AdvertiseGet Free Daily Newsletter
AdvertiseGet Free Daily Newsletter
Headshot of Cowboy State Daily reporter, Jackie Dorothy.
Writer

Jackie Dorothy

Jackie Dorothy is a reporter for Cowboy State Daily based in central Wyoming.

Over the past 20 years, Jackie has worked in television, radio and print across Wyoming. In this role, she has won numerous writing and history awards including the Wyoming Governor’s Journalist of the Year and SBA Journalist of the Year.

Jackie is also the podcast host of ‘Pioneers of Outlaw Country’ that explores little known historical stories of Wyoming with entertaining narrative.

Find Jackie Dorothy

Latest from Jackie Dorothy

Cookie jars are a common decoration in most kitchens in Thermopolis, Wyoming because of the popularity of the Cookie Jar Auctions in the small community. Each year, tens of thousands of dollars are raised to help pay the medical bills of the residents most in need. John Gerrells, who first proposed the idea over 30 years ago, has boxes full of cookie jars ready for the next auction and has kept a few of his favorites as keepsakes. His sheep wagon cookie jar has become a running joke between him and a friend who take turns bringing it to the auctions and bidding on it.

Thermopolis Has Ponied Up $1 Million For Cookie Jars Over Past 30 Years

Cookie jar auctions have become the go-to fundraiser in Thermopolis, Wyoming, where the 4,600 residents have ponied up more than $1 million over the past 30 years. This year, the record $70,000 raised will help the auction’s founder fight cancer.

Jackie DorothyApril 25, 2026

A glitch in the software of this electronic sign at Alpine Animal Hospital in Laramie, Wyoming, shows it's minus 196 degrees. If true, it would by far be the coldest place ever recorded on the planet.

Temperatures To Plunge 40 Degrees Across Much Of Wyoming

Wednesday morning will be the last warm weather for the rest of the week across much of Wyoming, as Don Day and other meteorologists predict a 40-degree drop in temps starting Wednesday. “It is going to get colder and stay cool for several days,” he said.

Jackie DorothyApril 21, 2026

Scotty Ratliff worked for two decades to get an updated edition of “Tribal Government: Wind River Indian Reservation” available for the general public and Wyoming schools. He said that teaching tribal government should be included in all Wyoming government classes in the Cowboy State.

Former Wyoming Legislator Revives Long-Lost Guide To Tribal Government

Scotty Ratliff worked for two decades to get an updated edition of “Tribal Government: Wind River Indian Reservation” available to the public and Wyoming schools. Teaching tribal government should be included in all Wyoming government classes, he says.

Jackie DorothyApril 19, 2026

Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Jara was so good at sniffing out drugs, a Mexican cartel put out a hit on her. The K-9 also saved lives and was on the “Dr. Phil” show. That’s why she got a hero’s sendoff when she died earlier this month.

Remembering Jara: The Wyoming K-9 Officer Who Had A Cartel Hit On Her

Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Jara was so good at sniffing out drugs, a Mexican cartel put out a hit on her. The K-9 also saved lives and was on the “Dr. Phil” show. She received a hero’s sendoff when she died earlier this month.

Jackie DorothyApril 19, 2026

Ernest Whaley, the son of Clifford Whaley, lived in Wyoming for a few years after the death of his first wife. He returned to New York, his hometown, when his mom asked him to come back. The photo of him in his cowboy hat is a prized photo of his family who have always been proud of their Western roots.

Old Photos Reunite New York And Wyoming Branches Of Whaley Family After 125 Years

The Whaley family arrived in Shell, Wyoming, in 1890, and remains in the Big Horn Basin. A son moved to New York in the early 1900s, and his line disappeared until a great-grandson posted old photos, reuniting the Wyoming and New York Whaleys.

Jackie DorothyApril 18, 2026

Left, Beth and Tom Ronketty pose with two photos that they believe are Billy the Kid before he became an outlaw. The photo has been in Beth’s family since the late 1800s and she had grown up with her dad telling her it was Billy before he shamed the family and became an outlaw. Right, the only verified photo of Billy the Kid is this damaged tintype, which sold at an auction in 2011 for $2.3 million.

New Jersey Family Claims It Has 2 Billy The Kid Photos From Before His Outlaw Days

A New Jersey family says it has two photos of Billy the Kid from before he was a notorious outlaw. If true, it would be historic as there has only been one verified image of Billy the Kid, a damaged tintype that sold at auction for $2.3 million.

Jackie DorothyApril 18, 2026

View All