State Briefs

Rawlins boil advisory extended into this week

LARAMIE (WNE) — A city of Rawlins advisory to boil water has been extended and is likely to continue through Wednesday. 

Residents in Rawlins and Sinclair started to conserve and boil their water as the city works to repair its water lines, which failed Thursday to the point of cutting off many customers. 

In what city officials have dubbed an emergency situation, the disruption of service happened as work continues to repair leaks in the water supply pipeline. While workers had reduced water pressure, two additional lines broke, causing the city’s tanks to leak. 

There also was a problem with the pump at the water treatment plant that has since been fixed. 

Levels in the city’s water tanks have slowly been rising, but a multi-day testing process must take place to ensure the cleanliness of the water before the advisory can be lifted. 

Rawlins Mayor Terry Weickum said the city’s system was overdue for repairs. The city requested emergency funding to help defray the costs associated with Thursday’s water disruption, but was denied, Weickum said. Instead, the city is using about $1.5 million from its general fund. 

City officials expected to have the water disruption fixed by Saturday. In the meantime, residents were advised to bring water at a rolling boil for at least 3 minutes before using it for drinking, making ice, washing dishes or brushing their teeth, or use bottled water, according to the city website. 

The water issues have resulted in the closures of Rawlins schools, county offices, restaurants and the Boys & Girls Club of Carbon County. Well water and bottled water was available for pickup at the Carbon County Fairgrounds Multiplex all day Friday until the evening. 

Man gets up to 71 to 85 years in prison for sex crimes

GILLETTE (WNE) — A Gillette man will spend the rest of his life in prison for sexual assault and sexual abuse.

John Mills, 45, was sentenced to 71 to 85 years in prison Tuesday for three counts of first-degree sexual assault, six counts of third-degree sexual abuse of a minor and one count of sexual battery.

Mills, who was found guilty of these crimes in a November jury trial, maintained his innocence when he was sentenced in District Court. He had been accused of sexually abusing two girls in Gillette over several years.

The girls said they were paid by Mills, usually $200, because he knew they were destitute. Their mother joked with them about it and called having sex with Mills “the bank of John Mills,” according to an affidavit. The mother was acquitted of all charges against her during a jury trial.

Mills was sentenced to 35 to 40 years in prison for the first-degree sexual assaults and a consecutive sentence of 36 to 45 years in prison for the third-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Deputy County Attorney Nathan Henkes said the crimes Mills was found guilty of are “as grotesque and offensive” as a crime can be. 

Mills’ attorney, Joanne Zook, said Mills was acquitted of 12 of the 22 charges he originally faced; she suggested he may not be guilty of the remaining charges. 

Mills befriended two girls, sending them messages, asking to see them and occasionally buying them presents, according to court documents.

In the summer of 2014, one girl met with him because some bill needed to be paid and he forced her to have sex while his pickup was going through an automatic car wash.

He also was accused of sexually abusing the girls at his home, sometimes forcing them to use drugs.

‘Diners, Drive-ins and Dives’ to feature Laramie restaurants next 2 weeks

LARAMIE (WNE) — Going on 15 years and more than 400 episodes, the Food Network’s juggernaut “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” continues to hit viewers with just the right blend of creativity, funky flavors and a dash of host Guy Fieri’s trademark cheesiness. 

While the unique Laramie food scene isn’t anything new for locals, the rest of what Fieri likes to call his “Triple-D Nation” will get a taste of the new West next week. 

That’s when Episode 4 of Season 35 premiers at 7 p.m. and includes the Gem City in a show titled “From Appetizers to Dessert.” Foodnetwork.com has posted its upcoming “Triple D” lineup, which features Laramie on Friday and again the next week on March 18. 

While which local eatery will be featured Friday hasn’t been announced, the network says Fieri and his crew will showcase “an old-school café [that] is loadin’ up the bomb green-chili burritos and serving stellar scratch-made pie.” 

The next week, Laramie again will be front-and-center in an episode titled “Getting’ Funky in Flavortown.” 

“In Laramie, Wyo., a righteous restaurant-bar is pilin’ up their nachos and putting a special pop in their burgers,” according to Foodnetwork.com. “Plus, a longtime spot is cookin’ up a vegetarian spin on both meatloaf and a banh mi sandwich.”

Teton County Search and Rescue twice rescues Michigan men illegally snowmobiling in wilderness area

JACKSON (WNE) — On Sunday, Teton County Search and Rescue dispatched its helicopter to rescue two Michigan men who had illegally ridden their snowmobiles into a clearly marked wilderness area and gotten stuck on the backside of Angle Mountain.

Then Search and Rescue crews were called back Wednesday to rescue the same men, who had been permitted by the Bridger-Teton National Forest to snowshoe in and help a helicopter they had privately contracted retrieve their sleds.

Both times, it appears the men, Ryan Gibson, 29, and Keegan Pertu, 30, were in over their heads and physically unable to exit the steep drainage on their own.

Snowmobiles, like all motorized equipment, are illegal in wilderness areas under the 1964 Wilderness Act. Jason Wilmot, a wildlife biologist for Bridger-Teton, said the wilderness boundary is “crystal clear” and has been in place for decades.

“People should know better,” he said. “We are very clear and very consistent in sharing the rules of wilderness travel.”

Still, Wilmot didn’t think the snowmobilers were intentionally breaking the law.

“I think they didn’t understand,” he said of the two Michigan visitors, who were both issued citations.

Wilmot said he worked closely with the two “apologetic” men after their first rescue and gave them permits to snowshoe back into the wilderness area, because their chartered helicopter needed a ground crew to help lift the sleds out of the drainage.

It took Gibson and Pertu two hours to hike downhill to their sleds, which the helicopter successfully rescued. But with evening quickly approaching, there was little hope they would make it back out by dark, so Search and Rescue dispatched the second crew.

WYDOT installs new dynamic messaging signs

SHERIDAN (WNE) — The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently installed two dynamic messaging signs at two mountain route locations.

These electronic signs were installed to inform travelers of conditions or closures on these two mountain passes.

Dynamic message signs are one of many structures the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s traffic programs use to promote road safety and awareness. The goal of the DMS is to provide travelers with information about unique driving conditions, events and alerts — in this case, at mile marker 82.59 on U.S. Highway 14 west of Dayton and mile marker 88.56 on U.S. Highway 16 west of Buffalo.

Contractors have spent the past few months installing these structures, which included bringing a power supply and communications system to the boards. Construction of the DMS boards has been completed and a 30-day testing period will begin March 2.

Travelers’ will see the message “TEST” on these two boards for the next few weeks. This testing period allows WYDOT’s Traffic Management System to validate the system and make sure messages on the boards can be managed remotely.

Once the testing period is over, the DMS boards will be used to inform travelers of road conditions, traffic alerts, closures and other relevant messages.