Wyoming News Briefs

New mental health program off to a fast start

GILLETTE (WNE) — A new program to help Gillette residents with their mental health has gotten off to a fast start.

Earlier this spring, the Northeast Wyoming Community Health Foundation launched Hope Source to help people pay for therapy and counseling costs.

Nachelle McGrath, executive director of the foundation, said she’s received 20 applications, and ten of them have been approved. The other applications were sent back because they needed more information, and they will be re-submitted.

“I didn’t realize we’d have so many so quickly,” McGrath said.

Through Hope Source, mental health providers can apply for financial assistance on behalf of their clients to continue with counseling and therapy. Sometimes insurance won’t cover therapy, or people may no longer be able to afford it because of life events.

Under the program, a person can receive up to $1500 within a one-year period.

The Festival of Trees committee set aside $75,000 from the 2023 event to start Hope Source, but McGrath said the foundation is looking for a more sustainable funding model for the program, especially given the response from the community.

The foundation is participating in WyoGives on July 10, and all of the money donated to the foundation that day will go toward Hope Source. And there will be other fundraisers that follow.

“We only have a certain amount of money that we can spend each month,” McGrath said. “We really have to look at who's the highest level need while trying to fund everybody that we can.”

Lightning fire in Yellowstone first of season

JACKSON (WNE) — A 0.1-acre wildland fire that broke out in Yellowstone National Park, dubbed the "Milepost 17 Fire" and the first of the season, was on track to be contained on Tuesday, the park announced in a Monday press release.

The lightning-ignited fire was detected by a motorist driving on Highway 191, on the west side of the park, after lightning torched a single tree almost a mile west of Highway 191 and 17 miles north of West Yellowstone, Montana.

Yellowstone wildland firefighters were suppressing the fire and expected it to be controlled yesterday, the release said.

Fire danger in the park remains low, the agency said, and currently there are no fire restrictions in place or planned in the park.

Yellowstone National Park reminded visitors, however, that campfires are only permitted within established fire rings in campgrounds and some backcountry campsites. Those fires must always be attended and cold to the touch before abandoning.

"Soak, stir, feel, repeat," the agency wrote.

Up-to-date information on fire activity in the park can be found online. The Milepost 17 Fire was listed as “suppressed”.

Airport dedicates Coe Terminal

CODY (WNE) — Numerous local, state and federal officials, both past and present, along with the community turned out Friday, June 7, to remember the late State Sen. Hank Coe and to dedicate the newly expanded terminal at Yellowstone Regional Airport as the Senator Hank Coe Terminal.

“Every person I asked for help on this project helped, because they knew my dad would have helped them,” said H.R. Coe, the senator’s son.

Coe had a long career in public service, including as a state senator for 32 years, Park County commissioner for eight years and a member of the YRA board for many years. Through his longtime advocacy in the Wyoming Legislature, he had a singular impact on the development of commercial airline service across the state.

Present at the dedication were Gov. Mark Gordon, U.S. Senators Al Simpson (ret.), John Barasso and Cynthia Lummis, former State Sen. Eli Bebout, former State Sen. Tony Ross, Park County Commissioner Lee Livingston, Cody Mayor Matt Hall and Wyoming Airport Coalition Vice Chair Devon Brubaker.

The culmination of the event was the unveiling of the larger-than-life statue of Coe that was fashioned by noted Cody sculptor Gerald Shippen. It survived the Caleco Foundry fire just days before, and H.R. Coe thanked Clay Ward for his help repairing minor damage it incurred.

Gordon remembered Coe as a longtime fireman, noting that his son continues his legacy and actually battled the blaze at the foundry.

“News stories showed an intact bronze statue that rose, like a phoenix, from the ashes,” said Gordon, quoting Shippen about the fire.

The expansion, which added both counter and office spaces, will allow the airport to accommodate more than two airlines, said Heidi Rasmussen, chair of the YRA Joint Powers Board. Additional improvements made during the expansion included new luggage and X-ray equipment and additional seating in the passenger security area.

Arrest turns fatal in Casper

CASPER (WNE) — The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations is investigating an officer-involved shooting at Casper’s Pay it Forward Drive on Thursday evening.

The incident is the second recent fatal shooting involving Casper officers; a suspect was killed in February during a standoff with Casper Police in Sheridan.

The department responded to a call for service regarding a disturbance, according to a press release from Casper Police.

“During the investigation, officers attempted to take an individual into custody. In the course of these efforts, the suspect attempted to gain control of a firearm and was subsequently shot by an officer,” the press release states.

No police officers were injured during this event, and the involved officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, due to department policies, according to the department.

Officers began first aid efforts, and the suspect was transported by ambulance to Banner Wyoming Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.

The Casper Police Department has requested that the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation conduct the investigation into the incident, in an effort to maintain transparency, according to Casper police.

“The investigation into this incident is only in the beginning stages. More information will be released at the appropriate time,” a press release from Casper Police states.

Gillette man dies in motorcycle crash

GILLETTE (WNE) — A 43-year-old Gillette man died Thursday in a two-vehicle crash on Warlow Drive, and police are still investigating what caused the crash.

At about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, a 38-year-old woman was driving a 2017 Ram Promaster van east on Warlow Drive when she slowed down to turn right onto Enterprise Avenue. During this, she felt something impact the rear of the van, said Police Deputy Chief Brent Wasson.

The van was rear-ended by a 43-year-old man, Edward L. Bruns, who was on a 2016 Harley-Davidson.

Campbell County Coroner Paul Wallem said Bruns died at the scene from head trauma suffered during the crash. The driver of the van was not hurt.

Damage to both the motorcycle and the van are more than $1000, and police are investigating, Wasson said.

Department of Education launches information hub for education savings account program

CHEYENNE (WNE) — In anticipation of the Jan. 1 launch of the Wyoming Education Savings Account, the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) has established an information hub for residents to begin planning for the application process. The Wyoming Education Savings Account (ESA) Act was signed into law on March 21.

“We are working hard to stand up this exciting new school choice program for Wyoming families,” State Superintendent Megan Degenfelder said in a news release. “That includes constant collaboration with national experts who have implemented ESA programs across the country, thus ensuring the process results in a user-friendly system that maximizes participation.”

During the 2024 legislative session, $20 million was appropriated from the general fund to establish the ESA program. Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, $6,000 scholarships will be available each year to eligible Wyoming students in pre-K through grade 12. Families with a household income below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines will qualify.

The funds will be deposited into an account, which families can use for approved education expenses, such as private school fees, tutoring, curriculum, home education and more.

WDE is developing a certification process to approve pre-K and non-public primary and secondary schools per the law. A list of certified education service providers will be published on the ESA program website when available.

Gillette man gets 35 years for child porn

GILLETTE (WNE) — A Gillette man has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to making and possessing child pornography.

William Dean Decker, 65, received sentences of 25 years for production of child pornography and 10 years for possession of child pornography, set to run consecutively.

At Decker’s May 31 hearing, U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl recommended Decker serve in a federal prison in Jefferson County, Colorado.

Decker pleaded guilty to each charge in March.

Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agents received several tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Dec. 15 and executed a search warrant for Decker’s home in Gillette on Jan. 9, at which point they seized a desktop computer, cellphones, and USB and SD cards.

A search of his desktop computer found hundreds of images of child pornography made by Decker of a minor, which were taken throughout Decker’s home, according to court documents.

One SD card with “porn” handwritten on it was removed from a Nikon camera which contained 568 files of child pornography, which appeared to have been made within his home. More files were found of the child depicted in other sexually suggestive ways, according to court documents.

There were six tips from Microsoft sent to the national agency which led investigators to a Microsoft account of Decker’s used to search for child pornography.

In three of the tips Decker had uploaded four files of child pornography to Microsoft Skype Photosharing. Investigators identified the child pictured as a minor who Decker knew, according to court documents.

The other three tips also led to four files of child pornography that Decker uploaded.

Investigators identified Decker by tracing his IP address, which tracked to a Spectrum user in Gillette. Decker’s email address matched a user ID reported in one of the tips, according to court documents.