State Briefs

Enzi service set for Aug. 6 in Gillette

GILLETTE (WNE) — A public ceremony to celebrate the life of former U.S. senator and former Gillette mayor Mike Enzi, begins at 1 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Gillette College Pronghorn Center located, fittingly, just off Enzi Drive.

Jerrica Mills, the office manager of Gillette Memorial Chapel, confirmed that Pastor Donavon Voigt of First Baptist Church will officiate.

Instead of flowers, the announcement from the funeral home suggested memorials can be made to Project Mercy, Mike and Diana Enzi Scholarship Fund at the University of Wyoming, and the Wyoming Community Foundation Mike & Diana Enzi Charitable Fund.

Enzi died Monday after sustaining injuries in a bicycling accident Friday near his home.

He served 24 years in the U.S. Senate, 10 years in the Wyoming Legislature and eight years as Gillette’s mayor.

Dayton murder victim identified

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office officials identified the 47-year-old homicide victim found dead in his home July 28 in Dayton as Edgar Jones.

According to a press release, at approximately 3:53 a.m. July 28, SCSO received a call that law enforcement near Hardin, Montana, was in contact with a 15-year-old male who was involved in a rollover accident. The teenager disclosed to Montana law enforcement he had killed his father in Dayton.

SCSO deputies responded to the home on Main Street in Dayton and found a deceased male inside the residence. The cause of death appeared to be from a single gunshot wound.

SCSO officials said the 15-year-old male was taken into custody by Montana law enforcement. The Sheridan County Attorney’s Office has filed one count of second-degree murder against the male juvenile and a warrant was granted.

The investigation remains active and is being conducted by the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sheridan County Coroner’s Office.

Law enforcement did not release the name of the 15-year-old male suspect.

Peabody coal sales up from year ago

GILLETTE (WNE) — As much of the western United States swelters and seeks relief with electric fans and air conditioners, a battered and bruised domestic thermal coal industry is warming up to a bump in sales.

That includes Peabody Energy Corp., which is reporting a nearly 26% increase in sales in the second quarter of the year compared to 2020. And while the company also saw a $23 million net income loss for the quarter, it has made significant financial improvements over the first half of 2021, according to its quarterly earnings report released Thursday morning.

“We are optimistic about the future given strong coal market demand and pricing around the globe as economies continue to recover from the pandemic,” said company President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Grech in the report. “The company has taken a disciplined approach to focusing on expanding margins, through ongoing operational improvements, cost controls and sales strategies, along with reducing debt, as we progress to position the company to be resilient in all market cycles.”

While higher fuel costs in the second quarter impacted Peabody’s Powder River Basin bottom line, it was more than made up for in the increased volume, which generated about $45.5 million in cash for the company.

The 22.5 million tons sold between Peabody’s three PRB mines — NARM, Rawhide and Caballo — was a significant improvement over the 17.9 million tons sold in the second quarter of 2020. The company also brought its PRB cost-per-ton down to $9.04 while realizing an average price of $11.06 per ton.

Man receives probation for felonies

CHEYENNE (WNE) – A man charged with multiple felonies, including sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated burglary with a weapon, was given probation July 23 in Laramie County District Court. 

Charged in four separate cases, David Isaac Rutherford received five years of supervised probation, with a suspended sentence of six to eight years in prison, from Laramie County District Judge Peter Froelicher. 

In April, Rutherford entered no-contest pleas to felony sexual exploitation of a child (using a child to make pornography), felony aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, felony stalking (probation violation) and two felony counts of interference with a peace officer with injury, as part of a stipulated plea agreement. 

Additional charges – felony burglary, two counts of felony interference with a peace officer with injury, 21 counts of felony sexual exploitation of a child (possessing child pornography) and misdemeanor charges of property destruction and violation of a stalking protection order – were dismissed at sentencing as part of the agreement. 

In the child sexual exploitation case, a Laramie County Sheriff’s deputy found 22 pornographic images of an underage girl on Rutherford’s cellphone while investigating a stalking case against him.

In the stalking case, the same girl reported that Rutherford had been repeatedly calling and texting her since they’d ended their relationship, and that he’d been showing up in stores she visited and sitting on a hill overlooking her parents’ home, according to court documents. 

In the aggravated burglary case, a Laramie County Sheriff’s deputy determined Rutherford had broken into two campers at the Terry Bison Ranch dry storage area and taken several items, including a handgun. 

Illinois woman charged with disturbing wildlife in Yellowstone National Park

JACKSON (WNE) — After a two-month investigation, Yellowstone National Park rangers believe they have identified the woman who approached and photographed a mother grizzly bear and her cubs during a May 10 incident that ignited social media discourse.

The Carol Stream, Illinois, native had just driven into the park with her family. At Roaring Mountain, three grizzly bears were grazing, and a small crowd of tourists gathered to watch.

Some of those visitors later told park rangers that they advised her to back up, but she ignored them.

As the woman stood just ten yards from the mother grizzly, snapping photos with her smartphone, the sow made a bluff charge, and one of her cubs scampered into the woods. Investigators determined that the bear came within 15 feet of the woman, who quickly dropped the phone to her side and walked away.

Another visitor filmed the entire encounter from the sunroof of her car, and posted it to Instagram the same day with the caption, “Absolutely INSANE.” The video quickly went viral, with calls to find the woman and permanently ban her from the park. Within days, a park ranger was assigned to investigate.

Two weeks after the incident, the National Park Service posted a screenshot from the video and asked the public for help identifying the woman. According to court documents, “numerous tips were received,” which allowed investigators to track down the suspect through her father’s Facebook account. 

The Illinois woman was charged July 20 in the U.S. District Court in Yellowstone with two related counts of disturbing wildlife. She is set to appear in court Aug. 26 at 9 a.m. in Mammoth.