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Posts threaten mass shooting; Natrona County school district, police say threat is not ‘substantiated’

CASPER (WNE) — The Natrona County School District announced in an email Friday that there is no “substantiated” threat to schools after concerns grew out of a social media post threatening mass shootings.

The post that began circulating Friday on Facebook alleged a student was threatening to attack multiple schools Monday.

School district officials said in a press release that they worked with the Casper Police Department to determine whether the threat had any merit.

According to the press release, a comprehensive threat assessment was done and law enforcement officials made contact with the individuals and their “parents/guardians.”

Officials “verified the information provided does not identify a substantiated or specific threat to the safety of schools,” according to the prepared statement released jointly by the police department and school district.

“We understand there are social media rumors related to the safety of our schools on Monday, September 30th,” said the press release. “The Casper Police Department and Natrona County School District are committed to the safety of our schools. Parents, staff, students, and school families should not be concerned with the safety of our schools and should plan on normal operations and attendance on Monday.”

Police presence was stepped up at schools Monday.

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LDS breaks ground for Cody temple

CODY (WNE) — LDS officials conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Cody temple at its controversial site off Skyline Drive during a small, private ceremony blocked from public view last Friday.

Elder Steven Bangerter of Salt Lake City asked a blessing on those who live near the location in his dedicatory prayer, according to an LDS news release.

‘“We ask that they may feel a spirit of peace wash over them, granting them comfort and assurance that the presence of this temple will bring added joy, prosperity, beauty and unity to their lives and their community,’” he said.

Plans call for a single-story structure of approximately 9,950 square feet with a 101-foot tower.

The groundbreaking occurred almost a month after District Judge John Perry ruled in favor of LDS and about two weeks after the opponents appealed his decision to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

A group called Preserve Our Cody Neighborhoods, which objects to the temple’s location in an area zoned rural residential, had filed lawsuits last summer against the city of Cody and its Planning and Zoning Board about the process for handling the issue. The city issued a building permit for the temple in August 2023.

LDS also filed lawsuits and voluntarily delayed construction until the court acted.

This temple will join two others in Wyoming, one in Casper and the other in Star Valley.

One in every nine residents of Wyoming, or about 68,000 people, claim membership in the LDS church, according to the news release.

Requests for information about when construction will begin and end were submitted Saturday and not answered before press time.

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Gas prices, on average, down another 3 cents a gallon in Wyoming

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Average gasoline prices in Wyoming have fallen 3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.22 per gallon Monday, according to GasBuddy.com’s survey of 494 stations in Wyoming.

Prices in Wyoming are 6.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago, and stand 62.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the lowest price in the state on Sunday was $2.69, while the highest was $4.29, a difference of $1.60 per gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has risen 1.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.17 per gallon Monday. The national average is down 15.4 cents per gallon from a month ago, and stands 63.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.