State Briefs

Commission approves Rock Creek Wind Project

LARAMIE (WNE) — The Albany County Board of Commissioners has approved a wind energy conversion systems permit for the Rock Creek Wind Project by a 3-0 vote. 

The commission had tabled the project following a public hearing Dec. 7 after commissioners asked for more time to ask questions and took the issue up again this past week. 

Following a discussion about fire suppression, impacts to wildlife and the use of aircraft detection lighting systems, project lead developer Chase Martson and attorney Greg Weisz offered to attach a condition to the permit limiting construction from Nov. 15-April 30 in areas considered to be crucial winter range for big game. 

The language of the condition would mirror a similar rule imposed by the Carbon County Board of Commissioners in December. 

An October letter to the county from habitat protection supervisor Amanda Losch included 20 recommendations intended to minimize impacts to big game, raptors, bats, aquatic species and habitat. 

Amy Watrud, senior associate for environmental compliance and strategy for Invenergy, said the company is working with the department and following its guidelines. 

“I would say we are on course to have all these recommendations from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department resolved,” she said. 

Albany County’s regulations defer consideration of wildlife and cultural resource impacts to the state’s Industrial Siting Council for developments large enough to require ISC permission, such as the Rock Creek Wind Project. Watrud said Invenergy had already moved turbines away from Cooper Creek at the department’s recommendation to lessen the impact to big game. 

Regarding the use of aircraft detection lighting systems, county regulations require their use unless prohibited by the Federal Aviation Administration. 

High speed chase leads to drug arrest

GILLETTE (WNE) — A man faces felony drug charges after leading deputies on a chase involving speeds over 100 mph, even after his vehicle’s four tires went over spike strips on Jan. 8.

Brett Alan Scheeler, 59, was driving a 2011 Chevy Suburban about 19 miles south of Gillette on Highway 50 at about 11:45 a.m. when he was stopped by a deputy. An agent with the state Division of Criminal Investigation had asked that the Suburban be stopped because he wanted to talk with the passenger, according to the affidavit of probable case.

But when deputies asked Scheeler and passenger Joshua Taylor to get out, they took off, driving toward Gillette at more than 100 mph. A spike strip set 12 miles south of Gillette struck at least one tire, and another spike strip a mile further north hit all four tires, yet the vehicle continued at 100 mph, according to the affidavit.

Scheeler reportedly started to lose control of the Suburban and slowed to about 90 mph. He then turned onto Clarkelen Road and continued at about 40 mph, swerving all over the road and losing two tires on the road.

The Suburban turned into a private property and drove around the pasture before Taylor allegedly jumped out and ran away. Scheeler continued to drive around farm equipment before driving through fencing and causing about $200 in damage before coming to a stop, the affidavit says.

He was arrested and a search warrant was sought for the vehicle. Inside, a shard of meth weighing about 16 grams was found in the driver’s side rear storage compartment, according to the affidavit.

Natrona County GOP loses delegates

CASPER (WNE) — Wyoming Republican Party leaders on Saturday cut the number of Natrona County delegates from 33 to the minimum six for failing to pay dues to the statewide organization. 

The move, made by the Republican State Central Committee at a meeting in Douglas, comes one day after the Natrona County GOP filed a motion asking a judge to rule in its favor in a lawsuit the group filed against the state party over a related issue. 

The number of delegates a county party has is usually proportional to its population. 

Laramie, the most populous county, has 37 delegates. Niobrara, the least populous, has seven. 

Natrona, the second most populous county in Wyoming, now has six delegates. 

At the state convention, which occurs every even numbered year, delegates vote on bylaws and platforms of the party as well as resolutions and the election of national committeeman and committeewoman. 

“It absolutely hurts our representation at the state convention,” said Kevin Taheri, chairman of the Natrona County Republican Party. 

County parties were not required to pay their dues until the state party changed its bylaws in 2020, starting Natrona and the Wyoming GOP down this path. 

Attorneys for the Natrona County Republicans have alleged the state party improperly adopted a number of bylaw changes at its summer 2020 state convention. Natrona County GOP leaders speculated at the time the move was part of an effort to give more power to hard-line conservatives.

New record: More than half a million people boarded planes at Jackson Hole Airport in 2021

JACKSON (WNE) — More than half a million people flew out of Jackson Hole in 2021 — a new record for Jackson Hole Airport.

In the past few years, massive crowds have descended on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Enplanements at the airport — a count of the number of people boarding planes — hit 508,838 in 2021.

Yellowstone National Park recorded over 4.8 million recreational visits in 2021, a 28% jump from the year prior, though WyoFile reported Friday that the way visits were counted this year may have overestimated the number of actual visitors to the park by 900,000. That would put visitation to the world’s first national park just under peak 2016 levels.

Grand Teton National Park had not yet released its complete figures for 2021 by press time but announced earlier this year that, by September, it had already surpassed its busiest year on record — 2018 — which saw 3,491,151 recreational visits. By September, the park had seen 3,493,937. By November, that number had climbed to 3,833,000, Grand Teton Chief of Staff Jeremy Barnum said.

“So we know that 2021 was a record-breaking year,” Barnum said.

Airport Director Jim Elwood said that most of the growth at the airport has occurred in the winter and off seasons.