Wyoming News Briefs

Stone tablet found near Rock Springs subject of TV show

EVANSTON (WNE) — A mysterious stone tablet discovered in southwest Wyoming nearly 80 years ago will be featured on a season 4 episode of The Travel Channel’s “America Unearthed” airing on Tuesday, June 25. 

A story appearing in the Uinta County Herald on Nov. 19, 1982, detailed the strange tablet’s mysterious origins. Discovered near Rock Springs in the 1940s by Lorene Bolen, who lived in Evanston in the 1980s, the small sandstone tablet was kept by Bolen as a “conversation piece.” 

Trying to discover both who carved the tablet and what its strange markings said, Bolen sent the tablet to both the University of Wyoming and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

The university returned the tablet and said the writing was possibly Scandinavian runes. The Herald reported Bolen said the Smithsonian doubted the tablet’s authenticity because of how recently the carvings had been made. 

However, Bolen then sent the tablet to the Epigraphic Society, whose members decipher old writing, and from there it was sent to Barry Fell, “a Harvard marine biologist turned amateur archaeologist.” 

Fell reportedly claimed the markings were a Cypriot script using a Hittite-Minoan language and deciphered it as saying, “Keep safe, do not break the stone; Misfortune it turns away, it protects against evil, strikes harm and turns it aside.” 

Two expert archaeologists, however, were less than convinced by Fell’s claims, citing lack of any evidence to substantiate Fell’s theories of transatlantic settlers from Ireland, Spain and North Africa arriving on the eastern shores of the United States as early as 1200 B.C.

Cody man accidentally shot with vintage pistol

CODY (WNE) — The bullet left the vintage pistol went through Cody resident Aryean Vermunt’s shoulder, exited and became lodged in the side of the cabin.

Vermunt was the victim of an accidental shooting Monday at Pahaska Teepee Resort, 2.3 miles outside of the Yellowstone East Entrance. His bleeding was under control by the time medics reached the scene.

Lance Mathess, Park County Sheriff’s Office public affairs officer, said Vermunt was transported by ambulance to West Park Hospital and then transferred across state lines to the Billings Clinic.

Emergency responders first received report of the accidental shooting around 2:10 p.m. Monday, according to the Sheriff’s Office investigation, it was determined Vermunt, 24, had been shot with a vintage World War II Tokarev pistol.

When fellow Pahaska employee Cal Clark, 59, of Thermopolis set his small backpack down on the porch of an employee building, the Russian semi-automatic pistol discharged, entering Vermunt’s right shoulder and then traveling on.

A sheriff’s deputy was immediately dispatched to the scene. No citations were issued from the incident.

Clark had just completed a long bike ride, when he stepped around Vermunt and “let his backpack fall off his shoulders” landing on the porch and causing the Tokarev to fire through the fabric of the side of the camouflaged colored backpack. Statements from witnesses corroborated Clark’s account of events.

Mathess said the Tokarev has a propensity to accidentally discharge, especially when dropped.

Federal charges filed in case of meth found in dishwasher

GILLETTE (WNE) — Local charges have been dismissed against a man who faced drug charges after a pound of meth allegedly was found in his dishwasher in January. He has been indicted federally in the case.

Jeffrey Powell, 55, had pleaded not guilty in District Court to an enhanced charge of possession with intent to deliver meth, one with a longer sentence possible, because it was his second offense. He had been convicted in 1999 of a similar crime in Washington state, according to court documents.

That charge was dismissed earlier this month by District Judge Michael N. “Nick” Deegan because of a federal indictment against Powell.

Officers began investigating Powell’s home on Gold Road home after seeing several vehicles coming and going from the area. A deputy’s suspicions were aroused Jan. 16 while he was conducting a security check of Anytime Storage and he saw four vehicles come and go from the Gold Road home between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m.

As a deputy walked around the home, he heard people talking and smelled marijuana in the garage, according to court documents. No one answered when other deputies knocked on the door, which had a video camera doorbell.

After getting a search warrant, they found a blue measuring cup containing meth and a bag with 29 grams of meth on the top shelf of Powell’s closet. In the kitchen, they found another blue measuring cup containing meth, two digital scales, three fake $100 bills, a vacuum sealer and the 1.05 pounds of meth in a vacuum-sealed bag in the dishwasher, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Legislators want to expand highway between Wright, Gillette

GILLETTE (WNE) — Two Gillette legislators are looking for support for their proposal to expand Highway 59 from two lanes to five lanes from Gillette to Wright.

In a workshop Tuesday with Campbell County Commissioners and the state Department of Transportation, state Sen. Michael Von Flatern, R-Gillette, and state Rep. Scott Clem, R-Gillette, presented their plan to get funding for the project, which when completed could increase public safety and help local economic development.

Highway 59 turns from five lanes into two lanes about 10 miles south of Gillette. The project would take care of the remaining 26 miles of two-lane road to Wright.

It won’t be cheap. Construction wouldn’t begin until at least 2025, and the projected cost is $109 million in today’s dollars, or $138 million in 2025 dollars.

The breakdown in funding would include $30 million from the state, $40 million in local money and $60 million in federal funds.

Clem and Von Flatern asked the commissioners if they would support putting a special purpose tax on the ballot in 2020 to help pay for it.

Clem said letters of support from the county, city and town of Wright would go a long way to “bolster our efforts in the Legislature.”

If the federal money doesn’t come through, the backup plan would be the state’s legislative stabilization reserve account, or its rainy day fund.

Paul Hladky, vice president of Cyclone Drilling, said there have been 14 fatalities and 213 injuries on Highway 59 between January 2014 and March 2019, and employees have a greater chance of getting injured on their commute than they do during their shift.

College board approves Sheridan College expansion

SHERIDAN (WNE) — New agreements will allow the Sheridan College campus to significantly expand and bring potential for growth to the college and community.

On Wednesday, the Northern Wyoming Community College District Board of Trustees approved three agreements related to land and property that will increase the college campus by almost one-third and lead to opportunities in construction technology and related fields.

Two days after the Sheridan Economic and Educational Development Authority Joint Powers Board approved several agreements and exchanges, the NWCCD Board finalized the issues directly affecting the college.

The NWCCD board accepted from SEEDA five acres of mostly vacant land on Solutions Way, just east of the Sheridan College campus across Interstate 90. It also approved a separate agreement that includes Seven Pillars, LLC — which owns EMIT Technologies — granting 26 acres of additional land on Solutions Way to the NWCCD for economic development and educational purposes. Those 26 acres sit next to the five acres and include a 25,000-square-foot building that will house the Sheridan College construction technology program.

Upon approving the land grants, the board accepted a grant of the current construction technology building on North Brooks Street from Whitney Benefits. Immediately after, the board granted the property to The Hub on Smith to use as part of its homecare programs.

As part of the agreement, the college will report to the SEEDA board on a regular basis and provide updates on what is happening with the Solutions Way property for the next 10 years. The property must be used for economic and educational development of the Sheridan community.

Rock Springs natives win Miss Wyoming titles

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Two Rock Springs natives will advance to the national competition after winning the Miss Wyoming and Miss Wyoming Outstanding Teen scholarship competition Saturday at the WYO Performing Arts and Education Center in Sheridan.

Jordan Hardman, a senior at the University of Wyoming studying family and consumer science, was crowned 2019 Miss Wyoming and Hannah Moore, a senior at Black Butte High School in Rock Springs, was named 2019 Miss Wyoming Outstanding Teen.

An aspect of competing in Miss Wyoming is developing a social impact, or a plan to create positive change in candidates’ communities.

Contestants write essays about a social issue they want to address to present to the judges along with a headshot and resume. During the competition, contestants present their social impact in 10 seconds during the evening gown portion of the event.

Hardman’s social impact is ‘Bridging History: Vets who lived it, Children who need it.’ Her goal is to visit communities in Wyoming to help build connections between veterans and children. Through this interaction, both groups gain a new perspective on life and the children can learn more about history. She also wants this program to help with the emotional and mental health of both groups.

The empowerment received by participating in Miss Wyoming is something Moore has experienced firsthand, seeing her confidence improve throughout the process.

“I hope to inspire a bunch of young women to be themselves,” Moore said.

Her social impact is ‘I am enough.’ Moore wants to help people realize their self-value. ‘I am enough’ helps people stop trying to change themselves to fit others views and instead encouraging them to just be themselves.

Jackson man arrested in $50,000 burglary

JACKSON (WNE) — Police arrested a man they believe stole $50,000 worth of items from his landlord’s house while the homeowner was out of town.

Michael Lynch, 36, is in the Teton County Jail charged with aggravated burglary and theft after deputies said he was caught selling stolen coins in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Lynch had been renting from the victim for about a year.

When the victim, who owns a home south of town, returned to his house after a long trip he found most of his belongings missing.

Teton County Sheriff’s Sgt. Clay Platt said evidence is still being processed, but police believe Lynch stole high-dollar silver and gold coins, pills, computer hard drives, computer software, family memorabilia from West Point Military Academy, jewelry (including the victim’s deceased wife’s wedding ring), artwork, musical instruments, Navajo rugs, radio equipment and three guns — a rifle and two pistols.

“The victim is still finding things he’s missing,” Platt said. “As far as the exact financial value, we are still adding things up.”

When deputies searched Lynch’s apartment they recovered some of the stolen belongings, including two of the three guns, but Lynch had already sold some of the items for cash, they said.

“He’s been evicted and trespassed from the property,” Platt said.

Platt said the victim, a longtime Teton County resident, is more upset about the sentimental value of the items.

“The hard drives have photos of he and his wife’s last few years together,” Platt said.