Two Laramie men face obscenity charges for erecting a snow sculpture April 21 in their yard that resembled a phallus, writes the Laramie Boomerang.

According to Laramie police, Brandon Arp, 20, and Aric Davenport, 19, built the sculpture in the 1200 block of Custer Street before it was destroyed. Reports say the sculpture was "offensive to other residents in the area."

The two men were arraigned Friday in Albany County Circuit Court. They pleaded not guilty and were released on $1,000 bond.

Davenport's attorney, Michael Vang, is challenging the claim and said the state obscenity statute was "being selectively enforced," and the sculpture could be protected under the First Amendment.

Also on April 21, a second "anatomically correct snowman" was destroyed in the 700 block of South 17th Street in Laramie.

Stolen car explodes during Riverton chase

A car stolen from Utah burst into flames April 24 near Sand Draw in Riverton after the driver led the Wyoming Highway Patrol on a chase for several miles, reports the Lander Journal.

Trooper Lew Wright tried to stop the silver four-door sedan in Riverton for having no visible registration, but the driver sped south toward Lander and got onto Highway 135.

The car eventually turned east onto a dirt road where the driver attempted to elude police, but got the car stuck in a ravine. The driver then fled on foot.

During the foot chase, the badly damaged car exploded into a roaring inferno. The driver was captured by troopers and Fremont County sheriff deputies and was arrested on multiple charges.

Cops find marijuana during 4/20 sweep

Carbon County law enforcement and Highway Patrol personnel found a small amount of marijuana in a student's car during a security sweep of the Saratoga High School on April 20.

Students and staff were locked down during the sweep at the request of Principal Larry Uhling to ensure the well-being of students on the sixth anniversary of the Columbine massacre, according to the Rawlins Daily Times.

While no weapons or drugs were found in the building, a Highway Patrol dog alerted on a student's car in the parking lot. The student was contacted and cited for marijuana possession. He is required to appear in court. Two other Saratoga residents were also arrested on related drug charges.

Forest Service honors employees, volunteers

Smokey Bear lit up the crowd during an appearance April 19 at a Buffalo City Council meeting to declare May 3 as Forest Service Honor Day.

The Forest Service will host an open house Tuesday honoring current and past employees, volunteers and local partners at the Powder River Ranger District office in Buffalo from 2 to 4 p.m., tells the Buffalo Bulletin.

"There are lots of festivities planned, music, refreshments, office tours, and Smokey Bear is going to show up to greet the kids," said Powder River District Ranger Mark Booth. "We will also be showing the Forest Service film 'The Greatest Good,'" depicting the last 100 years of the Forest Service.

Powell water tower smashes to ground

The 90-year-old landmark water tower in Powell came crashing to the ground April 23 in mere seconds after Gary Harmon of Henderson, Ky., cut a quick and skillful notch into one of its legs with a blow torch.

A crowd gathered nearby to watch the empty tank crumple into a mangled heap of twisted metal.

Harmon's company, Pittsburg Tank and Tower Co., will remove the remains. Harmon was assisted by his Labrador retriever, Mad Max Harmon Esquire.

Meanwhile, a new, $2.3 million water tower on the west side of Powell was expected to come online this weekend, giving residents a noticeable increase in water pressure.

The water could appear cloudy for 2-3 days because the high pressure in the old water mains will stir up sediment such as rust and sand, said Dick Jones, superintendent for Powell's Water/Wastewater Department.

"But the water's still safe to drink," he told the Powell Tribune.

Police blotter

Bad sign for bride-to-be: A 17-year-old Campbell County High School student told Gillette police April 26 that she left her $300 gold engagement ring with five diamonds on the sink of the school's south campus bathroom at 9:15 a.m. and it was gone when she returned two hours later, according to the Gillette News-Record.

Not very courteous: An intoxicated man called Thermopolis dispatchers April 24 asking for a courtesy ride home from the bar. The officer on duty had responded to an ambulance call and was unavailable, so the man apparently swore at the dispatcher. Later, the 53-year-old man called again to tell the dispatcher he drove home and could have killed someone. Police say the man lives two blocks from the bar, tells the Thermopolis Independent Record.

Leadfoot of the week: Jeremiah M. Mwangi, of Oklahoma City, Okla., was clocked going 101 mph in a 1999 Oldsmobile, reports the Buffalo Bulletin.

Assistant state editor John Morgan can be reached at (307) 266-0614 or john.morgan@casperstartribune.net.