State Briefs

War Memorial Stadium seating will be limited

CASPER (WNE) — The University of Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium will likely be kept at roughly a quarter of its capacity in the coming season and student capacity may be slashed by as much as two-thirds, the school’s athletic director told faculty Monday night. 

“There is no way we’re going to put 30,000 people in there for any event this year,” Tom Burman said during a town hall. 

Though exact details are still being worked out with health officials, Burman said that the stadium’s capacity will likely be “roughly in the neighborhood of 20 to 35 percent” in order to “allow for some safe social distancing.” 

He added that the student seating, which typically features about 3300 spectators, will likely be slashed to roughly a thousand. He said tailgating would “greatly reduced” and that other parts of the stadium experience — including entrances and concessions — will be more tightly controlled. 

As far as what’s to come for the season’s scheduling, Burman said he “can honestly tell you I don’t know what the Mountain West Conference is going to do.” He said a delayed start was likely; other conferences, he said, had shortened schedules and pushed back the beginning of the season. 

In a bit of good news, Burman said that after widespread testing, no UW student-athlete has tested positive for the coronavirus. 

Eight sickened by onions in Campbell County

GILLETTE (WNE) — A handful of cases of salmonella have been found in Campbell County that are linked to a red onion-related outbreak.

The Wyoming Department of Health advises people to be cautious.

Overall, 16 Wyoming cases have been recorded in Campbell, Carbon, Crook, Goshen, Natrona, Sheridan and Teton counties, and are part of a larger outbreak nationwide.

Eight of the 16 Wyoming cases are in Campbell County, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.

There have been 396 known cases nationally, a Wyoming Department of Health press release said Monday.

The contaminated onions are believed to be from Thomson International Inc.

“People ill in connection to this outbreak described eating raw onions in freshly prepared foods, including salads, sandwiches, wraps, salsas and dips,” said Tiffany Greenlee, surveillance epidemiologist with WDH in a press release. “That’s why we’re recommending residents should not eat, serve or sell any onions from Thomson International Inc. or products made with these onions.”

Greenlee offered several pointers to safely navigate the outbreak. She advises checking households for potentially affected onions or other products made with onion. Any packages or stickers indicating Thomson International Inc. should be thrown away.

Also, do not eat onions if their origins are unknown, she said. Surfaces that may come in contact with affected onions should be washed and sanitized, she said.

Health order violation charge against gym owner dismissed

PINEDALE (WNE) — An April 15 citation to a gym owner saying she violated a public health order was dismissed last month by the prosecution. 

Jennifer R. Ramsey, owner of the Iron Bar Gym, was cited that day by Undersheriff Logan Gehlhausen for opening for customers while Wyoming was under a strict public health order that restricted certain businesses in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Ramsey pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge via videoconference and requested a six-person jury trial. 

Sublette County Deputy Attorney Clayton Melinkovich filed the misdemeanor – the only one reported in Sublette County and perhaps western Wyoming at that time – in Circuit Court as well as the June 17 motion to dismiss the charge “without prejudice in the interests of justice.”

Chase ends in head-on collision, arrest

EVANSTON (WNE) — Three people were hospitalized on Saturday, Aug. 1, and a Utah man was arrested following a head-on collision on Interstate 80 just east of Evanston. 

According to a Facebook post by Uinta County Fire and Ambulance, three people were transported to Evanston Regional Hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Four other people were treated and released at the scene. 

The Wyoming Highway Patrol arrested 24-year-old Zachary Talbot, of Utah, after he allegedly led law enforcement on a short high-speed chase. WHP Lt. Matt Arnell told the Uinta County Herald that Talbot was clocked going 91 mph as he came up behind a trooper, who slowed down to let the vehicle pass around milepost 17. Once the trooper turned on his emergency lights, Arnell said the suspect increased his speed to about 130 mph. 

Arnell said the vehicle, a red Chevrolet Impala, was listed as stolen out of Utah. The chase continued until milepost 13, where Arnell said Talbot exited I-80. 

“He proceeded up to exit 13, went up under the interstate then went on the off-ramp on eastbound I-80,” Arnell said, traveling against traffic. 

The vehicle collided head-on with an SUV shortly after. 

Arnell said Talbot admitted to using heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana.