K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For April 11th, 2018 – Morning
A CASPER MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ABUSING AND PHOTOGRAPHING A YOUNG GIRL OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS DENIED OVER A DOZEN FELONY CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST HIM TUESDAY IN DISTRICT COURT.
STEFAN WAYNE VOLTAIRE PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO SIX COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR, SIX COUNTS OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR AND ONE COUNT OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN. HE COULD FACE UP TO 400 YEARS IN PRISON IF CONVICTED ON ALL COUNTS.
CHARGING PAPERS SAY ON MARCH 1, A CASPER POLICE DETECTIVE BEGAN INVESTIGATING AFTER VOLTAIRE'S THEN-GIRLFRIEND FOUND INAPPROPRIATE PICTURES OF THE VICTIM ON A COMPUTER BELONGING TO VOLTAIRE.
THE VICTIM'S MOTHER TOLD THE DETECTIVE THAT SHE CAME ACROSS PHOTOS WHICH SHOWED VOLTAIRE'S HANDS ON THE VICTIM. SEVERAL OF THE PHOTOS DEPICTED SEXUAL INTRUSION, WHILE OTHERS ALLEGEDLY SHOWED SEXUAL CONTACT.
VOLTAIRE ALLEGEDLY TOLD INVESTIGATORS THAT HE HAD JOINED AN "ONLINE EROTIC COMMUNITY" AND PARTICIPATED IN A "GAME" CREATED BY OTHER MEMBERS. THE "GAME" WAS TO FIND INCEST PORNOGRAPHY VIDEOS AND CREATE "EROTICA" VIDEOS FOR OTHERS TO VIEW, ACCORDING TO THE AFFIDAVIT.
AS OF TUESDAY, TRIAL WAS SET TO BE SCHEDULED FOR THREE DAYS, THOUGH THE DATES HAVE NOT BEEN DETERMINED.
=========================
A COLORADO COMPANY WITH THREE COAL MINES IN MONTANA AND ONE IN WYOMING SAYS IN A STATEMENT TO SHAREHOLDERS THAT IT MAY CONSIDER BANKRUPTCY.
ENGLEWOOD-BASED WESTMORELAND COAL CO. IS FACING DECLINING DEMAND AND MORE THAN $1 BILLION IN DEBT.
THE COMPANY SAYS IN ITS RECENTLY RELEASED ANNUAL REPORT THAT IT MAY SEEK CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION FROM CREDITORS AND A REORGANIZATION OF THE COMPANY.
YELLOWSTONE PUBLIC RADIO REPORTS THAT WESTMORELAND EXECUTIVE JESSE NOEL SAID THURSDAY THAT THE COMPANY HAS DEBT TO RESTRUCTURE AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
NOEL IS WESTMORELAND'S DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS. HE WAS PARTICIPATING IN A DISCUSSION OF COAL AND OIL INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES AT THE INVITATION OF U.S. REP. GREG GIANFORTE.
THE COMPANY HAS 14 MINES AND A POWER PLANT IN THE U.S. AND CANADA.
===========================
CHEYENNE POLICE ARE ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S HELP IN FINDING A MISSING TEENAGER BELIEVED TO HAVE RUN AWAY FROM HOME.
POLICE SAY 16-YEAR-OLD SHAY BELL HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE APRIL 5.
BELL IS A WHITE FEMALE WITH BROWN HAIR AND HAZEL EYES.
ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON HER WHEREABOUTS IS ASKED TO CALL CHEYENNE POLICE AT (307) 637-6525.
================================
WYOMING STUDENTS CONTINUE TO EXCEED NATIONAL AVERAGE TEST SCORES IN READING AND MATHEMATICS ON THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS TEST.
THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON TUESDAY RELEASED THE STATE'S READING AND MATHEMATICS RESULTS FOR THE TEST, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE "NATION'S REPORT CARD" BECAUSE ALL 50 STATES ADMINISTER THE TEST EVERY TWO YEARS.
OVERALL, AVERAGE READING AND MATHEMATICS SCORES IN WYOMING FOR BOTH FOURTH AND EIGHTH GRADES WERE STATISTICALLY UNCHANGED FROM 2015 NAEP RESULTS.
HOWEVER, NO STATE PERFORMED ABOVE WYOMING'S AVERAGE SCORE IN GRADE FOUR MATHEMATICS IN 2017. AND WYOMING WAS ONE OF ONLY SIX STATES WITH OVER HALF THE STUDENTS IN THE SAMPLE SCORING PROFICIENT OR ADVANCED IN GRADE FOUR MATHEMATICS.
STATE SUPERINTENDENT JILLIAN BALOW SAYS WYOMING SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS HAVE MUCH TO BE PROUD OF.
=============================
THIS IS NORMALLY THE TIME OF YEAR THAT GASOLINE PRICES ARE ON THE RISE AS WE APPROACH THE SUMMER DRIVING SEASON.
BUT PATRICK DEHAAN OF GASBUDDY DOT COM SAYS, PRICES ARE ALMOST ON HOLD FOR NOW...
AND NATIONALLY, THE SAME HOLDS TRUE WITH LITTLE CHANGE THIS WEEK.
MEANWHILE, OIL PRICES ARE STAYING IN THE LOW TO MID-SIXTY DOLLAR A BARRELL RANGE FOR NOW.