September 20, 2013 REGISTER FOR THE FAB WOMEN’S 127th …

FRIDAY

September 20, 2013 127th Year, No. 102

Serving Sheridan County, Wyoming

Independent and locally owned since 1887

75 Cents

Press THE SHERIDAN

ON THE WEB:

REGISTER FOR THE FAB WOMEN'S CONFERENCE OCT. 4-5

Little Guys take the field. B1

Sheridan region hunting licenses holding steady

Elk

Total licenses sold: 69,188 Total revenue: $9,324,213

Antelope

Total licenses sold: 68,066 Total revenue: $6,397,459

Deer (mule and white-talied)

Total licenses sold: 79,845

Total revenue: $8,271,804

BY HANNAH WIEST

THE SHERIDAN PRESS

SHERIDAN -- Good news, hunters. In spite of depressed numbers of hunting licenses in other areas of Wyoming -- and more so in surrounding states like Montana and Colorado -- the Sheridan region is holding its own, especially in regards to elk, antelope and white-tailed deer. While Type 1, any antelope licenses were originally reduced this year, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Sheridan Regional Office recently announced license sale increases to try to further reduce overpopulation. Type 8 doe/fawn white-tailed deer licenses were also made unlimited in five hunt areas in the region recently. As for elk? "These are the glory years for elk," Sheridan Regional Wildlife Supervisor Joe Gilbert said. "I've been with the outfit for 33 years, and all that time you could only draw one elk license. I never dreamed you'd be able to get three licenses," Gilbert continued. In 2012, the Wyoming legislature removed the limit on elk tags, so the Sheridan region now allows up to three elk harvests with reduced price cow-calf licenses. Overall, Sheridan reduced a few license types and increased others with the overall trend moving upward for the region. In comparison, a recent article in Colorado's 5280 Magazine noted that hunting and fishing license sales in Colorado are down approximately 18 percent since hunting's heyday there in the early 1980s, falling from 657,333 in 1983 to 537,371 in 2013. The drop in sales has the potential to negatively impact wildlife health in Colorado since license fees primarily fund management efforts. In 1982, Wyoming sold 644,946 hunting and fishing licenses. Thirty years later, in 2012, the department sold 871,434 hunting and fishing licenses, making it appear Wyoming has not fol-

lowed quite the same trend. Still, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department

did have to cut its budget by 6.28 percent for fiscal year 2014, dropping nearly $5 million from $76 million to $71 million. A chunk of that cut came from projections that deer and antelope license sales would be down approximately $500,000 for the year for the state, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Fiscal Division Chief Jean Cole said.

License sales for deer and antelope both dropped by about 5,000 from 2011 to 2012.

`These are the glory years for elk.'

Joe Gilbert Sheridan Regional Wildlife Supervisor

However, numbers don't tell the whole story. Weather -- be it droughts, floods or harsh winters -- plays a significant role in license sales each year since big game herds live and die by how their forage is affected by weather conditions, Gilbert said. The drops in deer and antelope sales in Wyoming this year are likely the result of rotten weather in much of the state that has harmed herds. The Sheridan region tends to face less adversity with its milder weather, but it does face another tricky balancing act that's not as troublesome in the rest of the state: access. "We have to keep the amount of licenses available in harmony with both the deer population and the amount of access available to hunters," Gilbert said. "We could allow more licenses if we had access to get hunters on the landscape where they can hunt, but because of limited access we have to tailor the number of deer licenses that are available to that."

SEE HUNTING, PAGE 3

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Sport fishing

Total licenses sold: 321,795 Total revenue: $5,994,190

The above data reflects revenues generated by hunting and fishing license sales in 2012.

Total Wyoming hunting licenses sold between 2000-2012

Changing

perceptions

79 percent of area crimes alcohol related

BY TRACEE DAVIS THE SHERIDAN PRESS

SHERIDAN -- Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead is launching the second phase of a statewide campaign to change attitudes about drunk driving. The campaign, which started with billboards, has now expanded to 30-second radio and TV ads as well as half-page print ads in publications around the state, and focuses on the "Wyoming Eight," a group of University of Wyoming cross country runners who were killed by a drunk driver in 2001.

"We were hoping our deaths might change things," says a voice intended to represent one of the deceased athletes.

"But since then, over 600 other people in Wyoming have been killed by drunk drivers," another voice chimes in.

Mike Reed heads up the governor's Council on Impaired Driving. He says Wyoming still struggles with the outdated cultural attitude that drunk driving isn't a big deal.

"People used to describe distances between towns as being either a six-pack or a 12-pack trip," Reed said.

"Or, if someone was known to drink a lot and drive home, people would say, 'his car knows its way home,'" he added.

Reed pointed out progress has been made, but there's still more work to do when it comes to changing minds and behavior.

"It's a running joke, and its a running battle," said Thom Gabrukiewicz, community prevention specialist.

Gabrukiewicz shared the statistic from the state's Alcohol and Crime in Wyoming Report for 2012 that 69 percent of all arrests in the state were alcohol related. In Sheridan, that number jumps to 79 percent.

SEE IMPAIRED, PAGE 7

Undercover investigators solve Wyoming wildlife crime

CASPER (AP) -- The death threat itself didn't bother Mike Ehlebracht. He'd been threatened plenty of times before.

The situation did. Ehlebracht and his partner were in rural Kansas years ago in the middle of the night with a group of poachers who were high on drugs and shooting deer. Ehlebracht told the group they were TV show producers who planned to open a bar in Wichita. They liked hunting and camouflage and needed cheap meat to serve their patrons.

Sometime in between all of the shooting that night, one of the girlfriends looked Ehlebracht in the eye and told him if he was a cop, they'd kill him and dump him in a well.

It made Ehlebracht a little nervous. At the time he was an investigator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

"Under normal circumstances that might not bother me that much, but these people were drugged up," he said. "Normally, when that threat comes it comes kind of third hand or second hand. It doesn't come

straight at you like that." The poachers processed the deer and sold

them to Ehlebracht and his partner. Once the deal finished, other officers made the bust. Undercover agents rarely actually arrest the criminals they've deceived.

The poachers pleaded guilty. And Ehlebracht never forgot the threat.

Ehlebracht now leads the Wyoming Game and Fish Department's wildlife investigative unit. The six members are wildlife detectives, not wardens. Just as police detectives don't typically give speeding

tickets or look for drunken drivers, wildlife investigators don't check hunting licenses, wear red shirts or drive green trucks.

They're often undercover and behind the scenes. They work some cases for years, collecting evidence and gaining trust. Other times, they function under elaborate false identities.

Each member offers a different expertise. Together they solve some of Wyoming's worst wildlife crimes.

SEE CRIME, PAGE 2

Scan with your smartphone for latest weather, news and sports

The Sheridan Press 144 Grinnell Ave. Sheridan, WY 82801

307.672.2431

Today's edition is published for: Colin Ferriman of Sheridan

OPINION PEOPLE LEGALS ALMANAC

4 SPORTS

B1

5 COMICS

B3

6 CLASSIFIEDS

B4

9 SPORTS CONT'D B6

A2 THE SHERIDAN PRESS



FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013

CRIME: In 2012, the investigative unit closed one of state's largest poaching cases

FROM 1

Wildlife investigators aren't much different from officers with the Division of Criminal Investigation or the Drug Enforcement Agency, said Jim Gregory, an investigator who joined the team in 2001.

They go to the police academy, train with law enforcement and spend years as game wardens in the field.

"We all follow the money," Gregory said. "It doesn't matter if you're dealing in dope or dealing in sheep heads."

Only these guys need to know wildlife, too.

They've brought down poaching rings where landowners sell licenses to the highest bidder. They've found and arrested people for introducing invasive species into the state. Sometimes they uncover drugs and unregistered guns along with poached hides, heads and meat.

In 2012, the unit closed one of Wyoming's largest poaching cases. A family outside of Ten Sleep was selling its landowner licenses to hunters without tags.

The landowners earned hundreds of thousands of dollars before a hunter finally reported the illegal process.

However, investigators rarely go undercover in Wyoming. It's too small of a state, with an even smaller hunting community, to maintain a fake identity. They go to other states that need undercover work and receive help in return.

Ehlebracht worked on one of the largest wildlife cases in South Dakota history when he still lived in Kansas. Landowners sold their tags to the highest bidder and took the wealthy for private, guided hunts. Ehlebracht made it in with the crew, pretending to be a rich out-of-state hunter.

He spent days on their land, even staying in the ringleader's house. Most of the 26 hunters that weekend didn't have licenses for the trophy mule deer they killed.

Ehlebracht videotaped the hunters as they returned from the field with a trophy deer pinned with a landowner tag. That information led to the takedown and prosecution of the hunters and the guides.

On one case in the 1980s, Ehlebracht pretended to be a seller of illegal reptiles. A buyer in Louisiana built a network of poachers around the country who would collect and ship him animals. The man then packaged the creatures for sale, making more than $300,000 each year in the trade.

Ehlebracht sold him a shipment of painted box turtles before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved in for the bust.

When they entered the man's warehouse, they found crates stacked floor to ceiling with hundreds of thousands of snakes, lizards and turtles. One cage alone had 60,000 lizards all illegally collected.

"Nothing really surprises me anymore," he said. "If people can make money on illegal wildlife, some of them are going to do it."

Wildlife violations, like other illegal acts, come in degrees. There's the angler who keeps an 18-inch trout when the minimum is 20 inches, or the hunter who shoots a buck in an area next to his own.

Those are important cases, Wyoming's wildlife investigators say. But they're not the big ones.

"I wanted to chase the guys who knew they were up to no good, and were going out of their way to steal wildlife from the public," said Irah Leonetti, the team's newest member.

Each investigator brings a little something different to the table. Leonetti's interest lies in ballistics. He can find bullets in the field and sometimes identify the type of gun used in the crime. Before a case goes to court it needs to be analyzed in a lab setting, but his field knowledge helps Leonetti narrow the suspect pool faster and close more cases.

Jim Gregory and Scott Browning have been wildlife investigators for decades, bringing a depth of knowledge of crime, wildlife and Wyoming to the team. John Demaree specializes in analyzing seized computers and cell phones.

"A lot of the hunters and fishermen like to take pictures of their catches and kills and it's either on their cell phones or in

their computers," Demaree said. "They also send numerous text messages back and forth to their cohorts filling them in on how the hunt is going."

The information can often be recovered even after it has been deleted.

Demaree worked with Colorado Parks and Wildlife about eight years ago to track down a man introducing rusty crayfish into Wyoming waters. The crayfish is native to the Ohio River basin and could be destructive in the Cowboy State.

Landowners were paying the man to stock their ponds, unknowingly allowing him to bring invasive species into the state. A ranch manager started the investigation when he questioned one of the crayfish.

It took years to track the man down and collect all necessary evidence. Colorado and Wyoming investigators seized his computers, invoices and contacts. He made more than $200,000 buying cheap species such as rusty crayfish and distributing them on three Wyoming ranches, Demaree said.

Nearly a decade later, the state is still trying to remove rusty crayfish.

The biggest fines usually go to cases where landowners sell their licenses to outof-state hunters. The organizations are complex and involve dozens of violators all crossing state lines. While those likely won't destroy a game population, they do give someone who hasn't applied and worked for a license a chance at one of Wyoming's trophy animals, Ehlebracht said.

But every once in a while, a poaching case does cut into a local population, Browning said.

A group of hunters shot four moose in October 2012 and left them in a field outside Hudson. They removed two males and two females from a herd of about 12 animals. It was a significant loss to an already struggling species, he said.

"We've had photographers and school teachers and moms with kids who stopped and looked at the moose who were really impacted by the event," Browning said. "They really are stealing not just from sportsmen but all people in Wyoming.

Browning worked with the FBI, Wind River Indian Reservation and local police and sheriff departments to crack the case. The four poachers pleaded guilty, served jail time and paid $30,000 in restitution.

Some people say they just can't help themselves. Gregory remembers a case near Rock Springs where a man and his buddies were shooting antelope, deer and sage grouse near their oil rig. They would barbecue them in what the guys called the Dog Shack.

Gregory tracked the man down on his way back from Texas.

"This guy reached across the table and grabbed my arm and said, `We're staying at the Wind Gate in Rock Springs. Do you know where that is? Those antelope are on the lawn every morning.'"

He and so many others believed Wyoming's wildlife was there for the taking, Gregory said.

Gregory, Ehlebracht and the four other investigators work every day to prove them wrong.

Miss something? Find it at .

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013



A3 THE SHERIDAN PRESS

HUNTING: Limited access on private land leads to overcrowding on public property

FROM 1

A few decades ago, ranches in the area used to allow 25 to 30 bucks to be taken on their land, but now many are managing for trophy buck hunting and only allowing five or so to be harvested, turning away people who call to get access and even asking second and third generation hunters not to come some years if they perceive deer populations on their land to be down.

Gilbert understands that landowners grow weary of phone calls asking for access, but he said limited access does lend itself to hunter crowding on public land, which can potentially lead to over hunting, which can lead to

restricting nonresident deer licenses and a loss of income. Just this year, the Sheridan region lowered region C non-

resident deer licenses by 200, which reduced income to the department by $65,200.

And, like the rest of the nation, the Sheridan region is concerned about the age gap in hunting.

"I relate it to the Sturgis crowd," Gilbert said. "It seems every year they go through, their hair gets grayer. Likewise, the mean age of people who buy licenses is getting one year older each year."

As society becomes more urban and people become less tied to the land, kids aren't exposed to hunting as much, especially when lacking hunting mentors in their lives,

Gilbert said. Also, kids are busy -- almost too busy to spend time out-

doors hunting. Wyoming has lowered its hunting age from 14 to 12 to try

to capture kids' interest earlier and started hunting mentor programs that allow people to go hunting with a mentor without passing hunter's education to "test drive" the sport before committing to the time and money to pass a class.

Overall, Gilbert said, those programs are working as more and more women and children enter the hunting force, but it will take vigilance to maintain hunter recruitment and adequate wildlife management.

LOCAL BRIEFS |

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Blue Jeans Ball set for Saturday

SHERIDAN -- The Wyoming FFA Foundation is partnering with the Sheridan FFA chapter to host the 2013 Blue Jeans Ball Saturday at the Sheridan Holiday Inn.

The evening will begin at 5 p.m. with a silent auction and social hour. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m., followed by a live auction and music provided by The Innocents. Wyoming's State FFA Officer Team and several past Wyoming FFA officers will be in attendance. Corporate sponsorships are available for $1,000 each, table sponsorships for $500 and individual tickets for $35 each. Contact Wyoming FFA's Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Womack at 307351-0730 for sponsorships or to purchase tickets. Tickets can also be purchased online at by clicking on the "donate now" button and submitting a donation of $35 per ticket.

Reception for photographer Fordyce at library

SHERIDAN -- "Homecoming," an exhibit of photography by Allen "Ike" Fordyce, is on display on the mezzanine at Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library.

Fordyce was born and raised in the ranching country of Sheridan County. He now lives in Texas.

An artist's reception will take place on the mezzanine at the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library on Saturday from 6-8 p.m.

Historic District Business Committee struggling with participation levels

FROM STAFF REPORTS

SHERIDAN -- The Historic District Business Committee is struggling to recruit business owners for participation. The committee, formerly called the Retail Committee, has seen dwindling attendance at its meetings for several months.

"This committee is a great strategic partnership between the (Downtown Sheridan Association) and the chamber," said Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce CEO Dixie Johnson. "We need to drum up attendance."

DSA Executive Director Stacie Coe said many of the core members of the HDBC are members of other committees that cover redundant functions. She said some business owners may have been confused when the committee's name changed.

The group has assembled a task force to meet Oct. 8 to rework the committee's structure and guidelines for operation. At that time, the group will also share ideas about event plans for Men's Night and the future of the Cash Mob initiative. All members of the public are invited and encouraged to

attend. At the committee's meet-

ing Thursday morning, they agreed the group will meet bimonthly, vice quarterly.

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be in November.

One last barbecue before colder weather

Thank you Spring Creek Coal for purchasing my Reserve Champion

steer "Mellow Yellow" and my Hereford steer "Tebow" at the 4H

and FFA Youth Livestock Sale! I appreciate your support!

Sincerely, Braden West

Jude Keutla of the Mia Lumpia, a Filipino restaurant from Billings, Mont., spreads barbecue sauce on skewered pork during the Third Thursday Street Festival on Grinnell Street. This was the final Third Thursday event for the season.

SATURDAY'S EVENTS |

? 8 a.m., Wolf Creek Wrangle run/hike fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, Eatons' Ranch, Wolf, $55 for half marathon, $40 for 10K run/hike, kids run free.

? 10 a.m., Creating a fairy garden workshop, Landon's Greenhouse and Nursery, 505 College Meadow Drive, $35.

? 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., People Assistance Food Bank food truck in front of JC Penney and Accents of Wyoming, Main Street.

? 11 a.m., Ride for the Kids poker run and Oktoberfest, Kalif Shrine Center, 145 W. Loucks St., first poker hand $15, additional hands $10.

? 1 p.m., Big Horn City Historical Society pot luck lunch and Black Diamond Byways tour, Big Horn Woman's Club, 314 S. Second St., Big Horn.

? 1 p.m., Perennials workshop, Landon's

Greenhouse and Nursery, 505 College Meadow Drive.

? 2 p.m., Sheridan College auditions for "Polish Joke," Sheridan College Broadway Center, 245 Broadway St.

? 5 p.m., Sheridan FFA chapter Blue Jeans Ball, Holiday Inn, corporate sponsorships $1,000, table sponsorships $500, individual tickets $35, pre-registration required.

? 5:30-10 p.m., Volunteers of America Northern Rockies fundraising Bandana Barn Dance, Winfield Ranch, 554 Highway 193, Banner, $100 per ticket.

? 6-8 p.m., Artist reception for Allen "Ike" Fordyce, Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library, 335 W. Alger St.

? 6-10 p.m., Casino night fundraiser for Tipsy Taxi, Eagles Aerie #186, 850 N. Main St., $20 per person.

Find us online at .

THE SHERIDAN PRESS | JUSTIN SHEELY

OPINION

A4 THE SHERIDAN PRESS

What's

superbugging you?

You may be worried about a government shutdown, but I'm not. I'm not worried about a shutdown because we're all about to die

anyway. Superbugs are going to kill us.

"Drug-resistant bacteria pose poten-

tial catastrophe, CDC warns" was The

Post's headline this week about a

DANA MILBANK

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that did indeed use words such as "nightmare" and "cata-

|

strophic threat."

"We're just getting closer and closer

to the cliff," CDC official Michael Bell

cautioned reporters in a conference call.

CDC Director Tom Frieden warned of being "thrust

back to a time before we had effective drugs."

They spoke of the infamous "flesh-eating bacteria," but

even that horrid streptococcus is a minor problem com-

pared to the "urgent health threat" posed by Clostridium

difficile, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and

other nasties you most definitely don't want to meet.

There's now even a superfungus -- fluconazole-resistant

Candida -- that can kill you.

I reacted as I usually do to such reports. I covered

myself head to toe in Purell, donned a respirator and hid

under my bed. I was so concerned about the superbugs

that I temporarily forgot to worry about avian flu and the

deadly coronavirus coming from Saudi Arabia.

To help me keep track of these threats, my Post col-

league Alan Sipress, author of a book on pandemic flu,

suggested that I subscribe to ProMED, a daily e-mail

update from the International Society for Infectious

Diseases. This week, ProMED informs me that there have

been four new cases of MERS (the Middle East respirato-

ry syndrome), and that there's a potentially problematic

development with H7N9 influenza in China (not to be

confused with H7N7 in Italy or H5N1 in Cambodia).

The trouble is, ProMED also introduces me to all kinds

of threats I never thought to worry about. As I write this,

the daily bulletin includes news of a paralytic shellfish

poisoning in Australia, E. coli in Canadian cheese, water-

borne diarrhea in Armenia, a superbug in Brazil, hemor-

rhagic fever in Uganda, hemorrhagic fever with renal

syndrome in Russia, cholera and dysentery in Africa,

something called "Meloidogyne enterolobii root knot"

involving South African potatoes, and the dread "lumpy

skin disease" related to bovines in Turkey.

Lest you think these are other countries' problems,

ProMED has word of salmonellosis at a North Carolina

church barbecue, toxic algae in Ohio drinking water, peo-

ple catching the flu from pigs in Arkansas and equine

encephalitis from mosquitoes in Maine. There are con-

taminated oysters in Massachusetts and the bubonic

plague in New Mexico. Still, I'd take those over the case

in Bangladesh involving monkey-to-human transmission

of "simian foamy virus."

ProMED is a must-read for a hypochondriac like me,

and I intend to keep reading about these exotic conta-

gions until I succumb to the ravages of mad cow disease,

which the government seems to think I have.

(Regulations prohibit me and anybody else who lived in

Britain between 1980 and 1996 from giving blood, out of

concern that we may be carrying the mind-wasting ill-

ness.)

Reading about all the infectious threats actually eases

the symptoms of germaphobia because you realize that,

though there are lots of things out there that can kill

you, they rarely do. Beneath the headlines about the CDC

superbug catastrophe, for example, you learn in smaller

print that only about 1 in 14,000 Americans will be killed

by them in a year, and these people often have other

health problems.

You also realize there's not a whole lot an individual

can do about all the infectious threats, other than wash-

ing your hands, cooking your food, getting vaccinated,

using antibiotics properly and not kissing sick chickens.

Beyond that, we should all push our government to

accelerate and expand what it's already doing: getting

antibiotics out of the food chain, by restricting their use

in animals, and researching new drugs. As the CDC

report notes, bacteria will inevitably evolve to resist

antibiotics; the best we can do is slow down the evolution

so scientists can stay one step ahead of the superbugs.

This is some of the most important work the federal

government does, mostly through the National Institutes

of Health: spurring the development of new antibiotics,

vaccines for pandemic flu and treatments for all kinds of

diseases. It saves and lengthens millions of lives, and it's

a public good that only government can provide -- and

only if government is up and running.

Come to think of it, maybe I should be worried about a

government shutdown. It's at least as much of a threat to

my health as simian foamy virus.

DANA MILBANK is a political reporter for The Washington Post and has authored two books on national political campaigns and the national political parties.



FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013

QUOTABLE |

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

"Stay with me, I'm right here. We don't want you to go."

-- Bertillia Lavern to colleague Vishnu Pandit, who had spent 30 years with the Navy, as he died after former Navy reservist Aaron Alexis shot him at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday.

"Everyone who could ran into the coffee fields. It smothered the homes and sent them into the river. Half the homes in town were smothered and buried."

-- Marta Alvarez, a 22-year-old homemaker who was cooking with her 2-year-old son, two brothers and her parents when a landslide erupted in La Pintada, Mexico.

"This bill is designed to give people a hand when they need it most. And most people don't choose to be on food stamps. Most people want a job ... They want what we want."

-- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., on the floor just before the House voted to cut nearly $4 billion a year from food stamps, a 5 percent reduction to the nation's main feeding program.

The real Navy Yard scandal -- ignoring the mentally ill

In the liberal remake of "Casablanca," the police captain comes upon the scene of the shooting and orders his men to "round up the usual weapons."

It's always the weapon and never the shooter. Twelve people are murdered in a rampage at the Washington Navy Yard, and before sundown Sen. Dianne Feinstein has called for yet another debate on gun violence. Major opprobrium is heaped on the AR-15, the semiautomatic used in the Newtown massacre.

Turns out no AR-15 was used at the Navy Yard. And the shotgun that was used was obtained legally in Virginia after the buyer, Aaron Alexis, had passed both a state and federal background check.

As was the case in the Tucson shooting -- instantly politicized into a gun-control and (fabricated) teaparty-climate-of-violence issue -- the origin of this crime lies not in any politically expedient externality but in the nature of the shooter.

On Aug. 7, that same Alexis had called police from a Newport, R.I., Marriott. He was hearing voices. Three people were following him, he told the cops. They were sending microwaves through walls, making his skin vibrate and preventing him from sleeping. He had already twice changed hotels to escape the men, the radiation, the voices.

Delusions, paranoid ideation, auditory (and somatic) hallucinations: the classic symptoms of schizophrenia.

So here is this panic-stricken soul, psychotic and in terrible distress. And what does modern policing do for him? The cops tell him to "stay away from the individuals that are following him." Then they leave.

But the three "individuals" were

imaginary, for God's sake. This is

how a civilized society deals with a

man in such a state of terror?

Had this happened 35 years ago in

Boston, Alexis would have been

brought to me as the psychiatrist on

duty at the emergency room of the

Massachusetts General Hospital.

Were he as agitated and distressed

as in the police report, I probably

would have

administered an

immediate dose of

Haldol, the most

powerful fast-act-

ing antipsychotic

of the time.

This would gen-

erally have

CHARLES

relieved the hallu-

KRAUTHAMMER |

cinations and delusions, a blessing not only in

itself, but also for

the lucidity

brought on that would have allowed

him to give us important diagnostic

details -- psychiatric history, family

history, social history, medical histo-

ry, etc. If I had thought he could be

sufficiently cared for by family or

friends to receive regular oral med-

ication, therapy and follow-up, I

would have discharged him.

Otherwise, I'd have admitted him.

And if he refused, I'd have ordered a

14-day involuntary commitment.

Sounds cruel? On the contrary. For

many people living on park benches,

commitment means a warm bed,

shelter and three hot meals a day.

For Alexis, it would have meant the

beginning of a treatment regimen

designed to bring him back to him-

self before discharging him to a

world heretofore madly radioactive.

That's what a compassionate socie-

ty does. It would no more abandon

this man to fend for himself than it

would a man suffering a stroke. And as a side effect, that compassion might even extend to potential victims of his psychosis -- in the event, remote but real, that he might someday burst into some place of work and kill 12 innocent people.

Instead, what happened? The Newport police sent their report to the local naval station, where it promptly disappeared into the ether. Alexis subsequently twice visited VA hospital ERs, but without any florid symptoms of psychosis and complaining only of sleeplessness, the diagnosis was missed. (He was given a sleep medication.) He fell back through the cracks.

True, psychiatric care is underfunded and often scarce. But Alexis had full access to the VA system. The problem here was not fiscal but political and, yes, even moral.

I know the civil libertarian arguments. I know that involuntary commitment is outright paternalism. But paternalism is essential for children because they don't have a fully developed rational will. Do you think Alexis was in command of his will that night in Newport?

We cannot, of course, be cavalier about commitment. We should have layers of review, albeit rapid. But it's both cruel and reckless to turn loose people as lost and profoundly suffering as Alexis, even apart from any potential dangerousness.

More than half of those you see sleeping on grates have suffered mental illness. It's a national scandal. It's time we recalibrated the pendulum that today allows the mentally ill to die with their rights on -- and, rarely but unforgivably, take a dozen innocents with them.

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER writes a weekly political column for The Washington Post. He is also a Fox News commentator.

THE SHERIDAN

Press

Stephen Woody Publisher

Kristen Czaban Managing Editor Phillip Ashley Marketing Director Annette Bryl Office Manager

Mark Blumenshine

Production Manager

DROP US A LINE |

The Sheridan Press welcomes letters to the editor. The decision to print any submission is completely at the discretion of the managing editor and publisher.

Letters must be signed and include an address and telephone number ? which will not be published ? for verification purposes. Unsigned letters will not be published, nor form letters, or letters that we deem libelous, obscene or in bad taste. Email delivery of letters into the Press works best and have the best chance of being published.

Letters should not exceed 400 words. The best-read letters are those that stay on a single topic and are brief. Letters can be edited for length, taste, clarity. We reserve the right to limit frequent letter writers. Write: Letters to the Editor

The Sheridan Press P.O. Box 2006 Sheridan, Wyo. 82801 Email: letters@

IN WASHINGTON |

President Barack Obama Rep. Cynthia Lummis

The White

1004

House

Longworth

1600

HOB

Pennsylvania

Washington,

Ave.

DC 20515

Washington,

DC 20500

Phone: 202-225-2311

Phone: 202-456-1111

Toll free: 888-879-3599

Fax: 202-456-1414

Fax: 202-225-3057

Sen. Mike Enzi

Sen. John Barrasso

Senate

307 Dirksen

Russell

Senate

Building 379A

Office Building

Washington,

Washington,

DC 20510

DC 20510

Phone: 202-224-3424 Toll free: 888-250-1879 Fax: 202-228-0359

Phone: 202-224-6441 Fax: 202-224-1724

The 1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

PEOPLE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013



A5 THE SHERIDAN PRESS

Backcountry Horsemen to host roadside cleanup

FROM STAFF REPORTS

SHERIDAN -- The Cloud Peak Backcountry Horsemen will hold a roadside cleanup session Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Meet at the parking lot to the Buffalo Run recreation area on Highway 14 east of Sheridan.

A potluck will follow. Bring your own lawn chairs. For more information contact Dwight French at 674-8239.

See us online at



SHS Homecoming celebration Sept. 26

FROM STAFF REPORTS

SHERIDAN -- Sheridan High School invites the community to a homecoming celebration Sept. 26 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Grinnell Plaza.

The SHS band and cheerleaders

will be there and the burning of the Bronc head will take place.

Food vendors will be present. This celebration is open to everyone at no charge. For more information call Tyson Emborg at 672-2495, ext. 3228.

Bardell, Flynn engaged to wed June 28

FROM STAFF REPORTS

SHERIDAN -- Jamie Lee Bardell of Gillette and Jessica Marie Flynn of Big Horn are engaged to marry June 28, 2014, at Holy Name Catholic Church.

Bardell is a 2006 graduate of Arlington High School in Arlington, Wash. He attended the welding program at Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, Wash. Bardell is employed by BNSF Railroad.

He is the son of Bonnie Brake and Jim Bardell, both of Arlington, Wash.

Flynn is a 2010 graduate of Big Horn High School and is employed at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

She is the daughter of Kathleen and Dennis Flynn of Big Horn.

Jamie Lee Bardell and Jessica Marie Flynn will wed in Sheridan in June.

COURTESY PHOTO |

NEW FACES |

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Ezra James Peck

Ezra James Peck was born Sept. 11, 2013, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. He weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces.

He was welcomed by his parents Michael and Valerie Peck of Worland and brother Ira.

His grandparents are John Korp of Sheridan and Frank and Patricia Peck of Buffalo.

His great-grandmother is Coleen Peck of Rapid City, S.D.

Sawyer John Hervi

Druann Kerns of Laurel, Mont., and Gary and Janet Havert of Cheyenne.

Great-grandparents are Ken and Jorja Kerns of Parkman, Drew and Karen Jackson of Laurel, Mont., Odis and Catherine Simons of Dallas, Texas, and Henry and Thelma Havert of Painted Post, N.Y.

Hannah Jane Houghton

Hannah Jane Houghton was born Sept. 15, 2013, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. She weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce.

She was welcomed by her parents Matt and Sarah Houghton of Sheridan.

Sawyer John Hervi was born Sept 12, 2013, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces.

He was welcomed by his parents David and Peggy Hervi of Sheridan and siblings Cordell, Damien and Bridgette.

His grandparents are Perry and Thelma Rosenlund of Sheridan and John and Susan Hervi of Willow Lake, S.D.

Evelyn Ann Baker

Evelyn Ann Baker was born Sept. 14, 2013, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces.

She was welcomed by her parents Brionna Neiger and Devon Baker of Sheridan and brother Timothy.

Her grandparents are Niki and TJ Crackenberger, Joe Baker, Bobby Hando, Kim Baker and Stephen Hackett, all of Sheridan.

Great-grandparents are Johnnie Faye Claar and Dick Claar of Moorcroft and Rita Stephens and Dave Owens of Sheridan.

Henry Dana Kerns

Henry Dana Kerns was born Sept. 15, 2013, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces.

He was welcomed by his parents Tyler and Jill Kerns of Sheridan and brother Liam.

His grandparents are Krayton and

Anwynn Morgan Fack

Anwynn Morgan Fack was born Sept. 15, 2013, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. She weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces.

She was welcomed by her parents Travis and Morgan Fack of Sheridan and sister Anitra.

Her grandparents are Ed and Denise Fack of Sheridan and Shawn and Ginger Carrig of Shepherd, Mont.

Gunner James Keller

Gunner James Keller was born Sept. 16, 2013, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. He weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces.

He was welcomed by his parents Patrick and Karri Keller of Sheridan.

His grandparents are Joe Wagers and Michelle Wagers, both of Meeteetse, and Tami Keller of Sheridan.

Evan Lance Kirol

Evan Lance Kirol was born Sept. 16, 2013, at Sheridan Memorial Hospital. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces.

He was welcomed by his parents Chris and Sara Kirol of Sheridan and sister Brynn.

His grandparents are Mike and Joyce Evans of Fort Laramie and Marilyn Townsend of Cody.

Weaving workshop set for Sept. 27-28

FROM STAFF REPORTS

SHERIDAN -- Ann Arndt will lead a weaving workshop Sept. 2728 at Sagebrush Community Art Center.

The workshop will be Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon and Sept. 28 from 1-4 p.m.

Participants should bring three or four special papers to cut up and weave, such as magazine pages, calendar pictures, photographs or printed stories or poems.

Students will learn how to combine colors and patterns and design and paint some new papers to create a collage.

The cost is $50 for Artists' Guild members and $60 for non-members.

The workshop is limited to 12 participants.

Register by calling Sagebrush at 674-1970.

Sagebrush Community Art Center is located in the Historic Train Depot at 201 E. Fifth St.

Have some local

news to share?

Call The

Sheridan Press

at 672-2431.

PROPOSED TEMPORARY TURBIDITY INCREASE IN BIG GOOSE CREEK IN

SHERIDAN COUNTY

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Water Quality Division, has received a request from Jason Koltiska for a temporary increase of turbidity in Big Goose Creek in Sheridan County. Activities occurring in Big Goose Creek are normally limited to a ten nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU) increase over background. Approval of this request would allow for an exceedance of this limit for up to 15 days during the project, subject to monitoring and reporting. This request will follow the procedures of Chapter 1, Section 23(c)(ii) of the Wyoming DEQ Water Quality Rules and Regulations which allows for temporary elevated levels of turbidity in certain circumstances.

The purpose of the project is to construct a diversion dam. The project will occur in Section 33, T56N, R84W in Sheridan County.

An application for a 404 Permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been submitted for this project.

The Water Quality Division will be accepting written comments on the temporary turbidity increase until 5:00 p.m. on October 3, 2013. Comments should be addressed to Cathy Norris, Wyoming DEQ/WQD, Herschler Building, 122 W. 25th Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002. Questions about this action or requests for other related information and documents should also be directed to Cathy Norris at 307777-6372 (Fax: 307-777-5973).

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download