Posted: Monday, May 22, 2006 12:00 am
Longtime U.S. Marshal and former state senator honored
CHEYENNE (AP) - A longtime U.S. Marshal for Wyoming and former state senator was inducted into the Wyoming Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in a ceremony Thursday at the Capitol.
Delaine Roberts, of Etna, served as U.S. Marshal from 1982 to 1995 and then won a state Senate bid in 1996, holding that seat until he retired in 2004.
Before being nominated for the marshal position by President Ronald Reagan, Roberts worked for the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and served as Lincoln County Sheriff.
"He is a remarkable mentor. Not just as a law enforcement professional, but as a human being," said Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who worked with Roberts when Freudenthal was U.S. attorney for Wyoming and Roberts was U.S. Marshal.
Freudenthal, Attorney General Pat Crank and U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson nominated Roberts for the Hall of Fame, which is sponsored by the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police. Roberts was the only honoree at the ceremony Thursday.
Roberts is currently serving on the state wildlife trust fund board, a position Freudenthal appointed him to in 2005.
Roberts is the fifth person to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which was created last year, said Byron Oedekoven, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police.
Powell teen seeks to stop showing of movie
POWELL, Wyo. (AP) - A teenager collected 170 signatures from residents opposed to the showing of "The Da Vinci Code" movie in town and presented the petition to the local theater owner.
But Allen Mercer, the owner of the Vali Twin Cinema, says he plans to go ahead with showing the picture anyway because of demand from local moviegoers.
Joe Spiering, 17, said he does not agree with the movie's message that Jesus married and fathered a child.
"It demeans the divinity of Jesus Christ," Spiering said.
The Columbia Pictures release is based on the best-selling Dan Brown novel. Many Christians have expressed outrage at the movie's theory that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had offspring, and that the Vatican and conservative Catholic group Opus Dei tried to cover it up.
The movie is scheduled to be released Friday.
Mercer said the enormous popularity of the novel, the hype surrounding the movie and numerous requests from patrons to show the film in Powell prompted him to bring the movie to town.
He said he cannot see why some people are so concerned with the film and book, which are works of fiction.
"It's just a story - a work of fiction," said Mercer, who also read the novel. "It was enjoyable - a real fast-paced thriller."
Mercer said he was glad to meet with Spiering and hear his concerns.
Spiering said he appreciated Mercer's politeness and willingness to listen but was "a little disappointed" in not being able to stop the movie.