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Just because the Olympics are over doesn't mean American excellence in athletics is over....

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

<title>Today In Sports: Monday, August 26, 2024 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Today In Sports: Monday, August 26, 2024

 Just because the Olympics are over doesn't mean American excellence in athletics is over....

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Crime & Courts

 who had been living in a sweltering, feces-filled Manderson camper have pleaded not guilty to seven total charges.

Travis Study, 57, the infant's grandfather, pleaded not guilty to five charges during his arraignment Tuesday in Big Horn County District Court. Destynie Study, 22, the baby's mother, pleaded not guilty to two charges in Big Horn County Circuit Court on July 8.

Travis Study faces one felony count of endangering a child through exposure to methamphetamine, along with four misdemeanor charges: Reckless endangerment, endangering a child, possession of methamphetamine and possession of marijuana.

Destynie Study faces misdemeanor charges of reckless endangering and endangering a child. Her next court appearance is a pretrial conference scheduled for 3 p.m. Nov. 25.

A four-day jury trial for Travis Study is expected to be scheduled within 180 days. He remains jailed on a $75,000 cash-only bond. 

The charges stem from conditions investigators say they discovered after the infant's death July 6. 

The family's camper had no running water, a broken air conditioner and sewage system, and measured about 95 degrees inside. Investigators reported human waste, urine and feces throughout the home, along with a urine-soaked crib and drug paraphernalia.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Morning The Baby Died"}]

The investigation began just after 10 a.m. July 6, when agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation were notified of the suspicious, unattended death of an infant.

Destynie Study told investigators she fed and changed her 2-month-old daughter around 1:30 a.m., then put her back to sleep in a crib.

[{"type":"text","text":"She said she awakened around 9:45 a.m. and found the baby unresponsive."}]

Destynie grabbed the infant, got into her father's vehicle and started driving toward Three Rivers Hospital in Basin, calling 911 along the way.

By the time DCI Special Agent Anthony Giles arrived at the hospital, investigators were already documenting what they saw.

Dirt covered Destynie's arms, legs and clothing, according to an affidavit, and investigators reported what appeared to be lice eggs or significant dandruff near her scalp.

"An overwhelming smell of body odor, urine and feces was coming from her person and the room," Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Anthony Giles wrote.

Investigators reported finding dirt beneath the infant's fingernails. The same odor came from the baby's body.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"The infant's diaper was completely saturated in urine,\" Giles wrote."}]

Investigators also reported a small amount of feces and a live insect moving inside the diaper after it was removed.

The baby had lived in the Manderson camper with Destynie, Travis and another child who was just over 1 year old.

What investigators found later that day inside that camper became the foundation for the charges now moving through two Big Horn County courts.

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

Armed with a search warrant, DCI agents went to the camper that afternoon.

Several black garbage bags that investigators believed were recently placed there were sitting outside.

When agents opened the door, they reported being hit by the same overwhelming odor of urine, feces and body odor they had encountered at the hospital.

Investigators found a 5-gallon bucket containing human waste in the bathroom.

The crib where Destynie said the baby slept was damp and smelled strongly of urine.

Investigators reported finding urine-soaked bedding and a soiled diaper underneath the mattress. Liquid had pooled inside the crib's frame, and when investigators lifted it, more foul-smelling liquid drained from the support structure.

Garbage bags outside the camper contained baby food and a comforter investigators believed was heavily soiled with urine and feces.

The DCI affidavit says agents recovered more than 21 grams of suspected marijuana and a glass pipe containing white crystalline residue.

Both Travis and Destynie told investigators that Travis regularly helped care for the children when Destynie was away.

[{"type":"text","text":"Travis described what he did as \"normal grandpa stuff.\""}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"A Warning Over The Phone"}]

Investigators also documented a warning allegedly made by Travis while Destynie was at the hospital.

[{"type":"text","text":"Travis remained on speakerphone while they interviewed his daughter."}]

When agents asked to take Destynie's cellphone as evidence to help establish a timeline, Travis allegedly said he didn't know what might happen if someone carrying a badge or gun showed up at his property.

[{"type":"text","text":"It would be \"a bad day for that individual,\" he allegedly said."}]

The conditions investigators documented July 6 weren't the first time authorities had concerns about the family.

Court records outline four contacts involving the Wyoming Department of Family Services and Manderson police beginning in April.

During one visit, officials investigating concerns about the family's living conditions were denied entry to the camper.

Another welfare check came after reports that Destynie had missed prenatal appointments during what investigators described as a high-risk pregnancy.

During another contact, a caseworker reported that the family's Jeep smelled strongly of cat urine and was filled with debris.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Access Denied"}]

By late May, DFS had received reports that the infant had lost 11% of her body weight and that Destynie had missed a medical appointment.

When caseworkers and police returned to the property, investigators say they were again denied access to the camper.

Travis allegedly told them to "get the f*** off his property and never come back."

Less than two months later, Destynie told investigators she awakened to find her daughter unresponsive in the crib.

The affidavit does not identify an official cause or manner of death, and neither Travis nor Destynie Study is charged with intentionally causing the infant's death.

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

Manderson police and sign 7 9 26

<title>Mother, Grandfather Plead Not Guilty After Baby Dies In Hot, Feces-Filled Camper | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The mother and grandfather of a 2-month old baby found dead in a sweltering, feces-filled camper pleaded not guilty Tuesday to numerous charges surrounding the infant's death. Caseworkers say they were told to "get the f*** off the property" earlier in the year.

Mother, Grandfather Plead Not Guilty After Baby Dies In Hot, Feces-Filled Camper

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

A new political action committee (PAC) has come out as the top spender -- at least on the state level -- in this year’s primary election cycle, outspending the last cycle’s top-spending groups Make Liberty Win and Americans for Prosperity.

Wyoming’s Turn PAC, which has targeted Sen. Eric Barlow with negative ads during his run for governor, has spent $1,448,385 in the state’s primary election, Wyoming Campaign Finance records show.

That’s nearly $1 million more than the $549,144 spent this year by the last cycle’s top spender Make Liberty Win.

 reports receiving $1,543,550 in contributions this year, meaning it has $95,165 remaining in the final week before Tuesday’s primary election.

Of that intake, 95.2% came from the federal-level Women For Responsible Government PAC, which federal 

 or connected with the Hageman Senate Fund supporting Rep. Harriet Hageman.  

Joe Milczewski, who incorporated Wyoming’s Turn PAC in Wyoming, said the PAC has “donors big and small who rallied to support Megan Degenfelder because they know she will protect and promote Wyoming’s energy workers.”

Milczewski said that’s a contrast to the “outside Super PAC” which he said is linked to an agent of the Barlow campaign, “that is currently attacking Megan for her previous work in Wyoming’s energy industry.”

Keep Wyoming Working, a PAC that has been attacking Degenfelder, spent $228,534. Its lone contributor is a Washington DC-based Group, Government That Works PAC, which in turn lists a number of PACs as its own contributors. Its money has filtered to Democratic candidates as well, like Maine's 

Both Degenfelder and Barlow deny involvement with the various PACs attacking the other. Links between Degenfelder and the PACs attacking Barlow – and links between Barlow and the PAC attacking Degenfelder – appear 

Hageman’s campaign spokesman declined to comment.

Hageman has been an outspoken proponent of Degenfelder’s campaign.

$326,397 altogether and gave 290,000 of that to Degenfelder’s campaign. It also donated to a number of other Republican candidates, all women, running for state government offices.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Now About All These Other PACs"}]

Wyoming’s Turn, Keeping Wyoming Working and Fight Wyoming Fight differ from most high-profile, state-level PACs in that they do not appear to have a clear pro- or anti-Freedom Caucus direction.

The other high-profile PACs often coalesce around opposing or supporting the Freedom Caucus. That rivalry has churned millions of dollars into campaign advertising, events and messaging.

 supporting Wyoming Freedom Caucus-aligned candidates and attacking some of their enemies. Its top target was Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, whom it spent $14,177 opposing.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP), also of Virginia, aligned itself against Freedom Caucus candidates this year but said that move was merely incidental to its support for business- and energy-friendly policies.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"AFP spent $285,988, the filings show."}]

WY Freedom PAC, which is the Wyoming Freedom Caucus’ fundraising arm, spent $223,636.

The Prosperity and Commerce PAC, funded largely by Gov. Mark Gordon, appears to have stayed away from the governor’s race. Gordon gave the PAC $100,000 this year, which comprises 98.5% of its intake. But it also carried forward $216,668 from a prior report, and spent $210,272.

It gave donations ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 each to numerous hopeful and current legislators opposing Freedom Caucus-aligned candidates.  

The Civil Leadership PAC out of Gillette spent $199,990, mostly on non-Freedom Caucus Republicans out of the Gillette area, such as Barlow, state Senate hopeful Dwayne Dillinger and County Commission incumbents Scott Clem and Jim Ford. The group also backed Rep. Steve Harshman for superintendent of public instruction, and Robert Short for secretary of state.

The Defeating Communism PAC shelled out $172,648 largely on printing and advertising.

Common Sense Republicans for Wyoming, which two Casper-area attorneys started this year to combat the Freedom Caucus, spent $95,360.

School Freedom Fund spent $609,529, but appears to have spent none of that in Wyoming. Its expenses list out-of-state or national TV and digital advertising buys. Many other federal PACS listed large spending amounts, with caveats saying nearly all that expense consisted of “non-WY disbursements.”

Barlow mailer 2 8 13 26

<title>Wyoming PAC Spends More Than $1.4 Million Attacking Barlow, Top PAC Spender in State | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Wyoming's Turn PAC that has been attacking Sen. Eric Barlow in his run for governor is the state's biggest-spending PAC in the primary election, at $1.4 million. That’s nearly $1 million more than last cycle’s top spender.

Wyoming PAC Spends More Than $1.4 Million Attacking Barlow, Top PAC Spender in State

Lubnau head 2

Tom Lubnau

Opinion

CSD Columnists

I have often been asked why this column is so critical of the Freedom Caucus. The answer is simple. They are posers.

living embodiment of the Dunning-Kruger Effect

the posers make promises they cannot keep, lie about their results, and keep their instructions from their puppet masters secret.

My first complaint is making promises they cannot keep. They charge headlong into issues without understanding the whole situation, and then they break things because they haven't taken the time to understand what they're doing. Look at school finance, after-school activities and rural emergency services for example.

A clear example comes from Crook County, where Ogden Driskill spent twelve years learning how things worked before he became Senate President. His leadership tenure, in legislative terms, was productive and relatively controversy-free.

Chip Neiman, also from Crook County, is a nice enough guy and a smooth public speaker, but he greedily accepted a leadership position after two years in the legislature. He did not take the time to learn how things worked.  As a result, his term as Speaker was marked by huge legislative gaffes.

In his first year as the Freedom Caucus's Speaker of the House, the legislature 

 at all for the first time in recent memory.

In his second year as Speaker, the House spent two full days and nights debating 200 budget amendments, even adding an extra day to the session to get through them all. The Freedom Caucus voted as instructed on the amendments.

Then, in fifteen minutes, the Freedom Caucus-controlled budget conference committee 

 of the budget, abandoning the Freedom Caucus created budget. 

When a Freedom Caucus candidate tells you they saved billions of budget dollars, you know it isn't true, because they never passed a budget of their own making. You cannot cut dollars if you adopt someone else’s budget.

Instead, they use fuzzy politician accounting to say they “slowed the growth of government.” 

The first year, they stuck with the biennial budget created by prior legislature; the second year, they adopted the Senate's budget. The Freedom Caucus budget did not save squat.

Then, in the second year of Neiman’s tenure, 

: a lobbyist — now a gubernatorial candidate — handed out checks on the floor of the House (or, in Neiman's case, in the Speaker's Office) to members who would ultimately vote for a bill she wanted passed. The House investigated the whistle blowers.  

The legislators who accepted the cash claim that since they voted for the bill in the last session, nothing was wrong.  Uh-huh.

A bill was pending, cash was paid, votes were made by those to whom cash was paid.

As recently as last week, Speaker Neiman has shown no remorse for this stain on the history of the House.

The Freedom Caucus passed property tax relief, and you can't check your mailbox these days without finding a flyer from one of their candidates bragging about it. Of course, the problem is they crippled local services in the process.

To fix the problem they created, they want to “backfill” with someone else’s money. Now, the Freedom Caucus (who blames other people for their failing) blame the lack of "backfill" on the Senate. They say “backfill” is an easy thing.

What the Freedom Caucus ignores is the backfill money has to come from somewhere. To backfill, they can either tax someone else, tax the same taxpayers in a different way, or tax our children by spending our savings. The bottom line is backfill money comes from taxes, and someone has to pay those taxes. Money does not grow on trees.

It seems empty poser promises grow on trees.

Probably the biggest factor creating poser status is that Freedom Caucus members are puppets of a larger network.

The Freedom Caucus receives text messages from some hidden source telling them how to vote.

When the puppet master sends out a command, the collective buzz of the caucus's cell phones going off during the legislative session sounds like a gang of Harleys thundering by. After the rumble of the silenced phone buzzers end, some 30 legislators look at their phones and vote as instructed.

The caucus has been asked, several times, to show the voting public their secret text messages and disclose their instructions from their puppet master.

And, collectively, they have shown the citizens of the state their flippy finger, choosing instead to keep their marching orders secret.

Voters do not have to put up with their government being controlled by puppet masters dictating to their minion posers how to vote.

If a Freedom Caucus member, or aligned legislator, refuses to disclose the secret messages, show them the door. The biggest threat to our free society is a government run behind closed doors.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"We deserve better than posers."}]

Tom Lubnau served in the Wyoming Legislature from 2004 to 2015 and is a former Speaker of the House. He can be reached at: 

<title>Tom Lubnau: Don’t Vote For A Caucus Of Posers | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Columnist Tom Lubnau writes, "I've often been asked why I'm so critical of the Freedom Caucus. Answer is simple. They're posers. They make promises they cannot keep, lie about their results, and keep their instructions from their puppet masters secret."

Tom Lubnau: Don’t Vote For A Caucus Of Posers

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily reporter, Dale Killingbeck

Dale Killingbeck

A Gillette man faces eight felony charges related to alleged sexual assaults and beatings he gave a woman, during which he reportedly called her his “little beat victim.”

Luke K. Busca is charged with five counts of sexual assault in the first degree and three counts of strangulation of a household member stemming from his alleged actions recently against a woman who had been living with him at his residence for a month, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing Tuesday before Gillette Circuit Court Judge Greg Steward.

Court officials released Busca's name late Wednesday after using his initials during the hearing.

The five sexual assault in the first degree charges all carry a penalty of not less than five years or more than 50 years in prison. The strangulation of a household member charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Gillette Police Department Detective Sgt. Ryan Mahylis testified Tuesday that when police initially contacted the woman Aug. 1 at a friend’s residence they found her with a black eye on the right side of her face and injuries along her left jawline. She also had bite marks and bruises, and was complaining about pain to her abdomen and rib area.

Mahylis said the incident on the evening of July 31 started with an argument about incense burning in a sink. Busca told the woman that he was going to a friend’s home. When he returned around 2 a.m., he found the door locked and became angry.

Once in the bedroom, Mahylis told County Attorney Nathan Henkes, the woman said Busca made sexual advances that she refused. He then allegedly grabbed her by the hair and threw her face down on the bed, put her in a choke hold and began to sexually assault her from behind with his fingers.

Mahylis testified that the woman told police after the sexual assault she was able to kick him off but during the struggle he tried to hit her and then head-butted her. She was then told to leave the residence.

“She had indicated that she had no ability to leave due to not having a ride and Busca had indicated to her that people have been shot for not leaving a residence,” Mahylis said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Message To Friends"}]

The victim then left the residence and walked to a park, where she tried to contact friends and was unsuccessful. About 3:30 a.m. she received a message from Busca to return to the residence.

Mahylis testified that police officers confirmed the victim had sent messages as well as photos of her injuries to others.

The woman returned to the residence, where it “became a continuation of the previous assault,” Mahylis said.

The woman told police he tried to force her to perform oral sex on him and then grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the bed. While she was in a chokehold, he allegedly used his fingers to assault her sexually and then turned her over and raped her, Mahylis testified.

Mahylis said the woman was told to stop fighting and when he threw her on her back to assault her sexually he also placed his hand around her neck and continued to strangle her. At some point, the woman told police, Busca asked her if she knew how easy it would be for him to “break” her neck.

The two then eventually fell asleep and the woman woke up and remained at the residence. She told police she was doing laundry when Busca woke up and told her that “he didn’t get to finish” and “wanted her to finish him,” referring to a sexual act, Mahylis said.

Mahylis said the woman also noticed a firearm that was normally on a nightstand and asked if he had thought about “murking”, or killing, her.

“He had indicated that he thought about it,” Mahylis said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'My Little Beat Victim'"}]

Mahylis also confirmed that as part of the conversation between the two after Busca awoke, he asked the woman: “How is my little beat victim? Did you learn your place?”

Gillette police learned of the incident after being called to the house of one of the woman’s friends Aug. 1, when she reported the incident.

The woman was taken to Campbell County Memorial Hospital for an examination by a qualified SANE nurse to obtain any evidence of a sexual assault. The woman complained of pain and vaginal bleeding, Mahylis said.

When officers went to Busca’s residence they found him outside. He initially told officers he had been at a friend’s house and returned about 2 a.m. He indicated he had taken medications and did not recall what happened after that, Mahylis said.

Mahylis said after Busca's arrest and a search warrant, officers searched the home and found a bottle of trazodone and a prescription for 45 pills. When they counted the pills, 45 remained in the container.

Mahylis testified that Busca changed his story and later admitted he lied about coming home, taking the medications, and passing out.

After the detective’s testimony, Henkes asked Steward to upgrade a reckless endangerment charge to strangulation of a household member. 

Defense attorney Ronald Wirthwein objected and said the affidavit did not indicate that breathing was impeded, it only referred to “shaking the throat and windpipe back and forth but no indication of an impeding of breathing or blood.”

The judge ruled the charge could be upgraded to strangulation.

Steward then told Busca he was sending the case to district court, where he would be arraigned and able to make a plea. He asked him if he had any questions.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“No, your honor,” Busca said."}]

Gillette police scaled

<title>Gillette Man Accused Of Raping Woman, Calling Her His 'Little Beat Victim' | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Gillette man who allegedly raped a woman and called her his “little beat victim” was charged Tuesday with eight felonies. Investigators say the woman had a black eye, bite marks, bruises, and rib and abdomen pain.

Gillette Man Accused Of Raping Woman, Calling Her His 'Little Beat Victim'

Employee kate meadows cropped

Kate Meadows

Dozens of residents packed the meeting room and hallway at a meeting of the Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday night, their voices often rising as they shared their concerns about a massive data center project.

a data center and power generation complex was proposed

 for 5,344 acres of ranchland northeast of Wheatland in Platte County near the Goshen County line.

More than 70 people attended, with the majority standing in the hallway because of limited space. It was contentious from the beginning over cell towers, the data center project, and even whether the meeting was legal.

All that came after Commission Chairman Marty Shepard pointed out that the meeting wasn’t open for public comment because it was about a regulatory change.

The Planning and Zoning Commission is considering changes to Platte County’s land-use rules and regulations that would bring data centers under the county’s regulatory framework, potentially requiring developers to obtain a special-use permit.

Board members stressed Tuesday that the discussion was about how to regulate data centers, not whether the county should allow them.

“We are here to make sure the projects come in front of us meet our regulations,” board member Bill Klein said.

Shepard said the county wants to make sure it has the ability to place restrictions on future data center developments rather than giving developers broad authority to proceed without additional county oversight.

“If we rezone to commercial industrial and we give these companies free rein, we’re not in favor of that,” Shepard said. “We’re looking at special-use permit instead of giving them carte blanche.”

Amid wide public pushback, the commission unanimously voted to move forward with proposed changes to rules and regulations that would require a special-use permit for data centers.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saving Most Contentious For Last"}]

The commission closed the evening with the issue that had drawn most of the crowd: How to incorporate data centers into the county’s land-use regulations.

County planner Laura Bookout told the commission that commissioners “would like to incorporate some form of data centers into our current regulations.”

She said they believe there might be loopholes in existing rules that could be addressed by requiring a special-use permit.

Shepard said updating the regulations would give the county more authority over future projects and allow officials to negotiate protections with developers.

“If we are good negotiators, we negotiate to the developer, this is what we want to protect our county,” he said. “If the developer is OK with paying for it up front, there’s no risk to Platte County. I think that is the gist of this meeting. I don’t think the taxpayers of Platte County (should) front the bill." 

Resident Josh Martinez, who had previously presented the commission with his concerns and proposed regulations, pressed board members for more information about the county’s approach.

“There’s not a lot of data,” Martinez said. “This community wants to know a lot of stuff, and nobody is saying nothing.”

Board member Bonnie Lockhart pointed out the commission has not received an actual data center application.

Martinez accused county commissioners of failing to do their due diligence.

“You’re in this position to look out for us, not the companies and the money,” he said. “Do what the people ask, because it comes from our tax dollars.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Tax Revenue, Exemptions And Water"}]

The debate also turned toward the potential financial benefits and costs of data centers.

Shepard pushed back against what he described as a persistent claim that data centers are tax exempt.

He said a data center could generate as much as $20 million in property tax revenue for Platte County.

Shepard said the exemption applies to equipment installed inside data center buildings rather than the buildings and property.

Dozens of residents packed the meeting room and hallway at a meeting of the Platte County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday night, their voices often rising as they shared their concerns about a massive data center project.

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