THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017 107TH YEAR/ISSUE 68 HIGH-SPEED CHASE SUSPECT’S BOND SET AT $125,000 FACES 13 CHARGES; UNCOOPERATIVE IN COURT BY CJ BAKER at $125,000 cash. Tribune Editor Pedro is alleged to have sold five pills of the stimulant acing three felonies, 10 adderall and four pills of Fmisdemeanors and the the tranquilizer clonazepam prospect of a lengthy to a person who was work- stint behind bars for alleged- ing as an informant for the ly selling prescrip- Wyoming Division tion drugs and of Criminal Inves- leading police on a tigation. The $150 high-speed chase, transaction alleg- Robert J. Pedro edly took place in treated a Wednes- the Blair’s parking day court hearing lot in Powell on as if it was a joke. Feb. 27. “That’s it?” the The Park County 36-year-old Cody Attorney’s Office resident asked filed two felony when a prosecutor charges of deliver- recommended his ROBERT PEDRO ing a controlled bond be set at a substance over the combined total of $150,000. alleged sale last week, and Earlier, he made a sarcas- Waters issued a warrant for tic argument to be released. Pedro’s arrest. “I believe this person is Local police, looking to ar- BACK TO not a threat to society at all. I rest Pedro on that warrant think he’s a very nice young — and reportedly having man. He should be let free received information that today,” said Pedro, who ap- he might be bringing drugs peared via a live video feed from Cody to Powell — tried SCHOOL from the jail after being un- to pull him over on Sunday cooperative with staff. afternoon. Instead, a chase “Very well said,” Circuit ensued that involved the Butterflies Court Judge Bruce Waters Wyoming Highway Patrol, sarcastically replied. The judge set Pedro’s bond See Chase, Page 3 Sydney Asay (above) hugs her son Kasen before he heads off to his first day of kindergarten at Southside Elementary School on Wednesday while Cody landowner who his 4-year-old sister, Kymber, looks on. Myah Rakness (left) accidentally started Whit mentors kindergarten student Rhett Goolsbey as they release a butterfly — an idea to help Fire could face big bill new Southside students deal with the butterflies in their BY CJ BAKER roughly $1.4 million worth of stomach on the possibly Tribune Editor costs, Beckwith said. stressful first day. The blaze started on Aug. Tribune photos by Mark Davis he Bureau of Land Man- 2, 2016, on Whit Creek Road, Tagement says a spark south of the North Fork High- from a citizen’s metal way in the Wapiti area. An- grinder started last year’s other property owner’s home Weekend event provides activities Whit Fire west of Cody — and was destroyed and the fire says that person could poten- went on to threaten a number for Powell and NWC communities tially be held responsible for of other homes on both the the millions of dollars that it North and South forks of the cost to suppress it. Shoshone River while burning Sarah Beckwith, a regional through 12,387 acres. More Paint the Town Red spokeswoman for than 700 peo- the BLM, said ple worked Northwest College is painting the town red Friday and generally that the the fire at Saturday. agency is “com- The BLM alone its peak, The Paint the Town Red initiative has its root in Powell pelled to seek incurred roughly along with Economic Partnership’s strategic plan discussions that cost recovery for many pieces pointed to a desire to gain more of a “college town” feel in the suppression $1.4 million of equipment Powell, according to NWC President Stefani Hicswa. and rehabilita- ranging from “Since NWC’s dominant college color is crimson, a tion of a fire area worth of costs. trucks and ‘Paint the Town Red’ theme seemed most appropriate,” if a responsible helicopters to Hicswa said. “These are going to be great community party is identi- water-scoop- events, and we hope everyone joins the fun.” fied.” ing planes. At one point, On Friday night, a free concert featuring Kristen Mer- “At this time, BLM Wyo- hundreds of people were evac- lin, third-place finisher from Season 6 of “The Voice,” will ming has not filed any charg- uated from their homes on the begin at 7 p.m. at Plaza Diane. A street dance with a DJ es, but the Whit Fire case South Fork. will follow. remains open,” Beckwith add- A couple days after the Whit The Paint the Town Red schedule also includes: ed. “There are many ways the Fire began, BLM Cody Field BLM can move forward with Office Manager Delissa Min- FRIDAY, AUG. 25: human-caused fires and seek nick said at a public meeting • Food — Food trucks will be available from 4-8 p.m., or cost restitution — administra- that, “It appears to have been participants can visit downtown restaurants. tively, civilly or criminally.” human-caused, with no mali- • Poker Run — After picking up a scorecard at the The BLM is still working to cious intent — an accident.” Poker Run table, attendees visit participating businesses total up the cost of fighting the But BLM officials were gen- Sydni Voss paints lettering on a window in preparation for Friday’s ‘Paint the from 4-6 p.m., where they select a random card from each Whit Fire, as there were mul- erally mum on the cause in the Town Red’ activities downtown. Sydni, along with her mother, Becky Voss, store’s deck. Participants record each one on their card, tiple agencies involved, she a Northwest College employee, and her sisters, Bayli and Dusti, painted two said. The BLM alone incurred See Whit, Page 2 windows on the Powell Tribune building. Tribune photo by Ilene Olson See Weekend, Page 2 EXPERT: Yellowstone earthquake swarms not a precursor to volcanic eruption BY MARK DAVIS resulted in more than 200 scientific papers Tribune Staff Writer and hundreds of presentations at scien- tific meetings worldwide, it wasn’t until the obert “Bob” Smith, the world’s lead- turn of the century that much of the world Ring expert on the geophysics of Yel- started noticing his work. lowstone National Park, has been “Global appreciation for Yellowstone searching for the answer to a didn’t come about until 2000, very important question: “We when the BBC produced ‘The want to know when things will ‘It’s one of Super Volcano.’ It brought the blow up,” he said. world’s attention to Yellow- Smith has spent his life seek- the biggest stone,” Smith said. ing the answer. A distinguished earthquake Smith nonchalantly stated research professor of geophys- swarms we’ve the facts of a Yellowstone ics and geology and emeritus super volcano eruption at professor of geophysics at the ever had.’ a recent lecture: An erup- University of Utah, coordinat- tion that could last for days, ing scientist of the Yellowstone Robert Smith weeks or even years, five to Volcano Observatory and di- Geophysicist 10 times more powerful than rector for the Yellowstone the 1990 Pinatubo eruption in Seismic Network, Smith has worked in Yel- the Philippines that killed 700 — spewing lowstone since 1956 and has been a profes- enough material to fill the Grand Canyon Visitors at the Grand Prismatic Springs and Firehole River Valley, in Yellowstone National Park’s Midway Geyser Basin, get sor of geophysics for 50 years. an up-close view of geothermal activity in the park. Tribune photo by Mark Davis While his work through the years has See Quakes, Page 8 INSIDE x NWC TRAPPER SPORTS PREVIEWS: PAGE 9 xECLIPSE CROWDS: PAGE 16 PAGE 2 • POWELL TRIBUNE THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2017 OBITUARY SUNNY SIDE UP west of Hulett and gradu- in 1981 and moved to Hulett. Rosabelle R. ated from Hulett High School She was preceded in death by in 1940. Rosabelle attended col- her husband. Mahoney lege in Denver and Black Hills Rosabelle is survived by two (June 29, 1921 - Aug. 16, 2017) State University in Spearfish, sons; Mitch Mahoney and Wil- South Dakota. liam Mahoney, one daughter, Rosabelle R. Mahoney, 96, of She joined the Women’s Army Michele Speck, four grandchil- Hulett, died Wednesday, Aug. Corp in July 1943. Rosabelle dren and seven great-grandchil- 16, 2017, at Spearfish married W.K. Mahoney dren. Regional Hospital. on Dec. 1, 1943, in Graveside services will be Rosabelle was born Gulfport, Mississippi. held at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 8, at June 29, 1921, in Hu- She was a librar- Black Hills National Cemetery. lett to Millard and Mina ian at the Powell library Online condolences may be Lea (Baker) Ripley. She and Northwest College for written at www.fidlerisburgfu- was raised on the family ranch many years. The couple retired neralchapels.com. Whit: Fire threatened homes on North, South forks Continued from Page 1 following months. In December, the bureau told the Tribune the cause remained under official investigation. Last week, the Tribune in- quired again and Beckwith said, “The Whit Fire was caused by a private landowner using a metal grinder which threw a spark.” “Further details are not being Colorful sunflowers bloom in a field between Powell and Cody near the Heart Mountain Interpretive released at this time because the Center. Tribune photo by Ilene Olson case is still pending,” she said. Beckwith said generally that the BLM “is compelled by poli- cy to investigate human-caused fires because we want to have a WE HAVE EXPANDED robust fire prevention program and we can’t prevent fires if OUR HOURS we don’t know what is causing them.” TO BETTER SERVE THE She later added that, “on each case we work closely with the POWELL COMMUNITY! Office of the Solicitor who legal- ly advises the BLM on federal Our new hours are: policy and other laws to ensure that when cost restitution is Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m.