Snowy weather headed into western Wyo

Bad news for travelers but good news for skiers: A significant winter storm is headed into western Wyoming this weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the western Wyoming high country from Kemmerer north through Yellowstone. Forecasters say the storm won't be so bad down low but heavy snow will fall in the mountains. Meteorologist Dave Lipson with the Weather Service says Teton Pass could get 2 feet or more of snow.

Gov. Mead prepares to release supplemental budget

Gov. Matt Mead plans to announce late this morning whether he'll recommend that Wyoming accept a federal offer to expand the rolls of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Mead has called a news conference in Cheyenne to announce his supplemental budget recommendations. The Legislature will consider his proposals in its general session that starts in January.

Large turnout at Ferndale, Washington meeting on coal exports

It was the green shirts versus the red shirts at a public meeting Thursday in Ferndale to take public comment on a proposed coal export terminal at Cherry Point. Many union members were among the supporters wearing green "Let's get to work" shirts. The opponents wore red "Power past coal" shirts. Supporters say the $600 million project proposed by SSA Marine of Seattle would boost the local economy. Opponents worry about train traffic, coal dust and the environmental risk. The Gateway Pacific Project is the biggest of a half-dozen proposed terminals in the Northwest to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming to Asia. Other public comment meetings on the Cherry Point project are Dec. 4 in Spokane, Dec. 12 in Vancouver and Dec. 13 in Seattle.

Arch CEO bullish on demand for Wyo. coal

The chief executive of St. Louis-based Arch Coal says he expects the U.S. coal industry to continue to increase its share of the global coal market. The U.S. share of metallurgical coal shipped by sea has grown from 10% in 2003 to 24% this year. Arch CEO John Eaves said at an energy conference in Houston on Wednesday he thinks that share of the international market will keep growing. He also predicts to see increase international demand for coal to fire power plants. Arch has two coal mines in northeast Wyoming's Powder River Basin. Eaves says Powder River Basin coal is 1 of the most economical fuels in the U.S. and internationally.

BLM extends comment deadline for deer project

The public is getting more time to comment on a plan to improve habitat in the Sublette Mule Deer Herd Unit. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department are extending the deadline for public comments from Nov. 30 to Dec. 14 on their proposal for improving habitat in the unit. Plans call for removing invasive plant species and otherwise improving forage for deer in the area near Pinedale. Eric Decker is coordinator of the BLM's Pinedale Anticline Project Office. He says public interest in the proposal is high and says extending the comment period will give the agencies the best information on how to make their work successful.

Rawlins' Memorial Hospital seeing profitable year

Memorial Hospital's CEO says the Carbon County facility has reached its year-end profit goal in the first four months of the fiscal year. CEO Ned Hill announced this week that the hospital's total income for 2012-2013 is $539,988. The hospital's goal was $501,009. The hospital was in the hole nearly $1 million last year at about the same time. Hill estimates the hospital could double or triple its profit goal if this year's trend continues.

ID of Wind River Range skull possible soon

Fremont County Coroner Ed McAuslan says he could know by the end of January whether a partial human skull found in the Wind River Range belonged to a hiker who went missing in 2007. McAuslan says the skull has been submitted to a lab in Salt Lake City for analysis. Forty-6-year-old Clay Rubano, of Lander, disappeared five years ago while hiking near the Popo Agie (poh-POH'-jah) River. The partial skull was found last summer about a mile from where other human remains previously were found and identified as Rubano's. Experts say the skull belonged to a white male between 40 and 55 years old. Evidence suggests Rubano may have fallen and suffered hypothermia.

Drug fugitive captured in Colorado

Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust, Jr. tells us that a Rock Springs woman on the Sweetwater County’s Most Wanted list sought for felony drug charges and probation violation was arrested in Colorado November 27th.






Draney’s sentence was suspended and she was placed on four years of supervised probation in District Court in Green River.






Blust says that arrangements are being made for Draney’s return to Sweetwater County.

Powerball

Two winning tickets will share the record Powerball lottery jackpot. The winning tickerts were sold in Arizona and Missouri. The Powerball jackpot is 580-million dollars. It's the largest Powerball jackpot ever. The pay out would be just under 380-million if given as a lump sum. The numbers that were drawn are: 5, 16, 22, 23, 29 and the Powerball number is 6. Wednesday's jackpot was the accumulation of 15 straight drawings without a grand prize winner over a nearly two-month stretch.

15th Annual Rock Springs Lighted Parade To Be Held This Saturday

The 15th Annual Holiday Lighted Parade will take place this Saturday in downtown Rock Springs. CEO Dave Hanks of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce says that the parade will begin at 5:30 PM, but you will want to head out early.






The events do not stop at the end of the parade.






Cookies and Cocoa at the Rock Springs  Historical Museum and at various locations along the parade route. For more information on the complete parade route, go to rockspringswyoming.net or call the chamber at 307-362-3771.

Construction Continues on Uinta Bridge

The Road Construction season is coming to an end, but you'll still see an orange barrel or two in Green River, Erick Pauley has more...

Wyoming inspects more than 38K boats over summer

Wyoming conducted more than 38,600 boat inspections this past summer under a program that aims to keep undesirable mussels and other species out of the state's lakes and reservoirs. State Aquatic Invasive Species coordinator Beth Bear says only about 220 of the total inspections were considered high risk for possibly having invasive species. Bear says 94 watercraft were decontaminated but none were found with live invasive mussels. 4 of the watercraft had dead mussels. Bear says monitoring so far has not found any invasive mussels in Wyoming waters. This was the third year Wyoming has conducted inspections of boats at major water recreation areas. Next year, the state will have inspection stations set up at key border entry sites to inspect all boats being transported into the state.

Witness: 2 hunters 'shocked' after GT griz shot

In elk hunter who was close by when other hunters killed a grizzly in Grand Teton National Park last week describes hearing shots, then seeing two young hunters retreating with shocked expressions on their faces. Charles Peet, of Jackson, says he was 75 to 100 yards from where the large male grizzly was shot on Thanksgiving Day. Peet says three hunters walked past him, then he heard three or four quick shots. The hunters have been identified as 48-year-old David Trembly, of Dubois, and his two sons, ages 20 and 17. Peet says the younger hunters looked to be in a state of "semi-shock" afterward. Park officials say they are investigating Grand Teton's first known instance of an elk hunter killing a grizzly bear.

Wyoming tribe asks judge to reconsider eagle case

A Wyoming Indian tribe is asking a federal judge to reconsider a recent ruling that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted properly in prohibiting the tribe from killing bald eagles for religious purposes on its central Wyoming reservation. The Northern Arapaho Tribe this week asked U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson of Cheyenne to change the ruling he entered earlier this month. 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. But Johnson upheld the federal agency's requirement that the Northern Arapaho couldn't kill the birds on the Wind River Indian Reservation because of objections from the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, which shares the reservation.

Green River Game warden honored for 40 years or service

A Wyoming game warden is being honored for 40 years of service. Green River Game Warden Duane Kerr recently received a service award from the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. Kerr began working for the game department as a temporary fisheries technician. He was promoted through the ranks and has served in his current position for the past 16 years. Green River Wildlife Supervisor Steve DeCecco says Kerr is extremely dedicated to Wyoming's wildlife resource and has been a mentor to younger employees. The Wyoming Game Warden's Association named Kerr as Officer of the Year in 2009. Duane and his wife Pam have two grown sons. Aaron Kerr is also a game warden in Casper and Matt Kerr is a police officer in Colorado.

BLM offering permits for Christmas trees in Wyo.

Permits are now available for people to cut down Christmas trees on approved areas of U.S. Bureau of Land Management land in Wyoming. Permits are available in any BLM field office in Wyoming. The BLM says prices generally range from $5 to $10 per tree depending on the tree's size and location. Up to five trees can be purchased on a single permit. The BLM recommends Engelmann spruce, sub-alpine fir, Douglas fir and lodgepole pine as the best Christmas tree species. Christmas tree-cutting is prohibited in wilderness areas, wilderness study areas, timber sale areas, and administrative sites such as developed campgrounds. A different permit is required to cut down Christmas trees on U.S. Forest Service land.

Powerball

The jackpot for tonight's Powerball drawing is up to a half-billion-dollars. And as expected, ticket sales are brisk ahead of the big drawing. The state with the highest ticket sales for this jackpot is Florida. About 83-million dollars in Powerball tickets have been sold in the Sunshine state since last month. The cash option for a winner of the 500-million-dollar jackpot would be 327-million. Odds of winning the grand prize are roughly one in 175 million.

Keep Pipes From Freezing

The winters of Wyoming can be very cold which also means that your water lines have a possibility of freezing. The Public Works Department shares some important tips to protect your water lines during the winter months:

1) Know your water system!

2) Know where your water line comes into your home.

3) Know where the shut off valve for your water line is located (usually immediately before the water meter).

4) Keep your incoming water line warm!

5) Make sure the area where the water pipe enters your home is warm. (If you live in a mobile home, make sure the area where the water pipe leaves the ground and enters your home is warm and insulated.)

6) If you can’t keep the area heated, make sure the line and water meter are well insulated and/or heat traced.

7) If you have a shallow water service on your property, keep a small stream of water running and consider having a new line installed below the frost line.

8) If you ever see small amounts of ice in your water, be sure you keep a small stream running to keep your lines from freezing.

Shopko Hometown Grand Opening To Take Place Thursday

After four months, the former Pamida store in Green River will re-open as Shopko Hometown. Tara Powers says a grand opening event will take place tomorrow at the store located at 1105 Bridger Drive.






The conversion from Pamida to Shopko Hometown came after the two companies announced a merger earlier this year.  Powers says the grand opening celebration in Green River will last all day long.






As part of the merger, Shopko is investing approximately $80 million into more than 170 Pamida store conversions which are occurring in phases through the end of the year. 

Vote for Miss Rodeo Wyoming

There's only a few days left to vote for Miss Rodeo Wyoming for the "People's Choice" award. Miss Kimberly Kuhn is representing Wyoming, competing for the title of Miss Rodeo America during the NFR this year in Las Vegas. During this pageant, all state queens have the chance to also claim the title of 2013 Miss Rodeo America People's Choice. You can help her by going to the "Miss Rodeo America" facebook page and 'like' her picture. So far, she has over 5,000 'likes', but she needs more to take home the award. Voting ends this Friday, Nov. 30th.

Second coalition challenges Wyoming wolf delisting

A second coalition of environmental groups is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claiming the federal agency violated the Endangered Species Act by ending protections for wolves in Wyoming this fall. The eight groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Denver. They say Wyoming's management plan classifying wolves as predators that can be shot on sight in most of the state is inadequate. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead has said he's confident the state's plan offers adequate protection for wolves. Tuesday's lawsuit follows a federal suit filed by another coalition earlier this month in Washington, D.C. Both suits seek to force the Fish and Wildlife Service to rescind its transfer of wolf management authority to Wyoming and protect them again under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Arguments over dismissing Y Cross suit go to judge

A judge in Cheyenne heard arguments Tuesday over whether to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a woman who gave a ranch to two university foundations and now accuses them of not honoring the intent of her gift. Laramie County District Judge Thomas Campbell said he would rule later on a request by the University of Wyoming Foundation and Colorado State University Research Foundation to dismiss the suit against them by Amy Davis, of Denver. The lawsuit is holding up the foundations' plans to sell the 50,000-acre Y Cross Ranch between Cheyenne and Laramie. Davis claims the schools haven't fully honored her intent for the ranch to be used for hands-on agriculture education. An attorney for the foundations says Davis lacks standing to sue. Davis' attorney says Davis' lawsuit is valid.

Game department predicts good waterfowl season

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department predicts that waterfowl hunting will be good this year as long as waters remain open. The game department says mild weather so far has provided holding areas for many of the birds migrating through Wyoming from northern marshes. Larry Roberts is waterfowl biologist with the game department. He says a major bird migration went through Wyoming in mid-November, but says that more birds will be coming as northern marshes freeze up.

Effort to block mining near Crested Butte stalls

A deal for U.S. Energy Corp. to scrap its plans to mine molybdenum near Crested Butte appears stalled. The High Country Citizens' Alliance and others have opposed the Riverton, Wyo.-based company's plans to mine at Mount Emmons. U.S. Energy said this spring it was in talks with the groups to return its mining claims to the federal government in exchange for something of comparable value. The swap would likely require help from Congress. This month, the company said the swap effort was suspended in June, primarily because of uncertainty over what Congress would look like after the November elections. The company says it is focusing now on a mine operations plan. High Country Citizens' Alliance is opposing the plan while remaining open to talks.

Economic News Still Positive For Sweetwater County

The economic news continues to be positive for Sweetwater County. According to the Wyoming Department of workforce services, the counties un-employment dropped from 3.8 percent in September to 3.7 percent in October. Last year at this time, the un-employment rate stood at 4.5 percent. The statewide un-employment rate is 4.4 percent, compared to 5.3 percent a year ago. Nearby Sublette county has the lowest rate in the state at 2.9 percent. The highest un-employment rate can be found in Teton County, 6.1 percent. There are 957 un-employed in Sweetwater county, compared to over 1,100 at this time last year.

World Aids day

World Aids day is December 1st. The 2012 theme for World Aids day is “Working Together for an AIDS Free Generation”.
In honor of World Aids Day, Sweetwater County Community Nursing will be conduction free HIV Testing Thrusday,
November 29th. Please call 307-872-3944 for an appointment. Donations are welcome.

Santa Paws Event To Be Held in Green River

The Red Desert Humane Society and the Green River Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to make the holidays happy for you and your pet. Rebecca Briesmaster with the Chamber invites everyone to bring their pet out for Santa Paws.






At the event, you and your pet can have your photo taken with the jolly red elf.






If you are interested in adopting a pet or would like more information, you can also go to rockspringshumanesociety.com.

Lovell-area sugar beet harvest 2nd best on record

This year's sugar beet crop in the Lovell area in north-central Wyoming was the second-best on record. Harvests averaged just over 28.8 tons per acre. The 2011 crop still holds the record at just under 28.9 tons per acre. Growers in the district delivered just under half a million tons of beets. That will be processed into some 1.2 million bags of sugar weighing 100 pounds each.

Wyoming judge to hear arguments in Y Cross suit

Two university foundations have asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that is holding up their plans to sell a ranch. Laramie County District Judge Thomas Campbell is scheduled to hear arguments in the dismissal request Tuesday. Amy Davis donated the Y Cross Ranch to the University of Wyoming Foundation and Colorado State University Research Foundation in 1997. She filed suit in September, saying the two foundations haven't honored her intent that they use the ranch as a site for hands-on teaching. University officials say the 50,000-acre ranch between Cheyenne and Laramie hasn't been a good place to teach agriculture students, and that the sale will honor Davis' gift by funding scholarships. The foundations intended to sell the ranch this month but postponed the sale until the lawsuit is resolved.

$3.4B Indian lawsuit ends, disbursements to begin

Attorneys representing hundreds of thousands of American Indians say they should start seeing the first payments of a $3.4 billion settlement with the U.S. government by year's end. The settlement between Native Americans across the nation and the government over more than a century's worth of squandered and mismanaged land trust royalties became final on Friday. The lawsuit was started by Elouise Cobell of Browning, Mont., in 1996 after the Blackfeet woman saw no accounting of the money held in trust by the government. Cobell died last year of cancer. Plaintiffs' attorneys said Monday approximately 350,000 beneficiaries should start receiving $1,000 checks as the first part of the settlement goes forward. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the settlement marks a step forward in reconciliation.

Investigators probe Grand Teton grizzly killing

Investigators at Grand Teton National Park are continuing to probe last week's killing of a charging grizzly bear by members of an elk-hunting party. Jackie Skaggs, spokeswoman for Grand Teton, says that investigators haven't concluded yet whether they will classify the hunters' killing of the adult, male grizzly bear on Thanksgiving morning as justifiable self-defense. Skaggs says the National Park Service isn't releasing the names or hometowns of the three hunters, aged 48, 20 and 17. She says none of the hunters was hurt. The incident marks the first time a hunter has killed a grizzly bear in decades of elk population-reduction hunts at the park in northwestern Wyoming. The shooting occurred along the east side of the Snake River near Teton Point Overlook.

3 Hostess employees in Riverton lose jobs

Three Hostess employees in Riverton have lost their jobs as the troubled company winds down its operations. A delivery driver says the distribution center closed Nov. 16 after its final delivery. The center delivered about four semi-trailers of Hostess products each week. Hostess distribution centers in Casper and Gillette have also closed. Last week, a bankruptcy judge cleared the way for the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread to shut down its business and sell its assets to the highest bidder. There had been a last-ditch effort to end a strike with a bakers union but Hostess lawyers said they needed to begin the liquidation process quickly to take advantage of a surge in outside interest in its brands.

UW poll shows disapproval of health care law

A University of Wyoming poll shows that a strong majority of residents continue to disapprove of the federal Affordable Care Act. The health care reform law is opposed by 66% of the poll respondents, compared to 24% who approve. The law was enacted in 2010. A similar survey conducted two years ago showed almost identical results. UW political science director Jim King says the poll indicates that support for the health care law remains more unpopular in Wyoming than in the U.S. as a whole. The statewide telephone survey of 668 Wyoming citizens was conducted in October by UW's Survey Research Center. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%age points.

Plane missing in Wyo. Range found; pilot dead

Sublette County sheriff's officials say a small plane and its pilot that went missing for a week have been found in a rugged mountainous area of western Wyoming. The sheriff's office confirmed Saturday that the pilot, 63-year-old Miles McGinnis, died in the plane crash near the Lincoln and Sublette County line. He and his single-engine Cessna 182 were reported missing Nov. 17 when it failed to arrive in Pinedale that afternoon. Crews found the wreckage more than a mile from the location of the last radar contact with the plane. That area was in the Upper Hoback of the Wyoming Range. Authorities say search crews had been in the area earlier in the week but the debris field had been covered by snow that melted during recent warmer temperatures.

Hudson slayings suspect expected to plead guilty

Another defendant accused in a double slaying in Hudson appears to have reached a plea agreement. Court records filed Wednesday indicate 20-year-old Joseph Jude Jenkins is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 6 to change his pleas. He is 1 of 5 people accused in the stabbing deaths of 42-year-old Eric Clinton Likes and his 20-year-old girlfriend, Elva Charlotte Quiver, at Likes' home last year in a robbery plot. Jenkins originally faced four counts of first-degree murder, two counts each of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, and a single arson charge. But as part of the plea deal, Jenkins is expected to plead guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

Man killed when he fell from moving train

Carbon County authorities say a man was killed when he apparently fell from a train that was passing through Rawlins. Sheriff's deputies found the man, whose name has not been released, at about 6 a.m. Monday. Trains in the area typically travel between 50 mph and 70 mph. Authorities say they do not suspect foul play. The victim is described as white and between 30 and 35 years old.

Beware of Holiday Scams

If you plan on shopping online, Detective Dick Blust Jr. with the Sweetwater County Sheriff's office wants you to be aware of a few scams out there.






Another scam involves the popular sale of gift cards.






Finally, beware of fake charities that will pop up in emails this time of year. Blust says to restrict your donations to charities that you know are legitimate.

Game department offers more elk tags

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is reminding hunters that general and some limited-quota elk licenses will remain on sale through next January. The game department says general licenses are valid in several of the late-closing hunt areas. It says that license quotas have been sold out for many areas in which hunts run through January, but that some licenses remain. Game managers established the January seasons to increase harvest in areas where elk numbers are above the population objectives.

Wanted: Motorists to report road conditions

The Wyoming Department of Transportation is looking to expand participation in a program that recruits motorists to report hazardous road and weather conditions. The Enhanced Citizen-Assisted Reporting is similar to how the National Weather Service uses weather spotters. ECAR volunteers are first trained by WYDOT staff on what to report. They then can call and relay real-time information about hazardous road conditions back to the state. ECAR was started as a pilot program in 2006 and has about 300 volunteers. WYDOT's Cheryl Argento says that more volunteers are needed because the more information WYDOT receives, the better the state can send advisories or prioritize where it dispatches plows or road crews. People interested in signing up can do so by contacting WYDOT.

Poll finds strong backing for wolf hunting in Wyo

A poll shows Wyoming residents are divided about the reintroduction of wolves to the state but strongly support wolf hunting. The survey was conducted by the University of Wyoming Survey Research Center for the UW Political Sciences Department. The survey of 668 Wyoming residents was done in October just before conservation groups sued to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to re-establish federal protection for wolves in Wyoming. If the lawsuit is successful, it would take wolf management out of state hands. About 49% of residents agree with the reintroduction of wolves, while 47% think it was a bad idea. But 4 of 5 respondents agreed with allowing for hunting of wolves in the state.

Jackson Hole ski areas start to open this weekend

Despite 1 of the warmest Novembers on record, two Jackson Hole ski areas will open their new season as planned this weekend. Grand Targhee Resort will have 3 of its five lifts open on Friday. The Alta ski area says it has received 73 inches of snow since the middle of October. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will open on Saturday, its earliest opening ever. The resort reports 56 inches so far this season. Snow King Mountain Ski Area plans to open Dec. 10. A National Weather Service says temperatures this month in Jackson Hole have been the fifth warmest on record so far. The average temperature so far this month has been 44.2 degrees.

Bail set at $150,000 in tow-truck operator's death

A judge has set bail at $150,000 for a Gillette man charged with driving a pickup that struck and killed a tow-truck operator. 28-year-old Justin Lynn Helsper of Gillette appeared in court Tuesday. He faces a felony charge of aggravated vehicular homicide and misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence, speeding and failure to maintain a single lane of travel. He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanors but cannot enter a plea to the felony until another stage of the court case. Another hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30. The Wyoming Highway Patrol says 65-year-old Larry G. Schofield of Gillette was struck and killed on Interstate 90 Sunday. He was outside his tow truck recovering another vehicle damaged in a collision with a deer.

Carbon Co. school provides virtual school option

A Carbon County school has been working to bring the school to one family that lives too far away for their two sons to make the daily trek to class. Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow Junior Senior High School staff and administration worked to provide a virtual school option to the family. HEM Principal Dale Kari says the family lives 60 miles away, meaning they face a 120-mile daily round trip.HEM teachers are working to make sure the students get the education they need instead of losing them through an online program. Kari says that the program offers core classes in math, history, language arts, science and physical education. He says the students and teachers are both challenged with the program.

Buying Local Helps Your Local Economy

Many of us may be rushing out to grab up those Black Friday specials today and this weekend. Dave Hanks, CEO of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce wants to encourage everyone to spend their money locally.






Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.






Buying local is also good for the environment! Local business owners can make more local purchases which cuts down on the transportation and fuel costs.

Wyoming state band to march in Macy's parade

The Wyoming All-State Marching Band will march in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on Thursday. The band consists of 245 high schoolers from 36 schools around Wyoming. The band will wear white pants, red and blue shirts and white cowboy hats. It will play classic Western music - the theme from "The Magnificent Seven," ''Ghost Riders in the Sky," ''Silverado," and the University of Wyoming's fight song, "Ragtime Cowboy Joe." Their music will be heard by more than 2 million people who will line the parade route. An estimated 45 million people will watch the parade on television. Parade organizers select only 11 bands annually.

4th day of search for missing plane in Wyoming

The search for a small plane missing in western Wyoming is now in its fourth day. The Sublette County Sheriff's Office says 63-year-old pilot Myles McGinnis of LaBarge, Wyo., was the only occupant of the Cessna 182 that left Stevensville, Mont., on Saturday. The plane was bound for Pinedale but disappeared from radar between Jackson and Bondurant. So far, crews searching the rugged terrain from the air and on the ground have yet to locate the plane.

Report on Green River City Council Meeting

The Green River City Council met for its second monthly meeting last night, Erick Pauley has the story.

Wyoming's unemployment rate remains below average

The unemployment rate in Wyoming remains well below the national average. New figures released Tuesday by the state Department of Workforce Services say the state jobless rate fell from 5.4% in September to 5.2% in October. Last month's 5.2% rate is down from the same month last year when unemployment stood at 5.8%. Wyoming's 5.2% jobless rate also is significantly lower than the U.S. unemployment rate of 7.9% for October. The Wyoming county with the lowest unemployment rate last month was Sublette County, with 2.9%. The highest was Teton County, which posted 6.1%. Workforce Services says it's normal for unemployment to increase in Teton County this time of year because the summer tourist season has ended and the ski season hasn't started yet.

Electric shock will be used against unwanted trout

Crews trying to rid Yellowstone Lake of non-native lake trout will use electrical shocks to kill fish eggs and embryos next year. The technique will be used off Carrington Island, a major spawning area for the trout. The shock will come from a mat covering small areas of the gravel lake bottom. Dave Sweet of the East Yellowstone chapter of Trout Unlimited says the equipment is being designed specifically for the effort. Big lake trout eat the native cutthroat trout. Trout Unlimited says about 4 million cutthroats once lived in the lake and its tributaries, but the number was down to 400,000 in 2009. Lake trout were first found in Yellowstone Lake in 1994. Crews removed about 300,000 lake trout by netting this year.

Rescuers receive special award

Six people credited with saving the life of shooting victim, Edmund Thornell last year received special recognition Tuesday morning from the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office. Thornell was shot and left for dead by a couple he picked up hitchhiking on August 13. Detective Dick Blust, Jr. says that the Jim Stark Community Service Award was presented to Sarah Berry, Levi Berry, their sons Owen and Evan Berry, Wendy Berry, all of Rock Springs, and Roger Long, a family friend of the Berrys who lives in Colorado.






The award is named for the late Jim Stark, who served as Sheriff of Sweetwater County from 1977 to 1987. 






When the war ended, Stark joined the Rock Springs Police Department and served there for nine and half years, when he joined the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy. He went on to serve as Undersheriff from 1955 to 1977, when he was appointed Sheriff, an office he held and served with great distinction in for 10 years.

Local Legislators Assigned To Leadership Positions for Upcoming Legislative Session

Leadership and committee assignments have been announced for the upcoming legislative session and two local legislators have been assigned leadership positions. In the Wyoming senate, Rock Springs democrat Bernandine Craft will be the Minority Whip, while Green River democrat John Hastert will serve as Minority Caucus Chair. Craft, who served several years in the House, moved to the Senate this year.
As for house committee assignements, freshman Mark Baker of Rock Springs will serve on the Judiciary along with Rock Springs freshman Stephen Watt. Both are republicans. Green River democrat John Freeman will serve on the Education committee and the Travel committee. Stan Blake, a Green River democrat, will serve on the Agriculture and Transporation committee. Kathy Davison, a Kemmerer republican, will be the chair of the Travel committee. On the senate side, Hastert will serve on the powerful Appropriations committee. Craft will serve on the Labor, and Travel committee's. Tom Lubnau from Gillette is the Speaker of the house, while Tony Ross from Cheyenne will serve as the Senate President. The Wyoming Legislature convenes on January 8th for the 40 day session. Republicans control the house 52-8 and the senate 26-4.

Governor's office develops state energy policy

Gov. Matt Mead is pushing forward with development of an energy policy for the state. Mead's staff has been meeting with Wyoming energy producers as well as conservation groups and others since early summer. The planning process has identified four major themes for the state energy policy. The themes are: economic competiveness, efficient regulation, natural resource conservation and development of new technologies. Shawn Reese is Mead's policy director. Reese says the governor's office intends to release a number of draft initiatives in coming weeks and said there will be a public meetings in early December to discuss them. Energy production is the economic lifeblood of Wyoming, which imposes no state personal or corporate income tax. Taxes on energy production fund the bulk of state government operations.

Search continues missing aircraft in western Wyo.

The search continues for a small plane with only the pilot aboard that's been missing since Saturday in rugged terrain in western Wyoming. The Cessna 182 left Stevensville, Mont., Saturday and had been due in Pinedale that afternoon but didn't arrive. Sublette County Public Information Officer Steve Smith says radar lost track of the plane over upper Hoback Canyon, between Jackson and Bondurant. Smith says two search planes were in the air Tuesday morning looking for the missing plane. He says a helicopter also is on its way from Jackson to join the search. More searchers on the ground are traveling by foot and by snow machine. Officials haven't released the pilot's name.

BLM Continues Scoping on Proposed Adobe Town/Salt Wells Creek Wild Horse Gather

Serena Baker with the Bureau of Land Management Rawlins and Rock Springs Field Offices says they have launched a 30-day public scoping period prior to preparing an environmental assessment on a proposed wild horse gather in the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Areas. The ATSW Complex is located in the checkerboard pattern of mixed public and private land ownership in Sweetwater and Carbon counties, stretching from Interstate 80 south to the Wyoming/Colorado border.






The AML range for the Adobe Town HMA is 610-800 wild horses and the AML range for the Salt Wells Creek HMA is 251-365 wild horses.






Public input is valuable early in the process and will enable the BLM to develop a well-informed environmental assessment. Written comments should be received by Dec. 7. For more information, call 307-352-0331.

Driver acquitted of felony in WY school bus death

A driver who hit and killed a girl after she got off a school bus has been acquitted of a felony charge. Jurors in Lander found William Dean Barnes not guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide in the death of 11-year-old MaKayla Marie Strahle (STRAW'-lee) of Crowheart. Jurors convicted him of several misdemeanor charges on Friday evening, including homicide by vehicle. That carries a punishment of up to a year in jail and a fine up to $2,000. Barnes struck MaKayla as she crossed a highway after getting off the bus on Dec. 20, 2011. The bus had flashing lights but there was fog at the time. Barnes' lawyer argued that prosecutors didn't prove that he was driving recklessly. The jury took nearly eight hours to reach their verdict.

Game and Fish conducting harvest surveys

With some big game seasons winding down in Wyoming, the state Game and Fish Department is conducting its annual harvest survey. The department contracts with a company named Tetra Tech to conduct surveys for antelope, deer and elk harvests. Over the past week some 107,000 postcards were mailed to resident and nonresident hunters requesting that they complete their harvest survey online. Hunters with Internet access can use the password provided on the green postcard to complete the survey online at wyhunter.org. Hunters who do not respond via Internet will be mailed a hard-copy survey. Gail Sheridan, of the Game and Fish Department, says the online survey is the most efficient and cost effective option. The survey takes about five to 10 minutes.

Wyo. officials search for plane in Sublette Co.

Sublette County officials are searching for a small plane with just a pilot aboard that didn't arrive at its destination. The Cessna 182 left Stephensville, Mont., Saturday and had been due in Pinedale that afternoon but didn't arrive. Sublette County Public Information Officer Steve Smith says that the sheriff's department and other groups searched Sunday near the Sublette and Lincoln county line. He says the search will resume Monday morning.

Mead blasts feds for ducking health questions

Gov. Matt Mead says he's concerned that the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services has declined to answer his repeated letters asking for information about how the state is supposed to implement the federal health care reform law. Mead wrote to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday telling her Wyoming is unlikely to meet a new Dec. 14 deadline the federal government set this week because of the lack of information he requested from her in July and October. The federal agency wants Wyoming to specify by next month whether it will run a health insurance exchange for state residents by next month's deadline. Fabien Levy, press secretary for Health and Human Services in Washington, said Friday the agency has provided information and guidance to all states about the law.

Judge: 2 Hudson suspects can have limited contact

A judge says two married suspects in the double slaying in Hudson last year can have written contact with each other. Samantha June Hanway and Joseph Jude Jenkins were among five people charged in the slayings of Eric Clinton Likes and his girlfriend, Elva Charlotte Quiver, in what investigators say was a robbery plot. Hanway and Jenkins are still in custody and had been prohibited from contact with one another because they are co-defendants. However, defense attorney Kathleen Tilton said Hanway is expected to give birth this month, and the two need to pick out a name and decide where to place the child. A judge agreed last week to let them send two letters a week before the birth and once a week afterward.

Proposed hunting, fishing fee hikes advance

A legislative committee has voted to sponsor legislation that would raise fees for dozens of hunting and fishing licenses for both residents and non-residents. The amounts depend on the license type, with many going up about 22% and others more than doubling their current price. The fee hike proposal is designed to help cover an $8 million to $10 million annual revenue shortfall that the state Game and Fish Department faces. The Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee voted 8-6 to advance the bill during its meeting in Lander last week. The bill will be considered by the full Legislature when it meets in January.

Toys For Tots To Be Held Again This Year in Rock Springs

Lyle Armstrong with the Rock Springs Fire Department tells us they are again sponsoring the Toys for Tots program in Rock Springs. For decades the Rock Springs Firefighters have been collecting and sorting toys that are donated by the kind hearted citizens of the community so that all children are able to receive a Christmas gift. The toy give away by will be at the Rock Springs Fire Station Headquarters, 600 College Drive, on Saturday December 22.






Opportunities to sign-up for the giveaway will be at the Food Bank of Sweetwater County, 90 Center Street in Rock Springs, on Tuesday, November 20 and Thursday, December 13. The hours for the sign-up will be 10:00 A.M. to 2:45 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. each date.






Toys may also be dropped off at Wells Fargo Bank, 1400 Dewar Drive or at any Rock Springs Kum and Go store. Donations will be accepted at the fire stations until 7:00 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012. Don't forget that an appointment is needed for the giveaway. For further information call the Rock Springs Fire Department at 352-1475.

Lander man asks for vehicular homicide acquittal

The lawyer for a man accused of hitting a girl after she got off a school bus says prosecutors haven't proven that he was driving recklessly. William Dean Barnes is on trial this week in Lander for aggravated vehicular homicide in the death of 11-year-old MaKayla Marie Strahle (STRAW'-lee) of Crowheart last December. His lawyer filed a motion Thursday asking Judge Norman Young to aquit him of the vehicular homicide charge. Lawyer Devon Petersen said Barnes was driving under the 65 mph speed limit and prosecutors haven't proven that he knew there was a school bus ahead. The bus had its lights flashing but there was fog at the time. Prosecutor Kathy Kavanagh said the motion didn't address that Barnes passed a stopped school bus.

Helicopter lands hard after hitting power lines

An air ambulance has made a hard landing in rural Fremont County after hitting power lines. Capt. Ryan Lee of the Fremont County Sheriff's Office says the 1996 Bell 407 helicopter was traveling from Casper to Riverton when it hit power lines about 43 miles east of Riverton. There were three people on board, none of them a medical patient. Only minor injuries were reported. The pilot was able to land the helicopter despite significant damage. Lee says his department got the call at about 8 a.m. Thursday. Technicians with High Plains Power were repairing the lines on Thursday afternoon. The Sheriff's Office and federal officials will continue the accident investigation in coming days.

WLCI Executive Committee Videoconference Meeting Scheduled

The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Executive Committee will hold its quarterly meeting by videoconference beginning at 1 p.m. on Feb. 26-27, 2013 from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Headquarters located at 5400 Bishop Blvd. in Cheyenne. Serena Baker with the Bureau of Land Management says the public is invited to attend the meeting in Cheyenne or by videoconference at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Headquarters Green River Regional Office located at 351 Astle in Green River or the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Headquarters Pinedale Regional Office located at 432 E. Mill St. in Pinedale.






Thoman also says that another advantage of video conferencing from Cheyenne, is that it allows partners to be readily available to the Wyoming legislature while in session. For additional videoconference locations or questions, call 307-352-0397 or visit wlci.gov.

Investigators blame ice for Rock Springs plane crash

Federal investigators say ice most likely caused the crash of a small plane near Rock Springs last year, killing both people on board. A report from the National Transportation Safety Board says the single-engine Bellanca 17-30A Viking descended rapidly after flying into an area where forecasts expected precipitation with supercooled droplets. Investigators say that likely resulted in rapid ice accumulation on the plane. They found no indications of problems with the airframe, flight controls and engine before the crash. The plane went down about 30 minutes after taking off from Pinedale en route to Fort Collins on May 18, 2011. Pilot Gilmer Mickey of Englewood, Colo., and passenger Bob Albert of Fort Collins, Colo., both 55, were killed.

Northern Arapaho Tribe postpones election

The Northern Arapaho Tribe has postponed its scheduled general election in a dispute over the eligibility of a candidate for the tribe's business council. The general election originally set for Thursday has been postponed until next month. The tribe's general council met Nov. 3 and nominated five new election judges and two clerks for the new election. The election was rescheduled after some tribal members questioned the eligibility of Kim Harjo to serve on the business council. She had been voted off the business council in 2010 and critics maintained she should have to wait six years to serve again under tribal law. Harjo disputes claims by some members of the business council that her candidacy was against the law.

In Lander, defense questions school bus visibility

The lawyer for a man accused of hitting a girl after she got off a school bus last December is raising questions about how visible the bus was. William Dean Barnes is on trial in Lander for vehicular homicide in the death of 11-year-old MaKayla Marie Strahle (STRAW'-lee) of Crowheart. The school bus had its lights flashing but there was fog at the time. In opening arguments, defense lawyer Devon Petersen said Barnes didn't know there was a bus until he hit MaKayla. On Wednesday, the Riverton Ranger reported that he asked bus driver Fred Peterson why a strobe light on the roof wasn't activated. The driver didn't think the fog was severe enough. MaKayla's father didn't directly answer whether he was upset with how she was dropped off, saying "I'd definitely change things."

Wyoming canvassing board certifies election

The State Canvassing Board has certified Wyoming's election results. The board met Wednesday at the State Capitol in Cheyenne. It certified the Nov. 6 state election results in the races for president, vice president, U.S. senator, U.S. representative, judicial offices, legislative offices and the votes on the state's three proposed constitutional amendments. The board members are Gov. Matt Mead, Secretary of State Max Maxfield, State Auditor Cynthia Cloud and State Treasurer Mark Gordon.

Skull found could be that of Lander hiker

A partial human skull found in the Wind River Range in August could be that of a Lander hiker who went missing five years ago. Fremont County coroner Ed McAuslan says that a review by a University of Wyoming expert suggests the skull belonged to a man between 40 and 55 years old. The hiker, Clay Rubano, was 46 when he disappeared. The skull was found about a mile from where other bones identified at Rubano's were found in 2008. Rubano's belongings were also found then and the evidence suggested that he may have fallen and suffered hypothermia. McAuslan is sending the skull to a lab in Salt Lake City for a DNA comparison with the bones.

BLM Rock Springs Scoping on Monell Arch Oil and Gas Development Project

Just two weeks are left in the scoping period by the Bureau of Land Management Rock Springs Field Office before they prepare an environmental assessment on a proposal by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation to expand the Patrick Draw Field. Serena Baker tells us that Anadarko is planning the development of up to 125 new oil, carbon dioxide and water injection wells.






The Patrick Draw Field includes the Monell and Arch Units which were developed in the late 1950s to early 1960s, and presently support 128 producing wells. 






Public written comments should be received by Nov. 30, and may be submitted via email, mail, or hand-delivery during regular business hours. For more information, please contact Doug Linn at 307-352-0237.

Game and Fish: No trouble monitoring Wyo. wolves

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports no difficulties taking over wolf monitoring outside Yellowstone National Park since the federal government removed Wyoming's wolves from endangered species protection last summer. Wyoming must report annually on the status of its wolves under an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to have the animals delisted. Wyoming now is tracking about 40 radio-collared wolves in some 20 packs east and south of Yellowstone, a job that previously fell to Fish and Wildlife in that area. Mark Bruscino with Game and Fish says it's no problem because state biologists already have extensive experience monitoring other animals including grizzly bears. Wyoming's first wolf hunt also is yielding data. State biologists are inspecting and taking genetic samples from wolves killed by hunters this fall.

Environmental groups sue over Wyoming wolves

A coalition of environmental groups is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the agency's decision to end federal protections for wolves in Wyoming. Groups including the Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in Washington, D.C. The groups claim the federal wildlife agency violated the Endangered Species Act by approving the state of Wyoming's wolf management plan. Wyoming took over wolf management on Oct. 1 after promising to maintain at least 10 breeding pairs of wolves and at least 100 wolves outside of Yellowstone National Park. Wyoming classifies wolves as predators that can be shot on sight in more than 80% of state. The state also allows regulated hunting of wolves as trophy game in a zone outside Yellowstone National Park.

Douglas fisherman breaks Wyo. gizzard shad record

A fisherman from Douglas has broken the state record for Wyoming's biggest gizzard shad. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department says Jeff Kirk caught the fish while jigging with an artificial lure in Glendo Reservoir. The gizzard shad weighed an even 2 pounds and was 17 inches long.

Game and Fish warns of nets in Flaming Gorge

The Wyoming Department of Game and Fish is warning anglers not to disturb any nets they may find in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Researchers with Utah State University are working with the game department to conduct a research project on the presence of burbot, an exotic fish species, in Flaming Gorge Reservoir this winter. Burbot were illegally stocked in the Green River drainage in recent years, raising concern that they will harm the trout population. Craig Amadio is fisheries biologist with the game department in Green River. He says anglers may observe nets in the water until the reservoir freezes. He says the research project could help the game department learn more about how to deal with the burbot population.

2 Wyo. suspects now accused in Ind. hospital fraud

Two men accused of defrauding Powell Valley Healthcare in Wyoming are now accused of also defrauding a hospital in Indiana. Federal court documents allege fugitive Paul Cardwell and Michael J. Plake defrauded White County Memorial Hospital in Monticello, Ind., out of more than $800,000 between March 2003 and October 2009. An indictment alleges Cardwell funneled the hospital's money to a bogus staff recruiting firm that Plake purportedly ran, and Cardwell and Plake would share in the proceeds. The two were accused in a similar scheme in Wyoming. Cardwell was once CEO of the Indiana hospital before becoming CEO at Powell Valley. Plake has pleaded guilty to conspiracy.in the Wyoming case. Cardwell appeared ready also to accept a plea deal but disappeared in August.

Multiple Vehicle Wreck On I-80 Over Weekend

Fire District Number One responded to a multiple vehicle fire on i-80 over the weekend, Erick pauley has the story.

Wildfires will cost Wyo. over $40 million

State Forester Bill Crapser says this year's wildfires have consumed all the money the state had set aside for fire suppression.
Crapser says the season depleted both the state's entire fire suppression emergency account and its standard fire suppression budget for the entire two-year budget period.
An estimated 1,300 to 1,400 fires burned about 600,000 acres in Wyoming.
Wyoming's share of fighting wildfires this season will total an estimated $42 million.
Crapser told the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee last week that the total cost of fighting the fires was an estimated $108.5 million. The federal government will pick up most of the costs.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports that Gov. Matt Mead intends to increase funding for fire suppression efforts even though the state is looking to make budget cuts.

HS Sports

The high school fall sports season is over, but for some former Wyoming high school athletes, the season ends this week (November 12-17), and there’s a chance to get some national recognition.
The Men’s Soccer team at Western Wyoming Community College out of Rock Springs, is competing in the Junior College National Championship Tournament this week in Albany, Georgia.
WWCC has a record of 14-9-1 and feature these former Wyoming high school players:

Christian Mendoza – Rock Springs

Tyler Wilkinson – Rock Springs

Taylor Chesnovar – Rock Springs

Mitch Cooper – Lander

Cody Nice – Gillette

Derek Smith – Star Valley

Vasriable Signs

New electronic variable speed limit signs are now in operation on Wyoming Highway 28 in the South Pass area between Farson and Lander. The signs will allow the Wyoming Department of Transportation to drop the speed limit in 5 mph increments to as low as 30 mph when weather and road conditions make it necessary. The 34-mile section of the highway is known for severe wind and surface conditions as well as heavy truck traffic. The South Pass section becomes the fifth Wyoming highway section to be served by variable speed limit technology. The other four sections are on I-80, where 128 miles are equipped with variable signs.

Man involved in fatal Wyoming bus stop crash set for trial

A trial is set to begin Tuesday for a Lander man accused of driving recklessly when he struck and killed an 11-year-old girl who was leaving her school bus east of Crowheart.
William Dean Barnes has pleaded not guilty to felony aggravated vehicular homicide. He also denied misdemeanor charges of homicide by vehicle, driving too fast in foggy conditions, passing a stopped school bus that was flashing its red lights and failing to exercise due care as a driver.
Authorities say Barnes was traveling east on U.S. Highway 26 at 57 mph when he struck Wind River School sixth-grader MaKayla Marie Strahle at about 7:30 p.m., Dec. 20. She was hit while crossing the roadway.
Fremont County Attorney Brian Varn says the trial should last two or three days.

Riverton man sentenced for attempted murder

A 47-year-old Riverton man who acknowledged having sexual contact with and strangling a teenage girl has been sentenced.
George William Lucas was sentenced Thursday to 40 years to life in prison for second-degree attempted murder. He also was sentenced to 40 to 50 years for sexual assault, 18 to 20 years for sexual abuse and eight to 10 years for intimidating a witness.
The sentences will run concurrently.
Prosecutors say Lucas used a belt and choked the victim until she was unconscious and then sexually assaulted her.

N.D. energy research firm hires former Wyoming oil and gas supervisor

Wyoming's former oil and gas supervisor has found work in North Dakota after resigning in June because of controversial comments he made at an industry function in Canada.
The Energy and Environmental Research Center, a nonprofit branch of the University of North Dakota specializing in research and development, hired Tom Doll as a senior petroleum engineer in September.
Doll works for the group's oil and gas technical group. According to John Harju, associate director for research, most of Doll's work is in reservoir characterization and simulation, geomechanics and "facilitating operational excellence on behalf of us for our clients."
Doll didn't return a request for comment sent via other EERC staff Friday.

Recent Wyoming grizzly bear deaths human-caused

Six recent grizzly bear deaths in the Wyoming portion of the Yellowstone ecosystem are being investigated as human-caused.
Because the incidents are being investigated, Wyoming Game and Fish Department officials are revealing few details but they come at a time when grizzly-hunter encounters are most frequent. The grizzly bear is protected under federal law.
The string marks the 40th through 45th grizzly deaths in the ecosystem this year.
Mark Bruscino, of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, says it is about an average year for grizzly deaths in Wyoming.
Bruscino says the string of bear deaths has little bearing on the overall health of the ecosystem's grizzlies.
He said that the grizzly population continues to grow.

3rd Annual Burbot Bash

Sweetwater County Travel and Tourism today announced the dates for the 3rd Annual Burbot Bash. The fishing derby, which will be held Feb. 1-3, is a combined effort of the Green River, Rock Springs and Flaming Gorge Chambers of Commerce. It aims to diminish the population of illegally stocked, invasive burbot in the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Burbot, also called ling cod, are just one of the species that make Sweetwater County one of the best places for coldwater fishing in the nation. Four types of cutthroat trout teem the waters of the county's reservoirs, lakes, rivers and streams, along with other varieties of catfish, whitefish, salmon and smallmouth bass. The ice fishing season in the gorge gets rolling around mid-December when burbot, rainbow and smaller lake trout abound under the ice, giving fishermen and women a chance to hone their line flinging skills before February’s Burbot Bash.
Anglers of all ages, in teams of up to four, can compete for green while ‘going green’ by helping to purge the infestation of burbot. State fish biologists seeking tag-return data will appreciate competitors who catch tagged fish – identifiable only by special electronic readers. These tagged catches earn a submission into the drawing for cash prizes. Prizes will also be awarded in youth categories, as well as for the most fish reeled in and the biggest fish caught.
For more information and to register for the event, contact the Flaming Gorge Chamber of Commerce at www.flaminggorgecountry.com or call 800-FL-GORGE.

daho Wolf Coexistence Experiment Marks Five Years

More than 27-thousand sheep – bedding down on public lands that are also home to wolves. That was the scenario for the Wood River Wolf Project in Central Idaho this year – where non-lethal wolf-management tools are used to keep sheep and wolves safe. The result? Only four sheep lost to wolves - and that happened on a night when the herd bumped into a previously unknown wolf pack. Suzanne Stone with Defenders of Wildlife says it’s the best year yet – and they've been doing this for five years.






She says the biggest challenge this year was locating the wolves, since there are no radio-collared animals left. That was done with on-the-ground detective work and remote wildlife cameras. Non-lethal tools include livestock protection dogs, shooting blanks, air horns, flag fencing and human presence. Stone argues that co-existence methods are less expensive than “kill-only” approaches that involve radio collars, sharpshooters and helicopters. The state of Washington recently spent thousands to kill wolves.






Field supervisor Patrick Graham says there were nights when wolves came within 50 yards of sheep.






Ranchers, sheepherders, federal and state agencies, and an Idaho County have partnered for the Wood River Wolf Project. Suzanne Stone says the track record of success has caught the attention of wolf managers in other states, with queries even coming from Europe.

Health Report

A report containing both planned and potential future Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) budget reductions of nearly $132 million, as required by legislative action, is now available online.
During its most recent session, the Wyoming Legislature directed the WDH to reduce state general fund spending by 4 percent (more than $19 million) for state fiscal year 2014, which begins on July 1, 2013. “This 4 percent general fund reduction was included in the final state budget. What we are doing now is reporting on the areas within our budget where those reductions will occur,” said Tom Forslund, Wyoming Department of Health director.
WDH was also required to prepare for additional 8 percent reductions (more than $74 million) for the department’s future 2015-16 biennium budget. Descriptions of these possible future reductions are also included in the report.
“While closely reviewing programs and spending is certainly valuable, going ahead with budget reductions is always challenging,” said “We hope for a brighter state revenue picture in the next biennium so the potential general fund reductions we’ve described for fiscal years 2015 and 2016 may not all occur. However, it was important for our department to prepare what the legislature requested.” The report includes descriptions of the largest WDH programs along with details about the planned and potential future budget reductions. To read the report, visit www.health.wyo.gov.

BLM preparing for southern Wyo. wild horse roundup

The Bureau of Land Management is preparing to round up some wild horses in southern Wyoming next summer. The BLM announced Wednesday that it would take public comment on a proposal to gather horses in Sweetwater and Carbon counties on lands that stretch from Interstate 80 south to the Colorado border. The horses may be given fertility treatments and then released back into the wild. Last month, a citizen advisory panel recommended that the BLM should consider sterilizing some mares to control booming mustang populations and protect rangelands. The agency has long struggled with how to manage growing horse herds on public lands, which can double naturally within five years if left unchecked. It currently has more horses in captivity than are left roaming the range

Appeal of Indian land trust settlement rejected

The U.S. Supreme Court won't consider a Colorado woman's challenge of a $3.4 billion settlement between the federal government and Native American land trust beneficiaries. The settlement was reached in 2009 following years of litigation in which Montana resident Elouise Cobell, who is now deceased, argued government officials mismanaged billions of dollars in land royalties held in trust for Native Americans. Court records show Kimberly Craven's petition asking the Supreme Court to review the settlement was denied Oct. 29. She had argued the settlement enriched the attorneys and the named plaintiffs led by Cobell. The named plaintiffs' attorneys said Wednesday that three other people have agreed to dismiss their appeals in exchange for having their attorneys' fees and expenses paid, so settlement funds are closer to getting distributed.

Obama victory disappoints Wyoming Gov. Mead

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead says he's disappointed in the re-election of President Barack Obama because he believes Republican challenger Mitt Romney had a better grasp of the importance of domestic energy production, particularly coal. Wyoming is the nation's leading coal-producing state and draws most state income from energy production taxes. However, the state is projecting essentially flat revenues over the coming years in part because of sagging demand for coal. Mead, a Republican, had Wyoming join with Florida and other states in challenging Obama's signature health care overhaul, the Affordable Care Act. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the law this summer. Mead says he intends to decide by next month whether to recommend to state lawmakers that the state expand eligibility for Medicaid, a joint state-federal health program.

Wyo. district court amendment appears to fail

Secretary of State Max Maxfield says a proposed constitutional amendment that would have expanded the duties of district court commissioners appears to have failed to pass. Unofficial results from Tuesday's election show Wyoming voters approved two other amendments - one on health care and the other on the right to hunt, fish and trap wildlife. All three amendments received a majority of yes votes. But Maxfield says that in order for a constitutional amendment to pass, it must receive a majority of the total ballots cast in the election. Since unofficial results show 248,417 ballots cast in the election, a constitutional amendment needed 124,208 to pass. The district court commissioner proposal fell about 2,000 votes.

Wyo. turnout down from recent pres. elections

Voter turnout was down in Wyoming this year compared to the election four years ago. Wyoming Elections Director Peggy Nighswonger says turnout was 57% of eligible voters, down from about 65% in the 2008 and 2004 elections. Some 62% of eligible Wyoming voters cast ballots in 2000. The overall number of people voting was down about 3% compared to 2008. About 248,000 people voted in Wyoming on Tuesday, down from 256,000 in 2008. Turnout typically is higher in presidential election years. Nighswonger says voter turnout for Wyoming won't be official until the state Canvassing Board certifies the election results.

BLM High Desert District Plans Prescribed Burns

Shelley Gregory with the Bureau of Land Management High Desert District tells us they plan to conduct several prescribed fires this fall and early winter contingent upon fuel moisture and weather meeting optimal burn conditions.






The planned burns include Iron Mountain, 30 miles northwest of Cheyenne, Montgomery Pasture, 10 miles south of Rawlins and the Red Wash Wetlands about 20 miles north of Baggs.






Those fires also include Dirtyman Creek approximately 30 miles south of Rawlins along the west edge of the Medicine Bow National Forest and Airplane Park approximately 45 miles northeast of Rawlins. Hunters and recreationists are advised to avoid these areas during prescribed fire operations. For more information, call HDD Fuels Specialist Chris Otto at 307-328-4250.

3rd party candidates fail in Wyoming

New third parties have failed to upend the political cart in the Wyoming Legislature. The Constitution and Wyoming Country parties joined the more established Libertarian Party on the Wyoming ballot in Tuesday's election. The Wyoming Country Party put up four candidates for state legislative seats, while the Constitution Party had two legislative candidates. The Libertarian Party ran four candidates. All 10 lost their races to Republicans. The most successful third-party candidate collected 23% of the vote. Don Wills, 1 of the Country Party founders, says that the election results show Wyoming is a solid Republican state and that the U.S. election system makes it tough for third parties to succeed. He says no decision is expected for several months on the future of the Country Party.

Meth found in body of Riverton shooting victim

Authorities say a Riverton man who was shot to death in September had methamphetamine in his system when he died. The coroner's office released the findings about 27-year-old Lucas Myhre. Myhre died of multiple gunshot wounds on Sept. 13. Twenty-3-year-old Dustin Nickelson of Riverton is in custody on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the slaying. The men were in front of an apartment rented by Nickelson at the time of the shooting.

Toddler run over on Wind River reservation, dies

Authorities are investigating how an 18-month-old toddler was run over and killed by a vehicle on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The FBI has determined that the death of Derek Meeks Jr., was an accident. The toddler was run over Saturday on Gas Hills Road. Fremont County Coroner Ed McAuslan says a relative was driving and accidentally backed over the toddler somehow. He says the toddler died at Monday at Children's Hospital of Denver. McAuslan says he will continue investigating along with the FBI, Wind River Police Department and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Election Results

The election results are in , Erick Pauley has the story

pronghorn migrating

For the 400-some Jackson Hole pronghorn migrating south over Trappers Point overpasses, traversing and wintering in developed gas fields is a fact of life.
The Pinedale Anticline Project Area and Jonah gas fields have been the most well-researched developments from a wildlife-impact standpoint. Now, a proposed 220-square-mile Encana project, called the Normally Pressured Lance field has biologists and conservationists turning their heads.
The NPL field in Sublette County, currently being studied for approval by the Bureau of Land Management, overlaps both prime winter range and migration corridors for pronghorn, Wildlife Conservation Society biologist Renee Siedler said.
“Almost all of them are wintering, in an average winter, on the Pinedale Anticline Project Area,” Seidler said of the small Jackson Hole herd. “In a bad winter, it’s likely they then have to move through the Jonah or the proposed NPL. That’s what our data clearly shows.”
Because the precise location of winter range shifts year to year depending on weather, it’s difficult to pinpoint the implications of gas developments on pronghorn, Seidler said. The NPL project’s impacts to migration corridors are clearer, as shown by GPS data collected by Seidler and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Rawlins hospital outlines recruitment obstacles

The head of the Rawlins hospital says the community needs more amenities to recruit doctors. Ned Hill, chief operating officer of Memorial Hospital of Carbon County, says about one in 25 doctors recruited by the hospital ends up signing on. Hill says the hospital's biggest recruitment problem is that doctors' spouses want more amenities than the city offers. Hill spoke to the Carbon County Economic Development Corp. board on Monday. He said working with the corporation helps with recruiting doctors. He says the hospital doesn't have enough doctors but has too many employees in other staff positions. He says the hospital plans to eliminate some positions if current staffers leave.

Wyo. elections office: Few problems, high turnout

The state elections office says voter turnout appears to have been high and there were few voting problems in Wyoming. Deputy Secretary of State Pat Arp says county clerks are reporting high turnout across the state. Official turnout won't be known until all counties report their complete results. Some 70,000 voters cast absentee or early ballots, up from 50,000 four years ago. A couple minor problems did crop up. Officials in Park County had difficulty getting a machine to read ballots.
In Teton County, 1 of 18 precincts ran out of ballots. The Teton County clerk says about 100 additional ballots were printed out to make sure everybody could vote.

Judge rebuffs Northern Arapaho in eagle case

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted properly in prohibiting the Northern Arapaho Tribe from killing bald eagles for religious purposes on its central Wyoming reservation. The federal wildlife agency 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. But the agency specified that the eagles couldn't be killed on the Wind River Indian Reservation because of objections from the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, which shares the reservation. U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson of Cheyenne ruled Monday that the Northern Arapaho could pursue further legal action against the federal government claiming that restrictions against killing eagles on the reservation violates the tribe's religious rights.

Special exercise provides training, enhances emergency response preparedness

According to Sweetwater County Sheriff Detective Dick Blust Jr., “Operation Big Bang,” a special emergency incident training exercise staged in and near Rock Springs on November 3rd by local emergency response agencies and the Wyoming Military Department, kicked off last week with a literal “big bang” when the Sweetwater Bomb Squad blew up a junked van at the City Landfill southwest of Rock Springs.  






Nearly 90 people from the Wyoming Military Department participated, including elements of Wyoming National Guard Response Force, the Wyoming Joint Task Force, the Joint Incident Site Communications Capability, and the 84th Civil Support Team.






The exercise began at 8:30 AM and ended at around 4:30 pm.

Voter Registration Numbers Rise

Secretary of State Max Maxfield said the number of registered voters of the state’s general election is 238,933 which is an increase of 20,877 over those registered for the Primary Election.






Secretary of State Max Maxfield also reminds employers that Wyoming law requires that employees be given one hour off to vote on Election Day. However, the law does not apply to employees with three or more consecutive non-working hours during the time polls are open; and there are exceptions for some federal agencies. Additional information about the 2012 General Election, including a polling place locator, may be found on the Secretary of State’s website, soswy.state.wy.us or by contacting the local County Clerk’s office.

Bridge Work

The Department of Transportation will be conducting some bridge rehabilitation on
Wyoming Highway 530, Uinta Drive, over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the North end of Green River.
The work will include adjustments to the bearings on several supports underneath the overpass. During construction, the northbound traffic will be reduced to one lane.
"The work requires traffic to be off the lane we are working under," Resident Engineer Leslie Ranta said. "So you may not see the crews working, but work is taking place underneath the closure," she added. The work is part of a district wide bridge rehabilitation project being conducted by WYDOT. Lane closures will remain in place until the work can be completed, weather permitting.
WYDOT would like to remind drivers to slow down in work zones, be alert and cautious of
roadside workers. For more information on road construction, closures and weather conditions, please visit http://www.wyoroad.info.

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Its time to get out and vote in the u.s. of a. , Erick Pauley has more on the local on goings

Bridge Work To Take Place on WY Highway 530, Uinta Drive in Green River

The Wyoming Department of Transportation will be conducting some bridge rehabilitation on Wyoming Highway 530, Uinta Drive, over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the North end of Green River. The work will include adjustments to the bearings on several supports underneath the overpass. During construction, the northbound traffic will be reduced to one lane. Work will take place underneath the closure, so you many not see the crews working.

363 Women Running For Office In Wyoming

A new survey released by the Wyoming Women's Foundation shows there are 363 women running for city, county and state positions in Wyoming's general election. Big Horn County has the highest number of female candidates at 44. Fremont is close behind with 41. Laramie County falls in the middle of the pack with 21 women running for office. This is the first study of its kind so the numbers can't be compared to previous years. The Wyoming Women's Foundation is a nonprofit group based in Laramie.

Record sugar beet harvest in Bighorn Basin

This year's sugar beet harvest in the Bighorn Basin set a record for tons per acre. Wyoming Sugar Vice President Vince Salzman reports an average of just over 29.3 tons per acre. Sugar content was close to a record at 17.9%. Salzman says 300,000 tons of sugar beets were delivered to the four Wyoming Sugar receiving stations in Riverton, Midvale, Basin and at the factory yard in Worland. The will be processed into about 840,000, 100-pound bags of sugar.

Public Meetings Scheduled for Rock Springs Travel and Transportation Management Plan

The Bureau of Land Management Rock Springs Field Office will host three public meetings to get input on a Comprehensive Travel and Transportation Management Plan which will be analyzed as part of the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan revision. Serena Baker says the Travel and Transportation plan will be used to designate BLM-managed routes within the boundaries of the Rock Springs Field Office as either open, closed or limited to specific uses.






The public is invited to attend one, or all of the meetings which will be held from 4-6:30 PM, November 13th at the Holiday Inn on Sunset Drive in Rock Springs, November 14th at the Lyman Town Hall Courtroom and November 15th at the Eden Valley Community Center in Farson. The meetings are part of the 60-day public outreach which continues until Jan. 11, 2013.

Univ. of Wyo. tribble named: Furry Ackerman

Hundreds of Star Trek fans entered a contest to name an old ball of fake fur at the University of Wyoming. "Furry Ackerman" is the new name for the vintage TV prop called a tribble. The winning name was suggested by two people: Edwin Bode, of Middle Village, N.Y., and Tom Lenahan, of Kansas City, Mo. Tribbles originated with a 1967 Star Trek episode in which thousands of the furry little creatures with no legs, heads or even eyes overpopulated the Starship Enterprise. These days, authentic tribbles are collector's items. One tribble lives at the University of Wyoming among items donated by the late science fiction editor Forrest J. Ackerman. The American Heritage Center at UW received 450 entries for its tribble-naming contest to promote American Archives Month in October.

Study shows drought sped pine beetle epidemic

University of Colorado researchers say the 2001-02 drought and others greatly accelerated the spread of a beetle epidemic that has killed thousands of square miles of trees in the West. CU said Monday the study compared patterns of outbreaks in lodge pole and ponderosa pines. CU says the research shows the 2001-02 drought was key in turning the infestation into a regional epidemic, and the outbreak continued to spread even after precipitation increased. Doctoral student Teresa Chapman, the study's lead author, says the beetles have affected nearly 3,000 square miles in southern Wyoming, Colorado and northern New Mexico. Chapman says the research shows the outbreak started in many locations, coalesced and continued spreading. The study was published in the journal Ecology. The National Science Foundation funded the research.

Southwest Sage-Grouse Working Group

The Southwest Sage-Grouse Working Group will participate in a meeting Friday, November 9, 2012, at the Green River office of the Wyoming Game and Fish
Department, beginning at 9:00 A.M. The role of the group 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 has completed a conservation plan, which was approved in September 2007.
The public is invited to attend and observe the group progress.

Fire Season Closed

The Bureau of Land Management High Desert District fire season has come to a close. Shelley Gregory says it was an active season for the BLM, Wyoming State Forestry and Albany, Carbon, Laramie, Lincoln, Sweetwater, Sublette and Uinta counties with a total of 147 wildfires.







Firefighters saw plenty of action in south and west Wyoming, often in rugged, steep terrain with mixed fuels. The 12,645 acre Ferris Fire northeast of Rawlins, Wyo., was the largest in the district. The 12,392 acres of BLM land burned by the 64,220 acre Fontenelle Fire west of Big Piney, Wyo., ran a close second.







The BLM worked closely with the U.S. Forest Service, State of Wyoming, Wyoming State Forestry Department, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private landowners to contain fires and minimize damage.