Headlines

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

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Tuesday February 24, 2026

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

Jake NicholsFebruary 24, 2026

Sen. Tim Salazar (left), Senate President Bo Biteman (center), Sen. Tara Nethercott (right)

House, Senate To Negotiate $170 Million In Budget Differences

The Wyoming House of Representatives on Monday handed the Senate a two-year budget draft totaling $9.96 billion, while the Senate sent the House a $10.13 billion draft budget of its own; a difference of $170 million.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 24, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Tuesday's headlines include: * UW Adamant No On Budget Cuts * Gray's Election Bill Killed In Committee * Highway Patrol Says Low Pay Created Crisis

Mac WatsonFebruary 24, 2026

Dave Simpson: We Used To Be Welcome In The People's House

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “In the last two weeks I've heard the floor of the Wyoming House of Representatives referred to as almost 'sacred,' and 'hallowed ground.' ('Hallowed grounds?' I can hear my crustier conservative friends hoot in disbelief.)"

Dave SimpsonFebruary 24, 2026

‘Checkgate' Bill To Eliminate Teton Housing Rules Clears Wyoming House

The Wyoming House passed a bill Monday to kill Jackson and Teton County affordable housing policies. It’s the bill pushed by conservative activist Rebecca Bextel, who’s at the center of legislative probes for handing out checks on the House floor.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 24, 2026

Rock Springs Bookkeeper Admits Stealing From Union For Years

A Rock Springs woman who was a bookkeeper for a local contractors union for 25 years admitted to police she’s taken nearly $30,000 since 2016. She said she would write checks to herself when “having a hard time paying her bills.”

Greg JohnsonFebruary 23, 2026

Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander clashed Monday over whether a bill born from a prolonged election controversy was a necessary reform or a product of personal politics — and Case had the votes to kill it.

Gray’s Election Bill Dies Amid Clash Over Accountability, ‘Personality Conflicts'

Sec. Chuck Gray told a Senate committee that a 15-month pursuit of a county clerk proved the system was broken. Sen. Cale Case said the bill was feeding a political dispute between the state's top officials and called the animosity “very disappointing.”

David MadisonFebruary 23, 2026

Laramie County Sheriff's Department (FILE PHOTO)

Why Does Wyoming Law Enforcement Advertise Where DUI Task Forces Are Set Up?

You would think law enforcement would be able to catch more impaired drivers if they didn’t advertise where DUI task forces were set up. But that’s not the purpose, says Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak.

Andrew RossiFebruary 23, 2026

While Laramie Woman Was Fighting In A Bar, Her 2-Year-Old Was Home Alone

Breaking up a fight between two women at a Laramie bar led police to discover the 2-year-old child of one had been left home alone for hours. Police found the child in a dark, 90-degree room wearing a soiled diaper, say court documents available Monday.

Greg JohnsonFebruary 23, 2026

Surveillance footage of poaching incident at Orofino Elementary School

Idaho Man Poaches Deer On Elementary School Lawn, Then Comes Back For Carcass

In a case that a wildlife officer described as "crazy" and “a first for me,” an Idaho man allegedly shot a deer on an elementary school lawn after dark, left for about two hours, and then came back and loaded the deer’s carcass into his pickup.

Mark HeinzFebruary 23, 2026

“Many of you have probably heard of the ‘Art of the Deal,’” House Majority Floor Leader Scott Heiner, R-Green River, began during the Saturday debate. “The only real leverage we have is the power of the purse.”

University Of Wyoming Pushes Back On Budget Cuts: "No Cuts Are Appropriate, Period"

The University of Wyoming on Monday said it disagrees with a House budget tweak that lawmakers framed as an 'Art-of-the-Deal' negotiation. “The university continues to oppose any cut. UW is adamant: No cuts are appropriate, period," said a spokesman.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 23, 2026

Photo from a Wyoming Highway Patrol Association first-person story called "The Thinning Blue Line"

“I Want My Husband To Quit”: Highway Patrol Families Say Low Pay Creating Crisis

Wyoming troopers and their families say low pay, lost overtime and short staffing are driving burnout and resignations. The Wyoming Highway Patrol Association's first-ever social media blitz — run by a 25-year veteran who doesn't use Facebook — has gone viral.

David MadisonFebruary 23, 2026

Dorothy Pontillo of Cheyenne had just turned a year old when she was diagnosed with cancer. The tumor had been lurking undetected in her body since conception, and it took months of treatment to remove the cancer.

Victory: Cheyenne Toddler Born With Cancer Spent First 18 Months Fighting For Life

Born with cancer, toddler Dorothy Pontillo suffered months of pain before an MRI found a massive tumor. Her parents’ persistence and help from a group that helps families with medical bills helped Dorothy survive. Now she's happy and pain-free.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 23, 2026

The story of a local man running a wolf down with a snowmobile, then taping its mouth shut and displaying it in a local bar before killing it has stirred global outrage and has put the small rural Wyoming town of Daniel in the crosshairs of a storm of anger and indignation.

Letter To The Editor: Decent Guys Don’t Torture Animals

Dear editor: The torture of a wolf by Cody Roberts is not an isolated incident of individual depravity. It is the logical outcome of a system that has normalized violence toward predators.

CSD StaffFebruary 23, 2026

Rep. Mike Yin said he believes the judicial branch will halt the heartbeat ban if it passes, and abortion will remain altogether legal in Wyoming. (file photo)

Wyoming House Rejects Attempt To Make Abortion Ban 'Viability' Instead Of ‘Hearbeat'

A bill to ban abortions in Wyoming after the point at which a heartbeat can be heard remains unchanged after lawmakers tried to tweak it Monday. Rep. Mike Yin said he believes the judicial branch will halt the ban if it passes, and abortion will remain legal.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 23, 2026

Uinta County rancherJack Sims is seeing signs of new life in Evanston. New restaurants have opened, new businesses have opened, and he believes that is thanks, in no small part, to the growing role of the horse racing industry.

Horseracing Is Sparking An Equine Economic Boom In Evanston

Uinta County rancher Jack Sims says there are new signs of life in Evanston thanks to the horse racing industry. “There’s over 300 brood mares in the Wyoming breeding program around Evanston,” Sims said. “And it’s bringing a lot of money to this county.”

Renée JeanFebruary 23, 2026

Wyoming State Capitol on Monday, February 23, 2026

Letter To The Editor: Bill Creates Unnecessary Risk For Wyoming Recreation Districts

Dear editor: House Bill 127, now before the Wyoming Legislature, would change how recreation districts are funded statewide. While procedural in appearance, the bill would introduce significant instability into systems that have operated responsibly for decades.

February 23, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Monday, February 23, 2026

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

Jake NicholsFebruary 23, 2026

After photo of Mary Ann Murphy, Patient at Aspen Ridge Dental.

“I Didn’t Realize How Much My Teeth Were Negatively Impacting My Life”

How a routine dental visit uncovered the root of years of pain and discomfort.

February 23, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Monday, February 23, 2026

Monday's headlines include: Chancy Williams' Fiddler Crossover Day At Legislature Remembering Cheyenne's Cloud 9

Mac WatsonFebruary 23, 2026

Laramie’s 1937 Hitchcock House was once home to University of Wyoming presidents. Not quite a mansion, the nearly 5,000-square-foot house has hit the market, listing at $1.03 million.

Laramie Mini-Mansion, Former Home For UW Presidents, Hits The Market For $1 Million

Laramie’s 1937 Hitchcock House was once home to presidents at the University of Wyoming. Not quite a mansion, the nearly 5,000-square-foot house has hit the market, listing at $1.03 million.

Renée JeanFebruary 22, 2026

Gail Symons: Just Here For The Circus... In The House

Columnist Gail Symons writes, "The coming negotiation will not resemble a routine compromise. It will be the John Bear version versus the Senate version, with Wyoming’s fiscal stability in the balance. Watch the conference. Ask your legislators where they stand."

Gail SymonsFebruary 22, 2026

Cassie Craven: Signing Off

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “There is a season for everything. Reading the Catholic Saints will remind you quickly that you may be called to suffer for truth. But politics, must never cost your soul. And, your first loyalty is to God, not to power, party or success.”

Cassie CravenFebruary 22, 2026

Elk might be regarded as walking septic tanks, insofar as the range of bacteria and other flora in their guts allows them to process all sorts of things that other animals, such as deer, might not be able to handle.

Did You Know? Elk Are Nature's Garbage Disposals, They'll Eat Anything

Elk could be regarded as walking septic tanks in that the range of bacteria in their gut allows them to eat things other animals can't handle. They have a multi-stomach digestive system and the first stomach is “essentially a fermentation vat."

Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2026

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