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Jake Nichols

Jake Nichols hosts the Cowboy State Daily Morning Show, each weekday from 6-10AM.

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Latest from Jake Nichols

Brooke Sawyer, left, and Garth Dowling in a close-up shot during the auditorium scene in the blockbuster movie "Oppenheimer." Dowling spent four decades as a photojournalist in Jackson before moving and becoming an extra in the movie.

Longtime Wyoming Photographer Gets Some Screen Time In Oscar-Nominated ‘Oppenheimer’

Garth Dowling spent four decades as a photojournalist in Jackson, Wyoming, but got some time in front of the camera in the 13-time Oscar-nominated film “Oppenheimer.” He played the role of 'Scientist A31' and can be seen many times in the movie.

Jake NicholsMarch 02, 2024

Wyoming's Year-Round Roller Coaster: You Can Ride It During A Blizzard

Not only does Snow King Mountain have the steepest zip line in North America which reaches speeds of 60 mph down a 36% grade. It also has a year-round roller coaster that operates even in snowstorms.

Jake NicholsFebruary 24, 2024

Skier Dies At Wyoming’s Grand Targhee Resort After Getting Trapped In Tree Well

A skier died Saturday at Grand Targhee in Alta, Wyoming, after falling headfirst into a dangerous tree well, an area of deep, soft snow created around the base of trees that are easy to fall into, and almost impossible to get out of.

Jake NicholsFebruary 20, 2024

Polecat Hot Springs in Grand Teton National Park is one of several in Wyoming that's tested positive for a deadly brain-eating amoeba.

Uh-Oh, Deadly Brain-Eating Amoeba Found In Wyoming Hot Springs

A deadly brain-eating amoeba has been confirmed in Grand Teton National Park hot springs for the first time. The lead author of the scientific paper that was published last month, said he still soaks in hot springs but uses nose plugs when he can.

Jake NicholsFebruary 17, 2024

The Blizzard of 1949 didn't see snow pile up in inches, it was measured in feet.

75 Years Ago, The Blizzard of 1949 Crippled Wyoming

It’s been 75 years since the Blizzard of 1949, a relentless two-month storm that crippled Wyoming. Accumulation measured in feet. Winds clocked 65-80 mph. Double-digit subzero temperatures for weeks on end.

Jake NicholsFebruary 11, 2024

The TA Moulton Barn on Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park widely considered the most photographed barn on the planet.

The T.A. Moulton Barn -- The Most Photographed Outbuilding In The World

A Chinese tourist was asked what he knew about the T.A. Moulton barn as he busily snapped away on a picture-perfect July morning. An interpreter relayed the question. He smiled as wide as a Wyoming sky. “Ah, cowboy,” he said with excitement, and went back to clicking.

Jake NicholsFebruary 10, 2024

Tim Coleman with one of his Piper Super Cubs, circa 1990. For 50 years, Coleman was a mainstay in Wyoming aviation and was inducted into the Wyoming Aviation Hall of Fame in 2023.

Wyoming People: Tim Coleman, Legendary Riverton Pilot Put In Aviation Hall Of Fame

Wyoming's Tim Coleman was once airdropped a propeller for his downed plane on a mountain in a raging snowstorm. He put it on and flew home safely. One of the many stories in a 50-year career that put Coleman in the Aviation Hall of Fame.

Jake NicholsFebruary 03, 2024

Jess Moore runs the Canadian Open in Fort Nelson, British Columbia, last April. Now the Jackson rookie will run in one of the most prestigious sled dog races in North America.

Jackson Rookie Steps In For Mentor To Run Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race

“Promise me someone is going to run those dogs.” Those were Alix Crittenden’s last words before she went under the knife for a brain tumor less than two weeks before the start of the 2024 Pedigree Stage Stop Race. Her understudy is stepping in.

Jake NicholsJanuary 27, 2024

Tai McBride is undefeated wrestling for Jackson Hole High School so far this season.

Jackson High Phenom Tai McBride Wrestles Like A Girl — And Can’t Be Beat

16-year-old Tai McBride is pretty much like any other Wyoming teenage girl, until the whistle blows. Then she becomes 120 pounds of, 'f*** around and find out.'

Jake NicholsJanuary 27, 2024

Spaghetti Westerner Gap Pucci, 88, Is The Last Wyoming Mountain Man Of His Time

Spaghetti Westerner and modern-day Wyoming mountain man Gap Pucci is the last of his kind. The 88-year-old legendary outfitter still lives like he always has — straight-up cowboy. No phone, no internet, no modern amenities.

Jake NicholsJanuary 20, 2024

A Teton County Search and Rescue helicopter on its way to Prater Canyon to retrieve a skier caught in an avalanche.

Skier Buried, Killed In Massive Wyoming Avalanche In Star Valley

A skier was killed Sunday morning after he was buried in a massive avalanche in Prater Canyon in the Salt River Range, midway between Alpine and Afton, Wyoming.

Jake NicholsJanuary 15, 2024

Stephen Jellie has been placed on leave as Teton County's fire chief.

After Months Of Complaints Over ‘Tyrannical’ Style, Jackson Fire Chief On Leave

An embattled fire chief in Jackson is on administrative leave after public outcry for his resignation reached a fevered pitch last month. Critics claim the chief's management style is threatening, tyrannical, confrontational and dysfunctional.

Jake NicholsJanuary 11, 2024

Other Authors

Cheyenne's Jeff Gillotti drives a Zamboni over the ice surface at the Cheyenne Ice and Events Center.

How Long Would It Take To Zamboni Wyoming’s Fremont Lake?

We're all about answering the most important questions on the minds of Wyomingites. After learning that it would take 693 years to resurface Lake Superior with a Zamboni, we asked two local Zamboni drivers how long it would take to resurface Wyoming's Fremont Lake. Good news -- not nearly as long.

Jake NicholsDecember 30, 2023

Wyoming Cowboys Big Favorites In Return To Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl

The University of Wyoming Cowboys will be big favorites when they kickoff against the Toledo Rockets on Dec. 30 in their return to the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl. It's also a chance to send head coach Craig Bohl out a winner.

Jake NicholsDecember 25, 2023

The annual sleigh rides through the National Elk Refuge near Jackson, Wyoming, gets people almost close enough to touch the thousands of wild elk that come down to feed there.

Wyoming Winter Tourism: Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides Offer Intimate Tours With Wildlife

The Double H Bar in Teton County hosts nearly 40,000 visitors for sleigh rides every season. In addition to elk, passengers routinely see bison, moose, coyotes, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, ravens and other wildlife.

Jake NicholsDecember 23, 2023

Casper, a Great Pyrenees livestock guard dog, is back with sheep after recovering from life-threatening injuries when he fought off 11 coyotes threatening his flock. He killed eight of them and chased after the other three.

Wyoming Ranchers Salute Great Pyrenees In Georgia Who Fought Off 11 Coyotes To Save Livestock

A sheepdog in Georgia that killed eight coyotes in defense of his flock is nominated for Farm Dog of the Year. Wyoming ranchers say "Casper" is proof of how livestock protection dogs prove their worth day in and day out.

Jake NicholsDecember 16, 2023

The Dubs Mafia represents the Buffalo Bills, and Wyoming Buffalo wings, strong in Kansas City last weekend.

Laramie’s Chicken Wings Food Truck Tailgates At Every Buffalo Bills Game

Laramie-based chicken joint on wheels "Double Dubs" is tailgating Buffalo Bills football games this season — home and road — to make sure the Bills rabid fanbase get their favorite wings prior to kickoff. It all started because Josh Allen vouched for them.

Jake NicholsDecember 16, 2023

Jackson's Iconic Town Square Has More Than 8,000 Elk Antlers In Its 4 Arches

Each of the four arches surrounding Jackson's George Washington Park is constructed entirely of elk antlers, more than 2,000 in all, weighing more than 14,000 pounds. In all, there are nearly 60,000 pounds of antlers in the city park.

Jake NicholsDecember 10, 2023

Amy Wroe Bechtel, husband Steve and their dog, Jonz.

Disappearance Of Amy Wroe Bechtel Still Haunting After 26 Years

The unsolved disappearance of Amy Wroe Bechtel in 1997 remains one of the more baffling cases in U.S. history. The massive search launched when she vanished was like no other in Wyoming then or since. Even the Russians were asked to assist.

Jake NicholsDecember 09, 2023

University of Wyoming football coach Craig Bohl.

Wyoming Cowboys Head Football Coach Craig Bohl To Retire After Bowl Game

University of Wyoming head football coach Craig Bohl announced his retirement on Wednesday. His final game will be at the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl on Dec. 30 in Tucson. Defensive Coordinator Jay Sawvel will take over as the new head coach

Jake NicholsDecember 06, 2023

What Happens When A Bear Hibernates?

In hibernation, a bear’s heart slow between 8 and 12 beats per minute — about a third of its normal rate. It takes a breath once, maybe twice a minute. Body temp is reduced from 98 to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Jake NicholsDecember 02, 2023

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