Headlines

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

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Tuesday's headlines include: * Unparalleled Demand For Energy * Millions of Bees in Yellowstone Trees * Why Chugwater Chili Cookoff Is So Popular

Mac WatsonJune 23, 2026

In a secret Cheyenne warehouse dubbed "Area 51," thousands of Wyoming's new license plates are being made.

Letter To The Editor: License Plates Cost Too Much Money

Dear editor: When I was required to replace my license plate (it was in perfectly good condition) with a new one last year, I began to wonder what it cost the state to replace all plates in 2025.

June 23, 2026

Dave Simpson: When Is The Death Penalty The Only Option?

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "I once saw two young men sentenced to death. I was in the courtroom in Laramie in August of 1974 when Judge Bentley sentenced Billy Cloman and Julian Turner to the gas chamber for murders of two Laramie County ranchers."

Dave SimpsonJune 23, 2026

Despite an influx of moisture-laden weather in June, data from the National Weather Service shows that the last three months in Wyoming has remained historically dry.

Wyoming Records Driest Spring In Decades, Forecasters Expect Exceptionally Dry Summer

Data from the National Weather Service reveals the last three months have been the driest spring on record for most of Wyoming. That's following one of the driest winters on record. And now meteorologists say they are expecting an exceptionally dry summer.

Andrew RossiJune 23, 2026

Power transmission lines and a Black Hills Energy substation south of Cheyenne along U.S. Highway 85 near the Project Jade AI data center development.

How Black Hills Energy Is Preparing For Surge Of Power-Hungry Wyoming Data Centers

Black Hills Energy says it’s ready for a surge of power-hungry Wyoming data centers that can each use as much electricity as a small state. The bottom line is making those projects pay their own way, said a company official.

Renée JeanJune 23, 2026

Wheatland firefighters and Wyoming Game and Fish personnel prepare to lift a young bull moose that was tranquilized and rolled onto a tarp early Sunday.

How First Responders Relocated A Moose That Wandered Into Wheatland

When a bull moose wandered too close to Interstate 25 near Wheatland early Sunday, wildlife agents tranquilized it and then had to get the massive, comatose animal into a waiting horse trailer. “Once he woke back up, he was not too pleased,” said a fire-rescue responder.

Mark HeinzJune 22, 2026

Jerry Arnold has been cooking chili since 1999. It's become a tradition that the family gathers around, like some families do Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Why World Chili Champions Come To Tiny Chugwater For Its Annual Chili Fest

Terlingua, Texas, crowns the world’s chili champions, but many say their favorite contest is in Chugwater, Wyoming. For 40 years, the Chugwater Chili Cook-off has been a Father's Day bucket-list contest for the best chili cooks on the planet.

Renée JeanJune 22, 2026

This massive grizzly bear, called The Boss, lives in Alberta, Canada, where grizzlies have been protected from hunting since 2006. Some Albertans want grizzly hunts brought back.

Just Like In Wyoming, There's A Big Argument In Alberta Over Hunting Grizzlies

As in Wyoming, grizzlies are showing up in Alberta, Canada, in places they haven't been seen in 50 to 100 years. And just like Wyoming, their arrival has sparked emotional debate over whether to hunt the endangered species again.

Mark HeinzJune 22, 2026

Mount Rushmore Expects Huge Turnout For 250th With Return Of Fireworks, Maybe Trump

Mount Rushmore expects a huge turnout for the nation's 250th Independence Day celebration that will feature fireworks return for the first time in six years. There's also speculation that Trump might attend, but the White House hasn't confirmed.

Kate MeadowsJune 22, 2026

A "bee tree" near U.S. Highway 191 in Yellowstone National Park. Cheyenne "bee whisperer" Michael Jordan said this is what honeybees do when trying to establish a new hive, but this is a temporary solution until they've started building a new hive in a permanent location.

Millions Of Bees Swarm On Trees In Yellowstone After Hives Smashed In Semi Crash

Almost a week after a semitruck carrying millions of bees flipped over in Yellowstone National Park and destroyed hundreds of hives, bees are still swarming on trees in the area. “It’s what's called a swarming mechanism,” said a Wyoming beekeeper.

Andrew RossiJune 22, 2026

Casper Keeps College National Finals Rodeo For Next 10 Years

The Natrona County Commissioners approved an agreement to keep the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper for the next 10 years. The CEO of Visit Casper said the economic boost is a big one as last year's event generated $3 million in economic impact.

Kolby FedoreJune 22, 2026

Uranium companies like American Uranium Ltd. are ramping up uranium exploration and production in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, riding a renewed focus on domestic uranium dependence.

Wyoming Uranium Surges As Nuclear Demand, National Security Concerns Align

Demand for nuclear fuel, a ban on imports from Russia and booming data center-driven electricity needs are sending uranium producers back into Wyoming. "We need the fuel, and the fuel starts with Wyoming uranium," said mining association chief Travis Deti

Kate MeadowsJune 22, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Monday, June 22, 2026

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

Jake NicholsJune 22, 2026

Gail Symons: Waiting Tables Woke Me Up Pretty Fast

Columnist Gail Symons writes, "After tuition and expenses, my flexibility hinged on tips. Those tips reflected how well I served people. There was a direct connection between effort and result, and good service mattered."

June 22, 2026

Cody Chamber of Commerce Director Jennifer Thoma (left) and Sandy Newsome, chair of the Wyoming Semiquincentennial Planning Task Force, hold the Betsy Ross flags that will be displayed on Sheridan Avenue through the summer.

500 American Flags Line Three City Blocks As Cody’s Patriotic 'Field Of Honor'

A patriotic sight greets anyone who happens down Cody’s “Field of Honor," which for three blocks is lined with 500 full-sized American Flags. It's all part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Amber SteinmetzJune 22, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Monday, June 22, 2026

Monday's headlines include: * Wyoming’s Housing Shortage * Rare Tornado In Sublette County * What Exactly Does A Worm Wrangler Do?

Mac WatsonJune 22, 2026

The Bighorn 100 is one of the nation's most challenging ultramarathons, crossing the mountains of northern Wyoming starting and finishing in Dayton.

When Trees Become People: The Strange Reality Of Running 100 Miles In Wyoming

This weekend, runners descended on Sheridan for one of the West's most respected ultramarathons. They'll tell you the 100-mile race is a test of what a person can endure: aching muscles, phantom voices and trees that suddenly look like people.

Kolby FedoreJune 21, 2026

Archaeologists at the Old Faithful petroglyph site in 2011. These circular petroglyphs were the first pieces of rock art found in Yellowstone National Park, and remain controversial to this day.

50 Years Of Controversy Over Yellowstone's Only Known 'Petroglyph'

Yellowstone's “first” petroglyph remains controversial. Some archaeologists don't buy it. While Yellowstone was a significant site for indigenous cultures rock art was rare. That changed with the discovery of the Old Faithful "petroglyphs" in 1977.

Andrew RossiJune 21, 2026

Teapot Dome Oil Fields Were Plenty Scandalous Before Historic Scandal Of 1920s

Years before armed Marines invaded Wyoming and a cabinet secretaries went to prison for the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s, those same oil fields were already plenty scandalous. Arguments over land were often settled by whoever had the quickest draw.

Jackie DorothyJune 21, 2026

Roger Haight started carving ivory soap as a Boy Scout and, after retiring as a professor of microbiology, joined a Big Horn wood carving group. His home is now a wood carving museum with over 400 carvings on display, mostly of birds.

Wyoming Woodcarvers Say Their Work Is A Hobby, Others Call It Art

Sheridan's Don Johnson and Roger Haight may not consider themselves artists, but they create extraordinary works based on what they see every day. Johnson builds modern birdhouses while Haight carves lifelike birds, and both are being hailed as Wyoming folk artists.

Jackie DorothyJune 21, 2026

Harry Campbell, a former Casper oil worker and bus driver in the 1920s, careened into a life of crime with the infamous Karpis-Barker gang that included murders, kidnappings, and robberies. He was the FBI's No. 2 most-wanted before being caught and sent to Alcatraz.

From Casper To Alcatraz: Former Bus Driver Hit No. 2 On FBI’s Most Wanted List

A former Casper oil worker and bus driver in the 1920s careened into a life of crime with the infamous Karpis-Barker gang that included murders, kidnappings, and robberies. He was the FBI's No. 2 most-wanted before being caught and sent to Alcatraz.

Dale KillingbeckJune 21, 2026

Wyoming Communities: How Dubois, Wyoming, Got Its Name And Its Pronunciation

Dubois is a name that, to this day, is spoken out of spite. It's pronounced “dew-boys” instead of the French “deh-bwah" as a slight to U.S. senator Fred Dubois — who named the town after himself — and hated it when people mispronounced his French surname.

Andrew RossiJune 21, 2026

Clair McFarland: Y'all Could Learn A Thing Or Two From My Dad

Clair McFarland writes, "To me, the valiant man of our world is the one who makes things run, makes things last, makes things hold their purpose under pressure. That’s my dad.”

Clair McFarlandJune 21, 2026

Erika Babbitt-Rogers of Laramie is a “worm wrangler” selling customers worms for fishing bait and food for pet reptiles. See also sells worm castings, or worm poop, as fertilizer.

Wyoming ‘Worm Wrangler’ Says Nightcrawlers Are Popular But Worm Poop Is Bestseller

Laramie's Erika Babbitt-Rogers considers herself to be a professional “worm wrangler." She says anglers and pet owners are regular customers, but the real demand is for worm poop. “Everybody’s wanting that worm poop on their gardens,” she said.

Mark HeinzJune 21, 2026

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