🚧 Wyoming Life | Cowboy State Daily

A colorful mortar shell bursts in sky during the fireworks "shoot-off" at the Wholesale Fireworks outlet south of Laramie on Sunday.

You Can’t Shoot Off Fireworks Colorado, But You Can At The Border

It's a patriotic party atmosphere and “controlled chaos” at a popular fireworks shooting area near the Wyoming-Colorado state line.

Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2023

Tree Rock is a limber pine discovered growing out of a boulder in 1868 when the Union Pacific Railroad build the railroad 50 feet from it. It's now in the middle of Interstate 80 about 30 miles west of Cheyenne.

What the heck is … That Lonely Tree Growing Out Of A Rock In The Middle Of I-80?

That weird little tree growing out of a rock in the middle of Interstate 80 is more than a curiosity, it’s Wyoming history. And it could be old — very, very old.

Greg JohnsonJuly 02, 2023

A seemingly endless line of silver Airstreams on display in Rock Springs.

2,500 Airstreamers Pack Rock Springs, Wyoming For 66th Annual International Airstream Rally

For those who love their iconic silver aluminum silver bullet Airstream travel trailers, it’s almost a religion. About 2,500 Airstreamers congregated in Rock Springs at the the 66th Annual International Airstream Rally.

July 01, 2023

Wyoming Super-Photographer Dave Bell Releases New Book On Sublette County

How beautiful is Wyoming's Sublette County? Wyoming photographer David Bell's latest book “23: The Place We Call Home,” provides the answer.

July 01, 2023

Double Dub's at the 2022 National Buffalo Wing Festival.

Weitzels Wings A Month Away From World Record Try At Selling 42,000 Buffalo Wings In 24 Hours

Wyoming's Weitzels Wings aims to sell nearly 50,000 buffalo wings over 24 hours next month to set a new world record.

Greg JohnsonJune 30, 2023

Storm Chaser Captures Monster Tornado 20 Miles From Wyoming Border

Professional storm chaser Reed Timmer spent the afternoon on the Wyoming and Nebraska border waiting for tornadoes. After getting his windshield shattered by baseball-sized hail in Burns, Wyoming, Timmer drove into a monster tornado near Kimball, Nebraska.

Jimmy OrrJune 29, 2023

$Maximus is a rat rod built by Tom Simons of Gillette using a diesel engine previously used for hydraulic fracking.$

Wyoming Real Estate Agent Builds Hot Rod With Old Fracking Pump Engine

Tom Simons of Gillette, Wyoming Frankensteined together a hot rod using a massive engine out of a hydraulic fracturing pump.

June 28, 2023

Pro Rodeo Cowboy Was On His Horse With Rope In Hand When Lightning Struck And Killed Him

The rodeo community is stunned in the wake of the death of Nebraska pro roper Terrel Vineyard, 27, who was on horseback with a rope in his hand when lightning struck him. Vineyard and his horse were killed.

Greg JohnsonJune 28, 2023

Lori Townsend shared dramatic photos of a giant supercell thunderhead that moved over southeast Wyoming on Monday to the Wyoming Through The Lens Facebook page.

Giant Supercell That Dropped Tornadoes, 2.5-Inch Hail On Wyoming Was Visible From Denver

A pair of supercell thunderheads created dramatic thunderstorms across much of eastern Wyoming on Monday, dropping tornadoes and 2.5-inch hail.

Greg JohnsonJune 27, 2023

A "Princess Bride" skit offers the boy sitting next to grandpa several options In the end. He chooses to go to the Lovell Follies instead of watching a movie.

On The Road With Renee: 60 Years Of Sellouts For Lovell, Wyoming's Famous Follies

The town of Lovell, Wyoming, shuts down early for the famous Lovell Follies, which for nearly 60 years has been selling out the 1,000-seat Hyart Theater.

Renée JeanJune 26, 2023

Tornadoes Break Out All Over Wyoming Friday, Stormchasers Form Tailgate Parties To Watch Twisters

Off of some roads in eastern Wyoming on Friday, tailgate parties broke out to watch tornadoes dip out of sky. Dozens of tornadoes were spotted across the state with most activity in eastern Wyoming.

Jimmy OrrJune 26, 2023

Vehicles and railcars were flipped during Friday's tornado at North Antelope Rochelle mine.

It's ‘Miraculous’ Tornado That Hit Wyoming Coal Mine Wasn’t A ‘Mass-Casualty Event’

There were an estimated 400-600 workers at the North Antelope Rochelle coal mine in northeast Wyoming when an EF2 tornado with wind speeds estimated at 120-130 mph hit it Friday.

Greg JohnsonJune 26, 2023

Dean Lomax explains what a spoil pile is. Bones are often missed along the way, so the spoil pile has to be sorted through to ensure nothing important has been left behind while digging for fossils.

World-Renowned Paleontologist From United Kingdom Kicks Off "Jurassic Fest" In Thermopolis On Friday

Dean Lomax, a world famous paleontologist from the United Kingdom, got his start as a paleontologist in Thermopolis. On Friday, he was back in town for "Jurassic Fest" and joined by fans from all over the nation and Canada to dig alongside him.

Renée JeanJune 25, 2023

Images showing the aftermath of Friday evening's tornado at the North Antelope Rochelle coal mine are being shared widely on Facebook.

Wyoming Coal Mine Hit By Tornado To Resume Operations By Tuesday

About 36 hours after a large tornado ripped through part of the North Antelope Rochelle coal mine 60 miles south of Gillette, nobody remains hospitalized and operations at the mine are expected to resume by Tuesday, says mine owner Peabody Energy.

Greg JohnsonJune 25, 2023

Wyoming Places: Seven Great Finds For A Car Nut At Gillette’s Frontier Auto Museum

Gillette’s Frontier Auto Museum is a must for anyone’s bucket list, even if you’re not a car nerd. Here are my seven favorites I spotted while there.

Aaron TurpenJune 25, 2023

Low Water String Band is one of 14 Wyoming musicians and bands that make up the first iteration of the WyoFolk Project.

Wyoming’s Underground Music Scene Attempting To Break Through The Surface

Believing there’s strength in numbers, the WyoFolk Project is a pooling of 14 Wyoming musicians collaborating to produce an album that gives them more visibility, and raises the profile for the Cowboy State’s music industry overall.

June 25, 2023

Why Does University of Wyoming Have To Share Pistol Pete Mascot With Oklahoma State?

Pistol Pete, the rootin’-tootin’ gunfighter who sports a 10-gallon hat, handlebar mustache and dual six-shooters, is shared by both the University of Wyoming and Oklahoma State. The schools worked out a legal agreement in 1993 that allows them to share the mascot with stipulations.

Jake NicholsJune 24, 2023

Ernie Herrera makes his first skydiving jump.

Wyoming People: Vietnam Vet From Douglas Checks Off Bucket-List Item With First Skydiving Jump

After a life of serving his country, community service and coping with PTSD, Wyoming Navy veteran Ernie Herrera, 75, finally realized a lifelong dream by making his first skydiving jump.

Leo WolfsonJune 24, 2023

James Wertelka of Torrington, Wyoming, has spent a decade building this re-creation of a French Nieuport 17 biplane, which ruled the skies during World War I.

Torrington Man Builds Rare World War I Fighter Biplane

A pilot and corrections officer from Torrington has worked for 10 years to re-create an extremely rare 1916 World War I French Nieuport 17 biplane that was known as the best pursuit plane of the day. He's close to making its first flight.

June 24, 2023

Courtesy, Mountain States Stockdog Association

The Only Harder Workers Than Wyoming Ranchers Are Their Dogs

Stock dogs move sheep and cattle, and they’re indispensable on any ranch. More than 120 stock dogs from all over the U.S. and Canada competed in the Mountain States Stock Dog National Finals this week at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Afton.

June 24, 2023

Spike Through Harvey Morgan's Skull A Grisly Reminder Of Wyoming's Wild West Beginnings

Harvey Morgan drove a wagon from South Pass City 153 years ago to meet with a recently widowed woman on her ranch. He ended up with a spike through his skull and on permanent display at the Lander Pioneer Museum.

Clair McFarlandJune 24, 2023

Samuel De Leon shared this dramatic photo of the storm cell and tornado that swept through southern Campbell and northern Converse counties Friday evening.

Tornado Blasts Coal Mine In Northeastern Wyoming; Eight Hospitalized, Trains Flipped

Update: Eight people were hospitalized Friday evening when a tornado made a 'direct hit' on the North Antelope Rochelle Mine which straddles Campbell and Converse counties. The twister flipped train cars, destroyed vehicles, and hit at least one building.

Greg JohnsonJune 24, 2023

In a dramatic video he posted to Twitter, Brad Wilson captured a large tornado that hit North Antelope Rochelle mine about 60 miles south of Gillette on Friday evening.

Tornado Flips Trains, Levels Building At Wyoming Coal Mine; Responders Assume ‘Mass-Casualty Event’

The North Antelope Rochelle coal mine south of Gillette took a “direct hit” from a tornado Friday evening, flipping trains and destroying a building. No word on the extent of the impact, but responders “treating this as a mass-casualty event.”