🚧 Wyoming Life | Cowboy State Daily

The iconic arch to the Mountain View Cemetery in Butte was knocked down in a hit-and-run incident last month, though it's been restored and returned to its rightful place. "It looks better than ever," said Gaye Evans, the caretaker.

Arch At Evel Knievel Cemetery Back Up After Plowed Over By Truck

The trademark arch at the entrance to Evel Knievel’s final resting place — Mountain View Cemetery in Butte, Montana — was plowed over by a truck a month ago. Like the famous daredevil, one crash can’t keep it down.

Anna-Louise JacksonMay 18, 2025

oe MacGuire holds up a movie poster for “Breakout” which has some family inserted photos of the Bell 47G2 helicopter sold in the summer of 1971 and then used for a prison escape in Mexico.

How A Helicopter From Casper Was Used In A Daring Mexican Prison Breakout

For a Casper man, the story of a bold 1971 prison break in Mexico involving a helicopter is more than a wild story. The chopper was part of the family’s business, and the escape made into an action movie starring Charles Bronson and Robert Duvall.

Dale KillingbeckMay 18, 2025

Coach Billy Walters, left, and Louie Wilkinson are preparing for a trip to a world competition in Brazil in June.

In First MMA Bout, Casper Teen Qualifies For World Competition In Brazil

A Casper teen did more than medal at his first MMA bout, he qualified for a world competition in Brazil. He and his coach say the sport can be a good outlet to help curb youth violence in the central Wyoming city.

Dale KillingbeckMay 18, 2025

33L Swamp Donkey, a 2-year-old bull raised by a breeder from Laramie, Wyoming, got a $250,000 payout for winning the American Bucking Bull Inc.’s $1 Million Futurity in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s a huge win for Jody Schott and his Big Schott Rodeo.

Laramie-Born Breeder’s Swamp Donkey Wins $250,000 Payout As Nastiest Bucking Bull

33L Swamp Donkey, a 2-year-old bull raised by a breeder from Laramie got a $250,000 payout for winning the American Bucking Bull Inc.’s $1 Million Futurity in Fort Worth. It’s the biggest payday yet for the young bucking bull.

Andrew RossiMay 18, 2025

Patton Oswalt Leaves Casper Crowds Laughing, But He Can’t Hold Bladder

Popular comedian Patton Oswalt had crowds of people laughing at The Rialto Theater in Casper on Friday and Saturday. It was his first time performing in Wyoming, and he learned the hard way you need a strong bladder to drive anywhere in the Cowboy State.

Andrew RossiMay 18, 2025

Mail call for the Rocky Mountain Honor Flight will include drawings from the kindergarteners at the Ralph Witter Elementary School in Thermopolis, Wyoming. The students drew the pictures based on examples presented to them from their teachers, their own imaginations and stories from their families about their own experiences serving in the United States military.

For Many Vets, Their First ‘Thank You’ Comes Decades Later From Wyoming Kids

Wyoming veterans on Honor Flights to visit their memorials in Washington, D.C., also received special “thank you” notes from school kids in Thermopolis. Most of the veterans receiving the surprise mail had served during Vietnam and many had never received a thank you for their service until now.

Jackie DorothyMay 17, 2025

Son of "Sister Wives" Star Buried Near Wyoming Hometown In Bighorn Basin

The ashes of Garrison Brown, son of polygamist and star of the TLC reality show "Sister Wives" Kody Brown, were buried in a small cemetery in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin next to other members of his family. This was revealed on the May 11 episode of the show, now in its 19th season.

Andrew RossiMay 17, 2025

Gillette Youth Umpire Makes ‘The Show,’ Will Call Babe Ruth World Series

Gillette's Teddric Walker has spent more than 25 years behind the plate and is now being recognized as one of the best youth umpires in the nation. He’s been picked to umpire the 2025 Babe Ruth World Series in August in Ocala, Florida.

Dale KillingbeckMay 17, 2025

It may be the middle of May, but it's still winter in Wyoming's high country. This was the secene near Towgotee Pass on Tuesday, and more snow is expected this weekend.

Winter’s Not Done Yet; More Snow Coming For Wyoming

It may be the middle of May, but winter isn’t done with Wyoming yet. Another wave of wet weather from the Pacific Ocean will reach Wyoming over the weekend, which will mean more snow in the mountains and across other parts of the state.

Andrew RossiMay 16, 2025

Walt Longmire actor Robert Taylor is a fixture at Longmire Days.

Sheriff Longmire Actor Turns Down Paying Gigs To Be At Longmire Days

Fans of the hit television show “Longmire” will soon flood Buffalo for two days in author Craig Johnson’s fictional Absaroka County. Sheriff Longmire actor Robert Taylor loves the franchise so much he turns down paying gigs to be at Longmire Days.

Renée JeanMay 14, 2025

It’s The Season In Wyoming For Scud Clouds, Which Can Look Like Tornadoes But Aren’t

It’s the season for thunderstorms across Wyoming, which means greater potential for tornadoes. It also means scud clouds, which can look like tornadoes but aren’t. A scud is a piece of a larger cloud that's broken off and drifted toward the ground.

Andrew RossiMay 13, 2025

Snow King Mountain near Jackson has become a hot spot for concerts, drawing big-name artists playing alternative rock, electronic music, country, blues and more.

Wyoming Growing Into A Music Concert Hot Spot — And Not Just For Country

Wyoming is no longer an unknown backwater when it comes to live music. Big name artists such as Wilco, Primus and Luke Grimes are booking shows here for 2025, while other big names to discover Wyoming include Jelly Roll, Ice Cube, Ludcris and T-Pain.

Mark HeinzMay 13, 2025

Cody Volunteer Fire Department at the Cody Stampede Parade

Cody Fire Department Pulls Out Of Parade Because They Can't Throw Water Balloons

The Cody Volunteer Fire Department is pulling most of its fire trucks from the Cody Stampede Parade because they can't throw water balloons, a longtime tradition. The problem, the parade committee said, is innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire.

Andrew RossiMay 12, 2025

PC Corey Favino Courtesy Elephant Family USA and Newport Restoration Foundation 5 11 25

Herd Of 32 Life-Sized Elephants On Way For Month-Long Stay In Jackson

The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson will have 32 life-size elephant sculptures for a month starting this week. It’s a stop on The Great Elephant Migration, a public art exhibit promoting conservation and coexistence with wildlife.

Andrew RossiMay 11, 2025

Focus can make a big difference in horseshoes. Tracie Binkerd warms up during the 2021 State Horseshoe Tournament.

Tracie Binkerd: Wyoming's Ace Horseshoe Champ

You don’t have to know much about horseshoes to appreciate Tracie Binkerd’s pitching prowess. In her first seven years of competitive play, she’s won the Wyoming women’s state champion title four times.

Anna-Louise JacksonMay 11, 2025

Vision Without Borders founder Patrick Klein said he likes maps. He travels around the globe on mission trips several times a year.

Casper Man Risks Prison And Death Smuggling Bibles Into Closed Countries

A Casper-based ministry has for 30 years smuggled Bibles into closed countries around the world. Founder Patrick Klein risks prison, and even death, on his mission to share the Christian faith with others.

Dale KillingbeckMay 11, 2025

Kai Quiroz took his children on a surf trip. Pictured are, from left, Kyle Leonard Amos, Honey Amos, Quiroz's mother Ginny Hayward, Mato Amos and Quiroz.

Rural Wyoming Reservation Kids Ride Waves Surfing In The Pacific Ocean

For Riverton's Kai Quiroz, the waves of the Pacific Ocean are a reminder of how amazing the world is. Wanting to share that, he created an organization called Warrior Waves, which takes kids from the Wind River Reservation to California to learn to surf.

Amber SteinmetzMay 11, 2025

Comedian Patton Oswalt has never performed in Wyoming, so he's crossing the Cowboy State off the list with two nights of stand-up comedy at The Rialto Theater in downtown Casper.

Patton Oswalt Doing Two Nights Of Comedy At Casper's Rialto Theater

After realizing he had played in every state except Wyoming and Montana, comedian Patton Oswalt booked a ‘mini-tour’ to cross them off their lists. He appears in Casper on May 16 and 17 and in Bozeman on May 15.

Andrew RossiMay 11, 2025

Emily Steele survived a bout with what she belives was food-borne illness. She got sick dspite of not being the one who ate anything spoiled.

Can You Catch ‘Food Poisoning?’ It’s Not Common, But, Yes, And Here’s How

Food-borne illnesses are among the most common in America, sickening more than 48 million each year. But can it be passed on to others? The answer is yes -- as a Cheyenne couple recently found out.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2025

Cheyenne Gunslingers has its own stage setup on 15 Street and Pioneer Avenue. But it will likely need a new home as the 15th Street Rail Experience is taking its location.

Famous Cheyenne Gunslingers To Be Homeless, Have To Move From Downtown Spot

The famous Cheyenne Gunslingers will have to find a new spot for its Wild West shootouts. The city has approved another historical attraction to take over their location and now the Gunslingers, who delight crowds every summer by shooting each other, have to find a new home.

Renée JeanMay 10, 2025

Bambi is a 250-pound Nubian goat who lives at the Home On The Range Animal Haven south of Laramie. An old back injury makes difficult for him to walk, so it’s hoped somebody can design a leg brace for him.

Bambi, A Disabled 250-Pound Goat That Lives South Of Laramie, Needs A Leg Brace

Bambi, a 250-pound Nubian goat, struggles to get around because of a back injury he suffered in a fight with a ram. The folks at a farm animal sanctuary near Laramie think he can walk again with a leg brace but crafting one has been difficult. So they're asking the public for help.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2025

At the top of the McGill Bridge is a sign showing the year it was built and the company who erected it.

Abandoned 163-Foot Bridge In Albany County Is All But Forgotten

The history of an abandoned steel bridge which resides inside a 10,000-acre private ranch in Albany County is a mystery. It is thought to be the second oldest bridge in Wyoming and was part of the historic Lincoln Highway. Outside of that, no one knows much about it.

Dale KillingbeckMay 10, 2025

Blake Shelton in a screenshot from the music video of his No. 1 country hit "Texas."

Gillette Songwriter Co-Wrote Blake Shelton’s No. 1 Smash Country Hit ‘Texas’

Josh Dorr, a singer-songwriter who grew up in Gillette co-wrote "Texas," the No. 1 country hit and lead single from Blake Shelton's latest album. “It’s pretty surreal,” Dorr told Cowboy State Daily.

Andrew RossiMay 10, 2025

A replica of "Big Al," an Allosaurus specimen from Shell, in the University of Wyoming Geological Museum. UW 11541, "Reed's Allosaurus," is a different species of Allosaurus than Big Al, and was a much larger individual. Reed's Allosaurus was a centerpiece specimen in the museum from 1890 to 1920 and resides in the museum's collections today.

UW Project Rediscovers A Massive Meat-Eating Dinosaur Under 100-Year-Old Plaster

University of Wyoming researchers used CT scanning to see how much of the fossilized bones in an historic dinosaur were real. It revealed a lot of plaster — and rediscovered a huge Allosaurus.