The Riverton Circuit Court is stationed in a small, pre-fab building with thin walls. After a bullet was shot from outside the building into the courtroom last summer, Fremont County stationed industrial shipping containers around the building to protect it. The Fremont County Board of Commissioners has requested funding from the State Loan and Investments Board to build a new circuit court facility.
The Fremont County Board of Commissioners is hoping the State Loan and Investments Board will approve its application for a $2.6 million dollar grant to build a Riverton justice center.
It would cover half the cost of a new building to house offices for the sheriff and county attorneys, as well as a circuit court.
Riverton Circuit Court Judge Wesley Roberts says the small pre-fab building they’re currently using has long been insufficient.
A burst of color hits the sky at dawn when hot air balloons inflate and loft off !! Spectators at the launch site witness the event as the balloons drift upwards around them. A fantastic event you don't want to miss.
The Hot Air Balloon Rally is the third weekend in July. They try to take off at dawn if the weather permits.
For years some in Fremont County have been concerned about the populations rate of alcohol consumption. In most categories the county ranks at or higher than most counties in the state in areas of concern such as alcohol related arrests or binge drinking. The county is tops in the state in alcohol related crashes and ranks a solid fifth in alcohol related crimes. Over the years community leaders in Riverton have periodically tried to address some of these problems. Since spring a new effort is under way. Wyoming Public Radio’s Bob Beck has more.
The U.S. Department of Energy will run additional groundwater tests at a Riverton site contaminated with uranium. The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act site was contaminated after hosting a uranium mill there in the 1960’s.
Central Wyoming College will be getting over a million dollars from the Department of Labor to launch an innovative program to help young adults who have been in the Juvenile Justice system.
The one-point-two million dollar grant will enable the college to set up the Second Wind Project that will help former juvenile offenders between the ages of 18 and 21 to develop life and work skills with the goal of keeping them out of the criminal justice system.
Concerns about possible water shortages have lead the Riverton City Council to adopt a drought plan and implement mild restrictions. Under the plan’s level green, there are no restrictions. The current yellow level asks residents to conserve water voluntarily. Voluntary water conservation measures include fixing leaks and avoiding watering lawns during the hottest parts of the day.
Pit bulls are blamed for killing sheep in Riverton.
Farm owner Bill Jennings says he has found over 50 sheep dead in the last few months. He says he's found dogs in with the sheep twice and has put down three dogs.
Capt. Ryan Lee of the Fremont County Sheriff's Office said a lot of people seem to be allowing their dogs to run free. However, he says owners can be criminally and civilly responsible for any damage they cause to livestock.
The Farm Bureau is offering a reward of over $2,000 for information on the sheep attacks.
