Nominations open for Wyoming Business Hall of Fame awards

SHERIDAN –  Nominations are now open for the 2021 Wyoming Business Hall of Fame awards, and those who want to nominate a deserving Wyoming business and industry leader who has demonstrated excellence in business can complete the form online at wyomingbusinessalliance.com. 

Nominations are due Sept. 1.

To be considered as a Hall of Fame inductee, an individual’s record of business achievement should reflect business excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, courageous thinking and action, inspiring leadership, community impact, enduring accomplishments and an unwavering commitment to ethical leadership. Recipients can be honored posthumously. 

Nominees for the award may be Wyomingites by birth or by choice, have attended the University of Wyoming  and/or have business interests within Wyoming. Consideration will be given to any nominee who fulfills one or more of these requirements. 

There are two categories of awards for consideration: 

Contemporary/Visionary – Up-and-coming business person or entrepreneur who has a vision for Wyoming’s future Legacy - Being someone who has made historic and significant long term contributions to the business community (can be honored posthumously). 

To nominate someone, download and complete the nomination form at wyomingbusinessalliance.com, and send completed forms to office@wyoba.com. Call Cindy DeLancey at 307-331-2115 with any questions.

The Wyoming Business Hall of Fame Award is a joint venture among the Daniels Fund, the University of Wyoming College of Business, Wyoming Business Council and the Wyoming Business Alliance/Wyoming Heritage Foundation.

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Drunk, disorderly Yellowstone tourist gets 60 days in jail

JACKSON –- A Yellowstone National Park tourist has been sentenced to 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct and other charges.

A kayak guide called security officers after Kyle Campbell, of Fairmont, Indiana, caused a disturbance when a guide refused to take his group for a scheduled kayak trip after deciding the group was too drunk to go.

The 31-year-old made threatening comments to officers, resisted arrest, kicked at rangers and banged his head in the patrol car, injuring himself, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.

“We understand that people are eager to get out this summer and enjoy our national parks; however, this type of behavior is unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Murray. “Stay sober, because unruly and intoxicated behavior will only earn you a spot with the jailbirds rather than enjoying the beauty and adventure of Yellowstone.”

Campbell appeared for arraignment and sentencing June 23 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth. 

Beyond the 60-day sentence, he will face a five-year term of unsupervised probation and a five-year ban from Yellowstone. He was also ordered to pay $1,550 in fines and a $50 special assessment fee, the release said.

“Campbell pleaded guilty to several criminal charges: disorderly conduct; threatening, resisting, and intentionally interfering with a government employee; violating the lawful order of a government employee; being under the influence of alcohol and a controlled substance to a degree that may endanger oneself or others; and contempt of court,” the release said.

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Fire near Clark mostly contained

CODY — The Robertson Draw Fire burning north of Clark has been largely contained over the past week, with minimal fire increase and improved containment.

On Monday morning, the fire was burning at 29,841 acres with 69-percent containment.

Peggy Miller, a public information officer for the fire, said the majority of the fire area is in patrol status.

On Saturday, a new lightning-caused fire started south of the fire near Robertson Draw Road. Responders were able to work with firefighters to contain the fire at less than one acre.

Another lightning-sparked fire occurred on Sunday, 12 miles east of the burn. Responders were able to contain this fire at less than five acres.

The hottest parts of the burn are now in its most-remote, wilderness aspects on its west side, about five miles east of US 212 (Beartooth Highway).

Firefighters took advantage of cool, moist weather on Monday.

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Man sent to prison for string of auto burglaries, storage unit break-ins

POWELL — An alert citizen who pursued and apprehended an auto burglar last winter didn’t just stop the burglar from rummaging through a friend’s vehicle. As it turns out, the citizen’s actions helped put an end to a long string of break-ins and thefts. Investigators ultimately tied Bryan Nihei to at least 16 auto burglaries in and around the Cody area plus six thefts from storage units outside Powell. 

Cody police suspect Nihei committed more than a dozen other burglaries and thefts between mid-December through the first part of February, but didn’t find enough evidence to prove those cases. 

Nihei, 31, received an eight- to 10-year prison sentence for his crimes from District Court Judge Bill Simpson in May. The sentence was the result of a plea agreement in which Nihei also agreed to pay $3,749 in restitution for the stolen items. 

The auto burglaries started on Dec. 13, when four vehicles were broken into in rural Cody. The thief stole a couple wallets while only sifting through some of the vehicles, Park County Sheriff’s Deputy Clayton Creel wrote. 

“Even though in some cases there were items of higher value in the back seat, the suspect only rummaged through the front seat,” Creel wrote. 

About a week later, City of Cody Police received the first of what would be 26 very similar reports of auto burglaries that continued through Feb. 1. 

While the sheriff’s office and Cody police were investigating those crimes, multiple storage units were burglarized at Dash Storage, just west of Powell.

Park County prosecutors eventually charged Nihei with 21 felony offenses, but agreed to drop all but one count of burglary in exchange for his guilty plea and acceptance of the prison sentence.