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Dog is not impressed by the GOAT's performance, as narrated by MMA announcer Steve Inman...

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Steve Inman: Thursday, September 19, 2024

Now let's watch a bunch of mostly happy toddlers.....

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Bonus Video 1: Thursday, September 19, 2024

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Bonus Video 2: Thursday, September 19, 2024

This should solve the cyber-bullying problem for once and for all....

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Bonus Video 2: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

It's never too soon to start practicing for the 2028 Olympics....

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Bonus Video 1: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Old man Withers gets hit by an asteroid, as narrated by MMA announcer Steve Inman....

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Steve Inman: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

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Today In Sports: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Bob's wheelchair accidentally went into overdrive and he was never heard from again.....

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You Still Here? Wednesday, September 18, 2024

A collection of favorite recipes Clair McFarland has found on the Internet.....

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Cooking With Clair: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

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Bonus Video 2: Tuesday, September 17, 2024

How criminals train to stay in shape.....

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Bonus Video 1: Tuesday, September 17, 2024

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Today In Sports: Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Coy Knobel

Chance of rain in Wyoming on Thursday and into the evening. Highs mainly in the 60s and 70s. Lows in the 40s up to the mid 50s.

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

Chance of rain (some storms could be severe), otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 73 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. (some storms could be severe) and a low near 54.

Chance of rain mainly after 11 a.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 72 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 53.

 Rain likely, becoming mostly cloudy today with a high near 74 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 10 p.m. and a low near 50.

 Patchy smoke before noon, chance of rain mainly after noon, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 78 and afternoon wind from 11-16 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m., patchy smoke and a low near 48.

  Chance of rain mainly after 2 p.m., otherwise sunny and breezy today with a high near 75 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 50.

Chance of rain mainly after 11 a.m., otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 69 and wind gusts as high as 26 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m. and a low near 49.

Rain likely mainly before 1 p.m., otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 67 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. and a low near 44.

 Chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 70 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 47.

  Chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 72 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 46.

 Chance of rain, otherwise mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 68 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Increasing clouds and breezy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 9 p.m., a low near 45 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph.

  Chance of rain mainly before 3 p.m., becoming sunny today with a high near 74 and increasing clouds overnight with a low near 47.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

:  Chance of rain, otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 65 and increasing clouds overnight with a slight chance of rain before 7 p.m. and a low near 42.

Chance of rain, increasing clouds and breezy today with a high near 76 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph. Increasing clouds overnight with a low near 56.

:  Chance of rain mainly after 11 a.m., otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 71 and increasing clouds overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. and a low near 53.

  Chance of rain mainly after 1 p.m. (some storms could be severe), otherwise mostly sunny today with a high near 74 and increasing clouds overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. (some storms could be severe) and a low near 57.

  Rain likely (some storms could be severe), otherwise partly sunny today with a high near 68 and partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 7 p.m. (some storms could be severe) and a low near 53.

  Rain near certain today with a high near 74 and mostly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m., areas of fog after 3 a.m. and a low near 48.

:  Rain near certain today with a high near 72 and mostly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before 8 p.m. and a low near 51.

Rain likely today with a high near 69 and wind gusts as high as 29 mph. Gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 9 p.m., a low near 50 and wind gusts as high as 30 mph.

  Chance of rain, cloudy today with a high near 65 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight, a low near 53 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph.

:  Rain likely mainly after 3 p.m., cloudy today with a high near 65 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Gradually becoming partly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 9 p.m., a low near 51 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

  Patchy fog before 10 a.m., rain likely, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 70 and mostly cloudy overnight with rain likely before 9 p.m. and a low near 55.

  Patchy fog before 8 a.m., rain likely, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 71 and gradually clearing overnight with rain likely before 9 p.m. and a low near 55.

  Rain likely today with a high near 66 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before 9 p.m., a low near 48 and wind gusts as high as 28 mph.

  Patchy fog before 9 a.m., chance of rain, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 68 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 52.

  Chance of rain, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 71 and gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 48.

  Patchy fog before 10 a.m., rain likely, gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 71 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain before midnight and a low near 52.

  Chance of rain, increasing clouds today with a high near 77 and wind gusts as high as 25 mph. Gradually becoming mostly clear overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight and a low near 52.

  Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m., gradually becoming mostly sunny today with a high near 76 and mostly cloudy overnight with a chance of rain mainly before 9 p.m. and a low near 47.

  Chance of rain, gradually clearing today with a high near 81 and mostly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight and a low near 46.

Daycap small 6 25 26

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

<title>Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Thursday, June 25, 2026 | Cowboy State Daily</title>

Don Day's Wyoming Weather Forecast: Thursday, June 25, 2026

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."}]

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<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

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."}]

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.