Officials probe death as homicide

MOUNTAIN VIEW - Authorities were investigating the death of an 18-year-old woman as a homicide.

Deputies found the body of Jamie Ciminelli at a home on State Highway 410 on Sunday, according to the Uinta County Sheriff's Office.

County Coroner Greg Crandall declined to comment on details of the case.

"Under the circumstances in which we found the victim and other information received during the initial response, the investigation is being conducted as a homicide," Sheriff Lou Napoli said. "It is an ongoing investigation, and I am reluctant to release any information about a suspect at this time."

Sheriff's officials were looking for anyone who was at the Peninsula area of Flaming Gorge Reservoir on Saturday and saw a fight inside a green Isuzu sport-utility vehicle.

He said no charges had been filed.

County Attorney Dean Stout said he had not heard about any possible suspects.

"This is a tragic loss of a youthful life," he said.

Bill includes Beartooth funding

WASHINGTON - The Beartooth Highway would be ready for travel by Memorial Day for the next four years under legislation passed by a Senate committee Wednesday.

The bill would also allow officials to make critical repairs to the highway, which leads from Red Lodge, Mont., into Yellowstone National Park.

The highway was built as a park access road in the 1930s and is considered an orphaned road because no agency has ownership or jurisdiction.

"We will keep looking for a permanent solution, but for now this is a significant victory for Montana's tourism industry around Yellowstone National Park," said Montana Sen. Max Baucus, who wrote the language.

Under the bill, $1.6 million in federal highway dollars would be used to pay for plowing over the next four years and $10.4 million would be used to make repairs.

The road opened in time for Memorial Day this year, but there had been concern the road would open later than usual after National Park Service said this spring that it might reduce plowing of the scenic route because of budget pressures.

Cemetery flags are mowed down

CHEYENNE - Mayor Jack Spiker is telling the American Legion Post 6 that the destruction of about 100 small American flags at a cemetery was a "combination of some innocent mistakes and maybe some vandalism."

What destroyed the flags at Olivet Cemetery remains unknown, however.

Legion members said last week that the flags appeared to have been damaged by a lawnmower. But Spiker said he doesn't believe that was the case.

City crews have admitted running over two or three flags by accident. But one mower operator, Rob Allen, said it would be outrageous for nearly 100 flags to be damaged.

"We try as hard as we can, and from what I saw, they weren't run over by a mower," he said.

City Parks and Recreation Director Rick Parish said the city plans to replace the flags and will determine what new procedures need to be made.