Cowboy State Daily Radio News: Friday, July 3, 2026

Cowboy State Daily Radio News: Tuesday, July 14, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Tuesday, July 14th. I'm Mac Watson This newscast is brought to you by the Wyoming State Fair. Wrap up your summer at the Wyoming State Fair, August 11th through the 15th in Douglas! Rodeo, Demolition Derby, live music, entertainment and fair food await. Learn more at W-Y State Fair dot com. See you at the fair! This ad was paid for by Converse County Tourism. – The man who made international headlines after being attacked by a bison in Yellowstone on Friday is in a hospital recovering with several broken bones. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that Carl Ison-McDaniel of Washington state is thanking well-wishers and says he's "OK." "As of Monday, Carl McDaniel is hospitalized in serious condition. And before you panic, he was admitted to the hospital in critical condition after being tossed by the bison at the Bridge Bay campground in Yellowstone. He has several broken bones that are going to take a lot of time to mend. Carl never lost consciousness during this whole ordeal. He was even joking about it before Yellowstone EMS came to take control of the situation." Ison-McDaniel, of Kendall, Washington, broke his femur in four places after being tossed airborne by a bull bison Friday. The 65-year old is expected to make a full recovery after being tossed 8-feet in the air by a bison. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/13/washington-grandfather-recovering-in-hospital-after-yellowstone-bison-attack/]. – Northern Arapaho Tribal leaders have told a Christian church to leave their reservation after the pastor preached "a pipe cannot hear your prayers." Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that the pastor said she's staying, and won't apologize. "This could end up in court, but it's not very straightforward because the church is within the exterior boundaries of the reservation, but it's on private land, so it's a little tricky, or arguably impossible to kick someone off of private land. On the other hand, the tribe has some history of sovereignty and retains some sovereignty. So, it may be a question for the courts. In the meantime, the pastor, Sarah Lucas, said that she's sorry it came off as an attack, but she's not sorry for preaching that quote 'Jesus is the only way.'" Protests unfolded at the Riverton City Hall and at the Foundations for Nations church site in the town of Arapahoe. Protestors joined in a traditional chant as honks and whoops sounded from passing vehicles. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/13/tribe-tells-christian-church-to-leave-reservation-church-says-no/]. – A company called Site Layer 4 wants to rezone 5,344 acres of ranchland near Wheatland for a data center and power plant. Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that the project, the developer says, adds 300 jobs and substantial tax revenue, but neighbors worry about water, wildlife, and their viewshed. "There's some big figures to throw around here with this. I think $26 billion in capital investment, 5,000-plus acres, 250 to 300 employees. The rancher I talked to said he's not against the project, but he really hopes that they're taking appropriate steps to protect the wildlife in the area. The economic developer. Her take on this is: if you've driven through Wheatland, you've seen the vacant buildings. This is a place that could use some commercial development, some economic development, to help create opportunities to keep their kids home." The property is roughly 13 miles east of Interstate 25, in an area now used for grazing and agriculture. Public hearings about the data center are scheduled to begin in August. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/13/ranchlands-near-wheatland-eyed-for-26-billion-transformational-data-center/] – The body of Tory Raether was found in the Snake River a week after leaping into the swift currents without a lifejacket. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that family and friends remember Raether as a devoted husband, father and mentor. "After a week of searching and waiting, the body of 55-year-old, North Carolina man Tory Raither was discovered on Saturday, july 11, by campers. After discovering the body the campers paddleboarded out and then called the authorities. Search and rescue was already in the water, and so they were able to respond quickly. Raither's wife, daughters, and friends were in the area helping search and rescue when the body was found. They are planning to take the body back to North Carolina for a burial." The 55-year-old Raether disappeared July 4th after jumping into the river at Jump Rock, a popular recreation area about 3½ miles east of Alpine. Members of his group tried unsuccessfully to rescue him after he began struggling against the swift current. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/13/body-of-north-carolina-man-recovered-from-snake-river-after-weeklong-search/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – GOP congressional candidate Chuck Gray derided primary opponent Reid Rasner after he brought Gray's father into the campaign by saying "Chuck Gray's Dad Supports Reid." Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports Gray called it "more unhinged nonsense from Reid Rasner." "He's been trolling Chuck Gray, but this is a true troll in that he's saying Chuck Gray's dad supports Reed, and he showed screenshots that appear to depict Jan Charles Gray, the Secretary of State's father, casting heart face and fire emojis on Reed Raisner posts. And so I asked Jan Charles Gray about this. He didn't deny or confirm leaving those reactions. He did reiterate, though, that he emphatically supports his son." Rasner's team did not respond to a text message request for an interview, for the original screenshots, or for confirmation of a different claim Rasner made Monday. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/13/gray-calls-rasner-a-child-for-bringing-his-dad-into-fiery-gop-primary-race/] – For many northern Wyoming communities, Sunday was the hottest day in recorded history. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi ticks off the list of towns that broke records. "There's no way to do justice for how hot it was on Sunday without just listing the all time temperature records broken on Sunday, and these are the hottest temperatures ever recorded in these communities: 110 degrees in Worland, 104 degrees in Sheridan, 104 degrees in Buffalo. I asked Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day if there's a likelihood that it could get this hot again during the summer. The short answer is it could get that hot again on Tuesday. It's not likely to be as hot as Sunday, but it could be just as hot." At Lake Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park, Sunday's high was 88 degrees. The previous record was 86, set on July 19, 2021. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/13/northern-wyoming-sets-records-for-highest-recorded-temps-ever-awaits-relief/] – After an outcry, Game and Fish has decided to back off its proposal to prevent veterans with PTSD and other non-apparent disabilities from hunting during special early seasons. Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that Bill Brinegar of Hunting With Heroes says, the public's reaction was "loud and clear." "After a huge pushback from the public, they decided to go ahead and reverse that, and so the Game and Fish Department tomorrow on Tuesday will recommend to the Game and Fish Commission that that rule just stay in place. 100% If the VA says you're 100% disabled, that works for us. You can have access to these special early hunts. The proposal was to basically to narrow it down to extreme physical disabilities only. They got massive pushback against that, including from a lot of veterans groups." The department will recommend against removing a provision for counting a "100% service-related disability," based on a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs, in Wyoming's disabled-hunter regulations. The final decision is up to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, which is scheduled to vote on it during its meeting Tuesday in Sheridan. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/13/wyoming-game-and-fish-backs-off-proposal-to-tighten-tag-regs-for-disabled-vets/] – The galloping horse and rider at Wrangler's Western-wear store has been a fixture in downtown Cheyenne since the 1950s, but it broke down four years ago and efforts to fix it failed. Cowboy State Daily's Executive Editor Jimmy Orr reports that now, a Cheyenne family rebuilt the horse in time for Cheyenne Frontier Days. "Patrick Graham was talking to a city councilman and said that his office was right across the street from the Wrangler, and 'I sure wish they would fix that thing.' And so Pete told him, 'We'll fix it.' They were told yes, you can take it down if you have it up in time for Frontier Days. So they took it down. They spent more than 300 hours in just recreating this horse and rider, and it's amazing what they did." The pony and rider have been featured outside The Wrangler's western-wear store at Capitol Avenue and 16th Street since the late 1950s or early 1960s. It's now owned by Boot Barn. No one knows precisely when the sign made its first appearance, and there's no record of its creator. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/13/the-wranglers-galloping-horse-will-ride-again-in-cheyenne/] — 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, July 13, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Friday, July 10th. I'm Mac Watson This newscast is brought to you by the Wyoming State Fair. Wrap up your summer at the Wyoming State Fair, August 11th through the 15th in Douglas! Rodeo, Demolition Derby, live music, entertainment and fair food await. Learn more at W-Y State Fair dot com. See you at the fair! This ad was paid for by Converse County Tourism. – A tourist was seriously injured Friday evening after being thrown 8 feet into the air by a bull bison in Yellowstone National Park. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that professional photographer Mike Macleod filmed the incident and said the bison was "angry, agitated and charging anything and everything." "The victim did nothing wrong. The narrative that's been circulating across social media is that this was another quote-unquote Touron or idiot doing something wrong in the park, and that can and does happen. But looking at the video evidence, the victim did nothing to provoke the bison. They were a safe distance away, at least in theory. This bison had been causing trouble in the Bridge Bay campground for a while before he showed up. The victim and his grandson tried to put something between themselves and the bison when it ran towards them, and that just wasn't enough. The bison in this case was the instigator." MacLeod was camping at the Bridge Bay Campground when his wife pointed out the bull bison entering the area. He grabbed his camera and started shooting from a safe distance. Meanwhile, footage of the incident has become an international sensation with news organizations all over the U.S. and the world referencing Cowboy State Daily's article. Reporter Andrew Rossi was the first to cover the story and to get an interview with the photographer. The video has been viewed millions of times. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/11/tourist-seriously-injured-after-yellowstone-bison-launches-man-8-feet-in-the-air/]. – A Mexican national who faces eight felonies is attempting to stay in the country after he allegedly tried to ram travelers off the road in Snake River Canyon in June of 2024. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that one victim says that 46-year-old Ramon Gabriel Chavez Cruz, "deliberately crossed the centerline and targeted our vehicle." "His Teton County case just concluded with what they call a split sentence. He spends 180 days in jail, tries probation for three years. If he fails probation, he goes to prison for like two and a half to four and a half years. But he already has enough time served that that initial 180-day stint is eclipsed. The trooper recounted that he was basically trying to head-on collide with multiple people. Most of that happened in Lincoln County, one of the alleged victims from Lincoln County, was flabbergasted at the 180-day sentence in Teton County, but it's just not over yet. And as for the visa, his defense attorney was describing it as if he's been the victim of a crime and is working to stay in the country in relation to that somehow." Chavez Cruz faces potentially much harsher consequences in Lincoln County, where County Attorney Spencer Allred has filed eight counts of aggravated assault against him – one for each person he allegedly charged with his truck. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/10/mexican-trucker-accused-of-furious-canyon-rampage-trying-to-stay-in-u-s/] – A Gillette woman's plans for one last summer road trip with her dying daughter have been derailed by a failed transmission in their 26-year-old SUV. But Cowboy State Daily's Dale Killingbeck reports that London Tabor says she's not giving up hope to take this trip with her daughter. "Her daughter has Huntington's disease, and it's quickly sapping her life, and so they plan to go to the East Coast, plan to go rock hunting in Wyoming, and to a Huntington disease event that's in Utah, and all of that was on hold because she didn't have a vehicle. So, she's trying to rent a camper that would be able to facilitate taking her daughter, who now can't do anything except sit in a seat and watch. So she was hoping that she can get this trip accomplished, and have great memories with her this summer." Autumn was diagnosed with the disease in 2018 at age 12, which also is the same year that her father, Justin Fender, died from the same condition at age 36. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/11/last-road-trip-for-gillette-mom-and-dying-daughter-threatened-by-broken-down-suv/] – Green River's Bradlee Skinner was homeless, delivering pizzas, and wondering how his life had unraveled. Cowboy State Daily's Kate Meadows reports that now he performs before sold-out crowds with the Savannah Bananas, baseball's wildly popular entertainment phenomenon. And it all started with a selfie. "In 2024, Bradley Skinner, he's a high school teacher at Green River, teaches theater in English, and he took a group of theater students to Salt Lake City to see the Savannah Bananas. And while they were all getting their pictures taken with the players in the parking lot before the game, Skinner heard a DJ. He knew there was a DJ nearby, and he himself is a DJ. So he went and sought out that guy and took a picture with him. And the guy noticed, and they started up a conversation about DJing. And so fast forward a year, and that DJ reached out and said, "Hey, I think you should try out. They're doing auditions because they're growing their teams. They're adding new teams, and they need a few more DJs in their back pocket. So that's really how it all got started with a selfie." The job has taken him from Wyoming classrooms to iconic ballparks such as Coors Field in Denver and soon Wrigley Field in Chicago, where he rubs shoulders with performers and entertainers he once showed his students as examples of creative excellence. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/11/homeless-to-home-plate-ex-wyoming-teacher-gets-dream-job-djing-for-savannah-bananas/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – So many dead trees are piling up on Wyoming's remote wilderness trails, some outfitters say they should be allowed to use chainsaws to clear them rather than working for days with hand tools. Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that chainsaws have been banned from those areas for 62 years. "The Forest Service kind of created a little loophole and allowed some outfitters in this spring in Idaho, in the Frank Church wilderness, and so now some people are saying, "Hey, we need to start doing this kind of all over the West, just letting a few people get in, because we just, we can't keep ahead of this timber otherwise, because under the strict rules of wilderness, you have to go in there like the old-fashioned push-pull saws or an ax or whatever, and some people are saying that with the sheer volume, what we got there, which we're never going to get ahead of it, and of course, opponents are saying no." Pine beetle epidemics have torn through forests across the West, leaving dead trees everywhere. They frequently fall over on trails, or blow over in huge piles. The Forest Service and volunteer trail associations across Wyoming can hardly keep up [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/07/11/trees-are-blocking-wyoming-trails-and-they-cant-be-cleared-fast-enough/] with the work. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/11/as-dead-trees-clog-wilderness-trails-some-argue-for-using-chainsaws-to-clear-them/] – A trespasser trying illegally to make a copy of rare dinosaur footprints on the "Paleo Park" Zerbst Ranch near Newcastle ended up vandalizing the site. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that owner Kristen Stauffer says she was "shell-shocked." "Apparently, someone trespassed onto their property, poured blue silicone into one of the tracks in the attempt to make a copy of it, and then just abandoned the scene with the silicone still in the track, now they have been able to remove most of it. But setting aside the fact that there could be permanent damage from that, it's the fact that somebody violated their trust. That if this person had asked them if they could make a copy of their dinosaur footprint, they would have been all for it." Setting aside the enormous scientific value of the fossil, Stauffer was "heartbroken" by the blatant disregard for her family's history. The Zerbst Trackway was found by her father, Leonard, and has enormous personal significance to her and her family. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/11/newcastle-family-shell-shocked-by-vandalism-of-rare-dinosaur-footprint/]. – Laramie 9-year-old elk caller Axl Anton is set to compete against teens nearly twice his age in the world elk calling championship this month. Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that Axl's already "in the top five best callers in the country, if not the best," said a hunting industry insider. "His dad said he took an interest in it when he was about two, called in his first bull when he was six, and he's been in several contests now. He's going to the world elk calling contest that's held at Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's headquarters in Missoula, Montana. The kid is young enough to compete in the Peewee division, but he said he doesn't want to do that, he wants to step up and compete with the big kids, so he's going to be competing with kids that are about high school age. He already is almost considered world class at the ripe old age of nine, so just kind of a cool story" Archery elk hunters use tube-shaped calls to imitate the grunts, screams and bugles of bull elk during the rut, or mating season. The idea is to sound as much like a bull elk as possible. So, the real bulls, thinking a challenger is in their territory, will move in to investigate. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/12/9-year-old-laramie-boy-who-first-bugled-elk-at-age-2-hunting-for-national-honors/] — 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, July 10, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Friday, July 10th. I'm Mac Watson This newscast is brought to you by the Wyoming State Fair. Wrap up your summer at the Wyoming State Fair, August 11th through the 15th in Douglas! Rodeo, Demolition Derby, live music, entertainment and fair food await. Learn more at W-Y State Fair dot com. See you at the fair! This ad was paid for by Converse County Tourism. – A Big Horn County grandfather and mother have been charged after a baby died Monday. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports the infant was found in a 95-degree trailer filled with feces, garbage, and a 5-gallon bucket of human waste. "Destiny's duty said she woke up sometime after 1am to feed the baby and put the baby back to bed, and in the morning around 9am she found the baby in the crib unresponsive. She was on her way to Three Rivers Hospital when she called 911 and when she got to the hospital, investigators saw that she herself was covered in dirt. She had what appeared to be head lice and a strong odor coming from her and the baby. When they looked at the baby's body, there was dirt under its fingernails, as well as an insect that was crawling inside the diaper. Investigators obtained a search warrant, and when they went into the camper where the family lived, they found horrific conditions. There was a bucket of human feces in the bathroom, no running water, no air conditioning, and the temperature was 95 degrees inside their home." 56-year-old Travis Study is charged with felony child endangerment alleging exposure to meth, along with misdemeanor counts of reckless endangering, child endangerment, possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana. 22-year-old Destynie Study is charged with misdemeanor reckless endangering of a child and child endangerment. She pleaded not guilty Wednesday. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/09/big-horn-grandpa-mom-charged-after-baby-dies-in-95-degree-feces-filled-trailer/]. – Wyoming U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman is demanding answers from Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg about how its Cheyenne data center contaminated the city's wastewater system. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that in a Thursday letter, Rep. Hageman writes she's "deeply concerned." "Hageman issued a letter Thursday to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, which is a Facebook giant that also is that also has data centers in Wyoming and Cheyenne, demanding to know things like how could a rare bacteria leak from a closed loop data center cooling system into Cheyenne's wastewater system, and now the company fired back, saying, you know, we haven't found the bacterium in our system, whereas the Board of Public Utilities announced the data center as the source of the bacterium. She really focused her questioning on how could something leak from this, in, you know, how could a rare bacteria leak from this." That public announcement about the contamination came more than four months after the Meta contractor — which is building an $800 million data center in south Cheyenne — disrupted the city's reclaimed wastewater system with the rare bacterial contaminant. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/09/hageman-demands-answers-from-zuckerberg-about-cheyenne-data-center-contamination/] – With Pathfinder Reservoir less than 24% full, some farmers and ranchers in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska are being warned they could be out of irrigation water by the first week of August. Cowboy State Daily's Kate Meadows reports that there is a backup plan, but it's not foolproof. "The snow pack has been historically low, it was the worst on record this year, and the reservoir where this irrigation, where this irrigation channel originates, is called the Pathfinder Reservoir, and it is at just about 23% right now. So the levels were already low, and it caused the irrigation canals to open up later in the year than they normally would have, and so farmers and ranchers are already hurting for water, and just weeks after the canals open, they're being told we may run out of water first part of August. the Pathfinder Irrigation District has previously said that they are against pulling water from other sources because they have to rent it, they basically pay to use it, and then they're required to return it somehow before the end of the irrigation season, so it's really a lose-lose as far as that goes." The district operates a vast canal network that diverts water from the North Platte River at Whalen Dam, delivering irrigation to more than 100,000 acres of farmland. The water originates in Pathfinder Reservoir southwest of Casper. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/09/eastern-wyoming-irrigation-district-warns-water-could-vanish-by-early-august/] – A Cheyenne boy who was 14 when he allegedly shot his mom in the head and charged as an adult with first-degree murder should be in juvenile court, his attorney argues in a Tuesday court motion. Cowboy State Daily's Greg Johnson reports public defender Emily Williams claims Havoc Leone's mother "verbally and physically abused" him. "The motion does lay out some of the arguments the defense plans to make, like the mother is was allegedly abusive to this teen, verbally and physically, they, he was homeschooled for like six years and was kept isolated and didn't have any friends, and just wasn't as mature as other teens his age would have been, so and they mean there's several, they mentioned several times in the motion that society is not kept safer by trying him as an adult, that the extra help that he'll get in the juvenile court actually will make society safer, whether that's that, whether that's really the case or not, that's up to a judge to decide." Despite the arguments of abuse and his age — 14 is the cutoff in Wyoming to be charged as an adult — Laramie County District Attorney Sylvia Hackl says her office believes the adult charge is appropriate and will oppose Williams' motion. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/09/attorney-for-cheyenne-teen-accused-of-killing-mom-wants-him-out-of-adult-court/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – Two months after a Casper woman was killed during a child custody exchange with her ex-boyfriend, her mother, Shannon Clark, says she wants people to know who her daughter was. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that mom says she misses her daughter everyday and "The quiet moments are the hardest." "Jackson's mother, Shannon Clark, talked to Cowboy State Daily on Thursday. She wants people to remember her daughter as more than just a victim. She says that her daughter, Ashley, loved her son more than anything. The couple's three-year-old son witnessed the shooting and is now living with his grandparents. Clark said that is now her mission in life to raise Ashley's son the way she would have wanted." Friends have also established the GoFundMe campaign [https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-billy-jacksons-future] to help provide long-term financial support for Will as he grows up without his parents. For Clark, though, her daughter's legacy isn't measured by memorials or fundraisers. It's measured every morning when a little boy wakes up in his grandparents' home. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/09/quiet-moments-are-the-hardest-mom-says-of-casper-woman-killed-by-ex-boyfriend/] – A Uinta County rancher charged with videotaping two others torturing a sickly moose by roping, riding, and spurring it is continuing toward a trial date next month. Cowboy State Daily's Dale Killingbeck reports that two other men in the case have entered plea deals with a special prosecutor. "Two of three people charged in Uinta County for abusing a moose have entered a plea deal with a special prosecutor, and that deal says that they'll have three years of probation, and they also had to tell the court about the third defendant, who's charged with videotaping both of their abuse, one riding the mute, the moose, spurring it, and the other one lassoing the moose, and call and pulling it with a horse, those were separate incidents back in May 2021 So now the third defendant is still headed to a trial that's going to be in August, August 11th, in Uinta County." Court records show 54-year-old Justin Martin of Evanston, faces trial on charges of two counts of accessory before the fact to felony cruelty to animals, and two counts of accessory before or after the fact to wanton taking of a big-game animal, both misdemeanors. His son, Range Martin of Evanston, 23, pleaded guilty June 22 to a felony cruelty to animals charge in return for the dropping of two misdemeanor charges. Kylan Platte, 22, of Malad City, Idaho, took a similar deal and plead guilty to felony cruelty to animals June 30. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/09/uinta-county-moose-abuse-case-has-one-headed-to-trial-two-taking-plea-deals/] – Wyoming local government leaders in data center-heavy areas who spoke with Cowboy State Daily on Thursday say they've never signed nondisclosure agreements with data center companies. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that the agreements can be legal if built correctly, however. "We've been hearing for a long time that local public officials signed non-disclosure agreements with data centers while being courted by those companies. I contacted the leaders of communities that have known data centers or have been implicated as having them. I called county chairs and mayors, and everyone that talked to me on Thursday said no, I've never signed any such NDA." Tom Lubnau, a Gillette-based attorney who's worked at length with Wyoming's public-records law, tells Cowboy State Daily that state law allows for local governments to sign NDAs with data center companies, but it's complicated. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/09/wyoming-local-officials-say-theyve-never-signed-ndas-with-data-centers/]. – The National Weather Service is predicting a record-breaking weekend for many locations in Wyoming with "dangerously hot conditions" in the forecast. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that temperatures will be hottest in the Big Horn Basin with Worland and Greybull expected to top 110 degrees. "This isn't a one-and-done. We're not going to get relief out of this. Between at least Saturday night and Monday evening, we're going to have record breaking or potentially record breaking temperatures, and it's going to continue to be hot going into Tuesday, Wednesday, and possibly beyond that. So, people need to be aware and be prepared, because this is going to get worse before it gets better. Those aren't my words. That's from Cowboy State Daily, the meteorologist Don Day." If there is a bit of good news with the upcoming heat, it won't feel quite as hot as the thermometer says. Because the atmosphere will be mostly dry, the heat shouldn't be amplified by humidity. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/09/its-going-to-be-hot-hot-hot-triple-digits-forecast-for-at-least-three-days/] — 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, July 9, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Thursday, July 9th. I'm Mac Watson This newscast is brought to you by the Wyoming State Fair. Wrap up your summer at the Wyoming State Fair, August 11th through the 15th in Douglas! Rodeo, Demolition Derby, live music, entertainment and fair food await. Learn more at W-Y State Fair dot com. See you at the fair! This ad was paid for by Converse County Tourism. – Count Wyoming as one of the states that is now infected with a parasite that is causing long-lasting explosive diarrhea and other distressing symptoms. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore spoke to the state epidemiologist late Wednesday who gave her the news. "The Wyoming Department of Health has confirmed three cases of the parasite that's giving people explosive diarrhea around the country. It is called cyclosporiasis. According to Wyoming epidemiologist Matt Peterson, right now the investigation is ongoing, and they're not exactly sure what has caused it. Past outbreaks were linked to lettuce and other foods." Peterson tells Cowboy State Daily that two Wyoming patients likely contracted the parasite while traveling to countries where Cyclospora is endemic, The third patient, however, had no history of international travel. Health officials did not identify the locations of the affected individuals. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/08/explosive-diarrhea-parasite-reaches-wyoming-as-health-officials-seek-source/] – The 2.7-gigawatt data center once called Project Jade 8 miles south of Cheyenne has been unmasked as a massive Google campus. Cowboy State Daily's Renee Jean reports that Google's project, according to planning documents, will be a 716-acre campus in the Switchgrass Industrial Park. "It's going to start at 2.7 gigawatts, but it can scale to 10 gigawatts. I was able to verify, I had suspected for a while that it was Google for a couple of different reasons, but I was able to finally verify that with some recent filings with Laramie County Planning and Development.Google has finally been revealed they are they are the entity behind this massive data center, which is Wyoming's largest and really one of the largest in the world, especially if they scale to 10 gigawatts." Google's new facility likely isn't the last large tech company to show up in Cheyenne. In addition to its 10 existing locations, Cheyenne has five more under construction and another nine in advanced stages of discussion, according to data from Cheyenne LEADS. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/08/google-revealed-as-owner-of-wyomings-largest-data-center-now-project-tembo/] – A Jackson driver who watched Tuesday's deadly Teton Pass crash unfold says he nearly passed the dump truck moments before its brakes failed and crashed into six vehicles, killing two people. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that the eyewitness said, the dump truck was "driving way too fast." "Jackson Airport taxi owner Dumitru Cebotari was just one vehicle behind the dump truck that caused a cataclysmic crash, resulting in two fatalities on Tuesday afternoon in the Teton Pass. He said several people started passing the dump truck, including a motorcyclist. Then, as they started going down the hill, the truck picked up speed, and he knew that something was wrong. As someone who's driven a truck before, he said that he instantly could tell that something was very wrong. He thought maybe the brakes had gone out. Later, the highway patrol was able to determine that that did in fact happen." Cowboy State Daily also spoke to the motorcyclist who survived being hit from behind by the out of control dump truck. Caleb Batista tells Cowboy State Daily that he's lucky to be alive, only suffering a dislocated shoulder, a fractured foot, and lacerations to his face. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/08/jackson-taxi-owner-recounts-deadly-runaway-truck-crash-on-teton-pass-descent/]. – Several Northern Arapaho Tribe members are outraged at a Christian pastor who spoke against their religious customs and encouraged worship of Jesus instead. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that one Arapaho member told Cowboy State Daily that the church is "not welcome here anymore." "Sarah Lucas has been preaching on the Wind River Indian Reservation for about a decade, and at a recent service following the Sundance tribal ceremony, she said, but we know that Jesus is enough, it's not Jesus plus, it's Jesus everything. And controversy just exploded. Some tribal members are saying that she needs to leave the reservation." Christian Wassana, an enrolled Cheyenne Arapaho of Oklahoma who played Martin Kills Many on "Yellowstone," described Foundations for Nations pastor Sarah Lucas' message as, "it feels like history repeating itself, with attempts to erase and discredit our traditional way of life." Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/08/they-can-leave-arapaho-members-furious-at-christian-preacher-who-discouraged-rituals/] – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – The Jane Doe found dead on Interstate 25 near Cheyenne in April has been identified as Brittany Smith, a Wyoming woman. Cowboy State Daily's Jen Kocher reports that Smith was struck on the on-ramp from Missile Drive on April 20th. "Brittany Smith, 37, she was identified today by the Wyoming Highway Patrol as the Jane Doe who was killed on April 20. She was a pedestrian on the on-ramp near Mild marker one off Interstate I-25 and she was hit by Ikea Sportage. From my understanding, at this point there are no charges pending." According to senior public relations specialist with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Aaron Brown, Smith was struck by a northbound Kia Sportage on the on-ramp from Missile Drive on April 20th. Smith had been a pedestrian standing in the roadway. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/08/jane-doe-found-dead-on-i-25-on-ramp-in-april-idd-as-wyoming-woman/] – A vocal crowd converged Tuesday on the Green River City Council meeting and opposed a $112,000 federal grant for the police department to install license plate reader cameras. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports the City Council and mayor ultimately voted 6-1 against finalizing the grant. "We reported that the police department was pushing for a grant to install license plate readers, at least four of them, around the city, and then there was a city council meeting to finalize that. The people showed up, 10 of them spoke, all in opposition, and in the end, the mayor and council voted six to one not to finalize the grant. The police chief defended the cameras at the city council meeting, but he also voiced empathy for the people's passion and concern." Green River Police Chief Shawn Sturlaugson had planned to install around four Motorola brand license-plate readers, largely at city entrances, to respond quickly to criminal getaway or vulnerable-person situations, he told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/08/green-river-people-shut-down-license-plate-reader-camera-project/] – Two experienced Wyoming outdoorswomen said a large black bear aggressively entered their camp in the Bighorns late Sunday and turned it into "total chaos." Cowboy State Daily's Mark Heinz reports that when they returned the next day after escaping to a cabin, their camp was completely torn apart. "Finally, the one lady fired two shots at it. The second shot convinced it to leave, and so they went and hung out in their jeeps for a while, and kind of got themselves settled back down, and decided, okay, let's, let's just go. My family has a cabin, so let's go stay at the cabin. So they grabbed their sleeping bags, went to the cabin, came back the next day, and apparently the bear had come back and just completely destroyed the camp." In a statement emailed to Cowboy State Daily, Game and Fish confirmed that four traps were set in the area and Game and Fish agents who spoke to other campers in the area didn't report any bear conflicts. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/08/bear-ignores-shot-and-dogs-drives-women-from-bighorns-camp-before-shredding-tents/] – It was an alleged kick to the groin of a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper that could get a Laramie man up to 10 years in prison after running from the law in a pickup towing a camper. Cowboy State Daily's Greg Johnson reports that the trooper says, the "intense pain was causing me to be nauseous." "The lottery patrol knows he's coming, they set up the stop sticks, flatten his tires, he's still driving around, drives into Curt Gowdy State Park, and then ditches the car, runs, and he was hiding into his vegetation at night in the park. They finally find the guy, and he didn't want to go. He fought him the entire way, and at one point, when he got the opportunity, according to the affidavit, kicked the trooper in the groin as hard as he could, and you know that act right there is a felony." 47-year-old Nicholas J. Blocker is scheduled for a Friday appearance in Albany County Circuit Court to face at least three criminal charges and 12 other traffic citations related to the chase and arrest. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/08/laramie-man-kicks-trooper-in-groin-at-end-of-chase-in-truck-towing-camper/]. — 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, July 8, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Wednesday, July 8th. I'm Mac Watson This newscast is brought to you by the Wyoming State Fair. Wrap up your summer at the Wyoming State Fair, August 11th through the 15th in Douglas! Rodeo, Demolition Derby, live music, entertainment and fair food await. Learn more at W-Y State Fair dot com. See you at the fair! This ad was paid for by Converse County Tourism. – A North Carolina man is still missing after jumping into the Snake River without a life jacket on Saturday. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that authorities have changed the mission from search and rescue to recovery. "55- year-old Tory Rather of Charlotte, North Carolina, went missing near Alpine in Wyoming when he jumped into the Snake River on Saturday without a life jacket. Authorities say that he was swept up by the current, and they have been searching for days to try and recover his body. On Tuesday, Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson confirmed that this is now being looked at as a recovery and no longer a rescue. Johnson said, as time goes by, the likelihood of having a positive outcome goes down significantly. He is positive at this point. It is a recovery mission and not a rescue." Raether's family sent Cowboy State Daily photos of the man and his wife taken just hours before the incident. Rafts, jet skis, a jet boat, drones, and search dogs have combed the Snake River below a popular cliff-jumping spot for days, all with one goal: bring Tory home. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/07/search-for-north-carolina-man-who-disappeared-on-snake-river-now-a-recovery-mission/] – At least 13 portable toilets were blown up in Billings over the July 4th holiday and the company is blaming Wyoming fireworks for the destruction. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports the owners say the fireworks were likely purchased in Wyoming because Montana's fireworks aren't powerful enough. "This is going to come straight out of the company's pocket. They're estimating at least $12,000 in damages, and while they have insurance, their deductible is $1,000 and if their deductible is $1,000 and each portable toilet is treated as a separate incident. So, if they tried to file a claim to get the cost for the destroyed toilet, then they would get maybe $100- $150 each after their deductible. So, it's not even worth filing the claim. They don't know who did it. They have no way of identifying them, and there's not a viable path to collect on insurance." Co-owner Kris Vogele tells Cowboy State Daily that these aren't the type of fireworks you can "buy at a fireworks stand in Montana. It had to have been a large explosive." Vogele said he believes the fireworks came from Wyoming or the Crow Indian Reservation near Billings. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/07/vandals-blow-up-13-porta-potties-in-montana-company-blames-wyoming-fireworks/] – Matthew Lynch lost most of his right hand in a fireworks explosion on July 4th. But Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that the Gillette carpenter isn't giving up on his electric-guitar dreams. "Matthew Raymond Lynch says the incident was horrifying. He said when he lit a firecracker that he'd been carrying in his back pocket for years, trying to be adventurous, it blew up almost instantly. He looked down and his hand was the craziest, most mangled thing he says he's ever seen. the damage was so extensive that his friend took off his belt and used it as a tourniquet to save Lynch from losing his life. Lynch is an artist, he's a musician, a potter, and a carpenter by trade. He says the road to recovery will be long, but he's already been talking to doctors and hopeful that he will be able to get a prosthetic, and vows that one day he'll be able to play guitar again." The blast severed most of Lynch's right hand, shattered bones throughout his left hand, peppered his face, neck and chest with shrapnel and burns, and sent him by Life Flight to Billings, Montana. In the days since, Lynch has publicly apologized, saying he feels terrible for the people who were injured alongside him. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/07/after-blowing-off-most-of-his-hand-gillette-musician-vows-hell-play-guitar-again/] – The Green River City Council is considering finalizing a $112,000 grant it's been awarded to install license-plate readers in the city. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that the mayor says the cameras could curb terrorism while former Libertarian lawmaker Marshall Burt says it's all "bullshit." "The police chief said, 'Yeah, we're not looking to nitpick with these. We want to really amplify our response to things like missing and vulnerable persons cases or serious criminal flight cases.' Marshall Burt, who is the first Libertarian ever that Wyoming ever sent to the legislature, said, 'This is a slippery slope, because this grant is based on fighting terrorism, but these things can track people's movements and compile data on people's movements and patterns.'" Green River applied last year for two Wyoming Office of Homeland Security grants and in January was awarded one for $111,956 to buy and install license plate readers for the police department, says the agenda item description [https://www.grwyo.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/11626?fileID=112791]. Mayor Pete Rust tells Cowboy State Daily the police department spearheaded the grant application. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/07/green-river-considers-accepting-grant-for-license-plate-readers-to-curb-terrorism/]. – I'll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this. Cowboy State Daily News continues now…. – A Casper man says he felt fortunate to rescue a baby pronghorn who got stuck in a cattle guard on Tuesday. Cowboy State Daily's Andrew Rossi reports that Dylan Heide says by posting the video, he hopes he can reduce the stigma around hunting and hunters. "It was a very young fawn, so he just gently lifted and twisted it out of the cattle grate and let it successfully reunited with what he assumed was a few does, and one of which was probably its mother. Dylan goes out a lot during the summer, scouting for pronghorn. He hopes to hunt in the fall, and he'd never seen one with its body stuck in a cattle grate before, but if this fawn was young, he estimated it was probably only a month old, if that, and it's just probably the first time I'd ever seen a cattle guard before." Heide shares his stories and perspectives on hunting and fishing in Wyoming on his FishHuntWyo [https://www.facebook.com/fishhuntwyo] social media pages. He has a particular outlook on Wyomingites' relationship with pronghorn and tells Cowboy State Daily, "The majority of us really care about wildlife." Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/07/casper-realtor-rescues-pronghorn-fawn-flailing-in-cattle-guard-on-remote-road/] – Allegedly outraged by a dirt bike zipping around his Albany County campsite, a man is accused of pulling two guns and brawling with three other campers over the weekend. Cowboy State Daily's Greg Johnson reports that investigators say, at one point, Tyler James McGill "stepped back and racked the slide, and pointed." "What it boils down to is somebody riding a motorbike past somebody else's campground got that guy mad, and so he went looking for him down this camp. There were three men in the camp, and all four of them brawled. This guy took all three of them on, and at times during the brawl, it kind of the affidavit reads kind of like a movie script. he gets a gun from the waistband of one of the one of the other campers he's fighting, pointed at him, the guy wrestles the gun away from him, so he goes back to his campsite and gets another gun, it's just kind of a wild, wild tale at this Albany County campground over the Fourth of July weekend." McGill, born in 1996, could get more than 15 years in prison if convicted of felony aggravated assault and battery and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/07/albany-county-camper-charged-with-pulling-2-guns-during-brawl-with-3-other-campers/] – A Washington, D.C., super-PAC is attacking U.S. Senate candidate Sam Mead for a $27 donation Mead made in 2019 to then-presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Mead is defending the move, saying it was about solving health care policy problems. "Sam Mead has political credentials and is waging a really staunch Keep Public Land in Public Hands campaign, and this, you know, conservative super PAC found that in 2019 he had donated $27 to Bernie Sanders campaign. The election filings show that, and Meade told me that at the time he saw a lot of harm from Obamacare, the Obama insurance policies that Wyoming pushed back against hard at the time, and he said that he liked a lot of Sanders' ideas on health care, and decided to back that." The attack ad surfaced Monday via an X.com [http://x.com/] post by Club For Growth president David McIntosh. The group calls itself the leading free-enterprise advocacy group in the nation and has endorsed Rep. Harriet Hageman. Read the full story HERE [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/07/hageman-opponent-sam-mead-defends-27-donation-to-bernie-sanders/]. – Cheyenne's Board of Public Utilities is not commenting further on the city's data center sewer contamination. Cowboy State Daily's Kate Meadows reports that residents still don't know where contaminated wastewater was taken, why the public wasn't notified for months, or what safeguards are now in place. "Residents in Cheyenne have a lot of questions still with the sewer reuse contamination that was announced last week by the Board of Public Utilities. Cowboy State Daily reached out to Mayor Patrick Collins and asked, should the public be worried about this being a public health crisis, and is there a chance that it could happen again. The mayor candidly told us that we should be worried, because there's always a chance that it can happen, and there's always something to worry about when you're dealing with, you know, public utilities and big corporations, that's juxtaposed to the Board of Public Utilities that told us they are not commenting any further on anything until they deliver this press conference in about a week." Last Thursday, the board announced that Goat Systems LLC, the corporate entity Meta uses during construction of its nearly 800,000-square-foot data center campus, was in "significant noncompliance" with the city's industrial pretreatment regulations. Read the full story HERE. [https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/07/07/cheyenne-board-of-public-utilities-stays-silent-on-data-center-sewer-contamination-2/] — 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.