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Still here 9 28 22 no play scaled

Cowboy State Daily is Wyoming’s largest newspaper with Wyoming’s most experienced journalists. 

<title>You’re Still Here? Wednesday, September 28, 2022 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

You’re Still Here? Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's general assignment reporter, Clair McFarland.

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Wyoming’s Republican race for U.S. House is now up to at least $8.1 million in loans and donations, counting just candidate committees and victory funds.

Millions more sit in independent political action committees (PACs) helping certain candidates.

U.S. Federal Election Commission filings as of July 29 show philanthropist Steve Friess has loaned himself another $1 million since Cowboy State Daily’s last 

Casper businessman Reid Rasner has loaned his campaign account $1.87 million. Secretary of State Chuck Gray has loaned his candidate account $1.377 million.

This leaves Friess with the biggest war chest: about $3.56 million, counting his campaign fund and victory fund.

Rasner has the second largest receipts line: nearly $2.33 for his candidate committee. That puts Gray’s candidate committee in third, at $1.62 million.

The Protecting Wyoming Values PAC, which distributes numerous ads for Gray, has raised nearly $1 million as of July 29, exclusively from Gray’s father.

The fourth most affluent campaign account belonged to a candidate who has since dropped out of the race: Moran-based attorney Frank Chapman.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Top Spenders"}]

Friess has now eclipsed Rasner as the top spender in the race: His campaign account has spent nearly $2.49 million as of July 29. His victory fund has sent another $62,170 to two other PACs: the Outriders PAC, which is partially funded by Friess’s mother, and the Freedom, Responsibility, Integrity, Economic Strength & Security PAC.

Rasner has spent $2.26 million from his candidate account as of July 29, followed by Gray at $1.38 million.

[{"type":"text","text":"The same Friess-Rasner-Gray pattern continues in other metrics."}]

Friess has more than double Gray’s cash on hand and more than 10 times Rasner’s, at $797,126.

Gray’s candidate committee sits at $240,146.39 cash on hand; Rasner’s at $79,152.

Friess has garnered the highest figure in contributions, at $468,841. Rasner is second: $452,581 and Gray third: $243,291.

Friess’s campaign spokesman Tim Edson said Friess “is investing heavily in his own campaign because he wants to serve and give back to community and country like he and his family have always done.”

“He isn’t seeking office to enrich himself or climb the political ladder,” said Edson. “He’s running to solve problems where career politicians have failed and bring a fresh perspective to Washington.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Next Up"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"After Friess, Rasner and Gray, the war chests descend in this order:"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Christensen claims to have inordinate momentum for his buck."}]

“I made a decision up front, I wasn’t going to take money from PACs and outside money,” he said. “I would finance my campaign from people in Wyoming, and that’s exactly what I’ve done.”

Christensen said 2026 isn’t all about big ads packages. It’s about the word-of-mouth network on social media.

“The most authentic thing you can get in a campaign is for people to believe in you and advocate for you – and that genuine advocacy doesn’t cost a lot of money,” said Christensen.

He said he’s loosely monitored an exponential effect on social media: when one person takes his messaging to heart, that person may expose his or her vote of confidence to hundreds, even thousands of other people, who then may replicate it.

“If I win, there’s a national news story here,” said Christensen in a nod to his lower budget.

[{"type":"text","text":"He also said he hasn’t done any fundraisers."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Proportions"}]

Biteman has by far the largest proportion of contributions from individuals, at 99.53%.

“I think it speaks to the kind of campaign we’re running,” he said. “Our support comes from individual Wyoming citizens who are investing in the campaign because they believe in me.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Biteman said that’s an important measure of support."}]

“And I’m proud that we’re being funded by people, not special interests, and you know — then we’re not just trying to buy it,” he said.

The second highest proportion of individual contributions belongs to Goodenough (63.1%), then Christensen and Giralt (both nearly 50%).

The two lowest proportions of individual contributions ascribe to Friess (13%) and Gray (14.85%) – figures diminished in proportion to their substantial self-loans.

[{"type":"text","text":"Rasner’s proportion of individual contributions is 19%."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Money From Jackson"}]

Gray and Rasner have both pointed to Friess’s Jackson-area residency in a negative light.

Jackson’s Teton County votes most reliably for Democratic candidates and is, with the purple Albany County in consideration for second, easily Wyoming’s bluest county. It's also Wyoming's richest county and routinely ranks among the nation's richest. 

Friess has countered his opponents’ implications by saying he’s “behind enemy lines” as a rare conservative activist in Teton County. 

He’s referenced his past fight with the Teton County government, in which he went to the Republican state Legislature to secure what he calls fairer zoning rules for private schools.

Friess has invited Gray to give back what Jackson residents have donated to Gray's campaign.

Gray’s contributions show the highest proportion from Jackson residents: 21%, at $52,000, his FEC reports as of July 29 show. Some of those are from Daniel and Carleen Brophy, consistent donors to Republican causes and candidates. 

Gray responded to Cowboy State Daily’s request for comment on his Jackson funding by accusing the outlet of “lying” and propping up Friess. 

He alleged the outlet has a “conflict” because Friess’s late father gave seed money to Cowboy State Daily in 2019.

“Maybe one day Cowboy State Daily and Claire (sic) McFarland will report the news instead of propping up Steve Friess,” said Gray. “When your questions read like Steve Friess campaign talking points, Wyoming voters have every right to wonder whether you are a journalist or a Friess Campaign hack.”

The inquiry Cowboy State Daily’s request sent Gray on Friday, to which his comment refers, had said: 

“I note that of contributions, you have the highest percentage (21%) from Jackson. Since this has become a campaign issue for you, would you like to comment?”

Gray ventured other theories and asserted Friess’s self-loan was $4 million. The FEC record for Friess’s campaign account says it’s $3 million. He also asserted that Christensen is in second place, and claimed Cowboy State Daily was trying to help Christensen win. 

[{"type":"text","text":"More About Jackson "}]

Friess shows the next highest proportion of Jackson donors, at 17.7%, or $83,052.

Christensen and Goodenough have received no donations from Jackson residents as of July 29, the reports say.

Rasner received $185.95 from a Jackson woman whose 

[{"type":"text","text":"Biteman received $307 from a Jackson man."}]

Giralt received $1,000 from Kasey Mateosky, a Jackson resident who ran as a Republican for the Teton County Commission and campaigned on simplifying the region’s tightly regulated housing market.

Balow received $23,082 from Jackson residents, including a portion from former Republican legislator Ruth Petroff, who’s another proponent of giving more leeway to the free market in Teton County’s housing regulations.

Update: this story has been updated to include more commentary from Gray. 

Friess Rasner vote here 8 7 26

<title>Steve Friess Passes Reid Rasner As Top Spender At $2.5M In Wyoming U.S. House Race | Cowboy State Daily</title>

In Wyoming’s expensive race for U.S. House, Steve Friess has passed Reid Rasner as the biggest spender so far at nearly $2.5 million, while candidates have raised at least $8 million. Rasner has spent $2.26 million, and Chuck Gray $1.38 million.

Steve Friess Passes Reid Rasner As Top Spender At $2.5M In Wyoming U.S. House Race

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Agriculture

Wildlife

Allowing cattle to graze in a portion of the Gros Ventre Range will get cattle and grizzly bears killed, according to environmental groups planning a lawsuit to stop it. 

Cattlemen say that shouldn’t be a concern, because cattle and bears have long been near each other in the area.

At issue is whether cattle should be allowed on about 35,000 acres in the Elk Ridge Complex. That’s in the Gros Ventre Range on the Bridger-Teton National Forest about 30 miles southeast of Jackson.

That would put cattle in prime grizzly habitat, and the bears would be tempted to kill them, ecologist John Carter of Bondurant told Cowboy State Daily. 

And the bears would be killed in turn, he added. 

Carter founded the Yellowstone to Uintas Connection. It’s one of a coalition of groups that filed a 60-day notice of intent Friday to sue the Forest Service under the Endangered Species Act to stop the grazing. 

The Forest Service authorized temporary cattle grazing during 2026 and 2027 in the Elk Ridge Complex.

In an email to Cowboy State Daily, Upper Green River Cattlemen’s Association president Coke Landers said worries about grizzlies getting killed are exaggerated. 

“It isn't a concern; it's the same bears and the same livestock. We and the Game and Fish have a great working relationship when it comes to bear/cattle conflict, and I'm sure it will continue,” he wrote.

A voluntary buyout of sheep grazing rights took place there in 2016. That was done partly to protect bighorn sheep, which are vulnerable to contracting pneumonia infections from domestic sheep. 

“Of course, there were also conflicts with grizzlies,” Carter said. 

, grizzlies being killed by wildlife agencies for preying on livestock is a leading causes of bear deaths in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"‘No Forage Deficit’"}]

The Forest Service claims cattle had to be shifted into the Elk Ridge Complex because adjacent allotments were burned in 2025 wildfires. 

Carter said he doesn’t buy that argument.

Forest Service monitoring data indicates forage in the wildfire area is still adequate for "50% use” for grazing, he said. 

“There’s no forage deficit (in the fire zone) and no reason to be moving cattle into the Elk Ridge allotments, even if those other pastures did burn,” he said. 

Landers said that shifting some cattle into the Elk Ridge area will help the burned areas recover, with no direct economic benefit to ranchers. 

“The benefit is all ecological; it provides a grazing resource while the affected resource is allowed to rest. We are not trucking up extra numbers of cattle to use the new resource,” he wrote.

Thousands of cattle are grazed in the Upper Green River basin, he added, noting there are 11 permits for the Upper Green River Cattlemen’s Association. 

The area is “roughly permitted for 7,300 head,” and ranchers are running about 6,000 cattle there, Landers said. 

“The grazing that will happen on the Elk Ridge Complex is a temporary authorization of use to offset the effects of the Pack Trail fire and the Dollar Lake fire,” he said. "The cattle may be from any one of the 11 permits, since we are a common grazing allotment and are not sorted by ownership into pasture systems.” 

Carter said he and other members of the coalition also think the Forest Service didn’t provide adequate public notice or allow for comment before authorizing the grazing shift.

It’s a matter of “backroom deals and dead bears,” he said. 

“We just happened to stumble across it (notice of the grazing authorization)” buried deep in Forest Service documents, Carter said. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Landers said everything was above board. "}]

“I believe the forest service acted totally within their authority as the manager of the resource,” he wrote.

Gros Ventre Wilderness Mike Cavaroc via Alamy 8 7 26

<title>Conservationists To Sue Forest Service To Stop Cattle Grazing In Gros Ventre Range | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Conservationists plan to sue the Forest Service to stop grazing on a part of Wyoming’s remote Gros Ventre Range. They say it will lead to grizzlies killing cattle and, in turn, wildlife agents killing the bears. A cattleman from the area disagrees.

Conservationists To Sue Forest Service To Stop Cattle Grazing In Gros Ventre Range

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily reporter, Dale Killingbeck

Dale Killingbeck

Wyoming Life

A 4 1/2-foot tall bronze sculpture of a soldier kneeling where a comrade made the ultimate sacrifice in battle made its debut at the Oregon Trails State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville on Friday.

The soldier has his left hand on top a helmet resting on the fellow soldier’s planted weapon. His right hand holds his own rifle.

The scene depicts the “Battle Cross” or “Soldier’s Cross” and includes a soldier’s rifle, boots, and helmet as a memorial marker.

Wyoming artist Chris Navarro characterized his 42nd public art project “Fallen Comrade” as “personal” for him as he addressed the 50 people gathered for its unveiling in a little square in front of the cemetery’s chapel.

“It’s special because of all the ties my family has to the military,” Navarro said, noting he was raised on U.S. Air Force bases around the world due to his father’s role as a pilot. His brother Herb Navarro, a retired U.S. Army helicopter pilot, was on hand from Arizona representing veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War.

Cemetery Director Darrin Brahaney said the Wyoming Military Department had a vision for a statue in 2019 that would honor veterans and what they sacrificed. He said when they put out the proposal Navarro responded and brought his concepts to the project.

“We gave Chris our vision last July and he took that vision and put his own touches to it and he had a very short window to get this done,” Brahaney said. 

Brahaney said the statue was being unveiled Friday because Aug. 7 is Purple Heart Day. The Purple Heart is the nation’s oldest medal and is given to service members killed and wounded in battle during war.

Navarro said he was thankful to have his brother present for the unveiling and knew that his late dad, Lt. Col. Herbert Navarro, a longtime Air Force pilot, and late brother Rick, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who few P3 Orion Aircraft, would be proud.

“Fallen Comrade is not about one soldier or one branch of service or one war,” he said. “It represents all of them. It represents the men and women who raised their right hand and made a commitment to something greater than themselves.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A Reminder To Remember"}]

Navarro said he hopes everyone who encounters the sculpture will stop for a moment and remember the sacrifice, courage, and remember the families who remain behind because of the sacrifice.

In addition to Herb Navarro, other veterans helping to remove the covering on the statue were Casper World War II U.S. Navy veteran William McMillan, Korean War veteran Cecil Barnes, Vietnam veteran Barry Gasdek, and Kelly Ivanoff, a veteran of the Global War on Terrorism.

After the unveiling, Chris Navarro pointed out that the dog tags hanging from the rifle of the fallen did not carry a name but a message: “All gave some, and some gave all.”

Herb Navarro told the crowd that before traveling from Arizona he found his dad’s dog tags from the Korean War and would put them on the sculpture for the rest of the day to honor him.

“They’re pretty interesting dog tags because they say 'T-50’ on them,” he said. “That represents the year you got your tetanus shot.”

Herb Navarro said seeing the bronze placed at the cemetery reminded him of scenes he witnessed during trips to Arlington National Cemetery for funerals.

“It’s a cool sculpture, for sure,” he said.

Chris Navarro said he was thankful his brother was able to be present for the unveiling and pleased with the sculpture. It will be set on a pedestal so when people approach it, it will be at eye level.

The artist said the sculpture is his sixth public art installation in a year and his 18th in Casper.

“I’ve been doing it professionally for 40 years and I want to do 50 (art installations) before they throw dirt on me,” he said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"‘Fantastic’ Gift"}]

Gasdek called the sculpture a “fantastic” gift from the Wyoming Military Department and Navarro to honor “fallen warriors and those who served.”

He said unveiling the sculpture on Purple Heart Day seemed appropriate.

“I just thank them for going one step beyond in their service to take care of our vets to let them know that their service is appreciated,” he said. “You can honor them while they are living and even when they are deceased.”

The sculpture, which is 125% of life size, was cast at Eagle Bronze in Lander.

Chris Navarro said he hopes people interact with, kneel beside or put their arm around the sculpture.

“A lot of monumental bronze you can’t walk around them and touch them, but this one is going to be that way,” he said.

Fallen Soldier sculpture Statue Unveiled 8 7 26

<title>Chris Navarro’s Latest Bronze ‘Fallen Comrade’ An Emotional Tribute To Father | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Casper sculptor Chris Navarro unveiled his latest bronze Friday, a more-than-life-sized work titled “Fallen Comrade” of a soldier kneeling in honor of a fallen brother. “It’s special because of all the ties my family has to the military,” he said.

Chris Navarro’s Latest Bronze ‘Fallen Comrade’ An Emotional Tribute To Father

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Courts

A 37-year-old Powell man faces up to 10 years in prison after allegedly attacking a woman he lived with, punching her in the head multiple times and leaving her bruised and with a chipped front tooth because he didn't believe how many steps she walked during the day.

Catlin Stephen Wolfard is charged with the felony aggravated assault and battery along with domestic battery, a misdemeanor. 

Wolfard had his first court appearance Friday morning in Park County Circuit Court, where his bond was set at $10,000. 

It started when the woman returned to the home she shared with Wolfard on Monday evening, cleaned the house and started making dinner, 

per an affidavit written by Powell Police Lt. Dustin DelBiaggio.

[{"type":"text","text":"Around 8:30 p.m., the two sat down at the kitchen table."}]

During dinner, she began talking about the number of steps her phone had recorded while she was at work. Wolfard didn't believe the number was accurate, she told investigators, and what began as a mundane disagreement turned into a heated argument.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Whiskey got involved,\" she later told police."}]

Wolfard began drinking Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, while she had about two shots. She described herself as about a three on a 10-point scale to drunk, but described Wolfard as "extremely angry."

The two separated for a while, and things appeared to settle down, but she said it didn't last. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"White Claw Cans Fly"}]

Around 1 a.m. Tuesday, the two were back in the kitchen when another argument erupted.

The woman said Wolfard began pulling full cans of White Claw from the refrigerator and throwing them at her, though none connected. 

She told investigators she became worried the argument was about to turn physical after Wolfard walked over and closed the kitchen window, commenting that the neighbors might hear them. 

She bent forward at the waist and put her hands over her head to protect herself as Wolfard approached, she told investigators. He then allegedly punched her two or three times with a closed fist in the back of her head.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Don't beat me,\" she said."}]

"Stop saying I beat you, now you're going to see how it feels to be beat," Wolfard allegedly responded.

[{"type":"text","text":"The woman retreated into the master bedroom, but Wolfard followed."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Pushed Into Furniture"}]

When she tried to leave, she said Wolfard repeatedly pushed her backward into the room, using his open hands against her upper chest.

[{"type":"text","text":"She eventually got around him and made it into the living room."}]

There, she alleged, Wolfard began pushing her around for several minutes, causing her to strike furniture.

The living room contained wood-framed chairs, a couch with little padding and an air mattress on the floor, the affidavit says.

She told investigators she managed to get back to the bedroom and lie down, separating herself from Wolfard.

But at about 3 a.m., Wolfard came into the bedroom and told her he was going to sleep there, and she could sleep in the living room.

She claims she left her cellphone in the bed, and when she asked Wolfard to give it back, he refused. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chipped Tooth"}]

Wolfard then allegedly punched the woman twice in the face with a closed fist.

She described one as a glancing blow as she turned away. The other, she said, landed directly on her mouth and chipped the bottom of her left front tooth.

She went into the living room and fell asleep while Wolfard remained in the bedroom.

When she woke later that morning, she grabbed her phone while Wolfard was still sleeping and called the police. 

She said abuse was "normal," but Wolfard had never punched her before that night. 

Police later noticed bruises on the woman's body that appeared to be in various stages of healing.

Some bruising on her chest, she said, came from a separate domestic incident with Wolfard about a week earlier.

Investigators also wrote that the woman discovered a hard mass developing inside her right breast that she attributed to the recent altercation.

Powell Hospital EMS was called, and she agreed to go to the Powell Valley Healthcare emergency room for her injuries and a forensic examination.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What Wolfard Said"}]

Wolfard left the residence after waking up around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and was arrested a short time later, according to the affidavit.

He told officers she bruised easily and fell frequently. He also said bruising on her left arm came from the two playing "tug of war" on paddleboards at Deaver Reservoir the previous weekend.

[{"type":"text","text":"The woman disputed both explanations."}]

 wrote that investigators believed Wolfard had attempted to cause the woman serious bodily injury by pushing her into furniture, punching her and breaking her tooth, and repeatedly striking the back of her head.

[{"type":"text","text":"According to the Park County Sheriffs Office, Wolfard remains in custody."}]

Catlin Stephen Wolfard new 8 7 26

<title>Powell Man Accused Of Beating Woman When He Didn’t Believe How Many Steps She Walked | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A 37-year-old Powell man could get 10 years in prison for allegedly attacking a woman when he got angry over not believing how many steps she walked that day. "Now you're going to see how it feels to be beat," the woman told police he said to her.

Powell Man Accused Of Beating Woman When He Didn’t Believe How Many Steps She Walked

Crime & Courts

Wyoming, 14 other states, a handful of gun advocacy groups, and individuals beat the Trump administration in court this week when a Texas-based federal judge called significant portions of the 1934 National Firearms Act unconstitutional.

U.S. District Court Judge James Wesley Hendrix ruled Wednesday that major portions of the act are unconstitutional and can’t be enforced on Wyoming’s government and a number of other plaintiffs. 

Those provisions restrict suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and firearms classified as “any other weapons.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Gov. Mark Gordon called the ruling a win."}]

“This is a great win for gun owners across the country, including here in Wyoming where our gun rights are an important part of our heritage,” said Gordon in a Friday email statement. “It is absolutely essential that the 2nd Amendment be respected and protected. I am delighted to see a judge recognize overreach when it is this clear.”

Gordon congratulated Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz and Kautz’s team “for their solid work and wish them the best as this case continues moving forward.”

Hendrix stayed his order until at least Aug. 12, in case the federal government wants to appeal. It hadn’t appealed as of Friday morning.

The judge also did not overturn the NFA’s restrictions on machine guns and destructive devices.

Mark Jones, Wyoming resident and national director of Gun Owners of America, told Cowboy State Daily the ruling represents a big win — but not an invitation to go make short-barreled rifles, at least until the dust settles.

“We’re advising people to be very careful about looking at a headline and running out and engaging in practices related to this until we get more information and there’s some decision on this appeal,” said Jones. 

He also said that though Wyoming is a plaintiff, he doesn’t believe the injunction extends to every Wyoming citizen.

But, added Jones, “I still think it’s the biggest win against the NFA in the NFA’s history, and we'll see what happens.”

A federal judge overturned parts of the National Firearms Act this week after Wyoming and other plaintiffs sued the Trump administration, which had defended the act. Gov. Mark Gordon on Friday called it a "great win for gun owners across the country."

You’re Still Here? Wednesday, September 28, 2022

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