You Still Here

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Which one are you?? Lover or Hater?"}]

Mix Collage 19 Dec 2024 01 27 PM 3039

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

<title>Bonus Video 2: Friday, December 20, 2024 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Which one are you?? Lover or Hater?

Bonus Video 2: Friday, December 20, 2024

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Wyoming congressional candidate Reid Rasner has brought his opponent’s dad into the fiery race for the GOP nomination to U.S. House.  

Rasner is running against nine other Republican candidates for the GOP nomination to Wyoming’s lone House seat, which the incumbent Rep. Harriet Hageman is leaving to vie for the Senate.

From about Friday through Monday, Rasner’s political Facebook page showcased screenshots that depict Jan Charles Gray – who is the father of one of Rasner’s opponents, Secretary of State Chuck Gray – reacting to Rasner’s posts with heart-face and fire emojis.

“Chuck Gray’s Dad Supports Reid,” says a banner attached to one of the posts.

One screenshot shows what appears to be Jan Charles Gray’s Facebook page giving a heart-face emoji at 1:37 a.m., about May 13, to one of Rasner’s reels.

Another screenshot shows a message, blurred in the screenshot but which Rasner identified in a Monday video as the elder Gray’s email address. That screenshot depicts a fire emoji from Jan Charles Gray at 9:29 a.m. about June 2.

[{"type":"text","text":"Did Not Confirm Or Deny"}]

Jan Charles Gray, in a brief Monday phone interview, did not deny or confirm leaving the Facebook reactions, but voiced emphatic support for his son.

“Clearly I support my son, Chuck Gray, 100% - and he’s going to win,” said the elder Gray. “Reid Rasner is a very troubled individual. Chuck Gray for Congress.”

Rasner’s team did not respond to a text message request for an interview, for the original screenshots, or for confirmation of a different claim Rasner made Monday.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"More Unhinged Nonsense\""}]

Chuck Gray called Rasner’s provocation “more unhinged nonsense from Reid Rasner, who will say anything to get elected, no matter how absurd or wrong.”

“If Reid keeps acting like a child, Reid's mom, who has been funding his campaign, should cut off his allowance and take away his phone,” Gray continued.

Conversely, Gray’s father has been a major donor to Gray’s House campaign, and funded nearly all of his secretary of state campaign in 2022.

“This is absurd and not a serious story, and no serious reporter should pretend otherwise,” said Gray, who claimed that Cowboy State Daily has “been influenced by Reid buying advertising from them” and “insiders who fund their entire operation.”

Rasner has not advertised with Cowboy State Daily in more than five months. His ads contract expired Jan. 31, Cowboy State Daily’s advertising department said Monday.

[{"type":"text","text":"Chuck Gray, Grocery PAC, Feinstein"}]

Jan Charles Gray is politically active. He'd given $3,500 to Chuck Gray’s campaign as of March 31.

The father funded nearly all of his son’s brief 2022 U.S. House run and gave him $500,000, 95% of his total funding for what became his secretary of state campaign,

Jan Charles Gray also gave $500 to the campaign of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, of California, in 1994, and more than $2,000 to a grocery company PAC in the 1990s, his Federal Election Commission filings show.

Chuck Gray and Rasner face eight more contenders for the GOP nomination: State Senate President Bo Biteman, philanthropist Steve Friess, former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, veteran and former congressional staffer David Giralt, Casper-based veteran Kevin Christensen, former legislator Keith Goodenough, Teton County rancher Frank Chapman and Richard Dodson. 

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<title>Gray Calls Rasner ‘A Child' For Bringing His Dad Into Fiery GOP Primary Race | Cowboy State Daily</title>

GOP congressional candidate Chuck Gray derided primary opponent Reid Rasner after he brought Gray’s father into the campaign by saying "Chuck Gray’s Dad Supports Reid.” Gray called it “More unhinged nonsense from Reid Rasner.” 

Gray Calls Rasner ‘A Child' For Bringing His Dad Into Fiery GOP Primary Race

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Public Safety

For most Wyoming drivers, Interstate 25 is simply the highway connecting Cheyenne, Casper and Sheridan. But federal drug agents say it's also one of the primary corridors used by Mexican cartels to move fentanyl and other illegal drugs north through the Rocky Mountain region.

Speaking Monday in Cheyenne, U.S. Attorney Darin Smith and Drug Enforcement Administration officials said I-25 remains a key transportation route for cartel-connected trafficking organizations moving fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin through Wyoming. 

The announcement came as authorities revealed they've already seized nearly 6,000 fentanyl pills in Wyoming this year, surpassing the roughly 5,500 confiscated during all of 2025.

"Interstate 25 that runs through the state remains a key transportation route for cartel-led smuggling," DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge David Olesky said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Supply Chain "}]

The federal warning echoes what Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Commander Ryan Cox told Cowboy State Daily last month.

According to Cox, most illegal drugs sold in Wyoming don't originate in the Cowboy State. Instead, traffickers typically obtain them from distribution hubs in the Denver metropolitan area or, for much of southwest Wyoming, the Salt Lake City area, before transporting them back into Wyoming for sale.

Those supply routes help explain why drug trends emerging in neighboring states often make their way into Wyoming.

When the DEA announced in June that fentanyl-laced heroin had surfaced in Colorado and Utah, Cox said it was reasonable to expect the dangerous combination could eventually reach Wyoming because traffickers rely on those same established distribution networks.

Federal officials said nearly all illicit fentanyl entering the United States is manufactured by Mexico's Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels using precursor chemicals shipped from China before being trafficked north through established smuggling corridors that ultimately reach states like Wyoming.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Overdoses Down "}]

Even as law enforcement says more fentanyl is moving through Wyoming, overdose deaths are trending in the opposite direction.

According to federal officials, Wyoming recorded 54 opioid-involved fentanyl overdose deaths last year, down from 84 the previous year — a decline of about 35%.

Olesky said the encouraging trend doesn't mean residents can afford to let their guard down.

DEA laboratory testing now shows roughly three out of every 10 counterfeit pills seized nationwide contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. While that's down from about seven out of every 10 pills in previous years, Olesky emphasized that a single counterfeit pill can still be fatal.

"My number one advice to all is: don't take a pill that doesn't come directly from a licensed pharmacy and based on a prescription from your doctor," he said.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"'We're Coming For You'"}]

Smith said Operation Take Back America has strengthened cooperation among local, state and federal agencies to identify and prosecute drug traffickers operating in Wyoming.

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak said deputies have made 186 drug-related arrests so far this year and credited partnerships with the DEA, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and local agencies for helping reduce property crime while connecting people struggling with addiction to treatment programs when they're willing to seek help.

Smith said whether traffickers are using Wyoming's highways, the mail or stash houses to distribute narcotics, federal prosecutors intend to use every available resource to hold them accountable.

"If you are trafficking narcotics here, or in this region for that matter, you'll be hunted down, you will be prosecuted, and you will serve your federal time," Smith said.

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<title>Feds: I-25 Remains Wyoming's Main Artery For Cartel Drug Trafficking | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Federal officials said Monday fentanyl seizures in Wyoming have already exceeded last year's total, and said Interstate-25 remains a major drug-trafficking route for Mexican cartels.

Feds: I-25 Remains Wyoming's Main Artery For Cartel Drug Trafficking

Heinz mark

Mark Heinz

Hunting

Responding to public comment overwhelmingly against a proposal that would have changed the qualifications for disabled-hunter status, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has reversed its proposal.

The department will recommend against removing a provision for counting a “100% service-related disability,” based on a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs, in Wyoming’s disabled-hunter regulations. 

Such a disability qualifies disabled people to hunt for five days before the opening of regular big-game seasons.

VA 100% ratings have included disabilities that aren’t physically apparent, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The final decision is up to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, which is scheduled to vote on it during its meeting Tuesday in Sheridan.

Veterans’ advocates worried that the previously proposed changes 

 many opportunities for veterans to have therapeutic hunting trips.

They argued that many veterans qualify for special hunts because the VA 100% disability designation covers such issues as PTSD, inoperable internal shrapnel wounds, chronic migraine headaches, hearing loss or other injuries or conditions that might not visibly affect their overall fitness.

A few public comments supported the change based on concerns about essentially physically fit hunters taking advantage of the early hunting seasons. And also, some early-season rifle hunting overlaps with regular archery seasons, according to Game and Fish.

Game and Fish hosted public meetings regarding the proposed changes, and also called for online written comments.

There were 201 written comments submitted, of which “approximately 168” expressed opposition to the proposed change, according to Game and Fish.

“Some comments emphasized that the season extension is a reasonable accommodation that has a positive impact on mental health and might contribute to reducing veteran suicides. Several disabled veterans commented that their conditions were not always obvious to the general public and did not necessarily limit their mobility at all times, so this proposal would take away an existing benefit that is available to them,” a summary from the department to the Game and Fish Commission said. “A number of comments expressed that the proposal does not recognize the sacrifices that veterans have made for their country.” 

Bill Brinegar, executive director of Hunting With Heroes Wyoming, told Cowboy State Daily he’s pleased with Game and Fish’s responsiveness to public outcry.

“They (Game and Fish) said they heard loud and clear from the public that they didn’t want the disabled-hunter regulations changed,” he said. “It’s nice to see the process working, and Game and Fish responding to the public.” 

Hunting With Heroes arranges and hosts big-game hunts for disabled veterans, including those with invisible or less-visible wounds, he said.

“Heck, I know guys with prosthetic limbs that you wouldn’t know had them, unless I told you,” Brinegar said.

Another proposed change to disabled hunters’ tag allocations is opposed by Hunting With Heroes, he said.

It has to do with big-game tags that hunters can choose to donate to disabled people or non-profit groups that host disabled hunters.

Currently, disabled hunters are eligible for one donated big-game tag every year. Game and Fish has proposed changing that to two per disabled veteran during a five-year period, Brinegar said.

Hunting With Heroes favors leaving it at one tag per year.

Jacob DeLong of Springfield, Missouri, served in an Army armored unit and saw combat from 2004-2007. He founded Vets 4 Huntn & Fishn, which accommodates trips for disabled veterans in Wyoming and other states.

He told Cowboy State Daily he’s thankful Game and Fish decided not to recommend eliminating the VA 100% disability designation.

Like many veterans, he said he still suffers from extreme discomfort in busy places and other lingering effects of combat.

The early hunts give veterans space and peace, allowing them to speak frankly with other veterans about what they’re going through, DeLong said.

“I’ve seen these guys; they get up and out of their basements. They get active, they get excited, they get moving in preparation for these hunts,” he said.

The opportunity for a Wyoming hunt can even stop troubled veterans from “drinking booze,” he added.

Mental wounds need rehabilitative therapy, just as physical wounds, and Wyoming’s wild country can provide that, DeLong said.

“The brain’s like a muscle too. It needs exercise,” he said.

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<title>Wyoming Game And Fish Backs Off Proposal To Tighten Tag Regs For Disabled Vets | Cowboy State Daily</title>

After an outcry, Game and Fish has backed off its proposal to prevent veterans with PTSD and other non-apparent disabilities from hunting during special early seasons. The public was "loud and clear," said Bill Brinegar of Hunting With Heroes,

Wyoming Game And Fish Backs Off Proposal To Tighten Tag Regs For Disabled Vets

Around Wyoming

A parasite that can keep people chained to the bathroom for weeks has reached Wyoming.

State health officials have now confirmed six cases of cyclosporiasis this year — double the number 

 — including one domestically acquired infection that remains under investigation while federal officials search for the source of one of the nation's largest Cyclospora outbreaks in recent years.

The illness is often dismissed as just another stomach bug — until it refuses to go away, said Cheyenne Regional Medical Center emergency physician Dr. Matthew Loptien.

"Ultimately I understand those words can provoke that (laughter)," Loptien told Cowboy State Daily, referring to the phrase "explosive diarrhea." 

[{"type":"text","text":"\"But it is not funny, that's for sure.\""}]

His warning comes as Wyoming health officials continue tracking the parasite's spread within the state.

Five of Wyoming's six confirmed infections were likely acquired while patients traveled to countries where the microscopic parasite 

 is endemic, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.

That leaves just one case believed to have been contracted inside the United States.

"We have not linked our one non-travel-related case to any other cluster at this time," Wyoming Department of Health Surveillance Epidemiologist Matt Peterson said Monday.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Weeks, Not Days"}]

Unlike the stomach viruses that typically disappear after a day or two, the parasite can linger for weeks — sometimes even months — before finally loosening its grip.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says symptoms usually begin two days to two weeks after someone consumes contaminated food or water, often making it difficult for patients to remember exactly what they ate before becoming sick.

"The hallmark of this is a prolonged diarrheal illness," Loptien said. "The biggest risk is for developing dehydration as a result."

Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable because dehydration can develop much more quickly in those groups.

"Individuals who are experiencing profuse watery diarrhea and cramps for extended periods, especially if the symptoms subside and then return, or are accompanied by loss of appetite and significant weight loss, should see their physician about testing," he added.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Three Weeks"}]

For Grover resident Eve Sutter Buehler, the illness struck so suddenly she initially assumed it was food poisoning.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"Feeling fine one minute and not able to function the next,\" she said."}]

Buehler said several members of her extended family became ill after gathering for wedding festivities over Memorial Day weekend. Most were sick for nearly three weeks, while younger family members recovered after about 10 days.

"The first onset of sickness was on May 31st late in the day … by June 2nd in the evening, we were almost all miserable," Buehler said. "We eat a lot of raw fruit and raw veggies. Those who don’t, didn’t get sick. That’s how we started putting it all together. We did have a bridal shower meal where most of us ate a strawberry/spinich salad. We’ve considered that."

One relative became so ill she was repeatedly evaluated for appendicitis and gallbladder problems before a physician assistant suggested Cyclospora as a possible explanation.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"At first, we all thought we had food poisoning or a flu,\" she said."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Easy To Miss"}]

One reason Cyclospora is so difficult to track is that doctors first have to think of it.

Loptien said patients usually provide a stool sample, but many commonly used laboratory panels don't automatically test for parasites like Cyclospora.

Instead, providers often must order specialized ova-and-parasite testing when they suspect the illness.

That means some infections could easily be mistaken for a routine stomach virus.

Asked whether additional Wyoming cases may have gone undiagnosed, Loptien said, "I think that is always a possibility."

"There certainly is overlap in regard to the symptoms with Cyclospora and more common viral intestinal illnesses," he said. "However, the symptoms tend to be a bit more persistent and tend to last a little bit longer."

Unlike norovirus, Cyclospora generally does not spread directly from person to person. The CDC notes the parasite must first mature in the environment before becoming infectious, meaning most U.S. infections are linked to contaminated food or water rather than casual contact.

Loptien said patients should focus on hydration and electrolyte replacement while seeking medical care. Once diagnosed, Cyclospora is typically treated with the antibiotic Bactrim, and most patients begin improving within a couple of days. Without treatment, however, symptoms can continue coming and going for weeks.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Cause Unknown "}]

Although Wyoming's case count has doubled, Peterson said the state's investigation still points overwhelmingly toward travel-related infections rather than a local outbreak.

"All but one of them likely acquired the infection while traveling to regions endemic for Cyclospora outside the USA," Peterson said.

That leaves investigators with just one domestically acquired case to study.

"With only one domestically acquired Cyclospora infection, determining a food vehicle is nearly impossible," Peterson said.

The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and health departments across the country are interviewing patients, tracing grocery purchases and studying food distribution networks in hopes of identifying the contaminated food responsible for what has become one of the country's largest Cyclospora outbreaks in years. The FDA has opened an active outbreak investigation, but because investigators have not identified the contaminated product, no recall has been issued.

Past U.S. outbreaks have been linked to imported fresh produce including cilantro, basil, lettuce, raspberries, mesclun greens and snow peas.

Peterson said imported produce remains Wyoming's most likely source whenever infections are acquired domestically because the parasite isn't naturally found here.

"Because Cyclospora is not endemic here, imported fresh produce is always the most likely vehicle," he previously told Cowboy State Daily.

Washing produce helps reduce risk but doesn't always remove the parasite, according to the FDA. Cooking food to an internal temperature of 158 degrees Fahrenheit will kill or inactivate it.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Watching Closely"}]

Although Wyoming's lone domestically acquired case hasn't been connected to the national outbreak, Peterson said investigators around the country are beginning to make progress.

"The national picture remains unclear," he said, "investigators in other jurisdictions are making progress on their respective outbreaks, which may inform our own if we see more domestically acquired cases moving forward."

"We typically don't release much information on isolated cases," Peterson said. "But if we find something new that is actionable for the public, we will issue a press release."

Loptien echoed that message, saying there's no reason for Wyoming residents to panic.

"Maintain good hydration, maintain good hand hygiene, wash your foods, and I think that is going to go a long way for a lot of people," he said.

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<title>Wyoming's 'Explosive Diarrhea' Cases Double, Linked To Travel Outside Of U.S. | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Wyoming has confirmed six cases of Cyclospora, a parasite that can cause weeks of explosive diarrhea, dehydration and weight loss. Medical experts link five of the six cases to travel outside the U.S. "It is not funny, that's for sure," an ER doctor said.

Wyoming's 'Explosive Diarrhea' Cases Double, Linked To Travel Outside Of U.S.

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

Andrew Rossi

Outdoors

 at Yellowstone National Park’s Bridge Bay Campground has a long road of recovery ahead of him but is expected to recover. 

He was even making jokes about it in the moments after it happened, 

the photographer who witnessed the event tells Cowboy State Daily

Carl Ison-McDaniel, 65, of Kendall, Washington, 

by a bull bison Friday. He remains hospitalized as he recovers from being thrown at least 8 feet 

[{"type":"text","text":"On Sunday, he posted a brief note on Facebook."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"“Thank you everyone I am OK,” he wrote."}]

, said he’s been in contact with McDaniel’s grandson, who was with him when it occurred.

“(The family) seems to be protecting their privacy, so I don’t want to pry any more than I already have,” he told Cowboy State Daily.

He did, however, say that McDaniel was “in good spirits” immediately after his harrowing ordeal.

“He was in a lot of pain, but was conscious and joking the whole time,” he said.

McDaniel was walking past the Bridge Bay Campground with his 

 grandson around 8:30 p.m. when the incident occurred. The bull bison had been there for some time, running through the campsites and mock-charging people, tents and picnic tables.

When McDaniel and his grandson arrived, the bison was rolling in a dust wallow, and it seemed to have momentarily calmed down. The pair was unaware of how aggressively it had been behaving moments 

“They weren't even in that camping loop,” McLeod said. “They were walking along the road, quite a ways away from the bison. They stopped, got their phones out, and took some pictures, and when the bison started to get up, (McDaniel) was like, “OK, time to leave.’”

MacLeod has emphasized multiple times, during interviews with national and international news publications since the incident, that McDaniel and his grandson did nothing to provoke the bison and weren’t acting irresponsibly.

When the bison started running toward them, McDaniel ran behind a line of trees to put something between himself and the bison. He couldn’t have anticipated the bison would run into the trees, undeterred by the barrier.

“(McDaniel) made a lap around the trees, and the bison chased him through the trees,” MacLeod said. “I thought he'd lost him, but the bison kept going around and came out the other side.”

That’s when the bison hooked its horn around McDaniel’s leg and tossed him into the air. He landed hard on his right side, resulting in several broken bones.

At that point, MacLeod put his camera down and ran at the bison, "making myself as big and loud as I could," to drive it off. When several other observers followed suit, the bison ran off.

In one sense, McDaniel was lucky. He didn’t appear to have been gored by the bison’s horns, which could have made the incident fatal.

“Another gal and I did a blood sweep, but we couldn’t find any blood,” he said. “(McDaniel) was conscious and in good spirits until EMS arrived.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Community Leader"}]

McDaniel didn’t share any additional information on the incident or his condition, although his situation has improved from “critical” to “serious.”

, McDaniel is an active member of his community in northwest Washington.

He’s on multiple boards in Kendall, including Foothills Community Alliance and the Columbia Valley water and parks districts. He’s also one of the co-founders of The Foothills Communication Hub, an online publication with news and event information for Kendall and several other communities in northwest Washington.

[{"type":"text","text":"He’s not likely to forget his visit to northwest Wyoming anytime soon."}]

MacLeod said he shared his videos of the bison with McDaniel’s grandson. He wanted to review his actions to see if there was any way he might have contributed to the bison’s aggression, and MacLeod repeatedly reassured him that he didn’t do anything wrong.

“He was really worried and wanted to see the video to make sure that it wasn't his fault,” he said. “It’s not his fault. You can tell from the very beginning. That was a really, really angry bison.”

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<title>Washington Grandfather Recovering In Hospital After Yellowstone Bison Attack | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The man who made international headlines after being attacked by a bison in Yellowstone on Friday is in a hospital recovering with several broken bones. Carl Ison-McDaniel of Kendall, Washington, thanked well-wishers and said he was doing "OK."

Washington Grandfather Recovering In Hospital After Yellowstone Bison Attack

Headshot of Cowboy State Daily's business and tourism reporter, Renée Jean

Renée Jean

Wyoming Life

It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but it’s worth more than that at the Bone Daddy Outlaw Bar and Grill in Dubois, which has undergone a dramatic transformation since it was purchased last year by Ben Barto and his wife, Sherry.

Hanging in one corner of the bar is a picture that says it all, even if few might guess at all the layers of meaning it holds for its owner.

It is a photo of motorcycle handlebars looking out at a scenic vista. The words say simply, “Life Behind Bars.”

“I was in junior high when I had my first motorcycle,” Barto told Cowboy State Daily. “And I had a neighbor with a faster motorcycle. He always used to brag about how he would outrun the cops when he was speeding.”

The brag turned out to be just that — as Barto soon discovered.

“We were riding together one time and we decided we were going to take off and see who was faster,” he said. “No sooner did we get started than there was a highway patrolman coming at us.”

The patrolman flipped his lights on, and the neighbor who loved to brag about outrunning the law meekly pulled over to the side. 

Barto, who’d never made such a claim, kept right on going.

Dubois craftsman Ben Barto owns Bone Daddy Knives, a hobby turned big business that’s now bankrolling a transformation of Dubois' Outlaw Bar and giving the once-seedy watering hole a new vibe. “This was just a dump when we bought it,” Barto said.

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