Rod Miller: Tally Book
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "My granddad Kirk kept a small spiral notebook in the pocket of the wool shirt that he wore regardless of the weather. My own tally book was a tad fancier. It was a Daytimer with a leather cover..."
Rod MillerMay 12, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Grit And Gumption — How Two Hardy Wyoming Women Lived To 108
Bill Sniffin writes: “From 1915 to 2024, these two pioneer Wyoming women saw incredible changes. They lived through world wars, a depression, outlasted 16 presidents, saw the first televisions, computers, the internet and social media.”
Bill SniffinMay 11, 2024
Jonathan Lange: Rachel Rubino, A Wyoming Treasure
Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "Rachel Rubino was a Wyoming treasure. But most who read this tribute have never heard her name. That is one of her greatest charms. She cared enough about Wyoming to serve her state tirelessly."
Jonathan LangeMay 11, 2024
Joan Barron: Sorting Social Betting From Professional Gambling
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "While gambling may have grown too fast and too big in Wyoming, so has the amount of money coming into the state for schools and local governments. Gaming is a one billion dollar golden egg and growing. Big decisions ahead."
Joan BarronMay 11, 2024
Tom Lubnau: Anonymous Websites and Rating Services
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "It takes a particular brand of arrogance to hide behind the cloak of secrecy, and tell people in Wyoming which candidates have 'integrity' or can call themselves 'Republicans.'"
Tom LubnauMay 11, 2024
Dennis Sun: The Food Supply
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "When talking about the nation’s food supply, people might look at you like you’re crazy because there is always food at the grocery store."
Dennis SunMay 10, 2024
Rod Miller: NIMBY Version 4.0 – or – The 21st Century Invades Wyoming Along I-80
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The major projects in Kemmerer and Cheyenne will bring trainloads of money into Wyoming. But too many Wyomingites are too afraid of change and they’ll resist them because 'that’s not how grandpa did things.'"
Rod MillerMay 10, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Released From Captivity, Just In Time For Mother's Day
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Happy Mother's Day to all of us who are or are filling the role of moms. I think of myself as a sandwich, still so lucky to have my mom and also be a mom to the two who God gave me."
Sally Ann ShurmurMay 10, 2024
Tom Lubnau: What It Takes To Be A Successful Legislator – Thoughts From A Leader
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "In his 2011 address to the Wyoming Legislature, Speaker Pro Tempore Keith Gingery explained the skills it takes to be a good legislator. Keith has graciously given his permission to share these thoughts."
Tom LubnauMay 08, 2024
Candy Moulton: Wyoming Writers – “I Found My Tribe”
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Wyoming's literary landscape is unbelievably rich. It has characters known worldwide like Game Warden Joe Pickett (the creative son of C. J. Box) and Sheriff Walt Longmire, who was given life by Craig Johnson."
Candy MoultonMay 07, 2024
Dave Simpson: These Immigrants Loved This Land
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Here are two families with remarkable stories of hard work, love of country, and determination to succeed. Stories like this are everywhere in a country that from its inception has been the beacon of opportunity."
Dave SimpsonMay 06, 2024
Clair McFarland: Shinnying Through Ugliness With A Hacksaw
Clair McFarland writes: "One dead elm branch swoops out, down and back through the other live branches – like a high wave from the river Styx. It has to go, and I’ve got to chop it off."
Clair McFarlandMay 05, 2024
Rod Miller: A Political Focus Group Around the Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "With the race for Wyoming governor a mere two short years away, dusty drovers sat around the ol’ campfire and pondered their roles as political pundits. 'Hey, I know,' said Sourdough, 'Lets form a focus group an’ help that li’l Secretary of State feller get elected.'"
Rod MillerMay 05, 2024
Joan Barron: Labeling The 2024 Budget Session
Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Government observers and historians have a tendency to label legislative sessions. I think the 2024 budget session could be labeled the 'elites and hillbillies session.'"
Joan BarronMay 04, 2024
Bill Sniffin: Folks In Beautiful Sublette County Got Their Share Of News In April
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Calls to boycott Wyoming tourism have echoed from all corners of the world. Some observers say this could be as bad to the state’s reputation as the murder of Matthew Shepard way back in 1998."
Bill SniffinMay 04, 2024
Dennis Sun: Us Against Them
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "We can only hope there will be a change in administration come November. This administration wants to manage public lands using areas of critical environmental concern, where they manage for a single use, which is not good."
Dennis SunMay 03, 2024
Rod Miller: How I Acquired My Nonpareil Vocabulary
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I grew up around some pretty salty, down-to-earth cowboys out there in the Big Empty. My rustic tutors would whisper, 'Rod, go ask your Mom what %@$&#@ means.' I did this so often, you might conclude that I loved the taste of Lava soap."
Rod MillerMay 03, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: Healthcare Isn't What It Was On TV
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "Gunsmoke’s Doc Adams fixed up folks on TV from 1955 to 1975. Get shot? No problem. Drink a slug of whiskey, bite down on a stick, and voila! the bullet was gone."
Sally Ann ShurmurMay 02, 2024
Tom Lubnau: State Level Political Risks
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Many of our state-level policy makers continue to shoot our state in the foot. The quest for power has gotten in the way of a stable climate necessary to attract outside investment."
Tom LubnauMay 01, 2024
Candy Moulton: Reading the West – "A Sometimes Paradise"
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "I recently read of 'A Sometimes Paradise' by Mark Miller. This is a gritty, poignant account of ranching in Carbon County that reflects the impact Miller’s family had on the land – and how the land itself shaped his life."
Candy MoultonApril 30, 2024
Aaron Turpen: New Car Reliability Sucks. And It’s Getting Worse
Columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "Quality issues with new cars have doubled since 2010. Every automaker has lower reliability now than it did 14 years ago. We can mostly blame technology."
Aaron TurpenApril 29, 2024
Dave Simpson: They 'Don't Want No Zionists Here'
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Next time you see young, spoiled, antisemitic demonstrators on campuses battling police officers, think about President Biden's campaign to forgive college loans (many held by people earning big salaries today) by whatever means necessary."
Dave SimpsonApril 29, 2024
Rod Miller: Experimenting With Political DNA In The Big Empty
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Wyoming Freedom Caucus, or Genetically Modified Republicans (GMRs), as I call ‘em, are the tragic result of a failed experiment in the laboratory of politics."
Rod MillerApril 28, 2024
Joan Barron: "We Want It To Be As Pure As Can Be"
Cowboy State Daily columnist Joan Barron writes, "Does a Wyoming third political party have any chance at all to gain power this election year given the yawning fissures in the state’s dominant Republican party?"
Joan BarronApril 27, 2024
Bill Sniffin: I Own 2 Million Acres Here In Wyoming — And You Do, Too
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “About 90 minutes north of us is the 2,221,766-acre Yellowstone National Park. That is one helluva piece of spectacular real estate. We share that with 4 million other owners each summer.”
Bill SniffinApril 27, 2024
Aaron Turpen: 2024 Nissan Sentra Proves That Sedans Are Still a Great Place To Start
Columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "There aren’t many sedans left on the market today. The Nissan Sentra remains one of the few truly affordable options outside of the subcompact genre."
Aaron TurpenApril 27, 2024
Dennis Sun: Every Day Should Be Earth Day
Guest columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Earth Day should be an everyday occurrence with a positive note. It shouldn’t just be a day to point fingers on an issue most don’t know anything about. Those who live and work on the land realize it is a year-round job ensuring a future for agriculture."
Dennis SunApril 26, 2024
Aaron Turpen: Wyoming Has Fewer Auto Loan Defaults Than Any Other State
Columnist Aaron Turpen writes, "Wyoming has the lowest rate in the country of automotive loans that fall into delinquency at just 1.48%. That compares to a near 13% delinquency in the state of Washington which fares the worst."
Aaron TurpenApril 26, 2024
Tom Lubnau: EPA Increases Wyoming Industry Political Risk, Again
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, ""On Thursday, the EPA announced all coal-fired power plants must be shuttered by 2032, or be converted to gas and shuttered by 2039. But, fossil fuel driven power plants can add carbon sequestration facilities and stay open."
Tom LubnauApril 25, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: His Spirit And His Laugh Will Never Die
Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "He has been my family, my friend, my rock in stormy seas, for 50 years. On Monday, he suffered a stroke, rolled his car, and died. He had survived cancer, heart trouble, joint replacements, and knee surgery while playing for the Pokes."
Sally Ann ShurmurApril 24, 2024
Rod Miller: Mavericks & Illicit Sex Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "Yeah, they got it written in their bylaws or some such. If a cow strays from the herd, it means that their heart’s not in it an’ they lose the right to be called a cow.”
Rod MillerApril 23, 2024
Candy Moulton: Healing Hearts One Wagon Train at a Time
Columnist Candy Moulton writes, "Shawn Herring was 31 years old, a young father, cowboy to the core, when he came into the airborne particles of hantavirus – a deadly respiratory illness. Despite his youth, the virus quickly overtook his body and he died shortly after contracting it."
Candy MoultonApril 23, 2024
Dave Simpson: Going Cold Turkey On TV News
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Pole dancers, ant poison, life insurance. Avoid those three things and your spouse is less likely to kill you. This is according to research I've been doing watching true crime reality TV shows..."
Dave SimpsonApril 22, 2024
Rod Miller: Fun With the Wyoming Public Records Act
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "If a city attorney - authorized and paid by the citizens - can keep secret from those citizens their legal advice to a city in Wyoming – a city authorized and funded by the citizens - that secrecy violates the very first principle of government that our Constitution laid out."
Rod MillerApril 21, 2024
Clair McFarland: Spring Keeps Spawning Neighbors
Clair McFarland writes, "Winter tests your body but spring tests your soul. Especially if you’re an introvert. The Husband has us scheduled for six barbecues and someone signed me up to keep score at little league games."
Clair McFarlandApril 21, 2024
Bill Sniffin: It Took A Miracle To Prevent Killings At Wyoming School 38 Years Ago
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "The perpetrator was the town’s former lawman named David Young. He entered the town’s elementary school with a grocery cart full of guns and gasoline bombs.”
Bill SniffinApril 20, 2024
Dave Simpson: Let Me Get This Straight. The Problem Is US?
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Appearing on Bill Maher last week, Katie Couric said folks like us are driven by 'anti-intellectualism,' and we're jealous of elites like her. This, she theorized, is why so many of us voted for Donald Trump. And not just once, but twice."
Dave SimpsonApril 20, 2024
Dennis Sun: American Beef Is Top-Notch
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "American beef is the best in the world. I’m not bragging. It is proven and supported by worldwide demand for our beef."
Dennis SunApril 19, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: The Greatest Sports Movie And It's Not Even Close
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "If you watch football and you don’t watch this movie, I don’t know what to tell you. If you don’t watch football, first, what is wrong with you and second, you’d still learn something if you watched this movie."
Sally Ann ShurmurApril 18, 2024
Rod Miller: Enough Already – Or – The Final Liberation Of Wyoming’s Political Parties
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "The Weston County contingent is proposing amendments to the Wyoming GOP bylaws that would complete the party’s transition from the legacy Republican Big Tent to a tiny blanket fort with room enough for only diehard fire-breathers who know the password and wear the secret decoding ring."
Rod MillerApril 18, 2024
Tom Lubnau: The Fetterman Battle – Lessons For Our Times
Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "Before one barges in and arrogantly starts telling people how to do things, one must develop an understanding of why things are the way they are."
Tom LubnauApril 17, 2024
Candy Moulton: New Trails and New Stories
New Cowboy State Daily columnist Candy Moulton writes, "These days writing is both my work and my hobby. I tried retiring a couple of times and it didn’t take. So here I am, off on a new trail and a new adventure. I hope you’ll join me as we explore Wyoming and the American West."
Candy MoultonApril 16, 2024
Dave Simpson: Exposed When The Tide Went Out
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "If your lawmakers voted to kill gun-free zones, then voted against a veto session, bring it up next time they come asking for your vote."
Dave SimpsonApril 15, 2024
Rod Miller: Big Iron, Little Hips & Gunplay Around The Ol’ Campfire
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "'Where the hell is my big cookin’ pot?' Cookie brandished a butcherknife at the hands gathered around the ol’ campfire. Latigo Lou from Lingle answered, 'That li’l Secretary of State feller, the one that wants to be governor, he took it down to the creek for target practice.'”
Rod MillerApril 14, 2024
Bill Sniffin: RIP Dave Kellogg, Tall In The Saddle For Good Works In Wyoming
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Dave Kellogg was sitting in his favorite chair looking out the window at those wonderful mountains. When Carol found him, he had a scotch poured but untouched on the table beside him. The only thing missing was 'a damned good cigar.'"
Bill SniffinApril 13, 2024
Rod Miller: A Broncpeeler in Drag
Columnist Rod Miller writes, "I have dressed up as a woman exactly twice in my life. And I didn’t do it to be sexually attractive to anyone, and I didn’t dress in drag to make any sort of a political statement."
Rod MillerApril 12, 2024
Dennis Sun: A Study In Carbon
Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Ranchers in the U.S. are great stewards of the range with their rotational grazing practices, and it has been proved we can raise our income by doing so ... but good rangelands helping with pollution are welcome by most everyone."
Dennis SunApril 12, 2024
Sally Ann Shurmur: On The Eclipse And That Girl — The Sun, The Moon, And One Of One
Columnist Sally Ann Shurmur writes, "The same news guys who told us nightly in 2020 that we were all going to die if we had human contact and didn’t get continuous jabs were now brought to tears by the moon playing hide and seek with the sun."
Sally Ann ShurmurApril 11, 2024