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Explore a chronological display of Cowboy State Daily’s articles.
News
Cowboy State Daily Video News: Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Wednesday's headlines include: * Schuler Applauds Trans Ban * 106 New Wyo Laws Take Effect * Lawmaker Wants To Get Rid Of Business Council
Wendy CorrJuly 02, 2025
Trump Administration Seeks To Defend Wyoming’s New Citizenship Voter Law
The U.S. Department of Justice under President Donald Trump filed a brief in court Tuesday to help defend Wyoming’s new voter citizenship law. Secretary of State Chuck Gray says he’s “extremely grateful” to the department and Trump.
Clair McFarlandJuly 02, 2025
Energy Secretary To Visit Site Of Massive Rare Earth Find In Ranchester, Wyoming
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright will be in northern Wyoming for the July 11 groundbreaking of the Brook Mine in Ranchester. Ramaco Resources believes it holds the largest “unconventional” rare earth deposit in the U.S.
David MadisonJuly 02, 2025
Hot Springs County In An Uproar Over Cuts To 4-H, Extension Programs
The Hot Springs County Commission faced backlash Tuesday from residents upset over deep cuts to the county’s extension office and 4-H program. Commissioners say it's necessary due to lagging oil and gas revenue and a 25% cut in property taxes.
Mark HeinzJuly 02, 2025
UPenn Bans Trans Athletes From Women's Sports Same Day Wyoming Law Goes Into Effect
Wyoming State Sen. Wendy Schuler said Tuesday’s decision by the University of Pennsylvania to ban trans athletes from participating in women's sports marks “a great victory for our women and girls.” It happened the same day Wyoming's law that does the same thing went into effect.
Clair McFarlandJuly 02, 2025
‘Huge Flipping Waste Of Money’: Legislator Wants To Eliminate Wyoming Business Council
Calling the Wyoming Business Council a “huge flipping waste of money,” state Rep. Ken Pendergraft says he wants to reduce the state’s budget by getting rid of the entity. Economic development shouldn’t be the government’s responsibility, he said.
Matthew ChristianJuly 01, 2025
Wyoming Legislators Cheer Removal Of Ban On States Regulating AI From Budget Bill
Gov. Mark Gordon and a pair of Wyoming legislators cheered Tuesday’s removal of a ban on states regulating artificial intelligence. A 99-1 Senate vote took it out of the controversial federal budget bill.
Matthew ChristianJuly 01, 2025
Storm Chasers Get Engaged In Front Of ‘Perfect Tornado’ in South Dakota
Bryce Shelton proposed to Paige Berdomas on Saturday while an EF-3 tornado raged behind them and across South Dakota and Minnesota. Both professional storm chasers called it "the most beautiful tornado" they'd ever seen.
Andrew RossiJuly 01, 2025
Midwest Power Plant Operator Wants $22M From BNSF For Not Delivering Wyoming Coal
The operator of a pair of Midwest power plants wants $22 million from BNSF Railway, according to recent documents filed with the Surface Transportation Board. The company claims the power plants couldn’t get their full orders of Wyoming coal.
David MadisonJuly 01, 2025
Flaming Gorge Days Makes Comeback After Embezzlement Scandal Nearly Killed It
Thousands of people turned out over the weekend for Flaming Gorge Days, a Green River party that’s been around for decades. But the event was almost killed two years ago when an embezzlement scandal canceled it in 2023 and threatened to end it forever.
Renée JeanJuly 01, 2025
Trans Woman Breaks Wyoming’s New Bathroom Ban In State Capitol, Nothing Happens
Nothing happened Tuesday when a transgender woman flagrantly violated a newly implemented Wyoming law restricting people to the restroom corresponding to their birth sex in public buildings.
Matthew Christian & Clair McFarlandJuly 01, 2025
Wyoming’s New Laws: No Gun-Free Zones, Prove Citizenship To Vote And A Bathroom Ban
In all, 106 new Wyoming laws became active Tuesday. Now, most gun-free zones are gone, voters must prove citizenship and residency to register and people born male can’t use women’s bathrooms in government buildings.
Clair McFarlandJuly 01, 2025
Bill Sniffin: If You Had Your Life To Live Over, What Would You Change?
Columnist Bill Sniffin writes: “Folks a certain age start looking back on their lives and wonder just how much differences they could have made. What if you could live your life over?”
Bill SniffinJuly 01, 2025
Barrasso, Lummis Praise Passage Of Budget Bill, But It’s No Longer ‘Beautiful’
Democrats managed to strip “Beautiful” out of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but the U.S. Senate passed the GOP’s controversial budget bill Tuesday. Vice President JD Vance broke a tie, which Wyoming Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis call a huge win.
Sean BarryJuly 01, 2025
Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.
Jake NicholsJuly 01, 2025
Cowboy State Daily Video News: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Tuesday's headlines include: * Coal Wins Big In Budget Bill * Off-Label Abortion Drugs Allowed * SportsCenter To Broadcast Live From CFD
Wendy CorrJuly 01, 2025
Deal For Manderson Police Chief Charged With Helping Girlfriend Avoid Drug Arrest
The former police chief of Manderson, Wyoming, accused of helping his girlfriend avoid a drug arrest has agreed to a plea deal. He’ll get probation and has to give up his policing certification.
Clair McFarlandJuly 01, 2025
Judge Green-Lights Off-Label Prescribing Of Abortion Drugs
Lawmakers may have had Ivermectin in mind when they passed a law to safeguard doctors who prescribe off-label. But a judge on Monday ruled that, at least for now, that protection must apply to abortion-inducing drug providers as well.
Clair McFarlandJuly 01, 2025
Guest Column: Wyoming Leading Nation With Election Integrity Measures Effective July 1
Secretary of State Chuck Gray writes, "Make no mistake. Wyoming is leading the nation in election integrity. A number of these key reforms go into effect July 1."
Guest ColumnJuly 01, 2025
ESPN’s SportsCenter To Broadcast From Cheyenne Frontier Days
ESPN’s SportsCenter program will broadcast from Cheyenne Frontier Days on July 24 as part of its 50 States in 50 Days event. It will be a homecoming for ESPN's Gary Striewski who got his start at KGWN-TV in Cheyenne.
Matthew ChristianJuly 01, 2025
Coal A Big Winner After Marathon Senate Session on Big Beautiful Bill Act
A dramatic marathon weekend session in the U.S. Senate elevated coal as a high priority among lawmakers who hammered out amendments to President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
David MadisonJune 30, 2025
Riverton Man In 130 mph Car Chase Faces Up To 7 Years In Prison
The Riverton man accused of leading Fremont County law enforcement on a 130-mph car chase through a construction zone last week could face up to seven years and 40 days in prison. His preliminary hearing is Tuesday.
Clair McFarlandJune 30, 2025
Rob Wallace: Don’t Expect Public Land Sale To Be Brought Back Anytime Soon
People shouldn’t expect to see a plan to sell federal public lands brought back to Congress anytime soon, says Rob Wallace, former Assistant Interior Secretary. In the future, the proposal needs to be its own standalone bill, says Sen. John Barrasso.
Matthew ChristianJune 30, 2025
Another Wind And Solar Project Triggers Opposition In Eastern Wyoming
A proposed 450-megawatt wind and solar project in Goshen and Platte counties would create 300 jobs and mean about $150 million in tax revenue. Even so, locals are opposed, with Torrington’s mayor saying a gas- or coal-fired power plant would be preferred.
David MadisonJune 30, 2025
A Week After Shooting Death Of Pine Bluffs Crop Duster, Friend Still Shocked
A friend and former college rodeo teammate of the Pine Bluffs crop duster who was shot and killed last week says he’s still shocked. He knew Kevin Hefley as a “level-headed guy” who wasn’t one to “fly off the handle.”
Dale KillingbeckJune 30, 2025
Dave Simpson: That Friendly Wave That Reassures
Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Great to be spending some quality time out in Wave Country again this summer. Wave County is anywhere far enough out in the boonies that when you meet an oncoming vehicle, the driver acknowledges your existence with a wave..."
Dave SimpsonJune 30, 2025
Johnson County Pays Bounties By The Pound For Invasive Weeds
Anyone can be a bounty hunter in the war on invasive weeds in Johnson County, which pays cash to people who uproot and report them. People can get paid by the pound or earn a $50 reward for reporting patches of the damaging weeds.
Andrew RossiJune 30, 2025
Court Gives $15K Back To Man Who Bailed Out Fake Jackson 'Bitcoin Billionaire'
The man who posted a $50,000 bond to free the alleged “Bitcoin Billionaire” scammer from Teton County’s jail can have $15,000 of it back, a judge has ruled. The prosecution argues the suspect's promise to pay the bond back is another of his bogus promises.
Clair McFarlandJune 30, 2025
Sen. Barrasso, Also A Medical Doctor, Defends Medicaid Changes In Budget Bill
U.S. Senate Democrats — and one Republican — claim Medicaid changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would devastate low-income people. John Barrasso, who’s also a medical doctor, said Wyomingites are “unlikely” to be harmed and the reforms are necessary.
Sean BarryJune 30, 2025
Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Monday, June 30, 2025
Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.
Jake NicholsJune 30, 2025
Cowboy State Daily Video News: Monday, June 30, 2025
Monday's headlines include: * Public Lands Sell-Off Plan Dead * Man Jumps Thru Window To Escape Grizzly * Photographer Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver Mourned
Wendy CorrJune 30, 2025
Hundreds Mourn Jackson Photographer Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver
Hundreds of Jackson Hole residents turned out to remember beloved photographer Florence McCall-Phillips on Saturday, a week after she was killed by a suspected drunk driver.
Zakary SonntagJune 30, 2025
Cassie Craven: School Choice Is About Helping Students, Not Systems
Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “The Wyoming Education Association plays victim in its lawsuit. It decries the scholarship with fundamental critique of how the capitalist system has this inherent tendency toward inequality and exploitation. How very Marxist.”
Clair McFarlandJune 29, 2025
Gail Symons: That Federal Lands Measure Would Have Betrayed Wyoming
Columnist Gail Symons writes: "Supporters of this plan spoke of affordable housing and local control. Let’s call that what it is: a smokescreen. This bill wouldn’t have solved Wyoming’s housing crisis. It would create playgrounds for the wealthy."
Gail SymonsJune 29, 2025
Wyoming Farrier Goes From Shoeing Horses To Crafting High-End Steel Cookware
Paul Angiolillo started out shoeing horses, then he dreamt up a new career as a blacksmith specializing in carbon steel cookware. "I actually started having dreams about anvils in my sleep," he said. Now the Freedom, Wyoming, man is gaining a following for his high-end creations.
David MadisonJune 29, 2025
There’s Love — And Hundreds Of Baseball Caps — In The Air At The Chico Saloon
The Chico Saloon north of Yellowstone is a funky honkytonk legendary for its weddings and hundreds of baseball caps hanging from the rafters. It’s also where actor Jeff Bridges was famously rejected by a server who would later become his wife.
David MadisonJune 29, 2025
No Income Tax, Dynasty Trusts Draw Wealth To Wyoming — And Not Just Jackson
No income or capital gains taxes, 1,000-year dynasty trusts and Wyoming’s cowboy culture and national parks are drawing more wealth than ever to the state. And not just to Jackson Hole.
Renée JeanJune 29, 2025
Wyoming History: Taken Hostage With Twins By Murderer Changed Green River Woman Forever
It’s been 70 years since Charles Billings, an imposter Pinedale ranch hand, gunned down two men and took a Green River woman and her infant twin daughters hostage. The incident traumatized the woman for the rest of her life, her daughters say.
Dale KillingbeckJune 29, 2025
Discovery’s ‘Expedition Unknown’ To Take On Mystery Of Buffalo Bill's Grave
The Discovery Channel’s popular show “Expedition Unknown” is digging into the mystery about what happened to the body of Buffalo Bill Cody. “The Lost Grave Of Buffalo Bill” also features Cody residents reenacting the famous showman and Annie Oakley.
Andrew RossiJune 29, 2025
New Dental Research Shows What Dinosaurs Ate And Entire Food Chain
Teeth can tell a life’s story, even when they’re 150 million years old. One of the new frontiers in paleontological research is examining calcium isotopes to reveal details about dinosaurs' diets and environments. “With teeth, you can track an entire food chain,” paleontologist Liam Norris says.
Andrew RossiJune 29, 2025
‘Generation Warrior’: Lives Of 8 Wind River Youth An Open Book
The documentary “Generation Warrior," directed by two Emmy Award winning filmmakers, follows eight young adults from the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. The journey for young Native Americans comes with the added pressure of ensuring the survival of their culture.
Amber SteinmetzJune 29, 2025
Teen Is First Cody High Student To Graduate Already Licensed To Drive Trucks
McCoy Banks walked across the stage for his Cody High School graduation last month and walked into the world already qualified for a high-paying job. He’s the first CHS student to graduate having already earned a commercial driver’s license.
Amber SteinmetzJune 29, 2025
Robotaxis Are Here, But Can’t Yet Handle A Wyoming Winter
Driverless taxis are rolling out in urban areas across the nation and going viral for their miscues. Don't expect them in Wyoming anytime soon as robotaxis can't handle winter weather. But industry analysts say autonomous driving is coming.
David MadisonJune 29, 2025
Beloved Photographer Shares Beauty Of Wyoming Even As She Faces End Of Life
Lesleigh Ann Schaefer has put 100,000 miles on her 2019 Subaru photographing Wyoming from its rarely-traveled backroads. Now homebound with terminal cancer, she can only take photos from her backyard. Her adopted home of Thermopolis has rallied to make her final days special.
Jackie DorothyJune 29, 2025
Sen. Mike Lee Waves White Flag And Gives Up Public Lands Sell-Off Plan
Utah Sen. Mike Lee waved the white flag on Saturday evening and dropped his controversial public lands-selloff plan. Wyoming State Rep. Karlee Provenza said she was pleased but was concerned with the Wyoming congressional delegation's "lack of leadership."
Sean Barry & Clair McFarlandJune 29, 2025
Wyoming's Heart Mountain Formed By The Two Largest Landslides In Earth's History
The formation of Heart Mountain near Cody is a story of a block of rock the size of Rhode Island moving at 700 mph, an eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano, and two separate but equally cataclysmic events in Earth’s geologic history.
Andrew RossiJune 29, 2025
Welcome To Voghera: Cheyenne’s Sister City In Italy
Did you know Cheyenne has a sister city in Italy? It’s Voghera, where Napoleon once stood and you can see the gun that shot Mussolini. It also has a Western soul and familiar feel, including a cowboy-inspired theme park and Frontier Days posters.
Anna-Louise JacksonJune 28, 2025
Wyoming History: Chugwater Wild Man Was 7-12 Feet Tall And Faster Than A Horse
Newspapers reported the Wild Man of Chugwater was between 7 and 12 feet tall, covered in dark hair and could run faster than any horse. He even eluded a hunt in 1887 by a circus owner who wanted to put him in a cage for his freak show.
Jackie DorothyJune 28, 2025