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<p>We don&#x2019;t have to put up with crap like this…</p>

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

<title>Another Reason To Be Grateful To Live In Wyoming: Reason #3 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

We don't have to put up with crap like this...

Another Reason To Be Grateful To Live In Wyoming: Reason #3

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Outdoors

Jory Thomas, 14, was absent-mindedly flipping loops with a rope while visiting his grandparents' campground on the Yellowstone River over the Fourth of July weekend when he heard someone start screaming for help.

Within seconds, the Montana ranch kid emptied his pockets, splashed across a side channel and waded chest-deep into the river.

[{"type":"text","text":"Then he did something he'd spent the past year practicing on calves."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"This time, he roped a drowning man."}]

The July 5 rescue unfolded so quickly that by the time the first Sweet Grass County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived three minutes after Jory's father called 911, everyone was already safely on shore.

"My opinion, Jory saved the individual's life, 100%," Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg told Cowboy State Daily. "Had Jory not acted, I believe the chances of this individual not making it to shore were very slim.”'

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A Boat Hits A Bridge"}]

The Thomas family lives on a ranch about a dozen miles outside Big Timber, directly across from a campground where Jory's grandparents had been staying for the week.

Jory wandered over to visit with his parents and grandparents that afternoon, a rope already in his hand as he casually practiced throwing loops.

"All of a sudden he heard some yells for help," Jory's father, Jase Thomas, told Cowboy State Daily.

A boat had struck a bridge pillar, throwing its occupants into the Yellowstone River.

Three people fell in, but only two managed to get out, leaving one person alone in the swift current, desperately clinging to a cooler.

[{"type":"text","text":"Jory didn't hesitate."}]

Somehow, said his father, he convinced the drowning man to let go of the cooler. Then he threw the rope, catching the man around the neck and one arm. 

Jory and another bystander then pulled the man safely to shore before emergency responders arrived. 

In the moment, Jory didn’t think about any potential danger to himself, he just acted on instinct, the teen told KTVQ television in Billings, Montana, which first 

"This current was pretty fast then, and he was moving pretty quickly," he told the outlet. "Only thing I could focus on was helping him get out of the water because I didn't want to see anyone go in front of me.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'Let Me Have My Son Back'"}]

Jory's father has spent three decades on the Big Timber Volunteer Fire Department and immediately called 911.

Dispatch records show the call came in at 5:39 p.m. A deputy arrived just three minutes later and reported everyone was already out of the water. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Watching the rescue unfold wasn't easy for the elder Thomas. "}]

He knows that stretch of river, and that it becomes more dangerous just downstream, where swift current, deep holes and logjams create deadly hazards.

"My biggest concern was to let me have my son back," he said before taking a long pause, reflecting on the potential for Jory to also get caught up in the current.

"He understands water, but I don't think he understands what could happen,” Jase said. "I mean, he does, but he had one thing in mind, which is great, and he got it done." 

Jase believes the man his son rescued likely wouldn't have survived much longer.

[{"type":"text","text":"Sheriff Ronneberg agrees."}]

"I'm not sure how close the individual was to being 'lost,' but in my experience such things happen faster than you might guess they can," he said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'He Loves Roping' "}]

Although the rescue looked almost unbelievable, it wasn't blind luck. Jory has spent the past year immersing himself in roping.

He practices on roping dummies in his spare time and started roping calves from horseback during local brandings, his father said.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"He's always had a rope,\" Jase said. \"He loves roping.\" "}]

Outside of ranch work, he's an avid hunter and is spending this week showing a steer and a pig at the county fair. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'That's Just Who He Is'"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"To his family, the rescue wasn't entirely surprising."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Jase said his son has always been the first person to help someone else."}]

"We'll be in town at the grocery store, and you'll see an elderly person," he said. "They can't pack the groceries, and he never says a word. He goes over and gets their groceries and packs them out. That's just who he is." 

Ronneberg said the rescue is a reminder that courage often appears in ordinary moments.

"Jory saw another in trouble and acted, not for himself but for another," Ronneberg said. "He didn't pull out a phone, but a lariat. He didn't watch what was happening but intervened."

"Jory is a lesson for all of us in this day and age and showed us what is courageous and right.”

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<title>14-Year-Old Ranch Kid Ropes Drowning Man On Yellowstone River, Saves Life | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A 14-year-old ranch kid from Big Timber, Montana, had a rope in his hand when cries for help erupted from the Yellowstone River. He sprinted into the water, threw one loop and caught a struggling man around the arm and neck, pulling him safely to shore.

14-Year-Old Ranch Kid Ropes Drowning Man On Yellowstone River, Saves Life

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

The Wyoming Republican Party’s leadership committee endorsed Brent Bien for governor, Chuck Gray for U.S. House, and Harriet Hageman for U.S. Senate during a virtual meeting Monday evening.

The roughly 50-person voting committee also endorsed Rep. Scott Smith in his bid for state treasurer, Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams in her bid for secretary of state, and Rep. Tom Kelly for superintendent of public instruction.

In releasing the endorsements, the party Central Committee’s majority broke recent tradition – and arguably state law – by choosing to back some Republicans over others before the Aug. 18 primary election is final.

While that law references financial backing, state GOP Chair Bryan Miller told members in April it’s been interpreted to bar endorsements too.

But party leadership is waging an ongoing federal legal challenge in an effort to have that state law overturned as a violation of the party’s First Amendment rights.

Proponents of letting the party endorse people pre-primary have called it a move toward freedom. Opponents have called it an “insider” maneuver, or disrespectful to the law or Republican voters.

Numerous members of the roughly 50-member voting body cast “abstain” and “no” votes during roll calls Monday.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be endorsing candidates at all,” said Hot Springs County GOP state committeeman Phil Scheel during a debate on whether to endorse Hageman, a sitting U.S. representative, in her run for U.S. Senate. “So I am going to suggest the group vote down this motion.

State Republican Party Vice-Chair Bob Ferguson, who had chaired the candidate endorsement vetting committee, ruled Scheel’s comment out of order.

The state central committee majority already approved a bylaw calling for vetting and endorsements at its convention in April, so Monday’s discussion should have been on Hageman’s merits, said Ferguson.

Niobrara County GOP Chair Janae Miller typed a comment into the Zoom meeting chat.

“Niobrara county constituents have been vocal in their opposition to endorsing

 no matter their excellent or poor performance,” 

wrote Miller. “They want the voters to decide at the polls.”

No conversation on Hageman’s merits unfolded. She won the endorsement with 32 in favor, five (including Scheel) against and 14 members abstaining.

This followed a vetting process in which the party dispatched questionnaires to statewide candidates, asking whether they agree with the 23 planks of the state GOP platform.

[{"type":"text","text":"U.S. House Race"}]

The body voted 33 in favor, four against, to endorse Gray, who is currently Secretary of State. Fourteen members abstained from the vote.

Fremont County GOP Chair Ginger Bennett had called Gray a “stalwart” who comes to Republican Party events, “and he donates, and donates his time.”

State House Rep. Nina Webber, R-Cody, who also attended the meeting as a voting party member, said Gray has been “instrumental in pushing through a lot of the conservative movements.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Park County GOP Chair Vince Vanata endorsed Gray “wholeheartedly.”"}]

Mitch Benson, a state committeeman from Fremont County, said he endorses Gray but disputes things the candidate has said.

“The only thing I want to throw out is, we still have voter drop boxes in Lander,” said Benson.

Gray has made banning drop boxes one of his priorities, and in 2025 applauded the passage of a law designed to do so.

[{"type":"text","text":"Ferguson called Benson’s commentary not germane."}]

“I’m endorsing him, all I’m saying is a lot of the things Chuck has said about voter integrity and getting rid of voter drop boxes is not true,” said Benson.

[{"type":"text","text":"Miller interjected, saying the three-minute limit for debate had passed."}]

Gray is running in a 10-candidate field for the GOP nomination to U.S. House. He faces philanthropist Steve Friess, state Senate President Bo Biteman, Casper businessman Reid Rasner, Teton County-based attorney Frank Chapman, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, Casper-based veterans Kevin Christensen and David Giralt, former legislator Keith Goodenough and Casper man Richard Dodson.

Most candidates completed and submitted those questionnaires to become eligible for the endorsement process. Some did not, like U.S. House candidates Bo Biteman and Keith Goodenough; U.S. Senate candidate Sam Mead; and gubernatorial candidate Eric Barlow.

[{"type":"text","text":"Governor, Secretary, Superintendent"}]

The party committee voted 34-4 with 13 abstaining to endorse Bien for governor. He was part of a consent list with candidates from other races.

The retired Marine Corps colonel faces Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, former state House Speaker and current Sen. Eric Barlow, and Centennial man Curt Blake in his primary bid.

Bien, Blake and Degenfelder all had submitted questionnaires to the party as part of the process.

[{"type":"text","text":"Barlow did not."}]

“I am a Republican, and I agree with the Republican platform,” Barlow said in a statement earlier this month. “But in a contested Republican primary, the voters should decide. I will not seek or accept an endorsement from the Wyoming Republican Party before receiving the votes of Wyoming’s Republican electorate.”

Sheridan County GOP state committeeman Tod Windsor asked the party to make a vote opposing Barlow’s campaign.

“I ask we consider Eric Barlow,” began Windsor – a woman gasped – “someone we’re in opposition to as the party.”

Vanata seconded that. Fremont County state committeewoman and former legislator Sarah Penn said Democrats in her area support Barlow.

[{"type":"text","text":"Benson said Barlow brushed aside a concern he raised earlier this year."}]

Scheel and Teton County GOP Chair Kat Rueckert both raised concerns against the opposition vote. Rueckert worried the Barlow campaign may sue the party.

A Washakie County delegate, Richard George, said opposing Barlow could “diminish” the party if Barlow is elected governor.

Natrona County delegate Marcia Neumiller called it “throwing mud” and urged the party to set a higher example.

“Aaannnnnd, the press is here recording all this,” wrote Nichole Odom in a soon-deleted chat message.

Miller had notified the committee before debate that Cowboy State Daily was present.

Benson uttered a profane comment right after Scheel voted not to oppose Barlow.

It’s uncertain what the comment was. Cowboy State Daily heard it as “f*ck you (inaudible).

Multiple members called Benson out of line. Ferguson warned him not to disrupt the meeting again.

[{"type":"text","text":"The motion failed."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Treasurer, Secretary, Superintendent"}]

The party approved endorsements for state Treasurer candidate Scott Smith, Secretary of State candidate Rachel Williams (also known as Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams) and Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Rep. Tom Kelly.

[{"type":"text","text":"Those were part of the same consent list as Bien."}]

In a separate vote, the party majority voted 12-25 against endorsing current Treasurer Curt Meier in his bid for reelection. Meier had been removed from the consent list after Benson called his aye-vote 

[{"type":"text","text":"Giralt, So Close"}]

Crook County Republican Party Chair Mark Koep asked the committee to vote in favor of supporting, rather than endorsing, Giralt for U.S. House.

“David Girlat didn’t’ meet all the vetting criteria because he doesn’t have enough history in the state,” said Koep, adding that he’s spoken to Giralt and “he seems like a good Republican. But right now I’m kind of guessing, because I don’t have enough history on it.”

Other members called Giralt engaged his military career “impressive.” 

The committee voted 17-18 against extending a gesture of support to Giralt.

Weston County GOP Chair Kari Drost asked the committee to vote against closing the meeting, saying they should consider endorsing Degenfelder.

Benson agreed, saying his precinct committee people are entrusting the state delegates with vetting candidates thoroughly no matter how long it takes.

[{"type":"text","text":"George countered."}]

“I completely disagree with that last comment. I think if there’s anybody in this state that needs to vet the candidates, it’s the people. The people are going to do a fine job at it. We don’t always agree with it,” said George. “But to suggest that people are depending on the party to vet candidates I think is an assumption of power and responsibility that’s not delegated to us.”

[{"type":"text","text":"The committee voted 24-19, nine abstaining, to close the meeting."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Degenfelder’s endorsement bid did not get a hearing."}]

Koep referenced a Cowboy State Daily “author” present in the meeting and suggested a retraction of the headline in a Monday story titled “Candidate Worries Wyoming GOP Doing ‘Pay To Play’ Endorsements.”

Koep said because the party voted against endorsing Meier, “that would fly in the face of that article.”

The story, rather, referenced the fact that, according to emails by party leaders, candidates’ past donations to the party have been approved as one of the vetting committee’s criterion.

It also cited a concern by Christensen that allowing that criterion creates a perception of a “pay to play” endorsement system.

Cowboy State Daily’s reporting drew from the party’s own emails, Christensen’s comments, and other candidates’ comments.

Mix Collage 20 Jul 2026 10 17 PM 6311

<title>Wyoming GOP Endorses Brent Bien, Chuck Gray, And Harriet Hageman | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Wyoming Republican Party leadership endorsed Brent Bien for governor, Chuck Gray for U.S. House, and Harriet Hageman for U.S. Senate on Monday evening. The controversial move breaks current tradition and maybe state law.

Wyoming GOP Endorses Brent Bien, Chuck Gray, And Harriet Hageman

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's business and tourism reporter, Renée Jean

Renée Jean

Wyoming Life

Entertainment

BUFFALO — When summer hits this small mountain town, a full-to-bursting Occidental Saloon isn’t an uncommon sight during Buffalo's annual Longmire Days, which celebrates the “Longmire” books and TV series created by local author Craig Johnson.

The saloon is the nerve center of the Western downtown, a nexus of historical buildings that have changed little since the late 1800s. 

Bullet holes still pock the walls of the saloon and the hotel is so full of artifacts it has museum status, even as it accepts guests for the night — just as it did when Butch Cassidy was still stomping around Wyoming, racing horses and then robbing trains and banks.

The Occidental’s historical cachet is a draw every summer, pulling in tourists and creating something of a scene, particularly on Thursday nights when the hotel’s co-owner, Dave Stewart, and some of his fellow musicians pull out their guitars for a jam session that packs the house and sells out the hotel.

But Saturday night, the overflowing crowdedness of it all had a sharper edge. 

People streaming out of the saloon were more than equally replaced by the people who were streaming in — and doing a double take once they made it past the doorway to the middle of the bar. 

There, casually enjoying cocktails and conversation as if he were not famous at all, was Robert Taylor, the actor who played Sheriff Walt Longmire for six seasons of the popular television hit “Longmire” series. 

Taylor held court at the end of the bar, chattering casually with a group that included “Longmire” author Craig Johnson’s agent Gail Hochman. 

He seemed completely unaware of the hubbub around him, even though he was definitely at its center.

People wearing King Ropes ball caps and Longmire T-shirts pretended not to stare, even as they were surreptitiously taking short videos of the star in action. 

Others, a little bolder, simply stopped to chat with Taylor and took the opportunity to ask for a selfie or an autograph. 

Taylor would eventually tire of this endless stream of people wanting a moment of his time — but it took hours. 

In the meantime, he never uttered an impatient word to the adoring fans jockeying for a slice of his time and attention.

He was in his element here — the fictional Absaroka County sheriff come to life once again. The fans of the show, who had traveled from coast to coast and all places in between, absolutely loved it.

What’s more remarkable is how this scene has repeated itself for the last 15 years running.

Sheriff Walt Longmire continues to solve Western mysteries in Johnson’s long-running series of novels, which are perennially New York Times Best-Sellers. His latest, 

In it, the sheriff has to solve the murder of a guy everyone hated.

While the books are going strong, it’s been nine years since the last new “Longmire" episode aired on television, yet fans are still coming to Longmire Days and clamoring to meet Taylor.

For his part, Taylor is here every year, without fail. 

that would conflict with the timing of Longmire Days, when Buffalo briefly becomes the fictional town of Durant, county seat of Longmire’s Absaroka County, and the town swells to roughly twice its normal size.

“I love coming to Wyoming,” Taylor told Cowboy State Daily. “I love seeing my friends. I love seeing Craig. (Longmire) was a wonderful part of my life, and I’m just never going to let it go.”

Intimate Moments, Not Just Autograph Lines

For many of the people who crammed into Buffalo over the weekend, it is the unscripted bar scene that defines the allure of Longmire Days more than any other.

It’s more intimate than an autograph line and  more surprising than scheduled Q&A or insider panel, particularly to those newer to Longmire Days.

“I mean, you couldn’t go anywhere else and get that kind of access to such people,” Betty Abbott told Cowboy State Daily. “That’s what’s cool.”

Her husband, Ken, was equally impressed with Craig Johnson’s presence during Longmire Days.

“I’ve never seen anybody so tireless in my life, staying a whole week here,” he said. “We don’t see the private side, but the guys just like — does he sleep? he’s always going. It’s just fascinating to see.”

Suzanne Peters, a first-time Longmire Days visitor from North Carolina, meanwhile, was absolutely shocked when she bumped into Taylor right off the bat, the first morning of the event. 

“We’re staying at the Occidental,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “We come down into the saloon every day, and there’s Rob sitting there having breakfast with the owner Dave Stewart.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Peters didn’t rush the star."}]

“We tried to be respectful,” she said. “You know, if he engaged, we were going to engage.”

Not only was Taylor open to talking with Peters, but he was asking her questions about her Longmire journeys and who she’d come to the event with.

“He was really excited when he found out my sister-in-law was a teacher,” Peters said. “I’ve been sending my sister all these really cool pictures, because Rob is really generous with the pictures. And so is Craig.”

During the autograph session, Taylor remembered Peters’ sister-in-law, and wrote a particularly nice message in her book about the importance of teachers in society.

“So I got to come out and meet my favorite author, and I got to talk to Rob Taylor, who I think is a really cool actor and everything,” Peters said with a beaming smile. “He’s been everything I expected. A very nice guy.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Buffalo Is Durant"}]

Walk down Main Street during Longmire Days and it’s hard to tell where the Craig Johnson stories end and Buffalo begins. 

And Johnson wouldn’t have it any other way.

“So much of the charm of Longmire Days resides right here in Buffalo,” Johnson told Cowboy State Daily. “People wander around and feel like they’re walking around in Absaroka County. They think they’re in Durant, and they expect Walt Longmire to come walking down the sidewalk and see them at any time. And I don’t blame them because he’s actually out there walking around.”

Johnson has been upfront that he’s weaving his story around a real-life place, a place his readers can visit. The name of the county and the town might be fictional, but street names are the same, as are trail numbers. 

That makes it easy for tourism officials to direct visitors to all the sights within the Longmire universe.

“It’s kind of ready-made to be a tourism asset for the state,” Johnson said. “And I’m always proud of that because Wyoming is, I mean 22 novels and three novellas and a collection of short stories later, I still love the place, and I’m not going anywhere.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Not Just A Vacation"}]

For many Longmire fans, that “tourism asset” has become something like a pilgrimage.

Peters, for example, traveled all the way from North Carolina for the event. She bought her all-access ticket the minute dates were announced and booked a room at the Occidental right away. 

Longtime fans Terri Behm and Ken Dambrosio, meanwhile, came all the way from New Hampshire for the occasion. When they couldn’t find a room in Buffalo, they booked in nearby Sheridan instead, driving down each day.

“The magic of Longmire is a little difficult to articulate,” Dambrosio said. “Longmire itself is such a compelling show, and the characters were so rich. I really enjoyed it. So I was on the list of people who were hoping it would be revived when it initially got the boot. And then it did and we were all excited and just loved it.”

When Dambrosio heard about Longmire Days for the first time, he knew it was something he wanted to come and see.

“We’re from New Hampshire, so it isn’t next door,” he said with a chuckle. “So we were looking for a reason to come out.”

There have been false starts a few times, including a wedding. This time they decided to “just do it.”

The extra attention from the celebrities, who included A. Martinez (Jacob Nighthorse), Louanne Stephens (Ruby), as well as Taylor, has made the trip feel worthwhile.

“They’ve done a lovely job, kind of having opportunities to get to know the characters, and hear about why it was special for them,” Behm said. “And I feel like the people who choose to come to a fan event like this, they’re going to be the ones who like fans and interact with them well. So it’s been nice to see that.”

Ask enough people why they’re so attached to a sheriff from a fictional Wyoming county, and sooner or later the conversation slips from television and celebrities into something akin to longing for a world that still make sense, where things work they way they should.

“I’m not attracted to bad people doing bad things,” Behm said. “I can take a flawed hero who sometimes makes a poor choice … but at their core, they’re trying to do right.”

That’s harder to write, Behm added. But it’s far more satisfying in the end.

“These are layered characters,” she said. “But to me, they’re so much more compelling than, like Yellowstone, where they’re all kind of at their core not great.”

That flawed human who is still good-to-the-core is part of the attraction for Peters as well.

“If you wrecked your car on a dark road somewhere, you’d be so relieved if Walt pulled up,” she said. “He’s the kind of guy you’d want to come help your kids if something went wrong.”

In a world where the real-life headlines often feel upside-down, Longmire is offering a universe where decency, fairness and hard work still count. Where justice might be messy, but is never meaningless. 

That’s what Louanne Stephens, who plays Ruby likes about “Longmire,” her self. 

“It’s the same old thing I’ve always said,” she said. “Except for Nighthorse, everybody in this show is trying to be good, trying to do their best and falling short. And that’s unique now, too, because all the big shows, everybody’s bad.”

The shows basically decent values are part of what Behm believes makes the event feel like such a second home — even for first-time visitors like herself.

“You feel like those who are drawn to this, you’re probably going to get along with,” she said. “It’s a sense of community.”

That sense of community extends far beyond Buffalo. It’s wrapped around the lives of everyone who has ever been part of producing the television show, “Longmire.” 

That brings some unusual guests to the event every year, guests who are completely unexpected, and fun.

Enter Rosie Palmer, stage left. She was the stand-in for Katee Sackhoff, a role that ultimately earned Palmer her first speaking line. 

“I’m interviewing a cop who is in plainclothes about a murder that happened that morning,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “It was hair, makeup, everything. And my name’s in the credit. Season six, episode eight, about 20 minutes in.”

It was a story of persistence, more than anything else — a decade of showing up on time, being willing to do the work, and becoming the kind of casting extra directors knew they could rely upon. 

Fans still pack Buffalo for Longmire Days even nine years after the last “Longmire” TV episode aired. Author Craig Johnson created Sheriff Walt Longmire, and said fans "expect Walt Longmire to come walking down the sidewalk and see them at any time."

Another Reason To Be Grateful To Live In Wyoming: Reason #3

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