Wyoming Life
News

Riverton’s Soldier’s House A Headquarters Of Help For Veterans
A renovated farmhouse at a Riverton intersection began with a desire to serve those who served their country. The Soldier’s House of Fremont County has grown into a headquarters of help for veterans, serving those who served their country.
Dale KillingbeckMay 25, 2026

Rejected By Herd, Newborn Bison Named Koa Rescued By Family At Wyoming Ranch
After rejected by mom and tossed aside by a jealous bull, a newborn bison named Koa found an unlikely family at a Wyoming ranch, where rescuers work around the clock to keep the tiny bison alive. “Koa has a very strong spirit,” said one of her rescuers.
Kate MeadowsMay 24, 2026

Cheyenne Green Beret Chopper Pilot Had Eye Shot Out — And Completed His Mission
Jerry Montoya was a Green Beret chopper pilot when he took seven bullets and had his eye shot out while in the air, but it didn’t stop him from completing his mission. “I flew for another 14 years as a one-eyed pilot,” said Montoya, now 85.
Dale KillingbeckMay 24, 2026

Judge Andre Rudolph Grew Up In Cheyenne To Become A Superhero From The Bench
Judge Andre Rudolph grew up in Cheyenne, played running back for UW and once ran down a defendant to earn the nickname “Batman.” Before his sudden death last week, he also changed the lives of lawbreakers willing to take his help and accountability.
Zakary SonntagMay 24, 2026

Watch, Wait, Worry: When You’re Stuck On I-80 During A Blizzard In Wyoming
Hundreds of people spent more than 15 hours on I-80 during a blizzard in south central Wyoming last week. All they could do was watch, wait and worry while rationing food and watching the fuel gauge. “That’s never happened to me before,” said a veteran trucker.
Andrew RossiMay 24, 2026

‘I Was Dead’: How Eagle-Eyed Cops Saved Woman And Toddler From A Human Trafficker
Beaten and turned out to turn tricks, she was on track for a violent death when eagle-eyed cops recognized she was being trafficked. “People think it doesn’t happen in rural states like Wyoming, but it does,” trafficking experts say.
Jen KocherMay 24, 2026

Forget Slicing Up Tags, Most Thieves Will Just Steal Whole Wyoming License Plate
Some people still swear by slicing up your license plate tags to keep people from peeling them off, but it may not be necessary. Most thieves now are more likely to just “steal your whole dang Wyoming license plate,” said one Cheyenne mechanic.
Andrew RossiMay 24, 2026

Worland Champion For WWII Japanese Americans Comes Home For Final Time
Grant Ujifusa won a championship as quarterback for the Worland High football team, was a Harvard grad, book editor, and a champion for WWII Japanese Americans, earning a knighthood from Japan. He died in 2024, and will come home for the final time in June to be buried.
Dale KillingbeckMay 23, 2026

After Losing Leg To Cancer, Evanston Teen Dreams Of Being Elite Athlete
An Evanston High School junior who lost a leg to cancer at age 9 is racing toward a goal to represent the United States in the Paralympic Games. “I just decided to amputate my leg so I could run again," said Kutler Hill.
Dale KillingbeckMay 23, 2026

What The Heck … Is That Squatty 'Star Wars'-Looking Building In Wheatland?
In south Wheatland, there's a squatty dome with peeling stucco that looks like a run-down version of Luke Skywalker’s home in “Star Wars.” The building’s owner says people want him to knock it down, but he refuses, saying it just needs a little love.
Kolby FedoreMay 23, 2026

Did You Know? Casper's Merrily Johnson Is America's "Clown Of The Year"
Earlier this year, Casper's Merrily Johnson's 30-year dedication to being a professional clown was recognized with the community’s highest honor when she stood in Nashville to accept the award for “Clown of the Year.”
Zakary SonntagMay 23, 2026

Wyoming’s Mountain Monks: Simple Men Of Faith Go High-Tech To Build A Gothic Monastery
Wyoming’s Carmelite mountain monks are using computers, heavy machinery and robots to build a massive Gothic monastery in the mountains of the Bighorn Basin. It’s a stark contrast to the simple lives of faith these men live making coffee and raising cattle.
Jackie DorothyMay 23, 2026

Why 54-Million-Year-Old Owl Vomit Found In Bighorn Basin Is A Big Deal
A team of paleontologists that analyzed a 54-million-year-old fossilized chunk of owl vomit have learned that owls, famous for being nocturnal hunters, didn’t use to be. Owls ate lizards during the day, not rodents at night as they do now.
Andrew RossiMay 23, 2026

Remembering Steve Price: Wyoming Cowboy, Auctioneer And Money-Raising ‘Legend'
Steve Price was a real Wyoming cowboy, auctioneer, and a “legend” raising money for Cheyenne people and causes. “I don’t know anybody who wasn’t his friend,” a fellow auctioneer said about Price after his death earlier this month.
Dale KillingbeckMay 21, 2026

Storm Brings Up To 2 Inches Of Water, But Not Close To Busting Wyoming’s Drought
Parts of Wyoming got up to 2 inches of water from this week’s storm that shut down I-80 and Rawlins for more than a day. But it wasn’t a drought-buster. “Getting rid of a drought is like eating an elephant — one bite at a time,” said meteorologist Don Day.
Andrew RossiMay 21, 2026

Devastating Fire May Not Be End For Historic 134-Year-Old Cheyenne Pumphouse
A weekend fire that gutted Cheyenne’s Historic Pumphouse may not be the end for the run-down 134-year-old building that, as recently as six months ago, was set for demolition. “We’ve really tried hard not to be the council to tear it down,” says the mayor.
Greg JohnsonMay 20, 2026

Rawlins Slowly Reopens After 36 Hours With No Power & Stranded Motorists On I-80
It took at 36 hours, but most of Rawlins had power restored Tuesday as a fast and furious spring snowstorm wreaked havoc in southcentral Wyoming. The Carbon County Sheriff's Office spent the day rescuing residents and helping snow-stranded drivers.
Andrew RossiMay 19, 2026

Hooray! Big Bearded Man Climbs Into Sheridan Storm Drain To Save Ducklings
After a mama duck panicked when her ducklings fell into a Sheridan storm drain this past weekend, a big bearded hero climbed in to get them. A woman who watched the rescue says it restored a little of her faith in humanity.
Kolby FedoreMay 19, 2026

Yoder 18-Year-Old Breakaway Roper To Compete For Historic $2 Million Payout
Yoder breakaway roper Hadley Thompson, 18, could make history this weekend as the first to earn $2 million with one throw of a rope. “It’s life-changing money,” competitors in the American Rodeo say about the huge payout for beating the best in the world.
Julie MankinMay 19, 2026

Motorists Stuck On I-80 Overnight As Snowstorm Shuts Down Southern Wyoming
A snowstorm shut down more than 200 miles of I-80 on Monday leaving motorists stranded for hours — some overnight — while killing power in Rawlins. “I figured I was going to be here until tomorrow morning,” said one trucker after 11 hours of waiting.
Andrew RossiMay 19, 2026

Snowstorm Shuts Down Southern Wyoming, Motorists Stranded On I-80 For Hours
Parts of southern Wyoming are shut down Monday by a snowstorm that’s closed Interstate 80, took out power grids, and stranded motorists for hours. In Centennial, residents report more than 24 inches of snow have fallen.
Andrew Rossi & Jimmy OrrMay 18, 2026

Coroner Says Mystery Urn Left At Cheyenne Park Is More Common Than People Think
When a large, purple urn suddenly appeared at Holliday Park in Cheyenne, people had a lot of questions about whose cremains were inside and why they were left there. That happens "more often than people may realize,” the Laramie County coroner said.
Kolby FedoreMay 17, 2026

Wyoming History: In Ghost Town Of Battle, Miners And Sheep Men Hated Each Other
Now a ghost town, Battle in the rugged Wyoming Sierra Madres lived up to its name, where miners and sheepherders hated each other. “The raucous music of its honky-tonks was interrupted more than once by a miner-herder foray,” historians wrote.
Jackie DorothyMay 17, 2026

Amputee Shows His Love For Wyoming With $68,000 Brown-And-Gold Bucking Horse Leg
Thor Stephenson Jr. thought he was going to die after a shotgun blast destroyed his leg during a pheasant hunt in 2013. Not so. He still hunts, fishes and hikes on a custom brown and gold Bucking Horse prosthetic he says symbolizes being cowboy tough.
Kolby FedoreMay 17, 2026
