State Briefs

Bus driver arrested for DUI while driving kids

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A bus driver for Laramie County School District 1 was arrested Wednesday evening – with high school kids aboard – for allegedly driving under the influence during a field trip, according to local and state officials. 

The incident took place on a highway in Goshen County as the driver transported East and South high schools’ students on a trip out of state, according to the authorities. After receiving a call that the bus driver wasn’t staying in his lane of travel, a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer pulled over the vehicle after observing such behavior.

The bus driver, 60-year-old David R. Williams, was arrested for misdemeanor DUI-alcohol and for having an open container of booze in a moving vehicle. That is according to state and county officials; a Goshen County Sheriff’s Office employee said that, as of Thursday afternoon, Williams was still in jail.

While the bus was pulled over, on the side of northbound U.S. Highway 85 (at mile marker 71), the vehicle was kept warm and the kids stayed inside, said a Highway Patrol spokesperson. A trooper stayed with the bus before the alternate driver arrived, Sgt. Jeremy Beck said in a telephone interview.

The substitute driver then took over the bus and continued the trip to Spearfish, South Dakota, said a spokesperson for the LCSD1 school district. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle was not able to immediately get a copy of the arrest and/or booking reports.

Bills to stop ‘crossover voting’ offered

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Parkman, introduced two bills Tuesday, both of which are intended to enhance election integrity by limiting party affiliation changes and prohibiting submission of absentee ballots without proper documentation ahead of this year’s primary and general elections. 

Biteman’s first bill, Senate File No. 97, would limit party affiliation changes ahead of the primary election Aug. 16. Biteman introduced a similar bill in 2018 but it died in committee before the 2019 legislative budget session. 

Under current Wyoming law, voters may change their party affiliation at the polls on the day of the primary or general election or when requesting an absentee ballot. If passed, the bill would require voters to declare or change their party affiliation changes by May 12, the day the candidate filing period begins. 

In a press release Wednesday, Biteman said the bill would hinder “crossover voting,” or members of one political party change party affiliation — perhaps on election day — to vote in the competing party’s primary election.

“This practice has been going on for far too long in our state. It is not fair, it is not right, and it is harming the integrity of our party nomination process,” Biteman said. 

The second bill, Senate File No. 96, would prohibit what Biteman called “ballot harvesting,” or individuals and groups gathering or submitting completed absentee ballots from other voters without written and official authorization by the voters.

Senators offer resolution to celebrate Yellowstone anniversary

PINEDALE (WNE) — Both Wyoming U.S. senators introduced a bipartisan resolution to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yellowstone National Park. 

That resolution would designate March 1 as Yellowstone National Park Day. 

“Yellowstone National Park is enjoyed by people from all across the world. It offers incredible outdoor recreation in Wyoming and iconic natural wonders like Old Faithful,” Sen. John Barrasso said. “Our bipartisan resolution is a tribute to the natural beauty, cultural history and wildlife that has made Yellowstone internationally famous. I am proud to join Sen. Lummis in honoring the world’s first national park on its 150th anniversary.” 

Sen. Cynthia Lummis echoed the significance of the park’s wonders and how it summons pride in her home state. 

“It is exciting to celebrate the 150th anniversary of opening Yellowstone, the first national park,” she said. “Over the past few years, millions of Americans have experienced the beauty of the park, and I hope in the years to come, many more have the opportunity to visit.”

Man pleads no contest to punching his mother, threatening brother with knife

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A man accused of punching his mother and threatening his brother with a knife pleaded no contest to two charges Monday in Laramie County District Court. 

Guillermo Diaz-Quintor Jr. had been charged with felony possession of a weapon with intent and misdemeanor domestic battery, first offense, as part of a plea agreement. Laramie County District Judge Steven Sharpe did not enter the plea, however, as Diaz-Quintor could receive a first-offender deferral at sentencing. Sharpe set his sentencing for May 23. 

The state and DiazQuintor agreed to sixth months of probation for the domestic battery charge, with a suspended sentence of 180 days of incarceration. 

Ross McKelvey, DiazQuintor’s appointed attorney, said his client was pleading no contest rather than guilty because of his mental state at the time of the offense, the amount of time that had elapsed since the incident and because he has since been in a car crash. 

McKelvey also said during the court hearing that Diaz-Quintor had been declared not competent at one point and had spent some time in the State Hospital. However, McKelvey said, he believed his client to now be competent and said he understood what was going on. 

According to court documents, early in the morning on Sept. 23, 2020, a woman told a deputy that her son, Diaz-Quintor, had punched her in the face and threatened her older son – DiazQuintor’s brother – with a knife. 

Diaz-Quintor eventually put the knife down when he was about two feet away from his brother.  He was found hiding in a bedroom closet when deputies arrived. 

Community talks future of national rodeo which hinges on indoor arena

GILLETTE (WNE) — The future hosting sites for the National High School Finals Rodeo are up in the air beyond 2029.

The location remains undecided, but one thing has been made clear: The host will need an indoor rodeo arena, something lacking at Cam-plex, where the national association has hosted events two out of every six years since 1993.

The Campbell County Public Land Board met with James Higginbotham, executive director of the rodeo association, and other community officials this week at Cam-plex to talk about the potential of building an indoor rodeo arena and locking down Gillette as a long-term finals rodeo host.

The high school finals are coming to Gillette this summer and again in 2023, while the junior high school finals are scheduled for Cam-plex back-to-back in 2028-29. After that, locations for the finals rodeos in 2030 and beyond have not been chosen.

The new indoor arena would have to fit the rodeo association’s future standards, which includes two climate-controlled indoor venues, one for rough stock and another for timed events.

Land Board Chairman Darin Edmonds said that other existing agreements and contracts, in addition to the potential NHSFR deal, would need to be in place to justify the cost and effort and so as to “not just build it on a hope and a prayer.”

Higginbotham said he has “no idea” how much the indoor arena could cost; it depends on the size and type of the building, and Edmonds said it is too preliminary to have a projected cost in mind.

Recovery of Hanna burn area on track

RAWLINS (WNE) — Some resource managers say they’re cautiously optimistic about the area’s recovery after the Hanna wildfire while others are carefully monitoring the area. 

Since the wildfire, landowners and government agencies have been busy evaluating impacts and treating the habitat. 

In September 2020, the Hanna Fire burned 14,201 acres of rangeland west of Hanna. As it burned dangerously close, the fire forced an evacuation of the town. Gas lines were drained to lessen the danger of explosions. Residents were put up in hotels in nearby communities by the Red Cross. 

The fire lines held and a wet snowstorm put an effective damper on the inferno, allowing residents to return to their homes. 

The rangeland west of Hanna was scorched, and winds created dirt and ash storms. 

Land owners, the Bureau of Land Management, Game and Fish and the Conservation District were anxious about damage to the various resources. Last spring, green grasses and small forbs emerged. 

Early hot, dry weather put growth on hold. But late-season moisture continued the recovery. 

Frank Bloomquist of the BLM said that last fall, 1,500 sagebrush seedlings were planted on one BLM section. Another 1,500 sagebrush seedlings will be planted this year. He said the grass on the burn is coming back. While there are some weeds, he said no cheat grass has been found. 

The burn area remains a concern for the South Central Sage Grouse Group and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The fire was entirely within the Hanna sage grouse core area. Two sage grouse leks are within the fire perimeter. One was active and the other is of unknown status.