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

Helicopter Rescues Horse Stranded In The Middle Of The Yellowstone River

A horse named Cowboy stranded in the middle of the Yellowstone River south of Billings, Montana, was flown to safety Friday by the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and its on-call helicopter.

Andrew RossiMay 19, 2025

Drunk Montana Man Trying To Impress Girls Caught Climbing On Jackson Antler Arch

A drunk Montana man was reportedly trying to impress girls by climbing on one of the famous antler arches at the town square in Jackson, Wyoming. He got a $100 ticket, and his dumb deed posted to social media.

Andrew RossiMay 19, 2025

33L Swamp Donkey, a 2-year-old bull raised by a breeder from Laramie, Wyoming, got a $250,000 payout for winning the American Bucking Bull Inc.’s $1 Million Futurity in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s a huge win for Jody Schott and his Big Schott Rodeo.

Laramie-Born Breeder’s Swamp Donkey Wins $250,000 Payout As Nastiest Bucking Bull

33L Swamp Donkey, a 2-year-old bull raised by a breeder from Laramie got a $250,000 payout for winning the American Bucking Bull Inc.’s $1 Million Futurity in Fort Worth. It’s the biggest payday yet for the young bucking bull.

Andrew RossiMay 18, 2025

Patton Oswalt Leaves Casper Crowds Laughing, But He Can’t Hold Bladder

Popular comedian Patton Oswalt had crowds of people laughing at The Rialto Theater in Casper on Friday and Saturday. It was his first time performing in Wyoming, and he learned the hard way you need a strong bladder to drive anywhere in the Cowboy State.

Andrew RossiMay 18, 2025

Grand Teton’s Mormon Row To Get Upgrades As Visitors Crowd Picturesque Area

Grand Teton National Park’s growing popularity with tourists means more visitors are taking in Wyoming’s picturesque Mormon Row. The National Park Service is planning upgrades to the area to keep up.

Andrew RossiMay 17, 2025

Son of "Sister Wives" Star Buried Near Wyoming Hometown In Bighorn Basin

The ashes of Garrison Brown, son of polygamist and star of the TLC reality show "Sister Wives" Kody Brown, were buried in a small cemetery in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin next to other members of his family. This was revealed on the May 11 episode of the show, now in its 19th season.

Andrew RossiMay 17, 2025

It may be the middle of May, but it's still winter in Wyoming's high country. This was the secene near Towgotee Pass on Tuesday, and more snow is expected this weekend.

Winter’s Not Done Yet; More Snow Coming For Wyoming

It may be the middle of May, but winter isn’t done with Wyoming yet. Another wave of wet weather from the Pacific Ocean will reach Wyoming over the weekend, which will mean more snow in the mountains and across other parts of the state.

Andrew RossiMay 16, 2025

Dimwitted California Rapper Stands Next To Boiling Yellowstone Pool For Video

If you’re dead set on committing a federal crime in Yellowstone National Park, you might as well post video of yourself doing the deed to social media. That’s what a California rapper did, coming dangerously close to a boiling thermal pool.

Andrew RossiMay 16, 2025

A group of grizzly bears take a walk through Yellowstone National Park near Old Faithful in this file photo from a National Park Service webcam.

Grizzly Killed After Tipping Over 800-Pound Dumpsters Near Old Faithful

Yellowstone National Park confirmed an 11-year-old male grizzly was captured and killed Wednesday after repeatedly knocking over bear-resistant dumpsters. Officials say the grizzly had repeatedly sought out human food.

Andrew RossiMay 15, 2025

It’s The Season In Wyoming For Scud Clouds, Which Can Look Like Tornadoes But Aren’t

It’s the season for thunderstorms across Wyoming, which means greater potential for tornadoes. It also means scud clouds, which can look like tornadoes but aren’t. A scud is a piece of a larger cloud that's broken off and drifted toward the ground.

Andrew RossiMay 13, 2025

Cody Volunteer Fire Department at the Cody Stampede Parade

Cody Fire Department Pulls Out Of Parade Because They Can't Throw Water Balloons

The Cody Volunteer Fire Department is pulling most of its fire trucks from the Cody Stampede Parade because they can't throw water balloons, a longtime tradition. The problem, the parade committee said, is innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire.

Andrew RossiMay 12, 2025

PC Corey Favino Courtesy Elephant Family USA and Newport Restoration Foundation 5 11 25

Herd Of 32 Life-Sized Elephants On Way For Month-Long Stay In Jackson

The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson will have 32 life-size elephant sculptures for a month starting this week. It’s a stop on The Great Elephant Migration, a public art exhibit promoting conservation and coexistence with wildlife.

Andrew RossiMay 11, 2025

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Comedian Patton Oswalt has never performed in Wyoming, so he's crossing the Cowboy State off the list with two nights of stand-up comedy at The Rialto Theater in downtown Casper.

Patton Oswalt Doing Two Nights Of Comedy At Casper's Rialto Theater

After realizing he had played in every state except Wyoming and Montana, comedian Patton Oswalt booked a ‘mini-tour’ to cross them off their lists. He appears in Casper on May 16 and 17 and in Bozeman on May 15.

Andrew RossiMay 11, 2025

Blake Shelton in a screenshot from the music video of his No. 1 country hit "Texas."

Gillette Songwriter Co-Wrote Blake Shelton’s No. 1 Smash Country Hit ‘Texas’

Josh Dorr, a singer-songwriter who grew up in Gillette co-wrote "Texas," the No. 1 country hit and lead single from Blake Shelton's latest album. “It’s pretty surreal,” Dorr told Cowboy State Daily.

Andrew RossiMay 10, 2025

A replica of "Big Al," an Allosaurus specimen from Shell, in the University of Wyoming Geological Museum. UW 11541, "Reed's Allosaurus," is a different species of Allosaurus than Big Al, and was a much larger individual. Reed's Allosaurus was a centerpiece specimen in the museum from 1890 to 1920 and resides in the museum's collections today.

UW Project Rediscovers A Massive Meat-Eating Dinosaur Under 100-Year-Old Plaster

University of Wyoming researchers used CT scanning to see how much of the fossilized bones in an historic dinosaur were real. It revealed a lot of plaster — and rediscovered a huge Allosaurus.

Andrew RossiMay 10, 2025

A ground squirrel peeks its head out of a burrow in Rawlins Cemetery. The city of Rawlins has pledged to stop the plague of gravedigging rodents by tripling the number of poison-laced traps throughout the cemetery this year.

Rawlins Residents Fed Up With Gravedigging Ground Squirrels In City Cemetery

Ground squirrels are digging holes daily in the Rawlins Cemetery, including into graves, and local residents are fed up with them. The city is tripling the number of poison traps around the cemetery to try and cut out the critters.

Andrew RossiMay 08, 2025

Wyoming Can Expect Warm, Sunny Weather For Mother’s Day — For A Change

Winter in Wyoming often likes to hang around until after Mother’s Day, says meteorologist Don Day. But for a change, this weekend should be warm, sunny and summer-like with temperatures reaching the high 70s and into the 80s.

Andrew RossiMay 07, 2025

Vandals Break Into South Dakota BLM Area, Drive Heavy Equipment Into Ditch

Vandals broke into a South Dakota public recreation area near the Wyoming border over the weekend and drove several construction vehicles into a ditch. It’s another instance of vandalism on public lands that has Wyoming contractors watching.

Andrew RossiMay 06, 2025

Spring Can Begin — Bob The Barrel Reaches The Shore Of Fremont Lake

After spending two months on the ice of Fremont Lake near Pinedale, Bob the Barrel finally reached the shore of Fremont Lake at 6:25 a.m. Sunday. Locals have been watching and waiting on the barrel to break through annually for 85 years.

Andrew RossiMay 06, 2025

A screenshot from a compilation of video from SeeJH.com webcams showing the once-in-a-decade fireball.

Huge "Once-In-A-Decade" Fireball Seen Over Wyoming, Other Western States

Hundreds of people reported seeing a huge purple-green fireball streak over several Western states Saturday night. The “once-in-a-decade” event displayed a spectacular spectrum of colors as it burned across the sky.

Andrew RossiMay 05, 2025

Despite recent federal layoffs and budget cuts, Wyoming’s national parks are in “fantastic shape” and expect and “outstanding” tourist season. If the trend of visitor growth holds, Yellowstone and Grand Teton can expect more than 8.4 million visitors.

History Says Yellowstone, Grand Teton Parks Can Expect More Than 8.4M Visitors

The superintendents of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are predicting an “outstanding” summer despite staff cuts to the federal parks system that have worried many outdoor enthusiasts.

Andrew RossiMay 05, 2025

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