You Still Here

"I have driven the road from Casper to Cody many times and always saw a small road sign that said 'Hells Canyon' and never stopped.  Well I stopped last week and photographed the amazing formations. The little signs on the side of the road shouldn't be ignored," Contributor: Gerry Morrell

Lens 9 16 24

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

<title>Wyoming Through The Lens: Monday, September 16, 2024 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Wyoming Through The Lens: Monday, September 16, 2024

 "I have driven the road from Casper to Cody many times and always saw a small road sign that said 'Hells Canyon' and never stopped.  Well I stopped last week and photographed the amazing formations. The little signs on the side of the road shouldn't be ignored," Contributor: Gerry Morrell

Guest Column

Guest Columnists

The debate in Wyoming over the 4% cap on residential property valuation increases is often framed as a question of tax relief. In truth, it is a question of fairness—and whether we are willing to tolerate a new scheme that quietly advantages wealthier property owners at the expense of working Wyoming families.

The State Board of Equalization (SBOE) deserves credit for confronting that reality head-on. 

The Wyoming Constitution is unambiguous: Article 15, Section 11 states that property taxation must be “equal and uniform” based on “full value."

That standard exists so taxpayers in similar circumstances are treated equally, and so no one receives preferential treatment because of timing, circumstance, or political expedience.

[{"type":"text","text":"The 4% cap violates that principle."}]

By artificially limiting how much a property’s assessed value can increase each year, the cap creates a system where two homes of identical market value can be taxed very differently based solely on how long they have been owned. 

A longtime owner may see only modest increases. A new buyer pays taxes on a much higher assessed value. That is not uniformity. It is structural inequity written into the tax code. 

Who benefits most from that system? Increasingly, it is not longtime Wyoming families struggling to keep up with rising costs. It is affluent second homeowners and out-of-state investors who are best positioned to hold property long term and capture the advantage of artificially suppressed valuations.

In Teton County, where values have surged, the cap effectively locks in lower tax burdens for those who need relief the least—while taking a whopping 59% share of the statewide tax break. 

The result is an average benefit of more than $2,100 per household, with the largest breaks flowing to the highest‑value properties. Meanwhile, new buyers across the state—often working families trying to put down roots—are taxed much closer to full market value from day one. The system rewards wealth and tenure while shifting the burden onto those with fewer resources.

Critics say the Board of Equalization overstepped in challenging the cap, pointing to last week’s district court ruling granting a temporary restraining order. 

The judge was right to affirm that courts ultimately decide constitutional questions; that is how our system works. But that ruling does not erase the Board’s responsibility. The Board is not merely an administrative body checking boxes. 

It is charged with making sure Wyoming’s tax system complies with constitutional standards. That duty requires judgment, interpretation, and—when the evidence shows a law produces unequal, non‑uniform outcomes—action.

In this case, the evidence is clear. The 4% cap distorts property assessments, undermines uniformity, and shifts tax burdens in ways that are neither transparent nor equitable. It creates incentives that worsen our housing challenges and erodes public confidence in the system. And it contradicts the Constitution’s plain language. Ignoring those facts would not be restraint—it would be neglect.

Supporters of the cap often point to the need for predictability and protection against rapid spikes in valuations. Those are legitimate concerns—ones I shared in 2024 when the legislature overwhelmingly passed House Bill 45 to provide short‑term relief in the face of double‑digit residential property value increases. 

But a permanent cap is a poor substitute for long‑term reform now that voters have approved Amendment A and the state has other tools to target relief to primary, owner‑occupied homes without undermining equal taxation.

There is another irony: the 4% cap mostly reduces Teton County’s “excess” property tax that would otherwise help fund schools across Wyoming. Making a good education available to all is a core Wyoming value and a cornerstone of American self‑government. Funding public schools for every child is essential to preserving liberty and sustaining our democratic republic.

The Board of Equalization’s stance is, ultimately, a defense of those democratic principles. A fair tax system depends on rules that apply equally to everyone. When that principle is compromised, even with good intentions, public trust erodes. Wyoming has long prided itself on straightforward, principled governance. This is a moment to reaffirm that commitment. 

The courts will now decide the constitutional questions surrounding the 4% cap, as they should. But the Board of Equalization has done exactly what it was created to do: identify a problem, apply constitutional reasoning, and act in the interest of fairness. 

That is not overreach. That is accountability. If we believe democracy requires equality before the law, we should welcome—not resist—efforts to ensure our tax system lives up to that standard.

Liz Storer has represented House District 23 in Teton County since 2023 and is a member of the House Revenue Committee.

Liz storer 6 24 26

<title>Guest Column: The 4% Property Tax Cap Breaks Wyoming’s Promise of Equal Taxation | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Rep. Liz Storer writes, "By artificially limiting how much a property’s assessed value can increase each year, the cap creates a system where two homes of identical market value can be taxed very differently based solely on how long they have been owned."

Guest Column: The 4% Property Tax Cap Breaks Wyoming’s Promise of Equal Taxation

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

Andrew Rossi

Law Enforcement

An armed female suspect surrendered to law enforcement after a multi-hour standoff on Cody's upscale south side Wednesday afternoon.

Dawn Blaylock, 41, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, property destruction, and interference with a police officer.

At 1:20 p.m., the Cody Police Department alerted residents of an active law-enforcement situation in the 700 block of Meadow Lane Avenue, near the Olive Glenn Golf Course.

“We responded to a residence following a report of criminal trespass,” Lt. Juston Wead with the Cody Police Department told Cowboy State Daily. “When officers arrived, they made contact with (Blaylock), who had entered the residence unlawfully and then barricaded herself in a portion of the residence armed with a firearm.”

Several streets in the area were blocked by vehicles from multiple responding agencies, including the Park County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the Cody Volunteer Fire Department.

The Cody PD’s ballistic armored tactical transport vehicle, or “bearcat,” was on the scene as of 1:30 p.m. Officers in tactical gear and carrying firearms surrounded the residence, and an EMS crew from Cody Regional Health was on standby.

Meanwhile, locals were told to avoid the area and neighbors were told to shelter in place.

After several hours of negotiation, Blaylock surrendered and was taken into custody without incident around 4:45 p.m. Wead confirmed there were no injuries.

[{"type":"text","text":"“That was what we were hoping for,” he said."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"No other details were available at publication."}]

Cody standoff 6 24 26

<title>Armed Woman Arrested Near Cody Golf Course After Multi-Hour Standoff | Cowboy State Daily</title>

An armed female suspect surrendered to law enforcement after a multi-hour standoff on Cody's south side Wednesday afternoon. Dawn Blaylock, 41, was arrested and charged with criminal trespass, property destruction, and interference with a police officer.

Armed Woman Arrested Near Cody Golf Course After Multi-Hour Standoff

Kerry Drake

Entertainment

The biggest creator of fake news in Wyoming has decided to sell what he calls “my baby,” Casper Planet, the satirical Facebook page that has sparked reactions from hysterical to hopping mad all over the world.

“It’s been fun, but when it’s only you doing something like this for 10 years, it almost loses the quality it deserves,” said Justin Hathaway, an oil-field worker for the past 15 years.

Hathaway has 106,000 followers on Facebook, nearly double the size of Casper. 

It's become so popular — and convincing — that the fact-checking site "

 has an entire section built to debunk his myths.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"For A Decade"}]

Hathaway has been showcasing his satire on his Facebook page for a decade. For example, check out his 

, “New Hydrothermal Pool in Yellowstone Is Now Oozing Magma.” 

With tongue firmly in cheek, he writes that a hydrothermal pool that exploded last week has started releasing lava as the ground around the area sinks 6 inches a day.

“This is a new show put on by the super volcano that the world has never witnessed before, this new pool, the bus full of tourists that sunk into a hidden super-heated thermal geyser is all new activity,” the story continued. “Ivanka Stonkfenger of the geothermal science department of Yellowstone said, ‘Let’s not worry about it, what you should worry about is how addicting vanilla soft-service ice cream is'.”

The post includes a “photo” of lava flowing out of the pool. As with most of Casper Planet posts, some commenters play along as if the story is real.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Roots Under Devils Tower"}]

Others actually buy the nonsense Hathaway peddles. Take one of his most well-known spoofs that went viral, about how the “Wyoming State Parks Department,” which doesn’t exist, used photographic seismic readings, also not real, to discover a petrified root system, 4 miles wide and 7 miles deep, under Devils Tower.

“I had a guy in Italy yelling at me over Messenger,” Hathaway recalled. “He wanted to know more information about the story. He was dead set that the story was serious, and I kept telling him that it’s not a real story.”

The writer sent the man pictures of the graphic of corn roots he used, changing centimeters to miles, “but he didn’t believe it and was really upset. The flat-earthers attacked me, too.”

“Obviously you can’t make everybody happy,” Hathaway said. “I was trying to, but it just doesn’t work. I kept doing my own thing and didn't worry about it.”

Another post that blew up the Internet was Hathaway’s 2024 story about a semitruck that 

Normally, he lets the silliness speak for itself and doesn’t post anything to indicate it’s all a gag. He doesn’t have to: on the top of the Casper Planet Facebook page is a disclaimer that reads, “Delivering the Snews that doesn’t matter directly to your Snews feed. Did we say this is satire? Well it is, names/locations are made up.”

But after the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation had to distribute press releases telling drivers it was safe to travel on I-25, Hathaway released his own message to let people know no snakes were actually slithering down the highway.

He said the concept, which took him about 20 minutes to outline and write, was a big hit in India. 

“A lot of online publications there were just going with the wave, exploring and explaining and just having a good laugh,” Hathaway said. “It was nice.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Monetizing Satire"}]

 last July he wasn’t profiting from the business. 

“There’s zero money in it,” Hathaway said. “Google AdSense does not like satire, so they won’t put ads on the website, and Facebook won’t let me monetize anything. It’s mostly a free gig.”

How does an owner of something with no intrinsic monetary value sell it? Well, Hathaway went looking for potential buyers, and he found several mega-sites that flourish financially. That includes one in Minnesota with nearly 2 million followers.

“There’s a couple of them that are kind of in the same wheelhouse, and they’re able to monetize,” he said. “I don’t know how they did it.”

Hathaway said his ideal buyer would be someone who’s lived in Wyoming for at least five years. 

“I want to make sure it’s a good fit," he said. "I don’t want to pass it over and see it go downhill.” 

So, what will the current Casper Planet owner do once he’s done supplying his audience with fake news?

Hathaway said he plans to help friends start an oil and gas company in Wyoming that’s unique to the industry.

“Out in the oil and gas field, I’d say in the last 10 years, employees haven’t been getting paid enough,” he said. “I get it. Businesses want to make as much as they can. But my friends want to start a company that takes as little as possible from the employees. In fact, they want to be paid less than their employees.”

Wait, a company that pays them better than the bosses? In a phone interview, it was difficult to tell if Hathaway was smiling over finding someone gullible enough to swallow another whopper.

But he sounded serious, and Hathaway and his buddies have industry experience. He said they want to “cut out all the middle stuff, streamlining it.” 

“With the amount of technology we have today,” Hathaway added, “there’s no reason two or three people can’t run a decent-sized company.”

Kerry Drake can be reached at Kerry@CowboyStateDaily.com

Justin hathaway and planet well 7 27 25

<title>Not Fake News: Creator Of Satirical ‘Casper Planet’ Says It’s Time To Sell | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Justin Hathaway is selling his satirical Planet Casper Facebook page. He wants someone in Wyoming who will build on a legacy that includes telling 106,000 followers about king cobras spilling onto I-25 and a Yellowstone tourist bus sinking in magma.

Not Fake News: Creator Of Satirical ‘Casper Planet’ Says It’s Time To Sell

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

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

Employee kate meadows cropped

Kate Meadows

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.

[{"type":"text","text":"Smaller settlements have since formed near Newcastle, Buffalo and Powell."}]

“I've known them my whole life,” Fipps said of the Hulett settlement. “I've traded horses with them and done business with them.”

Outhouse 2 6 24 26

<title>Rancher Claims Outhouse Dispute The Reason Amish Community Leaving Hulett | Cowboy State Daily</title>

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.

Rancher Claims Outhouse Dispute The Reason Amish Community Leaving Hulett

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner, who works as a financial advisor, was “discharged” from his broker clearinghouse company in late April on allegations that he “engaged in unapproved outside business activity,” 

Reid Rasner is also running in a 10-candidate Republican primary race to win the party’s nomination toward Wyoming’s lone U.S. House seat. Last year he announced, and later suspended, intentions to buy the tech giant TikTok amid congressional efforts to transfer the Chinese-involved company into American hands.

 also appears in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission profile, which says he started working through the investment clearinghouse LPL Financial LLC on March 1, 2019, and remained there until spring of this year.  

LPL Financial discharged Rasner on April 24 due to allegations he engaged in unapproved outside business activity, the profile says in a “disclosure” category. The disclosure doesn’t elaborate.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) profile of Rasner says he was registered previously as a broker “and is currently registered as an investment advisor.”

He’s held state registrations in New York and Wyoming, the profile says.

Before Rasner’s seven-year relationship with LPL Financial he was with Edward Jones for a year.

In 2019, the year Rasner’s work with LPL Financial began, he registered Wyoming Wealth Advisors LLC with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, and three years later he registered his business Omnivest LLC with the state.

“Our Website is currently under maintenance!” the banner says. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

A disclosure brochure about OmniVest, dated June 15, says Rasner has a non-financial affiliated business as a congressional candidate.

“Approximately 10% of his time is spent on these activities. This does not present a conflict,” says 

LPL Financial did not respond by publication to an email inquiry to its press line.

[{"type":"text","text":"FINRA directed Cowboy State Daily to LPL."}]

Rasner, in response to an inquiry sent to his campaign team, said “In our industry, the transition of business relationships is a routine and common occurrence, particularly when professionals launch new firms.”

Rasner added, “I remain fully focused on growing my new firm, continuing to deliver exceptional service to clients, and helping bring investment, jobs, and economic opportunity back to Wyoming.”

As for what LPL Financial could have meant with the “unapproved outside business activity allegation,” Riverton-based financial advisor Mike Zirbel said, “It’s hard to narrow down.”

[{"type":"text","text":"That’s because financial advisors are tightly regulated, he said."}]

“There are so many things that would count as unapproved activities,” Zirbel added.

[{"type":"text","text":"A Little Background"}]

Rasner’s first-quarter Federal Election Commission report for his House campaign says he has loaned himself $1.2 million and contributed another $9,072 to his own campaign. That’s within a total of about $1.264 million in total receipts.

Rasner also ran an unsuccessful 2024 campaign against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. John Barrasso

Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner, who works as a financial advisor, was “discharged” from his broker clearinghouse company in late April on allegations that he “engaged in unapproved outside business activity,” federal filings say.

Wyoming Through The Lens: Monday, September 16, 2024

In case you missed it

More in You Still Here

Today In Skydiving: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Today In Funny Signs: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Today In Lawyering: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Bonus Video 2: Thursday, June 25, 2026

Most read