Casper Fire Chief Kenneth King’s early retirement followed weeks of turmoil within the department after copies of his emails were distributed to a group of firefighters by an unknown source.
King unexpectedly announced Tuesday that he would retire Friday, more than a month before his expected retirement date of Jan. 2. King told the Star-Tribune Thursday that he retired because his plans to complete a Homeland Security grant fell through and because he hoped to watch the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona with his son if the Ohio State Buckeyes were chosen for the game. But earlier this month, multiple Casper firefighters received envelopes in the mail that each contained a flash drive and an anonymous letter, according to two of the department’s firefighters, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared repercussions at work.