K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For December 18th, 2018 – Morning

CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - A BROTHER AND SISTER FROM CASPER ARE $3.3 MILLION RICHER AFTER CLAIMING THEIR WYOMING LOTTERY COWBOY DRAW WINNINGS.

THE LOTTERY SAYS IN A NEWS RELEASE THAT THE PAIR, WHO DECLINED TO BE IDENTIFIED, CLAIMED THEIR RECORD PRIZE ON DEC. 11.

THEY PURCHASED THE WINNING TICKET AT RIDLEY'S FAMILY MARKET IN CASPER ON DEC. 5.

ACCORDING TO WYOLOTTO, THE WINNERS WERE BORN AND RAISED IN CASPER AND CONTINUE TO CALL IT HOME. THEY ARE FREQUENT WYOLOTTO PLAYERS, MAINLY BUYING COWBOY DRAW TICKETS.

THEY ARE BOTH RETIRED AND PLAN TO TRAVEL WITH THEIR WINNINGS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY BIG PLANS IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO SPEND THE MONEY.

SINCE COWBOY DRAW LAUNCHED IN MARCH 2015, WYOMING'S OWN GAME HAS CELEBRATED 20 JACKPOT WINS WITH SIX OF THOSE EXCEEDING A MILLION DOLLARS.
P) - A BROTHER AND SISTER FROM CASPER ARE $3.3 MILLION RICHER AFTER CLAIMING THEIR WYOMING LOTTERY COWBOY DRAW WINNINGS.

THE LOTTERY SAYS IN A NEWS RELEASE THAT THE PAIR, WHO DECLINED TO BE IDENTIFIED, CLAIMED THEIR RECORD PRIZE ON DEC. 11.

THEY PURCHASED THE WINNING TICKET AT RIDLEY'S FAMILY MARKET IN CASPER ON DEC. 5.

ACCORDING TO WYOLOTTO, THE WINNERS WERE BORN AND RAISED IN CASPER AND CONTINUE TO CALL IT HOME. THEY ARE FREQUENT WYOLOTTO PLAYERS, MAINLY BUYING COWBOY DRAW TICKETS.

THEY ARE BOTH RETIRED AND PLAN TO TRAVEL WITH THEIR WINNINGS, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY BIG PLANS IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO SPEND THE MONEY.

SINCE COWBOY DRAW LAUNCHED IN MARCH 2015, WYOMING'S OWN GAME HAS CELEBRATED 20 JACKPOT WINS WITH SIX OF THOSE EXCEEDING A MILLION DOLLARS.

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CASPER POLICE CHIEF KEITH MCPHEETERS WILL CONDUCT AN INFORMAL FORUM ABOUT THE RECENT WYOMING ATTORNEY GENERAL'S FORMAL OPINION THAT DECLARED ILLEGAL ELECTRONIC GAMBLING DEVICES KNOWN AS "SKILL GAMES,"

LAST WEEK, ATTORNEY GENERAL PETER MICHAEL RESPONDED TO NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY MICHAEL BLONIGEN'S QUESTION ABOUT THESE ELECTRONIC GAMBLING DEVICES THAT HAVE BECOME PREVALENT IN THE STATE AND CASPER.

MICHAEL WROTE THESE SKILL GAMES ARE “ILLEGAL GAMBLING DEVICES, PLAYING THEM CONSTITUTES GAMBLING, AND THOSE AIDING OR INDUCING OTHERS TO PLAY THESE GAMES ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL GAMBLING.

PERSONS WHO GAMBLE ARE COMMITTING A MISDEMEANOR, AND PROFESSIONAL GAMBLING IS A FELONY PUNISHABLE BY IMPRISONMENT OF NOT MORE THAN THREE YEARS.

THE GAMES ARE MANUFACTURED BY BANILLA GAMES, INC., AND OPERATE UNDER THE NAMES OF BATHTIME BUCKS, FRUITY SEVENS, SEARING SEVENS, SNAKE EYES, WHEEL DEAL, SPOOKY’S LOOT, MEGA MONKEY REEL, LUCKY STRIKER, MAJOR CASH, AND PEDRO’S HOT TAMALES.

PARI-MUTUEL OFF-TRACK BETTING DEVICES REMAIN APPROVED, LEGAL GAMBLING DEVICES.

MCPHEETERS WILL HOLD THE FORUM AT THE CASPER CITY HALL'S COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 6 P.M. WEDNESDAY.
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WYOMING LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING INVESTING A PORTION OF THE STATE'S RAINY DAY FUND IN AN EFFORT TO PRODUCE MORE REVENUE.

THE JOINT APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE IS WORKING ON A BILL TO ALLOW FOR SOME OF THE LEGISLATIVE STABILIZATION RESERVE ACCOUNT TO BE INVESTED IN STOCKS AND OTHER EQUITIES.

THE ACCOUNT HAS ABOUT $1.5 BILLION AND SERVES AS A RESERVE FUND THAT HAS BEEN USED TO FILL FUNDING GAPS OR OTHER UNMET EXPENSES.

LAWMAKERS' GOAL WOULD BE TO PLACE SOME OF THE MONEY NEEDED IN THE SHORT TERM INTO INVESTMENTS LIKE ONE- AND TWO-YEAR BONDS. THAT WOULD BE BALANCED WITH A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT APPROACH.

THE STATE CONSTITUTION ONLY ALLOWS FOR THE FUNDS TO BE INVESTED IN FIXED-INCOME ASSETS LIKE BONDS, SO LAWMAKERS WOULD NEED TO CHANGE RESTRICTIONS.
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TWO WYOMING MEN HAVE LOST THEIR HUNTING PRIVILEGES FOR TWO YEARS AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF ILLEGALLY COLLECTING ELK ANTLERS.

THE WYOMING GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT SAYS MATTHEW NELSON OF CHEYENNE AND JASON REIDEL OF PINEDALE ALSO WERE EACH FINED $1,550.

THE AGENCY SAYS WARDENS CAUGHT THE PAIR WITH ABOUT 70 POUNDS OF ELK ANTLERS LAST APRIL NORTH OF PINEDALE. THE TWO HAD BEEN OUT ON SNOWMOBILES AND SNOWSHOES PICKING UP ANTLERS IN AN AREA WHERE BULL ELK HAD BEEN WINTERING.

THE AREA IS CLOSED TO SHED ANTLER GATHERING FROM JAN. 1 TO APRIL 30 TO MINIMIZE HARASSMENT OR DISTURBANCE OF BIG GAME ANIMALS ON THEIR WINTER AND SPRING RANGES.

THE ANTLERS WERE CONFISCATED AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD UPON CLOSURE OF THE CASE.
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OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SPARKED AN EARLY MORNING FIRE AT THE HITCHING POST INN MONDAY.

CHEYENNE FIRE RESCUE SPOKESMAN SCOTT SMITH SAYS​ FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO THE VACANT HOTEL AT 7:45 A.M. AND HAD THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL IN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES.

"THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED TO A GROUND LEVEL ROOM ON THE INNER PORTION OF THE COMPLEX. THERE WAS SOME FIRE DAMAGE TO THAT ROOM AND THERE WAS SOME SMOKE DAMAGE IN THE HALLWAY AND TO THE SECOND FLOOR."

SMITH SAYS NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

IT WAS JUST 10 DAYS AGO THAT THE CITY'S BUILDING SAFETY DEPARTMENT SENT A LETTER TO THE OWNER OF THE HITCHING POST ORDERING HER TO DEMOLISH THE BLIGHTED STRUCTURE.