Wyoming News Briefs

Minnesota man placed on probation for high-speed chase outside Cody

POWELL (WNE) – A Minnesota man who recently led police on a high-speed chase on the North Fork Highway has been released on probation after spending two-and-a-half weeks in jail. 

On July 24 in Park County District Court, Kirk D. Raymond, 53, pleaded guilty to a felony count of interference with a peace officer; it relates to Raymond trying to injure a pursuing Park County Sheriff’s deputy. 

Raymond’s guilty plea came as part of a deal with prosecutors that involved three other counts — a felony charge of aggravated fleeing police and misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence and possession of marijuana — being dismissed. 

Raymond told authorities that he suffers from manic depression and had been off his medications for weeks at the time of his arrest. 

“I actually thought I was going towards South Dakota,” he previously said in court. 

District Court Judge Bill Simpson accepted the plea agreement, suspending two to four years of prison time in favor of three years of unsupervised probation. Raymond’s only requirement is to obey the law. 

On July 5, Raymond led the Park County Sheriff’s Office and Wyoming Highway Patrol on a late-night chase on U.S. Highway 14/16/20 between Buffalo Bill Reservoir and the Shoshone National Forest boundary. 

During the roughly half-hour pursuit, Raymond slammed on his brakes — nearly causing Deputy Bill Brown to crash into him and almost hitting a vehicle in the oncoming lane — and hit speeds that reached 100 mph. 

Authorities ultimately had to use spike strips to stop Raymond’s Audi A4. 

He reportedly smelled of alcohol, and marijuana products were found in the vehicle, charging documents say. 

Raymond was ordered to pay $250 in court fees and assessment.

Gillette man charged after allegedly stabbing man who ended up in ICU

GILLETTE (WNE) — A man accused of stabbing one of two men he was fighting and causing injuries serious enough to put that man in the intensive care unit has been charged with aggravated assault and battery.

Phillip I. Young, 24, was charged at a preliminary hearing last Tuesday.

Young was arrested July 17 after police responded to the report of a fight between three men and found a 23-year-old man bleeding from his stomach.

Officers tried life-saving measures before EMS arrived and took the man to the Campbell County Health emergency department where he was immediately taken into surgery for the knife wound, according to court documents.

Police frisked Young before talking with him. A large folding knife fell from the man’s jacket. 

“I was protecting myself,” Young told officers, according to court documents.

He said he was at the residence all day and when he began talking with the 23-year-old man, another man, 44, got offended and told him to “step up” to a fight, according to court documents.

Young said he was going to leave, but after the challenge, instead began fighting the older man. 

They eventually separated and Young began walking away. When he was outside in the parking lot, he said the man challenged him to a fight again. He turned and faced the man, who then punched him in the mouth, according to court documents.

Young said he put the man in a headlock and held it until he saw the 23-year-old approach him. That’s when he pulled out the knife and “clipped” the younger man with the knife, according to court documents. 

“It wasn’t premeditated, just instinct,” Young said.

He said that he was pursued by the two men and felt threatened.

His charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.

Cheyenne man charged with arson for storage unit fire

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A 72-year-old Cheyenne resident has been charged with arson in connection with last Thursday’s fire at a storage facility on Missile Drive, according to court documents.

The official charge against Bela Kalfman is a single count of third-degree arson (property destruction greater than $200), according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Court documents allege that Kalfman “did unlawfully and intentionally start a fire or cause an explosion and intentionally, recklessly or with criminal negligence” destroy another’s property valued at $200 or more. 

Cheyenne Police Department Detective Mike Fernandez reported hearing two large explosions and seeing a pillar of smoke as he exited Interstate 25 onto Missile Drive. He responded to the location of the fire, where a nearby witness told him the suspect was leaving the scene in a blue truck.

Fernandez located and spoke with Kalfman.

“He confirmed to have poured gasoline on items located with storage unit #26 and lighting the fire from the entry of the unit,” the affidavit of probable cause read. “Kalfman stated there was propane tanks, gasoline and diesel within this unit. Kalfman stated he started the fire because ‘voices’ told him to do so.”

Kalfman told the detective that he was being watched before he started the fire and added that the unit he lit on fire was his own.

Fernandez also testified that Kalfman told him he was “sorry for his actions.”

The fire caused an estimated $1000 or more in damages and placed people in harm’s way. Fernandez also said the explosions were “possibly from the propane tanks, which [Kalfman] knew were in the unit he set fire to.”

If convicted, Kalfman could face up to five years of incarceration and/or a $5000 fine.

FBI helps identify area where missing Wyoming woman’s cell phone lost signal

CASPER (WNE) — The Wyoming branch of the FBI was able to help approximate where Breanna Mitchell’s cellphone last had signal, but the Washakie County woman remained missing on Monday. 

This information doesn’t give exact locations, so the search area is still large, Washakie County Sheriff Austin T. Brookwell said in a Sunday statement. 

Brookwell also noted Mitchell could have kept moving after her cellphone lost power. 

A K9 and handler that worked Friday night and Saturday morning also showed “some signs in a certain area,” he said, adding that he currently has search and rescue crews there. 

Brookwell refrained from sharing the location, as he doesn’t want individuals in the area who could “possibly jeopardize any tracks or clues.” 

Mitchell is described as a 28-year-old white woman with green eyes and brown hair, though her hair may be black now, according to posts on Facebook. She is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. 

She has been missing since July 22. 

She was last heard from after her car got stuck along rugged terrain near Nowater Trail past the Worland Municipal Airport, Brookwell said in a statement last week. 

Authorities were granted search warrants last week for all of Mitchell’s cellphone, social media and email data, he said. 

Numerous people have also been interviewed in connection with the investigation. The details of these interviews are not being released to the public, as this is an active investigation. Brookwell said that he will provide updates when he can and urged people to stay out of the search area. 

People with information about Mitchell can contact the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office at 307-347-2242.

Teton Village receives nearly $1 million to purchase electric buses

JACKSON (WNE) — Four red buses that move visitors and employees between the base of the Aerial Tram and the Ranch Lot in Teton Village will get an upgrade in fall 2024.

Taking their place will be four zero-emission battery-electric buses and charging equipment, funded through a federal grant awarded to the Teton Village Association Improvement and Service District.

“Reduced transit emissions will protect air quality here at the southern gateway to Grand Teton National Park, a Class 1 airshed, and serve as a model for the hundreds of thousands of guests we welcome to Teton Village from around the world every year,” Melissa Turley, executive director of the Teton Village Association, said in a press release.

The $945,179 grant from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will improve bus reliability and decrease maintenance costs and emissions, a service district press release said. Teton Village Association will fund the 20% local match, $166,796, from capital project funds supported by the Teton Village Resort District.

The buses are part of the $8.6 billion act, which sets aside $1.7 billion for transit projects in 46 states and territories, including 1700 American-built buses that will be manufactured with American parts and labor.

These buses serve nearly half a million people per year.

The department has worked to mitigate traffic in part to keep Highway 390 to two lanes. The Teton Village Association is attempting to transition its bus fleet to 100% electric by 2030.

“Keeping Wyoming 390 two lanes is good for the environment, wildlife and our neighbors,” the press release said.

Hageman bill would tighten label requirements for U.S.-raised beef

CHEYENNE (WNE) — On Friday, U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., introduced the Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act of 2023.

The bill, which is co-led by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., seeks to prohibit beef retailers from designating foreign beef as an American-made product by defining U.S.-produced beef as coming from animals “exclusively born, raised, slaughtered, and packaged in the United States.” 

Processors who do not comply with country of origin labeling requirements will be assessed a fine of $5000 per pound of beef illegally labeled as “made in the USA,” according to a news release from Hageman’s office.

Hageman stated in the release: “Beef is a key product of the American West, and enhanced country of origin labeling guidance is vital to protecting small-scale farmers and ranchers that must compete with mega meatpacking conglomerates. Clarifying what it means to be ‘made in the USA’ will give consumers greater confidence in what they feed their families, support local farmers and economies, and crack down on deceptive labeling practices by the big four meatpackers.”

In addition to bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, multiple stakeholder groups including R-CALF, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association and Farm Action Fund have applauded this bill.

The Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act is Hageman’s 12th bill introduced since joining Congress in January.

Man who attempted Gold’s Gym robbery sentenced

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Brandon Creel pleaded no contest to unlawful contact and interference with a peace officer earlier this month, according to a court document filed on July 18.

Creel was arrested for allegedly steademeanor simple assault for attempting to cause bodily injury. Under those charges he would have faced up to 11 years in prison and more than $10,000 in fines.

Due to his no-contest plea, he will only need to serve less than a year in jail. The court ordered that his 69 days already spent in jail will be taken as credit and served consecutively with his 360-day sentence.

After his time in jail, he will have one year of probation, along with a total of $270 in fees that he will have to pay for court costs, among other services. The court waived $250 in public defender fees, citing his inability to pay.