K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For June 8th, 2018 – Morning

CHRIS WALSH AND SIX OTHER CASPER CITY COUNCILMEMBERS VOTED ON THE THIRD AND FINAL READING TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE ABOUT PEOPLE UNDER 21 CAUGHT WITH AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE.

THE CHANGE RESULTED FROM A WYOMING SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT DECLARED MUNICIPAL COURTS CANNOT IMPOSE PROBATION WHEN THE ONLY PENALTY FOR AN OFFENSE IS A FINE, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED UNDER THE CITY'S PREVIOUS ORDINANCE.

TO HAVE PROBATION, A POTENTIAL JAIL SENTENCE NEEDED TO BE ADDED TO THE ORDINANCE.

WALSH AND OTHERS SAID THE POINT OF THE NEW ORDINANCE WAS NOT TO JAIL PEOPLE, BUT TO GIVE MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGES MORE OPTIONS.

BUT DALLAS LAIRD, WHO REPRESENTED THE WOMAN IN THE SUPREME COURT CASE, SAID HE DIDN'T LIKE THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE IT WILL GIVE A MINOR A CRIMINAL RECORD.

FOR EXAMPLE, LAIRD SAID A PERSON UNDER 21 FOUND NEAR AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE, EVEN WITHOUT DRINKING, COULD BE ORDERED TO COUNSELING, PAY FOR THAT, BE CHARGED WITH A CRIME, AND POSSIBLY HAVE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS VIOLATED.

SHAWN JOHNSON REPEATED HIS PREVIOUS OBJECTION TO THE ORDINANCE.

HE SAID PEOPLE OVER 18 CAN BUY CIGARETTES AND ENTER BINDING CONTRACTS, AND HE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN PUNISHING ADULTS FOR DOING ADULT THINGS.

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BILLINGS, MONT. (AP) - YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK'S SUPERINTENDENT SAYS HE'S BEING FORCED OUT FOR WHAT APPEAR TO BE PUNITIVE REASONS FOLLOWING DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER HOW MANY BISON THE PARK CAN SUSTAIN...

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A MAN CHARGED WITH THE 2015 SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A GIRL WHO WAS THEN 13 YEARS OLD HAS WAIVED HIS PRELIMINARY HEARING AND WILL SEE HIS CASE TRANSFERRED TO DISTRICT COURT.

28-YEAR-OLD JAMES C. SANDERS FACES TWO COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT, TWO COUNTS OF SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND ONE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT. HE COULD FACE 10-155 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED ON ALL COUNTS.

DYLAN ROSALEZ, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER REPRESENTING SANDERS, TOLD NATRONA COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE STEVEN BROWN THAT SANDERS DID NOT WISH TO HAVE A PRELIMINARY HEARING IN EITHER OF TWO CASES THAT HAD BEEN SET FOR THURSDAY MORNING.

ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE SCHAFER, DURING SANDERS'S INITIAL COURT APPEARANCE LAST WEEK, SAID SANDERS ALSO FACES THREE CHARGES OF CHILD ABUSE.

ACCORDING TO THE AFFIDAVIT, THE ALLEGED VICTIM TOLD POLICE THAT ON THE EVENING OF APRIL 20, 2015, SANDERS HAD PUSHED HIS WAY INSIDE HER HOME WHILE SHE AND HER SISTERS WERE WATCHING TELEVISION. WHEN THE VICTIM WENT TO THE BATHROOM WITH ANOTHER GIRL, SANDERS ALLEGEDLY ENTERED THE BATHROOM, FORCED THE OTHER GIRL OUT, AND RAPED THE ALLEGED VICTIM.

NATRONA COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE BRIAN CHRISTENSEN SET SANDERS'S BOND AT $100,000 CASH ONLY DURING LAST WEEK'S INITIAL APPEARANCE.
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WILDLIFE OFFICIALS EUTHANIZED A BLACK BEAR THAT WAS FEASTING ON CHICKENS AND PROBING GARBAGE IN NORTHERN WYOMING.

THE 9-YEAR-OLD BEAR WAS DARTED SUNDAY, AND GAME AND FISH STAFF DETERMINED THAT IT WAS IN POOR HEALTH. TARA HODGES, A SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE AGENCY, SAYS THE BEAR WAS MISSING TEETH, AND ITS OTHER TEETH WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF WEAR.

GAME AND FISH WAS NOTIFIED SUNDAY THAT THE BEAR HAD KILLED THREE CHICKENS. IT WAS CAPTURED AT A NEARBY CHURCH.

HODGES SAYS DECISIONS TO EUTHANIZE WILDLIFE ARE MADE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
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A 59-YEAR-OLD CALIFORNIA WOMAN WAS GORED BY A BISON WEDNESDAY MORNING IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT FROM PARK OFFICIALS.

KIM HANCOCK AND A CROWD OF PEOPLE WERE WALKING ALONG A BOARDWALK AT FOUNTAIN PAINT POT IN THE LOWER GEYSER AREA WHEN THEY CAME WITHIN 10 YARDS OF THE BULL BISON. AT ONE POINT, PEOPLE WERE WITHIN 15 FEET OF THE ANIMAL.

WHEN IT CROSSED THE BOARDWALK, THE BISON BECAME AGITATED AND CHARGED THE CROWD, GORING HANCOCK. THE ANIMAL THEN IMMEDIATELY LEFT THE AREA.

PARK RANGERS RESPONDED AND TREATED HANCOCK FOR A HIP INJURY BEFORE SHE WAS TAKEN BY AN AMBULANCE TO THE BIG SKY MEDICAL CENTER IN BIG SKY, MONTANA, IN GOOD CONDITION.

THE INCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION. IT'S THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR THAT A VISITOR HAS BEEN INJURED BY A BISON. ONE SUCH INCIDENT OCCURRED LAST YEAR, AND IT HAPPENED FIVE TIMES IN 2015.

FOUR PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED BY WILDLIFE IN YELLOWSTONE IN A LITTLE OVER A MONTH, WITH THREE OF THOSE INCIDENTS TAKING PLACE SINCE SUNDAY.

PARK OFFICIALS EMPHASIZE THAT ANIMALS IN YELLOWSTONE ARE WILD AND UNPREDICTABLE, NO MATTER HOW CALM THEY MAY SEEM.