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Zak Sonntag

Zak Sonntag is a general assignment and features reporter for Cowboy State Daily and is based in Casper, Wyoming. Previously, Zak wrote for the Casper Star-Tribune, along with the City Journals and Deseret News in Utah. He's an award-winning journalist with the Wyoming Press Association and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists Headliners Contest.

Latest from Zak Sonntag

Jaelin Kauf, Wyoming’s world champion freestyle ski star, overcame early setbacks and a 7th-place Olympic finish in 2018 to claim silver in 2022. Now dominating the World Cup circuit and a 2025 world title, she eyes gold in 2026 Milano Cortina.

Wyoming Freestyle Skier Won Silver In 2022 Olympics, Aims For Gold In 2026

Alta, Wyoming’s Jaelin Kauf is one of the world’s most decorated freestyle skiers and currently the “athlete to beat” in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy. She won a silver in 2022 and is aiming for the gold medal in February.

Zakary SonntagDecember 06, 2025

Crystal Neal says Thanksgiving this year in Casper at the Wyoming Rescue Mission is an joyous and emotional time. After one setback after another, she said she's finally on an upward trajectory.

For Wyomingites Facing Trauma And Addiction, There’s Much To Be Thankful For Here

The meaning of Thanksgiving takes on a deeper meaning for the clients and volunteers at the Wyoming Rescue Mission in Casper. Those working through trauma and addiction say they have much to be thankful for.

Zakary SonntagNovember 27, 2025

Susan Denker of Cheyenne says she owes her life to her poodle Lily, who alerted a friend after Denker suffered a heart attack.

Hero Poodle Named Lily Saves Cheyenne Woman's Life After Heart Attack

A Cheyenne woman credits her poodle Lily for saving her life after having a heart attack. “If it hadn't been for Lily alerting my friend, I would not be talking to you, because they did pronounce me dead at one point,” she told Cowboy State Daily.

Zakary SonntagNovember 22, 2025

Rae drinks vodka Red Bull at the bar with the lights out at the Bayou Bar in Mills, Wyoming.

Day Drinking With The ‘Millbillies’ During A Power Outage

Day drinking is underrated. It's playfully subversive, and also a little edgy, like a statement that tells the world, “I do what I want, when I want!” Even the power going out doesn’t phase the day-drinking “Millbillies” at the Bayou Bar in Mills.

Zakary SonntagNovember 16, 2025

Saratoga Hot Springs Resort owner Michael Janssen is a world-renowned spinal surgeon. He’s also a powerboat racing champion, which makes him the best guy for the job when it comes to treating injuries in Key West at powerboat races. And there can be plenty of injuries with powerboats that go so fast that they often go airborne.

Wyoming People: World-Renowned Spinal Surgeon And Powerboat Champion Michael Janssen

When the world’s fastest powerboats converge on the Florida Keys for the world championship powerboat races, no one is in higher demand than Wyoming resident Dr. Michael Janssen, the world-renowned spinal surgeon and medical director of the event.

Zakary SonntagNovember 09, 2025

The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior 50 years ago, and no bodies were ever recovered. Wyoming meteorologist Don Day grew up in Michigan and remembers the famous wreck — and the weather phenomenon that sunk her, "The Witch of November."

Edmund Fitzgerald: Wyoming Meteorologist Vividly Recalls 'The Witch Of November'

Wyoming meteorologist Don Day was living in the Great Lakes when the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank 50 years ago on Nov 10, 1975. Only 8 years old, he vividly recalls hearing storm bulletins crackle through the kitchen radio announcing "The Witch Of November."

Zakary SonntagNovember 08, 2025

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