Headlines

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

Trump Moves To Open National Parks, Other Federal Lands, To More Hunting

The Trump administration has moved to open more National Park Service land to hunting. But that doesn’t mean fluorescent orange hunting vests and rifle shots will light up Yellowstone National Park this fall during elk hunting season, however.

Mark HeinzMay 11, 2026

A surge of as many as 70 proposed data centers converging on Cheyenne has prompted one councilman to propose a moratorium on new construction. However, “an outright moratorium or a ban, that’s not our way,” says Mayor Patrick Collins.

Cheyenne Residents Push For 12-Month Moratorium On Data Centers

A surge of as many as 70 proposed data centers converging on Cheyenne has rallied residents and a councilman to propose a 12-month moratorium on new construction. However, “an outright moratorium or a ban, that’s not our way,” says Mayor Patrick Collins.

Renée JeanMay 11, 2026

Dave Simpson: Check The Label On That Alleged Republican

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "To hear our Wishy-Washy, Republican Lite friends tell it, the primary is the most important election in Wyoming history. So important, they are encouraging Democrats – if they can find one – to cross over and vote Republican Lite."

Dave SimpsonMay 11, 2026

President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media prior to a Marine One departure from the South Lawn of the White House on May 8, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Letter To The Editor: Democracy Is Disappearing

Dear editor: Our great constitutional government creates checks and balances, but our entire congressional delegation is convinced — somehow — to stay quiet and go along with one man and all his strange delusions.

May 11, 2026

Pepper Fipps, the Cow Boss at the Rafter Star Ranch near Sheridan, uses only “Big Wonderful Wyoming” mud flaps on the ranch flatbeds and big rigs. He’s having trouble finding replacements.

Rancher Won’t Use Anything But ‘Big Wonderful Wyoming’ Mud Flaps, Can’t Find More

A Sheridan-area rancher is on a quest for “Big Wonderful Wyoming” mudflaps — and won’t use anything else on the ranch’s trucks. “I’ll order eight sets of them,” she told a Wyoming auto parts dealer.

Mark HeinzMay 11, 2026

Wyoming’s new education funding model leaves many schools short of money for sports and activities. That’s a bug, not a feature, of the package, say lawmakers who urge schools against “hacking and whacking” programs while they fix it.

Backlash Over School Sports & Activities Cuts But Wyoming Lawmakers Promise To Fix

Wyoming’s new education funding model is leaving many schools short of money for sports and activities. Lawmakers say that's a bug, not a feature of the package, and are urging schools against “hacking and whacking” programs while they fix it.

Clair McFarlandMay 11, 2026

Folks were enjoying the 83-degree weather at Cheyenne's Holiday Park on Monday, May 11, 2026, less than a week removed from a snowstorm that dumped several inches of heavy, wet snow on the city.

Extreme Wyoming Weather Swings From 10 Inches Of Snow To 90 Degrees In A Week

Last week, parts of Wyoming got up to 10 inches of snow during blizzard conditions, but by Monday temps were in the 80s and flirting with record highs — and on their way into the 90s. “May is very susceptible to mood swings,” says meteorologist Don Day.

Andrew RossiMay 11, 2026

A plan to build Wyoming’s first subscription-based solar project is on hold, but isn’t dead, says Lower Valley Energy CEO Bear Prairie. The co-op is now focusing on communicating with customers while pursuing a piece of state-owned land near a garbage dump, he says.

CEO Says Plan For Wyoming’s First Subscription-Based Solar Project Isn't Dead

A plan to build Wyoming’s first subscription-based solar project is on hold, but isn’t dead, says Lower Valley Energy’s CEO. The co-op is now focusing on communicating with customers while pursuing a piece of state-owned land near a garbage dump, he says.

Kate MeadowsMay 11, 2026

Jury Finds Gillette Woman Not Guilty In Plot To Have Brother Stabbed

A jury found a Gillette, Wyoming, woman not guilty Friday of helping plot her brother’s stabbing at a Washington state Motel 6. Her husband, meanwhile, is serving 39 years in prison for attempted first-degree murder for carrying out the attack.

Kolby FedoreMay 11, 2026

Riverton Police: Woman Claims She Lit Man In Wheelchair On Fire In Self-Defense

Riverton police say a woman accused of dousing a man in a wheelchair with vodka and lighting him on fire claimed she acted in self-defense. A witness told police the woman became angry when the wheelchair-bound man wouldn’t give her money for meth.

Kolby FedoreMay 11, 2026

The Loaf N' Jug store at 195 Main St. in Lander, Wyomiung.

Family Says Strangers Saved Life Of Lander Store Clerk Stabbed During Robbery

The family of a Lander convenience store clerk credits strangers for saving the woman’s life after she was stabbed several times by a suspected burglar. “We are beyond grateful” for the response "that saved my mom’s life,” says the victim’s daughter.

Kolby FedoreMay 11, 2026

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

Page 28