Daily Smile

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Daily smile 12 28 22 scaled

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

<title>Wednesday Smile: December 28, 2022 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Baby sheep fight. Watch at your own risk!

Wednesday Smile: December 28, 2022

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Law Enforcement

A Wednesday afternoon at a Cheyenne hardware store gave way to flashing lights, drawn guns and a swift police response after a reported armed robbery outside Ace Hardware that ended with three people in custody and multiple firearms recovered.

Within minutes of the first 911 call, police flooded the east side of the city.

By about 3:30 p.m., at least eight law enforcement vehicles with emergency lights flashing were clustered near athletic fields east of the store, where officers appeared to be investigating and searching vehicles.

Motorists slowed as they passed, trying to make sense of the sudden show of force.

[{"type":"text","text":"Cheyenne resident Cassadie Randolph was one of them."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"She pulled over after spotting the police activity."}]

"I just saw someone in handcuffs and cops looking through the vehicle," Randolph told Cowboy State Daily just before 4 p.m. 

What she witnessed was the aftermath of what police say began just minutes earlier.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Armed Robbery"}]

According to the Cheyenne Police Department, officers were dispatched at approximately 3:06 p.m. Wednesday to a report of an armed robbery at Ace Hardware, 3505 E. Lincolnway.

They located three people believed to have been involved in the robbery and took them into custody, police said. Officers also recovered firearms.

[{"type":"text","text":"No injuries were reported."}]

"Officers do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community at this time," the department said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.

Police have not yet identified the three people who were arrested or announced what criminal charges they may face.

Authorities also have not released details about what happened before officers arrived, what property may have been taken, or whether the victim and suspects knew one another.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Firearms Recovered"}]

Earlier emergency dispatch traffic indicated the robbery was reported in the Ace Hardware parking lot and that officers were searching for a vehicle believed to be connected to the crime before making the arrests. 

The investigation drew a significant law enforcement presence to the area, with patrol vehicles from multiple directions converging.

Witnesses watched as officers secured the scene, detained at least one person and searched a vehicle while investigators worked nearby.

As investigators continue gathering evidence, authorities have not indicated whether additional arrests are expected.

Police also have not yet said what led to the robbery.

Ace arrest 7 22 26

<title>Three Arrested After Reported Armed Robbery Outside Cheyenne Ace Hardware | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A reported armed robbery outside of an Ace Hardware in east Cheyenne sparked a major police response Wednesday. Three people were arrested and multiple firearms recovered. "I saw someone in handcuffs and cops looking through the vehicle," a witness said.

Three Arrested After Reported Armed Robbery Outside Cheyenne Ace Hardware

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Outdoors

Wildlife

A hiker probably couldn't have done anything more to save himself when he surprised a grizzly at close range in the dark in Glacier National Park on May 3 and was subsequently killed, a seasoned bear-country trekker told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.

Anthony Pollio, 33, of Davie, Florida, used bear spray at some point during the attack “but it is unknown if and where the spray contacted the bear,” according to an incident report from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. 

The attack likely occurred between 9:15 and 10 p.m., when Pollio was hiking down the Mt. Brown lookout trail, the report states. He suffered fatal bit wounds to his head. 

“Darkness and deadfall on the trail would have prevented the bear and Mr. Pollio from seeing each other until they were very close,” according to the report. 

Pollio might have been using his cell phone light to illuminate his path, but it isn’t known whether he was making any noise before encountering the bear, the report says. 

Outdoor adventurer Michael Hodges was in Glacier at the time, and said he avoids hiking before dawn or after dark whenever possible. 

“I’m not saying he (Pollio) did anything wrong,” said Hodges, a novelist and internet personality.

He said Pollio, who was described by friends and family as an experienced outdoorsman, probably didn’t set out with the intent of staying out past dark. 

Letting the day get away while enjoying the backcountry and hiking out later than planned is a mistake even experienced outdoors people sometimes make, Hodges said.   

Running into a grizzly on a narrow trail in the dark is a “worst-case scenario,” Hodges said. “That’s a nightmare scenario.” 

“No bear spray, no gun is going to save you in a situation like that,” he added. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Brief, Intense Attack"}]

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee includes officials from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the National Park Service and other agencies. 

The committee’s report on the investigation of the site where Pollio’s body was found May 6 indicate 

, by an adult male grizzly, was brief and intense. 

His body was found about 69 feet below the trail and about 2.5 miles from the trailhead. 

During the attack, Pollio “fell or was thrown downhill” off the trail about 93 feet during the initial contact with the bear, according to a detailed incident report from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. 

“His path was littered with personal effects beginning 10 ft (feet) below the trail. We believe the bear followed Mr. Pollio downhill, continuing the attack. Spatters of blood increased in frequency and volume down the hill,” according to the report. 

One of Pollio’s ears was found about 40 feet downslope and a large pool of blood marked the end of his descent, the report states. 

“Based on blood marks and the orientation of branches, it appears as though Mr. Pollio managed to climb back up slope approximately 18 ft, at which point the bear re-engaged and inflicted the fatal bites to Mr. Pollio’s head,” the report states. 

There was no evidence of “predation” on Pollio’s body and the bear apparently left immediately after the attack, the committee reported. 

Pollio’s last known communication was a text message sent to girlfriend at 8:20 p.m. May 3 from about .9 miles up the trail from the attack site, according to the report. The text indicated that he expected to make it back to the trailhead around 11 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Bears Use Trails Too"}]

Bears are smart enough to “take the path of least resistance,” so they like using hiking trails, Kim Titchener, founder of the Bear Safety and More organization in Canada, told Cowboy State Daily. 

Bears like to avoid people and will use hiking trails at times when people typically don’t, such as before dawn or after dark, she said.

That’s can make hiking on trails during those times particularly dangerous, she said. 

The trails in Glacier  have “lots of switchbacks” and blind corners with thick vegetation, she said. 

That can make surprise close encounters more likely, and bears might react defensively in those situations, Titchener said. 

Grizzlies usually attack to “neutralize a perceived threat” and will stop once they realize a person is no longer a threat, she added. 

In many cases, “playing dead” will stop a grizzly attack, she said.

It’s best to hike during the daylight, in groups, “making lots of noise,” Titchener said. 

Hodges agreed that bears in Glacier like using hiking trails at odd hours, usually in the dark, and so he tries to avoid being on the trails at those times. 

The attack on Pollio was most likely the result of bad circumstances, he said. 

But he’s observed other hikers in Glacier displaying bad behavior. 

“They’re spending 10 minutes filming themselves out hiking and not paying attention to what’s going on around them,” he said. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Glacier is no place for that, Hodges said."}]

“This is a national park that has the same number of bears as Yellowstone, in an area that’s about half the size of Yellowstone,” he said. 

Glacier grizzly v2 7 22 26

<title>"Nightmare Scenario": Victim Of Glacier Grizzly Attack Likely Surprised Bear In The Dark | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Officials concluded Tuesday that a 33-year-old man likely surprised a grizzly in the dark before he was killed in Glacier National Park in May. Running into a bear in the dark is a “nightmare scenario,” said an outdoorsman who was in the park at the time.

"Nightmare Scenario": Victim Of Glacier Grizzly Attack Likely Surprised Bear In The Dark

Courts

A former Special Olympics Wyoming employee accused of stealing more than $200,000 from the nonprofit has agreed to plead guilty to six felonies, bringing one of Wyoming's most closely watched charity theft cases a major step closer to resolution.

A plea agreement filed in Natrona County District Court shows Christine Rodriguez, 57, of Bar Nunn, will plead guilty to three counts of felony theft and three counts of felony forgery. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss three additional forgery charges, according to documents made available Monday.

[{"type":"text","text":"The agreement still must be accepted by a judge."}]

Rodriguez's attorney, Ryan Semerad, declined to discuss the specifics of the agreement before sentencing but said his client is accepting responsibility.

"She is very remorseful for her actions and deeply regrets them," Semerad told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday, adding the defense plans to address those issues more fully at sentencing. 

Rodriguez worked for Special Olympics Wyoming for roughly a decade before the alleged thefts came to light.

[{"type":"text","text":"Police Called Alleged Scheme 'Sophisticated'"}]

Casper police arrested Rodriguez in April after a monthslong financial crimes investigation into the missing money.

Investigators alleged Rodriguez embezzled roughly $206,000 over several years by writing unauthorized checks, falsifying financial records, forging signatures and concealing missing cash.

Police described the alleged scheme as "sophisticated," alleging Rodriguez altered audit documentation and misapplied deposits to hide missing cash. Investigators said those actions concealed the missing money from the nonprofit for years.

When Rodriguez first appeared in court in April, she was charged with nine felonies — three counts of theft and six counts of forgery.

The alleged theft reached far beyond a balance sheet. The missing money belonged to a nonprofit that raises funds to provide year-round athletic training and competition for Wyoming athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Lead investigator Officer Jace Carver added that crimes involving charitable organizations ultimately hurt the athletes and families those organizations exist to serve.

[{"type":"text","text":"Three Charges Dismissed"}]

Under the negotiated plea agreement, Rodriguez will plead guilty to the three theft charges and the first three forgery charges.

[{"type":"text","text":"The remaining three forgery counts will be dismissed."}]

The agreement also outlines how the parties will recommend Rodriguez be sentenced.

The three theft convictions would run concurrently, and the three forgery convictions would also run concurrently. Those two groups of convictions, however, could be ordered to run consecutively, leaving Rodriguez with a maximum sentencing exposure of 18 to 20 years in prison.

The plea agreement also states Rodriguez cannot withdraw her guilty pleas if the judge ultimately imposes a sentence different from the prosecution's recommendation.

[{"type":"text","text":"Restitution Still Pending"}]

Rodriguez agreed to pay restitution for all criminal conduct, including losses tied to the three forgery charges to be dismissed.

The final restitution amount has not been determined, though both sides anticipate it will exceed $200,000, the plea agreement says.

Police credited Special Olympics Wyoming with providing extensive financial records and cooperating throughout the investigation.

Because of the scope and complexity of the review, detectives enlisted the Rocky Mountain Information Network — part of the Regional Information Sharing Systems network — to help analyze the records.

Investigators also noted the case carried added significance because of Special Olympics Wyoming's longstanding partnership with law enforcement through programs such as the Law Enforcement Torch Run and Tip-A-Cop fundraisers.

[{"type":"text","text":"Organization Waiting For Sentencing"}]

Special Olympics Wyoming CEO Jen Haines declined to comment on the specifics of the plea agreement, saying the organization does not want to jeopardize the proceedings and plans to speak more openly once the case is resolved.

Haines did confirm one important detail: The organization has not received any restitution while the criminal case remains pending

 She said the restitution amount, along with any prison sentence, is expected to be determined at sentencing. 

In a written statement, the organization said it remains focused on the people it serves.

"Special Olympics Wyoming is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and protecting the interests of all of our athletes, donors, and supporters,” it says. "Special Olympics Wyoming appreciates the past, and continued, much-needed support of SOWY athletes at this time. SOWY has been offering sports training and competition programming since 1972 and looks forward to the continued implementation of our mission to benefit athletes with intellectual disabilities from across Wyoming."

Christine rodriguez special olympics 7 22 26

<title>Woman Accused of Stealing $200K From Special Olympics To Plead Guilty To Six Felonies | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Bar Nunn woman has agreed to plead guilty to six felonies for embezzling $206,000 from Special Olympics Wyoming. Her attorney told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday that she is "very remorseful for her actions and deeply regrets them."

Woman Accused of Stealing $200K From Special Olympics To Plead Guilty To Six Felonies

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

Renée Jean

Wyoming Life

Cheyenne Frontier Days' new “skybox” experience might be two or three stories above the rodeo action, but somehow that action feels closer than ever.

It’s a curious paradox, hard to explain until you’ve seen it yourself.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Maybe it’s the view."}]

It’s full-on. It’s literally over the top. Your eyes stretch from one end of Cheyenne’s historic outdoor arena — the largest outdoor rodeo arena in the world — to the other end, with no obstructions. 

Stand or sit wherever you want. It doesn’t matter. The view will still feel as if you’re a king or a queen, looking down on creation. Fix your gaze anywhere you like.

Or maybe it’s the sound, wired straight into the box and wrapping itself around spectators. 

It’s immersive — pounding hooves, foot-stomping music, the cheering crowd. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Like some kind of rodeo dream."}]

The announcer’s voice rolls over it all like thunder.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Long Overdue Leap"}]

Cheyenne Frontier Days has been delivering world-class rodeo competition since 1897, drawing elite cowboys and top-tier musicians to the “Daddy of 'em All.” 

Until now, however, the venue has lacked a true, modern skybox experience. While the grounds previously offered limited, basic, upper-level VIP areas, the new complex marks a much bigger leap into premium hospitality. 

CFD CEO Tom Hirsig has told Cowboy State Daily the $8 million multi-level facility was a long-overdue necessity. 

What CFD had previously was essentially a weathered wooden box above the ropes that Hirsig said had “far outlived its life expectancy.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Fixing it would be a huge challenge. "}]

But it also presented an opportunity — one that could support the rodeo’s future.

“One of the things we recognized is the need for VIP experiences,” Hirsig said. “Those are the fastest things that go, if there’s some sort of VIP area.”

A VIP area done right not only supports itself, it also helps chip away at deferred maintenance, he said. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"From Sliders To Shade"}]

 VIP experiences had room for roughly 25 sponsors, as well as a rooftop area that could accommodate about 70 people.

Now there’s room for about 450 in a mix of VIP boxes that are perfect for parties of around 30, along with individual seats that cost $125 each for those who aren’t part of a large group.

The private VIP box suites all come pre-stocked with snacks and drinks. Guests can also order a range of catered items. 

On Tuesday afternoon, the skybox occupied by Nate Janousek and his family felt as if a family living room had been dropped over Chute 9. The children leaned against the rail to watch broncs explode from the chutes, while parents huddled over drinks and plates piled with brisket sliders, wings, and corn dogs. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"There were smiles all around."}]

“This was all really good,” Janousek told Cowboy State Daily. “There’s tons of catering options, and everything we’ve had has been terrific.”

Janousek, who provides concessions at CFD, comes to the rodeo every year, but Tuesday was family day for him, so he decided to do something special. 

“The view above Chute 9 is incredible for the steer roping events and the steer wrestling,” he said. “And then just the ability to have so many spaces for the seating and the televisions, and places for food and drink and stuff like that.”

The light breeze constantly blowing in felt like air conditioning, he added.

“You’re not getting blasted by the sun,” he said. “It’s really terrific. I think it’s going to be harder and harder to get these as people find out.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'This Is Just Fantastic'"}]

From their skybox perch, Jennifer Gray and her travel buddy, Brian Hayes, could see straight down into Chute 9. 

That was just perfect for Gray, who was videotaping each steer, hoping to catch a cowboy wrestling one to the ground. 

The previous day, she and Hayes had squinted into the sun from the grandstands, craning around hats and flags to catch the Military Monday displays. Gray’s son was to have been part of a parachute jump that ultimately was canceled. 

“This is just fantastic,” Hayes said. “The view, to be able to see the action, especially right down in here, it’s just amazing.

“We sat over there yesterday,” he added, gesturing toward the left-hand stands. “And this is like a whole different experience.”

For former roughstock rider Chris Hall, the skybox is as close as he can get to an arena these days. Hall did “that stuff” as a teenager, he said, nodding toward a bucking bronc throwing a rider to the dirt about two seconds into his ride. 

“I’m all broken, so I can’t do any of this stuff anymore,” he said. “But I love watching it.”

He watched a string of riders “tossed one right after the other,” calling it “crazy” and grinning like he’d just been down in the chutes himself. 

Drinks and snacks were just a few steps away, he added, and there were no lines, making a drink run feel seamless and smooth. 

Skip and Taryn Schuman, CFD regulars from Fort Collins, Colorado, felt the same about the skybox versus just about any other place they’ve tried at CFD, from the Wrangler box to the grandstand benches. 

“That was fun, but this is so much better,” Skip told Cowboy State Daily. “It’s classier.”

“And there’s an elevator for the old folks,” his wife added with a chuckle. “Before the stairs were real steep. It’s so nice and cool up here. The seats are comfortable.”

“There’s food and drinks,” her husband continued. “You’ve got everything here. Check, check and check.”

For all its new polish, the skybox doesn’t change the essence of Cheyenne Frontier Days. It’s still the same old rodeo it’s always been. But now there are softer seats and party rooms — with a commanding view, one that will make spectators feel like royalty at the rodeo. 

CFD Sky Box 20260721 153424 7 22 26

<title>Cheyenne Frontier Days' New Skybox Delivers Luxury — And An Over The Top View | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Soft seats, catered food, and a commanding view — Cheyenne Frontier Days’ premium skybox experience already has fans. “The view above Chute 9 is incredible,” one said. “I think it’s going to be harder and harder to get these as people find out.”

Cheyenne Frontier Days' New Skybox Delivers Luxury — And An Over The Top View

One More For The Road

On the way to Wednesday's Cowboy State Daily news meeting, Andrew Rossi brake-checks Bill Sniffin......

One more for 7 22 26

<title>One More For The Road: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

One More For The Road: Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's Feature Reporter, Andrew Rossi.

Andrew Rossi

Public Lands

A tourist caught on video climbing on top of one of the iconic buildings in Grand Teton National Park not only broke the law, he disrespected “my family’s heritage,” said the grandson of Thomas Alva Moulton, who along with brother John Moulton, built the most famous homesteads on Mormon Row.

. A man climbed to the top of one of the historic structures adjacent to the pink house on the John Moulton Ranch.

“A tourist climbed onto the roof of one of the historic buildings just to take photos,” she said, but she didn’t say whether the man had been reported to park rangers.

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[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"My Family’s Heritage"}]

While the Moulton family no longer owns the historic structures, they still have a deep connection to their homesteads in the Teton Valley.

Steve Moulton is the grandson of T.A. Moulton, who built 

of the still-standing structures on Mormon Row and one of the most photographed barns in the world.

“My grandfather built the T.A. barn way back in the early 1900s,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “My dad helped build it and worked on it over the years. I have worked on it myself. I've been on the roof of the T.A. barn because we were putting a new roof on it.”

Moulton admitted that he climbed all over the T.A. Moulton Barn as a child, but that was when it was his family’s property.

The 1-acre parcel with the T.A. Moulton Barn was sold to the National Park Service in 2018, making it the last privately owned real estate on Mormon Row to be folded into Grand Teton National Park.

“I’m associated with the T.A. Moulton Barn, but that doesn't mean that I want to see anything going on down at the John Moulton Barn either,” Steve said. “It’s my family's heritage.”

omeone clambering over the historic building, especially since there’s been such an effort to ensure the remaining structures at Mormon Row remain standing.

“It's clear that there are people in this world who have no respect for public property,” he said. “To keep them in good condition, we have to take care of them, because yes, they are fragile.”

Grand Teton officials "are aware of the video" and warn that "climbing on historic structures can cause irreversible damage," said park spokesperson Emily Davis in a statement to Cowboy State Daily.

“At Mormon Row, visitors come to experience a remarkable historic landscape,” she added. “When someone disregards the rules and climbs on these structures, it detracts from that shared experience and puts an irreplaceable piece of our nation's history at risk.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Loved To Death"}]

Most people who visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks from around the world don’t have destructive intentions. They just want to take in the beauty of the landscape, like millions of others.

[{"type":"text","text":"That, however, can be part of the problem."}]

As visitation to national parks increases, one commonly heard concern is that they’re “

” The reason is that higher densities of tourists are, intentionally or unintentionally, causing more destruction and disturbance to the natural vistas that drew people there in the first place.

“We ask all visitors to help preserve historic buildings by viewing them from designated areas and not climbing on or entering the structures,” Davis said. “Historic buildings can be more fragile than they appear, and even what might seem like minor actions can contribute to the buildings' deterioration over time.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Steve shares some of that concern. "}]

[{"type":"text","text":"As Mormon Row has become more popular, the impact on the area is evident."}]

“What bothers me is there's so much foot traffic around the T.A. Barn,” he said. “The pictures used to have green grass in front of the barn. Now, it's just dirt because there is so much traffic.”

A tourist caught on video climbing one of the famous Mormon Row buildings in Grand Teton Park broke the law and disrespected “my family’s heritage,” said the grandson of T.A. Moulton who, along with his brother, built the most park's famous homesteads.

Wednesday Smile: December 28, 2022

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