Headlines

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

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Tuesday, July 7, 2026

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

Jake NicholsJuly 07, 2026

Three teens and one adult volunteering, holding boxes at a Food Bank of Wyoming Mobile Pantry in May 2026.

The Wyoming Way: Helping Neighbors, Feeding Families, Strengthening Communities

From young families and grandparents raising grandchildren to caregivers and retirees, Wyomingites across the state are feeling the pressure of rising costs. Food Bank of Wyoming is encouraging communities to come together to ensure everyone has access to nutritious food. This WyoGives Day, July 15, donors can help support both local families and Wyoming producers.

July 07, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Tuesday's headlines include: * Gillette Man Loses Fingers To Fireworks * Wyoming At Critical Crossroads With Data Centers * Wyoming Diesel Mechanic Gets More Pardons From Trump

Mac WatsonJuly 07, 2026

Wyoming's Famous Diesel Mechanic Gets Presidential Pardons For Others

Wyoming's most famous diesel “delete" mechanic Troy Lake, who was pardoned by Trump after a prison stint, advocated for the president to pardon at least six more. On Friday, Trump pardoned those six, plus three others.

Clair McFarlandJuly 07, 2026

The Related Digital data center under construction in east Cheyenne on Monday, July 6, 2026.

Data Centers Test Wyoming’s Promise Not To ‘Piss Away’ The Next Boom

The old Wyoming bumper sticker reads, “Dear God give me one more boom and I promise not to piss it all away next time.” Data centers may just be that next boom. So, how far to go in courting prosperity without losing the things that make Wyoming, Wyoming?

Renée JeanJuly 06, 2026

Gail Symons: Why Campaign Volunteers Are Critical

Columnist Gail Symons writes, "For me, knocking on doors has been the best part of campaign work. You meet people where they live. You hear what they care about. You talk about the experience, judgment and character of the person asking for their vote."

Gail SymonsJuly 06, 2026

Rock Springs Ends Controversial Goat Grazing Program After Spending $200,000

After spending about $200,000 in goat grazing for flood mitigation since 2025, the town of Rock Springs is putting an end to it for now. One council member said residents say it’s too expensive. "This will be the last we see goats,” he said.

Kate MeadowsJuly 06, 2026

A Gillette man blew the fingers off his hand outside a local bar around midnight Saturday. "I tried to light a firework and throw it, it blew up instantly,” the man says in a Monday public apology. “I’m sorry for being wreckless (sic) and injuring anyone."

Gillette Man Blows Fingers Off Hand With Firework Outside Bar, Four Others Hurt

A man blew the fingers off his hand and injured four other people outside a Gillette bar around midnight Saturday. In a public apology, the man, who was life-flighted to Billings, said he tried to throw the firework "but it blew up instantly."

Kolby FedoreJuly 06, 2026

No Charges From Feds 14 Months After Man Found Dead On Rez

Fourteen months after a man was found in an abandoned red truck in a remote region of the Wind River Indian Reservation with two gunshots in his head, prosecutors have no ongoing, public murder cases in the December 2024 death of Riverton man Rex Lofts.

Clair McFarlandJuly 06, 2026

Rich Guenzel, a retired Game and Fish biologist and pronghorn conservationist, made a “pronghorn swear jar” as a humorous way to correct people for calling the iconic Wyoming animals “antelope.”

Say 'Antelope' In Front Of Wyoming Pronghorn Activist, It'll Cost You $1

Conservationist Rich Guenzel understands why many people, including Wyoming Game and Fish, wrongly call one of the state's signature animals "antelope," but it's his pet peeve. It bugs him so much he has a “pronghorn swear jar” and makes people pay $1.

Mark HeinzJuly 06, 2026

Wildfires started by fireworks in Thermopolis, left, and in Cody on the Fourth of July.

Fires Break Out In At Least Two Wyoming Towns During July 4 Firework Shows

At least two Wyoming cities got bonus shows for July 4 when fireworks started wildfires near launch sites. In both Cody and Thermopolis fires began during the shows but citizens weren't concerned. "It happens every year," Cody resident Laura Redmond said.

Andrew RossiJuly 06, 2026

Glenrock Boy Airlifted To Denver Hospital After Getting Hit In Eye By Fireworks

A Glenrock boy was airlifted to a Denver hospital on the Fourth of July after getting hit in the eye with an errant firework when it exploded in a crowd at a local park. A witness said he watched it "explode in the middle of the crowd of people.”

Kolby FedoreJuly 06, 2026

Brayden Randolph appears in Casper Circuit Court on Monday, Jul 6, 2026. Inset is a screenshot from body cam video of an officer removing an 18-month-old Randolph is accused of using as a shield during an armed standoff.

Casper Man Accused Of Holding Toddler ‘Like A Shield’ In Standoff To Change Plea

A Casper man accused of holding a toddler “like a shield” in front of him during an armed standoff said Monday he intends to change his plea. The man "told officers he had a gun and officers had guns and challenged officers to get him,” police say.

Dale KillingbeckJuly 06, 2026

"Threat Valley Massacre" is a campy horror-comedy-slasher mashup that debuts at this week’s Wyoming International Film Festival.

Wyoming Film Fest Features Horror-Comedy-Slasher Epic With Puppets, 11 Others

A campy horror-comedy-slasher mashup that debuts at this week’s Wyoming International Film Festival has an unexpected twist — it’s all puppets. “Threat Valley Massacre” is “probably the most hilarious film we’re playing this year," said an organizer.

Kerry DrakeJuly 06, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Monday, July 6, 2026

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

Jake NicholsJuly 06, 2026

Once the fall rolls back around, the snow can be pushed back out and used immediately, as seen here at Ruka in Finland.

Save It For Later: 'Snow Farming' Is Keeping Ski Seasons Alive Across Rockies

As temperatures soar in the summer, ski resorts in the Rocky Mountain West are "farming" snow, storing it under giant thermal mats as insurance for the upcoming season. Snow stays close to freezing in the summer even in triple-digit temperatures.

Leo Wolfson For Cowboy State DailyJuly 06, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Monday, July 6, 2026

Monday's headlines include: * Rampant Feral Dogs * Prairie Grizzlies On The Move * Jackson Couple Gives Away Ranch

Mac WatsonJuly 06, 2026

Dave Simpson: Is This What You Educated Democrats Want?

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Traditional (not insane) Democrats are being pushed aside by bat-guano crazy socialists and communists screaming about lunatic stuff like 'ending' law enforcement and closing prisons."

Dave SimpsonJuly 06, 2026

Benton was literally a Hell on Wheels town. In 1868, the Union Pacific Railroad had two to four miles of track laid a day and an entire town would follow these tracks as they pushed deeper into the Wyoming Territory. Not only saloons, but banks and grocery stores followed the crews that were building the railroad. These towns were virtually lawless and shootings were common occurrences according to the newspapers that also followed the railroad.

Wyoming History: 100 Murders In 3 Months, Lawless Benton Was ‘Bred By The Devil’

Of the Wyoming Territory towns that arrived on wheels along the Union Pacific Railroad, none were as tawdry, bawdry and lawless as Benton, which witnessed as many as 100 murders in its three-month lifespan. Benton, it was said, was "bred by the devil."

Jackie DorothyJuly 05, 2026

Parker Williams, 20, right, and his friend Seth Siebert spent about four days building their version of the iconic Dumb and Dumber Mutt Cutts sheepdog van.

Powell Man Turns $3,000 Van Into ‘Dumb And Dumber’ Mutt Cutts Shaggin’ Wagon

A Powell man who built a "Dumb And Dumber" Mutt Cutts van replica with his best friend says it turns heads everywhere they drive it. Bad weather presents a challenge, he said. When the 8,000-pound carpeted dog got caught in the rain, he had to shampoo it.

Kolby FedoreJuly 05, 2026

James Pulver works a crockpot full of handcrafted soap in his Casper workshop while his young daughter draws a chalk sun across the garage floor nearby. The Wyoming bail bondsman and bounty hunter says soap-making helps him decompress from a career spent guiding clients through the criminal justice system. "I'm helping people get clean one way or another," he says.

Wyoming Bondsman Is Part Bounty Hunter, Part Counselor — And A Former Inmate

A Casper bail bondsman has an unorthodox job that requires him to be part bounty hunter and part life counselor. And he can empathize with his clients. "Before I was a bail bondsman, I was an inmate," he said.

Kolby FedoreJuly 05, 2026

Each tank offers a different slice of American history, spanning an 80-year period.

Dubois’ One-Of-A-Kind Military Tank Parade Celebrates America's 250th

On America’s 250th, Dubois did something few towns in America can do — fielding a parade with more than two dozen military tanks and vehicles spanning 80 years of U.S. history. "It’s the most unique parade in America,” said one patriotic-feeling parade-goer.

Renée JeanJuly 05, 2026

Once nearly made a ghost town from a uranium industry bust, a company things producing Wyoming jade near there can be the town's second chance as prosperity.

Jeffrey City’s Second Act: From Near Uranium Ghost Town To Jade Comeback

Known for uranium and then near-abandonment, Jeffrey City is getting a second look from a Canadian geologist who says new science — and evolving markets — could turn Wyoming’s deposits of jade into a new industry for the tiny almost-ghost town.

Renée JeanJuly 05, 2026

Veterinarians at a Riverton animal clinic work to amputate the right front leg of Toa, a puppy rescued in Ethete after some children reportedly tied a fishing line around his leg.

Cheyenne Clinic 300 Miles Away Has Rescued 3,000 Wyoming Roaming Reservation Dogs

With no veterinary clinics or animal shelters, roaming dogs are a problem on the Wind River Indian Reservation. A Cheyenne clinic 300 miles away has rescued 3,000 stray pets from the reservation since 2017.

Kerry DrakeJuly 05, 2026

Page 35