Cowboy State Daily Video News: Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Radio News: Tuesday, June 9, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Tuesday, June 9th. I'm Mac Watson – Before the Carbon County emergency services scanner went dark on Monday afternoon, law enforcement personnel described an active shooter incident and manhunt in Baggs. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports at least one law enforcement officer was injured and a trooper's car was "shot up." "The man had emerged from a home in Baggs had fired a shot, and was trying to get into another apartment room in an apartment complex, and then he left that scene in a black truck. A trooper, a deputy, other law enforcement potentially started to converge. One officer reported that he was doing a traffic stop on the truck, and then we hear 'Shots fired, shots fired!' One deputy was taken to care after residents performed first aid, and then Trooper 132 as he was called on scanner traffic, said that his truck had been shot up." The public learned of the incident when Carbon County emergency services called for a shelter in place due to an active shooter situation. As of Monday night, the status of the shooter was unconfirmed. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/08/baggs-area-on-lockdown-as-manhunt-underway-for-active-shooter-its-not-good/] – A downed power line is believed responsible for the Raven Creek Fire which has burned 3,900 acres of land in northeast Wyoming. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that Weston County Fire Warden Daniel Tysdal said they're experiencing "late-summer fire weather conditions and fire behavior." "Fire Warden Tisdale said that the fire itself is not a major concern, it's just a warning for what's to come. They're dealing with severe drought conditions, and they're seeing late summer fire patterns, and it's just the beginning of June. As of Monday afternoon, the fire is 100% contained. It burned about 3800 acres. I did talk to a local rancher family, and I could just say that their ranch family was hit by it. No livestock were injured, just a lot of fence was burned, and they are praying for rain." The blaze was started just days after the nearby Shipwheel Fire was started by lightning and burned 456 acres in the same corner of the county. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/08/pray-for-rain-wildfire-burns-3-900-acres-has-northeast-wyoming-ranchers-worried/] – At a panel discussion on Saturday, Cheyenne leaders and industry officials said data centers are already helping stabilize electric rates and are opening new land for housing. But Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that skeptics still aren't buying it. "This has actually happened here in Cheyenne. Meta paid like a million bucks to run three miles of water and sewer lines to its center, so that they can, you know, provide the domestic water. They're on a closed loop system, but they still have restrooms for the employees and water for the break rooms and that kind of thing, and so they spent a million bucks to bring that three miles to their data center. Well, where housing developments in that area were economically unfeasible. So, you've kind of opened up this whole new place where development can come in, like housing or shopping, whatever, retail businesses, and that kind of thing." Cheyenne LEADS Executive Director Betsey Hale tells Cowboy State Daily that Cheyenne has 10 data centers already operating, five under construction, and nine more announced or in planning stages. Another 36 data center companies or site selectors have expressed some level of interest in Cheyenne or Laramie County, Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/08/cheyenne-leaders-industry-officials-data-centers-could-lower-electricity-costs/] – Big Horn County Search and Rescue had to rescue two German tourists after Google Maps got their rented Jeep stuck on a backcountry road. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that a Wyoming tow truck driver put it bluntly, "If you're going to be in the Bighorns, don't trust Google." "In Wyoming, a Google Maps directive can lead you down a dirt track road or to a road that's closed or that's only seasonally, seasonably open or seasonally open, and that's what these German tourists found out. The tourists were visiting Medicine Wheel, and Google Maps gave them a shortcut to get the shell, and as they're going down that shortcut, they realized that their vehicle was not the kind that they would want for that particular road. They turned around, they tried to get back to where they started, and then they lost two of the tires because of a sharp rock. They didn't go there by accident. Google Maps told them that that was a viable route, and they trusted Google Maps to get them from point A to point B." The pair was evacuated by BCSAR volunteers on ATVs that evening, but their Jeep Compass was stuck in the mountains until the tires could be replaced. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/08/german-tourists-get-stuck-in-bighorns-after-following-google-maps/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – A Cody river guide said his raft was nearly sunk by an electric fence wire strung too low across a river in Park County, while he was out on a float with his girlfriend and her young son on Sunday. Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that Ryan Anue says the situation could have "gone bad fast." "They came across an electric wire that had been serving across the river, electric fencing wire, no big deal, they, you know, so they ducked into that, but then as soon as they popped up from under that one, they saw a second one was there, and the guy said that this one was kind of bowed down into the river a little bit, so they had to kind of go to one side, and when they did that, it caught on what they call a thigh brace, which is kind of like a metal brace that sticks up out of this inflatable raft. The guy said it was starting to drag the boat underwater, it was just total chaos." Everyone made it to safety, but as Ryan sees it, the manner in which the wire was strung over the river was hazardous and possibly illegal. He said that he reported it to the Park County Sheriff's Office. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/08/cody-river-guide-says-electric-wire-across-river-nearly-sunk-raft-with-child-in-it/] – The State Land Board voted 3-2 Monday to pause its work to halt two controversial wind leases — until a court decides a major legal question on them. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Secretary of State Chuck Gray called it "irregular," but Auditor Kristi Racines cast it as common sense. "While the Wyoming Supreme Court decides a major legal question about one of the two similar leases, um, Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Superintendent Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder voted against it. Gray called the process irregular, but State Auditor Kristi Racines, who was among the three aye votes, along with the governor and the treasurer, said she basically cast it as a common sense move, like this isn't about being pro or anti win project, this is about giving the court some space rather than digging potentially a deeper hole, legal hole for ourselves." The board comprises Wyoming's top five elected officials: Racines, Gray, Gov. Mark Gordon, Treasurer Curt Meier, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/08/wyoming-land-board-decides-to-wait-for-court-to-rule-whether-wind-farm-is-legal/] – Oklahoma resident Les Vandever says he is still stunned after seeing a man charging into a herd of bison in Yellowstone. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that Vandever says "It was a moment of unbelievable stupidity." "This couple was driving in their vehicle, they pulled over, look at some bears, and they saw someone hop out of another vehicle and charge at a herd of bison, because they were crossing the road, and this person decided that was a good way to get them moving the way that he wanted them to go, or it was just something stupid he did impulsively in the moment. But the photos and their license plate were given to a Yellowstone Ranger. Maybe this guy was trying to be a wide receiver for the Ohio State Buckeyes because he was wearing an Ohio State shirt at the time, so who knows what the thought process is that goes behind that." Vandever tells Cowboy State Daily that he got clear photographs of the individual's face and the vehicle's license plate, which he's since shared with a Yellowstone ranger. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/08/unbelievably-stupid-tourist-charges-yellowstone-bison-herd/] — Wyoming's own Brandon Nimmo was honored by the Texas Rangers on Sunday with his own bobblehead night. Cowboy State Daily Columnist Bill Sniffin was in Texas for the game and came away with a rare item. "They had these bobble heads, and they made such a deal, I don't know whether Brandon Nimmo really did want to be a bull rider or not, but they, according to the Texas Rangers, he did, and so they put him on a bucking horse, and then they had rodeo clowns all over the stadium, and promoting it, and it was really special, and of course, he had a good night at the plate. He had a double, scored a run, and he also had some great catches out in right field, and it was very.. I felt really darn proud to be there, and I was wearing my Wyoming gold Wyoming cowboy hat. it isn't very often that Wyoming is the center of the universe in baseball." Bill also reports that Brandon's 90-year-old grandpa threw out the first pitch. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/08/texas-rangers-salute-wyomings-brandon-nimmo-with-his-own-bobblehead-night/] — And that's today's news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on Cowboy State Daily Dot Com [https://cowboystatedaily.com/] - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZ6-7-Nv-0ycvqgTIttIFQ] channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for watching - I'm Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

Cowboy State Daily Radio News: Monday, June 8, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Monday, June 8th. I'm Mac Watson – Our most-read story over the weekend is a two-part series from features reporter Jen Kocher on a cold case in Rawlins from 1974. More than 50 years after four young girls vanished in what has become known as the 'Rawlins Rodeo Murders,' the case remains unsolved. Cowboy State Daily's Jen Kocher reports that one name kept coming up. "In 1974 four girls disappeared, and their ages range from 10 to 19. Two girls were local Rawlins girls, and the other two were visiting family and friends. One was visiting from South Dakota, and one was visiting from Red Lodge, Montana. There's no link between the four girls. One of the predominant suspects was a long-haul trucker named Royal Russell Long, and in my conversations with people, his name popped up a lot, and he was considered a suspect, but he wasn't the only suspect, and authorities have not released where the names of those suspects are, where they are currently within the investigation, but it is ongoing." Royal Russell Long was actually arrested for kidnapping two teenage girls and taking them home to his house in Evansville, and sexually assaulting them. Long ultimately served time in a Wyoming prison for kidnapping and assault, dying of a heart attack in 1993 at the age of 58. He was never officially named as a suspect in the Rawlins Rodeo Murders. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/07/rawlins-rodeo-murders-did-ted-bundy-kill-four-wyoming-girls-52-years-ago/] – To clear the way for a Montana logging project, the Trump administration wants to redefine secure grizzly habitat from 2,500 acres to 1 acre. Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that opponents say it will get bears killed but a retired Wyoming forester says logging is good for grizzlies. "Some people really strongly oppose that, and say that that's just not enough protected or undisturbed habitat for bears, and also that putting roads into those areas can make it easier for people who want to illegally shoot bears to do so. But I also talked to a retired forester, and he told me that, that really, in a lot of ways, bears can thrive in areas that have been logged, because it might promote more of a rodent population, it might promote the growth of berry bushes and things that bears like to eat." At issue is the proposed Larabee Hat project in Powell County, Montana; between the Continental Divide headwaters of the Little Blackfoot River and Highway 12 near the town of Elliston. Over the next 15 to 20 years, the project would entail building 16.8 miles of new roads and 17,696 acres of logging. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/05/trump-support-for-logging-project-will-get-grizzly-bears-killed-green-groups-say/] – A woman who has made it her mission to document the last remaining pay phones in Yellowstone has bad news. The last working pay phone in the park appears to be dead. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that the phone was still working last summer but when photographer Kim Bird checked it days ago, there was no dial tone. "The last one that people knew of that was still connected anywhere was at the Norris campground, which has been closed since the pandemic, and somebody went out there recently, said they picked up the phone and didn't hear a dial tone, so that's pretty conclusive evidence that that pay phone is defunct, which makes sense because the Norris Campground itself is defunct, and the park doesn't have any - it's the park hasn't expressed any interest or desire to reopen that campground anytime soon. It's possible it may never reopen, so it makes sense that the only paid phone there would no longer be working as well." Pay phones have become increasingly rare [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2022/05/24/there-is-at-least-one-working-pay-phone-left-in-wyoming-but-theres-gotta-be-more/] in modern society, but they still had an important place in remote areas like Yellowstone. Still, nothing lasts forever. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/06/line-at-yellowstones-last-working-pay-phone-has-gone-dead/] – Counterfeit $100 bills are passing throughout Wyoming and store clerks say iodine counterfeit detector pens won't detect the fake bills. Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that one store manager says "The counterfeit pens are garbage." "It was printed on real money paper, they used a dot, like $1 bill, bleached it out, and then printed a 100 on top of it, and so those normal counterfeiting pins aren't going to detect that, and the way those work, they have iodine in them, and when iodine contacts with wood pulp that you know the common ordinary everyday paper is made out of, it'll fade, it'll kind of turn brown, and so if the ink stays black, it, you know, it's not common everyday wood pulp paper, right." According to the Federal Reserve, counterfeit paper currency costs the U.S. public and organizations between $30 million and $200 million in actual circulation at any given time. However, when taking into account the broader counterfeit goods industry (such as fake designer clothes, electronics, and pirated merchandise), the total economic loss to U.S. businesses exceeds $220 billion annually. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/06/fake-100-bills-making-the-rounds-in-wyoming-from-cheyenne-to-riverton/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – A Kemmerer couple is on medical leave taking care of a newborn and their 7-year-old son who has a rare genetic condition that took his eyesight. Cowboy State Daily's Dale Killingebeck reports that all the little boy wanted to do was go hunting this year, instead he's fighting for his life. "There's a seven year old from Evanston that his parents noticed that he was having some issues. And they thought they were dealing with ADHD. They send them to school the next day, and they get a call that he was having a problem navigating stairs. So, their pediatrician told him to take him to the EED in our emergency department in Salt Lake City at the Children's Hospital there. They did that, and testing showed that he had this rare genetic disease that basically, as it takes over the sheath around nerves in his brain, and his brain can't communicate with the rest of the body like it should, and so now he's in the hospital." Christopher Culler, 38, and wife Bailey Bowen, 30, are now on a mission that has them on family leave from their jobs at Rocky Mountain Power and praying for a boy who seemed normal and active until a little more than a year ago. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/06/rare-genetic-condition-took-kemmerer-7-year-olds-eyesight-threatens-his-life/] – A family in Laramie County was trying to fix their well when they discovered a half-buried cannonball in their yard. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that after being told it was non-explosive by a bomb squad, the mother decided to give it away, much to the dismay of her son. "A lot of people think of cannonballs as being just solid objects, solid metal objects, and that's not untrue. But a lot of cannonballs during the Civil War-era did have explosives and black powder in them, and they had complex triggers that were designed to be waterproof, so in theory you could find a cannonball that was triggered to explode, and it still could explode. So, when this Laramie County family found a cannonball as they were trying to fix their well, they did what they needed to do. They contacted the Laramie County Sheriff's Office, who sent their bomb disposal team out there to evaluate it, and they ultimately determined that there was nothing explosive about it. It was just a giant metal ball in the middle of nowhere." Whenever there's a suspicious and possibly explosive item discovered, law enforcement agencies don't take any chances. They deploy whatever and whoever's needed to assess the situation and safely dispose of the object, whether it's a suspected explosive ordinance [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/10/21/wyoming-capitol-remains-closed-as-suspected-bomb-investigated/], a decoy [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/06/25/bomb-squad-called-for-device-found-near-river-in-lander-it-was-a-fake-pipe-bomb/], or just an unexpectedly excavated training device [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/04/03/wyoming-vets-say-riverton-grenades-for-training---still-nothing-to-play-around-with/]. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/07/laramie-county-family-finds-half-buried-cannonball-in-their-yard/] – "Outriding the Devil," is the title of a Wyoming-made film that shows the brutal side of "real" rodeo. Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that the new film earned major praise from national outlets like Sports Illustrated. "This is the Angela Ganter story. Angela Ganter had a stunning career, and then she ran into a cancer diagnosis, stage-four breast cancer. The doctors told her, "Hey, we're sorry, you know, but we don't think you're going to live, much less ride in the rodeos ever again. But she didn't give up. The reason for the film's name 'Outride the Devil,' the kind of chemotherapy they gave her is called the Red Devil, because it's so hard on your body. She fought her way back from death's door to eventually another championship barrel race in Canada, Calgary, so you know it's a great comeback story." The film, directed by Raen LeVell, has enjoyed a multi-week run as the No. 1-ranked Western documentary on IMDb. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/07/wyoming-made-documentary-outriding-the-devil-puts-real-rodeo-in-spotlight/] — When Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak wanted a new design for the newest SUV in the fleet, he asked a local artist to create a "Clint Eastwood High Plains Drifter" look. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that the sheriff says he's received nothing but compliments on the new wrap. "The rap was designed by artist Jordan Dean. He's also the one who painted the wild horses on the city of Cheyenne's water tanks. Kozak really wanted something that was going to draw the eye. This is a recruiting vehicle, so they pulled out all the stops. They've got video games in the backseat for kids to play. They can jump in the cruiser and check out the coolest police car, in Kozak's words, around town. Something that was really meant to get people to check it out and help recruit officers." The cruiser's first major public appearance in Cheyenne was Saturday during a downtown summer event, where families were able to climb inside, check out the lights and meet members of the sheriff's office. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/06/pretty-badass-new-laramie-county-sheriffs-cruiser-is-pure-western-wyoming/] — And that's today's news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on Cowboy State Daily Dot Com [https://cowboystatedaily.com/] - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZ6-7-Nv-0ycvqgTIttIFQ] channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for watching - I'm Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

Cowboy State Daily Video News: Friday, June5, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Friday, June 5th. I'm Mac Watson – Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon joined President Trump in Washington, D.C., on Thursday as the president invoked a national security law to send $700 million to the coal industry. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that includes $75 million to boost construction of a coal export terminal in Oakland. "They're going to fast track construction of the Oakland, California coal port, which is a huge deal, because Governor Gordon has been courting these industry people in Japan, Taiwan, saying, "Look at this clean coal we have in the Powder River Basin, and it is comparably clean, and so without port you can have all the clean coal in the world, but then be kind of stuck when it comes to Asian markets, so actually that's the huge thing is that this gives that outlet." While calling Gordon a "great guy," the president invoked a Cold War-era law designed to boost energy production in the face of national security threats to allocate $700 million in public money for the coal industry. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/04/trump-sending-700-million-to-coal-industry-including-wyoming-coal-plant/] – Speaking of coal…The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it is proposing a rule to change an Obama-era 2014 Wyoming regional haze plan that would have shuttered the Dave Johnston Unit 3 power plant in Converse County. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports EPA Region 8 administrator and former Wyoming legislator Cyrus Western called Thursday's announcement a win for Wyoming. "That plant was due to close by the end of 2027 and they're proposing it's just a start of the process, they're proposing a rule to reverse that, so that it continues its what they say is a lifespan that goes into the 2040s and of course Wyoming jobs, Wyoming production revenue goes along with that." Gov. Mark Gordon in an EPA statement Thursday called the maneuver proof "that environmental stewardship and energy production can go hand in hand, and said the proposal reflects a science-driven, sensible approach that relies on real-world data and measurable outcomes rather than predetermined anti-fossil fuel agendas." Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/torrington-family-says-suspect-turns-self-in-for-shooting-mutilated-rottweilers/] – President Trump's lifting of restrictions on motorized use of federal lands dating back to the 1970s has some Wyoming motorsports enthusiasts cheering. But, Outdoors Reporter Mark Heinz reports that others worry that it will cause a wildlands disaster. "Trump just pretty much wiped the slate clean, and you know, got some mixed reaction today. Of course, I talked to some motor sports enthusiasts, and they said, 'Hey, this is great, this is cool, that gives us more access for the public. This is what public lands are for.' Other people are like, 'motorized users are maybe a small percentage that has a huge impact on the wildlife and all of the users.' So maybe they, from their perspective, it's maybe a little bit unfair that everywhere we go now there's going to be dirt bikes or ATVs ripping around, like where are we going to go to have quiet spots." The Trump administration rescinded Executive Order 11644, issued in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, along with President Jimmy Carter's 1977 EO 11989, which amended and strengthened Nixon's order. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/04/atv-riders-cheer-trump-opening-access-to-federal-lands-critics-expect-disaster/] – Wyoming State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz on Thursday said she's calling for a poll among legislators to see if there is enough support for a special session to address data center concerns, like water use. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that both the governor and Senate President called such a move premature. "She dispatched a poll to the full legislature, saying, 'Hey, you know, I'm looking at Governor Gordon's order, and I think that the legislature should be addressing this. So, how about a poll to see who's interested? Let's talk about water. Let's talk about some of these controversies surrounding data centers and the Senate President and the Governor were both like the legislative committees, lots of them are working on this. It is a dedicated topic in multiple legislative committees, so let's let them research this and see what happens." Steinmetz sent the request in an email to state House Speaker Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, Senate President Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, all legislators, and Legislative Service Office Director Matt Obrecht. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/04/wyoming-state-senator-interested-in-special-session-to-address-data-centers/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – Wyoming ranchers rallied at the state Capitol on Thursday demanding action against what they call a "wind wall" of turbines across the state. Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that one rancher says wind power is threatening Wyoming's rural future. "It's the sheer scale of it that's riling these folks up. These are people who understand private property rights. They're not against that, and they're not saying wind the clock back, you know, and they're not saying we don't ever want any more wind farms ever. But what they are saying is, look at the map, look at how big of a swath this is cutting, and think about how is that going to affect wildlife? How does that affect agriculture and farming? You know, what is the legacy we're leaving to future generations?" Ranching family members came to the Capitol in Cheyenne to speak out against a "wind wall" in southeastern Wyoming that stretches from Casper to Cheyenne and beyond. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/04/wyoming-ranchers-rally-against-wind-wall-of-power-turbines-across-the-state/] – A Laramie couple was bound over to felony-level court this week after a meth-filled syringe was found in their baby's crib. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that the couple claimed the syringe belonged to the other, while the baby's mother admitted using meth, according to court documents. "A probation officer was doing a routine check when she knocked on the door of Alicia Edwards, when Edwards didn't answer the door, law enforcement went around behind the building, and they found Edwards and her husband and her partner, Edward Miller, hiding in a shed. They ordered them out. Edwards admitted to using meth. They also found various paraphernalia and methamphetamine inside the shed. At that point, law enforcement was called to the scene, and when they searched the home, they found a hypodermic needle inside the baby's crib." Alyisha Edwards and Edward Miller are each charged with one count of a child being present where meth or fentanyl is possessed, a felony that could put them in prison for up to 10 years each. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/wyoming-department-of-education-says-prepare-for-ai-because-its-coming/] – A Cheyenne man is suing Secretary of State Chuck Gray after Gray denied his bid to get on the Republican primary ballot to elect a virtual intelligence personality to the U.S. Senate. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Gray says, "I won't tolerate a mockery of our electoral system." "Victor Miller is saying, "Oh no, I'm a real human and qualified to be on this ballot. I'm gonna hand over my spot to this bot once I get it, but I'm a real human and have a right to be on this ballot, whereas Secretary of Just Gray is more casting that as a veneer and saying, "No, no bots on the ballot, so we're not going to make a mockery of the elections." Victor Miller is a human being. But he's promised to give his spot, if he can get one, on the Wyoming Republican primary election ballot to "Virtual Integrated Citizen" (VIC). That's an artificial intelligence bot that Miller says is part of a long plan to replace politicians. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/04/cheyenne-artificial-intelligence-candidate-sues-for-spot-on-the-ballot/] — Scientists are excited about the possibility of colorful aurora shows on Thursday and Friday nights and Wyoming is in the target zone. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that conditions for this event are being compared to May, 2024, which provided some of the most colorful shows in decades. "It's a g3 Geomagnetic Storm that's three coronal mass ejections combining together over Earth's atmosphere, and now recent report I saw said that there were up to four, so it's possible that there was a spectacular aurora over the skies of Wyoming on Thursday night, and if it was strong enough, it's possible that we could see more color and more aurora as we get into Friday evening." Wyoming aurora enthusiasts are already anticipating a good show, as experts say there might not be another one this good for another 10 years or more. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/04/incoming-space-storm-may-give-wyoming-its-last-good-auroras-for-10-years/] — And that's today's news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on Cowboy State Daily Dot Com [https://cowboystatedaily.com/] - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZ6-7-Nv-0ycvqgTIttIFQ] channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for watching - I'm Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

Cowboy State Daily Video News: Thursday, June 4, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Thursday, June 4th. I'm Mac Watson – More than 32 years after her body was found along I-80, the woman known as "Shafter Jane Doe" has been identified, officials announced Thursday. Cowboy State Daily's Jen Kocher reports Mary Alexander's nude body was posed on the ground, arms extended to either side in the shape of a cross. "Nobody reported her missing, because her family, she was a free spirit, so she was, they thought, laid on the side of the road for about seven days until she was found. So that was in 1993 And today the Elko County Sheriff's Office announced that they have identified her after 32 years. Her name is Mary Alexander, and she was a German immigrant, she moved to California in about 72 and she left home about 18 or 19. There was a lot of emotion in the room when the investigators announced her identity. These guys have been working on it for decades, and this is a huge story. In that, she's thought to be one of the nine victims in what's called the Great Basin murders, which took place between 1983 and 1997." Elko authorities announced Alexander's killer as Roger Durkee of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Investigators were getting ready to fly out to Wisconsin with an arrest warrant to take him into custody, when they discovered he had already passed away in November of 2025. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/32-years-after-her-posed-body-was-found-along-i-80-shafter-jane-doe-identified/] – The transgender Laramie resident who protested Wyoming's cross-sex access ban for public bathrooms at the Capitol last summer is now waging a self-defense argument in a felony assault case. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Rihanna Kelver says he didn't go looking for a confrontation. "Kelver was charged in September with aggravated assault, possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intents, and interference with a peace officer, so that's two felonies and one misdemeanor. That case got knocked down to two misdemeanors at some point, like November, and there were negotiations underway where the prosecutor and the defense were trying to figure out what sentencing was appropriate, and the court file indicates that fell apart, and the prosecutor ratcheted back up to the two felonies and the one misdemeanor, and it's now on the level of the felony court." 26-year-old Rihanna Kelver made headlines last summer [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/07/01/trans-woman-breaks-wyomings-new-bathroom-ban-in-state-capitol-nothing-happens/] for using the women's bathroom in the Wyoming Capitol when a new state law was activated banning the practice. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/transgender-bathroom-protestor-faces-felony-assault-charge-claims-self-defense/] – A Torrington family says the Goshen County Sheriff's Office told them a suspect turned himself in for shooting their Rottweilers, whose mutilated bodies were found in the North Platte River. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that the sheriff's office confirms there is a suspect in the case who has not been identified. "On Wednesday morning, Angelica Garcia learned from police that a suspect had come forward and turned himself in. However, the Goshen County Sheriff, Corey Fleener, said that they are keeping his identity private for now because it's a public safety concern. The suspect is not currently in custody, and they have not formally been charged as of Wednesday afternoon. An organization out of Washington, DC, is offering a $2,500 reward for anyone who has information that will help convict the person responsible for what they see as an unlawful killing of these dogs." The president of the Animal Wellness Action, Wayne Pacelli, tells Cowboy State Daily that the reason the group became interested in this case is because of the well-studied link between animal cruelty and broader patterns of domestic violence. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/torrington-family-says-suspect-turns-self-in-for-shooting-mutilated-rottweilers/] – Laramie doesn't have any plans for data centers, but that didn't stop locals Tuesday calling for a permanent moratorium on them. Cowboy State Daily's Kate Meadows reports that because of resident's concerns, the mayor is taking action. "One gentleman suggested that the council consider a permanent moratorium on data centers. Mayor Sharon Cumby told me that they are planning to now fast-track a joint session between city council and county commissioners to talk about what you know if data center developers come in asking for proposals the city and county come together to have a very clear set of guidelines or procedure to answer those questions." Laramie city staff is compiling information that will explore the scope and ramifications of data centers and Mayor Sharon Cumbie said she wants to make sure that her staff has adequate time to thoroughly gather the latest information, so the joint groups are well informed when they come together. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/laramie-has-no-data-center-plans-but-that-doesnt-stop-locals-from-opposing-them/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – An Evansville man accused of not returning to a Casper halfway house after work faces more charges for allegedly breaking into people's homes. Cowboy State Daily's Dale Killingbeck reports that he "grabbed a container of orange juice from the fridge" when confronted by a frightened woman at one house. "She called 911 and said, 'I don't know where he went, but there was a guy that came into my house and took orange juice.' This guy, before he left, said, 'Yeah, I've been staying at your trailer in the backyard.' Then, about an hour later, they get another call from a woman who sees a guy who is apparently drunk or something walking down an alley. Police go there and find the man that matches the description from the other residences, they start talking to him and understand that, yeah, he's the guy that took the orange juice." Court documents show Garrett Maheu's renewed encounter with the court system began with his failing to return to the halfway house facility by midnight May 25th following a shift at the Outback Steakhouse in Casper. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/fugitive-accused-of-breaking-into-casper-area-homes-taking-orange-juice/] – Despite huge storms in southern Wyoming, May was Jekyll and Hyde, either exceeding or falling short of moisture expectations — with much of the state still in drought. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports meteorologist Don Day says some towns in Wyoming are dry as a bone. "In some places, like Buffalo, they got less than 30% of their historical average for precipitation in the month of May, that's the seventh consecutive month of below average, below average monthly precipitation in Wyoming. There is a chance that June and July could be more wet as we get into an El Nino, and the North American monsoon begins to form, but unfortunately it's very rare for June or July to turn around a drought situation." After the warmest, driest winter on record for areas across Wyoming, experts described the snowpack [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/03/05/wyomings-snowpack-is-anywhere-from-just-okay-to-basically-horrible-as-winter-ends/] going into May ranging anywhere from "just OK" to "basically horrible." Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/despite-huge-storms-during-jekyll-and-hyde-may-much-of-wyoming-still-in-drought/] – The Wyoming Department of Education warned lawmakers this week that artificial intelligence is coming, so students should receive training outside of Facebook and Instagram. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that "The job of a school is to create real intelligence," said Rep. Ocean Andrew. "The person who works in this area for Sheridan County School District number 1 said, 'Yeah, we just, we just work on guidance because it's more flexible, more malleable, urge against plagiarism, urge against surveillance, urge against bad topics like that, talk about AIs have biases and can hallucinate, and we just try to teach our people how to warn and safeguard against these things.'" The committee ultimately didn't draft legislation during its Tuesday meeting, but questioned the department on next steps. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/wyoming-department-of-education-says-prepare-for-ai-because-its-coming/] — As Yellowstone buzzed with tourists and other bears were caught up in courtship, a black bear apparently decided he'd had enough and zonked out by the roadside near Tower Junction. Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that the bear was out so hard, some people worried that it was dead. "This black bear that's just, just off the road, flopped over on his back, just absolutely passed out. Snooze and tongue hanging out. Other bears are running around, and you know, because it's courtship mating season, so other black bears are really up and active and chasing each other, and all that, but this one was just not. It's 80 degrees, I'm flopping on my back and taking a nap. The bear was passed out so hard, some folks were worried that it was dead, and he said a lot of other people never even saw it, they had their eyes up looking at the other bears that are running around. They didn't notice this one right in front of them, that was just, just zonk." Wildlife photographer Corey Pettis tells Cowboy State Daily Grizzly bear activity [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/sandhill-crane-gets-aggressive-to-scare-young-yellowstone-grizzly-away-from-nest/] has been getting plenty of attention in Yellowstone National Park this spring, but around Tower Junction, it's all about black bears. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/03/tired-of-mobs-and-mating-season-yellowstone-black-bear-zonks-out-by-roadside/] — And that's today's news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on Cowboy State Daily Dot Com [https://cowboystatedaily.com/] - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZ6-7-Nv-0ycvqgTIttIFQ] channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for watching - I'm Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

Cowboy State Daily Video News: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Wednesday, June 3rd. I'm Mac Watson – Police in Montrose, Colorado, say a Gillette resident bought a gun in Wyoming, drove hundreds of miles and started randomly shooting. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that police say they don't know why 42-year-old Eduardo Garcia Barrera did it. "Barrera, a part-time resident of Gillette, bought a gun at a local sporting goods store in Wyoming, and then he drove 11 hours to Montrose, Colorado, where he then unleashed a fury of bullets in downtown Colorado, in a busy commercial section, he did strike a 22-year-old pedestrian before he ultimately turned the gun on himself. The 22- year-old victim is in stable condition." Police say the incident unfolded over roughly 35 minutes Saturday morning as Barrera fired at moving vehicles and pedestrians as he entered the western Colorado city. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/gillette-man-goes-on-shooting-spree-in-colorado-town-before-shooting-self/] – A Bozeman woman is home following a 24-day hospital stay after her hand was ripped off in a terrifying horse accident at the Montana State University rodeo practice arena. Cowboy State Daily's Kate Meadows reports the woman's husband and MSU rodeo coach sent team members to find the detached hand. "Presely Whitaker was training a horse in a small enclosure with a rope, and something happened to spook the horse or buck her off somehow. The horse drug her through the arena and she hit a fence and broke her jaw, and that's where she also lost her right hand. Presley was flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City, where surgeons tried to reattach her hand. However, the damage was too extensive, and they were unable to do so. Casey Ray Sellers, the rodeo coach at Gillette College, told me that she's seen people lose fingers in rodeo accidents and horse accidents. She's seen a lot of wrecked legs, but she's never seen someone lose a hand." On May 4, Presley was pen roping a young horse — a horsemanship technique that teaches young horses how to handle cattle and grow accustomed to working with a rope — when the horse she was on threw her and took off. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/montana-woman-loses-hand-in-rodeo-accident-i-thought-she-was-going-to-die/] – Cheyenne attorney George Powers, who filed a complaint calling for a criminal investigation against Chuck Gray for releasing sensitive voter data to the federal government, asked the Wyoming Supreme Court on Tuesday to appoint a special prosecutor. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports Powers wants answers. "Powers has said, 'Well, get a special prosecutor, you know, find a way to rope in a special prosecutor. And then Kautz, the Attorney General, said, 'You know, I'm handling this in accordance with the rules, not in the public arena, so that's what that's what Attorney General Kautz said to Powers on May 4th, and so then Powers pushed again May 20th, like I need to know something's going on, we're probably, we can file a writ of mandamus, making you do the thing, so that so he did end up filing that writ of mandamus. Which is a petition to a court to make an official do something that is clearly that official's duty." Powers also asked the high court to issue an order "commanding," Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz and the AG's office to recuse themselves from investigating whether Gray could have committed a crime. It's unclear whether the AG's office already has, or has not recused itself from the matter. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/cheyenne-attorney-asks-court-to-make-prosecutor-investigate-chuck-gray/] – Cheyenne planners are recommending denial of most of the provisions in a huge 3,200-acre Microsoft data center expansion. Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that one resident said during a marathon five-hour hearing Monday that this would overtake the city. "A fifth of Cheyenne's size, this 3200 acres coming into the city. It's huge. It's just a huge track that really did kind of put some scale to it. So the person who brought that up was one of the commissioners, Megan Connor, and she just wanted to know, you know, how did the planning people come to determine it's beneficial to the city? It's kind of hard to imagine, and then because it's in the beginning stages, Microsoft really hasn't planned it out, or you know, there's no way to know how much water it will eventually use, or you know exactly how many data centers will go there." Only one part of the plan — assigning agricultural zoning to the 3,050-acre Highlands area if it is annexed — will reach the June 8 City Council meeting with a recommendation to approve. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/cheyenne-planners-recommend-denial-for-most-of-microsofts-data-center-expansion/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. — A young grizzly named Storm got too close to a sandhill crane's nest in Yellowstone. Outdoors Reporter Mark Heinz reports that the crane was having none of it and drove the bear off. "She apparently got too close to a crane, a sand hill crane nest, and so you see this, the crane came out, you all stood up big and tall with its wings spread out, being all intimidating, and stood the grizzly bear down. I talked to some bird experts, bird biologists, and they said, 'Yeah, you know, birds whether they're big birds like crane or even smaller birds, they will take off after something as big or even considerably larger than them if they think their nest is at stake.'" Drawing itself up to its full height, the crane towered over Storm with its wings spread wide in a display of aggression during their close encounter on Saturday in Yellowstone National Park. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/sandhill-crane-gets-aggressive-to-scare-young-yellowstone-grizzly-away-from-nest/] – The city of Rock Springs is catching backlash after declaring June "pride month." Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that one councilman says people are upset. "Councilman, Rick Malonis, was talking about how, you know, he cast it as ironic. They took a photo of the Pride display, the flags, and everything under a banner that said 'In God We Trust,' and so Malonis derided the proclamation, but the other council members that I talked to on Tuesday said that the backlash is being overblown." Rock Springs has declared June "pride month" for years, but this year's proclamation has generated a surge of backlash, as shown through 543 comments on the city's Facebook post and 43 shares as of Tuesday afternoon. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/city-of-rocks-springs-catches-backlash-for-pride-month-declaration/] – A Casper man who tried to burn down his ex-boyfriend's house last summer — but made sure to save his own pet snake — was sentenced Monday to six to eight years in prison. Cowboy State Daily's Dale Killingbeck reports that the ex says David Lee Wilkinson "destroyed everything in my life." "Casper Mann, 31 years old, faced his last day in court, presumably when he was sentenced for setting fire to his ex-boyfriend's home last summer, and the ex-boyfriend did testify to say that you know his relationship with this guy was great and terrible at the same time, and that you know he felt like he took a bullet for others that might be in a future relationship with him. He said that alcohol fueled a lot of his problems, and he had trauma in his past. Meanwhile, the defendant just sat at the table and kind of just sat there and watched and listened, and then when it was his turn, he apologized for what he had done." Wilkinson entered a plea deal with the Natrona County District Attorney's office on Feb. 19 where both a first-degree arson charge for the July 16 fire and a domestic battery charge for an Oct. 11 incident were admitted via an Alford plea. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/casper-man-who-tried-to-burn-down-exs-house-but-saved-snake-gets-6-8-years/] – Wild turkeys recently attacked an elderly California woman, leaving her bruised and bloody. Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that Game and Fish says Casper's urban turkeys "have absolutely established a reputation for aggressive, bold, and disruptive behavior." "Gaming Fish told me that they do get - they haven't had like in bonafide turkey attacks yet, but they've had instances of turkeys, you know, trying to fight people's dogs, turkeys chasing people, trapping people in their cars, those sorts of things. And I talked to a resident who lives right next to the downtown area, and she says, I haven't really had a run-in with the turkeys yet, but I don't get really close to them either. Don't take for granted that turkeys can't be aggressive." 83-year old Mary Jo Kelly, of Alameda, California described the turkey attack as terrifying. She suffered severe bruising and cuts to her right hand that required stitches at a local hospital. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/06/02/when-urban-turkeys-attack-like-those-in-casper-wild-flocks-can-become-bullies/] — And that's today's news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on Cowboy State Daily Dot Com [https://cowboystatedaily.com/] - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZ6-7-Nv-0ycvqgTIttIFQ] channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for watching - I'm Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.