K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For March 6th, 2018 – Morning

THE NATRONA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WON'T DISCIPLINE STUDENTS WHO FOLLOW THE RULES WHEN THEY WALK OUT FROM CLASSES WEDNESDAY MORNING TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY.

A GROUP CALLING ITSELF CASPER YOUTH FOR CHANGE COMPOSED OF NATRONA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SAID IN A LETTER TO THE SCHOOL'S ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS THEY PLAN TO WALK FROM CLASS TO SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH THE VICTIMS OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS.

THE LETTER SAID THE GROUP'S WALKOUT IS PLANNED TO LAST 1,606 SECONDS, OR ABOUT 27 MINUTES, TO SYMBOLIZE THE 1,606 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THIS COUNTRY SINCE DECEMBER 2012 WHEN 26 PEOPLE WERE GUNNED DOWN AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN CONNECTICUT.

THE GROUP SAID THE PROTEST WILL BE PEACEFUL, THE STUDENTS WILL RETURN TO CLASS, AND THAT NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL IN FEAR.

WEDNESDAY MARKS THE THIRD WEEK AFTER A FORMER STUDENT USED AN ASSAULT-STYLE WEAPON TO KILL 17 PEOPLE AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA.

PROTEST ORGANIZER HUNTER BULLARD SAID THE EVENT WAS INTENTIONALLY NOT SCHEDULED ON THE SAME DAY AS A NATIONWIDE HIGH SCHOOL WALKOUT ON MARCH 14, WHICH IS MORE OF A GUN CONTROL-CENTERED PROTEST.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REMINDED THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THE WALKOUT TO FOLLOW THE POLICIES IN ITS STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT, NAMELY IT MUST NOT DISRUPT CLASSES, STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE WILL BE RECORDED AS ABSENT FROM CLASS,

THE POLICY ALSO SAID STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO REPORT BACK TO CLASS, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT REPORT BACK TO CLASS IN A TIMELY MANNER WILL BE MARKED AS AN UNVERIFIED ABSENCE AND MAY FACE APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCES.

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A NATRONA COUNTY MAN ACCUSED OF REPEATED SEX CRIMES AGAINST MULTIPLE PEOPLE OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS ENTERED INTO A PLEA AGREEMENT WITH PROSECUTORS MONDAY MORNING IN NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT COURT AND IS SET TO FACE PRISON TIME AT HIS SENTENCING HEARING.

43-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL ALLEN GRISWOLD ENTERED ALFORD PLEAS TO ONE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR, ONE COUNT OF INDECENT LIBERTIES AND ONE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT.

BY ENTERING AN ALFORD PLEA, A DEFENDANT DOES NOT ADMIT THAT THEY ARE GUILTY OF THE CRIME CHARGED, BUT THEY CONCEDE THAT THE PROSECUTION WOULD LIKELY BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A CONVICTION AT TRIAL. FOR SENTENCING PURPOSES, AN ALFORD PLEA IS FUNCTIONALLY SIMILAR TO A GUILTY PLEA.

IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS PLEAS, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEVIN TAHERI WILL RECOMMEND AT SENTENCING THAT GRISWOLD SERVE CONCURRENT PRISON TERMS ON THE THREE COUNTS. THE PLEA DEAL CALLS FOR GRISWOLD TO SERVE EIGHT TO 13 YEARS IN PRISON.

EACH CHARGE REFERENCES A SEPARATE VICTIM, WITH THE YOUNGEST HAVING BEEN FIVE OR SIX YEARS OLD AT THE TIME OF THE ALLEGED ABUSE.

GRISWOLD REMAINS FREE ON BOND PENDING SENTENCING.
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EXPECT SEVERE CONGESTION ON THE POPLAR STREET BRIDGE OVER THE BNSF RAILROAD TRACKS BEGINNING TUESDAY THROUGH THE SUMMER.

THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAYS MOTORISTS SHOULD USE OTHER NORTH-SOUTH ROUTES SUCH AS SALT CREEK HIGHWAY, INSTEAD OF THE POPLAR STREET BRIDGE, WHICH IS NORTH OF WEST FIRST STREET AND SOUTH OF RIVER CROSS ROAD

CONSTRUCTION CREWS WILL START THE PROJECT BY REDUCING TRAFFIC TO ONE 10-FOOT-WIDE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION ON THE TWO OUTER LANES OF THE BRIDGE.

DURING THE LANE REDUCTION, CREWS WILL INSTALL CONCRETE BARRIERS ALONG THE CENTER OF THE BRIDGE, AND THE TWO-WAY, SINGLE-LANE TRAFFIC WILL BE ON THE NORTHBOUND SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.

AFTER THE BARRIERS ARE INSTALLED, PROBABLY BY FRIDAY, CREWS WILL MOVE THE TWO-WAY, SINGLE-LANE TRAFFIC TO THE SOUTHBOUND LANE TO RESURFACE THE NORTHBOUND LANES.

THE RESURFACING PROBABLY WILL TAKE ONE DAY.

AFTER THE RESURFACING IS DONE, TRAFFIC WILL BE MOVED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE TO ALLOW FOR CONSTRUCTION ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.
CONSTRUCTION INCLUDES WIDENING THE BRIDGE TO ALLOW FOR THE SIDEWALKS AS WELL AS REHABILITATING THE STRUCTURE ITSELF.

AFTER THE WEST-SIDE WORK IS DONE, TRAFFIC -- AGAIN, TWO-WAY, SINGLE-LANE -- WILL BE MOVED TO THE WEST SIDE TO ALLOW WORK ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.

THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY OCT. 31.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING'S IS OFFERING A NEW COURSE THROUGH ITS SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL INSTITUTE ABOUT ENERGY PRODUCTION IN THE STATE.

THE COURSE WILL BE OFFERED DURING THE SUMMER SESSION JUNE 10-30.

SINCE 1985, WYOMING'S RISING JUNIOR STUDENTS HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR FIRST TASTE OF COLLEGE LIFE WHILE ATTENDING THE SUMMER PROGRAM.

THE INSTITUTE OFFERS COURSES IN THE SCIENCE FIELDS, AS WELL AS THE HUMANITIES, AND UW WILL HOST 97 SCHOLARS FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAM.

THE NEW COURSE WILL INTRODUCE THE HISTORY OF WYOMING OIL AND NATURAL GAS, WHERE IT STARTED AND WHERE IT IS GOING. TOPICS OF OIL AND GAS GENERATION, EXPLORATION, DRILLING, PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING WILL BE INTRODUCED AND WILL FEATURE HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES SUCH AS MEASURING RESERVOIR ROCK PROPERTIES.