Features Reporter

Andrew Rossi

Andrew Rossi is a features reporter for Cowboy State Daily based in northwest Wyoming. He covers everything from horrible weather and giant pumpkins to dinosaurs, astronomy, and the eccentricities of Yellowstone National Park.

Previously, Rossi was the News Director for Big Horn Basin Media in Cody. He earned several awards from the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters, including multiple awards for Best News Reporter and Best News Talk Show.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Rossi previously worked at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis. He has collaborated with Disney/Pixar, the BBC, The Washington Post, the Wyoming Office of Tourism, and several other national and international media outlets. He is also a cofounder of The Cody Theatre Company in Cody.

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Latest from Andrew Rossi

Steamboat, World's Tallest Geyser, Erupts With 400-Foot Water Show

In the world of geysers, nothing is bigger or more explosive than Steamboat. But catching an eruption is difficult. Before 2018, eruptions happened every two years. In 2020, it erupted 48 times. Last weekend's eruption was the 7th of the year.

Andrew RossiOctober 15, 2023

Travis Gienger of Minnesota reacts after his pumpkin weighed in at a world-record 2,749 pounds at Monday's world championship weigh-off in Half Moon Bay, California.

Wyoming’s Pumpkin King Marvels At Colossal 2,749-Pound World Record Pumpkin

Although Wyoming's Pumpkin King, Jay Richard, won three pumpkin-growing championships this year, his pumpkins are still about 1,000 pounds shy of the world record set this year by Minnesota's Travis Gienger. But Jay says he can catch him.

Andrew RossiOctober 15, 2023

Real Cowboys In Wyoming Say They Wouldn't Be Caught Dead In Crocs Cowboy Boots

Polarizing Colorado hipster footwear company Crocs is releasing its version of a cowboy boot this month, but real Wyoming cowboy and legendary boot-seller Lou Taubert said he wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them.

Andrew RossiOctober 14, 2023

A high-altitude balloon carrying research technology will be launched 17 miles into the sky Saturday by a team from Central Wyoming College to help gather data for a NASA eclipse research project.

Wyoming Students To Launch Balloon 17 Miles Into Sky For NASA Eclipse Project

A small group of Central Wyoming College students is launching a balloon 17 miles into the atmosphere for a NASA research project to collect information on Saturday’s eclipse.

Andrew RossiOctober 13, 2023

Plow Trucks Out In Force For Wyoming’s First Big Snow Of Season

After expecting to be short as many as 70 snowplow drivers this winter, WYDOT now is “in good shape” — and they're out in force for Wyoming’s first significant storm of the season.

Andrew RossiOctober 12, 2023

The Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado, is accused of leaving 115 human bodies to decay in a storage facility the owner claims was used for taxidermy.

115 Decaying Bodies Found In "Green And Natural" Colorado Funeral Home Won't Happen In Wyoming

While 115 human bodies were found decaying in a so-called "green and natural" funeral home in Colorado last week, a situation like this likely wouldn't happen in Wyoming because of strict regulations here and almost no regulations in Colorado.

Andrew RossiOctober 11, 2023

Wyoming's Picture-Perfect Autumn Weather About To Change With "Season-Changing" Cold Front

Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day says to expect “season-changing” thunderstorms, rain, wind, up to a foot of snow in the high country and winter travel conditions along I-80 through Thursday night.

Andrew RossiOctober 11, 2023

Of these two payphones at the Norris Campground in Yellowstone National Park, one still works.

In Remote Yellowstone Wilderness, There’s Still A Working Pay Phone

There are plenty of endangered species in Yellowstone National Park, but finding a working pay phone at the closed Norris Campground may be the most endangered of them all.

Andrew RossiOctober 10, 2023

A road sign points out the Amsden Formation near the northern end of the Wind River Canyon. The five most significant rock layers in the canyon are marked by signs telling the name and age of the rock.

Wyoming’s Wind River Canyon Is A 2 Billion-Year Travel Through Time

The 20-minute drive from the Boysen Dam to Thermopolis on U.S. Highway 20 goes through 2 billion years of natural history, making Wyoming’s Wind River Canyon the best time machine in the United States.

Andrew RossiOctober 09, 2023

RV Destroyed With Exploding 1,000-Pound Pumpkins At Wyoming Weigh-Off

The crowd cheered as thousand-pound pumpkins exploded after being dropped from a 200-foot crane in Worland on Saturday afternoon at the Wyoming State Pumpkin Growing Championship. After the weigh-off, the pumpkins annihilated a Winnebago.

Andrew RossiOctober 09, 2023

The entrance to Old Trail Town in Cody. Founded in 1967, the entire 6-acre complex functions as a museum of Old West structures, artifacts and graves.

Wyoming Places: Cody's Old Trail Town Finally Gets A Brothel

A trip to Old Trail Town in Cody is a step back to the Old West. The 6-acre complex has 28 buildings, seven gravesites, a museum of Western artifacts and more than 100 wagons and carriages. And now it's finally got a brothel.

Andrew RossiOctober 08, 2023

A recreation from a 1992 episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" of finding a skeleton in a footlocker in Thermopolis.

How A TV Show Helped ID A Skeleton Found In A Thermopolis Footlocker

A 1992 “Unsolved Mysteries” episode told the story of a murder in Iowa, a skeleton found in a footlocker in Thermopolis and the family resemblance that solved the mystery decades later.

Andrew RossiOctober 08, 2023

Other Authors

Floyd Tillery was surprised to see this pickup submerged in the Bighorn River on Thursday still connected to a trailer and boat.

Oooops! Angler On Bighorn River Forgets To Detach Pickup From Boat

It was a great day for fishing on the Bighorn River in Thermopolis on Thursday. One angler found a perfect location but, sadly, forgot one detail: detaching his pickup from the boat.

Andrew RossiOctober 05, 2023

A painting is auctioned off during last month's Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in Cody, Wyoming.

Around Wyoming: Here Are The Top-Dollar Pieces From The Buffalo Bill Art Show

After two days of live and silent auctions, this year’s Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale brought in $1.3 million. Here are the 10 pieces that sold for the most.

Andrew RossiOctober 05, 2023

Although it's not considered the "peak" season for tourism in and around Yellowstone National Park, the October shoulder season has become much more popular. The East Gate, shown here, is open through October, usually closing the first Monday in November.

Even In October, There Seems To Be ‘Endless Demand’ For Yellowstone Tourism

Yellowstone National Park and its gateway communities are finding October’s shoulder season becoming more of a draw for tourism and visitors.

Andrew RossiOctober 04, 2023

A juvenile Tyrannosaurus skeleton on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in California. Based on the size and shape of a tooth found in Yellowstone, paleontologists determined it was a premaxillary tooth from a juvenile Tyrannosaurus, roughly the same size and age as this skeleton. It's the first dinosaur ever identified from a fossil found in Yellowstone, and most likely is the first of many other dinosaurs yet to be found in the park.

A Tyrannosaurus Is The First Confirmed Dinosaur Fossil Found In Yellowstone

Grizzly bears may be the apex predators in Yellowstone National Park, but they weren’t always. A new scientific paper has identified the first identifiable dinosaur fossil from Yellowstone as a Tyrannosaurus.

Andrew RossiOctober 03, 2023

A couple views the solar eclipse in the first phase of a total eclipse in Grand Teton National Park on Aug. 21, 2017, outside Jackson, Wyoming. Tens of thousands of people flooded into the Cowboy State to view the total solar eclipse, which was at its peak across Wyoming.

Don't Miss Oct. 14 Eclipse, As Next One Over Wyoming Comes In 2084

While Wyoming isn’t in the sweet spot to see the full effect of the Oct. 14 annual eclipse as it travels across the U.S., it will still be plenty impressive at 60% to 80% full. The next chance to see one won’t come until July 3, 2084.

Andrew RossiOctober 03, 2023

Worland pumpkin king Jay Richard won a Littleton, Colorado, weigh-off over the weekend, coming in at 1,686 pounds.

Wyoming’s Pumpkin King Dominates Colorado, Wyo State Championship Next

Worland’s Jay Richard won another pumpkin championship over the weekend with 1,686-pound “Joanie” taking first place honors in Colorado. Next up, the Wyoming State Championship in Worland on Saturday.

Andrew RossiOctober 02, 2023

Fall in full effect in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.

Wyoming’s Spectacular Fall Colors Peaking Now

Weather permitting, the first week of October is often when the fall colors of Wyoming's aspens and cottonwoods are at their best and brightest. Outdoor photographers say not to wait as the window is closing fast.

Andrew RossiOctober 02, 2023

Matt Mossbrucker explains the excavation process to the citizen scientists of the Triceratops Gulch Project. Mossbrucker is the director of the Morrison Natural History Museum in Morrison, Colorado, and leads the summer programs for the Paleon Museum in Glenrock.

Wyoming Places: Digging For 67 Million-Year-Old Fossils At Triceratops Gulch

Triceratops Gulch is a large swath of exposed rock on a private ranch near Glenrock. In 28 years of digging, over 70 sites have been identified, containing everything from complete skeletons and massive skulls to micro-sites and plant impressions.

Andrew RossiOctober 01, 2023

Volunteers of all ages in the Clarks Fork Canyon. Since the Absaroka Fence Initiative started in 2020, over 25 miles of fencing in Park County has been removed or modified. Over 2,000 volunteer hours have been donated to make this progress possible.

Barbed Wire Still Important Part Of Managing Wyoming Wildlife

Since it started in 2020, the Absaroka Fence Initiative has removed, modified or repaired more than 25 miles of fencing to improve migration routes for mule deer, elk, pronghorn and bighorn sheep in northwest Wyoming.

Andrew RossiSeptember 30, 2023

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