Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Thursday, November 12, 2026

As the National Weather Service states that 2026 will be the warmest year in Wyoming’s recorded history, residents across the Cowboy State are navigating everything from wildlife conflicts and postal mishaps to high-stakes political appointments and shifting agricultural markets.

The warmth, tracked by the National Weather Service office in Riverton across data logs extending back to 1892, set the stage for an autumn featuring some of the best fall colors in recent memory across southern and western Wyoming, according to photographers.

Ranchers are currently receiving nearly 20% less for cows used in ground beef following a federal trade adjustment, according to a report from Kate Meadows of Cowboy State Daily. President Trump enacted a 90-day plan taking effect September 1 to import an additional 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings at lower tariff rates.

“Trump enacted this 90-day plan to import more beef trim that took effect September 1st. Ranchers had a fit over it because they knew right away that they were not going to come out on top here. It was going to be the meat packers,” Sarah Carden, Farm Action’s senior director of research and policy, told Cowboy State Daily.

Because beef trim is purchased exclusively by meat packers rather than everyday consumers at grocery store counters, the policy has driven down cattle prices for producers while retail grocery savings remain minimal ahead of the plan’s scheduled November 30 expiration.

Meanwhile, incoming Republican Gov. Eric Barlow has looked across party lines to fill a legal role. Barlow has chosen Walter Eggers, a Democrat, to serve as attorney general, Clair McFarland reported for Cowboy State Daily.

“This position is about the rule of law,” three former attorneys general—representing a Republican, a Democrat, and a Democrat who served a Republican—told McFarland regarding the non-political post.

Senator Charlie Scott, the longest-serving state senator in Wyoming who has overseen multiple AG confirmations, also indicated that party affiliation is inconsequential for the role. Eggers brings a notable record representing oil, gas, and coal companies for roughly 24 years, maintaining that those industries are the lifeblood of Wyoming.

Daily routines have faced disruptions elsewhere in the state. In Burns, Levi Johnson’s search for missing baby medication turned up four stray baskets of mail left beside a roadway, Renee Jean reported for Cowboy State Daily.

Johnson secured the delivery and returned it to the postal service the following day, discovering that several area residents had experienced weeks of missing mail, including bank debit cards, following late-night text messages from an individual identifying as a postal carrier.

Law enforcement agencies are likewise managing routine peculiarities alongside critical public safety events. A suspect was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon during an encounter with Laramie County sheriff’s deputies along I-80 east of Cheyenne, Kolby Fedore reported for Cowboy State Daily.

The fatal shooting occurred around 1:42 p.m. near mile marker 377 close to the Hillsdale exit, prompting a heavy police response and temporary traffic controls while the Division of Criminal Investigations assumed the case.

At the same time, local police continue fielding thousands of non-emergency calls, with 20% or less resulting in criminal investigations. Incidents range from neighbors mistaking Christmas light decorators for suspicious persons to wildlife sightings and holiday fireworks, echoing historical headaches like Casper’s 2022 surge where 99.2% of roughly 1,200 private burglar alarms proved false.

Rural property owners are also contending with persistent local wildlife. Heather Nicklas of Laramie County described a badger that destroyed her chicken flock and continues to punch holes across her property, posing leg-break hazards for livestock like her pony and alpacas, Mark Heinz reported for Cowboy State Daily.