Wyoming News Briefs

Cody resident detains burglary suspect

CODY (WNE) — Jumping over neighborhood fences as he chased the auto burglary suspect, Cody resident Colton Johannsen, 20, was not willing to let the man go despite the late-night hour and winter’s chill.

Despite not being armed, Johannsen still took the law into his own hands in order to stop an attempted auto burglar from getting away on Feb. 1, and was successful, tackling and apprehending suspect Bryan Nihei, 31, of Powell.

“I felt like I had to catch him no matter what, even if he was armed,” Johannsen told the Enterprise.

Around 9:28 p.m. he had allegedly spotted Nihei rummaging through friend Brinson Cozzens’ truck.

Cozzens said the two had been moving items into a home at the time, which was why his truck was unlocked.

“He saw the guy [Nihei] and asked him, ‘What are you doing?’” Cozzens told the Enterprise. “The dude just ran.”

Johannsen gave chase and was able to bring Nihei to the ground a short distance later, holding him face down on the ground by the time Cody Police arrived on the scene.

Nihei had an initial hearing in Park County Circuit Court on Wednesday. He said he is homeless and had been unemployed since last June, working odd jobs and performing chores to stay afloat. Nihei is still in custody with a $20,000 cash-only bond.

He also has a charge in Big Horn County for felony theft. Big Horn County Sheriff Bill Brenner said Nihei had pawned a large quantity of items at a pawn shop in Billings recently including binoculars, musical instruments, jewelry and range finders.

Nihei is facing a felony charge for burglary to commit theft, a charge carrying up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

Residents of Colorado’s Weld County want to join Wyoming

POWELL (WNE) — If a northern Colorado county wants to leave the state and join Wyoming, Gov. Mark Gordon said he’d welcome the hundreds of thousands of new residents. 

A group of residents in Weld County, Colorado, has launched an effort to put an initiative on the county’s 2021 ballot that could start the process of having the county annexed into Wyoming; the idea has been batted around by conservative leaders in the county for years, but it picked up steam last year when some Weld County officials became frustrated with the State of Colorado’s COVID-19-related restrictions. 

“Colorado is moving faster and faster to becoming a little sister of California,” leaders of the Weld County, WY group wrote following November’s election. 

The idea remains a long shot; shifting the boundaries of the two states would require approval from both the Wyoming and Colorado legislatures, among other hurdles.

When Denver-based KOA News Radio hosted Gordon on Tuesday to talk about the economic impacts of the Biden administration’s new restrictions on oil and gas development, the hosts threw in a final question about Weld County’s potential move to Wyoming. 

“We would love that,” Gordon responded. “From time to time, states have said, ‘Gosh, we love what Wyoming is doing,’ and so, we’d be happy.” 

However, after the Casper Star-Tribune reported Gordon’s embrace of Weld County’s secession movement, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis fired back. 

“Hands off Weld County, Gov. Mark Gordon,” Polis responded on Facebook; he called the county a “thriving” part of Colorado. “Weld County residents are proud to be part of our great state,” Polis wrote.

Casper College to cut 15 positions

CASPER (WNE) — Casper College will eliminate 15 positions, eight of which will result in layoffs, as deeper budget cuts are expected in the coming year, a spokesperson for the school confirmed Friday afternoon. 

“With 80% of Casper College’s budget tied to employment costs, significant reductions to the operating budget cannot be made without impacting employees,” Chris Lorenzen, the college’s spokesman, wrote in an email. 

Seven of the 15 positions to be eliminated are either vacant or will be cut through attrition after expected retirements. Of the eight people being laid off at the college, five are staff and three are faculty members. 

“In response to the recent decrease in state aid and going forward into next year, Casper College has made changes across both administrative and academic areas based on demand for sustainable programs and services,” Lorenzen wrote. “Recent changes include budgetary reductions, reorganization of key areas, and consolidation of positions to meet the anticipated budgetary shortfall.” 

Casper College began cutting 10% of its budget this summer at the request of Gov. Mark Gordon, in an effort to decrease a massive budget shortfall in the state’s general fund. 

As part of those cuts, Casper College at the time offered buyouts to many long-time employees.

The 10% cut resulted in a $2.4 million loss to the college.

Lorenzen said the college had previously eliminated 32 positions “through attrition, retirement and restructuring leading up to 2020.” 

Jackson police check buses for mask use

JACKSON (WNE) — START is working with law enforcement to do random checks on buses to make sure passengers are wearing masks.

Cops will give verbal warnings and assist bus drivers in removing riders who do not comply with what is now a federal mandate to wear face coverings on all transit buses, START Director Darren Brugmann said at Friday afternoon’s town and county COVID-19 briefing.

“We consider this trespassing if you do not wear the face mask on our bus, and will be asked to leave our buses,” Brugmann said.

From a health perspective, mask wearing is especially important on commuter routes because trips are longer, he said.

Acknowledging that some people choose not to wear masks, Brugmann said, “If you do so, do not ride START.”

Jackson Chief of Police Michelle Weber said police also made spot checks at 26 businesses over the past week to ensure people were complying with mask orders. Officers reported 98% compliance. Of the 2% not masked, the individuals were eating or drinking and had a mask with them, Weber said. No citations were given.

Bill proposes new community college district

GILLETTE (WNE) — A bill for the creation of the Gillette College Community College District was introduced Wednesday in the state Legislature.

The bill calls for the creation of the new district to be brought to the citizens of Campbell County in a special election to decide whether to secede Gillette College from the Northern Wyoming Community College District and form an independent district of its own.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wasserburger, R-Gillette, with Sen. Ogden Driskill, R-Devils Tower, Rep. Eric Barlow, R-Gillette and Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper as co-sponsors.

Passing through the state Legislature is the final leg of the process before a special vote could be held in Campbell County to definitively decide on the new district.

Wasserburger said there are plans to introduce another bill that will clarify state statute on a college district’s taxation ability. 

Current statute calls for a community college district to tax four mills, but questions regarding the language in that legislation arose during the district’s application process.

“We do not have a decision on that as far as I am aware,” Wasserburger said Thursday morning. “The problem with four mills is that would generate more money than our actual budget and quite frankly we don’t need that many mills.”

Each of the seven existing community college districts tax at least four mills. Because of Campbell County’s relatively high assessed valuation, the money raised from its four mills is significantly higher than other counties in the state.

Serial abuser sentenced to prison

RIVERTON (WNE) — A Riverton man who injured his wife repeatedly until last year has been sentenced in between seven and 10 years in prison. 

Daniel Raymundo Trujillo, 58, bears a record of violent behavior, with six domestic violence convictions and other convictions for violent crime. 

Fremont County District Court Judge Jason Conder gave Trujillo his newest sentence during an in-person hearing in the Lander court. Several spectators attended online as well. 

Defense attorney Collin Hopkins had argued for long-term institutional treatment for substance abuse as a substitute for prison. Fremont County Attorney deputy Seth Griswold argued, conversely, for a nine-to-10-year prison term. 

“I stand here today and can say without hyperbole that Mr. Trujillo is the worst domestic abuser I’ve seen in my four years as a prosecutor,” Griswold said. “Throughout the defendant’s life… he’s broken two men’s jaws. Both were charged as aggravated assault. One was convicted for battery, one for aggravated assault.” 

Griswold noted that Trujillo has “five felony convictions, all violence, mostly on women,” but engages in “victim blaming.” 

“He refused to take responsibility and tried to appear as the victim. 

“The defendant had the audacity to say the victim planned this all along to get control of his money; that she planned him attacking her, breaking her phone on her face, that she planned his attack, which injured her knee; planned the one-and-a-half years of abuse.” 

Griswold addressed the multi-faceted goals judges consider when sentencing defendants, and said that for Trujillo, the goal of rehabilitation was futile.