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

Letter To The Editor: Wyoming Has Bigger Problems Than Venezuela
Dear editor: The idea that the United States will now administer a foreign nation — overseeing its oil infrastructure and political future — may excite cable news panels and partisan loyalists. But it does nothing to help the Americans who have quietly been left behind at home.
January 04, 2026

Letter To The Editor: Casper City Council's Gift To Citizens
Dear editor: Without even having a formal public hearing, just a discussion in a work session and a vote in a general session, they have given the residents of our city an unexpected gift that we will not forget; utility rate increases for sewer of 34% in 2026 and 18% in 2027 and for water 8% in both 2026 and 2027.
January 04, 2026

Women Have Run District Court System In Park County For More Than 100 Years
For over a century, Park County’s District Court record has been written by women. Since 1922, every clerk of District Court in the county has been female, possibly making it the longest-running gender-specific elected office succession in Wyoming.
Wendy CorrJanuary 04, 2026

The Man Who Chauffeured Spock Around Yellowstone For 'Star Trek' Movie Shoot
When Leonard Nimoy flew to Yellowstone in August 1978 to shoot a scene for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture, " Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel worker Eric Ostensen got the job of being Mr. Spock's chauffeur. He recalls it being a "weird" and surreal experience.
Andrew RossiJanuary 04, 2026

How Sheridan Couple Invented An Automated 'Smart' Coop For Backyard Chickens
A Sheridan couple has invented a smart-home system that automates coop care for people who keep backyard chickens. Their Hen Hub recently won $50,000 in a start-up challenge for seed money to bring their invention to market.
David MadisonJanuary 04, 2026

Family Still Desperate To Find Missing Wind River Man After 5 Years
Rupert Brown vanished from his sister’s Wind River Reservation home on New Year’s Eve 2020, leaving his coat behind. Five years later, his family remains desperate to find him amid circulating rumors and a renewed investigation.
Jen KocherJanuary 04, 2026

Guest Column: Behavioral Health v Churches – A Fictitious Conflict Which Only Harms Wyoming
Guest columnist Jon Conrad writes, "It is past time for Rep. Bear and the Wyoming Freedom Caucus to step up, advocate and support funding suicide prevention and the Behavioral Health Division; who have historically voted ‘NO’, against their constituents and our citizens of this great state."
Guest ColumnJanuary 04, 2026

Story's Wagon Box Inn Lands Celebrity Chef Vincent Fiore
Celebrity Chef Vincent Fiore didn’t have Story, Wyoming, on the itinerary for his new "Cookin' With Cowboys" episodes, which stream on YouTube. But the Wise Guy Kitchen chef is always up for a new adventure - like taking over as chef at Wagon Box Inn.
Renée JeanJanuary 04, 2026

Wyoming History: All-Brothers Baseball Team Was A National Sensation In 1929
Nine brothers from Hawk Springs made headlines across the country in 1929 fielding a full baseball team. The patriarch of the Marlatt family would start teaching them the game as “soon as each had emerged from the cradle.”
Dale KillingbeckJanuary 04, 2026

Faced With Her Own Terminal Diagnosis, Thermopolis Mom Helps Others With Cancer
When Thermopolis mom Connie Hoffman was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she was overwhelmed by expenses and relied on fundraising to travel to specialists. In the time she has left, she is spending her time raising money for others who have cancer.
Jackie DorothyJanuary 04, 2026

Barrasso, Lummis, Gordon Cheer Trump's Military Strike On Venezuela
U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon on Saturday all commended President Trump's capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. "Peace through strength works," Lummis said. "Maduro will finally answer for his crimes in American courts.”
Sean BarryJanuary 04, 2026
17 White Bison Thrive At Billionaire Joe Ricketts’ Jackson Fork Ranch
Billionaire Joe Ricketts’ herd of 17 white bison thrive at Jackson Fork Ranch in Wyoming’s Upper Hoback Valley. To him, the white bison represent a piece of American West history, a spiritual connection to the land and a feature he's proud to share with guests
Kate MeadowsJanuary 03, 2026

Why New Mexico Kids Wait In Protective ‘Wolf Houses' At School Bus Stops
Parents in a New Mexico county are worried their children might get attacked by wolves so they've built cage-like shelters for them at bus stops. Critics say it's ridiculous as there hasn't been a fatal wild wolf attack on a human in the lower 48 for 100+ years.
Mark HeinzJanuary 03, 2026

Wyoming Authors Win Against AI Stealing Their Work, But May Ultimately Lose
Best-selling authors Michael and Kathleen Gear had 60 of their books illegally downloaded and used as training tools for an artificial intelligence company. A judge ruled that their books were stolen, but that it's OK to use legally bought books to train AI platforms.
Jackie DorothyJanuary 03, 2026

Man Leaves Cameras In Grizzly Caves north Of Yellowstone, Captures Decade Of Video
Wildlife filmmaker Casey Anderson left stop-motion cameras in two grizzly dens north of Yellowstone in 2015 and forgot about them. Last summer, he went back to the caves and, to his amazement, recovered the cameras and more than a decade of footage.
Mark HeinzJanuary 03, 2026

Joan Barron: Don't Get All 'Cheugy' About New Words
Columnist Joan Barron writes, “With the new year we have new words to ponder, like 'sportocrat,' and 'fleek.' The German word 'Backpfeitfengesicht' means 'a face that deserves to be slapped or punched.'”
Joan BarronJanuary 03, 2026

Bill Sniffin: Wyo Economy Last Year Was Wonderful - Looking Ahead, 2026 Might Be Better
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “By all accounts, 2026 could be a watershed year for Wyoming when it comes to energy development and overall good times. Let’s hope so.”
Bill SniffinJanuary 03, 2026

What University Of Idaho’s Division I Downgrade Could Teach The Wyoming Cowboys
The University of Idaho’s drop from the top tier of Division I college football could serve a warning to the University of Wyoming about the challenges small markets have in the era of NIL and revenue sharing. Insiders urge realism as financial gaps widen.
David MadisonJanuary 03, 2026

Tortured Relationship Ends In Murder-Suicide In Lyman
Justin Bradshaw was headed to work on Dec. 16 in Lyman when he got the last call he’d ever take from his 20-year-old daughter, Macey. He was there in four minutes, but it still wasn’t soon enough. As he reached to enter the apartment, gunshots sounded.
Zakary SonntagJanuary 03, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jeff - Saturday, January 3, 2026
Jeff in the 307. Saturday mornings 6-10 a.m.
Jake NicholsJanuary 03, 2026

Rasner Won’t Run For Governor, Says To 'Stay Tuned For News Next Week'
Reid Rasner won’t run to be the next governor of Wyoming, he told Cowboy State Daily in a Friday text message. “Stay tuned for news next week, the best is yet to come,” Rasner added.
Clair McFarlandJanuary 03, 2026

Experts Say Woman Killed In Colorado Mountain Lion Attack A Rare Tragedy
At least one mountain lion — and possibly two — apparently attacked and killed a woman hiking in Colorado on Thursday. Mountain lion experts say attacks on humans are extremely rare, without an officially documented fatal mountain lion attack in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzJanuary 03, 2026

Wyoming Responds To PETA By Issuing A Pro-Rodeo License Plate
Wyoming issued a new pro-rodeo license plate Friday in response to PETA asking for a plate without the iconic bucking bronco claiming rodeo is cruel. One state legislator said PETA’s request made him want to celebrate rodeo “even more prominently.”
Clair McFarlandJanuary 02, 2026

Researchers Say 'Biophobia' — An Irrational Terror Of Nature — Is A Thing Now
A crippling fear of nature called “biophobia” is becoming more common, researchers say. A Wyoming backcountry guide said he’s skeptical, and conversely has seen exposure to nature change lives for the better.
Mark HeinzJanuary 02, 2026
