Prevention Screening

Federal health care reform is about more than insurance coverage. Provisions related to disease prevention and better public health should be of interest to Wyomingites. Details are in a report released today (Tuesday) by the Center for Rural Affairs. Study author Jon Bailey says less-than-healthy lifestyles are connected to heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. All are expensive to treat, and all more common among rural residents.






Bailey says there's another element of the health law that's linked to Wyoming values – a focus on personal responsibility. But he points out that Congress will have to act for the education and access to health screenings to be successful.






Prevention includes health screenings, as well as education with an emphasis on risky behaviors and unhealthy lifestyles.

Green River Sets Priorities For Next Two Years

Last week, the Green River City Council agreed upon a possible expansion of the city's Splash Park near Expedition Island. Residents originally brought the idea to the council at a public summit. While the project was voted to be included on the city's list of goals for 2012, that doesn't mean the city will fund an expansion project during the next budget session. The city voted to place a number of projects and issues as its top priority and high priority targets during the next two years. Top priority issues include street rehabilitation and replacement, the Union Pacific Depot, city facilities and building maintenance and finding direction and land acquisition along the Green River corridor. High priority projects, including the possible splash park expansion, are funding for community events, a workforce analysis, moving forward with the city's branding plan, an impact fee study and continuing work with the second phase of the city's master water plan.

Albany and Carbon Counties Designated Natural Disaster Areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Albany and Carbon counties as natural disaster areas because of flooding. The designation from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack provides emergency loans and compensation for farm income lost because of a natural disaster. Farmers and ranchers in the surrounding counties also qualify for assistance.

University of Wyoming Gives Out Free Tickets To Veterans

Wyoming veterans can get free tickets to the University of Wyoming home game, versus Texas State University-San Marcos on Sept. 10. The game will be played at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie. The tickets are being made available to Wyoming veterans thanks to a joint venture of the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Veterans Commission. There also will be a special recognition of veterans and military during the game. Veterans may request two tickets per veteran by contacting the Wyoming Veterans Commission at (307) 472-0212.

Fatality at Yellowstone Was The Result of a Grizzly Attack

Results from an autopsy conducted Sunday afternoon concluded that a Michigan man died as a result of traumatic injuries from a bear attack on a trail in Yellowstone National Park, according to a park media release. Park officials say the body of 59-year-old John Wallace of Chassell, Mich., was discovered Friday morning by two hikers along the Mary Mountain Trail. Wallace was traveling alone, and had pitched a tent in a park campground sometime Wednesday, according to the release. Park officials said rangers discovered signs of grizzly bear activity at the scene Friday afternoon, including bear tracks and scat. The Mary Mountain Trail, the Cygnet Lakes Trail and the section of the Hayden Valley trail west of Grand Loop Road have been closed to hikers. Park rangers, wildlife biologists and park managers continue their investigation of the incident.

Crunching Gravel Leads To Arrest of Stolen Vehicle, Drug Charges

A stolen pickup has been recovered and a California man is in custody for stealing it, all because of crunching gravel. A Moneyhun Field Services employee was inside the office at Anadarko's Wamsutter yard on Saturday when he heard the sound of a vehicle driving on gravel. When he looked outside, he saw his pickup, a silver 2011 Dodge, driving away at a high rate of speed. Detective Dick Blust, Jr. with the Sweetwater County Sheriff's office says he believes the truck was unlocked with the keys left inside.






Arellano told officers that his own vehicle had broken down at Love's Truck Stop and he had "'borrowed'" the Dodge pickup to get it running again.






Fire officials checked the BP facility and determined there was no spill. Authorities are investigating whether Arellano placed the call as a distraction.






Arellano remains in custody at the Sweetwater County Detention Center. He will appear in Circuit Court in Rock Springs on charges of felony Larceny, Unlawful Possession, and False Reporting to Authorities today.

Wyoming Lawmakers Consider Caylee's Law

Wyoming has joined a growing number of states that are considering a "Caylee's Law" which was inspired by the Caylee Anthony murder trial.






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Wyoming lawmakers are set to discuss the proposed law during a legislative meeting next week. More than a dozen states have announced they are drafting versions of the legislation that is largely a response to the controversial Casey Anthony acquittal earlier this summer. A draft of the bill says failure to report a missing child "whenever the person knows or has good reason to believe that the child is missing" is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and up to a $1,000 fine. The crime is raised to a felony if the report is not made within 24 hours and the child suffers serious bodily injury or death. The felony punishment carries up to five years in jail.

National High School Rodeo Finals In Sweetwater Will Receive Grant

Sweetwater County Officials have decided how to spend the 2 point 3 million dollars they received in state grant money.






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Public officials in Sweetwater County have agreed to spend most of a $2.3 million state grant on the National High School Finals Rodeo. The Rock Springs City Council unanimously passed an agreement with Green River and the county on how to spend the grant money. Under the agreement, about $1.9 million will be used to improve facilities that will host the national high school rodeo next year. At least $1.4 million will go toward improvements at the Sweetwater County Events Complex where the rodeo will be held. Rock Springs will host the high school finals rodeo in 2012 and 2013.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Hitting Wyoming State Trooper Vehicle

A 37-year-old Jackson woman has acknowledged driving drunk when she hit a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper's car, forcing him to jump onto the hood to avoid being hit. Claire Johnson appeared in court last Wednesday and said she was thankful she didn't hurt or kill Trooper Andy Jackson in the June 17th crash in Jackson. She pleaded guilty to DUI and careless driving, and sentencing has been set for Sept. 26. Johnson says she was driving home on Broadway when she saw Jackson's cruiser with its lights on. As she turned on her signal to change lanes, she dropped her phone and reached for it. She says she drifted to the left, overcorrected and hit the cruiser.

Drilling Won't Stop At Jonah Field In Southwest Wyoming

A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court's ruling in a case seeking to stop intense natural gas drilling in the Jonah Field in southwest Wyoming. A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Thursday that the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance failed to file an appeal in time last year to stop the drilling. The alliance missed the appeal deadline by one day. Its attorney blamed the error on electronic filing and confusion over rules and procedures. A federal judge in Wyoming had ruled earlier that the error was excusable and allowed the group an extra day. But the appeals court in Denver disagreed and dismissed the case. Erik Molvar of the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance says his group is considering its options in the case.

Wisconsin Teens Arrested At Rawlins After 73 Mile Chase

The Wyoming State Patrol arrested three Wisconsin teens after a 73-mile car chase. The patrol says the three were in a Ford Focus reported stolen in Sparta, Wis. They were pulled over for speeding on Wyoming 220 south of Casper last Wednesday night. While the trooper was waiting for backup, the car drove off. Other troopers laid spikes in the car's path just north of Rawlins, forcing it to stop with flat tires. The two passengers were arrested after a short foot chase. The driver was arrested about 12 hours later in a fast-food restaurant in Rawlins. All three face charges of possession of stolen property and being parties to a crime. The driver also faces charges of eluding, interference with a peace officer and driving while under suspension.

Wyoming Supreme Court Rules To Protect Bar Owners From Patrons' Actions

The Wyoming Supreme Court has ruled that state law protects bar owners from lawsuits arising from the actions of their intoxicated patrons. In a split decision Friday, the court upheld a lower court ruling against relatives of a Ten Sleep couple who died in a head-on crash in 2008. The couple's relatives had sued the owners of two Big Horn County saloons claiming they continued to serve the driver who plowed into the couple after he was drunk. The court majority ruled state law from the 1980s holds bar owners can't be held liable for their patrons' actions. Chief Justice Marilyn S. Kite and Justice William Hill filed a dissenting opinion saying they would allow lawsuits against bar owners if they violated local ordinances against serving alcohol to intoxicated persons.

U of W Student Admist To Bizarre String of Burglaries

An art student at the University of Wyoming has admitted to a bizarre string of car burglaries in which he stole everything from sleeping pills to a model airplane to a bow and some arrows. But the 22-year-old says he can't remember what he was thinking on the night he committed the crimes. Dustin James Haag pleaded guilty last Thursday to felony burglary on the night of March 28, when several cars in a parking garage were entered. Haag also agreed to pay restitution. When asked why he took the items, Haag said he had mixed alcohol and pain medication and cannot remember much of what had happened. Haag said he had had a root canal and did not know what he was thinking.

Last Days To Vote and Submit Photos For United Way Photo Contest

You still have today and tomorrow to submit a photo or vote on your favorite with the United Way of Southeastern Wyoming photo contest. Kelly Finke says the contest is just one more way for them to raise money to help kids learn to read and submitting a photo is easy.






If you are not really a photographer, but would still like to be involved, you can vote for your favorite and still help raise money.






The top twelve entries in the photo contest will win a free photo shoot from Photos By Jenny and the top winner will win a canvas print of their photo. To for more information, go to swunitedway.org and click on photo contest.

Multi-agency drug sweep nets arrests and seizures

Officers from nine law enforcement agencies made multiple arrests and executed seven search warrants in a series of cooperative multi-agency drug raids in Rock Springs and Green River Wednesday morning. Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust, Jr. says the raids were the result of an intensive one-year Division of Criminal Investigation drug trafficking probe.






Blust says court appearances are pending for those mentioned as well as three others.






The agencies involved in the raids were the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Southwest Enforcement Team, the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office, the Rock Springs and Green River Police Departments, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Sublette County Sheriff's Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Southwest Enforcement Team is a drug task force made up of investigators from the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Sweetwater, Uinta, and Sublette County Sheriff's Offices, and the Evanston and Green River Police Departments. The investigation is continuing.

Back to School

Ready or not it's back to school time, classes officially begin in the Emery School District on Aug. 24. The Emery School board held their August meeting on the 10th. Several items relating to the new school year were discussed. Several improvement projects have taken place at Green River High school. A new sliding glass window is in place at the office along with an office remodel and expansion of the principal's office. New carpeting was also installed at Green River High in the class rooms. New lighting is also in place. A new boiler room has been installed at the school. The coal boiler is their only source of heat and in the new boiler room back-up propane has been installed.
Book Cliff Elementary in Green River has a new sliding window in the office too along with a new freezer for the lunch room and new carpeting.
At the Emery High football field new lighting has been installed. The lights are 60 feet tall with four poles and five lights on each pole. They also completed some cement work around the bleacher area to make the walk way safer.
A new awning was put in at Emery High between the school and the shop building. The drainage was wrong there and now the drainage will run onto the grass. The maintenance shop in Castle Dale has been started and the maintenance staff will do the heating which will save costs with the building. New roofs are being installed at both junior highs. New rain gutter is being installed at San Rafael to drain water away from the sidewalks to keep them from icing up in the winter.

Registrations Being Taken For United Way Golf Tournament and 5K Run Walk

United Way of Southwest Wyoming is taking registrations now for the 5th Annual Golf Tournament and 2nd Annual Running For Reading 5K Run and Walk to benefit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Southwest Wyoming. Kelly Frink with the United Way says that the $100 per player fee for the Golf Tournament includes green Fees, cart, breakfast and lunch and a gift bag. While the 5K run is not for a month or so, you can register now to get an early bird special rate on your registration fee.






The golf tournament is scheduled for September 11th at Rolling Green Country Club in Green River.






All proceeds will benefit the Dollie Parton Imagination Library for Southwest Wyoming. Through the program, children ages 0-5 are mailed an age appropriate book every month for free.

JH Fire

The Red Rock Fire located in the Bridger Wilderness east of Jackson is now estimated to be 950 acres. The fire continues to be managed to meet multiple objectives, including firefighter and public safety, protection of private property, as well as allowing the natural ecological process of wildland fire to occur in the Gros Ventre wilderness. Fiire officials expect the fire togrow this week. A large plume of smoke being put up by the fire is plainly visible from most parts of Jackson Hole.

Event In Casper Upcoming

Just the facts, please. That’s the name of an upcoming event in Casper where Wyomingites are invited to pick the brains of experts on federal healthcare reform. Consumer groups, healthcare policy consultants, along with federal and state advisors will be on hand September 13th to answer any questions about the Affordable Care Act. Barb Rea with Wyoming’s Consumer Advocates: Project Healthcare says it’s an opportunity to sort through the law’s details without debate.






Rea says there are still a lot of misunderstandings floating around about the law, and the conference is designed to clear up confusion. She says the law covers the basics, and there’s more work to do in the years to come.






The event is free, and Rea says it’s the first in a series to help people understand what the law will mean for them, and their businesses. One Health Voice is hosting the event. Rea’s organization, Wyoming Epilepsy Association, Equality State Policy Center and A-A-R-P Wyoming are some of the groups involved.

Body of Utah Man Recovered at Flaming Gorge

The body of a Utah man who died in a jet ski mishap on Flaming Gorge was recovered on Sunday. Detective Dick Blust, Jr. with the Sweetwater County Sheriff's office says that 24 year old Grant Anderson of Callao, Utah was camping with family and friends on Flaming Gorge's west bank about 25 miles south of Green River when, at about 4:38 PM, a call came in from a family member that Anderson had gone into the water on a jet ski and had not resurfaced. Authorities began a search immediately, but when they were unable to located Anderson before dark, the search was suspended.






Witnesses said Anderson was not wearing a Personal Flotation Device. The search was resumed the next day, at around 8:00 AM.






Blust reminds everyone that state law requires all persons aboard personal watercraft such as jet skis to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Personal Flotation Device, or PDF. An autopsy has been scheduled.

In 2007, three men died in the lake in same area. In 1996, 33 year old Rick Nelson, 30 year old Martin Mack Doust and 21 year old John Skip Lords of Green River disappeared in the lake while boat fishing. Their bodies have never been recovered.

2013 PAWS Test Public Meeting To Be Held in Rock Springs

The state Education Department is trying to clarify whether changes are needed in next year's statewide student assessment while at the same time planning for a revamped 2013 exam.






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According to State Superintendent Cindy Hill, her agency is unclear whether the 2012 PAWS test should retain a writing component. Last winter, the state Legislature approved major education reforms, which include removing the writing component of PAWS. Hill says it's not clear whether the writing should be part of the 2012 test and her agency is working with lawmakers to address the situation. The Education Department is holding public meetings on the 2013 version of the test. One of those meetings will be held at 10 AM on August 30th at the Sweetwater County School District number 1 Administration Board Room in Rock Springs. The writing component will be gone from the 2013 test, along with another section that is designed to measure reading comprehension.

Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center Holds Grand Opening

The site of a Japanese internment camp during World War II has been transformed into the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center in Wyoming. The grand opening took place this past weekend. In the hysteria that followed Japan's surprise bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Japanese-American families across the West were ordered to pack what they could carry and get on trains headed to isolated camps like the one at Heart Mountain. At the time, the camp was the third largest town in Wyoming. Ex-internees, their descendants and local residents worked together to develop a place that would tell the stories of the forced relocation and teach its visitors lessons for the future. Replicas of barracks have been erected where the original camp stood.

ABC's Modern Family Filming In Wyoming

ABC's hit sitcom "Modern Family" has been filming in Jackson Hole this past week, with some 100 members of its cast and crew on location at the Lost Creek Ranch in Moose. The network decided to take its popular Los Angeles-based television family on a dude ranch vacation for the premiere of its third season. According to co-producer Sally Young the dude ranch episode will be hilarious. Town and state officials rallied to convince the show to come to Jackson when area booster and Young's sister, Suzanne Young, caught wind of the producers' interest in filming on a dude ranch. The community provided about $70,000 from lodging tax funds to help pay production costs. The episode will air Sept. 21.

Wyoming One of the Lowest in Credit Card Delinquency

Wyoming has registered one of the lowest credit card delinquency rates in the U.S. at 0.42 percent. It also recorded the biggest over-the-year decline in delinquencies. The national credit card delinquency rate is at its lowest point in 17 years, according to the credit bureau TransUnion. The national rate dropped to 0.6 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2011. It was the sixth consecutive quarter of declines. TransUnion found that between the first and second quarters of 2011, 49 states and the District of Columbia registered declines in the credit card delinquency rate. The one exception was North Dakota. Credit card delinquency rates reflect the percentage of borrowers who are 90 days or more past due on their accounts.

Call for Art Submissions For New Welcome Center Fast Approaching

The deadline for Art in Public Buildings artists' portfolio submissions for the new Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center in Cheyenne is fast approaching. Portfolio submissions must be postmarked by September 2, for consideration. The new Welcome Center is scheduled to open in mid-2012. Construction has begun along I-25 at mile marker 4.9 just north of the Colorado/Wyoming border. The committee for the Art in Public Buildings Project has identified two areas as potential sites for public accessible art installations. The call for entries and additional project information is available through the Wyoming Arts Council website at wyoarts.state.wy.us. Application for this project will be a two-phase process. Initially, artists are encouraged to submit a defined portfolio of work along with support documentation that includes a short narrative of potential design concepts and mediums. Following review, the committee will invite select artists to develop site-specific proposals to be reviewed in December 2011.

U of W Takes In Record Number of Private Contributions

The University of Wyoming took in a record $43.1 million in private contributions last fiscal year. The Casper Star-Tribune reports that more than 24,000 donors gave to the school. The university raised more than $40 million in private contributions for only the second time in its history. University of Wyoming Foundation President Ben Blalock said the school didn't back off its fundraising efforts in the sluggish economy. He pointed out that Wyoming has weathered the recession better than most states.
Blalock said the energy sector has been a bright point for the school. He attributed the increase to the creation of the School of Energy Resources in 2006.

2011 Walk-In Hunting Atlas Now Available

The 2011 walk-in hunting atlas is now available featuring hundreds of walk-in areas and thousands of acres where hunters can access private lands for a variety of species in Wyoming. Hunters can obtain a copy of the walk-in atlas at state Game and Fish offices and license agents throughout the state. The atlas is also available online at http://gf.state.wy.us. According to Game and Fish public access coordinator Matt Buhler, hunters are encouraged to use the atlas on the Game and Fish website because it is more up-to-date than the printed version. Buhler says walk-in areas include more than 700,000 acres of public access throughout much of Wyoming.

Lots More Events In Store At River Fest On Saturday in Green River

There is a lot going on at the Green River River Fest tomorrow. The 9th Annual Run With The Horses Marathon will take place beginning at 6 AM. Free Kids Games like a watermelon eating contest and egg toss will also be held and prizes and medals will be given out in each different category. Janet Hartford with the Green River Chamber says there will also be a couple of Poker Runs for the adults.






For those who prefer more of the four legged transportation, there is a poker run for you as well.






Other activities also include the 3rd Annual Extreme Trail Challenge for riders and horses, dog fetching competitions, a car show and a micro-brew garden. For a complete listing of all events, go to grchamber.com and click on events.

Council Report

Trust was a touchy subject at Tuesday nights City council meeting , Erick Pauley has more

Green River River Festival Starts Friday

The River Festival on Expedition Island will kick off tomorrow afternoon. Janet Hartford with the Green River Chamber says it all starts with signups.






At 5:30 tomorrow evening, the Cajun Shrimp Boil will serve up to 800 meals. For those who may not like the spicy shrimp, Hartford says there is another option.






Other events tomorrow evening include the Great Duck Race and a blues band from Boulder, Colorado called Boa and the Constrictors. Free games for the kids will take place all evening and at dusk, there will be fireworks. For a complete listing of all events, go to grchamber.com and click on events.

National Public Lands Day Event Planned For JO Ranch

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rawlins Field Office (RFO) is inviting volunteers to participate in National Public Lands Day (NPLD) activities at the JO Ranch, a newly designated national historic register site. Shelley Gregory with the BLM says volunteers will rendezvous with RFO staff at the I-80 Creston Junction Exit 187 at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 27th.






The activity will take a full day; lunch and drinks will be provided. Volunteers are asked to wear proper work attire and safety glasses. Sunscreen and insect repellant are also highly recommended. To volunteer this year or for more information about call RFO Supervisory Archaeologist Bonni Bruce at 307-328-4287.

Walt Gasson featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the Sweetwater County Democrats August 18

Walt Gasson, Executive Director of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, will be the featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the Sweetwater County Democrats August 18 at White Mountain Library. Gasson will talk about “Hunters and Anglers – Their Role in Wildlife Conservation in the 21st Century” and answer questions. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend. Gasson is a fourth generation Sweetwater County native, and a 35-year veteran of wildlife conservation in Wyoming. He spent 31 years with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, retiring as Special Assistant to the Director. Since 2007, he has been the Executive Director of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, Wyoming’s oldest and largest statewide conservation organization. He and his wife Kim have three adult daughters and eight grandchildren. They live in Cheyenne when they’re not at their cabin in the Wind River Mountains. Chair JoAnn Dayton will conduct the meeting. Sweetwater County Democrats hold monthly meetings on the third Thursday at 7:00 alternating between Green River and Rock Springs and Friday lunches at area restaurants to discuss upcoming events and host speakers. Recent speakers have included Rock Springs Mayor Carl Demshar, Green River Mayor Hank Castillon, Green River Police Detective Fred Moculski, County Clerk Dale Davis and State Senator Marty Martin. Party officers addition to Dayton are Leighton Wessel, Vice Chair; Connie Wilcox-Timar, Secretary and Mike Martin, Treasurer. For more information go to www.sweetwaterdems.org.

Coppolo Arrested

Green River city councilman Adam Coppolo was arrested and jailed over the weekend. According to the Green River police department, Coppolo was arrested Saturday for violation of a family violence protection order. Green River police say Coppolo was served a protection order on Friday which stated he was to vacate and not be present at his home on Elk Mountain. Police say Coppolo failed to comply and was arrested.
Coppolo is currently serving his first term as a councilman out of ward two after being elected last year.

Multi-State Crime Spree Ends With Shooting and Car Chase From Rock Springs

An Oregon couple is in custody in Utah after what some officials have described as a multi-state crime spree that included carjackings in two states and a shooting in Wyoming. According to Detective Dick Blust of the Sweetwater County Sheriff's office, at around 10:00 AM on Sunday, a Rock Springs family was driving along the Little Firehole Road about 15 miles south of Rock Springs when they spotted a man lying alongside the roadway. He was identified as 54 year old Edmund Thornell of Costa Mesa, California.






At their campsite not far from Flaming Gorge, a dispute arose and Thornell was shot several times. The Fritts left with Thornell's vehicle, a white 1994 Chevrolet van. After a description of the van was broadcast, it was spotted near Evanston on Interstate 80. Authorities attempted to stop the van, but a high speed chase ensued with officers of the Evanston Police Department, Uinta County Sheriff's Office, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol.






Thornell was transported to Intermountain Health Care in Murray, Utah, where his condition is reported as stable.

Roy Fritts, whose full name is Roy Scott Fritts, was paroled from prison in Oregon on June 5, 2011, having served 10 years for two counts of aggravated attempted murder and two counts of unlawful use of a firearm by a felon. He violated his parole not long after his release, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Along with his wife Jessica, who had also served prison time in Oregon for a failed bank robbery, Fritts apparently left that state and the couple surfaced in Nebraska, where, in August, they reportedly stole a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado, but were able to elude Nebraska state troopers near Cozad and abandoned the pickup. They began hitchhiking and encountered Edmund Thornell, on his way home to California, who gave them a ride.

Apology

The police chief of Aurora, Colorado, apologized to the sheriff of Goshen County, where two of his officers allegedly went joyriding Wednesday on the way to the funeral of two policemen in South Dakota. One officer has been charged with DWI, speeding and careless driving; the other with littering. The Aurora chief has placed them both on desk duty.

Two Men Die In Septic Tank at Devil's Tower

Two businessmen have died, apparently after falling into a septic tank in northeast Wyoming authorities say. Crook County Sheriff Steve Stahla said the bodies of 49-year-old Matt Driskill of Devils Tower and 60-year old Chuck Hanes of Belle Fourche, S.D., were pulled from the septic tank at the Devils Tower KOA Campground late Wednesday afternoon. Driskill was the owner of the KOA. Hanes was owner of Tri-State Septic Service of Belle Fourche. Stahla said the deaths appear to be an accident, but autopsies will be done to determine an exact cause of death for each. The campground is located just outside the gate of Devils Tower National Monument. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is launching its own investigation. Services are pending for both men.

Woman Saved From Scam

Quick thinking Walmart employees in Butte helped prevent a woman from falling prey to a scam. Police say the employees acted quickly when the woman tried to wire an undisclosed amount of money from the Western Union location at the store on Friday. Police did determine the woman was a target in what is known as "the grandparent scam." The scam involves someone calling an elderly person and claiming to be a grandchild needing money to get bonded out of jail. The impostor requests the money be sent via Western Union to a location outside the United States. Police didn't release any other details on Friday's case, but officers say some other Butte residents have lost money. Officials are warning everyone to confirm any such stories with other relatives before wiring money.

Carbon County Fair Junior Livestock Sale Brings In More Money

The Carbon County Fair junior livestock in Rawlins sale netted about $367,600 which is quite a bit higher than last year. The Friday sale was about $18,700 more. Reports say that beef sold the most at nearly $218,200. Swine had the second highest sales with about $113,280 with lamb sales totaling about $33,400. Fair Board member Jim Miller says the sales are comparable to recent years and higher in some cases

More Possible Jobs To Cheyenne From Rail Service

More jobs may be coming to Cheyenne if Union Pacific decides to build a rail service to the Swan Ranch Industrial Rail Park.
Granite Peak Development special projects coordinator Dean Byrne says having a Union Pacific rail line could attract more business to the business park south of Cheyenne. Granite Development is the developer of Swan Ranch. Byrne said that building the rail line could cost between $20 to $25 million and Union Pacific and Granite Peak may share the costs.
A date for construction to begin has not been set. BNSF Railway is currently constructing railroad infrastructure at the park.

Drug Bust

Another drug smuggler caught on I-80, this time 15 miles west of Cheyenne. Fifty-six year-old James Richburg was carrying 188 pounds of high grade marijuana from California to Pennsylvania in a rental truck. Troopers were alerted Sunday that a rental truck was driving on the interstate west of Cheyenne and had hit another vehicle without stopping. A rental truck matching the description was pulled over about 15 miles west of Cheyenne and a Wyoming Highway Patrol drug detection dog was called after the driver appeared very nervous. The dog indicated the presence of drugs and troopers opened the rear of the truck, discovering 19 boxes of what they called high grade marijuana in a load of household furniture.

Wyoming Is Watching Federal Transportation Budget Debate Closely

Wyoming officials are closely watching the next possible federal legislative showdown that could have deep ramifications for the state.






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Lawmakers are facing a Sept. 30 deadline to reauthorize a federal transportation bill that provides billions of dollars for states to pay for highway and other transportation projects. Congress has passed a series of extensions to its federal surface transportation bill, which is called the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or SAFETEA-LU, since it first expired in 2009. However, Republicans and Democrats said they hope to pass a long-term bill instead of another extension. This comes as the lawmakers left for their August recess still deeply divided on how much to spend on the new legislation. Budget cuts or a transportation funding freeze could affect Wyoming more than most states. The federal government contributes about 85 percent of the state's highway construction and maintenance project budget, with Wyoming picking up the remaining 15 percent. By contrast, the national average for the states’ portion is about 60 percent of the total cost of projects.

Green River To Celebrate National Night Out on August 16th

August 16th is the date set for Green River's National Night Out Celebration. On that night the Green River Police Department and several neighborhoods will host block parties complete with food, music, activities and anti-crime efforts. National Night Out was started back in 1984 as a community-police awareness -raising event. It is designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships. This is the 12th year for the celebration to be held in Green River. This year, it was not held on the first Tuesday due to a number of other events that happened at that time.

Night Out

This year’s National Night Out event in Green River will be celebrated on August 16
th and the Green River Police Department (GRPD) along with the several neighborhoods hosting a block party this year, hope to come together for a tradition of great food, music, activities, and most of all, anti-crime efforts. Implemented nationally in 1984, and going on for twelve years locally in Green River, the National Night Out
(NNO) event has, and continues, to be a community-police awareness-raising event, held the first Tuesday of August and designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships, among other things. Communities celebrate NNO through a variety of activities and events such as cookouts, parades, block parties,
exhibits, flashlight walks, contest, and youth programs. In Green River, block parties tend to be the activity of choice in celebrating NNO. Green River Police Detective Fred Moczulski explains that though NNO nation-wide is celebrated on the first Tuesday of August that there is a reason behind why it’s celebrated on a different date and week beginning at this year’s celebration. “Local area events make it difficult for residents to plan and host a block party on the 1 st Tuesday of August,” says Moczulski. “Because of that, our department decided it’d make better sense to have the event held this year
on a week where citizens could have ample time to prepare for a block party of their own.”
The date change seems to be working well as reservations for this year’s event have already surpassed the number of block parties that were implemented last year.
“So far we have seven block parties schedule for the August 16 th event,” says Moczulski.

Crile Carvey Consulting to Work on Web Based Authoring Program

Crile Carvey Consulting, Inc., (CCC) of Laramie, Wyo., is working on a proposal to fill a federal request for a web-based authoring program that would be used for military mental health therapy. The company received a $5,000 Wyoming SBIR/STTR Initiative (WSSI) Phase 0 award to assemble a team and submit a proposal to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to pursue a Phase I SBIR award.
CCC’s research and development division, OtraTech, is working on the project, which is to design, develop, prototype, test and commercialize a tool for creating online, graphics-based novels for therapeutic storytelling. The tool must be easy to use and proven to be therapeutically effective for both active service members and veterans.
Crile Carvey, the company’s CEO, said OtraTech is well-suited to managing the project and has combined their own software and database skills with professional, industry-recognized graphic artists, experienced military resources, and two established therapists, each with decades of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) therapy experience.

Public Comment Meetings Set For Wyoming Wolf Management

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department wants to hear from the public on the proposed agreement to put Wyoming wolves under state control before the special meeting that will be held in Casper on September 14th. .A public meeting will be held on August 25th at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs at 7 PM.






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Just last week, the state and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to a deal that would remove wolves in Wyoming from the endangered list and put them under state management. The plan calls for wolves in the northwest part of the state to be protected as trophy game, meaning they could only be hunted with a license. In addition, a flex area would be created in Sublette and Lincoln counties, in which wolves would be protected only from Oct. 15 until the end of the following February so they can connect with other wolves in Idaho. Unregulated killing of the animals would be permitted in the rest of the state. Members of the public can submit their comments about the proposed plan in advance of the meeting, either in writing between now and Sept. 9 or at one of eight public meetings scheduled around the state between Aug. 23-31.

School Board Meeting Report

The School District 2 Board met Tuesday night, Erick Pauley has more

Conservation groups have filed a legal challenge against a plan for a couple of exploratory wells

Two can be too many. Conservation groups have filed a legal challenge against a plan for a couple of exploratory wells in the Desolation Road area of Adobe Town, on the grounds that the area is in the heart of the citizen’s proposed wilderness area. Vernon Lovejoy was the B-L-M outdoor recreation planner who conducted the original wilderness inventories for Adobe Town in the early 1980s. He says the area met the criteria for wilderness from the “get-go.” And there are other reasons the area is special – with fossil records scattered throughout, along with cultural sites.






There’s a back-story, too. Anadarko Petroleum commissioned a 3-D seismic survey of the area back in 2002, but found so little in oil and gas that the company decided not to drill a single well. Lovejoy remembers in the 1970s when he was told that Adobe Town had enough natural gas to fuel the City of Denver for 30 years…and here more than 30 years later, he says all the wells drilled have been non-producers.






The legal challenge notes that the B-L-M discovered new sage grouse breeding areas just before approving the project, which would mean more environmental scrutiny is needed. Samson Resources Company from Oklahoma plans the exploratory wells just south of The Haystacks, and the B-L-M issued a ‘Finding No Significant Impact’ decision to give the project a green light.

Rock Springs Firefighters Local 1499 Demolition Derby Helps Out The Whole Community

Rock Springs Firefighters Local 1499, an affiliate of the International Association of Firefighters, is promoting its 33rd Annual Demolition Derby fundraising event slated for this weekend at the Sweetwater Events Complex outdoor arena. George Preach, co-sponsor for the derby says that participants prepare year round for the event.






Proceeds go to helping numerous community organizations and individuals.






The Derby takes place Friday and Saturday night. There will be heats for full-size cars, modified stock cars, trucks, plus a Saturday night female-only Powder Puff event. Tickets are $16 for adults, $10 for seniors and children under 12. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Volunteers

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) is teaming up with local ranchers and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to address elk damage to private property, and comingling of elk with livestock in the area around the Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
On Saturday, August 13, 2011 any and all persons interested in helping can meet at 9:00 AM near the Willis BQ Ranch Road (Milepost 27 on US Highway 30), about three miles north of Sage Junction. Anyone wanting to help out with the elk project is encouraged to bring leather gloves and fencing tools such as fencing pliers, hammers, shovels, tamping bars, or wire stretchers. Volunteers should bring a sack lunch and dress for the weather. Beverages will be provided.
Cokeville Game Warden Neil Hymas says volunteers will help modify and build haystack yards to help keep elk from damaging private hay and also from staying in the area and comingling with wintering livestock.
“Recent concerns over diseases like brucellosis have caused sportsmen, ranchers, and agency employees to work harder to prevent the comingling of elk with cattle south of Cokeville, near the refuge boundary,” Hymas said. “This is a great opportunity to support elk management and those ranchers who have been so helpful to provide access to private lands for hunting. Everyone is welcome to come and participate as your schedules allow.” Volunteers may contact the Green River Game and Fish Office at (307) 875-3223 or 1-800-843-8096 (in-state) for more information.

Former Governor Dave Freudenthal will Speak at Rendezvous for the Wyoming Range Citizens for the Wyoming Range

Former Governor Dave Freudenthal will Speak at Rendezvous for the Wyoming Range
Citizens for the Wyoming Range is hosting a “Rendezvous for the Wyoming Range” community barbeque in Daniel WY on Saturday, August 20th. Former Governor Dave Freudenthal will be the guest speaker along with Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor Jacque Buchanan.
Representatives from Governor Matt Mead’s office, the Wyoming congressional delegation, Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality will also attend the event, as well as local officials.
The Rendezvous for the Wyoming Range is free and open to the public, scheduled for Saturday, August 20 from 4 – 8 pm. Barbeque and other refreshments are provided. The event will be held at the Double J Ranch in Daniel, located 5 miles west on HWY 354 from Daniel Junction. Live music will be provided by the local band Tie Hacks. The public is invited to attend to show their support for protecting the Wyoming Range. Although the Wyoming Range Legacy Act passed in 2009, there still remains many thousands of acres of contested and grandfathered leases in this part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest that could be developed for oil and gas. For more information and to RSVP, go to www.wyomingrange.org.

Sweetwater County Lieutenant Bob Mizel Receives Distinguished Service Award

Lieutenant Bob Mizel of the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office, who has retired this month, recently received a Distinguished Service Medal from Sheriff Rich Haskell. Detective Dick Blust with the Sheriff's office says that Mizel received the award in a meeting before the Sweetwater County Commission.






Blust says that Mizel served his county throughout as a detective and special agent on the Southwest Enforcement Team, a patrol division sergeant, and as a lieutenant in command of the Sheriff's Office Detective Division.






Mizel joined the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office 20 years ago.

BLM Will Not Castrate Wild Stallions; Birth Control Drug To Mares

The Bureau of Land Management has backed off a plan to castrate wild stallions. The original plan had environmental groups infuriated.






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On Friday, the BLM announced it will use a birth control drug on mares to reduce the growth of the herds in southwest Wyoming. Early last week, the agency had informed a federal judge that it was dropping plans to capture and castrate hundreds of wild stallions in the area between Rock Springs and La Barge. The change in plans came in response to a legal challenge from environmentalists. The Agency reports that the count of around One Thousand wild horses in the White Mountain/Little Colorado her management area is around 3 times more that it should be. The agency will be rounding up around 700 horsed between mid-August to September where they will give the mares a birth control drug. The Rock Springs Grazing Association recently filed a federal lawsuit in an effort to force the federal government to remove all wild horses on roughly 2 million acres of private land, including some of the area where the roundups are planned. The association said wild horses are damaging private lands.

Map Server Mobile

Making geographic information readily available to the public has always been a top priority for the City’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) division and now that information is available instantly by the simpletouch of a phone. It was less than two years ago when the City partnered with Sweetwater County and Greenwood Mapping Inc. to offer the public an interactive online web-mapping service that allowed for the viewing of custom maps based on the information and level of detail they so desired to see in Sweetwater County, right from the comfort of their home or business. “We call it MapServer,” says Jason Brown, GIS Specialist for the City of Green River. MapServer allows any user on a personal computer to readily view information such as roads, streets, highways, the zoning of homes, businesses, schools, parks and playgrounds, the greenbelt pathway, the main street district, the historical district, flood zones, fire zones and even well heads.Even better is that MapServer is now available in a newly designed on-the-go format. “This same information on your computer can now be viewed on your phone,” says Brown, “and we call it MapServer Mobile.” MapServer Mobile can be accessed by typing the following web address into the address bar of your
Smartphone or tablet pc: http://www.sweet.wy.us/mapserver/mobile/map.html
For more information on how you can use MapServer or MapServer Mobile, please contact the GIS division at 307 872 6142.

Business Wins Award

Gluten Free Oats of Powell, Wyo., was recently awarded as an outstanding company at a national ag conference in Sheridan, Wyo.
Each year, the host state for the North American Agricultural Marketing Officials’ (NAAMO) annual meeting is given the opportunity to select an outstanding company to receive the 2011 Agricultural Marketing Award. The Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division hosted the conference this year and chose Gluten Free Oats to receive the honor.
Gluten Free Oats was chosen because of the work it has done to grow from a very small company to one that is attracting international buyers. Seaton and Jill Smith, owners of the company, were presented with a plaque at the three-day conference attended by 64 participants from around the United States and Canada.
“We were very excited to give this award to Seaton and Jill,” said Cindy Garretson-Weibel, director of the Business Council’s Agribusiness Division and past president of NAAMO. “They have worked so hard to grow their business and are very passionate about their product. They epitomize success in agriculture and we were very proud to present them with the award.”

Sweetwater County Fair Wraps It Up This Weekend

The Sweetwater County Fair wraps it all up this weekend. Tomorrow, there will be a full day of events including the Big Show 4D Race, horseshoe pitching contests, the 4-H/FFA livestock and animal auction and the Texaco Country Showdown. For motorsports fans, well, Chad Banks with the Sweetwater County Events Center says they have you covered as well.






Banks says trucks from all over will be at the Fair to participate.






The Carnival will be open on Saturday from 1 PM to midnight. At the Grandstand, in the evening, Burns and Poe and Exile will perform.

Business Council

The Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division is hosting three opportunities for Wyoming producers and vendors to sell or show off their goods during the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas, Aug. 13-20.
In addition, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead is anticipated to do the honors of cutting the ribbon on the new Wyoming Mercantile on the Midway of the Wyoming State Fairgrounds. The public is invited to join Gov. Mead for the ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 20 at about 1:30 p.m.
For over 12 years, Wyoming-made products have been sold at the State Fair. This year, 58 Wyoming companies will showcase their products in the new Mercantile which is located on the midway.
"The new building and new location are geared toward attracting more visitors to our store, and in turn will put more great Wyoming-made products in front of consumers," said Cindy Garretson-Weibel, Business Council Agribusiness Division director."
The Mercantile will be open Monday through Friday of the fair from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information about the new Wyoming Mercantile, contact Terri Barr at 307.777.2807 or terri.barr@wyo.gov.

Fair Food Always Popular At Wyoming's Big Show

The Sweetwater County Fair will go to the dogs tomorrow with the 4-H Dog Show. Other events during the day include the 4-H Livestock Judging, a No-Bake Dessert Contest, The Horse Pulls and the Baddest Bench Powerlifting Competitions. Chad Banks with the Sweetwater County Events Center says with all of the great events, one of the most popular things about the fair has to be the food.






Banks promises that just about anything on a stick can be found. You will also have all of the great free stage entertainment like Washboard Willy, the Chicago Honey Bear Dancers, Wild About Monkeys and Nicks' Kid Show. The carnival will be open from 5 until 11 PM and Hinder will perform at the Grandstand at 8:30 PM.

Arson

Officers investigated a report of Arson on Scott Bottom Road when a Port a John was set afire causing over $200 in damages. The fire was reported at 17:49 hours and the reporting party advised he saw a brown S 10 Blazer leaving the area just prior to the fire. Anyone with information please call the GRPD at 872-0555.

Council Report

The events complex was the big story at this weeks City Council Meeting, Erick Pauley has more

Wyoming's Big Show Has Some Pretty Fair Specials

Lots of events taking place tomorrow at the Sweetwater County Fair. The 4-H kids will compete with sheep fitting, beef showmanship, a horse show, market swine and roping. At 5:30 PM, the Wyoming Team Roping Championships take place. Chad Banks with the Sweetwater Events Complex says on Thursday also has some great deals.






Banks reminds everyone that all of the events are even included with fair admission.






And don't forget about the live, free entertainment. On Thursday during the day, you can catch Marty Davis, Washboard Willy, the Chicago Honey Bears and the Doo Wah Riders as well as numerous activites and show for the kids. Thursday night's concert is by the JaneDear Girls and former American Idol star Danny Gokey .

Turbine Study

Spinning in vain’ is the description of up to 275-thousand megawatts of wind power in mostly rural areas, including Wyoming. A new report from the Center for Rural Affairs shows that many rural turbines are in operation, but the electricity is going nowhere – because of a lack of transmission lines. Author Johnathan Hladik says it’s time to invest in ‘connecting the dots’ so the power gets to where it’s needed, and creates jobs in rural areas along the way.






In terms of jobs, Hladik says annual wages for those involved in transmission projects average 65-thousand dollars.






He says there are estimates that transmission project investment needs to be at least 12 billion dollars a year for the next 20 years, and that could come from a blend of private and public entities.

Sweetwater County Fair Is The Place For Horse Lovers

The Sweetwater County Fair is here… it kicked off today and will feature Clay Walker this evening. But if you are a horse lover, then Wyoming's Big Show is the place to be. Chad Banks with the Sweetwater Events Complex says there are numerous 4-H horse shows, but you can also catch other events as well.






Banks says another popular event is the Big Show Barrel Race.






Tomorrow, there will be 4-H Livestock judging all day and the carnival opens at noon. You also won't want to miss Marty Davis, Washboard Willy, or the Chicago Honey Bear Dancers. And one more horse event to note… tomorrow at 5:30 PM will be the Team Penning and Team Sorting.

Pipeline

A natural gas pipeline that links Wyoming to Oregon is up and running after three years of construction.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the $3.5 billion Ruby Pipeline went online Thursday, running 680 miles from Opal, Wyo. to Malin, Ore.
The pipeline's parent company, El Paso Corp., says the Ruby Pipeline is environmentally friendly, with emissions offset by carbon credits and other means.
The project had been the target of criticism from some environmental groups and ranchers during construction. But El Paso was able to settle the disputes with payments to trust accounts of the various groups.
A company spokesman says the Ruby Pipeline provides Rocky Mountain natural gas producers a pathway to move their gas to California and the Pacific Northwest.