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Jake Nichols

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It's the Cowboy State Daily Morning Show With Jake. Weekday mornings 6 - 10 a.m.

[{"type":"text","text":"Catch up with the show on your favorite podcast platform!"}]

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

<title>Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Friday July 3, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Jake in the 307. Weekday mornings 6-10 a.m.

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Friday July 3, 2026

 It's the Cowboy State Daily Morning Show With Jake. Weekday mornings 6 - 10 a.m. Catch up with the show on your favorite podcast platform!

Mac Watson

Daily Video News

It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming for Friday, July 3rd.  I’m Mac Watson

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The City of Cheyenne announced Thursday it's suspending taking wastewater associated with data center systems after a contractor for Meta contaminated the city’s wastewater system. Cowboy State Daily’s Kate Meadows reports that the process took months of cleanup. 

“The city announced on Thursday that it is suspending taking wastewater associated with data center systems after this bacterium was found back in February. Once the bacterium was found, the company, or the contractor, which is Goat Systems LLC, was effectively banned from using the city's sewage system. It took at least a week to 10 days for the state lab to determine what the actual bacterium was. It was something that the city of Cheyenne had never seen before, and there was speculation that it could be linked back to a data center, and that was confirmed with the announcement Thursday that it is connected to the Meta project called Project Cosmos.”

The announcement was made by the Board of Public Utilities on Thursday in conjunction with naming the Meta company as the source of the initial contamination.

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Recreationists celebrated Wednesday evening as the 18,800-acre Belvoir Ranch west of Cheyenne was opened to the public. Cowboy State Daily’s Renee Jean reports that the new recreation area provides 13 miles of trails, giving hikers and cyclists a long-promised playground in the city’s backyard.

“This was the late Councilman Scott Roy Bulls Pet Project. Here, he was its champion for 20-plus years, the 23 years it took for this project to become a reality. He was always the one saying, "We have to open this to the public. It's an amazing recreational opportunity, you know, it belongs to the public. We have to open this to the public, and so, you know, after 23 years, finally it's come to fruition.”

The new trailhead and roughly 13 miles of singletrack and shared-use paths give hikers and cyclists a long-promised playground in the city’s backyard, turning what was once mainly an insurance policy for future water and landfill needs into a full-fledged outdoor destination.

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The Wyoming Business Council's biggest critic in the Legislature, Rep. Ken Pendergraft, was mostly relieved at a Wednesday audit report showing the Wyoming Business Council isn't hiding any bank accounts. But Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports he says he still has questions.

“That was scuttlebutt during the appropriations committees meeting, that lawmakers were wondering things like, do we even know what all the business council has going on, and so as part of the budget the business council was required to submit to a department of audit probe, and the department concluded, ‘Yeah, there's not these outside accounts, pretty much everything's on the up and up, some negligible and documenting errors.’”

Rep. Ken Pendergraft, from Sheridan, made headlines in 2025 when he announced a goal to eliminate the WBC. That’s a government-funded entity that gives grants and loans to communities and businesses.

Scattered human bones found in Wyoming's rugged Wind River Mountains nearly a year ago have been identified as a Scottish man. Cowboy State Daily’s Kolby Fedore reports that an investigator from Wyoming Game and Fish found the remains in a remote section of the Wind River Mountains near the Sweetwater Gap Guard Station.

“The remains of John Gillies were found near the Sweet Water Muddy Gap Station, and over the course of a 10 month investigation, detectives were able to piece together who he was based on those remains within a 20 mile radius. They were able to find about 85% of the skeleton and some personal belongings that then helped them link him to Gillies and his family in Scotland, and they were able to confirm on June 30 that he was in fact the person who had been found.”

Deputies found disarticulated skeletal remains, a tent, and personal belongings. Authorities have not announced the cause or manner of death.

I’ll have more news from Cowboy State Daily right after this.

Cowboy State Daily News continues now….

The Wyoming Board of Equalization is suing Gov. Mark Gordon back after he rejected its claims that the state's property tax caps are unconstitutional. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that the board is asking Laramie County District Court Judge Nathaniel Hibben to declare that a state law capping residential property tax increases as unconstitutional, and to block its enforcement.  

“Governor Gordon had sued the Board of Equalization, trying to get the court to make it honor a 4% cap on property tax increases from year to year, and a judge last month said, ‘Yeah, for now we're going to go ahead and make the board do that while we consider whether this law is constitutional.’ The board fired back Monday with its own counter suit, urging the judge to declare the cap unconstitutional and to free the board from having to enforce it.”

This cap violates the Wyoming Constitution’s requirement that property taxes be assessed at their full value and uniformly within property classes, the board alleges in its filing, through Davis and Cannon attorneys Amanda Esch and Cat Young. 

Wyoming ranchers say a $99 million John Deere right-to-repair settlement doesn't go far enough. Cowboy State Daily’s Kate Meadows reports they'll get small payouts while John Deere keeps control over repair software and one rancher calls that an unfair settlement.” 

“Farmers and ranchers are objecting to a $99 million settlement by John Deere in a right to repair lawsuit. farmers and ranchers say the settlement doesn't even come close to compensating them for losses they endured because of John Deere's proprietary software and diagnostic system. The window to formally object to the settlement opens July 14 and runs through September 14. During that time, any farmer or rancher who is part of this class action lawsuit can formally object to the settlement and seek fairer compensation. After September, then there will be a final hearing on the settlement in October in Rockville, Illinois.”

The class-action lawsuit claimed the tractor giant was monopolizing the repair market. Right-to-repair advocates say farmers should be able to fix tractors themselves or go to an independent repair shop.

An immigration advocacy firm is suing the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office claiming the agency is withholding important evidence in a deportation case. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland reports that the Cheyenne Police Department confirmed Wednesday that the sheriff's office had issued an inaccurate report.

“Kevin Lewis of Cheyenne is working for an immigration firm, and he alleges that the sheriff's office had a flawed report, had to reissue the report, and that the there were there was all sorts of back and forth about the body cam or the camera footage, the sheriff in turn told me on on Thursday, the deputy made some errors and we had him reissue the report, and there's also a specific set of lies, laws about how we can release camera footage.”

Colorado-based immigration firm Lichter and Associates, and its Cheyenne-based investigator Kevin Lewis, filed the lawsuit complaint Tuesday in the Laramie County District Court. 

Clyde "The Buffalo" arrived in Cody for the Cody Stampede Rodeo and Parades, and his first stop Thursday was for a drink. Cowboy State Daily’s Andrew Rossi reports the tame buffalo went into Buffalo Bill's Bar in the historic Irma Hotel. 

“He's been invited to lead off the Cody Stampede parades on July 3rd and 4th, and when he first got the Cody, his first stop was to the Buffalo Historic Buffalo Bill Irma Hotel, where he might be the first Buffalo ever invited inside and served inside. He's made a reputation for just being a very tame, affable bison, and he's going to be the biggest celebrity in town for Cody's Independence Day celebrations.”

Clyde’s owner, Clint Mortenson, tells Cowboy State Daily, “He drinks what I drink. He likes bourbon and margaritas.” No word on whether Clyde or his owner was carded by the servers.

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And that’s today’s news. Get your free digital subscription to Wyoming's only statewide newspaper by hitting the Daily Newsletter button on 

 - and you can watch this newscast every day by clicking Subscribe on our 

 channel, or listen to us on your favorite podcast app.  Thanks for watching - I’m Mac Watson, for Cowboy State Daily.

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<title>Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: July 3, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Friday's headlines include:

Wind
* Lightning Kills Makeup Mogul's Yak
* Wind River Bones Identified As Scottish Man
* Cheyenne Says No To Data Center Wastewater

Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: July 3, 2026

Coy Knobel

Don Day Weather

Chance of afternoon rain in parts of Wyoming on Friday, otherwise mostly sunny to sunny skies. Partly cloudy to mostly clear skies overnight. Highs mainly in the 70s and 80s. Lows in the 40s and 50s.

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Mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 55 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

Slight chance of rain after 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 84 and gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. and a low near 55.

 Sunny today with a high near 88 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 57.

 Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 77 and mostly clear overnight with a low near 42.

  Mostly sunny today with a high near 80 and wind gusts as high as 22 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 48 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

Slight chance of rain after 4 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 75 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Breezy, gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m., a low near 50 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph.

Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 74 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 7 p.m. and a low near 43.

 Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 78 and gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a low near 44.

  Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 76 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 7 p.m. and a low near 40.

 Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 74 and wind gusts as high as 26 mph. Breezy, gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m., a low near 44 and wind gusts as high as 26 mph.

  Slight chance of rain after 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 79 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 44.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

:  Sunny today with a high near 71 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 38 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

Slight chance of rain after 2 p.m., otherwise sunny today with a high near 89 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 55.

:  Slight chance of rain after 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 84 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 54 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

  Sunny today with a high near 88 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 53.

  Slight chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 82 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 11 p.m. and a low near 56.

  Slight chance of rain after 4 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 86 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight and a low near 52.

:  Slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 54.

Chance of rain after noon, becoming mostly cloudy today with a high near 86 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight, a low near 55 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

  Widespread haze before noon, chance of rain after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 85 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight, a low near 57 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph.

:  Widespread haze before 9 a.m., rain likely mainly after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 79 and wind gusts as high as 17 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight, a low near 54 and wind gusts as high as 17 mph.

  Slight chance of rain after 3 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 92 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 58.

  Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 86 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 53.

  Widespread haze before 9 a.m., slight chance of rain after noon, increasing clouds today with a high near 86 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight, a low near 54 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph.

  Slight chance of rain after noon, increasing clouds today with a high near 86 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 55.

  Partly sunny today with a high near 79 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 49.

  Mostly sunny today with a high near 83 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 47.

  Mostly sunny today with a high near 80 and gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a low near 51.

  Increasing clouds today with a high near 79 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 47.

  Mostly sunny today with a high near 80 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 48 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph.

Daycap small 7 3 26

<title>Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Friday, July 3, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Friday, July 3, 2026

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

Andrew Rossi

Around Wyoming

Clyde “The Buffalo” will be the biggest celebrity in Cody for America’s 250th.

 was invited to participate in the Cody Stampede Rodeo and Parades on July 3 and 4.

On Thursday, the famous bison arrived. His first stop was the historic Irma Hotel. 

It might be the first time a buffalo was invited inside Buffalo Bill’s hotel. He was even served a drink at the bar.

“He likes bourbon and margaritas,” Clyde’s owner, Clint Mortenson, told Cowboy State Daily. “He drinks what I drink.”

Clyde will be first in line for the parades Friday and Saturday. He may or may not have a rider on his humped back.

[{"type":"text","text":"“We haven’t decided yet,” Mortenson said."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Big Celebrity Bison"}]

Mortenson, who owns Mortenson Silver and Saddles in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has raised Clyde since he was two weeks old. He turned his “pet” into a celebrity through the connections he made after several years in the film industry.

“I actually lived in Lusk when I went to saddle-making school, and supplied horses, saddles, and other things for movies in New Mexico,” he said. “That's how Clyde became popular."

Clyde's "acting" credentials include appearances in Paramount's "Yellowstone," the Amazon Prime science-fiction series "Outer Range," and Apple TV’s "Pluribus.”

Clyde has also appeared in commercials for Banana Republic, Bass Pro Shops and YETI.

“When the Oklahoma City Thunder made the NBA Finals last May, Clyde took on the role of "Rumble the Bison" to support the team,” Mortenson said. “He had a place of honor outside the Paycom Center in downtown Oklahoma City.”

Between acting and endorsement gigs, Clyde is a highly sought-after model for all kinds of photo shoots. In November 2025, Mortenson transported Clyde to Jackson for a western-themed wedding shoot.

Mortenson has fully embraced his role as Clyde’s chauffeur, booking agent, and personal assistant. The bison is fully halter-trained, so he’s comfortable going wherever Mortenson leads him.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Buffalo At The Bar"}]

When Mortenson and Clyde reached Cody on Thursday, they were invited inside the Irma Hotel by owner Mike Darby. Clyde eagerly accepted Darby's invitation.

Far from being a bull in a china shop, Clyde doesn’t mind small spaces. He's become a bit of a bar fly.

“We've done a lot of photo shoots in saloons," Mortenson said. "I've taken him into little bars in Aspen, Vail, Telluride, Durango, and Silverton, Colorado. I even took him into the White Elephant Saloon in Fort Worth, Texas."

Clyde entered the Irma through the back door and easily navigated the winding, narrow corridors leading to the dining room. He even posed on the front porch.

“He did great,” Mortenson said. “He was confident as we twisted and turned through the hallways to reach the bar. It was super.”

Clyde also made an appearance in front of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. He was not invited inside.

At both places, Clyde got photo-ops with bronze sculptures of Buffalo Bill. Mortenson brought something extra special to add to the ambiance of those shots.  

“The saddle is a one-of-a-kind replica of a Buffalo Bill saddle I made in 1993,” he said. “It's based on one he used in the Wild West Show in Paris, France.”

The actual saddle is on display in the Buffalo Bill Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Mortenson got to take his replica inside to show how closely it resembles the original. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The Biggest Celebrity"}]

Clyde will be making the most of his trip to Cody. In addition to leading off the Cody Stampede Parades, he’ll be making a grand entrance during the Cody Stampede Rodeo.

[{"type":"text","text":"“He’ll be here through July 4,” Mortenson said."}]

Clyde’s other big accolade is that he’s saddle-trained. Mortenson’s son, Wyatt, an actor and stunt performer, broke into show business as “The Buffalo Rider" by sharing photos and videos of himself riding Clyde.

Clyde will be saddled up for the parades and rodeos but might go riderless for the occasion.

The secret to Clyde’s success is his temperament and his self-identity. He might be a big bull bison, but he doesn’t seem to know that, and Mortenson hasn’t tried to persuade his best client otherwise.

"I don't think he knows he's a buffalo," he said. "He's pretty trustworthy with me, so he let me lead him all over, which has made him popular with directors and photographers. But he's always been gentle. He's just like a person."

Clyde the bison wes cody 14 7 2 26

<title>Bison Drinks Bourbon In Buffalo Bill’s Bar In Cody, Wyoming | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Clyde "The Buffalo" arrived in Cody for the Cody Stampede Rodeo and Parades, and his first stop Thursday was for a drink at Buffalo Bill's Bar in the legendary Wild West showman's historic Irma Hotel. "He likes bourbon and margaritas," said Clyde's owner.

Bison Drinks Bourbon In Buffalo Bill’s Bar In Cody, Wyoming

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

Clair McFarland

Government & Politics

Legislature

The Wyoming Business Council’s toughest critic in the Legislature says he was mostly relieved, though still fiercely curious, after the state Department of Audit released its report on the council late Wednesday.

Rep. Ken Pendergraft, R-Sheridan, made headlines in 2025 when he announced a goal to eliminate the 

 government-funded entity that gives grants and loans to communities and businesses.

Pendergraft tried to fulfill his promise by spearheading the elimination effort in a January budget-planning session of the Joint Appropriations Committee, of which he’s the House side vice-chair.

The full Legislature rejected the proposition. But it cut 

 the WBC to one year of operational funding and specified that the Department of Audit should probe 

That was amid a larger, philosophical clash between lawmakers about whether the government should be involved in stimulating the economy and enticing business.

Now Pendergraft and other outright opponents of the WBC’s existence are shouldering the compromise the Legislature has placed upon them: investigating and reforming the council instead of killing it.

The Department of Audit describes accounting methods and issues across a nearly seven-year span, starting July 1, 2019, and ending in March of this year. Early in that period, WBC became a conduit for a large infusion of federal money related to the COVID pandemic.

“Based on that review, we found the WBC ultimately accounted for and expended funds in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), receiving unmodified audit opinions,” says the report. “However, these clean opinions were only achieved after private auditors identified material misstatements requiring significant audit adjustments.”

The report identifies some “material weaknesses,” corrections, and negligible levels of missing expenditure documentations.

On the one hand, Pendergraft told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday, he’s relieved. The report concludes that WBC doesn’t have unknown or private bank accounts.

“One of the reasons we brought (this audit) up was, in committee last year it was brought up there was a possibility they could have accounts we don’t even know about,” said Pendergraft. “It appears, from what we see here, that that is not the case. I’m relieved by that.”

On the other hand, he said, the issues the report details “did leave me with some questions.” He said he plans to question and study those issues.  

Business Council CEO Josh Dorrell told Cowboy State Daily in his own Thursday interview that the WBC has answers.

The report says independent audits for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 showed material weaknesses requiring multi-million-dollar corrections, including a $3.4 million expense over accrual, and a later $810,130 adjustment regarding reimbursement tracking.

It also says WBC had a $2.2 million adjustment to cover “improperly recognized revenue in the General Fund,” which is the state’s checking account.

A large broadband provider was working with WBC on a pay-as-you-go basis to install broadband infrastructure, Dorrell told Cowboy State Daily.

Instead of filing its expense documentation for timely reimbursement, the provider held onto that documentation for around six months then filed for reimbursement all at once, said Dorrell.

It’s like forgetting to bill one’s boss for a business expense until months later, he said, adding that the reimbursement issue was an “accounting issue.”

As for the second issue the report notes, the $2.2 million adjustment to cover revenue in the state’s checking account, that was a lapse exposed as WBC shifted from one accounting method to another, Dorrell said.

“For I think about 10 years, we’ve been recognizing revenue in a certain way. Our auditors recommended we recognize that revenue in another way,” he said.

The transition makes the numbers look sloppy, said Dorrell, “but again, no funds were misused or lost or anything like that. That change has been propagated as well.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Does It Even Matter?"}]

Pendergraft didn’t set out to reform the agency. But as an appropriator working under this year’s interim priorities, that’s his duty now.

[{"type":"text","text":"That’s fine, he said."}]

“I’ve said before, I’m also a pragmatist. OK, I didn’t get my way. I didn’t get to eliminate it. I still have some philosophical issues with it,” said Pendergraft, adding that it’s “absolutely reprehensible” that WBC gives grants to certain businesses. That’s not the proper function of government and taxpayers’ money, especially when some businesses might benefit over others, he added.

Still, Pendergraft said, it’s better to be included in the reform conversation than not.

“So it’s, you know, the C-word that everybody hates: compromise,” he said. “If I were to be excluded from that conversation, the final resting place would be a lot further to where they’re at now, than if there were any changes at all.”

The Appropriations Committee is considering a draft bill to eliminate around 13 WBC programs – many of those at the WBC’s suggestion, but at least two over its objections.

[{"type":"text","text":"That’s a “small victory,” said Pendergraft."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The Missing Receipts"}]

The report says one out of 222 total transactions – or half a percentage point – contained discrepancies in which the underlying invoices or documents didn’t match the entry WBC put in the Wyoming Online Financial System (WOLFS). That error totaled $316.32.

WBC countered in a Wednesday letter to Gov. Mark Gordon, the members of the Joint Appropriations Committee and the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee.

Gordon is co-chair of WBC’s board, and the two legislative committees are working together this interim to reform WBC.

“The actual discrepancy between the WOLFS entry ($316.32) and the underlying documentation ($317.18) in the subject transaction was a miniscule $0.86,” says WBC’s letter, which 

 Board Co-Chairman Derek Smith signed. “Even so, we have directed staff to redouble efforts to match WOLFS entries and limit any potential for the WBC to approach the ‘estimated potential population misstatement'.”

Another audit test showed that nine out of the 222 transactions – or 4% - lacked the necessary invoice to substantiate them.

[{"type":"text","text":"That error totals $520.61, says the audit report."}]

WBC’s letter says the documentation is available except where 

 expenditure policy doesn’t require them.

Two of the nine unsupported transactions were for $15, and WBC policy doesn’t require receipts for individual reimbursements of $15 or less, says Smith’s letter.

Those expenses bought car washes. Together they cost $30, the letter says.

Another two of the transactions were accidental personal charges on a WBC card. Those totaled $70.87, and the employees reimbursed those, the letter says.

One of the nine transactions was a partial expenditure ($170.25) relating to a subscription, where the subscription period crossed multiple fiscal years, says the letter.

Four of the nine transactions (totaling $249.49) have documentation but “could have used additional context and explanation of the specified business purpose,” Smith’s letter concedes.

“Going forward,” it says, “WBC will review purchasing policy best practices with staff.”

Eleven of the 222 total transactions – or 5% - were travel expenses without an out-of-state travel request, the report indicates.

WBC management is reviewing the travel policy and crafting a solution, the letter says.

Just less than 2% of a specific, 120-transaction sample contained mathematical inaccuracies, the report says.

One expense report was $76.65 short of the calculated reimbursement total, and another invoice showed an unexplained $11.70 discrepancy, the audit report says.

The WBC says it will keep monitoring the grant reimbursement process and “explore technological solutions” to monitor documentation compliance.

A Market Expansion Grant showed a $333.74 reimbursement for a cooler that lacked a vendor invoice in the paper trail, says the report.

This was a lapse in available terminology in different systems, says Smith’s letter.

The WOLFS description included the word “cooler” but the invoice from the supplier, Wyldgear, didn’t contain that word.

[{"type":"text","text":"Not Too Shabby, Says Council"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"A Wednesday WBC statement quotes Smith."}]

“We hold the Business Council to high standards of fiscal responsibility and accountability, and we welcome independent oversight. This audit affirms that the agency is operating responsibly while identifying a limited number of opportunities to further strengthen our documentation practices," he said.

"We recognize that some may try to use this audit to advance a political narrative or cast the Business Council in a negative light,” Smith continued. “The findings simply don't support that.”

He noted that the Department of Audit didn’t find improper spending or violations of law, “only a small number of minor documentation-related findings.”

“As a board,” Smith concluded. “We'll continue to ensure the agency implements the recommendations and maintains the high level of accountability Wyoming taxpayers expect."

Dorrell and Pendergraft 7 2 26

<title>Wyoming Business Council's Toughest Critic Relieved It Isn't Hiding Bank Accounts | Cowboy State Daily</title>

The Wyoming Business Council's biggest critic in the Legislature, Rep. Ken Pendergraft, was mostly relieved at a Wednesday audit report showing the Wyoming Business Council isn't hiding any bank accounts. But he says he still has questions.

Wyoming Business Council's Toughest Critic Relieved It Isn't Hiding Bank Accounts

Agriculture

Jeffree Star’s favorite yak has been killed by lightning on his Casper ranch.

The social media personality, entrepreneur and “makeup mogul” 

Social media personality and "makeup mogul" Jeffree Star of Casper announced Thursday that he's mourning the death of “Buster,” a 7-year-old male yak that he says "wasn't just a yak." Buster died after being struck by lightning on the Star Yak Ranch.

Cowboy State Daily Show with Jake - Friday July 3, 2026

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Features Reporter

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