K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For February 5th, 2018 – Evening

A CASPER WOMAN WAS SENTENCED TO PRISON ON FRIDAY FOR HER ROLE AS A LEADER OF A LOCAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG CONSPIRACY THAT'S RELATED TO THE FEDERAL CASE OF A MULTI-STATE CONSPIRACY ALLEGEDLY ORGANIZED BY A FORMER CASPER DOCTOR.

JUDGE DANIEL FORGEY SENTENCED MELISSA BISHOP TO TWO CONCURRENT TWO-AND-A-HALF- TO FIVE-YEAR TERMS ON ONE COUNT OF CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE THE SCHEDULE II DRUG OXYCODONE AND CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE HEROIN.

BISHOP IS AMONG TEN DEFENDANTS WHO WERE ARRESTED LAST YEAR, AND ALL HAVE BEEN SENTENCED.

LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES DISCOVERED THE DEFENDANTS DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF PAIN MEDICINE SPECIALIST SHAKEEL KAHN, HIS WIFE, LYN, AND TWO OTHER DEFENDANTS WHO ARE CHARGED IN FEDERAL COURT WITH MULTIPLE COUNTS.

CCUSTOMERS WOULD PAY THE KAHNS $500 IN CASH FOR A PRESCRIPTION.

CUSTOMERS OFTEN WOULD RESELL THE DRUGS.

IN THE LOCAL CASE, THE WYOMING DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION LEARNED BISHOP WAS A KEY CONTACT AND SUPPLIER FOR OTHER DEFENDANTS.

SHE AND DEFENDANT CHARLES EDWARDS, WHO ALSO WAS SENTENCED LAST WEEK, ALSO WOULD DRIVE TO THE DENVER AREA TO OBTAIN HEROIN FOR THEIR OWN USE AND TO SELL IT IN THE CASPER AREA.
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CASPER FIRE-EMS PUT OUT A SMALL FIRE AT THE EASTRIDGE MALL EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN PATRICK MCJUNKIN SAID FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO THE CALL ABOUT MIDNIGHT AND FOUND A FIRE IN A STORAGE CLOSET AREA OF A RESTAURANT AT THE BUILDING, GAINED ENTRY TO THE BUILDING, AND PUT IT OUT.

THERE WERE NO OCCUPANTS IN THE BUILDING, AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

BEFORE FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED, A SINGLE HEAD IN THE FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED IN THE BUILDING, AND THAT CONTROLLED THE FIRE AND MINIMIZED THE DAMAGE.

THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED YET AND THE INCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

LIKEWISE, A DAMAGE ESTIMATE TO THE BUILDING AND ITS CONTENTS HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.
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A PROPOSAL TO SET UP AN INTERACTIVE WEBSITE FOR OUTDOOR RECREATIONISTS IN WYOMING HAS A LOT OF SUPPORT, BUT COMES WITH A PRICE TAG THAT MAY REQUIRE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM USERS OF PUBLIC LANDS IN THE STATE.

WYOMING GOV. MATT MEAD APPROVED ALLOCATING $75,000 TOWARD DEVELOPMENT OF THE WEBSITE IN HIS BUDGET AND THE LEGISLATURE'S JOINT APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED $150,000.

HOWEVER, STATE PARKS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES DIRECTOR DARIN WESTBY SAYS EVEN THE $150,000 AMOUNT IS NOT ENOUGH TO CREATE THE KIND OF SITE HIS AGENCY ENVISIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, WESTBY SAID THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE ABLE TO POST PERSONALIZED INFORMATION ON THE SITE ABOUT ACTIVITIES AND LOCATIONS THEY HAVE ENJOYED THROUGHOUT WYOMING.

HE SAYS HIS AGENCY PLANS TO APPROACH THE STATE'S OUTDOORS ASSOCIATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

...REPORTING FROM CASPER...I'M KEVIN KOILE.

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MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WYO. (AP) - YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK HAS BEGUN OFFERING DIGITAL ANNUAL AND SEVEN-DAY VISITOR PASSES...

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GILLETTE, WYO. (AP) - COAL PRODUCTION IN NORTHEAST WYOMING'S POWDER RIVER BASIN EXCEEDED 300 MILLION TONS (272 MILLION METRIC TONS) FOR THE 17TH TIME IN THE LAST 18 YEARS IN 2017.

THE REGION ALSO SAW ITS 7 BILLIONTH TON (6.3 BILLION METRIC TONS) OF COAL MINED DURING LAST YEAR.

THE MILESTONE CAME IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR, WHICH SAW PRODUCTION SLOW SLIGHTLY FROM THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR.

ACCORDING TO PRODUCTION NUMBERS REPORTED TO THE MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, THE BASIN'S 12 MINES PRODUCED 305.2 MILLION TONS (276.8 METRIC TONS) OF COAL, WHICH IS A 6.7 PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE 286.6 MILLION TONS (260 MILLION METRIC TONS) PRODUCED IN 2016.

TRAVIS DETI, OF THE WYOMING MINING ASSOCIATION, SAYS THE NUMBERS ARE ENCOURAGING.