Wyoming News Briefs

Firefighters rescue trapped man from 15-feet below ground

GILLETTE (WNE) — Firefighters rescued a construction worker who was trapped about 15-feet below ground level near West 4J Road and Jayhawker Street Thursday afternoon.

The man was working on utilities in a trench when the dirt fell in on him, said Kate Eischeid, Campbell County Fire Department battalion chief. Because he was working at the edge of a trench box, his upper body was shielded from the collapse, but his lower legs and feet were trapped.

When the fire department arrived, he was conscious and breathing, and he spoke with firefighters while they worked to get him out even though he was in pain, Eischeid sad.

The nearly three-hour long process included 15 firefighters who worked to shore up the dirt around the trench before trying to dig the man out so that they wouldn’t become stuck as well.

“We train and train for these types of events but they are pretty rare,” Eischeid said.

Since the situation was high risk because of the unstable ground and continuously collapsing dirt, firefighters had to follow strict protocols that took more time.

Reaching the man 15 feet below ground was difficult because any movement knocked dirt back into the hole.

“Any vibrations around the hole, like passing cars or running vehicles, caused the dirt to keep raining down dirt on our heads or falling down the side,” Eischeid said.

Firefighters responded to the call at about 3 p.m. and were able to completely free the worker at 5:25 p.m., when he was transported by ambulance to Campbell County Health for doctor evaluation.

Housing for state troopers, plow drivers clears hurdle

JACKSON (WNE) — Housing that will be primarily for state troopers and snow plow operators is moving forward.

Teton County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a preliminary application from the Wyoming Department of Transportation to build housing for its employees on land south of town it already owns.

The units, no matter how many, are still five to ten years off from being completed. The project will be phased, said Taylor Cook, of the WYDOT, depending on funds.

While the units are meant to first house WYDOT employees, it’s suggested that the deeds have “workforce” restrictions so any member of the local workforce would be eligible if a unit was empty.

The agency needs housing to fill and keep positions, former WYDOT liaison Keith Compton told commissioners back in March while advocating for the property to be rezoned.

The plan now is to have two types of housing on the site. Most of the proposed units would be 2,334 square feet and two stories, with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms and an attached two-car garage.

The rest would be smaller apartments in a five-bed, five-bath building.

A few dozen neighbors of the project signed a letter to commissioners more than a year ago opposing the project, objecting to the impacts of an increase in houses they say would double their neighborhood. Only one attended Tuesday’s meeting in person.

“There’s not a single person in our neighborhood who supports this project,” Rosi de Haan said. Her biggest concern was that the aquifer could be harmed. De Haan urged commissioners to lower the number of homes to four.

After Tuesday’s approval, commissioners will take a look next at a development plan from the agency before it breaks ground.

Torres sentenced to 20-23 years in prison for second-degree murder

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Christian Torres, 16, was sentenced on Oct. 6 to 20-23 years in prison for murdering his adoptive father, Edgar “Eddie” Jones. 

Ninth Judicial District Court Judge Melissa Owens acknowledged the sentence addresses punishment, rehabilitation, protection of the public and deterrence.

In August, Torres changed his plea to guilty, and the charge was reduced from first-degree murder to second-degree murder as part of a plea agreement. The agreement also included a recommended sentence of 20-23 years imprisonment. The penalty for second-degree murder under law is 20 years imprisonment to life in prison.

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Sheridan County Deputy and Prosecuting Attorney Christopher LaRosa explained that the teen shot Jones from a short distance away while Jones sat on the edge of a bed with his back to Torres.

LaRosa and defense attorney Anna Malmberg said Jones had attempted to provide Torres with mental health treatment, though most had not been successful.

Malmberg also acknowledged Torres had taken responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty and confessing to law enforcement shortly after his arrest.

But LaRosa also explained the damage Torres’ actions had caused. Not only did he take the life of Jones, he had an irreversible impact on the Jones family.

Riley Jones, the son of the victim, spoke during Thursday’s sentencing hearing, saying the death of his father destroyed his family. Jones was the only member of the victim’s family who spoke Thursday. 

Torres will receive credit for time served, which includes 435 days, and Owens ordered Torres remain in an appropriate juvenile facility until moving to the state penitentiary, where she recommended he enter the intensive treatment unit.

Mental health crisis affecting jails

GILLETTE (WNE) — The entire state of Wyoming is struggling with a mental health crisis, which has made its way into the jails.

Last week, the Campbell County jail was holding 11 inmates for the Wyoming State Hospital. That made up 8% of the jail’s population.

It’s been an issue for the last year and a half, said Sheriff Scott Matheny.

He said the state hospital is dealing with a staffing shortage, and there are more patients than available beds. So the jail in Campbell County, as well as jails in other communities, are holding these people who’ve been ordered to go to the state hospital until a bed opens up in Evanston.

The jail’s booking area has become a sort of mental ward, he said, but without the people who are trained to handle those situations.

“It’s been difficult,” Matheny said.

While detention officers know they’ll have to deal with people like this, they aren’t medical professionals, and they haven’t received training to effectively handle someone who is dealing with mental issues.

A lot of these inmates just need a mental evaluation, he said, and he’s offered to open up a spot in his jail for a mental health professional.

“We’ve been kicking this around for the last year and a half, trying to come up with ideas,” Matheny said, adding that he’s not the only sheriff who’s offered to house a mental health professional in the jail.

Man arrested for alleged assault of pregnant girlfriend

CODY (WNE) — Travis William Rednour, 39, of Cody, was arrested on Sept. 21 for the alleged assault and battery of his pregnant girlfriend, which occurred after she shared the news with Rednour that she was pregnant.

Rednour and the woman have been in a relationship for eight years and share two children, according to the affidavit.

Rednour was charged with one count of aggravated assault and battery by knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury to a pregnant woman, a felony punishable by imprisonment of no more than 10 years, a fine of no more than $10,000 or both.

He was also charged with one count of interference with emergency calls by knowingly obstructing, preventing, hindering or interfering with the making or completion of a 911 call by another person.

According to the affidavit, the woman found out she was pregnant on Sept. 17 and when she told Rednour, he began yelling and screaming at her.

“During this time, Rednour was calling [the woman] names and telling her how worthless she is,” Cody Police Officer Trevor Budd wrote in the affidavit.

Rednour left their shared residence at 10 p.m. and returned at 2 a.m. when he resumed yelling and calling the woman names.

The woman told police Rednour was drunk when the incident occurred. She also said Rednour shoved her, pulled her around by the hair on her head and slapped her across the face.

The following day, she reported to the Cody Police Department that she had been the victim of domestic violence.

An arrest warrant was issued for Rednour on Sept. 20. He was arrested on Sept. 21, and was issued a $30,000 surety or cash bond on Sept. 28. His case has since been transferred to Park County District Court.

Police seek suspect in gas station theft

JACKSON (WNE) — Jackson police are looking for a suspect who took the keys to a local gas station on Friday afternoon.

At approximately 2:02 p.m. Friday, a man entered the Shell gas station located at 580 W. Broadway, Lt. Russ Ruschill of the Jackson Police Department said, and purchased some small items.

“The man paid for coffee and some other items then grabbed a bunch of keys for the store from behind the counter and used the bathroom,” Ruschill said.

After using the restroom, the man left with the keys. Officers said the man was driving a gray Jeep Compass.

The keys to the store were the only items taken, and the man may have taken them accidentally, believing they were the keys to the restroom, police said.

Ruschill believes the man, who appears to be in his 30s or 40s from the gas station’s security photo, was wearing a black tank top and a backward Puma hat with what looked to be shaved gray hair underneath.

According to Ruschill, surveillance footage didn’t capture the license plate from the man’s vehicle.

The keys have not been returned and officers haven’t been able to locate the man.

Police are asking anyone with information that may help in identifying the suspect to contact Officer Heidi Schmidl at 733-2331. A photograph of the suspect is posted on the Jackson Police Department’s Facebook page.