Wyoming

Aaron Turpen: I Jawed At High Schoolers About My… | Cowboy State Daily

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

Aaron Turpen: I Jawed At High Schoolers About My… | Cowboy State Daily

Recently, I went to East High to talk to an AVID class about what I do for a living.

Being a class full of teenagers, none of them were particularly interested when I, a middle-aged guy with a “get off my lawn” beard and “I don’t like haircuts” style got up on the little stage-like platform in Mrs. Martin’s class.

Such is the way of teenagers, no matter the generation.

Most schools in Laramie District 1 have an Advancement Via Individual Determination class to teach kids things like time management, what’s required to get into secondary schools (colleges, universities, etc), and to broaden horizons a bit.

The East High AVID class, for example, volunteers at the animal shelter making toys for the dogs and tours area universities and colleges to get a feel for campus life.

So standing on the stage and introducing myself, I told this group of ninth graders about myself. I drive brand new cars, supplied by manufacturers, and then write about those cars.

I take photos of questionable quality and sometimes do videos that are often ranked as “worst car reviews on YouTube” by commentators.

I mentioned that, in order to give other YouTubers a chance, I have to cover my glamorous magazine-ready face with hair to tone down my appeal some.

Given my drip, the kids probably thought this was pretty sus.

But they soon began to perk up, learning that I’m not just some guy with some job they’d consider boring. Which was a pretty proud moment for me, as I’m pretty sure my ninth grader son would consider professional skydiving or an X-Games pro to be lame.

Once things warmed up, and Mrs. Martin gave the ultimatum for the class to start asking questions, my presentation got more interesting. I was asked how I got into writing.

My answer was that I’ve never NOT been writing. It’s just taken on different forms.

I just so happened, about a decade ago (or so) to have found a way to parlay that into driving vehicles. It was a natural evolution from being a truck driver, in my mind.

I talked about how my college degree isn’t a match for what I do as a job. I use computers, sure, but a Computer Science degree doesn’t really teach journalism or writing skills.

I know automotive journalists who have journalism backgrounds. They are very good at writing up things that read like they should be in print. I’m better at writing things that are more colloquial, as it were.

That’s my fancy way of saying I like to use first person and try to insert funny bits so I look smarter.

The questions kept coming. These kids seemed genuinely interested in how I got started, what kind of things I do every day, how a freewheeling freelance gig person does it, and so on. Many of them were pretty good.

“Do the car makers pay you?” Nope. Publications that print my stuff pay me. The automakers give me vehicles in hopes that I can get them published to a large audience. Plus I don’t wreck up their vehicles, so they trust me not to be “that guy.”

“How long do you have a car for?” Press loans vary in length, but are usually about a week.

Sometimes a little longer, sometimes shorter. I generally put between 100 and 200 miles on a vehicle while I have it. Mostly doing everyday things, but also including fuel economy testing and sometimes special uses like off-road, towing, etc.

“How many cars have you driven?” Hard one to answer. I settled on 1,000-1,500 since I average about 100 vehicles per year and also go to events and unveilings where I might get to drive more.

“What is the coolest car you’ve ever driven?” Also a hard one.

Vehicles are designed for different purposes, so I can’t say just one was the coolest.

Favorites that I’ve driven include a McLaren, a BMW i8, an Alfa Romeo 4C, a specially outfitted Jeep Gladiator from RMT Overland, several side-by-side UTVs, and things with “SRT” and “Hellcat” in their names.

I judge vehicles based on what they’re used for and have a particular bias towards off-road-ready setups and speedy roadsters.

And especially for those that range into the ridiculous category, like a family-sized SUV with over 600 horsepower or a luxury car with a price tag equal to my house. Or, in the case of the first three on my list, cars that are pure adrenaline pumpers that are made way too small for someone of my size.

“What did you want to do for a job when you were in high school?” This question was a great one. I wanted to be a writer.

At the time, I thought I would write science fiction and fantasy. Isaac Asimov and JRR Tolkien were my literary heroes. What I learned with time was that I’m far better at writing opinions than I am at writing fiction.

Fiction, for me, takes a lot of work. Writing about things I love, like cars, is pretty easy by comparison. It took many years of frustration and working a myriad of non-writing jobs to learn that.

The overall experience was a good one. And the resulting thank you cards sent to me were a nice bonus.

One ninth grader wrote “Thank you for coming and talking about your job. I didn’t care very much about cars before now. I do a little bit more.” Nice! Mission accomplished so far as I’m concerned.

Another wrote “That was a lot of fun to listen about your job. The only problem I have is English, but I’m gonna try hard to get better at writing to get a job.” To which, I would say, being able to write well is not necessarily a prerequisite to journalism. I’ve been an editor before.

“I would enjoy having a new car every week because I could not be able to decide what car to buy.” Fair enough. I think I know some automotive writers who would fall into that category. They own extremely impractical vehicles as a rule.

“I would like to try to do car racing for a bit and I like hearing about cars.” Girl after my own heart there. She should try rally. The last bit of real auto racing left.

“Thank you for not trying to use slang during your presentation.” He’s correct. I didn’t use any of the slang words in the title of this article while talking to this AVID class. That would’ve been cringe.

It was special to have the chance to show these kids that imagination can reach beyond the standard list of professional careers or stretch an existing one into something more.

Back when I was their age, there were no presentations to show me that one could think beyond the established.

Thankfully, we’re getting past telling kids that working with their hands is bad, that thinking for themselves is bad, and that college is the only option for them.

The world is more open and accessible than ever. And they have unprecedented opportunities thanks to that.

I think more of us adults should participate in opportunities like this to show kids what’s out there. The world needs writers, plumbers, engineers, teachers, cooks, and small business owners.

We should be showing these kids, who are so close to being thrown out into the adult world, that it’s not all unfamiliar and scary. That they can get somewhere based on their own dreams and ideas and that perseverance pays off.

Bucking hay can turn into bagging groceries which becomes carpentry that turns into truck driving and becomes automotive journalism. Every path is unique and no job is exactly like another.

So long as it’s not a career in politics, I think kids should be encouraged to work hard and run with their dreams. Because the world needs more workaday dreamers.

Aaron Turpen can be reached at: TurpenAaron@gmail.com

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Wyoming

Meyer’s Late Score Lifts Wyoming past Air Force – SweetwaterNOW

Published

10 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Meyer’s Late Score Lifts Wyoming past Air Force – SweetwaterNOW

Naz Meyer. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-UW Media-Athletics

LARAMIE — Nasir Meyer converted a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining to give Wyoming Cowboys men’s basketball the lead for good, and Wyoming held Air Force Falcons men’s basketball scoreless over the final two minutes to secure a 66-62 victory Saturday night.

The win marked the 13th home victory of the season for Wyoming, which improved to 16-13 overall and 7-11 in conference play.

“Air Force deserves all the credit and let’s talk about a team that has every reason not to fight, but thats why they are Air Force and the cadets and I have a lot of respect for them,” Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks said. “They were not going to quit, and I didn’t drive that message home enough and hats off to Air Force because they deserved to win. We snuck away with a win. Adam Harakow showed when we need him and he was massive for us. Simm-Marten was made big plays and Naz was clutch for us late.”

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Wyoming shot 35% from the field and went 7 of 28 from 3-point range, making just two from beyond the arc in the second half. Air Force shot 49% overall and 44% from 3, hitting eight shots from long distance. The Cowboys made 13 of 16 free throws (81%) and scored 22 points off 15 Air Force turnovers while holding a 39-36 edge in rebounding.

Damarion Dennis led Wyoming with 16 points and three assists, going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Meyer finished with 14 points and tied a career best with eight rebounds. Adam Harakow added 14 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting, his first double-figure scoring game since the first meeting with Air Force. Simm-Marten Saadi had nine points in 13 minutes, and Kiani Saxon grabbed seven rebounds.

Air Force opened with back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 6-0 lead. Meyer scored Wyoming’s first basket, and Leland Walker added a 3-pointer to make it 8-5 with 16 minutes left in the first half.

Wyoming responded with a 9-0 run over nearly four minutes, with Saadi and Harakow each connecting from beyond the arc to give the Cowboys an 11-8 lead with under 14 minutes remaining. Air Force regained a 12-11 advantage as Wyoming went scoreless for more than two minutes.

Harakow’s second 3-pointer pushed the lead to 22-16 with nine minutes left in the half, and Wyoming used a 6-0 run while holding the Falcons without a field goal for more than four minutes to build a 28-18 lead with six minutes remaining. The Cowboys closed the half on a defensive stand, keeping Air Force scoreless for the final two minutes to take a 35-25 lead into the break. Wyoming scored 15 first-half points off turnovers.

The teams traded 3-pointers early in the second half, and Air Force cut the deficit to 40-31 with under 17 minutes left before trimming it to seven 90 seconds later. Walker answered with a 3-pointer to make it 43-33 with 15 minutes to go.

Air Force used a 9-0 run during a stretch in which Wyoming went more than 3 1/2 minutes without a point to pull within one with nine minutes left. The Falcons later tied the game at 51-51 with 5:30 remaining after forcing six straight missed shots.

A pair of free throws by Meyer and a basket from Saadi gave Wyoming a 57-53 lead with under four minutes to play. Air Force answered with three consecutive 3-pointers from Kam Sanders to take a 62-59 lead with two minutes left.

Meyer scored with 90 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one. On the next trip, he converted an and-one to give Wyoming a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds left. The Cowboys added late free throws to close out the 66-62 win.

Sanders led Air Force with 16 points and nine rebounds, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Eli Robinson added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

Wyoming closes its home schedule Tuesday against Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball at 8 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Cowgirls.

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Wyoming

Wyoming High School Basketball 2A State Tournament 2026

Published

22 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming High School Basketball 2A State Tournament 2026

The 2-time defending champ Tongue River girls, along with both teams from Big Horn will represent Sheridan County in the small school version of March Madness.

Click here to see results from the regional tournaments.

2A Boys:

First Round:

Thursday, March 5th: (All games played at Casper College)

(#2E) Big Horn vs. (#3W) Shoshoni – Noon

(#1W) Thermopolis vs. (#4E) Sundance – 1:30pm

(#2W) Wyoming Indian vs. (#3E) Wright – 6:30pm

(#1E) Pine Bluffs vs. (#4W) Rocky Mountain – 8pm

Friday, March 6th: (All games played at Ford Wyoming Center)

Consolation Round:

Big Horn/Shoshoni loser vs. Thermopolis/Sundance loser – Noon LOSER OUT!

Wyoming Indian/Wright loser vs. Pine Bluffs/Rocky Mountain loser – 1:30pm LOSER OUT!

Semi-Finals:

Big Horn/Shoshoni winner vs. Thermopolis/Sundance winner – 6:30pm

Wyoming Indian/Wright winner vs. Pine Bluffs/Rocky Mountain winner – 8pm

Saturday, March 7th:

Friday Noon winner vs. Friday 1:30pm – Noon at Ford Wyoming Center Consolation Championship

Friday 6:30pm loser vs. Friday 8pm loser – 3pm at Natrona County High School 3rd Place

Friday 6:30pm winner vs. Friday 8pm winner – 7pm at Ford Wyoming Center Championship

2A Girls:

First Round:

Thursday, March 5th: (All games played at Casper College)

(#2W) Wyoming Indian vs. (#3E) Big Horn – 9am

(#1E) Sundance vs. (#4W) Shoshoni – 10:30am

(#2E) Tongue River vs. (#3W) Greybull – 3:30pm

(#1W) Thermopolis vs. (#4E) Pine Bluffs – 5pm

Friday, March 6th: (All games played at Ford Wyoming Center)

Consolation Round:

Wyoming Indian/Big Horn loser vs. Sundance/Shoshoni loser – 9am LOSER OUT!

Tongue River/Greybull loser vs. Thermopolis/Pine Bluffs loser – 10:30am LOSER OUT!

Semi-Finals:

Wyoming Indian/Big Horn winner vs. Sundance/Shoshoni winner – 3:30pm

Tongue River/Greybull loser vs. Thermopolis/Pine Bluffs loser – 5pm

Saturday, March 7th:

Friday 9am winner vs. Friday 10:30am winner – 9am at Ford Wyoming Center Consolation Championship

Friday 3:30pm loser vs. Friday 5pm loser – 10:30am at Ford Wyoming Center 3rd Place

Friday 3:30pm winner vs. Friday 5pm winner – 5:30pm at Ford Wyoming Center Championship

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Wyoming

Wyoming Crow Hunters Can Blast All They Want, But Nobody Eats The Birds

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Crow Hunters Can Blast All They Want, But Nobody Eats The Birds

Mention of bird hunting might conjure up images of hunters and their dogs huddling in freezing duck blinds or pounding the brush in hopes of kicking up pheasants. But crow hunting is a thing in Wyoming too.

“It’s about the sport of it,” Dan Kinneman of Riverton told Cowboy State Daily.

He started crow hunting when he was 14 and is about to turn 85. He’s never tried cooking and eating crows or known anybody who has.

Instead, shooting crows is essentially nuisance bird control, as they’re known to wreak havoc on agricultural crops.

“All the ranchers will let you hunt crows. I’ve never been refused access to hunt crows. They all hate them,” he said.

In Wyoming, crow hunting season runs from Nov. 1 to Feb. 28. No license is required, and there’s no bag limit. Hunters can shoot all the crows they want to.

It’s a ball for hunting dogs too, Kinneman said.

“My yellow Labrador retriever, he doesn’t care whether it’s a crow or duck. In fact, he likes crow hunting more than duck hunting, because there’s more action,” he said.

Crow hunting requires skill, patience and a good set of decoys, an experienced Wyoming hunter said. The upside is, there’s no bag limit, hunters can blast all the crows they want. No one eats them, though.

Don’t Expect It To Be Easy

Kinneman said that in the days of his youth, crow hunting was as simple as driving around and “shooting them out of trees with rifles.”

However, as the number of people and buildings potentially in the paths of bullets grew, such practices fell out of favor. Crow hunting became more regulated.

And it evolved to resemble hunting other birds, such as waterfowl.

Meaning, hunters started setting out decoys, hiding in blinds and using calls to tempt crows to within shotgun range.

Kinneman is no stranger to hunting of all types. He’s taken numerous species of big game in Wyoming and elsewhere. And in July 2005, he shot a prairie dog near Rock Springs from well over a mile away.

He hit the prairie dog from 2,157 yards away. A mile is 1,760 yards.

But bird hunting has always been his favorite.

“It’s my life,” he said.

He has a huge collection of duck, goose and dove decoys. And two tubs full of crow decoys.

The uninitiated might think that going out and blasting crows would be a slam dunk.

That isn’t so, Kinneman said. He likes crow hunting for the challenge of it.

“Hunting crows is hard. They are a lot smarter than ducks and geese,” he said.

Pick Up After Yourself

Even though he doesn’t eat crows, Kinneman said he never just left them littering the ground where he shot them.

“I never let them lay out there. I always picked them up and disposed of the carcasses,” he said.

That’s good ethics and it shows respect for the ranchers, he said.

“Leaving them (dead crows) out there would be no different than just leaving all of your empty shotgun shells out there,” he said.

“You have to pick up after yourself, or the ranchers won’t let you back onto their land,” he added.

Slow Year

At his age, Kinneman isn’t sure how much longer he’ll be able to get out crow hunting. And this year has been a total bust.

“I love doing it. But this year there are no crows,” he said.

The Riverton area is along major crow migration routes.

Picking a good hunting spot is a matter of “finding a flyway” that the crows are on and then setting up a spread of decoys and a blind along the route.

But with an unusually warm winter, the crow flyways have been practically empty, he said.