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

<title>Daily Smile: Monday, January 16, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

When your best friend picks you up at the airport...

Daily Smile: Monday, January 16, 2023

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

Clair McFarland

Crime & Courts

Courts

RIVERTON — A 33-year-old Lander man faces up to 42 years in prison and fines in connection with the Wednesday evening Riverton crash in which two people died.

Micheal Odom was already on probation for DUI, police interference, and reckless driving convictions out of Campbell County when the truck he was driving sped through Riverton’s busiest 30 mph thoroughfare at more than 75 mph, Fremont County deputy attorney James Weck told the Lander Circuit Court on Friday.

Odom, who is in custody, appeared in court for his initial hearing that afternoon.

Weck noted that besides the Campbell County convictions, Odom is also on parole for 

heft, burglary, and property destruction felonies out of Natrona County.

Friday’s filing marks his third DUI charge in five years, and Odom tried to flee the scene of the crash, Weck added. 

The prosecutor asked Lander Circuit Court Judge Jefferson Coombs to set Odom’s bond at $5 million cash-only.

Coombs warned Odom that he doesn’t have to incriminate himself, but asked if he wanted to speak about his life in response to Weck’s bond argument.

[{"type":"text","text":"Odom took that opening to apologize instead."}]

“I’m terribly sorry about what happened,” he said. “I’ve just been fighting addiction my whole life. I do not really know what happened or remember anything. I just apologize to the victims’ family and everything.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Coombs set Odom’s bond at $1 million, cash-only."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Scene"}]

Cowboy State Daily arrived on scene Wednesday to find a white Dodge pickup with front-end damage on its side in the middle of Riverton’s busiest thoroughfare, Federal 

About a half-block away sat the mangled remains of what eyewitnesses said had been a Jeep.

An evidentiary affidavit by Riverton Police Department Officer Jesse Francher, filed by the Fremont County Attorney’s Office, says a 23- or 24-year-old woman lay on the ground at least 20 feet away from the Jeep. 

A man that same age, the Jeep’s passenger, remained inside the vehicle, the document says.

Officers arrived on scene and pulled Odom, who was bleeding, from the pickup.

“While waiting with Odom he was worried that he was going to jail,” wrote Francher. "Odom was very agitated as if he did something wrong.

"I suspected Odom was intoxicated but was unsure if it was caused by the accident or him being under the influence.”

The affidavit says that after a short time on scene, Odom fled and ran to a nearby parking lot “where he ran into a truck.”

It’s unclear if this means Odom ducked into the cab of the truck or collided with the truck.

Officers apprehended and handcuffed him and put him in Francher’s patrol vehicle, the affidavit says.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Hospital"}]

Francher took Odom to SageWest Health Care, where a nurse drew Odom’s blood at 9:13 p.m. — about one hour after the crash.

“I did not apply for a blood warrant first due to the exigent circumstances of a fatal accident and the suspect being injured,” wrote Francher in the affidavit. “I did not read Odom implied consent before the blood draw due to forgetting because of the circumstances at hand.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Francher later applied for a blood search warrant, the document says."}]

“While waiting with Odom, he stated that he was drunk,” wrote Francher.

[{"type":"text","text":"At that point Odom was given his Miranda rights. "}]

The document does not distinguish who interviewed Odom, but says he was asked if he’d been drinking and when.

 two 4-Loco drinks at 7 p.m., the affidavit says. He “was read” implied consent at 10:55 p.m. and did not consent, says the affidavit.

Medical personnel found he had a fractured wrist and fractured orbital floor. 

He was cleared and taken to the police department, where he submitted to a breath test and logged a 0.134% breath-alcohol concentration, the document says.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What Happened?"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Meanwhile, another officer interviewed bystanders on scene."}]

The witnesses reportedly said the Jeep was on Webbwood Road, which intersects North Federal 

 and runs along Walmart’s southern lot — and that the Jeep entered the intersection heading west when Odom sped through the red light and struck the Jeep.

The woman, Taylee Dresser, was declared deceased on scene. The man, Gregory Trosper, was taken to the hospital after 

 perceived a “flicker” of his eyes. 

He was declared deceased at SageWest Health Care that night at 1

due to internal bleeding, says the affidavit.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Tally"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Coombs read Odom's charges Friday in court. "}]

Those include two alternative counts pertaining to Trosper's death: one accusing Odom of aggravated homicide by vehicle due to being drunk, and the other accusing him of the same but due to driving recklessly. 

Each is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and since they're in the alternative, a jury in this case would have to choose one or the other if it chose to convict Odom. 

The state alleges the same set of alternate charges pertaining to Dresser's death, which makes for another potential 20 years in prison. 

And the state also charged an enhanced DUI misdemeanor that ranges from 30 days to six months in jail and $3,000 in fines; one count of interfering with police ( up to one year and $1,000 in fines); and one count of reckless driving (up to six months in jail and $750 in fines).

Odom's preliminary hearing, where he'd have a chance to argue whether the state has probable cause to keep prosecuting him, is set for June 29 in Lander Circuit Court. 

Michael odom crash 6 19 26

<title>Lander Man Faces Homicide Charges, 42 Years In Double Fatal Riverton Crash | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Lander man faces homicide charges and up to 42 years in prison in connection with a Wednesday Riverton crash that killed two people. “I’m terribly sorry about what happened,” he said in court on Friday. “I’ve just been fighting addiction my whole life.”

Lander Man Faces Homicide Charges, 42 Years In Double Fatal Riverton Crash

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

A Rock Springs man accused of holding his girlfriend captive for days, cutting her with a razor blade, stabbing her with a kitchen fork and threatening to kill her is being held on a six-figure bond.

Jake Thomas Canestrini, 24, made his initial appearance Thursday afternoon in Sweetwater County Circuit Court, where he was charged with a handful of felonies, including kidnapping, three counts of aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon, strangulation of a household member, interference with a peace officer, three counts of domestic battery and cruelty to animals.

Court records show bond was set at $300,000 cash or surety, or $100,000 cash-only.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Parents Leave Town"}]

The alleged abuse began after the victim's parents left town on May 30, according to an affidavit written by Rock Springs Police Officer Tiffany Harris.

The victim and Canestrini had been in a relationship for about three years and were living together at her parents' home in Rock Springs.

Shortly after her parents left, Canestrini allegedly threw her to the ground multiple times and prevented her from leaving the residence, the affidavit says.

"Canestrini held her on the ground for several hours and continued to hit her on the head," Harris wrote.

Every time the woman tried to get up and run, "Canestrini would yank her by the hair to keep her down," according to the affidavit.

On June 2, Canestrini allegedly called the woman's employer and told them she would not be coming to work.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Razor Blade, Fork And Knife"}]

The victim described a series of assaults involving household items that investigators later sought when executing a search warrant at the home.

According to court records, Canestrini reportedly used a razor blade to make cuts on her thighs, hips, stomach, and arm. She also reported being stabbed in the upper back and "butt cheek" with a kitchen fork.

The alleged victim told investigators that during one confrontation, Canestrini held a kitchen knife against her throat while threatening to kill her.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"I will f***ing murder you,\" he allegedly told her."}]

At one point during the ordeal, Canestrini reportedly told the woman he loved her and "did not want to do this but because she was being a bitch to him, she deserved the punishment,” the affidavit says.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Extensive Injuries"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The victim told investigators he also threatened her family and pet."}]

"I will murder your cat. I will murder your f***ing family if you get the cops involved,” he allegedly said, according to the affidavit. "I will wait 20 years so I can kill you."

Court records indicate Canestrini reportedly strangled the woman multiple times during the ordeal. She told investigators there were times she could not breathe and feared for her life.

Medical records cited in the affidavit indicate a physician later advised her she had suffered a concussion.

Investigators documented bruising across much of the woman's body. Photographs attached to the case file show injuries to her face, arms, shoulders, legs, and knees, along with dried blood on her lips.

Other photographs show razor-blade cuts on her stomach, thighs and hips; puncture wounds allegedly caused by a fork and long scratches running down her back, the affidavit says.

The victim told investigators she was eventually able to escape only after waiting for Canestrini to fall asleep.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Animal Cruelty"}]

The cruelty to animals charge stems from allegations involving the woman's cat.

According to court documents, she reported Canestrini picked up the cat and was "squeezing the f*** out of him."

[{"type":"text","text":"When the cat cried out in pain, she reportedly begged him to stop."}]

Canestrini responded by "picking the cat up by the throat and slamming it to the floor," according to the affidavit.

The woman told investigators he then said, "I will treat this cat however the f*** I want."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Search Warrant"}]

Before investigators arrived to execute a search warrant at the residence, neighbors reported seeing Canestrini leave the area on foot carrying a duffle bag, the affidavit says.

When detectives searched the home, they recovered a kitchen fork, a knife and items believed to contain blood evidence. The affidavit notes detectives detected a strong odor of bleach in one of the bathrooms.

On Tuesday, a detective reportedly spotted Canestrini riding in a vehicle registered to his father. During a traffic stop, Canestrini identified himself and was taken into custody that day. 

Canestrini remains jailed pending a Wednesday preliminary hearing in Sweetwater County Circuit Court.

[{"type":"text","text":"He is represented by Rock Springs attorney Joseph August Hampton."}]

If convicted of kidnapping, Canestrini could face 20 years to life in prison under Wyoming law, while the aggravated assault charges carrying potential penalties of up to 10 years each.

Jake Thomas Canestrini 6 19 26

<title>Rock Springs Man Accused Of Torturing Woman For Days With Razor Blade And Fork | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Rock Springs man was in court Thursday, accused of holding a woman captive for days and torturing her with a razor blade and fork. "I will murder your cat,” police say he told her. "I will murder your ... family if you get the cops involved."

Rock Springs Man Accused Of Torturing Woman For Days With Razor Blade And Fork

Government & Politics

Politics

A Cheyenne-based judge on Friday ordered a Wyoming executive-branch tax board to apply a law 

 increases at 4% annually — for now — despite the board’s claims that the cap violates the Wyoming Constitution.

Laramie County District Court Judge Nathaniel Hibben in a Friday hearing held by virtual link granted the request of the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office, on behalf of Gov. Mark Gordon, that he block the Wyoming Board of Equalization from refusing to certify county assessors’ tax values this year.

Hibben has scheduled a July 6 hearing to revisit the issue in greater detail.  

The board had announced in a public June 11 report that its majority has found the 4% tax increase cap enacted in 2024 unconstitutional. 

The Wyoming Constitution calls for equal and uniform property taxes within each tax category, and this tax cap creates stark disparities in how some homes, despite being nearly identical, are taxed in different regions, the report says.

The state Constitution also allows the Legislature to craft property tax exemptions. 

But whether that clause trumps the equal-and-uniform mandate was not part of Attorney General Deputy Jim Peters’ request for Hibben to place an immediate order on the board Friday.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Gordon Says Board Overstepped"}]

Gordon through his AG’s office filed a court action Tuesday, urging the court to block the board’s actions and decide whether the tax cap is constitutional.

That complaint also accuses the Board of Equalization of violating its lawful authority by announcing its intention to refuse to certify property tax values with the cap in place — and by starting to apply that refusal as it works with counties this month.

The court will sort through the constitutional and authority arguments throughout this case, said Hibben on Friday.  

But for now, Gordon’s counsel has shown that the board’s actions are fitted for an immediate, court-ordered pause, said the judge.

The two proofs Peters had to show to win the pause were that the board’s actions can cause irreparable harm, and that Gordon’s team is likely to win this case.

“The board might be right, or not,” said Hibben. “That question will be answered in time, applying, presumably, a rational basis level of review and established rules of constitutional interpretation.”

But  for Friday, the judge said that “the state has made the requisite showing (to win a pause).”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"For Now"}]

The board’s deadline to certify property tax values is Aug. 3. But it’s undertaken some of the work to complete the process already.

Hibben ordered the board to enforce the 4% property tax increase cap during that work, and to presume that the things the Legislature has ordered it to do with respect to that cap are constitutional.

Peters had argued that as an executive-branch entity, the board’s duty is to presume that the state’s laws are constitutional. And the governor has a duty to ensure that his branch enforces the laws.

Still, the board can document what it sees as constitutional breaches over the coming weeks, said Hibben.

Cat Young, a Davis and Cannon attorney representing the Board of Equalization, had argued that the time was not right for an emergency pause on the board’s actions, since the deadline for certifying values is in August. She also noted that the board hasn’t yet had a chance to respond to the governor’s case against it in writing.

Equalization gordon 6 19 26

<title>Judge Orders Wyoming Board Of Equalization To Enforce 4% Property Tax Cap — For Now | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Cheyenne judge Friday ordered the Wyoming Board of Equalization to apply a law capping residential property tax increases at 4% annually — for now — despite the board’s claim the cap violates the Wyoming Constitution. Gov. Gordon sued the board this week.

Judge Orders Wyoming Board Of Equalization To Enforce 4% Property Tax Cap — For Now

Employee kate meadows cropped

Kate Meadows

Energy

Coal

Solar-generated electricity surpassed coal power in the United States for the first time in May, marking a symbolic milestone in the nation's changing energy landscape.

But Wyoming energy experts say the crossover suggests more about shifting demand, aging coal plants and seasonal trends than it does about coal disappearing anytime soon.

According to a report released this week by Ember, an independent energy think tank, solar supplied 12.8% of U.S. electricity generation in May, while coal fell to a record low of 12.2%.

Natural gas remains the nation’s leading source of electricity, accounting for about 37% of generation in May, the U.S. Energy Information Association reports. Combined with coal, fossil fuels were behind nearly 50% of U.S. power generated last month.

"You take those snapshots with a grain of salt," said Travis Deti, executive director of the Wyoming Mining Association, in response to solar passing coal.

Dr. Rob Godby, an economist at the University of Wyoming who studies energy and environmental economics, said May is exactly when such a crossover would be expected.

Coal plants often reduce output or temporarily shut down for maintenance during what the industry calls "shoulder season" — the period between winter heating demand and summer air-conditioning demand. 

[{"type":"text","text":"At the same time, longer days and sunnier weather boost solar production."}]

"May would make perfect sense as the month to see it," Godby told Cowboy State Daily. "I've never seen coal as low as 12%, but if there was going to be a month where it happened, this would be the time."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Growing Demand, Different Sources"}]

The milestone also reflects a larger shift happening with the nation's electric grid, Godby said.

Electricity demand, which remained relatively flat for years, has begun climbing sharply as data centers, advanced manufacturing facilities and other energy-intensive industries expand across the country.

"Very often developers prefer having a renewable source of energy, both for climate and cost reasons," Godby said.

Solar has become the least expensive source of new electricity generation, he said, often competing directly with wind power on price.

“Solar energy is neck-and-neck, and often lower than wind,” Godby said. “Renewable energy is just cheaper, and that’s why so much has been produced.”

At the same time, little new coal generation has been built in the United States in more than a decade.

"The (energy) market is growing," Godby said. "Coal has stayed constant. As we add new generation to the fleet, it has primarily been wind, solar or gas."

[{"type":"text","text":"The dynamics are easy to visualize in a fraction, Godby said."}]

If the top number of the fraction is coal-generated power and the bottom number is total energy demand, the top number is not growing while the bottom number is. 

As the bottom number grows, coal takes on a smaller and smaller share of the market.

[{"type":"text","text":"Solar demand is growing, while coal is not, Godby said."}]

“The market is growing. We haven’t built any new coal (plants). Therefore, coal share goes down,” he said.

Deti agrees electricity demand is surging, but argues that growing demand ultimately benefits coal producers.

He said data centers are the next wave of modern technology that will require all types of power, from coal to renewables, to function.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Coal Plants Getting A Second Life"}]

The picture becomes more complicated because many coal-fired power plants once slated for retirement are now being granted additional years of operation under coal-friendly Trump administration policies.

Utilities and grid operators increasingly worry that electricity demand is rising faster than replacement generation and transmission infrastructure can be built.

"We have to maintain coal-fired power plants to keep the grid stable," Godby said.

Still, he cautions that extending the lives of aging coal plants is not a permanent solution.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"It's like an old car,\" he said. “Eventually, they'll wear out.\""}]

Many coal plants scheduled for retirement received minimal investment in recent years because operators expected them to shut down. 

As a result, some older facilities cannot consistently run at maximum capacity, Godby said.

The Trump administration has pushed aggressively to preserve coal generation, issuing orders intended to delay retirements and rolling back renewable energy incentives.

[{"type":"text","text":"Wyoming has seen some of those changes firsthand."}]

The Dave Johnston Power Plant near Glenrock will not retire in coming years as anticipated, while Rocky Mountain Power has extended retirement dates for several coal-fired generating units serving Wyoming customers.

Deti believes those decisions reflect a growing recognition that coal remains essential.

"Because of that power demand, we're going to be seeing a renewed interest in coal," he said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Wyoming Coal Still Looking Overseas"}]

Coal production in Wyoming has fallen roughly 50% from its historic peak, Godby said, but demand has stabilized in recent years as electricity consumption rises.

Wyoming's coal industry also remains heavily dependent on markets outside the state, with about 90% of Wyoming coal being exported.

Deti said interest in Wyoming coal remains strong internationally, particularly among countries along the Pacific Rim seeking reliable fuel supplies amid geopolitical uncertainty.

A recent trade delegation that included representatives from Malaysia's largest electric utility explored opportunities involving Wyoming coal, he said.

"We're definitely seeing a renewed interest in coal," Deti said. "Coal's not going away anytime soon."

Godby agrees coal is unlikely to disappear quickly, but said that Wyoming still faces long-term challenges because the state's fortunes depend largely on energy decisions made elsewhere.

"Long term, the reality is you won't be able to keep these coal plants running forever," he said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Wyoming Still Lags In Solar"}]

Even as solar gains market share nationally, Wyoming remains one of the least-developed solar states in the country.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Wyoming ranks last in the nation for installed solar capacity and has no utility-scale battery storage projects operating within the state.

Godby said expanding transmission lines and battery storage will be critical if Wyoming hopes to participate more fully in the nation's growing renewable energy market.

For now, however, he sees the latest numbers less as a death sentence for coal and more as evidence that the country will likely need every available source of electricity to satisfy rapidly growing demand.

Solar and coal inset 6 19 26

<title>U.S. Solar Power Generation Passes Coal For First Time | Cowboy State Daily</title>

For the first time ever, more U.S. electricity was generated from solar power than coal in May. Wyoming energy experts say that’s a reflection of greater demand for power than a decline in coal, and that “coal's not going away anytime soon."

U.S. Solar Power Generation Passes Coal For First Time

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily reporter, Dale Killingbeck

Dale Killingbeck

Wyoming Life

Around Wyoming

The headlights from the pickup behind her horse on a dirt road between Lingle and Fort Laramie made the only source of light for Angela Montgomery of Cheyenne just after midnight on Friday.

The moon was absent and the stars brilliant. A gentle breeze kept any bugs at bay.

In her 19th year wearing the red vest and logo of the National Pony Express Association as part of the Goshen and Platte counties chapter, Montgomery said reenacting the history of the storied riders keeps bringing her back. 

Half of those rides covering the 80 miles from the Nebraska border to Glendo have been at night, which in Wyoming can be pretty isolating.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"The challenge?"}]

“Seeing, just kind of knowing where you are going,” she said.

The annual Pony Express re-ride crossed into Wyoming early Friday morning. By 1:35 a.m., riders made it to the Old Fort Laramie Bridge. “We’re on a time schedule,” 75-year-old rider Jay Jensen said. “We’ve got 59 hours to get through Wyoming.”

Daily Smile: Monday, January 16, 2023

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