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

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Monday, May 11, 2026

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

Jake NicholsMay 11, 2026

A man waving his cowboy hat and riding a horse

What’s New at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2026

Now in its 130th year, CFD returns with 10 days of rodeo, plus new experiences like the Morning Star American Indian Village and Chute 9.

May 11, 2026

Clair McFarland: Fine, I'll Garden With You

Clair McFarland writes: "In a garden, anything is possible. You can exhale fully. You can pray for your enemies. You can make a serious 16-year-old laugh."

Clair McFarlandMay 11, 2026

Gail Symons: New GOP Bylaws As Control, Not Governance

Columnist Gail Symons writes, "When by-laws decide who gets party support, who gets labeled acceptable, and who gets dragged through an internal process, they stop being paperwork. They become power."

Gail SymonsMay 11, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: May 11, 2026

Monday's headlines include: * Repeat Of ’88 Yellowstone Fires? * New Leads In 25-Year Wyo Cold Case * Proposed Man Camp Larger Than 84 Wyo Towns

Mac WatsonMay 11, 2026

A Wyoming crusade to solve cold cases is putting the faces of missing people on coffee sleeves — more than 20 years after they stopped being printed on milk cartons. “Somebody knows something, people do not just vanish,” says an advocate. Buckin' Brew in Mills is one of the Wyoming coffee joints using the sleeves.

Wyoming Coffee Shops Putting Photos Of Missing Wyoming People On Coffee Sleeves

Coffee shops across Wyoming are putting missing Wyoming people on coffee sleeves in an attempt to help solve cold cases — just like the national campaign on milk cartons decades ago. “Somebody knows something, people do not just vanish,” said one advocate.

Wendy CorrMay 10, 2026

After years of cruising Casper at 2 mph, Randy Morrison is giving up being the “Ice Cream Man,” selling his truck. And it’s not because that hours on end of that jingle is hell on earth: “You really don’t notice the music until it stops,” he says.

After Years Of Cruising Casper At 2 MPH, Longtime Ice Cream Truck Is For Sale

After years of cruising Casper at 2 mph, Randy Morrison is giving up being the “Ice Cream Man,” selling his truck. And it’s not because hours on end of that jingle is hell on earth: “You really don’t notice the music until it stops,” he says.

Andrew RossiMay 10, 2026

Portuguese Fort Painting inset scaled 5 10 26

Wyoming History: Oldest Fur Trading Fort Survived Indian Attacks, But Not Jim Bridger

Antonio Montero and his mountain men survived a 40-day attack by Sioux warriors at what’s known today as the “Portuguese Houses,” Wyoming’s oldest fur trading fort founded in 1834. But it was rival Jim Bridger and Crows that finally chased Montero away.

Jackie DorothyMay 10, 2026

A dog named Charlie a Wyoming couple rescued from a California shelter running off with a whiteout blizzard on the way triggered a 24-hour search. It was a miracle, Charlie’s owners believe, that a newlywed couple in the middle of nowhere found him.

Newlyweds On A Hike Find California Rescue Dog Lost In A Wyoming Whiteout

A couple in remote southeastern Wyoming thought they might never see their new rescue dog again after he disappeared in a spring snowstorm last week. But 24 hours later, a pair of newlyweds hiking through the area spotted the shivering dog and saved him.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2026

Lander native Jake Kauffman may be the chillest dude in Wyoming, and now he's is chasing freedom in a VW van. His turning point came at age 14, when he flatlined after drowning in the water of ironically named Lucky Pond, then was saved by his brother.

Wyoming Artist Chases Freedom In A Van With Girlfriend, A Drifter & Welding Equipment

After drowning and later overdosing, Lander's Jake Kauffman tried conventional adulthood but it wasn't for him. So now the Wyoming artist is chasing freedom in a VW van with his girlfriend, a drifter he met in Oregon and his welding equipment.

Kolby FedoreMay 10, 2026

John Wold ran for the U.S. House the same year Richard Nixon was elected president in 1968. Here is a photo of Nixon and John Wold.

Wyoming People: ‘Man Of The Century’ John Wold Pioneered Modern U.S. Mining

John Wold’s impact on Wyoming's — and America’s — mining industry were so important he was dubbed the state’s “Man of the Century” when he died at age 100. He "revolutionized the way our nation extracts minerals today,” said U.S. Sen. John Barrasso.

Dale KillingbeckMay 10, 2026

Firefighting crews pour water on the Old Faithful Snowlodge in Yellowstone National Park in summer 1988.

No Winter, Drought Has Firefighters On Alert For Repeat Of 1988 Yellowstone Fires

After winter essentially didn’t come to Wyoming, and drought and rising temperatures persist across the region, there are concerns the 2026 fire season could be like 1988 all over again. "It’s spooky,” said the Greater Yellowstone Fire Action Network.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2026

Game and fish says that drought has led to the decline of the once-legendary trout fishery in Soda Lake near Pinedale. Avid Wyoming fishermen contend that a Game and Fish wetlands project is to blame.

Some Claim Wyoming Game And Fish Project Caused Nosedive Of Trout In Soda Lake

There’s widespread consensus that the glory days of trout fishing at Soda Lake near Pinedale are over, but there's disagreement over why. Avid anglers in the area blame a Game and Fish wetlands project while the department says drought is to blame.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2026

Balloons dropping at Republican convention

Letter To The Editor: GOP Loyalty Oaths Could Resurrect The Democratic Party

Dear editor: Requiring a "loyalty oath" to the Republican Party platform is a new concept for me as an American. My only familiarity with such a phenomenon is under communist, fascist and Sharia law regimes.

May 10, 2026

Wyoming’s Kindness Ranch is rescuing 70 dogs and cats from a Colorado research lab this week. The nation’s only facility that exclusively saves lab animals has rescued thousands of beagles and cats.

Wyoming’s Kindness Ranch To Rescue 70 Cats And Dogs From Colorado Research Lab

Wyoming’s Kindness Ranch is rescuing 70 dogs and cats from a Colorado research lab this week — one of its largest rescues. The director believes this is the first of many closures as he's hearing it's longer financially feasible to use beagles and cats.

Jen KocherMay 10, 2026

Jerry Kinkade, now 91, was a kid 80 years ago when his dad tried to run a covered wagon camping trip from Wyoming to Montana. It didn't go well and they never did another one. But now decades later, a few photos from that trip have turned up in a thrift shop 1,200 miles away.

Photos From Lost Wyoming Covered Wagon Trip Found 1,200 Miles Away In Thrift Shop

A Wyoming family’s 80-year-old photos from a doomed covered wagon camping trip found their way to a thrift shop 1,200 miles away. Jerry Kinkade remembers it well, but says that now “I am 91, so I’m gonna go chase women and drink a lot of whiskey."

Jackie DorothyMay 10, 2026

A 5,600-worker man camp south of Cheyenne would be larger than 83 Wyoming incorporated places and be “almost like a little city,” the mayor says. “How do you plan to keep our community safe?” asks one resident, while officials say more housing is needed. Above, work is underway at a Meta data center in south Cheyenne not far from where a proposed man camp could be located.

5,600-Worker Cheyenne Man Camp Would Be Larger Than 84 Wyoming Cities And Towns

The proposed 5,600-worker man camp south of Cheyenne would be larger than 84 Wyoming towns. Notices were mailed to more than 200 landowners describing it as “secured, temporary workforce housing campus” supporting "large-scale infrastructure projects.”

Kate MeadowsMay 10, 2026

When elk are infected with mange, they can suffer dry, crusty skin and massive hair loss. It can weaken them to the point of dying from exposure or starvation.

Hunters And Outfitters Say There's Been A Surge Of Mange In Elk In Montana

Hunters and outfitters in southwest Montana claim there’s been a surge of mange in elk. They say the disease has been spreading as elk crowd together around haystacks or alfalfa fields on private land.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2026

While Ted Turner owned ranches in five states and about 2 million acres, he frequently said his favorite place was his Flying D Ranch in Montana.

What Will Happen To Ted Turner’s 2 Million Acres Of Land?

Ted Turner died this week at age 87 as the fourth-largest U.S. landowner with about 2 million acres that include large ranches in five states. Now people wonder what will happen to all that land, including nearly 130,000 acres in Montana.

Anna-Louise JacksonMay 10, 2026

Bugs Bunny raced Cecil Turtle through a fictional Yellowstone National Park in the 1947 Looney Tunes short “Rabbit Transit.” It was the third time Bugs and Cecil had replayed the ancient fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" — even though Cecil isn't a tortoise.

Wyoming In Cartoons: When Bugs Bunny Raced A Jet-Powered Turtle Through Yellowstone

The 1947 cartoon “Rabbit Transit” is another cartoon in the Looney Tunes franchise with an odd Wyoming connection. In this one, Bugs Bunny raced Cecil Turtle through Yellowstone. But the turtle had a secret weapon — jet engines under his shell.

Andrew RossiMay 10, 2026

Nelly Brown, left, gives Deanna Cotten a “joy” tattoo as part of a documentary about having joy while being diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Casper Tattoo Artist Wages Second Fight With Cancer With Help From Client With ALS

A Casper tattoo artist thought she’d already beaten cancer, but its back attacking another part of her body. She keeps working — and fighting — with the help of a client with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Dale KillingbeckMay 10, 2026

A Crowheart ranching family is compressing their waste wool into little pellets that fertilizes while helping up to 25% of their weight in water. That can be drought-busting for growers, as they hold that moisture in soil, studies show.

Wyoming Ranchers Turn Their Waste Wool Into Drought-Busting Garden Pellets

A Crowheart ranching family is compressing their waste wool into little pellets that fertilizes while holding up to 25% of their weight in water. That can be drought-busting for growers, as they hold that moisture in soil, studies show.

Jackie DorothyMay 10, 2026

The Belvoir Ranch west of Cheyenne offers some of the most spectacular views in southeast Wyoming.

Most Scenic Parts Of Belvoir Ranch Still Difficult To Access Due To Railroad

As the famed Belvoir Ranch west of Cheyenne comes closer to opening to the public on July 1, critics say the best part of the 19,000-acre recreation paradise is hard to access because of Union Pacific. It's like "The Great Wall of China," the mayor said.

Mark HeinzMay 09, 2026

A rescued miniature donkey named Miguel is becoming one of Wyoming’s most in-demand wedding bartenders, and he only costs $400. Bartending burros are perfect for Wyoming, where people appreciate livestock and beer.

For $400, A Beer-Toting Mini-Donkey Will Bartend Your Wyoming Wedding

A rescued miniature donkey named Miguel has become one of Wyoming’s most in-demand wedding bartenders by wandering through cocktail hours with beer strapped to his sides. “It’s a great conversation starter,” said the beer burro business owner.

Kolby FedoreMay 09, 2026

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