Latest from Dale Killingbeck
Natrona County Officials Remove Road Barricade Erected By Ranchers
Barriers erected by a ranch family along County Road 505 were removed on Tuesday morning per the order of the Natrona County commissioners. The county announced it will now move forward to legally claim the road.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 16, 2024
Natrona County Ranchers Block Off Road Claimed By County
A Natrona County ranch couple blocked off a portion of County Road 505 where it crosses their property, potentially impacting two major road projects. One commissioner said, "The county is extremely concerned."
Dale KillingbeckJuly 15, 2024
Balloonist, Passenger Injured In Crash Landing At Casper Event On Saturday
A balloonist and passenger participating in the Casper Balloon Roundup sustained injuries when they crash landed on Saturday in Casper. Once thrown out of the basket, the balloon sailed another quarter of a mile away.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 15, 2024
Let's Go Hot Air Ballooning Over Casper
Cowboy State Daily reporter Dale Killingbeck on Friday hopped into a wicker basket, and let a pilot launch him into the air over Casper by blasting flames into a nylon balloon.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 14, 2024
Casper Couple Transforms Former Drug House Into Wyoming Mountain Retreat
When Walter and Sharon Merschat heard that a 'drug house' was getting demolished by the City of Casper, they stopped inside to take a look. They saw the woodwork and told the city "you can't do this." The city gave them one month to move the house.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 14, 2024
Forgotten 1860s Wyoming Stagecoach Stop Reveals Artifacts Thousands Of Years Old
A recent dig on a long-forgotten archaeological site at a private Laramie Valley ranch has uncovered more than 10,000 artifacts that date back to prehistoric times, the Plains Indian Wars and an apparent mercantile in the 1870s.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 14, 2024
Group Says It Has 15,000 Signatures Opposing Controversial Casper Gravel Pit
An organized group says it’s gathered 15,000 signatures opposing plans to mine gravel from 300 acres of state-owned land at the base of Casper Mountain. The project’s manager said Thursday the project push go forward.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 12, 2024
In Brief: Man Charged With Fighting Arrest, Breaking Leg Of Casper Police Officer
A 41-year-old Evansville man who wanted to use drugs one more time before entering treatment is accused of breaking the leg of a Casper police officer while fighting his arrest.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 10, 2024
In Brief: Casper Man Shot During Fourth Of July Fight Over Fireworks
A man was shot and taken to a Casper hospital on the Fourth of July during a fight over personal fireworks. An argument between a small group of people and the man who was shot erupted at the basketball courts at a local park.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 08, 2024
NFL's Logan Wilson Back In Casper Supporting Coach Who Lost Baby To SIDS
Casper's Logan Wilson was back in town this weekend participating in the Brooks Joshua Memorial Golf Tournament to raise awareness for SIDS. The NFL star's high school coach lost his baby to SIDS eight years ago.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 07, 2024
3rd Generation Of Famed Thompson Auctioneer Family Fast-Talking Way To The Top
For three generations in Wyoming and Montana, the Thompsons have been the region’s famed fast-talking auctioneer family. It’s an art that’s in their blood, and they’re the best at it.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 07, 2024
Wyoming History: Fort Laramie Bridge Connected West To Indian Wars And Gold Boom
The 149-year-old, 400-foot Fort Laramie bridge is a remarkable feat of 19th century engineering. It spanned the North Platte, connecting the Army to the Great Sioux War and fortune-seekers to a gold boom.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 07, 2024
Casper Man Accused Of Bragging About Sex With Young Kids Pleads Not Guilty
A 25-year-old Casper man who allegedly bragged about sex acts with young kids pleaded not guilty Friday. Christopher Schmidt also is accused of inviting other men to participate in the abuse.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 05, 2024
In Brief: Natrona County Moves Ahead To Take Disputed Road From Landowners
After a judge ruled Natrona County doesn’t own a disputed road it has used and maintained for years, the commissioners said Tuesday they're moving ahead with legal efforts to take the road from landowners.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 03, 2024
‘Life-Threatening’ Injuries For 14-Year-Old Casper Skateboarder Who Hit SUV
A 14-year-old Casper girl on a skateboard suffered “life-threatening” injuries when she collided with an SUV on Monday evening.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 02, 2024
Want To Learn To Be A True Wyoming Cowboy? There’s A Place For That
For those who want to embrace the true Wyoming cowboy culture beyond the stereotype pushed by B movie Westerns, the C Bracket Horse Barn in Evansville offers a hands-on education.
Dale KillingbeckJuly 01, 2024
Wyoming History: Copman’s Tomb Named For Man Who Wanted To Fly Off It In 1880s
Copman’s Tomb, in Wyoming's Bighorn Basin, is named for a German trapper, farmer and inventor who in the 1880s invented a flying machine -- which reportedly worked -- and planned on flying it off the mountain top.
Dale KillingbeckJune 30, 2024
Judge: Natrona County Can’t Stop Landowner From Blocking Off Road
A judge ruled Thursday that Natrona County cannot stop a local ranch family from closing off parts of County Road 505. The judge said the county doesn’t own the road and they cannot block the landowners from gating it.
Dale KillingbeckJune 27, 2024
Casper Teen Accused Of Holding Bobby Maher Down During Stabbing Pleads Not Guilty
The Casper 15-year-old accused of holding 14-year-old Bobby Maher down while another stabbed him to death pleaded not guilty Wednesday.
Dale KillingbeckJune 26, 2024
Oops! Natrona County Maintained Rural Road For Years, But Never Owned It
After years of maintaining County Road 505, Natrona County officials sued local landowners when they threatened to block off the road. Turns out, the county doesn't even own the road -- the landowners do. Both sides were in front of a judge Wednesday.
Dale KillingbeckJune 26, 2024
Sheridan Native Wins 2024 U.S. Strongman Nationals
Sheridan native Mitch Godwin calls himself a regular “working-class guy” with his day job at the local wastewater treatment plant. Outside of that, he’s a beast in the gym, winning the U.S. Strongman Nationals earlier this month.
Dale KillingbeckJune 25, 2024
Arrest Warrant Issued For Torrington Woman In Major Drug Trafficking Scheme
An arrest warrant issued Friday seeks a 25-year-old Torrington woman for her alleged involvement in a statewide fentanyl and meth trafficking ring that was busted in March.
Dale KillingbeckJune 24, 2024
Casper Man Who Built His Own Covered Wagon Likes To Live Like It’s 1869
Casper 77-year-old Kim Merchant likes to live like it’s 1869, including building his own covered wagon and teaching others how hardy and self-sufficient Wyoming’s first pioneers had to be.
Dale KillingbeckJune 22, 2024
Esterbrook Church, Where Couples Go For A Perfect Wyoming Western Wedding
The call from overseas did not surprise the pastor. Just another couple who wanted to get married at the base of Laramie Peak in the little log church building with the bell in Esterbrook, Wyoming.
Dale KillingbeckJune 22, 2024
Wyoming History: Fort Laramie Was Where The West Was Won — And Lost
Wyoming’s historic Fort Laramie has been called the most important fort not only in Wyoming, but in the entire West. It was viewed as a lifeline for emigrants, housed troops, and offered a strategic meeting place for whites and natives to resolve their differences and trade.
Dale KillingbeckJune 22, 2024
Meet Casper’s Singing Firefighter, Who Burned Up The Stage At Chris Ledoux Days
Patrick Stafford is a firefighter in Casper who is also an aspiring musician. The country guitarist and songwriter was well-received during his set at Chris LeDoux Days in Kaycee last weekend.
Dale KillingbeckJune 22, 2024
Pony Express Riding Through Wyoming In Annual Re-Ride This Weekend
The annual National Pony Express Association’s re-ride was kicking up dust through central Wyoming on Friday, and will be blazing a trail through the Cowboy State until early Sunday.
Dale KillingbeckJune 21, 2024
Judge Orders Mental Exam For Teen Accused Of Stabbing, Killing Bobby Maher, 14
A judge Friday ordered a mental exam for a Casper teen who’s charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing and killing 14-year-old Bobby Maher while he was trying to protect his girlfriend April 7.
Dale KillingbeckJune 21, 2024
Natrona Commissioners Pull $600K For Air Guarantee, Likely To Lose SLC Flight
After convincing the city of Casper in April to pony up $400,000 to guarantee air service to Salt Lake City, the Natrona County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday pulled it’s $600,000 contribution.
Dale KillingbeckJune 20, 2024
Natrona County Sues Ranchers Over Threat To Close Off Road
Natrona County has sued to stop a ranch family from closing off County Road 505 that leads south off Casper Mountain. Turns out, the county doesn’t legally own County Road 505 -- the family does.
Dale KillingbeckJune 19, 2024
Body Cam Video: Suspect Shot, Killed By Casper Police Talked About ‘Death By Cop’
Dramatic body cam video released by the Casper Police Department on Monday shows an uncooperative suspect telling police he wasn’t going to jail and that “death by cop doesn’t sound too bad” before he was shot and killed.
Dale KillingbeckJune 17, 2024
Casper Teen Pleads Not Guilty In Murder Of Ex-Girlfriend
A 16-year-old Casper boy on Monday pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting death of his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend, Lenae Brown. Eavan Castaner is being charged as an adult.
Dale KillingbeckJune 17, 2024
Eating Wyoming: The Best Biscuits & Gravy In Wyoming? Try G-Ma's Diner In Mills
One regular describes G-Ma’s Diner in Mills, the local joint that feels like home. Plus, it's the home of the best biscuits and gravy in Wyoming. If you don't believe it, just look at their coffee mugs. They say so.
Dale KillingbeckJune 16, 2024
Wyoming History: June 17, 1921, The Day Lightning Set 7 Huge Oil Tanks Ablaze
A thunderstorm over Casper on June 17, 1921, left disaster in its wake when it struck a huge oil storage tank ablaze, which spread to six others, burning for days and consuming 350,000 barrels of oil.
Dale KillingbeckJune 16, 2024
115-Year-Old Last Remaining Wyoming Steel Truss Bridge Put Out To Pasture
The historic 115-year-old Monarch Bridge, the last steel truss bridge in the Wyoming, was officially retired last week and put out to pasture. It once provided thousands of miners and tons of coal a passageway across the Tongue River northeast of Sheridan.
Dale KillingbeckJune 16, 2024
Wyoming History: Battle Of The Rosebud Started Great Sioux Wars Of 1876
Battle of the Rosebud was the opening shot of the Great Sioux Wars of 1876, bolstering Sitting Bull and his allies to a historic victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Dale KillingbeckJune 16, 2024
Keeping Bulls From Being Bullied Just Part Of The Gig For CNFR Stock Manager
For 25 years, Kirsten Vold has conducted a symphony of controlled chaos managing the bulls and broncs from 10 College National Finals Rodeo stock contractors. That includes keeping bulls from being bullied.
Dale KillingbeckJune 15, 2024
Wyoming’s Haiden Thompson Eyes Pro Card, But Won’t Repeat As CNFR All-Around Cowgirl
2023 College National Finals Rodeo All-Around Cowgirl Haiden Thompson won’t repeat, but that hasn’t stopped the Gillette College rider from planning to get her PRCA card.
Dale KillingbeckJune 14, 2024
Last School Board Meeting Of School Year In Casper Filled With Sorrow
The last school board meeting of the school year in Casper was not light and upbeat as they usually are this time of year. The two teen murders earlier this year have left Casper and its school community shellshocked.
Dale KillingbeckJune 12, 2024
Casper Man Shot While Allegedly Trying To Get Officer’s Gun Identified
The Natrona County Coroner’s Office has identified the man shot and killed by police Thursday while allegedly trying to get an officer’s gun as Trae Spurlock, 26. But the office denies releasing other details of the shooting.
Greg Johnson & Dale KillingbeckJune 11, 2024
Jeanette Ward Blasts School Policy, Says Kindergarten No Place For Sex Lessons
Dissatisfied with a Casper school board meeting Monday, Rep. Jeanette Ward told Cowboy State Daily that she finds it, “very curious and shocking when educators or former educators get angry because they can’t have conversations about sexual orientation with kindergartners.”
Dale KillingbeckJune 11, 2024
Brothers Ride For Different Wyoming Teams, But Share Family Legacy Of Rodeo
Thayne and Talon Elshere are both bronc riders who currently occupy first and second place in the College National Finals Rodeo being held in Casper this week. The brothers, from a deep rodeo family, are riding for different Wyoming teams.
Dale KillingbeckJune 10, 2024
Casper-Based Reenactor Group Brings The 1820s - 1860s To Life
The Casper-based Platte Bridge Company boasts nearly 60 reenactors intent on bringing the 1820s through 1880s off history pages and into reality for the public. They plan on traveling to several Wyoming events this summer.
Dale KillingbeckJune 09, 2024
For The Right Price, Horses Can Fly First Class, But Usually Trailered To Wyoming
Like their wealthy owners, high-priced horses travel in style, flying first-class as they’re moved between estates and to compete. At the Sheridan polo grounds, the ponies come from as far away as South America, but the last legs are usually by trailer.
Dale KillingbeckJune 08, 2024
Wyoming History: Kirby Jail Is The Remaining Link To Town’s Rowdy Past
The historic Western jail in Kirby, Wyoming, is listed on the National Historic Registry and links the little community to its storied, and sometimes rowdy, past with coal miners, gamblers and prostitutes.
Dale KillingbeckJune 08, 2024
Suspect Killed In Casper Officer-Involved Shooting
A suspect was shot and killed by Casper police Thursday night when he allegedly tried to get control of an officer’s firearm during an attempted arrest, the Casper Police Department reports.
Dale KillingbeckJune 07, 2024
Rural Wyoming Couple Says Trigger-Happy Neighbor Terrorizing Everyone
An Evansville, Wyoming, man who likes to shoot his guns is allegedly terrorizing his neighbors, who told Natrona County commissioners this week that includes bullets ricocheting across their properties and hitting the siding of homes.
Dale KillingbeckJune 06, 2024
Wyoming Family Of Five Shellshocked After Devastating House Fire
An extended Mills family of five lost their home to a fire Monday. On Tuesday, the family was trying to figure out next steps and how to replace possessions that were lost.
Dale KillingbeckJune 04, 2024
‘I Just Ran Someone Over’: Casper Man After Parking Truck On ‘Old Drinking Buddy’
A 55-year-old Casper man is accused of deliberately running over an "old drinking buddy" after they argued at a local bar. He told those in the bar that, "I just ran someone over," according to court documents made available Monday.
Dale KillingbeckJune 03, 2024
Throwback Wyoming Mountain Man Makes His Own Razor-Sharp Rock Knives
Making razor-sharp knives, arrowheads and other tools by flint knapping rock was life-or-death for prehistoric humans and early Wyoming mountain men. Casper’s “Flint Knapper Jim” has been perfecting the art for 20 years.
Dale KillingbeckJune 02, 2024
Reporter’s Notebook: Remembering Wyoming’s Only Customs Agent Who Died Last Month
John “Dale” Leatham was Wyoming’s only U.S. Customs agent. For 48 years, he made himself available 24/7 at the Natrona County International Airport. The stories he had and the guests he befriended were truly one of a kind. Wyoming lost a true ambassador.
Dale KillingbeckJune 02, 2024
Wyoming Vietnam War POW Used Art As A Medicine, And Means to Help Others
U.S. Army Capt. Ted Gostas of Cheyenne was captured during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam in 1968. He endured five years of torture as a POW. For years following, his heartbreaking art has also been powerfully healing.
Dale KillingbeckJune 02, 2024
Wyoming’s Oldest, And Still Active, Railroad Union Predates Statehood By 21 Years
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Division 103, Wyoming’s oldest and still active union, has been taking trains from Cheyenne to Rawlins and Green River for 155 years. And it's still going strong.
Dale KillingbeckJune 01, 2024
Wyoming History: Fort Caspar’s 1860s ‘Forgotten 9’ Finally Get Headstones
It may have taken 160 years, but nine members of the 11th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, aka Fort Caspar’s 1860s Forgotten 9, finally got headstones on Saturday. It's part of a project to identify and recognize soldiers who died at the fort and in the region.
Dale KillingbeckJune 01, 2024
Family Of Slain Casper Man Applauds After Killer Sentenced To 70+ Years
The family of Ryan Schroeder erupted in applause on Thursday as a judge sentenced Justin Armando Marquez to at least 70 years in prison for the stabbing death of Schroeder. Schroeder's daughter said the family has been left with "overwhelming grief."
Dale KillingbeckMay 30, 2024
Casper Man Committed To Keeping Mountain Man History Alive
Dale Gregory of Casper never quite grew out of his childhood dream of being a Wyoming mountain man. Now he lives the lifestyle and shares it with others at the Fort Caspar Museum because he says it's important to keep the history of the West alive.
Dale KillingbeckMay 27, 2024
Wyoming History: No. 115 In Sheridan Is State’s Last Original Streetcar
For a time in the early 1900s, Sheridan was a modern municipal wonder with electric trolleys and inter-urban cars ferrying people to mines, shopping and the old fort. Now car No. 115 is Wyoming’s last original streetcar.
Dale KillingbeckMay 26, 2024
Wyoming Dog Dazzles At Westminster Show, Wins Best Of Breed
Rowan, a Bracco Italiano dog who lives in Douglas, won Best of Breed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. He received a giant medallion for the win and bragging rights that the best Bracco Italiano dog in the world lives in Wyoming.
Dale KillingbeckMay 26, 2024
Wyoming History: FDR Escaped A Political Pressure-Cooker At Yellowstone
It was September 1937 and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was politically exhausted from unsuccessfully trying to stack the Supreme Court, so he escaped the pressure cooker of Washington, D.C., politics in Yellowstone.
Dale KillingbeckMay 25, 2024
Casper Foster Dad Pleads Not Guilty To 20 Charges Of Child Sex Abuse
Steven Marler, a nationally recognized foster parent from Casper pleaded not guilty Tuesday on 20 felony charges alleging he sexually abused multiple children in his care over a period of 10 years.
Dale KillingbeckMay 22, 2024
Wyoming Man Who Shot And Killed Drug Buyer In The Back Claims Self-Defense
An alleged Evansville drug dealer claims he shot and killed a customer in self-defense, but the prosecutor questions that because the victim “was shot squarely in his back.”
Dale KillingbeckMay 21, 2024
Wyoming History: Pinedale Mailman Paid Ultimate Price In 1921 Blizzard
Delivering the mail across Wyoming’s vast empty spaces wasn’t for the faint of heart more than a century ago -- especially Pinedale and South Pass City. Mail carrier Ralph Faler got caught in a blizzard and never made it out.
Dale KillingbeckMay 19, 2024
Casper Shooting Victim's Father Shares Broken Heart
The father of Lenea Brown, 17, who was gunned down at a Casper park Tuesday, told Cowboy State Daily he's devastated. He wants justice for his daughter who exuded compassion, including wanting to give the brother of Bobby Maher a hug “and tell him it’s going to be OK.”
Dale KillingbeckMay 18, 2024
Cattle Hauler’s Mission: Get The Mommas And Babies To Summer Pasture
A day in the life of a Douglas-based cattle hauler in May involves lining up to ranch cattle chutes and successfully getting calves and momma cows onboard for a trip to their summer pasture.
Dale KillingbeckMay 18, 2024
Casper Adults Shocked Into Action By Two Teen Murders In 37 Days
A pair of teen murders in 37 days has shocked adults in Casper, Wyoming, to act against a growing culture of youth violence. At a Friday meeting, local groups considered all options, including patrolling the city with teams of watchers.
Dale KillingbeckMay 18, 2024
Casper Man Accused Of Sex With Infant, Possessing Child Porn
A 25-year-old Casper man accused of having sex with an infant and asking other adults to participate was in court Wednesday to face 10 felony charges of child sexual abuse and child pornography.
Dale Killingbeck & Greg JohnsonMay 17, 2024