Wyoming News Briefs for May 1, 2024

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Average gasoline prices in Wyoming have fallen 2.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.27 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy.com’s survey of 494 stations in Wyoming.

Prices in Wyoming are unchanged versus a month ago, and stand 9.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the lowest price in the state Sunday was $2.82, while the highest was $3.96, a difference of $1.14 per gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 1.9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.63 on Monday. The national average is up 8.4 cents per gallon from a month ago, and stands 4.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

The national average price of diesel has fallen 2.9 cents in the last week and stands at $3.98 per gallon.

This story was published on May 1, 2024.

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Campbell County courthouse evacuated, closed after hazardous material scare

GILLETTE (WNE) — Discovery of a substance that led to the evacuation and closure of the Campbell County Courthouse late Tuesday morning has been deemed non-hazardous.

The courthouse, which closed after 10 people were potentially exposed to the substance, was expected to return to normal business hours Wednesday.

One person directly exposed to the substance was taken to Campbell County Memorial Hospital, treated and released, said Leslie Perkins, Campbell County spokesperson, in a news release.

The others who may have been exposed were quarantined until the substance was identified by the Wyoming National Guard Civil Support Team at about 5:20 p.m. Tuesday.

The incident was reported at about 11 a.m. and dispatch scanner audio from the time of the hazmat report mentioned anthrax as the possible substance.

Perkins confirmed Tuesday night that the substance was described as potentially anthrax on the dispatch scanner, but testing confirmed the substance was not anthrax.

County Emergency Management Coordinator David King said Tuesday afternoon that the incident was being investigated as a potential terroristic threat.

Federal agencies including the postal inspectors in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Casper have been contacted as well as the FBI field office in Casper, Perkins said.

Gillette police have the active lead on the investigation as of Tuesday night, Perkins said.

The courthouse was evacuated by about 11:10 a.m. and personnel with the Campbell County Fire Department, Gillette Police Department, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, EMS and Public Health all responded to the courthouse.

The state national guard team drove from Cheyenne to Gillette to identify the substance, contributing to the more than six hours from the time the incident was reported to the time the substance was deemed non-hazardous.

The remaining substance will be sent to the Wyoming Department of Health lab for identification, according to the news release.

This story was published on April 30, 2024.

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Fremont County teen arrested for stabbing

RIVERTON (WNE) — A 16-year-old Riverton girl was arrested Friday after allegedly stabbing a 40-year-old woman in the abdomen, face and forearm, then robbing her in an abandoned house.

Police were called to the 200 block of North Federal on Friday at 11:55 a.m. on a report of a woman bleeding out of her stomach and head.

Responding officers noted she had stab and slash wounds to the left side of her face, left forearm, and three wounds to her abdomen area, and that the stabbing had occurred in an abandoned house on the 1000 block of East Jackson.

The suspect also robbed the victim of personal property, according to police.

The 16-year-old was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and robbery.

Alma Addison, 36, Casper, was also at the scene and taken into custody on two warrants for failure to appear in court.

This story was published on May 1, 2024.

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Torrington storm brings spring tornado

TORRINGTON (WNE) — Goshen County saw its first glimpse of severe spring weather last Thursday afternoon with scattered storms first producing land spouts, then a tornado.

The National Weather Service in Cheyenne began seeing storms develop at roughly 2:45 p.m. on April 25 along the Wyoming-Nebraska state line, which later developed into a 3:11 p.m. tornado warning for the area.

“Around 3:05 p.m. we started hearing reports of possible land spouts,” said Cheyenne meteorologist Matthew Brothers. “It was really a stretching of rotation into the atmosphere from that boundary. We then started getting reports as it merged into a conservative tornado, with circulation developing over the Henry and Lyman area.”

Brothers added further reports of storms producing both quarter and golf ball-sized hail, but with no current reports of severe damages or injuries.

“It was short-lived, but the storm still produced a few funnel clouds in the Henry and Morrill area,” Brothers said.

The Cheyenne meteorologist stressed to locals the importance of reporting any severe or potentially dangerous weather they may see.

“We did receive a lot of calls yesterday of additional reports which were extremely helpful,” he said. “As far as the rotation of the tornado, which was the second event, we were able to detect rotations with the storm. It was weaker than our initial thresholds, but definitely hearing those reports helped us get warnings out to protect lives.”

This story was published on May 1,2024.