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Adobe Town in southwest Wyoming.

Guest Column: Transfer, Sale Of Public Lands Is No Longer Just A Threat -- It’s A Reality

Rick Mickelsen writes, "The prospect of selling off hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands to the highest bidder has seemed like a hypothetical issue — until now."

CSD StaffMay 12, 2025

Wyoming lawmakers decided May 9, 2025, to consider assessing harsher penalties for public officials who don’t produce public documents upon request.

Legislators Eye Tougher Fines For Officials Who Won't Give Up Public Records

Wyoming lawmakers decided Friday to consider assessing harsher penalties for public officials who don’t produce public documents upon request.

Clair McFarlandMay 12, 2025

Thirteen Bozeman police officers were caught playing games of “Crime Bingo,” the department reported. The customized bingo cards included incidents to check off during traffic stops, like “arrest 2 people” or “butt-ass naked.”

‘Crime Bingo’ Results In 9 Montana Felony Cases Being Thrown Out

Nine felony cases connected to Bozeman, Montana, police officers playing “Crime Bingo” have been tossed by the local county attorney. The arrests could be tainted by the potential for officers to make them based on the game.

David MadisonMay 12, 2025

A protester shouts into a microphone and hits a drum while marching through the streets to demonstrate against U.S. President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office on April 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Letter To The Editor: Why Should Wyoming Care About Habeus Corpus?

Dear editor: If we cannot trust our current federal representatives, then I hope we can at least count on Wyomings' leadership and their sense of frontier independence to ensure that we as a state resist blatant disregard for the Constitution...

May 12, 2025

Transgender rights activist and supporters participate in the Trans Day Of Visibility rally on the National Mall on March 31, 2025 in Washington City.

Letter To The Editor: Many May Be Surprised To Know That Sex Is Not Binary

Dear editor: The idea that sex is binary is not supported by science, as there are many common sex chromosomal variations that don't exactly match a binary.

May 12, 2025

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Guest Column: Don't Listen To The Loudest Voice And Mistake It For The Truth

Rep. Cody Wylie writes, "Rep. Darin McCann wrote a guest column criticizing legislators for not supporting a 2024 Freedom Caucus bill on parental rights. That version of the story is misleading at best — and a Freedom Caucus hack job in misinformation at worst."

CSD StaffMay 12, 2025

Foxhill Apartments Building 23 was the scene of an incident that left two people shot Sunday evening, May 11, 2025.

Casper Woman Heard Gunshots, Opened Apartment Door To Find Body At Her Feet

A woman living in an apartment complex in Casper said she heard gunshots in the apartment above hers Sunday night and a plea for someone to call 911. She ran to the door of her building to find the body of a masked man at her feet.

Dale KillingbeckMay 12, 2025

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Letter To The Editor: South Pass Gold Mine – Celebration or Concern?

Dear editor: I was interested to read the Cowboy State Daily article about the history of gold mining in the South Pass Area and the possibility of a new mine in the area. So, the question is, how can this new mine NOT contaminate the environment?

May 12, 2025

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Dave Simpson: He Negotiated Like Donald Trump

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, “Like Ronald Reagan walking out of nuclear arms talks with Gorbachev in Reykjavik, he got up and walked out. Time to head home to Gillette.”

Dave SimpsonMay 12, 2025

Cody Volunteer Fire Department at the Cody Stampede Parade

Cody Fire Department Pulls Out Of Parade Because They Can't Throw Water Balloons

The Cody Volunteer Fire Department is pulling most of its fire trucks from the Cody Stampede Parade because they can't throw water balloons, a longtime tradition. The problem, the parade committee said, is innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire.

Andrew RossiMay 12, 2025

A visitor to Yellowstone National Park gets up close and personal to a bison to get a selfie with it in May 2023.

Ornery Bison Don't Just Gore People, They Break Bones And Crush Organs

Most bison “goring” attacks involve massive blunt force trauma, not people getting skewered by horns in the torso. An emergency room doctor says people who get too close can suffer broken bones, crushed organs and also can take a horn to the butt.

Mark HeinzMay 12, 2025

The Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority house in Laramie, Wyoming.

Court Gives Sorority Women 30-Day Deadline In Lawsuit Over Wyoming Trans Member

A Wyoming-based federal judge is giving the women suing their sorority for inducting a Wyoming transgender member 30 days to re-file their lawsuit or give up the case. The women's attorney told Cowboy State Daily they plan to refile the case.

Clair McFarlandMay 12, 2025

Cowboy State Daily reporter Leo Wolfson straddles two walls inside Spirit Mountain Cave.

Explore Wyoming: Deep Into Spirit Mountain Cave Above Cody

Not only is Spirit Mountain Cave above Cody full of history, it’s a passageway into a mysterious and dark underworld where even night goggles won't work. Only a few hundred people explore these caves every year.

Leo WolfsonMay 11, 2025

A 25% residential property tax cut approved earlier this year by the Legislature has cities and counties across Wyoming crunching numbers. Many tell Cowboy State Daily they’re already contemplating where to cut their budgets.

Letter To The Editor: Why Are We Paying Any Residential Property Taxes?

Dear editor: We have over $30 billion in reserves. Our bi-annum budget is around $14 billion or $7 billion a year. Why are we paying any residential property taxes?

May 11, 2025

Drones have been used to chase wolves away from cattle in Oregon. There’s hope the tactic might work in Wyoming and Colorado.

Latest Tactic To Keep Wolves Away From Livestock: Dive-Bomb Them With Drones

Dive-bombing wolves with drones equipped with lights and speakers have scared them away from cattle in Oregon and a wolf conservation advocate hopes to work with ranchers in Colorado and Wyoming to see if drones have a similar effect here.

Mark HeinzMay 11, 2025

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Cassie Craven: Lawsuit Challenging Wyoming Voter ID Law Treats Women Like Idiots

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, "The Left appears conflicted on women, as if we were only a means to an end: Take our sports, our definitions and our dignity – but moralize about women’s rights when we’re asked to get our voting documentation in order."

Cassie CravenMay 11, 2025

Gail Symons head shot

Gail Symons: What I Actually Mean When I Say 'Fourth-Generation Wyomingite'

Columnist Gail Symons writes: "We’re fiercely protective of Wyoming’s identity because we’ve seen how hard-won it is. But that perspective, if not tempered with humility, can come across as arrogant. As if being born here makes someone more Wyoming than anyone else. That’s not how it works."

Gail SymonsMay 11, 2025

Focus can make a big difference in horseshoes. Tracie Binkerd warms up during the 2021 State Horseshoe Tournament.

Tracie Binkerd: Wyoming's Ace Horseshoe Champ

You don’t have to know much about horseshoes to appreciate Tracie Binkerd’s pitching prowess. In her first seven years of competitive play, she’s won the Wyoming women’s state champion title four times.

Anna-Louise JacksonMay 11, 2025

A ramp was built for the annual Sundance Burnout in Crook County during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It places riders up higher so the crowd could better see them.

More Tourists Discovering Small, Rural Wyoming Counties

Wyoming has long had a goal of encouraging tourism in other parts of the state other Teton County. In 2024, more tourists discovered small, rural Wyoming areas, with Crook and Sublette counties showing the biggest boost.

Renée JeanMay 11, 2025

Vision Without Borders founder Patrick Klein said he likes maps. He travels around the globe on mission trips several times a year.

Casper Man Risks Prison And Death Smuggling Bibles Into Closed Countries

A Casper-based ministry has for 30 years smuggled Bibles into closed countries around the world. Founder Patrick Klein risks prison, and even death, on his mission to share the Christian faith with others.

Dale KillingbeckMay 11, 2025

Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.

Federal Cuts Have Wyoming Museums Scrambling At Start Of Busy Summer Season

Several Wyoming museums say they were caught by surprise when federal grants were cut. That’s left some on the hook for thousands of dollars as they scramble at the start of the busy summer season.

Renée JeanMay 11, 2025

A West Yellowstone, Montana, thrill-shooting specialist keeps clients safe while making their machine gun dreams come true at Big Gun Fun.

Find Your "Inner Rambo" At Big Gun Fun In West Yellowstone

Want to shoot an MP5, AK-47, M16, M4, a KRISS Vector or a Thompson submachine gun like the one toted by Bonnie and Clyde? No problem. At Big Gun Fun in West Yellowstone, you can fire weapons most people only see in news footage and action films. 

David MadisonMay 11, 2025

Kai Quiroz took his children on a surf trip. Pictured are, from left, Kyle Leonard Amos, Honey Amos, Quiroz's mother Ginny Hayward, Mato Amos and Quiroz.

Rural Wyoming Reservation Kids Ride Waves Surfing In The Pacific Ocean

For Riverton's Kai Quiroz, the waves of the Pacific Ocean are a reminder of how amazing the world is. Wanting to share that, he created an organization called Warrior Waves, which takes kids from the Wind River Reservation to California to learn to surf.

Amber SteinmetzMay 11, 2025

Smoking pot may be legal in some states, but it’s not in Yellowstone National Park. When asked by customers the best way to spark up in the park, a West Yellowstone cannabis seller advises don’t — getting stoned in Yellowstone invites a federal charge.

Cannabis Sellers Warn Against Taking Marijuana Into Yellowstone

Smoking pot is legal in some states, but it’s not in Yellowstone. That's why West Yellowstone cannabis sellers warn against taking marijuana into the park as it becomes a federal crime -- and the charges can be harsh.

David MadisonMay 11, 2025

Comedian Patton Oswalt has never performed in Wyoming, so he's crossing the Cowboy State off the list with two nights of stand-up comedy at The Rialto Theater in downtown Casper.

Patton Oswalt Doing Two Nights Of Comedy At Casper's Rialto Theater

After realizing he had played in every state except Wyoming and Montana, comedian Patton Oswalt booked a ‘mini-tour’ to cross them off their lists. He appears in Casper on May 16 and 17 and in Bozeman on May 15.

Andrew RossiMay 11, 2025

Today, at age 74, Wyoming native Richard Pitt is at work on a memoir about his adrenaline-fueled life smuggling drugs for the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980s and his adventures as a skydiver, Vietnam veteran and commercial airline pilot who also spent decades in prison for his crimes.

Richard Pitt: Wyoming Pilot And Vietnam Vet Who Smuggled Drugs For Pablo Escobar

Richard Pitt grew up in Thermopolis and lived a life straight out of 1980s drug-running movies like “Scarface.” Decades later, he’s coming clean while also divulging details of his sordid career smuggling for the likes of Pablo Escobar.

Jen KocherMay 11, 2025

Mark switzer mug 1

Laramie County Man Gets Four Years For Mercy-Killing Friend

A Laramie County man was sentenced Friday to four years in prison, for mercy-killing his friend. Court documents say Switzer's friend had a pending criminal case for child pornography, had just increased his life insurance policy and made other end-of-life arrangements.

Clair McFarlandMay 11, 2025

Bud’s Bar is a local joint, a Wyoming dive bar on the west side of Laramie that’s been serving beer and gossip for more than 80 years. Many locals also believe in a legend that says it was the inspiration for Moe’s Tavern in “The Simpsons.”

Drinking Wyoming: Laramie Locals Believe Bud’s Bar Inspired Moe’s Tavern In ‘The Simpsons’

Bud’s Bar is a local joint, a Wyoming dive bar on the west side of Laramie that’s been serving beer and gossip for more than 80 years. Many locals also believe in a legend that says it was the inspiration for Moe’s Tavern in “The Simpsons.”

Leo WolfsonMay 11, 2025

Emily Steele survived a bout with what she belives was food-borne illness. She got sick dspite of not being the one who ate anything spoiled.

Can You Catch ‘Food Poisoning?’ It’s Not Common, But, Yes, And Here’s How

Food-borne illnesses are among the most common in America, sickening more than 48 million each year. But can it be passed on to others? The answer is yes -- as a Cheyenne couple recently found out.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2025

Bob Aguiar and Wyoming County Commissioners Association IMG 3066 5 2 25

Letter To The Editor: Wyoming County Commissioners Association Helps Commissioners Across The State

Dear editor: I thought this whole Freedom Caucus thing was about limited government, not heavy-handed state government taking away local decision making.

May 10, 2025

President Donald Trump sits in the cab of a truck as he welcomes members of American Trucking Associations to the White House

Letter To The Editor: Trump Is Right, If You Can't Speak English, Get Off The Road

Dear editor: Imagine this, you're halfway down a mountain and you see in your mirror that a semi, with smoke rolling out from his truck, is barreling at an extremely high rate of speed, totally out of brakes, and about to run over and wipeout you and your family.

May 10, 2025

Some 29 members of Bill and Nancy Sniffin’s large family posed for a family photo during a wedding at their home last summer.

Bill Sniffin: A Time To Celebrate The Mothers In Our Family And All Other Mothers Too

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, “She was the prettiest girl and the nicest girl. Would I ever have a chance to get a gal like that?”

Bill SniffinMay 10, 2025

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Joan Barron: New Changes Are An Opportunity for Change In The Wyoming Legislature

Columnist Joan Barron writes, "Legislative leaders recently adopted sweeping changes in the interim committee bill process that collapsed in the last session. It is an opportunity."

Joan BarronMay 10, 2025

Cheyenne Gunslingers has its own stage setup on 15 Street and Pioneer Avenue. But it will likely need a new home as the 15th Street Rail Experience is taking its location.

Famous Cheyenne Gunslingers To Be Homeless, Have To Move From Downtown Spot

The famous Cheyenne Gunslingers will have to find a new spot for its Wild West shootouts. The city has approved another historical attraction to take over their location and now the Gunslingers, who delight crowds every summer by shooting each other, have to find a new home.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2025

The cyclists ride through the Red Desert as the Boar's Tusk can be seen in the distance.

Bikepackers Explore Wyoming’s Famous Red Desert In New Documentary

People driving on WYO 28 outside of Lander are awed by the views of Red Canyon, but few have taken the time to explore it. Four bikepackers decided to do just that and their journey can be seen in a new documentary now on Wyoming PBS.

Amber SteinmetzMay 10, 2025

Bambi is a 250-pound Nubian goat who lives at the Home On The Range Animal Haven south of Laramie. An old back injury makes difficult for him to walk, so it’s hoped somebody can design a leg brace for him.

Bambi, A Disabled 250-Pound Goat That Lives South Of Laramie, Needs A Leg Brace

Bambi, a 250-pound Nubian goat, struggles to get around because of a back injury he suffered in a fight with a ram. The folks at a farm animal sanctuary near Laramie think he can walk again with a leg brace but crafting one has been difficult. So they're asking the public for help.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2025

The Carissa Gold Mine in South Pass City.

Canadian Company Says There’s Still Plenty Of Gold Near Former Boom Town

"Thar's gold in them thar hills!" That's what a Canadian company is saying about the area near the old Carissa Mine near South Pass City. Thousands of miners went there in 1867 but never found the mother lode. This company says they have the technology to find it.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2025

At the top of the McGill Bridge is a sign showing the year it was built and the company who erected it.

Abandoned 163-Foot Bridge In Albany County Is All But Forgotten

The history of an abandoned steel bridge which resides inside a 10,000-acre private ranch in Albany County is a mystery. It is thought to be the second oldest bridge in Wyoming and was part of the historic Lincoln Highway. Outside of that, no one knows much about it.

Dale KillingbeckMay 10, 2025

Blake Shelton in a screenshot from the music video of his No. 1 country hit "Texas."

Gillette Songwriter Co-Wrote Blake Shelton’s No. 1 Smash Country Hit ‘Texas’

Josh Dorr, a singer-songwriter who grew up in Gillette co-wrote "Texas," the No. 1 country hit and lead single from Blake Shelton's latest album. “It’s pretty surreal,” Dorr told Cowboy State Daily.

Andrew RossiMay 10, 2025

A replica of "Big Al," an Allosaurus specimen from Shell, in the University of Wyoming Geological Museum. UW 11541, "Reed's Allosaurus," is a different species of Allosaurus than Big Al, and was a much larger individual. Reed's Allosaurus was a centerpiece specimen in the museum from 1890 to 1920 and resides in the museum's collections today.

UW Project Rediscovers A Massive Meat-Eating Dinosaur Under 100-Year-Old Plaster

University of Wyoming researchers used CT scanning to see how much of the fossilized bones in an historic dinosaur were real. It revealed a lot of plaster — and rediscovered a huge Allosaurus.

Andrew RossiMay 10, 2025

Paul Dey, official and certified beer judge, enjoying a Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Co. beer at The Safari Club restaurant in Thermopolis in a file photo.

Wyoming Is The Second Most Expensive State For Beer Lovers

Beer in Wyoming isn’t as expensive as it is in Alaska, but buying a brew in the Cowboy State is the second highest in the country. Behind the high prices, several factors are at play: tourism, the cost of shipping and a bartender’s sensitivity to locals’ pricing. 

David MadisonMay 10, 2025

Campbell County firefighters practice their skills at the Alan Mickelson Fire Training Center in Gillette.

Gillette Firefighter Who Died In 1989 When A Church Fell On Him Still Saving Lives

Alan Mickelson, a volunteer Gillette firefighter, died in 1989 when a church caved in on him while responding to a fire call. While his death still stings for those who knew him, Mickelson is still saving lives through his namesake training center.

Dale KillingbeckMay 10, 2025

It's been 33 years since Wyoming Gov. Mike Sullivan stood in his office next to his priest, warring with himself over the execution of convicted serial killer Mark Hopkinson. The state hasn't executed anyone since that day — but it's tried.

Wyoming Hasn't Executed Anyone In 33 Years, But It's Tried

It's been 33 years since Wyoming Gov. Mike Sullivan stood in his office next to his priest, warring with himself over the execution of convicted serial killer Mark Hopkinson. The state hasn't executed anyone since that day — but it's tried.

Clair McFarlandMay 10, 2025

The 10 refugee dogs of all breeds wait on the Tarmac at JFK Airport in New York to board a private charter plane to Wyoming last Sunday.

Wyoming Rescue Ranch Cheers Shutdown Of Notorious Beagle Test Lab, New Law

Wyoming’s Kindness Ranch in Hartville is cheering this week's shutdown of a notorious beagle testing lab and proposed federal legislation that would retire clinical test animals instead of killing them. The events promise to make the ranch busier than ever.

Jen KocherMay 10, 2025

Baggs

Cowboy State Daily Morning Show — Saturday, May 10, 2025

It's the Saturday morning show with John Baggett from 6-10AM.

Jake NicholsMay 10, 2025

The Roundup West

The Roundup: A Conversation With Rebecca West

This week, host Wendy Corr chats with Rebecca West, Executive Director of the world-famous Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody. The first female director of the museum talks about her unique career, and how this traditional museum stays relevant in a technological age.

Wendy CorrMay 10, 2025

A voter-rights group filed a lawsuit Friday asking a federal court to block Wyoming’s new proof of citizenship and residency rules for voting. Secretary of State Chuck Gray says the challenge is “the radical left” making “false claims.”

Voter-Rights Group Sues Over Wyoming's Proof Of Citizenship Voter Law

A voter-rights group filed a lawsuit Friday asking a federal court to block Wyoming’s new proof of citizenship and residency rules for voting. Secretary of State Chuck Gray says the challenge is “the radical left” making “false claims.”

Clair McFarlandMay 10, 2025

Commercial truckers check in at the Cheyenne Port of Entry about 5 miles north of the Wyoming-Colorado border.

Thousands Sign Petition To Ease Trump Mandate For English-Speaking Truckers

Commercial truck drivers for whom English is a second language are galvanizing. A petition opposing President Trump’s mandate all truckers speak English has amassed nearly 5,000 signatures.

Clair McFarlandMay 10, 2025

It’s hoped that a program called Access Granted can provide hunters more access to prime areas, while also respecting landowners’ rights.

Casper-Based Company Wants To End Feuding Between Hunters, Landowners

Tensions between landowners and hunters seeking access to game herds are nothing new, even leading to national attention for Wyoming’s high-profile “corner-crossing” case. A Casper-based company thinks it’s found the solution.

Mark HeinzMay 09, 2025

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Dennis Sun: America And Its Foreign Ownership

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "I’ll never understand why the U.S. has let China, Russia, and Iran buy any private lands in our country. America has to wake up and be very cautious of who comes into our country and buys private lands, especially our enemies."

Dennis SunMay 09, 2025

Bobby Maher

Teen Who Stabbed 14-Year-Old At Casper Mall Pleads Guilty To First-Degree Murder

The teen who killed a Casper 14-year-old at a local mall last year pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder. Bobby Maher was protecting his girlfriend when he was attacked by two other teens, one who held him down while the other stabbed him.

Dale KillingbeckMay 09, 2025

Lange at chic fil a

Jonathan Lange: Education Savings Accounts Are The Answer For Parents And Teachers

Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, "The powerful education lobby treats parents as a problem, and 'privacy' as the answer. Its power is its money. Until now, that power was mostly one-sided. But Wyoming’s ESA program gives you, as a common-sense teacher, a louder voice."

Jonathan LangeMay 09, 2025

Jeremiah Reiman, executive director of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association, second from left, lobbies at the Capitol during the 2015 legislative session.

Wyoming Legislators Consider Banning Public Money Going To Lobby Groups

Wyoming mayors and other public officials lined up Friday to argue against a proposal to ban public money going to groups that lobby for them. Despite the show of force, a legislative committee decided to continue considering it.

Clair McFarlandMay 09, 2025

Zephira Arguello hopes to be able to wear the nearly 100-year-old buckskin dress given to her by her grandmother to graduation at Kelly Walsh High School on May 30.

Kelly Walsh High Won’t Let Casper Girl Wear Native Regalia At Graduation

Kelly Walsh High School senior Zephira Arguello wants to honor her Native American culture by wearing traditional regalia at graduation. The school says “no.”

Dale KillingbeckMay 09, 2025

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