Fremont Co. authorities arrest 2 teens in homicide

Fremont County authorities have arrested two boys from Riverton in connection with the death of a man and the apparent beating of a woman this week. The boys, ages 15 and 16, were arrested on Thursday evening. They've each been charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder. Their names were withheld because of their age. Fremont County Coroner Ed McAuslan on Friday identified the homicide victim as 25-year-old David Ronald Moss, Jr. A preliminary investigation shows he died from blunt force trauma to the head. The unidentified woman was listed in critical condition at a hospital on Friday morning. The two victims were found together on the Rails to Trails pathway north of Riverton on Wednesday.

BLM Offers for Adoption Halter Started Filly at 2013 Saratoga Mustang Versatility

The Bureau of Land Management High Desert District in cooperation with the Platte Valley Ranch Supply and 5N Ranch will offer a sorrel halter started filly for adoption at the 2013 Saratoga Mustang Versatility on Sept. 7 beginning at 9 a.m. at the 5N Ranch Arena in Saratoga. Serena Baker says the filly has a solid sorrel body with some roan coloring in her flank and tail areas and with a white star on her face.  






The filly is halter started, loads and hauls well in a trailer. Pictures of the filly are available online on the blm website.






The entry fee for an individual is $10 or $20 for a family. All participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please call 307-352-0292 or go to blm.gov.

13 West Nile cases in Wyoming, including 1 death

At least 13 people have contracted West Nile virus in Wyoming so far this year, including a Park County man who died. Fremont County has the highest number of confirmed cases at 10. Platte and Natrona counties each have had one as of Tuesday. Surveillance epidemiologist Emily Thorp of the Wyoming Department of Health says the department is following up on other potential cases in the state. Cases of the virus have increased in the last few weeks in Wyoming. Cases have also been reported in South Dakota, Colorado, Montana and Utah. Last year, Wyoming had seven West Nile cases but no one died. Since the virus first appeared in Wyoming in 2002, the number of cases has ranged from two to 393.

Rawlins youth crisis center makes progress

Rawlins officials say a youth crisis center that has been in the works for nearly a decade could open as soon as the start of the year. The Cathedral Home, a Laramie child-services facility, is expected to enter into a 3-year contract to operate the center. It would be located west of the Carbon County jail and provide temporary housing for troubled youth or children before they get placed in foster care or return to their parents. The Carbon County Commission will get a contract in the coming weeks to allow the Cathedral Home to run the center.

ATV crash into Seminoe Reservoir kills Colo. man

Carbon County authorities say a man who was riding on an all-terrain vehicle died after the four-wheeler hit a rock and toppled into Seminoe Reservoir. The victim is identified as 26-year-old Daniel Scott Gardner, of Fort Collins, Colo. Sheriff Jerry Colson says the driver of the ATV was able to release himself from his seat belt and swim to the surface. Others who saw the crash dove down to the ATV in 12 feet of water and attempted to free Gardner, who was a passenger on the four-wheeler. They eventually got Gardner to shore and tried to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead at a hospital. The Carbon County coroner says an autopsy showed that drowning was the cause of death.

Lottery board settled on CEO candidate

The board overseeing the creation of a state lottery in Wyoming has settled on a chief operating officer but is waiting for a background check and employment contract negotiations before making an announcement. Wyoming Lottery Board Chairman Brian Scott Gamroth says it's hoped that the board can formally approve the hiring and announce the new CEO in about two weeks. Gamroth says there were a number of candidates for the CEO position and four finalists were chosen and interviewed over the last month. During a telephone conference call Thursday, the board continued to address other issues in starting up the lottery. The board has been working to create a quasi-government lottery corporation that will run the state lottery. Officials hope to have the lottery up and running next year.

Highway Patrol: bicyclist's death a suicide

The Wyoming Highway Patrol has concluded that a bicyclist who died north of Sheridan over the weekend committed suicide by intentionally pulling out in front of a pickup truck. Patrol spokesman Sgt. Stephen Townsend says investigators have identified the dead man as 77-year-old Robert Smart, of Sheridan. He died after colliding with a pickup truck about 4 miles north of Sheridan on Wyoming 338 on Sunday morning. Townsend says investigators classified Smart's death as a suicide after reviewing his personal journals and talking to people who knew him. Townsend says Smart had tried to pull in front of 2 other motorists before he was hit by the truck. Smart died at the scene after he pulled in front of a northbound Ford pickup driven by a Billings, Mont., man.