Would the increasing presence of nonprofit businesses the tax-exempt National Outdoor Leadership School is another large employer and real-estate owner undermine the property tax base that the city and county need? A sculpture of a grandfather and grandson hunting together, titled Memories, by Wyoming artist Vic Payne was cast at the foundry and stands at a Cabellas in Buda, Texas. Ivie said the men were not father and son, and were not from this area. Fremont County acting coroner Erin Ivie confirmed that a fatality had occurred but declined to release the individuals name or age. Invalid password or account does not exist. Shes enjoyed seeing the family foundry grow for more than three decades and connecting with countless people through the artwork cast in the Wyoming town. Would it be at all possible to float the difference (~10) on a short term loan? McCown wrote Kang. WebPinedale News, Weather, Safety, Sports | NewsBreak Pinedale, WY Pinedale, WY + Follow Home Local News Weather LOCAL BRIEFING More Two dead in wrong-way crash on I-15, impairment may be a factor ABC4 Utah State Aerial Cattle Massacre: Feds Gun Down 65 Cows, Leaves Them To Rot Wyoming State Wyoming House Passes Property He continues to live in Lander, and former associates said they are amazed by McCowns untroubled demeanor in the face of his serious legal and financial challenges. For several hours near a roadside home near the Goodrich intersection, personnel from the Lander Police Department, Fremont County Sheriffs Office, WHP, and DCI remained on scene. He told other college officials that McCown led him to believe that the transfer of $750,000 was related to Tonkowichs small ownership stake in McCown Enterprises, they said. Wyoming officials have been trying to reduce the at least 6,000 animals killed. The business council tried to piece together information it obtained from the Secretary of States office and the Department of Workforce Services before approving grants, but it had to weigh the risk of fraud against the need to act quickly to help Wyoming companies. I told them, Look, boys, you need to know something first. He said Tonkowich followed up with phone calls to lawyers in Texas and, fully aware of the Blackwood case, hired him anyway. Denhardt advised Rose to have that discussion with his attorney, Jeremy Hugus. What McCown did not tell the community organization was that he was already in deep trouble and that his life, his business and his work would soon be unraveling in ways that would shake the Lander business community, greatly embarrass the Catholic College and suspend the colleges ambitious plans to expand its downtown Lander campus. I was planning to have everything funded by now, but as we know, Wyoming [Community] Bank is taking its sweet time. McCown later bumped up the request to $15 million. They sought me out for the job, Clement said. I can tell you one thing, he said. Active COVID-19 case count in Wyoming increases by 50, Stun and dismay follow political espionage revelations. A Dubois man who had been hospitalized in Lander is accused of attacking another patient and Clair McFarland The Ranger Via Wyoming News Exchange Dec He was just an outstanding CFO, said David Kellogg, chairman of the colleges board. This was a bizarre incident committed against a complete stranger whod had no prior involvement or interaction with Mr. Rose, he said. She said that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his special military operation in Ukraine, at least in part, out of concern about having a democracy on his doorstep. McCown himself admitted that his boutique Lander Distilling (later renamed Sweetwater Spirits) never produced a single bottle of gin. A cook at the Antler restaurant in Lander first noticed the running car containing two men, ages 62 and 29, in the parking lot at 11 a.m. when he arrived for work, according to restaurant owner Sophal Thompson. The Wyoming House of Representatives is considering a bill imposing a homicide charge on drug dealers, California state lawmakers are trying to outlaw police K-9s from being used because criminals could get, After 23-year-old Hunter Rezac reportedly turned himself in to Cheyenne police for recording a female coworker's, The Wyoming House of Representatives is considering a bill imposing, California state lawmakers are trying to outlaw police K-9s from, A lobbyist filed an ethics complaint over comments Sen. Anthony Bouchard made, Though Rep. Ben Hornok rallied a last-minute debate against it, the House, Wyoming lawmakers are sparring over whether Chloe's Law, banning sex-change surgeries for, Forget about Bambi, deer can be incredibly aggressive toward each other, sometimes, It was a bloodbath for bills on Monday night as the Wyoming, House Freedom Caucus Votes With Democrats To End Voting Killing Chloes Law, Ethics Complaint Filed Against Sen. Anthony Bouchard After He Calls Person F**king Idiot, House Considers Big Three Drug Bill That Would Allow Homicide Charge For Dealers In Overdose Deaths, California Considers Banning K-9s Because They Might Bite Criminals; Wyoming Official Calls It Ridiculous, Cheyenne Man Admits He Recorded Coworker In Bathroom, Strike 2! Witnesses in the area said both men had been transported from the scene for hospital treatment, presumably both alive at the time. DCI also investigates officer-involved shootings within other law enforcement organizations in the state. The call went to Hayfords voicemail which, in the callers mind at least, confirmed Hayfords existence and his position. Invalid password or account does not exist. Hayford told WyoFile hed been instructed by attorneys not to discuss the case, but he acknowledged some frustration in watching McCown calmly engage in his daily routine, including a regular session at the gym across from Wyoming Community Bank. Donny Poulin and Laura Bontrager followed in fourth and fifth places respectively. A lot of us thought this was really weird.. Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver, In this photo provided by Jaden Bales, the outline of a mule deer that was struck by a car and claimed for food using a new state of Wyoming roadkill app is seen in grass and snow near U.S. 287 south of Lander on Feb. 21, 2022. The Riverton Police Department also responded to the shooting. You can click this link to create an obituary. Potratz and another nurse, Jim Hanson, interrupted the attack and restrained Rose until law enforcement arrived. Thompson told Cowboy State Daily that the cook paid little attention at that point, thinking he only saw one man, possibly on his phone in the car. What seems to have led to this is, he quit taking some prescribed medication and had a very bizarre and extreme reaction to that as is obvious from the alleged offense and the facts of it, said Stebner. The prosecutor said both the hospital incident and some unruly behavior in jail in recent days were a testament to the propriety of an otherwise steep bond for an aggravated assault charge. The call was made at 4:23 PM to LPD on February 25, where the reporting party said they found two deceased subjects from Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. This is the story of a complex, calculated, methodical and fraudulent scheme, the lawsuit, Ria R Squared v. Paul D. McCown and McCown Enterprises, LLC, reads, orchestrated by an individual holding a trusted and respected position with the Wyoming Catholic College, to defraud R Squared out of the sum of $15 million.. Some people within the college and in the city of Lander wonder if the perceived insular nature of the leadership team, and an associated lack of transparency may have played a role in allowing the McCown imbroglio to occur. McCown then quickly resumed using the fake email address that he had employed to impersonate the banker throughout the scam. Bales was able to claim the deer thanks to a new state of Wyoming mobile app thats helping get the meat from animals killed in fender benders from road to table and in the process making roads safer for critters. Then the pieces are sandblasted clean and finished in the patina room, where any colors the artist chooses are applied before a final layer of sealant. Hooper hasnt heard of one larger since, he said. Lander - Please dont feed the mule deer. Lander hosts SCPSA Conference. His former landlord said her mouth dropped open when she learned McCown had purchased Kelloggs sprawling ranch house in the Lander foothills in September 2020. Cattle graze on pasture beneath the foothills of the Wind River Range in Lander. The trip, as can be imagined, should land on the satellite only in April 2023, on its visible face, in a crater called Atlas. We won't share it with anyone else. (Jaden Bales via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. McCown wasted no time, the lawsuit claims. Quinten was a graduate from Lander Valley Highschool in 1988, where Read More. He emailed the nonprofit Lander Ambassadors Inc. members that he had a big-time donor who had promised to spend at least $500,000 on the event, and said he was optimistic he could get the donor to stretch that to $1 million., Some of those who attended the meeting were dubious. Lander - On March 4, 2020, Fremont County Circuit Court Judge Robert Denhardt the found Kelly J. Grove of Dubois, Wyoming guilty of two counts of accessory before or after the fact in taking big game without a license (elk and deer), and one count accessory before or after the fact in the take of big game from a vehicle. The work now decorates the Pioneer Plaza in Dallas, Texas. The police also said that was likely while they were on scene, Thompson said. The trooper was injured, and the suspect is deceased.. The newspaper is published twice each week, on Wednesday and Sunday. The WHP had not identified the trooper before Ranger press time Saturday night. The cook then got Thompsons husband to go outside, who knocked on the window then opened the door and checked the men for pulses. Sen. Case pictures McCown sitting in his Wyoming Catholic College office, obsessively updating his online account at Wyoming Community Bank: Clickclickclickclickboom! He had toyed with distilling huckleberry gin in late 2019, but after COVID-19 struck, his business, McCown Enterprises, pivoted to hand sanitizer. There is allegedly two fatalities in a significant crash that occurred near the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center on Wyoming Highway 14-A. In the case of Caseys deer, Bales, a spokesperson for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation that pushed for Wyoming roadkill legislation last year, got to the meat before any scavenging animals could risk getting hit. Casey had never hunted before and had only eaten wild game a couple times but liked the idea of at least making use of the animal that put her car in the body shop. LANDER, Wyo. As of today, the money is in the process of being returned, and we have revised our plans to begin the renovation of the Baldwin buildinga project that had generated great excitement in our community and the city of Lander and was slated to begin as early as next month. (Lander, WY ) Two bodies were discovered in a parked vehicle in the 700 block of East Main Street in Lander early Saturday evening, according to the Lander Police Department (LPD) call log released on February 27. A smaller version is on display in the foundrys gallery that greets visitors at the front door. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. After parting ways with McCown, the college engaged the Lander accounting firm Fagnant, Lewis & Brinda to conduct a review of its finances. Greenwood County wreck claims life of Bradley man, Coroner IDs man killed in Greenwood shooting, District 50 announces administration changes, Greenwood FD responds to weekend fires on Osborne Avenue, Greenwood man faces attempted murder charge. His mental condition seems to be the driving influence in what happened.. The $15 million appears. I think there was a lot of that going on with Paul he came in, hes perceived as a savior, and a lot of people just were looking the other way.. Woman attacked, blinded in Lander hospital. After a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper took a report and promised to shoot the injured deer, Casey was a couple runs into snowboarding when she remembered the app she heard about from Bales, whom she had just recently met. Create a password that only you will remember. It looks like they were traveling through, she said. An increasing number of Lander residents are calling on the college to release more information so that the college and Lander can move forward. Since Wyoming has no corporate income tax, Dorrell said, its system for gathering information about businesses is less coordinated than in other states. Choose wisely! I dont think that we should assume that were out of the woods yet, and that its not possible to move down a path of greater autocracy, she said. In the monument room, where workers assemble larger sculptures, workers prepared a moose statue bound for Minnesota. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. According to documents obtained by WyoFile, the Wyoming Business Council on Feb. 9 demanded that McCown return all of the $841,863 that he had received. We are working in conjunction with DCI, she said, adding that Dr. Randall Frost, the countys forensic pathologist, will be performing the autopsy. We thought we would never have more than just a handful of employees, Paddleford said. Vanderhill said that autocratic states like Russia and the Peoples Republic of China routinely penetrate and manipulate the information environment of other states as part of their efforts to undermine democracy from within.. Wyomings new roadkill feature within the state Department of Transportation app helps people quickly claim accidentally killed deer, elk, moose, wild bison or wild turkey after documenting the animal and reviewing the rules for collecting roadkill to eat. Locations. Some are small, like the golden microphones the foundry casts each year for awards at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Restaurant staffers found two men dead Saturday in a parked car in Lander that had been running all day. In total, 5 stories Soon, it would be ready to cast at Eagle Bronze, the family foundry she co-founded with her husband, Monte. Teams cover 30 to 35 miles per day on out-and-back courses. CASPER, Wyo. Talk soon, Kendall.. Meanwhile, crew members tend to the molten bronze or steel that will create the final version of the pieces. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Information from: Casper (Wyo.) The details of the investigation are still emerging, noted WHP, adding that the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation will be conducting the investigation as the standard operating procedure for all WHP officer-involved shootings. Its like stacking Swiss cheese, Dorrell said of the due diligence process. Every single part is critical to the end product, Paddleford said. The Journal began publishing in 1884. Here's why. According to allegations in a civil lawsuit and sworn testimony from an FBI agent, McCown carried out an escalating series of frauds, starting with applications for huge state and federal grants and loans during the first year of the pandemic, and culminating in an audacious scam this May, in which he persuaded a New York investment firm to advance him $15 million against his fictitious $750 million fortune. Thompson said the car had a Nevada license plate. Sweeney did not return phone calls from WyoFile. Share your stories and photos with us! Most of the remaining $5 million, according to the lawsuit, was distributed to Tonkowich ($750,000); McCowns father, Phillip McCown, Sr. ($375,000); a Michigan company, Trolan LLC, set up on McCowns behalf by businessman Doug Tietz ($550,000); McCowns brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Paul and Clair Alarcon ($750,000); and to the Wyoming Business Council to meet its payback demands ($841,863). Multiple sources said McCown didnt closely scrutinize Clements submissions, even when others in the accounting office suggested that the bills were inflated. The defendant said hed never been convicted of a felony before. We plan to continue to grow in the coming years, so a physical plant that will support such growth is an obvious necessity, said Susanka, the colleges vice president for advancement. According to the complaint, after he heard the voicemail, Hayford called McCown to ask about the investment firm. She had gauze on her right eye, with a nurse keeping pressure on it, and her left eye was misshapen and swollen to the point of bulging out of its socket.. The metal is heated to about 2,100 degrees and poured into the ceramic shells. Its been hard work, but the rewards have been great to see work that weve cast all over the county and across oceans, she said. He served on the town planning commission, became treasurer of the Lander Economic Development Association and told some he planned to run for the seat of longtime Wyoming State Sen. Cale Case (R-Lander). He still goes to church, and the guys at the college dont know whether to say Hi or not, one associate said. The injured trooper was released from the hospital on Saturday and is expected to make a full recovery. WyoFile made several unsuccessful attempts via telephone and email to reach McCown for comment. The deep red backstrap pieces, similar to filet Lander - Wyoming Game and Fish officials at the Lander Regional Office are asking residents to be aware and show patience with wildlife that often show up in developed areas during the winter months. Wyoming Catholic College in Lander fired Paul McCown, its chief financial officer, after he was accused of defrauding an investment firm out of $15 million. A civil court jury awarded the Blackwoods $747,505 in damages, which was confirmed on appeal. Please subscribe to keep reading. He is accused of impersonating Kendall Hayford (his companion in planning the huge Lander party and a real banker at Wyoming Community Bank in Lander), as he strung Kang and others along in pursuit of his real goal a large advance from Ria R Squared. Restaurant staffers found two men dead Saturday in a parked car in Lander that had been running all day. The officer went to the trauma room where the victim was. The colleges expansion ambitions come at a time when broader questions are being asked about its hiring and financial-oversight procedures. When McCown first reached out, he told the firm that the college had a big gift coming into its endowment and would need the services of an asset manager. 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