Wyoming News Briefs

Bus driver arrested for DUI while driving kids

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A bus driver for Laramie County School District 1 was arrested Wednesday evening – with high school kids aboard – for allegedly driving under the influence during a field trip, according to local and state officials. 

The incident took place on a highway in Goshen County as the driver transported East and South high schools’ students on a trip out of state, according to the authorities. After receiving a call that the bus driver wasn’t staying in his lane of travel, a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer pulled over the vehicle after observing such behavior.

The bus driver, 60-year-old David R. Williams, was arrested for misdemeanor DUI-alcohol and for having an open container of booze in a moving vehicle. That is according to state and county officials; a Goshen County Sheriff’s Office employee said that, as of Thursday afternoon, Williams was still in jail.

While the bus was pulled over, on the side of northbound U.S. Highway 85 (at mile marker 71), the vehicle was kept warm and the kids stayed inside, said a Highway Patrol spokesperson. A trooper stayed with the bus before the alternate driver arrived, Sgt. Jeremy Beck said in a telephone interview.

The substitute driver then took over the bus and continued the trip to Spearfish, South Dakota, said a spokesperson for the LCSD1 school district. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle was not able to immediately get a copy of the arrest and/or booking reports.

Community talks future of national rodeo which hinges on indoor arena

GILLETTE (WNE) — The future hosting sites for the National High School Finals Rodeo are up in the air beyond 2029.

The location remains undecided, but one thing has been made clear: The host will need an indoor rodeo arena, something lacking at Cam-plex, where the national association has hosted events two out of every six years since 1993.

The Campbell County Public Land Board met with James Higginbotham, executive director of the rodeo association, and other community officials this week at Cam-plex to talk about the potential of building an indoor rodeo arena and locking down Gillette as a long-term finals rodeo host.

The high school finals are coming to Gillette this summer and again in 2023, while the junior high school finals are scheduled for Cam-plex back-to-back in 2028-29. After that, locations for the finals rodeos in 2030 and beyond have not been chosen.

The new indoor arena would have to fit the rodeo association’s future standards, which includes two climate-controlled indoor venues, one for rough stock and another for timed events.

Land Board Chairman Darin Edmonds said that other existing agreements and contracts, in addition to the potential NHSFR deal, would need to be in place to justify the cost and effort and so as to “not just build it on a hope and a prayer.”

Higginbotham said he has “no idea” how much the indoor arena could cost; it depends on the size and type of the building, and Edmonds said it is too preliminary to have a projected cost in mind.

Bills to stop ‘crossover voting’ offered

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Parkman, introduced two bills Tuesday, both of which are intended to enhance election integrity by limiting party affiliation changes and prohibiting submission of absentee ballots without proper documentation ahead of this year’s primary and general elections. 

Biteman’s first bill, Senate File No. 97, would limit party affiliation changes ahead of the primary election Aug. 16. Biteman introduced a similar bill in 2018 but it died in committee before the 2019 legislative budget session. 

Under current Wyoming law, voters may change their party affiliation at the polls on the day of the primary or general election or when requesting an absentee ballot. If passed, the bill would require voters to declare or change their party affiliation changes by May 12, the day the candidate filing period begins. 

In a press release Wednesday, Biteman said the bill would hinder “crossover voting,” or members of one political party change party affiliation — perhaps on election day — to vote in the competing party’s primary election.

“This practice has been going on for far too long in our state. It is not fair, it is not right, and it is harming the integrity of our party nomination process,” Biteman said. 

The second bill, Senate File No. 96, would prohibit what Biteman called “ballot harvesting,” or individuals and groups gathering or submitting completed absentee ballots from other voters without written and official authorization by the voters.

Senators offer resolution to celebrate Yellowstone anniversary

PINEDALE (WNE) — Both Wyoming U.S. senators introduced a bipartisan resolution to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Yellowstone National Park. 

That resolution would designate March 1 as Yellowstone National Park Day. 

“Yellowstone National Park is enjoyed by people from all across the world. It offers incredible outdoor recreation in Wyoming and iconic natural wonders like Old Faithful,” Sen. John Barrasso said. “Our bipartisan resolution is a tribute to the natural beauty, cultural history and wildlife that has made Yellowstone internationally famous. I am proud to join Sen. Lummis in honoring the world’s first national park on its 150th anniversary.” 

Sen. Cynthia Lummis echoed the significance of the park’s wonders and how it summons pride in her home state. 

“It is exciting to celebrate the 150th anniversary of opening Yellowstone, the first national park,” she said. “Over the past few years, millions of Americans have experienced the beauty of the park, and I hope in the years to come, many more have the opportunity to visit.”