Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (1) – 6/11/21
Last summer, a visitor was caught trespassing onto the roped-off fragile thermal area of Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. After failing to appear in court on July 23, 2020, for his hearing, Aaron E. Merritt of Blanding, Michigan, was caught on June 5 in Maine. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Nivison ordered Merritt be held without bail. Merritt could face up to $5,000 in fines as well as six months in jail. Trespassing onto off-limits thermal areas in Yellowstone is not only dangerous, but is also a federal crime.