom Wins
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "June 28 was a great day, as the Supreme Court voted to overrule the Chevron deference. I believe the deference rule was an easy way to manage climate change, and it was used as a tool to hinder oil and gas, coal and agriculture and to take total control of lands."
Dennis SunJuly 05, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Wyoming Should Declare Independence From The Federal Health Bureaucracy
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Wyoming needs an "after action review" in the aftermath of COVID-19. Four years ago on July 1, Gov. Gordon issued the 7th continuation of 3 unprecedented Public Health Orders that were first imposed on March 19, 2020."
Jonathan LangeJuly 05, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Our Big Fat Glorious Wyoming Wedding – During Monsoon Season!
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “We had been relegated to the roles of Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany from ‘Christmas Vacation.’ According to that movie, my job was to keep from setting my toupee on fire with my cigar and Nancy’s was to not recite the Pledge of Allegiance when saying grace.”
Bill SniffinJuly 05, 2024
Rod Miller: Counting Hands Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Supper was over and our favorite crew of cowboys sat around the ol’ campfire enjoying roll-yer-owns and the simple pleasures of a Wyoming night. Then the talk turned to politics."
Rod MillerJuly 05, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Troopers Pack A Punch At Packed House
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Those who know me had to know I would write about the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps at some point. I have been a fan since I was in junior high and they were world champions."
Sally Ann ShurmurJuly 04, 2024
William Perry Pendley: Ansel Adams, Wyoming, and Ronald Reagan
William Perry Pendley writes, "President Reagan and Wyoming's own James Watt set a record, yet unbroken, for issuing federal oil and gas leases. By 2019, their efforts yielded American energy independence." Photographer Ansel Adams was not a fan.
William Perry PendleyJuly 03, 2024
Tom Lubnau: How The Supreme Court Changed UW Athletics, And What We Can Do To Help
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "For University of Wyoming athletics to remain competitive, robust funding for the NIL program is necessary. UW competes with universities who have no problem raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for their student athletes."
Tom LubnauJuly 03, 2024
Candy Moulton: Hitching Horsehair -- A Western Prison Legacy
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "When Erika Rogers demonstrates how to do horsehair hitching at the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site in Laramie on Friday, she will be practicing an art perfected by prisoners who were once incarcerated at the facility."
Candy MoultonJuly 02, 2024
Dave Simpson: Bug Spray, Dish Soap And A Wine Chaser
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "A mischievous bear is tearing things up in my neck of the Snowy Range this summer, and folks up there are on edge about it."
Dave SimpsonJuly 01, 2024
Rod Miller: 2000 Mules Around the Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "'I saw that li’l Secretary of State feller in town the other day,' said Panhandle, 'He was walkin’ kinda funny like he had a bad buck-off.' 'Naw,' Cookie answered, stirring the beans, 'He just got his ass kicked by the County Clerks again...'"
Rod MillerJune 30, 2024
Clair McFarland: Suddenly, Minivans Are Not Lame
Clair McFarland writes: "The Husband scrunched his nose when he saw it. He’s always avoided minivans. Right now we’ve got a GMC Yukon for trips with all six of us. A Yukon is more manly than a minivan, The Husband has explained, because it’s a truck with a few back seats."
Clair McFarlandJune 30, 2024
Joan Barron: The Worst Job In State Government
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "As Denver school finance consultant John Augenblick once said: 'School finance is like a Russian novel. It’s long, it’s boring and in the end everyone gets killed.'"
Joan BarronJune 29, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Water, Water Everywhere – And You Better Drink A Whole Bunch Of It!
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Dave Love, Gap Pucci, and Finis Mitchell have spent more time in the wilds of arid Wyoming than just about anyone. I doubt they ever carried one of those quart-size Nalgene plastic bottles of water with them. They probably never even heard of Nalgene.”
Bill SniffinJune 29, 2024
Dennis Sun: Raw Milk is Political
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Around 2010, raw milk consumption – along with other food movements like organic, buy local, vegetarian and a few others – were gaining popularity with the liberal crowd. Now, especially, raw milk is the darling of conservatives."
Dennis SunJune 28, 2024
Rod Miller: The Presidential Debate, Democracy and the Law of Entropy
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Here we are, a nation of 350 million people, living in a democratic republic, and these two old farts are the best we can do? Give me a break!"
Rod MillerJune 28, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: When It Comes To Reunions, Is It Go Or No?
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "We aren’t a reunion family. So when they come later in life, is it a fun, new idea or something to be dreaded?
Sally Ann ShurmurJune 27, 2024
Rod Miller: Backtracking For Lost Things in the Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Most horses have some realization deep within their equine hearts that God created them to work cattle and I could tell this li’l guy would make a good one."
Rod MillerJune 26, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Catching Up With Michael DeGreve
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Losing Michael DeGreve at the Hitching Post was a great loss to Wyoming’s history and culture. Now, we have an opportunity to hear Michael again as his first professional recording is being reissued."
Tom LubnauJune 26, 2024
Candy Moulton: The Custer Expedition – 150 Years Later
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "To recognize the 150th Anniversary of Custer’s Black Hills Expedition the Custer County Historical Association will host a special event. This is a rare opportunity to walk on the private land where the Custer camp was situated."
Candy MoultonJune 25, 2024
Dave Simpson: He Led The Band That Saved The Bridge
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Pat Mehle's expertise as an engineer, his machine shop magic, and his ability to organize his neighbors saved our bridge.”
Dave SimpsonJune 24, 2024
Rod Miller: From Beavers to Coal, Five Wyoming Booms
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "When fur trappers of the 1830s stood hip-deep in the numbing waters of Wyoming’s far west side, they began our first industry. International demand for beaver fur for fashionable headwear created wealth where none existed before."
Rod MillerJune 23, 2024
Joan Barron: No Middle Ground On School Vouchers
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "It is reasonable to expect a move next year to expand the preschool subsidy program for low income children. I doubt if it will be successful given the newness of the 2023 law that authorized Education Savings Accounts. But eventually it will happen."
Joan BarronJune 22, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Here Are A Few Of My Favorite Wyoming Political Stories
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Dick Cheney told the woman, as he was heading out the door: ‘I am Al Simpson and I am running for U. S. Senate. I sure would appreciate your vote.’”
Bill SniffinJune 22, 2024
Dennis Sun: Taxpayer Dollars Are Being Used To Fund The Lab-Grown Meat Movement
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "A Pentagon-funded company is seeking proposals to feed America’s soldiers lab-grown meat in a bid to reduce the CO2 footprint at Department of Defense (DOD) outposts."
Dennis SunJune 21, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Wyoming Voters Deserve Better Than The Circus In Cheyenne
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "The real issue here is that Cheyenne mayoral candidate Vic Miller (the AI candidate) wants to appear on the ballot under a pseudonym. As a result, the state of Wyoming has become a national joke."
Jonathan LangeJune 21, 2024
Aaron Turpen: When Will Cars Be Affordable Again? Very Soon
Wyoming automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, "By mid-July, most manufacturers will be offering heavy incentives to buy new. If you’re looking to buy, this summer might be your chance to get past some of those high prices that might have made you wince."
Aaron TurpenJune 21, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Peter King, Broadway Joe And Me
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "I suppose most professionals have someone whom they look to as having achieved the pinnacle in their profession. For me, it is the sportswriter Peter King..."
Sally Ann ShurmurJune 20, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Wyoming's Future -- Diversification Or Destitution?
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "McCreary County, Kentucky, is a place where over 50% of the land and minerals are controlled by the federal government and the primary industry was fossil fuels. They have a lot of parallels to Wyoming. "
Tom LubnauJune 19, 2024
Candy Moulton: From Encampment To Russia To Cuba
Candy Moulton writes, "I asked Nikita Khrushchev's son: 'At the time of the October 1962 events, the Cuban Missile Crisis, which side won the standoff?' 'My father did,' Sergio Khrushchev answered without hesitation."
Candy MoultonJune 18, 2024
Rod Miller: A Special Session of the Ol’ Campfire Caucus – The Fight Against America’s Silent Killer
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Sourdough dogwhistled into the night and cowboys’ heads snapped to attention. 'This Special Session of the Ol’ Campfire Caucus will come to order,' he growled."
Rod MillerJune 18, 2024
Dave Simpson: Kinder, Gentler Fan Wants Me Dead
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "One reader from the tolerant left writes, 'Thank goodness people like you will die out soon, and a kinder, gentler people will be able to write pieces... Good riddance.'"
Dave SimpsonJune 17, 2024
Joan Barron: Snippets From A Reporter's Notebook
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The Democrats were a wild bunch during the session in 1958. They carted the shaggy stuffed buffalo from the capitol rotunda to the lawn outside and began riding it. Some were bucked off."
Joan BarronJune 17, 2024
Aaron Turpen: I Jawed At High Schoolers About My Job and It Was Bussin, No Cap
Wyoming automotive columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "Recently, I went to East High to talk to about what I do for a living. I told this group of ninth graders about myself. I drive brand new cars, supplied by manufacturers, and then write about those cars."
Aaron TurpenJune 16, 2024
Rod Miller: Keeping an Eye on AI (While AI Keeps an Eye on Us)
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "My son Vic’s AI-assisted campaign for Cheyenne’s mayor has a lot of folks scratching their noggins. Count me in that crowd. Anything new or unknown creates fear among humans. That’s instinctive and healthy."
Rod MillerJune 16, 2024
Bill Sniffin: I Am The Pater Familias – But How Did I Get Here?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Family legend has it that my grandpa rode into town on his motorcycle and swept Allie off her feet. They defied old Irish family traditions, drove off, and got married. That event was critical to me ultimately being here.”
Bill SniffinJune 15, 2024
Rod Miller: Searching For The Center Of The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Ask anyone where the political center of Wyoming is located and all you’ll get is confused glances. The political center of Wyoming does not seem to be where it used to be. But that’s not true. The center hasn’t moved. Only people’s ideas of the center have moved."
Rod MillerJune 14, 2024
Dennis Sun: The Consolidation Of Our Ranches
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture found there were 1.9 million farms and ranches in the U.S. This is the smallest number since 1950."
Dennis SunJune 14, 2024
Jonathan Lange: “One Nation Under God” Is Cornerstone Of America’s Republic
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "On this day 70 years ago, President Eisenhower signed a bill which added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge of Allegiance. Both chambers agreed unanimously that 'under God' should be added."
Jonathan LangeJune 14, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: If Loving Food Trucks Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "I waited my turn to order from the car window. A gal standing in line came to my car, asked what I was ordering, and got my debit card. Did I know her? Nope. But this is Wyoming and you have to have faith in people."
Sally Ann ShurmurJune 13, 2024
Tom Lubnau: How Does Wyoming Judicial Selection Protect Against A Political Judiciary?
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "A long time ago, Wyoming set up a process to establish an independent and non-political judiciary. Other states are not so lucky."
Tom LubnauJune 12, 2024
Candy Moulton: Ol Max and The Rounders
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "You may know the story of The Rounders because you have seen the film starring Henry Fonda and Glenn Ford. But you may have never read the novel that inspired the film — and changed Max Evans' life."
Candy MoultonJune 11, 2024
Dave Simpson: What's A Republican Voter To Do?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Mike Yin of Jackson was 'extremely confused' by my column last week. And I understand perfectly. I'd be confused too if I was a Democrat elected by Jackson Democrats."
Dave SimpsonJune 10, 2024
Rod Miller: Do Artificial Brains Wear Artificial Stetsons?
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "It was an instructive and interesting exercise to 'work' with artificial intelligence to crank out a column. You saw the result. It was hyperbolic, exaggerated and full of cowboy vernacular. Campfire gossip on steroids."
Rod MillerJune 09, 2024
Joan Barron: A Timely Tribute to a Beleaguered Politician
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Wyoming’s Lester Hunt, who died 70 years ago June 19, is getting a lot of attention this year. Presentations and panels in Lander, where Hunt lived, with more to come in Cheyenne."
Joan BarronJune 09, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming’s Most Fantastic Mountain Man Was Finis Mitchell
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “He was the Johnny Appleseed of the future trout paradise that these mountain lakes became. Today, it is common for hikers to catch trout in the 18-24 inch range. Each fish should have a label: ‘Courtesy of Finis Mitchell.’”
Bill SniffinJune 09, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Wyomingites Should Question AG’s Opinion On Secrecy Of Election Records
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes: "Despite their constitutional guarantees, the rights of Wyoming citizens to scrutinize public election records are being denied."
Jonathan LangeJune 07, 2024
Dennis Sun: Get Over It
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "I think we are headed down the wrong road if we make our food system political, as some other countries have in getting rid of their livestock."
Dennis SunJune 07, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: As We All Grow Older, Change Is Hard
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "This was the first time since 1994 that I did not stay at Mom and Dad’s house in Wisconsin. I have never not stayed at their house in 50 years of visits to Detroit, Boston, L.A. and Phoenix prior to their move to Green Bay in 1994."
Sally Ann ShurmurJune 06, 2024
Rod Miller Told An AI Bot To Write His Column; It Came Up With This
Rod Miller's mind-bending experiment of the week was to tell an artificial intelligence bot to study his past columns, then write one for him. This cowboy concoction was its answer.
Rod MillerJune 05, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Who Are The Boots In The Ground Behind Wyoming Gun Owners, Inc.?
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Even though Federal Court has allowed WYGO to keep names of their donors secret, knowing more about WYGO might be helpful to discerning voters wanting to make informed choices about candidates."
Tom LubnauJune 05, 2024
Candy Moulton: Give Me A Homestead
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Homesteading was not for the faint at heart as Elenore and her young daughter Jerrine found out. They left for the small Wyoming community of Burntfork in response to an ad placed in early 1909..."
Candy MoultonJune 05, 2024
Dave Simpson: Rare Democrats Spotted In Casper
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "What do Wyoming Democrats and Weak Sauce Republicans have in common? They both can't stand the Wyoming Freedom Caucus."
Dave SimpsonJune 03, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Electrify America Chargers In Cheyenne -- A Case Study
Wyoming automotive columnist Aaron Turpen test drove a Mercedes-Benz EQE, a BMW i4, and a Genesis GV60. He charged them all at the Electrify America chargers at the Target parking lot in Cheyenne. He was less than impressed.
Aaron TurpenJune 02, 2024
Rod Miller: Another Nuclear Boom in Wyoming
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Wyoming might be on the cusp of a new energy revolution that will see radioactive minerals and rare earths supplant hydrocarbons as the targets of choice for our shovels and drill rigs. We, in Wyoming, have perfected the art of dragging ourselves kicking and screaming from one change to another."
Rod MillerJune 02, 2024
Clair McFarland: This Restaurant Has Great Food, But The Staff Is Sketchy
Columnist Clair McFarland writes, "I can see inside the kitchen over a half-wall barrier and, oh my. If I had a weak stomach or a Karen temperament I’d call the department of health."
Clair McFarlandJune 02, 2024
Joan Barron: It’s Time To Lure The Tourists
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "You know it’s summer travel time season when you find big magazine ads from state tourism organizations. Having precious little to brag about in a state that is long, flat and brown mostly, the Nebraska crew decided self- mockery was the key."
Joan BarronJune 01, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming Is A Summer Bucket List Dream – What’s On Yours?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “As a lover of the Red Desert, it still baffles me that I have not visited Adobe Town east of Rock Springs. This amazing wonder might be the most spectacular spot in the entire desert area.”
Bill SniffinJune 01, 2024
Dennis Sun: All Of Rural America Is Waiting
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "On May 23, the U.S. House Agriculture Committee started discussing the new farm bill. The farm bill has always been contentious, and the way some members of Congress act today, it will surely be a battle to not only get the bill passed by the House, but also by the Senate."
Dennis SunMay 31, 2024
Jonathan Lange: The Board Of Medicine Exists To Protect Patients, Not Practitioners
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Wyoming should be thankful for the integrity and courage of doctors like Eric Cubin. His persistent voice against the groupthink of our day is what the Board of Medicine needs most of all."
Jonathan LangeMay 31, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Celebrating Two Of The Very Best Women
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "If you are lucky enough, call your Mom. Today. If you have a best friend, make time for them. Teach your kids to be good friends. The world needs more people with friends."
Sally Ann ShurmurMay 30, 2024
Rod Miller: Ebb Tide For The Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "This election is where Real Wyoming stands up to the carpetbagging, out-of-state, gnarly orthodoxy of cowboy-cosplaying Freedom Caucus interlopers and affirms its roots. This election is where we prove that our colors are Brown & Gold."
Rod MillerMay 30, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Wyoming Tactical Rifle Championship – A Hidden Wyoming Gem
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "One of the most intense competitions of skill, concentration and physical ability will take place on the Wyoming-Montana Border in mid-July. Thirty teams will compete in the Wyoming Tactical Rifle Championship."
Tom LubnauMay 29, 2024
Candy Moulton: The Big Boy is Headed Out
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "On June 30, Big Boy No. 4014, the largest operating steam engine in the world, will roll out of Cheyenne headed west with the first stop in Laramie that same day. Wamsutter and Green River are next and then off to Utah, Nevada, and California."
Candy MoultonMay 28, 2024
Dave Simpson: The Trump Trial -- What A Disaster
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "“Remember when convictions of black defendants in the south were reported with the words 'by an all-white jury?' If Trump is convicted, the media probably won't write 'convicted by an all-Democrat jury.'”
Dave SimpsonMay 27, 2024
Rod Miller: In Praise of Flawed Horses
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The poor guy had two strikes against him from the git-go. But he had something intangible that convinced me not to ship him. I can’t describe what that something was. Midnight turned out to be one of the best horses I ever rode."
Rod MillerMay 26, 2024
Joan Barron: Hugely Unpopular Proposed Book Policy
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "A local newspaper poll recently showed amazingly strong opposition to the Cheyenne school board’s proposed new policy on books."
Joan BarronMay 26, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Lord, Please Give Wyoming One More Boom
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “It is important to note that usually all our recent booms were short-lived, like 5-10 years. One bust that I lived through was 20 years, 1982-2002. That was a long dry spell.”
Bill SniffinMay 25, 2024
Jonathan Lange: FDA Unlawfully Approved Chemical Abortion Drugs, Eviscerated Crucial Safeguards
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "A new report reveals that more than a million babies were aborted by the 'formal healthcare system in 2023.' Of those, 63 percent, 642,700 lives, were taken by so-called 'chemical abortions.'"
Jonathan LangeMay 24, 2024
Dennis Sun: Wyoming Is Fortunate To Have Our Congressional Delegation
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Most people in Wyoming realize the current administration wants to change agriculture, energy and our way of life. They do this by ignoring Congress and the Supreme Court, printing more money, and issuing presidential executive orders."
Dennis SunMay 24, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: School's Out For Summer
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Combining car rides and food are my favorite things, and I would love to get to the Bunkhouse, where we have never been, Miners & Stockmen’s, which we love, and Svilar’s, where I have not been since I was a kid."
Sally Ann ShurmurMay 23, 2024
Tom Lubnau: School Of Energy Resources – A Wyoming Success Story
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "In 2006, the State of Wyoming and the University of Wyoming collaborated to create a one-of-a-kind school, dedicated to enhancing the Wyoming economy. It offers one of the fastest growing bachelor's degrees to train graduates to work in energy development."
Tom LubnauMay 22, 2024
Candy Moulton: Let’s Preserve Wyoming
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "This is Historic Preservation Month in Wyoming. It took 15 years to put my grandmother's cabin back together and restore it. Now it is sturdy and strong once again. A place for family gatherings and making memories."
Candy MoultonMay 22, 2024
Rod Miller: “Honor Wyoming” Dishonors Everything About Wyoming
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "These Honor Wyoming videos weren’t produced in Wyoming by Wyomingites, and their message is more Hollywood than Hot Springs County. And the folks behind this snake oil show won’t stand up on their hind legs and claim responsibility for their work."
Rod MillerMay 21, 2024
Dave Simpson: Don't Be A Weak-Sauce Republican
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "A transplant from Oregon expected to find Republican Red-State nirvana when he moved to Wyoming. That's not what he found."
Dave SimpsonMay 20, 2024
Rod Miller: Fake Electric Cows – A Cautionary Campfire Tale
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Stetsons were tipped back as heads were craned toward the black sky, eyes following a pin-prick of light that moved slowly among the stars. 'Is that it?' asked Rimrock, 'Is that Biden’s cow-trackin’ satellite?'"
Rod MillerMay 19, 2024
Clair McFarland: "Please Discuss Your Son’s Behavior With Him"
Clair McFarland writes: "My Middleborn son is teaching me about the wonderful world of lunch detention."
Clair McFarlandMay 19, 2024
Joan Barron: Term Limits For Legislature; The Story Of Two States
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "The loss of institutional knowledge is why I have consistently opposed term limits for legislators. Wyoming has a high turnover every election and while there are some members who serve for many years, the vast majority do not.
Joan BarronMay 18, 2024
Bill Sniffin: 2024 Graduates Ask ‘What Is Going To Happen To Me?’
Bill Sniffin writes: “To 2024 graduates, your future is coming at you at a terrific speed and there is very little you can do to get ready for it, except get an education and use your education.”
Bill SniffinMay 18, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Thankfully Wyoming Is Fighting Back Over Title IX Rule Changes
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "The rules harm Wyoming citizens not only by forcing young women to disrobe in the presence of males. They also coerce teachers and students to parrot pronouns or risk fines, loss of tenure, and harassment charges by the school’s thought police."
Jonathan LangeMay 17, 2024
Dennis Sun: Cost Of Meat Is Not Going Down
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Lately, people have been asking me if the price of meat is going to keep getting higher. I have to be honest and tell them there are no signs of most meat prices going down, especially beef."
Dennis SunMay 17, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Chocolate Squares And Frosting Can Mean Only One Thing
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Graduation season is here and this Sunday will be a popular day. We’ll be across the street in purple to wish the 56 Herders well and then then change shirt colors and head to southeast Wyoming for 20 graduates."
Sally Ann ShurmurMay 16, 2024
Tom Lubnau: The Day A Camel Met A Bronc Who Went On To Become The Pirate
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "On a rainy Friday night in 1976, the Gillette Camels met the Cody Broncs on the football field. On the Bronc sidelines was a sophomore linebacker named Mike Leach who went on to become one of the greatest football coaches in history."
Tom LubnauMay 16, 2024
Candy Moulton: Advice For The Graduates
Columnist Candy Moulton recalls when she gave the commencement speech to Encampment High School: "My son admonished me, 'Don’t talk about the Oregon Trail.' 'Why not?' I asked him. 'Because it’s 2,000 miles long and boring.'"
Candy MoultonMay 14, 2024
Dave Simpson: I'm Not Buying Any Of This Crap
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "We're expected to believe that folks who don't want boys playing girl's sports, don't want porn in children's libraries, and don't want children switching genders, are all 'far right,' and don't want 'Wyoming solutions to Wyoming problems.' Not so."
Dave SimpsonMay 13, 2024
Rod Miller: Tally Book
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "My granddad Kirk kept a small spiral notebook in the pocket of the wool shirt that he wore regardless of the weather. My own tally book was a tad fancier. It was a Daytimer with a leather cover..."
Rod MillerMay 12, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Grit And Gumption — How Two Hardy Wyoming Women Lived To 108
Bill Sniffin writes: “From 1915 to 2024, these two pioneer Wyoming women saw incredible changes. They lived through world wars, a depression, outlasted 16 presidents, saw the first televisions, computers, the internet and social media.”
Bill SniffinMay 11, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Rachel Rubino, A Wyoming Treasure
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Rachel Rubino was a Wyoming treasure. But most who read this tribute have never heard her name. That is one of her greatest charms. She cared enough about Wyoming to serve her state tirelessly."
Jonathan LangeMay 11, 2024
Joan Barron: Sorting Social Betting From Professional Gambling
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "While gambling may have grown too fast and too big in Wyoming, so has the amount of money coming into the state for schools and local governments. Gaming is a one billion dollar golden egg and growing. Big decisions ahead."
Joan BarronMay 11, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Anonymous Websites and Rating Services
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "It takes a particular brand of arrogance to hide behind the cloak of secrecy, and tell people in Wyoming which candidates have 'integrity' or can call themselves 'Republicans.'"
Tom LubnauMay 11, 2024
Dennis Sun: The Food Supply
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "When talking about the nation’s food supply, people might look at you like you’re crazy because there is always food at the grocery store."
Dennis SunMay 10, 2024
Rod Miller: NIMBY Version 4.0 – or – The 21st Century Invades Wyoming Along I-80
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The major projects in Kemmerer and Cheyenne will bring trainloads of money into Wyoming. But too many Wyomingites are too afraid of change and they’ll resist them because 'that’s not how grandpa did things.'"
Rod MillerMay 10, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Released From Captivity, Just In Time For Mother's Day
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Happy Mother's Day to all of us who are or are filling the role of moms. I think of myself as a sandwich, still so lucky to have my mom and also be a mom to the two who God gave me."
Sally Ann ShurmurMay 10, 2024
Tom Lubnau: What It Takes To Be A Successful Legislator – Thoughts From A Leader
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "In his 2011 address to the Wyoming Legislature, Speaker Pro Tempore Keith Gingery explained the skills it takes to be a good legislator. Keith has graciously given his permission to share these thoughts."
Tom LubnauMay 08, 2024
Candy Moulton: Wyoming Writers – “I Found My Tribe”
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Wyoming's literary landscape is unbelievably rich. It has characters known worldwide like Game Warden Joe Pickett (the creative son of C. J. Box) and Sheriff Walt Longmire, who was given life by Craig Johnson."
Candy MoultonMay 07, 2024
Dave Simpson: These Immigrants Loved This Land
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Here are two families with remarkable stories of hard work, love of country, and determination to succeed. Stories like this are everywhere in a country that from its inception has been the beacon of opportunity."
Dave SimpsonMay 06, 2024
Clair McFarland: Shinnying Through Ugliness With A Hacksaw
Clair McFarland writes: "One dead elm branch swoops out, down and back through the other live branches – like a high wave from the river Styx. It has to go, and I’ve got to chop it off."
Clair McFarlandMay 05, 2024
Rod Miller: A Political Focus Group Around the Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "With the race for Wyoming governor a mere two short years away, dusty drovers sat around the ol’ campfire and pondered their roles as political pundits. 'Hey, I know,' said Sourdough, 'Lets form a focus group an’ help that li’l Secretary of State feller get elected.'"
Rod MillerMay 05, 2024
Joan Barron: Labeling The 2024 Budget Session
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Government observers and historians have a tendency to label legislative sessions. I think the 2024 budget session could be labeled the 'elites and hillbillies session.'"
Joan BarronMay 04, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Folks In Beautiful Sublette County Got Their Share Of News In April
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Calls to boycott Wyoming tourism have echoed from all corners of the world. Some observers say this could be as bad to the state’s reputation as the murder of Matthew Shepard way back in 1998."
Bill SniffinMay 04, 2024
Dennis Sun: Us Against Them
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "We can only hope there will be a change in administration come November. This administration wants to manage public lands using areas of critical environmental concern, where they manage for a single use, which is not good."
Dennis SunMay 03, 2024
Rod Miller: How I Acquired My Nonpareil Vocabulary
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I grew up around some pretty salty, down-to-earth cowboys out there in the Big Empty. My rustic tutors would whisper, 'Rod, go ask your Mom what %@$&#@ means.' I did this so often, you might conclude that I loved the taste of Lava soap."
Rod MillerMay 03, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Healthcare Isn't What It Was On TV
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Gunsmoke’s Doc Adams fixed up folks on TV from 1955 to 1975. Get shot? No problem. Drink a slug of whiskey, bite down on a stick, and voila! the bullet was gone."
Sally Ann ShurmurMay 02, 2024
Tom Lubnau: State Level Political Risks
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Many of our state-level policy makers continue to shoot our state in the foot. The quest for power has gotten in the way of a stable climate necessary to attract outside investment."
Tom LubnauMay 01, 2024
Candy Moulton: Reading the West – "A Sometimes Paradise"
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "I recently read of 'A Sometimes Paradise' by Mark Miller. This is a gritty, poignant account of ranching in Carbon County that reflects the impact Miller’s family had on the land – and how the land itself shaped his life."
Candy MoultonApril 30, 2024
Dave Simpson: They 'Don't Want No Zionists Here'
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Next time you see young, spoiled, antisemitic demonstrators on campuses battling police officers, think about President Biden's campaign to forgive college loans (many held by people earning big salaries today) by whatever means necessary."
Dave SimpsonApril 29, 2024
Rod Miller: Experimenting With Political DNA In The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Wyoming Freedom Caucus, or Genetically Modified Republicans (GMRs), as I call ‘em, are the tragic result of a failed experiment in the laboratory of politics."
Rod MillerApril 28, 2024
Joan Barron: "We Want It To Be As Pure As Can Be"
Cowboy State Daily columnist Joan Barron writes, "Does a Wyoming third political party have any chance at all to gain power this election year given the yawning fissures in the state’s dominant Republican party?"
Joan BarronApril 27, 2024
Bill Sniffin: I Own 2 Million Acres Here In Wyoming — And You Do, Too
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “About 90 minutes north of us is the 2,221,766-acre Yellowstone National Park. That is one helluva piece of spectacular real estate. We share that with 4 million other owners each summer.”
Bill SniffinApril 27, 2024
Aaron Turpen: 2024 Nissan Sentra Proves That Sedans Are Still a Great Place To Start
Columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "There aren’t many sedans left on the market today. The Nissan Sentra remains one of the few truly affordable options outside of the subcompact genre."
Aaron TurpenApril 27, 2024
Dennis Sun: Every Day Should Be Earth Day
Guest columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Earth Day should be an everyday occurrence with a positive note. It shouldn’t just be a day to point fingers on an issue most don’t know anything about. Those who live and work on the land realize it is a year-round job ensuring a future for agriculture."
Dennis SunApril 26, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Wyoming Has Fewer Auto Loan Defaults Than Any Other State
Columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "Wyoming has the lowest rate in the country of automotive loans that fall into delinquency at just 1.48%. That compares to a near 13% delinquency in the state of Washington which fares the worst."
Aaron TurpenApril 26, 2024
Tom Lubnau: EPA Increases Wyoming Industry Political Risk, Again
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, ""On Thursday, the EPA announced all coal-fired power plants must be shuttered by 2032, or be converted to gas and shuttered by 2039. But, fossil fuel driven power plants can add carbon sequestration facilities and stay open."
Tom LubnauApril 25, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: His Spirit And His Laugh Will Never Die
Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "He has been my family, my friend, my rock in stormy seas, for 50 years. On Monday, he suffered a stroke, rolled his car, and died. He had survived cancer, heart trouble, joint replacements, and knee surgery while playing for the Pokes."
Sally Ann ShurmurApril 24, 2024
Rod Miller: Mavericks & Illicit Sex Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Yeah, they got it written in their bylaws or some such. If a cow strays from the herd, it means that their heart’s not in it an’ they lose the right to be called a cow.”
Rod MillerApril 23, 2024
Candy Moulton: Healing Hearts One Wagon Train at a Time
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Shawn Herring was 31 years old, a young father, cowboy to the core, when he came into the airborne particles of hantavirus – a deadly respiratory illness. Despite his youth, the virus quickly overtook his body and he died shortly after contracting it."
Candy MoultonApril 23, 2024
Dave Simpson: Going Cold Turkey On TV News
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Pole dancers, ant poison, life insurance. Avoid those three things and your spouse is less likely to kill you. This is according to research I've been doing watching true crime reality TV shows..."
Dave SimpsonApril 22, 2024
Rod Miller: Fun With the Wyoming Public Records Act
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "If a city attorney - authorized and paid by the citizens - can keep secret from those citizens their legal advice to a city in Wyoming – a city authorized and funded by the citizens - that secrecy violates the very first principle of government that our Constitution laid out."
Rod MillerApril 21, 2024
Clair McFarland: Spring Keeps Spawning Neighbors
Clair McFarland writes, "Winter tests your body but spring tests your soul. Especially if you’re an introvert. The Husband has us scheduled for six barbecues and someone signed me up to keep score at little league games."
Clair McFarlandApril 21, 2024
Bill Sniffin: It Took A Miracle To Prevent Killings At Wyoming School 38 Years Ago
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "The perpetrator was the town’s former lawman named David Young. He entered the town’s elementary school with a grocery cart full of guns and gasoline bombs.”
Bill SniffinApril 20, 2024
Dave Simpson: Let Me Get This Straight. The Problem Is US?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Appearing on Bill Maher last week, Katie Couric said folks like us are driven by 'anti-intellectualism,' and we're jealous of elites like her. This, she theorized, is why so many of us voted for Donald Trump. And not just once, but twice."
Dave SimpsonApril 20, 2024
Dennis Sun: American Beef Is Top-Notch
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "American beef is the best in the world. I’m not bragging. It is proven and supported by worldwide demand for our beef."
Dennis SunApril 19, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: The Greatest Sports Movie And It's Not Even Close
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "If you watch football and you don’t watch this movie, I don’t know what to tell you. If you don’t watch football, first, what is wrong with you and second, you’d still learn something if you watched this movie."
Sally Ann ShurmurApril 18, 2024
Rod Miller: Enough Already – Or – The Final Liberation Of Wyoming’s Political Parties
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Weston County contingent is proposing amendments to the Wyoming GOP bylaws that would complete the party’s transition from the legacy Republican Big Tent to a tiny blanket fort with room enough for only diehard fire-breathers who know the password and wear the secret decoding ring."
Rod MillerApril 18, 2024
Tom Lubnau: The Fetterman Battle – Lessons For Our Times
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Before one barges in and arrogantly starts telling people how to do things, one must develop an understanding of why things are the way they are."
Tom LubnauApril 17, 2024
Candy Moulton: New Trails and New Stories
New Cowboy State Daily columnist Candy Moulton writes, "These days writing is both my work and my hobby. I tried retiring a couple of times and it didn’t take. So here I am, off on a new trail and a new adventure. I hope you’ll join me as we explore Wyoming and the American West."
Candy MoultonApril 16, 2024
Dave Simpson: Exposed When The Tide Went Out
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "If your lawmakers voted to kill gun-free zones, then voted against a veto session, bring it up next time they come asking for your vote."
Dave SimpsonApril 15, 2024
Rod Miller: Big Iron, Little Hips & Gunplay Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "'Where the hell is my big cookin’ pot?' Cookie brandished a butcherknife at the hands gathered around the ol’ campfire. Latigo Lou from Lingle answered, 'That li’l Secretary of State feller, the one that wants to be governor, he took it down to the creek for target practice.'”
Rod MillerApril 14, 2024
Bill Sniffin: RIP Dave Kellogg, Tall In The Saddle For Good Works In Wyoming
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Dave Kellogg was sitting in his favorite chair looking out the window at those wonderful mountains. When Carol found him, he had a scotch poured but untouched on the table beside him. The only thing missing was 'a damned good cigar.'"
Bill SniffinApril 13, 2024
Rod Miller: A Broncpeeler in Drag
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I have dressed up as a woman exactly twice in my life. And I didn’t do it to be sexually attractive to anyone, and I didn’t dress in drag to make any sort of a political statement."
Rod MillerApril 12, 2024
Dennis Sun: A Study In Carbon
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Ranchers in the U.S. are great stewards of the range with their rotational grazing practices, and it has been proved we can raise our income by doing so ... but good rangelands helping with pollution are welcome by most everyone."
Dennis SunApril 12, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: On The Eclipse And That Girl — The Sun, The Moon, And One Of One
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "The same news guys who told us nightly in 2020 that we were all going to die if we had human contact and didn’t get continuous jabs were now brought to tears by the moon playing hide and seek with the sun."
Sally Ann ShurmurApril 11, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Wyomingite Changed Japanese Economy, Saved U.S. Car Industry
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Powell's W. Edwards Deming was one of the great business thinkers of the twentieth century. He developed a business process which known as Total Quality Management which changed the Japanese economy and saved the U.S. car industry."
Tom LubnauApril 10, 2024
Dave Simpson: Who Are These Strange People, Anyway?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "People as nearby as Nebraska are already mowing their lawns. But we've still got the snowblower gassed up and ready to go, waiting for a Mother's Day blizzard. And the wind is howling like a banshee."
Dave SimpsonApril 08, 2024
Rod Miller: Bride Of Chucky – Or – Advice To The Lovelorn From The Ol’ Campfire
From the campfire, columnist Rod Miller writes, "That li’l feller who was here the other night, our Secretary of State, is he really runnin’ for governor?” Joe the Wrangler said, “Yep, but it’ll be a tough go for him. He’s single. Ain’t got no wife.”
Rod MillerApril 07, 2024
Rod Miller: Of Wolves and Assholes
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Any cowboy, hunter or serious outdoorsman with a modicum of ethics and respect for creation should be pissed off. Cody Roberts’ malicious stupidity will give political ammunition to those outside our borders who are convinced that they can manage the Cowboy State better than we can."
Rod MillerApril 06, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Quality Medical Care Is Essential, Especially When Sickness Strikes
Bill Sniffin writes: “After initial consults and my wife Nancy being wired with a portable harness (that sent medical signals somewhere) she was placed on a bed in a hallway of the hospital and I was issued a chair next to her. We stayed there for the next 22 hours!"
Bill SniffinApril 06, 2024
Clair McFarland: My Life In One Country Song
Clair McFarland writes, "I always, always circle back to country music. Not the crappy, fake-accent, get-up-on-my-tailgate-in-them-Daisy-Dukes pop that some of y’all call country music. No: Real country music teems with corny puns, but it’s anguished, joyful, intense and sincere."
Clair McFarlandApril 05, 2024
Dennis Sun: The More, The Merrier When It Comes To Grocery Shopping
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "When consumers are happy with a product, it usually puts the manufacturer or producer in good light. I think it really works with our nation’s beef and lamb producers. We need to take advantage of it."
Dennis SunApril 05, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Sports Meets History As Final Eight Begins
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "When Caitlin Clark plays, it’s not just girls’ basketball, it’s history. It’s not just what she does by herself, but that she makes everyone around her better."
Sally Ann ShurmurApril 04, 2024
Rod Miller: An Easy Win for the Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Joe Ricketts intends to build a chi-chi destination resort for other zillionaires in a pristine corner of Wyoming, and -- get this -- he wants to change the name of Bondurant to 'Little Jackson Hole.' I kid you not!"
Rod MillerApril 03, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Choosing Our Media Sources
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "These days, if one media outfit says the sky is blue, the other media outlet will say the sky is red. Every day, with every media story, we obtain different information based on our confirmation bias."
Tom LubnauApril 03, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: On Choosing Grace
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Watching the question of a special session for the Wyoming Legislature the last week was rather disheartening. Some even suggested that those with differing views were associated with evil and told followers that those with opposing views 'hate you.'"
Cat UrbigkitApril 02, 2024
Dave Simpson: Oh No! Another Adult In The Room!
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "If the governor is the adult in the room, what does that make the rest of us? (Asking for a friend.)"
Dave SimpsonApril 01, 2024
Rod Miller: “We the People” And Our Marching Orders
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "It rubs me the wrong way when some folks take a phrase from our Constitution and use it out of context for their own political gain. That displays a cynical lack of understanding and respect."
Rod MillerMarch 31, 2024
Bill Sniffin: A 47-Year Debt Repaid (To Me) In A Welsh Mountain Town
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “This small Welsh town was made famous in 1903 when Wyoming’s Buffalo Bill performed several shows in the area. Some giant redwood trees were planted there in his memory.”
Bill SniffinMarch 30, 2024
Dennis Sun: Agriculture Becomes The Scapegoat
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Some studies say agriculture is responsible for 11% of Earth’s pollution. We wonder why they are pointing their finger at ag while there is 89% left to share the blame."
Dennis SunMarch 29, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Sunday Is Coming, Whether We Are Ready Or Not
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "It’s been the 'unLentiest' Lent of my life, using a newly coined addition to the Sal dictionary."
Sally Ann ShurmurMarch 28, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Why Did The Senate Pass A Gun Bill It Knew Was Defective?
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Why, on such an important issue, did the Senate shirk its duties to pass the best bill forward to the governor? Why did the Senate want to force the governor to veto the Gun Free Zones bill?"
Tom LubnauMarch 27, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Can Someone Be Against Gun Free Zones, And Against A Poorly Written Bill?
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "For some readers, only the bill title, 'Gun Free Zones' is enough to garner support. For those folks who don’t care about the language of the bill, don’t waste your time reading why the bill had some defects. If you are interested in why the bill was vetoed, read further."
Tom LubnauMarch 26, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: BLM's Public Comment Process On Sage Grouse & Multiple Use Is Bungled
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "The BLM released thousands of pages detailing six options for public lands management in the western states to conserve sage grouse – but only granted 90 days for the public to read and understand the proposal."
Cat UrbigkitMarch 26, 2024
Dave Simpson: Have The Republicans 'Gone Off The Rails'?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Nah. The labels have changed, but the debate in the Wyoming Legislature isn't that much different from what we saw decades ago."
Dave SimpsonMarch 25, 2024
Rod Miller: Keep It Real, Wyoming
Columnist Rod Miller writes "Logan Gilbert pitches for the Seattle Mariners and doesn’t believe that Wyoming is real. There’s also a Reddit group that disbelieves Wyoming as well, and there are over a thousand members."
Rod MillerMarch 24, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Yellowstone From the Back of a Snowmobile Is the Best Way To Go
Columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "Going to Yellowstone in the winter is a bucket list item. I’ve been to Yellowstone a few times. Always during tourism season. This was the first time I actually heard Old Faithful when it erupted."
Aaron TurpenMarch 23, 2024
Bill Sniffin: A Birthday Brings Thoughts About Death, Memories, And Best Decisions
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "“When us oldsters scan the obits, we will often say ‘old enough’ or ‘too young,’ which usually compares the decedents to our own age. Young people have no idea what I am talking about here.”
Bill SniffinMarch 23, 2024
Dave Simpson: Gov. Gordon Protects Us From Ourselves
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Don't you get the feeling that the governor is rapping our knuckles for things most of us support wholeheartedly? That the guy who spoke at Harvard apparently thinks he deserves a more appreciative constituency?"
Dave SimpsonMarch 23, 2024
Clair McFarland: Women Are Not Three-Legged Dogs At A Race
Clair McFarland writes: "It's cringey when groups try to promote us to power purely on the basis of our sex. As if virtue and intelligence were strictly female traits, concentrated in our fickle uteruses like magic talismans."
Clair McFarlandMarch 23, 2024
Dennis Sun: Made In The USA Labels Could Mean Big Business
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Studies show nearly one-half of all U.S. beef is consumed by just 12% of Americans. The USA label premiums could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in sales revenue."
Dennis SunMarch 22, 2024
Rod Miller: Flip-Flops Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “'They’ll mine this gravel over my dead body!!' squealed the Secretary. 'They’ll pry that gravel from my cold dead hands!' The Kid stood and asked, 'If you don’t want it mined, why the hell did you lease it in the first place?'"
Rod MillerMarch 22, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Walt Longmire, Joe Pickett & Jesus -- Reading Three Wyoming Men
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "In the past few weeks, I read Craig Johnson, C.J. Box and Father Bryce Lungren nearly in succession. These guys are all from Wyoming - Ucross, Saratoga and Worland. They are as far from Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts as you can get."
Sally Ann ShurmurMarch 21, 2024
Tom Lubnau: The Headline For Failure -- The Wyoming Republican Party
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "the Wyoming Republican Party, with its supermajority, starts to do funny things. The Party starts to eat its own. Conservatives are not conservative enough. Republicans are not Republican enough. Factions and interest groups start to form within the Party."
Tom LubnauMarch 20, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: You’ve Heard Of 30 x 30, But What About 50by40?
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "You may not have heard of 50by40, 'a coalition of organizations dedicated to cutting the global production and consumption of animal products by 50% by 2040.' They’ve declared, 'Livestock production is the New Coal.'”
Cat UrbigkitMarch 19, 2024
Dave Simpson: Smile When You Call Me A Non-Native
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "We might be just as well off with lawmakers who live here because they made the wise decision to come here, not just because this is where their mothers delivered them."
Dave SimpsonMarch 18, 2024
Rod Miller: Ban Human Ignorance, Not the Free Press
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "If politicians are worried about surveillance of the American public, they need to repeal the Patriot Act. I’m less worried about Facebook spying on me than I am about my own government doing the same damn thing."
Rod MillerMarch 17, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Why Are Pickup Truck Beds Separate From the Cab?
Columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "Have you ever wondered why the cargo bed of large pickup trucks is separate from the cab of said truck? The engineering reasons, and the notable exceptions that proved it was needed, are an interesting story."
Aaron TurpenMarch 16, 2024
Bill Sniffin: When Did You Fall In Love With Wyoming -- And Its Mountains, Canyons, Rivers, Deserts?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “I was thinking about how I came to love Wyoming. That is a long, complicated story involving a whole bunch of wonderful people.”
Bill SniffinMarch 16, 2024
Dennis Sun: Tackling Political Beefs Over Beef
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Cattle producers realize consumers are their customers, worldwide. They all want to give these customers the best beef products they can, with a label on the package that tells the true story."
Dennis SunMarch 16, 2024
Rod Miller: The Invasion, Redux
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "My message to the Wyoming Freedom Caucus is, if you can’t find good homegrown candidates and you need to import out-of-state ringers to run for the offices you covet, Wyoming sees you. Weakness like that is hard to hide."
Rod MillerMarch 15, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Four Years Later, Shock Of Early Pandemic Still Vivid
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "For me, [the reaction to COVID is] a cautionary tale of what happens when sensible people don’t have the courage to lead - to step up and say, this is not New York or LA and we are not doing it that way here."
Sally Ann ShurmurMarch 14, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Analyzing The Anonymous Mailers Attacking Chuck Gray
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "According to the Wyoming Campaign Finance Information website, Jan Charles Gray donated a total of $700,000 to Chuck Gray’s campaign. It is fair to say that Chuck Gray’s dad financed 96% of Gray’s campaign."
Tom LubnauMarch 13, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: ‘All-Of-The-Above’ Energy Policy Is Supported By Wyoming
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Watching from the sidelines, I’ve been stunned at the progress made by Wyoming Energy Authority in just a few short years. This approach to energy policy has resulted in Wyoming becoming an epicenter of energy innovation — as it should be."
Cat UrbigkitMarch 12, 2024
Dave Simpson: I've Lost That Unified Feeling. Gone, Gone, Gone.
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "A testy President Joe Biden poured salt in wounds during his State of the Union address. He once promised to unite our country, but now hates half of us worse than he hates Putin."
Dave SimpsonMarch 11, 2024
Rod Miller: Saving Daylight Around the Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Dawn was still just a milky rumor in the eastern sky when Cookie started the campfire. Drowsy cowboys snored in their bedrolls, sounding like a chainsaw fight."
Rod MillerMarch 10, 2024
Clair McFarland: There's A Guy Here Eating All The Food
Clair McFarland writes: "I haul the massive creature to jujitsu. My car shudders when he jumps out of it. I call out, 'Play nice now dear!'"
Clair McFarlandMarch 10, 2024
Aaron Turpen: The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz Keeps On Truckin’
Automotive columnist Aaron Turpen writes, “The 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz offers all the truckiness small truck owners need and looks good in the process. The Santa Cruz shares the comfort and smooth driving quality of that SUV, but adds a truck bed and better-tuned all-wheel drive system.”
Aaron TurpenMarch 10, 2024
Bill Sniffin: ‘Stinkers And Clinkers’ Define A Lifetime In Business – A Game Of Survival
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Nancy and I were involved in the ownership of 20 different newspapers, magazines, print shops, ad agencies, internet companies, and other operations over 50 years. We even founded three Wyoming newspapers."
Bill SniffinMarch 09, 2024
Rod Miller: Should Government Really Operate More Like A Business?
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "How many times have you heard someone say in frustration, government should operate more like a business. That’s like saying that if a saw isn’t cutting the way you want, use a hammer."
Rod MillerMarch 08, 2024
Dennis Sun: Biden's Climate Change Actions Will Be & How They Affect Agriculture
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Those in the beef industry really have concerns – both globally and in the U.S. – that they will suffer terrible consequences from actions taken in the name of climate change."
Dennis SunMarch 08, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Bidding Farewell To The Three Wyoming Swim And Dive Athletes
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "On Wednesday, the state and the University of Wyoming bid farewell to the three Wyoming swim and dive athletes who were killed in a car crash on the horrific Highway 287 that runs from Laramie to Fort Collins."
Sally Ann ShurmurMarch 07, 2024
Dave Simpson: Is The Wyoming Senate Acting With ‘Absolute Idiocy?’
Dave Simpson writes, “I have long suspected that here in Wyoming, the legislative powers that be allow one house to be the good guys, passing popular bills, confident that the second house would ultimately kill them, usually in committee."
Dave SimpsonMarch 06, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Budget Conference Negotiations – What Has Happened So Far
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "The House and Senate Committees ended up a mere $900 million dollars apart. The House said, in essence, Senate we don’t think we can make a deal with you. We’ve waited four days for a proposal, and this is the best you can do. We’re done."
Tom LubnauMarch 05, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: Wyo. Game And Fish Heeds Warnings, Switches Up Elk Feeding Plan
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, “Instead of focusing exclusively on elk damage payments made to ranches in the area, the plan now recognizes the economic, social and environmental importance of cattle production in the region."
Cat UrbigkitMarch 05, 2024
Tom Lubnau: The Dunning Kruger Effect – Or Why People Who Know Nothing Think They're Experts
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Have you ever watched someone stand in the middle of a room, give a speech on a topic with absolute confidence, and be completely wrong?"
Tom LubnauMarch 05, 2024
Dave Simpson: Sticking With Donald Trump Despite The Bloviating Jackass Moments
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Defending Trump can be tough at times, but it beats the daylights out of another four years of clueless Joe Biden."
Dave SimpsonMarch 04, 2024
Guest Column: Stop Playing Legislative Games
Guest columnist Rep. Harriet Hageman says the so-called border security bill "...was instead a classic bait and switch, whereby the Democrats received a windfall of additional funding for the military-industrial complex, Ukraine pork, and the ability to expedite the processing of illegal immigrants."
CSD StaffMarch 03, 2024
Rod Miller: Wyoming’s Freedom Caucus Grinches
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Wyoming Freedom Caucus should be called the Big Empty Coalition of the Easily Upset, and their flag should display a string of tightly clutched pearls. Their grumpiness is what will limit them as a political force."
Rod MillerMarch 03, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming Doomed To Have No Large Cities — Why?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Biggest reason for the lack of major growth was the 20-year bust that Wyoming endured from 1982 to 2002. Wyoming languished during this bleak period with a ‘make do, get by’ attitude.”
Bill SniffinMarch 02, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Did You Leap Or Shuffle?
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "As I understand it, Leap Day is a math and science way to use up an accrual of extra hours and minutes from the previous three years, 11 months. If I had kids at home, I would let them eat ice cream for breakfast and breakfast for dinner."
Sally Ann ShurmurMarch 01, 2024
Cat Urbigkit & Rod Miller: The Lookout At The Halfway Mark Of The Legislative Session
Columnists Cat Urbigkit and Rod Miller discuss the Wyoming budget session as they see it shortly after the halfway mark. Both agree there are too many non-budget bills introduced and too many peacocking gubernatorial hopefuls.
Cat Urbigkit & Rod MillerFebruary 28, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Homeschool Enrollments Are Up While Public School Enrollments Are Down
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "If there are defects in our system of education, they should be adjusted. If the trend is away from a free and public education, our policy makers should examine why people want to educate their children at home."
Tom LubnauFebruary 28, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Statistics Don't Lie -- Young People Are Fleeing Wyoming
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "What is it about our state that is driving the young away, and attracting the old? Lack of opportunity? Lack of healthcare options? State policies that attracts older people while driving away younger people?"
Tom LubnauFebruary 28, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: Finding Beauty in Wyoming’s Capitol
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Good people will disagree. That’s not a failure but a fact of society. We can disagree and still put our best selves forward, giving the benefit of the doubt to others and realizing our political opponents are not our enemies but our neighbors."
Cat UrbigkitFebruary 28, 2024
Rod Miller: Remembering Pat O’Toole, Wyoming Visionary
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "My old friend Pat O’Toole has ridden on up ahead of the herd to scout a new countryside for water and good grass. You can bet your bottom dollar that, when we catch up with him, he will have picked out the perfect spot to rest."
Rod MillerFebruary 27, 2024
Dave Simpson: Grab The Special Times Before They're Gone
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "These are precious moments. Whenever my grandkids have a Hershey's Kisses peanut butter cookie, I'm betting they'll remember Gramps, and the good times we had. Grab those special times."
Dave SimpsonFebruary 26, 2024
Aaron Turpen: The Crown Is Proof Toyota Can Make Pretty Cars
Automotive columnist Aaron Turpen writes, “The Crown has a lot in common with its predecessor, including similar drivetrains and a similar interior size. Unlike the ‘this is basically a Camrolla’ look of the Avalon, though, the Crown is … well … beautiful.”
Aaron TurpenFebruary 25, 2024
Rod Miller: Will the Real “Establishment” Please Stand Up?
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Does hot water come out of your sink faucet when you turn the handle? Yep, you guessed it...'The Establishment' again, the ones who built the infrastructure to bring to your home the blessing of indoor plumbing. The Freedom Caucus had absolutely nothing to do with that miracle."
Rod MillerFebruary 25, 2024
Clair McFarland: Put Your Kids In A Car Wash
Clair McFarland writes: "My twin sons started chanting under their breath, as if to summon a troll: 'Carr-wash, carr-wash, carr-wash,' came their rhythmic spell.' 'Hey guys, what if we went through the car wash? I asked. “YEAHHH!'”
Clair McFarlandFebruary 24, 2024
Bill Sniffin: A Good Tax? Shootouts. My Favorite Deer. Fun Tourism Conference.
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “A revolutionary tax program has been proposed that would get rid of property taxes for 97 percent of the home-owners in Wyoming. It is a fantastic idea.”
Bill SniffinFebruary 24, 2024
Guest Column: Bill Would Eliminate Property Taxes for Most Wyoming Residents
Guest columnist Steve Harshman writes, "This bill would create a $1 million exemption for single-family residences, thereby eliminating property taxes for 97 percent of Wyoming homeowners.
CSD StaffFebruary 24, 2024
Dennis Sun: Looking Ahead In The World Of Agriculture
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "There are always risks in the cattle business, so what is happening with high prices today has happened before. We do have some new concerns today, some of which are not going to be solved soon.
Dennis SunFebruary 23, 2024
Explaining The Legislature: How The State Of Wyoming Develops A Budget
Columnist, and former Speaker of the House Tom Lubnau discusses the process for how the State of Wyoming develops a budget -- from the agencies to the governor to the legislature. Wyoming is required, by constitution, to have a balanced budget.
Tom LubnauFebruary 23, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) And The ADA
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Mom was really, really slow on the walker, and yet we went. If only I knew then what I know now, I would have tried to be more patient, more understanding, more loving."
Sally Ann ShurmurFebruary 23, 2024
Explaining The Legislature: Bill Trading Is A Felony In Wyoming & Accusations Are A Big Deal
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Nothing justifies accusing someone of a constitutional crime as a political tool. Wyoming is not Washington, D.C. and all our legislators, including my old neighbor, should keep it from becoming a D.C. train wreck."
Tom LubnauFebruary 21, 2024
Rod Miller: Rep. John Bear Puts His Foot In His Mouth
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I hope the citizens in the small communities east of Gillette are as pissed off as I am. To tolerate John Bear as their representative is just like tolerating Dr. Kevorkian as the family doctor."
Rod MillerFebruary 20, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: Legislative Week One Celebration
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "I’m celebrating that half the bills that were filed are already dead, either voted down for introduction or simply not considered for introduction by the deadline."
Cat UrbigkitFebruary 20, 2024
Dave Simpson: Once Again, Rush Limbaugh Was Right
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Rush Limbaugh said the powers that be in Washington would do everything in their power to destroy Donald Trump, to destroy his businesses, to destroy his family, and to send the message that scruffy, no-account voters like us must never elect a person like this again. Rush was right."
Dave SimpsonFebruary 19, 2024
Tom Lubnau: How Wyoming's Tax Structure Works
Guest columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "To be able to judge political campaign rhetoric, it is important for all Wyoming voters to understand how Wyoming’s tax structure works, and the consequences of different political options."
Tom LubnauFebruary 19, 2024
Rod Miller: Stampede!! - Or - A Runaway Convention In The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Because of the muscle-flexing of GOP chair Oral Eathorne and the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, the Wamsutter Convention Center and Monster Truck Arena has been designated as the venue for the Convention of States."
Rod MillerFebruary 18, 2024
Guest Column: Protecting The Kelly Parcel Is A Win-Win For Wyoming
Govs. Sullivan and Freudenthal write, "We urge the legislature to recognize the commitment of the Park Service and the Grand Teton National Park Foundation and facilitate a sale to Grand Teton National Park."
CSD StaffFebruary 18, 2024
Bill Sniffin: I Like Big Buttes And I Cannot Lie!
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Between Wyoming’s soaring mountains and spectacular valleys are a series of bumps, called buttes, all over the state – and I love them all."
Bill SniffinFebruary 17, 2024
Dennis Sun: Alternative Meat Ain't Working
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Fake meat was supposed to take off with a blast when it got its start in America, but unlike European and Asian countries, Americans want the real deal – beef, lamb, pork and poultry."
Dennis SunFebruary 16, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Pray For Sgt. Krinkee’s Wife And His Family
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Every day that a law enforcement officer puts on his or her uniform is a day that their family prays they come home. Every day. Every traffic stop, every warrant served, every altercation, presents a chance for the unthinkable to happen. Pray for Sgt. Krinkee’s wife of 2-1/2 years and his family."
Sally Ann ShurmurFebruary 15, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: Biden Administration Proposes More Rules Driven by Ideology, Not Science
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "A new Biden policy would ban agriculture, predator control, & mosquito control on National Wildlife Refuge lands, while allowing introduction of non-native species, seeks to expand federal authority outside refuge lands, and to acquire more water rights."
Cat UrbigkitFebruary 13, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Legislating Private Parts Is Popular This Legislative Session
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "One has to be curious whether there is a public demand for the legislature to regulate private parts, or whether legislators are simply creating straw issues upon which to campaign."
Tom LubnauFebruary 13, 2024
Dave Simpson: My Facebook Critics Got It Wrong
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "A critical Facebooker asked how it was possible for me to be wrong about virtually everything. Every. Single. Thing. Another called my columns observations 'from the shallow end of the pool.' (I'll admit I laughed at that one)."
Dave SimpsonFebruary 12, 2024
Rod Miller: Walt Gasson’s “Craven Creek” – Dispatches From The Beating Heart Of The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The cottonwood is the official state tree of Wyoming. In his collection of essays, 'Craven Creek,' Wyoming author Walt Gasson makes a strong argument that it is, in reality, the Family Tree that shades us and roots us deep in the thin Wyoming soil."
Rod MillerFebruary 11, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Longest Highway In America Enters Wyoming At Lusk, Exits At Yellowstone
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “All the major historic roads from the Lincoln Highway to the Union Pacific Railroad to the Pony Express to the first telegraph line. All passed through Wyoming territory.”
Bill SniffinFebruary 10, 2024
Clair McFarland: Video Games Are An Abomination
Clair McFarland writes: “All I want is for everyone to stop playing video games… True male bonding time should be going out into the hills and shooting a nice rabbit for dinner stew.”
Clair McFarlandFebruary 10, 2024
Dennis Sun: Cattle Prices Look Positive
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Even though it is February, I always start to hear about the state of the state of the cattle industry this time of year. Nearly all of those in the know in the beef business are talking positively about the price of cattle."
Dennis SunFebruary 09, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Popular Terms Used By The Wyoming Freedom Caucus
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "With the legislative session soon upon us, I thought I would provide a translation of the terms used by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus in their attempt to create an 'Us vs Them' strategy."
Tom LubnauFebruary 09, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Loss, Lent, And Love
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "On Wednesday and throughout Lent, I shall continue to pray for the families of Bobbi Brown Barrasso and Toby Keith."
Sally Ann ShurmurFebruary 08, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: Legislation To Watch During The 2024 Budget Session
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "When the Wyoming Legislature convenes on Feb. 12, its major focus will be on the state budget and property tax relief, but I’ll be watching a few other important bills."
Cat UrbigkitFebruary 06, 2024
Dave Simpson: Beating Up Cops? Hey, No Problem!
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "The video last week of 13 thugs – apparently recently-arrived “guests“ in our country – beating and kicking the daylights out of two New York City police officers, shows just how far down the road to perdition we have come."
Dave SimpsonFebruary 05, 2024
Rod Miller: Taylor Swift And Trump Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Right after Jewish space lasers, devil-worshipping pizza pedophiles, Cuban mind-control particle beams, zombifying pharmaceuticals and hidden Sumerian messages in dirty books, who comes down the pike? Taylor Swift, sent by George Soros and Bill Gates. Wake up, people!”
Rod MillerFebruary 04, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: FWS Pushes Wolf Recovery Plan Even Though They Know They Aren't Endangered
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes: The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Friday said listing gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act is not warranted. But, to soften the blow for its wolf advocate friends, will undertake a national wolf recovery plan for wolves anyway.
Cat UrbigkitFebruary 03, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Wyoming’s Far-Flung Population - How Do We Knit Everyone Together?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “The University is a huge magnet for bringing Wyoming folks together. The Brown and Gold logos also mark the Cowboy State, itself.”
Bill SniffinFebruary 03, 2024
Dennis Sun: Wyoming's 2024 Budget Session Starts On February 12
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "While reading through these bills, I realize there are a number of ways to hopefully fix the burden of high property taxes. It will take some time for legislators to sort through the bills and narrow down what Wyoming should do."
Dennis SunFebruary 02, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Gulp! The First Weekend With No Football...
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "The first weekend with no football is always startling. It’s as if since August 27, the road map has been laid on the table, with how to get from point A to point B. Now the roadmap is put away and the table is empty."
Sally Ann ShurmurFebruary 01, 2024
Charlie Spiering: Facing Another Loss in South Carolina, Haley Tries to Wait Out Trump
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "South Carolina does not look very good for Haley either. A new Republican poll by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates shows Trump leading Haley 66 to 31. That’s incredible."
Charlie SpieringJanuary 31, 2024
Aaron Turpen: When It Comes To Minivans, The Kia Carnival’s My MVP
Automotive columnist Aaron Tupen writes, “Of all of the minivans I’ve driven in today’s market, the Kia Carnival is my favorite, and not just because its name makes me think of half-dressed samba. It’s the only peppy, good-handling minivan of the current crop.”
Aaron TurpenJanuary 31, 2024
Rod Miller: Zombie Werewolf Commie Voter Fraud And Chuck Gray To The Rescue!
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "As a champion of limited government and individual freedom, Chuck Gray is proposing a government solution to a problem that really doesn’t exist by imposing restrictions on the individual. That, saddle pals, is the epitome of hypocrisy."
Rod MillerJanuary 31, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: Endangered Species Protection For Pygmy Rabbits & Bumblebees In Wyoming?
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes: The feds have determined that two species that inhabit Wyoming -- the pygmy rabbit and the Southern Plains bumble bee -- may need to be granted protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Cat UrbigkitJanuary 30, 2024
Dave Simpson: Married To An Older Woman, And Laughing
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "I say anyone who claims their spouse is their best friend has never owned a Labrador Retriever."
January 29, 2024
Rod Miller: Border Wars and Politics – A Modest Proposal
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The border between the U.S. and Mexico leaks like a firehose today and 'border security' is nothing but a myth along that southern line on our map."
Rod MillerJanuary 28, 2024
Bill Sniffin: When It Comes To Wyoming Political Personalities, Bobbi Barrasso Was Perfect
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: "People who spend their lives in politics somehow are not supposed to be as 'nice' as the late Bobbi Barrasso, wife of U. S Sen. John Barrasso."
Bill SniffinJanuary 27, 2024
Clair McFarland: Wyoming Should Move New Year's Day To February
Clair McFarland writes: "If the sage grouse sees his shadow, we’ll stop all development to save his species. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we’ll hunt him and eat him. It’s a complete toss-up."
Clair McFarlandJanuary 27, 2024
Dennis Sun: Who’s Your Neighbor?
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Currently, 14 states regulate foreign ownership of farmland. In our region, Wyoming and Colorado are the only states with no restrictions."
Dennis SunJanuary 26, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Remembering Anniversaries
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Next Tuesday would have been my parents’ 70th wedding anniversary. Even though Fritz the Dad has been gone almost 25 years, they are still very much married in the eyes of all who knew them, especially Peggy Jane the Mom."
Sally Ann ShurmurJanuary 25, 2024
Mandy Fabel: Are You An Illuminator Or A Diminisher? The People Around You Know.
Columnist Mandy Fabel writes, "There have been few homes I have walked into and received a more raucous greeting than that of Critter and Judy Murray of Casper, Wyoming."
Mandy FabelJanuary 24, 2024
Charlie Spiering: Kamala Harris Might Be Your Next President
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "It’s book week at the Spiering household. My book Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris at the White House was released on Tuesday and for the last few days I’ve been virtually and physically running around and promoting it to the public."
Charlie SpieringJanuary 24, 2024
Dave Simpson: So WE'RE Extreme? Are You Kidding Me?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "We hear plenty about 'far-right extremists,' but never far-left extremists. I say throwing open our southern border is the very definition of extreme."
Dave SimpsonJanuary 22, 2024
Rod Miller: Naked Campfire Politics in The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Hey, did y’all hear that Rep. Wood Chip is gonna introduce a Genital Intimidation bill? It's a law against intimidatin’ other folks with yer equipment."
Rod MillerJanuary 21, 2024
Bill Sniffin: I Have Seen The Future. It's Just Like Today, Only Different
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “My futurist friend sees Wyoming as a bastion of common sense with its conservative values. Biggest advantage for Wyoming is its small population.”
Bill SniffinJanuary 20, 2024
Dennis Sun: And The Survey Says....
Ag Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "A recent survey conducted to measure factors influencing consumer beef product purchasing decisions found the lowest attribute – by a sizable margin – was having low-carbon beef, defined as beef produced with 10 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions."
January 19, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Getting Ready For NFL Playoffs This Weekend. Go Josh!!
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "When Josh Allen says 'Go Pokes!' in his introduction, there’s a reason to be giddy. And when the cameras pan the end zones at Highmark Stadium and you can always see a gold buckin’ horse flag, that’s worth more than any tourism ad."
Sally Ann ShurmurJanuary 18, 2024
Charlie Spiering: Nikki Haley Is Unlikely To Pull Off An Upset In New Hampshire
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Nikki Haley's chances look pretty hopeless. Despite her polling boost in recent weeks, the momentum behind Haley is slowing. A strong enough anti-Trump coalition has previously failed to materialize in New Hampshire."
Charlie SpieringJanuary 17, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: Brain-Eating Amoeba, Migrating The Frost Wave, Wild Horse Knowledge
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "A new paper published in a scientific journal of the American Chemical Society documents the discovery of the "brain-eating amoeba" in protected hot springs located in Grand Teton National Park.
Cat UrbigkitJanuary 17, 2024
Dave Simpson: Got Enough Fries In That Happy Meal?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "The opinion that dangerous insurrectionists like us want to 'unravel democracy' was voiced by former Rep. Liz Cheney on CBS Sunday Morning. Talk like that got her defeated in the 2022 primary election by 37 points."
Dave SimpsonJanuary 15, 2024
Rod Miller: Good Dog Henry’s Only Job
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Good Dog Henry barks at a lot of stuff that really ain’t there. Vampire zombies, Jewish space-laser intergalactic terrorists, ghost grizzlies, undead proselytizers, juju men and political canvassers from the Other Side..."
Rod MillerJanuary 14, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Red Desert Is Wyoming Treasure - We Need To Fight For Access
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "This desert is a place devoid of permanent human habitation. It has been the scene of American Indians, Oregon Trail travelers, gold prospectors, the Pony Express, the first telegraph poles, and other intrepid souls trying to conquer an unconquerable place.”
Bill SniffinJanuary 13, 2024
Dennis Sun: Understanding Agriculture
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "For most consumers, finding food to feed their families is easy – just head to the grocery store. Most consumers don’t realize all of the work and money it takes to get America’s food onto shelves for people to select what they need."
Dennis SunJanuary 12, 2024
Clair McFarland: These Extra Books Are In Case Of Invasion
Clair McFarland writes: "Every town should have a used bookstore, even if it’s just a few shelves in an old chicken coop with an honor-pay tin can wedged between the wind-eaten volumes."
Clair McFarlandJanuary 12, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Why Cars Struggle to Start In the Cold
Automotive columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "Why does your car have such a tough time starting when the weather is cold? I can explain. In about 800 words or so. Without once using the word 'shrinkage!'"
Aaron TurpenJanuary 12, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Sad College Football Is Over But Thankfully NFL Continues
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Part of loving football is loving the history. In my case, that goes back 70 years to Michigan, where Fritz the Dad played and started his coaching career. From there, to Laramie in 1962 and then to the NFL in 1975, where he spent the next 24 seasons."
Sally Ann ShurmurJanuary 11, 2024
Charlie Spiering: Get Ready For Donald Trump To Stomp Through The Primaries
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "There is a host of Republican voters who enjoyed the first four years of Trump and want it back. The world was more peaceful, the nation more prosperous, and he installed three originalist Supreme Court Justices."
Charlie SpieringJanuary 10, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: We’re Down to the Wire for Public Input on Rock Springs RMP
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "The last day for public comment on the draft plan guiding future management of the 3.6-million-acre Rock Springs District of the Bureau of Land Management is Tuesday, Jan. 16."
Cat UrbigkitJanuary 09, 2024
Dave Simpson: Me? Hard Of Hearing? Impossible!
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "The sure way to tell when it's time to go get your hearing checked is when your spouse yells at you to go get your hearing checked. That's when."
Dave SimpsonJanuary 08, 2024
Rod Miller: Of Milking Stools and Politics in the Cowboy State
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "While it's early yet, it appears that the centrists are noticing that there are barbarians just outside the gates and are pushing back with their checkbooks."
Rod MillerJanuary 07, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Drive A Ram Truck Or Tesla? Data Says You’re A Bad Driver
Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, “The most incident-prone (accidents, DUI, citations) in Wyoming is ... Saturn. Only in Wyoming would a brand that hasn’t produced a vehicle in more than a decade be one of the highest on any list.”
Aaron TurpenJanuary 06, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Looking Ahead In 2024 — National Election Will Be Huge For Wyoming
Bill Sniffin writes, “The 2016 win by Donald Trump, who was a true business person, stimulated fossil fuel development so that the USA became an exporter of energy. That was truly amazing.”
Bill SniffinJanuary 06, 2024
Dennis Sun: Endangered Species Act -- All Stick and No Carrots
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "The ESA has the right to say how a listed or threatened plant or animal’s habitat will be managed without much input from the landowner. I guess this is where the saying associated with ESA – 'shoot, shovel and shut up' – came from."
Dennis SunJanuary 05, 2024
Rod Miller: In Memoriam -- Bob Johnson, Outlaw Wrestling Coach
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "'Coach' has always been a term of deep respect to me. It means teacher, mentor, trail boss and, in rare instances, friend. Bob Johnson was my wrestling coach at Rawlins High School, and he was all that and more."
Rod MillerJanuary 04, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: I Forgot The Apples
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Longtime readers might remember that Christmas in my dreams is a mashup of Days of Our Lives (formal clothes, gorgeous packages, everyone sitting in one room as champagne is sipped and presents are opened one at a time) and Miracle on 34th Street (Santa comes at night, even for the broken 67-year-old organizer).
Sally Ann ShurmurJanuary 04, 2024
Charlie Spiering: Welcome To 2024 -- Shutdown Fever In Washington Mixes With Southern Border Crisis
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "As the weary sunburnt Joe Biden returned from his vacation in the Virgin Islands on Tuesday, he was reminded by a reporter about the ongoing crisis on the Southern border. 'We gotta do something,' he mumbled."
Charlie SpieringJanuary 03, 2024
Cat Urbigkit: When Told All You Need to Know Is In A Government Press Release, Start Asking Questions
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "When the [wolf release] information became public and caused the predictable controversy, a resident of the governor’s mansion tried to discredit the reporter who revealed the details and then told the public that 'everything you need to know' was in the government press release."
Cat UrbigkitJanuary 02, 2024
Dave Simpson: We Can't Let The Never-Trumpers Get Away With This
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "The Never-Trumpers pulled every trick in the book to stop Trump from draining their comfy swamp. But my guess is Wyoming, and Republicans across the country, will still vote for Trump for many reasons."
Dave SimpsonJanuary 01, 2024
Rod Miller: The Sport Of Kings In The Home Of The Horse
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "It is a little known factoid that the horse was born in Wyoming. The earliest fossilized ancestor of the modern horse, Eohippus, was found in the northern Big Horn Basin, at the foot of the Pryor Mountains. Eohippus was a dog-sized critter, hardly the magnificent animal that we know today."
Rod MillerDecember 31, 2023
Dennis Sun: Looking Forward To 2024
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Agriculture will always remember the winter of 2023, as 90 percent of ranchers and farmers in the region had never witnessed anything like it before. Even some who remembered the Blizzard of 1949 said last winter was worse."
Dennis SunDecember 30, 2023
Bill Sniffin: Terrible Winter, Big Loss Of Wildlife, Crazy BLM Plan Dominated The News In 2023
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "The biggest tragedy and what should be the biggest news story was the amazing loss of life among deer and antelope during these cold winter months.”
Bill SniffinDecember 30, 2023
Clair McFarland: If Home Is A Kingdom, The Blanket Fort's The Rebel Base
Clair McFarland writes: "Whatever legislative session or trial those boys were having in the blanket fort was none of my business. I would just have to trust that justice would prevail. But justice did not prevail, because Middleborn was the commander."
Clair McFarlandDecember 30, 2023
Sally Ann Shurmur: Actions And Words -- Never Take Them For Granted
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "If you choose a word as your theme for the new year, you might consider kindness or gratitude or both. The kindness of others right now is allowing me to function in a semi normal way."
Sally Ann ShurmurDecember 29, 2023
Charlie Spiering: Our Democracy Is Stronger Than Donald Trump or Joe Biden
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "As we face a very contentious election season next year, I'd like to end 2023 on a positive note. American Democracy is actually very strong, despite the bedwetting predictions of Joe Biden and partisan Democrats and Never Trumpers like Liz Cheney."
Charlie SpieringDecember 27, 2023
Cat Urbigkit: The Botched Optics of Colorado’s Wolf Release
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Colorado completed the transfer of 10 wolves last week after the animals were captured in Oregon. For the people involved, it was framed as a success, a joyful occasion at an invitation-only event. For the rest of the public, the release details were kept secret..."
Cat UrbigkitDecember 26, 2023
Dave Simpson: 'Uptick?' 'Fair Share?' You're Killin' Me!
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "If this is an illegal immigration 'uptick,' I'd hate to see what a surge looks like."
Dave SimpsonDecember 25, 2023
Rod Miller: Baseball, Lightbulbs and Carbon County
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I hail from Carbon County, one of the five original counties in territorial Wyoming that stretched from Colorado to Montana. And I want to tell you why, when we approach the Pearly Gates, we’ll be met by God driving his dusty ol’ ranch truck with County 6 plates."
Rod MillerDecember 24, 2023
Bill Sniffin: Last Minute Christmas Gifts – How Do You Gift-Wrap An Elephant?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “She dreamt that she and our grandson Wolf were trying to tame our new elephant. It even had a name: Spectrum. “It was SO real,” she said, before rolling over and going back to sleep.”
Bill SniffinDecember 24, 2023
Dennis Sun: North Pole Postal
’Twas the week before Christmas, the office was humming. The Roundup needed sent ‘cause Christmas was coming.
Dennis SunDecember 22, 2023
Sally Ann Shurmur: No One Does Christmas Like Peggy Jane, The Mom
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "The gift I treasured the most was the new addition to my Department 56 Snow Village, a very particular and pricy brand of ceramic, intricately painted and lit Christmas adorableness."
Sally Ann ShurmurDecember 21, 2023
Charlie Spiering: That Crazy Court In Colorado Just Gave Donald Trump A Christmas Present
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Sixteen years of Democrat leadership in Colorado gets you a pretty radical state Supreme Court of justices all appointed by Democrats. But their brazen actions only help President Donald Trump in the upcoming election."
Charlie SpieringDecember 20, 2023
Cat Urbigkit: BLM Should Issue Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement For Rock Springs District
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "I’ve spent hundreds of hours trying to understand the implications of the four alternatives in the draft Resource Management Plan and believe this draft is so poorly presented that the BLM should issue a supplemental environmental impact statement to address its deficiencies."
Cat UrbigkitDecember 20, 2023
Dave Simpson: It Was A Merry Walleye Christmas
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "We couldn't leave them home alone for Christmas. I told my mother I would drive the 420 miles, pick them up, and bring them down to our house for Christmas. Then after Christmas, I would drive them back home."
Dave SimpsonDecember 18, 2023
Rod Miller: The Thousand Dollar Horse
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Marlboro Man showed up at the ranch at the crack of dawn with a horse trailer. While we normally raised our own horses, Darrell Winfield had a proven eye for horses and it was always worth taking a look."
Rod MillerDecember 17, 2023
Dennis Sun: Less Cattle Next Year
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "An early news show I watched one morning interviewed a mad Al Gore, who was very disappointed in the final COP28 draft for leaving out agriculture, food and fossil fuels. It made me realize when Al Gore is mad, it’s a good day."
Dennis SunDecember 16, 2023
Bill Sniffin: Driving To Cheyenne In Winter For Christmas Party – What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Last winter, Interstate 80 was closed so much, it almost disrupted parts of the national economy because of those 13,000 stalled semi-trucks that pass through each day.”
Bill SniffinDecember 16, 2023
Clair McFarland: Winter Starts When Everything Breaks Or Pukes
Clair McFarland writes: “Winter starts when my car breaks down and my kid starts puking."
Clair McFarlandDecember 15, 2023
Guest Column: Government Hacks Are Exaggerating Consequences Of Carbon Dioxide
Guest columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Climate models are being gamed. If the assumptions are wrong, the results are wrong. You hear lots of politicians saying they 'believe' the models are wrong, but rarely do you hear anyone tell you why. Here's why..."
CSD StaffDecember 15, 2023
Sally Ann Shurmur: Hello It's Me!
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "So after I opined last week about what Craig Bohl means to Wyoming, someone thought perhaps I should write again. Perhaps I should."
Sally Ann ShurmurDecember 15, 2023
Charlie Spiering: Harvard Chooses Academic Arrogance Over Truth In Genocide And Plagiarism Scandal
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "'Veritas'" Harvard's motto, the Latin word for 'Truth' that is purported to be the guiding light at America’s oldest institute of higher education. But after this week, Harvard’s motto seems to be “Veritas Mea” — (My Truth).
Charlie SpieringDecember 13, 2023
Cat Urbigkit: We All Need To Better Communicate With Each Other
Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Two years ago, I watched an ATV race through the grazing allotment where we were lambing. As they dashed past, they ran over and killed a newborn lamb – but they never saw the lamb and never knew they killed it."
Cat UrbigkitDecember 12, 2023
Dave Simpson: Wyoming Solutions To Wyoming Problems?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "If the governor really prefers 'Wyoming solutions to Wyoming problems,' why the heck is he touting carbon negative at Harvard and on 60 Minutes?"
Dave SimpsonDecember 11, 2023
Rod Miller: Football Fever In The Big Empty & The Swamp
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Pokes will play in a mid-range but respectable bowl, somewhere between the Rose Bowl and the Dental Floss Bowl. I fully expect our lads to send Coach Bohl into retirement by whupping Toledo like the family mule. Go Pokes!"
Rod MillerDecember 10, 2023
Bill Sniffin: Bob Beck, Phil Roberts, Jack Nokes Discuss Winter Driving In Wyoming
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Oh, how bad could Interstate 80 get between Cheyenne and Laramie in the winter? Really bad. Some friends of Cowboy State Daily chimed in about winter driving in the wake of my column last week about winter roads in Wyoming."
Bill SniffinDecember 09, 2023
Dennis Sun: COP 28 -- Flipping The Switch And Everything Will Be "Perfect"
Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "We were told ice caps would be gone in so many years and all coastal cities and lands would be flooded. All of these predictions of doom and gloom have not materialized."
Dennis SunDecember 08, 2023
Charlie Spiering: Liz Cheney Returns to Declare War on Donald Trump and his Supporters
Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Cheney is using her new book to launch another front in her war against Trump. It’s a war of words, and in this kind of war, the most desperate (and defeated) Republicans get the most attention from the establishment media."
Charlie SpieringDecember 06, 2023