Transparency Matters-Prometheus Hyperscale Part 2
In Small Town Evanston, it isn’t what you know. It’s who you know.
The people shaping our future are not faceless bureaucrats in Washington. They are our neighbors. Our church leaders. Our classmates’ parents. The same families who have lived here for generations.
Many of these people do good things. They volunteer. They coach. They serve.
This article is not about demonizing neighbors.
It is about something harder to talk about: conflicts of interest, gatekeeping, and concentrated influence. When major land decisions, economic development deals, education pathways, and workforce planning overlap with deeply interwoven family networks, the public deserves clarity.
If residents freely choose a path after hearing all sides, that is consent.
When only benefits are presented, risks are minimized, and dissent is discouraged through authority, messaging, or silence, that becomes forced consent.
What Gatekeeping Looks Like in Practice
Gatekeeping does not require secrecy or illegality. Often it looks like this:
Decisions made upstream before the public hears about them
Letters of Intent signed before open debate
Confidentiality limiting what officials can say
Education and workforce systems aligned to serve one future
Public meetings that ratify outcomes already shaped elsewhere
In Uinta County, the proposed Prometheus Hyperscale data center and Workforce Hub brought these dynamics into sharp focus.
From Hyperscale to Prometheus
Years before the Workforce Hub vote, Uinta County approved conditional use permits for Wyoming Hyperscale White Box LLC, a data-center project.
During those public hearings, Trenton Thornock spoke in favor of the project. Amendments and relocations were later approved, quietly establishing hyperscale infrastructure as acceptable and expected in the county. As a reminder, our country was still dealing with the crazy that the pandemic had thrust upon us during this time in February 2021.
By the time Prometheus Hyperscale arrived, the groundwork had already been laid.
Upstream Decisions: The Blackstone Phase
Before Prometheus Hyperscale appeared by name, Uinta County entered into confidential negotiations with Blackstone, one of the world’s largest private-equity firms. According to Yahoo Finance, the 3 largest stockholders of Blackstone are Vanguard, Blackrock, and JP Morgan Chase.
January 17, 2023: The County Commission approved an exploratory Letter of Intent (LOI) with Blackstone. During the meeting, the County Attorney stated the contents were confidential.
May 16, 2023: Commissioners voted to extend and amend the Blackstone LOI, pushing the deadline to September 30, 2023. The Chairman again stated on the record that the agreement remained confidential.
At no point during these votes was the public told:
what land was under discussion,
what infrastructure would be required, or
how the project might evolve.
Both votes passed unanimously.
This matters because Blackstone did not simply disappear. The confidential phase set the conditions for what followed.
The Prometheus Workforce Hub Decision
In November 2025, the Uinta County Commission voted to ratify a Letter of Intent with Prometheus Hyperscale.
The agreement committed:
up to 300 acres of county land
for a Workforce Hub tied to the data-center project
This decision carries long-term implications:
Land use
Water demand
Electricity rates and grid prioritization
Workforce training direction
Education alignment
Taxpayer-funded infrastructure
Despite the scale of the decision, no commissioner recused themselves.
That matters — because recusal is understood and has been used when deemed necessary.
A Documented Recusal — and the Question It Raises
In late 2023, Commissioner Eric South recused himself from voting on a conditional use permit involving Nathan Lester, citing a family relationship. This was publicly reported and noted during county proceedings.
That action acknowledged an important principle:
Even the appearance of a conflict matters.
What raises public concern is the contrast.
When the commission later voted on the Prometheus Workforce Hub — a project with far broader and longer-lasting consequences — no similar recusals occurred, despite overlapping family, business, and institutional ties connected to land, education, and economic development systems.
This article does not allege wrongdoing.
It asks a reasonable question:
Why was recusal appropriate for a local land-use permit, but not for a project reshaping the county’s future?
Local Networks, Local Power: Why These Connections Matter
One example involves Prometheus Hyperscale founder Trenton Thornock, whose proposed gigawatt-scale data center would fundamentally reshape the Evanston area.
Trenton Thornock’s uncle, Gaylon Thornock, is married to Joann South, who is the aunt of County Commissioner Eric South. Gaylon Thornock and the late Burton South have shared business ties over the years. These relationships are legal, but they become relevant when the county is asked to approve projects involving Thornock-led companies.
Another layer of connection appears through County Commissioner Mark Anderson. Anderson’s uncle, Curtis Rex, is a cousin to Trenton Thornock, through Trenton’s grandmother Kathleen Rose Rex Thornock and her brother Robert Rex. This creates another direct family link between a county decision-maker and a developer tied to a transformative project. Mark’s mother is sisters with Curtis Rex’s wife. Those sisters are of the Welling family.
These are not rumors. They are genealogical relationships.
In a small community, a limited number of families can end up connected — directly or indirectly — to nearly every board, commission, and major decision. That reality alone makes transparency essential.
Consolidation of Oversight: The DeCoria Layer
Another layer of consolidation appears in financial oversight.
DeCoria & Company has been entrusted with auditing multiple critical public institutions in Uinta County, including but not limited to:
Uinta Senior Center
Uinta County government (under a multi-year engagement for fiscal years 2026–2028),
Uinta County School district #1-Decoria has been auditing the school district since 2007 according to my research.
Each engagement may be appropriate on its own. This article does not allege misconduct.
The concern is structural.
When one firm becomes the primary validator of financial health across senior services, county government, and education systems, oversight becomes fragile. A problem identified in one area could implicate others — and that reality can discourage deep scrutiny.
Efficiency can be useful.
But efficiency is not the same as accountability.
Education as a Workforce Pipeline
Education is where economic direction becomes permanent.
Wendy Schuler serves as:
Chair of the Wyoming Senate Education Committee, and
a founding member of Uinta Trade School.
Campaign contributions from the Wyoming Education Association (WEA) further connect education policy, funding, and governance.
At the local level, Stormy Dolezal, Principal of Mountain View High School, is the daughter of Senator Wendy Schuler, linking state-level education policy leadership with local school administration.
Education leaders are increasingly asked to align curriculum with workforce needs tied to advanced energy, data infrastructure, and industrial expansion.
The question for parents and taxpayers is not whether workforce training has value —
but whether alternative futures are being crowded out.
Dan Wheeler and Concentrated Influence
Dan Wheeler holds current roles including but not limited to:
Secretary of Uinta County School District #1 school board of trustees
Area director Wyoming School Boards Association,
Chair Wyoming Community Foundation-Evanston
Chair of the Lodging Tax Board @ Visit Evanston
Chair of Uinta County economic development commission where Gary Welling is the director.
Chair of Uinta B.O.C.E.S. #1 Board of Directors
No single role is improper. But when one individual helps shape education, tourism funding, economic development, and philanthropy at the same time, those roles inevitably influence one another. Now imagine Dan had to sign a Non disclosure agreement with the Economic Development, how would that flow over into the other 5 boards?
Public trust depends on transparency when influence overlaps this deeply.
Authority, Silence, and Compliance
In tight-knit communities, authority extends beyond government.
When respected leaders — civic, educational, or religious — signal that a particular future is inevitable or morally necessary, dissent becomes socially costly.
If benefits are emphasized while risks are minimized or omitted — such as water constraints, nuclear safety, waste storage, rising electricity rates, or land-use impacts — that is not education.
It is marketing on the taxpayer’s dime.
Something to reflect on:
Nothing in this article claims that our neighbors are bad people.
Many have served this community for years. That deserves respect.
But respect does not replace transparency.
What has changed is not the character of our neighbors — it is the scale and origin of the forces entering our county. Global corporations, private-equity firms, energy developers, and data-infrastructure interests are not rooted here.
Yet county records show these outside entities sought land and long-term commitments through agreements described on the record as confidential, before the public understood the full scope.
Transparency is not hostility.
Questions are not obstruction.
And secrecy should never be the cost of belonging.
If Uinta County residents choose this future with eyes wide open, that is democracy.
If they are guided there without hearing the costs, that is something else entirely.
Disclaimer
This article is an opinion and analysis piece based on publicly available records, official meeting minutes, and published reporting. It does not allege illegal activity. Individuals are referenced solely in their public or documented roles. Readers are encouraged to review original sources and form their own conclusions.
Sources & Public Records
Uinta County Commission Records
Uinta County Commissioners. (January 17, 2023). Official Proceedings.
Approval of exploratory Letter of Intent (LOI) with Blackstone; County Attorney noted confidentiality.https://www.uintacountywy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8417/January-17-2023
Uinta County Commissioners. (May 16, 2023). Official Proceedings.
Extension and amendment of Blackstone Letter of Intent; confidentiality reaffirmed on the record.
https://www.uintacountywy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8494/May-16-2023Uinta County Commissioners. (November 4, 2025). Official Proceedings.
Ratification of Letter of Intent with Prometheus Hyperscale, including commitment of up to 300 acres for a Workforce Hub.https://www.uintacountywy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9342/November-4-2025
Uinta County Commissioners. (2021). Conditional Use Permits and Amendments — Wyoming Hyperscale White Box LLC.
Public hearings and approvals; Trenton Thornock spoke in favor.
https://www.uintacountywy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7513/2-16-2021
Recusal & Local Reporting
Uinta County Herald. (2023). County receives $300,000 grant for local roads.
Reporting on Commissioner Eric South’s recusal from a vote involving Nathan Lester due to a family relationship.
https://www.uintacountyherald.com/stories/county-receives-300000-grant-for-local-roads,274
Auditing & Financial Oversight
Uinta County Commissioners. (November 4, 2025). Auditor Letter of Engagement.
Approval of DeCoria & Company as county auditor for fiscal years 2026–2028.
https://www.uintacountywy.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9342/November-4-2025Uinta County Herald. (November 28, 2023). Senior Center audit report.
Coverage of DeCoria & Company’s audit of the Uinta Senior Center’s 2022 financials.
Education, Workforce, and Governance
Wyoming Legislature. Senator Wendy Schuler — Official Profile.
Chair, Wyoming Senate Education Committee.
https://wyoleg.gov/Legislators/2023/S/1994Uinta Trade School. Founding Members.
https://uintatradeschool.org/founding-members/Wyoming Campaign Finance Information System.
Public campaign contribution records, including education-sector contributions.https://www.wycampaignfinance.gov/
Mountain View High School / Uinta County School District.
Additional Context
Wyoming School Boards Association.
https://www.wsba-wy.org/area-directorsWyoming Community Foundation- Evanston
https://wycf.org/evanston-local-board/Uinta County Lodging Tax Board.
https://www.uintacountyherald.com/stories/city-council-hears-report-from-lodging-tax-board,87686
Family Relationships & Context
Public genealogical records, obituaries, and local reporting documenting family relationships among:
Trenton Thornock-
Gaylon Thornock-
Joann South-Burton South sister
Commissioner Eric South
Commissioner Mark Anderson-
Curtis Rex
Kathleen Rose Rex Thornock-
Jared Rex and Colton Welling-Founding members of Uinta Trade School with Senator Wendy Schuler and Jon Conrad
Jenny Welling-Vice chair Uinta County School Board # 1
Gary Welling is Dept. Head of Uinta County Planning and Zoning and Director for Uinta Economic Development
Dave Welling- Evanston city council
(Referenced solely for context and transparency; no allegation of wrongdoing.)Reader Note
All documents cited above are public records, available through official county, state, or institutional websites, or via the Uinta County Clerk. Readers are encouraged to review original source materials and form their own conclusions.