Wyoming News Briefs

Average gasoline prices in Wyoming down 4.2 cents a gallon in past week

CHEYENNE (WNE) - Average gasoline prices in Wyoming have fallen 4.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.06 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy.com's survey of 494 stations in Wyoming.

Prices in Wyoming are 8.3 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, and stand 25.3 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the lowest price in the state Sunday was $2.75 per gallon, while the highest was $4.19, a difference of $1.44 per gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 2.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.03 on Monday. The national average is down 16.7 cents per gallon from a month ago, and stands 32.3 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country. 

Colorado man banned from Yellowstone National Park for walking in thermal area

JACKSON (WNE) - A Colorado man was sentenced to seven days in jail for walking off a designated trail or boardwalk in a thermal area in Yellowstone National Park in July.

Joseph Aita, 62, of Colorado Springs, entered the protected area of Canary Spring in Mammoth Hot Springs in the north area of the park with co-defendant Celia Aita and two minor children, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Wyoming.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick imposed the sentence for the violation on Oct. 31 in Mammoth, Wyoming.

Aita also pleaded guilty to destroying a mineral resource, and for that violation he was sentenced to five years of probation, with a ban from Yellowstone National Park during that time and a fine of $3000.

He will also pay $60 in mandatory court costs and fees in the case.

Missouri man allegedly pulled knife out at Gillette restaurant

GILLETTE (WNE) - A Missouri man accused of pulling a knife out and pointing it at people while he was at the Fireside restaurant has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault, criminal trespass and breach of peace.

Aaron Boeggeman was bound over to District Court after waiving his preliminary hearing Oct. 29.

On Oct. 19, police responded to Fireside after a man allegedly pulled a knife on the bar staff. When officers arrived, they saw the man, Boeggeman, lying face down on the ground. A bar employee was holding him down by placing a knee in his back. Boeggeman was placed in handcuffs as officers conducted interviews.

A member of the bar's security said Boeggeman was making a female employee in the liquor store side uncomfortable because she thought he was going to throw up, and she asked that he be removed. The security guard walked Boeggeman to the bar side of Fireside and told him to leave and not come back that night.

A short time later, Boeggeman returned to Fireside and stood next to the table where the security guard was sitting. Boeggeman did not respond when asked to leave. When the security guard told him to leave a second time, Boeggeman reached into his pocket and pulled a knife out of a sheath, and the security guard backed up and told him to put the knife away.

Boeggeman instead pointed the knife at the security guard, then at another man who was at the bar. The bar patron pushed a table into Boeggeman, causing him to drop the knife. The bar patron said he punched Boeggeman in the face to protect himself and keep Boeggeman from getting the knife.

The guard held Boeggeman down on the ground and another guard grabbed the knife.

Teen's killer pleads guilty

CASPER (WNE) - On a dreary Friday morning, more than a dozen people gathered outside Courtroom 1A of the Townsend Justice Center to witness the end of the prosecution of the killer of 17-year-old Lene'a Brown, who was shot dead near Buckboard Park on May 14. 

Most of those hearing attendees wore red in one form or another to support Brown. Clad in flannel shirts, hoodies and T-shirts, they lined the left rows of the courtroom ahead of the trial. 

Eavan Castaner walked into the courtroom at 10:30 a.m. wearing a red jumpsuit, his hair in a slightly overgrown buzz cut. The 16-year-old's shackles jingled quietly as he shuffled to meet with his attorney. 

Castaner pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and misdemeanor stalking, the latter of which will be fulfilled as time served. Second-degree murder carries a penalty of 20 years to life in prison. 

Castaner was initially charged with first-degree murder and stalking, but the charge was amended as part of the plea deal. 

Castaner's guilty plea concluded nearly six months of litigation and came after a motion to move the trial to juvenile court that was ultimately never heard. 

Brown's May death came as a shock to a Casper community already reeling from the death of another teen, Bobby Maher, who was stabbed to death at Eastridge Mall in April. 

The Blue Heart Collaborative, founded in the wake of Maher's death to raise awareness about bullying and youth mental health, also held events to honor the life of Lene'a Brown. 

Genesis Alkali to start process of reduction in force

ROCK SPRINGS (WNE) - Genesis Alkali, a leading global producer of natural soda, confirmed to the Rocket Miner on Tuesday, Nov. 5, that it has spoken to union representatives about a reduction in force.

"We don't take these reductions lightly," said Dave Caplan, director of Genesis Alkali. "It's challenging and difficult."

He explained it is a 30-day process, and the company wants to be sensitive to its employees.

"Unfortunately, the market we're in is very tough, and it's having a big impact. We felt we had to take this action due to the weakness of the soda ash market," he added.

Caplan pointed out the business goes through cycles, and he hopes Genesis Alkali will become stronger and more resilient again soon.

"Word travels fast, unsurprisingly, in this small community and we're a large company. This morning, we heard TATA Chemicals was hiring, but that window closed at noon today," Caplan said. "It's not a matter of if it will happen; it's a matter of when it will happen."

A RIF is a permanent decrease in the number of a company's employees, done usually as a cost-saving measure.

Companies may use RIFs for a variety of reasons, including economic downturns, company restructuring, lack of work and downsizing. RIFs can involve layoffs, furloughs or terminations. They are different from layoffs, which are usually temporary, while RIFs are permanent. 

Gillette woman's lost wedding ring returned

GILLETTE (WNE) - A woman staying at the Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center lost her wedding ring while giving out treats during the center's trick-or-treating Halloween event - and it was returned less than a week later.

Marcia More, 66, was checked in at the center the day before Halloween for a 30-day rehabilitation stay to recover from a combination of illnesses. 

While giving out candy during the Halloween event, More's wedding ring ended up in a trick-or-treater's candy.

Legacy Living staff released a post on Facebook to query the public about the lost ring. More said their efforts to find the ring went "above and beyond."

"They were awesome," More said. "Every single [staff member] knew about it."

The mother of the trick-or-treater who had inadvertently collected the ring, Annabelle Cervantes, said the ring was found after she and her five kids were going through their Halloween candy haul. She got in touch with Legacy Living care manager Renee Robidart to reconnect the ring with its owner, according to a press release.

More's husband bought her the ring about 30 years ago to replace the one that had to be removed during a previous illness about five years into their marriage.

"We figured we'd never see it again," More said. "I'm just relieved it was found. That there are a few honest people left out there."

WDOC returns 60 out-of-state inmates to Wyoming facilities

CHEYENNE (WNE) - The Wyoming Department of Corrections announced in November 2023 that the department was sending 240 Wyoming inmates to the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tallahatchie, Mississippi.

The reassignment of these offenders to TCCF was due to staff vacancies. The WDOC anticipated maintaining inmates at TCCF until staffing increased within the agency.

Currently, staffing has slightly improved, and the WDOC was able to move 60 inmates back to WDOC-operated facilities on Wednesday. 

Although staffing has allowed the movement of some inmates, TCCF will continue to house 166 inmates for the WDOC until the department is able to return all WDOC inmates. 

The department continues to focus on recruitment and retention of correctional officers, according to a news release.

Drivers reminded to watch for wildlife

SHERIDAN (WNE) - Drivers are involved in more than 7600 wildlife collisions on Wyoming roadways annually. The majority of those crashes - between 80% and 85% - are with mule deer. 

The crash risk with mule deer increases in the fall and spring when deer follow historical pathways to their winter and summer ranges. While roadway modifications are being made throughout the state to help with safe wildlife passage, drivers can aid deer to safety as well.  

The highest risk for collisions are during dawn and dusk hours when wildlife frequent roads at the same time as drivers. During these low-light periods, drivers often don't see deer before a collision, so many crashes could be avoided by slowing down and being more attentive when traveling these times of the day. 

"The No. 1 action a driver can take is slowing down," said Jill Randall, Wyoming Game and Fish Department big game migration coordinator. "This could be even slower than the posted speed limit. Driving slowly gives you a better chance of stopping."

Randall also encourages drivers to be mindful of other travelers. If you see wildlife, a flash of the headlights can warn oncoming cars to reduce speeds. Also, leave enough following distance between other vehicles to allow time to react if they hit a deer.

Drivers who collide with deer or other large wildlife on the road are encouraged to call their local law enforcement agency to report the accident. Drivers also can report roadkill on the Wyoming Department of Transportation's 511 app but should not try to move a dead animal from the roadway because it can be extremely dangerous. 

UW survey: Wyo. residents have mixed views on national and state economies

CHEYENNE (WNE) - A new University of Wyoming survey reveals a significant sense of pessimism among Wyoming residents regarding the national economy, with 71% stating they believe it has worsened over the past year. While 12% feel the economic conditions have remained the same, only 18% perceive any improvement.

The outlook for Wyoming's economy is somewhat more positive, though still cautious. Just over half of the respondents, at 52%, believe that the state's economy has worsened over the past year. Meanwhile, 12% report an improvement, and approximately 36% feel it has stayed the same.

The statewide survey was conducted Sept. 24-Oct. 27, yielding 739 responses from randomly selected Wyoming residents. The margin of error for the distribution of responses on any individual survey question is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

Men and women from all age groups and all counties in Wyoming are proportionally represented in the survey data. The final survey data has been weighted to reflect the actual population distribution in Wyoming on gender, age, county of residence, party affiliation and education.

Looking ahead, optimism remains limited, as only 38% of respondents anticipate that the national economy will improve in the coming year. In contrast, 36% expect it will worsen, while 18% expect stability and 26% remain uncertain about future economic trends.

When looking at the future of Wyoming's economy, sentiments are mixed: 27% expect economic conditions to improve in the next 12 months; 29% think it will worsen; and nearly 44% anticipate stability. Additionally, 22% of participants express uncertainty regarding the future state of the economy.