casper

A joint news conference between the Casper City Council and the Natrona County Board of County Commissioners meant to address the current surge of COVID-19 cases in Casper had to be adjourned when a hostile crowd would not stop shouting over local officials and medical experts. Most of the heckling downplayed the seriousness of the virus.

A new health clinic for veterans in Casper has room to serve more veterans after moving to a new location. The community-based outpatient clinic is a part of the Sheridan VA Health Care System.

Almost 300 individuals in Casper will be tested after potentially coming into contact with two recently confirmed cases of COVID-19.

A recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Natrona County has the local Public Health Officer urging people to take proper precautions.

The Casper Police Department (CPD) is offering a new optional video 9-1-1 service for the next 30 days. The service, called 911eye, will allow callers to share video and location data from their phone with emergency dispatchers.

The Wyoming Symphony Orchestra in Casper celebrates its 70th anniversary this season. The orchestra is also marking Beethoven's 250th birthday and the 150th anniversary of women's suffrage in Wyoming.

Casper Police arrested a man after he started shooting inside of the radiology department at Wyoming Medical Center early Monday morning.

A section of the North Platte River, between Gray Reef and Casper, may receive new commercial permits for fishing due to increased annual demand. The Bureau of Land Management put out a request for public comment to learn more about how recreationists want to use the stretch between Gray Reef and Casper. 

On Tuesday, Casper became the latest community in Wyoming to pass a non-discrimination resolution for LGBT residents. The resolution passed Casper’s city council with a six to three vote.

It does not hold the same legal teeth as an ordinance, but Reverend Dee Lundberg said it’s a start. She is with Casper’s PFLAG group, an LGBT advocacy organization. During previous city council meetings, there was discussion of drafting another version of the resolution, one that would take out the specific references to LGBT people. Lundberg said she’s glad that version did not move forward.

Newsroom staff at the Casper Star-Tribune are starting the process of forming a union.

When Casper’s City Council members consider a non-discrimination resolution at their next work session in January, it will be the second time they’ve discussed it. They first saw it in November, and Dee Lundberg said it went over well with most council members. Lundberg is with the local chapter of PFLAG, an LGBT advocacy group.

A recently completed outside review of the Casper Police Department reveals morale is up. That’s following controversy that began last year when 30 women accused the department of mishandling their sexual assault cases.

The review, completed by the Center for Public Safety Management, makes 75 specific recommendations for changes at the Casper Police Department, including updating facilities and filling vacancies.
It also recommends more training for officers dealing with crimes like sexual assault, to ensure investigations are not compromised by inexperience.

The Casper Police Department will host the second and final public panel on sexual assault Wednesday, June 21. The series began after 30 women told the Casper City Council they believed the police neglected or mishandled their cases.

Gillette’s city administrator will soon take over the position as city manager in Casper. Carter Napier will replace V.H. McDonald, who announced his retirement in April amidst controversy surrounding his office and the police department. The appointment is subject to city council approval. 

The Casper City Manager's office says Police Chief Jim Wetzel will not be retained. The change in leadership comes in the midst of multiple investigations of the department. 

In April, a third party survey of 84 employees at the Casper Police department revealed a hostile work environment and an ineffective chain of command that prevented officers from proper investigations. The survey also pointed to the city’s administration for ignoring these concerns. Two days after the survey was made public, Casper City Manager V.H. McDonald announced his retirement.

A ballot initiative in Casper is aiming to give residents the ability to choose what form of local government their city operates under. Right now, Casper’s city council hires a city manager to handle employees and daily operations. The council also selects a mayor from within their ranks, but the position has little power. 

If the ballot initiative gets 3,700 signatures, voters could begin a new system where voters would elect the mayor position. The new mayoral role would oversee daily operations in place of a city manager.

Casper City Manager V.H. McDonald has announced he will retire from the position on June 1. 

McDonald’s decision to retire follows the Casper City Council's request on Tuesday for an investigation into leadership at the Casper Police Department and complaints that city management neglected to address problems in that department.  

A press release from the City of Casper says McDonald was hired in November of 2015. 

The Casper Police Department hosted a community panel on sexual assault Thursday night, following the complaints of over 30 women that claim law enforcement mishandled their sexual assault cases.

The panel included representatives from sexual assault related services, including the Self Help Center, the Casper Police Department's Victim Services, the Child Advocacy Project, Wyoming Medical Center, as well as District Attorney Mike Blonigen and Chief of Police Jim Wetzel who discussed how they try to help victims.

At Casper’s City Council meeting on Tuesday, Mayor Kenyne Humphrey requested an investigation of the Casper Police Department. The request follows the results of a survey taken by law enforcement officers that point to potential issues with the agency’s leadership.

Mayor Kenyne Humphrey said Casper’s local branch of the Fraternal Order of Police brought her the results of a survey taken by current and former members of the Casper Police Department. She said what she saw was alarming.

The Casper Mountain Trails Area offers access to several Nordic ski/hiking trails located on Casper Mountain which are groomed regularly.  This area is multi-use allowing access for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat-tire biking.  A few of the trails are lit until 9:30 p.m.  There are warming sheds located along the ski trails for use by recreation enthusiasts.  Natrona County has a calendar of events that occur at the Casper Mountain Nordic Area at http://www.natronacounty-wy.gov/calendar.aspx.

This year marks the 67th season for the Casper-based Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. They’re calling it ‘A Moving Symphonic Season’ because the orchestra has a final concert at Casper College this weekend before returning to a newly renovated auditorium in December. 

Longtime Casper radio morning announcer, Brian Scott Gamroth, known as Brian Scott on the air, died in a motorcycle accident in Montana on Sunday. Gamroth was known for his support of a number of causes including the arts.

Gamroth served on the boards for the Casper College Theatre Program, the Nicolaysen Art Museum, and the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra.