(RIVERTON, Wyo.) Riverton Police Detectives have announced that they have a suspect in the assault that sent two Riverton men to the hospital Wednesday night. Captain Smith with the Riverton Police Department said they will not release the name of the suspect at this time. The assault happened at the Riverton Maverick store on Federal in Riverton just before midnight Wednesday night.  Two 28 year old Riverton men were sent to the hospital with serious injuries.  One of the men was treated at the Riverton hospital after being hit the head with a heavy object, the other Riverton man was life flighted to Utah with stab wounds, and at last check was in critical condition. Captain Smith said the investigation into the incident is ongoing. … Read entire article »

(RIVERTON, Wyo.) Just before midnight last night (Wednesday 2/1/2012 at 2339 hours) the Riverton Police Department responded to the Maverik Store located at 601 S Federal Boulevard for an assault.   Officers found two 28 year old males had been the victim of an Aggravated Assault and Battery. One victim had been stabbed several times in the torso and once in the face, while the second victim suffered blunt force trauma caused by being hit in the side of the head with a heavy object.  Both victims are from the Riverton area, the stabbing victim was transported to a trauma Hospital by Life Flight, the victim who was hit in the head was treated at the Riverton Memorial Hospital.   Investigators are following up on leads as to the suspect[s] identity. UPDATE:    The stabbing victim was transported to the University of Utah Medical Center where he was … Read entire article »

(LANDER, Wyo.) The Fremont County Attorney’s office has filed charges against the man who is accused of hitting and killing a school girl getting off of a bus near Crowheart.   52 year old Lander resident William Dean Barnes has been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, homicide by vehicle, maximum speed too fast for conditions, passing a stopped school bus with flashing red lights and exercise of due care by driver.   Authorities say Barnes was the driver of a pickup truck that struck and killed 11 year old Wind River School student MaKayla Marie Strahle as she was getting off of the school bus and crossing highway 26 to get to her home.  Authorities charge that Barnes was traveling eastbound at a speed of over 55 mph in foggy conditions when he struck the girl.  The accident happened December 20th around 7:30pm.   Alcohol was NOT a … Read entire article »

(LANDER, Wyo.) Local dog sled racer Jerry Bath of Lander is holding his own in the 2012 International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race, the biggest dog sled race in the lower 48 states.   Before the race began, Jerry’s wife Sandy said that Jerry’s dog team was full of new dogs, and they were really hoping to just finish the race.   Yesterday was day 5 of the race, and Jerry Bath finished 4th out of 21 teams. Blayne Streeper, from Canada, who has won the race three times previous, is currently in 1st place, followed by John Stewart and Aaron Peck.  There are still three more days of racing with a $150,000 purse up for grabs.   The race ends Saturday in Park City Utah. … Read entire article »

RIVERTON, Wyo. (AP) — Police say two men suspected of breaking into a Riverton liquor store cut themselves while climbing through a broken window and later claimed they had been stabbed.   (The Riverton Ranger reports) police found bloody hand prints in the store when they investigated. Officers say liquor and cigarettes were stolen.   Later, police went to Riverton Memorial Hospital to check on reports that two stabbing victims were seeking medical attention. One had cuts on his hands, arm and thigh.   Officers concluded the men had been cut in the break-in and arrested them.   It wasn’t clear whether police suspect the two men broke the window or if it was already broken. … Read entire article »

(PAVILLION, Wyo) (AP) — A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official is defending a draft EPA report that theorizes gas industry activity including hydraulic fracturing may have polluted groundwater in Pavillon.   EPA Regional Administrator James Martin told a U.S. House subcommittee hearing in Washington on Wednesday his agency isn’t saying the report applies to fracking elsewhere, such as the Marcellus Shale in the northeast.   Republican Rep. Ralph Hall of Texas countered that the December report is but one example of the EPA “going after fracking everywhere it can.”   Petroleum companies frack their wells to improve the flow of oil and gas. They pump water, sand and chemicals down well holes to fracture deposits.   Environmentalists have raised concern about fracking for years. The petroleum industry says there are no proven cases of fracking polluting groundwater. … Read entire article »

(RIVERTON, Wyo.) Two Riverton men are in jail today, suspected of robbing Woodwards Liquor store on Federal in Riverton.   According to Captain Smith with the Riverton Police Department, the burglar alarm went off inside of Woodwards just after 2am Tuesday (January 31, 2012).  When officers arrived they found that the store had been burglarized and it appeared the suspects had cut themselves on broken glass from the south side drive up window while entering the building due to bloody hand prints left behind.  Officers were able to determine that liquor and cigarettes had been stolen from the store.   Moments after the first initial call, the Riverton Hospital reported a stabbing.  When officers arrived they found 21 year old Riverton resident James C’Hair with cuts to his hands, arm and thigh. Upon further investigation Officers found the injuries were not consistent with stab wounds but … Read entire article »

(RIVERTON)  (AP) — A federal judge has rejected an appeal from a state prison inmate convicted of murder in the 2004 strangulation death of a nurse at the Wyoming Honor Farm in Riverton. U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson last week rejected the appeal from inmate Floyd DeWayne Grady. The Wyoming Supreme Court in 2008 upheld Grady’s 2006 conviction and sentence of life without parole in the killing of nurse Tammy Sue Watts. Grady also was convicted of attempted sexual assault. Jurors decided against giving Grady the death penalty. … Read entire article »

(Pavillion, Wyo.) –The Environmental Protection Agency’s study of groundwater contamination and links to hydraulic fracturing in Pavillion is the topic of a U-S House subcommittee hearing today (Wednesday). No one locally affected was invited to the hearing, which is expected to include criticism of the E-P-A’s scientific approach. Pavillion rancher John Fenton says ever since the report tentatively linked fracking to pollution, the science has been attacked. FENTON :09 “And all this, while the people still sit here suffering the impacts, and have lately been pretty much forgotten in the political jousting that’s been going on.” Fenton says he and other area residents reached out to the E-P-A for the research after dealing with water contamination for ten years and not getting a satisfactory response, either from the state or the industry. Pavillion resident Louis Meeks says he and others are thankful the E-P-A tested water … Read entire article »

(LANDER, Wyo.) A Lander man has died after rolling a pickup he was driving in city limits. The crash occurred At 6:44 PM Saturday night.  Lander Police Officers were dispatched to Valley View St. and Highway 789 for a one vehicle rollover.  The driver, a 21 year old Lander Resident Spencer Kelii (Kelly), was ejected from the 2006 Dodge Pickup he was driving.  Kelii was the sole occupant, and was given medical attention at the scene and transported to the Lander Hospital.  He died later from injuries sustained in the crash at a Casper hospital. The crash is still under investigation by the Lander Police Department. … Read entire article »