Latest Wyoming News

DEPUTY SHOOTING-LAWSUIT

Mother of unarmed Wyoming man shot by deputy files lawsuit

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The mother of an unarmed man killed by a sheriff’s deputy after a traffic stop in Laramie has filed a federal lawsuit alleging excessive use of force and failures in hiring and training the deputy. Debra Hinkel is suing Albany County sheriff’s Cpl. Derek Colling, Sheriff David O’Malley and others for the death of 39-year-old Robert “Robbie” Ramirez in 2018. The lawsuit seeks at least $75,000 in damages. Colling shot Ramirez after pulling him over for allegedly failing to signal a turn. Colling and O’Malley didn’t return messages seeking comment. Albany County Attorney Peggy Trent declined to comment, saying she had not seen the lawsuit.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNIVERSITY

University of Wyoming quarantines 47 students after outbreak

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Coronavirus infections from off-campus gatherings at the University of Wyoming have led the school to quarantine nearly 50 students. Officials say seven students have confirmed cases of the coronavirus as a result of those gatherings, while 47 are being quarantined. The Casper Star-Tribune reports if five or more students and employees test positive for the virus in a day, the university will pause its phased return to in-person instruction. Three positive tests were reported Tuesday while four were reported on Monday. The university began classes on Aug. 24 exclusively online. Some on-campus learning started on Monday. The school hopes to have full in-person instruction by Sept. 28. 

YELLOWSTONE-ROAD CLOSED

Soil dug out to remove Yellowstone gasoline contamination

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park officials say they expect to reopen a road closed by a gasoline spill sometime within the next week. The 6-mile (10-kilometer) stretch of two-lane road from Fishing Bridge Junction to Mud Volcano has been closed since a tanker truck rolled on its side Aug. 27. The commercial truck spilled some 3,000 gallons (11,000 liters) of unleaded gasoline. Park officials say it was the largest roadside fuel spill in Yellowstone in almost 20 years. Workers have dug a large hole in the road to assess the extent of the spill and remove contaminated soil. No gasoline apparently reached the nearby Yellowstone River. 

FERAL ANIMAL FEEDING

Casper decides against ban on feeding feral cats, dogs

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Officials in Casper have decided not to prohibit feeding feral cats and dogs. The Casper City Council voted instead Tuesday to approve an amended ordinance banning the feeding of wildlife, such as deer and turkeys. Metro Animal Control recommended the feral dog and cat feeding ban. Feral cats can’t be adopted and most taken to the Casper animal shelter are euthanized. The Casper Star-Tribune reports the shelter took in over 1,500 cats and euthanized nearly 500 in 2019. Many residents opposed a ban on feeding feral dogs and cats, however, saying such measures are cruel and ineffective.

AP-US-TRUMP-ENVIRONMENT

Drilling, mines, other projects hastened by Trump order

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Documents provided to The Associated Press show the Trump administration is seeking to fast track environmental reviews of dozens of major energy and infrastructure projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. They include proposals for massive oil and gas fields, hazardous fuel pipelines, wind farms and highway projects in numerous states. The move to speed up large project approvals comes after Trump in June ordered the Interior Department and other agencies to scale back environmental reviews under special powers he has during the coronavirus emergency. More than 60 projects targeted for expedited environmental review were detailed in a July 15 letter from a senior Interior official to a White House economic adviser.

PUBLIC DEFENDER-BUDGET

Wyoming budget cuts to impact state public defender’s office

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Public Defender’s office faces staffing losses that could severely effect its service to residents because of a 10% budget cut. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported state budget cuts eliminated about $3 million for the office that provides defense attorneys for court cases. State Public Defender Diane Lozano told the Legislature last year that her office was overburdened by heavy caseloads and struggled to retain attorneys. A field office in Newcastle will lose its attorney and legal assistant, while all public defenders for residents of northeast Wyoming will subsequently come from the Campbell County office in Gillette.