Wyoming Life

Thermopolis residents Matthew and Lindy Be Hughes rent a vacation home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. They were there on Sunday when the city exploded in violence; vengeful drug cartel gangsters went on a rampage after the government killed their leader.

Wyoming Couple Weathers Chaos In Puerto Vallarta, Has No Plans To Leave

A Thermopolis couple who rent a vacation home in Puerto Vallarta is doing fine after cartel violence rocked the city. “Sunday was a day from hell. We didn’t know what was going on," Lindy Be Hughes told Cowboy State Daily. The couple has no plans to leave.

Mark HeinzFebruary 24, 2026

"The Next 6-8 Weeks Are Critical": Meteorologists See Hope For More Winter Weather

With less than a month left in the winter season, Wyoming is getting some much-needed snow in the mountains. Meteorologists believe there are encouraging signs for continued snowfall. "The next six to eight weeks are absolutely critical," Don Day said.

Andrew RossiFebruary 24, 2026

Dorothy Pontillo of Cheyenne had just turned a year old when she was diagnosed with cancer. The tumor had been lurking undetected in her body since conception, and it took months of treatment to remove the cancer.

Victory: Cheyenne Toddler Born With Cancer Spent First 18 Months Fighting For Life

Born with cancer, toddler Dorothy Pontillo suffered months of pain before an MRI found a massive tumor. Her parents’ persistence and help from a group that helps families with medical bills helped Dorothy survive. Now she's happy and pain-free.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 23, 2026

Lucas Rowley and staff at Rescue River work at their craft of making high-end fishing flies.

Casper Man Trades Tech Career For Rescuing Women In Uganda By Tying Fishing Flies

A Casper man traded his very successful tech career in Austin for a far different mission — rescuing sex-abused women in Uganda. He and his wife are teaching them to be self-sufficient by tying high-end fishing flies and selling them in the U.S.

Dale KillingbeckFebruary 22, 2026

“A Deep Seat and a Long Rein” is a 15.5-foot-tall monument that stands in the new roundabout at Ivinson Avenue and 15th Street on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie.

The Story Behind Chris Navarro's 15-Foot Bronze Of Steamboat At U.W.

It took over a year for celebrated Wyoming bronze artist Chris Navarro to create the 15-foot sculpture of Steamboat located on the University of Wyoming campus. “It’s more than just a symbol of UW. It’s a symbol of Wyoming," Navarro said.

Andrew RossiFebruary 22, 2026

How A Classically Trained Violinist From Casper Became Chancey Williams' Fiddler

Brooke Latka was born and raised in Casper and classically trained as a violinist, but was drawn to the personality of country fiddle. For the past 17 years, she's been the fiddler for country music star Chancey Williams and his band.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 22, 2026

A pair of Wyoming college students were among the 300 extras cast in the sci-fi classic “Starship Troopers” 30 years ago. They recall hot days in Hell’s Half Acre doused with alien blood as dead bodies. “I want more blood!” the director would yell. Here, extra Melissa Parkinson poses for a photo in her suit during the filming.

30 Years Later: Looking Back On The Filming Of 'Starship Troopers'

30 years ago this summer, Melissa Parkinson and Tana Libolt landed the most unusual job they ever had. They were hired to be dead bodies at Hell’s Half Acre for the filming of 'Starship Troopers.' They were among 300 who answered a newspaper ad in Casper.

Renée JeanFebruary 22, 2026

Teamster Rick Edney of Nevada is training mules to pull several wagons to recreate the freight train that used to haul goods into the fledging town of Thermopolis, Wyoming in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He said that it is time consuming retraining his mules to a jerk line but is excited reenact the feats of Henry "16-Mule Team" Johnson.

Before Wyoming Became A Major Semitruck Route, 16-Mule Teams Hauled Freight

Rick Edney is training mules to pull several wagons to recreate the freight train that hauled goods into Thermopolis in the late 1800s. He said it's time consuming but is excited to reenact the feats of Henry "16-Mule Team" Johnson for 'Trailblazer Days.'

Jackie DorothyFebruary 22, 2026

If You Want To Live In A Fallout Shelter, This Cokeville 'Basement Home' Is It

If you ever wanted to live in a fallout shelter, there’s a “basement home” in Cokeville, Wyoming, that checks all the boxes. The idea behind these post-World War II 1950s starter homes was to grow upward when there was enough money to go above ground.

Renée JeanFebruary 21, 2026

Elise Johnson, 5, was killed in 2010 when a snowboarder hit her going 50 mph, who was also killed. Her mother suffered severe brain trauma. It was a preventable accident and her family has launched a campaign to keep the ski slopes safer with slogans such as “She was 5, You Were Going 50” and “Live To Ride Another Day.” Elise will forever be their snow angel as her parents preserve their daughter’s legacy by saving others.

Remembering Elise, The Wyoming 5-Year-Old Killed By A Snowboarder Going 50 MPH

It was a beautiful day at Hogadon Ski Resort in Casper when a speeding snowboarder killed himself and 5-year-old Elise Johnson. Now in her memory, Elise’s parents and siblings are on a mission to make the slopes safer to “live to ride another day."

Jackie DorothyFebruary 21, 2026

B.B. Brooks, who served as Wyoming’s governor from 1905-1911 sits in a library. Banner Ranch is situated in the hills southeast of Casper, protected from the winds that blow in central Wyoming.

144 Years Later: Family Of Wyoming Pioneer Gov. B.B. Brooks Keeps Ranching Alive

Descendants of B.B. Brooks — a Wyoming pioneer, rancher, businessman and governor — are keeping his legacy of ranching alive southeast of Casper. 144 years later, the fourth, fifth, and sixth generations still run a cow-calf operation on Banner Ranch.

Dale KillingbeckFebruary 21, 2026

Uh-Oh: Joe Pickett Shot In The Head In New C.J. Box Book "The Crossroads"

Wyoming author C.J. Box told Cowboy State Daily his new book "The Crossroads," starts off dark: Joe Pickett has been shot in the head and is clinging to life. Box's last five Pickett novels have all debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list.

Renée JeanFebruary 20, 2026

Two People Killed, More Than 20 Injured In 34-Vehicle Accident On I-80 Near Evanston

Two people are dead and more than 20 people were injured after a 34-vehicle incident in the westbound lane of I-80 near Evanston on Wednesday afternoon. The westbound lane was finally opened late Thursday morning as wreckers were busily clearing vehicles from the highway.

Andrew RossiFebruary 19, 2026

Wyoming snowbirds flock to Mesquite, Nevada, each year to reconnect with fellow residents and celebrate their shared roots through music, memories, and community spirit at the annual Wyoming Snowbird Rendezvous.

Wyoming Snowbirds Gather In Nevada On Thursday For Annual Rendezvous

For more than a decade, Wyomingites who winter in Nevada gather for the annual Wyoming Snowbird Rendezvous in Mesquite. This year it's being held on Thursday. More than 300 showed up last year and it always ends with the singing of "Ragtime Cowboy Joe."

Wendy CorrFebruary 18, 2026

Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day says it's going to be a busy week.

Beggars Can't Be Choosers: Snow On The Way, Not Great But Better Than Nothing

Meteorologists aren’t seeing a persistent trend yet, but they see this week of winter weather as a promising sign. And after the winter season so far, beggars can’t be choosers. “The next several days are going to be very busy,” said meteorologist Don Day

Andrew RossiFebruary 17, 2026

Scarlett Hamrick, a Jackson snowmobile guide, won the Survivor 50 Challenge this past week, finding a hidden immunity idol to promote the 50th season of "Survivor." She won a chance at tickets to the live season finale in Los Angeles later this year.

Jackson Tour Guide Finds ‘Survivor' Immunity Idol Hidden Near Jackson

Scarlett Hamrick, a Jackson snowmobile guide, won Wyoming's Survivor 50 Challenge this past week, finding a hidden idol to promote the 50th season of "Survivor." Wyoming’s challenge was touted as the most exciting as it consisted of a two- to four-hour adventure that required skis or snowmobile

Andrew RossiFebruary 16, 2026

Despite his reputation and prolific outlaw career, Butch Cassidy was only incarcerated once, from 1894-1896 in the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie. He had been pinched for grand larceny for horse-stealing.

Wyoming History: The Prison That Launched Butch Cassidy’s Outlaw Legend

The only time Butch Cassidy was locked up, he served 18 months in the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie. Far from being reformed, Cassidy vowed that if he was going to be treated like an outlaw, “he would show them what an outlaw was."

Jackie DorothyFebruary 15, 2026

Malyna Si Hotel Jackson's executive chef Malyna Si is a contestant on Padma Lakshmis celebrity chef competition "America's Culinary Cup."

Jackson Hotel Chef Picked For $1 Million Competition On CBS

Hotel Jackson’s executive chef Malyna Si has been chosen to compete for a $1 million prize on Padma Lakshmi’s celebrity chef competition "America’s Culinary Cup" on CBS. Before coming to Jackson, she led a Michelin-starred restaurant in Florida.

Renée JeanFebruary 15, 2026

Earl Newton was a friend of Buffalo Bill Cody and had been a cowboy, miner, stage driver, rancher, and sheep man. He also was lonely. In 1902, he married a mail-order bride, Eliza Bushnell, of Cherokee, Iowa. She arrived by train and their were married by Judge M.O. Newton right away.

Mail Order Brides: When Wyoming Men Outnumbered Women 10-1, They ‘Imported Wives’

Back in the early 1900s, when Wyoming men outnumbered women 10-1, they formed matrimonial clubs to bring out mail-order brides from back East. Historians say many fourth- and fifth-generation Wyoming families may trace their roots to these “imported wives."

Andrew RossiFebruary 15, 2026

Did You Know? Highest Cathedral In The United States Is In Laramie, Wyoming

At an elevation of 7,276 feet above sea level, St. Matthew's Cathedral and its 118-foot spire in Laramie, Wyoming, is the highest cathedral in the United States. There are others much larger and taller, but none with the rare air of Laramie's altitude.

Wendy CorrFebruary 15, 2026

The traditional practice of feeding livestock in winter from a horse-drawn sleigh seems labor-intensive and less efficient than using modern technology. Some Wyoming ranchers do it anyway — a nod to old-time Western ranching.

Why These Wyoming Ranchers Feed Winter Livestock With Horse-Drawn Sleighs

Many Wyoming ranchers stick to the traditional way of doing things when feeding livestock in the winter — with a team of workhorses and a sleigh loaded with hay. "I don't have to worry about whether the engine will start," rancher Pete Arambel says.

Kate MeadowsFebruary 15, 2026

Roller derby is making a comeback in Wyoming as women swap their mundane day jobs for hard-hitting action on skates. Teams across the state are rebuilding after the pandemic, embracing the sport’s mix of strength and strategy.

Roller Derby Is Back In Wyoming And Teachers Ain't Messing Around

At the Fremont County Fair Building in Riverton, teachers are transformed into hard-hitting racers as they practice for their next roller derby bout. The fast-paced, full-contact sport, which peaked in the 1970s, is growing in popularity around Wyoming.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 14, 2026

16 Years After Heart Transplant, Couple Thanks Organ Donor For Another Valentine's Day

Casper couple Jason and Misty Wynia say they are forever grateful to the person who checked "yes" on their driver's license application to be an organ donor. This is their 16th Valentine's Day together since Jason received a new heart.

Wendy CorrFebruary 14, 2026

Nick Dodgson and his father after finding the headstone of his great, great, great-uncle in a cemetery of 60,000 gravestones.

Cheyenne Man's Quest To Find Gravestone Of Great, Great, Great-Uncle In England

During a trip to the U.K. last week, Cheyenne's Nick Dodgson went on a seemingly impossible quest. Find the gravestone of his great, great, great-uncle — who died in 1880 — in an ivy-filled cemetery with over 60,000 headstones.

Andrew RossiFebruary 14, 2026

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