Wyoming News Briefs

Multiple hunters ticketed for trespassing over the weekend

GILLETTE (WNE) — Sheriff’s deputies ticketed trespassers throughout the county last weekend who said they were unaware they were on private land.

At about 9 a.m. Friday, deputies ticketed a 23-year-old man and 24-year-old man off of Mackey Road for trespassing. The two admitted to trespassing in order to hunt, and Wyoming Game and Fish wardens took over a poaching investigation after deputies left, Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds said.

Saturday, at about 6 p.m., a 37-year-old land owner reported that two men were trespassing on private property along Heald Road and shot a deer from his property that was on public land that borders his land.

The 62-year-old man from Rhode Island and 55-year-old man from New Hampshire said they unintentionally crossed into private land while they were hunting. The two were ticketed for trespassing, Reynolds said.

About noon Sunday, deputies ticketed four men, 45, 46, 51 and 55, for criminal trespass after a 34-year-old man reported a dark Chevrolet with Washington plates traveling on Todd Road, a private road.

The private road had many signs saying no trespassing but when deputies talked with the men they said they did not know the road was private.

After deputies pointed out the signs, the men said that they now saw them. The men had shot two antelope bucks that were checked by Wyoming Game and Fish.

Park County Search and Rescue helps stranded climber

POWELL (WNE) — Park County Search and Rescue helped a stranded climber get down from a spot 300 feet off the ground near Buffalo Bill Reservoir at a popular climbing area.

On Monday, Sept. 26, at 8:46 p.m. the Park County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division received a call for assistance in rescuing a stranded climber.

In the climbing area on U.S. Highway 14-16-20W, just outside of the first tunnel near mile marker forty-five, and across the river, is an area called “I’ll tell you what’s cool,” which is a multi-pitch rock climbing route.

According to a Sheriff’s Office release, a 19-year-old male climber’s rope had become stuck approximately three hundred feet from the ground, at the sixth of eight pitches.

A “pitch” in climbing terminology is the measure of the climb that is protected by one rope length.

Park County Search and Rescue was paged, along with Cody Regional Health EMS, and several field teams were deployed.

Additionally, a local climber who is very familiar with the area was requested to help PCSAR find the top of the route, which is difficult to locate in the daytime — and it was already dark. The male victim was wearing a headlamp, which helped rescuers locate him.

A PCSAR member contacted the man at 11:40 p.m., and he was able to assist in his own rescue. At 12:30 a.m. both the climber and the PCSAR member made it back to the top of the route and all began walking out. The entire incident wrapped up at about 2 a.m.

Teton, Lincoln County schools to receive earthquake preparedness kits

JACKSON (WNE) —Teton County School District No. 1 will receive 90 earthquake preparedness kits at three different schools next week courtesy of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security. 

Lincoln County School District No. 2 will also receive 120 kits at five of its schools.

State Hazard Mitigation Officer Shamika McDonald said school leadership may distribute the kits as they see fit within the community. She and Seth Wittke with the Wyoming State Geological Survey will travel to the Lincoln County Schools this week to give a ten-minute presentation to staff and students about earthquakes and safety precautions. A video of the presentation will be given to TCSD #1.

The kits contain food, water, a crank radio and first aid supplies that can sustain a family of four for up to three days in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake. Three days is the suggested timeline for planning, although officials recommend that families be two-weeks ready. Educational and awareness materials are also included in the kit.

The Teton region is an area marked by the Teton Fault and the Yellowstone Caldera, which shifts and moves sometimes without the general public knowing. Wyoming geologists have identified this area as high risk for earthquakes. 

In fact, in the last seven days, the U.S. Geological Survey has recorded seven earthquakes in the Yellowstone region and one in Alta, all registering less than a 2 on the Richter scale.

“Earthquakes occur in Wyoming every day, making being prepared imperative,” WSGS Director and Wyoming State Geologist Dr. Erin Campbell said in a news release. “Providing these preparedness kits to classrooms in Lincoln and Teton counties will benefit communities in areas of our state that are at higher risk for earthquakes.”

Pedestrian struck by vehicle on Dell Range Boulevard

CHEYENNE (WNE) — At around noon on Tuesday, Cheyenne Police officers were dispatched to a report of a vehicle striking a pedestrian at the intersection of Dell Range Boulevard and Frontier Mall Drive. 

The preliminary investigation shows the driver of a Ford F250 was traveling southbound on Frontier Mall Drive and stopped for a red light at Dell Range Boulevard. 

When the light turned green, the Ford made a left turn into the far right lane of Dell Range Boulevard and struck an adult female pedestrian who was walking southbound in the crosswalk, according to a CPD news release. 

The pedestrian suffered injuries and was transported by ambulance to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. 

The driver, an unidentified 65-year-old man, was not injured and remained on scene to assist officers. There were no signs of driver impairment or excessive speed, according to the release. 

The driver was issued citations for improper use of lane, failure to grant right of way to a pedestrian and registration violation.

 “On busy roadways, it is easy to focus attention only on traffic, but we urge citizens to take in the bigger picture – keeping in mind that pedestrians are sharing that space too,” Police Chief Mark Francisco said in the release.

Library board looks at adding child policy

GILLETTE (WNE) — The Campbell County Public Library Board could be adding to the library’s current policy to include a section that specifically references children.

“One of my concerns is the library policies as they stand now put a lot of responsibility on parents,” said library board chair Sage Bear at a meeting Monday.

The library needs to let parents know what its policies are, Bear said.

She went over a policy she found on the website for a library in Texas, which defines a child as someone 12 and under. Kids 13 to 17 are young adults.

According to this policy, “children under 13 must have a parent, caregiver or guardian in the immediate vicinity of and in visual contact with the child,” Bear said.

Charlie Anderson asked how this changes the library’s current policy. Bear said it defines the age groups, and she’d like to add signage that tell parents that they’re responsible for the books their children read and not all books are appropriate for all children.

Library director Terri Lesley said she hadn’t gotten a chance to review the policy before the Monday board meeting. No decision was made on the policy Monday.

She said she appreciates the work the library staff have done, but that she does not believe the library should be “enticing minors to be sexually active” and “leaving sexually explicit material in the children and teen areas.”

Bear added that parents can’t always monitor what books their kids are reading.