K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For March16th, 2018 – Morning

WYOMING GOV. MATT MEAD SIGNED A BILL GIVING IN-STATE STUDENTS UP TO FOUR YEARS AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP.

THE BILL, SPONSORED BY REPUBLICAN STATE REP. BILL HENDERSON, WAS SIGNED MONDAY AND ALLOWS YOUNG PEOPLE FOUR YEARS TO APPLY FOR THE HATHAWAY SCHOLARSHIP INSTEAD OF TWO, WHICH HAD BEEN THE CASE SINCE THE SCHOLARSHIP WAS FIRST AWARDED IN 2006.

HENDERSON SAYS THE EXTRA TIME TO DECIDE A COURSE OF STUDY WILL HELP UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING STUDENTS GET MORE OUT OF THE AWARD.

THE TWO-YEAR GRACE PERIOD BENEFITED MAINLY STUDENT VETERANS AND THOSE TAKING PART IN RELIGIOUS MISSIONS, BUT IT WAS AND REMAINS OPEN TO ALL. THE FOUR-YEAR WINDOW EXTENDS THIS BENEFIT TO ANYONE TAKING TIME OFF FOR ANY REASON.

WYOMING'S HATHAWAY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO GRADUATES OF STATE HIGH SCHOOLS ATTENDING STATE COLLEGES.
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AS THE 2018 BUDGET SESSION OF THE WYOMING LEGISLATURE CONTINUED TO WIND DOWN ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, HOUSE SPEAKER STEVE HARSHMAN, A NATRONA COUNTY REPUBLICAN, THANKED HOUSE MEMBERS FOR THEIR WORK..

HARSHMAN, TEACHES AT CASPER NATRONA HIGH SCHOOL.
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REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE STATE TREASURER MARK GORDON SAID THURSDAY THAT COAL REMAINS A VIABLE ENERGY SOURCE AND REVENUE SOURCE FOR WYOMING DESPITE THE CURRENT MARKET DOWNTURN

GORDON LAUNCHED HIS CAMPAIGN IN BUFFALO ON WEDNESDAY, AND STOPPED AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB'S IN CASPER BEFORE TRAVELING TO CHEYENNE FOR ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT.
DURING HIS TALK AT WYOTOWNE, A STUDENT FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM, GORDON RECOUNTED HIS BUSINESS EXPERIENCES AND FINANCIAL ACUMEN INCLUDING OVERSEEING THE STATE'S BEST FINANCIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENTS IN THE PAST DECADE.

AFTER HIS SPEECH, HE SAID COAL MAY NOT BE AS BIG A FACTOR IN THE STATE'S ECONOMY AS IN THE PAST, BUT IT STILL PLAYS A ROLE AS DO GAS AND OIL AND WIND.

WYOMING ALSO IS INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS AND TRENDS BESIDES COAL INCLUDING BLOCKCHAIN AND OTHER CRYPTOCURRENCIES.
GORDON ALSO SAID HE WON'T FORMALLY COURT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION FOR CAMPAIGN HELP, BUT HE'S PLEASED WITH IT.

GORDON WANTS TO SEE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LOOK AT WYOMING AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW PEOPLE IN A STATE TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER.

HE SAID THIS ADMINISTRATION GIVES HIM HOPE FOR WYOMING INTERESTS.

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WYOMING GOV. MATT MEAD HAS SIGNED A BILL INTO LAW THAT EXPANDS THE LENGTH OF TIME WRONGFULLY CONVICTED PEOPLE HAVE TO INTRODUCE EXONERATING EVIDENCE.

IN WYOMING, PEOPLE CONVICTED OF CRIMES HAD A TWO-YEAR WINDOW IN WHICH THEY COULD PRESENT NON-DNA EVIDENCE IN AN EFFORT TO HAVE THEIR CONVICTION OVERTURNED.

AFTER THAT TIME PERIOD, THEY COULD ONLY INTRODUCE DNA EVIDENCE TO FIGHT THEIR CONVICTION.

THE NEW LAW ELIMINATES THAT TWO-YEAR LIMIT, ALLOWING WRONGFULLY CONVICTED PEOPLE TO INTRODUCE NON-DNA EVIDENCE AT ANY POINT.

THE INNOCENCE PROJECT IS A NONPROFIT THAT PROVIDES LEGAL HELP TO WRONGFULLY CONVICTED PEOPLE.

THE ORGANIZATION SAYS THE NEW LAW WILL HELP THE INNOCENT GET JUSTICE AND HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT IDENTIFY THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY COMMITTED THE CRIME.

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A MAN ACCUSED OF PHYSICALLY ABUSING A CHILD WHO WAS 11 MONTHS OLD AT THE TIME ENTERED A GUILTY PLEA THURSDAY AFTERNOON IN DISTRICT COURT.
ANTHONY JAMES EUGENE MOCK PLEADED GUILTY TO A SINGLE COUNT OF FELONY CHILD ABUSE BEFORE DISTRICT JUDGE CATHERINE WILKING. AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT BETWEEN MOCK AND THE NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, TWO OTHER CHARGES OF FELONY CHILD ABUSE WERE DISMISSED.

PER THAT AGREEMENT, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEVIN TAHERI WILL RECOMMEND THAT MOCK SERVE NO MORE THAN THREE TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON, WITH THAT SENTENCE RUNNING CONCURRENT TO ANY SENTENCE WHICH MAY COME OUT OF A SEPARATE CRIMINAL MATTER INVOLVING MOCK.

MOCK'S 2017 ARREST STEMMED FROM A JULY REPORT BY THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY SERVICES TO THE MILLS POLICE DEPARTMENT REGARDING ALLEGATIONS OF PHYSICAL CHILD ABUSE.

THE CHILD, WHO WAS 11 MONTHS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE ALLEGED ABUSE, HAD "EXTENSIVE BRUISING ON HIS BODY AND SCRATCHES," ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS.

DURING THURSDAY'S HEARING, MOCK ADMITTED TO HAVING SPANKED THE CHILD TOO HARD. JUDGE WILKING CLARIFIED THAT THE CHILD HAD BEEN WEARING A DIAPER AT THE TIME, AND MOCK HIT THE CHILD HARD ENOUGH TO CAUSE BRUISING THROUGH THE DIAPER.