Daily Darwin

[{"type":"text","text":"Bob’s build a helicopter from used vacuum parts goes awry…"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"text":"NOTE: Bob was not injured."}]

Darwin 5 23 24

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

<title>Daily Darwin: Thursday, May 23, 2024 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Bob’s build a helicopter from used vacuum parts goes awry…

Daily Darwin: Thursday, May 23, 2024

 Bob’s build a helicopter from used vacuum parts goes awry… NOTE: Bob was not injured.

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Second-quarter campaign finance reports for Wyoming’s GOP primary House race are in, and four candidates have loaned themselves more than $1 million each.

Steve Friess has amassed the largest war chest with $2.5 million, which includes a $2 million self-loan. Reid Rasner is second, loaning himself $1.7 million out of $2 million, while two others, Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Teton-County-based attorney Frank Chapman, also hit above the $1 million mark with self-funding. 

Those four will face off against six other Republican contenders for the GOP nomination in Wyoming's Aug. 18 primary election in the hopes of winning the state's lone U.S. House race soon being vacated by Rep. Harriet Hageman. 

Friess has “invested $2 million of his own money in the effort,” as his Wednesday statement describes the self-loan. 

That puts Friess’s principal campaign committee Friess For Wyoming at nearly $2.2 million after another $92,361 in other contributions and $81,136 in transfers from other authorized committees.  

While U.S. Federal Election Commission reports for the second quarter surfaced this week, Friess’s financial lead is more notable because he declared his run later than most candidates in April.

Recognizable names appear in Friess’s donations receipts, such as National Museum of Military Vehicles founder Dan Starks and major 

The joint fundraising committee Friess Wyoming Victory Fund also raises money for the Friess campaign and has logged $363,626 in receipts, all from individuals.

Those include conservative media giant Tucker Carlson, Turning Point USA board member Doug DeGroote, and Friess’s mother Lynne.

Friess’s principal committee has $606,907 cash on hand — the most of any candidate.

[{"type":"text","text":"He’s spent about $1.49 million so far."}]

Friess's spokesman Tim Edson noted that within the past three months, Friess has outraised all opponents combined. 

"Republicans are rallying around Steve because they want a political outsider and businessman who can't be bought," wrote Edson in a Friday text message. "With a month to go, Steve has the money and the momentum — he's now tied for the lead and poised to overtake Chuck Gray and win this race." 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Next Up, Reid"}]

For total receipts, Rasner is second at nearly $2.044 million for his primary committee, Reid Rasner for Wyoming.   

That includes a nearly $1.71 million self-loan and $328,762 in other contributions.

Rasner’s committee’s ending cash on hand is $81,017.78, and he’s spent nearly $2 million.

His campaign did not return a Thursday text message request for comment by publication.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chuck Gray"}]

Gray’s committee Citizens for Chuck Gray has logged $1,378,842 in receipts, including $230,936 in contributions and a $1.147 million self-loan.

[{"type":"text","text":"He’s spent about $852,365 so far."}]

Gray’s individual receipts show giving by Drake Hill, who is a Cheyenne-based attorney and husband to former Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill; Gray’s father Jan Charles Gray; and Gore-Tex heiress Susan Gore, among others.

Gray told Cowboy State Daily in a Thursday text message that his campaign is “in the lead, is gaining momentum and remains in a strong financial position.”

“Thank you to the people of Wyoming for your support,” wrote Gray, who said he has a proven track record of advancing Wyoming values “and will continue that work as a member of Congress.”

He added a critique that surfaces in many of his public statements against the media and an undefined group of “insiders.”

“That track record is why our campaign is in the lead, and it’s why the leftwing media and the insiders continue to attack me,” wrote Gray.

The PAC Protecting Wyoming Values dispatches mailers regularly in Gray’s favor. Its receipts total $657,009, all contributions from Gray’s father.

Gray’s committee’s cash on hand nearly rivals Friess’, at $526,476.60.

To Matt Micheli, a longtime politico and former chair of the Wyoming Republican Party, Gray’s name recognition and Friess’s momentum are honing the race.

Micheli donated money to another contender, Senate President Bo Biteman, but has since endorsed Friess.

“Listen, money matters in elections, and you need to have enough money to get your message out to voters,” Micheli said Thursday. “We’re at the point now people are starting to pay attention.”

Micheli added, “Right now, I see it as a two-person race. I think it really comes down to Steve Friess or Chuck Gray. They’re the two candidates right now that have a chance of winning this race.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chapman"}]

Chapman told Cowboy State Daily he believes his campaign is doing “very well finance-wise in the race.”

“You’ve got four main, you know, candidates that have gone out and raised money or contributed money to make themselves viable in responsible campaigns,” said Chapman, listing himself among Friess, Gray and Rasner.

His main campaign committee Chapman for Congress lists just over $1.09 million in receipts with $31,622.89 in contributions and a $1.06 million self-loan.

Chapman’s cash on hand notation tallies $495,161.33 — the third most after Friess and Gray. He’s spent at least $596,462.50 from his principal committee, says the FEC.

Chapman noted that independent political action committees (PACs) may also play a huge role in the race.

 has dropped $2.5 million into the super-PAC Fighting For Wyoming, which has 

 “a conservative rancher ready to fight with President Trump for the people of Wyoming.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Chapman said strategy is also important."}]

“When you’re running a campaign, a responsible candidate will buy the last three weeks (of TV ads) three months out,” said Chapman, adding that his campaign did that for prominent Wyoming TV channels. He also spoke of going to forums and gaining momentum in the field.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"David Giralt"}]

The other six candidates in this 10-way primary election are Biteman, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, military veterans David Giralt and Kevin Christensen, former lawmaker Keith Goodenough and Richard Dodson.

Giralt has raised at least $184,529.88, including one $64,691.48 self-loan, and spent $31,449, the FEC says.

[{"type":"text","text":"He narrowly outpaced Balow for that fifth-place earner slot."}]

He said he’s honored to have donations and support from members of Congress, but more humbled when he’s out door-knocking and a Wyomingite “decides to wrap a contribution check for $50 in an envelope and send us on our way with it.”

“As someone who’s new to politics I’m very proud of the work, the momentum we’ve been able to build,” he said.

[{"type":"text","text":"Giralt said he was out knocking doors during his Friday phone interview."}]

“As someone starting on this journey as a bit of an outsider I’m just very humbled to out-fundraise people who’ve been in the political realm for years or even decades, for some,” he said, adding that people’s giving is more touching since he started out his campaign as “a long shot.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Jillian Balow"}]

Balow’s primary campaign committee Jillian Balow for Wyoming has raised $166.451.09 as of the July FEC filing deadline. That includes $41,449 in individual contributions and $125,000 of her own money.

The FEC shows her at $124,051 cash on hand and $42,399.75 in expenses as of the July report cutoff.

“I’m incredibly proud of the groundswell of support that is providing my campaign with the critical resources I need to connect with undecided voters,” said Balow in a Thursday text message. “I’m the only candidate in the House race with Wyoming roots, a conservative record as a leader, and the tenacity to fight hard and win for Wyoming.”

Balow added, “Slick television ads and endless family wealth will not win this race. Shoe leather and grit will.”

Both Balow and Biteman have garnered donations from multiple former state lawmakers.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Bo Biteman"}]

Biteman promised this year that he would not declare for higher office at least until the legislative session was over, saying he wanted to focus on leading the Senate rather than campaigning. 

As a result, he declared his run later than Rasner and Gray, but still a few days earlier than Friess.

He’s raised $94,342.45 as of his second-quarter FEC report, nearly all donations from individuals.

The FEC lists his cash on hand at $20,407.69 and his expenditures at nearly $74,000.

“We also have a number of outstanding donor commitments that were made after the close of the reporting period or have not yet been received, so this report doesn’t reflect all the support behind our campaign,” said Biteman in a Thursday text message.

He said his campaign has been disciplined with its spending out of respect for the donors who “expect us to be good stewards of every dollar.”

“I’d rather be known for running an efficient campaign than an expensive one,” Biteman said. “Every dollar we save today is another dollar we can invest in reaching voters when it matters most. 

"Campaigns aren’t built to accumulate cash — they’re built to communicate with voters and earn support, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Biteman said many donors are watching to see how the crowded primary contest develops before making larger commitments, but said his campaign is budling support across Wyoming, adding volunteers and meeting with voters every day.

“I feel very good about where this campaign is headed because we have the experience, the record, and the grassroots support to win,” he said.

At a Wednesday morning coffee gathering in Riverton, Biteman had quipped at the incongruity of some candidates spending more than $2 million to win a nearly $180,000 a year job.

“That was simply to say that public service should be about serving the people, not building a career in politics,” said Biteman.

He said he prefers to deliver his message in person, “not through a $125,000 mailer or a late night Roku ad buy, as most Wyomingites don’t want to believe that this election can be outright bought or that the voters can be enticed by shiny objects over proven, consistent and effective leadership.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Kevin Christensen"}]

The Christensen campaign has raised $13,258.21. That’s $10,258.21 in contributions and $3,000 of Christensen’s money.

[{"type":"text","text":"The FEC lists him as having $4,573.98 cash on hand."}]

Christensen acknowledged in a Thursday phone interview that he can’t match many others’ fundraising.

“I’m going off of, you know, people that know me and people who are Wyoming residents. I haven’t accepted any PAC money,” he said. “But you know for value on the dollar, I’m doing very well for the amount of money I’m bringing in.”

Christensen said he believes is campaign is gaining momentum, and he’s looking forward to proving it.

FEC reports for Dodson and Goodenough were not publicly available as of publication time.

Mix Collage 17 Jul 2026 05 49 PM 9333

<title>FEC Report: Four Wyoming House Candidates Loan Themselves More Than $1 Million Each | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Second-quarter campaign finance reports for Wyoming’s GOP primary House race are in. Steve Friess has amassed the most with $2.5 million, which includes a $2 million self-loan. Reid Rasner is second, loaning himself $1.7 million out of $2 million.

FEC Report: Four Wyoming House Candidates Loan Themselves More Than $1 Million Each

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's managing editor, Greg Johnson.

Greg Johnson

Wyoming Life

Around Wyoming

CHEYENNE — Velma Wilson felt a wash of emotion that nearly had her in tears when she walked through the gates of the new Morning Star American Indian Village at Cheyenne Frontier Days on Friday.

A turquoise jewelry maker from the reservation in northern Arizona, Wilson said she wasn’t expecting to find a completely rebuilt, reimagined and elevated campus dedicated to Native American culture.

“When I first came in this morning, I was really moved,” said Wilson, who has been a fixture at the village for 26 years. “I got emotional, because this is so amazing and the (transformation) is almost unbelievable.”

As the new $10 million Morning Star American Indian Village celebrated its grand opening Friday on the first day of the 2026 Cheyenne Frontier Days, Wilson said that she and other Native Americans appreciate the transformation more than most visitors.

“You look around and what this is now and it’s really like, you know, it’s like somebody appreciates you,” Wilson said. “For years here, the Indian Village seemed like an afterthought, which is kind of what (American) history has been.”

She described setting up her booth in previous years “in a shed that was falling apart, so when it rained, water came through our roof. We had to put plastic on all our stuff to protect it.”

Then she made a grand, encompassing sweep of her arms and said that she's overwhelmed by the facility that includes new vendor spaces, rows of teepees and a grand centerpiece dance arbor that Wilson said honors her culture.

“It’s like, I can’t believe this is for us,” she said. “I was skeptical at the beginning when they were building this, but all my skepticism just all went away when I came in here.”

[{"type":"text","text":"It’s easy to see why."}]

Rebranded the Morning Star Indian Village, the winding walkways, brick vendor booths and meaningful artwork have created a new destination for Cheyenne and CFD.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"More Than A Tourist Trap"}]

In Native American culture, the Morning Star is a powerful force, representing new beginnings, said “Yellowstone” actor and frequent visitor to the Indian Village, Mo Brings Plenty.

He was the emcee of the village’s Friday grand opening, weaving humor and passion into his appreciation for the new Morning Star Indian Village.

“Years ago, this began with cowboys and Indians,” he said. “And today, what I love about this place is it maintains its tradition. We still have cowboys and Indians.”

The centerpiece of the village is an impressive dance arbor — a sunken, circular arena lined with 36 huge 18-inch fir posts that look like they’ll be there for another century.

It’s a fitting place for Native American dances, ceremonies and for family, said Wyoming state Rep. Ivan Posey, who’s an enrolled member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe.

“Oh, this is beautiful,” he told Cowboy State Daily on Friday. “I walked through here this morning, and it’s impressive.”

He explained that the arbor is a circle for a reason; it symbolizes unity and family. During the grand opening ceremony, Posey performed a traditional cedar healing ceremony.

He also echoed Wilson in saying the new village “was probably a long time coming, but it’s here. This arbor is a great piece of work. It’s going to transcend those songs and dances to people … and give us an ability as tribal people to share that.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"‘You Got To Dream Bigger Than That’"}]

The vision for Morning Star began with Jackson resident and businessman B. Wayne Hughes Jr. and his wife, Molly, through their Hughes Foundation.

They came to Cheyenne Frontier Days officials and said, “What can we do to help you guys?” said CFD CEO Tom Hirsig. “So, they walked around and we said, ‘Well, there’s things we want to do.’”

Upgrading and rebuilding the Indian Village wasn’t one of those things, he added.

“Then they went to the Indian Village and they said, ‘This is what we want to help with. We want to improve this Indian Village,'” Hirsig said. “Wow, that’s exciting, because that’s something that really wasn’t in our plan, to put a lot of money into the Native American village.”

Cheyenne Frontier Days put together a $1 million makeover plan and took it to the couple.

“Wayne looked at us and said, ‘You got to dream bigger than that,’” Hirsig said.

That dream turned out 10 times bigger with a $10 million investment into the village.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"‘Felt The Need’"}]

Much of Friday’s ceremony was spent thanking the Hughes Foundation and the couple, who were visibly moved by what the new village means for Wyoming and Native American culture.

“You know, this is a hell of a time to choke up,” said Wayne, who also owns Cowboy State Daily.

Then he pulled out folded sheets of yellow paper and smoothed them with his hand while explaining how he would rather listen to speeches than give them.

“I usually wait until the last minute for this kind of thing, but this might be the last big speech I ever give,” he said as the crowd laughed. “Hopefully, it will be. I’m going to see if I can get through it.”

He told the several hundred gathered in a circle in and around the dance arbor that it’s humbling to see the results of years of planning and hard work by a lot of people.

“You know, walking into this place and seeing the dreams and the visions of everybody involved come to fruition is truly a blessing,” Wayne said. “And Molly and I are blessed to be here.

“We’re blessed to be citizens of Wyoming, and I just want to welcome all of you.”

He also recalled that day four years ago when he toured the Frontier Days grounds looking for opportunities to help.

“I was given a daylong tour of stadiums and barns and bleachers and building displays,” he said. “And along the way, (Wyoming Supreme Court) Justice Lynne Boomgaarden said, ‘Hey, take a look at Indian Village.’”

Being part Cherokee, Wayne said that he “felt the need … to recognize them in a way that they deserved. I was touched by the culture, and the culture touched me.

“Morning Star American Indian Village is now … truly a shining morning star,” he added. “And all the world can visit. It’s yours to share. Share it with your family, share it with your community and to commune with God.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"‘The Way It Should Be’"}]

Count Kathie Selden as one Cheyenne local who’s more than impressed with the new village.

She lives near the Cheyenne Frontier Days grounds and has been busting with curiosity for months as construction was underway.

“To get in here and see what all they were doing, it’s incredible,” Selden said. “I just walked in and it’s wonderful. I’ve been driving by for months wondering.”

[{"type":"text","text":"She said the village is now appropriate to what it represents."}]

“This is the way it should be, and we should have the support of our community as well as the First Nation community because the First Nations are the ones that this is about,” Selden said.

Her friend Lindi Kirkbride added that before, “the Indian Village seemed kind of stuck in the corner” of the CFD campus.

“Now it’s this kind of showcase, and that’s the way it should be,” she said. “It’s a statement of values rather than just, you know, this is outside everything else going on with the concerts and the rodeo and everything.”

The grand opening of the Morning Star village is just the beginning, Wayne said.

[{"type":"text","text":"“By the way,” he told the crowd. “There’s more to be done.”"}]

Wayne and Indian Village 7 17 26

<title>‘The Way It Should Be’: New $10M Indian Village Opens At Cheyenne Frontier Days | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The new $10 million Morning Star American Indian Village opened Friday for the first day of Cheyenne Frontier Days. Visitors said they were astonished by the transformation. "I got emotional, because this is so amazing," a Native American visitor said.

‘The Way It Should Be’: New $10M Indian Village Opens At Cheyenne Frontier Days

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Crime & Courts

 to bring a 12-year-old Oklahoma girl back to Wyoming has pleaded no-contest to three felony charges, ending the criminal case short of trial and leaving prosecutors free to seek the maximum possible sentence.

Christopher Steven Gravenmier, 31, entered no-contest pleas Wednesday in Lincoln County District Court to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor and one count of kidnapping.

Lincoln County Attorney Spencer Allred and Deputy Lincoln County Attorney Ember Oakley prosecuted the case.

Rather than agreeing to a negotiated prison term, the plea leaves sentencing open, allowing both sides to argue for the punishment they believe is appropriate.

"We're really pleased with this because we can argue up to the maximum," Oakley told Cowboy State Daily. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Sentencing is scheduled for July 29."}]

If the court orders the sentences to run consecutively, Gravenmier faces mandatory prison terms of 25 to 50 years on each of the two first-degree sexual abuse convictions, along with up to 20 years on the kidnapping conviction — a combined maximum of 120 years in prison.

[{"type":"text","text":"No-Contest Plea "}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Several other felony counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement."}]

Although a no-contest plea differs procedurally from a guilty plea, it has the same legal effect in a criminal case.

"'No-contest' is legally the same as a guilty plea," Allred said. "No-contest pleas basically mean the defendant does not contest the charges against him, but it acts the exact same way as a guilty plea. He's still convicted of those counts. It's procedural. He says, 'I don't contest those charges,' but it acts the same way as a guilty plea."

By entering the plea, Gravenmier gave up his constitutional right to a trial, and the case now moves directly to sentencing.

[{"type":"text","text":"Taken From Home"}]

 April 22 when the girl, who had been reported missing from Oklahoma days earlier, called her grandmother from a Wyoming gas station and said she had been abducted.

Investigators initially encountered Gravenmier after the girl said she had borrowed his cellphone. But once she was safe, authorities say she identified him as the man who had brought her to Wyoming.

The girl told investigators she had communicated with Gravenmier for months on Snapchat before he drove from Kemmerer to Oklahoma. She alleged he told her he knew where she lived, prompting her to leave home with him because she feared what might happen if she refused.

Prosecutors allege Gravenmier drove the girl back to Wyoming, where he sexually abused her during the trip and after arriving in Kemmerer. Charging documents also allege he threatened her, attempted to prevent anyone from tracking her cellphone and warned her not to report what had happened.

Gravenmier was arrested later that day and charged with multiple felony counts. Several of those charges were dismissed as part of Wednesday's plea agreement.

[{"type":"text","text":"Police Station"}]

At the police station, Gravenmier admitted to investigators that he had driven to Oklahoma and picked up the girl several days earlier.

The affidavit says agents noticed that he became "very emotional" during questioning and appeared nervous, grabbing at his shirt, wiping his face and developing a noticeably dry mouth.

[{"type":"text","text":"After requesting an attorney, the interview ended."}]

While investigators obtained search warrants for his home and vehicle, Gravenmier remained at the police station.

The affidavit states he was crying, slumped over in his chair and told agents he was "really sorry for what happened."

Gravenmeier and Lincoln County courthouse 4 30 26 1

<title>Wyoming Man Accused Of Kidnapping, Assaulting 12-Year-Old Oklahoma Girl Pleads No Contest | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Kemmerer man accused of driving 16 hours to Oklahoma to bring a 12-year-old girl back to Wyoming pleaded no-contest to kidnapping and two sex abuse charges and now faces up to 120 years in jail. The affidavit said he told police he was "really sorry."

Wyoming Man Accused Of Kidnapping, Assaulting 12-Year-Old Oklahoma Girl Pleads No Contest

 to a DUI charge and was fined and sentenced to probation issued a public apology Friday. 

Rep. Bill Allemand, R-Midwest, was arrested Dec. 28 in Buffalo on suspicion of driving drunk from at least an interstate outlet intersection to the Miller's Travel Center gas station. 

More than seven months of a highly publicized, hotly contested case followed. He pleaded guilty Wednesday in Buffalo Circuit Court and was sentenced to pay a $500 fine and spend a year on unsupervised probation.

[{"type":"text","text":"If he fails probation, 88 days of jail time could follow."}]

“I would like everyone to know that I do owe you an apology for my offenses,” began Allemand in a public video posted Friday to Facebook. “I would like you to know also that throughout the duration of these proceedings and under the advisement of my legal representation, I was told to offer no apologies, that could affect the case that I was contesting.”

Allemand continued: “I do apologize for drinking while driving on a public road. I do acknowledge my actions could have been much worse, with much consequences.”

He said he’s never denied “that it was illegal and was honest up front.” 

Just after the legislative session ended in March, he said, he entered a counseling program without anyone ordering or pressuring him to do so. He completed that program and continues counseling, and hasn’t consumed alcohol since his arrest, said Allemand.

Allemand said he fought the charge because “I do not believe that the amount of beer consumed (had me) nearly as intoxicated as reported.”

Case prosecutor and Johnson County Deputy Attorney Josh Stensaas reported Allemand at a 0.24% blood-alcohol concentration. Allemand’s attorney, Mike Vang contested that finding during that case, and the BAC dispute wasn’t resolved by the time the case settled.

 “As the case developed, I felt I was not being given a fair opportunity to use the legal system to defend myself,” said Allemand. “There are many details that you weren’t all privileged to know and only chosen information was published by the media.”

Contacted by phone Friday, Allemand clarified to Cowboy State Daily that he was referencing details the media didn’t know. 

[{"type":"text","text":"These may surface later, he added. "}]

He declined to comment beyond that and beyond the statements in his apology video.

“I ultimately made the decision to plead guilty because I was wrong for drinking and driving,” he said in the video. “It also seemed to be a major consensus that I couldn’t ignore.”

He said he hopes his decision doesn’t impact others’ ability to exercise their rights under the system. He also said he’s served the  people with fidelity and will continue to do so.

Allemand faces a Republican opponent, Bar Nunn Mayor Peter Boyer, at the Aug. 18 primary election. 

Rep. Bill Allemand issued a public apology Friday for driving drunk last December. The state legislator pleaded guilty Wednesday to a DUI charge and was fined and sentenced to probation. “I do apologize for drinking while driving on a public road," he said.

Daily Darwin: Thursday, May 23, 2024

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