K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For May 29th, 2018 – Morning

CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED THROUGH WYOMING ON SUNDAY SPAWNED TORNADOES THAT DAMAGED HOMES IN LARAMIE COUNTY, LARGE HAIL IN PARTS OF THE COUNTY AND FLASH FLOODING IN CASPER.

JEANINE WEST, DIRECTOR OF CHEYENNE/LARAMIE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, SAYS A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 4 P.M. SUNDAY NEAR THE TOWN OF FEDERAL. EIGHT PROPERTIES HAD DAMAGE, BUT NO PEOPLE OR ANIMALS WERE INJURED. TWO OTHER TORNADOES IN THE AREA DID NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTER ANDREW LYONS TELLS THE WYOMING TRIBUNE EAGLE THERE WERE SEVERAL REPORTS OF HAIL UP TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER IN PARTS OF LARAMIE COUNTY.

THUNDERSTORMS BROUGHT FLASH FLOODING TO LOW-LYING AREAS OF CASPER. A RESTAURANT AT CASPER'S EASTRIDGE MALL HAD WATER POURING THROUGH THE CEILING DURING THE STORM.
================================

CASPER POLICE ON WEDNESDAY ARRESTED A WOMAN AFTER METHAMPHETAMINE WAS ALLEGEDLY DISCOVERED INSIDE HER HOME WHERE FOUR CHILDREN ALSO LIVED.

22-YEAR-OLD ERICA M. PATTERSON WAS BOOKED INTO JAIL ON RECOMMENDED CHARGES OF METH POSSESSION AND FOUR COUNTS OF CHILD ENDANGERMENT BY METHAMPHETAMINE.

CHARGING PAPERS SAY A CASPER POLICE OFFICER WENT TO AN APARTMENT AT 2650 SOUTH MCKINLEY SHORTLY BEFORE 3 P.M. WEDNESDAY TO ASSIST THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY SERVICES. DFS AGENTS WERE CONDUCTING A HOME VISIT AND REPORTEDLY FOUND PATTERSON TO BE HIGH ON METHAMPHETAMINE AND IN POSSESSION OF THE DRUG.

FOUR CHILDREN, NONE OF THEM OLDER THAN THREE YEARS OF AGE, WERE PRESENT IN THE HOME.

PATTERSON ALLEGEDLY TOLD AUTHORITIES THAT SHE HAD USED METH WEDNESDAY MORNING.

DFS AGENTS REPORTED THAT PATTERSON STORED THE METHAMPHETAMINE IN THE ROOM WHERE SHE AND TWO OF THE CHILDREN SLEPT.

THE FOUR CHILDREN WERE TAKEN INTO PROTECTIVE CUSTODY AND TURNED OVER TO THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY SERVICES. PATTERSON WAS ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO JAIL.
================================
OFFICIALS SAY THEY'RE LOSING THE BATTLE AGAINST A DEVASTATING COMBINATION OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES AND WILDFIRES IN THE VAST SAGEBRUSH HABITATS IN THE U.S. WEST THAT SUPPORT CATTLE RANCHING AND RECREATION AND ARE HOME TO AN IMPERILED BIRD.

THE WESTERN ASSOCIATION OF FISH & WILDLIFE AGENCIES IN A 58-PAGE REPORT RELEASED THIS MONTH SAYS INVASIVE PLANTS ON NEARLY 160,000 SQUARE MILES (414,400 SQ. KILOMETERS) OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS HAVE REACHED ENORMOUS LEVELS AND ARE SPREADING.

OFFICIALS SAY THAT COULD MEAN MORE GIANT RANGELAND WILDFIRES THAT IN RECENT DECADES DESTROYED VAST AREAS OF SAGEBRUSH COUNTRY THAT SUPPORT SOME 350 SPECIES OF WILDLIFE, INCLUDING IMPERILED SAGE GROUSE.

THE REPORT SAYS THE TOP PROBLEM IS THE LIMITED ABILITY AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT INVASIVE PLANTS SUCH AS FIRE-PRONE CHEATGRASS FROM SPREADING.
=============================
A WYOMING ELECTIONS OFFICIAL SAYS THE STATE LEGISLATURE SHOULD LOOK AT CREATING A TRUST FUND TO MAINTAIN A SECURE VOTING SYSTEM.

STATE ELECTIONS DIRECTOR KAI SCHON OF THE WYOMING SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE SAYS MANY LOCAL ELECTION CUSTODIANS REPORT THAT VOTING EQUIPMENT HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE.

SCHON SAYS HE'S CONFIDENT WYOMING'S ELECTION SYSTEMS ARE SAFE AND SECURE, BUT HE SAYS LAWMAKERS SHOULD LOOK AT MAINTAINING THAT SECURITY.

THE LEGISLATURE'S NEW BUDGET INCLUDED SOME MONEY FOR VOTING SYSTEMS.

BUT SCHON SAID IT IS PRUDENT TO ESTABLISH A FUND THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY MAKE MONEY AVAILABLE FOR SUCH TASKS IF STATE OR FEDERAL MONEY ISN'T AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE.
=========================
A 19-YEAR-OLD CHEYENNE MAN IS FACING FELONY DRUG CHARGES AFTER POLICE SAY THEY CAUGHT HIM WITH 14 BAGGIES OF COCAINE.

ACCORDING TO AN AFFIDAVIT, POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE CENTRAL PLAZA HOTEL AROUND 1 A.M. ON MAY 22 AFTER THE FRONT CLERK REPORTED SEEING A MAN IN A DARK HOODIE SPRAY PAINT THE WALL IN THE ALLEY AND RIDE OFF ON A SKATEBOARD.​

POLICE CHECKED THE SURROUNDING AREA AND OBSERVED THE WORD "GEEKEO" IN FRESH, WHITE SPRAY PAINT ON THE WALL. THE MAN, LATER IDENTIFIED AS GARRETT RIALON (RYE-LON), WAS LOCATED IN THE CITY PARKING GARAGE A FEW BLOCKS AWAY.

POLICE SAY RIALON HAD A WHITE SPRAY CAN AND WHITE PAINT ON HIS BLACK HOODIE. HE ALSO HAD 10.6 GRAMS OF COCAINE ON HIM.

RIALON WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER COCAINE, FELONY POSSESSION OF COCAINE AND MISDEMEANOR PROPERTY DESTRUCTION. HE COULD FACE UP TO 27-AND-A-HALF YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED.

RIALON IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN THE LARAMIE COUNTY JAIL ON A $3,000 CASH BOND. HIS PRELIMINARY HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 31 AT 10:30 A.M.