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."

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.”

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."

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.

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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.”

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.”

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.'"

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."

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.’"

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."

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.”

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.

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."

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."

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?”

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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’?”

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?"

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."

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."

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.

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?"

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."

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."

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. "

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?"

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.”

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.”

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.”

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."

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.”

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."

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.

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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.”

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."

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?”

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.’”

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."

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."

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.

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."

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."

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."

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."

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!"

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.”

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.

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."

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.”

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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.'"

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."

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."

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?"

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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?'”

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."

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.”

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.”

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.”

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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.'"

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.”

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!"

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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.

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."

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.”

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.”

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."

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.”

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.''

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.’”

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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!'"

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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..."

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.”

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."

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..."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."  

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."

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.”

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?"

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."

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!”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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?"

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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?"

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."

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.”

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.

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.”

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."

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."

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.

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."

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.

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."

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."

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.'"

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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.

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."

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."

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."

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...'"

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."

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.'"

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.”

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."

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!"

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?

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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.’”

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."

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."

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."

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..."

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. "

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."

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."

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.'"

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.’”

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."

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."

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."

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.

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."

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..."

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."

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.

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.'”

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."

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."

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.”

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.'"

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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?'"

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."

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.

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.'"

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."

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..."

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.”

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."

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."

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.'"

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."

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.'"

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.'"

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.'"

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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?"

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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..."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.'”

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.'"

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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 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."

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!"

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."

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."

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."

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!"

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."

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.'"

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.)"

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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 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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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?"

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."

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."

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?'"

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."

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."

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.'”

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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!'"

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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?"

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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.

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 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?"

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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!'”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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)."

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."

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.”

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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!”

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.

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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.

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."

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."

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."

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." 

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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.

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."

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..."

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.”

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."

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."  

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!'"

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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.”

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."

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."

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).

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

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."

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."

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."

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..."

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."

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."

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.”

Dennis Sun: North Pole Postal

’Twas the week before Christmas, the office was humming. The Roundup needed sent ‘cause Christmas was coming.

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.”

Clair McFarland: Winter Starts When Everything Breaks Or Pukes

Clair McFarland writes: “Winter starts when my car breaks down and my kid starts puking."

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..."

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."

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).

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."

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?"

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!"

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."

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."

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."

Cat Urbigkit: When A Lambing Pasture Is Featured As “Sacred” Ground

Cat Urbigkit writes, "As I sat down with my morning coffee to peruse online news one day last week, a Washington Post headline grabbed my attention: “In a ‘sacred’ desert, the U.S. turns away from drilling and mining.”

Dave Simpson:  The One Question Nobody Seems To Ask

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "When the adults in the room start throwing around the terms 'sanctuary city,' 'gain of function,' and 'EVs,'  we need to ask, 'What could possibly go wrong?'"

Rod Miller: Apologia of a Booksellin’ Cowboy

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I liquidated my net worth -- state retirement, my stock in the ranch, drained my piggybank and opened Joe Pages Bookstore & Coffeehouse in downtown Cheyenne."

Bill Sniffin: Who Better To Give Safe Winter Driving Advice Than Me!

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “Our family’s first winter trip over Interstate 80 was in 1971. We were stopped on an icy hill behind another car. It was an awful blizzard. My wife Nancy started to panic. ‘We are sliding backwards!’ she yelled.”

Clair McFarland: Motherhood Is Beautiful Because It’s Really, Really Hard

Clair McFarland writes, “I had this whole plan to be a perfect mother. No harm would befall my baby; he’d witness no selfishness from me. All you mothers reading this know that didn’t work out."  

Mandy Fabel: The Day We Stopped Watching the Weather

Columnist Mandy Fabel writes, "As you enter this holiday season, I would encourage you to start watching the weather again. Put yourself in a position to look out over the horizon and feel small."

Guest Column: Conservative Commitment to Wyoming

Representatives Clark Stith and Barry Crago write, "We are asking all of our legislative colleagues to join us in a Conservative Commitment to Wyoming and support the following legislative proposals when we return to Cheyenne in February.

Charlie Spiering: Bidenomics -- Let Them Eat Wind Turbines

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "The cost of groceries and electricity are up 25 percent since January 2020. Even used car prices are up 35 percent under Biden, auto loan rates have more than doubled, and insurance for a vehicle is up 33 percent."

Guest Column: Education Savings Accounts: A Constitutional Wyoming Solution

House Speaker Albert Sommers writes, "This Education Savings Accounts bill is a Wyoming solution to two concerns raised by citizens across Wyoming, namely, how to fund early childhood education and increase school choice options."

Cat Urbigkit: BLM Proposes Increased Powers to Restrict Public Land Uses

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Under its proposal, the BLM would be given the power to determine what is a temporary closure – which could be just days or weeks, or perhaps months or years. The proposal attempts to grant BLM that much power."

Dave Simpson: Fifty Years Ago Today, I Began My Career As A Newsman

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "One day at the police desk, there was a blotter item about a guy dressed up as the Easter Bunny, threatening people with a gun at Third and Grand in Laramie...

Rod Miller: Barbarians At The Gate Or A New Dawn for Wyoming?

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "If the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, as they themselves predict, actually runs the table during next year’s election, what can we expect? Don’t laugh, it could happen."

Bill Sniffin: On My Mind – Blizzards, Folks We’ll Miss, And Advice For Newcomers

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Good God, the snow just keeps on coming! It is now being measured in feet here in Lander, not inches."

Guest Column: Gordon Was Standing Tall In The Saddle Until He Backed Down

Guest columnist Gregory Wrightstone writes, "Gov. Gordon was standing tall in the saddle when he accepted an invitation to debate publicly his so-called carbon-negative policy in a state heavily engaged in the production of fossil fuels. However, he ultimately backed down."

Dennis Sun: Water Is Gold

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "In Western states, water is gold. The only difference is the value of water will never go down."

Charlie Spiering: This Thanksgiving, Celebrate A Powerful Blow Against Socialists In Latin America

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "As we prepare for our own presidential elections next year, let us pause to identify and reject the 'siren song' of leftist socialism parading in American politics today and give thanks to God for our own heritage of political and economic freedom." 

Guest Column: The Market Doesn't Care What 30 Wyoming Legislators Think About Climate Change

Guest columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "The market doesn’t care what 30 Wyoming legislators, Gov. Gordon or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez think about coal and climate change. If buyers of energy are convinced that the product Wyoming sells is killing the planet, then, they won’t buy the product."

Guest Column: A Time for Thanksgiving

In a guest column, Rep. Harriet Hageman writes, "Most of all, I’m thankful for my fellow Wyomingites – fantastic, patriotic people for whom I work each day as their representative in our nation’s capital."

Rod Miller: Mark Gordon Ain’t No Will Kane

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Give me a break. Saying you’ll duke it out and then backing down? Any respect I had for Mark Gordon as a political leader vanished with his 'lets get it on' followed by his 'no mas.' Maybe he just wasn’t cut out to be a cowboy."

Cat Urbigkit: BLM Decision Will Impact Wyoming’s Economic Future

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Those who are willing and able to endure this challenging environment discover that it offers a high quality of life, and that is why we remain. We don’t live here because of our jobs: we live here because of the land. Indeed, the ruggedness and remoteness is part of its charm."

Guest Column: Fixing the Property Tax Problem, Once and For All

In a guest column, Rep. Cyrus Western writes, "The Property Tax Relief Act will provide immediate relief from skyrocketing property taxes and reform the system to put a ceiling on future property tax increases."

Dave Simpson: The Place That Makes You Happy

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Picture a joyous black Labrador, ears flapping, racing through the golden prairie in hopeless pursuit of a jackrabbit. For me, this is the good life, pure and simple."

Aaron Turpen: 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E EV Floats My Boat

Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, “The new 2023 Mustang Mach-E drives really well, can blow the doors off almost any other vehicle around it and it’s comfortable. Plus, it has somewhere between 247 and 312 miles of range, depending on which model you choose."

Rod Miller: The “Cowboy Diaspora” & Deep Wyoming Roots

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "When our young cowgirls and cowboys hanker to stretch their legs and see what lies on the other side of yonder ridge, we should encourage ‘em. We should pack ‘em a lunch and let ‘em know they’ll always have a home to come back to."

Dennis Sun: Beef Producers Are Optimistic

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "A recent survey showed 65 percent stating they are optimistic about the future; 57 percent reported profitability in the past five years; 54 percent noted they will add another member to their operation in the next five years and 38 percent said they plan to grow their herd size over the next five years."

Bill Sniffin: Business Forum Is A Statewide Reunion From Across A Big Wyoming

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Former Gov. Dave Freudenthal talked about how the original founders of the state felt strongly that residents had both the desire and the ability to pay their own way.”

Clair McFarland: Only Idiots Get Lost (And I Got Lost)

Clair McFarland writes, "It’s gonna sting, but I have to tell this story. I wrote in an earlier column that if I did not beat my 13-year-old son in a 5-kilometer footrace three days later, I’d crumble into obscurity like an 8-track tape."

Charlie Spiering: Kamala Harris Is Already Running for President

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "The idea of a presidential campaign for the amateur vice president appears absurd. Americans are well aware of Harris’ terrible polling numbers, her omnipresent word salads, and a terrified, but silent majority of Democrats, who refuse to believe she is the future of the party."

Guest Column: Permitting Reform Will Build a Stronger Wyoming

Rep. Bill Henderson writes, "One of the most common complaints I hear from Wyoming business leaders is that the current federal permitting and environmental review processes create massive, unwarranted delays that prevent critical energy and infrastructure projects from moving forward."

Rod Miller:  The Kelly Parcel -- Fertile Ground for Creativity

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Under an auction, the Kelly Parcel could wind up in the hands of some fatback greedhead developer who would slather the countryside with McMansions, strip malls and roundabouts. Or a Russian oligarch or a Saudi prince could snap it up and do God knows what with it."

Guest Column: Ranchers And Game And Fish Working Together On Elk Management

Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik and Laramie County rancher Juan Reyes write, "No good will come from creating division between ranchers, the [Game and Fish] Department and hunters. Advocating for extreme ideas that are unacceptable to Wyoming’s citizens and most ranchers will not get us to where we need to be."

Bill Sniffin: Creating Jobs By Involving All 30,000 Wyoming College Students

UW President Ed Seidel said, “We realized we could have more success with 30,000 college students as a working number than just the 12,000 students at the University of Wyoming.”

Cat Urbigkit: Wyoming Game And Fish Provides Input for Colorado Wolf Reintroduction

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Gov. Mark Gordon didn’t mince words last spring when he announced that Wyoming wouldn’t be supplying wolves for Colorado’s voter-initiated wolf reintroduction

Dave Simpson: Wake Me When The Nightmare's Over

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Over the last three months, our country has borrowed $3 trillion."

Rod Miller: Debate in the Cowboy State? Great!

Columnist Rod Miller says he does his best to help with climate change. "...all those bubbles rising in a frosty glass of Pabst Blue Ribbon are bubbles of that dreaded gas. When I drink it all down, I am sequestering carbon in my body, thus doing my part to save humanity."

Bill Sniffin: Influential National Heritage Foundation Leader Has Deep Wyoming Roots

Bill Sniffin writes: “Heritage President Kevin Roberts predicts Joe Biden will be dumped by the Democrats and California Gov. Gavin Newsom will become their nominee.”

Dennis Sun: U.S. Debt is Too High

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Our current government doesn’t have much of a plan to service the debt, except to keep printing money and acting like drunken sailors."

Guest Column: Supporting Our Wyoming County Clerks on Election Security

Rep. Jared Olsen writes, "Wyoming’s elections are not just secure; they are some of the most secure in the world. The credit for this goes to Wyoming’s dedicated county clerks."

Cat Urbigkit: Natural Pulses -- Falling and Trailing Toward Winter

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "The livestock guardian dogs have been working overtime during the migration, as the sheer number of wild predators on the landscape they share surges."

Charlie Spiering: Biden's Influence Peddling Should Be Too Big for Media to Ignore

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Why would James Biden, a longtime financial beneficiary and peddler of the family's political influence, require big loans from his brother Joe?"

Rod Miller: The Media Landscape in Wyoming is Changing

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "If you mount up on a tall horse and survey the media landscape in Wyoming today, you’ll see an unavoidable truth. The venerable old institutions of newsprint journalism are mere shadows of their former selves."

Dave Simpson: My Sad Smoke Alarm Tale Of Woe

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "At 2:41 am, we were awakened by a full-fledged, ear-piercing, all-hands-on-deck fire alarm, with the recorded voice of a lady yelling, “FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!” Every alarm in the house – 13 of them – was going off, and the dog was in a panic."

Rod Miller: Schroeder And Inner Circle Broke The Law Besides Looking Like Nincompoops

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Not only did [the Wyo Dept. of Education's] secrecy look sketchy as hell on its face, their reluctance to divulge information violated the Wyoming Public Records Act. It took an order from a District Court judge to pry the requested records from their sneaky hands."

Bill Sniffin: We Boomers Were Born On Third Base And Thought We Hit A Triple

Bill Sniffin writes: “Pretty soon, our generation was running the country and the world. Just 46 years after our arrival, we elected our first of four baby boomer presidents with Bill Clinton in 1992.”

Dennis Sun: What's Happening with the Farm Bill?

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "The five-year 2018 Farm Bill ended on Sept. 30, which is frustrating and problematic for those in agriculture."

Aaron Turpen: The Indian Hooligan e-Bike Is The Coolest Thing Since, Well, Ever

Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, “The Indian eFTR Hooligan is the adult version of the banana seat Huffy, but without the skinned knees, questionable homemade ramps for getting air and constant chain and sprocket maintenance.”

Guest Column: Gordon Needs To Speak To Wyoming, Not Harvard

Rep. John Bear writes, "It is embarrassing for the governor of Wyoming to give even an inch to the anti-fossil fuel crowd and their utopian view of green energy."

Guest Column: Suicide Prevention and Mental Health in Wyoming -- A Moral Imperative

Rep. Lloyd Larsen writes, "It’s certainly easier to look away from these vulnerable populations, but we must face Wyoming’s suicide prevention and mental health issues head-on because every life has inherent value and worth."

Clair McFarland: High Heels Are Only Useful For Kicking Bad Guys In The Throat

High heels are the cigarettes of shoes. They’ll soon be known for their health risks, relegated to glass cupboards at the store and advertised amid disclaimers.  

Letter To The Editor: Do LDS Temples ‘Significantly Boost’ property values”?

Dear editor: Reports that LDS temples boost property values around them is “mythology” that’s not supported by hard data.

Guest Column: "Never Again" Is Now

Guest columnist Mike Krampner writes, "The current attack on Israel is an attempt to 'cleanse' the Middle East of Jews (Hamas actually uses that language). That effort is underway now."

Charlie Spiering: Mike Pence Ends His Unsuccessful and Incomprehensible Run for President

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, " Republican voters rejected Pence — just as they rejected Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney — as their political careers faded to nothing. Trump’s brand of America First Republican populism, however, thrives..."

Cat Urbigkit: Wildlife Management Via Drone

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "In travels across Oregon last summer, I was able to participate in a field visit where I learned about how federal animal damage control specialists are using drones to haze wolves away from cattle."

Dave Simpson: Not Exactly A Day At The Beach

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "What on earth was Gov. Gordon thinking when he spoke at Harvard University last week, advocating something called “carbon negative?” How did he expect that to go over in carbon-rich Gillette?"

Rod Miller: The Wyoming Public Records Act At Work

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "It's a disturbing video. Graphic, violent and a man dies in it. But the public has every right to see it. I'm referring to the deputy’s body cam video of a fatal confrontation that Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak recently released." 

Bill Sniffin: Mike Dabich and Paul Kruse Among Wyoming ‘Giants’ I Have Known

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “A ‘giant’ human needs to be over 7 feet tall. Two good friends who come to mind are Mike Dabich of Hudson and the late Paul Kruse of Lusk.”

Dennis Sun: It Is Called Respect

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "I think some hunters must believe their hunting license gives them the right to disrespect the land and private property and do whatever it takes to fill their tag.

Guest Column: Climate Activism A Religion That Breaks Wall Of Church And State

Kevin Killough writes, “Climate activism … appropriates the science as gospel for a modern religious movement. The planet is warming because of the sin of burning fossil fuels, according to this faith. To do so is not only immoral, the devout say, it’s going to result in climate Armageddon.”

Mandy Fabel: Deal Friends and Real Friends

Guest columnist Mandy Fabel writes, "Real friends also take time to become. There is no scientific formula, but if I had to guess it would be some combination of time + hard things = real friends."

Charlie Spiering: A More Sober Republican Party Emerges With Election Of Speaker Mike Johnson 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "The Johnson experiment will answer whether Republicans can win using a more sober presentation of their policies, separated from the theatrics of the past month."

Guest Column: Despite Pendley’s Bad Advice, BLM Plan Is Perfectly Legal & Wise Step For Wyoming

Guest columnist Erik Molvar writes, "When [William Perry] Pendley argues that Congress directs the Bureau’s management 'for multiple use, not preservation,' he displays a galloping ignorance of what preservation means."

Cat Urbigkit: Land Policy Impacts People, Private Lands

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "The BLM now proposes that nearly 375,000 acres of the area north of Highway 28 should become the South Wind River Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The plan ignores the ranch families who live and work within this area..."

Dave Simpson: Watching House Republicans This Year Is Like Watching The Denver Broncos

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "I don't lose sleep over government shutdowns, and so far I see life without a Speaker of the House as kind of refreshing."

Rod Miller: Can Wyoming’s Center Prevent An Outbreak Of D.C. Fever?

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "What Matt Gaetz and his fellow House conspirators attacked was not just a sitting speaker of the house, but also the institution itself."

Dennis Sun: It Just Takes Time

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "From the time a rancher starts planning with potential genetics, to the time the bull and cow mate, it is going to be around 26 months before a consumer can buy hamburger or rib steak from the animal."

Bill Sniffin: Journalism From Slow Wooden Type To Lightning-Fast Digital

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “We called what we did ‘refrigerator journalism.’ Every refrigerator in town had clippings from our paper plastered on the front of it with a magnet.”

Aaron Turpen: 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD Hauls People And Rocks, But Not Donkeys

Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, “The upside to a huge vehicle like this in Colorado traffic is that you automatically gain some respect from the speedsters in their Prius and smart car choices. The downside is that, like most Colorado drivers, they still seem to have a death wish.”

Clair McFarland: Classic Children’s Books Help Me Not Bite Anyone’s Head Off  

Clair McFarland writes: "The best children’s books proclaim a grand and benevolent order that most grown-ups are too cowardly to believe in."

Charlie Spiering: Rowdy House GOP Establishment Group Jeopardize House Majority 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "If House Republicans turn down Jordan, a very large group of angry conservatives will never forgive them. Members of the establishment rebellion might be enjoying their chance to blow off steam, but they might blow the House Republican majority in the process."

Cat Urbigkit: Funding for Cities, Towns & Special Districts Suspended Until They Comply

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "The Wyoming Department of Audit has compiled a list of 370 counties, cities, towns and special districts in Wyoming that have failed to comply with state law requiring reporting of revenues received and expenditures made during fiscal year 2023."

Dave Simpson: Imagine If Trump Wasn't Running

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Imagine the panic that would be running through the Democratic Party right now at the prospect of  rapidly-declining, stumbling, mumbling Joe Biden running against an energetic, effective advocate of most of the Trump agenda who won his last election as governor of Florida by a million and a half votes."

Rod Miller: The Center Must Hold – In Wyoming And The World

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The siren song of extremism is seductive. It offers a sanctuary where the human mind can take it easy and just go with the flow of some belief system imposed by others. Extremism requires no mental labor, just blind obedience."

Bill Sniffin: Eclipse Is When The Heavens Endow Us With A Magnificent Show

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “We did see the eclipse Saturday from the Green River, from the Pilot Butte Historical Site, and from the Merc in Farson. Wyomingites had a great view of the event.”

Dennis Sun: Another Raise On Postage

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Coming soon to everyone is another postage rate hike. The reason we’re getting this hike is because the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has the authority to raise rates every six months."

Guest Column: BLM Must Work Closely With Wyoming Citizens, Not Washington, D.C.

Rep. Landon Brown writes, "Just listening to the citizens and not fixing the concerns is where I am most concerned about the federal government’s trajectory."

Cat Urbigkit: I Live In The Rock Springs District Of The BLM, Here's What I See

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "These sheep will journey 125 miles from north to south under their own hoof power, before turning north again next spring – an annual cycle practiced here for more than 100 years."

Charlie Spiering: Here We Go Again -- Nominating Steve Scalise Puts Republicans Back at Square One  

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "By abandoning Jim Jordan, Republicans lose their chance to take a major stand against Democrats and offer new leadership and a sharply different opposing agenda."

Rod Miller: Police Misbehavior And The Critical Role Of The Free Press

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland has broken a couple of stories about police misbehavior in Thermopolis. We are watching a real life instance of the power of a free press play out before our eyes in real time."

Cat Urbigkit: It Doesn’t Matter What the BLM Says, What Counts Is What’s In Writing.

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Don’t give the BLM the benefit of the doubt – the agency doesn’t deserve it. What counts is not what agency officials say, or what it pledges it intends to do, but what is in writing in the official record."

Rep. Daniel Singh: While Washington Fumbles, Wyoming Unites

Rep. Daniel Singh writes, “Despite conflicts in political ideology, we can agree to fight for the people. I saw people from all sides of the ideological spectrum working together.”

Dave Simpson: Hillary's Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "I don't care if you disagree. I'm 72, too old to pretend this makes sense anymore. I didn't live my life like government operates in Washington – I saved - and you can't make me believe this kind of profligacy won't ultimately bring down our country."

Rod Miller: Politics Around the Ol’ Wyoming Campfire

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Chatter around the ol’ campfire devolved into hoots and hollers as each cowboy sang the praises of his own favorite candidate and called everyone else a bunch o’ damn RINOs. The campfire vocabulary was reduced to one and two-syllable words, and finally to grunts, growls and chest thumps."

Dennis Sun: Calves Are Moving

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "It is a good time of year for those in the livestock business. It’s busy but rewarding. There are a lot of cattle trucks on highways leading into the region, and it only means one thing – ranchers are shipping calves."

Bill Sniffin: Wyoming Is Far From Being A ‘Big Empty’

Bill Sniffin writes: “From my vantage point crisscrossing the state, Wyoming doesn't look empty. It looks like a kaleidoscope of colors as river-formed canyons, big mountains and unique buttes abound all around us.”

Kevin Killough: Blame Climate Activists For Rocky Mountain Power Rate Increase

Kevin Killough writes, “Rocky Mountain Power isn’t being deceptive when it says fuel costs are a primary driver of its need to increase rates. The company is just responding to the problem anti-fossil fuel crusaders have created.”

Rod Miller: How Safe Are Our Persons And Houses In Wyoming? 

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "A cop in Thermopolis broke down a citizen’s door without a warrant of any kind and against the advice of the county attorney's office. A gunfight resulted, with the household resident dying and the cop being wounded." 

Clair McFarland: If I Don’t Outrun My Kid It’s The End Of The World

Clair McFarland writes: “I’m not ready for either son to beat me in a race. In fact, I still want to scoop them up in my arms and read to them. But that’s weird, since Firstborn is bigger than I am.”

Charlie Spiering: Kevin McCarthy Made Too Many Deals to Stay in Power  

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes "A deal with Pelosi, a deal with Gaetz, a deal with Biden, a deal with McConnell. Perhaps the next speaker will have fewer enemies in the Republican Party and make fewer costly deals to get there."

Cat Urbigkit: BLM Claims Any Use Of Natural Resources Likely To Cause Adverse Impacts

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Non-use is preferred by the BLM. That’s not hyperbole but truth. We’re not talking about wilderness areas here, but millions of acres of public lands from the foothills of the Wind River Mountains south to the Colorado border."

Dave Simpson: Is 'Gender Queer' Author A Book Banner?

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Is it the equivalent of Nazi Germany for library boards to decide that some books are appropriate for children, and others aren't? Even when the author agrees that her book is inappropriate for young children?"

Guest Column: We Can't Take Our Land Back If We Never Owned It In The First Place

Tom Lubnau writes, "I read the musing of another politician pontificating we need to 'take our land back!' The truth is, Wyoming never had title to the lands in the first place, so to say we are 'taking them back' is a nice political rallying cry, but has little to do with the law."

Rod Miller: Friday Night Lights in Wyoming’s Lower East Side

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Confession – I’m a sucker for high school football. My son Vic and I caught the first win of the season for the 2A Burns Broncs in that bucolic little southeastern town out on the edge of America’s amber waves of grain."

Dennis Sun: Value-Added Dairy Cattle

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "The dairy industry is taking advantage of higher cattle and meat prices and bringing in new genetics to provide more value-added beef products. Their timing is perfect."

Bill Sniffin: Bird’s-Eye View Of Wyoming – There Is Nothing Quite Like It

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "One of my most extraordinary flying experiences ever was floating in a helicopter near the face of Wyoming’s highest mountain - Gannett Peak."

Guest Column: BLM’s Rock Springs Plan: An Argument for Federal Land Transfer

Sen. Bob Ide writes, "It’s time for the state of Wyoming to exercise its sovereignty and demand that the federal government fulfill the promise made back in 1890."

Rod Miller: The Empty Head of the Sagebrush Rebellion Raises Itself Again

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "If the Freedom Caucus was too lazy or too proud to get involved in the fed’s planning process on the BLM’s Draft Management Plan from Day One, but then cry crocodile tears when the horse is out of the barn, they aren’t worth listening to."

Cat Urbigkit: BLM is Tired of Misinformation About Rock Springs Plan, But The Plan Itself Is Misinformation

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "While the BLM had previously claimed that its preferred alternative would not result in reduced vehicle access by imposing road closures, that claim is false, since the plan includes closing 4,505 miles of routes to all use and removes another 10,000 miles of routes from the transportation network."

Charlie Spiering: GOP Debate 2 -- A Sequel Worse than the First 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Voters who tuned into the Republican presidential debate last night probably regretted that decision and they were not alone."

Cat Urbigkit: BLM Misinforms The Public About Rock Springs Plan

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, “Of the four alternatives examined, Alternative D seems the most balanced approach to management, offering something for every public land user. So why did the BLM select the most stringent alternative as its preferred?”

Guest Column: BLM Breaches Local Policies and Trust With Resource Management Plan

In a guest column, 10 Wyoming legislators says the BLM's draft Resource Management Plan will "devastate a hardworking community of energy, agricultural users, and recreationalists who depend on the ability to use these lands for productive uses."

Dave Simpson: 'Silver Wings,' Not 'Barbie,' Got Raves

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Sorry I missed 'Barbie' with my friends Bill and Nancy Sniffin, but the highlight of the summer had nothing to do with sitting in a movie theater. It was sitting around a campfire while a retired eye doctor/musician from Nebraska sang 'Silver Wings.'”

Rod Miller: Government Secrets vs. The Wyoming Public Records Act

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "In a free society like ours, citizens should know more about government than government knows about us. Knowledge is power, right? When government keeps secrets from its citizens, it becomes a secret government."

Bill Sniffin: Wyoming Is Full Of Beautiful River Towns, So Which Is The Prettiest?

Bill Sniffin writes: “One of my all-time favorites is Evanston, which has taken its Bear River and made it a dominant item on its landscape. This town might deserve the prize for best use of its river.”

Dennis Sun: Climate Change And What To Believe

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Lately, we’ve heard a lot of news stories saying climate change is the reason for the extreme weather patterns we’ve experienced. The bad news is climate change is so political, we don’t know what to believe."

Clair McFarland: The Burger King Of All Weirdos

Clair McFarland writes: "My upbringing was more of the try-to-survive type than the we-care-about-football type. I know there’s some magic that makes everyone put on matching shirts, crowd into a bowl and chant war songs together. But like a tourist tromping into a buzzing monastery, I tried too late to join the faith."

Charlie Spiering: The Pride and Vanity of Mitt Romney 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Romney’s failures and flip-flops were legendary, but none so egregious as his flip-flop assessment of former President Donald Trump."

Rod Miller: Rep. Lauren Boebert -- You Can Take The Girl Out Of The Trailer Park, But…

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Grand Old Party would be well -advised, when choosing their spear-carriers to represent the moral high ground when it comes to sex, to find a handmaiden who can keep her knees together, her hands to herself and her thong in place."

Cat Urbigkit: Colorado Preps for Wolf Reintroduction

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Although it appears there is no stopping Colorado’s voter-mandated gray wolf reintroduction program, a draft federal record of decision issued last Friday by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will make dealing with problem wolves a lot easier.

Dave Simpson: Did I Mention It Was 4 Whole Days?

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Kids shouldn't be spending time every day watching cartoons on television or staring into an iPad. But I'll have to admit that the girls got their share of screen time during their visit, which gave Granny and Gramps time to regroup, catch our breath, and plan strategy."

Rod Miller: The Ol’ Campfire & The Salvation Of Wyoming Politics

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I finally met Dan Sabrosky around the ol’ campfire when he came up to me and introduced himself. Dan and I have spent months lobbing “truth bombs” and laughing emojis at each other, behind our keyboards. But, after a firm handshake and looking one another in the eye, the dynamic changed."

Dennis Sun: Beef. It's What's For Dinner

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "A recent study by Tulane University found 12 percent of Americans are responsible for eating one-half of all the beef consumed on any given day. I question this study as it was funded by groups against cattle grazing."

Bill Sniffin: Wyoming’s Love-Hate Relationship With Interstate 80

Bill Sniffin writes: “I am always complaining about the 12,000 to 16,000 semitrailer trucks on Interstate 80. Even if 99% are courteous and safe, that other 1% means 120-150 monsters making stupid decisions that risk the lives of all of us.”

Harriet Hageman: Boneheaded “Green” Policies Cause Massive Electricity Rate Increase

Rep. Harriet Hageman writes, "Wyoming ratepayers should not be forced to subsidize bad policies coming out of Washington, Colorado, and California. We have all the resources necessary to produce affordable and reliable electricity right here; if Colorado and California don’t want our power, they can find their own alternatives."

Dave Simpson: Oh Good, California Professors Want To Save Wyoming

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Two professors in California have hope for us. They hope we can get over our silly concerns over vaccine mandates, gender-altering procedures on children, boys playing girls' sports, and talking sex to First Graders in Wyoming."

Charlie Spiering: Thanks to Nancy Pelosi, We’re Back in Impeachment Season 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Republicans have not reached the 'high crimes and misdemeanors' threshold necessary for a successful impeachment case, but they have certainly reached the new threshold set by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2019 when she moved to impeach President Donald Trump."  

Cat Urbigkit: Legislators to BLM -- Rock Springs Plan is a Community Killer

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Republican legislators attending Tuesday’s committee meeting in Pinedale thanked the Bureau of Land Management for attending the session and then let them know that the’s BLM’s preferred alternative in the draft plan for the Rock Springs district isn’t highly regarded."

Dave Simpson: I Call It The Lumpy Rutherford Party

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "My wife says the Democratic party is the Eddie Haskell Party, in that they are complimentary to June Cleaver's face - 'You're looking particularly beautiful today, Mrs. Cleaver' - but laugh at how gullible adults are behind her back."

Rod Miller: Transparency and Political Courage in the Cowboy State

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "When it comes to the political courage to back up their hot air, WyoRINO is woefully lacking. I suppose that, if you lack cojones, you are better off concealing your cowardice behind a cloak of anonymity."

Guest Column: A Good Idea Does Not Automatically Make A Good Bill

Rep. Barry Crago writes, "[Rep. Allemand's] bill required all business entities in the state to report all ownership interests to their local clerks and the Secretary of State. This is an unprecedented invasion of privacy. Who owns stock in any particular entity is none of the State’s business."

Dennis Sun: Private Land Rights

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Most every person I have caught trespassing is also a terrible liar – their excuses are some of the tallest tales one will ever hear."

Clair McFarland: Defying Gravity In A Wheeling Death Machine

Clair McFarland writes, "That’s the thing about a small aircraft and a brother pilot. You can fly over the rooftops that matter, instead of hurtling toward California over a patchwork quilt while a baby howls behind you and your seat neighbor suppresses a barf."

Guest Column: Proposed Electricity Rate Increases Are Blatantly Offensive

Rep. Jon Conrad writes, “Wyoming families are at a breaking point. Electricity rate increases are supposed to be 'just and reasonable.' I believe Rocky Mountain Power's proposed increases are neither just nor reasonable.”

Charlie Spiering: Desperate Dems Cling to 14th Amendment To Keep Trump Off Ballot

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, “Democrats continue their attempts to block former President Donald Trump from running in 2024, as they are afraid that American voters could put him back in power."

Game & Fish Reports Compensation for Wildlife Damage to Crops Nearly Equal to Compensation for Damages to Livestock

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Although much attention is paid to livestock losses from large carnivore attacks in Wyoming, information prepared by state wildlife officials indicates that the state is paying out nearly an equal amount for wildlife damage to cultivated crops."

Guest Column: The Uniparty Doesn't Share Our Priorities

Rep. Bill Allemand writes, "Rather than find ways to protect Wyoming citizens and maximize their own savings, the Uniparty seems more interested in its own priorities and pet projects."

Rod Miller: Nels Smith - Another Tall Tree Gone From Wyoming’s Skyline

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "When Sen. Al Simpson eulogized the passing of Gov. Ed Herschler, he said, 'A tall tree is gone from Wyoming’s rugged skyline.' When Wyoming’s titans pass, I always think of those words. And there have been damn few trees taller in our state than Nels Smith.

Guest Column: Are Mandates Coming Back? Ask “Traditional Republicans”

Rep. Jeanette Ward writes, "Will the Uniparty in Wyoming protect us from lockdowns and mandates should they happen again? An examination of one’s prior behavior can often provide a reliable indication of future behavior. "

Dave Simpson: Welcome To The Twilight Zone, Voters

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "When guys like me find a Kennedy interesting, lions are no doubt lying down with lambs, pigs have taken wing, and monkeys are flying out of our cabooses. Beware the plague of locusts."

Rod Miller: A Better Mousetrap for Wyoming’s Flawed Election Code

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "A recent vacancy in the Sheridan County Commission set the wheels in motion for the Republican Party to once again behave like a dysfunctional HOA in a gated community full of rednecks."

Bill Sniffin: A Pair Of 70-Somethings At The ‘Barbie’ Movie — What Could Go Wrong?

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “If you can see the opening 10 minutes and the last three minutes, well it gets a partial thumb’s up from me. The rest is a thumb’s down.”

Dennis Sun: Sheep Industry Goes High-Tech For Best Genetics

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, “We all know in the early days of statehood up to the 1960s, sheep were king. Let’s face it, our region is best for grazing sheep. … This vision to develop and use better genetics by a few sheep producers is the future of the industry.”

Holly Krutka: Wyoming Can Still Lead The Way For Energy-Driven Economic Development

Guest columnist Holly Krutka writes, “One of the industry’s top concerns for future growth: How to reduce emissions? Making investments in technologies to give these facilities the tools they need to continue thriving means we are protecting good-paying, blue-collar jobs.”

Aaron Turpen: The Aragon Collection — Four Generations Of Corvettes And Other Beauties

Automotive Writer Aaron Turpen writes, “I could see that he was in love. He didn’t just like this car. He like liked it. His eyes had that gleeful enamor-filled glaze a fifth grader gets when he meets his first crush. A few weeks later, he had one in his driveway.’

Letter To The Editor: Wyoming Has Spoken Loud And Clear On 30% RMP Rate Hike

Dear Editor: “As voiced by numerous Wyoming residents, business owners and elected officials, a rate hike of this magnitude, or even far less, would devastate local Wyoming households and cripple local Wyoming businesses, in some cases crushing our ability to be competitive with foreign nations (i.e. China).”

Charlie Spiering: Despite Freezing up Again, Mitch McConnell Won’t Step Down Easily

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, “Senate Republicans will now face more questions from the press on Capitol Hill whether they trust that McConnell is healthy and fit to serve. There's a quiet contingent of Republicans in Washington, D.C., who believe it's time for McConnell to step aside. But barring another serious health incident, they might just have to wait.”

Rep. Landon Brown: Books Are Only A Problem If Our Kids Can Read

In a guest column, Rep. Landon Brown writes, “The noise has been surrounding books, but a more pressing issue is the fact that more than half of children in Wyoming aren’t reading proficiently. To me, this seems like our priorities are out of order.”

Rep. Lloyd Larsen: Wyoming A Model For Fiscal Conservatism

In a guest column, Rep. Lloyd Larsen writes, “Just last year alone, our Legislature put almost $1.5 billion into savings. This past session was perhaps the single most fiscally conservative budget in the history of the state. To try to claim otherwise is, frankly, silly.”

Sen. Cynthia Lummis: Biden Administration Weaponizes ESA Against Landowners And The West

In a guest column, Sen. Cynthia Lummis writes, “The Biden administration’s decision to repeal its predecessor’s commonsense approach to wildlife conservation won’t improve a species’ ability to recover; it will only drown the West and other regions affected by these onerous regulations in an untenable sea of red tape.”

Letter To The Editor: Agency Proposes Sensible Plan To Protect The Northern Red Desert

Dear editor, “Wildlife is hard-wired to the habitat occupied for thousands of years. Places, sounds, views, smells and even the solitude afforded by the Northern Red Desert are testimony to who we are as humans.”

BLM Proposal Prefers People Not Be Able To Use Public Lands

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, “While most headlines about the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan note the agency’s preference to set aside 1.3 million acres … the BLM preference is ‘conservation of resource values with constraints on resource uses.’”

John Bear: Uniparty Claims to Know Better Than You Do

In a guest column, Wyoming Freedom Caucus Chairman John Bear writes, “Before the leadership of a supermajority Republican legislature complains about every Make America Great Again Republican voting against their pork filled budget, they should ask themselves why every Democrat voted for their budget.”

Dave Simpson: Think You Used Enough Dynamite, Butch?

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Our Trump-hating Democrat friends are determined, in the words of Sundance, to use enough dynamite to get rid, once and for all, of a guy so craven and evil and sick that he wants to make America great again."

Driskill, Sommers: Wyoming’s Permanent Savings

In a guest column, Wyoming Senate President Ogden Driskill and Speaker of the House Albert Sommers write, "In the 2023 General Session, the Freedom Caucus voted against a budget that will save nearly $1.5 billion by the end of fiscal year 2024.  And, without blinking an eye, they voted for HB66 and HB116 which would have cost you the taxpayers nearly $1 billion."

Dennis Sun: Why The Ag Community Should Be Concerned

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Ever since Joe Biden has been president, the West and its agriculture industry have been threatened and under attack – maybe not as threatened as the energy industry has, that is, up until lately."

Rod Miller: Old Men, Fire and Politics in the Big Empty

The herd had stampeded during a thunderstorm in the middle of the night. They scattered so severely that Rimrock, the night rider, dragged into camp to say, "They’re out there in little bunches. Some bunches have three or four in ‘em, some bunches have a dozen. But there are a lot of bunches out there than don’t have any in ‘em.”

Bill Sniffin: Fantastic Landmark Arch Near Spot Where 15 Brave Firefighters Died 86 Years Ago

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "This past week marks the 86th anniversary of the worst fire fighter disaster in Wyoming history. And that disaster occurred in the shadow of what might be the state’s most unique landmark."

Dave Simpson: Pry That Plastic Bag From My Cold, Dead Hands

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Here in Wyoming, we shake our flat heads in disbelief at states where you can shoplift at will, where violent people get turned right back out on the street, and where you can pitch a tent on a city sidewalk and pee in the gutter as long as you like."

Clair McFarland: It's Not Easy Being The Man Of The House. It's Harder If You're 11

Clair McFarland writes: Middleborn leaned his BB gun against the wall, trudged to my bed and tucked in next to me, knowing he had to protect his useless unconscious mom.

Charlie Spiering: With Donald Trump Absent, the ‘Rookie’ Takes the Heat in First GOP Debate 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Candidates were furious when Ramaswamy, the 38-year-old newcomer, accused them of acting like 'Super PAC puppets' that were 'bought and paid for' by their donors."

Rod Miller: The Wyoming GOP Rides For Too Many Brands

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Columnist Rod Miller writes, "When I was a young lad learning to buy horses, the best advice anyone ever gave me was, 'Count the brands.' If a horse had more than one brand, it meant that he was a problem for somebody."

Opinion: Wednesday Night's Debate Preview -- Republicans Prepare to Battle for Second Place 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "The Republican voters who do watch Wednesday night will see a group of candidates fighting for second place, an unusual exercise, but one that the political establishment is desperate to see."

Dave Simpson: Back Then, We Agreed About Spiro

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "I don't remember any debate among Republicans and Democrats about the propriety of a vice president who accepted bribes. He had  to go."

Rod Miller: We’re Not In Kansas Anymore, Toto. This Is Wyoming

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "When the police chief of Marion, Kansas, raided the office of the small local newspaper a week ago, he did nothing more than reinforce James Madison’s truism that the freedom of the press must not be abridged."

Dennis Sun: Corner Crossing -- What Do We Do?

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "For the last couple of years, corner crossing has been a hot topic causing a lot of concern with farmers and ranchers in Wyoming. The latest judge’s ruling has not helped this concern."

Bill Sniffin: Basin To Basin To Basin Trip Is Easy To Do In Wyoming

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Wyoming could be called the Basin State. Because of its big mountains and wide-open spaces in-between, a typical journey can find you doing a basin-to-basin-to-basin trip, like I did this past week."

Charlie Spiering: It's The Inflation, Stupid

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "The president only has a 34 percent approval rating on the economy, despite his aggressive push to remind Americans of his $370 billion spending bill in subsidies for electric cars, solar panels, and green energy just one year ago."

Wolf Advocates Succeed in Getting FWS To Waste More Time On Gray Wolves

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "While the Center for Biological Diversity is expected to seek to expand wolf recovery efforts to other states, the court ruling doesn’t settle the matter, as the case is set to continue in the D.C. federal court. One thing is certain: we can expect more years of litigation."

Dave Simpson: Not A Place For The Faint Of Heart

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Yogi obviously climbed onto a picnic table at one end of the porch, and reduced a large hummingbird  feeder to shards of red plastic. Yellow spouts, red perches and empty bottles littered the deck. He even took a swig of tiki lamp fuel."

Rod Miller: U.S. Women's Soccer Team Comes Across Like Spoiled Losers

On the U.S. women's soccer team collapse, columnist Rod Miller writes, "Leave the politics to folks who are a lot better at it than you are, and forget about scoring points with identity groups who might look at you as their champions while the world looks at you like spoiled losers."

Dennis Sun: It's Still Not Meat

Ag columnist Dennis Sun writes, "For beef, lamb, pork, poultry and other meat producers, the good news is these “alt-meat companies,” as they like to be called, have seen a decrease in capital raised by 42 percent in 2022 compared to 2021."

Bill Sniffin: Wyoming Mentioned In Movie ‘Oppenheimer’ And TV Show About Jerry Buss

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “Wyoming got some mention in the movie “Oppenheimer” and in the HBO series “Winning Time,” which is about the rise of the Los Angeles Lakers and its owner, Kemmerer native Jerry Buss.

Rod Miller: That Time I Lost A Bet To A White Supremacist Knuckle-Dragger

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "This is a sordid tale about the doomed path of mixing gambling with fringe politics. There must be some obscure warning in Leviticus about this sort of dangerous behavior. Ma must have cautioned me about the risks. If so, I’ve clearly forgotten."

Clair McFarland: I Can't Watch The Barbie Movie (Not After What I Did To Her)

Clair McFarland writes, “My boisterous cousin Michael materialized out of nowhere and showed us how to pop off Barbie’s head and stick a firecracker into her neck. We lit the doll, threw her in the air and ran backwards."

Letter To The Editor: Rocky Mountain Power's 29.2% Total Rate Increase

Dear editor: Rocky Mountain Power is requesting that YOUR power bill be raised almost 30%, with 7.6% of that already in place on an “interim basis” – prior to any ruling by the state’s Public Service Commission, and prior to the People of Wyoming having a voice and the ability to weigh in on a crippling rate hike."

Charlie Spiering: Biden’s Big Battery Bus Boondoggle Bust 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Despite Democrats echoing the siren song of an all-electric public vehicle program that would protect children from diesel fumes, all the president’s shills and all the president’s subsidies could not keep Proterra from going bankrupt."

Guest Column: If Freedom Caucus Holds Majority, Wyoming's Priorities Would Be Addressed

Majority Floor Leader Chip Neiman says that if the Freedom Caucus held the majority in Wyoming's House and Senate, property tax reform would happen, school choice & education opportunity would be accomplished, and gender-reassignment surgeries would be prohibited.

Cat Urbigkit: Power Line Bird Deaths From Shooting: What Was Reported, What’s the Truth, What Was Omitted

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, 'The New York Times reported, “A survey of power lines in four Western states found bullet fragments and shotgun pellets in most of the dead birds that were collected” (not true) and 'Two-thirds of birds found dead beneath power lines had been shot' (also not true).

Dave Simpson: These Guys Don't Take Prisoners

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Not selecting how-to manuals on sex for a school or public library does not constitute 'book banning.' Caring what your little one is exposed to is not Nazi Germany."

Rod Miller: A Connecticut Yankee At Frontier Days

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I just returned from the strangest journey. You’ll recall that more than a century ago, Mr. Twain rapped me sharply on the noggin and sent me back in time to Camelot. Maybe you’ve read about it."

Dennis Sun: John Kerry Is At It Again

Agriculture columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Once again John Kerry, the current U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, is attacking American ranchers and farmers by criticizing food production’s contribution to carbon emissions."

Bill Sniffin: Seeing Green River Was Like Visiting An Old Friend

Bill Sniffin writes: "For some time, Green River has celebrated Expedition Island as the launching place for the famous expedition by John Wesley Powell, which mapped the Green River, the Colorado River, and ultimately the Grand Canyon in 1869. What an adventure!" 

Mandy Fabel: Parenting Advice From A Two Year Old

Columnist Mandy Fabel writes, "Dear Mom and Dad, In honor of my 2nd birthday I would like to share a few thoughts on how you’re doing as parents."

Why Is A Biological Man Allowed To Smash In The Women’s Division Of The Governor’s Cup?

Rep. Ben Hornok says to protect women’s sports, we should draw a line and not allow a 6-foot 27-year-old biological male who registered for the women’s open division of the Wyoming Governor's Cup tennis tournament to play this weekend.

Charlie Spiering: Why Are Democrats Acting Terrified of Democracy? 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "If it was not clear before that Democrats are terrified of the American voter, the latest round of indictments proves they are worried about the results of the 2024 presidential election."

Cat Urbigkit: Let Freedom Read

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "The Wyoming Freedom Caucus proposes to continue the push to criminalize librarians for what it views as obscene materials in public libraries, in essence using the coercive power of government to impose its set of values on all the state’s citizens."

Rep. Harriet Hageman: It’s Past Time for Mayorkas to Go

Rep. Harriet Hageman writes, "Under Secretary Mayorkas' 'leadership,' 5.6 million illegal immigrants have crossed into America — which is equivalent to 10 times the population of Wyoming. Over 40% of the illegals that were initially detained have disappeared."

Dave Simpson: Cheers To The Residents Of Gillette For Exercising Common Sense

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "If you buy the notion that not placing a book like “Gender Queer” in a library is a First Amendment violation, you must believe that every book that has ever been published must appear in every library. Baloney. Being a librarian includes deciding what will and what will not be on the shelves. It's part of the job."

Rep. Dalton Banks: Wyoming Legislature Must Do More To Protect Children

Rep. Dalton Banks writes, “I encourage the citizens of Wyoming to step up to the plate when it comes to protecting our children from sexual predators, human traffickers and harmful and explicit content.”

Rod Miller: It's A Big Government Problem, Not A Free Speech Problem

Columnist Rod Miler writes, "Don’t for a minute think that your enemy is freedom of human expression. Books aren’t trying to replace you as a parent, big government is."

Dennis Sun: Cattle Numbers Stay Low

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Fat cattle headed to packinghouses are bringing record prices lately, and these high prices are trickling down to grocery store meat counters."

Rod Miller: Gordon Has A Chance To Be Great. Will He Take It?

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Freedom Caucus has presented Gordon with the chance to stand strong like a real First Amendment trail boss. If he wastes this chance and knuckles under to their demands, he will brand himself as nothing more than their stable boy."

Clair McFarland: Ode To The Aquarium's Bouncer And His Secret Tail

Clair McFarland writes: Stingray Bouncer inhaled the threat of our approach. He cupped his face in one giant hand while squeezing his other hand between his forearm and bicep so he couldn’t accidentally rip anyone’s larynx out.

Aaron Turpen Car Review: 2023 Toyota Venza Wagons The Station Out Of It

Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, "Toyota knows there are people who still love station wagons. And not just people who own five windbreakers that say Columbia on them, order coffees with six names in the description, and cover the back of their car in bumper stickers involving the name 'Bernie.'"

Charlie Spiering: What Ron DeSantis Could Learn From Gavin Newsom 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "So what on earth could DeSantis practically learn from Gov. Gavin Newsom, the radically leftist governor of the failing state of California? Politics."

Bill Sniffin: Hey Wyoming Wannabe - You Like 3 Seasons? Long Distances? No Costco?

Bill Sniffin writes, “I reached out to this couple and found out they were from California and were senior citizens. Yikes. Do we need more West Coasties here?”

Cat Urbigkit: This is Bear Country

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Too many people still believe that bear country is the backcountry or wilderness. That needs to be called out and corrected because Wyoming is bear country."

Rep. Harriet Hageman: The Biden Family Corruption and America’s Two-Tiered System of Justice

In a guest column, Rep. Hageman writes, "One of the most obvious examples of disparate treatment involves the Hunter Biden investigations, and the government-wide effort to protect him and his father to cover up what is shaping up to be one of the most significant scandals in our country’s history."

Dave Simpson: Don't Make Us Drink The Skim Milk

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Meanwhile, the Democrats were drinking papaya juice and mojitos, and dancing the Macarena. No holding back those randy party animals. At least they were honest about not caring about deficits ..."

Dennis Sun: It's The People

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Congress is in the process of developing and approving a new five-year farm bill, as the current bill ends on Oct. 1. One cannot overstate the importance of the farm bill to rural America and agriculture."

Rod Miller: Celebrity Worship Around The Ol’ Campfire

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Things are getting just a tad weird around the ol’ campfire lately. While they try to dodge the smoke, my saddlepals are all gushing over this movie, or that song, or which famous person is speaking God’s honest truth."

Bill Sniffin: Tourism Magic Can Be Found On The Loop Road And Sinks Canyon

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Sinks Canyon is the primary gateway to the Wind River Mountain Range from the east. Located just south of Lander, the canyon’s sheer cliffs and magical river make it a haven for sightseers.”

Rep. Clark Stith: Person to Person, Not Bot to Bot

Rep. Clark Stith writes, "Wyoming Rep. Barry Crago’s op-ed pointing out the Freedom Caucus’s checkered past with respect to property tax reform must have struck a nerve."

Charlie Spiering: Obama's Disingenuous Attack on Parents Challenging Sexually Graphic Children's Books In Schools

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Americans by nature are not comfortable with censorship and bans on books, but it is entirely within our purview to expect publicly-funded librarians to respectfully curate materials to limit children's exposure to pornographic content in our schools."

Cat Urbigkit: Make No Mistake -- Elk Feedground Plan is WG&F’s Vision

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "This plan wasn’t ready for prime time. It’s sloppy, unorganized, inconsistent, and includes statements in contradiction with other statements, while neglecting other legitimate concerns."

Message From The Editor: Welcome Cowboy State Daily Radio

Wyoming's largest news organization will soon be on your local radio station. Longtime news radio veteran Wendy Corr will anchor the broadcasts.

Sen. Cheri Steinmetz: Our Way Of Life Should Not Be For Sale

State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz writes, "Governor Gordon is doubling down by joining forces with Colorado’s far left-leaning, Governor Polis to sell the air."

Dave Simpson: Fending Off Those Negative Waves

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "A retired wife, mother, cook, and inveterate reader, Kitty was the only person I know who actually confronted a bear. And prevailed."

Guest Column: Why Game And Fish Should Have Fed Deer This Winter

Dr. Ron Dean, who spent 33 years managing Wyoming's state operated elk feedgrounds, writes, "It is hard for me to comprehend how an organization that has the motto of 'Conserving Wildlife-Serving People' can stand idly by and do nothing while one of the premier deer herds in the country is decimated by starvation."

Rod Miller: Chasing Rocks – Or - How Not To Look Like An Idiot 

Columnist Rod Miller got his first pair of glasses when he was out gathering cattle with his dad. "I thought I saw a bunch of cows off in the distance at the base of a ridge. When I got to the ridge, I found out they were only big rocks. I had to confess to Dad that I had wasted half an hour trying to round up rocks."

Dennis Sun: Hard Decisions For Ranchers And Farmers

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "There are no lazy summer days for ranchers and farmers. On one side of their businesses, of course, is the hard work – managing crops and livestock."

Bill Sniffin: Did A Serial Killer Poison 22 Men Here In Wyoming 155 Years Ago?

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “The rough high desert country around South Pass City was a dangerous place 155 years ago but no place was more threatening than a nondescript boarding house operated by Polly Bartlett.”

Clair McFarland: Sleeping Outdoors Under Shooting Stars And Elon's Satellites

Clair McFarland writes, "The boys and I sleep outside every summer when the first crop of hot, windless days leaves nothing to cool the brain except its dark nights."

Dave Walsh: UW Student-Athletes Have That ‘Wow’ Factor

Dave Walsh writes, “I’ve always been impressed by the ability of the college athlete. What these young competitors do on the fields and floors, on the tracks and in the water is remarkable.”

Rod Miller: “The Machine” And The Consent Of The Governed

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "It is an uncomfortable fact of life in a free society that dissent should not only be tolerated but encouraged as the natural leavening of our political system, regardless of whether it is the Left or the Right doing the dissenting."

Charlie Spiering: What Kind of Decency is Joe Biden Bringing Back to the White House? 

Columnist Charlie Spiering writes, "Americans celebrating the Independence Day holiday were treated to a week-long news cycle speculating about the source of the baggie of cocaine discovered by the Secret Service at the White House."

Cat Urbigkit: Wyo Game & Fish's Elk Feedground Plan Puts The Squeeze To Agriculture

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Wyoming Game and Fish isn’t known for its expertise in livestock management, and it’s way out of its realm on this one, alienating livestock producers in the process."

Dave Simpson: It's No Picnic In Either Party Today

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "At least Our Guy doesn't fall down, his sentences are mostly understandable, and he doesn't shake hands with people who aren't there."

Rod Miller: My Umpteenth Column About Free Speech

When I read Clair McFarland’s recent brace of articles about Biden wanting to censor freedom of speech on social media, it pissed me off. I get pissed off any time that government wants to strangle our most fundamental American liberty to freely speak our minds.

Dennis Sun: Kroger And Albertsons Merger Is A Threat To Agriculture

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "A prime example of concentration is the potential merger of Kroger and Albertsons grocery stores and how it may raise the cost of groceries for consumers."

Bill Sniffin: ‘High Altitudes, Low Multitudes’ Is Best Way To Describe Cowboy State

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “There are mountains higher than Wyoming’s, but are there places more beautiful than the Tetons? Or the Cirque of the Towers in the mighty Wind River Range? Or Square Top Mountain in Sublette County?"

Guest Column: The Inconvenient Truth and the Path Forward

Rep. Barry Crago writes, "The Wyoming Freedom Caucus and the legislators that collaborate with the group are the reason we did not do more to solve the property tax dilemma. The very people she wants to support in the next election are the same people responsible for her lack of property tax relief.

Dave Walsh: It May Not Be A ‘Sport,’ But Downing 62 Hot Dogs In 10 Minutes Is Impressive

Dave Walsh writes, “I never would have believed that any human could eat and put that many hot dogs into a human stomach. I don’t know if this is a sport or if competitive eaters are athletes. Any way you look at it, that’s quite a physical feat for Joey Chestnut.”

Charlie Spiering: Supreme Court Reminds Grumpy Joe Biden Of Our Nation's Founding Principles 

Charlie Spiering writes, "The rulings affirmed foundational values of our country right before Americans celebrate Independence Day. All men are created equal, the power of the executive branch of government is limited, and freedom of religion remains an unalienable right." 

Cat Urbigkit: The Needless Same-Sex Wedding Website Ruling And Wyoming’s Connection to the Case

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court granted permission for Lorie Smith, a Colorado website designer, to refuse to create wedding websites for gay couples in a case that never should have been heard by the nation’s highest court."

Dave Simpson: Chipmunks Are Cute. Mice, Not So Much.

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "What Chip and Dale did for chipmunks, Mickey certainly hasn't accomplished for the public perception of mice. Cartoon Mickey is cute, but let's face it, he's vermin."

Rod Miller: “Affirmative Action” Is Unconstitutional In The Equality State

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "There is no waffle language in the Wyoming Constitution. And therefore no room in the Equality State for affirmative action or protected classes. Those might be noble concepts in other states where equality is subject to modifiers, but our founding document renders them moot."

Dennis Sun: Stay Positive

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Livestock prices, especially cattle prices are staying strong. Calves are in a price correction, but demand is going to stay strong. Meatpackers are trying to lower the fat cattle prices in every which way, but demand should overshadow their tricks."

Bill Sniffin: I Am A Old Dinosaur Dodging Asteroids Along The Oregon Trail

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "When I wrote my column about the Oregon Trail and how important it was to Wyoming, our political reporter Leo Wolfson asked, with a straight face: 'Bill, tell us, what was it like out there on the trail?'”

Wyoming Car Collectors: The Many Motors of Dave Shimerka

Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes, "I met Dave at a recent car show in Cheyenne. I was immediately attracted to his AMC Rebel, which is a rare model of 'The Machine.' I went to Dave’s home later on and got a glimpse of his car collection. It’s fantastic."

Boner: Permitting Reform will Help Reestablish American Leadership

State Sen. Brian Boner writes, "I am glad the Air Force is moving forward with deploying the new Sentinel missile. However, I am still concerned that the EIS for this project took longer than the time required for communist China to build the infrastructure for three brand new nuclear missile fields."

Clair McFarland: Car Broke Down On I-25 In Denver, Then We Saw A Gorilla

Clair McFarland writes: “The car whined in the third of six lanes on I-25, hoping at last to become the nucleus of a 30-car pileup. Then it died. A cold hush pervaded its interior.”

Dave Walsh: For One Night, Embattled Yankees Pitcher German Was Perfect

Dave Walsh writes, “What a difference a few days make as well. Domingo German went from getting booed off the mound his previous start to a perfect game.”

Rod Miller: Methinks U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland Whines Too Much

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Merrick Garland is whining that criticism is a threat to the 'independence' of his outfit, the U.S. Department of Justice, and thereby a threat to democracy itself. It's hard to threaten something that no longer exists."

Cat Urbigkit: ‘Going Old School,’ With The Addition Of Man’s Best Friend To Uphold The Farce

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "We’d simply ran out of options. Golden eagles and bald eagles were preying on newborn lambs in our lambing flock, and for the past few weeks we were finding at least one new eagle-killed lamb every day."

Dave Simpson: We Root For The Elk. Not The Wolves.

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "'What you have exposed,'” Harriett Hageman told John Durham, “'is that we are dealing with something so corrupt and so rotten that no amount of face paint, deflection, or whitewashing can fix this.'”

Dennis Sun: Sage Grouse Again

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Wyoming was the first state to aggressively develop a management plan in hopes of keeping sage grouse from being listed on the Endangered Species Act, and other Western states used this plan as a template while adopting their own plans."

Rod Miller: Time Machines, Rattlesnakes and Rock & Roll in Carbon County

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "For my money, there is no more beautiful and peaceful place in the Cowboy State than where the Encampment River joins up with the North Platte to produce a the kind of green that makes Ireland ashamed."

Bill Sniffin: Most Important Road In American History Passed Through Wyoming Creating Manifest Destiny

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Starting about 1843, over 400,000 emigrants came through Wyoming, crossing through present-day Torrington, Douglas, and Casper and on through current Fremont County and ultimately exiting out the west side.”

Aaron Turpen: The Tesla Cybertruck Is A Joke That’s Trolling The Automotive World

Automotive Writer Aaron Turpen writes, “Tesla will release the Cybertruck, eventually, and get the initial splash from it. But Elon will, however, laugh this off since the Cybertruck is clearly just another one of his trolls.

Rod Miller: Higher Education, Free Speech And Hurt Feelings In The Cowboy State

Columnist Rod Miller writes, “Now UW finds itself hauled into court for abridging a preacher’s freedom of speech in the student union. … Let’ s be clear, free speech is often uncomfortable, annoying and offensive.”

Dave Walsh: Jim Brandenburg’s UW Basketball Teams Were Gritty, Tough And Over-Achieving

Dave Walsh writes: “Wyoming very much took on the personality and style of their head coach. Jim Brandenburg teams played hard and tough. It was the Brandenburg style of play.”

Aaron Turpen: Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV Is All Luxury That’s Not Quite Fit For the 1%

Automotive Writer Aaron Turpen writes: “The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is, like most luxury models, a lot of letters and numbers that mean little to the average person on the street. This one is destined to just be called “the Mercedes” by its owners.”

Dan Dockstader: Why Wyoming Energy Has A Bright Future

In a guest column, Sen. Dan Dockstader writes, "Between the Western Interstate Hydrogen Hub, the Natrium Power Plant and the carbon capture utilization and storage innovations taking place in our state, Wyoming is set to move forward on some of the largest economic development initiatives many have ever seen."

Cat Urbigkit: Hey, Keyboard Coward, Here’s Your Invitation To Enter The Arena

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes: “With few exceptions, I’m too thick-skinned to be bruised by words, but when vulgar emails are combined with an illegal impersonator on a news site last month … my hackles are raised.”

Dave Simpson: More Evidence It’s Best Not To Leave The Sane Boundaries Of Wyoming

Dave Simpson writes: If Moms for Liberty is an extremist hate group, who's next? The Little Sisters of the Poor?

Dave Walsh: Remembering Former UW Men's Hoops Coach Jim Brandenburg As A Tough, Hands-On Leader Who Won — A Lot

Dave Walsh writes: “It was my privilege to call the last three seasons coach Brandenburg was at Wyoming. In those final three seasons under Brandenburg, the Cowboys would win 59 games, win a conference championship and make NIT and NCAA tournament appearances.”

Rod Miller: Stay Square, Wyoming!

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "If Wyoming annexed a neighboring county, we’d just look weird. Viewed from above, it would look like we had suddenly grown a disturbing new appendage, or a tumor. Or a massive new zit."

Dennis Sun: Making A Difference

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "One of Wyoming’s best traits has always been giving – to other people or specific causes. It just seems to come natural to the people of the state and the region. And, in today’s society, there are always plenty of good causes to give to."

Dave Walsh: There’s Nothing Like The U.S. Open, Where Anyone Can Qualify And Play

Dave Walsh writes: There’s an added extra to this year’s U.S. Open. This will be the first major tournament played in the new PGA-LIV era. Less than two weeks ago, the PGA Tour merged with Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf and created a new golf league.

Bill Sniffin: Bountiful Butte, Ageless Joni Mitchell, Glacier Park, Etc.

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “We put in a whole lot of windshield time this past week covering four states and seeing some of the most beautiful places in America."

Clair McFarland: When You Realize You Failed To Hillbilly Your Sons

Clair McFarland writes: “I’m the hillbilly caricature whose lithe pale sons hope someday to place in a crisp nursing home with a Roomba and a Mozart album — for her own good, or something.”

Cormac McCarthy: An Evening Redness In The West

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I used to wait like a kid at Christmas for McCarthy to come out with a new book ever couple years or so. No more waiting for me. His work is done."

Cat Urbigkit: Firefighters Wanted In Wyoming

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Of 55 Wyoming fire departments responding to the recent survey, most reported experiencing challenges with recruiting new firefighters. All told, the responding fire departments reported the need for nearly 500 additional firefighters statewide to fill their rosters."

Cynthia Lummis: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Privacy

U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis writes, "While I am concerned about private companies having unfettered access to our data, I believe it is equally, if not more dangerous, for any government to have that same access."

Sarah Penn: Public Libraries Shouldn't Condone Criminality

In a guest column, Rep. Sarah Penn writes, "Why do adults in positions of leadership not understand it’s a problem for public libraries to promote materials to children that condone the possession and distribution of illegal child pornography?"

Dave Simpson: Dipping A Toe Into Social Activism

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "If your scolding woke agenda is more important to you than your product, count me out. I've got options."

Letter To Editor: A Closer Look at Speaker Sommers' Criticism Of Wyoming Freedom Caucus

Dear editor: "Speaker Sommers' voting record aligns 80.93% with Democrat Rep. Yin while only aligning 52.32% with the most conservative Republican, Rep. Bear. Does this make him a free thinker within the Republican Party or a Democrat in Republican clothing?"

Rod Miller: Get Off Rod Miller’s Lawn!

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Don’t let a wet spell or two fool you into complacency; the high creeks and rivers you see in Wyoming today are nothing more than fossil water being recirculated. The need to conserve this essential but finite resource is as critical as ever."

Dennis Sun: It's Grilling Season

Columnist Dennis Sun writes a new study, "...found lab-grown or 'cultivated' imitation meat’s environmental impact is likely to be “orders of magnitude” higher than retail beef, based on current and near-term production methods."

Bill Sniffin: Even Out Here In Wyoming, Is This Robot The Scariest Thing We Have Ever Seen?

Bill Sniffin writes: “I have written thousands of articles about the Cowboy State. I asked ChatGPT a question about Wyoming’s future. Here is what it wrote.”

Letter to the Editor: Who Jim Watt Really Was

Dear editor: Although I enjoyed the discussion of Jim’s experience with the One-Shot-Antelope Hunt, I was disappointed that the column got so much wrong. I will give you just three instances

Remembering Jim Watt: Wyoming Native Who Was Secretary Of Interior For Reagan

Jim Watt was a Lusk, Wyoming native who spent three eventful years as Secretary of the Interior under President Ronald Reagan. He resigned after a public push to oust him. He died at his Arizona a home recently at age 85.

Dave Walsh: It's 12 Weeks Before Wyoming Cowboys Football Begins

Columnist Dave Walsh writes, "What an opening game match-up that is for the Cowboys and their fans. A big-time opponent, from a big-time conference. And Cowboy fans have a great opportunity to take it all in, up close and personal. Wyoming versus Texas Tech, in War Memorial Stadium."

Bill Sniffin's Report From Yellowstone: Heavy Rain Dampened Idiot Activity

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "We were on full-time Idiot Patrol Wednesday as we passed through Yellowstone National Park on our way to a family event in Washington state."

Cat Urbigkit: Animal Damage Control Isn't A “War On Wildlife”

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "When Erik Molvar of the Western Watersheds Project tells the public that the livestock industry “still dreams of driving large carnivores extinct once and for all” and is working to “further their goals of accelerating predator extinctions,” how is anyone to know that he is telling a lie?"

Dave Simpson: Note To Donald -- Shut Up About Ron

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Many here still prefer Reagan's 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."

Rod Miller: Cowboys and Teslas, a Cautionary Tale

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I have a healthy skepticism about newfangled electric vehicles replacing those gas-guzzling trucks on the ranch. I have an uneasy mental image of a one-ton crew cab 4WD pickup with a six-horse fifth wheel trailer powered by an electric motor struggling to make it out of the barnyard."

Dennis Sun: Information Is Dollars

For those involved in agriculture, the last couple of weeks have been a “win some, lose some” kind of time, as there have been important legal cases and new regulations making headlines.

Letter To The Editor: Don’t Let Rod Miller Gaslight You Into Celebrating Queer Pornography In Schools

Dear editor: "Rod Miller has written a lot of awful columns over the years. But surely his most recent entry, which tries to justify queer pornography in our schools under the cover of a tough-guy libertarian approach to parenting, takes the cake."

Bill Sniffin: Try to Imagine A Wyoming With A Population of 8 Million? Well, Take A Look Around

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Europeans love our small towns. They love to hang out in places with romantic historic names like Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, Cody, and Medicine Bow.”   

Dave Simpson: Lander Valley High School Endorses This Book For Children? Seriously?

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "We're not talking about taking 'Catcher in the Rye,' 'Huckleberry Finn,' or 'To Kill a Mockingbird' off library shelves. This is about not making the most raw, obscene material available to young people at Lander's high school."

Rod Miller: Books! - Or – Johannes Gutenberg For The Humanity Hall Of Fame

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "If you think books will corrupt your kids’ minds, be a better parent. If you think that reading Mein Kampf will turn Junior into a Nazi, or Das Kapital will turn Sis commie, then do a better job of teaching them to be Americans."

Dave Walsh: Between The NBA And NHL, There’s Something So Final In The Air

Dave Walsh writes: “Finals will draw all kinds of different audiences. There are, of course, those who are regular fans and followers, which make up the biggest group. … In fact, there will be some who haven’t watched a minute of NBA all season who will take a peek of the finals.

Clair McFarland: Real Girls Are Made Of Go-Carts And Antelope Skulls

Clair McFarland writes: "This little girl is even tougher than my boys. She climbs onto the trampoline with them, drops to all fours, snatches their ankles and topples them like dominoes. They dogpile her, roughing her hair into a unicorn horn above her ponytail."

Cat Urbigkit: The Adventures Of Harriet The Horrible

Harriet was raised with orphan lambs, and even at just a few months old, she was exceptionally grumpy about anyone messing with her lambs – even though it was our job to feed the lambs milk replacer numerous times a day.

Aaron Turpen: Here’s a 30 Facts About Cars That You Probably Don’t Know

Columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "Call these conversation starters or random 'know stuff' factoids, but there are some fascinating things to know about cars. If you’re a car nerd like I am, you definitely love spouting weird facts whenever it can be worked into everyday conversation."

Dave Simpson: Anybody Else Feeling The Anger?

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Does the state that voted most enthusiastically for Trump like these attacks on DeSantis?"

Rod Miller: The TikTok Generation Inherits The Big Empty

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "We need to pass along to the TikTok Generation a profound respect for nature. They need to have a sure and certain knowledge that this place will kill you if you are careless. And that survival often means relying on your neighbors."

Dennis Sun: Memorial Day Is Not Just A Holiday

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "It is that time of the year in which we celebrate Memorial weekend, especially Memorial Day on Monday. I hope everyone celebrates for the right reason – to honor fallen soldiers who died serving their country."

Bill Sniffin: Hey Grads, Why Work? Doesn’t The Government Owe You A Living? Sit Back and Enjoy Life!

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Previous generations were looking for companies that would employ them forever when they graduated from high school. Such companies are hard to find today.”

Dave Walsh: Track And Field Is Back Outdoors Where It’s At Its Best

Dave Walsh writes: “Like most, I prefer a clear day. It can be cool, but not freezing cold. I don’t mind bundling up a bit, but I don’t want to sit and shiver. I like the game to be played on a dry surface. Slipping and sliding on a slick surface can alter the game.”

Letter To The Editor: Susan Stubson Should Be Ashamed

Dear editor: "I wonder if Susan Stubson has ever written a 1736-word op-ed piece for the New York Times to condemn the riots and horrendous destruction by Antifa and BLM?"

Cat Urbigkit: Oddities from the News -- Lions ‘Garden to Hunt’ & Bundy’s BBQ Standoff

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Ammon Bundy is having another standoff, dubbed the #BBQStandoff by one of his detractors, Devin Burghart of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights."

Dave Simpson: That's The Craziest Thing I Ever Heard

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "How on earth have we reached a point at which men dressed in women's clothes, 'twerking' for audiences often including youngsters, and simulating sex, is considered worthy of a how-to seminar at the University of Wyoming?"

Dennis Sun: The Wild Horses Battle Goes On And On

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Even with aggressive roundups, there are still approximately 50,000 horses above the maximum appropriate management level."

Letter to the Editor: In Honor Of Mayor Kaumo

Dear editor: "After serving the City of Rock Springs passionately and faithfully for 12 very productive years, at great personal cost to himself, his family, and business, some have sought to destroy the reputation of former Rock Springs Mayor Tim Kaumo."

Rod Miller: Josh Hawley Preaches “Manhood" In New Book And Wyoming Men Laugh

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Josh Hawley is the last person qualified to preach to Wyoming men about what it means to have a pair. The first glaring difference between Hawley and a real Wyoming man is that we don’t run away from a fight, regardless who started it, as he comically did."

Bill Sniffin: We Will Miss Randy Wagner And Willie LeClair; And Farewell To College Seniors Who Survived COVID Conditions

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “There were many visions to be had by the folks in Willie LeClair’s sweat lodge that night. I know I sure had a few.”

John Bear: Uniparty's Push For Anti-Conservative Wyoming

Wyoming Rep. John Bear writes, "It was the Speaker’s decision to create an Appropriations Committee consisting only of socially liberal legislators from big cities, and now it appears that the President of the Senate sees some benefit in a Senate Appropriations committee loyal to the Uniparty’s cause as well."

Aaron Turpen: The 2023 Toyota Tundra Can Go To The MAX

Automotive Writer Aaron Turpen writes: “Toyota used its expertise in hybrid electric systems to add more power to its pickup. Basically, Toyota took some Prius stuff and shoved it into the Tundra and then went all Tim Allen on it. Arr augh aurgh!”

Albert Sommers: Why Does Freedom Caucus Tell Its Members How To Vote?

In a guest column, Speaker of the House Albert Sommers writes, "Wyomingites are independent thinkers, why does the Freedom Caucus pander to a national agenda, instead of seeking Wyoming solutions to Wyoming problems?"

Clair McFarland: The Socially Challenged Foster Kid Hurls Fish Guts

Clair McFarland writes: “We marched upstairs together and I stuffed him into his litter box – like a Twinkie through a keyhole. Little did I know, if you hunt someone down and make him go potty, he’ll fall madly in love with you.”

Dave Simpson: We Didn’t Know How Good We Had It

Dave Simpson writes: “What is happening at the Casper Star-Tribune, sadly, is par for the course at large corporate-owned newspapers. They are struggling with the paradigm of advertising dollars migrating to the internet.”

Nathan Winters: With Women’s Rights, Wyoming Giveth and it Taketh Away…

Guest columnist Nathan Winters writes, "The women of Kappa Kappa Gamma likely had no intention of making a political statement or of becoming social pariahs, yet anyone who didn’t embrace their newest sorority “sister” became a target of scorn and labeled as unkind and transphobic."

Cat Urbigkit: BLM’s 'Conservation' Proposal Generates Form Letters in Support, While Opposition Calls For Withdrawal, & Threat of Congressional Action

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "The Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rules that would prioritize “conservation” and authorize conservation leasing on equal footing with other permitted uses such as mineral development and livestock grazing has generated enough controversy that western Republican Senators are asking the agency to withdraw the proposal."

Dave Simpson:  With Tucker Gone, Scratch That Fox Nation Subscription

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "The theory that Murdoch family members don't like being shunned at liberal New York cocktail parties rings increasingly true."

Rod Miller: Identity Theft in the Big Empty – A Solution

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I’m not selling myself cheap! If you wanna be Rod Miller, you’ll need to open your wallet. If you are serious about acquiring my identity, then put your money where your mouth is."

Dennis Sun: New Trends In Agriculture

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Genetics is one of the biggest improvements for livestock. Ranchers are now providing more beef with less cattle, with more efficient traits for growth and feed consumption."

Bill Sniffin: Get Out Of My Way!  My RV Is Bigger Than You! I May Just Crush Your Little Car! Confessions Of A Motorhome Driver

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Yup, our motorhome is a heck of a lot bigger than your pathetic little car. At 34,000 pounds and almost 60 feet long (towing a car), we are the biggest thing on the road --- except (gulp) those darned 72-foot long, 80,000-pound semi-trucks. But I digress."

Dave Walsh: War Memorial Stadium Gets New Turf

Columnist Dave Walsh writes, "When the University of Wyoming Cowboys take on Texas Tech in War Memorial Stadium on Sept. 2, they will be playing on a new rug."

Cat Urbigkit: Wyoming Wolf Population Remains Stable, But Costs $1.28 Million to Manage

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Although wolf advocates have petitioned the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for a relisting of gray wolves in Wyoming and other states in the Northern Rockies, Wyoming’s wolf population exceeded federal recovery criteria for the species for the 21st consecutive year in 2022."

Dave Simpson: Forrest Gump Had A Term For This

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "We live in the Golden Age of Stupid. There's a cornucopia of faulty thinking out there. It's a clear case of stupid is as stupid does."

Cat Urbigkit: WyoFile Allows Impersonator To Inflame Rhetoric About Public Lands

Columnist Cat Urbigkit writes, "Hell no, I didn’t write the comment. But WyoFile allowed someone to impersonate me to inflame the public about ranching and public lands."

Rod Miller: Advice to Politicians -- Think First, Then Speak

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Lord knows what prompted Casper Mayor Bruce Knell and Laramie Rep. Karly Provenza to hit the 'send' button before considering the possible consequences of their post. Perhaps they thought they could score easy political points with their base."

Dennis Sun: Beef Facts Matter

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "For 99 percent of the world, the Livestock and Poultry World Markets and Trade Report means nothing, but for the one percent who are interested in meat markets, it means a lot."

Review: Sizing Up Metallica’s New Album ‘72 Seasons’ By 1982 Rural Wyoming Standards

Cowboy State Daily's Coy Knobel writes, "It sounds like the Metallica that many people know. So, if they are big fans, they’ll like it. Most of the album had the tempo and feel of Metallica’s faster stuff."

Bill Sniffin: What’s It Like Shopping For An Electric Car? Here’s A Cautionary Tale

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Wyomingites seem to be fascinated by electric cars and trucks. Since we were in Las Vegas around the end of April, we decided to go to a Tesla dealer and get a firsthand look at some of these electric cars." 

Clair McFarland: My Sons Got Enough Touchdowns To Win Their Baseball Match

Clair McFarland writes: “They twist their skinny brown fingers around their bats. When each twin’s turn comes, he beats an atom plume out of the dusty home plate."

By Dave Walsh: UW Athletic Programs Also Score High In The Classroom

Dave Walsh writes: “I’m so impressed by those who can compete in their sport at a very high level and all the while performing and achieving the classroom. Doing and accomplishing both, at the same time, is impressive.”

Aaron Turpen: To Infiniti (QX60) and Beyond

Automotive Writer Aaron Turpen writes: “Buyers in the mid-size luxury SUV segment should definitely look at the QX60. It’s a beauty of a vehicle with a nice balance of things for the price being paid.”

Cat Urbigkit: In Push For Conservation, Bureau Of Land Management Usurps Congress

Cat Urbigkit writes: “Though perhaps well-intended, the proposed rules are staggeringly riddled with problematic language that will guarantee that federal courts will be overburdened with legal challenges. … What a terrible way to manage public resources.”

Dave Simpson: Don't Look Now But No One's Watching The News

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "More and more, people I know are cutting cords and simply turning off the news..."

John Bear: Driskill vs Kinskey -- Hypocrisy, Or Is It?

Rep. John Bear writes, " It may be hypocritical to punish a member of the legislature for attending a meeting virtually when you don’t stand for important roll call votes yourself."

Rod Miller: Frankly Speaking About the Wyoming GOP

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Wyoming Republican Party will choose a new chairman here in a few days. Both candidates are named Frank, and both hail from the same county and wear cowboy hats. That’s where the similarities end."

Bill Sniffin: My First Visit To Big Horn Medicine Wheel Was Spooky And Spiritual

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “There was no cell phone service and the thought crossed my mind that if I had a heart attack up here, well, I would just have to go to the Happy Hunting Ground with this perplexed look on face.”

Dennis Sun: Beef Demand Stays High

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Despite the mayor of New York City telling all New Yorkers to limit beef consumption and go vegan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, demand and consumption of beef is staying strong. This just proves how misguided and out of touch he really is."

Dave Walsh: The Brown and Gold Spring Game A UW Sports Annual Rite Of Passage

Dave Walsh writes: “It’s technically the final practice of the spring for the Wyoming Cowboys football team. Saturday’s 15th and final practice of the spring session is a bit more than that."

Guest Column: Hey Dave Simpson, It's Not That Simple!

Guest columnist Kim Love writes, "As with so many of the opinions expressed by so many people these days, Dave Simpson's column 'Spend Less? That's Out Of The Question,'  has an overly simplistic premise and is really a false equivalency."

Cat Urbigkit: Who Has Traditional Ecological Knowledge?

Cat Urbigkit writes: “The Biden administration has adopted the concept of traditional ecological knowledge, but narrowed it to exclude all but ‘indigenous knowledge.’ While attempting to eliminate racial disparities, the administration has a tendency to marginalize or exclude others in the process, furthering inequity rather than resolving it.”

Dave Simpson: Spend Less? That’s Out Of The Question

Dave Simpson writes: “What doesn't work at home shouldn't work in Washington either, and heaping huge, ruinous debt on our grandkids is selfish and evil.”

Rod Miller:  Woke Fascists in Wyoming Or Political Speech 101

Columnist Rod Miller writes: Words like 'fascist' and 'woke' are used as pejorative shorthand for anyone who doesn’t adhere to one political view or another. Words like that don’t do anything to elevate our political conversation. Rather, they are used to emphasize and reinforce an 'Us vs. Them' mentality."

Dennis Sun: White House Regulations Do Not Make Sense

Columnist Dennis Sun writes: "At times, the government tells us how much they support agriculture and remind us of the millions of dollars they have made available through numerous programs to help ag. Then, the very next week, they pull the rug out from under us with more unnecessary regulations."

Guest Column: God's Cases -- Unsolved Wyoming Murders

Rep. Art Washut writes, "Murder in June 1982 – the victim, Stan Henry, was laid to rest in a few days but his case has remains open, at least technically.  Despite dogged investigation and generous rewards being offered for information, his killer has never been identified or brought to justice."

Bill Sniffin: Are We Seeing The Last Days Of Oldest Baby Boomers?

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: "Baby boomers are dying at an alarming rate. This is not a good trend for a whole bunch of us. And shoot, I am probably the oldest baby boomer."

Guest Column: Why Conservatives Are Wary Of Federal Solutions, From Land Disputes To Suicide Hotlines

Rep. Pepper Ottman writes, "To insinuate to someone impacted by suicide that had they simply paid a little more in taxes, they wouldn’t have suffered the loss that they suffered is more than deeply offensive, and displays a fundamental misunderstanding of mental health and wellness."

Dave Walsh: Cowgirls Tennis On The Edge Of Making History With Conference Title

Dave Walsh writes: “It really doesn’t matter what sport we’re talking about. Wyoming vs. Air Force is very special in so many ways. And it could be anything from tennis to football to tiddlywinks. If it’s Wyoming vs. Air Force, it’s big.”

Rod Miller: Partisanship Is The Disease, Not The Cure

Rod Miller writes: “State Rep. Chris Knapp, a Republican from Gillette, says that Wyoming needs more partisanship in our public life, not less. That’s like your doctor telling you that you need more herpes in your body."

Clair McFarland: Don’t Mind Me, I’m Just Killing Off Your Treasures

Clair McFarland writes: “Normally the boys’ bedrooms resemble a text-message emoji war the little, feisty twin had Tuesday with my editor on my phone. … But the boys’ bedroom floors are magical when they’re clean.”

Aaron Turpen: 2023 Kia Telluride Is An OK Snow Hamster

Automotive writer Aaron Turpen writes: “The 2023 Telluride has a 3.8-liter V6 that outputs about 1,309,500 hamsters (aka 291hp) to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This is a solid combo that feels good in most driving situations. The all-wheel drive models are good goers, but aren’t as sure-footed as some rivals in the snow and ice."

Cat Urbigkit: Winter Isn’t Loosening Its Grip On Wyoming Big Game Herds