The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • B2

B2 Tuesday, augusT 23, 2016 Billings gazette 1 ASSOCIATED PRESS LARAMIE A former Laramie law enforcement officer accused of killing a University of Wyoming student in 1985 initially denied homicide allega- tions in a police interview but later said he killed the girl, according to court doc- uments. Fredrick Lamb of Laramie was arrested Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder and arson based on DNA evidence more than three decades after the body was found. Lamb defense attorney Charles Pelkey declined comment on Sunday, saying the defense needs to see ev- idence first. Lamb had an initial ap- pearance on Saturday in Albany County Circuit Court, facing felony charges of first-degree murder and first-degree arson in con- nection with the 1985 death of Shelli Wiley, 22, whose apartment was also set on fire. More than two dozen people showed up for the hearing.

Judge Robert Castor turned the case over to Cir- cuit Court Judge Thomas Lee of Cheyenne because of a potential for a conflict of interest. Castor said he knew the defendant and his family, and worked with Lamb as a prosecutor. Lamb worked as an offi- cer with the Laramie Police Department and the Albany County Office, but he work for either at the time of death. Lamb initially denied the homicide allegation in a po- lice interview, but he went on to say, Lamb did it. not denying that I did and line is, I killed a according to court documents.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Thursday, where the judge will determine if the case moves to district court. MATTHEW BROWN associated Press Wildlife workers will con- duct tests on fish from ad- ditional areas of Montana to determine the extent of a disease blamed in a massive fish kill along the Yellowstone River, officials said Monday. The state closed a 183- mile stretch of the river to all recreational activities on Friday after thousands of dead fish washed up along the banks in the Par- adise Valley area north of Yellowstone National Park. Biologists are trying to determine if a parasite blamed for the deaths has infected fish further down- stream and in several major tributaries. Those tributar- ies also were closed under the order from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Crews will be collecting fish throughout the week on the Yellowstone down- stream of Springdale and on three tributaries the Shields, Boulder and Still- water rivers, said Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokes- woman Andrea Jones. Results of laboratory tests are expected within a few days of collection. The closure during the busy summer season dealt a major blow to fish- ing guides, fly shops, rafting companies and others who work in the thriving outdoors industry. So far, most of the fish killed have been white- fish. Few have been trout, a highly prized species among many anglers.

Dozens of independent outfitters depend heavily on the trout fishery in the Yellowstone, charging cli- ents up to $500 a day for a guided float trip, said Leslie Feigel, executive director for the Livingston Chamber of Commerce. Some of those guides can take their clients to other rivers if they have the proper permits, but not the case for everyone, she said. If the fish kill had happened in June, the con- sequences would have been far worse, Feigel added. happening at the end of August, so at least there was somewhat of a she said. Gov.

Steve Bullock planned to visit the river Tuesday, state officials said. A community meeting on the closure and fish kill was scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Park County Fairgrounds in Livingston. Jones said members of the public want to know when the river will open. something we say, but we can help them understand why it is closed to this she said.

LOCAL STATE WYOMING DIGEST Boy Scout found after going missing POWELL Searchers have found a 12-year-old Wyo- ming boy who went missing in the Big Horn Mountains while camping with his Boy Scout unit. Greater Wyoming Council of the Boy Scouts of Amer- ica president Robert Quintana told The Powell Tribune that Benjamin Kellett of Powell wandered away from his scout group on Saturday morning. The scouts were hiking and camping near Black Mountain Lookout. Quintana says the boy was found by members of the Wyoming National Guard searching from a Blackhawk helicopter on Sunday night. The council president says Kellett was taken to a hospital in Sheridan but appears to be unharmed.

Gillette man accused of murder in death of 3-year-old boy GILLETTE A Gillette man is facing murder charges in connection to the death of a 3-year-old boy who was injured while under the care. The Gillette News Record reports that Joseph Niel- sen is accused of causing severe brain injuries to that later caused Caiden Fedora to die on Aug. 6. Nielsen was bound over to District Court on Friday. Caiden died at a hospital in Aurora, Colorado, of a suspected subdural hematoma, or bleeding in the brain.

Police say Caiden was injured in a 25-minute period when Nielsen was watching the boy. Nielsen told police Caiden fell over a plastic dollhouse headfirst and then became unresponsive. From Gazette news services Today yellowstone genealogy Forum meeting: 7 p.m. 1711 sixth st. W.

(enter from the parking lot on the east side of the building.) P.J. smith, forum president, discusses the rap- idly growing and popular ge- nealogy website ancestry.com, and explains what the docu- ments on the website are and why your ancestors are named in them. The public is invited. News Construction: I-90, east of Billings M.P. 469.8 Hardin area, M.P.

480.0 to 517.5,Fenc- ing work continues. shoulder will be closed for fencing operations. Work will be sus- pended on Friday, aug. 19, for Crow Fair and will resume on Tuesday, aug. 23.

Support groups Note: Closed meetings are for those seeking help only. at open meetings, those seeking help may bring support peo- ple or the public may come for more information. Alcoholics Anonymous groups: At 6:30 a.m.: Brown Bag- gers Open at st. episcopal Church, 13th st. W.

and Crawford; Closed That group at grace united Meth- odist Church, 1935 ave. At 6:45 a.m.: Closed book study at Fieldhouse Cafe, 2601 Minnesota At noon: Closed Westend group at 2931 Colton; Brown Baggers Closed at st. ste- episcopal Church, 13th st. W. and Crawford; Open downtowners at 17 N.

31st; Closed at 848 Main, suite Closed at 1801 Broadwater At 5:30 p.m.: sunlight of the spirit at 17 N. 31st; Closed Brown Baggers at st. episcopal Church, 13th st. and Crawford At 6 p.m.: 644 group at 510 Cook At 6:30 p.m.: Open gap to Recovery at Peace Lutheran Church, 1301 ave. At 7 p.m.: New Freedom at Friendship House, 3123 eighth ave.

Open at Irma House, 421 s. 33rd At 8 p.m.: Open downtown- ers at 17 N. 31st; Open Westend group at 2931 Colton; Closed at 510 Cook; Closed Recovery group at 1002 10th st. suite 4 Al-Anon groups: At 5:45 p.m.: Newcom- ers at First english Lutheran Church, 1243 N. 31st At 8 p.m.: Recovery group at 1002 10th st.

suite Re- covery al-ateen at 1002 10th st. suite 4 Narcotics Anonymous groups: At 6 p.m.: New Freedom group at 2757 Phyllis Circle; sticks and stones group at 244 Wicks At 8 p.m.: solution seekers at 17 N. 31st Other support groups: At noon: Overeaters anon- ymous at Peace Lutheran Church, 1301 ave. At 1:30 p.m.: Care giver at Riverstone Health-Hospice, 711 Central At 2 p.m.: Bereavement at Rocky Mountain Hospice Be- reavement Center, 2110 Over- land dual Recovery at Community Crisis Center, 704 N. 30th st.

At 5:30 p.m.: Partners in survivorship at Billings Clinic Cancer Center, first floor At 6 p.m.: Parents Learn- ing and Nurturing Together at Family Tree Center, 2520 Fifth ave. anorexics and Bulimics anonymous at Room 101, Rimrock Foundation, 1231 N. 29th Celebrate Recovery at Living Water Church, 4119 Clevenger At 6:15 p.m.: T.O.P.s. No. MT 485 at Heights Baptist Church, Hilltop and garnet At 6:30 p.m.: T.O.P.s.

MT503 (Take Off Pounds sensi- bly) at Casa Village main club- house, 443 24th st. Hurt- ing Men and Women at Hope alliance Church, 645 Howard At 7 p.m.: Open gamblers anonymous in choir room, grace united Methodist Church, 1935 ave. domes- tic Violence at Piazza, 420 grand; aFsP survivors of suicide at 1004 division, Room 306; Bereavement at Rocky Mountain Hospice Bereave- ment Center, 2110 Overland Open 12-step Recovery group at 1801 Broadwater National alliance on Men- tal Illness at 3333 second ave. suite 150; Magic Mothers of Multiples on fourth floor, Perinatal Conference Room, st. Vincent Healthcare At 7:30 p.m.: Power for abundant Recovery Closed al- cohol drugs, First Christian Church, 522 N.

29th Lottery Big sky Bonus: 08-13-22-27, Bonus: 5 Fire calls 10:34 p.m. saturday (City) 1433 stallion Rite. service assist. 10:48 p.m. saturday (City) 3511 Bitterroot drive.

service assist. 11:19 p.m. saturday (City) 10th st. W. and ave.

d. struc- ture fire. 2:56 a.m. sunday (City) 428 Milton Road. service as- sist.

11:32 a.m. sunday (City) 2140 george st. structure fire. 1:17 p.m. sunday (City) 1985 Mary st.

grass fire. 4:05 p.m. sunday (City) 2611 9th ave. N. service assist.

5:15 p.m. sunday (City) 1439 Main st. alarm. 5:34 p.m. sunday (City) MM57 194 e.

grass fire. LOCAL GUIDE For a comprehensive calendar or to submit an event to be published, go to www.billingsgazette.com/calendar. Please provide a description of the event, date, time, location, prices and a contact phone number. More disease testing planned for Yellowstone River and tributaries The unoccupied yellowstone River flows past Otter Creek fishing access near Big Timber on Friday. News seems to have spread quickly about the closure to all recreation.

CASEY PAGE, gaZeTTe sTaFF Police: Former Laramie officer told police he killed girl LILLIAN SCHROCK For The gazette Authorities have not released the name of man who was shot by a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper Sunday near Casper following a high-speed chase. Officials have also not said what the condition is. He was taken to Wyoming Medical Center and under- went surgery, said Lt. Chris Schell. Authorities believed the injuries were not life-threatening.

The patrol said a trooper shot the man after he drove toward officers. Natrona County District Attorney Mike Blonigen said his investigation remains in its earliest stages. He declined to name the trooper who fired the shot. The shooting followed a pursuit that began around 3:30 p.m. on Interstate 25 near Douglas after authorities received a complaint that a pickup was driving reck- lessly, the Highway Patrol reported Sunday night.

A trooper ran the plates and learned it was stolen, the patrol reported. The driver of the pickup refused to stop and led two troopers on a pursuit that spanned two counties and more than 40 miles. The truck reached a speed of 100 mph, authorities said. A few miles east of Casper, a third trooper used a spike strip in an effort to damage the tires. After the truck rolled over the device, it crossed the median and began driving into oncoming traffic for about a mile.

The pickup eventually drove back into the median, where a trooper rammed it with his patrol car. The suspect was shot by law enforcement as he drove at officers who were out of their patrol cars at the time, the highway patrol reported. After being shot, the suspect rammed a highway patrol car before driving off the highway and onto the prairie. The man was arrested at 4:16 p.m. between Interstate 25 and U.S.

Highway near Blackmore Road. No officers sustained serious injuries during the chase. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is looking into the incident. Officials mum on identity of manshot Sunday following chase MONTANA DIGEST $7M tourism contract criticized BOZEMAN A Montana state decision to award a $7 million tourism marketing contract to a Wis- consin firm is being criticized by some tourism industry officials. The Montana Office of Tourism and Business Develop- ment earlier this month awarded the contract to Milwau- kee-based Hoffman York, splitting with the Bozeman ad- vertising agency MercuryCSC after a decade.

Jennifer Pelej is the bureau chief for the tourism depart- marketing office. She said 11 applicants went through a competitive bidding process. Pelej said that she has a relative who works for Hoffman York, but procurement officials found no conflict of interest. Montana Lodging and Hospitality Association president Steve Wahrlich said he would have placed more value on the knowledge of the tourism industry in the selection process. Police release name of boy, 9, fatally shot with handgun BOZEMAN Greydun Flinn Stockinger, 9, of Bel- grade, has been identified by police.

as the boy who was fatally shot with a semi-automatic handgun. Belgrade police say Stockinger did not live in the home where the shooting occurred. Authorities say there was another boy in the house at the time of the shooting but no adults were home. Belgrade police and the Gallatin County Office are investigating. Authorities have not released any infor- mation about the circumstances of the shooting, and no one has been arrested.

According to a press release, detec- tives sent some evidence to the state crime lab for analysis. family released a statement calling the incident a Glacier Park construction projects set KALISPELL A number of construction projects at Glacier National Park are expected to begin in the com- ing weeks. Road closures are expected to begin Sept. 6 after the Labor Day holiday and continue through May. A segment of roadway between the two entrances into the St.

Mary Visitor Center parking area will be closed for construction from Sept. 19 this year to May 26. Part of the Trail of the Cedars will be closed on Sept. 6. From Gazette news services GAZETTE STAFF Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation an- nounced completion of the independent non- first-ever capital campaign.

The Home for Healing Campaign, pub- licly launched in October 2015 with a goal of $7 mil- lion, actually raised $7.57 million, said Faye Nel- son, executive director of Warriors and Quiet Waters Foundation. Quiet Waters Ranch, new prop- erty on 112 acres north of Bozeman includes a main house. The ranch opened May 2 to six combat vet- erans and their spouses as part of Couples Fishing Experience. Long-standing sup- porters Tim and Mary Barnard of Bozeman re- cently pledged $1 million to cap off the campaign. The main house will be named Barnard Lodge in their honor.

The nine-year-old mission is to be a catalyst for posi- tive change in the lives of combat veterans through the experience of fly fishing in Montana. Warriors and Quiet Waters raises $7M.