It’s time to take a look at what’s happening around Wyoming, for Friday, April 18th. I’m Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - Brought to you by Wyoming Community Gas. The Choice Gas selection period ends on Wednesday April 23rd – This is your opportunity to select your Natural Gas Provider for the coming year. For more information, visit Wyoming Community Gas dot ORG.”
–
An employee of the Legacy Living and Rehabilitation Center in Gillette has been charged with felony manslaughter in connection to the death of an 88-year-old dementia patient who was found frozen in an outdoor courtyard in January.
Cowboy State Daily’s Jen Kocher that 57-year-old Bernard Hale is charged with criminal recklessness that led to Judith Duvall’s death - allegations backed up by surveillance video.
“They could see Judith Duvall walk out of the building at 651 and they could see her, kind of walk away, stumble and then fall. And clearly she was there. She struggled for about… 20 minutes to try to sit up and get herself up, but she couldn't, and she eventually stopped moving… And while Judith Duvall was outside, Hale actually went and wrote entries in her case log as if he was helping her… so all of the duties he should have been doing, however, police can then go and see as he's entering these these case notes. At 720, he enters 15, between 722, and 724, they clearly have Judith Duvall on video outside, so it's hard to refute video evidence… And then he also said protocol is in the care facility, when the alarm goes off, that employee is supposed to go check out to see what happens, because alarms just don't go off… when that alarm went off, he did not immediately go check it out. 15 minutes later, he went to the alarm and disabled it without opening the door to look outside.”
At the time, Hale was a certified nursing assistant at the facility and was terminated following the incident.
Read the full story HERE.
--
A Riverton man prompted an 11-hour standoff with police after barricading himself in his home and reportedly producing a weapon.
62-year-old Ron Allington was wanted for arrest because he skipped court on a day when he was supposed to receive a probation sentence in a felony threatening case.
On Wednesday evening, when officers arrived at his home to arrest him on the outstanding warrant, Allington barricaded himself into a room with a knife and a gun, and refused to surrender. Cowboy State Daily’s Clair McFarland was at the scene of the standoff.
“I showed up at six, and the deputies and officers were getting their rifles, getting their shields, setting up snipers, making their positions, and then lander Police Department officers showed up, and then mills and Casper police, and then Natrona County, and then the armored vehicle rolled in, like 945 and they were negotiating with the neighbors to move a trailer so that they would have ramming space… I was there till midnight, and the the the negotiator was just, just persistent, just, I need you to take a few steps to the left. We'll get you care. We'll get you hot meal. You can do this. We're we're out here. We have emergency medical personnel… and then the temperature dropped significantly around midnight. And so those, those responders were out there in plunging temperatures that eventually yielded to snow.”
At about 4 a.m. Thursday, police deployed tear gas, then arrested Allington. No one was shot.
McFarland also observed that five years ago almost to the day, a similar standoff took place in the same neighborhood in Riverton. However, that standoff ended in a shooting.
Read the full story HERE.
–
Earlier this month, around 100 Wyoming attorneys and judges wrote a letter to Wyoming’s congressional delegation saying they are concerned about President Donald Trump’s administration targeting America’s judicial branch.
But the delegation has a different concern. Cowboy State Daily’s Leo Wolfson reports that in a Thursday op-ed, Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis said people should be more concerned about unelected judges making biased political decisions that skew the law, rather than Trump going after these judges.
“Senator Lummis is basically and other members of the Wyoming delegation are basically saying that these judges are taking biased interpretations to the law, and they're skewing the law to their own agenda, their own perspective, and they're ignoring what the law really says… And they said that the people who wrote this letter to them, the 100 attorneys and judges should be more concerned about that. The point that those letter writers were making really was that they want President Donald Trump's administration to stop making threats against the judiciary, and they believe that the administration should respect the rule of law, even if they disagree with it.”
In less than 90 days in office, federal courts have filed 15 nationwide injunctions against the Trump administration. The New York Post recently reported that former President Joe Biden was the target of 14 national injunctions throughout his entire presidency.
Read the full story HERE.
–
People arriving Thursday for the seventh day of testimony in the Steven Marler trial — a former award-winning foster father facing charges of sex abuse, battery and child endangerment — found the doors to the courtroom closed.
Natrona County Sheriff’s Office deputies informed people arriving for the trial that District Court Judge Kerri Johnson had closed the courtroom to everyone but attorneys in the case to deal with legal issues. Cowboy State Daily’s Dale Killingbeck has been following this story.
“The 20 charges the defense argued did not match Wyoming law, because there would be like, there … were incidents that were listed, but then they were charged two or three times, and the language was the same. And Wyoming statute does not allow that in sex cases. When you're talking about first degree, second degree, third degree, there has to be specific language that is used and that was not done. So the … Assistant District Attorney filed a new copy of charges later Tuesday, and also a brief about why you can do that, and there's no issues with that, and it won't prejudice the defense. So the judge said Tuesday she'd rule on that, so I assume that's part of what's happening in the courtroom.”
The trial is scheduled to resume Monday with the defense continuing to present its case.
Read the full story HERE.
–
Kemmerer-area resident Josh Coursey, a prominent Wyoming outdoorsman and wildlife conservationist, has been picked to serve in President Donald Trump’s administration.
Coursey told Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz on Thursday that he couldn’t disclose what position he will fill in the Trump administration, but confirmed that for the duration of his appointment, he’ll relocate to the Washington, D.C. area.
“Our former Game and Fish director and a Wyoming native, Brian Nesvik, was tapped or picked by the Trump administration to head the US Fish and Wildlife Service… But we have another Wyoming native, Josh Coursey, who 's pretty well known in wildlife conservation circles around the state. He's one of the co founders of the Muley Fanatic Foundation, which has been instrumental in helping to conserve Wyoming's struggling mule deer population… He told me he is not at liberty yet to disclose exactly what the position is or what the nature of it is, so we don't know if it has something to do with wildlife. I mean, one would guess that, because that really seems to be his forte, but we, you know, we can't say that for sure, and we won't be able to until he's free to speak.”
Coursey said that as he departs for D.C., he’s grateful for everything that’s been done for the Wyoming Range mule deer herd and is optimistic about its future.
Read the full story HERE.
–
Fans of Joe Pickett can now drink like the popular mystery-solving game warden created by Wyoming author C.J. Box.
Along with Box, Pine Bluffs Distilling is celebrating the release of a collaboration with Box to create a uniquely Wyoming whiskey inspired by Pickett. Cowboy State Daily’s Dale Killingbeck spoke to Chad Brown, co-owner of Pine Bluff’s Distilling, who said the final product is worthy of the game warden and down-to-earth hero who has appeared in more than 20 C.J. Box novels since the first one in 2001, “Open Season.”
“They're having a party, a release party for the bourbon, with CJ box being there to sign bottles and sign books of his latest novel on Saturday. So what was announced last November is now coming to fruition. And he told me that there's a limited amount, there's only 1000 bottles. There's a limited amount that you can order online. And then there was a shipment sent to liquor stores throughout Wyoming that will be available starting Friday.”
The bourbon is listed for $65 on the Pine Bluffs Distilling website and is characterized as embodying the “values of Joe Pickett: integrity, resilience and quiet strengths that stands the test of a noisy world.”
Read the full story HERE.
–
New Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments Director Stacia Berry is taking over a job that most people don’t hear about unless they’re upset with a decision she’s made.
The Office of State Lands and Investments is required by law to manage state trust lands to produce as much income as possible to support public schools and other public institutions. Cowboy State Daily’s Leo Wolfson reports that this year, that’s projected to be close to $250 million.
“It's an organization that really only kind of comes up when there's a controversial thing. So for instance, earlier this month, the State Board of land commissioners made a decision on a green energy wind turbine project in eastern Wyoming that got pretty, pretty heated at the end of the day, got approved with a four to one vote, and osli request recommended that it get approved… So osli is charged with making difficult decisions like these on an everyday basis.”
Berry and other state officials will be speaking at a state trust lands forum at the University of Wyoming on April 22, which will give the public the chance to learn more about these trust lands and express what they would like to see happen with them, and the OSLI.
Read the full story HERE.
–
After laying low for the winter, Limpy, Yellowstone National Park’s famous begging coyote, is once again laying it on thick with his pity party routine – hoping to sucker roadside snacks out of soft-hearted tourists.
Feeding wildlife is strictly forbidden in Yellowstone, and for good reason. The feeding ban helps keep both wildlife and tourists safe. But Cowboy State Daily’s Mark Heinz reports that that hasn’t stopped Limpy from hanging out along the roadside in Yellowstone’s Lamar area and putting on a show.
“He does, in fact, have a real limp from an old injury. But what he does is he grossly exaggerates it, and he he acts as if he's hurt way worse than he actually is, and that's how he got his name. He limps up and down the roadside and makes sad eyes and droops his tail and all in the hopes of pulling on people's heartstrings and getting snacks… He's add it again this spring. I’m not sure, the one person I asked said she thinks he's around age six, which is pretty old for a coyote. So we're not sure how much longer we'll have Limpy around, but at least for now, he's out there. He's playing it up. And so tourists, beware, don't fall for it. It's an act.”
Since Limpy sometimes strays into the road to get closer to potential marks for his con routine, his fans do worry about him getting run over.
Read the full story HERE.
–
And that’s today’s news! For a deeper dive into the people and issues that affect Wyoming, check out The Roundup, conversations with the most interesting people in the Cowboy State. This week, the tables get turned - and outdoors reporter Mark Heinz will be the one asking questions, and I am the one being interviewed. You can find the link on our website, on our YouTube channel, and wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, you'll find it in our FREE daily email newsletter!
Thanks for tuning in - I’m Wendy Corr, for Cowboy State Daily.
