K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For March15th, 2018 – Morning

THE CASPER POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS COMPLETED INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THREATS MADE TOWARDS NATRONA COUNTY SCHOOLS.

THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE DETAINED DURING THIS INVESTIGATION WERE THREE JUVENILES.POLICE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE THREATS WERE MADE BY ONE PERSON, AND THE THREATS WERE NOT MADE TOWARDS ANY PARTICULAR SCHOOL OR SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL(S).

THE INITIAL INFORMATION ON THE SCHOOL THREATS SURFACED WHILE CASPER POLICE OFFICERS WERE INVESTIGATING THE REPORT OF AN AGGRAVATED RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY WHERE A HANDGUN WAS STOLEN.

THE JUVENILES WHO WERE QUESTIONED REGARDING THE THREATS WERE IMPLICATED IN THE STOLEN GUN INCIDENT.

CURRENTLY, ONE YOUNG MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED RELATED TO THE INVESTIGATION. THE CASPER POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH THE NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TO DETERMINE WHAT CRIMINAL CHARGES THE JUVENILES MAY FACE.

AT THIS TIME, THE POLICE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY CURRENT THREATS TOWARDS ANY NATRONA COUNTY SCHOOLS.
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THE NATRONA COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY SELECTED THREE CANDIDATES TO REPLACE RETIRING ASSESSOR CONNIE SMITH DURING A MEETING OF ITS CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON WEDNESDAY.

THEY ARE COUNTY COMMISSIONER MATT KEATING, CHIEF DEPUTY ASSESSOR TAMMY SAULSBURY AND ASSESSOR OFFICE EMPLOYEE SHANNAN ROBINETT.

THEY WERE THE ONLY APPLICANTS.

NATRONA COUNTY COMMISSIONER ROB HENDRY SAID COMMISSIONERS WILL INTERVIEW THEM AT THEIR WORK SESSION AT 4 P.M. TUESDAY.

THEY WILL CHOSE THE FINALIST AT THEIR REGULAR MEETING AT 5:30 P.M.

SMITH RECENTLY SUBMITTED HER LETTER OF RETIREMENT, EFFECTIVE MARCH 31.
THE ASSESSOR LISTS AND VALUES ALL REAL AND TAXABLE PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY, AND THAT TAXES PAID ON THOSE PROPERTIES AFFECT THE REVENUES FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, SCHOOLS, AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS.

DURING THE MEETING, KEATING CRITICIZED WHAT HE SAID ARE INCONSISTENCIES IN HOW PROPERTIES ARE ASSESSED, HE WOULD BRING A PRIVATE SECTOR ETHIC TO THE OFFICE AND USE MARKET INFORMATION TO ASSESS PROPERTIES.

ROBINETT SAID SHE IS ACCREDITED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF APPRAISERS, AND WOULD GIVE THE OFFICE A BETTER PUBLIC PRESENCE TO BETTER EXPLAIN WHY AND HOW PEOPLE'S PROPERTIES ARE VALUED.

SAULSBURY SAID SHE'S WORKED IN THE OFFICE FOR 12 YEARS, IS ACCREDITED WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF APPRAISERS, AND WOULD FOSTER BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC.
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STATE REGULATORS FACE 10,000 APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS TO DRILL FOR OIL AND GAS IN WYOMING, CREATING A BACKLOG THAT WOULD TAKE FIVE YEARS TO ADDRESS.

WYOMING OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION SUPERVISOR MARK WATSON SAID A NEW POLICY IS BEING INTRODUCED TO ADDRESS THE LONG QUEUE. APPLICATIONS THAT ARE READY TO BE DRILLED WILL BE PRIORITIZED, AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME A PERMIT TO DRILL IS VALID WILL BE CHANGED.

WATSON SAID THAT UNDER CURRENT PROCEDURES, IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT FIVE YEARS TO CLEAR THE BACKLOG WITHOUT ANY NEW APPLICATIONS.

THE STATE RECEIVED 2,326 APPLICATIONS TO DRILL IN CAMPBELL COUNTY IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF 2017 COMPARED TO 644 OVER THE SAME TIME PERIOD IN 2015.
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GOVERNOR MATT MEAD ON WEDNESDAY EVENING VETOED A '' CRIMES AGAINST CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE" BILL THAT CRITICS CLAIM WOULD HAMPER FREE SPEECH IN WYOMING. IN HIS VETO MESSAGE ON SENATE FILE 74, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE BILL ADDRESSES AN IMPORTANT ISSUE BUT 'IS FLAWED."

HE SAID AMONG OTHER THINGS THE BILL, AS WRITTEN, INCLUDES NOT ONLY CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE BUT "ORDINARY FACILITIES." HE SPECIFICALLY CITED THE FACT THAT THE BILL INCLUDES ANY FENCED DAM IN THE STATE THAT SUPPLIES IRRIGATION WATER OR ANY FENCED STORAGE FACILITY AS BEING ''PROBLEMATIC."

THE GOVERNOR ALSO VETOED SEVERAL LINE ITEMS IN THE STATE BUDGET AND A LINE ITEM ON SENATE FILE 116, WHICH WOULD CREATE A TASK FORCE ON STATE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS.

BOTH THE WYOMING SENATE AND HOUSE ARE SCHEDULED TO MEET ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AT WHICH TIME THEY COULD CHOOSE TO TRY TO OVERRIDE ANY OF THE VETOES ISSUED ON WEDNESDAY EVENING.