Wyoming

'Great legend': Former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming remembered

Published

12 months ago

March 15, 2025

'Great legend': Former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming remembered

There are few people in Wyoming politics who have loomed larger than former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson.

At 6’7” tall, Simpson was known for his sense of humor and often joked that his time as a student athlete at the University of Wyoming prepared him for a career in politics. He died Friday at age 93.

Watch the video:

Former Wyoming U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson dies

However, it’s not his stature that most will remember.

“I have interviewed many people at high levels, presidents, vice presidents, senators, and others, and none are more fascinating than Al Simpson,” said Penny Preston, an MTN contributor and Cody journalist.

Preston has not only interviewed Simpson extensively over the course of her career, but she also credits Simpson with bringing her to Wyoming. In 1998, Preston says Simpson convinced her husband, Chuck Preston, to help create the Draper Museum of Natural History.

“I don’t know anyone else who has influenced my life and guided me more than Al Simpson,” said Chuck Preston.

Watch Alan Simpson’s family remember him:

Alan Simpson remembered by his family

His family, including his wife, Ann, of 72 years, and his children, sat down with MTN News in Cody to discuss his legacy.

“To see two people in today’s world who have that kind of connection. And everybody should have a life partner that way,” said Bill Simpson, Alan’s son, of his parents’ marriage. “Because life is very difficult and challenging particularly today. But these two. They’re a life lesson for how you ought to do it.”

Bill Simpson is a district court judge in Park County.

The Simpson children say their mom kept their dad in line.

“He was so big and… he was funny,” said Ann Simpson. “He had that broken nose that was sort of like Bob Hope, that when he came in the room people smiled because they knew it would be laugh. He loved making people laugh.”

“He was intellectually curious,” said Susan Simpson Gallagher, Alan’s daughter, who owns an art gallery in Cody. “But personally curious about others. That’s what made him so great. He always wanted to know about you. And he wanted to know about your kids. And he remembered everybody’s kids’ names. And he remembered their kids’ names. And he didn’t remember their dog’s names so much. But he cared.”

And that’s something all three Simpson children admired about their dad.

“Dad was the citizen of the world,” said Colin Simpson, who served in the Wyoming Legislature for 12 years.. “He never met a stranger. And if you went somewhere with dad and no one recognized him, he’d introduce himself so he could talk to someone.”

Simpson, a lifelong Republican, was close friends with George H.W. Bush, and even delivered the eulogy at the 41^st president’s funeral.

Simpson’s lasting legacy was perhaps his ability to bridge partisan gaps. He was also a friend to many influential Democrats, including Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

Simpson served three terms as a U.S. senator from 1979 to 1997. The son of Wyoming Gov. Milward Simpson, Al credited his Wyoming upbringing for his strong moral compass.

“He would never be hateful no matter how strong his opinion was,” said Penny Preston.

Simpson never wavered from that moral compass, even though it may have cost him a chance at even higher office.

“He could have been vice president had he backed down from his belief that a woman had a right to choose,” said Preston. “He always said male legislators shouldn’t even be able to vote on the issue.”

Simpson also served 56 years on the board of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, and just last year at the age of 92, he co-created the Simpson-Mineta Institute at Heart Mountain, helping preserve the stories of 14,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned there during World War II.

Simpson is being remembered and honored as a man who left a legacy in the Cowboy state and far beyond.

“This country is going to lose a great legend. I have so much respect for him and we will miss him,” said Preston.

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Wyoming

Wyoming 3A and 4A Boys Basketball Regionals Tip Off Postseason Play

Published

1 hour ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming 3A and 4A Boys Basketball Regionals Tip Off Postseason Play

The 2026 postseason has arrived for Wyoming High School boys’ basketball teams in Class 3A and 4A. They participate in regional tournaments from Thursday through Saturday. The regionals will be in Buffalo, Evanston, Gillette, and Lovell. Three sites will use the format: two wins qualify a team for the state tournament next week in Casper, or two losses eliminate a team. The 4A East Region has three loser-out first-round games on Thursday, followed by two days of games for seeding. The 4A East Regular Season champ draws a first-round bye and has qualified for the state tournament.

WYOPREPS 3A-4A BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES

Except in the 4A East Regional, Friday starts with elimination games. The regional semifinals are on Friday night. The final seeds for next week’s state tournament will be determined on Saturday. The schedules below for this weekend are based on the brackets sent to WyoPreps. It is subject to change.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5:

Final Score: (3) Pinedale 58 (6) Mountain View 40

Final Score: (2) Cody 58 (7) Powell 46

Final Score: (1) Lovell 75 (8) Lyman 43

Final Score: (4) Lander 65 (5) Worland 40

FRIDAY, MARCH 6:

Game 5: Mountain View vs. Powell, noon – loser out

Game 6: Lyman vs. Worland, 1:30 p.m. – loser out

Game 7: Pinedale vs. Cody, 6 p.m. – semifinal

Game 8: Lovell vs. Lander, 7:30 p.m. – semifinal

SATURDAY, MARCH 7:

Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 11 a.m. – loser out

Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 11 a.m. – loser out (at LMS)

Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 5 p.m. – 3rd Place Game

Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2 p.m. – Championship Game

THURSDAY, MARCH 5:

Final Score: (3) Douglas 85 (6) Rawlins 50

Final Score: (2) Wheatland 57 (7) Burns 40

Final Score: (5) Torrington 35 (4) Newcastle 28

Final Score: (1) Buffalo 69 (8) Glenrock 44

FRIDAY, MARCH 6:

Game 5: Rawlins vs. Burns, noon – loser out

Game 6: Newcastle vs. Glenrock, 1:30 p.m. – loser out

Game 7: Douglas vs. Wheatland, 6 p.m. – semifinal

Game 8: Torrington vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. – semifinal

SATURDAY, MARCH 7:

Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, noon – loser out

Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 1:30 p.m. – loser out

Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 7:30 p.m. – 3rd Place Game (if necessary)

Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4:30 p.m. – Championship Game

Read More Boys Basketball News from WyoPreps

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

Nominate A Boys Basketball Player For Athlete Of The Week 2025-26

THURSDAY, MARCH 5:

Final Score: (NW-3) Kelly Walsh 64 (SW-2) Riverton 49

Final Score: (NW-1) Natrona County 77 (SW-4) Jackson 23

Final Score: (NW-2) Green River 50 (SW-3) Evanston 40

Final Score: (SW-1) Star Valley 62 (NW-4) Rock Springs 60 – Erickson makes a turnaround jumper at the buzzer off an offensive rebound for the Braves.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6:

Game 5: Riverton vs. Jackson, noon – loser out

Game 6: Evanston vs. Rock Springs, 1:30 p.m. – loser out

Game 7: Kelly Walsh vs. Natrona County, 6:30 p.m. – semifinal

Game 8: Green River vs. Star Valley, 8 p.m. – semifinal

SATURDAY, MARCH 7:

Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 11:30 a.m. – loser out

Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 1 p.m. – loser out

Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11, 4:30 p.m. – 3rd Place Game (at EMS)

Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4:30 p.m. – Championship Game

THURSDAY, MARCH 5:

Game 1: (1) Sheridan = Bye

Final Score: (2) Cheyenne Central 75 (7) Cheyenne South 35 – Bison are eliminated

Final Score: (3) Thunder Basin 75 (6) Laramie 59 – Plainsmen are eliminated; Bolts qualify for state

Final Score: (4) Campbell County 59 (5) Cheyenne East 39 – loser out; Thunderbirds are eliminated; Camels qualify for state.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6:

Game 6: Cheyenne Central vs. Thunder Basin, 4:30 p.m. – semifinal

Game 5: Sheridan vs. Campbell County, 7:30 p.m. – semifinal

SATURDAY, MARCH 7:

Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 11:30 a.m. – 3rd Place Game

Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 2:30 p.m. – Championship Game

James Johnson Winter Showcase Basketball Tournament 2026

Photos from game action at the James Johnson Winter Showcase tournament in Cheyenne.

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Shannon Dutcher

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Wyoming

Explore small streams of Wyo. with WGFD XStream Angler challenge

Published

14 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Explore small streams of Wyo. with WGFD XStream Angler challenge

WYOMING — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is rolling out its 2026 XStream Angler challenge, open to anyone looking to fish the smaller streams of Wyoming. The XStream Angler challenge is an opportunity for anglers in the state to explore over 150 streams with instream flow water rights. According to WGFD, instream flow […]

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Wyoming

Governor Gordon attends signing of Wyoming’s Healthy Choice Waiver in Washington D.C.

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Governor Gordon attends signing of Wyoming’s Healthy Choice Waiver in Washington D.C.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Governor Mark Gordon’s office recently announced that the governor and Director of Family Services (DFS) Korin Schmidt traveled to Washington D.C. on Wednesday to meet with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as other Trump Administration officials, to sign the Wyoming’s Healthy Choice Waiver. A release […]

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