The Star Valley Independent is a member of the Wyoming News Exchange. These briefs courtesy of the WNE.

FEMA denies many requests for 2017 Riverton flood assistance

RIVERTON (WNE) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover fewer than 60 percent of reimbursements local governments requested to cover flood damage in 2017.
FEMA has denied about $24,000 of the $57,300 requested because the money was used for preventive work more than a week before flooding started.
The Fremont County Commission plans to appeal FEMA’s decision.
Commission chairman Travis Becker said a reversal is unlikely, but it’s important for the county to make its case.
Costs to Fremont County government accounted for almost $41,400 of the total reimbursement request. The county was ultimately reimbursed about $24,200 for work done to clear debris from blocked culverts and roadways and drain standing water from roads.
The county also had barbs placed in floodways to stabilize the slope of the Wind River’s banks, preventing damage to Wilderness Road.
Lander requested FEMA money for the work that was done to create barriers on Fremont Street and elsewhere in the city. Of the almost $9,700 Lander requested, FEMA plans to pay out about $5,840.
Hudson also requested FEMA assistance for the work the town did to create a sandbag barricade and protect well heads. The agency plans reimburse about $3,200 of the almost $6,150 that town requested.
The local governments now have until late April to appeal FEMA’s decision. When making determinations about disaster reimbursements, FEMA uses guidelines from the Stafford Act of 1988, which mostly allows the agency to provide funding for emergency activities “that result from (a) major disaster.”
However, the law also allows FEMA to pay for “reasonable expenses” incurred “in anticipation of and immediately preceding” the event.
For 2017, FEMA determined that only work done within a week of the floods that began June 6 qualifies for reimbursement.
In Fremont County, preventive work began as early as April 26.

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Casper woman killed in rollover near Douglas

DOUGLAS — On March 24th, 2018 a fatal crash occurred at milepost 167 on Interstate 25, near Douglas, Wyoming. At 5:00 a.m., Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers were dispatched to the area for a one-vehicle rollover.
A 2003 Ford F-150 pickup truck was traveling southbound on Interstate 25, pulling a U-Haul trailer when the vehicle crossed over an icy curved bridge deck. The driver lost control of the vehicle on the icy road surface and the Ford Pickup left the highway, causing the vehicle to overturn several times. During the crash, the passenger was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries.
The driver of the Ford has been identified as 39-year-old Casper, Wyoming resident Heather Wells. Wells was restrained within the vehicle, but did suffer injuries and was transported to Wyoming Medical Center by ground ambulance.
The deceased passenger has been identified as 55-year-old Casper, Wyoming resident Linda Howard.