Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's Feature Reporter, Andrew Rossi.

Andrew Rossi

Wyoming Life

Tornado engagement main 7 1 25

Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>Storm Chasers Get Engaged In Front Of ‘Perfect Tornado’ in South Dakota | Cowboy State Daily</title>

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.

Storm Chasers Get Engaged In Front Of ‘Perfect Tornado’ in South Dakota

David Madison

Energy

Coal

Wyoming coal BNSF 7 1 25

<title>Midwest Power Plant Operator Wants $22M From BNSF For Not Delivering Wyoming Coal | Cowboy State Daily</title>

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.

Midwest Power Plant Operator Wants $22M From BNSF For Not Delivering Wyoming Coal

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's business and tourism reporter, Renée Jean

Renée Jean

Entertainment

Flaming Gorge Days 20250628 184727 7 1 25

<title>Flaming Gorge Days Makes Comeback After Embezzlement Scandal Nearly Killed It | Cowboy State Daily</title>

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.

Flaming Gorge Days Makes Comeback After Embezzlement Scandal Nearly Killed It

Matthew Christian 3

Matthew Christian

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's general assignment reporter, Clair McFarland.

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Capitol bathroom Kelver coming out of bathroom 7 1 25

<title>Trans Woman Breaks Wyoming’s New Bathroom Ban In State Capitol, Nothing Happens | Cowboy State Daily</title>

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.

Trans Woman Breaks Wyoming’s New Bathroom Ban In State Capitol, Nothing Happens

Legislature

Gun free zone and Park County vote 2024 IMG 3929 7 1 25

<title>Wyoming’s New Laws: No Gun-Free Zones, Prove Citizenship To Vote And A Bathroom Ban | Cowboy State Daily</title>

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.

Wyoming’s New Laws: No Gun-Free Zones, Prove Citizenship To Vote And A Bathroom Ban

Crime & Courts

Courts

Brandon BJ Kidgell and town hall 11 15 24

<title>Deal For Manderson Police Chief Charged With Helping Girlfriend Avoid Drug Arrest | Cowboy State Daily</title>

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.

Deal For Manderson Police Chief Charged With Helping Girlfriend Avoid Drug Arrest

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's founder Jimmy Orr

 is co-founder and executive editor of Cowboy State Daily.

Orr is a longtime journalist who was on the masthead at the Los Angeles Times and the Christian Science Monitor as the Managing Editor, Digital.

In the political arena, Orr served as a spokesman for the White House and directed digital strategy for President George W. Bush and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Prior to these positions, Orr worked for Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer and U.S. Senators Malcolm Wallop and Al Simpson.

He was also a co-founder of The Sports Show with ESPN's Woody Paige and was the executive producer of Clay Travis' Outkick the Show.

<title>Jimmy Orr | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Jimmy Orr

Johnson greg

 is managing editor for Cowboy State Daily at the headquarters in Cheyenne.

A veteran journalist of more than 31 years covering Western issues and politics, Greg spent stints in Wyoming as managing editor for the Gillette News Record and Laramie Boomerang. Greg's produced award-winning journalism, and has built a national reputation for his extensive coverage of Wyoming energy -- especially coal.

He previously spent seven years editing and reporting in Alaska, and was managing editor for Sarah Palin's hometown paper when she was tapped as John McCain's running mate in 2008. Greg studied music and English at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Outside the office, Greg likes photography, reading and all things sports.

<title>Greg Johnson | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Greg Johnson

Clair headshot 2 11 22 23

 is a general assignment reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Riverton, Wyoming. She specializes in crime and court reporting and social issues coverage. Clair also writes a twice-monthly column on motherhood and country living.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Previously, Clair wrote for The Ranger, the Lander Journal and the Wind River News. She is an award-winning journalist, columnist and poet, who joined Cowboy State Daily on Valentines Day, 2022.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<title>Clair McFarland | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily reporter, Wendy Corr.

Wendy Corr is the Broadcast Media Director for Cowboy State Daily, and is based in Cody. She covers unique people, places and events in Wyoming, highlighting the best of the Cowboy State  and occasionally reaching beyond our borders to highlight happenings in nearby states as well.

Previously, Wendy was the news director at the Bighorn Radio Network in Cody, earning six "News Reporter of the Year" awards from the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters. She also contributes television news stories to stations in Billings, Montana, as well as in Casper and Cheyenne.

Additionally, Wendy is a professional singer and instrumentalist with the "Dan Miller Cowboy Music Revue" based in Cody, although the band often travels around the country, bringing "Wyoming to the world."

<title>Wendy Corr | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Wendy Corr

Matthew Christian covers state and federal politics for Cowboy State Daily. 

He previously worked for the Aiken [S.C.] Standard and the Morning News in Florence, S.C.  Matthew is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the University of Charleston [W.Va.]. He grew up in West Virginia. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Matthew lives in Cheyenne."}]

<title>Matthew Christian | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's outdoor and wildlife reporter, Mark Heinz.

[{"type":"text","text":"Mark Heinz covers the outdoors and wildlife for Cowboy State Daily."}]

He previously worked or freelanced for numerous newspapers and magazines across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana  covering all manner of news and feature stories. He has a strong background in topics related to wildlife, hunting, and wildlands conservation. Hes written extensively since the 1990s about the controversies surrounding wolves, grizzly bears and mustangs.

He also enjoys people-centric stories with quirky edge of humor and has written several such pieces for Cowboy State Daily.&nbsp;

Mark lives in Laramie with his wife, Kendy, and the youngest of their five children.

<title>Mark Heinz | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Mark Heinz

 is the business and tourism reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Cheyenne. Previously, Ren&eacute;e spent seven years covering energy and agriculture in North Dakota and Montana. She has won many writing awards over a 30-year career, and has written magazine articles for Guideposts.

<title>Renée Jean | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily reporter, Dale Killingbeck

Killingbeck is glad to be back in journalism after working for 18 years in corporate communications with a health system in northern Michigan. He spent the previous 16 years working for newspapers in western Michigan in various roles.

Renée Jean

Team

Jimmy Orr

Greg Johnson

Clair McFarland

Wendy Corr

Matthew Christian

Mark Heinz

Renée Jean

Dale Killingbeck