Features Reporter

David Madison

David Madison is an award-winning journalist and documentary producer based in Bozeman, Montana. He’s also reported for Wyoming PBS. He studied journalism at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and has worked at news outlets throughout Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Montana.

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Latest from David Madison

Paul Ailport was sentenced on Feb. 13, 2025, to 110 years at the Montana State Prison for attempting to commit homicide using his truck, explosive fuel, fireworks and a 13.5-foot steel beam. After he was allowed to withdraw his plea, a jury took 38 minutes to convict Ailport in a May trial.

Jury Takes 38 Minutes To Convict Montana Man Who Firebombed Neighbor With Truck

It took a jury 38 minutes to convict a Montana man who transformed his pickup into a firebomb on wheels. He drove it into his neighbor’s house in a deliberate attempt to kill.

David MadisonMay 30, 2025

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman and former BLM chief William Perry Pendley.

Wyoming Leaders Hail Supreme Court Ruling Limiting Environmental Reviews

Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman was among those celebrating a Supreme Court ruling Thursday that limits the scope of environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects. “Environmentalists for years destroyed development in the U.S.,” she said.

David MadisonMay 29, 2025

Ur-Energy’s in-situ mining field for uranium at the company's Lost Creek site in the Red Desert of southwest Wyoming. A uranium boom continues to attract investors and companies from around the globe. The most recent is a Canada-based company that proposes to make what it calls "renewable nuclear" energy in eastern Wyoming.

Even Industry Insiders Find It Hard To Keep Up With Wyoming Nuclear Boom

The dizzying, supercollider pace of energy investment in Wyoming — especially nuclear — is bringing waves of new faces into the state. It’s happening so fast that industry insiders and trade associations find it hard to keep up.

David MadisonMay 29, 2025

The Halleck Creek site in Wyoming, now called the Cowboy State Mine site.

Companies Say National Push Could Accelerate Need For Wyoming’s Rare Earth Minerals

Wyoming's rare earth mining companies are scaling up for what could be the biggest opportunity in decades with a growing demand for minerals that power everything from smartphones to fighter jets.

David MadisonMay 27, 2025

Federal Emergency Order Extends Life Of Power Plant That Burns Wyoming Coal

A U.S. Department of Energy emergency order aims to keep open a Michigan coal-fired power plant that primarily burns Wyoming coal. It counteracts a Michigan law that requires utilities in that state to phase out all coal-fired generation by 2030.

David MadisonMay 27, 2025

Radiant proposes to build micro nuclear reactors in Bar Nunn, Wyoming. This is a screenshot from a video detailing a recent thermal cooling test of Radiant's technology.

Trump’s Order To Cut Red Tape Could Help Put Wyoming Nuclear Projects In Fast Lane

President Donald Trump’s overhaul of U.S. energy policy and direction continues with his executive order aimed at cutting regulatory red tape for nuclear projects. That could help put planned Wyoming nuclear projects in the fast lane for approval.

David MadisonMay 26, 2025

Montana’s oldest bar, the Bale of Hay in Virginia City.

Drinking Wyoming, Montana Edition: Bale of Hay - Montana's Oldest Bar Opened In 1863

On the first Friday night of the busy season stretching from Memorial Day to Labor Day, locals eagerly unearthed “you should have been there” stories. One patron recalled dropping acid up on Boot Hill, where Virginia City’s infamous embrace of 1860s vigilante justice is memorialized by the graves of hanging victims.

David MadisonMay 25, 2025

Dr. Mardini’s, his team and the life-changing aftermath of Sandness’ face transplant surgery. During his stay at Mayo, Sandness said security personnel protected him from unwanted media attention.

How A Face Transplant Gave A Newcastle Man A New Smile And Life

A Newcastle man got a new life when he became the first patient to get a face transplant at the Mayo Clinic in 2016. A new book out this week tells his story, which begins as a child in Wyoming and ends with literally looking at a new man in the mirror.

David MadisonMay 24, 2025

A pair of officers guard the Crystal River Energy Complex nuclear power plant in Crystal River, Florida, in this file photo.

TerraPower Plant Will Have More Nuclear Cops Than The Local Sheriff’s Office

TerraPower experts are working with Wyoming legislators to create a special security force to protect the company's new nuclear power plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The force of nuclear cops will outnumber the local Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

David MadisonMay 23, 2025

Will Massive Oil And Gas Reserves Mean A New ‘Bakken Boom’ For Southwest Wyoming?

Massive oil and gas reserves identified across southwest Wyoming are being called out this week by federal officials as “substantial.” It has local industry watchers wondering if that could mean a new “Bakken boom” in the region.

David MadisonMay 22, 2025

Pumping CO2 Into Wells Helps With Recovery But Wyoming Energy Leaders Say Cost Is High

Wyoming lawmakers on the Joint Minerals Committee heard testimony Wednesday on how pressurizing oil wells with carbon dioxide pushes out what oil remains, but paying for the infrastructure remains a financial challenge for operators.

David MadisonMay 21, 2025

Campbell, Johnson And Sheridan Counties Seek to Map Coal Seam Fire Threat

There are likely hundreds of smoldering coal seams in northeastern Wyoming and local fire officials are working on a plan to map them from the air as they all have the potential to start wildfires. It's estimated that some of the fires began as far back as 1859 (during the Buchanan administration).

David MadisonMay 21, 2025

Other Authors

Barrasso Introduces Bill To Force World Bank To Finance Fossil Fuel Projects

Sen. John Barrasso has introduced legislation that would “force the hand” of the World Bank to fund energy projects that comprise “traditional sources of energy,” including fossil fuels.

David MadisonMay 19, 2025

An electric shovel operator loads a haul truck with 200 tons of coal at the Buckskin Mine near Gillette, Wyoming, in this file photo.

Judge Blocks Firings From Program That Supports Coal Miners With Black Lung

When the federal government tried to fire a team protecting coal miners from Wyoming to West Virginia from black lung disease, a miner filed a lawsuit. Last week, a federal judge ordered the restoration of a program that screens miners for the disease.

David MadisonMay 19, 2025

A $3 million Ferrari or $4 million Pagani Huayra hypercar on the road turns heads as people scramble to take photos. Chances are good it will have a Montana license plate. The state’s tax laws make it a haven for the super-rich to register their supercars.

Why So Many Ultra-Expensive Supercars Have Montana License Plates

A $3 million Ferrari or $4 million Bugatti hypercar on the road turns heads as people scramble to take photos. Chances are good it will have a Montana license plate. The state’s tax laws make it a haven for the super-rich to register their supercars.

David MadisonMay 17, 2025

Doors Swinging Wide Open For Wyoming Energy Development On Public Land

The Trump administration continues to open the floodgates on rolling back restrictions and speeding up timelines for energy development on public land. It’s a relief for Wyoming’s oil and gas sector.

David MadisonMay 16, 2025

Battle Lines Drawn Over Huge Eastern Wyoming ‘Green’ Hydrogen Jet Fuel Project

Battle lines are being drawn over a pair of contentious eastern Wyoming wind and solar projects that recently got leasing approval from state officials. The plan is to make “green” hydrogen jet fuel.

David MadisonMay 15, 2025

Hageman Aims To Protect Hydro Power By Reversing Biden Fish Protections

The U.S. House passed a bill sponsored by Wyoming’s Harriet Hageman on Tuesday that aims to protect the hydro power produced by Glen Canyon Dam. A Biden-era protection on fish bypasses the dam and kills its ability to produce energy, Hageman says.

David MadisonMay 14, 2025

Montana Man Steals Shotgun, Ammo And Body Armor From Cop Cars

A 28-year-old man will spend three years in prison for his 10-day crime spree vandalizing and robbing law enforcement vehicles in Billings, Montana. Among the stuff he stole was a shotgun, ammunition and body armor.

David MadisonMay 14, 2025

On the floor of a natural gas drilling rig, roughnecks move 25-ton blocks over a section of drilling pipe 8 miles north of Evanston, Wyoming, in this file photo.

Reaction To Trump Tariffs Helps Push Wyoming Oil Prices To Four-Year Low

The price of oil in Wyoming has been pushed to a four-year low, caused by a response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. A state economist also reports 200 fewer oil and gas jobs than a year ago.

David MadisonMay 13, 2025

Thirteen Bozeman police officers were caught playing games of “Crime Bingo,” the department reported. The customized bingo cards included incidents to check off during traffic stops, like “arrest 2 people” or “butt-ass naked.”

‘Crime Bingo’ Results In 9 Montana Felony Cases Being Thrown Out

Nine felony cases connected to Bozeman, Montana, police officers playing “Crime Bingo” have been tossed by the local county attorney. The arrests could be tainted by the potential for officers to make them based on the game.

David MadisonMay 12, 2025

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