Posted: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 12:00 am
Group hopes to leave with Bibles
SHERIDAN - After holding out in China for three days, four members of Sheridan-based Vision Beyond Borders plan to leave for Thailand today and hope to take 315 Bibles that were confiscated by Chinese customs officials with them.
"The plan is to try to get the Bibles and take them with them to Thailand," said Dyann Romeijn, regional coordinator for Vision Beyond Borders.
The group has been in China since Sunday, when the Bibles were confiscated from the missionaries' luggage upon arrival in the southwestern city of Kunming. Patrick Klein, Vision Beyond Borders founder and Sheridan resident, and three other missionaries were attempting to distribute the Bibles to Chinese citizens.
The group initially refused to leave the airport until their Bibles were released. But after a 26-hour standoff at the airport, the group retreated to a hotel. Chinese officials would not waiver from a law forbidding bringing religious products into the communist nation for more than just personal use.
When the Bibles were confiscated, Klein said he was told the group could pick them up on their way out of the country. Romeijn said the group is hoping to avoid conflict while attempting to retrieve the Bibles.
From Thailand, Romeijn said the group will continue its mission to Laos and Burma, then return to the United States on Sept. 4.
Gunbarrel fire 'steady'
CODY - Despite warmer weather and lower relative humidity, the Gunbarrel fire didn't make major advances Tuesday afternoon. But fire crews were preparing for a potentially busy day today.
The fire burning between Cody and Yellowstone National Park has seen some limited advances into new territory in recent days after several days of relative calm.
"Things seem pretty steady this afternoon, and I'm kind of surprised we don't have a little more fire behavior going on," said Randy Moench, a spokesman for the fire management team, on Tuesday.
Moench said forecasts called for wind gusts of up to 40 mph today, and firefighters are anticipating possible advances to the north or east with winds expected from the southwest.
The fire has moved east into a little more than 300 acres of new territory along the Big Creek drainage.
Crews have done extensive fuel reduction work near the Star Hill Ranch to the east, and continue structure protection efforts along Goff Creek, Libby Creek and Mormon Creek to the southwest, he said.
An estimated $5.2 million has been spent fighting the fire since it was sparked by lightning July 26. It covers an area of more than 66 square miles, burning mainly in beetle-killed timber.
Man dies in accidental shooting
BASIN - Big Horn County authorities said a local man died when he was accidentally shot while apparently removing a loaded rifle from a truck.
The Big Horn County Sheriff's Office said 20-year-old Bradley Mickelson was shot in the chest.
The accident occurred Saturday afternoon.
Sheriff Ken Blackburn said Mickelson and others were preparing to do some target shooting in the mountains at the time. The incident remains under investigation.