Headlines

Explore a chronological display of Cowboy State Daily’s articles.

Gov. Mark Gordon thanks U.S. Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, left, at a Friday news conference at the Capitol for his help in passing the Rural Health Transformation Program, which will distribute $205 million to improve rural healthcare services in the state in the next year. At right is Stefan Johansson, director of the Wyoming Department of Health.

Emergency Care Gets Biggest Piece Of $205M In ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Money

Emergency care will get $92 million from Wyoming’s $205 million in “One Big Beautiful Bill” healthcare money, Gov. Mark Gordon announced Friday. He said states, rather than feds, can better decide where that money goes.

Kerry DrakeOctober 23, 2026

A large grizzly bear is pictured here in the backcountry of Glacier National Park in Montana. 2026 has been a busy year for bear attacks in North America, involving both grizzlies and black bears.

Creator Of New Public Bear Attack Database Says 2026 Has Been ‘Unprecedented’

An outdoorsman with a network of wildlife-agency contacts has created the first public database for bear attacks. He said 2026 has been "unprecedented." He's documented 64 attacks so far this year that has resulted in injury or death in North America.

Mark HeinzOctober 23, 2026

Gary Medicine Cloud, a hunter from the Wind River Reservation, recounted his 2003 encounter with a silent, matte-black triangular object in the St. Lawrence area of the Wind River Range. Background image is a digital recreation based on recently declassified federal UAP incident reports illustrates a matte-black triangular craft observed executing low-altitude maneuvers over Western military airspace.

UFO Files Released Friday Match Wyoming Hunter’s Silent Black Triangle Encounter

Newly declassified federal UFO files released Friday detail silent black triangles matching a Wyoming hunter’s encounter. These dark craft are frequently described by witnesses as "floating fertility clinics," a professor and UFO expert says.

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 23, 2026

Uinta County Residents Push For Write-Ins To Oust Coroner Charged With 5 Felonies

Some Uinta County residents are pushing for a write-in campaign to oust longtime coroner Gregory Crandall, who faces five felony charges. He's unopposed on the Nov. 3 ballot. "I adamantly deny all allegations against me," Crandall told a local newspaper.

Kate MeadowsOctober 23, 2026

Two skeletons posed in a sex act are seen riding on a GMC SUV in Casper.

Casper Residents Divided Over Skeleton Sex Orgy On SUV

A skeleton sex orgy strapped to the roof of a Casper SUV has some residents angered and some shrugging. "To me this is no different than a couple having sex in public," said one outraged resident.

Kolby FedoreOctober 23, 2026

Erin Wolfley is suing the Converse County Library and its director, saying she was fired because her daughter wrote a Facebook post about the library's extreme working conditions.

Glenrock Woman Says Converse County Library Fired Her Over Daughter's Facebook Post

Erin Wolfley is suing the Converse County Library saying she was fired because her daughter wrote a critical Facebook post about the library's working conditions. "It is ridiculously hot and the librarians are working in a 90 degree building," the daughter posted.

Clair McFarlandOctober 23, 2026

Sen. Ogden Driskill smiles for a photograph just after accepting the Clarene Law Award recognizing a lifetime of tourism achievements for Wyoming.

Tears Flow As Driskill Accepts Tourism Award Named For His Mentor, Clarene Law

Sen. Ogden Driskill and Clarene Law’s daughter Charisse Haws, shared a tearful embrace as he accepted tourism's Clarene Law Award. “She invested a lot of time in me to help me be a better leader,” he said. “And was a friend right up to the day she died.”

Renée JeanOctober 23, 2026

Trustee Michael Stedillie praised Midwest supporters’ “tenacity in action” during Friday’s meeting.

Midwest School Saved After Heated Meeting — At Least For Another Year

Midwest Schools, the birthplace of 'Friday Night Lights,' won a reprieve Friday after a heated meeting in which a school board member blamed the Freedom Caucus for the school closure proposal. The town was given a year to come up with alternatives.

Kolby FedoreOctober 23, 2026

Long rail cars haul coal out of the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.

Could Data Centers Save Wyoming Coal? Peabody Eyes 'Holy Grail' Strategy

Facing steep production drops, Peabody Energy is exploring plans to build mine-mouth power plants for energy-hungry data centers in the Powder River Basin. “It would be one of these holy grail situations in Wyoming,” one county commissioner says.

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 23, 2026

Hunters and wildlife watchers use trail cameras, sometimes called game cameras, to document animal activity in their favorite places. But left unattended, they’re vulnerable to theft.

Hunters Returning To Trail Cams Only To Find Memory Cards And Cameras Missing

Park County outfitter Chip Burgess was infuriated and baffled to find the memory card in his trail cam — with a month full of photos — missing. Turns out, other hunters are having their memory cards and cameras stolen too.

Mark HeinzOctober 23, 2026

Van Lesmaster, right, appears in a Fort Collins courtroom on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, with his Laramie-based defense attorney, Devon Petersen.

Cheyenne Man, 88, Accused Of Mowing Down Pedestrians, In Court For First Time

Appearing small and thin next to his defense attorney, an 88-year-old Cheyenne man stood in a Fort Collins courtroom Thursday to hear a list of seven criminal charges he faces for plowing into a crowded sidewalk in August, killing a Denver man.

Greg JohnsonOctober 23, 2026

The Midwest Oilers line up for the National Anthem.

Last Hurrah? Midwest Fans Show Up Big For What Could Be Final Home Football Game

Supporters of the Midwest Oilers football team packed their field Thursday night for what could be the final game at the birthplace of 'Friday Night Lights.' The town is bracing for the loss of grades 6-12 next week. "It's sad," many fans said.

Dale KillingbeckOctober 23, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Friday, October 23, 2026

Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.

Jake NicholsOctober 23, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: October 23, 2026

Friday's headlines include: * Rest Area Dog Rescued * Albany County Sheriff Feud * Coroner’s DUI Campaign Fodder

Mac WatsonOctober 23, 2026

Guest Column: Proposition 1 — An Historically Huge Mistake

Former Gov. Dave Freudenthal writes, "Among the generally bad ideas brought by the Freedom Caucus, Proposition 1 may be the worst. Perhaps they should be renamed the 'Freedom from Responsibility Caucus'."

Guest ColumnOctober 23, 2026

Rod Miller: Why Hasn't Bryan Miller And The Wyoming GOP Endorsed Eric Barlow?

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "GOP chairman Bryan Miller and the state Central Committee are sitting on their hands and remaining close-mouthed about Checkgate Becky’s demonstrated RINO-hood. And they have yet to endorse their own nominee for governor."

Rod MillerOctober 23, 2026

The Feud: Albany County Sheriff's Race Pits Two High-Profile And Combative Opponents

The Albany County Sheriff's race is a genuine feud. The two high-profile law enforcement officers sharply criticize each other. It casts the controversy of a high death rate in Sheriff Aaron Appelhans' jail against opponent Daron Wyatt's use of force history.

Clair McFarlandOctober 23, 2026

Diya, a stray dog, sits at the Split Rock Rest Area near Jeffrey City, where she spent over a month outsmarting rescue traps before being walked 90 miles to safety.

How The Uncatchable Wyoming Rest Area Dog Was Secretly Walked 90 Miles Home To Safety

A Lander man was convinced traditional traps would never capture the celebrity stray dog Diya at Split Rock Rest Area near Jeffrey City, so he secretly coaxed her to walk 90 miles to his home. “She followed me and my dog every step of the way,” the hiker said.

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 23, 2026

Former University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel, left, and former UW College of Engineering and Physical Sciences Dean Cameron Wright.

Legislative Candidate Loses Lawsuit Against University of Wyoming

Retired University of Wyoming professor Cam Wright, a candidate for the state Legislature, lost his high-profile lawsuit against UW in district court on Wednesday. The judge said that the evidence didn’t pose enough of a factual dispute for trial.

Clair McFarlandOctober 22, 2026

‘It Was So Scary’: SUV Crashes Through Glass Storefront Of Casper Nail Salon

An SUV crashed through the glass storefront of a Casper nail salon with people inside Thursday, shattering windows and scattering debris. The salon's owner was shaken long after it happened. “It was so scary,” she said.

Kolby FedoreOctober 22, 2026

Deer that are killed by either of the closely related epizootic hemorrhagic diseases (EHD) or bluetongue viruses will have bloody foam coming from their nose or mouth and swollen faces and/or necks.

Deadly Bluetongue Disease Has Deer Foaming At The Mouth In Parts Of Wyoming

Deadly diseases called bluetongue and EHD that leave deer with bloody foam coming from their noses and mouths has hit parts of Wyoming this year, especially white-tails. The disease, which has hit North Dakota hard, can kill up to 90% of a herd.

Mark HeinzOctober 22, 2026

A Mercedes cargo van sits charred along eastbound Interstate 80 near milepost 20 east of Evanston on Thursday after catching fire

Mercedes Cargo Van Goes Up In Flames On I-80's 'Highway To Heaven' Near Evanston

A Mercedes cargo van erupted in flames Thursday on Interstate 80 near Evanston on a stretch known as the "Highway to Heaven." An eyewitness saw smoke rising over the Three Sisters section of I-80 said, “It was just blazing fire.”

Kolby FedoreOctober 22, 2026

investigators say Forrest Jay Wood’s Chevrolet Silverado accelerated to 57 mph without braking before leaving the road with his wife, 44-year-old Virginia Lynne Wood, inside.

Man Who Allegedly Drove Wife Off Cliff Returns To Wyoming To Face Murder Charge

A Colorado man accused of searching for "cliffs near me" before killing his wife by driving off a cliff has returned to Wyoming and is being held on a $5 million bond for murder. Police say the truck accelerated to 57 mph before going off the cliff.

Kolby FedoreOctober 22, 2026

Carbon County Undersheriff Abandons Vacation To Help Rescue Hunter In Snowy Range

Carbon County Undersheriff Shawn Kelley abandoned his vacation Sunday to help rescue a hunter in the Snowy Range. Sheriff Alex Bakken said he wasn't surprised. "He's the kind of guy that, if we have something going on, he's going to jump in and help."

Kate MeadowsOctober 22, 2026