Wyoming News Briefs

75-year-old arrested Thanksgiving Day bound over on drug charges

GILLETTE (WNE) — A 75-year-old Gillette man arrested on drug charges Thanksgiving Day has been bound over to District Court.

Dickie F. Sandy waived his preliminary hearing Nov. 30, binding him over to District Court for possession with intent to deliver meth and possession of meth and liquid meth, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of cocaine and amphetamine pill possession, according to court documents.

A Sheriff’s deputy, who recognized Sandy from his past work with a Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation task force, spotted Sandy driving down West Second Street in a gold Chevy pickup truck Thanksgiving morning.

Based on his time with Wyoming DCI, the deputy suspected Sandy of distributing drugs in Gillette.

The deputy saw Sandy pull into the north Shell Food Mart, which he suspected as a way of evading him, then caught up to him again later that afternoon. After tailing Sandy while suspecting him of driving evasively after making several stops, waiting for the deputy to leave and continuing on.

The deputy eventually stopped the pickup truck outside of the Kwik Shop on Gurley Avenue.

While the deputy wrote up a warning to Sandy for driving with snow obscuring his truck’s license plate, another deputy arrived with a K-9 which indicated drugs were in the pickup.

A search of the truck yielded 3 amphetamine pills, also known as Adderall, two syringes with liquid meth weighing about 0.71 grams, about 17.5 grams of crystal meth and about 1.5 grams of cocaine, as well as a variety of drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.

Possession with intent to deliver meth carries a punishment of up to 20 years, a $25,000 fine or both.

Police investigate single Taco Bell hot sauce packet delivered to woman’s home

GILLETTE (WNE) — Police are investigating after Taco Bell hot sauce packets were sent to a woman whose personal information was recently compromised.

A 43-year-old DoorDash driver said someone made an order Saturday night for a home in the 400 block of Clarion Drive containing a single Taco Bell hot sauce packet. She believed the order may have been sent as a prank, said Deputy Chief Brent Wasson, and she called the police.

During the investigation, officers spoke with the 44-year-old woman who lives at the home, who said this was the third time she had received a DoorDash delivery of Taco Bell hot sauce. She did not know who made the orders, but thought it was suspicious.

The woman had reported on Friday that an unknown person accessed her personal information and opened a credit card in her name. The suspect tried to use the card at multiple locations, totaling $3,800. She was able to contact her bank and the charges were stopped before she was out any money, Wasson said.

She also said that her daughter, age unknown, had received texts from unknown numbers asking for her name. She blocked the numbers, which appeared to be fictitious and internet-generated, Wasson said.

The investigation continues.

Boulder man charged with threatening law enforcement officers

PINEDALE (WNE) –– A Boulder man, Chadwick L. Haszier, is charged with intimidating and threatening by phone or electronic communications to physically harm two Sublette County law enforcement officers. 

The two felony charges filed Nov. 16 refer to intimidation or attempts to influence an officer, in this case Sublette County drug detective Karson Turner and Deputy Brian Gardner, or a witness or juror, with threats of “bodily injury or death,” according to an affidavit from Sgt. Lance Gehlhausen. 

Haszier, 38, is also charged with the misdemeanor of telephoning another and threatening injury or harm, records show. 

Ashley Zinninger, Haszier’s fiancée, was arrested by Gardner on Nov. 14 for alleged meth distribution and possession, according to Gehlhausen’s affidavit.

Gardner transported Zinninger to the Sublette County Jail. 

Haszier and Turner knew each other’s cell phone numbers from “previous investigative interviews” and later that day, Haszier allegedly sent six texts to Turner, threatening Gardner, according to the affidavit. 

Turner did not reply and later Haszier allegedly sent four more texts, including threats to “burn both of you,” “I got a ditch for snitches,” “And plenty of dirt” and “On both of you,” the affidavit said. 

On his Facebook page, Haszier allegedly made public posts that he was “coming for you Brian Gardener” and threatened a man Haszier believed to be a confidential informant in Zinninger’s case. 

Each felony is punishable by maximum penalties of 10 years in prison and $5,000 fines. The misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of 1 year in jail and $1,000 fine.

Gray files brief challenging Colorado Supreme Court’s Trump ruling

CHEYENNE (WNE) — On Wednesday, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray led and filed an Amicus Curiae, or friend of the court, brief with the Colorado Supreme Court. Gray was joined by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

The brief argues that the Colorado District Court made an error in its Nov. 17 ruling when it labeled former President Donald Trump an “insurrectionist” for his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, but rejected an effort to keep him off the state’s primary ballot. The brief said the court should have instead dismissed the case immediately.

The brief also notes that the removal of a candidate from the ballot in one state not only affects that state’s election, but also has far-reaching ramifications in other states with later primaries and caucuses, like Wyoming.

“I have been and will continue to work to protect the right of the voters to decide who represents them,” Gray said in a statement. “The weaponization of the Fourteenth Amendment with frivolous lawsuits like the one in Colorado undermines the sanctity of the Constitution and our entire election process. That is why I led this Amicus brief to make sure that Donald Trump will be able to remain on the ballot. I will continue to protect election integrity, and make sure voters will be able to decide for themselves.”

Game and Fish warns against feeding wildlife

BUFFALO (WNE) — With winter weather settling in, big game animals are moving to lower elevations, and some may descend into Wyoming towns and backyards.

That has prompted the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to issue a reminder to residents that feeding wildlife is often not healthy for the animals.

“This year, our backyard visitors may appear thin or hungry – sparking an urge to feed them. Many well-intentioned people feed wildlife under the assumption it will ensure their survival through winter,” Game and Fish said in a press release. “The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recognizes and appreciates people’s concern about wintering wildlife. However, feeding deer often causes more harm than good for some big game species like mule deer and does not increase their chances of survival.”

According to the press release, when winters get tough, people can feel an urge to help feed deer with alfalfa, pellets and corn. But suddenly introducing new food to deer can have devastating effects.

“It’s not unusual to see these deer that have been fed die with full stomachs,” said Doug Brimeyer, Game and Fish deputy wildlife division chief.

Game and Fish said that feeding deer can also create more problems. Feeding a few deer can quickly lead to more animals looking for a handout, which encourages wildlife to congregate in yards and lose their fear of humans. This can result in damage to yards, increase conflicts with domestic animals and humans, and attract predatory animals like mountain lions and coyotes. 

“We understand the compassion that those who feed deer feel,” Brimeyer said. “But feeding unnatural foods is not what is best for them and can lead to their death or secondary harmful effects.”

Wyoming Economic Indicators report for November 2023 released

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The November 2023 issue of the Wyoming Economic Indicators report is available at the state of Wyoming’s Economic Analysis Division website, ai.wyo.gov/divisions/ economic- analysis.

This report contains the Wyoming Economic Health Index (WEHI), a coincident economic indicator designed to provide a current assessment of the state’s economy.

Highlights from this month’s issue include the following:

• The Wyoming Economic Health Index reported an index value of 106.8 in September 2023. This value is higher than the September 2022 value of 105.1.

New design picked for Powell’s iconic mural

POWELL (WNE) — Downtown Powell will soon get a fresh new look, as the city’s longstanding mural of the city’s namesake, explorer John Wesley Powell is set to be replaced with a colorful rendition of Heart Mountain. 

The artwork currently adorning the Powell bean mill along Coulter Avenue was installed in 1997, and the materials are showing their age. 

That’s why Powell Mayor John Wetzel called for a revamp last spring — and why Plaza Diane Community Center for the Arts put out a call for new designs in September. 

The process culminated with the selection of a design from Jeremiah Howe of Powell. It depicts a Heart Mountain sunset beneath a starry night sky and above a field of barley, with text that notes the city’s 1909 founding and welcomes visitors to town. 

In the news release, Wetzel embraced the new look. 

“I am super excited to see this mural design enhance Powell’s cityscape with bright colors that represent the vibrancy of the community itself,” the mayor said. 

The Park County Travel Council awarded a $32,200 grant to help pay for the new mural, with the city chipping in another $15,000. Leaders previously estimated that another $15,000 worth of support would need to be raised from the community to complete the project. Thanks to in-kind donations, including equipment from Ryno’s Rentals, the need is down to about $10,000. 

The new 53-foot-high mural will be installed in the same spot on the historic bean elevator, which is owned by Treasure Valley Seed. The company has been supportive of the revamp and has offered to add nighttime lighting. 

Installation of the new mural is planned for next spring.