🚧 Wyoming Life | Cowboy State Daily

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Rock Springs Deputy Who Rescued 3-Year-Old 15 Years Ago To Give Him Diploma

David Lew will graduate this month from Rock Springs High School. But he wouldn’t if it hadn’t have been for a Sweetwater County Sheriff’s deputy who rescued him from Flaming Gorge Reservoir when he was 3. Now that deputy will give him his diploma.

Dale KillingbeckMay 04, 2025

Keri Sommer of Cody, Wyoming, started Bears of Honor to remember fallen military service members and first responders. It's become much more, using their uniforms to make Bears of Honor that are cherished by those families.

Wyoming-Made Honor Bears Give Strength To Gold Star Families

A Wyoming woman’s mission to help gold star military and first-responder families does more than give them renewed strength. Her Bears of Honor program uses their uniforms to make Teddy bears that keeps their service and honor alive.

Zakary SonntagMay 04, 2025

How Do You Practice For Calving Season? With Life-Sized Rubber Cows

One of the most important times for ranchers in Wyoming and across the country is calving season. Every calf counts, so it’s vital as many survive as possible. To do that, some ranchers and kids practice with life-sized rubber cows and calves.

Andrew RossiMay 03, 2025

Alan and Kristi Matie sit in front of the Coffee Pot Bible Fellowship chapel on April 20, 2025.

Video: Cheyenne’s Truck Stop Chapel -- A Place Where Truckers Find Peace

Nestled in the parking lot of a Cheyenne truck stop is a small chapel, a haven for truckers seeking church or a sympathetic ear. The couple who runs the chapel also supports drivers with advice they draw from more than two decades in the trucking industry.

Hannah Brock & Reilly StrandMay 03, 2025

The patient is loaded into a plane for transport.

Wyoming Airmen Make Extraordinary Cardiac Evacuation From Antarctica

Two members of the Wyoming Air National Guard played critical roles in successfully evacuating a patient in cardiac arrest from McMurdo Station in Antarctica. “This was more than a mission — it was a life saved against all odds,” Brig. Gen. Michelle Mulberry said.

Leo WolfsonMay 03, 2025

Wyoming Star Ian Munsick Declares He Has ‘The Greatest Hair In Country Music’

Wyoming native Ian Munsick has real cowboy roots and talent fueling his career as a rising star in Nashville. He also boasts having something else no other artist can claim — the “greatest hair in country music.”

David MadisonMay 02, 2025

Thunderbirds Continue 70-Plus-Year Run At Cheyenne Frontier Days On New Night

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds’ popular Cheyenne Frontier Days air show is moving to Saturday, July 26, so more people can see it. The aerial demonstration has been held at CFD every year but two since 1953.

Renée JeanApril 29, 2025

A viral video invitation from Gillette Special Olympians caught the attention of Denver Broncos standout linebacker Alex Singleton. He’s agreed to be the guest of honor for the three-day Wyoming Special Olympics State Summer Games here starting Thursday.

Broncos Star Linebacker Catches Hail Mary Invite By Gillette Special Olympians

A Hail Mary video invitation from Gillette Special Olympians caught the attention of Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton. He’s agreed to be the guest of honor for the three-day Wyoming Special Olympics State Summer Games there starting Thursday.

Amber SteinmetzApril 29, 2025

Bill Dafoe was diagnosed with a fatal brain cancer and died last September, but his legacy continues. He had always encouraged and coached his sons, and now his oldest son Logan (center top) is heading to West Point. He was accepted just months after Bill passed away.

Thermopolis Teen Gets Into West Point Months After Dad Dies From Brain Tumor

Logan Dafoe’s dream of attending West Point came true this month. But it wasn’t complete, because the Thermopolis teen’s father, Bill, wasn’t there to see that dream come true. Bill died from a brain tumor months before his son’s acceptance came through.

Jackie DorothyApril 28, 2025

Giant Killer Whale Swallowing A Truck Unleashed On The Roads Around Missoula

A Missoula man has spent the last five years converting an Isuzu box truck into a giant killer whale. Now his creation, named “Killatrina,” has been unleashed on the roads around town.

Anna-Louise JacksonApril 27, 2025

Father and son Bob, left, and Trevor Penor are pilots who fly private jets around the nation and beyond. Trevor brought his dad to the club on a recent day as he planned to fly his new F-14, second from left. He also owns the other planes.

Casper Model Airplane Pilots Love Flying Fast, From Fighter Jets To Pizza Boxes

For 55 years, the Casper Air Modelers Association has been flying remote-controlled replica aircraft — and they have a need for speed. They’ll fly anything from F-14 fighter jets to souped up pizza boxes.

Dale KillingbeckApril 27, 2025

A backward-driving pickup that’s been turning heads in Lander was something Albert Bertagnolli did just for the heck of it. He swapped the headlights and taillights, moved the engine and looks out over the bed driving the thing. He faces looking over the bed in the turned-around cab.

Lander Man Turns Heads Driving Pickup He’s Modified To Go Backwards

Lander resident Albert Bertagnolli modified his pickup to drive backwards. He swapped the headlights and taillights, moved the engine and looks out over the bed driving the thing. When he’s driving down the street, it looks like he’s going backwards.

Renée JeanApril 27, 2025

Steve Dallman visited Casper specifically to get a photo at the bottom of Hell's Half Acre that served as a backdrop for the cult sci-fi action film “Starship Troopers.” He found and shares photos of what the site looks like nearly 30 years later.

Photographer Visits Hell's Half Acre To Find, Shoot ‘Starship Troopers’ Location

Photographer Steve Dallman has traveled across the nation, visiting and photographing famous film locations. He called his recent adventure to Hell’s Half Acre, the setting for the 1997 film “Starship Troopers,” one of his favorites and most difficult.

Andrew RossiApril 27, 2025

The Wyoming/Gillette Mustangs had a timultuous three-season run as an indoor football team in northeast Wyoming from 2021-2023. The team folded in 2024, but now Gillette has a new indoor football team, the Wyoming Cavalry.

Wyoming Cavalry Will Return To Arena Football — In Gillette With A New Owner

New owners of the Wyoming Cavalry arena football team, formerly based in Casper, say they’re resurrecting the indoor football squad. It will play out of Gillette, where another team folded last year after three seasons.

David MadisonApril 27, 2025

More Drawings By George Ostrom Found, Famous For Creating Wyoming’s Bucking Horse

Pioneer Artist George Ostrom sketched the scenes around him, including battles in World War I and wildlife in Wyoming. He’s famous for creating Wyoming’s bucking horse logo, and now his family is releasing Ostrom drawings discovered well after his death.

Jackie DorothyApril 27, 2025

It’s less than two months until the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the most legendary battles of the American Revolution. The musket that fired the battle’s first shot is at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois.

Wyoming Home To Musket That Fired First Shot At Bunker Hill 250 Years Ago

It’s less than two months until the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the most important battles of the American Revolution. The musket that fired the battle’s first shot is at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois.

Renée JeanApril 27, 2025

Casper resident Hubert Townsend pays tribute to the late Pope Francis at Saint Anthony Church in Casper.

Wyoming Catholics React To Death Of Pope Francis With Eye To Future For Church

Wyoming Catholics are reacting to the death of Pope Francis with sorrow and hope. Even a self-described Casper “cafeteria Catholic” says it’s affected him emotionally, and he’s “excited to see who the new pope is” going to be.

Zakary SonntagApril 27, 2025

Edward Bohlin on horseback in front of his shop in Cody, Wyoming. Inset in an ornate saddle he made for Burt Reynolds later in life.

Edward Bohlin, ‘Silver Saddle-Maker Of The Stars,’ Got His Start In Cody

Edward Bohlin, the “silver saddle-maker of the stars,” brought Western sparkle to Hollywood as the most renowned maker of saddles for Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, the Lone Ranger, and other celebrities. He got his start with his own leather shop across from Irma Hotel in Cody.

Andrew RossiApril 27, 2025

When the defunct “Welcome to Wyoming” signs went up for auction, Jackson real estate agent Sam Haack welcomed the opportunity to buy one, snagging this one for more than $9,700.

People Spend More Than $100,000 On Old ‘Welcome To Wyoming’ Highway Signs

The Wyoming Department of Transportation raised more than $100,000 for auctioning off old “Welcome to Wyoming” highway signs. That includes one for nearly $10,000 sold to a Jackson real estate agent.

Andrew RossiApril 26, 2025

Yucca glauca photographed in Central Wyoming.

Overlooked And All Over Wyoming, Yucca Can Be Your New Prickly Landscaping Choice

Rita Lovell didn’t plant the yucca that stole her heart. It volunteered, showing up on its own in the dry, rocky soil just outside her home. Often overlooked, yucca is all over Wyoming and is gaining popularity as a prickly choice in landscaping.

David MadisonApril 26, 2025

Monte Bush believes it is a miracle that no one died the night he blacked out after drinking and ran head-on into another vehicle. He was charged with a DUI and is now nearly six years sober. He shares his story with the hope that he can save at least one life and prevent someone else from drinking and driving.

Extreme DUI Program Has 90% Success Rate For Those Who Have Destroyed Lives By Driving Drunk

Monte Bush woke up in the hospital, disoriented. He had been drinking and had no memory of getting in his truck and leaving the town of Greybull. He was horrified to learn that he had been in a head on collision at 55 mph and hurt four people badly in the wreck.

Jackie DorothyApril 26, 2025

Dennis Arner said he knows there is coming a day that he will have to permanently dismount his bikes. He has put that decision into the hands of his wife, Karla.

Meet Dennis Arner: Casper’s Bike Guy Who’s Not Giving In To MS And Dementia

Dennis Arner is 65 and battling MS and dementia, but most people around Casper know him as the bike guy. He’s biked thousands of miles around town, posting photos of nostalgic spots as part of a mission to fight his disease and inspire others.

Dale KillingbeckApril 26, 2025

Locals Say Best Thing About Cooke City Is That It’s ‘Not New York City’

Thousands of tourists visit Cooke City, Montana, outside the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The local Alpine Motel publishes an annual list of what those visitors can expect to experience there. No. 1 is it’s “not New York City.”