Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Rush hour in Antarctica"}]

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

<title>Daily Smile: Monday, May 8, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Rush hour in Antarctica

Daily Smile: Monday, May 8, 2023

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Crime & Courts

An alleged burglary at a downtown bar in Cheyenne began with two men making out in a bathroom stall.

Casey Fox, 23, and Carlos Glaub, 18, told police they left the restroom in search of more privacy and slipped into an employee-only basement at the Crown Bar, where they continued making out, according to court documents.

The affidavit says Glaub then broke into a locked liquor storage room, tucked bottles of Jose Cuervo into his pants and was caught by an employee moments later.

The employee told police she saw Glaub with his pants unbuttoned and unzipped, and he was attempting to return two other bottles to the shelf when she walked in. 

Glaub briefly tried to flee before admitting he had been caught trying to steal the alcohol, the affidavit reports.

[{"type":"text","text":"The Friday night encounter resulted in separate criminal cases. "}]

Fox pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor criminal trespass. Glaub was arrested Tuesday on a felony burglary charge.

Police estimated the splintered door frame sustained about $200 in damage. The three bottles of liquor were valued at roughly $55.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'Donkey Kicked' "}]

Police were dispatched to the Crown Bar shortly before midnight June 19 after employees reported the suspected burglary in progress.

One told officers she became suspicious after seeing Fox emerge from the employee-only basement because she didn't recognize him as someone who worked at the bar.

When she went downstairs, she discovered the locked liquor storage room door had been forced open.

The employee grabbed one of the bottles from Glaub's hands and escorted him upstairs.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Bathroom Kiss"}]

After being advised of his rights, Fox gave investigators a detailed account of the evening.

Fox said he and Glaub first kissed in a stall inside the men's restroom before deciding to find a more secluded place.

The pair wandered into the basement, where they continued making out until they came across the liquor storage room.

Fox told investigators Glaub "donkey kicked" the locked door before stuffing three bottles of liquor into his pants.

Moments later, the pair heard someone entering the basement. Fox walked out of the storage room while Glaub began putting the bottles back on the shelves, according to the affidavit.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Similar Story"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Glaub gave investigators a nearly identical version of events."}]

He reportedly admitted he and Fox went into the basement looking for privacy before trying to force open the liquor room door.

When that didn't work, he allegedly kicked the door open and concealed the three bottles of liquor in his pants.

Officer L. Ray wrote that Glaub later acknowledged stealing the alcohol but argued both the bar and Fox shared responsibility because the establishment allowed him inside even though he's only 18 years old, and had served him alcohol.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Separate Cases"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Fox's criminal case has already concluded."}]

Court records show he pleaded guilty Monday in Laramie County Circuit Court to one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass stemming from the incident.

Glaub, meanwhile, was arrested the next day and charged with felony burglary, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison if convicted. As with many criminal cases, the charges against Glaub could be amended or reduced as the case moves through the judicial process.

Court records show Glaub posted a $1,000 cash bond and was released from jail.

He is scheduled for a July 2 preliminary hearing, where a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence to bind the case over to District Court.

Crown bar 6 25 26

<title>Two Arrested After Allegedly Kicking Down Door, Stuffing 3 Bottles Of Tequila In Pants | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Police say two Cheyenne men looking for "more privacy" wound up in the Crown Bar's employee-only basement, where one "donkey kicked" a locked liquor room door and then stuffed three bottles of tequila in his pants before they were caught.

Two Arrested After Allegedly Kicking Down Door, Stuffing 3 Bottles Of Tequila In Pants

Employee kate meadows cropped

Kate Meadows

Politics

President Donald Trump officially announced Thursday that he will attend the July 3 fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore, a centerpiece event commemorating America's 250th birthday.

The announcement was made on the Freedom 250 website and confirmed in a statement released by South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden.

"President Trump will lead the nation in a historic celebration beneath one of America's most iconic landmarks," Freedom 250 Chairman Keith Krach said Thursday.

Rhoden had personally invited Trump to the celebration, said Josie Harms, spokesperson for the governor.

"It is my honor to welcome President Trump to the great state of South Dakota — the freest state in a nation founded on the principles of freedom," Rhoden said in a news release published Thursday. "Together, we will throw the biggest birthday party ever for our nation and celebrate America's legacy of freedom, liberty and justice for all."

The event marks the return of fireworks over Mount Rushmore for the first time in six years.

[{"type":"text","text":"Tourism Way Up"}]

 that Keystone, the community closest to the memorial, has already experienced a surge in tourism ahead of the celebration, with visitor numbers up 124% compared with the same period last year and daily visitation climbing 32%.

"We've definitely seen a very large uptick in visitors," said Emma Groninger, tourism director for the Keystone Visitors Center. "Everyone's excited."

Attendance at the July 3 event is limited to the 4,800 people selected through a lottery that closed April 12. Nearly 103,000 ticket requests were submitted for the limited number of seats.

[{"type":"text","text":"Closures and Security"}]

The memorial grounds will be closed to the general public during the celebration, and temporary road closures near Mount Rushmore will be in effect from 11 p.m. July 2 through 11 p.m. July 3 to accommodate security operations, according to South Dakota tourism officials.

Officials have not released details about additional security measures associated with Trump's visit. Brendyn Medina, public information officer for the Rapid City Police Department, referred questions to the U.S. Secret Service. Efforts by Cowboy State Daily to reach Mount Rushmore officials Thursday were unsuccessful. No one answered a call, and the voice mailbox was full.

[{"type":"text","text":"Lay of the Land"}]

According to Freedom 250 organizers, the celebration will feature military bands, ceremonial presentations, precision drill demonstrations, aviation flyovers and a salute to all six branches of the Armed Forces.

Rhoden and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are scheduled to welcome Trump before he delivers what organizers describe as a "historic address" commemorating the nation's semi-quincentennial and looking ahead to "America's next chapter."

Thirty pyrotechnicians and high-line operators will install fireworks and lighting systems at designated locations around the memorial, according to Katlyn Svendsen, senior director of global public relations and content services for Travel South Dakota.

The state contracted with California-based Pyro Spectaculars — the same company that produced Mount Rushmore's 2020 fireworks display attended by Trump — to stage this year's show, with a price tag of $700,000. The agreement between the company and the South Dakota Department of Tourism includes lighting elements that can be used if environmental conditions prevent fireworks from being launched.

[{"type":"text","text":"First Time For Fireworks Since 2020"}]

Trump last visited Mount Rushmore in July 2020 after then-Gov. Kristi Noem successfully pushed to reinstate fireworks at the memorial after an 11-year hiatus.

Trump's 2020 visit to Mount Rushmore was met with protests from Native Americans who regard the Black Hills as sacred and object to the monument's location on land the Lakota say was unlawfully taken after being guaranteed to them under an 1868 treaty. Demonstrators blocked a highway leading to the memorial, resulting in a standoff with law enforcement and dozens of arrests.

The president's return to South Dakota could provide a political boost for Rhoden, who is campaigning in a July 28 Republican runoff election for governor against Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden after neither candidate secured the 35% needed to win outright in the June 2 primary.

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<title>It’s Official: Trump Will Attend July 3 Fireworks Celebration At Mount Rushmore | Cowboy State Daily</title>

President Trump announced Thursday he will attend the July 3 fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore, a centerpiece event commemorating America's 250th. The event also marks the return of fireworks over Mount Rushmore for the first time in six years.

It’s Official: Trump Will Attend July 3 Fireworks Celebration At Mount Rushmore

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Fishing

Facing extreme drought in the wake of an exceptionally mild winter, officials in Colorado and Oregon have thrown up their hands and told anglers at some reservoirs: Catch all the fish you want, because they’re going to die anyway.

Conditions aren’t nearly so dire at two of Wyoming’s premier fishing reservoirs, Flaming Gorge in Sweetwater County and Boysen in Fremont County, where limits remain in place and the angling should remain good this summer, a state park manager and marina owner told Cowboy State Daily.

In northeastern Oregon, fishing limits were lifted on three reservoirs on the Powder River, a tributary of the Snake River, which originates in Wyoming.

Colorado is allowing unlimited angling on Antero Reservoir on the South Platte River in the central part of the state, and the Nee Noshe Reservoir to the southeast.

Utah has loosened catch limits on Crouse Reservoir, east of Salt Lake City, and Nine Mile Reservoir, south of the city.

In each instance, state agencies surmised reservoirs are getting so low and stagnant the fish are doomed regardless, according to numerous media reports.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"No Emergency, Yet"}]

Despite drought conditions across the state, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department doesn’t have “immediate plans to enact emergency regulations to liberalize creel limits,” according to fisheries management coordinator Mark Smith.

“However, conditions could change rapidly. If an emergency change to creel limits were to occur that information would be disseminated widely to the public and posted at the water for anglers to find,” Smith said in an email to Cowboy State Daily.

Some of Wyoming’s larger reservoirs have conservation pools, or “dead pools,” to act as buffers for fisheries when water is running low, Smith said.

Even so, “all stored water has limitations,” he added. The water at Flaming Gorge and Boysen is expected to drop enough to render some boat ramps useless.

So, Game and Fish is watching closely for a “tipping point” that might warrant a change in fishing regulations, Smith said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Bad New For Small Waters"}]

For smaller fisheries, the news isn’t quite so good.

“Ultimately, our goal is to protect all of our fisheries, but we recognize that some of our small waters have already been lost, or will be lost, to drying,” Smith said.

Sometimes that happens so fast there isn’t time to react, he said.  

“For example, when we were finally able to access roads and assess small ponds in the 33 Mile country north of Casper this May, most of those fisheries had already succumbed to low water elevations and poor water-quality conditions,” Smith said.

“Other sagebrush stock-water reservoirs could face a similar fate,” he added.

Emergency regulations require the governor’s signature.

“Emergency regulations take effect immediately upon the Governor’s approval and would be lifted if conditions improved and fish were likely to survive,” Smith said.

Boysen Reservoir has been roughly 70% full during June, Boysen State Park superintendent John Bass said.

Boysen is one of Wyoming’s top destinations for walleye, and also boasts good trout fishing.

Bass said he doesn’t anticipate the reservoir dropping to the point of mass fish die-offs or calls to lift all fishing limits.

According to Bureau of Reclamation estimates, Boysen will slowly fall, but remain above 50% capacity.

All four Boysen boat ramps are usable, he said. They are Bannon, Tough Creek, Fremont Bay and Cottonwood Bay.

“Although, as the lake starts falling, the Fremont and Cottonwood Ramps will be too shallow to use. But that’s a fairly common occurrence in my 10 years here,” Bass said. "The Brannon and Tough Creek boat ramps will be usable for the remainder of the year, until ice-up.” 

Likewise, there’s no reason to think officials will call for a free-for-all at Flaming Gorge, which straddles the Wyoming-Utah state line, Buckboard Marina owner Tony Valdez said.

“I don’t think we’ll be at the stagnant water level, where we could lose all of the fish,” he said.

Flaming Gorge draws anglers from all over the region for its prized kokanee salmon. It’s also known for lake trout and other species.

The Bureau of Reclamation this spring announced that Flaming Gorge is set for a million-acre-foot drawdown to make up for severe shortages downstream at Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona state line.

An acre foot is the amount of water that would flood an acre of land to the depth of one foot.

Valdez has previously expressed concerns the drawdown could ruin kokanee spawning areas. Kokanee are already under pressure because of competition with lake trout and burbot.

Wyoming Game and Fish and the Utah Division of Wildlife already lifted catch limits on smaller lake trout (under 28 inches) and burbot, in hopes of helping the kokanee.

Valdez said he doesn’t expect fishing limits to be suspended on any other species.

However, boat ramps could be rendered useless as the reservoir drops for the drawdown, he added.

Valdez said his marina could also tank this summer.

“This year, the marina could be gone. In fact, I’ve got to go deal with that right now, and move some stuff around (because of dropping water levels),” he said during a telephone interview with Cowboy State Daily.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Catfish Getting Scarce"}]

Valdez said if there’s any danger of water dropping to fish-killing levels it would hit first upstream, at Fontenelle Reservoir.

“If it did get that low, the first one to go would be Fontenelle, then the Green (River) and then Flaming Gorge. But I don’t see it dropping that low,” he said.

Drought has ruined some of the fishing on the Blacks River, which feeds Flaming Gorge on the west side, Valdez said.

That river once was a hot spot for catfish, he noted.

“People still catch catfish near the confluence, more so in the lake than on the river. The river gets stagnant,” he said.

While Flaming Gorge is holding its own for now, the long-term picture could be stark.

During a Tuesday meeting in Denver, members of the Upper Colorado River Commission said conditions along the river system – which includes the Green River – are dire.

Wyoming state engineer Brandon Gebhart said it could be the 

Antero reservoir 6 26 26

<title>Colorado And Oregon Lift Fishing Restrictions, Drought Will Kill Fish Anyway | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Facing extreme drought in the wake of an exceptionally mild winter, officials in Colorado and Oregon have told anglers at some reservoirs: Catch all the fish you want, because they’re going to die anyway. In Wyoming, emergency measures are on hold.

Colorado And Oregon Lift Fishing Restrictions, Drought Will Kill Fish Anyway

Wildlife

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman Sunday on a popular hiking trail, and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it.

“We don’t know for sure, because we haven’t found the bear,” Kara Van Hoose, CPW's northeast region spokeswoman, told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.

The bear was thought to be a “yearling, or young adult,” she added.

Predatory attacks, in which a bear is deliberately stalking a person as prey, are extremely rare in both black bears and grizzlies.

Most bear attacks are defensive or territorial.

The consensus among bear biologists is that while grizzlies are more likely to attack humans, black bears are more likely to attack in a purely predatory manner.

While the bear’s behavior was alarming, CPW doesn’t think it was predatory, Van Hoose said.

“It makes us think more likely a food-conditioned bear, not a predatory black bear,” she said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Bear Wouldn’t Give Up"}]

The woman, who CPW did not identify, told wildlife agents that she was attacked from behind and suffered scratches on one leg at about 5:20 p.m.

She was on the Enchanted Forest trail in the 700-acre Apex Park near Golden in Jefferson County. CPW shut down the park after the reported attack.

The woman told investigators the bear continued to follow her despite her repeated attempts to intimidate and haze it by making herself look big, shouting, and throwing rocks and sticks.

Toward the end of the encounter, the woman was joined by two hikers who responded to her calls for help. Even with all three people shouting at it, the bear was undeterred, CPW reported.

Eventually, the bear turned down another trail, where it reportedly started following other hikers, according to CPW.

The woman is an avid hiker who has had previous bear encounters, and acted appropriately by trying to intimidate and haze the bear, Van Hoose said.

The woman gave CPW a short cellphone video she took during the encounter, which helped the agency identify the bear as relatively small and probably young, Van Hoose said.

CPW isn’t at liberty to share the video with Cowboy State Daily, she said.  

 reported the woman reached out and shared the video and details of the encounter but declined to be named in their report.

The woman told Denver 7 the bear was “circling” her.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Problems Human-Caused"}]

British Columbia bear researcher Lana Ciarniello told Cowboy State Daily she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the Colorado attack, but affirmed that predatory behavior is extremely rare in both black bears and grizzlies.

Most human-bear conflict is rooted in human mistakes, such as deliberately feeding bears or allowing them access to garbage or other food sources, she said.

People who recreate in bear territory should “take training courses” on avoiding close encounters, and what to do if one occurs.

And “carry bear spray,” Ciarniello said.

Van Hoose said it wasn’t known for certain whether the woman attacked in Colorado was carrying bear spray.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Time To Fight Back"}]

Ciarniello noted that a video tutorial, “Staying Safe in Bear Country”, was made years ago by the International Bear Association (IBA) but remains a “gold standard” bear-safety training tool.

In one segment, the difference is noted between defensive actions by bears versus deliberate approaches.

Bears that deliberately approach people might be driven by curiosity or food conditioning, according to IBA. In rare instances, bears see people as prey.

A predatory bear will move in “with its head up and ears erect, its approach is confident and persistent,” according to IBA.

If a predatory bear makes contact, it’s time to fight back because “you’re fighting for your life,” IBA states.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What Happens To The Bear?"}]

It’s not certain what will happen to the bear once CPW finds it, Van Hoose said.

More information is needed before it can be determined whether it will be euthanized, or if other action is needed, she said.

Agents need to determine if it has persisted in following people or displayed other aggressive behavior, and whether it might be malnourished or suffering from disease, Van Hoose said.

Bear denver 6 24 26

<title>Colorado Wildlife Officials Uncertain Why Black Bear Attacked, Followed Woman | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Colorado wildlife agents are trying to determine why a black bear attacked a woman on a hiking trail in Denver and then followed her for 30 minutes despite her shouting and throwing rocks at it. The woman who took video of the encounter said it was "circling her."

Colorado Wildlife Officials Uncertain Why Black Bear Attacked, Followed Woman

Around Wyoming

A dispute over primitive outhouses on Amish-owned property in Crook County has prompted claims that some families are leaving northeast Wyoming’s oldest Amish community, though county officials say the issue has been resolved and was never intended to drive anyone away.

Sheridan rancher Pepper Fipps said he believes county enforcement efforts over wastewater disposal in the Hulett area have discouraged Amish families from remaining in the community.

“They wind up starting a little bit of a war,” Fipps said of the commissioners. “The community is dwindling.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Crook County Commission vice chairman Bob Latham disputes that."}]

“It’s all settled now. Everything is fixed,” Latham told Cowboy State Daily.

An estate moving sale earlier this month was held for two Amish families — Abe and Elizabeth Yoder and Rudy and Irene Borntreger. Records show Abe Yoder was among the landowners involved in the wastewater dispute.

About 40 Amish families live in the Hulett area, Fipps said. Founded in 2011, the Hulett Amish settlement is one of five in Wyoming.

Cowboy State Daily attempted to contact the families but did not receive responses before publication. Amish communities have traditionally relied on the U.S. mail for communication, and many members do not use cell phones or email.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sanitation Concerns"}]

The issue surfaced in October 2024, when Crook County officials learned some Amish landowners west of Hulett had dug pits to use as toilets without obtaining permits.

Crook County wastewater specialist Caleb Peters informed commissioners that Yoder had installed outhouses that did not comply with county regulations, according to reporting by the Sundance Times.

Latham said a hole in the ground used to collect human waste is considered an illegal outhouse because it poses a risk to groundwater.

Commissioners scheduled a hearing in January 2025, expecting Yoder to attend and discuss the matter, but he did not appear, according to the Times.

Peters and county planning director Tim Lyons determined conditions at some properties presented health concerns after observing graywater and blackwater drainage. The Times reported Peters found a chicken with its head inside blackwater drainage at one residence, along with what he described as an odor of rot. At another property, he reportedly discovered an abandoned outhouse occupied by animals.

Latham said county code requires human-waste receptacles to be portable, pumpable or connected to a septic system.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"No Fines Levied"}]

Fipps contends county officials threatened landowners with fines of up to $30,000 per day if they failed to comply with regulations.

He called the county’s rule about illegal outhouses “asinine, stupid."

“It is baffling to me because I haven’t ever seen an outhouse blow up,” he said, noting Amish families typically live on 160-acre parcels well away from town.

[{"type":"text","text":"Latham said fines were never a part of the county’s solution."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“To my knowledge, we never imposed fines,” he said."}]

Due to the challenge of communicating with Amish residents, County Attorney Joe Baron mailed letters to the landowners, Latham said. Peters also visited properties in person several times, he added.

“Some didn't want to talk to him,” Latham said. “Some did and were very cordial. The ones who didn't found out we're not going to quit, because it's about health and safety. It's something we take very seriously.”

After being notified of the violations, some landowners installed vault toilets that comply with county requirements, he said.

He credited Peters’ persistence with resolving the issue. 

“Caleb did a heck of a job of staying on it and getting things corrected,” Latham said. “Sometimes they feel like they can follow a different path. It was a lot of education and a lot of back-and-forth.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Government Overreach Or Public Health?"}]

Fipps said he believes the county's response amounted to government overreach.

Latham disagrees, saying Crook County is obligated to enforce regulations consistent with standards established by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality.

“Every time we have to knuckle down and say, 'This isn't right', we hear that,” he said. “We could have been a lot meaner about it. It was mainly getting an understanding of what the laws are.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Our biggest thing with that deal is their health and safety.” "}]

According to the Young Center at Elizabethtown College, Crook County is home to Wyoming's largest Amish settlement. The state's Amish population numbers roughly 500 people spread among five settlements.

A Sheridan rancher says an "asinine, stupid" outhouse crackdown is pushing Amish families out of the Hulett area. He said landowners were threatened with fines of up to $30,000 per day if they failed to comply with outhouse regulations.

Daily Smile: Monday, May 8, 2023

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