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Saving and restoring the historic Evanston Roundhouse has been the most extensive reclamation project in the city's history.

Evanston Has Spent Decades, And $28M, Restoring Its Historic Railroad Roundhouse

A century after Union Pacific stopped using it, decades of work has saved and restored Evanston’s historic Roundhouse and Railyards. The $28 million spent so far has made it one of the rare roundhouses in the U.S. that’s still completely operational. 

Renée JeanMay 31, 2026

It’s turned heads for decades in the Medicine Bow range, a squat observation deck that looks like a Medieval castle ruin. "Your mind kind of starts making up some fancy histories about it,” said a photographer about the Libby Flats Observation Tower.

What The Heck … Is That Medieval Castle-Looking Thing On The Snowy Range Byway?

The observation deck that looks like a Medieval castle ruin has turned heads for decades in the Medicine Bow range. For Laramie photographer David Peel, the 11,000-foot elevation and lack of light pollution make it a great place for astrophotography.

Kolby FedoreMay 31, 2026

Libertarians Nominate Combat Medic, Attorney Shawn Johnson To Run For U.S. House

Libertarians Nominate Combat Medic, Attorney Shawn Johnson To Run For U.S. House

Shawn Johnson won the Libertarian Party’s nomination for Wyoming’s U.S. House seat Sunday, after giving a speech that electrified attendees. "We’ve got a legitimate candidate this time,” said longtime leader of the Libertarian Party Richard Brubaker.

Clair McFarlandMay 31, 2026

Lola West, who ran the Black and Tan Cafe in Cheyenne in the 1940s, was a key figure in prosecuting the city's mayor and police chief for shaking down Black businesses and promoting prostitution. Her former club is still standing at 901 W. 18th St. at the intersection of Snyder Avenue.

Wyoming History: Cheyenne's Mayor, Police Chief Convicted Of Extorting Black Bar Owners

It was 80 years ago that Cheyenne’s mayor and police chief were convicted of running a protection racket and extorting black bar owners. "You have to pay us. If you don’t pay us we are going to shut down your business,” federal agents recorded them saying.

Dale KillingbeckMay 31, 2026

Tim Meadows tells Cowboy State Daily he’s about to do something he’s never done in 40 years as a comedian — perform in Wyoming. “I try to punch up,” Meadows said about his style. “I don’t really like to punch down at people or issues."

'Saturday Night Live' Legend Tim Meadows To Perform In Wyoming For First Time

Tim Meadows told Cowboy State Daily he’s about to do something he’s never done in 40 years as a comedian — perform in Wyoming. Meadows, who appeared on Saturday Night Live for 10 seasons as The Ladies Man and other comedic characters, will do four live sets in June.

Renée JeanMay 31, 2026

For 30 years, Miner’s Delight in Atlantic City drew the rich and famous for French food in the middle of nowhere. “One patron said it was the only place where she was willing to wear heels through cow manure to get in,” said the local historical society.

For Upscale French Cuisine, ‘Miner’s Delight’ in Atlantic City, Wyoming, Was Tops

For 30 years, the Miner's Delight restaurant in remote Atlantic City, Wyoming, was the place to go in the Cowboy State. Started by an advertising executive from New York, the upscale French cuisine attracted diners from hundreds of miles away.

Jackie DorothyMay 31, 2026

This white pronghorn was spotted on Memorial Day in Goshen County. It’s unknown whether the animal is a true albino, or if it has a recessive gene that makes its hair white. Either way, it’s incredibly rare.

‘Extremely Rare’ All-White Antelope Captured On Video In Goshen County

Wildlife watchers in Goshen County got a rare treat on Memorial Day — a brief encounter captured on video of an all-white pronghorn. Such animals are “extremely rare," but usually not actual albinos, a biologist said.

Mark HeinzMay 31, 2026

Six years after a huge sinkhole opened up in a subdivision near Black Hawk, South Dakota, victims still waiting for relief. The disaster highlights the difference between Wyoming’s abandoned mine safeguards and South Dakota’s limited protections.

Six Years Later, Black Hills Sinkhole Victims Still Waiting For Relief

Six years after a massive 85-foot-deep sinkhole opened in a residential neighborhood in the Black Hills, homeowners live in financial limbo. Dozens of homes have sat abandoned and deteriorating while property owners wait for answers, compensation and accountability.

Kate MeadowsMay 31, 2026

A 75-year-old Coldspot refrigerator from the 1950s still works, and is still keeping 30-year-old cans of Schlitz beer cold. More than a year after a Casper woman died, her daughters found the fridge still running in her basement.

75 Years Later, a Casper Woman’s Fridge Is Still Running, Cold Schlitz Inside

More than a year after a Casper woman died, her daughters found a 75-year-old Coldspot refrigerator, hidden by cobwebs and insulation, humming with life. In fact, the fridge from the 1950s, was keeping 30-year-old cans of Schlitz ice-cold.

Kolby FedoreMay 30, 2026

Halle Crozier of Buffalo is inspiring Wyoming’s high school rodeo community as she fights to recover from a vaccine reaction that destroyed her body. “I could choose to not get better, or choose to be positive and work hard to get better,” she said.

How Rodeo Is Healing A Wyoming Teen After Vaccine Reaction Destroyed Her Body

Halle Crozier of Buffalo is inspiring Wyoming’s high school rodeo community as she fights to recover from a vaccine reaction that destroyed her body. “I could choose to not get better, or choose to be positive and work hard to get better,” she said.

Julie MankinMay 30, 2026

Someone has stolen a massive, 60-million-year-old piece of petrified wood from a storage unit in Powell. “My dad was always afraid someone would steal it,” said the daughter of the WWII pilot who treasured the artifact, which had become a family heirloom.

Huge 60-Million-Year-Old Petrified Log Stolen From Powell Family's Storage Unit

Someone has stolen a massive, 60-million-year-old piece of petrified wood from a storage unit in Powell. “My dad was always afraid someone would steal it,” said the daughter of the WWII pilot who treasured the artifact, which had become a family heirloom.

Andrew RossiMay 30, 2026

FBI files from 1933 reveal that a substantial portion of $90,000 in ransom loot stuffed in a suitcase ended up buried somewhere around Cheyenne. The plot was carried out by George "Machine Gun" Kelly, right, and Albert Bates. Whether all the loot was ever recovered remains a question.

$25,000 From 1933 Kidnapping Ransom Could Still Be Buried Somewhere In Cheyenne

FBI files from 1933 reveal that $90,000 in ransom loot from a Machine Gun Kelly kidnapping scheme ended up buried somewhere around Cheyenne. Whether all the loot was ever recovered remains a question with about $25,000 still unaccounted for.

Dale KillingbeckMay 30, 2026

Cheyenne and Evanston are hearing the same pitch from data centers — closed-loop cooling, big megawatts, and even bigger paychecks. But while Cheyenne has a petition going for a moratorium on data centers, opposition in Evanston is much more muted.

A Tale Of Two Towns: Cheyenne Pushes Back On Data Centers, Evanston Not So Much

Cheyenne and Evanston are hearing the same pitch from data centers — closed-loop cooling, big megawatts, and even bigger paychecks. But while Cheyenne has a petition going for a moratorium on data centers, opposition in Evanston is much more muted.

Renée JeanMay 30, 2026

Uinta County Courthouse (Cowboy State Daily file). Inset illustration: Getty Images

Judge Orders Wyoming Republican Party To Follow State Law

In a setback to the Wyoming Republican Party’s long mission to gain independence from state law, a Uinta County judge Friday upheld multiple Wyoming election laws, dismissing the state Party’s claims that its rights trump them.

Clair McFarlandMay 30, 2026

An egraving depicting Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer's last stand at the Battle of The Little Bighorn in 1876.

Wyoming History: The Courier Who Carried First Dispatch From Custer’s Last Stand

John “Josh” Deane came West looking for adventure — and got more than he bargained for when he took a job as a military dispatch rider. It was 150 years ago that he found himself carrying the first message about Custer’s last stand to Wyoming’s Fort Brown.  

Jackie DorothyMay 31, 2026

New research published by the Geological Society of America has revealed that Devils Tower is constantly moving. An international team of geologists determined that it's perpetually and ever-so-slightly swaying, twisting, and turning in the wind.

"It's Alive!": Scientists Say Devils Tower Is Constantly Moving

New research published by the Geological Society of America has revealed that Devils Tower is constantly moving. An international team of geologists determined that it's perpetually and ever-so-slightly swaying, twisting, and turning in the wind.

Andrew RossiMay 30, 2026

For decades, motorists speeding down Interstate 90 in west-central South Dakota have done double takes at a towering human skeleton leading a T. rex on a leash. It’s a quirky prairie creation born from one man’s lifelong dream to build his own dinosaur.

Near Wyoming: The Skeleton Who Walks A Giant T-Rex On A Leash In South Dakota

For decades, motorists speeding down Interstate 90 in west-central South Dakota have done double takes at a towering human skeleton leading a T. rex on a leash. It’s a quirky prairie creation born from one man’s lifelong dream to build his own dinosaur.

Kate MeadowsMay 30, 2026

Cheyenne’s Bouquets Unlimited is closing its doors after 44 years. Owner Shareen Brendle says the shop can’t compete with cheap grocery-store bouquets, online “order gatherers,” and big box chains undercutting wholesale prices. “I’m broken-hearted about it,” she said.

Cheyenne Florist To Close After 44 Years, Can't Compete With Online Giant Flower Stores

Cheyenne’s Bouquets Unlimited is closing its doors after 44 years because they can't compete with the online giants. In 1992, there were 27,000 florist storefronts in America. Today, they number 11,750.  “I’m broken-hearted about it,” the owner said.

Renée JeanMay 30, 2026

A cat named Tuffitt loves hanging out with a young buck white-tailed deer in a homeowner’s backyard north of Buffalo.

Oh Good, A Wyoming Cat And A Deer Have Become Best Friends

A white-tailed deer born last spring in a backyard near Buffalo has grown up to become best friends with a female named cat named Tuffitt. “He’s been around cats since he was tiny, and she’s an outgoing, friendly little cat,” said the homeowner.

Mark HeinzMay 30, 2026

Smoke pouring out of the westbound Green River Tunnel on I-80 on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.

Trucker Faces Homicide Charges For 2025 Green River Tunnel Inferno That Killed 3

A trucker accused of triggering a 26-vehicle crash in the Green River Tunnel in 2025 that killed three people now faces homicide charges. “Human error was the primary factor contributing to these crashes,” says an affidavit supporting the charges filed last week.

Kolby FedoreMay 29, 2026

Despite a series of bizarre, controversial and sometimes outrageous campaign videos, Wyoming politicos say Reid Rasner’s campaign for U.S. House is not a parody. “Why would somebody spend this much money on a joke?” said state Rep. John Bear.

Despite His Videos, Wyoming Politicos Say Reid Rasner Campaign Is Not A Parody

Despite a series of bizarre, controversial and sometimes outrageous campaign videos, Wyoming politicos say Reid Rasner’s campaign for U.S. House is not a parody. “Why would somebody spend this much money on a joke?” said state Rep. John Bear.

Clair McFarlandMay 29, 2026

Gillette-based attorney Steve Titus is so sick of hearing of local governments debating or denying grants to Gillette Reproductive Health, he cut the group a $25,000 check of his own money.

Gillette Lawyer Gives $25K To Reproductive Clinic, Calls Commission ‘Ass-Backward’

A Gillette-based attorney is so sick of Gillette Reproductive Health being denied money, he wrote a scathing letter and cut the group a check for $25,000. “I’m so sick and tired of the ass-backwards bull**** in the commissioners’ office,” he wrote.

Clair McFarlandMay 29, 2026

This large male grizzly was photographed this month in the backcountry of Glacier National Park. There have allegedly been two bear attacks in the park, one of them fatal.

Glacier Park Reports Second Bear Attack Less Than A Month After Man Killed

Less than a month after a man was apparently killed by a grizzly in Glacier National Park, there were reports of another possible bear attack on a hiker on Thursday. It was a “surprise encounter involving a hiker and a bear,” said a park official.

Mark HeinzMay 30, 2026

Now-former Newcastle Police Department Sgt. Nicholas Kaminski has been accused of stalking a local nurse, then chasing her with a loaded gun in his hand.

Newcastle Police Sergeant Accused Of Stalking, Chasing Nurse With Loaded Gun

A now-former Newcastle police officer has been charged with stalking a nurse and chasing her with a loaded gun. "U made this worse by not coming outside,” police say he texted her during an hourslong vigil outside a local hospital where she was working.

Kolby FedoreMay 29, 2026

The Wyoming Highway Patrol reported Friday that a Hyundai clocked at 117 mph on I-25 near Wheatland had a child onboard in an improperly secured car seat. "If you hit something at 117 mph, it's essentially a death sentence,” said the agency’s spokesman.

Hyundai Clocked At 117 MPH On I-25 Near Wheatland — With Child Onboard

The Wyoming Highway Patrol reported Friday that a Hyundai clocked at 117 mph on I-25 near Wheatland had a child onboard in an improperly secured car seat. "If you hit something at 117 mph, it's essentially a death sentence,” said the agency’s spokesman.

Kolby FedoreMay 29, 2026

State Rep. Joel Guggenmos, R-Riverton

Riverton State Rep. Doesn't File By Friday Deadline To Run After Residency Issue

A Riverton-based state House representative who lived outside his district for at least seven months of the past year did not file to run for reelection by Friday’s deadline, after the local county clerk opined he was ineligible.

Clair McFarlandMay 30, 2026

A Nebraska man told Cowboy State Daily he suffered a spine fracture in a fall climbing into the cab of the Big Boy 4014 locomotive on Thursday. “A boyhood dream got dashed as I fell 8 feet off of Big Boy 4014 before I got the ride of a lifetime,” he said.

Nebraska Man Fractures Spine After Falling Off Big Boy Locomotive At Whistle-Stop

A Nebraska man told Cowboy State Daily he suffered a spine fracture in a fall climbing into the cab of the Big Boy 4014 locomotive on Thursday. “A boyhood dream got dashed as I fell 8 feet off of Big Boy 4014 before I got the ride of a lifetime,” he said.

Kate MeadowsMay 29, 2026

Work is underway on the TerraPower nuclear power plant and its other facilities near Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Kemmerer Plans For Man Camp To House 1,600 TerraPower Nuclear Plant Workers

Developers are making proposals to build a man camp for the up to 1,600 workers who will build the TerraPower nuclear power plant near Kemmerer. “It’s more than just a man camp. It’s like a little city within a city,” said the mayor.

Kate MeadowsMay 29, 2026

Greg Hurley is a disabled veteran who has been hosted by the Hunting With Heroes Wyoming program.

Official Says Early Hunts Meant For People With ‘Severe’ Mobility Issues

Advocates for veterans say defining early big game hunting for those with “severe mobility” issues leaves out those with invisible wounds, like PTSD. "There are not enough hunting permits or licenses in the world to thank veterans,” said a state official.

Mark HeinzMay 29, 2026

A Bar Nunn family’s kitchen was destroyed by fire and upper level of the home suffered extensive smoke damage after a late evening blaze. Four dogs were rescued by firefighters, but two of them died, the Mills Fire Chief reported.

Fire Burns Through Bar Nunn Home, Kills Two Family Dogs

A Bar Nunn family’s kitchen was destroyed by fire and upper level of the home suffered extensive smoke damage after a late Thursday blaze. Four dogs were rescued by firefighters, but two of them died, the Mills fire chief reported.

Dale KillingbeckMay 29, 2026

Daily Features

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PinYour Wyoming Sunrise: Monday, June 1, 2026

Today's Wyoming sunrise was captured by Tom Boatman. Tom writes, "I took this at Goldeneye Reservoir. Pelicans enjoying the morning…"

Photo by Tom Boatman

Today's question to Don Day

Mark James Mullins of Douglas
In regard to your thunderstorm season article, can you reassess the data on a per-capita basis, especially when considering population of the states? It could affect me as I own a hill on my property which I plan a communications tower and likely will have a lightning rod installed when it goes in.
Don Day
FEMA has a good lightning database that takes into account lightning risk, potential property loss, etc. based on population and lightning frequency. Data is available on a county by county basis. Lots and lots of lightning data available here which may help in quest for more lightning information. https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/lightning
DD

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Opinion

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Fred Harrison: A Tale of Two Courts — The Battle For Wyoming’s Constitution

Columnist Fred Harrison writes, "On May 14, the Wyoming Supreme Court handed down a monumental victory for families and separation of powers. The court put down its red pen, picked up a dictionary, and read the Constitution as it was actually written."

Fred HarrisonMay 27, 2026

Dave simpson head 10 3 22

Dave Simpson: I'm Voting For The Skunk At The Garden Party

Columnist Dave Simpson writes, "Serving in office, Chuck Gray was often the skunk at the status quo garden party. He had repeated run-ins with Gov Gordon, and two episodes when Gordon reportedly suggested they go outside and settle their differences."

Dave SimpsonMay 25, 2026

Sniffin headshot 7 2 25

Bill Sniffin: Wyoming’s False Spring — 90 Degree Temps & Wet Snow In Same Week.

Columnist Bill Sniffin writes, "Wyoming’s remarkable ability to dish out Jekyll-and-Hyde weather was on full display. In Lander, we hit the 90s on May 13 and then got blasted with wet snow on May 17."

Bill SniffinMay 23, 2026

Wyoming Life

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Outdoors

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Crime & Courts

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