Wyoming Life | Cowboy State Daily

Courtney Hampleman found solace in speaking to her deceased loved ones on the Wind Phone in a downtown Gillette park. It's the first of its kind in Wyoming.

Wyoming's First 'Wind Phone' Helps Gillette Residents With Grief Of Losing A Loved One

People grieve in different ways. One Gillette therapist installed a "Wind Phone" in a park to allow a person to pick up the receiver, dial a number or not, and speak freely to a loved one to share memories or grief without judgment. "I felt at peace," one woman said.

Jen KocherMarch 15, 2026

Two golf buddies from Sheridan, Wyoming, couldn’t score a tee time at the hottest public golf course in America — in rural Nebraska. Then a lottery selection for a new tournament became their golden ticket.

Toughest Place To Book A Tee Time In The U.S. Is Golf Course In Rural Nebraska 

The Landmand Golf Course in Nebraska is called the toughest place to get a tee time in the U.S., booking all 11,000 of its tee times in 45 minutes. Two Sheridan golfers were locked out but were selected in a lottery to represent Wyoming in an August tournament.

David MadisonMarch 15, 2026

The Ten Sleep Public Library in Washakie County may be small, but it's filling huge roles in this tiny town in northcentral Wyoming. Yes, it's filled with books, but it's also the town's community center, tech center, and public health clinic.

The Ten Sleep Library, Where You Can Check Out A Book — And See Your Doctor

The Ten Sleep Public Library has received the nation's highest honor for museums and libraries that make exceptional contributions to their communities. The latest achievement is in tele-health where private medical consultations can be had in the library.

Jackie DorothyMarch 14, 2026

It’s not spring in Wyoming until the cheerful yellow barrel named Bob in the middle of Fremont Lake breaks through the ice. Guessing when stuff breaks through the ice is a Pinedale tradition that goes back at least 85 years.

Oh No! Pinedale Cancels Bob The Barrel Due To Lack Of Ice

Another casualty of Wyoming’s warmest winter on record is Pinedale’s renowned Bob the Barrel. People buy tickets to place their bets on the date and time Bob will break through the ice and float to shore. This year, Bob is stranded as there's no ice to break.

Andrew RossiMarch 14, 2026

Casper artist Chris Navarro’s latest commissioned work honoring the military will be unveiled on Sept. 11 at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville, Wyoming. It's a deeply personal sculpture for the son and brother of a military family.

'Fallen Comrade': Chris Navarro’s Tribute To Military To Be Unveiled Sept. 11

Casper artist Chris Navarro’s latest work honoring the military will be unveiled on Sept. 11 at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville. He said it's a deeply personal sculpture for him as the son and brother of military veterans.

Dale KillingbeckMarch 14, 2026

A fourth crock — a near twin to a crock that sold in January for $32,000, will be auctioned off in April by Ken Bramer, pictured here with his wife Sherry and their pooch Abby.

After News Of 91-Year-Old Getting $32,000 For Crock, Man Finds He Has Identical One

After a 91-year-old Nebraska grandma received $32,000 for a crock that she thought was worth $20, a man in South Dakota discovered he has an identical crock. Much like the grandma, he's putting his crock up for auction at the same Nebraska auction house.

David MadisonMarch 14, 2026

For 23 years, Casper Fire-EMS Capt. Brian Dixon has been a hero fighting for others. Now he's taking that same aggressive attitude in the fight of his life with cancer: “Let’s crush it."

Casper Firefighter’s Battle With Cancer Shows Just How Dangerous The Job Is

Casper Fire-EMS Capt. Brian Dixon's diagnosis of lymphoma is the latest in a line of Casper firefighters diagnosed with cancer, the number one killer of firefighters. His colleagues say Dixon is a "man's man" and a "hero" but feel "overwhelming sadness."

Zakary SonntagMarch 14, 2026

Cheyenne Hitching Post's Michael DeGreve Plans Virtual Comeback

Michael DeGreve, the longtime musician in residence at Cheyenne’s former Hitching Post Inn, will launch a YouTube livestream recreating his old set. The singer, who is battling cancer, will take real‑time requests and revive his signature toast.

Zakary SonntagMarch 13, 2026

Tree toppled by record-breaking winds in Cheyenne on Thursday

Holy Cow: Hundreds Of Trees Downed Across Cheyenne Due To Windstorm

Cheyenne Urban Forestry's Mark Ellison says hundreds of trees were downed as a result of the record-breaking windstorm on Thursday. Arborists say shallow roots, softened soil from recent moisture, and skirted trimming made the trees more vulnerable.

Kate MeadowsMarch 13, 2026

A crew with The Tree Feller in Cheyenne works to remove this large tree that was blown onto a house during a record-setting windstorm on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

For The Record Books: Highest Wind Speed Ever At Cheyenne Airport, 14,000 Lost Power

Thursday’s windstorm was one for the record books with the highest wind speed ever recorded at the Cheyenne airport. Although 14,000 people lost power, it was restored quickly by linemen who dangled from cherry-pickers in the record-breaking winds.

Greg JohnsonMarch 13, 2026

Self-taught storm chaser Dan Fitts has spent three decades pursuing supercells across the High Plains, armed with a storm-scarred F-150 and a hail-proof NASCAR windshield. This week, he walked into 98-mile-an-hour winds near Chugwater.

Wyoming’s Leading Storm Chaser Is A Nebraska Farmer Known As “The Ice Man”

Thursday was a big day for storm chaser Dan Fitts , who clocked winds of 98.4 mph near Chugwater. Fitts has spent three decades pursuing supercells across the High Plains, armed with a storm-scarred F-150 and a hail-proof NASCAR windshield.

David MadisonMarch 13, 2026

The cover of the new history book, “Cowboy Soldiers,” which chronicles the Wyoming National Guard from 1870 to 1945.

Wyoming National Guard: The First 75 Years For The 'Cowboy Soldiers' Of The Cowboy State

A new 470-page history book, “Cowboy Soldiers,” has been released chronicling the Wyoming National Guard’s evolution from 1870-1945, even as today’s Guard members make history with recent combat missions in Syria.

Dale KillingbeckMarch 12, 2026

A prolonged, significant high wind event is predicted for southeastern Wyoming with gusts up 100 mph between Wednesday evening and Saturday especially along the problematic spots on I-80 and I-25.

No Joke: 100 MPH Winds Forecast For Southeastern Wyoming This Week

A "prolonged, significant high wind event" is predicted for southeastern Wyoming between Wednesday and Saturday with gusts up 100 mph — especially along problematic spots on I-80 and I-25. “The winds are going to howl,” said meteorologist Don Day.

Andrew RossiMarch 10, 2026

World Championship Hill Climb Canceled in Jackson Hole Due To No Snow

The World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb in Jackson Hole has been canceled because of a lack of snow for just the third time in its 50-plus-year history. “Despite our best efforts, the snow conditions simply do not allow” for it, the organizer said.

Kate MeadowsMarch 09, 2026

Puppies for sale John Norman via Alamy 3 8 26

Why Colorado Is Considering Ban On Selling Dogs And Cats In Pet Stores

Colorado lawmakers are considering a ban on pet stores selling dogs and cats. Supporters say it will help shut down puppy mills. Critics argue that the bill would push sales underground, creating an unregulated market of puppies and scams.

Kate MeadowsMarch 08, 2026

A Triceratops named “Trey” has been a popular exhibit at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis for 30 years. Now it’s hit the auction block, and could sell for up to $5.5 million. Some worry Wyoming’s dinosaurs could disappear “with one phone call."

After 30 Years in Wyoming Museum, Triceratops To Be Auctioned; Could Fetch $5.5M

A Triceratops named “Trey” has been a popular exhibit at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis for 30 years. Now on the auction block, it has a pre-sale estimate of $5.5 million. Some worry Wyoming’s dinosaurs could disappear “with one phone call."

Andrew RossiMarch 08, 2026

C.J. Box pauses book signing for a moment to watch Dianne Stoutenburg as she pulls more books out of a grocery bag.

C.J. Box Bombarded By Huge Cheyenne Crowd, Including Fan Who Brought 30 Books

Wyoming author C.J. Box drew a huge crowd in Cheyenne for his new Joe Pickett book, “The Crossroads," which debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list — Box’s sixth in a row. One fan brought 30 books, the most he's signed for a fan in one sitting.

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

"Bury Him": Wyoming Marine Veteran Still Haunted By The Marine Left Behind In Vietnam

It’s been nearly 60 years since Doug Chamberlain, a Marine veteran and later Wyoming legislator, came home from Vietnam. The war changed him, and he’s still haunted by the Marine he was ordered to leave behind. “It betrayed everything,” he said.

Zakary SonntagMarch 08, 2026

Cowboys on the range. A group of men sitting in front of a cook's tent in the late 1800s.

Dangerous, Dirty And Deadly: Real Jobs Of The Wild West

Frontier cowboys, coal miners, buffalo hunters, prostitutes, saloon keepers and lawmen did dangerous, dirty work in the frontier West. Dynamite, disease, stampedes and shootouts made death an everyday occupational hazard.

Renée JeanMarch 08, 2026

Tom Vernon was convicted of wrecking passenger trains near Cheyenne and Los Angeles, then robbing them in 1929. He also liked to tell tall tales, claiming he rode with Buffalo Bill, was the son of Cattle Kate and fought the Chinese in the Boxer Rebellion.

Wyoming History: Tom Vernon, The Man Who Wrecked Trains In Order To Rob Them

Tom Vernon wrecked at least two trains to rob passengers, used a number of aliases during his lifetime and spun tall tales so convincingly that newspapers across the country published them as if they were true. Most were not.

Dale KillingbeckMarch 07, 2026

Sam Harris, a Wyoming photographer and Army veteran, finds beauty in abandoned places, like the ghost town of Sage. His haunting photos capture history’s abandoned remnants while he enjoys the solitude.

Sam Harris: The Ghost Town Photographer Of Southwestern Wyoming

Sam Harris, a Wyoming photographer and Army veteran, finds beauty in abandoned places, like the ghost town of Sage. In Harris’ own words, the town was “born in the dust of 1881 when the Oregon Short Line laid its iron spine across the valley.”

Kate MeadowsMarch 07, 2026

Hope and Raleigh Henderson cuddle with their latest additions to their family.

Big Babies! Evanston Couple’s Twins Weigh In At More Than 18 Pounds

An Evanston couple is celebrating the latest additions to their family — fraternal twins who together weighed more than 18 pounds. The big babies were brought into the world naturally by 82-year-old midwife Chris Miller who has more than 4,000 babies to her credit.

Dale KillingbeckMarch 07, 2026

Anna-Louise Jackson (far right) getting chased by a shark in "Sharktana." This is a test photo of the shark effects the studio is working on.

What It’s Like To Get Killed By A Shark On A Montana Movie Set

Cowboy State Daily's Anna Jackson joined the cast of “Sharktana,” a shark horror-comedy filmed in snowy Montana, and landed a role as a shark victim. "My request to be killed by a shark had been noted. I was officially on the kill list," she writes.

Anna-Louise JacksonMarch 07, 2026

Retired UW Math Professor Celebrates 92nd Birthday Skiing At Snowy Range

Retired University of Wyoming math professor John Rowland isn't slowing down. In fact, for his 92nd birthday, he strapped on his skis and headed down the runs at Snowy Range. Now in his 88th year of skiing, Rowland says he sticks mainly to the blue runs.

Dale KillingbeckMarch 06, 2026

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