Headlines

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

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service engine suppresses fire activity on the Weiser Knoll Fire

Lower Temps, Rain Help Firefighters Contain 30% Of 16,500-Acre Fire Near Lander

Thanks to lower temperatures and light rain Wednesday, the Weiser Knoll fire near Lander was 30% contained and another blaze at Fort Washakie was fully contained. The Weiser Knoll Fire in grass, sagebrush and juniper remained at 16,500 acres.

Mark HeinzAugust 12, 2026

Ron Star and Knuckles stop for fuel at Muddy Gap while riding home from Sturgis.

Zoinks! Gas Is $6 A Gallon In Muddy Gap — That's 42% Higher Than Wyoming Average

If you need gas while traveling on Wyoming Highway 220 near Independence Rock, get ready to pay for it through the nose. Gas is selling for $6 a gallon — 42% higher than the state's average. "We get some angry customers," says manager Tavienna Lozier.

Kolby FedoreAugust 12, 2026

Michael Ray Watts, a 37-year-old Casper man, faces potential prison time for allegedly driving a Polaris UTV side-by-side while intoxicated and causing serious injury to a passenger who fell off while sitting in the back on a cooler.

Casper Man Charged With Driving UTV Drunk; Passenger On Life Support After Fall

A Casper man faces prison time after authorities say he drove a side-by-side while intoxicated and caused a passenger to fall off a cooler in the back. The passenger is on life-support after sustaining head injuries in the fall at Alcova Reservoir.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 12, 2026

Tinder Date Ends With Newcastle Man Shot Dead, S.D. Man Facing Murder Charge

A Tinder date gone horribly wrong ended with a Newcastle man dead with a hollow-point round in his chest and a South Dakota man facing a second-degree murder charge — and vastly different stories from the couple who had just met for a hook-up.

Greg JohnsonAugust 12, 2026

A multi-vehicle accident between Cody and Yellowstone National Park involving multiple motorcycles on Wednesday morning resulted in one confirmed fatality and five serious injuries, the Wyoming Highway Patrol tells Cowboy State Daily.

UPDATE: Fatality Reported In Crash Involving Four Motorcycles, WYDOT Truck Near Cody

An accident involving multiple motorcycles and a WYDOT truck has resulted in at least one fatality and serious injuries on U.S. Highway 14-16-20 near Cody. "I counted at least three bodies that I could see lying on the ground, not moving," one witness said.

Andrew RossiAugust 12, 2026

Eric Barlow Earns Most In $3 Million Wyoming Governor's Race, Degenfelder Second

Campaign finance reports filed Tuesday show Eric Barlow out-earned Megan Degenfelder in the gubernatorial primary election with about $1.54 million, while Degenfelder posted nearly $1.3 million. The whole contest shows a roughly $3 million haul.

Clair McFarlandAugust 12, 2026

Guest Column: Wyoming Doesn’t Need More Mud Slinging

Gov. Mark Gordon writes, "I say enough with the name calling, the false information, the nasty for nasty sake. Enough with the schlock that uses Wyoming voters as fundraising bait."

Guest ColumnAugust 12, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Wednesday, August 12, 2026

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

Jake NicholsAugust 12, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Wednesday's headlines include: * Rasner Calls Freedom Caucus ‘Losers’ * Lander-Area Fire Grows To Over 16K Acres * Black Bear Attack Leaves Woman Hospitalized

Mac WatsonAugust 12, 2026

Fred Harrison: The Discipline to Govern — Why Wyoming Conservatives Must Unite

Columnist Fred Harrison writes, "Back when the Legislature was more collegial, there was an adage often said: 'Some of my friends are for this, some of my friends are against it, and I’m with my friends.' It is a witty line. It is also a terrible philosophy for a primary election."

Fred HarrisonAugust 12, 2026

Tony Ross: Why Eric Barlow Deserves Our Support: A Vision for Wyoming’s Future

Guest columnist Tony Ross writes, "When Barlow talks about Wyoming, he isn't reciting talking points. He's describing the life he has actually lived here. He’s talking about his friends and neighbors."

Guest ColumnAugust 12, 2026

An elk calf got entangled in some barbed wire over the weekend but thankfully a Wyoming ranch hand rescued it.

Hooray! Ranch Hand Rescues Squealing Elk Calf Entangled In Barbed Wire

An elk calf got entangled in barbed wire over the weekend at a ranch in southern Montana but thankfully a ranch hand from Buffalo, Wyoming, heard it squealing and rescued it. “We care about all of the wildlife living out here,” he told Cowboy State Daily.

Mark HeinzAugust 12, 2026

Black Bear Attacks Woman Hiking With Dogs Near Jackson, Hiking Trail Closed

A woman was hospitalized Monday after a presumed black bear attacked her while hiking with her dogs near Teton Pass. Game and Fish officials, who closed the trail, described the incident as a "defensive encounter."

Mark HeinzAugust 11, 2026

Yellowstone Tourists Watch As Rangers Use Kitchen Knives To Dismember Bison

A crowd gathered in Yellowstone's Lamar Valley on Monday as three rangers used kitchen knives to dismember a bison carcass. "They opened up her belly and backside to expose more flesh and blood for the predators to smell," one tour guide said.

Andrew RossiAugust 11, 2026

U.S. House candidate Reid Rasner (left), Freedom Caucus member Rep. John Bear (right)

U.S. House Candidate Reid Rasner Calls For Defeat Of "Freedom Caucus Losers"

U.S. House candidate Reid Rasner on Tuesday called for the defeat of "Freedom Caucus losers." Rep. John Bear, a prominent member of the group, said Rasner is a "failed career candidate who has brought division, dysfunction and political games to our state."

Clair McFarlandAugust 11, 2026

Glenrock Residents Want More Answers About Town’s Four 2-Year-Old Flock Cameras

Glenrock residents are asking more questions about who authorized the town’s four Flock cameras, where exactly they’re located and how the information they collect is used. The cameras have been in place on the outskirts of town for roughly two years.

Kate MeadowsAugust 11, 2026

Sweetwater Schools Parent Demands Board Chair Removal Over Free Speech Policy

At the school board meeting in Rock Springs on Monday night , a parent presented the Sweetwater County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees with a petition calling for Cole Wright's removal as board chair. The petition was signed by 105 people.

Kate MeadowsAugust 11, 2026

Smoke plumes from the Weiser Knoll fire southeast of Lander were visible for miles.

UPDATE: Fire Near Lander At 16,530 Acres And 0% Contained, Prompts Evacuations

The Weiser Knoll fire near Lander, started by an overheated wheel bearing on Highway 28 on Sunday, exploded to Wyoming's largest at 16,530 acres and was 0% contained late Tuesday. “Everybody was waiting for their places to go up,” a local rancher said.

Mark HeinzAugust 11, 2026

Leather moccasins, Marlboro cigarettes and prescription sunglasses were among the items found on the bank of the Greybull River near where an unidentified young man's body was discovered in 1973.

Big Horn County Reopens Case Of Man Found Floating In Greybull River In 1973

The Big Horn County Coroner's Office is reopening the cold case of a man found floating in the Greybull River near Basin in 1973. Investigators still don't know his name or how he died, but have released photos of what are thought to be his belongings.

Kolby FedoreAugust 11, 2026

Dan McIntosh (left) and Paul Wing (right) are facing off in the House District 11 race in Cheyenne

The Two Republicans Vying For Cheyenne's 'Purple' House Seat

Two Republicans, Dan McIntosh and Freedom Caucus-backed Paul Wing, face off next Tuesday for Cheyenne's House District 11. The winner will be one of a few Wyoming Republicans that could have a tough general election battle against a Democrat.

Clair McFarlandAugust 11, 2026

A new culvert being installed under the Brooks Lake Road in Shoshone National Forest. A July 22 mudslide filled the old culvert with 10 feet of mud, which Wind River Ranger District Jeff von Kienast described as "the consistency of wet cement" with boulders as big as vehicles.

After 18 Days, Road To Brooks Lake Lodge Finally Reopened After Massive Mudslide

The road to Brooks Lake Lodge and campgrounds has reopened after an 18-day closure due to a massive slide that covered the road with 10 feet of mud, trees and boulders. The Wind River Ranger District shuttled guests to the lodge during the closure.

Andrew RossiAugust 11, 2026

Colorado Man Faces Aggravated Homicide Charge In Fatal 100-MPH Chase Near Cheyenne

A Colorado man accused of leading a Wyoming state trooper on a 100-mph chase that ended with one of his passengers dead has been bound over to district court on aggravated homicide by vehicle. Investigators found fake urine and a sex toy in the wreckage.

Kolby FedoreAugust 11, 2026

A 38-year-old New York woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempting to defraud a Casper bank of funds as part of a scheme at banks across the state.

New York Woman Pleads Guilty To Trying To Defraud Wyoming Banks Over Drug Debt

A 38-year-old New York woman pleaded guilty Tuesday in Natrona County District Court to traveling to Wyoming and trying to defraud a Casper bank of funds using stolen and altered IDs. She arrived in Casper after defrauding a bank in Buffalo.

Dale KillingbeckAugust 11, 2026

Descendants of Jim Baker attending the rededication of the famous mountain man's cabin from left are Michael and Paul McAllister, Chilly Rollison, Cynthia Reschke Collyard, and James Neeley.

Jim Baker Descendants Celebrate Work To Save Forgotten Mountain Man’s Savery Home

Long before he built his cabin in Savery, Jim Baker led two dozen men in an 1841 fight that gave Battle Mountain its name. Now his far-flung descendants and a tiny museum are fighting time, money and rotten logs to save the frontier scout’s last home.

Renée JeanAugust 11, 2026

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