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
Volkswagen Bug Breaks Down So Alleged Drug Dealer Can't Finish Meth Run
A Gillette drug dealer couldnât finish his methamphetamine run from Colorado last month because his Volkswagen bug slowed to a smoke-spewing crawl when he hit Chugwater, court documents say.Â
Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2024
Casper Millionaire's Son Loses Inheritance For Suing Co-Heirs
A Casper millionaireâs son lost his portion of a $4 million inheritance for suing co-beneficiaries of his fatherâs estate, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2024
Wyoming Man Dead In Nebraska Semi Vs. Freight Train Crash
One Wyoming man died and one was injured Tuesday after a semi truck reportedly tried to beat a train to a temporary crossing on a curved Nebraska highway.
Clair McFarlandJuly 17, 2024
Rock Springs Woman Accused Of Stealing Ex's Gun While Texting Him About It
A Rock Springs woman accused of breaking into her ex-boyfriendâs home to steal a gun while sending him suspicious text messages about it faces up to 25 years in prison.Â
Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2024
Sheridan 4-Year-Old Defies Medical Odds, Awakes From Coma And Is Recovering
Doctors said 4-year-old Serafina Blue Day might not be able to talk or hear after she suffered brain damage in a two-story fall last month. But then she woke from 10-day coma and by Sunday, she'd regained her spunky personality.
Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2024
Evanston Horse Molester Gets Maximum Sentence For Bestiality
James Botkin on Monday accepted a plea agreement giving him the maximum sentence for bestiality after he was arrested for sexually violating a horse at the Uinta County fairgrounds. He was sentenced to a year in jail.Â
Clair McFarlandJuly 16, 2024
Man Arrested In Alleged Sexual Abuse Of Horse In Evanston
A Texas couple said they caught a man early Monday in a stall at the Uinta County fairgrounds violating their horse. The man has been charged with one count of bestiality and faces one year in jail, if convicted.
Clair McFarlandJuly 15, 2024
A Punch Over A Parking Dispute Kills Sheridan Hockey Coach Â
Sheridan hockey coach Patrick Mudd died over the weekend, after he was allegedly "sucker punched" in a parking lot outside of the Sheridan WYO rodeo. The hockey community laid their sticks outside his home in mourning.
Clair McFarlandJuly 15, 2024
Game Warden Involved In Wolf Torture Investigation Charged With DUI
Herbert âBubbaâ Haley, one of the game wardens who investigated the capture, torture and killing of a wolf in Sublette County was charged with driving under the influence, according to court records.Â
Mark Heinz & Clair McFarlandJuly 15, 2024
Clair McFarland: Finding The Right Word After The Shooting
Clair McFarland writes: "This is what weâve come to. Instead of being a people who self-identify by our faith, our family, and our goals, we present our political identities foremost, like a cattle brand."
Clair McFarlandJuly 14, 2024
Wyoming At Least One Year Away From Offering Digital Driver's Licenses
The State of Wyoming is at least a year away from offering digital driver's licenses after the legislature authorized the use in 2020. Currently 11 states allow digital driver's licenses on phones and some allow them on watches.
Clair McFarlandJuly 14, 2024
Trump Shot At Rally, Wyoming Delegation Sends Prayers
Wyoming's congressional delegation sent prayers Saturday evening immediately after former President Donald Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump is safe, the Secret Service announced after the incident.
Clair McFarlandJuly 13, 2024
Yes, You Can Bury Grandma In The Backyard For A Tax Break In Wyoming (Kind Of)
In Wyoming generally, people can bury their loved ones on their private land and get a break on property taxes for having a "cemetery." But there's some regulatory hassle.
Clair McFarlandJuly 13, 2024
Drunk Worland Man Charged With Trying To Steal Puppy Out Of Shelter
A drunk Worland, Wyoming, man who wasnât allowed to adopt a bulldog-mix puppy was caught allegedly cutting through a chain-link fence to steal the pup.
Clair McFarlandJuly 12, 2024
Wind River Reservation Man Accused Of Raping Runaway Girl
Accused of getting a 14-year-old runaway drunk, putting her in a chokehold and molesting her, a 32-year-old Crowheart, Wyoming, man faces a potential lifetime in prison.
Clair McFarlandJuly 12, 2024
Motorcycle Gang Rivalry Boils Over At Wyoming Truck Stop Â
When members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club came across a man wearing a Hellâs Angels jacket at a Wamsutter truck stop, the rivalry between the gangs boiled over. Now seven Mongols face felony charges for robbery and intimidation.
Clair McFarlandJuly 12, 2024
Biden Insists He's Fit For Office, Calls Zelensky "Putin" and Trump His "Vice President"
Wyomingâs congressional delegation said President Bidenâs Thursday press conference, during which he mistakenly called former President Trump his vice president, was another failure.
Clair McFarlandJuly 12, 2024
'Luckiest Kid In Sublette County' Demolishes Old Post Office With 5th-Wheel
The old post office in Marbleton, Wyoming, was demolished when a 17-year-old took a corner too fast and launched a truck and trailer through it. The owner of the building said the teen is the âluckiest kid in Sublette Countyâ for walking away alive.
Clair McFarlandJuly 11, 2024
Rock Springs Hostage Fought Husband For Gun While Taking A Beating
A woman held hostage at gunpoint by her estranged husband fought him for the weapon while taking a beating, court documents say. The man eventually gave up, but not before terrorizing his wife and repeatedly telling her they both would die.
Clair McFarlandJuly 11, 2024
In Brief: Gillette 18-Year-Old Burned When Bucket Of Gas Spills In Car
A Gillette 18-year-old who had a bucket of gasoline in a car was burned early Wednesday morning. After gas had sloshed out of the bucket inside the car, a teen lit it on fire thinking it would burn off the spilled gas but not damage the car.
Clair McFarlandJuly 10, 2024
In Brief: Sorry, Thieves, $14 Million Treasure Stashed In Smoot Home Is Gone
Cowboy State Daily reported Tuesday about a massive $14 million heist of gold, silver and cash from a Smoot, Wyoming, home. Now the local sheriff has a message for other potential thieves: Sorry, thereâs no more treasure stashed there.
Clair McFarlandJuly 10, 2024
Laramie Woman Gets 7-10 Years In Prison For Molesting Foster Teen
A Laramie woman was sentenced to 7-10 years in prison Monday after accepting a plea agreement for molesting a 14-year-old foster teen. The boy was living in a youth home where she worked, and her deal includes a reduction of sentence if she gets a GED.
Clair McFarlandJuly 10, 2024
Xanterra Worker Arrested For Mass Shooting Threat Day After Fatal Yellowstone Shootout
A Xanterra worker was arrested Monday for allegedly threatening a mass shooting a day after a fatal shootout park rangers had with another Xanterra employee. He told rangers he just âlost my cool.â
Clair McFarlandJuly 10, 2024
Man Accused Of Stealing $14 Million In Gold And Silver From Fatherâs Wyoming Home
A Las Vegas man is accused of stealing $14 million in gold and silver from his fatherâs home in Smoot, Wyoming. He reportedly told investigators he didnât steal the treasure out of greed, he was just keeping it safe.
Clair McFarlandJuly 10, 2024
Yellowstone Gunman Was Firing Semiautomatic Weapon Toward Dining Area
The Yellowstone contract employee killed during a Fourth of July shootout with rangers had been firing a semiautomatic weapon, authorities said Tuesday. He had been firing it toward a dining area when confronted by rangers.
Clair McFarlandJuly 09, 2024
Rock Springs Man Arrested After Holding Person Hostage, Locking Children In Car
A Rock Springs man was arrested late Monday after allegedly holding someone hostage in his home and locking three kids in a car. Police say Cody Birdwell eventually surrendered and remains in jail on multiple charges.
Clair McFarlandJuly 09, 2024
Couple Charged With Bear-Spraying Woman Who Drove Through Camp
Accused of blasting a woman who drove through their campsite with bear spray and firing a 9 mm pistol toward her car in the Bridger Teton National Forest, a South Dakota couple now faces up to 10 years in prison.
Clair McFarlandJuly 09, 2024
Former Top Park Service Officials Say Yellowstone Rangers Likely Saved Many Lives
Former top National Park Service officials told Cowboy State Daily on Monday that the response of Yellowstone Park rangers to a gunman threatening a mass shooting on July 4 likely saved many lives.
Clair McFarlandJuly 08, 2024
Yellowstone Shooter Took Woman Hostage, Held Her At Gunpoint: Scanner Recording
The Yellowstone contract worker who injured a park ranger and was killed in a shootout on July 4 held a female hostage at gunpoint prior to his death, according to a recording of a "be-on-the lookout" notice aired on the Park County dispatch system hours before.
Clair McFarlandJuly 08, 2024
Yellowstone Shooter Identified, Was 28-Year-Old Contract Worker From Florida
The man who died in a shootout with Yellowstone National Park rangers on the Fourth of July was 28-year-old Samson Fussner, the Park County Coroner told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday morning.
Clair McFarlandJuly 06, 2024
Wyoming Woman Raffling Off Son's Pigs After He Allegedly Stabbed HerÂ
A Campbell County woman whose teenage son allegedly stabbed her in the back while she slept is raffling off his pigs to pay down her medical costs. Winners will receive half a hog each; butchered, cut and wrapped.
Clair McFarlandJuly 04, 2024
One Person Dead After Fourth Of July Shootout In Yellowstone
One person was killed in a shootout with a Yellowstone National Park ranger Thursday morning, after an exchange of gunfire in the Canyon Village. The ranger was injured and is now receiving medical treatment.
Clair McFarlandJuly 04, 2024
Judge Rules Wyoming Doesn't Have To Follow Biden's Trans Bathroom Rules
A federal judge Tuesday said Wyoming doesn't have to follow a new federal rule allowing males identifying as females in school bathrooms. The judge ruled that Title IX doesn't trump free speech, privacy and safety rights of girls.
Clair McFarlandJuly 03, 2024
Hemp Businesses Sue Gordon, State Of Wyoming Over New Cannabis Law
Ten Wyoming hemp businesses and one individual hemp seller on Monday asked a federal judge to declare Wyomingâs new law against synthetic cannabis variants unlawful by Congressâ standards, and to block it going forward.
Clair McFarlandJuly 03, 2024
Wyomingâs First Black Female Prison Warden Loses Hostile Workplace Lawsuit
A federal jury ruled Tuesday that the Wyoming Department of Corrections did not create an unlawfully hostile work environment for the stateâs first Black female prison warden, who claimed corruption within her ranks.
Clair McFarlandJuly 02, 2024
Gillette Foursome Accused Of Pistol-Whipping Men In Retaliation For Kidnapping
After a Gillette woman told her friends an ex-boyfriend had kidnapped her Saturday, they allegedly barged into a shop, held two men at gunpoint and pistol-whipped them.
Clair McFarlandJuly 02, 2024
Evanston Man Accused Of Rampage With Hatchet, Shovel And Machete
An Evanston man accused of terrorizing his estranged wife with a hatchet, shovel and machete will face felony charges, a judge decided Friday. He could get up to 41 years in prison if convicted.
Clair McFarlandJuly 02, 2024
Cody Police Bust Meth Lab When Woman Reports Boyfriend
Cody police say they busted a local meth lab after a woman reported her boyfriend for cooking the drug in their home. Heâs in court Wednesday, and could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Clair McFarlandJuly 01, 2024
Wyoming Split On Landmark Ruling That Trump Canât Be Prosecuted For Official Acts
Wyoming legal opinions are split on Mondayâs landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for official acts in office.
Clair McFarlandJuly 01, 2024
Clair McFarland: Suddenly, Minivans Are Not Lame
Clair McFarland writes: "The Husband scrunched his nose when he saw it. Heâs always avoided minivans. Right now weâve got a GMC Yukon for trips with all six of us. A Yukon is more manly than a minivan, The Husband has explained, because itâs a truck with a few back seats."
Clair McFarlandJune 30, 2024
Cheyenne âVoodoo Manâ Arrested, But Business Owners Worried He'll Be Out Soon
Cheyenne business owners were relieved to hear that a towering man who wields a staff and pronounces voodoo curses and death threats toward them was arrested Thursday, but they suspect he wonât be in jail long.
Clair McFarlandJune 29, 2024
Man Accused Of Hitting Brother In Head With Axe At Riverton City Park
A St. Stephens man has been charged with attacking his brother with an axe at Riverton City Park. He was allegedly caught on video swinging the axe at his brother and hitting him in the head. His preliminary hearing is Tuesday.
Clair McFarlandJune 28, 2024
Supreme Court Guts Fed Bureaucratic Rulemaking Power, Wyoming Leaders Rejoice
Wyoming conservatives praised a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Friday which is being called a âmassive blowâ to rulemaking power of federal agencies.
Clair McFarlandJune 28, 2024
Wyoming Ranchers Cheer Tractor Supply For Ditching 'Woke' Goals After Taking $2B Hit
Wyoming ranchers applauded Tractor Supply's decision to eliminate DEI roles, quit sponsoring LGBTQ pride festivals, and drop carbon goals after a conservative outcry this week. The company took a $2.4 billion hit to its market cap in just one week.
Clair McFarlandJune 28, 2024
Cheyenne Teachers Now Required To Notify Parents If Kids Change Their Names
Teachers in Cheyenne will now be required to notify parents when their kids want to go by other names or nicknames, including transgender names. The district took its policy a step further than state law.
Clair McFarlandJune 27, 2024
Hageman Blasts Supreme Court For Allowing Government To Censor Social Media
Harriet Hageman on Thursday blasted a Wednesday U.S. Supreme Court ruling that lifts a ban on government-induced censorship of social media. âThe courts have failed to remedy this blatant censorship;Â the ultimate solution lies with Congress,â she said.
Clair McFarlandJune 27, 2024
Manslaughter Charge Filed In Fatal Beating Of Riverton Man Outside Church
A local man was charged with manslaughter Wednesday in the February beating death of a Riverton man outside a church. The suspect allegedly told police he âmight have escalated the assault too far.â
Clair McFarlandJune 27, 2024
Guns, Credit Cards Stolen From Wyoming Rancher Accused Of Starving Animals
A Shawnee, Wyoming, rancher accused of starving five confined animals alleged had guns, credit cards and other things stolen from his home, according to Converse County District Court records.
Clair McFarlandJune 27, 2024
Douglas Man Accused Of Killing 14-Year-Old In Drunken Head-On Crash
A Douglas, Wyoming, man faces charges of vehicular homicide and DUI after allegedly causing a Sunday head-on crash that killed a 14-year-old and seriously hurt a woman and a 6-year-old child, the Wyoming Highway Patrol reported Wednesday.
Clair McFarlandJune 26, 2024
Man Who Killed âHeavily Intoxicatedâ Son Of Neighbor Acted In Self-Defense
A Cheyenne man who shot and killed the âheavily intoxicatedâ son of a downstairs neighbor March 30 wonât be prosecuted because he was acting in self-defense, Laramie County District Attorney Sylvia Hackl said Monday.
Clair McFarlandJune 24, 2024
Alpine, Wyoming, Man Dies In Tragic Wood Chipper Accident
An Alpine-area fire prevention worker died in a wood-chipper accident Tuesday. The man got entangled in the wood chipper and it had to be disassembled to get him out, but the accident was not survivable.
Clair McFarlandJune 20, 2024
Rawlins Man Accused Of Molesting Young Girls Could Get 680 Years In Prison
A Rawlins man accused of molesting two 5-year-old girls and a 6-year-old reportedly told police heâs sexually attracted to children and described the ways he has molested a child in the past. He could get 680 years in prison.
Clair McFarlandJune 19, 2024
Lusk School Board Member Censured For Online 'Threat' To District Employee
A Niobrara County School Board member was censured after telling an employee, âI hope you never piss anyone off,â and that she had intel that could cause the employee trouble.
Clair McFarlandJune 19, 2024
Casper Police Chief Pushes For Anti-Squatting Laws In Wyoming
Casperâs police chief told legislators Tuesday that Wyoming needs criminal laws and penalties to fight a growing squatting problem thatâs victimizing home and property owners in his city and around the state.
Clair McFarlandJune 19, 2024
Suspect In Disappearance Of Cody Woman Strikes Plea On Federal Gun Charge
The on-and-off-boyfriend and suspect in the disappearance of a Cody woman reached a plea deal Friday on a separate federal gun violation that could keep him in jail for years. The woman has been missing since Oct. 5.
Clair McFarlandJune 18, 2024
Wyoming Man Was Talking To Demons While Vandalizing Building, Deputy Says
An Upton man was reportedly talking to demons when vandalizing a local business at 3 a.m. earlier this month. When deputies caught up with him, he told them, âIâm not in the mood for this.â He has been charged with felony level property destruction Â
Clair McFarlandJune 18, 2024
Witnesses Say Sheridan Woman Pulled Knife After Twerking Battle Gone Wrong
The drinking buddies of a 30-year-old woman in Sheridan say she swung a knife at them after a "twerking battle" ended poorly at her home. The woman's arraignment is set for next month.
Clair McFarlandJune 17, 2024