Wyoming

Bill Sniffin: If You Live In Wyoming, You MUST Love Seasons

Published

4 months ago

November 11, 2025

If you love Wyoming, you better love different seasons. Sometimes you can enjoy all four seasons in one day. Especially during this time of year.

By the way, was that not just about the nicest September-October fall in Wyoming’s history? Wow.

Here in mid-November, it is still usual to wake up to chilly weather, suddenly feel the sun come out or a Chinook-type wind warm up the place, then a big cloudbank appears, and by nightfall, a wet snow is falling.

This is common in all corners of Wyoming from Newcastle to Evanston and from Cheyenne to Powell. And everywhere in-between — including Worland, Greybull, Rawlins, Rock Springs, Kemmerer, and Riverton.

This is the kind of fall when you might run your furnace and your air conditioner on the same day.

Veteran Wyomingites wear layers – you start out in jeans and sweaters and by mid-afternoon, you are down to a short-sleeved shirt . . . sometimes even shorts.

I know two guys, my son-in-law Jerry Johnson, a PE teacher, and Methodist Preacher Mark Calhoun, who try to wear shorts year-around. And they almost always pull it off.

Convertible Weather?

Guys like me who love our old convertibles just keep trying to get one more day of top-down weather before giving up. My late friend Dave Kellogg drove his VW top down while wearing a parka and big hat for years as he tried to stretch out the sunny season. And it worked.

My wife Nancy gets frustrated when we run errands because I insist on putting the top down on our ancient 2002 convertible. She thinks it’s cold and it messes her hair. My excuse: “This might be my last chance to drive with the top down. Sit back and enjoy!”

The above story reminds me of when I was attending a Greater Yellowstone Coalition event in Cody and managed to get loose from the activities early. I had always wanted to drive through Yellowstone Park in a convertible with the top down. So off I went.

I wrote about this trip in a recent column. I liked the ending: “It appeared that I had experienced all of Wyoming’s seasons during this trip. It was sunny when I left Cody. It was cold and windy throughout the park with rain spitting. As I left the National Park area and headed over Togwotee Pass, it even snowed a bit.

Must Love Seasons

Back in the mid-1980s, Wyoming suffered a terrible bust and Lander was hit the hardest of any town in the state. We lost 2,500 good-paying iron and uranium mining jobs. It was awful.

As president of the local economic development group, The Leader Corporation, I dreamt up the idea of recruiting retirees to our town.

We had 600 homes in foreclosure, a wonderful climate (least windy place in the Rockies), and wonderful medical care.

In our nation-wide promotion, I wrote up a brochure selling the benefits of Lander. But I said we were looking for “vigorous” retirees. This was not for the Sun City crowd. The ads also said “Must Love Seasons.”

By the end of the first year, we had 99 of those homes sold and we were on our way.

IBM and the military were both laying off large numbers of workers and we focused on these folks plus anyone else we could attract. The idea was that it was impossible for us to lure a $6 million business to town, but if we could recruit 200 people, each with an annual retirement of $30,000, it would mean the same.

An added bonus was that most of these folks had the time, talent, and inclination to get involved in the community. They contributed greatly.

Weather Will Get Colder

Despite this wonderful fall weather, we all know that it is going to end soon. Thanksgiving can often be brutal, especially for folks trying to home for the holidays.

It is good news that the national government just reopened, which will make flying more practical to a lot of people.

My tips for people this time of year consists of three things:

1. Wear layers and throw in a stocking cap. Wear dry shoes or boots.

2. Always carry an emergency kit in your car – a big blanket, some bottled water, some trail mix or cookies or other snacks. Make sure you have a good scraper and a functioning flashlight.

3. When you take a trip, always leave early. If possible, watch the weather and try to travel in nice weather and despite the short days, drive as little as possible at night. And watch for our poor deer on the road.

Bill Sniffin can be reached at: Bill@CowboyStateDaily.com

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Wyoming

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

Published

38 minutes ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

The top boys’ basketball players in Wyoming for Classes 1A and 2A were chosen for the 2026 high school season. The Wyoming Coaches Association has unveiled the all-state awards for this year, as voted on by the head coaches in the two classifications, respectively. The Wyoming Coaches Association only recognizes one team for all-state, and only these players receive an award certificate from the WCA. WyoPreps only lists all-state players as defined by the WCA.

WCA 1A-2A BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE SELECTIONS IN 2026

Each class selected 14 players for all-state, reflecting a broad recognition of talent across Wyoming. Notably, congratulations go to Hulett’s Kyle Smith, Brady Cook from Lingle-Fort Laramie, and Carsten Freeburg from Pine Bluffs, who earned all-state honors for the third straight year. In addition, eight more players achieved all-state status for the second time in their prep careers.

Class 1A

Paul McNiven – Burlington

Bitner Philpott – Burlington

Ammon Hatch – Cokeville (All-State in 2025)

Hudson Himmerich – Cokeville

Kyle Smith – Hulett (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Anthony Arnusch – Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Brady Cook – Lingle-Ft. Laramie (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Tymber Cozzens – Little Snake River (All-State in 2025)

Corbin Matthews – Lusk

Max Potas – Meeteetse (All-State in 2024)

Jace Westring – Saratoga

Hazen Williams – Saratoga

TJ Moats – Southeast (All-State in 2024)

Nic Schiller – Upton

Read More Boys Basketball News from WyoPreps

WyoPreps 1A-2A State Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps 3A-4A Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Final Basketball Poll 2026

1A-2A Boys Basketball Regional Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 11 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26

Class 2A

Caleb Adsit – Big Horn

Chase Garber – Big Horn

Carsten Freeburg – Pine Bluffs (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Mason Moss – Rocky Mountain

Oakley Hicks – Shoshoni

Kade Mills – Sundance

Cody Bomengen – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Zak Hastie – Thermopolis

Ellis Webber – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Joseph Kimbrell – Wright

Mitchell Strohschein – Wright (All-State in 2025)

Adriano Brown – Wyoming Indian

Heeyei’Niitou Monroe-Black – Wyoming Indian (All-State in 2025)

Cordell Spoonhunter – Wyoming Indian

The 2026 state champions were the Saratoga Panthers in Class 1A. They beat Lingle-Fort Laramie, 50-45, in the championship game. The 2A winners were the Thermopolis Bobcats, who repeated as champions, after a 45-38 victory over Wyoming Indian in the title game.

Lusk versus Rock River high school basketball 2026

Game action between the Tigers and Longhorns

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Lisa Shaw

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Wyoming

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

Published

13 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.

One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.

Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”

The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”

The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.

It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.

The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.

Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”

Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”

The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.

SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.

Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”

Both bills go into effect July 1.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Announces 2026 Football Schedule – SweetwaterNOW

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Announces 2026 Football Schedule

Samuel “Tote” Harris. Photo from gowyo.com

LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference announced the Cowboys’ 2026 football schedule Monday, a slate that opens with the Border War and concludes with back-to-back home games in Laramie.

Wyoming opens the season Sept. 5 on the road against Colorado State in the 118th edition of the Border War. The Cowboys then host Northern Colorado on Sept. 12 in the home opener before traveling to Central Michigan on Sept. 19.

The Cowboys begin Mountain West play Sept. 26 at home against Hawaii in a matchup for the Paniolo Trophy. Wyoming then faces back-to-back road games at North Dakota State on Oct. 3 and San Jose State on Oct. 10.

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Wyoming returns to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17 to host conference newcomer Northern Illinois before facing Air Force at home on Oct. 24. The Cowboys will have an open week on Oct. 31.

The Cowboys open November with road games at UNLV on Nov. 7 and at UTEP on Nov. 14, marking Wyoming’s first meeting with the Miners as members of the Mountain West. Wyoming closes conference play by hosting New Mexico on Nov. 21 and wraps up the regular season with a nonconference game against UConn on Nov. 28 in Laramie.

Each Mountain West team will play four home and four road conference games during the 13-week season, which will conclude with the Mountain West Football Championship Game featuring the two teams with the highest conference winning percentages. The championship game date will be announced later.

With the conference schedule set, Mountain West television partners CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and The CW will begin selecting broadcast games, which could include moving some contests to non-Saturday dates. Network assignments and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.

Season ticket renewals for the 2026 Wyoming football season are now available. Fans can renew their tickets online by visiting gowyo.com/tickets and logging into their account.

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