K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For July 17th, 2018 – Morning

THE HELSINKI MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT'S TRUMP AND PUTIN, AND THE RESULTING PRESS CONFERENCE HAS IGNITED SOME CRITICISM FROM MANY IN CONGRESS WHO ALREADY DISAGREED WITH THE PRESIDENT, BUT ALSO FROM FRIENDLY REPUBLICANS AS WELL.

WYOMING CONGRESSWOMAN LIZ CHENEY IS AMONG THOSE WHO WERE TROUBLED TODAY BY THE JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE HELD BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN FOLLOWING THEIR TALKS IN HELSINKI.

SHE TWEETED HER RESPONSE THIS MORNING. "AS A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE, I AM DEEPLY TROUBLED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DEFENSE OF PUTIN AGAINST THE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES OF THE U.S. & HIS SUGGESTION OF MORAL EQUIVALENCE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND RUSSIA. RUSSIA POSES A GRAVE THREAT TO OUR NATIONAL SECURITY."

WYOMING SENATOR JOHN BARRASSO REPLIED TO K2 RADIO NEWS, “IT’S ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT THE UNITED STATES CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT TRUST RUSSIA. THIS IS WHY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND CONGRESS HAVE TAKEN IMPORTANT AND TOUGH STEPS - INCLUDING SANCTIONS, EXPELLING RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS, AND GIVING LETHAL ARMS TO UKRAINE.

THAT SAID, I STAND FIRMLY BEHIND THE UNITED STATES’ INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES THAT RUSSIA DID IN FACT INTERFERE IN OUR ELECTION. THAT INTERFERENCE SHOULD RESULT IN FURTHER CONSEQUENCES FOR PRESIDENT PUTIN AND HIS REGIME.”
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THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BOMB SQUAD EXAMINED AND REMOVED WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS A "SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE" FROM BEHIND THE CHENEY FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING IN CASPER THIS AFTERNOON.

AN AMBULANCE AND A CASPER FIRE-EMS TRUCK WERE AT THE SCENE JUST IN CASE.

WHEN ASKED BY K2 RADIO NEWS ABOUT THE DEVICE, THE DEPUTY TOLD US TO ASK THE FOLKS AT THE FEDERAL BUILDING.

THE FEDERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE MADE THE CALL FOR THE SHERIFF'S TEAM, AND THE DEVICE WAS REMOVED FOR ANALYSIS.

THE BUILDING WAS NOT SHUT DOWN OR EVACUATED. THE CASPER POLICE CORDONED OFF A SMALL AREA BEHIND THE FEDERAL OFFICES, NEAR THE BNSF BUILDING, WHILE THE DEPUTY RETRIEVED THE PACKAGE, AND THE AREA WAS CLEARED BY 4PM.

NO FINAL VERDICT YET ON THE DEVICE ITSELF.
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A NEW FORENSIC EXAMINATION OF CASPER BUSINESSMAN TONY CERCY'S CELL PHONE DIRECTLY REFUTES HIS TESTIMONY DURING HIS TRIAL IN FEBRUARY THAT HE WAS ASLEEP WHEN HE WAS ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A THEN 20-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AT HIS HOME AT ALCOVA.

A THE END OF AN EIGHT-DAY TRIAL, CERCY WAS ACQUITTED ON FEBRUARY 22ND OF FIRST-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT.

HOWEVER, THE JURY COULD NOT REACH A VERDICT ON THE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT.

NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DANIEL FORGEY DECLARED A MISTRIAL AND LAST MONTH ORDERED THE RETRIAL ON THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL CHARGE TO BE HELD IN THERMOPOLIS IN NOVEMBER.

COURT RECORDS SAY THE ALLEGED VICTIM WENT TO CERCY'S HOUSE NEAR THE LAKE ON JUNE 24TH, 2017, PASSED OUT ON A COUCH, WOKE UP, SAW MOST OF HER CLOTHES HAD BEEN REMOVED, LOOKED DOWN AND SAW CERCY PERFORMING ORAL SEX.

THE ALLEGED VICTIM SAID SHE FRANTICALLY CALLED HER FRIENDS FOR HELP, THAT CERCY GAVE HER A RIDE TO A FRIEND'S PLACE AT THE ALCOVA TRAILER PARK, AND THAT HE THREATENED TO KILL HER AND HIMSELF.

HOWEVER, CERCY TESTIFIED DURING THE TRIAL HE WENT TO SLEEP AT 2 A.M. AND WOKE UP AT 8 A.M. ON JUNE 25TH.

THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEIZED HIS CELL PHONE WHEN THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN, AND AN INITIAL REVIEW OF THE PHONE'S DATA ONLY INDICATED A PHOTO WAS TAKEN DURING THE TIME HE SAID HE WAS ASLEEP.

BUT ONE OF CERCY'S ATTORNEYS SAID DURING THE TRIAL THAT PHOTO COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY ANYBODY.

BUT THE NEW FORENSIC ANALYSIS REVEALED A LOT OF ACTIVITIES BY CERCY, ON THE MORNING OF THE ALLEGED ASSAULT INCLUDING VIDEO, PHOTOS, AND HEALTH TRACKING APPLICATIONS INCLUDING DATA OF HIM WALKING.

CERCY'S ATTORNEY, PAMELA MACKEY, DID NOT RETURN A PHONE CALL SEEKING COMMENT.

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A WYOMING UTILITY COMPANY HAD THE LOWEST POWER RATES IN THE NATION IN 2017.

LOWER VALLEY ENERGY, BASED IN AFTON, WYOMING, HAD THE LOWEST RATES FOR RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY AMONG 813 COOPERATIVES.

A NEWS RELEASE SAYS THE ANNUAL RANKING COMES FROM THE NATIONAL RURAL UTILITIES COOPERATIVE FINANCE CORPORATION, WHICH TRACKS INDUSTRY TREND.

THE BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION IS CONTRACTING LOWER VALLEY TO BUILD THE HOOPER SPRINGS TRANSMISSION LINE THAT WILL CONNECT SODA SPRINGS, IDAHO, TO THE LOWER VALLEY SYSTEM FOR $65 MILLION.

LOWER VALLEY CUSTOMERS IN JACKSON HOLE WILL CUMULATIVELY SAVE ABOUT $600,000 PER YEAR FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS BY FINANCING, BUILDING AND LEASING THE LINE BACK TO BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION.

LOWER VALLEY EXPECTS TO BEGIN WORK IN AUGUST AND COMPLETE IT BY LATE FALL 2019.

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A 27-YEAR-OLD CHEYENNE MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED VEHICULAR HOMICIDE-DUI AND A SLEW OF OTHER CHARGES AFTER A HIGH-SPEED CHASE AND ROLLOVER THAT CLAIMED THE LIFE OF ONE OF HIS PASSENGERS.

WYOMING HIGHWAY PATROL LT. TIM ROMIG SAYS IT ALL STARTED WHEN A TROOPER TRIED TO STOP A STOLEN PICKUP NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 85 AND FOX FARM ROAD AROUND 7 P.M. SATURDAY.

ROMIG SAYS THE DRIVER, LATER IDENTIFIED AS AARON HIGINE, TOOK OFF EAST DOWN E. FOX FARM ROAD, REACHING SPEEDS OF 80 MPH IN A POSTED 40 MPH ZONE.

"THE DRIVER WAS VERY AGGRESSIVE TOWARD OTHER VEHICLES IN THE AREA, AS FAR AS GOING INTO ONCOMING LANES, NOT STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN. IT WAS WITHIN A MINUTE FROM THE TIME THE TROOPER ACTIVATED HIS LIGHTS, THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO PASS A VEHICLE THAT TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF HIM ... THAT SUSPECT DRIVER SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND THEN THERE WAS SOME OVER-CORRECTION AND HE ROLLED."

HIGINE'S FRONT SEAT PASSENGER, 19-YEAR-OLD ANGEL BELL OF CHEYENNE, WAS THROWN FROM THE PICKUP AND DIED AT THE SCENE. HIGINE AND A REAR SEAT PASSENGER WERE TAKEN TO CHEYENNE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT AND RELEASED.

HIGINE IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN THE LARAMIE COUNTY JAIL ON A $20,000 CASH BOND. HIS PRELIMINARY HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 27.