Daily Darwin

[{"type":"text","text":"Let's go on a camel ride. It will be fun..."}]

Darwin 6 27 23

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

<title>Daily Darwin: Tuesday, June 27, 2023 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Let's go on a camel ride. It will be fun...

Daily Darwin: Tuesday, June 27, 2023

 Let's go on a camel ride. It will be fun...

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

Andrew Rossi

Outdoors

Wildlife

Yellowstone National Park will spare the life of the bison that 

 hurt Washington state resident Carl Isom-McDaniel, 65, at the Bridge Bay Campground on Friday.

 that “no management action” will be taken against the bull bison that tossed McDaniel 8 feet into the air during an aggressive 

That means the bison won’t be relocated or euthanized. It will live the rest of its natural life safely inside Yellowstone.

Yellowstone officials didn’t respond to multiple Cowboy State Daily requests to confirm TMZ’s report.

Yellowstone officials rarely take management action against wildlife that injures visitors unless the offending animal shows signs of habituated behavior. The actions of wildlife are often seen as natural responses rather than deliberate acts of aggression.

Even grizzlies that attack and seriously injure park guests usually get off the hook, so long as the attack was determined to be a natural behavior, like defending cubs or a food source.

Identifying just which bison tossed the Washington man also could be extremely difficult after the fact.

Both McDaniel and the bison have been under scrutiny for their actions during the encounter. While Yellowstone is giving the bison a pass, many people are acknowledging that McDaniel wasn’t at fault, either.

McDaniel supports the decision to not euthanize the bison, expressing his desire that the bison not be penalized or euthanized for injuring him.

“(The bison) was right on top of me,” 

. “He could have stomped on me. He could have gored me. He could have done almost anything to take my life, but he did not do so.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Reading The Bison Book"}]

Ecologist and bison expert George Wuerthner reviewed the video of McDaniel’s encounter with the bison. Based on the bison’s behavior during and leading up to the toss, he commended McDaniel for how he handled the encounter.

“He couldn’t have done much to prevent that charge,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “I don’t know if I would have done any better.”

Bison, like many animals, have recognizable behavioral patterns that indicate their moods. Experienced biologists and photographers can, essentially, read a bison’s mind by analyzing its body language and movements.

[{"type":"text","text":"In this instance, the bull bison’s behavior was easy to read. "}]

It was highly agitated and looking for a fight before McDaniel and his 13-year-old grandson were even in its line of sight.

“If you notice, the bull had its tail up in the air,” Wuerthner said. “That indicates that it was very agitated. It’s a behavior that bison do with other bison, and the other bison know what it means.”

What agitated the bison? People have speculated about everything from the movements of a white pickup driving by to being teased by other tourists before charging and tossing McDaniel.

Wuerthner has a simpler, more natural explanation. Heat, environmentally and biologically.

“The rut is on,” he said. “When bull bison are going through the rut, their hormones are going, and they’re much more agitated in general.”

According to the National Park Service, Yellowstone’s bison reach the peak of the rut in July and August. During that time, males display their dominance by bellowing, wallowing, and picking fights with other bulls that occasionally turn lethal.

This aggression is driven by hormones and instinct. The dominant males get to mate with the most females.

the photographer who filmed McDaniel’s encounter 

with the bison, also understands bison behavior. He said the incident he observed was “weird.”

“If you've been around bison for a while, you know what to expect from these guys at this time of year,” he said. “This changed my idea of what to expect, because I would not have predicted that happening.”

In this heightened state, it doesn’t take much to provoke the wrath of a bull bison. Sometimes, it takes nothing at all.

However, MacLeod knew McDaniel wouldn't want the bison to suffer for its actions. 

"He didn’t want the bison killed,” he said. “Sometimes, they put animals down for these things, for animals being themselves, and Carl didn’t want that.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"What To Do Differently?"}]

After viewing the video captured by MacLeod, Wuerthner doesn’t fault McDaniel for anything he did to avoid serious injury, even if it ended with him being seriously injured.

“He was right trying to get into that little grove of trees,” he said. “He probably wasn't thinking this way at the time, but I would have tried to climb one of those trees to prevent the bison from getting to him.”

A possible alternative might have been getting into one of the nearby vehicles in the Bridge Bay Campground. However, people don’t instinctively jump into a stranger’s vehicle, even when making life-or-death, on-the-spot decisions.

Many people have said that McDaniel was too close to the bison, and that prompted the attack.

 MacLeod has repeatedly denied this, saying McDaniel and his grandson were far beyond the 25-yard minimum Yellowstone asks people to keep between themselves and bison, elk, and other large herbivores.

Wuerthner agreed, while adding that the distance wouldn’t have made much difference.

“Bison are incredibly fast,” he said, adding that, “25 yards is a safe distance, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely safe. Even bears are happy to come up to people and quickly cross  100 yards if there’s some reason they might want to.”

However, there’s another factor to consider. McDaniel was simultaneously trying to avoid the bison while deliberately keeping its attention.

According to MacLeod, McDaniel’s priority was protecting his grandson. 

To do this, he told his grandson to run while he kept the bison’s attention by running into and around the trees.

“He led the bison on that wild goose chase to keep him away from his grandson,” he said.

[{"type":"text","text":"To that end, he was successful. McDaniel’s grandson was unharmed."}]

Given these circumstances, it’s hard to fault McDaniel for anything he did or didn’t do, Wuerthner said. He made several split-second decisions that were the best decisions given the circumstances.

“I don't know how much people will do and are willing to do, especially if they’re unaware of how dangerous the bison can be under certain circumstances,” he said. “There isn’t much more he could have done.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Safety Never Guaranteed"}]

After the incident, McDaniel was hospitalized in critical condition with his right femur broken in four places. He’s undergone surgery and is 

Wuerthner knows how bison can break their own patterns of behavior and do unpredictable things, especially during the rut. He speaks from experience.

“One summer, I hiked up a small ridge in the open grasslands of Lamar Valley,” he said. “Suddenly, this bison herd started coming right towards me and split up. I literally could have reached out on either side and touched bison. They were less than 4 feet away, on their side.”

Wuerthner wasn’t hurt, but admittedly was “scared of an attack” as the bison passed by. Even so, he had been more than 25 yards away from the nearest bison when the whole herd decided to move in his direction.

Most human-bison incidents happen when someone gets too close to a bison, deliberately or accidentally.

In this instance, Wuerthner has joined many others in exonerating McDaniel. Still, he feels there’s a valuable lesson to be learned from the experience.

“People tend to look at the wildlife in Yellowstone like they would if they were at a zoo,” he said. “Those animals are accustomed to people, but that doesn't negate their natural, wild tendencies. And, in their wild conditions, Yellowstone’s wildlife will react differently than an animal in the zoo.”

He also had a tidbit of wisdom based on the human behavior he’s observed in Yellowstone: there’s no protection across the road.

“People think it’s safe on the side of the road because the wildlife knows they’re not supposed to be there,” he said. “I see it all the time. Roads are for human occupation, and off-road is for wildlife.”

Twenty-five yards is the “safe” distance Yellowstone tourists are asked to keep between themselves and bison. Most of the time, it’s a completely safe distance, but McDaniel’s bison encounter shows that safety should never be taken for granted.

“More people get hurt by bison than by any other animal in Yellowstone,” Wuerthner said. “That’s partly because people underestimate how bison will react when they approach and how quickly they can respond. People need to know that they’re dangerous.”

Bison throw composite 7 15 26

<title>Yellowstone Won’t Kill Angry Bison That Tossed, Seriously Hurt Man At Campground | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The bison that tossed a 65-year-old Washington state man 8 feet in the air and broke his femur in four places won’t be killed. The man "couldn’t have done much to prevent that charge,” said a bison expert. “I don’t know if I would have done any better.”

Yellowstone Won’t Kill Angry Bison That Tossed, Seriously Hurt Man At Campground

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Crime & Courts

Public Safety

A blown tire on a commercial truck appears to be what triggered a crash Wednesday that shut down U.S. Highway 20/26 outside Shoshoni for nearly four hours, leaving motorists stranded in sweltering near 100-degree temperatures while emergency crews cleared the road.

Wyoming Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Aaron Brown said an eastbound semitruck east of Shoshoni traveling toward Casper suffered a tire failure at about 10:30 a.m., causing it to drift into the westbound lane and sideswipe a GMC Yukon. 

Brown said there were no fatalities, though the extent of any injuries was not immediately available because troopers were still working at the scene. 

The highway was closed for nearly four hours as temperatures — expected to hit the high-90s and get near 100 Wednesday — rose while people were stuck behind the crash.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hours In The Heat"}]

Scott Spiess of Lander told Cowboy State Daily he became stuck in the backup around 10 a.m. and remained there for hours.

"It says it's 94 where I'm sitting right now, so it's probably closer to about 98 on the highway," Spiess said while waiting for the road to reopen. "People hauling horses, I would be concerned about their animals."

Spiess said he never saw the collision itself but watched as a large emergency response unfold.

"I do know that they brought in three flatbed wreckers and two semi wreckers, and at one point in time, they had two helicopters and several fire department and police department vehicles on scene,” he said.

Photos shared with Cowboy State Daily show emergency vehicles, a helicopter and heavy-duty wreckers gathered along the highway as traffic stretched into the distance.

Another image shows one of the commercial trucks involved with extensive front-end damage and its engine compartment exposed.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Investigation Continues"}]

Brown said the Wyoming Highway Patrol expects to temporarily close the highway again Thursday so investigators can reconstruct the crash and determine exactly what happened.

[{"type":"text","text":"A timeline for that closure has not yet been announced. "}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The crash remains under investigation."}]

Highway 2026 crash Unknown 51 7 15 269

<title>Crash Shuts Down Highway 20/26 Near Shoshoni For Hours In Near 100-Degree Heat | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A blown tire on a semitrailer sent it into the opposite lane, sideswiping a GMC Yukon and closing U.S. 20/26 near Shoshoni for more than four hours Wednesday, stranding motorists in near 100-degree heat. 

Crash Shuts Down Highway 20/26 Near Shoshoni For Hours In Near 100-Degree Heat

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

Clair McFarland

Law Enforcement

As Wyomingites across the state amplify their concerns over license plate reader cameras, people are reporting devices to camera-mapping site Deflock.org that might not actually be license plate readers.

 peg Cody, Gillette, and Lusk as places that have license plate readers.

Law enforcement agencies in Cody and Gillette both say they’re not using license plate readers. 

In the case of Cody, a quick-lube mechanic shop owner said the camera reported as a license plate reader is a vehicle counter, which he had installed to tout the shop's area traffic volume in case he ever wants to sell his business.

In the case of Gillette, the police department and sheriff’s office both say they’re not using license plate readers, while the Wyoming Department of Transportation speculated the devices — mapped at the town’s busiest intersection — could be traffic signal monitors.   

But Lusk is using license plate readers, and the Deflock entry on that little town is correct, Lusk Police Chief Jacob Gordon confirmed Wednesday to Cowboy State Daily.

Gordon said he started the installation project for the town’s two license plate readers — both from Motorola’s Vigilant line rather than the better-known Flock brand — about three years ago.

Town residents brought questions and minimal resistance to that, Gordon recalled. He said he addressed people’s concerns by describing the cameras’ limited vantage.  

The chief said he started the project after going to a training in Nebraska while he was still a sergeant with the departmentand heard how a mobile license plate reader in a deputy’s vehicle had thwarted a predator who’d kidnapped a girl.

“That really resonated with me on what these cameras can do and what resources they are, to help police in investigations,” said Gordon.

The highway that case involved is similar to the one passing through Lusk, he added.

Gordon said his agency focuses the cameras toward addressing human trafficking, kidnapping, stolen vehicle and drug investigations. 

He said “the cell service up north gets pretty rough and we just were having complaints about people being run off the road, trying to run off the road single women that were driving.”

[{"type":"text","text":"The intel system linked to the cameras is a useful resource, said Gordon."}]

Agencies can flag suspect or sought vehicles, and other agencies notice those hits when the license plates cross their cameras. 

Beyond that, Gordon said an agent who is linked to other agencies via memorandum of understanding can search for recent logged locations on a license plate number that has not yet been flagged.

He said Lusk Police Department has around 2,800 memoranda of understanding with other agencies, and he’s been able to help Wyoming agencies like Rock Springs get information from that large network to discern the general direction of suspect vehicles.

[{"type":"text","text":"Lusk PD’s data system stores information for 30 days, said Gordon."}]

He said the police have two stationary, pole cameras mounted in town right now.

One of those, logged correctly in the Deflock.org map, is at the Ranchers Feed Supply store.

A store manager who declined to be identified by name walked outside and confirmed there’s a camera there during a Tuesday interview with Cowboy State Daily. She voiced surprise, as if noticing the device for the first time.

Lusk PD has another camera “farther south” around the town entrance, said Gordon.

He cast the people of Lusk as a check on any potential abuses of the system.

“If we start utilizing (the system) as an overreach or, you know, it’s not working the way we thought, we’ll just take them down and be done,” Gordon said. 

But for now, he added, “The system isn’t that invasive, but assists in those types of serious issues, and can assist in saving people’s lives. I think it’s super beneficial.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Louder In Green River"}]

The people of Green River appear to have brought 

Outspoken Green River residents earlier this month halted their police chief’s bid to install license plate readers at town entrances.

Gregory Sherwin, who identified himself as a lifelong resident of Green River, cast the system as just another slow, well-intentioned erosion of freedom during a July 7 meeting of the City Council.

He urged the council to “defend these principles of due process, presumption of innocence and freedom of association — and the simple right to move about our communities without being constantly monitored, analyzed and profiled.”

Sherwin added, “These are not outdated ideals. They’re the foundation of a free people.”

Besides Lusk, the Wyoming communities of Cheyenne, Jackson, Glenrock, and the Wind River Indian Reservation all have license plate reader cameras in place.

[{"type":"text","text":"Gillette Says Nope"}]

Campbell County Sheriff Scott Matheny and Gillette Deputy Chief of Police Brent Wasson both told Cowboy State Daily their agencies don’t use license plate readers.

Someone logged a Flock Safety brand camera at the intersection of East Boxelder Road and South Douglas Highway.

“That’s a state highway. I would assume that is state infrastructure,” said Wasson in a Tuesday phone interview. “I don’t have any idea. I can tell you we don’t (have any cameras).”

The Wyoming Department of Transportation also said it doesn’t have any cameras there. 

The agency had already given to Cowboy State Daily 

 license plate reader sites pursuant to a records request, said WYDOT public relations manager Doug McGee.

McGee said the devices logged at the intersection could be traffic control sensors.

“Our Traffic Program has a Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera in that area that allows us to remotely monitor signal operations. We do not store any images from these types of cameras,” he said in a Tuesday email. “The image supplied on DeFlock does look similar to that camera, but not knowing the source, I can't be certain.”

Matheny went to the site himself to answer Cowboy State Daily’s inquiry.

They looked like traffic motion sensors for the stoplights to him, said the sheriff.

“I don’t see anything else that would indicate an LP reader,” added Matheny.

[{"type":"text","text":"Counting Cars In Cody"}]

A Deflock.org user logged an alleged Motorola license plate reader for Cody’s intersection of Yellowstone Avenue and Conifer Lane.

That’s actually a car counter, said Jared Friess, owner of quick-lube style car shop Majestic Lube.

“So, we’re a chain of quick-lubes, so when you buy quick-lubes, the most important thing is traffic counts,” said Friess. "Because they base (market value) on volume.”

He said he had the car counter installed so he has a value marker to tout if he ever wants to sell the business.

He said the devices are confined to the subscriptions people buy for them, and his subscription is only for counting cars. He confirmed the device is a Motorola.

“Any big chains like Autozone or anything will have that,” he said. “No one who owns these types of stores will buy one unless there’s data of how many vehicles pass through the business.”

Cody Police Department Lt. Juston Wead said the agency doesn’t have any license plate readers. 

And, “no, we are not in the process of looking into them at all,” he added.

Lusk license plate reader 7 15 26

<title>License Plate Reader Map Right That Lusk Has Them, Wrong About Cody And Gillette | Cowboy State Daily</title>

As people across Wyoming raise concerns over license plate reader cameras, they're mapping cameras that might not actually be license plate readers. A new Deflock.org entry saying Lusk has them is right, but it’s wrong about Cody and Gillette.

License Plate Reader Map Right That Lusk Has Them, Wrong About Cody And Gillette

Courts

A former assistant director at the Shoshoni Senior Center is accused of exploiting a 93-year-old woman who depended on the center for meals, transportation and other daily assistance, allegedly accepting and depositing $33,400 in checks from the woman over a 14-month period.

Jeannie Kroenke is charged with one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, a felony that alleges she used her position of trust to financially exploit an elderly client of the senior center.

A probable cause affidavit filed by Shoshoni Police Chief Christopher Konija claims the alleged victim lives alone, relies on the senior center for services and uses a wheelchair.

Investigators wrote that the woman became confused easily, sometimes mistook Kroenke for other people and was unable to manage her finances without assistance.

The allegations have shaken one of Shoshoni's most important community institutions, where older residents gather for meals, activities and transportation services.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Bank Spots Suspicious Check"}]

The investigation began last Thursday after Wyoming Community Bank contacted the Shoshoni Police Department about suspected elder financial exploitation.

BMO Bank flagged one of the older woman's recent checks after an employee noticed handwriting that appeared inconsistent with the rest of the document.

Police allege nine checks totaling $33,400 were written between April 17, 2025, and June 23, 2026, ranging from $1,000 to $15,000, the affidavit says.

Investigators say all nine checks were deposited into Kroenke's personal bank account.

One of the checks appeared to have originally been written for $5,000 before being altered to $15,000, says the affidavit. 

Kroenke initially denied changing the amount. Later, investigators wrote that she acknowledged believing the check was for $5,000 until a bank teller told her it was worth $15,000.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"I was overjoyed,\" Kroenke allegedly told investigators."}]

She later claimed she contacted the 93-year-old, who told her to go ahead and deposit the larger amount.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'Go Have Fun'"}]

During an interview with police, Kroenke acknowledged receiving multiple checks from the senior center client, but said the money had been given voluntarily.

Kroenke told police that the woman wanted to help pay expenses related to the mental health treatment for a family member of Kroenke's and would sometimes hand her $1,000 while telling her to "go have fun."

Kroenke said she also used $10,000 of the 93-year-old's money repay money that she owed a family member. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Another disputed transaction involved a $6,200 check."}]

Konija wrote in the affidavit that the 93-year-old believed she had intended that money as a donation to the Shoshoni Senior Center's historical preservation project.

Kroenke told investigators the woman was confusing that check with another donation.

Near the end of the interview, police say Kroenke acknowledged that accepting money from a client looked inappropriate because of her position at the senior center and admitted no one else knew the older woman had been giving her money.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Layers Of Oversight "}]

For many residents, the Shoshoni Senior Center serves as far more than a place to eat lunch.

The center provides meals, transportation, home-delivered food and other support services while also hosting community events that draw seniors from across the region.

"It's really important part of our whole town," Shoshoni Mayor Joel Highsmith told Cowboy State Daily.

Highsmith said the center serves not only Shoshoni residents, but seniors from surrounding rural communities and Riverton, calling it "a great institution."

He urged residents not to judge the organization based on the allegations against one former employee.

"If the allegations are true, it was an act of one person and not an act of the senior center as a whole," Highsmith said. "It's one individual, it's not the senior center."

Highsmith added that smaller communities often have fewer layers of oversight than larger organizations, but said situations like this should prompt a review of internal safeguards to help prevent similar incidents in the future.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Board Meeting"}]

Shoshoni Senior Center Executive Director Rikki Neale confirmed to Cowboy State Daily that the center's board of directors was scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss the matter. She declined further comment ahead of the meeting.

Kroenke made her initial appearance Monday in Fremont County Circuit Court. Her bond was set at $10,000 cash only or a $25,000 surety bond.

As of Wednesday afternoon, she was no longer listed as an inmate at the Fremont County Detention Center.

[{"type":"text","text":"A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. July 22."}]

Shoshoni Senior Center 7 15 26

<title>Former Shoshoni Senior Center Official Accused Of Scamming $33K From 93-Year-Old | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The former assistant director of the Shoshoni Senior Center has been charged on suspicion of scamming more than $33,000 from a 93-year-old client. She told police the woman would sometimes hand her $1,000 and say, “Go have fun."

Former Shoshoni Senior Center Official Accused Of Scamming $33K From 93-Year-Old

Nearly three weeks after a commercial tanker 

in a construction zone west of Casper, killing two people and injuring eight others, no criminal charges have been filed as a Wyoming Highway Patrol investigation continues.

That isn't stopping a Casper attorney from pursuing the first civil lawsuit stemming from the deadly crash on behalf of a family hurt in the pileup.

The negligence lawsuit, filed Friday in Natrona County District Court, names Ryan Brothers Trucking Inc. and a John Doe defendant, identified as the tanker driver whose identity was not yet known to the plaintiffs when the complaint was filed.

A family hurt in a crash west of Casper that killed two people when a semitruck plowed into a construction zone is suing the trucking company and the as-yet unidentified truck driver. No criminal charges have yet been filed as an investigation continues.

Daily Darwin: Tuesday, June 27, 2023

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