Wyoming's wolf hunting season ends Monda

Wyoming's wolf hunting season ends today. Hunters are allowed to kill a total of 52 wolves. Hunters had taken 43 by Friday afternoon, the latest update available from the state. It's Wyoming's first wolf hunting season since the federal government reintroduced wolves to the Yellowstone ecosystem in the 1990s. Besides those taken during hunting season, 25 wolves have been killed around Wyoming this year because they were considered predators.

Potential heir to $300 million Clark copper fortune found dead near Evanston

On Thursday, the adopted great-grandson of former U.S. Sen. William Andrews Clark, known as one of the copper kings of Montana, a banker, a builder of railroads and the founder of Las Vegas was found dead under a Union Pacific Railroad overpass in Evanston. Gray could have inherited 19 million dollars of his great-aunt, Huguette Clark's 300 million dollar fortune.
The coroner said it appeared he died of hypothermia. The low temperature that day was 10 degrees, and had hit zero in the previous week. Lt. Bill Jeffers of the Evanston Police Department said there was no evidence of foul play, and Gray was wearing a light jacket. Huegette Clark died in 2011 and left no money to her family in her will. Family members are currently involved in a lawsuit that challenges that will. The battle over her estate could go before a jury in 2013, though settlement talks have begun.

US oil, gas exploration rigs drop this week by 11

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell this week by 11, to 1,763. Baker Hughes, based in Houston, said Friday that 1,327 rigs were exploring for oil and 431 were searching for gas. Five were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, Baker Hughes counted 2,007 rigs. Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Alaska and West Virginia gained one rig each. Texas declined by eight rigs and California and Louisiana each dropped two. Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wyoming were unchanged. The rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.

Training expansion on hold for B-1, B-52 bombers

A plan to more than triple the airspace in which the U.S. Air Force can conduct training exercises with its Dakotas-based B-1 and B-52 bombers is still awaiting a final environmental impact statement. The 6-year effort to expand the airspace is a complex process that involves working with the Federal Aviation Administration, the region's Native American tribes and the public through a detailed environmental review. A draft environmental impact statement was released in August 2010, and public hearings were held in the Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana later that year to solicit public comments. Officials earlier had expected the statement to released last winter. Air Force spokesman Maj. Matthew Reese says it's still being finalized, and it's currently out of the hands of Ellsworth Air Force Base.

Wyoming's homicide rate returns to recent average

Wyoming officials say the number of homicides in the state this year fell back to average after a disturbing spike was reported last year. The Wyoming Department of Health says so far this year 21 homicides were reported in the state, compared with 43 from the previous year. This year's figure falls just below Wyoming's average of 24.5 homicides per year since 2005, when the health department began compiling comprehensive statistics. Since then, the numbers have fluctuated relatively drastically, from 16 in 2010 to the peak in 2011.

WY man charged in deadly crash after UT concert

A Wyoming man has been charged with automobile homicide in a Dec. 2 crash in Salt Lake County that killed a passenger after they left a rock concert. 28-year-old Jacob Jensen of Boulder, Wyo., also was charged with possession of a controlled substance and failure to stay in one lane. The Utah Highway Patrol says Jensen lost control of his vehicle on a State Road 202 curve and crashed shortly after he left a Megadeth concert at Saltair. A passenger, 22-year-old Joshua Wallace of West Jordan, was pronounced dead at the scene. According to charging documents, Jensen told investigators he consumed four or five beers and smoked marijuana all day at the concert. Troopers found a quarter pound of marijuana in the vehicle.

New Years Dance At Sweetwater Events Complex

The Young At Heart Senior Center is once again holding their annual New Year's Eve Family dinner and dance this evening at the Sweetwater County Events Complex. Chad Banks says that everyone is invited.






Cost is 20 dollars for adults and children 11 and older, five dollars for children ages 10 and under if they are eating and free if they are not.






Doors open at 5 PM with the dance running from 6 PM to 1 AM. This is an annual fundraiser for the Young at Heart Senior Center in Rock Springs.

Sled race sponsor donating dog food to 8 shelters

The sponsor of the Stage Stop Sled Dog Race will donate dog food to eight animal shelters along the race route. Pedigree announced Thursday that it will donate a year's worth of dog food to seven shelters in Wyoming - in Jackson, Alpine, Pinedale, Lander, Big Piney, Kemmerer and Evanston - as well as to a shelter in West Yellowstone, Mont. The 18th annual Stage Stop Sled Dog Race will include parts of Montana, Idaho and Utah on its course this year, in addition to running through Wyoming. It starts Jan. 25 in Jackson.

Wyo. Highway Patrol plans New Year's Eve patrols

The Wyoming Highway Patrol will mount extra patrols looking for impaired drivers on New Year's Eve. Some troopers will be helping other law enforcement agencies. The Highway Patrol announced that its saturation enforcement campaign is intended to enforce the state's zero tolerance position on impaired driving. The patrol reminds people that it's never safe to drive while impaired.

Lolo man pleads guilty to posting school threat

A 19-year-old Lolo man has pleaded guilty to posting a threat against a Wyoming school on Facebook, but he says it was joke. Erik Sven Wengren told Justice of the Peace Karen Orzech Thursday that his cousin, who lives in Gillette, posted about school shootings less than a week after the fatal shootings in Newtown Conn. Wengren says he wrote in a joking response that he was going to shoot at his cousin's school. He told Orzech that it was a terrible choice of words. Wengren is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 9 on disorderly conduct. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 days in jail and a $100 fine.

Wyoming hunters 11 shy of meeting wolf quota

Hunters have killed 41 wolves so far during Wyoming's trophy wolf-hunting season. As of the latest update posted by the state on Wednesday, eleven more wolves can be taken before the season ends on Monday. Hunters have 24 hours to report kills. It's Wyoming's first wolf hunting season since the federal government reintroduced wolves to the Yellowstone ecosystem in the 1990s. Besides the trophy kills, 23 wolves have been killed around Wyoming this year because they were considered predators.

Fugitive wanted on drug charges captured in Evanston; left his wallet behind

A former Rock Springs man on the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office Most Wanted list was recently captured in Evanston. Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust, Jr. says that 38 year old Daniel Wayne Smart, Jr., was taken into custody by Officers Preston Sheets and Becky Landes of the Evanston Police Department on December 19th.






Back on August 9th, Sergeant Jubal Larimore of the Rock Springs Police Department responded to a report of two people messing around with vehicles' gas tanks. The two men fled on foot after being spotted in a vehicle and one dropped something, refusing orders to drop on the ground. Even though pepper spray was used on the man, he still fled into the desert.






Smart is charged with unlawful manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), felony-level possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), and interference with a peace officer. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for January 2 in Circuit Court in Green River. He remains in custody at the Sweetwater County Detention Center in lieu of a $25,000 cash or surety bond.

Legislature to consider game, fish license hikes

Wyoming lawmakers will face a range of bills concerning hunting and fishing issues when they convene next month, including one that calls for increasing license fees. The Legislature's Joint Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee has endorsed a bill to increase most hunting and fishing licenses for both residents and nonresidents. Eric Keszler is spokesman for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. He says the department needs the license fee increases to maintain its current level of operations. He says failing to approve the increases would result in about a 20% cut in the agency's budget. Other proposed bills related to game and fish would allow hunters to kill a cow bison every five years, up from the current law that limits hunters to one bison tag in their lifetime.

Cause of Casper Mountain fire still not known

Authorities still haven't determined what started the wildfire that burned more than 15,000 acres on Casper Mountain this summer. Natrona County Fire Inspector Dave Baker says that investigators believe it was human-caused. The leading theories are that the fire was accidentally started by ATV use or discarded smoking material or that it was intentionally set. The fire destroyed 37 homes and cabins.

As Wyo. wolf hunt nears end, hunt area closed

A wolf hunt area northwest of Cody is closed now that hunters have killed the local limit of 4 wolves. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department closed Hunt Area One on Wednesday. Wyoming's first wolf hunting season since the federal government reintroduced wolves to the Yellowstone ecosystem in the 1990s is almost over. The season is scheduled to end Monday. The statewide limit for the hunt season is 52 wolves. As of Wednesday, hunters had killed 40 wolves since the season began in October.

Riverton Council allows residents to own chickens

The Riverton City Council has voted to allow residents to keep chickens within the city limits. The council on Tuesday rejected a suggestion from city staff to limit residents to six chickens and ban from keeping the birds for commercial purposes. Mayor Ron Warpness agreed with other council members that residents should be allowed to follow their common sense on caring for their chickens. The mayor says the council doesn't want to inject itself into private property rights if it doesn't have to.

Keep Safety In Mind When Preparing To Ice Fish

Ice fishing derbies are just around the corner, so Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust, Jr. wants you to keep a few things in mind when it comes to being safe on the ice.






Blust says to check ice thickness before venturing out and check thickness every 100 to 150 feet. He says the easiest way is to use a cordless drill with a 5/8-inch, 5-inch long wood augur bit.






Also, remember... you should never ice fish alone. Wearing a PDF, or Personal Flotation Device, is highly recommended.

5% of Powell school iPads damaged

About 5% of the iPads purchased for school students and staffers in Powell have had to be repaired or replaced since they were introduced last year. Eighty-one iPads worth $40,192 were damaged. Of those, seven belonged to teachers and administrators and 74 were assigned to students. Park County School District No. 1 paid about $1,890 to replace the seven staff iPads. Parents had to pick up the cost of the damaged student iPads. The replacement price for them was $256 each under the district's insurance plan. IPads were distributed to high school, middle school and elementary students and staffers in the fall of 2011 at a cost of $722,000. The most common problem was broken screens. The district has since purchased covers to help protect better the tablets.

Montana man accused of threat against Wyo. schoo

Police say a 19-year-old Montana man has been arrested for making threats against a school in Gillette, Wyo. Missoula County Sheriff's Detective Jason Johnson says Erik Sven Wengren was arrested Friday and charged with disorderly conduct. Johnson says Wengren made multiple threats on Facebook that he was going to the school to shoot people. He told people who responded to him on the website that he was not kidding. However, Johnson says Wengren told sheriff's detectives that he was joking. Wengren has a relative who attends the Wyoming school. Wengren is scheduled to appear Thursday in Missoula Justice Court.

Death near South Pass under investigation

Fremont County officials are trying to determine what led to the death of a man whose frozen body was found outside a home near South Pass. County Coroner Ed McAuslan says the body of Charles Carden was found and reported to authorities Dec. 21. The 42-year-old was believed to be a caretaker at the residence for the winter season. Sheriff's Capt. Ryan Lee said Wednesday that Carden's death is under investigation. He wasn't releasing any information until investigators could look at preliminary autopsy results.

9 face charges in undercover Wheatland hog farm probe

An undercover probe of a pig farm near Wheatland by the Humane Society of the United States has resulted in misdemeanor charges against nine former workers. The Platte County Attorney's Office filed the charges. Officials are still attempting to serve warrants on some defendants. The Humane Society last summer released what it said is an undercover video, shot in April, showing workers abusing pigs at Wyoming Premium Farms in Wheatland. The society also claimed animals at the farm were kept in what it called inhumane conditions. The defendants are scheduled to have their first court appearance in January. Attempts to reach defendants were unsuccessful. A spokesman for the company says it implemented a comprehensive swine welfare program in June and that none of the defendants still works there.

Colo. man sentenced to prison for wild Wyo. chase

A Colorado man who led Wyoming state troopers on a wild high-speed chase in June has been sentenced to prison after reaching a plea deal. 47-year-old Kenneth Movellan of Berthoud pleaded guilty to felony interference with a police officer Friday in Cheyenne. Troopers chased Movellan from Interstate 25 to Interstate 80. Then Movellan drove on the prairie and continued to flee on county roads, until his vehicle broke down. He was also accused of trying to ram troopers' vehicles. The plea agreement called for Movellan to be sentenced to be between one and three years. But he told the judge that he didn't think that fit the crime since no one was hurt. The judge agreed that it wasn't appropriate and made the minimum sentence 18 months instead.

More snow in southeast Wyoming through Thursday

More snow is coming to Wyoming after a Christmas Eve storm dropped up to 18 inches in the northwestern corner of the state. The National Weather Service says a Pacific storm system moving across the Rockies on Wednesday will bring snow to the Snowy and Sierra Madre ranges and southeastern Wyoming. The snow is expected to continue until Thursday evening with up to 12 inches expected in the Snowies and Sierra Madre. Monday's storm brought a white Christmas to much of the state. Lower elevations, including Casper and Riverton, got between 2 and 4 inches of snow while the Snotel at Grand Targhee Ski Resort recorded 18 inches of new snow. Fifteen inches of snow fell at the Rendezvous Bowl at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

BLM Works Agreement With Kemmerer City For Cross-Country Course

While the Bureau of Land Management is known for managing public lands regarding wild life and fire management, Shelley Gregory says they also work with other governmental organizations for recreational purposes.






Gregory says the BLM has been grooming the course for about 10 years. It gives them a chance to prepare their equipment for the winter.






Most of the trail follows the perimeter of the course, starting at hole 1 and ending at the driving range. The BLM will only groom Fossil Island on an as-needed basis. 

Few well fires despite Laramie Co. drilling surge

A surge in oil exploration in Laramie County hasn't been accompanied by a surge of fires. Bill McHenry of the Cheyenne/Laramie County Emergency Management Agency says that firefighters haven't encountered any well blowouts or similar emergencies. McHenry says only two or three incidents have been reported in the county recently, usually fires in equipment used to treat crude oil before it's taken to a refinery. In May, a fire erupted when treater equipment overflowed and ignited. The fire sent up flames as high as 200 feet.

Albany County officials disagree on court security

A judge in Albany County has banned people from carrying guns in the county courthouse. Albany county commissioners say District Judge Jeffrey Donnell is exceeding his authority and want state legislators to set him straight. Donnell last month issued an order prohibiting anyone from carrying deadly weapons into the courthouse. The building houses various county offices in addition to the district and circuit courts. Donnell has written to commissioners expressing longstanding concerns with lack of security in the building. The judge declined to speak with a reporter. Tim Sullivan is chairman of the Albany County Commission. He's written to state lawmakers stating that he and other commissioners believe Donnell lacks authority to prohibit weapons outside his own courtroom and offices.

Albany detective seeks ID of remains found in 1999

An Albany County sheriff's detective whose investigation identified a woman found dead in 2010 is trying to do the same for another woman whose remains were found in 1999. The 2010 victim was identified this year as Rosella Lovell, a former Laramie resident, in part through a facial reconstruction. The circumstances of her death remain a mystery. Sheriff's Cpl. Bill Meyer tells the Laramie Boomerang that identifying the 1999 victim has been more difficult. Skeletal remains, two rings, athletic shoes and bits of clothing were found southwest of Laramie. One of the rings is engraved with "M.S.S," the initials of a woman from Tennessee who has been missing since 1972. Meyer has asked for a DNA comparison. Meyer says the woman, her husband and their vehicle vanished in 1972.

Truck crashes into living room of Lander apartment

A Fort Washakie (WASH'-ah-kee) man is under arrest after driving into the living room of a Lander apartment. The Fremont County Sheriff's Office said that 31-year-old Michael Timbana crashed into the building Friday night after a deputy attempted to stop him. Two adults and two children were elsewhere in the apartment and weren't injured. Before the crash, the sheriff's office said a deputy saw Timbana driving his 1993 Ford truck without headlights and witnessed him swerve into oncoming traffic. When the deputy tried to pull Timbana over, he allegedly sped up and hit two parked cars before crashing into the building. The sheriff's office said Timbana had been drinking before the crash. Investigators are awaiting results of blood-alcohol tests. He was in jail Monday and it wasn't immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

BLM Plans Tokewanna Prescribed Fire

Shelley Gregory with the Bureau of Land Management tells us there is a planned fire in the works.






Outdoor enthusiasts are advised to avoid this area during prescribed fire operations.






For more information, please contact HDD Fuels Technician Phillip Lockwood at 307-828-4549 or the BLM Kemmerer Field Office at 307-828-4500.

FMC playing it safe with trona mining project

The FMC Corporation in southwest Wyoming annually mines the most trona in the world. And the firm is playing it safe with a longwall-mining project that could cause ground subsidence in areas with gas pipelines. This summer FMC teamed up with an emergency response consultant, the Sweetwater County Emergency Management team, law enforcement, first responders and fire department representatives to develop an action plan in the case of subsidence. Subsidence is the effect of sinking ground levels often caused by underground mine voids. County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Johnson welcomed the proactive approach by FMC. Johnson says that as a result there is a plan in place if something should happen.

No Mayan doom in Yellowstone, science continues

The ancient Mayan calendar has ended without global doom including an eruption of the massive volcano beneath Yellowstone National Park. That's what happened in a 2009 apocalypse movie called "2012," but if anything Yellowstone's geology has been unusually quiet lately. Scientists say they are learning more than ever about the Yellowstone volcano. The volcano has had three epic eruptions in the past 2 million years but geologists say there is no strong evidence of any lava flows in the past 70,000 years. Bob Smith with the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory says a recent upgrade to monitoring equipment should allow scientists to gain a better understanding of what's going on deep beneath Yellowstone. That includes the ability to tell which small earthquakes are caused by magma flowing deep beneath the ground.

Speer enters not guilty pleas in Cody abduction

A Montana man charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old Cody girl has pleaded not guilty. Jesse P. Speer appeared Friday before District Judge Steven Cranfill in Cody. Speer only answered routine questions, responding that he understood his constitutional rights. Speer's court-appointed attorney, Travis Smith of Cody, entered not guilty pleas to three felony charges for Speer. Cranfill didn't set a trial date Friday. Speer has a right to be tried within 180 days. Authorities charge that Speer, of Belgrade, Mont., abducted the girl in Cody in early October. They say he sexually assaulted her before releasing her. Hunters later found her and took her to safety. Court records filed in Montana say Speer told arresting officers he abducted and assaulted the girl.

Debate in Wyoming moves toward loosening gun regs

While national leaders are calling for stricter gun regulations in the wake of the Newtown shootings, debate in Wyoming is moving the opposite direction. Incoming House Speaker Tom Lubnau, R-Gillette, is drafting legislation to end gun-free zones in government buildings. Lubnau says details are still in the works but the measure could include allowing teachers and other staff to have guns in schools. Pointing to the bow and arrow attack at Casper College, Lubnau says the issue is not weapons but about preparing a defense from "very bad people who want to do some very bad things." Other lawmakers, including Rep. Kendell Kroeker, R-Casper, support measures to loosen gun restrictions in the upcoming session that begins Jan. 8th.

2013 Wyoming hunting booklet now only online

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is no longer printing its hunting information and application booklet. Instead, the booklet will now be made available only online at wgfd.wyo.gov . The booklet in the past has been mailed to nonresident hunters and provided to resident hunters at department offices and license agents. Game and Fish license section manager Jean Cole says as online applications for big game and turkey licenses grow in popularity among hunters, the printed application booklet was losing importance and becoming a needless expense. This year, 90% of nonresidents and 83% of residents used online applications for big game and turkey.

$750K needed to seal Wyo. Range gas lease buyout; fundraiser being held in Jackson Friday

A land conservation hoping to retire gas leases in the Hoback River headwaters is holding a fundraiser in Jackson. Friday's event will feature a raffle with prizes that include a guitar signed by Johnny Depp, a 15-day ski pass at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and guided fishing trips. Few Wyoming environmental issues have attracted as much attention within the state as the possibility of oil and gas drilling in the Wyoming Range, a scenic and mostly untrammeled region between Jackson and Kemmerer that is popular with hunters and fishermen. The Trust for Public Land announced in early October that it had agreed with Plains Exploration and Production to buy out its leases for $8.75 million. The group needs to raise $750,000 by New Year's. TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts is giving $1 million to the cause.

Arraignment planned in Cody kidnapping, assault

A Montana man charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old Cody girl is set for arraignment in district court. Jesse P. Speer is scheduled to appear in court in Cody on Friday. He'll hear the charges against him and be called on to enter a plea. Speer, of Belgrade, Mont., is accusing of luring the girl to his vehicle in Cody with a request for help finding a lost dog. They say Speer pulled a pistol, drove her out of town, sexually assaulted her and released her. Hunters later found the girl and took her to safety.

Casper teen suspended for bringing gun to school

A Casper teen has been suspended for bringing a loaded handgun to school. The unidentified student brought the gun to Kelly Walsh High School Thursday but didn't threaten anyone. Students told a faculty member at 7:45 a.m. and staffers found the student and the gun soon afterward. The incident came less than a week after the Connecticut school shooting. Sgt. Deahn Amend says that the student thought it would be "cool" to take the weapon to school. Principal Brad Diller said he couldn't recall anyone else every bringing a gun to the school but said there had been cases of hunting rifles left in vehicles. The student is suspended for 10 days and the school board will consider whether he should be expelled. He was also cited by police.

Public Lands Foundation Honors Kemmerer Field Office Partners

The Public Lands Foundation recognized the Willow Creek Coordinated Resource Management Plan Team Tuesday with a Landscape Stewardship Award. Shelley Gregory says the award honors private citizens and organizations that work to advance and sustain community-based stewardship on landscapes that include public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.






Team resource projects have improved habitat for pronghorn, elk, deer, moose, beaver, Sage-Grouse, and Colorado River cutthroat trout. In addition, the Team has fostered years of community involvement, including educational events such as grade school students planting willow cuttings and aspen and conducting water quality tests, and provided educational tours and programs.






The ceremony was held at the BLM Kemmerer Field Office with PLF member Don Schramm presenting the award and certificates.

Riverton considers allowing backyard chickens

Riverton leaders are considering allowing people to keep chickens in their backyards. The Riverton City Council voted 5-1 to start a process of lifting restrictions on fowl in city limits. Some residents have requested the change. Councilman Todd Smith said changing the rules would allow people to have fresh eggs and meat and help them provide for their families. But councilwoman Mary Ellen Christensen wondered whether people who oppose daycares being allowed in their neighborhoods would be open to having chicken coups next door. Roosters may be still be barred by the revised restrictions, which will be discussed at a hearing on Jan. 8.

Blizzard conditions in southeastern Wyoming

Wind gusts of over 50 mph are creating hazardous driving conditions in southeastern Wyoming. The wind is blowing new snow around along Interstate 80 east of Arlington to just west of Cheyenne. A blizzard warning is in effect until Thursday at noon. A gust of 52 mph was reported at Arlington. Bordeaux had a gust of 51 mph.

School District Mayan Calendar

Both the police chief and the superintendent of school district #2 are hoping to put some parent's minds at ease with the Mayan prediction of the end of the world tomorrow, Erick Pauley has the story

Fossil Island Golf Course Cross-Country Ski Trail Now Ope

The Bureau of Land Management Kemmerer Field Office has groomed the Fossil Island Golf Course cross-country ski trail and it is now open to the public. There is no charge to use the easy 1.5 mile loop located at 105 Highway 189 in Kemmerer. The BLM grooms the cross-country ski trail as a public service and under agreement with the City of Kemmerer. For more information, call 307-828-4508.

BLM Kemmerer Seeks Comments on Uinta County Livestock Trailing

The Bureau of Land Management Kemmerer Field Office is launching a 30-day public comment period on a proposed action to issue livestock trailing permits in Uinta County.  Shelley Gregory says that a scoping package is available at the KFO in Kemmerer.






The BLM is seeking constructive public comments to help identify potential issues, concerns, ideas and alternatives to be addressed in the Environmental Assessment.






For more information, call  307-828-4543. 

Wyo. Community College tuition increased

Students attending Wyoming's seven community colleges will be paying more in tuition next year. A divided Wyoming Community College Commission approved a resident tuition rate increase of $4 per credit hour Wednesday. The full-time tuition rate for resident students will increase from $1,800 a year now to $1,896 in 2013-14. Nonresident students, who pay more than resident students, also will see their tuition rates increase. It is the third tuition increase in as many years and comes at a time when Gov. Matt Mead is recommending a 6% cut in state funding for community colleges. The proposed cut will be taken up by the Legislature next month. The commission also decided Wednesday to continue not charging for credits a student takes over the full-time 12 credit hours a semester.

Asperger's referenced in Wyo. college killing note

A bizarre, rambling suicide note left behind by a man who police say killed his father in front of a handful of students in a Wyoming community college classroom extols eugenics and blames his father for the genes he said caused him to have Asperger's syndrome. Christopher Krumm wrote he was unable to keep a job or have a love life, and always subsisted as a "bottom feeder." Police say the 25-year-old Krumm shot his father with an arrow at Casper College last month. They say he then stabbed his father and himself. Authorities say earlier that morning Krumm fatally stabbed his father's girlfriend. The note confirms a motive suggested by people close to Krumm in the immediate aftermath of the slayings. Asperger's isn't typically associated with violence.

Judge denies Northern Arapaho eagle request

A federal judge has denied a request from the Northern Arapaho Tribe to reconsider his recent ruling that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted properly in barring the tribe from killing bald eagles for religious purposes on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Judge Alan B. Johnson of Cheyenne entered an order Tuesday denying the tribe's request to reconsider his November ruling. The Fish and Wildlife Service earlier this year granted the Northern Arapaho Tribe the nation's first permit allowing the killing of up to two mature bald eagles a year for use in the tribe's annual Sun Dance. The permit specified that the tribe couldn't kill the eagles on the reservation it shares with the Eastern Shoshone Tribe because of that tribe's opposition to killing eagles.

Groups: create wolf buffer zone around Yellowstone

A conservation group is calling on state and federal officials to create no-shooting zones around Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks to reduce the killing of wolves. WildEarth Guardians and other conservation groups have filed lawsuits challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's transfer of wolf management to Wyoming. Trophy hunters have killed 39 wolves in a zone around Yellowstone since the state took over management in October. The state says another 20 wolves have been killed elsewhere where wolves are unprotected. Wendy Keefover of WildEarth Guardians says too many wolves are dying. Wildlife managers say about 300 wolves were outside of Yellowstone, where no hunting is allowed, when the state took over. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead says he's confident in state management and has no plans to change policies.

Gov. calls for moment of silence for Conn. victims

Gov. Matt Mead is calling on Wyoming citizens to observe a moment of silence and remembrance to honor the victims of last weeks' shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Mead and governors across the country are calling for the moment of silence at 9:30 a.m. in local time zones - the hour of the shooting last Friday in Connecticut. Mead also urged government buildings and places of worship to ring bells 26 times in honor of those who died at the school.

Feds seek comment on livestock trailing

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a proposal to issue livestock trailing permits in Uinta County. The federal agency is taking comments until Jan. 18 on the proposal. The agency is preparing an environmental assessment that will analyze the proposed action and alternatives. The analysis is set to be completed next September.

Conservation easements on Wyoming agenda

Wyoming lawmakers are considering conservation easements to protect more state land as the population increases. The issue came to the forefront on Tuesday when members from the Select Committee on Natural Resources met to discuss a draft of legislation for large easement projects and received public comment. In northeast Wyoming, the Nature Conservancy in Wyoming and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are joining efforts to conserve about 2,100 acres of the HF Bar Ranch. State officials believe the easements protect Wyoming wildlife habitat and promote agriculture.

Council Meeting

The green river city council held its last meeting of 2012 last night, erick pauley has the story

Elk harvest down at National Elk Refuge

Hunters reported killing fewer than half the typical number of elk at the National Elk Refuge near Jackson this year. Hunters reported killing 87 elk on the refuge this year. Hunters have killed an average of 180 elk a year on the refuge over the past dozen years. Last year's total was 110, which was the second-lowest total. Eric Cole is biologist on the refuge. He says it's possible that more reports will still come in from this year's hunt. Cole attributes this year's low harvest to late migration and animals getting smarter about a hunt on the elk refuge's south unit. Managers hope to reduce the wintering elk herd to 5,000 animals, down from about 7,700 that stayed there last winter.

Gov't rolls out $1.9B Indian land buyback program

U.S. government officials are rolling out a Native American land buyback program as part of a $3.4 billion settlement over mismanaged royalties. The 10-year, $1.9 billion program is meant to purchase individual allotments from willing Indians and turn over the consolidated parcels to tribes. Program manager John McClanahan said Tuesday it could be up to a year before the first land sales are completed. The program is the largest portion of the settlement finalized last month. It aims to reduce Indian Country's high number of individual tracts with multiple owners. Land fractionation was caused by the 1887 Dawes Act, which split tribal lands into individual allotments often inherited by multiple heirs with each passing generation. In some places, more than 1,000 individual owners own portions of a single tract.

Feds, Shoshone Tribe oppose N. Arapaho on eagles

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Eastern Shoshone Tribe are urging a federal judge not to reconsider his recent ruling banning the Northern Arapaho Tribe from killing bald eagles on a central Wyoming reservation. The Northern Arapaho Tribe last month asked U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson of Cheyenne to change the ruling he entered earlier saying that the tribe couldn't kill the birds on the Wind River Indian Reservation because of objections from the Eastern Shoshone. The two tribes share the reservation. The Fish and Wildlife Service earlier this year granted the Northern Arapaho the nation's first permit allowing it to kill up to two bald eagles a year for religious purposes. The state of Wyoming prohibits killing eagles off the reservation.

Passenger In Little America Crash Dies, Driver Arrested

The 18 year old nephew of the wife of the driver of the man who crashed his vehicle at Little American on December 14th has died. Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust Jr. tells us that 49 year old Loren Veldhuizen of Stevenson, California has now been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor charges including aggravated homicide by vehicle.






Loren Veldhuizen, who was admitted to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County in Rock Springs after the crash, was placed under arrest there on December 17.  He will be transferred to the Sweetwater County Detention Center once released by medical authorities.






According to court documents, Veldhuizen is on medications that should not be mixed with alcohol. He allegedely admitted that he had taken a drink from a bottle of Black Velvet at the truck stop in Rawlins. An open bottle of Black Velvet was recovered from the vehicle with about three shots gone.
Veldhuizen also admitted that he doesn’t have a current driver’s license because he’s failed the eye test and that he had previously blacked out when combining his prescription medication with alcohol. No bond has been set as of press time.

Game and Fish warns dry year could harm deer

Biologists with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department warn that dry conditions in Wyoming this year are leaving wildlife susceptible to high mortality this winter. The game department reports that plant growth has been low because of lack of moisture. That's caused wildlife to be in poor condition. The department warns that a heavy snowpack in lowland deer wintering areas will likely result in significant mortality.

Wyoming landmark conserved through easement

A landmark in northeast Wyoming is being protected through a conservation easement agreement. The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are joining to conserve about 2,100 acres of the HF Bar Ranch. The ranch is said to be the second oldest guest ranch in the country and supports a family business, working ranchlands and critical wildlife habitat. The HF Bar Ranch is located along the face of the Big Horn Range about 15 miles from Buffalo. It is home to elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, mountain lions and antelope.

Green River High School and Lincoln Middle School To Perform Winter Concert

The Green River High School choirs and guitar ensemble, as well as the Lincoln Middle School choir will be performing their winter concert this evening. The singing and playing will begin at 7 PM in the Green River High School Auditorium. Admission is free. For more information, contact Weston Lamb at 872-8335.

BLM Pinedale Seeks Volunteers for Bald Eagle Survey

Shelley Gregory with the Bureau of Land Management Pinedale Field Office says they are seeking volunteers to conduct a midwinter bald eagle survey that will take place on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013.






A meeting for interested volunteers will be held on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013 at 5 p.m. in the PFO Rendezvous Room at 1625 W. Pine in Pinedale.






For more information, please contact Josh Hemenway at 307-367-5322.

Citizens' group loses Wyo. wind farm challenge

The Wyoming Supreme Court has upheld permits issued by the state and Converse County allowing construction of 2 wind farms in the Laramie Range. Wasatch Wind of Salt Lake City plans to construct 62 towers at two locations. The Northern Laramie Range Alliance had challenged permits issued to the company by the Converse County Board of County Commissioners and Wyoming Industrial Siting Council. A statement from the Northern Laramie Range Alliance says it still intends try to block construction of the wind farms. Wasatch Wind President Christine Watson Mikell says the company is pleased with the court's decision.

Feds announce black-footed ferret recovery effort

A memorandum of understanding between federal and state agencies would allow routine grazing for property owners who agree to set aside land as black-footed ferret habitat. The Safe Harbor Agreement announced Monday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is part of an effort to boost the wild population of the endangered animal from 500 to 3,000 in the next 10 years. Black-footed ferrets are the only species native to North America and were once thought extinct until their rediscovery in Wyoming in 1981. Private, public and tribal lands would eligible for the conservation effort in: Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. A 30-day public review and comment period will be announced in the Federal Register on Wednesday

Riverton-area officials back slowing school reform

Riverton-area school officials are backing a proposal to delay school reforms around the state. The Fremont County School District 25 Board of Trustees is asking the state Legislature to slow down the Wyoming Accountability in Education Act. The district has about 2,500 students in and around Riverton. The law was passed last year. Its goals include making sure all students leave high school ready to enter college or careers, increasing the rate of student growth and improving teacher and principal quality. Consultants have criticized the way state public schools Superintendent Cindy Hill has been handling the law. Last week, a legislative committee backed a bill that would delay implementation of some components by up to several years. It will go before the full Legislature.

Suicide notes tied to Casper College slaying

Investigators say they found two suicide notes written by a man who killed his father in front of a computer science class at a Wyoming community college. Court documents indicate an officer found one note in 25-year-old Christopher Krumm's car and a second note at Casper College. The documents don't specify exactly where the second note was found or the contents of either note. Police say Krumm barged into a classroom at the college Nov. 30 and shot his father, 56-year-old James Krumm, with an arrow in front of a handful of students. As the students fled, the Vernon, Conn., man stabbed his father with a knife, then killed himself. Before the campus slaying, the younger Krumm stabbed his father's girlfriend, 42-year-old Heidi Arnold, at the home she and James Krumm shared.

Couple arrested in moose poaching near Hudson

Authorities say two people from Gillette accused of poaching four moose in Fremont County in October have been arrested. 29-year-old Sammy Edlund and his 28-year-old girlfriend, Danielle Najera, face multiple counts of taking an antlered moose without a license in an area with no season, wanton destruction of a big game animal and waste of the edible portion of a game animal. Investigators say the couple were in a group on private land near Hudson when two cows and two bulls were shot and left to rot. 2 of Najera's relatives - Phillip "Rocky" Hurtado and P.J. Warren - also face charges in connection with the poaching.

Central Wyo. College trustees back 5% tuition hike

The Central Wyoming College Board of Trustees says it favors a 5% tuition increase for community college students next year. CWC President Jo Anne McFarland asked for board member feedback this week in preparation for a Wyoming Community College Commission phone conference scheduled for Dec. 19 to discuss tuition rates for the 2013-14 school year. McFarland argues the tuition increase is needed to continue to provide high-quality education, and she notes tuition rates in Wyoming are low compared to surrounding states. At CWC, a 5% increase would amount to an extra $4 per credit, or $48 per semester for students with a full course load. Board chair Charlie Krebs and trustee Scott Phister say the tuition hike would be manageable for students.

Hearing in fatal hit and run near Kinnear delayed

A woman accused of killing one person and injuring another by hitting them with her car outside a Wyoming bar is scheduled to appear in court next month. 33-year-old Alma Mosho, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was set to appear in court last week, but her preliminary hearing was postponed until January. Mosho is accused of hitting two people in the parking lot of the Rezeride (Rez-Ride) Roadhouse west of Kinnear on Dec. 3 and then leaving. Witnesses gave police a description of the car involved, and Mosho was pulled over about 20 minutes after the crash. Coroner Ed McAuslan says 35-year-old Michelle Littleshield, of St. Stephen's, was killed, and another woman, whose name hasn't been released, suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Mosho was arrested on two counts of aggravated homicide by vehicle.

Budget panel grills state schools superintendent

State schools Superintendent Cindy Hill's management of the Wyoming Education Department continues to draw scrutiny from members of a legislative budget panel. Members of the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Interim Committee questioned Hill about how her agency is juggling positions and spending money. Since being elected superintendent two years ago, Hill has been at odds with some legislators over a teacher mentoring program she began and funded without legislative approval. In addition, there have been questions about how she has attempted to change about two dozen jobs within the department. During four hours of testimony Friday, Hill says the department isn't doing anything different than in the past on repositioning jobs. And Hill says any new initiatives by her agency are focused on helping school districts implement new education standards.

Three hospitalized after crash at Little America

Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust Jr. says that a California man is in the intensive care unit at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County and his wife and nephew were helicoptered to the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City after a crash at Little America around 10:30 Friday morning.






Blust says that Veldhuizen was driving the vehicle involved in the crash, a 2001 Chevrolet pickup.






No one at the Little America complex was injured. Officials say that alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash.

Treasury spells out rules on taxing of tribes

The Internal Revenue Service is proposing guidelines on what income and benefits of Alaska Natives and Native Americans are subject to taxation. The IRS has proposed the new guidance that, among other things, prohibits levies on honoraria to a shaman, but allows assessments on per-capita payments from gambling revenues to tribal members. The IRS wrote the guidance after tribes chafed at IRS audits and demand for tax payments on income and benefits provided to tribe members. Complaints were aired in a Senate hearing in June. The friction threatened to cause a rift in what generally have been good relations between Native Americans and Alaska Natives and the Obama administration. The proposed taxing guidance isn't final and can be commented on by tribes through next June.

Yellowstone winter season begins Saturday

Winter is on schedule in Yellowstone National Park. The park opens to the public for the winter season at 7 a.m. Saturday. Visitors will be able to travel to the park's interior roads on commercially guided snowmobiles or snowcoaches from the North, West and South Entrances. Travel through the park's East Entrance over Sylvan Pass is scheduled to begin Dec. 22. The road from the park's North Entrance at Gardiner, Mont., through Mammoth Hot Springs and on to Cooke City, Mont., outside the park's Northeast Entrance is open to wheeled vehicle travel all year.

3 arrested in Powell robbery spree

Three people have been arrested and more are sought in a robbery and burglary spree in Powell earlier this week. Several home, auto and business burglaries were reported Monday and into Tuesday. One resident reported answering a knock on the door to find someone pointing a handgun Tuesday morningh. Elsewhere, a safe was stolen from a commercial building and at least seven autos were broken into and their windows broken. After two days of investigation, police arrested thee in connection with the crimes. Thirty-8-year-old Obie Phillips and 29-year-old Michael Guzman face aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary charges. Thirty-year-old Tori Langdon-Phillips is accused of aiding or abetting the crimes. Police say the investigation continues and that they anticipate more arrests.

Panel says hunting could help manage grizzly bears

A government committee says grizzly bear hunting could help control the animal's population once federal protections are lifted. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee said Thursday that hunting could help minimize conflict between bears and humans. Plans already are in place to allow hunting in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho after grizzlies come off the list of threatened species. Specifics have yet to be worked out, but officials say hunting would be limited to a small number of bears annually. Federal officials say protections could be lifted in 2014 for about 600 bears in and around Yellowstone National Park, and at a later date for about 1,000 grizzlies in an area centered on Glacier National Park. The interagency committee includes representatives of 5 federal agencies, four states and the Canadian government.

Arraignment set for man charged in Cody abduction

A Montana man charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl from Cody is set for arraignment in district court later this month. Jesse P. Speer is being held at the Park County Detention Center on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and using a gun in the commission of a felony. He's set for arraignment Dec. 21 before District Judge Steven Cranfill in Cody. Speer last month waived a preliminary hearing, sending his case straight to district court. Authorities arrested Speer in Montana in October, almost a week after the girl was abducted. She was driven out of town, sexually assaulted and then released. Court records filed in Montana state Speer told arresting officers that he abducted and assaulted the girl.

UW: naming presidential hopefuls would harm search

The University of Wyoming says releasing the names of finalists for UW president would harm its search. The state's only 4-year public university filed a response Thursday to a lawsuit filed by media companies seeking public disclosure of the finalists. UW says releasing the names could reduce the pool of potential candidates because some may not want to be identified and could withdraw from consideration. As a result, the university contends all records identifying the candidates should be off limits to the public. The Casper Star-Tribune, Wyoming Tribune Eagle and The Associated Press filed the lawsuit in state District Court in Laramie. UW President Tom Buchanan is retiring next year. The UW Board of Trustees hopes to name a new president in February.

BLM Kemmerer Closes Big Game Winter Range Areas

Shelley Gregory with the Bureau of Land Management Kemmerer Field Office says that BLM-administered public lands in the Slate Creek, Rock Creek, and Bridger Creek big game winter ranges will be closed to all motorized vehicle travel from Jan. 1 through Apr. 30.






Also included is the Bridger Creek area south of Highway 30, west of Fossil Ridge, west of the Bear River Divide, north of the Uinta-Lincoln County line, and east of the Utah-Wyoming border and southeast of Highway 89.






A map of the closed areas can be found at blm.gov/wy. For more information or for maps of the closed areas, call 307-828-4508.

Natrona Co. sees reports of foodborne illness

The Natrona County Health Department has received more than 50 reports of foodborne illness this week. Agency director Bob Harrington says reports of vomiting and diarrhea have been widespread in Casper and his department suspects it could be norovirus. Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne disease outbreaks worldwide, according to the National Institutes of Health. Norovirus causes flu-like symptoms, such as vomiting or diarrhea. The agency suspects a local restaurant, but Harrington says that it's too soon to definitively pinpoint the cause.

Study: Wyo. snowmobiling generates $175 million

A recent study by the University of Wyoming says snowmobiling generates more than $175 million a year for the state economy. The report says snowmobilers directly spend $147 million across the state, supporting the equivalent of 1,300 jobs and generating more than $7 million in annual state and local government revenue. The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at UW prepared the study. It focuses on snowmobiling at the 12 trail systems and 2,000 miles of snowmobile trails managed by the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

Oil company fined $22,500 over dead birds

A Denver-based oil company has pleaded guilty to violating federal law in the deaths of migratory birds in fluid pits at the company's oil and gas drilling facilities in Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska and has been fined $22,500. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Montana said SM Energy Co. pleaded guilty Wednesday one misdemeanor count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in each state. U.S. Magistrate Carolyn Ostby also placed the company on probation for a year and ordered it to make a $7,500 payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The case dates back to 2005, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documented deaths of a dozen migratory birds at uncovered open fluid pits at Nance Petroleum sites in Wyoming. Nance later become an SM Energy subsidiary.

Two added to Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Most Wanted list

According to Detective Dick Blust, Jr., two people, both wanted on felony-level drug charges, have been added to the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office Most Wanted list.






The second is Andrea Eve Schanno, a white female 27 years of age, 5'2" in height, weight about 200 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.






Blust warns to not approach or attempt to apprehend these people yourself. He says, to just call it in. Callers will be kept anonymous.

Wyo. Sup. Court hears appeals on Sheridan killing

Lawyers for two Wyoming teenagers sentenced to life in prison for the home invasion slaying of a Sheridan man are asking the Wyoming Supreme Court to reduce their sentences following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. Wyatt Bear Cloud and Dharminder (dar-MINN'-dur) Vir Sen together with another defendant were convicted of murder in the August 2009 home invasion killing of Sheridan businessman Robert Ernst. Lawyers for Bear Cloud and Sen asked the state Supreme Court Wednesday to reduce their sentences. The U.S. Supreme Court outlawed mandatory juvenile life sentences this year. The Wyoming Attorney General's Office says Bear Cloud may merit a new sentencing hearing so a judge could consider the possibility of parole. But the state says a life sentence remains appropriate for Sen, the gunman in Ernst's slaying.

Colorado River water report released in Vegas

Rising demand and falling supply have water managers in the arid West projecting that the Colorado River won't be able to meet the demands over the next 50 years of a population of 40 million people and growing. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday issued what he termed "a call to action" along with a 3-year study of the river, its flows and its ability to meet the future needs of city-dwellers, Native Americans, businesses, ranchers and farmers in seven Western states. The study found the population in the West could double, while today's drought-stricken Colorado River is expected to only recover about 85% of its historic flows. The report dismisses some proposals, such as towing icebergs from Alaska, as impractical. But Salazar says there is "no one solution" to the challenge.

2 radio-collared wolves killed in Grand Teton NP

Hunters have killed two radio-collared wolves that roamed Grand Teton National Park, localizing a debate about the legal killing of "park" wolves used for research. Wildlife officials say it's unavoidable that park wolves will range outside park boundaries. Wyoming Game and Fish Department harvest data show 13 wolves reported killed in hunt areas bordering the park. On Oct. 1, the Fish and Wildlife Service ended Endangered Species Act protection for Wyoming wolves. Wildlife managers and pro-wolf groups are at odds following the shooting of at least 10 collared animals that frequent Wyoming's two national parks. Eight collared animals have been shot outside of Yellowstone National Park. On Monday, Montana closed a portion of its hunt area abutting the park.

More details in stepmother poisoning case

Officials say a Casper teenager accused of trying to poison her stepmother with eye drops was trying to keep the stepmother quiet after the teen told her she'd molested a young girl. The revelation came Tuesday in a Natrona County hearing. Alexis Jennings allegedly wanted her stepmother "gone" after the stepmother revealed Jennings' secret. Jennings was arrested in November for reportedly poisoning her stepmother with at least 15 bottles of Visine during the course of 4 months. She was charged with aggravated assault. The stepmother was hospitalized twice. Authorities say Jennings had confessed to her stepmother that she was sexually attracted to children and had molested a young girl. When the stepmother told Jennings' then-boyfriend about her stepdaughter's revelation, Jennings decided to retaliate.

School District #2

School District #2 held its monthly meeting last night, ERick Pauley has the story

Wyo. Supreme Court hears life sentence arguments

A lawyer for a man convicted of sexual abuse of a minor told the Wyoming Supreme Court that it was improper for the trial judge to allow the jury to hear testimony from a previous victim. Lawyer Keith Goody represents 59-year-old Kenneth James Huckfeldt. Huckfeldt was sentenced in Sweetwater County to life without parole this year on convictions of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl in 2007. Goody argued that District Judge Nena James shouldn't have allowed testimony from the victim in a 1994 child sexual assault case in which Huckfeldt was convicted. Theodore Racines of the Wyoming Attorney General's Office argued that testimony from Huckfeldt's earlier victim was proper to show his motive and intent. The Supreme Court will rule on the appeal later.

Early slides don't portend dangerous Wyo. winter

Big, new snow is already avalanching in the mountains around Jackson Hole, but that's not necessarily setting a dangerous pattern for avalanches in the winter ahead. Skiers and snowboarders have loosened dozens of mostly minor slides since heavy snow began to fall around the beginning of December. Nobody has been hurt, although Bob Comey with the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center says one skier got caught in an avalanche on Sunday. The skier rode out the avalanche by deploying an emergency air bag collar. Snow depths in the Jackson area are well above average for this time of year. Comey says easily 5 feet of snow has fallen in the Teton Range over the past 10 days. He says the early, deep snow could help limit avalanche danger over the coming winter.

Idaho man charged with multiple felonies after incident at truck stop

An Idaho truck driver has been charged with multiple felonies after an incident of reported domestic violence near Wamsutter. According to Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust, Jr., deputies responded at around 3 AM on December 5th to Love’s Truck Stop just north of Wamsutter.






Price said that Taber, “hit her on the legs, grabbed her arms and hit her across the face with his forearm.”






Price said she “was finally let out of the truck and allowed to go inside the store,” where she “hid inside the restroom.” Taber was arrested at the scene and a .22-caliber semiautomatic pistol was recovered. He is charged with aggravated assault and battery and strangulation of a household member, both felonies, and battery against a household member, a misdemeanor. He remains in custody at the Sweetwater County Detention Center in lieu of a $100,000 bond.

Wyoming snowmobile trail ranked No. 3

The Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail in northwest Wyoming is ranked No. 3 in the West by snowmobilers. The Wind River Visitors Council says the trail has been ranked in the top three for many years by readers of SnoWest magazine. The ranking is published in the magazine's annual "Western Guide to Snowmobiling 2012," which ranks scenery, grooming, signage, map, off-trail, snow quality, crowds, terrain, services and weather. Four Wyoming trails were ranked in the top 8 spots by snowmobile enthusiasts again this year. The Wyoming Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail is 1 of the West's largest and longest trail systems. It runs more than 600 miles along the Continental Divide from Lander to West Yellowstone, Mont.

WY snowpack down slightly on average

Total snowfall in Wyoming this season is slightly below average - but the real snow picture depends where you are. Snowfall statewide is 93% of the historical median. The Natural Resources Conservation Service says that the actual snow picture depends on the region within Wyoming. The northwestern part of Wyoming is on track for a normal, snowy winter. But the NRCS says the southeastern part of Wyoming is severely lacking snowfall. The Snake River drainage basin in northeastern Wyoming is 121% of the 1981-2010 median and the Belle Fourche drainage basin in the Black Hills is 36%.

School Beard Meeting

School district #2 will meet for its final meeting of 2012 tonight , Erick Pauley has a preview

North Platte River Recreation Area Management Plan Public Meeting Scheduled

Serena Baker tells us that the Bureau of Land Management Rawlins Field Office will hold a public meeting on the North Platte River Recreation Area Management Plan on Dec. 18 from 4-6 p.m. at the Platte Valley Community Center located at 210 Elm St. in Saratoga.






BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Chris Jones will also give an update on progress of the North Platte River RAMP. 






The North Platte River is also classified as a blue-ribbon trout fishery with a section managed for "wild" trout. In addition, the RFO manages numerous public access points for recreation along the river. For more information, please contact Chris Jones at 307-328-4206. 

Drilling project proposed for Red Desert area

The Bureau of Land Management is taking public comment on a proposal to drill nearly 9,000 new natural gas wells in the Red Desert area of southwest Wyoming. The proposed Continental Divide-Creston Natural Gas Development Project would occur largely in a current gas field that already has more than 3,000 wells. Erik Molvar of the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance says most sensitive wildlife, such as sage grouse, have largely left the area. But he says there are still other species, including pygmy rabbits and Wyoming pocket gophers, that survive in the project area. Molvar says if the BLM takes steps to protect those remaining species there's an opportunity to allow the additional drilling. The BLM is accepting public comment until Jan. 21.

Mont. shuts down wolf harvest near Yellowstone

Montana wildlife commissioners have closed down the state's gray wolf season in some areas north of Yellowstone National Park in response to a spate of recent shootings of animals that had been collared for scientific research. The move shuts down hunting and trapping in areas to the east and west of the town of Gardiner, just days before trapping season was set to begin. But wildlife commissioners did not yield to pressure from wildlife advocates to create a permanent and more extensive buffer around the park. Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission chairman Bob Ream said commissioners were addressing only "the particular and unique situation" of collared wolves being shot. Marc Cooke with the group Wolves of the Rockies calls Monday's closure of some areas was a positive step.

Gas marketers sue to block Sublette County school's fuel sales

Petroleum retailers are suing the Wyoming Department of Transportation and a western Wyoming school district for selling compressed natural gas as fuel. The Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association argues that against Sublette County School District 1 in Pinedale is improperly competing with private business. The petroleum marketers believe tax dollars are being used to compete against the private industry. Earlier this year, the state transportation department licensed the school district to sell compressed natural gas to the public. Compressed natural gas is a cleaner and cheaper alternative to gasoline. A school district official told the paper that the district is not giving much competition to private petroleum retailers and wholesalers.

Early Wyo. flu season intensifies

Wyoming's early flu season is getting more intense. State health officials recorded more than three times more flu cases by Dec. 1 than usual. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports that the state recorded 342 cases of influenza by Dec. 1. Wyoming usually reports less than 100 cases so far by this time. Wyoming's first flu cases were reported in October. This flu season has come early all over the nation, with 48 states confirming cases by the end of November. The Wyoming Department of Health says that flu cases in Wyoming typically increase around the end of December or early January. Health officials say most everyone should get flu shots, especially those at high risk of developing complications from the flu.

STATE LANDS WEST OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE NOW OFF- LIMITS TO SHED GATHERING

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is reminding people that shed horn and antler gathering is prohibited on most public lands west of the Continental Divide between Jan. 1 and April 30. The regulation has been in effect since 2009. However, beginning January 1, 2013, state lands will also be off-limits to shed antler or horn gathering. Under the regulation, shed antler gathering is prohibited on most public lands west of the Continental Divide between Jan. 1 and April 30. Public lands in the Great Divide Basin are excluded from the regulation. Public lands are defined as federal lands and lands owned or administered by the Game and Fish Commission. At their October 4, 2012 meeting the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners approved an annual restriction prohibiting the collection of antlers between Jan 1 and April 30 on all parcels of land under jurisdiction of the Board of Land Commissioners west of the
Continental Divide. These lands are often referred to “state lands” and are usually blue on land status maps. The regulation will not affect most winter ranges in Teton County, which are already off limits to antler gathering, due to human presence closures, from December through April. The purpose of the regulation is to minimize harassment or disturbance of big game animals on their winter and spring ranges when animals are most vulnerable to stress as well as potential displacement to less productive habitats. Colorado and Utah already have similar regulations. The regulation was made possible by legislation (W.S. 23-1-302) passed by the 2009 Wyoming Legislature that gave the Game and Fish Commission authority to regulate and control the collection of
shed antlers and horns of big game animals west of the Continental Divide. To view a copy of Chapter 61 Collection of Shed Antlers and Horns, please go to http://wgfd.wyo.gov and click on the Hunting/Regulations tab.

The Southwest Wyoming Sage Grouse Working Group

The Southwest Wyoming Sage Grouse Working Group (SWSGWG) is
seeking projects to fund for the 2013 – 2014 funding cycle. To be considered for funding all projects must specifically benefit sage-grouse and address the threats to sage-grouse identified in the Southwest Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan available at: http://wgfd.wyo.gov/ The role of the SWSGWG is to develop and set in motion local conservation plans to benefit sage-grouse and, whenever feasible, other species that use sagebrush habitats. The Group has been meeting since September 2004 and completed a conservation plan. The group presented their plan to the Game and Fish Commission in September 2007 and the plan was approved. The Group is currently updating data in their plan, securing funding for sage grouse conservation projects, and project completion. In an effort to improve sage-grouse numbers and preclude the need for listing under the Endangered Species Act these citizens have agreed to work together to identify and help implement appropriate management practices. The SWSGWG is comprised of local citizens interested in sage-grouse conservation. Members represent agriculture, industry, conservation, sportspersons, and affected governmental agencies. There are eight such groups operating in The Group will accept applications until March 1, 2013.

BLM Pinedale Field Office Land Closures Protect Big Game

The Bureau of Land Management Pinedale Field Office is notifying the public that BLM-administered big game winter ranges will be closed to all motorized vehicle travel from Jan. 1 through Apr. 30. Shelley Gregory says that use of these areas by non-motorized means including walking, horseback, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, is still allowed.






Signs will be posted at key locations going into the closed areas which include...






As a reminder, the Franz, Finnegan, Bench Corral, Fall Creek, Scab Creek, North Piney and Black Butte elk feed grounds are closed from Nov. 15 to Apr. 30 each winter to all motorized use and human presence. A map of the closed areas can be found at the BLM website at blm.gov/wy.

Wolf trapping near Yellowstone faces scrutiny

Restrictions on gray wolf harvests around Yellowstone National Park are under consideration as the state prepares to kick off its inaugural wolf trapping season Dec. 15. Wildlife advocates want limits on trapping after several wolves collared by park scientists for research were shot by Montana hunters in recent weeks. Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commissioner Shane Colton says closing some areas to trapping or setting strict quotas will be on the table during a Monday commission meeting. Colton says it's important to proceed carefully with the state's first wolf trapping season. The predators were taken off the endangered species list last year. Hunters have shot about 90 wolves across Montana so far this fall. There were an estimated 653 of the predators in the state at the end of 2011.

Groups file third lawsuit over Wyoming wolves

Environmental groups have filed a third federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's move to end federal protections for wolves in Wyoming. The Humane Society of the United States and the Fund for Animals filed suit Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. The groups say Wyoming's management plan classifying wolves as predators that can be shot on sight in most of the state is inadequate. They want the court to reinstate federal protections. Two other similar lawsuits filed by environmental groups also are pending, one in the same federal court in Washington and another in federal court in Denver. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has said state management is adequate to maintain set minimum wolf populations. He wants all three lawsuits moved to Wyoming.

Wyo. grouse had good weather but still challenged

Sage grouse had favorable weather this summer but remain challenged by energy development in Wyoming. The species is a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. A recent report from the University of Montana shows that sage grouse populations in the Powder River Basin remain viable, but West Nile virus and energy development in the basin continue to threaten the species. Tom Christiansen of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department says a dry summer minimized the threat of West Nile virus on the bird. Natural gas development has also slowed in some grouse habitat areas, but Christiansen says that there hasn't been any increase in grouse numbers as a result.

Powell OKs ordinance against Dumpster diving

The city of Powell is outlawing Dumpster diving. The City Council approved an ordinance last week that prohibits residents from taking out the contents of city trash containers or climbing on the bins. City officials say there are safety concerns about people climbing in trash bins, and some containers have been damaged. There also are privacy concerns if people are looking through trash containing credit card statements. Under the new ordinance, residents would need to call City Hall and ask for permission to go through a city trash container before taking trash from it.

US Forest Service prohibits off-road driving

The U.S. Forest Service is reminding the public that off-road driving is not allowed on the Medicine Bow National Forest in southeastern Wyoming. Dry conditions so far this winter have left many roads open that usually are blocked by snow. Many roads are wet and muddy and the Forest Service says this may tempt people to try to drive off-road to drive around bad spots. Laramie District Ranger Frank Romero says vandals have destroyed sections of fence that have been erected to keep them from driving off road. He says the agency is asking for people to report any vandalism they may witness and says people shouldn't drive on muddy, rutted roads.

Another man pleads guilty in Hudson double slaying

Another suspect in a double slaying and arson in Hudson last year has pleaded guilty to his role in the crimes. Joseph Jude Jenkins has pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder. He was 1 of 5 people charged after the deaths of Elva Quiver and Erik Likes at Likes' home in what authorities have described as a robbery plot. Jenkins admitted to punching and stabbing Likes multiple times. He also said he was involved with setting the fire at Likes' home. Jenkins' wife previously pleaded guilty to the same charges.

Green River Military Vet Surpasses Goal for Christmas Cards To Overseas Troops

Green River's Harry Holler had a goal this year. He wanted to increase the amount of Christmas Cards he sends to troops stationed overseas from the amount he sent last year. Lori Hastert, a 6th grade teacher at Monroe Intermediate School in Green River, says that Harry knew just where to turn to reach that goal.






The kids, parents and teachers at area schools in Green River and Rock Springs stepped up to help out Harry.






In the end, not only was Harry's goal of 6,000 cards reached, but, in fact... that number was doubled. This year, Harry will be shipping out 12,074 Christmas Cards to our troops.

Agreement boosts access for American Indian vets

Native American military veterans will be able to access health care closer to home thanks to an agreement between the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the Indian Health Service. The agreement allows for Veterans Affairs to reimburse IHS for direct health care services provided to eligible American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius first announced plans for the new partnership during Wednesday's tribal summit. Veterans Affairs and IHS released more details Thursday, saying the agreement stemmed from much work among the agencies and tribal governments as they tried to find a more equitable solution for bolstering access to care for veterans, particularly those in rural areas. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki says the VA is committed to expanding access to Native veterans "with the full range of VA programs, as earned by their service to our nation."

No charges in Wyo. Catholic College chaplain case

Lander Police Chief Jim Carey says there will be no criminal charges filed against a former Wyoming Catholic College chaplain fired amid allegations of improper conduct with students. Carey says that he's confident no criminal acts were committed and the case is considered closed. School spokesman Matthew Brasmer says the chaplain was dismissed effective Nov. 19 for what he termed as conduct unacceptable for a Catholic college chaplain. Brasmer says Wyoming Catholic College at Lander is searching for a new chaplain.

Business Council reviews five grant applications at December board meeting

The Wyoming Business Council Board of Directors held its regular board meeting in Laramie, Wyo., yesterday (Dec. 6) to hear updates from Business Council operational divisions, review five applications for Business Ready Community (BRC) grant requests, and review proposed changes to the community Facility Grant and Loan Program rules. Staff recommended approval of all five applications.   Board recommendations will be forwarded to the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) for its final decision at its Jan. 17, 2013 meeting.
Of the five applications, the city of Rock Springs requested a $988,682 Community Readiness Downtown Development grant for renovation of the 6,000 square foot Bunning Transfer building located at 50 South Front Street in downtown Rock Springs. Grant funds will be used for ADA compliant public restrooms and access, visitor information center, and space for the relocation of the URA/Main Street offices. The city of Rawlins requested a $680,000 Community Readiness-Downtown
Development grant for streetscaping and parking infrastructure on Cedar Street between 3rd and 6th Streets to improve pedestrian safety and parking in core of downtown Rawlins.  The cities of Evanston, Cheyenne and Sundance also made grant requests.

National Elk Refuge plans sleigh rides

Seasonal sleigh rides at the National Elk Refuge near Jackson start on Mon., Dec. 17 and will continue daily except for Christmas Day. The refuge says the rides offer the public are an exciting way to observe and photograph wildlife on the refuge. Passengers see elk and also often see coyotes, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, ravens, magpies and other wildlife. Participants purchase tickets at the visitor center and then take a shuttle bus to the sleigh boarding area about 3 miles north of Jackson. The sleighs depart three to four times each hour throughout the day, with rides typically lasting an hour.

Wyoming Natural Resources Rendezvous set next week

Hundreds of ranchers and other natural resource users are expected to attend the Wyoming Natural Resources Rendezvous next week in Casper. This joint convention between the Wyoming Stock Growers, Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts and the Society for Range Management-Wyoming Section begins on Monday and runs through Thursday. The event will feature the latest industry updates and actions addressing current industry issues. Speakers include Gov. Matt Mead and state Treasurer Mark Gordon. There also will be updates from the Wyoming congressional delegation.

Wyoming asks to intervene in uranium mine lawsuit

Gov. Matt Mead wants the state to get involved in a lawsuit contesting federal approval of the Lost Creek uranium mine. At Mead's request, this week the state attorney general filed a motion seeking to intervene in the lawsuit brought by the Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance last month. In a statement Wednesday, Mead said he wants to protect Wyoming's interests in the project. He said the mine would provide energy to the nation, jobs and tax revenue. The alliance claims the U.S. Bureau of Land Management failed to take a hard look at how the mine would affect species including sage grouse. It wants a review of the approval. The company behind the project, Denver-based Ur-Energy Inc., wants to be involved in the review.

Idaho woman accused in fatal bar parking lot crash Near Kinnear

An Idaho woman is accused of killing one person and injuring another by hitting them with her car outside a Wyoming bar. Thirty-3-year-old Alma Mosho of Fort Hall, Idaho was arrested Tuesday after being extradited from the Wind River Indian Reservation. Mosho is accused of hitting two people early Monday in the parking lot of the Rezeride (Rez-Ride) Roadhouse west of Kinnear and then leaving. Witnesses gave police a description of the car involved. Mosho was pulled over about 20 minutes after the crash. She has been charged with two counts of aggravated homicide by vehicle. One accuses her of driving recklessly and the other of being under the influence of alcohol. It wasn't immediately clear whether she has a lawyer.

Wyoming inmate dies after being found unconscious

An inmate at the Natrona County jail has died after being found unconscious in his cell. 47-year-old Roger Dale Carter, of Casper, died after being taken to a hospital after officials found him Tuesday morning. Sheriff's Lt. Gus Holbrook says there is no indication of foul play. Authorities say there was no indication Carter was having any problems when he ate breakfast less than an hour before he was found unresponsive. Carter had been serving a 19-day sentence that began Sunday for failing to comply and pay fines following an earlier drug possession conviction.