News briefs from around the state

From Wyoming News Exchange papers

Colorado man banned from Yellowstone National Park for walking in thermal area

JACKSON (WNE) — A Colorado man was sentenced to seven days in jail for walking off a designated trail or boardwalk in a thermal area in Yellowstone National Park in July.

Joseph Aita, 62, of Colorado Springs, entered the protected area of Canary Spring in Mammoth Hot Springs in the north area of the park with co-defendant Celia Aita and two minor children, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Wyoming.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick imposed the sentence for the violation on Oct. 31 in Mammoth, Wyoming.

Aita also pleaded guilty to destroying a mineral resource, and for that violation he was sentenced to five years of probation, with a ban from Yellowstone National Park during that time and a fine of $3,000.

He will also pay $60 in mandatory court costs and fees in the case.

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Genesis Alkali to start process of reduction in force

ROCK SPRINGS (WNE) — Genesis Alkali, a leading global producer of natural soda, confirmed to the Rocket Miner on Tuesday, Nov. 5, that it has spoken to union representatives about a reduction in force.

“We don’t take these reductions lightly,” said Dave Caplan, director of Genesis Alkali. “It’s challenging and difficult.”

He explained it is a 30-day process, and the company wants to be sensitive to its employees.

“Unfortunately, the market we’re in is very tough, and it’s having a big impact. We felt we had to take this action due to the weakness of the soda ash market,” he added.

Caplan pointed out the business goes through cycles, and he hopes Genesis Alkali will become stronger and more resilient again soon.

“Word travels fast, unsurprisingly, in this small community and we’re a large company. This morning, we heard TATA Chemicals was hiring, but that window closed at noon today,” Caplan said. “It’s not a matter of if it will happen; it’s a matter of when it will happen.”

A RIF is a permanent decrease in the number of a company’s employees, done usually as a cost-saving measure.

Companies may use RIFs for a variety of reasons, including economic downturns, company restructuring, lack of work, and downsizing. RIFs can involve layoffs, furloughs, or terminations. They are different from layoffs, which are usually temporary, while RIFs are permanent.

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Teen’s killer pleads guilty

CASPER (WNE) — On a dreary Friday morning, more than a dozen people gathered outside Courtroom 1A of the Townsend Justice Center to witness the end of the prosecution of the killer of 17-year-old Lene’a Brown, who was shot dead near Buckboard Park on May 14.

Most of those hearing attendees wore red in one form or another to support Brown. Clad in flannel shirts, hoodies and T-shirts, they lined the left rows of the courtroom ahead of the trial.

Eavan Castaner walked into the courtroom at 10:30 a.m. wearing a red jumpsuit, his hair in a slightly overgrown buzz cut. The 16-year-old’s shackles jingled quietly as he shuffled to meet with his attorney.

Castaner pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and misdemeanor stalking, the latter of which will be fulfilled as time served. Second-degree murder carries a penalty of 20 years to life in prison.

Castaner was initially charged with first-degree murder and stalking, but the charge was amended as part of the plea deal.

Castaner’s guilty plea concluded nearly six months of litigation and came after a motion to move the trial to juvenile court that was ultimately never heard.

Brown’s May death came as a shock to a Casper community already reeling from the death of another teen, Bobby Maher, who was stabbed to death at Eastridge Mall in April.

The Blue Heart Collaborative, founded in the wake of Maher’s death to raise awareness about bullying and youth mental health, also held events to honor the life of Lene’a Brown.