Wyoming News Briefs

Strike-down of affirmative action will not impact admissions at UW or CSU

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions on Thursday will not impact the admissions processes at either the University of Wyoming or nearby Colorado State University.

Though the court declared race can no longer be a factor in admission, neither university anticipates changes in their own admissions.

“The university does not see any direct impact from this,” UW associate vice president of institutional communications Chad Baldwin said.

The University of Wyoming does not have any race-based admission policies and therefore will not be impacted, Baldwin said.

CSU President Amy Parsons, a Cheyenne native, emailed students after the decision to inform them of the impact it would have on campus. “This constitutional ban on race-conscious admissions will impact admissions practices at many institutions,” Parsons said in the email. “Here at CSU, the court’s decision will not affect the undergraduate admissions process we have had in place for decades.”

Parsons also included that this past year’s incoming freshman class was historically the largest, with more than 5,700 students.

Of these students, 28% were from diverse backgrounds, 25% were first-generation students and 60% were Colorado residents, with several hundred students coming from rural communities.

“To prospective students and families who fear this ruling will change their access to a CSU education, nothing could be further from the truth,” Parsons said in the email. “An undergraduate education at CSU remains available to all qualified students with the talent and determination to attend a top-tier research university.”

Wyoming elected officials react to Supreme Court ruling on student loan debt relief

CHEYENNE (WNE) — On Friday, Wyoming’s two U.S. senators weighed in with official statements after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration’s student loan debt relief program.

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., issued the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled the administration lacked authority to use executive action to cancel student loan debt: “Today’s decision is a victory for every American who played by the rules and worked hard to pay off their own debt. Senate Republicans warned that President Biden’s student loan scheme was unconstitutional. This decision confirms that.”

“We will block any attempt by President Biden and congressional Democrats that continues this executive overreach and reckless spending,” he added. “The 87% of Americans with no student loan debt should never be forced to pay off the debt of the 13% who do.”

“Asking hardworking people in Wyoming to cover a $400 billion bill for doctors, lawyers and those with multiple graduate degrees has always been morally wrong, and I applaud the Supreme Court for finding it legally wrong, as well,” U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said in a statement. “President Biden cannot rule by executive order, simultaneously going around the will of the American people. He must work with Congress to govern within the confines of the Constitution.”

Boy crashes truck after milkshake TikTok incident

GILLETTE (WNE) — A 17-year-old boy crashed his truck late Thursday night after fleeing a potential confrontation that stemmed from a TikTok video involving a milkshake and an upset driver. 

Police responded to Dalbey Memorial Park for the report of an accident after 11 p.m. Thursday. The boy had been driving his 2008 Chevy truck at “an incredibly high rate of speed,” said Police Sgt. Dean Welch.

The boy lost control and collided with a large landscaping boulder before crashing into a tree. The truck was inoperable and was towed from the scene.

There were three passengers, a 15-year-old boy, a 16-year-old boy and the 17-year-old driver. No one was hurt in the crash, Welch said.

Police learned that the boy had been driving unsafely because he was fleeing a potential confrontation with unknown individuals. One of his passengers had thrown a milkshake out of the window at another vehicle while trying to record a TikTok video, Welch said.

That upset the people in the vehicle the milkshake was thrown at, and they began following the carload of teenagers, presumably to “confront them about the TikTok video-induced milkshake throwing,” Welch said.

Officers were unable to determine which of the passengers threw the milkshake. It’s not known where the incident occurred, and the people who were following the pickup were gone by the time of the crash, Welch said.

Damage to the truck was more than $1,000, and damage to the park property was less than $1,000. The 17-year-old was ticketed for careless driving.

Human remains found in Carbon County identified

RAWLINS (WNE) — The human remains discovered by shed antler hunters near the Pedro Mountains/ Miracle Mile area of Carbon County have been confirmed as belonging to John Daily Hammond of Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Hammond was reported missing on Nov. 11, 2021, after a camping trip near the Miracle Mile/Pedro Mountains.

Shed antler hunters in that area discovered human skeletal remains on May 6, 2023.

The remains were analyzed by a forensic pathologist in Casper, Wyoming, who was able to confirm the identity utilizing skeletal analysis and medical records belonging to Hammond.

“Thank you to the Carbon County Coroner’s Office for their assistance in closing this case. There are no indications that foul play was involved. Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Mr. Hammond,” a press release from Carbon County Sheriff Alex S. Bakken states.

BLM oil and gas lease sale in Wyoming nets $14,776,920

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The Bureau of Land Management’s Wyoming State Office on Friday conducted a competitive oil and gas lease sale, offering 116 parcels covering 127,014.62 acres in Wyoming. In total, 67 parcels covering 69,149.39 acres sold for $14,776,920.

The environmental assessment, maps, parcel lists, Notice of Competitive Lease Sale and proposed lease stipulations are available online at the BLM’s ePlanning website at tinyurl.com/ blm-lease-sale-063023.

As authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, BLM will apply a 16.67% royalty rate for any new leases from this sale. More information about the act is available on BLM’s online fact sheet.

Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for a permit to drill detailing development plans.

Woman ticketed, children taken by DFS based on home’s condition

GILLETTE (WNE) — A 37-year-old woman was ticketed and her children were taken into protective custody after police found her home to not be in livable condition.

Officers received a report that there was feces on the floors and walls of a home in the 500 block of Oregon Avenue, and that there were two children inside the home, said Police Lt. Kelly Alger.

When they arrived, they spoke with the woman, who let them in.

There were four dogs in the home, and officers saw animal feces on the floors and walls of most of the rooms of the apartment. There was no water or electricity in the home, causing food inside the refrigerator to spoil, Alger said.

The two children, a 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, were taken into protective custody by the Department of Family Services, Alger said.

Animal Control investigated the home further and ticketed the woman for failure to license and failure to remove feces from the property.

Additional charges are possible, Alger said, and the investigation continues.

Rising water level at Flaming Gorge threatens unattended travel trailers

LYMAN (WNE) — If you’re planning to leave your camper or RV for a few days to reserve a good camping spot near the shoreline of Flaming Gorge, beware water levels at the reservoir are currently up over eight feet from one year ago.

A high amount of mountain snowmelt runoff, increased outflows upstream from Fontenelle Reservoir, and decreased outflows at the Gorge itself have raised water levels nearly three feet during the first 14 days of June.

Sheriff’s office spokesperson Jason Mower said, “Obviously, if the water gets too high and you’re parked too close to the shoreline, at the very least, you’re risking water damage to your camper or other property. We just want people to be aware and be smart about the rising water levels.”

Unless otherwise posted, Mower said, dispersed camping regulations on most BLM Wyoming-administered public land, including around the Gorge, allows for a 14-day occupancy limit within a 28-day period.

The 14-day limit is reached either through several separate visits, or 14 days of continuous occupancy during the 28-day period.

Campers may leave their personal property unattended for up to 72 hours, but the length of time property is left unattended also counts toward the 14-day camping limit.

After 14 days, campers must then move outside of a five-mile radius from their previous location.

For more details on recreating on public lands in Wyoming, please visit the BLM’s website at blm. gov/wyoming.

For the latest updates on water levels at Flaming Gorge, please visit its water database website at flaminggorge.water-data.com.