Headlines

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

15 Child Porn Charges For Casper Man On Parole For Having Child Porn

A 61-year-old Casper man on parole for possessing child pornography is behind bars again, accused of having a secret cellphone with hundreds of depictions of violent sex acts with children. He said he had an addiction to adult porn, then “got curious.”

Greg JohnsonFebruary 16, 2026

Heidi Kennedy testifies at the Senate Labor Committee Meeting on Bill SF0057 - Transparency in hospital service pricing.

Wyoming Senators Advance Hospital Price Transparency Bill To Curb Sticker Shock

After a 46-year-old Gillette man suffered a stroke while driving a truck in the oil fields, he faced a $300,000 medical debt. And then came the other bills for therapy. But no pricing was available at the hospital. A bill was advanced Monday requiring it.

David MadisonFebruary 16, 2026

Boysen Reservoir in Fremont County, Wyoming, on Sunday Feb 15, 2026. Inset: Person in Darth Vader costume

Wild: Ice Cracking On Wyoming Reservoir Sounds Like A ‘Star Wars’ Laser Gunfight

About midmorning on Sunday, as the temperature crept above freezing, the ice sheet on Boysen Reservoir started making sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. Scientists say the otherworldly noises come from ice cracking under warming temperatures.

Mark HeinzFebruary 16, 2026

Wyoming Petitions To Overturn Halt Of 3,500-Well Jonah Field Expansion

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon on Monday said that state is petitioning a federal legislative panel to reverse its decision to kill the $17.85 billion, 3,500-well Jonah Field expansion. The ruling “is a direct assault on Wyoming’s economy," Gordon said.

Greg JohnsonFebruary 16, 2026

Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, successfully advanced multiple amendments Monday to the “recalibration” bill, most of them compromises in response to months of educators' complaints - and one of them a guardrail to thwart a bidding war between districts that could soon have millions of dollars to attract new teachers.

Wyoming Senator Offers $126 Million Compromise To Embattled School Funding Bill

Sen. Chris Rothfuss on Monday offered a $126 million increase to Wyoming's $3.6 billion, two-year grant to its public schools. That's a compromise that followed months of educator outcry and debate between lawmakers. Soon the full Senate may consider his amendment.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 16, 2026

Lummis Announces Kraken Will Fund Trump Accounts For Every Wyoming Newborn In 2026

U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis told the Wyoming Senate on Monday that Kraken, the cryptocurrency exchange that moved its global headquarters to Cheyenne last year, will sponsor Trump $1,000 Accounts for every child born in Wyoming in 2026.

David MadisonFebruary 16, 2026

Clockwise from top left: Jeff Wasserburger, Eli Bebout, Ron Micheli, and Anthony Ross.

Former Wyoming Lawmakers Voice Shock, Anger Over 'CheckGate' Controversy

Former Wyoming lawmakers say someone coming onto the House floor to distribute checks was "brazen," "shocking," and "unprecedented." "When it comes to ethics violations, I don’t recall anything of this magnitude," said former Rep. Ron Micheli.

Zakary SonntagFebruary 16, 2026

Teton County GOP Condemns Check Passing On House Floor By Its Own Committeewoman

The Teton County Republican Party on Saturday condemned the actions of its committeewoman, Rebecca Bextel, for handing out checks on the House floor. The Wyoming Republican Party distanced itself too, saying she was not representing the party.

Clair McFarlandFebruary 16, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Monday, February 16, 2026

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

Jake NicholsFebruary 16, 2026

Scarlett Hamrick, a Jackson snowmobile guide, won the Survivor 50 Challenge this past week, finding a hidden immunity idol to promote the 50th season of "Survivor." She won a chance at tickets to the live season finale in Los Angeles later this year.

Jackson Tour Guide Finds ‘Survivor' Immunity Idol Hidden Near Jackson

Scarlett Hamrick, a Jackson snowmobile guide, won Wyoming's Survivor 50 Challenge this past week, finding a hidden idol to promote the 50th season of "Survivor." Wyoming’s challenge was touted as the most exciting as it consisted of a two- to four-hour adventure that required skis or snowmobile

Andrew RossiFebruary 16, 2026

As unseasonably warm weather, dry winds and a lack of snow continue to plague most regions of Wyoming, people are watering their trees and fields as if it was spring or summer. Experts say it is vital to water in winter when temps soar above 40.

Arborists Say It's Vital To Water Trees, Fields In Unseasonably Warm Weather

As unseasonably warm weather, dry winds and a lack of snow continue to plague most regions of Wyoming, arborists say it's vital to water trees and fields as if it was spring or summer.

Jackie DorothyFebruary 16, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Monday, February 16, 2026

Monday's headlines include: * Check Scandal Investigation * Remembering The Hitching Post * Inside TerraPower’s World-First Nuke Project

Mac WatsonFebruary 16, 2026

Ray Hunkins: The History, Tradition And Future Of UW Football

Columnist Ray Hunkins writes, "Times have changed, but principles haven’t. Most fans want loyalty from athletes who choose to play for UW. Most Wyoming people also want the state’s only university to excel in all its endeavors, including intercollegiate athletics."

Ray HunkinsFebruary 15, 2026

Rock Springs removed a free downtown EV charger after WYDOT said the city owed fuel tax on the electricity it was giving away. A new bill from Rep. Mike Yin would exempt Level 2 chargers and streamline EV taxes.

Rock Springs Removes Free Downtown EV Charger Because Of Wyoming Tax Rules

Rock Springs removed a free electric vehicle charger installed as a perk for visitors because WYDOT said they had to pay taxes on electricity it was giving away. Because the town had no way of tracking the distribution of electricity, they took it down.

David MadisonFebruary 15, 2026

Gail Symons: Who Is Really Out Of Touch On The University Of Wyoming's Budget?

Columnist Gail Symons writes, "Freedom Caucus leaders keep calling the University of Wyoming “out of touch.” Their presentation of the budget to the House this week exposed who is actually “out of touch.”

Gail SymonsFebruary 15, 2026

Cassie Craven: The Republicans And Democrats Are All Over The Place

Columnist Cassie Craven writes, “Too much important work depends on this Legislature’s ability to act with precision. In my opinion, the lives of innocent babies and the ability of a working class to survive depend on it.”

Cassie CravenFebruary 15, 2026

Despite his reputation and prolific outlaw career, Butch Cassidy was only incarcerated once, from 1894-1896 in the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie. He had been pinched for grand larceny for horse-stealing.

Wyoming History: The Prison That Launched Butch Cassidy’s Outlaw Legend

The only time Butch Cassidy was locked up, he served 18 months in the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie. Far from being reformed, Cassidy vowed that if he was going to be treated like an outlaw, “he would show them what an outlaw was."

Jackie DorothyFebruary 15, 2026

Malyna Si Hotel Jackson's executive chef Malyna Si is a contestant on Padma Lakshmis celebrity chef competition "America's Culinary Cup."

Jackson Hotel Chef Picked For $1 Million Competition On CBS

Hotel Jackson’s executive chef Malyna Si has been chosen to compete for a $1 million prize on Padma Lakshmi’s celebrity chef competition "America’s Culinary Cup" on CBS. Before coming to Jackson, she led a Michelin-starred restaurant in Florida.

Renée JeanFebruary 15, 2026

Guest Column: Wyoming’s Future Shines Bright With Nuclear Power

Former State Sen. Eli Bebout writes, "Nuclear power — especially the new generation — offers Wyoming a path not only to remain an energy leader, and to expand our economic strength, stabilize communities, and secure a cleaner, more reliable energy future.

Guest ColumnFebruary 15, 2026

Oregon Animal Rights Activists Push To Basically Ban Hunting, Fishing, Ranching

Animal rights activists in Oregon are pushing a ballot initiative that would effectively ban hunting, fishing and ranching. Should it pass, one Oregon resident said there aren’t enough prisons in the country to hold all the “lawbreakers” it would create.

Mark HeinzFebruary 15, 2026

Earl Newton was a friend of Buffalo Bill Cody and had been a cowboy, miner, stage driver, rancher, and sheep man. He also was lonely. In 1902, he married a mail-order bride, Eliza Bushnell, of Cherokee, Iowa. She arrived by train and their were married by Judge M.O. Newton right away.

Mail Order Brides: When Wyoming Men Outnumbered Women 10-1, They ‘Imported Wives’

Back in the early 1900s, when Wyoming men outnumbered women 10-1, they formed matrimonial clubs to bring out mail-order brides from back East. Historians say many fourth- and fifth-generation Wyoming families may trace their roots to these “imported wives."

Andrew RossiFebruary 15, 2026

Did You Know? Highest Cathedral In The United States Is In Laramie, Wyoming

At an elevation of 7,276 feet above sea level, St. Matthew's Cathedral and its 118-foot spire in Laramie, Wyoming, is the highest cathedral in the United States. There are others much larger and taller, but none with the rare air of Laramie's altitude.

Wendy CorrFebruary 15, 2026

TerraPower is building a massive mechanic shop for its Natrium plant in Kemmerer, called the Test and Fill Facility. The crane behind the building is 200 feet tall, while the building is 167 feet tall.

Inside TerraPower’s World-First Nuclear Project Being Built Just Outside Kemmerer

Work is progressing fast just outside Kemmerer at TerraPower’s first-of-its-kind nuclear power project. Cowboy State Daily went on a tour to get an inside look at the 167-foot-tall facility that will stress-test massive Natrium reactor components.

Renée JeanFebruary 15, 2026

Silver Stream Farm grew by 850% in 2025, from serving 63 direct customers in 2024 to more than 280 in 2025. The western Wyoming operation has 25,000 square feet growing produce at 8,000 feet elevation.

Pinedale Greenhouses Grow 25,000 Square Feet Of Produce At 8,000 Feet Elevation

Those glowing greenhouses in Sublette County aren't just nice to look at. Silver Stream Farm's 25,000-square-foot operation grows fresh produce at 8,000 feet and grew rapidly last year, from serving 63 direct customers in 2024 to more than 280 in 2025.

Kate MeadowsFebruary 15, 2026

Page 63