Wyoming News Briefs

Former Gillette man sentenced on game violations dating to 2003

GILLETTE (WNE) — A former Gillette resident must serve two months in jail and pay more than $50,000 in fines and restitution for big game violations dating back to 2003.

Robert Underwood, 76, pleaded no contest to seven gaming violations in Circuit Court on Friday morning. He had been charged with 35.

Underwood, who now lives in Jones, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 days in jail and had his hunting and fishing privileges suspended for life. He also must pay $52,540 in fines and restitution and serve six years of unsupervised probation.

Underwood pleaded no contest four counts of killing a game animal without a license or during a closed season, one count of acting as an accessory to illegally killing a game animal, one count of taking more than the limit of big game animals, and one count of violating a commission order by killing a bobcat during a closed season and without a license.

Underwood is one of three people charged in the four-year investigation that involved not only local Game and Fish wardens, but investigators with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who obtained federal search warrants and conducted searches on homes in Alabama, Oklahoma and South Dakota, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.

Dustin Kirsch, an investigator with Wyoming Game and Fish and the former game warden for south Gillette, said Underwood and co-defendant Russell Vick “wantonly destroyed Wyoming wildlife” with no respect for laws or regulations.

Crowd limit of almost 3000 approved for Stampede

CODY (WNE) — The Cody Stampede Rodeo on July 1-4 has been approved to seat nearly 3,000 people – 45% of capacity in each seating area – a huge boost from the current limit of 600 people, as Cody Nite Rodeo is allowed initially.

Stampede president Mike Darby said the board’s exemption request to seat 2,835 people was approved Friday by state public health officer Alexia Harrist.

“I am supportive of this event occurring as stated in the plan,” she wrote in her note approving the request. “As much as face coverings can be encouraged for all attending the event, that would be appreciated. Good luck with the rodeo and I hope that it is a success.”

The rodeo grounds seat more than 5,000 people so the new occupancy limit still allows for much more spacing. There are also hand sanitizer and masks available. 

“We feel that we can hold an event that is safe and that will not contribute to the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” the board wrote in its request.

It also noted that, unlike the Nite Rodeo that regularly attracts many summer tourists, Stampede attendance is roughly 97% local.

“Our community fully supports this event, and allowing more of our locals to attend as they are accustomed to doing, is vitally important to help boost morale and demonstrate our economy is on its way to recovery in these challenging times,” the board wrote. “Holding our Stampede Rodeo and allowing our community to safely gather is a sign of hope, a reflection of our freedoms and a chance to rebuild unity, promote community spirit and our western lifestyle.”

State historic site sees increase in visitors

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Record numbers of visitors flocked to Wyoming State Parks in April and May, and one Sheridan-area state historic site is now beginning to see an uptick in visitors after opening nearly two months later than usual.

Despite not opening until May 29, Trail End State Historic Site has already had 1905 visitors as of June 17, according to Superintendent Sharie Shada.

“This includes not only inside the museum but those who use our grounds (daily walks, picnics, YMCA camp activities, small birthday parties), as well as those who were here for the Bots Sots remount horse sale,” Shada said.

During the month of June 2019, Shada said Trail End had 2730 total visitors, or an average of 91 per day. So far in June 2020, that average is up to 112 per day.

The increased numbers are occurring, even with strict social distancing measures in place at the site. Currently, groups of 10 people or fewer who come to the museum together are being admitted in 15-minute increments. If two groups arrive at the same time, one has to wait outside.

There is also a designated route inside the museum, so groups don’t run into each other on their tour.

Shada said the historic site’s grounds stayed open and were heavily used throughout the pandemic, and only the museum was closed for a period of time.

CWC layoffs inevitable, president says

RIVERTON (WNE) — Central Wyoming College president Brad Tyndall received the authority Wednesday to initiate staff layoffs if “significant” funding cuts are implemented this year at the state level.

Tyndall said he believed the staff “reduction in force” will be inevitable.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has asked government agencies throughout the state to prepare budget proposals showing 10% to 20% reductions in state funding.

“He has not pulled the trigger, but he said, ‘I want to see what your 10% and 20% cut is’,“ Tyndall told the CWC Board of Trustees during their regular meeting Wednesday.

Given that the bulk of CWC’s expenses – 78% - is allocated to personnel, Tyndall continued, there is “no way” such cuts could be made without layoffs.

The college employs about 250 people.

And, he added, the governor could ask state agencies to implement the funding reductions at any point.

“It could be next week,” Tyndall said.

He referred to college policy documents that state he must receive board approval before initiating reductions in force - an action that may be necessary in order to comply with another policy that states he must present the board with a fiscal year budget that does not allow expenses to exceed available resources.

Under board policy, the specific personnel reductions would be determined by Tyndall himself, not the trustees.

Old jeans bring $8470 in auction

POWELL (WNE) — Vintage jeans can be a hot item. 

How about hot as in $700 a pair? That’s the price that a lot of 12 pair of vintage jeans averaged in an online auction sale from the Forest Wichern Homestead on the South Fork, which closed June 18. The total paid for the 12 pairs was $8470. 

Travis Swenson of Swenson’s Auctions of Powell managed the sale of items at the Wichern homestead at 390 Lower Southfork Road. He said the purchaser of the jeans was a reseller for an overseas market. 

“I had movie prop producers from New York to Texas to Oregon bidding,” Swenson said. 

The makers of the jeans included Levi, Wrangler and Lee. The vintage jeans were from the 1950s and 1960s, “maybe even the 40s,” Swenson said. “They were very worn.” 

The uniqueness that made the old jeans so valuable “had to do with the rivets on the Levis, the Blue Bell emblem on the tag inside the pants on the Wranglers and the type of zipper on the Lees,” he said. 

There’s a lesson to be learned, Swenson advised: “Don’t throw your stuff away.” Then he added with a chuckle: “Call Swenson’s Auctions.”

Rawlins man charged for social media threats

RAWLINS (WNE) — A Rawlins man could face more than a decade in prison for threatening local police officers on social media. 

Charles Leroy McMacken, 37, is charged with influencing, intimidating or impeding officers, a felony, driving under suspension, a misdemeanor, and interference with a peace officer.

McMacken pleaded not guilty to all three counts on Friday in Carbon County District Court.

According to an arrest affidavit: 

At 12:09 p.m. on March 8, Rawlins Police Officer George Phillips performed a traffic stop at Pacific and Larsen streets. McMacken was driving the vehicle. It was discovered his license was suspended, so he was issued a citation for the violation and then released. 

About 90 minutes later, Phillips observed McMacken walking on the sidewalk. It appeared to the officer that the man was throwing objects at a vehicle. When Phillips went to stop McMacken, the man began yelling at the officer, threatening to “beat his [expletive]” and that he was going to kill the officer. McMacken took off running. Phillips was unable to catch him. 

Later that evening, an anonymous caller reported to RPD dispatch that McMacken was making “alarming” comments about the department on his Facebook page. Some of the comments included “You piece of [expletive] cop I’m going to kill u and your family pull me over for pointing to the sky then chase me around like a rabbit I won’t your teeth [expletive] if you want to stay in rawlins right now if I ever see you again you’ll be lucky u [expletive].”

Dems ask Senate candidate to withdraw

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Following a series of anti-Semitic and ableist tweets from U.S. Senate candidate James DeBrine, leadership from the Wyoming Democratic Party has called on him to withdraw from the race leading up to the Aug. 18 primary.

DeBrine’s tweets that forced the party response were largely attacks on some of the other Democratic candidates seeking the nomination. In tweets sent earlier this week, DeBrine labeled Merav Ben-David, a University of Wyoming professor and native of Israel who is running for the federal seat, as “FAKE Jewish,” and made insensitive comments to candidate Yana Ludwig about her having Lyme disease.

Party Chair Joe Barbuto, in a statement sent Thursday night, called the comments “unacceptable and completely out of line with the values and principles of the Wyoming Democratic Party.”

“As a result, this organization will not be providing any resources or support to James DeBrines’ campaign, and I personally call on him to withdraw his candidacy for the nomination,” Barbuto said in the statement.

DeBrine, when reached by the Tribune Eagle on Friday, said he doesn’t plan to drop out of the race, despite the loss of party support.

DeBrine said “there’s no way” he would be anti-Semitic, noting his brother-in-law is Jewish. He did not explicitly apologize for the tweets, though when asked if he wished he hadn’t posted them, DeBrine admitted he “probably should have been more gracious.”

WDP spokeswoman Nina Hebert said the party’s decision to drop its support was made swiftly Thursday night after the tweets were brought to party officials’ attention by a voter.

Woman who stole tax money will pay restitution

GILLETTE (WNE) — The woman who admitted stealing $39,585 in tax money while working at the Campbell County Treasurer’s Office will be asked to pay restitution of $2,500.

Marcella R. Hall, 34, has pleaded guilty to felony theft. The $2500 figure was arrived at because the county’s insurance company paid all costs of the thefts, minus the $2500 deductible, according to County Attorney Ronald Wirthwein.

Under a plea agreement, Hall would serve no prison time with the recommendation that a three- to five-year sentence be suspended in favor of three years of supervised probation.

Wirthwein noted that her level of cooperation in the investigation was “extremely high” and the felony conviction is enough of a punishment. Wirthwein said she didn’t need jail time “and certainly not prison time.”

Investigators told him that “it was their perception that she was actually relieved that is was sort of over,” Wirthwein said.

Hall said she was going through a really hard time both personally and financially when she stole money the first time. She paid that money back.

But she stole money again, “and I just continued to do so,” she said.