NEWS BRIEFS for Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022
From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers
Gas prices drop by nearly 5 cents a gallon in past week
CHEYENNE (WNE) - Average gasoline prices in Wyoming have fallen 4.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.51 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy.com's survey of 494 stations in Wyoming.
Prices in Wyoming are 24 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, and stand 11.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.
The national average price of diesel has declined 6.7 cents in the last week and stands at $5.28 per gallon.
According to GasBuddy price reports, the lowest price in the state Sunday was $2.84 per gallon, while the highest was $4.23, a difference of $1.39 per gallon.
The national average price of gasoline has fallen 11.9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.64 per gallon Monday.
The national average is down 16.4 cents per gallon from a month ago, and stands 24.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data.
The data is compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 U.S. gas stations.
This story was published on Nov. 23, 2022.
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WYO Winter Rodeo moving to fairgrounds for 2023
SHERIDAN (WNE) - The WYO Winter Rodeo will move to the Sheridan County Fairgrounds for the 2023 event set for Feb. 18.
Sheridan County Travel and Tourism Executive Director Shawn Parker said the event has proven extremely popular, bringing more than 10,000 people to the downtown area for the competition that has taken place on Broadway Street in years past.
Parker said those 10,000 people moved freely throughout downtown and patronized the breweries, restaurants, shops and other businesses throughout the day. Even when the actual skijoring competition was canceled due to not enough snow or warm weather, thousands of visitors came to Sheridan to partake in the surrounding events, he added.
Now, the WYO Winter Rodeo crew will see if the event has the same community impact when based at the fairgrounds.
Beyond the weather challenges organizers face in planning a snow-based event, Parker said the fairgrounds seats around 4,500 people and past years have shown higher demand than that for attendees. While demand to attend the event may be high, Parker said it will remain free for the public to attend.
Parker said organizers essentially break even on the event each year, and seek only to provide a fun winter activity that draws tourism to the area and therefore boosts businesses in an otherwise slower time of year.
This story was published on Nov. 22, 2022.
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Sign theft increases in southeast Wyoming
LARAMIE (WNE) – The Wyoming Department of Transportation has noticed an increase in sign theft over the last year.
More signs have been reported stolen each year, with common targets including the 'Welcome to Wyoming' or 'Entering Wyoming' signs.
Other signs such as stop signs, traffic signs and road signs have continued to be stolen, as well.
Stolen signs can lead to crashes and can pose dangerous conditions to travelers.
"Stolen stop signs cause a great risk to the traveling public. Travelers unfamiliar with an area can blow through an intersection and involve themselves and others in a crash they normally would have stopped or yielded to," said Clyde Harnden, District 1 Traffic Supervisor, in a news release.
The large "Welcome to Wyoming" signs cost upwards of $2,000-$3,000 to manufacture and replace, while the smaller "Welcome to Wyoming" signs range from $1,500-$2,000.
Theft in the state of Wyoming, including sign theft, is broken into two theft levels – felony and misdemeanor.
If the value of the stolen property or services is $1,000 or more, the person commits a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A person commits misdemeanor theft by stealing property or services valued at less than $1,000. The maximum penalty for misdemeanor theft is six months' imprisonment and a $750 fine.
Defacing signs with stickers or markings also damages state property and can carry a fine if caught.
The cost to replace signs and posts, as well as clean defaced and damaged signs, comes out of the state highway maintenance budget, which is also used to clear snow, repair potholes and maintain the highways.
This story was published on Nov. 23, 2022.
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NEWS BRIEFS for Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022
From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers
Powell man attacks cousin with meat shredder
CODY (WNE) - A Powell man was charged with aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon on Nov. 11 after he allegedly attacked his cousin with a meat shredder, causing multiple face and head lacerations.
In addition to the felony charge, Elias H. Antelope, 32, was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.
On Nov. 11, a little after midnight, Antelope's father requested a welfare check on his son who, according to the affidavit, already had a warrant out for his arrest from Park County.
Officers from the Powell Police Department located Antelope at his mother's house.
Antelope's cousin answered the door, covered in scratches on his face, the affidavit said.
The police arrested Antelope because of the warrant.
"While cuffing Antelope I observed that he had copious amounts of dried blood all over the black long sleeve shirt he was wearing, " Sgt. Phillip Alquist of the PPD wrote in the affidavit. While searching Antelope, officers found a barbecue meat shredder and a marijuana pipe, the affidavit said.
"There was an excessive amount of dried blood on the shredder," Alquist wrote in the affidavit.
Antelope told the police he had gotten into a fight with his cousin, stating it was a disagreement and that it was "nothing really. We were just drunk," the affidavit said.
When officers showed Antelope's cousin the meat shredder, he said, "that's what he hit me with," but added that he didn't want to press charges.
Alquist observed cuts in the cousin's scalp and staples in some areas to close up the lacerations, the affidavit said. The cousin said he went to the hospital roughly 30 minutes after the altercation because "he thought he was going to bleed out."
As of Nov. 21, Antelope had not posted the $10,000 cash bond and remained an inmate in the Park County Detention Center.
This story was published on Nov. 21, 2022.
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Yellowstone's chief wolf scientist retiring this week
JACKSON (WNE) - Doug Smith, the human face of Yellowstone National Park's wolf research and management program, is retiring.
Smith's name is inseparably tied to the recent history of wolves in Yellowstone, a frequently lauded and often criticized saga that began with the reintroduction of wolves in 1995. Smith started his career in Yellowstone in 1994 and became the director of the Yellowstone Wolf Project soon after wolves were reintroduced.
Starting in 2008, he also oversaw the park's bird and elk program.
In Smith's tenure, the wolf population stabilized in the last decade at between 80 and 125 wolves in seven to 10 packs.
Smith and his team captured and collared over 600 wolves, hiked and skied more than 20,000 miles, tracked down wolf packs over 52,000 times and recorded more than 35,000 hours of wolf behavior. He's balanced work in education with hard science, trying to understand how wolves work in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Smith has also spent years teasing out the relationship between wolves and elk, one of the more contentious issues in Yellowstone area wildlife management.
"The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone was one of the most extraordinary American wildlife conservation efforts of the 20th century," Superintendent Cam Sholly said in the release. "Doug's leadership and expertise in the decades following the reintroduction have helped ensure this keystone species continues to thrive across the Yellowstone landscape."
This story was published on Nov. 20, 2022.
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Cody man pleads not guilty of indecent exposure
CODY (WNE) – The Cody man who was charged with five counts of public indecency pleaded not guilty to all five counts during his arraignment in Park County Circuit Court on Nov. 4.
Andrew C. Crawford, 34, will now face a jury trial, which is currently scheduled for March 30 of next year.
Crawford was arrested Nov. 3 after allegedly exposing his genitalia to four different female baristas working at two different drive-thru coffee kiosks in Cody between Sept. 14 and Nov. 1.
Crawford was given a $50,000 cash only bond with one of his bond conditions being to not have any contact with any witnesses or anyone listed in the affidavit.
Crawford also faces a subsequent preliminary hearing on a sex-offender-related charge.
Park County Deputy Sheriff Al Cooper wrote in his report that Crawford is a registered sex offender in Park County due to a 2012 conviction of accessing child pornography. As such, he is required by law to report any changes, such as current address or change in vehicle registration, to the sheriff's office within three days of that change.
Cooper said Crawford had registered vehicles in his name in Park County but had not reported that information to the sheriff's office.
Crawford allegedly failed to register a blue 2003 Chevrolet Impala and a gray 2001 GMC pickup, both of which were reported as being used by Crawford when exposing himself in drive-thrus at the coffee kiosks.
He is being charged with one count of failure by a sex offender to report the license plate number and description of the vehicle he owned.
This story was published on Nov. 21, 2022.
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Two people arrested after high-speed chase Sunday morning
GILLETTE (WNE) - Two people were arrested after leading deputies on a high-speed chase that started south of Gillette and ended within city limits Sunday morning.
A deputy was patrolling Highway 50 near Clarkelen Road at about 7 a.m. Sunday when he stopped a 2021 Ford Escape because the plates did not match the registration. The driver, a 29-year-old man, and the passenger, a 44-year-old woman, were asked to exit the car.
Instead of getting out of the car, they headed north on Highway 50, reaching speeds of 120 miles an hour, said Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds.
During the pursuit, the 29-year-old drove into oncoming traffic several times, and at one point almost crashed head-on into another vehicle on Highway 50 near Moon Dancer Street, Reynolds said.
As they were pursuing, deputies could see bags of suspected drugs being thrown out of the driver's side and passenger side windows. Reynolds declined to comment on which drugs or quantities were found, citing an ongoing investigation by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
The pursuit continued in town, including on Garner Lake Road, Shoshone Avenue, 4J Road and Burma Avenue. The 29-year-old was driving between 60 and 80 mph in town, Reynolds said.
He finally stopped on Pathfinder Circle and fled on foot toward Cherry Lane. He was caught and arrested for eluding, interference, reckless driving, no registration, speeding and littering. His passenger was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver.
Additional charges are pending, Reynolds said.
This story was published on Nov. 21, 2022.
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NEWS BRIEFS for Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022
From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers
Powell man attacks cousin with meat shredder
CODY (WNE) - A Powell man was charged with aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon on Nov. 11 after he allegedly attacked his cousin with a meat shredder, causing multiple face and head lacerations.
In addition to the felony charge, Elias H. Antelope, 32, was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.
On Nov. 11, a little after midnight, Antelope's father requested a welfare check on his son who, according to the affidavit, already had a warrant out for his arrest from Park County.
Officers from the Powell Police Department located Antelope at his mother's house.
Antelope's cousin answered the door, covered in scratches on his face, the affidavit said.
The police arrested Antelope because of the warrant.
"While cuffing Antelope I observed that he had copious amounts of dried blood all over the black long sleeve shirt he was wearing, " Sgt. Phillip Alquist of the PPD wrote in the affidavit. While searching Antelope, officers found a barbecue meat shredder and a marijuana pipe, the affidavit said.
"There was an excessive amount of dried blood on the shredder," Alquist wrote in the affidavit.
Antelope told the police he had gotten into a fight with his cousin, stating it was a disagreement and that it was "nothing really. We were just drunk," the affidavit said.
When officers showed Antelope's cousin the meat shredder, he said, "that's what he hit me with," but added that he didn't want to press charges.
Alquist observed cuts in the cousin's scalp and staples in some areas to close up the lacerations, the affidavit said. The cousin said he went to the hospital roughly 30 minutes after the altercation because "he thought he was going to bleed out."
As of Nov. 21, Antelope had not posted the $10,000 cash bond and remained an inmate in the Park County Detention Center.
This story was published on Nov. 21, 2022.
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Yellowstone's chief wolf scientist retiring this week
JACKSON (WNE) - Doug Smith, the human face of Yellowstone National Park's wolf research and management program, is retiring.
Smith's name is inseparably tied to the recent history of wolves in Yellowstone, a frequently lauded and often criticized saga that began with the reintroduction of wolves in 1995. Smith started his career in Yellowstone in 1994 and became the director of the Yellowstone Wolf Project soon after wolves were reintroduced.
Starting in 2008, he also oversaw the park's bird and elk program.
In Smith's tenure, the wolf population stabilized in the last decade at between 80 and 125 wolves in seven to 10 packs.
Smith and his team captured and collared over 600 wolves, hiked and skied more than 20,000 miles, tracked down wolf packs over 52,000 times and recorded more than 35,000 hours of wolf behavior. He's balanced work in education with hard science, trying to understand how wolves work in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Smith has also spent years teasing out the relationship between wolves and elk, one of the more contentious issues in Yellowstone area wildlife management.
"The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone was one of the most extraordinary American wildlife conservation efforts of the 20th century," Superintendent Cam Sholly said in the release. "Doug's leadership and expertise in the decades following the reintroduction have helped ensure this keystone species continues to thrive across the Yellowstone landscape."
This story was published on Nov. 20, 2022.
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Cody man pleads not guilty of indecent exposure
CODY (WNE) – The Cody man who was charged with five counts of public indecency pleaded not guilty to all five counts during his arraignment in Park County Circuit Court on Nov. 4.
Andrew C. Crawford, 34, will now face a jury trial, which is currently scheduled for March 30 of next year.
Crawford was arrested Nov. 3 after allegedly exposing his genitalia to four different female baristas working at two different drive-thru coffee kiosks in Cody between Sept. 14 and Nov. 1.
Crawford was given a $50,000 cash only bond with one of his bond conditions being to not have any contact with any witnesses or anyone listed in the affidavit.
Crawford also faces a subsequent preliminary hearing on a sex-offender-related charge.
Park County Deputy Sheriff Al Cooper wrote in his report that Crawford is a registered sex offender in Park County due to a 2012 conviction of accessing child pornography. As such, he is required by law to report any changes, such as current address or change in vehicle registration, to the sheriff's office within three days of that change.
Cooper said Crawford had registered vehicles in his name in Park County but had not reported that information to the sheriff's office.
Crawford allegedly failed to register a blue 2003 Chevrolet Impala and a gray 2001 GMC pickup, both of which were reported as being used by Crawford when exposing himself in drive-thrus at the coffee kiosks.
He is being charged with one count of failure by a sex offender to report the license plate number and description of the vehicle he owned.
This story was published on Nov. 21, 2022.
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Two people arrested after high-speed chase Sunday morning
GILLETTE (WNE) - Two people were arrested after leading deputies on a high-speed chase that started south of Gillette and ended within city limits Sunday morning.
A deputy was patrolling Highway 50 near Clarkelen Road at about 7 a.m. Sunday when he stopped a 2021 Ford Escape because the plates did not match the registration. The driver, a 29-year-old man, and the passenger, a 44-year-old woman, were asked to exit the car.
Instead of getting out of the car, they headed north on Highway 50, reaching speeds of 120 miles an hour, said Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds.
During the pursuit, the 29-year-old drove into oncoming traffic several times, and at one point almost crashed head-on into another vehicle on Highway 50 near Moon Dancer Street, Reynolds said.
As they were pursuing, deputies could see bags of suspected drugs being thrown out of the driver's side and passenger side windows. Reynolds declined to comment on which drugs or quantities were found, citing an ongoing investigation by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
The pursuit continued in town, including on Garner Lake Road, Shoshone Avenue, 4J Road and Burma Avenue. The 29-year-old was driving between 60 and 80 mph in town, Reynolds said.
He finally stopped on Pathfinder Circle and fled on foot toward Cherry Lane. He was caught and arrested for eluding, interference, reckless driving, no registration, speeding and littering. His passenger was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver.
Additional charges are pending, Reynolds said.
This story was published on Nov. 21, 2022.
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