Powell Tribune August 28, 2018

Page 1

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2018

108TH YEAR/ISSUE 69

MORE SPECIES FOUND AT MAMMOTH SITE Scientists discovered several Ice Age animals west of Cody

Jail less crowded BY CJ BAKER Tribune Editor

W

dation by another animal, or if the mammoth was eaten by humans sometime within the past 14,000 years. “The problem is you’re paying every time you try to get a date,” Pierce said. Pierce wants to be sure

ith the Park County Detention Center no longer packed with inmates, county officials are again entertaining the idea of possibly housing inmates from Carbon County, Montana. “It’s something we can start looking at for revenue, I think,” Park County Sheriff Scott Steward told commissioners at an Aug. 7 meeting. Carbon County — which encompasses Red Lodge, Bridger, Joliet, Fromberg, Belfry and several other small communities in southern Montana — does not have a jail, and it’s been looking for a more affordable place to house its inmates for years. Carbon County commissioners approached their Park County counterparts with the request back in 2014, but Wyoming Attorney General Peter Michael advised Park County that, under state law, it could not accept out-of-state prisoners. Wyoming legislators changed that law last year, opening the door to Montana inmates. At that point, however, the Cody jail was running full. “I wouldn’t even take one [person from Carbon County] at this point,” Steward said in

See Mammoth, Page 2

See Jail, Page 3

BY MARK DAVIS Tribune Staff Writer

S

cientists rushed to the Buffalo Bill Reservoir this spring to recover the remains of a Columbian mammoth, but they wound up also finding evidence of four other species from the Ice Age. Bones and bone fragments found at the bottom of the reservoir west of Cody belonged to a Pleistocene-era horse, bison, camel, and a small artiodactyl creature that’s similar to a deer, the Office of the Wyoming Archaeologist says. They all date back many thousands of years to the Ice Age — a geological epoch which lasted from about 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago. The discovery of the additional species was a welcome surprise, said Wyoming State Archaeologist Greg Pierce, whose team just wrapped up the field-study season and will be heading back to the lab to research recent discoveries. Pierce and others hustled to the Buffalo Bill Reservoir in April after the remains of a mammoth were exposed by low water on the South Fork side of the reservoir, working quickly before water levels

COUNTY SHERIFF AGAIN CONSIDERS ACCEPTING INMATES FROM MONTANA

Marcia Peterson (left), assistant Wyoming State Archaeologist, and Brigid Grund, a Powell resident with a doctorate in archaeology, work to preserve a section of Columbian mammoth skeletal remains in a salvage operation at Buffalo Bill Reservoir in April. Four Ice Age era species were found alongside the mammoth remains, identified after scientists took the artifacts back to the lab in Cheyenne. Tribune photo by Mark Davis rose. It’s been dubbed the Marquette mammoth, named after the small town that was flooded by the creation of the reservoir. Months after salvaging the remains, scientists are still unsure how long the massive animal rested on the shores of the Shoshone River. Samples

of collagen sent to the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Lab at the University of Arizona for carbon dating tests to determine an approximate age have failed so far, Pierce said. The degradation of the remains sped up as the bones were exposed to water and air, he said.

“We’re just trying to regroup,” Pierce said. “We were really hoping to get a date from the first [test], but not so much.” There are several options to continue looking for a date, which is important in deciding whether the mammoth died of natural causes, including pre-

Enrollment, cybersecurity highlight State of the College address promote our ‘not too late to register’ message and the new Trapper Adult Learner Scholarship,” Hicoosting enrollment and en- swa said. She said NWC has also revised hancing cybersecurity were its scholarship requiretwo of Northwest ments so they’re availCollege President Stefani able to those students. Hicswa’s major points of “We hope to provide focus in her State of the better access for people College address to NWC who may not have otheremployees and trustees wise been able to afford last week. college or are too busy Hicswa acknowledged with family and other that NWC enrollment commitments to go fullis down, which she said time,” Hicswa said. could be due in part to She also pointed out enrollment also dipping STEFANI that the current funding in area high schools. HICSWA allocation model puts However, the college less of an emphasis on president is not concedfull-time enrollment and more on ing the fight to increase enrollment “Student success is key,” Hicswa retention and completion when it said. “We are focused on retention comes to students. “The mission of community coland completion initiatives to ensure that students who start here com- leges is to ensure access to post-secondary educational opportunities,” plete their degree.” One way NWC is looking to re- Hicswa said. “We want adult stuverse its enrollment decline is by dents to know this is a great time to reaching out to more adult learners finish college or to train for a new and part-time students. See College, Page 8 “We increased our advertising to BY MIKE BUHLER Tribune Community Editor

B

Kristy Cullinan shows her Northwest College pride during Friday’s Paint the Town Red event in downtown Powell. Photo courtesy Harold Bjork

Last-minute write-in campaign against Rep. Laursen drew perhaps 5 percent of the vote wasn’t expecting to win. can primary. Laursen wound up receiving “I was not planning to run for the state House, nor did I 1,642 votes, nearly 95 percent of those cast. Another lthough he didn’t know it plan to campaign, but 89 people (about until days later, state Rep. was persuaded that 5.1 percent) wrote-in Dan Laursen, R-Powell, some people wanted another choice and, faced a challenger in last week’s a choice,” Smith expresumably, most of plained. “So I allowed election. them jotted down Powell resident Ronn Smith my name to be put Smith’s name. Anran a write-in campaign in the out there for that purother 339 people left Republican primary, though “it pose.” their ballots blank on Wyoming Rising was definitely a last-minute, one the House District might even say frivolous, act,” encouraged its mem25 race. bers to vote for Smith he said. “I sure appreciate It was just two days before the — endorsing him on the people voting me election, at an Aug. 19 meeting the group’s website — DAN LAURSEN in again, obviously, of the group Wyoming Rising- but he didn’t do any Northwest, that Smith heard campaigning. And while he was although there wasn’t a candicomplaints about Laursen run- willing to serve in the Legisla- date” on the ballot in opposition, ning unopposed in the Republi- ture, the self-described realist said Laursen. “I think I’ve done a good job.” When a candidate is unopposed, “you never know if it’s ‘I was not planning to run for the state House, something where somebody nor did I plan to campaign, but was pursuaded doesn’t want the job or if they think you’re doing good that some people wanted a choice.’

Boy attacked, injured by bear in Yellowstone A 10-year-old boy from 10 a.m. The boy suffered an injured Washington state was reportedly attacked and injured by wrist, puncture wounds to his a grizzly bear in Yellowstone back and wounds around his National Park Thursday morn- rear end, the release said. After walking back ing. to the trailhead, Park officials the family took say the boy and his the boy to the Old family were a half- ‘This incident Faithful area. He mile up the Divide could have been was later transTrail, southeast of more serious.’ ferred to a hosOld Faithful, when a female grizzly Pat Kenney pital in Big Sky, Montana. charged out of Yellowstone Park Law enforcevegetation toward deputy superintendent ment and bear the four family management members. The boy ran away and the bear chased staff responded immediately after him, reportedly knocking to the area. From tracks and other indications at the scene, the child to the ground. The boy’s parents then park officials concluded that deployed bear spray about 5 the grizzly appeared to have feet from the bruin’s face and been foraging near the trail “the bear shook its head and with at least one of her cubs. “Park rangers do not intend left the area,” Yellowstone officials said in a news release. See Attack, Page 3 The incident occurred around

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

BY CJ BAKER Tribune Editor

A

Ronn Smith, Write-in candidate

See Campaign, Page 2

LOTTA NUMBER - 6077 01/22/2019

Logan Nunn, of Lovell, watches the Powell Panthers hand the Riverton Wolverines a season-opening 29-7 loss Friday night at Panther Stadium. Nunn is a rodeo saddle bronc rider and often competes in the Cody Nite Rodeo. For more on Friday’s Zero Week game, see Page 9. Tribune photo by Mark Davis

LAST WEEK’S LOTTA NUMBER BELONGED TO DAVID FOX OF CODY WHO MISSED $20.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.