Daily Smile

Smile 2 13 23

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

<title>Daily Smile: Monday, February 13, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Susies coach is helping her train for the ballroom dance competition

Daily Smile: Monday, February 13, 2023

Coy Knobel

Don Day Weather

Chance of rain in much of Wyoming on Wednesday, otherwise mostly sunny. Flood watch in western and central Wyoming, patchy smoke in some areas. Chance of rain overnight. Highs from the upper 70s to low 90s. Lows in the 50s and low 60s.

Flood watch until Thursday morning. Patchy smoke, slight chance of rain after 1 p.m., breezy, gradually becoming sunny today with a high near 91 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Breezy overnight with rain near certain, patchy smoke before 8 p.m., a low near 61 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

Flood watch until Thursday morning. Patchy smoke before 2 p.m., chance of rain mainly after 2 p.m., mostly sunny today with a high near 91 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly cloudy and breezy overnight with rain likely, a low near 60 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. 

 Flood watch until Thursday morning. Patchy smoke, chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., gradually becoming sunny today with a high near 86 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Rain likely overnight with a low near 55.

 Rain near certain today with a high near 81 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 52.

  Flood watch until Thursday morning. Chance of rain mainly after 2 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 89 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Mostly cloudy and breezy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 57 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph.

Flood watch until Thursday morning. Chance of rain, otherwise partly sunny and breezy today with a high near 83 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Mostly cloudy and breezy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 52 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

 Flood watch until Thursday morning. Chance of rain mainly after 1 p.m., otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 81 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 52. 

 Flood watch until Thursday morning. Chance of rain, otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 87 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 53.

  Flood watch until Thursday morning. Chance of rain mainly after 4 p.m., otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 81 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, a low near 49 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

 Flood watch until Thursday morning. Rain likely today with a high near 78 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Cloudy overnight with rain likely and a low near 52.

  Flood watch until Thursday morning. Chance of rain mainly after 5 p.m., otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 85 and rain likely overnight with a low near 52. 

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

:  Flood watch until Thursday morning. Rain likely mainly after 3 p.m., otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 80 and rain likely overnight with a low near 46.

Flood watch until Thursday morning. Patchy smoke, chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 92 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, patchy smoke before 11 p.m., a low near 63 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

:  Flood watch until Thursday morning. Patchy smoke, chance of rain, increasing clouds today with a high near 86 and cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 63.

  Flood watch until Thursday morning. Patchy smoke, chance of rain, becoming mostly cloudy today with a high near 93 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, patchy smoke before 9 p.m. and a low near 63. 

   Flood watch until Thursday morning. Patchy smoke, rain likely after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 85 and cloudy overnight with a chance of rain, patchy smoke after 1 a.m., a low near 64 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. 

  Flood watch from 1 p.m. today until 2 a.m. overnight. Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 90 and cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 61.

:  Flood watch from 1 p.m. today until 2 a.m. overnight. Chance of rain mainly after 1 p.m., otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 85 and cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 62.

Mostly sunny today with a high near 89 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph. Rain likely overnight with a low near 62 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. 

   Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 85 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Increasing clouds overnight with rain likely, a low near 63 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

:  Mostly sunny today with a high near 91 and wind gusts as high as 16 mph. Cloudy overnight with rain likely, a low near 62 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph.

  Mostly sunny today with a high near 89 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 62.

  Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 88 and cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 63.

  Flood watch until Thursday morning. Patchy smoke, gradually becoming sunny today with a high near 90 and cloudy overnight with rain likely, patchy smoke before 10 p.m., a low near 61 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

   Chance of rain after 3 p.m., becoming cloudy today with a high near 84 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 60.

  Chance of rain after noon, increasing clouds today with a high near 78 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 56.

   Chance of rain after 3 p.m., mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 90 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 59.

  Slight chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 83 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 59.

  Slight chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 84 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 57. 

   Slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 89 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain and a low near 53.

Daycap 7 22 26

<title>Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Crime & Courts

Courts

A Jackson man is accused of twice blasting another driver in the face with bear spray during a road rage showdown, leaving the victim temporarily blind and gasping for air.

Police say the second burst is what turned an angry traffic dispute into a felony.

Leonardo Enrique Dominguez was arrested Sunday and charged with aggravated battery after investigators allege he intentionally caused serious bodily injury, as stated in a probable cause affidavit filed Monday in Teton County Circuit Court.

Prosecutors have charged Dominguez with aggravated battery, claiming he intentionally caused serious bodily injury "under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life."

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A Road Rage Call"}]

The confrontation unfolded shortly before noon Sunday near the Loaf 'N Jug gas station along West Broadway Avenue in Jackson.

Police responded to reports of a road rage assault involving bear spray and found a man kneeling beside his white Dodge Caravan.

The affidavit says the man was coughing violently, his eyes were burning and he was unable to answer officers' questions. Mucus and tears streamed down his face as emergency responders treated him before transporting him to the hospital.

Witnesses told police they had been driving behind the man when a gray Toyota Tacoma pulled alongside his stopped van.

They said someone inside the truck sprayed bear spray through the passenger-side window of the van, the affidavit says. As the man stood in the doorway of his van, they said he was sprayed a second time directly in the face before the truck sped away.

Officers later noted the interior of the man's van still reeked of bear spray, which made one of the corporal's "eyes burn" and caused them to cough, according to the affidavit.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Pulled Over "}]

At the hospital, the man who had been sprayed told investigators the road rage encounter began after another truck tried merging into his lane, nearly forcing him onto the sidewalk.

He said he pulled over simply to ask the other driver what he was doing. Instead of an explanation, he said he was immediately blasted with bear spray.

The man denied threatening the other driver and said he had never seen him before.

A request for further comment from the driver of the van was not returned by publication. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Self Defense Argument"}]

Investigators reviewed surveillance video and license plate camera data that led them to a gray vehicle registered to Dominguez.

Officers found the truck parked outside his apartment later that afternoon, the affidavit says.

Dominguez agreed to speak with police and acknowledged spraying the man twice, but insisted he acted in self-defense.

The affidavit says Dominguez claimed the man sped up to block him, brake-checked him, yelled profanities and aggressively approached his driver's window.

He said he displayed the bear spray first as a warning before using it, the affidavit says.

Dominguez admitted spraying the man once through the driver's window of the van and a second time after he returned to his own vehicle, saying he feared the confrontation was continuing.

He also told officers he didn't call police because he believed surveillance cameras had captured the encounter and assumed officers would eventually contact him.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Felony Charge "}]

When officers located Dominguez's vehicle, they reported seeing rags inside "as if the vehicle had been cleaned,” the affidavit says. 

They also observed tactical gear, flashlights, a knife and patches mounted throughout the truck's interior.

Dominguez told investigators his truck was equipped with a dash cam that may have recorded the incident.

The investigating officer wrote that bear spray is intended to stop bears — not people — and can cause severe eye injuries, swelling, airway constriction and potentially life-threatening respiratory complications when used at close range.

Police concluded there was probable cause to arrest Dominguez after considering witness statements, the alleged victim's account and Dominguez's own admission that he sprayed the man a second time.

Investigators say that second burst came after Bilen had already returned to his own vehicle, leading them to conclude the use of force was no longer justified and supported a charge of aggravated battery.

Dominguez made his initial appearance Monday afternoon before Teton County Circuit Court Judge Erin Weisman, who set his bond at $5,000 cash. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 31.

Jackson Loaf N Jug green sign 7 21 26

<title>Jackson Man Accused Of Blasting Driver With Bear Spray In Road Rage Showdown | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Jackson man is accused of blasting another driver twice with bear spray during a Sunday road rage showdown, leaving the victim struggling to breathe. He admitted using bear spray on the other driver, but told police it was self-defense.

Jackson Man Accused Of Blasting Driver With Bear Spray In Road Rage Showdown

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

Andrew Rossi

Outdoors

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.

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da00gdXO94z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da00gdXO94z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Da00gdXO94z/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by @touronsofnationalparks</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

[{"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.”

 at Mormon Row is underway. Jenkins has said it was part of several “micro-geographic” efforts to improve popular spots in the park for a better overall visitor experience.

“We want to be able to host more visitation at Mormon Row, so we're looking at things we can be doing to help manage that visitation,” he told Cowboy State Daily in May.

The list of desired site improvements includes a larger, centralized parking lot, new interpretive and wayfinding signs, distinct walking paths, and furnishings like benches and trash cans, new restrooms, and a 0.75-mile trail extension connecting Mormon Trail Road to Antelope Flats Road.

“Construction started at Mormon Row earlier this month,” Davis said. “Site improvements there are part of a multi-phase project to improve accessibility and the visitor experience while protecting the site's historic character.”

These improvements will go hand-in-hand with an ecological restoration of Mormon Row. 

Native vegetation will be planted and damaged areas restored, and the new parking lot will be built further away from the historic homesteads to ensure the landscape and views remain as pristine as possible.

they’d help to mitigate the damage of visitor traffic. However, that doesn’t eliminate the damage caused by reckless tourists who are determined to do their own thing to the detriment of the park and its visitors.

“We want (Mormon Row) to last many more decades, so we have to be really careful with anything that goes on around them, as far as touching, climbing, or taking stuff off them for souvenirs,” he said.

Many people value the serenity of Mormon Row and the Moulton barns as much as the Moulton family itself. Steve hopes that will lead to better decisions and increased awareness.

“I want visitors to understand their historical importance,” he said. “I want them to have the same feelings as my family does about preserving the integrity of those structures, so we have to take great care to not do anything that will be destructive to them.”

Climing on Moulton building 1 7 21 26

<title>Grand Teton Tourist Caught Illegally Climbing On Famous Mormon Row Building | Cowboy State Daily</title>

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.

Grand Teton Tourist Caught Illegally Climbing On Famous Mormon Row Building

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.”

Montana lasso teen 7 21 26

<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."}]

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.

Daily Smile: Monday, February 13, 2023

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