Montana man gets 4 years in poaching case

CODY - A federal judge in Casper has sentenced a Montana man to four years in prison for possessing part of a poached elk in Yellowstone National Park.

Michael David Belderrain, of Whitehall, Mont., killed the elk just outside of Yellowstone in Montana in December 2005. Belderrain admitted decapitating the animal and dragging the head to his truck. The truck was located inside of Yellowstone National Park.

Downes said in sentencing Belderrain on Tuesday that the case shows why loaded guns should not be allowed in national parks, an issue being debated in Congress right now.

In addition to possessing and transporting the elk, prosecutors say Belderrain told two people to lie to Yellowstone rangers during the investigation.

Resorts plan for Yellowstone wrapup

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - Pack up your snowmobile or hop back on the snowcoach - winter season is ending in Yellowstone National Park.

Groomed roads from Mammoth to Norris will close for the winter season at 9 p.m. Sunday. The roads from Norris to Madison and Norris to Canyon close at 9 p.m. Tuesday, followed by the closure of all other groomed roads to snowmobiles at 9 p.m. on March 9.

Hotels and restaurants also are closing in Yellowstone this week.

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel closes for the winter this weekend. Next Saturday will be the last night for winter lodging at Old Faithful Snow Lodge.

The Old Faithful Geyser Grill and Gift Shop will close after dinnertime on March 9.

Gillette hospital restricts visitors due to flu

GILLETTE - Increasing cases of flu and other respiratory illnesses are prompting Campbell County Memorial Hospital to keep certain visitors out of some units.

Only immediate relatives are now allowed in the hospital's obstetrics and nursing units.

Baerbel Merrill, the hospital's infection control officer, said doctors have been seeing more respiratory infections among their patients.

Merrill said those numbers aren't unusual for this time of year. Still, she said the hospital decided to take action to prevent the number of cases from getting worse.

She said newborns especially, are at higher risk of getting the flu.

Rock Springs man pleads guilty to killing wife

ROCK SPRINGS - A man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 55 years in prison for killing his wife with a sword.

Timothy Brandon said in court Friday that he and his wife were fighting when he struck his wife with the three-foot sword.

He said he was very intoxicated and didn't know how many times he struck Dawnita Brandon, but later heard that it was three times.

Dawnita Brandon's mother, Cheryl Evans, said the killing left a "huge hole" in the family.

"I hope you never walk the streets as a free man again," Evans said.

Brandon said he understood the loss.

"I died with her. There's nothing else to say," he said.

The sword was part of a large collection of weapons that Brandon owned.

Brandon told police he had his wife argued when she came home from a bar where they had been drinking, according to a police statement.