CASPER, Wyo. — As 2023 comes to a close, we’re looking back at what our readers read the most this year.
This Top 10 list is comprised of the local news stories that had the most pageviews for the year. Stories on the Top 10 do not include obituaries, arrest lists, closure lists, health inspection reports or news stories provided by our partner organizations. It also does not include category pages, such as the Oil City News homepage, which had over 2.5 million pageviews on its own.
2023 Top 10
No. 10
This year’s 10th most read story was reported Dec. 8. “Semi hits bus carrying NCHS Speech and Debate team heading to Green River” reported that a school bus was struck from behind by a semi on Interstate 80.
A senior aboard the bus told Oil City News the bus was roughly 15 miles outside of Rawlins when it came upon a line of vehicles that had slowed or stopped for a crash further ahead. The student said roads were slick with ice and snowfall. As the bus came to a stop, a semi struck the left rear section of the bus, sending it off the road and into metal road signs.
No. 9
Oil City News’s ninth most read story of 2023 is “Man killed in crash Tuesday morning identified.”
This story, reported May 23 as an update to an original report, which appears later in this list, provided the name of the deceased in a crash that happened while the suspect vehicle was fleeing police. Three other people were injured and taken to Banner Wyoming Medical Center.
No. 8
On Nov. 6, Crime and Courts Reporter Greg Hirst reported that a longtime Natrona County resident was charged with driving drunk before a complex two-vehicle crash on Interstate 25 in 2022 that killed three people and seriously injured another.
That story was “Man charged with felony DUIs in crash that killed three near Casper.”
No. 7
Coming in at No. 7 is “Wyoming Game and Fish seeks info on bull elk killed on private land,” reported Oct. 6.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department was looking for help on a case of a bull elk killed on private land southeast of Wright. The animal’s remains had been found Oct. 4, and investigators believed it was killed on Sept. 30. The antlers had been removed and parts of the carcass were left behind, according to the story.
No. 6
Christmas in Casper was certainl cold, but one Wyoming town woke up to a temperature of minus 27. “Christmas is cold in Casper, but this Wyoming town awoke to minus 27” is Oil City News’s sixth most read story of 2023.
Reported Dec. 25, the story relied on information from the National Weather Service in Riverton, which reported a wide swath of subzero temperatures in the state that morning. None were as cold as the tiny town of Reliance, although at minus 24, Togwotee Pass, Wamstetter and Grant Village in Yellowstone National Park were close.
No. 5
Coming in as the fifth most read story of 2023, “Woven-wire fence replaced with wildlife-friendly alternative” reported the completion of several state projects meant to improve highway safety for humans and wildlife.
Reported on Dec. 24, the story features details provided by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on projects like the Dry Piney wildlife crossing that cost $15.1 million to complete. In December, the state received $24.3 million in grant funding for another project between Kemmerer and Evanston.
No. 4
Staying on top of the weather is a priority for Oil City News reporters because it’s a priority to our readers, especially when inclement weather is hitting virtually any part of Wyoming.
On Oct. 13, the state was hit by its first significant snowstorm of the 2023–24 winter season. Reported in “First significant snowfall of season closes Casper-area roads, swaths of I-80,” area roads, including Casper Mountain Road, were closed as snow accumulated in the higher elevations. As much as 2 feet fell on the mountain by that morning, a resident reported.
No. 3
The third most read story on Oil City News this year was reported May 23. The Casper community woke to a horrific scene downtown following a police chase that ended when the suspect vehicle crashed.
“(PHOTOS) 1 dead, 3 injured after car crashes in downtown Casper during police pursuit” showed the crash scene, taped off by police who were still investigating. The report was still early, but provided the community with all of the information that was available from the Casper Police Department.
No. 2
The second most read story on Oil City News in 2023 was “Both Casper Hardee’s restaurants close permanently without warning on Monday.”
On July 31, Oil City News received a tip that Hardee’s on the east side of town was closed down. Looking into the matter, Features Editor Dan Cepeda learned both of Casper’s Hardee’s had closed permanently.
The closures appeared to be part of a larger, nationwide effort by Hardee’s franchisees as the restaurant chain struggled with profitability.
No. 1
The most read story on Oil City News in 2023 was “Travel restrictions up throughout Wyoming as holiday snowstorm continues.”
Reported Nov. 24, 2023, the story centered on a Thanksgiving holiday snowstorm that shut down a large portion of Interstate 80. The Wyoming Highway Patrol reported multiple crashes on Interstate 80 between Cheyenne and Laramie, including a pileup that left vehicles and semi-trailer contents scattered across the interstate.
