From Staff and Wire Reports | Posted: Monday, July 4, 2005 12:00 am
Bonded teen returns to jail
CHEYENNE - A teenager facing two counts of vehicular homicide was returned to jail for violating the terms of his bond.
Tony Hall, 18, was arrested and jailed June 20 for riding a motorcycle late at night. His attorney, Rocky Edmonds, agreed during a hearing Thursday that Hall had violated his bond, which prohibited Hall from driving and required that he be home by 9 p.m. every night.
Investigators said Hall was driving 90 mph on a dirt road east of Cheyenne on Dec. 15 when he lost control of his car. The car went into the air, ejecting passengers Alisha Fraine, 17, and Travis Martin, 22. Both were killed in the crash.
Wyo receives $2.1M for mine inspection
GILLETTE - Wyoming will receive a $2.1 million "Administration and Enforcement" grand from the Interior Department's Office of Surface Mining.
The grant, combined with Wyoming's contribution of $286,361, will cover the costs of salaries and benefits for the equivalent of 28.9 full time employees to inspect, permit and enforce the state's regulatory program.
"This grant, combined with state matching funds, will support Wyoming's program to inspect active coal mines and enforce Surface Mining Act requirements to protect people and the environment during mining and ensure prompt land restoration afterward," Interior Secretary Gale Norton said in a press release.
There are 35 surface mines in Wyoming under the OSM program.
Snake River flows to drop this week
JACKSON - The Bureau of Reclamation plans to reduce the amount of water flowing out of Jackson Lake after the Fourth of July weekend.
That's good news for the Snake River's anglers - but bad news for its boaters.
The reason for the reduction is heavy rain that has filled reservoirs downstream. Water managers are also keen on saving water in case of a drought next year.
"Who knows whether that's valuable water or it's water we won't care about?" said Mike Beus, a hydraulic engineer with the bureau.
News of the lower flows has delighted anglers, who have had less luck in recent years because of abnormally high flows. Lower flows should make for optimum fishing this summer, said Jim Jones, owner of High Country Flies.
The bureau maintained flows of 3,500 cubic feet per second out of Jackson Lake Dam for much of last summer. That much water stirs up sediment, makes it hard to find fish and speeds fishing boats downstream, Jones said.
After Monday, the bureau is planning to cut back to 1,700 cfs.
Rafting companies aren't happy to hear that. It means that later this summer, when less water is provided by the Snake River's tributaries, running the usual three to four trips per boat per day will become more difficult.
By August, the river gets two-thirds of its water from Jackson Lake, according to Frank Ewing, owner of Barker-Ewing River Trips.
By last week, the Snake River's Palisades Reservoir in eastern Idaho was 91 percent full. Jackson Lake was just 63 percent full.