Wyoming Life
News
Big Joe Almost Died In A Mud Hole, Now The Idaho Ranch Horse Is Working Again
Big Joe was just an average working ranch horse until he got stuck in a muddy death trap in an Idaho pasture. He came close to death, but now is back to working on the ranch.
David MadisonDecember 28, 2024
The Year Will End On A Black Moon — Are We All Doomed?
The year will end with a somewhat rare black moon having in the night sky over Wyoming. While that may sound like an ominous warning of impending doom, there’s nothing strange or mysterious about black moons.
Andrew RossiDecember 27, 2024
“Parade” Of Storms Will Dump Snow On Western Wyoming All Weekend
A wave of snowstorms will dump snow on much of western Wyoming this weekend, making travel difficult in towns like Afton and Pinedale. Major highways will experience heavy winds with gusts of up to 80 mph.
Justin GeorgeDecember 27, 2024
What's More Wyoming Than A Christmas Eve Cattle Drive?
The Laramie County Sheriff's Office mounted up to help move 400 cattle to a greener pasture the day before Christmas. It’s a totally Wyoming way to celebrate the season and Western culture of the Cowboy State.
Andrew RossiDecember 26, 2024
Wyoming History: Boy, 11, Sheriff Among 7 Killed In 1903 Fight At Lightning Creek
Called the “last blood-spilling fight” between Indians and white residents in Wyoming, seven were killed in the 1903 fight at Lightning Creek. That includes an 11-year-old boy and an over-zealous Weston County sheriff.
Dale KillingbeckDecember 25, 2024
Wyoming History: Before There Were Bridges, Crossing Rivers Was Dangerous And Deadly
To early pioneers, Wyoming rivers could be the most dangerous adversary they faced. Fording high waters claimed many lives in the early years of the Cowboy State and cut off entire towns from the rest of the world.
Jackie DorothyDecember 25, 2024
Podcast Is All About Stuff That’s Wacky, Wild Or Weird In Wyoming
What do cattle mutilations, a grave robber and a good Samaritan have in common? They are all featured on Dean Petersen’s Wyoming-based podcast, “That Doesn’t Happen Everyday.”
Jackie DorothyDecember 25, 2024
Gigantic Dinosaur Sculpture Made Entirely Of Various Shoulder Blades
Wes Plummer collected shoulders from bison, elk, cattle and many other animals for three years until he had enough to build a prehistoric dinosaur from modern bones. The result is Windee, a giant Stegosaurus outside his business in Kalispell, Montana.
Andrew RossiDecember 25, 2024
Holidays At Four Corners, Montana: Christmas Crack And Gourmet Meat
Not hip enough for a Christmas stroll and about as scenic as a Costco parking lot, Four Corners, Montana, is home to Bozeman’s ugliest building and under-the-radar holiday traditions. But the Christmas Crack is worth the stop.
David MadisonDecember 25, 2024
Popular Version Of “The Little Drummer Boy” Has A Silent Star — The Bighorns
The popular Christian rock duo for King + Country uses Wyoming as the backdrop for the music video of their remake of the Christmas classic “The Little Drummer Boy.” The majesty of the Bighorn Mountains helps make the video magical.
Renée JeanDecember 24, 2024
Green River Man Turns His Home Into Holiday Tribute To All Things Wyoming
Folks in Green River may not know Robert Bostick personally, but they know his house. It’s the one covered in thousands of holiday lights forming the Grand Tetons, life-sized wildlife cutouts and his tribute to all things Wyoming.
Tracie SullivanDecember 24, 2024
Christmas Is Time For First Guns For Many Wyoming Kids
Like in the classic 1983 moving “A Christmas Story,” all many Wyoming kids want for Christmas is their first gun. For some, that’s the legendary Red Ryder BB gun.
Jackie DorothyDecember 24, 2024
Nobody Knows Why Santa Keeps Getting Stuck Dangling Over A Cliff Near Casper
Santa Claus seems to get into trouble along Highway 220 near Casper each Christmas season, left dangling over a cliff. Nobody knows how he gets there, but plenty come out to see Santa hanging on for dear life.
Andrew RossiDecember 24, 2024
Party Like It’s Christmas 1924 At The Kendrick Mansion In Sheridan
The Kendrick Mansion in Sheridan comes to life for the holidays. The setting serves as the backdrop for a day in the life of the Kendricks at Christmas -- an intimate and cozy trip back into time.
Renée JeanDecember 24, 2024
Wyoming Experiencing Referee Shortage; Some Say Fan Abuse To Blame
A referee shortage is causing scheduling issues across Wyoming as high schools have trouble finding referees. Some say poor sportsmanship is making it harder to recruit new referees and keep experienced officials.
David MadisonDecember 23, 2024
There's A Chance For White Christmas Across Wyoming But Don't Count On It
There's a change coming that could start soon enough to carry a taste of winter weather across Wyoming on Christmas Day. But don’t hold your breath waiting for a Norman Rockwell white Christmas, Don Days says.
Andrew RossiDecember 22, 2024
It’s Just Western: Old Cowboy Boots On Fence Posts Can Mean Many Things
It’s a commonly asked question of city folk and Easterners when they visit the great American West. What’s with the cowboy boots on fence posts?
Jake NicholsDecember 22, 2024
Antique Firetrucks Decked Out For Christmas Draw Crowds In Cheyenne
Christmas is all about Santa and firetrucks at the Bartow family home in Cheyenne. His holiday decorations are centered two antique firetrucks -- a 1942 American LaFrance and a 1938 Studebaker.
Renée JeanDecember 22, 2024
Think Beef Wellington Is Too Hard To Make? Think Again, Says Wyoming Chef
There’s a reason Gordon Ramsay’s famous beef Wellington costs $119 dollars per person. it’s a complex dish that marries high-quality ingredients in a visually stunning way. But Wyoming chef Juan Coronado says with a few smart changes, it doesn’t really have to be such a chore.
Renée JeanDecember 22, 2024
What Is That Weird Boulder Dug Up On Historic Wyoming Ranch?
A Wyoming family was surprised to run into a gigantic boulder while digging a trench on the historic Hogg Ranch near Meeteetse. Despite pressure to cut it open, they'll keep the giant rock as a decorative piece.
Jackie DorothyDecember 22, 2024
Montana State’s Touchdown Tommy Leads Wyoming Supporting Cast Into FCS Title Game
Montana State University punched its ticket into the FCS championship game Saturday with a dominating 31-17 win over South Dakota. Quarterback Tommy Mellott, aka Touchdown Tommy, led a supporting cast that includes four Wyoming players.
David MadisonDecember 22, 2024
Tourist Finds Out That Mustang Probably Not Best Choice To Explore Hole-In-The-Wall Wyoming
A tourist from Iowa was so fascinated by the stories of Butch Cassidy and the Hole-in-the-Wall gang that, despite warnings from locals in Thermopolis that he should take a four-wheel-drive, he went out to explore the area in his prized Mustang instead.
Jackie DorothyDecember 22, 2024
Hard To Imagine Now, But High Schools Used To Have Smoking Areas
It's hard to imagine now, but high schools across the country used to have designated smoking ares for students who liked to light up. At Cheyenne's East High, that was the courtyard outside the cafeteria.
David MadisonDecember 21, 2024
Wyoming History: That Time In 1929 When Santa Saved Greybull With Dynamite Bombs
History says Santa saved Greybull from a devastating flood when he tossed dynamite bombs out an airplane. That was George Scott, who bomb an ice jam that threatened to wash Greybull off the map. He would go on to be the town’s Santa for years.
Jackie DorothyDecember 21, 2024
Cody Native Living Dream As Notre Dame Makes Run For College Football Title
Cody native Luke Talich was on the field Friday as Notre Dame beat Indiana to advance in the College Football Playoffs. He told Cowboy State Daily that the playoffs are another chapter of an incredible season for the walk-on from Wyoming.
Leo WolfsonDecember 21, 2024
How A Loan Shark Enforcer Found His Calling As A Wyoming Biker Pastor
A former loan shark and enforcer who goes by the handle “Velcro” has a lot in common with the people he ministers to. The Cheyenne biker has found his calling helping prisoners find safe homes once they’re released from prison.
Jen KocherDecember 21, 2024
Saturday Is The Darkest Day Of The Year -- Especially If You Live Up North
Saturday is the shortest day of the year, but that’s relative to where you are in Wyoming. Folks in the northern reaches, like Sheridan, will have more than 30 minutes less sunlight than those in Cheyenne, Rock Springs or Pine Bluffs.
Andrew RossiDecember 20, 2024
Fueled By Wyoming Talent, Montana State Guns For National FCS Championship
If undefeated Montana State University wins a national FCS title this season, it will have Wyoming fingerprints all over it. The Bobcats feature a host of former Wyoming high school players and are coached by a longtime UW assistant.
David MadisonDecember 20, 2024
Locals Shellshocked After Historic Wyoming Union Pacific Water Tower Torn Down
A historic water tower along the Union Pacific line near the Wyoming-Colorado state line was a local landmark for about 80 years. Now it’s gone, torn down Tuesday without notice or discussion, leaving locals and railroad buffs shellshocked.
Andrew RossiDecember 19, 2024
A Denver Broncos-Buffalo Bills Playoff Game Could Test Wyoming’s Football Loyalties
The Buffalo Bills drafting Josh Allen in 2018 — and not the Denver Broncos — has split Wyoming’s die-hard Broncos fan base. Wyoming has adopted Allen and the Bills, and that loyalty to the Orange and Blue could be tested if the teams meet in the playoffs.
Justin GeorgeDecember 19, 2024
Report That Wyoming Lost Winter Days To Climate Change Is Misleading, Says Don Day
A non-profit environmental group's claim that Wyoming has lost two days of winter because of climate change is misleading and incorrect, says Wyoming meteorologist Don Day. “I almost laughed when I saw that,” Day told Cowboy State Daily.
Andrew RossiDecember 18, 2024
Did Nirvana’s Rise As Grunge Rock Royalty Begin With A Wyoming Garage Band?
The early 1970s was a heyday for Wyoming garage bands. Legend has it that a band from Casper went to Seattle and inspired Kurt Cobain to start the 1990s grunge rock movement.
Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2024
Santa Also Delivers Official Mail Through Wyoming With The Pony Express
Santa Claus spent part of Saturday delivering Christmas cards from Green River to Rock Springs, Wyoming. The Jolly Old Elf was an honorary Pony Express rider, delivering official U.S. mail.
Dale KillingbeckDecember 16, 2024
Wyoming History: It’s Been More Than A Century Since Marines Invaded Teapot Dome
It was August 1922, when five armed U.S. Marines arrived at Wyoming well in the Navy’s oil reserve at Teapot Dome. It was part of the first act in what remains one of the most sensational scandals in American history.
Dale KillingbeckDecember 15, 2024
Tiny Box In Southern Wyoming Can Detect Earthquakes Around The World
A new seismograph technology has positioned a tiny box in southern Wyoming capable of monitoring earthquakes around the world. It's expected to reveal answers to mysterious smaller quakes in the region.
Andrew RossiDecember 15, 2024
Much Of Wyoming May Be Safe If US Is Nuked, But Cheyenne Likely To Be Vaporized
A FEMA map showing the best places in the U.S. to survive a nuclear attack shows much of Wyoming clear. Cheyenne and surrounding areas, however, will likely be immediately annihilated.
Mark HeinzDecember 15, 2024
Douglas “Frost Artist” Creates Intricate Snowscapes On Wyoming Storefronts
Moving to Wyoming has inspired Douglas resident Dan Downs to return to doing his “frost art.” Now he creates intricate snowscapes and winter scenes on storefronts.
Andrew RossiDecember 15, 2024
Discovery In Wyoming Weed Field Started Vintage Collection Of Restored Gas Pumps
A Worland, Wyoming, man is obsessed with antique gas pumps, finding them and restoring them to their former glory — or better. The obsession began 15 years ago when he found a rusted old pump in a field of weeds.
Jackie DorothyDecember 15, 2024
Luke Bell’s Inspiring, And Devastating, Story Part Of Wyoming PBS Series
Luke Bell of Cody, Wyoming, was a rising country music star when his career and life were cut short with his unexpected death in 2022. Bell’s family shares his inspiring, and devastating, story in a recent installment of a Wyoming PBS series.
Amber SteinmetzDecember 15, 2024
Willie LeClair: Eastern Shoshone Spiritual Leader, Teacher And Storyteller
Eastern Shoshone tribe member Willie LeClair walked dual worlds as a cowboy and an American Indian in Wyoming. His legacy is as a spiritual leader, storyteller and teacher who also had a “wicked sense of humor.”
Jackie DorothyDecember 15, 2024
UW Fellowship Honors Phil Roberts, Who Taught Wyoming History To Thousands
Nobody knows Wyoming like Phil Roberts, the University of Wyoming professor emeritus who literally wrote the book on Cowboy State history. A new UW fellowship has been named for Roberts, who taught tens of thousands of students over the years.
Jackie DorothyDecember 15, 2024
Wyoming Dinosaurs Sold For $15 Million In Europe, But How Legitimate Are They?
Collectors might want to beware when bidding on dinosaurs at auction houses. A recent trio of Wyoming dinosaurs sold for more than $15 million at an auction in London, but how much of the dinosaur skeletons are legitimate vs 3D printed material?
Andrew RossiDecember 14, 2024
Wyoming History: That Time In 1907 A Cow Ate 19 Sticks Of Dynamite And Exploded
It was 1907 when a cow wandered onto a mining claim in Birdseye, Wyoming, ate 19 sticks of dynamite and exploded. "What hurts is that we had to pay $45 for the cow," lamented the owner.
Jackie DorothyDecember 14, 2024
Wyoming License Plate Collector Makes “Holy Grail” Find
Collin Townsend has spent 12 years collecting a complete run of license plates from Weston County. His latest acquisition is a “Holy Grail” find — a rare 1945 plate with its original wartime wrapper.
Andrew RossiDecember 14, 2024
Behind The Release Of The New Chris LeDoux Song
Before it could be transformed into a father-son duet, the original recording of a never-released Chris LeDoux song sat in storage for 20 years. Then the one copy of the song survived a FedEx trip from Utah to Tennessee and a technology disaster.
Clair McFarlandDecember 14, 2024
Rocky’s Siberian Training Site In “Rocky IV” Was Really In Wyoming
That time Rocky trained outdoors in the snowy desolate mountains of Siberia to beat Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV”? It was filmed 39 years ago in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The training montage is one of the best in the Rocky series.
Jake NicholsDecember 14, 2024
Storm To Dump On Western Wyoming Mountains, Could Make Travel “Impossible”
A winter storm will dump 1-2 feet of snow, or more, on Wyoming’s western mountains this weekend. That could make travel “difficult to impossible,” the National Weather Service warns.
Andrew RossiDecember 13, 2024
Powell Saddle Bronc Rider Brody Wells On A Tear At National Finals Rodeo
Powell, Wyoming, saddle bronc competitor Brody Wells has been on a tear at the National Finals Rodeo this week, including a massive 90-point ride. He’s placed four times and has earned nearly $90,000 so far.
Leo WolfsonDecember 13, 2024
Wyoming "Blue" Christmas Services Happening For People In Holiday Misery
Some Wyoming churches are hosting “Blue” Christmas services for people dealing with grief and sadness. Sometimes pretending to exude joy in December is almost as heavy as the weight of grief itself, one reverend explained.
Clair McFarlandDecember 10, 2024
Wyoming Forest Rangers And Hotshots Spread Cheer With “Charlie Brown” Trees
U.S. Forest Service Rangers and Hotshot firefighters in Greybull, Wyoming, cut Christmas trees to donate around Big Horn County this past weekend. The “Charlie Brown” trees are lighting up homes and offices for the season.
Jackie DorothyDecember 09, 2024
Storm To Bring Up To 9 Inches Of Snow, 50 MPH Winds Across Parts Of Wyoming
A winter storm is expected to bring up to 9 inches of snow and 50 mph winds across northeast Wyoming through Wednesday morning. Cold continues to settle in across the rest of the state, with snow flying in the higher elevations.
Andrew RossiDecember 09, 2024
Casper Fireman Is Wyoming’s Pinball Wizard Who Has Spent 20 Years Restoring Vintage Games
Patrick Stafford of Casper is Wyoming’s Pinball Wizard. He’s spent 20 years repairing and restoring pinball machines and other vintage arcade games in his garage. He says his wife is the "most understanding woman of all-time."
Amber SteinmetzDecember 08, 2024
What The Heck … Are Those Giant Snowballs That Seem To Roll Themselves?
Those giant snowballs that seem to roll themselves are a rare weather phenomenon called snow rollers, meteorologist Don Day says. Basically, wind and gravity roll them up the same way you would when making a snowman.
Greg JohnsonDecember 07, 2024
Tiny Bone Needles From Wyoming’s La Prele Site A Prehistoric Breakthrough
Archaeologists say Wyoming’s La Prele Mammoth site near Douglas has given up another big prehistoric find. They say the discovery of early 13,000-year-old tiny bone needles could help rewrite the history of early man.
Renée JeanDecember 07, 2024
LA To NY: Buddies On A Mission To Skateboard 3,000 Miles Across America
What started as a spur-of-the-moment trip for two friends to skateboard across the U.S. has turned into an effort to raise money to buy 1,000 skateboards for low-income children. They say skateboarding kept them out of trouble so they want to pass it forward.
Sydnee ChapmanDecember 07, 2024
Minerals Mystery: It’s Been 70 Years Since King Coal And The Silver Queen Vanished
In the late 1800s, Colorado mining magnates built a temple to the coal and silver that made them rich — the Mineral Palace. Inside was home to a 16-foot King Coal statue and an 18-foot Silver Queen statue. They vanished 70 years ago and haven't been seen since.
Justin GeorgeDecember 07, 2024
Rawlins Boot-Waving Motorcycle Crash Survivor Marvels At Second Chance
With a motorcycle on top of him and trapped in a culvert, Phil Bollinger could only wave his boot into the air for help. Hours later someone finally spotted him, and although a severed artery nearly killed him, his survival has given him a positive outlook on life -- even when he got his car stolen in Denver last week.
Clair McFarlandDecember 07, 2024
Why It's Against The Law To Decorate Your Vehicle With Christmas Lights
Although you may be tempted to string thousands of Christmas lights on your car to show off your holiday glee, it's against the law. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says it would even ticket Santa.
Renée JeanDecember 07, 2024
Yippie-Ki-Yay! Cody Gun Range Offers Holiday “Die Hard” Experience
For those who think “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie, a gun range in Cody will let you shoot the weapons Bruce Willis uses in the classic action film. Yippie-Ki-Yay!
Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024
One More Rodeo: Unheard Chris LeDoux Song Released As Duet With Son
Wyoming country music star Chris LeDoux recorded a song before his 2005 death that had gone unheard for two decades. On Wednesday, "One Hand in the Riggin'" was released as a duet with LeDoux's son, Ned.
Clair McFarlandDecember 04, 2024
"Longmire's" Long Run On Netflix To End, Craig Johnson Wants A Network Revival
Netflix will stop its long run of the hit Western "Longmire" at the end of the month. Although it's alread been picked up by Paramount+, Wyoming author Craig Johnson hopes for a network TV revival of the series.
Renée JeanDecember 04, 2024
Retired Wyoming Professor Completely Surprised He Was A "Jeopardy!" Answer
Retired University of Wyoming archeology professor Robert Kelly doesn't watch TV, but his siblings do. He said he was completely surprised on Thanksgiving when he started getting texts telling him he was an answer on "Jeopardy!"
Mark HeinzDecember 03, 2024
“Larger Than Life”: Former UW Football Coach Dana Dimel Dies At 62
Former University of Wyoming football coach Dana Dimel was a popular figure while coaching the Pokes from 1997-1999. He died Tuesday at the age of 62.
Leo WolfsonDecember 03, 2024
Wyoming Starts December Warmer Than Normal, But Expect Snow By Christmas
Temperatures will be between 10 and 15 degrees above average this first week of December in Wyoming. But that doesn’t mean a white Christmas isn’t on the way. Don Day says there’s a good chance for snow then.
Andrew RossiDecember 02, 2024
Yellowstone Outlaw E.C. Waters Ripped Off Rich Visitors, Ran A Zoo Of Horrors
One of Wyoming’s most notorious and ruthless outlaws was E.C. Waters, who fleeced rich Yellowstone visitors and abused animals. At one point, the animals in his Dot Island “zoo” were so hungry they were eating each other.
Greg JohnsonDecember 01, 2024
16-Year-Old Montana Bareback Champ Azreal Lara To Defend Title At Junior World Finals
Azreal “Bad Azz” Lara is ready to defend his 2023 Junior World Finals Bareback Championship this coming week in Las Vegas. The Montana 16-year-old has a simple secret to great 8-second rides: “I don’t like getting bucked off.”
Anna-Louise Jackson for Cowboy State DailyDecember 01, 2024
That Time Boaters Famously Rode The Dangerous Wind River Rapids In Rowboats
From 1948 to 1951, the Wind River Canyon White Water race was the most dangerous — and famous — river race in America. The Wyoming Memorial Day event featured racers navigating the rapids and rocks in rowboats.
Jackie DorothyDecember 01, 2024
Legacy Of 1920s Wyoming Park Rancher: Mountain Peaks, Red Desert Elk Herds, Mountain Man Museum
With his intimate knowledge of Wyoming trails, Jim Harrower lobbied to protect the Oregon Trail, immigrant graves and South Pass City. He helped found the Rendezvous pageant and the Museum of the Mountain Man, both in Pinedale.
Jackie DorothyDecember 01, 2024
Man Spends 30 Years Photographing Wyoming’s Disappearing Ranches
Larry Friedman began taking photos of the Sweetwater County homesteads he was visiting as a Wyoming veterinarian in 1977. For the next 30 years, he recorded a disappearing era, including the Sweeney family ranch in southwest Wyoming.
Jackie DorothyDecember 01, 2024
Why Duke University's Lemur Center Travels To Wyoming Every Summer
Scientists from the Duke Lemur Center at Duke University come out to Wyoming every summer to find fossils from the earliest ancestors of modern-day lemurs and primates. They say the Bridger Basin is the Madagascar of the Eocene Period.
Andrew RossiDecember 01, 2024
Pinedale Man A Producer For New Nazi Spy Movie “Bonhoeffer”
Pinedale resident John Scanlon's 12-year project as a producer in the new movie “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin." was released this past weekend and enjoys a soaring 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The historical thriller tells the story of a pastor who stood up to the Nazis during the Third Reich.
Dale KillingbeckDecember 01, 2024
Wyoming Cowboys Take Down Cougars With Late Score, 15-14
The Wyoming Cowboys used a 14-play 90-yard drive for the go-ahead touchdown with 24 seconds left to defeat Washington State inside Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash, on Saturday evening in the season finale for the Cowboys.
Nick Seeman & University of WyomingDecember 01, 2024