Daily Cartoon

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

<title>Daily Cartoon: Monday, January 13, 2025 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Daily Cartoon: Monday, January 13, 2025

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

Greg Johnson

Crime & Courts

Law Enforcement

A Rock Springs woman is accused of leaving her baby alone in a parked car while she spent hours drinking at a local bar.

It was about 2:16 a.m. Saturday when “officers were in the area of a local bar on an unrelated call when they heard frantic yelling coming from the parking lot,” Rock Springs Police Department spokesperson Phylicia Lukacik says in a Monday report about the incident.

When officers responded, a witness ran to them reporting that “a woman had left a baby inside a parked vehicle,” the report says.

They found the infant alive, alone and strapped into a rear-facing car seat. The baby was taken into the custody of the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

“Officers were eventually able to reach the child’s mother and asked her to return to the scene,” Lukacik says in her report. “When she arrived, officers observed numerous signs of intoxication.”

While talking with police, the woman allegedly admitted to leaving her baby unattended while she went inside the nearby bar, the report says.

The report doesn’t say if the vehicle was locked or unlocked or the condition of the baby.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Left For Hours"}]

While investigating, officers reviewed surveillance video from the bar, which showed the woman and another adult “arriving together and leaving the infant in the vehicle before entering the bar,” according to the report.

“The footage showed no one returning to check on the child until officers became involved,” the report adds.

Investigators determined the baby had been left unattended in the vehicle for several hours.

The mother was arrested on suspicion of abandoning or endangering children and booked into the Sweetwater County Detention Center.

While the report doesn’t identify the mother, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office shows a woman named Kaylie Jo Rowe, 31, was arrested Saturday and is being held in the jail on those same charges.

[{"type":"text","text":"Rowe also is the only inmate listed with those charges."}]

“Leaving a child unattended in a vehicle is never safe,” Lukacik says in her report. “Children can quickly become victims of heat, cold, medical emergencies, or other dangers when left alone.”

Rock Springs Green Sign 1 Matt Idler 3 27 26

<title>Rock Springs Mom Accused Of Leaving Baby In Car For Hours While She Drank In Bar | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Rock Springs woman is accused of leaving her baby alone in a parked vehicle while she spent hours drinking at a local bar Saturday. Police say the woman appeared intoxicated and admitted to leaving her baby unattended while she went inside a nearby bar.

Rock Springs Mom Accused Of Leaving Baby In Car For Hours While She Drank In Bar

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

Renée Jean

Wyoming Life

Entertainment

BUFFALO — When summer hits this small mountain town, a full-to-bursting Occidental Saloon isn’t an uncommon sight during Buffalo's annual Longmire Days, which celebrates the “Longmire” books and TV series created by local author Craig Johnson.

The saloon is the nerve center of the Western downtown, a nexus of historical buildings that have changed little since the late 1800s. 

Bullet holes still pock the walls of the saloon and the hotel is so full of artifacts it has museum status, even as it accepts guests for the night — just as it did when Butch Cassidy was still stomping around Wyoming, racing horses and then robbing trains and banks.

The Occidental’s historical cachet is a draw every summer, pulling in tourists and creating something of a scene, particularly on Thursday nights when the hotel’s co-owner, Dave Stewart, and some of his fellow musicians pull out their guitars for a jam session that packs the house and sells out the hotel.

But Saturday night, the overflowing crowdedness of it all had a sharper edge. 

People streaming out of the saloon were more than equally replaced by the people who were streaming in — and doing a double take once they made it past the doorway to the middle of the bar. 

There, casually enjoying cocktails and conversation as if he were not famous at all, was Robert Taylor, the actor who played Sheriff Walt Longmire for six seasons of the popular television hit “Longmire” series. 

Taylor held court at the end of the bar, chattering casually with a group that included “Longmire” author Craig Johnson’s agent Gail Hochman. 

He seemed completely unaware of the hubbub around him, even though he was definitely at its center.

People wearing King Ropes ball caps and Longmire T-shirts pretended not to stare, even as they were surreptitiously taking short videos of the star in action. 

Others, a little bolder, simply stopped to chat with Taylor and took the opportunity to ask for a selfie or an autograph. 

Taylor would eventually tire of this endless stream of people wanting a moment of his time — but it took hours. 

In the meantime, he never uttered an impatient word to the adoring fans jockeying for a slice of his time and attention.

He was in his element here — the fictional Absaroka County sheriff come to life once again. The fans of the show, who had traveled from coast to coast and all places in between, absolutely loved it.

What’s more remarkable is how this scene has repeated itself for the last 15 years running.

Sheriff Walt Longmire continues to solve Western mysteries in Johnson’s long-running series of novels, which are perennially New York Times Best-Sellers. His latest, 

In it, the sheriff has to solve the murder of a guy everyone hated.

While the books are going strong, it’s been nine years since the last new “Longmire" episode aired on television, yet fans are still coming to Longmire Days and clamoring to meet Taylor.

For his part, Taylor is here every year, without fail. 

that would conflict with the timing of Longmire Days, when Buffalo briefly becomes the fictional town of Durant, county seat of Longmire’s Absaroka County, and the town swells to roughly twice its normal size.

“I love coming to Wyoming,” Taylor told Cowboy State Daily. “I love seeing my friends. I love seeing Craig. (Longmire) was a wonderful part of my life, and I’m just never going to let it go.”

Intimate Moments, Not Just Autograph Lines

For many of the people who crammed into Buffalo over the weekend, it is the unscripted bar scene that defines the allure of Longmire Days more than any other.

It’s more intimate than an autograph line and  more surprising than scheduled Q&A or insider panel, particularly to those newer to Longmire Days.

“I mean, you couldn’t go anywhere else and get that kind of access to such people,” Betty Abbott told Cowboy State Daily. “That’s what’s cool.”

Her husband, Ken, was equally impressed with Craig Johnson’s presence during Longmire Days.

“I’ve never seen anybody so tireless in my life, staying a whole week here,” he said. “We don’t see the private side, but the guys just like — does he sleep? he’s always going. It’s just fascinating to see.”

Suzanne Peters, a first-time Longmire Days visitor from North Carolina, meanwhile, was absolutely shocked when she bumped into Taylor right off the bat, the first morning of the event. 

“We’re staying at the Occidental,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “We come down into the saloon every day, and there’s Rob sitting there having breakfast with the owner Dave Stewart.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Peters didn’t rush the star."}]

“We tried to be respectful,” she said. “You know, if he engaged, we were going to engage.”

Not only was Taylor open to talking with Peters, but he was asking her questions about her Longmire journeys and who she’d come to the event with.

“He was really excited when he found out my sister-in-law was a teacher,” Peters said. “I’ve been sending my sister all these really cool pictures, because Rob is really generous with the pictures. And so is Craig.”

During the autograph session, Taylor remembered Peters’ sister-in-law, and wrote a particularly nice message in her book about the importance of teachers in society.

“So I got to come out and meet my favorite author, and I got to talk to Rob Taylor, who I think is a really cool actor and everything,” Peters said with a beaming smile. “He’s been everything I expected. A very nice guy.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Buffalo Is Durant"}]

Walk down Main Street during Longmire Days and it’s hard to tell where the Craig Johnson stories end and Buffalo begins. 

And Johnson wouldn’t have it any other way.

“So much of the charm of Longmire Days resides right here in Buffalo,” Johnson told Cowboy State Daily. “People wander around and feel like they’re walking around in Absaroka County. They think they’re in Durant, and they expect Walt Longmire to come walking down the sidewalk and see them at any time. And I don’t blame them because he’s actually out there walking around.”

Johnson has been upfront that he’s weaving his story around a real-life place, a place his readers can visit. The name of the county and the town might be fictional, but street names are the same, as are trail numbers. 

That makes it easy for tourism officials to direct visitors to all the sights within the Longmire universe.

“It’s kind of ready-made to be a tourism asset for the state,” Johnson said. “And I’m always proud of that because Wyoming is, I mean 22 novels and three novellas and a collection of short stories later, I still love the place, and I’m not going anywhere.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Not Just A Vacation"}]

For many Longmire fans, that “tourism asset” has become something like a pilgrimage.

Peters, for example, traveled all the way from North Carolina for the event. She bought her all-access ticket the minute dates were announced and booked a room at the Occidental right away. 

Longtime fans Terri Behm and Ken Dambrosio, meanwhile, came all the way from New Hampshire for the occasion. When they couldn’t find a room in Buffalo, they booked in nearby Sheridan instead, driving down each day.

“The magic of Longmire is a little difficult to articulate,” Dambrosio said. “Longmire itself is such a compelling show, and the characters were so rich. I really enjoyed it. So I was on the list of people who were hoping it would be revived when it initially got the boot. And then it did and we were all excited and just loved it.”

When Dambrosio heard about Longmire Days for the first time, he knew it was something he wanted to come and see.

“We’re from New Hampshire, so it isn’t next door,” he said with a chuckle. “So we were looking for a reason to come out.”

There have been false starts a few times, including a wedding. This time they decided to “just do it.”

The extra attention from the celebrities, who included A. Martinez (Jacob Nighthorse), Louanne Stephens (Ruby), as well as Taylor, has made the trip feel worthwhile.

“They’ve done a lovely job, kind of having opportunities to get to know the characters, and hear about why it was special for them,” Behm said. “And I feel like the people who choose to come to a fan event like this, they’re going to be the ones who like fans and interact with them well. So it’s been nice to see that.”

Ask enough people why they’re so attached to a sheriff from a fictional Wyoming county, and sooner or later the conversation slips from television and celebrities into something akin to longing for a world that still make sense, where things work they way they should.

“I’m not attracted to bad people doing bad things,” Behm said. “I can take a flawed hero who sometimes makes a poor choice … but at their core, they’re trying to do right.”

That’s harder to write, Behm added. But it’s far more satisfying in the end.

“These are layered characters,” she said. “But to me, they’re so much more compelling than, like Yellowstone, where they’re all kind of at their core not great.”

That flawed human who is still good-to-the-core is part of the attraction for Peters as well.

“If you wrecked your car on a dark road somewhere, you’d be so relieved if Walt pulled up,” she said. “He’s the kind of guy you’d want to come help your kids if something went wrong.”

In a world where the real-life headlines often feel upside-down, Longmire is offering a universe where decency, fairness and hard work still count. Where justice might be messy, but is never meaningless. 

That’s what Louanne Stephens, who plays Ruby likes about “Longmire,” her self. 

“It’s the same old thing I’ve always said,” she said. “Except for Nighthorse, everybody in this show is trying to be good, trying to do their best and falling short. And that’s unique now, too, because all the big shows, everybody’s bad.”

The shows basically decent values are part of what Behm believes makes the event feel like such a second home — even for first-time visitors like herself.

“You feel like those who are drawn to this, you’re probably going to get along with,” she said. “It’s a sense of community.”

That sense of community extends far beyond Buffalo. It’s wrapped around the lives of everyone who has ever been part of producing the television show, “Longmire.” 

That brings some unusual guests to the event every year, guests who are completely unexpected, and fun.

Enter Rosie Palmer, stage left. She was the stand-in for Katee Sackhoff, a role that ultimately earned Palmer her first speaking line. 

“I’m interviewing a cop who is in plainclothes about a murder that happened that morning,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “It was hair, makeup, everything. And my name’s in the credit. Season six, episode eight, about 20 minutes in.”

It was a story of persistence, more than anything else — a decade of showing up on time, being willing to do the work, and becoming the kind of casting extra directors knew they could rely upon. 

Palmer has been in more than 50 television and film scenes, including “Breaking Bad.” But her favorite of them all has always been Longmire.

“I’ve wanted to come here for years,” Palmer said. “I’ve heard about it, seen it on Facebook. Buffalo is a trip. This is an amazing town, amazing people. All these people who are joined here together that love Longmire — it’s amazing.”

Palmer loved Longmire so much, she arranged her entire year around being in that particular show. Even though she didn’t know if there would be another episode, still she kept that timeframe open every year so she could take a role. 

“Every script, the stories that are in there, the plots — they’re amazing,” she said. “I learned so much … I was so blessed to be there to stand in, and be able to do this job. I loved every minute. Every minute.”

Extras and stand-ins had to abide by very strict rules, including that they would not speak to any of the actors, unless those actors talked to them first.

Palmer also kept a different pair of shoes for every stand-in role, shoes that helped make her the right height for each part. 

“This is a person who loves Longmire with all their heart,” she said. “Where I work, I serve food, Cinnamon, Sugar and Spice. And I wear a Longmire rubber band up here, and I wear my pin.”

She pointed to a Longmire pin on her shirt, which looks a little like a Sheriff’s badge. 

“I always wear my pin to work,” she said with a beaming smile. 

It’s her way of keeping Longmire alive, and sharing it with others who may not have discovered it yet.

“I’ve never seen a community like this around a show,” she said. “Everybody loves it. They are passionate. They know the shows, the episodes.”

Taylor, she added, was the very heart of the show when it was filming, and has continued to be so for all the Longmire fans.

“He had so much love and compassion for all of us,” she said. “He was beloved by everyone.”

In a weekend full of sheriffs, deputies, and bestselling authors, Palmer stood out, a symbol of the heart that has built a show that draws people in from thousands of miles away and keeps them coming back to Buffalo for 14 years now. 

The notoriety no longer belongs only to “Longmire.” It belongs to the fans, who are determined to keep the beating heart of this cult classic Western mystery series alive.

Longmire Days 20260719 140106 7 20 26

<title>Fans Still Pack Buffalo For Longmire Days, Even 9 Years After Last TV Episode | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Fans still pack Buffalo for Longmire Days even nine years after the last “Longmire” TV episode aired. Author Craig Johnson created Sheriff Walt Longmire, and said fans "expect Walt Longmire to come walking down the sidewalk and see them at any time."

Fans Still Pack Buffalo For Longmire Days, Even 9 Years After Last TV Episode

Kolby fedore

Kolby Fedore

Courts

 inside a Rock Springs home as a many allegedly held a woman captive for days and threatened to murder her cat is now headed for trial.

Jake Thomas Canestrini, 24, pleaded not guilty last week in Sweetwater County District Court to a string of felony charges accusing him of holding his girlfriend captive while repeatedly beating, strangling and torturing her with a razor blade, a kitchen fork and a knife.

The not guilty pleas came one week after a judge found there was enough evidence at a preliminary hearing to send the case to district court.

The allegations first surfaced in June after the woman escaped the home and told police she had survived days of escalating violence that left her afraid for her life.  

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"How It Started "}]

The woman told investigators the abuse began May 30, shortly after her parents left town.

She and Canestrini had been dating for about three years and were living together at her parents' Rock Springs home.

Not long after they were alone, she said Canestrini threw her to the ground several times and refused to let her leave, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in his case.

"Every time she tried to get up and run, the woman said, Canestrini would yank her by the hair to keep her down," Rock Springs Police Officer Tiffany Harris wrote in her affidavit.

On June 2, Canestrini allegedly called the woman's employer himself and told them she would not be coming to work.

The woman told investigators every attempt to resist or escape only brought more violence.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Razor Blade, Fork And Knife"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The allegations became increasingly disturbing as the days went on."}]

Court records allege Canestrini used a razor blade to cut the woman's thighs, hips, stomach and arm. She also reported being stabbed in the upper back and buttock with a kitchen fork.

She told investigators that during one confrontation, Canestrini allegedly pressed a kitchen knife against her throat.

[{"type":"text","text":"\"I will f***ing murder you,\" he allegedly told her."}]

The woman reportedly told police he also said, "I will murder your cat. I will murder your f***ing family if you get the cops involved. I will wait 20 years so I can kill you,” the affidavit says.

The woman says she was strangled multiple times during the ordeal, telling investigators there were moments she couldn't breathe and believed she was going to die.

Medical records cited in the affidavit indicate that a physician later diagnosed her with a concussion.

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

[{"type":"text","text":"The woman eventually managed to escape."}]

When officers found her, they documented what court records describe as numerous visible injuries that they believed matched her account of days of abuse.

Investigators later searched the residence and collected additional evidence before Canestrini was arrested.

Cowboy State Daily left a message for Canestrini's attorney, Joseph August Hampton, asking what forms the basis of his client's not guilty plea and if Canestrini disputes the allegations in the charging documents.

[{"type":"text","text":"Hampton did not respond before publication."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"November Trial "}]

Barring a plea agreement or other resolution, a Sweetwater County jury will begin hearing the case Nov. 2.

[{"type":"text","text":"Canestrini remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."}]

If convicted, he faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

Under Wyoming law, kidnapping is punishable by 20 years to life in prison if the victim is not voluntarily released substantially unharmed in a safe place before trial.

He also faces additional prison time if convicted of the remaining felony charges.

Jake Thomas Canestrini 6 19 26

<title>Rock Springs Man Accused Of Torturing Girlfriend For Days Pleads Not Guilty | Cowboy State Daily</title>

A Rock Springs man accused of holding his girlfriend captive for days while torturing her has pleaded not guilty. Court records allege he warned her: "I will murder your cat. I will murder your family if you get the cops involved."

Rock Springs Man Accused Of Torturing Girlfriend For Days Pleads Not Guilty

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Politics

Around 18 months before he won the Republican nomination to a seat in the Wyoming House of Representatives in 2022, Daniel Singh told a podcaster friend that he was pro-choice, progressive, and believed hard drugs should be legal.  

The Cheyenne man, who is now eyeing a contested state Senate seat, said he wanted to build a network of progressives in Cheyenne, according to 

 Cowboy State Daily first accessed Friday.

Singh first won the GOP nomination for House District 61 on Aug. 16, 2022, over two other candidates. He went on to win the general election and was sworn into office in early 2023.  

 of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus during his freshman term.

The caucus is a bloc of House Republicans whose website says they “plan together, work together, and pray together in pursuit of policies that promote truth by protecting life, private property rights, and Judeo-Christian family values.”

 but still aligns with it generally — in about January of this year.

[{"type":"text","text":"‘Far-Right Fascist Figure'"}]

About two years before entering office, Singh had described himself as a pro-choice progressive willing to legalize hard drugs. 

He specifically denied being a conservative. That’s according to the podcast by Singh’s longtime, and former, friend Toby Thompson, who is also from Cheyenne but now lives in Georgia.

Upon request, Thompson sent Cowboy State Daily a screenshot of the recording’s data that indicates it was recorded Feb. 28, 2021.

“I have a good one for you today,” begins Thompson’s voiceover introduction to the podcast interview, which he did not publish until Sept. 20, 2024 — after Singh’s second primary election win.

“What you’re about to hear is an interview I conducted with Wyoming House District 61 Representative Daniel Singh,” said Thompson. “This was actually supposed to be the first episode of (podcast) 'Nobody Talks Religion and Politics,' but Daniel asked me to shelve it at the time because he believed it would make it harder to manipulate Republican voters into electing him.”

Thompson said that as Singh’s friend, he complied with that request.

“But after watching him devolve from a progressive leader I could believe in into a far-right fascist figure, I feel my responsibility as a writer and proud Wyomingite outweighs Daniel’s request as my friend,” said Thompson. 

He said he wasn’t publishing the podcast to sabotage Singh and didn’t believe he had enough listeners to influence what was then the upcoming general election.

Thompson said he was publishing it, rather, so Singh would listen to it “and be reminded of the man he was at the start of his political journey.”

[{"type":"text","text":"In a Friday phone interview, Thompson doubled down."}]

“I think Daniel Singh is excellent at political maneuvering and like, reading the writing on the wall,” said Thompson, adding that he believes Singh aligned with the Freedom Caucus to ride “the rise of MAGA politics,” and that he will “ride whatever political wave will keep him in power.”

[{"type":"text","text":"‘I’m Definitely Committed To The Republican Party'"}]

Singh countered in a Friday phone interview, noting that he doesn’t now associate with Thompson, and insisted that he does not hold the views captured in that interview.

“I’m definitely committed to the Republican Party,” said Singh, adding that being pro-life and other party planks aren’t just stances, they’re “timeless truths.”

Singh said he recorded that podcast before getting involved with the Republican Party, and he’s changed his views over time as he’s learned what matters to his community.

“Ronald Reagan started out as a Democrat, and became one of the most influential conservatives of our time,” said Singh. “And people change their minds.”

Singh registered to vote as a Republican in Laramie County in 2016 and has not changed his party affiliation, the Laramie County Clerk’s office confirmed Monday.

[{"type":"text","text":"Singh is 29. He was 24 during the interview with Thompson."}]

 Singh is now running for state Senate in a primary election contest against Republican incumbent Sen. Evie Brennan. The election is Aug. 18. 

Singh’s 2022 and 2024 GOP campaign opponent Matt Malcom told Cowboy State Daily he believes Singh doesn’t believe the Freedom Caucus’ positions.

“I think he’s putting on a show in order to galvanize more support around the issues he cares about,” said Malcom.

Malcom said he campaigned on more moderate positions than Singh in their races.

Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, cast Singh’s Freedom Caucus alignment as a political opportunity.

“It’s really disheartening to see someone throw their personal political beliefs away because they saw an opportunity to join the Freedom Caucus,” said Provenza. “This out-of-state machine that will help them get elected — assuming that’s what Daniel’s beliefs are, or were.”

Provenza added, “It just begs the question of if this system works at all? It’s just sad.”

The Freedom Caucus amassed significant momentum in 2024, telling the public it had gained control of the House. It is part of a larger national network of Freedom Caucus chapters.

House Appropriations Chair and former Freedom Caucus leader John Bear, R-Gillette, ventured a cautious guess on the contrast between Singh’s interview and his generally conservative voting record.

“I would guess he wasn’t masquerading (as a conservative in the Legislature) because he hasn’t changed his voting significantly from when he was more aligned … with the Freedom Caucus,” said Bear.

Singh also made comments during Thompson’s podcast about being an atheist and a stoic. Bear voiced confusion over that, saying his view of Singh’s personal life has indicated Christian missionary activities.

[{"type":"text","text":"“That doesn’t make sense,” said Bear."}]

Singh told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that he is a Christian now, having “had to humble myself and learn firsthand not only what it is I believe, and my personal relationship with God. But how does that apply to my political theory.”

Thompson asked early during the podcast interview what issues matter most to Singh.

Rep. Daniel Singh, an incumbent Republican from Cheyenne who was once a member of the Freedom Caucus, says he's changed since identifying as a pro-choice, progressive atheist in a recently surfaced 2021 podcast interview. "People change their minds," he said.

Daily Cartoon: Monday, January 13, 2025

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