Wyoming News Briefs

Powell woman dies in apparent suicide at jail

POWELL (WNE) — An inmate at the Park County Detention Center died Saturday night in what authorities described as an apparent suicide. The Powell woman, who’d been booked into the jail early Friday morning, was 35 years old at the time of her death.

In a Monday afternoon news release, the Park County Sheriff’s Office withheld the woman’s name, saying that a family member had yet to be notified of her death. As a result, the Tribune is not publishing her name either.

The sheriff’s office said detention deputies were conducting rounds at 8:44 p.m. Saturday when they found the woman unresponsive. Preliminary indications were that the woman, who was in her own cell, had attempted to take her own life, the release said.

Deputies “immediately performed life-saving measures,” the sheriff’s office said, including by administering CPR and applying an automated external defibrillator. However, the woman was reportedly in cardiac arrest at the time she was transported to Cody Regional Health and attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful.

Per standard protocol, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation was asked to help conduct an investigation into the death. It remained pending on Monday.

Court records indicate agents had been monitoring her movements and those of two traveling companions as part of a drug investigation.

Authorities stopped the group’s SUV around 12:30 a.m. Friday on the eastern end of Lane 9. Agents had already obtained a search warrant for the vehicle, and they found what appeared to be over an ounce of meth and roughly 300 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. The woman was charged with three felony counts, including possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The woman had been set to make her initial court appearance on Monday.

Jackson pedestrian hit by vehicle in critical condition

JACKSON (WNE) — A pedestrian struck by a vehicle last week remains in critical condition in an East Idaho hospital.

The driver, a Jackson resident who has not been identified, hit Jackson resident Francisco Rodriguez, 75, at 11:15 p.m. on June 19 when Rodriguez began crossing South Park Loop Road at the intersection with Highway 89.

A Teton County sheriff’s deputy witnessed the incident while at the Maverik gas station. A written statement from the deputy said Rodriguez was wearing dark clothing and did not have a walk sign when he began running across the intersection, according to Trooper Todd Baxter of the Wyoming Highway Patrol, who took the deputy’s statement during his investigation of the collision.

The driver was traveling through the intersection and didn’t see Rodriguez, who hit the front driver’s side panel and a mirror. Rodriguez sustained a serious head injury and remains in the intensive care unit at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Baxter said.

According to Baxter, the driver did nothing wrong and was not cited.

“The guy is really shaken up,” Baxter said. “He certainly was not at fault.”

It appeared from Rodriguez’s belongings that he may have been in a rush.

“He was carrying a bag that had a meal in it,” Baxter said. “It looked like he was on his way home from work and he had his dinner and was in a hurry to get home.”

Baxter said that as far as he knows, this is the first collision involving a pedestrian on a highway in Teton County.

Owners of Cody steakhouse arrested

CODY (WNE) — Cassie’s Steakhouse, a historic restaurant in Cody, became the center of a dramatic incident on the night of June 19.

The owners, Randel and Courtney Hooper, were arrested following a heated confrontation with customers that escalated into threats and physical violence. The altercation resulted in charges of terroristic threats, harassment, and assault against a police officer, according to the affidavit.

The trouble began when a group of patrons expressed dissatisfaction with the service at Cassie’s, leading to a verbal altercation with Courtney Hooper.

According to Cody Police Officer Daniel Villalobos, the customers threatened to kill her because they waited an hour and a half to be seated. In response, Hooper called 911 and also informed her husband, Randel, about the threats.

The Hoopers followed the disgruntled customers, Alan and Grace Metzger, halfway to the Big Bear Motel where they were staying. Villalobos intervened, and Courtney Hooper told the officer she did not wish to press charges but wanted the Metzgers never to come back to Cassie’s.

Villalobos broke up the confrontation but said another one started an hour later when the Hoopers went to the Metzgers’ motel.

Randel Hooper shouted at Villalobos, “You better [expletive] arrest them or I’ll be back and I’ll [expletive] kill them.”

The situation escalated further when Randel resisted arrest and kicked Villalobos in the head, causing injuries that required medical attention.

Both Randel and Courtney Hooper were taken into custody.

Randel faces a felony charge for assaulting a police officer, which could result in up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted. Courtney faces three misdemeanor charges related to the incident. During their arraignment, Randel’s bond was set at $5000 cash/surety, while Courtney’s was set at $2500 cash/surety.

The Hoopers’ next court appearances are scheduled for later this month, with Randel set for a preliminary hearing on June 28 and Courtney’s trial set for November 14.

Barrasso, Lummis bill would stop FCC regulation of AI in campaign ads

CHEYENNE (WNE) — U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, on Thursday introduced the Ending FCC Meddling in Our Elections Act of 2024, which would block what they described as the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “last ditch effort to interfere with the outcome of the presidential election.”

Barrasso and Lummis cosponsored this bill to protect the people of Wyoming’s right to free and fair elections, the senators said in a news release.

“It is unacceptable for unelected, Democrat federal officials to abuse their power and interfere in the upcoming presidential elections,” Barrasso said in the release.

“The new rule introduced by the FCC’s Democrat majority is their 11th-hour attempt to tip the scales in favor of Democrats ahead of the presidential election,” Lummis said in the release.

Last month, the FCC issued a new notice of proposed rulemaking, announcing its plan to introduce new regulations on the use of AI in campaign ads appearing on TV and radio.

This legislation, if passed, would prohibit the use of federal funds to enforce any rule created as a result of this rulemaking. The senators’ news release said, “Only Congress, in a careful and transparent deliberative process, should be determining regulations surrounding AI-generated campaign ads.”

Man arrested for ax assault in Riverton City Park

RIVERTON (WNE) — Police have arrested a man who allegedly struck a man in the head with an ax at City Park on Thursday.

The victim, a 52-year-old Riverton man, had been sitting at a picnic table at the park when Lincey Shongutsie, 24, Arapahoe, allegedly hit him in the head with a double-bladed ax.

Police and ambulance crews were called to the park at 3:51 p.m., where they found the victim suffering from a serious scalp injury, but alert and conscious, according to the Riverton Police Department call log.

After interviewing several witnesses, officers were on the lookout for a suspect who left the area in a maroon Suburban, which was located about an hour and a half later, according to police. Shongutsie was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault, and police recovered a double-bladed ax with him.

Isaac Bell, 27, Riverton, was reportedly with Shongutsie, and was arrested on a Riverton municipal warrant.

Vintage bicycles sought for beautifying downtown Gillette

GILLETTE (WNE) — Gillette Main Street’s beautification and design committee is collecting vintage bicycles from Gillette residents to decorate and place in planters downtown.

So far, about ten people have donated their bikes to the project. One resident brought in a bike made in the 1950s, and one donated a bike that belonged to a grandmother.

“It’s pretty special people have held onto them for so long,” said Jessica Seders, Executive Director of Gillette Main Street.

The Bicycle Shop is donating bike stands to safely prop up the bikes while they’re displayed on the street. The bikes are incorporated into the planters and are sometimes given a theme, such as the gardener’s bike near the corner of Gillette Avenue and Second Street carrying a gardening hat, watering bucket, flower seed packets and plant pots.

Most bikes will be displayed as-is.

The bikes will decorate Gillette Avenue past First, Second and Third streets, and Gillette Main Street will be accepting them on an ongoing basis.

Summer fire outlook: Sheridan area expected to be at high risk for wildfires this summer

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Sheridan County is bracing for a potentially severe wildfire season as experts predict a high fire risk throughout the summer.

The combination of lower than usual winter and spring precipitation, leftover vegetation from previous years and increasing temperatures has set the stage for an increased likelihood of wildfires across the region.

Sheridan has experienced a dry spring, with precipitation levels falling well below the seasonal average. Forecaster Julie Arthur with the National Weather Service in Billings said conditions are favorable for a high-fire-risk summer.

“This summer, we are on the side of above normal temperatures. Precipitation, unfortunately, is below normal. We’re looking at a 40-50% chance of having below normal precipitation. That would argue for a warmer and drier than normal summer,” said Arthur.

Warm conditions have already struck much of the Sheridan area. With little to no chance of moisture in the forecast, vegetation has already begun to dry out.

“While it’s kind of a delayed fire season in June, I would expect more of a fire threat as we get into July and August,” said Arthur.

Degenfelder announces plan to streamline state testing

CHEYENNE (WNE) — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder’s Assessment Reduction & Efficiency Plan was presented Thursday at the Wyoming State Board of Education’s (SBE) annual retreat in Newcastle.

Work will continue on these recommendations in collaboration with the SBE and the Wyoming Legislature.

“I have heard the concerns of educators, parents and students about the need to reduce the burden of testing,” Degenfelder said in a news release. “As a result, I am proposing this plan to reduce and streamline the state assessment system while still maintaining the academic rigor we need to provide valuable insight into student learning.”

The plan includes a decrease of 30% of the number of items on the math assessment in grades 3-8, which aligns with the recently reduced math and science standards proposed by the SBE and WDE, as well as removal of kindergarten through grade 2 (K-2) interim assessments, removal of the grade 3 writing assessment, possible removal of mandatory assessment for grade 9, and an updated math assessment in high school that focuses less on course-based math content and more on comprehensive math skills.

The plan also includes the release of additional diagnostic tools for teachers, so they can use the assessment in a more meaningful way.

For more information, read the plan at tinyurl.com/wyo-assessment-reduction.

Florida man dies in crash north of Wright

GILLETTE (WNE) — A 75-year-old Florida man was killed Wednesday morning after his motorcycle was hit by a semi.

Martin Arthur Pegelow was riding his 2015 BMW motorcycle on Highway 387 when he tried to turn north onto Highway 59.

He failed to yield to a northbound 2015 Peterbilt semi-truck, driven by a 61-year-old man and collided with the driver's side of the Peterbilt's trailer.

Campbell County Coroner Paul Wallem said Pegelow died immediately due to neck and torso injuries he suffered during the crash.

The road conditions were dry and the weather was clear, and Pegelow was wearing his helmet.

No further information has been released at the time of publication, and Wyoming Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.

Seasonal Yellowstone employee sentenced for child pornography

JACKSON (WNE) — A 26-year-old man employed seasonally at Yellowstone National Park in 2019 was sentenced to 30 months in prison June 13 after a federal judge found him guilty of child pornography charges.

Advocates suggest referring to such materials as “child sexual abuse material” instead of “child pornography,” because pornography by its nature is consensual and a child cannot consent to sexual acts, making “child sexual abuse material” a more accurate description.

However, the legal statute prosecutors operate under employs the term “child pornography.”

The case started in August 2019 when Sabin Donohoe, of Ottawa, Canada, lost his phone while he was visiting Fort Collins, Colorado. Someone picked it up and, while going through the phone to identify the owner, found “large quantities” of child sexual abuse material on it and reported that to Loveland, Colorado, authorities.

Loveland officers traced the phone back to Donohoe and conducted a “noncustodial interview” of him, meaning he was free to leave during the interrogation.

During that interview, Donohoe admitted to searching for and keeping the material, according to court documents.

“The next day he fled to Canada,” a press release from the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Two charges were filed in May 2020: possession of child pornography and transportation of child pornography.

Donohoe pleaded guilty to the possession charge after a plea agreement was reached. The transportation charge ultimately was dismissed.

He was arrested in Canada on July 25, 2022, and extradited to the U.S. on Nov. 27, 2023, to face charges.