Wyoming news briefs for June 4

Posted 6/3/22

News from across Wyoming.

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Wyoming news briefs for June 4

Posted

Sheridan mental health care provider merges with VOA

SHERIDAN — Sheridan mental health care provider Northern Wyoming Mental Health Care Center will merge with Volunteers of America Northern Rockies, with official consolidation of the two facilities taking place Sept. 1, VOANR Senior Director Dave Shumway announced in a press release Thursday. 

NWYMHC has become one of Northeast Wyoming’s top behavioral health care providers in its 60 years of operation, Shumway said. The center operates facilities in Sheridan, Johnson, Weston and Crook counties and offers individual and family mental health care, outpatient substance use treatment and other forms of support for folks in need of behavioral health support. 

A regional affiliate of the faith-based, nationwide nonprofit Volunteers of America, Inc., VOANR serves more than 15,000 people each year throughout Wyoming, Montana and western South Dakota, with an annual budget of more than $40 million and more than 350 staff in the region, Shumway said. The organization arrived in Sheridan in 1985. Today, the organization offers services to help people rebuild their lives with programs providing services for veterans, homeless people, adults involved in the legal system and youth, among other programs.

At the time of official consolidation this fall, existing NWYMHC staff will become VOANR employees, Shumway said, but VOANR will be responsible for all hiring for NWYMHC beginning this week. 

Shumway said the merger will allow NWYMHC and VOANR to continue to operate under their shared and synergetic missions. 

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Wright man pleads guilty in $8,700 copper theft

GILLETTE — A Wright man who was involved in a dozen copper thefts in southern Campbell County last year has pleaded guilty to four crimes.

Earlier this month, James Cody, 27, pleaded guilty to theft, destruction of property, conspiracy to commit theft and conspiracy to commit destruction of property.

Cody and Hunter Allguer were arrested for a dozen copper thefts that took place from June through November 2021. They both were charged with a number of theft charges in the stealing spree that led to more than $80,000 in damage and more than $8,700 in stolen copper wire.

The first copper theft was reported on June 25, 2021, when a supervisor with Powder River Energy reported a theft about 3 miles south of Wright. About 85 feet of copper wire was stolen from three meter poles, two of which had been cut down by a reciprocating saw. The cost to replace the stolen wire was $206, while the total damage was $10,786, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The most damage was done on Aug. 11, when a theft was reported on Matheson Road. There were several transformer electrical stations that had been shut down but contained “a significant amount of copper wire,” according to court documents. Three transformers were destroyed and about 500 feet of copper wire was stolen. The total damage was $30,622, and the cost to replace the stolen wire was $4,841.