Cowboy State Daily Radio News: Friday, September 4, 2026

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming for Friday, September 4th.  I'm Mac Watson.

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We start off with an update. Five days after Timothy Smith vanished in a deadly Grand Canyon flash flood, there still is no sign of the Wyoming hiker. Cowboy State Daily's Kolby Fedore reports that the National Park Service (who is leading the search) is still calling it a search-and-rescue, not recovery, mission.

"The search for Star Valley resident Timothy Smith has been ongoing for almost a week as of Friday morning. National Park Service investigators are still calling this a rescue mission, not a recovery mission, which is important to his family as they wait patiently to learn more about what happened to their father. In their latest update, Timothy Smith's family said that their hearts are breaking, and they remain anxious as they wait for more information, but the search and rescue teams are actively looking, and they are so grateful that they are."

Smith was hiking Saturday with longtime friends 46-year-old John Giusti, and 42-year-old Brent Rosenkranz, 42, both of Granbury, Texas, when a violent flash flood swept through Bright Angel Canyon.

Searchers have since recovered the bodies of both men.

Read the full story HERE.

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The Arapahoe-area pastor who made headlines for a controversial sermon describing Northern Arapaho Tribal sundance rituals as idolatry, and urging fidelity to Jesus, has filed petitions for protection against two women who have led protests against her. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Foundations For Nations Pastor Sarah Lucas tells Cowboy State Daily harassing and threatening behavior from protest leaders Alice Thomas and Darci Quiver has been pronounced and ongoing.

"Sarah Lucas has filed petitions for protection orders against Darcy Quiver and Alice Thomas, two of the primary protest leaders for the past two months since the controversial sermon, and the the petitions say that they are engaging threatening behavior.  The petition pertaining to Quiver says that she is documenting and posting the family's activities online. The one pertaining to Thomas notes that Thomas did publicly post a photograph of Lucas's house and her home address, and when I interviewed Sarah Lucas, she said, 'Oh no, there's a packet. There's more documentation of this kind of behavior.' She said that she wants to air it in court rather than in the media before the court hearing. She has said that they are refusing to leave and her attorneys have sent at least one tribal government a letter saying they're defending religious liberty."

Lucas preached on July 5 against a portion of the Sundance, which she characterized as praying to pipes. She urged tribal members to "tear down the idols" and trust in Jesus.

Read the full story HERE.