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THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY RACE BETWEEN THE TWO CANDIDATES FOR NATRONA COUNTY ASSESSOR IS SO CLOSE THAT THE BALLOTS MUST BE RECOUNTED TODAY.

NATRONA COUNTY CLERK RENEA VITTO SAID WEDNESDAY THAT THE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS SHOWED MATT KEATING RECEIVED 6,517, OR 45.54 PERCENT, OF THE BALLOTS CAST, AND TAMMY SAULSBURY RECEIVED 6,401, OR 44.73 PERCENT, OF THE BALLOTS CAST.

THAT'S A DIFFERENCE OF 116 VOTES.

VITTO SAID THE RECOUNT COULD TAKE ALL DAY BECAUSE ALL 14,309 GOP BALLOTS CAST MUST BE COUNTED.

AFTER THE BALLOTS ARE COUNTED AND THE WINNER IS DETERMINED, THE COUNTY'S CANVASSING BOARD WILL CERTIFY THE ELECTION AND THEN FORWARD THOSE RESULTS TO THE WYOMING SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FINAL CERTIFICATION TUESDAY.

THE GOP PRIMARY FOR ASSESSOR, WHO LISTS AND VALUES PROPERTIES, WAS AMONG THE MORE HOTLY CONTESTED RACES IN THE COUNTY.

AFTER THE LATE ASSESSOR CONNIE SMITH ANNOUNCED HER RESIGNATION IN MARCH, THE NATRONA COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY RECEIVED THREE APPLICATIONS INCLUDING SAULSBURY, KEATING AND ASSESSOR'S OFFICE EMPLOYEE SHANNAN ROBINETT.

THOSE NAMES WERE FORWARDED TO THE NATRONA COUNTY COMMISSION, WHICH APPROVED SAULSBURY.

KEATING, A NATRONA COUNTY COMMISSIONER, HAS BEEN A LONGTIME CRITIC OF THE OFFICE, SAYING THERE HAVE BEEN INCONSISTENCIES IN HOW PROPERTIES ARE ASSESSED.
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CASPER POLICE ON MONDAY ARRESTED A CONVICTED FELON AFTER HE WAS FOUND WITH A FELONY QUANTITY OF METHAMPHETAMINE AS WELL AS A LOADED HANDGUN, WHICH OFFICERS BELIEVE HE TRIED TO FIRE AT THEM AS THEY APPROACHED.

42-YEAR-OLD ERIC CAMRON PHIFER WAS BOOKED INTO JAIL ON RECOMMENDED CHARGES OF POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A VIOLENT FELON, FELONY POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE AND INTERFERENCE.

CHARGING PAPERS SAY OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A HOME IN THE 3000 BLOCK OF EAST FIRST STREET AT 2:45 P.M. MONDAY AFTER PHIFER'S MOTHER CALLED POLICE AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS HAVING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN, WAS POSSIBLY HIGH ON METH AND BELIEVED THAT SHE WAS PART OF A PROSTITUTION RING IN THE CITY.

AFTER SEARCHING THE HOUSE, POLICE FOUND PHIFER HIDING UNDER A VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE. HE WAS ARRESTED, AND POLICE FOUND METH, PARAPHERNALIA AND A LOADED REVOLVER ON PHIFER'S PERSON, AS WELL AS WHERE HE HAD BEEN LAYING ON THE CONCRETE.

POLICE BELIEVE PHIFER TRIED TO FIRE THE REVOLVER AT APPROACHING OFFICERS, BUT THE WEAPON MISFIRED.

WHILE BEING TRANSPORTED TO THE NATRONA COUNTY DETENTION CENTER, PHIFER GRADUALLY BECAME "UNAWARE AND NON-RESPONSIVE." HE WAS TAKEN TO WYOMING MEDICAL CENTER, WHERE DOCTORS DETERMINED HE HAD INGESTED A NUMBER OF UNIDENTIFIED PILLS.

PHIFER STAYED AT THE HOSPITAL OVERNIGHT.
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THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SERVICES REPORTS THAT THE STATE'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE INCREASED SLIGHTLY FROM 3.7 PERCENT IN JUNE TO 3.8 PERCENT IN JULY.

THE AGENCY DOESN'T CONSIDER THE CHANGE TO BE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.

HOWEVER, IT SAYS THE DECREASE OF NEARLY 6,000 PEOPLE IN WYOMING'S LABOR FORCE FROM JULY 2017 TO JULY 2018 IS SIGNIFICANT. A DECREASING LABOR FORCE SUGGESTS THAT INDIVIDUALS MAY BE MOVING TO OTHER STATES OR GIVING UP THEIR JOB SEARCH.

FROM JUNE TO JULY, MOST COUNTY JOBLESS RATES DECREASED.

IN JULY, THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATES WERE FOUND IN TETON COUNTY AT 1.9 PERCENT, FOLLOWED BY CROOK'S 3.0 PERCENT AND NIOBRARA'S 3.1 PERCENT. THE HIGHEST RATES WERE REPORTED IN FREMONT COUNTY WITH 5.1 PERCENT, NATRONA WITH 4.4 PERCENT AND BIG HORN AND UINTA BOTH WITH 4.2 PERCENT.
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A WYOMING SPECIAL PROSECUTOR SAYS NO CHARGES ARE WARRANTED AGAINST AN OFF-DUTY OFFICER FROM COLORADO WHO PULLED A GUN ON A TEENAGER RUNNING TO A BUS STOP IN JACKSON.

FREMONT COUNTY ATTORNEY PATRICK LEBRUN DETERMINED THAT VANESSA SCHULTZ LACKED CRIMINAL INTENT DURING THE JULY 6 INCIDENT.

SCHULTZ, A POLICE OFFICER IN LAKEWOOD, COLORADO, WAS VACATIONING IN JACKSON WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND ASSUMED A TEENAGER RUNNING NEARBY HAD COMMITTED A CRIME.

LEBRUN SAYS IT'S REASONABLE FOR SCHULTZ TO SUSPECT THE 18 YEAR OLD WAS FLEEING A CRIME SCENE.

THE TEEN WAS RUNNING TO CATCH THE BUS.

LEBRUN SAYS SCHULTZ SHOULDN'T HAVE PULLED HER GUN BUT THAT WASN'T GROUNDS TO FILE CHARGES.

THE TEEN'S ATTORNEY SAYS HER CLIENT IS CONSIDERING LEGAL ACTION.

 

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