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
Husband Of Former Gillette Library Chief Wants Incest Book Back In Teen Section
The husband of the former Gillette library director who was fired last year, wants a controversial book with themes of incest and drug use out of the adult collection and put back into the library’s teen section.
Clair McFarlandApril 29, 2024
Lawsuit Tossed Of Man Who Accused Hospital Of Turning Him Away For Not Wearing Mask
A man hurt in a 2021 T-bone car crash was allegedly denied treatment at a Cheyenne emergency room because he wouldn’t wear a mask. His lawsuit over the incident has been dismissed for filing it too late.Â
Clair McFarlandApril 29, 2024
One Dead In 'Suspicious' Riverton House Fire
Riverton police say they found one person dead in a "suspicious" early-morning fire Friday, after the initial 911 call indicated someone's girlfriend was trapped inside the home.
Clair McFarlandApril 27, 2024
A Year After Deadly Shootout, Thermopolis Cop Has Plenty Of Local Support
Sunday is the 1-year anniversary of the day Thermopolis Police Sgt. Mike Mascorro illegally forced his way into a suspect’s home, sparking a shootout that left him wounded and the suspect dead. A year later, the officer has plenty of local support.
Clair McFarlandApril 27, 2024
Fremont County Tops In Homicides Despite Having Only 6.8% Of Population
A Cowboy State Daily survey of all 23 Wyoming county coroners shows that Fremont County has the highest number of homicides with 30% of the state's total despite having just 6.8% of the population.
Clair McFarlandApril 25, 2024
IRS, State Hit Wyoming School District With $46,000 In Fines
The school district serving Thermopolis and the rest of Hot Springs County has been charged nearly $46,000 in fines to account for failures to file payroll taxes and employing coaches who weren’t fully certified.
Clair McFarlandApril 25, 2024
Is TikTok Protected Speech Or Threat To Americans? Wyoming Legislators Split
With a potential United States ban on TikTok passing Wednesday, Wyoming legislators are split on whether that’s a blow to protected free speech or acting to suppress a serious security threat.
Clair McFarlandApril 25, 2024
Judge Tosses Wyoming Woman’s Claim Employer Tried To Have Her Committed
A federal judge has tossed the lawsuit of a Wyoming woman who claimed her employer, a hospital in Weston County, tried to have her involuntarily committed for being a whistleblower.
Clair McFarlandApril 24, 2024
Wyoming Man Claims Deputies Watched Him Have Seizure During Warrantless Arrest
A Wheatland man admits he unknowingly cashed a false check for a TikTok girlfriend, but is suing Platte County, its sheriff’s office and a pair of deputies for allegedly watching him have a traumatic seizure during a warrantless arrest.
Clair McFarlandApril 24, 2024
Wyoming Militia Member Denied Making His Own M16 Sues Feds — Again
A former U.S. Marine and Wyoming man who’s a member of a loose militia filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the federal government to be allowed to build his own machine gun. It’s his second lawsuit challenging the machine gun ban.
Clair McFarlandApril 23, 2024
BRIEF: Death Of Riverton-Area Teen Investigated As Suspicious
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 15-year-old boy found in a Riverton-area home Monday as suspicious.
Clair McFarlandApril 23, 2024
Riverton’s First Northern Arapaho Police Officer Claims Racist, Hostile Treatment
The first Northern Arapaho officer hired by the Riverton Police Department has quit, and filed a lawsuit Monday alleging a pattern of racist, hostile and retaliatory treatment by superiors and department officials.
Clair McFarlandApril 23, 2024
Accused Murderer From North Dakota Hid Out In Gillette For Months Â
A North Dakota man accused of killing a woman, deleting his home camera footage and fleeing last year was arrested Thursday in Gillette. Police believe he hid in Gillette for months before being discovered.
Clair McFarlandApril 22, 2024
Accused Wyoming Wife Beater Flees To Nebraska After Wife Stabs Him
A Moorcroft man accused of beating his wife bloody for hours before she managed to stab him was caught in Nebraska over the weekend.
Clair McFarlandApril 22, 2024
Wyoming Railroad Engineer Sues Union Pacific Over AI Train Driver
A Wyoming railroad engineer is suing Union Pacific, claiming he was hurt — maybe permanently — when an artificial intelligence-powered train driver malfunctioned causing a train wreck.
Clair McFarlandApril 22, 2024
Clair McFarland: Spring Keeps Spawning Neighbors
Clair McFarland writes, "Winter tests your body but spring tests your soul. Especially if you’re an introvert. The Husband has us scheduled for six barbecues and someone signed me up to keep score at little league games."
Clair McFarlandApril 21, 2024
Casper Woman's Property Overtaken By Six Squatters Who Trashed The Place
Wyoming isn’t immune to a property owner’s worst nightmare — squatters. Just ask a Casper woman who learned the hard way when her ousted tenant illegally leased out her home to six unwanted tenants, who trashed the property.
Clair McFarlandApril 20, 2024
Former US Sen. Malcolm Wallop: The Wyoming Rancher Who Helped Save Israel
While many praised former President Ronald Reagan this week for backing the program Israel used to defend itself again Iran, it was actually Wyoming U.S. Sen. Malcolm Wallop who started pushing "Star Wars" into existence before Reagan was even in office.
Clair McFarlandApril 20, 2024
Cheyenne Police Arrest Woman Who Tried To Stop Baton Beating Of Nephew
The aunt of a Cheyenne man who yelled at police and took video April 5 as they held down her nephew during a traffic stop and hit him repeatedly with a baton was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of interfering with officers.
Clair McFarlandApril 19, 2024
Wyoming Tribes May Be On Path To Get 60,000 Acres Of Federal Land
After about a century of managing about 60,000 acres in northern Fremont County, a federal agency is ready to give it to someone else. Top contenders are the Bureau of Land Management and Wyoming’s Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes.
Clair McFarlandApril 18, 2024
BRIEF: Rock Springs Man Found Dead Under Bridge
A Rock Springs man was found dead under a bridge Thursday by what local authorities. An autopsy will be done to determine how he died.
Clair McFarlandApril 18, 2024