Headlines

Explore a chronological display of Cowboy State Daily’s articles.

Clair McFarland: For Middleborn, On His Birthday

Clair McFarland writes, "It’s weird, but the warnings about me bleeding out and dying didn’t matter that much. You were here, and that was plenty. Hard to believe that was 14 years ago today. I wouldn't trade it. Not for anything."

Clair McFarlandMarch 14, 2026

It’s not spring in Wyoming until the cheerful yellow barrel named Bob in the middle of Fremont Lake breaks through the ice. Guessing when stuff breaks through the ice is a Pinedale tradition that goes back at least 85 years.

Oh No! Pinedale Cancels Bob The Barrel Due To Lack Of Ice

Another casualty of Wyoming’s warmest winter on record is Pinedale’s renowned Bob the Barrel. People buy tickets to place their bets on the date and time Bob will break through the ice and float to shore. This year, Bob is stranded as there's no ice to break.

Andrew RossiMarch 14, 2026

An unusually warm winter kept much of Wyoming’s prime lakes from freezing, cutting ice fishing season short or canceling it entirely. That didn't stop some anglers, who still had success fishing from boats. Above, Jackson Lake is usually a prime ice fishing spot. Inset, Fontenelle Reservoir in Southwest Wyoming was one of the few ice fishing destinations to get decent ice this winter. This gigantic burbot was caught while night ice fishing there.

Winter Of Discontent: Wyoming Had Almost No Ice Fishing Season This Year

With temperatures regularly soaring into the 40s and 50s during the usually prime ice fishing months of January and February, Wyoming’s ice fishing season was brief in some places, and never happened in others.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2026

Cowboy Engineers Build Self-Driving Rodeo Robot For Steer Roping Practice

To streamline steer roping practice, people started pulling dummy cows with ATVs. Then a pair of cowboy engineers took it a step further and built the "Rope Hog," where a dummy cow is pulled along by an ATV controlled with an ordinary vehicle key fob.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2026

Casper artist Chris Navarro’s latest commissioned work honoring the military will be unveiled on Sept. 11 at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville, Wyoming. It's a deeply personal sculpture for the son and brother of a military family.

'Fallen Comrade': Chris Navarro’s Tribute To Military To Be Unveiled Sept. 11

Casper artist Chris Navarro’s latest work honoring the military will be unveiled on Sept. 11 at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville. He said it's a deeply personal sculpture for him as the son and brother of military veterans.

Dale KillingbeckMarch 14, 2026

A fourth crock — a near twin to a crock that sold in January for $32,000, will be auctioned off in April by Ken Bramer, pictured here with his wife Sherry and their pooch Abby.

After News Of 91-Year-Old Getting $32,000 For Crock, Man Finds He Has Identical One

After a 91-year-old Nebraska grandma received $32,000 for a crock that she thought was worth $20, a man in South Dakota discovered he has an identical crock. Much like the grandma, he's putting his crock up for auction at the same Nebraska auction house.

David MadisonMarch 14, 2026

Bill Sniffin: Learning To Lean Into Wyoming’s Most Powerful Force -- Mighty Wind

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "If you are going to live in Wyoming, sooner or later you have to make peace with the wind. Because the wind is going to live with you whether you like it or not. It was here first."

Bill SniffinMarch 14, 2026

The Pitchfork Ranch is piloting technology that lets ranchers draw fence on a smartphone with a fingertip. The virtual fence reacts with collars the cattle wear. It’s working so well, fencing might disappear, bringing back Wyoming’s Wild West open range.

Virtual Fences And Smart Collars Could Revive Wyoming’s Wild West Era Open Range

The Pitchfork Ranch is piloting technology that lets ranchers draw fence on a smartphone. The virtual fence reacts with collars the cattle wear. It’s working so well they say, fencing could disappear and bring back Wyoming’s Wild West era open range.

Renée JeanMarch 14, 2026

The big 21-foot Tumble Inn Cowboy is all painted and ready for his lights. Owner John Huff says a firm date for his installation in Casper is hard to determine.

Famous 21-Foot Tumble Inn Cowboy Has New Paint, Is Polished And Waiting For Neon

Wyoming's famous 21-foot Tumble Inn Cowboy sign, which was falling apart and rescued from remote Powder River, has been re-painted, polished and the neon glass tubes are being restored. Once completed, it will be publicly displayed in its full neon glory.

Dale KillingbeckMarch 14, 2026

Buy A Cow: A Wyoming Guide To Filling Your Freezer For $5.40 A Pound

Grocery store beef prices jumped 15% last year, and the USDA says they're not done climbing. Across Wyoming, families are cutting out the middleman and buying whole, half or quarter cows straight from local ranchers -- and saving a lot of money.

David MadisonMarch 14, 2026

For 23 years, Casper Fire-EMS Capt. Brian Dixon has been a hero fighting for others. Now he's taking that same aggressive attitude in the fight of his life with cancer: “Let’s crush it."

Casper Firefighter’s Battle With Cancer Shows Just How Dangerous The Job Is

Casper Fire-EMS Capt. Brian Dixon's diagnosis of lymphoma is the latest in a line of Casper firefighters diagnosed with cancer, the number one killer of firefighters. His colleagues say Dixon is a "man's man" and a "hero" but feel "overwhelming sadness."

Zakary SonntagMarch 14, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jeff - Saturday, March 14, 2026

Jeff in the 307. Saturday mornings 6-10 a.m.

Jake NicholsMarch 14, 2026

Jonathan Lange: Let’s Talk About The Common Good

Columnist Jonathan Lange writes, “Nobody - on either side of the Christian Nationalist argument - should be seeking political power in order to pit one neighbor against the other.”

Jonathan LangeMarch 13, 2026

Dennis Sun: Do We Need More Cattle?

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "As cattle numbers continue to drop, one might think cattle prices would keep rising, but they are not. I’ve been hearing words such as 'volatile,' 'uneasy' and 'uncertain' in some market reports."

Dennis SunMarch 13, 2026

Powell McDonald’s Worker Charged With Threatening To Shoot Coworkers

A Powell McDonald’s worker is facing a felony charge of making terroristic threats after allegedly telling coworkers he would return to the restaurant with his Glock handgun and “air this place out.” He made his initial court appearance Friday.

Greg JohnsonMarch 13, 2026

Elk calf killed by eating a yew bush that is toxic to wildlife

Montana Elk Die After Eating Japanese Yew, A Pretty Plant That Kills Wildlife

At least five elk died in Montana after eating needles from Japanese yew, a plant toxic to animals. Back in 2017, the plant caused one of the worst wildlife disasters in Idaho’s history when a herd of 50 pronghorn died on the spot after eating it.

Mark HeinzMarch 13, 2026

Wyoming Reporter Arrested For Using Forged Documents To Fight Wind Farm

A Wyoming reporter faces 10 felony charges for allegedly forging documents and lying about her credentials while opposing a controversial wind farm project in southeastern Wyoming. According to court documents, investigators found evidence she tried to deceive the state's environmental permitting panel.

Clair McFarlandMarch 13, 2026

Cheyenne Hitching Post's Michael DeGreve Plans Virtual Comeback

Michael DeGreve, the longtime musician in residence at Cheyenne’s former Hitching Post Inn, will launch a YouTube livestream recreating his old set. The singer, who is battling cancer, will take real‑time requests and revive his signature toast.

Zakary SonntagMarch 13, 2026

Tree toppled by record-breaking winds in Cheyenne on Thursday

Holy Cow: Hundreds Of Trees Downed Across Cheyenne Due To Windstorm

Cheyenne Urban Forestry's Mark Ellison says hundreds of trees were downed as a result of the record-breaking windstorm on Thursday. Arborists say shallow roots, softened soil from recent moisture, and skirted trimming made the trees more vulnerable.

Kate MeadowsMarch 13, 2026

Wyoming state Reps. Cody Wylie, left, and J.T. Larson, both Rock Springs Republicans, are suing over election mailers they claim are deliberately false and misleading.

Wyoming Freedom PAC Pushes Judge To Kill Defamation Case Over Trump Mailers

The Wyoming Freedom Caucus’s campaign arm is asking a Green River judge to end a defamation lawsuit by two GOP lawmakers over mailers claiming they tried to remove Trump from the ballot. The PAC says the ads weren’t defamatory and the lawmakers didn't show they were harmed.

Clair McFarlandMarch 13, 2026

A crew with The Tree Feller in Cheyenne works to remove this large tree that was blown onto a house during a record-setting windstorm on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

For The Record Books: Highest Wind Speed Ever At Cheyenne Airport, 14,000 Lost Power

Thursday’s windstorm was one for the record books with the highest wind speed ever recorded at the Cheyenne airport. Although 14,000 people lost power, it was restored quickly by linemen who dangled from cherry-pickers in the record-breaking winds.

Greg JohnsonMarch 13, 2026

Now The Cleanup Begins: Cheyenne Mayor Declares Emergency After Massive Windstorm

Mayor Patrick Collins said the city was assessing damages and needed cleanup after massive winds took down trees, downed power lines and created havoc in Cheyenne. "We had 179 calls to fire department and over 250 for our police department,” he said.

Dale KillingbeckMarch 13, 2026

Self-taught storm chaser Dan Fitts has spent three decades pursuing supercells across the High Plains, armed with a storm-scarred F-150 and a hail-proof NASCAR windshield. This week, he walked into 98-mile-an-hour winds near Chugwater.

Wyoming’s Leading Storm Chaser Is A Nebraska Farmer Known As “The Ice Man”

Thursday was a big day for storm chaser Dan Fitts , who clocked winds of 98.4 mph near Chugwater. Fitts has spent three decades pursuing supercells across the High Plains, armed with a storm-scarred F-150 and a hail-proof NASCAR windshield.

David MadisonMarch 13, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Friday, March 13, 2026

Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.

Jake NicholsMarch 13, 2026

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