K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For October 12th, 2018 – Morning

THE FIVE CANDIDATES FOR THREE NATRONA COUNTY COMMISSIONER SEATS ON THE BALLOT AT THE NOV. 6 GENERAL ELECTION SHARED SIMILAR VIEWS ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES FACING THE CASH-STRAPPED COUNTY DURING A FORUM AT THE LIBRARY ON WEDNESDAY.

THE CANDIDATES ARE INCUMBENT REPUBLICANS PAUL BERTOGLIO AND ROB HENDRY, REPUBLICAN JIM MILNE, DEMOCRAT TERRY WINGERTER AND INDEPENDENT RICK YOUNG.

THEY AGREED THE WYOMING LEGISLATURE SHOULD NOT INCREASE THE BASE SALES TAX RATE TO 5 PERCENT FROM 4 PERCENT, THAT MANY OF THE COUNTY'S 800 MILES OF ROADS NEED IMPROVEMENT, RENEWAL OF THE OPTIONAL ONE-CENT SALES TAX IS IMPERATIVE BECAUSE IT IS ESTIMATED TO RAISE ABOUT $3 MILLION IN REVENUES FOR COUNTY SERVICES, AND PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS ARE PARAMOUNT, AND ZONING WITHIN REASON IS NECESSARY TO PROTECT PROPERTY VALUES.

MANY OF THE ISSUES BOIL DOWN TO MONEY, AS THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN RESULTED IN A DROP IN THE BUDGET TO $48 MILLION FROM $53 MILLION THREE YEARS AGO.

PROVIDING AND MAINTAINING THE COUNTY'S INFRASTRUCTURE -- ROADS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, COURTS, RECORDS AND SO FORTH -- REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY.

HOWEVER, MILNE ADDED A TWIST TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE, SAYING THE COUNTY'S EMPLOYEES ARE THE ULTIMATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEY NEED TO BE WELL-PAID.
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TWO PEOPLE WHO RECENTLY VISITED GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK HAVE BEEN CITED FOR ILLEGALLY FEEDING THREE BLACK BEARS, AND ONE ADULT BEAR WAS EUTHANIZED FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT.

THE TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE CITED ARE NOT IDENTIFIED IN A NEWS RELEASE FROM THE PARK. THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR FEEDING PARK WILDLIFE IS A FINE OF $5,000 AND UP TO SIX MONTHS IN JAIL.

ON OCT. 4, VISITORS IN TWO SEPARATE VEHICLES ALONG THE SIGNAL MOUNTAIN ROAD WERE SEEN FEEDING FRUIT TO A SOW AND HER TWO CUBS. THE BEARS EACH RECEIVED SEVERAL FOOD REWARDS DURING THE INCIDENT AND MADE CONTACT WITH SEVERAL VEHICLES ALONG THE ROAD.

THE BEARS HAD BEEN FREQUENTING SEVERAL DEVELOPED AREAS IN THE SIGNAL MOUNTAIN AREA, IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PEOPLE, SINCE JUNE.

THE THREE BEARS WERE CAPTURED AND REMOVED FROM THE PARK FOLLOWING LAST WEEK'S INCIDENT. THE ADULT FEMALE BEAR WAS EUTHANIZED. THE CUBS ARE BEING RELOCATED TO OSWALD BEAR RANCH IN NEWBERRY, MICHIGAN.

THE PARK SAYS FEEDING WILDLIFE CREATES A SAFETY RISK FOR HUMANS AS ANIMALS ASSOCIATE PEOPLE WITH FOOD. BEARS CAN ALSO BECOME AGGRESSIVE IN SEEKING ADDITIONAL FOOD, PARTICULARLY WHEN PREPARING TO HIBERNATE FOR THE WINTER.

ANIMALS FED BY HUMANS ALSO HAVE AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF BEING DRAWN TO ROADWAYS AND KILLED BY VEHICLES.

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A BODY WAS FOUND WEDNESDAY IN THE GALLATIN RIVER INSIDE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.
THE DECEASED PERSON'S NAME HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED, PENDING NOTIFICATION OF FAMILY MEMBERS. BASED ON DETAILS PROVIDED IN THE NEWS RELEASE, THE BODY MAY BE THAT OF A PERSON WHO WAS REPORTED MISSING OVER THE WEEKEND.

ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENT, AN ABANDONED VEHICLE WAS REPORTED SATURDAY MORNING ON U.S. HIGHWAY 191 NEAR MILE MARKER 29 WITHIN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. THE FOLLOWING EVENING, A MISSING PERSON WAS REPORTED TO THE GALLATIN COUNTY, MONTANA SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

THE MISSING PERSON REPORTEDLY MATCHED THE DESCRIPTION OF THE POSSIBLE DRIVER OF THE ABANDONED VEHICLE. A SEARCH WAS INITIATED.

ON WEDNESDAY, A BODY WAS RECOVERED FROM THE GALLATIN RIVER NEAR WHERE THE ABANDONED VEHICLE HAD BEEN FOUND.

GALLATIN COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE PROVIDED RESOURCES TO ASSIST IN LOCATING THE BODY. THE INVESTIGATION IS BEING LED BY YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.

NO FURTHER DETAILS WERE PROVIDED.