Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
AVALANCHE DEATH
Competitive snowmobiler killed in Idaho avalanche
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Authorities have recovered the body of a competitive snowmobiler who was buried in an avalanche in southeastern Idaho. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office says 46-year-old Robert Kincaid, of Victor, was riding with a group of about 10 people in the Austin Canyon area when the slide happened Friday. One rider went for help while the others started searching for Kincaid, whose body was found about 2 1/2 hours later. Investigators say Kincaid was wearing an avalanche beacon, but it wasn’t activated at the time. The Jackson Hole News & Guide in Wyoming reports Kincaid competed in the X Games in Colorado in 2015.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WYOMING
Wyoming extends shutdown of schools, businesses amid virus
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has extended orders shutting down schools and a range of business from April 17 until April 30 to control the spread of the coronavirus. Gordon also expressed frustration about growing public focus on his reluctance to issue a statewide stay-at-home order rather than on his call for personal action to control the virus. Wyoming Medical Society President Dr. David Wheeler and others have called for Gordon to issue a stay-at-home order similar to ones issued in other states, including Colorado, Idaho and Montana. Gordon made clear in a news conference Friday no such order is in store for Wyoming.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WYOMING
Wyoming unemployment claims keep rising amid COVID-19 spread
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Unemployment claims in Wyoming continue to surge as the coronavirus keeps businesses closed and people at home. New claims for unemployment compensation increased 24% last week, topping 4,600. That's on top of a more than seven-fold increase the week before. Wyoming Department of Workforce Services spokesman Ty Stockton says people filing for unemployment have had to wait up to three hours to get through to the department on the phone but the department is adding phone lines and reallocating staff to handle the increase. Wyoming as of Thursday had 150 cases of the COVID-19 virus confirmed in 16 of its 23 counties.
AVALANCHE-SKIER
Skier found dead day after avalanche near Jackson
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — A skier has been found dead a day after an avalanche in northwestern Wyoming. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue has identified the victim as 28-year-old Trace Jordan Carrillo, of Dubois. An official cause of death is pending. Searchers with a rescue dog found Carrillo under 2 feet of snow Thursday. The avalanche caught Carrillo as he began to ski a slope Wednesday afternoon on Taylor Mountain. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports almost 30 volunteers from Teton County Search and Rescue searched for Carrillo until dark. About 40 people continued to search for him Thursday with the help of dogs.
YELLOWSTONE PARK-ARSENIC SETTLEMENT
Yellowstone settles $1M arsenic lawsuit with Park County
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. government has agreed to pay $1 million to a Montana water district to settle a lawsuit over the amount of arsenic coming into its system from Yellowstone National Park. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported that the settlement brings an end to the lawsuit filed by Gardiner-Park County Water and Sewer District in 2018 claiming high levels of arsenic was found in the district’s sewage ponds, making cleanup more expensive. District attorney Todd Shea declined to comment. Park spokeswoman Linda Veress says the money will pay for rehabilitating the district's pipes containing naturally occurring arsenic.
PUBLIC DEFENDER-CONTEMPT
Wyoming high court backs public defender in contempt case
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Supreme Court has sided with the state public defender, saying two lower court judges could not hold her in contempt of court for refusing to assign attorneys to defendants charged with low-level crimes. The state high court made the ruling Wednesday regarding the 2019 decision by the Circuit Court judges in Campbell County involving State Public Defender Diane Lozano. The high court said judges should have heeded Lozano when she said she didn’t have enough public defenders to represent low-income defendants in misdemeanor cases. The two judges had said Lozano couldn’t refuse to defend clients and was legally required to do so unless relieved by a court.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
