Wyoming News Briefs

Wyoming decides to leave National School Board Association

POWELL (WNE) — The Wyoming School Board Association, which includes Park County School District 1, is no longer a member of the National School Board Association (NSBA).

Kim Dillivan, PCSD1 board chairman, said he does not anticipate a change to the school board’s professional development as a result of Wyoming’s exit.

Individual school boards can still be a member of the NSBA, but Dillivan does not see a difference between membership to the NSBA or the Consortium of State School Board Associations (COSSBA) in terms of professional development opportunities offered to school boards.

To his knowledge PCSD1 does not intend to individually join the NSBA.

Roughly half of the U.S. school board associations have opted to leave the NSBA in the months and years following a 2021 letter sent by the NSBA to President Joe Biden in response to school board enforcement of COVID-19 policies.

It requested law enforcement aid due to “threats of violence and acts of intimidation.”

The letter compared some parents to domestic terrorists.

The NSBA has since issued an apology and leadership has changed, but many state school board associations have opted to move to COSSBA.

In July 2022, the WSBA decided to retain membership to the NSBA at least for one year while also joining COSSBA, Dillivan said. This July the WSBA board of directors looked at its membership again and requested input from the state’s individual school boards before voting on whether or not to leave the NSBA in July; 12 directors voted to leave, five directors voted to stay and two were absent.

For more information about COSSBA, visit cossba.org.

Sheridan High School band to perform at Holiday Bowl in San Diego

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Members of the Sheridan High School marching band will head to San Diego, California this December to perform at the Holiday Bowl, a postseason NCAA Division I college football game.

Sheridan High School band director Chad Rose said around half of the band’s 140 members will travel to the game, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Dec. 27 at Petco Park. The game will be televised nationally on FOX.

SHS students will perform as part of a mass band made up of other musicians from around the country during the halftime show.

Rose said he’s traveled with different bands to perform at the Holiday Bowl in the past and was able to work with bowl game entertainment organizers to add the SHS band to the halftime lineup for this year. Band members will perform custom-written music, which Rose said will likely be a mashup of crowd-pleasing pop tunes.

Rose also said he believes the experience of traveling and performing in front of a packed stadium will provide a “core memory” for students.

“We just want to provide the chance for these kids to get to collaborate musically with some students from pretty different parts of the country in a very different environment than what we’re used to in December,” Rose said. “Getting to play for a bowl game is a whole different experience. When you’re there in front of 40,000 people it’s a little different than Homer Scott Field … so that’s an experience those kids will remember.”

Aside from the performance, Rose said he hopes to spend a few days giving band members the opportunity to sightsee and take in the culture of southern California.

Torrington 4-H livestock judging team wins state, will go to national competition

TORRINGTON (WNE) — Hard work has paid off for a Torrington 4-H livestock judging team that took top honors at the state contest in Douglas and is now preparing for the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky.

In livestock judging, 4-H members learn to judge cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

“We judge four animals in a class, evaluate which one is the best animal and which is the worst animal,” said one member, senior Connor Booth. “Then we back it up in a set of oral reasons of why [we placed each one the way we did].”

“Goshen County has been in the top five at many national contests many times,” Coach Tessa Shaw said. “We’re in the upper echelon of the teams that are qualifying and attending these events. That’s pretty remarkable.”

This team will travel to the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, Kentucky, and be gone from Nov. 9 to 14.

Livestock Judging Coach Bradie Mackey explained that this trip is a little more than just a trip to nationals; it will also include tours of other agricultural areas in this region. Before attending the contest, the kids will get the opportunity to learn about how ag differs in other states.

“What’s really unique from the standpoint of what we do here at 4-H is it’s not just the exposure to life goals and practical hands-on experience,” Mackey said. “It’s also an educational opportunity. The last three teams that we’ve had here in Goshen County that went to Louisville, each kid went to college on some sort of a livestock judging scholarship.”

Woman sentenced for aggravated assault, battery

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Mele Rigdon, 31, was sentenced in 4th Judicial District Court Wednesday for one count of aggravated assault and battery. Rigdon pleaded guilty to the charge June 28 after reaching a plea agreement with the state.

During an altercation on Sept. 28, 2022, Rigdon assaulted a victim with an exercise weight, causing the victim to sustain broken bones.

Sheridan Police Department Officer Bradley Wood, the first officer to arrive at the scene, testified as a witness for the state.

He said he observed an abrasion on Rigdon’s neck, which she claimed was a result of the victim grabbing her by the throat. Wood said he has had run-ins with the victim before, confirming the victim has been cited over the past year for driving under the influence and stalking and has been trespassed from the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

Defense attorney Anna Malmberg said Rigdon’s presentence investigation revealed no criminal history of violence and argued that Rigdon be a candidate for probation to allow her to work, see her children and seek community support.

In her statement to the court, Rigdon apologized to the victim for her actions. She said she plans to take the necessary steps to move forward and to become a better person and parent.

Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Benjamin Kirven said he found Rigdon’s statement to the court to be genuine and appreciates her focus on bettering herself, but due to the severity of the violence in this case, he believed Rigdon was not a fit candidate for probation.

She was sentenced to 13 to 15 months incarceration with 339 days of credit for time served.

Sheridan County sees spike in rabies cases in humans, wildlife

SHERIDAN (WNE) — The month of August brought a spike in rabies cases this year. As of two weeks ago, six skunks and five bats have tested positive within the county, according to Sheridan County Emergency Management Coordinator Jesse Ludikhuize, adding Sheridan County is significantly higher in rabies cases than any other county in Wyoming.

Director of Marketing and Communications at Sheridan Memorial Hospital Kristen Czaban reported four patients received rabies prophylaxis in June, four in July and 13 in August.

Rabies prophylaxis, or the rabies vaccine regimen, can be administered pre-exposure or post-exposure, although the high costs associated with the treatment means prevention is the best option for most, said Debra Haar, nurse manager at Sheridan County Public Health.

Given the costs associated with rabies treatment and the severity of the illness itself, Haar said the best course of action to protect oneself against rabies is prevention. Taking the proactive step to receive the pre-exposure prophylaxis regimen before potentially coming into contact with rabid animals like bats, skunks or any other wild mammal is the safest — and cheapest — option when dealing with rabies.

“Prevent your exposure to the animals as much as possible, be careful around them. Not overtly trying to play with wildlife would be great,” Haar said. “If you know you’re going to be exposed to [wildlife] and you haven’t been vaccinated, it is recommended to get the two-dose pre-exposure vaccine and then you know you’re covered.”

“Rabies can be found in any mammal. It’s transmitted from mammal to mammal,” Haar continued. “If you’re going to be around potentially rabid animals, consider getting the rabies vaccine and just being really careful around animals that you just don’t know [or are] behaving inappropriately.”

Jackson climber dies after Gannett Peak fall

JACKSON (WNE) — A 24-year-old climber and former Jackson resident died Sunday after falling on Gannett Peak in the Wind River Range.

Rescuers recovered Jason Graves’ body at 9 a.m. Monday on a glacier several hundred feet below the 13,810-foot mountain, which is the highest peak in Wyoming.

“A specialized crew from Grand Teton National Park, the Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers, flew into the area and were able to recover his body from the glacier at about 12,800 feet elevation without further incident,” said a press release from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.

Graves had recently moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, to be with his girlfriend after leaving a job at the Teton Science Schools. His family has started a GoFundMe with proceeds to be used to establish a scholarship at Teton Science Schools and to help his girlfriend in her next steps in life. The fund had surpassed $19,000 as of press time Friday.

An obituary for Graves said that he fell while descending from the summit.

“Jason was a cautious, experienced and accomplished mountain climber, having summited 30+ 14K foot mountains in Colorado, all of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, and Mt. Hood in Oregon,” his obituary stated.

Laramie County Sheriff’s Office seeks more info to investigate man found dead

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The Laramie County Sheriff ’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding a man who was found beaten at Curt Gowdy State Park in late August.

Tips from the public, along with surveillance footage showing the man’s last known contacts, have advanced the investigation, LCSO said in a news release.

50-year-old Stacey “Jason” Mullen, a man deputies said was a known unhoused person staying in the Cheyenne area, was found beaten at Curt Gowdy State Park on Aug. 20. Mullen was taken for medical treatment and succumbed to his injuries Sunday.

In a photo posted on the agency’s Facebook page Thursday evening, sources were able to identify the identity of one man, pictured with Mullen on the day prior.

LCSO has not released the name of the suspect and are soliciting more information on anyone seen with Mullen on Aug. 19. The agency is also asking for any surveillance footage depicting the man.

“New developments in the investigation include the recovery of pictures of the victim...taken on the day he was brutally attacked,” LCSO’s Facebook post read. “These images, with Mr. Mullen featured on the right side in both, showcase him wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of a black jacket, black pants and black shoes.”

“The timeline for potential witnesses and sources of evidence spans from [Aug. 19] at [4:03 p.m.] to [Aug. 20] at [7:56 a.m.].”

LCSO is still offering a potential reward, up to $1000, for assistance. People with information or pertinent footage can contact Detective Benjamin Delcamp at 307-633-7434 or Detective Sgt. Ryan Martinez at 307-633-4763.

Sheridan County GOP to pursue legal action against county commissioners

SHERIDAN (WNE) — The Sheridan County Republican Party discussed potential future actions against the Sheridan County Board of County Commissioners at a Patriot Chat Thursday in Big Horn.

Those in attendance expressed displeasure with the commission’s failure to appoint a new commissioner to its vacant seat. Bryan Helferich, one of three finalists for the seat, described the interviews commissioners conducted with candidates as “disingenuous.”

Others were critical of the process as a whole.

“What they’ve done is completely beyond the pale,” Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Ranchester, said.

Sheridan County Republican Party officials, and many in attendance, said the four sitting commissioners broke the law by not appointing a new commissioner.

Sheridan County Republican Party Chair Bryan Miller said the party approached Caleb Wilkins, a Cheyenne-based attorney, to explore every possible avenue for action to take against the four sitting commissioners. Potential actions, Miller added, could include an injunction to prevent a judge from filling the vacant seat. He also said the intent of party officials remains to remove the sitting commissioners from office.

“Fire them all,” Dennis Fox said.

Miller did not rule out censuring the four sitting commissioners, though he said any motion of the sort must come from the Sheridan County Republican Party Central Committee.

Gail Symons, a Republican precinct committeeperson, filed a petition Wednesday to request a 4th Judicial District Court judge fill the vacant seat; the responsibility of filling the seat was assigned to Judge Darci Phillips.

Miller said the party has not received a timeline for when any statements from the public will be processed by SCSO staff, but he hopes it happens quickly because there isn’t much time to rectify the alleged violations by Sheridan County Commissioners.

The appointment of a new Sheridan County Commissioner currently awaits a decision by Phillips, which must occur within 20 days from Wednesday. Phillips will appoint a registered Republican from Sheridan County.

Two men arrested for drug-endangered child

GILLETTE (WNE) — Two adult roommates were arrested for drug-endangered child Thursday morning.

Officers went to a 38-year-old man’s home on Sierra Circle because he had a warrant out of Weston County, said Police Deputy Chief Brent Wasson.

Police told the man he was going to be arrested on the warrant. Before he went with them, he wanted to get his phone and wallet. Officers followed him into the home, where they could see a glass pipe in plain view. The man was trying to cover it up, Wasson said.

He also had a baggie with suspected meth on him. After getting a search warrant, officers searched the home and found paraphernalia with meth residue and baggies with meth residue in the 38-year-old’s room, as well as in the room of a 52-year-old man.

The older man’s 15-year-old daughter had been staying at the home, so the 38-year-old, Sheldon Flanderka, and 52-year-old, Anthony Orcutt, were arrested for drug-endangered child, a felony, as well as possession and use of a controlled substance.

Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office announces increased enforcement for out-of-state tags

ROCK SPRINGS (WNE) — Sweetwater County Sheriff ’s Office announced last week that it will be increasing enforcement efforts of the registration of out-of-state license plates for non-residents working in the state.

By state law, any non-resident who is employed in Wyoming, either temporarily or full-time, and who owns or operates a non-commercial (personal) vehicle while in Wyoming must immediately upon employment purchase a temporary registration or obtain a valid Wyoming registration.

The only exceptions to the law include full-reciprocity agreements with Idaho, New Mexico, Illinois, and Nebraska, in which case non-residents who work in Wyoming who occupy permanent residence in these states may run with their regular registration, and daily commuter reciprocity with Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Utah, in which case non-residents who work in Wyoming and who commute to work daily in Wyoming may also run with their regular registration.

In all cases, anyone who is employed in Wyoming for longer than 120 days must obtain a regular, valid Wyoming registration.

Temporary 30-, 60- and 90-day registration permits may be obtained in any 12-month period, with the temporary permit beginning on the date the owner or operator entered Wyoming or the date of purchase of the vehicle. The fee for a temporary registration is $50 per month and cannot exceed 120 days per vehicle.

Applications for temporary or standard vehicle registration can be made in person at the county treasurer’s office at the courthouse in Green River, located at 80 West Flaming Gorge Way. If you have questions, please contact the treasurer’s office by phone at (307) 872-3720.

In Wyoming, failing to properly register your vehicle is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $750.

Concern rises in Teton County as cats go missing

JACKSON (WNE) — A flier posted by the Teton County Animal Shelter warns that more than ten cats went missing between July 6 and Aug. 1.

Lisa Ruschill, community service officer for the Jackson and Teton County Animal Shelter, said that it’s “odd” this many cats have gone missing. She advised community members to keep their cats on lockdown.

Colton Yohe, 21, has lived in Evans his whole life. Silver, a 14-year-old gray Tabby cat, has been by his side ever since he was 7. Silver went missing Aug. 7 after he was let outside in the morning, as was the family’s routine. Typically, Silver returned after three days, but he has yet to be found.

Sienna Archambeau is like a “second mom” to Yohe. She said she let Silver out that morning. At first, she wondered whether cats were ingesting poison intended to eradicate mice.

“If cats were being poisoned, we’d find dead cats,” Archambeau said. “You’d expect to find some signs.”

Ruschill said that one person who reported her cat missing did end up finding “partial remains” on her property.

“And it looked like he had been partially consumed by something,” Ruschill said. “I would hate to think of a human doing this. It’s probably...a fox or there’s several bald eagles in that area. I think there are some golden eagles along there. Probably some owls.”

Ruschill strongly recommended that people get their pets outfitted with microchips because that’s one of the easiest ways to reconnect owners and pets.

She also reminded the community that annual licenses are required for cats and dogs that live in Teton County. Looking up the license information for a pet also aids in efforts to reunite pets and their owners.