Headlines

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

Rancher Carrie Schell and her husband, Kyle, were heading into town when they noticed an unfamiliar vehicle on their property. When they stopped the driver, his explanation was that the gates were open and there were no signs, so it was OK for him to drive onto their land.

Landowners Fed Up With New Breed Of Trespassers Who Think Rules Don't Apply To Them

Landowners across Wyoming and the West say they are encountering a new breed of "entitled trespassers" who think gates and No Trespassing signs don't apply to them. They believe if they have a good reason for being there, they have a right to be there.

Kate MeadowsOctober 03, 2026

16-year-old Diamondville teen Austin Stilkes died Thursday in a firearm-related hunting accident. One day earlier, his grandfather survived a self-inflicted gunshot wound. "I'm heartbroken," said mother and daughter Ashley Stiles. "It's my dad, and then it's my kid." She also said he had a passion for wrestling.

'It's My Dad, And Then It's My Kid': A Diamondville Family's Unthinkable Two Days

A 16-year-old Diamondville boy died Thursday in a firearm-related hunting accident. One day earlier, his grandfather survived a self-inflicted gunshot wound. "I'm heartbroken," said mother and daughter Ashley Stiles. "It's my dad, and then it's my kid."

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 03, 2026

Jonathan Lange: Let’s Govern With The Courage, Foresight of Henry Hyde

Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, “It doesn’t matter that the language of the government program is sprinkled with glitter and rainbows. Money spent to kill directly harms people that we are constitutionally required to protect.”

Jonathan LangeOctober 03, 2026

Judge Ignores Plea Agreement, Gives Ex-Brand Inspector Jail Time For Moose Torture

A Uinta County judge gave former brand inspector Justin Martin 30 days in jail for his role in the 2021 torture of a cow moose on his ranch, ignoring a plea agreement to “send a message.” The judge noted that was stronger than what Cody Roberts got.

Dale KillingbeckOctober 03, 2026

Rep. Lee Filer represents House District 44 in Cheyenne

Guest Column: A Utility Monopoly Should Never Be A Roadblock To Wyoming’s Economic Future

Guest columnist Rep. Lee Filer writes, "The conversation surrounding third-party electrical generation in Wyoming needs to be broader than data centers. This issue is ultimately about whether our state will have the power necessary to grow our economy, support existing industries, and attract new businesses."

Guest ColumnOctober 02, 2026

Diamondville Shocked, Devastated After Teen Dies In Hunting Accident

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 02, 2026

Dennis Sun: The Dairy Industry is Growing

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "As of August 2026, the U.S. dairy herd was at 9.71 million cows, which is up 167,000 head from August 2025. and milk production was up 1.7 percent. But the big story here is where all of this milk is coming from, and it is not all from where you would think.

Dennis SunOctober 02, 2026

Smash was living up to his nickname earlier this week when he was caught on video trying to battle with a small, white Honda sedan.

Massive Estes Park Bull Elk Nicknamed 'Smash' Fights Cars And Chases Golf Carts

A notorious bull elk in Estes Park known as Smash rammed a Colorado reporter's car recently as part his autumn-rut ritual of chasing golf carts and vehicles. Bull elk are "perpetually angry" this time of year, a wildlife biologist explains.

Mark HeinzOctober 02, 2026

Strangers Rally For Miracle Rescue Of Great Horned Owl Impaled On Barbed-Wire Fence

When Sharon and Scott Jacobs saw a great horned owl tangled and impaled in a barbed wire fence, they didn't look the other way. Thanks to their efforts and other caring strangers, the owl was saved. The Black Hills Raptor Center calls it a miracle.

Kate MeadowsOctober 02, 2026

Torrington residents are getting sticker shock from their electricity bills, which have jumped nearly 190% seemingly overnight after a change in the town’s power provider.

Torrington To Decide Whether To Have Residents Pay $800,000 Electricity Spike

The Torrington City Council will decide Tuesday whether to pass along an $800,000 spike in electricity costs to residents or pay for it from an emergency fund. “They’re telling us it’s on us," says a business owner whose power bills have doubled.

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 02, 2026

U.S. Attorney for Wyoming Darin Smith, left, announced Friday that all of the persons arrested in 2025 in a major drug trafficking ring in Wyoming and Colorado have been convicted. Also speaking at the news conference were Department of Criminal Investigation Director Ron Cox, center, and Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken, right.

Rawlins Man, Six Others, Get Prison After Bust Of Major Wyoming Drug Ring

Seven members of a major drug ring, including a man from Rawlins who was its leader, have received prison sentences ranging from eight to 18 years. Thirty more were prosecuted at the state level. The drug ring was spread across five Wyoming counties.

Kerry DrakeOctober 02, 2026

Cops: Gillette Man Admits Truck Used To Take $50K Worth Of Copper, But It Wasn’t Him

A Gillette man accused of stealing $50,000 worth of copper wire admitted to police his truck was used in the heist, but that he’d loaned it to a buddy. And he claims the $3,000 check he got that same day from a salvage yard was for other copper.

Greg JohnsonOctober 02, 2026

Because No One Stops At Stop Sign, Casper Family Enlists 12-Foot Skeleton To Help

The newest traffic cop stationed near Casper's Dean Morgan Middle School is about 12 feet tall, never sleeps and is dying for drivers to stop. “Tomb Petty” was installed by a Casper family weary of drivers running their neighborhood stop sign.

Kolby FedoreOctober 02, 2026

A former Wyoming Boys' School resident strapped down to a restraint chair with a mask over his head. A court filing claims he was put in the chair with a mask for up to eight hours a day.

Judge: Worland Boys' School Solitary Confinement Case Should Go To Trial

A federal judge ruled Friday that, for one of the young men suing the Wyoming Boys’ School, there’s at least enough proof that staffers violated his rights with unconstitutional solitary confinement and physical force to send the case to trial.

Clair McFarlandOctober 02, 2026

The Taco Bell Ultramarathon 50K: Where Runners Eat 10 Taco Bell Items In 31 Miles

The 31-mile Taco Bell ultramarathon Saturday in Denver that requires runners to eat Taco Bell throughout is almost the worst idea in America. "We’re hoping so,” said race organizer Dan Zolnikov with a laugh Friday morning.

Clair McFarlandOctober 02, 2026

David Crouch, 27, went missing while camping in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in August 1997. His disappearance has haunted retired Sublette County Sheriff Hank Ruland for nearly three decades.

Now Retired, Wyoming Sheriff Still Haunted 29 Years After Camper Went Missing

David Crouch, 27, went missing while camping in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in August 1997. He was last seen on the banks of Island Lake with a fishing rod in hand. His disappearance has haunted retired Sublette County Sheriff Hank Ruland for nearly three decades.

Jen KocherOctober 02, 2026

A screenshot from the original TikTok by ISA KNOWS, which shows Megan Pope confronting a line of tourist photographers at Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park.

Pregnant Photographer Mooed At By Tourist Mob Talks About Viral Grand Teton Video

9 million people on TikTok have watched a pregnant Rock Springs photographer lose her temper at a line of tourists who taunted and mooed at her last week in Grand Teton. “Wyoming might be your vacation destination, but it’s also our home," she told them.

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 02, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Friday, October 2, 2026

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

Jake NicholsOctober 02, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Friday, October 2, 2026

Friday's headlines include: * MLB Backs Down * Newsom Blocks Coal Again * Suspected Porch Pirate Busted

Mac WatsonOctober 02, 2026

Rod Miller: Populism – Or – Fear & Loathing In The Big Empty

Columnist Rod Miller writes, "It seems now that the populist fire-breathers are gravitating from the Republican Party toward Rebecca “Checkgate Becky” Bextel (a disgruntled apostate from the GOP) and the Wyoming Constitution party."

Rod MillerOctober 02, 2026

Wyoming state Sens. Charlie Scott, left, and Lynn Hutchings.

Lawmakers Trying For The Third Time To Get Foreign-Licensed Doctors To Wyoming

Legislators are hoping for success this time as they advance a bill to bring foreign-licensed doctors to Wyoming, to ease a severe shortage. That bill has died in two different legislative sessions, both times in the Majority Floor Leader Scott Heiner's drawer.

Clair McFarlandOctober 01, 2026

One of five wolves reintroduced to northern Colorado in December 2023.

Colorado Backs Off Killing Wolves That Attack Cattle As Population Stalls At 45

Colorado's wolf population has leveled off at 45, half of them pups. With no new wolves coming because states won't send them and Canada is no longer an option, the state says it will be more selective about killing wolves that attack cattle.

Mark HeinzOctober 01, 2026

Feds: Man Accused Of Trafficking 174 Pounds Of Meth Tried To Eat Drugs During Chase

Federal agents say that a Casper man suspected of trafficking drugs took exit after exit on I-25, then started eating the drugs as agents closed in on him. His drug network moved 174 pounds of meth and 2,000 fentanyl pills in one run, said a source.

Kolby FedoreOctober 01, 2026

Suspects from a pair of diesel fuel thefts from a Utah Sinclair station, where nearly 1,400 gallons of diesel was stolen.

Police Looking For Thieves Who Stole 1,400 Gallons Of Diesel From Utah Gas Station

How thieves made off with 1,400 gallons of diesel from a small Utah gas station last month remains a mystery, as does who’s behind the thefts. “They’re across state lines before anyone knows what hit them,” says an industry insider about fuel theft rings.

Kate MeadowsOctober 01, 2026

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