Wyoming News Briefs

Woman pleads guilty to assault in stabbing

GILLETTE (WNE) — The woman accused of stabbing her ex-boyfriend has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and battery, which was reduced from attempted second-degree murder in a plea agreement.

With the plea, the maximum penalty for Karissa Bowling, 26, is ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine compared to a possible five to 25-year sentence and a $50,000 fine for the attempted second-degree murder charge.

A count of aggravated burglary was dropped as part of the agreement.

Prosecutors will recommend a four- to six-year prison sentence, suspended in favor of a 365-day split sentence in county jail. 

Bowling was found outside a home May 10 “covered in blood” after someone reported to police that a crying woman and child were in the area. She claimed her ex-boyfriend had held her hostage and attacked her after he came home from a bar at about 2:15 a.m. She told police that she feared for her life as the physical and verbal argument escalated and she grabbed a pair of scissors.

They struggled and she believed she cut or stabbed him and cut her finger in the process, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Nolan Barkey, the ex-boyfriend, was taken to the emergency room with a cut on the left side of his torso.

Woman sentenced to four days in grizzly photo incident

JACKSON (WNE) — An Illinois woman who got too close to a Yellowstone grizzly family so she could take photos was sentenced to four days in custody and other penalties, including a one-year ban from the national park.

In a press release, Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray said Samantha R. Dehring, 25, pleaded guilty to willfully remaining, approaching and photographing wildlife within 100 yards. The other count, feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentionally disturbing wildlife, was dismissed.

Quarantine claim stops possible drug search

GILLETTE (WNE) — The possible search of the home of a Gillette woman, who was under suspicion of drug activity, was postponed Sunday after she claimed her home was under COVID-19 quarantine.

The incident began Saturday night when officers pulled over a 28-year-old woman driving a white 2011 Ford SUV near Ninth Street and Church Avenue for a license plate light violation.

A 28-year-old woman was driving the SUV, which belonged to a 33-year-old woman. A police dog indicated on the car and 58 grams of suspected Spice were found inside, along with 15 dextroamphetamine pills and a digital scale, said Police Cpl. Dan Stroup.

Those items were seized and the 28-year-old woman was not charged with anything.

The next day, officers went to the apartment of the SUV’s owner in the 800 block of North Gurley Avenue. While talking to her at the door, officers smelled raw marijuana coming from her apartment. She would not give consent to search, but handed over a marijuana grinder with less than 1 gram of weed in it, Stroup said.

When officers applied for a search warrant, she said her kids were inside and positive for COVID-19, putting her apartment in quarantine.

Officers left the area with charges still pending. The investigation is ongoing, Stroup said.

Town council meeting interrupted by water main break

RAWLINS (WNE) — Last week’s Saratoga Town Council meeting was briefly interrupted when a 10-inch iron water main in front of Town Hall ruptured at about 7 p.m. Tuesday.

This break acted like a pressure washer nozzle and liquified the road base around the break creating a 6-foot hole, said Public Works Director Jon Winter. Because of the pressure, it erupted through the 4 inches of asphalt, spreading water and mud across the parking area in front of the building.

Water did not enter Town Hall or any other building. The escaping water flowed to the corner street drains and as far away as the Bridge Avenue drain at the Wolf Hotel.

The water main break on East Spring Avenue resulted in a loss of pressure throughout the town for a couple of hours. After the damaged pipe was isolated, the town water system was repressured.

Properties that get their water from the Spring Avenue water main between South River Avenue and Third Street were cut off from water into the late evening, Winter said.

This line’s replacement is on the list of proposed projects that would be paid for with the Specific Purpose Tax funding. Replacing the water line was not discussed at the just-concluded council meeting.