State Briefs

Deputy shot, suspect killed after robbery at LCCC

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A sheriff’s deputy is in the hospital and a suspect has been killed following a call to the authorities about an alleged robbery of a student at Laramie County Community College, local officials said Saturday night. 

Earlier in the day, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office was investigating an alleged robbery and assault of a person at LCCC, according to LCSO Capt. Don Hollingshead. 

Then, at about 2:25 p.m., deputies “contacted a suspect in the area of Cahill Park” regarding the alleged crime, said a news release from the sheriff’s office. 

A very brief and low-speed vehicle chase ensued, and after the suspect pulled over, there was an apparent exchange of gunfire, Hollingshead said in a phone interview. 

The shooting took place in approximately the 3500 block of Miles Court, Hollingshead said. The area remained a crime scene into the evening, though public safety was no longer a concern. 

The deputy who was shot was in the ICU at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center and was in stable condition, the sheriff’s office said. 

“The injury is very lucky in that how it hit him, it did not hit any major organs,” the sheriff’s captain said. “He is going to be fine.” 

The Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the deputy-involved shooting. Such shootings are rare in Cheyenne. The last time a deputy was shot locally was in 2011, Hollingshead said. Likewise, he said, “it has been years” since a suspect was shot by a deputy.

The Sheridan Inn for sale, many features to be preserved by historic preservation easement

SHERIDAN (WNE) – The Historic Sheridan Inn is for sale once again, but local history experts say many of the Sheridan institution’s historical features will remain regardless of changes in ownership, sustained by a historic preservation easement. 

Since first opening its doors in 1893, The Sheridan Inn has played host to William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and local legends, such as the namesakes of Alger Street, Whitney Commons and Grinnell Plaza. 

It was once said to be the finest hotel between Chicago and San Francisco, boasting the first bathtubs and electric lights in northern Wyoming. 

In recent years, however, the inn’s future has been uncertain at times; it has changed ownership three times in the past decade. 

The asking price is $4.25 million, which includes ownership of the inn’s associated nonprofit and all furnishings. 

Many of the inn’s signature architectural features will remain unchanged by any new owners due to a historic preservation easement, said Sheridan Community Land Trust Historical Program Manager Carrie Edinger. 

The Sheridan Inn’s easement was first imposed in 2008 — making it the first historic preservation easement in Wyoming — to help ensure the architectural integrity of the building by prohibiting certain additions and renovations, Edinger said. The easement currently protects the inn’s Buffalo Bill Bar, check-in desk and mailboxes, stone fireplaces and exposed wooden beams as well as all 69 of the inn’s iconic dormers — the windows that project from the building’s sloping roof. 

When the property sells, Edinger explained, the preservation easement will be included in the property’s deed. 

Gillette News Record sold to Wyoming publisher

GILLETTE (WNE) — The Gillette News Record has been sold to independent publisher J. Louie Mullen of Buffalo.

Mullen bought the newspaper from the Kennedy family, which has been involved in the News Record since 1970.

Mullen, owner of Blackbird LLC, has newspapers in eight states, but his roots remain in Wyoming. He lives in Buffalo with his wife, Dr. Lisa Mullen, and their two daughters. Both of Mullen’s parents are involved in newspapers, and his two brothers also own newspaper companies.

Mullen’s newspaper interests include publications in Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Idaho, Washington, Michigan and Oregon.

“I’m honored the Kennedy family has given me this opportunity to continue their legacy. Small town newspapers are the lifeblood of a community, and I look forward to being a small part of Campbell County’s history in this paper of record,” Mullen said. “The Kennedy family is the reason I’m in this business, and I just want to say thank you.”

“We have always believed that a newspaper is at the heart of a community, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Wyoming,” said Ann Kennedy Turner, who has been with the News Record since 1989. “That’s why we’re pleased that another Wyoming publisher will be at the helm of the News Record.”

The Kennedy family partnered with Jack and Chris Nisselius in the News Record in 1970 and bought the newspaper from the Nisseliuses in 1991. 

“It has been my privilege to live here in this great community,” Turner said. “The fun part has been the journalism, the ability to find and write stories — important, fun, sad or interesting — that link people together. It couldn’t have been done without a great staff and the support of the community and businesses within the community.”

The News Record has been a part of the community since 1904. It is the longest operating local business in Gillette.

The sale was effective Friday.

Man dies after high-speed chase

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A 66-year-old man died Thursday afternoon following a high-speed pursuit that crossed from Wyoming into northern Colorado, the Colorado State Patrol said. 

At about 2:45 p.m. Thursday, the Colorado State Patrol began pursuing the vehicle, which was traveling south on U.S. Highway 85. 

Scanner traffic indicated speeds reached 118 mph during the chase, which extended for many miles. 

Master Trooper Gary Cutler of CSP said the man had been wanted for a parole violation out of Minnesota, and had previously been in jail for murder. His name has not been released. 

According to a CSP news release about the incident, a Colorado state trooper and Ault, Colorado, police officer deployed “stop sticks,” a tire deflation tool. The suspect continued to drive south, but then swerved into a CSP vehicle, causing the CSP vehicle to roll. 

The pursuit came to an end in Weld County when the suspect’s vehicle left the road and went into a drainage ditch, the release said. The suspect died from injuries caused by the crash, and it’s believed he was not wearing a seatbelt. 

A Colorado state trooper sustained minor injuries in the crash. He was taken to an area hospital as a precaution, but Cutler said Friday afternoon that the trooper had been released. 

Highway 85 was closed for about three hours following the pursuit, Cutler said. 

The Wyoming Highway Patrol began the pursuit, but it was unclear Friday where in Wyoming the chase started and why it was initiated in the first place.

Skier rescued off Mount Owen

JACKSON (WNE) — A backcountry skier who spent the night on the East Prong of Mount Owen was rescued by helicopter Friday morning in a short-haul operation by Grand Teton National Park rangers and Teton County Search and Rescue.

The 27-year-old solo skier climbed the East Prong on Thursday, aiming to do a Cathedral Traverse in reverse from the top of the Koven Couloir toward Teewinot Mountain, a park press release said. 

The skier, a local man, realized that due to the technical nature of the climb he couldn’t get back down to the top of Koven Couloir. He didn’t have a rope.

The man encountered whiteout conditions at the top of the East Prong. He told a Jenny Lake climbing ranger he would spend the night in a snow cave and make his way out in the morning.

The mountain received a foot of snow overnight. 

At 7 a.m. Friday the man called rangers to say he couldn’t safely proceed. Rangers and Search and Rescue short-hauled him out of the backcountry to the Jenny Lake Rescue Cache. He was uninjured and able to self-transport.