Clair McFarland
Clair McFarland 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.
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 Valentine's Day, 2022.
Latest from Clair McFarland
Texas Couple Sues Jackson Ski Resort, Rental Company For “Catastrophic” Crash
A Texas woman claims in a federal lawsuit that Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Hoback Sports Inc. did not properly inspect the rental equipment that burst apart while she skied, causing her to hurtle down the mountain and suffer permanent injuries.
Clair McFarlandMarch 15, 2023
Man Faces Felony For Flashing Handgun, Challenging Everyone In Bar To Fight In Gillette
Eduardo Juarez was arrested in the early morning hours Saturday after reportedly flashing a 9 mm handgun at the Wyoming Downs in Gillette and challenging multiple men to fight him outside.
Clair McFarlandMarch 14, 2023
Wyoming Man Arrested In 2017 Killing Of Friend Who Was Scared To Go To Prison For Child Porn
Mark Dean Switzer, 71, is in a Cheyenne jail awaiting extradition for allegedly murdering a friend in 2017, who was facing up to 10 years in prison for possessing child pornography and had told others that he refused to go to prison.
Clair McFarlandMarch 14, 2023
Firefighters Pull Man’s Body From Casper-Area River
After someone found a body in the North Platte River on Sunday afternoon, firefighters arrived and pulled a man's body from the river, officials said. An ID is pending notification of next of kin.
Clair McFarlandMarch 14, 2023
West Virginia Begs Supreme Court To Enforce Transgender Sports Ban, Wyoming In Limbo
While Wyoming's ban on biological males in girls' school sports waits for Gov. Mark Gordon to accept or reject it, West Virginia and 19 other states have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let them enforce their bans.
Clair McFarlandMarch 13, 2023
Wyoming Man Admits To Executing Two Friends, Pointing Gun At Eyewitness Near Casper Airport
By pleading guilty to a roadside execution of his two traveling companions, Luke Thomas Young will avoid facing the death penalty in an agreement with Natrona County prosecutors.
Clair McFarlandMarch 13, 2023
Cheyenne Woman Facing Up To 100 Years For Embezzlement Of $255,000 To Plead Guilty
A Cheyenne woman, who was facing up to 100 years in prison, for allegedly embezzling $255,000 from the Cheyenne Little Theater established a plea agreement Thursday in federal court and is scheduled to enter the plea this month.Â
Clair McFarlandMarch 11, 2023
Casper Mother Sobers Up, Tries To Get Meth-Riddled Baby Back But It’s Too Late, Supreme Court Says
Though she sobered up in the days leading up to her parental rights termination hearing, Robin Alcorn did not do enough to get her child back after police found the baby was strung out on meth, the Supreme Court ruled Friday.
Clair McFarlandMarch 10, 2023
California Cell Phone Tower Company Sues Park County For Denying Build Permit Of 195-Foot Tower
A California-based cellphone tower builder is suing the Park County Commission after it unanimously rejected its bid to build a 195-foot cell tower in the Cody area. The company said it has to right to build wherever it wants.
Clair McFarlandMarch 10, 2023
City of Cheyenne To Cancel Animal Shelter Contract Ending 50-Year Partnership
Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins told Cowboy State Daily he believes the City of Cheyenne can shelter animals for less money than the animal shelter charges. The cost of the shelter has increased from $320,000 in 2019 to $800,000 in 2022.
Clair McFarlandMarch 10, 2023
Clair McFarland: I Set Out To Save The World, But All I Got Was This Stupid Poem
Clair McFarland writes: E.E. Cummings was a writer who snatched up the English language like reins and drove all structure off a cliff. His poem anyone is silly. And brilliant.
Clair McFarlandMarch 09, 2023
Wyoming School Choice Advocates Cheer Charter School Expansion, Teachers Not So Much
School choice advocates are rejoicing a charter-school friendly law change that has passed the Wyoming Legislature. The Wyoming Education Association, on the other hand, strongly opposed the bill.
Clair McFarlandMarch 09, 2023
Cheyenne Man Claims Police Shoved Pregnant Wife, Attacked Him In Home
Myron Martize Woods of Cheyenne filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the city of Cheyenne, the police department and three officers claiming the officers shoved his pregnant wife aside and attacked him in his home without a warrant.
Clair McFarlandMarch 08, 2023
Riverton Woman Who Starved More Than A Dozen Animals To Death To Plead Guilty To Animal Cruelty
A Riverton woman accused of starving horses, goats, geese, chickens and sheep some to death has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of animal cruelty.
Clair McFarlandMarch 08, 2023
Gillette Woman Wins Argument By Dropping Boyfriend At Sheriff’s Office, Where He Was Arrested
A Gillette woman won an argument with her boyfriend last week by dropping him off at the Campbell County Sheriffs Office, where authorities promptly arrested him on three outstanding warrants. Â
Clair McFarlandMarch 07, 2023
Wyoming Not Poised To Ban Child Sex Changes Via Executive Action Like Florida And Texas
Texas and Florida both went around their legislatures to ban transgender treatments for kids through executive action, but Wyoming shows no signs of doing the same. Â
Clair McFarlandMarch 07, 2023
Former Wyoming Education Chief Balow Won’t Say Why She Abruptly Resigned As Virginia Superintendent
Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow who formerly held the same position in Wyoming won't say why she resigned from her post last week although the Virginia Dept of Education blasted her for "numerous unresolved messes created by her mishandling..."
Clair McFarlandMarch 07, 2023
Wyoming Freedom Caucus, House Democrats Kill Bill To Charge Drug Dealers For Adult OD Deaths
In a rare union, Wyoming House Democrats and the Freedom Caucus teamed up to kill a bill that would have allowed charging drug dealers whose customers die from overdose with manslaughter.
Clair McFarlandMarch 06, 2023
Douglas Mayor Dies After Long Battle With Cancer
Douglas Mayor Rene Kemper died early Friday morning after a long battle with cancer. The two-term mayor leaves behind one daughter, Dorina, who graduated from Douglas High School and the University of Wyoming. Â
Clair McFarlandMarch 04, 2023
Cat’s Leg Saved! Cheyenne Vet Takes Off A Few Toes But Feline Lives To Walk Another Day
All hail Cheyenne Animal Shelter veterinarian Dr. Tesscha Winsch. Although she feared a "community cat's" leg couldn't be saved, she did it. The cat lost a few toes but she was healthy enough to be released earlier this week and "No Toes" is back on the prowl.
Clair McFarlandMarch 03, 2023
Bill Giving Gun Rights Back To Nonviolent Felons Headed To Governor’s Desk
The Wyoming Senate won out over the state House of Representatives and now will send to Gov. Mark Gordon's desk a bill restoring nonviolent felons' gun and other rights five years after they complete their sentence, rather than immediately as the House majority hoped.
Clair McFarlandMarch 03, 2023