YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) – Yellowstone National Park officials say members of a tour group have been ticketed after someone watching on a webcam several states away saw them walking on the cone of the iconic Old Faithful geyser.      A park news release says someone watching the geyser from Wisconsin called rangers Wednesday evening to tell them about the errant tourists. When the first park ranger arrived, she found about 30 people around the geyser’s cone taking pictures.      They said they didn’t see the signs that spell out the dangers of thermal areas and the requirement to stay on boardwalks and designated trails.      The group leader, the bus driver and one member of the first group of four visitors who walked off the boardwalk were cited for being off trail in a thermal area, a violation of federal law … Read entire article »

CODY, Wyo. (AP) – Yellowstone Park has more accumulated snow than at any time in more than a decade, but crews are working to get park roads open.      Park spokesman Al Nash says crews haven’t seen such deep snow in the park in about 15 year.      Nash says crews have been working 12-hour days to clear park roads, some of which in the Sylvan Pass area have 22 feet of snow with 30-foot drifts.      He tells the Cody Enterprise that the heavy snow might push back the opening of some trials and boardwalks.      But April and May are usually slow months in the park, and the summer tourists usually don’t start arriving en masse until sometime in June. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – A man arrested in Colorado has been returned to Wyoming to face charges of assaulting four people in Cheyenne and forcing one to cross into Colorado with him.      The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported Friday that 23-year-old Anthony Gonzales was taken to Cheyenne this week.      He faces Wyoming charges of aggravated assault and kidnapping. It’s not clear if he has a lawyer.      Documents filed in Wyoming accuse Gonzales of choking one of the alleged assault victims in Weld County, Colo. She escaped and returned to Cheyenne.      A spokeswoman for Weld County prosecutors says the only charge against Gonzales in Colorado was being a fugitive. She says Colorado authorities may not be aware of all the allegations against Gonzales.      The Weld County Sheriff’s Department didn’t immediately return a call Friday.          … Read entire article »

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) – ?A Wyoming judge has ordered a Texas man to stand trial on charges of kicking a Wyoming state trooper in the face during a traffic stop.      Twenty-two-year-old Christopher Briggs of Denison, Texas, is charged with assault on a police officer and possession of stolen property.      The Casper Star-Tribune reports that a judge ruled Thursday the evidence is sufficient for Briggs to go to trial.      Prosecutors say a trooper stopped Briggs north of Casper on April 19 because he was driving slowly on the shoulder. The trooper testified Briggs told him the engine was struggling because he inadvertently fill the tank with diesel.      A records check indicated the car was stolen, so the trooper arrested and handcuffed Briggs. The trooper says they scuffled and that Briggs kicked him in the face. … Read entire article »

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) – The Gillette City Council plans to consider prohibiting people from carrying guns in government buildings unless the person is a law enforcement officer or has permission from the council.      The proposed ordinance follows a new state law that says people no longer need a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Wyoming. The law goes into effect July 1.      The Gillette News-Record reports some council members say they’re concerned about the law’s implications. The council plans to discuss the proposed ordinance Monday. … Read entire article »

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) – Wyoming’s 2011 tourism campaign seeks to spark the emotional and spiritual impact of the state.      The state Office of Tourism hopes its new “Roam Free” ads and its “Forever West” brand will create a much broader sense of what Wyoming truly is and what the state has to offer.      Tourism Director Diane Shober says the new ads were designed to bring out the wildness and beauty that still lives in Wyoming, and to encourage tourists to experience its magnificence by roaming free.      The Gillette News Record reports the state tourism campaign includes three new prints, two televised ads, online outreach programs and an interactive website featuring Wyoming road trip possibilities. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – An exhibit tracing the history of Hispanics in Wyoming from the late 17th century to the present opens May 1 at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.      The exhibit runs through June 25. It features maps and historic photographs demonstrating Hispanic history in the state. … Read entire article »