Report safety concerns at Wyoming center

A report by a disability advocacy group says residents at a state facility for the developmentally disabled are exposed to significant safety risks. The group says the unsafe conditions are exacerbated by the Wyoming Life Resource Center's failure to secure dangerous areas or lock away potentially harmful chemicals. It also says staff at the Lander facility failed to take adequate steps to address suicide risks at the center, leaving residents unsupervised or with easy access to items they could use to harm themselves. The report was done by Wyoming Protection and Advocacy System, which is a nonprofit that investigates abuse and neglect of people with disabilities. State officials say that the center is safe but they're reviewing the report and facility operations.

Green River URA Main Street Annual Trunk or Treat This Saturday

The Green River URA/Main Street Annual Trunk or Treat will be held this Saturday. Rod Ness wants area kids and their pets to put on those costumes and head on down to Clock Tower Plaza and North First Street East.






The event also features a Kids' Creepy Crawly Parade and Pumpkin Patch.






All of the ghoulish fun will take place from 11 am to 1 PM this Saturday.

US judge Shutdown won't delay NV mustang hearing

A federal judge says the government shutdown is not a good enough reason to postpone a hearing in Reno Thursday in a fight between the Interior Department and wild horse advocates over hundreds of mustangs gathered from a wildlife refuge on the Nevada-Oregon line. Justice Department lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Miranda Du for a stay in the proceedings until Congress restores both agencies' appropriations. Horse advocates claim it's a ploy to keep them from securing a court order to stop the shipment of animals to a Mississippi contractor they say has a history of reselling them for slaughter. The judge didn't address that claim, but ruled the critics have a right to argue their First Amendment right to have access to the horses to ensure their safety before shipment.

Wyo. Trout Unlimited gets council award

Wyoming Trout Unlimited has been recognized by the national organization for its statewide efforts. The Wyoming organization was presented recently with the "State Council Award for Excellence" by Trout Unlimited Vice President of Volunteer Operations Bryan Moore. Wyoming Trout Unlimited Chair Mike Jensen, of Evanston, received the award on behalf of the Wyoming group's council leadership, 11 chapters, 1,700 members and staff members. The state council award recognizes such things as work on leadership and organizational actions, attracting new members, mentoring new leaders and carrying out Trout Unlimited's coldwater conservation mission and vision.

Army Corps agrees to halt missile site cleanup

At the request of the state of Wyoming, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has temporarily halted the cleanup of groundwater contamination at an abandoned Atlas missile site west of Cheyenne. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality asked the Corps to stop cleanup so it could collect more data to determine the exact location and movement of the underground contamination. DEQ Water Quality Division Director Kevin Frederick says the agency believes the Corps needs to do a better job of identifying where the contamination is and how deep it is in the Ogallala Formation. Project director for the Army Corps of Engineers Jeff Skog says that the data collection project will take a couple of years.

Wyo. education board stands firm on Common Core

The state Board of Education is sticking with its support for new statewide K-12 education standards in English, language arts and math. Wyoming is among about 45 states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards. Members of the board heard a presentation Tuesday from Amy Edmonds with the Wyoming Liberty Group, which opposes the new standards. Edmonds asked the board to consider stopping the rollout or ending the use of the Common Core and returning to a system that better allows for local control. Two teachers spoke in support for the new standards, saying they were tougher and more challenging. Board member Pete Gosar noted the standards have a lot of support from educators in the state.

Shutdown nixes Yellowstone wedding bells

Megan Wenk spent three months planning her dream wedding at Yellowstone National Park's Artist's Point. Then the government shutdown closed all the national parks to visitors, leaving Wenk and her husband-to-be, Kory Hammerbeck, scrambling to find a new location for Sunday's ceremony. It didn't matter that her dad is the park's top official. Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk said Wednesday he and his daughter are scouting new wedding locations north of the park, near the Gallatin National Forest. He says the wedding will still go on, with 65 guests expected to arrive from across the nation. Wenk says it won't be the wedding his daughter had hoped for, but they are no different from anybody else when it comes to the effects of the shutdown.

Former state AG would be lead special counsel

A special House committee investigating state schools Superintendent Cindy Hill has voted to hire former state Attorney General Bruce Salzburg as its lead special counsel. The committee is seeking $100,000 from the Legislature's Management Council to hire Salzburg and his firm to help with the investigation. The Management Council will consider the request next Tuesday. The special committee is investigating Hill's administration of the Wyoming Education Department before she was removed by a new state law earlier this year. Hill had denied any wrongdoing.

UW will help student veterans stay in school

University of Wyoming President Bob Sternberg has issued a directive that no military veterans who attend the college will be forced to leave or to have their studies curtailed because of the federal budget impasse. More than 400 veterans are students at UW. There's concern that the partial federal shutdown will cost them their financial support for tuition and residence hall costs. But Sternberg says the university will work to help military veterans regardless of what happens with their federal funds. The university expects to review each veteran's needs, and a customized variety of resources will be employed to help address each student's immediate financial needs.

Y'stone treatment of tour group draws complaints

Some tourists to Yellowstone National Park are complaining about their treatment by National Park Service rangers when the park was closed down last week because of the partial federal shutdown. One tour guide operator went so far as to say rangers used "Gestapo tactics" in the treatment of his tour group. Gordon Hodgson, of Provo, Utah, described one confrontation with a ranger where his tour group was prevented from taking pictures of bison along a road. Pat Vaillancourt, of Salisbury, Mass., was a member of the tour group. She says some foreign members of the group felt they were under arrest because armed rangers ordered them confined to the lodge when the park was closed Oct. 1. National Park Service officials in Washington didn't immediately comment on the matter.

Sweetwater County Library Book Sale Starts Thursday

The Sweetwater County Library Book Sale will be held this Thursday through Saturday at the White Mountain Library. Britney Wells says that a wide variety of items is available for purchase at discounted prices.






Hours for the sale are 9 AM to 8 PM on Thursday, 10 am to 5 PM on Friday and 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday.






All Library Book Sale items will be sold for donation. The Sale is sponsored by the Sweetwater County Library System. For more information call the White Mountain Library at 362-2665.

UW in tax dispute with Albany County

The University of Wyoming and Albany County are in disagreement about whether a campus apartment development should be subjected to local property taxes. The dispute over the 9.14-acre Bison Run Village has been argued before the county's Board of Equalization, which consists of the three county commissioners. Albany County Clerk Jackie Gonzales says that a decision is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 15, the county commission's next official meeting date. The Albany County assessor contends the land and development should be taxed because it is being used for commercial purposes. Bison Run Village is owned by UW and leased to a private nonprofit company.

NPS issues citations in Grand Teton, Yellowstone

National Park Service rangers in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have been issuing trespassing citations to people being found in the closed parks. Grand Teton park spokeswoman Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles says the park has issued nine citations. Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash says a few citations have been issued there. The national parks closed last week after Congress and the White House deadlocked over spending priorities and the new health care law. Anzelmo-Sarles says that people cited for trespassing in Grand Teton included cyclists, runners and drivers taking vehicles around temporary barricades. In addition to closure violations, she says rangers have issued citations for taking a vehicle off-road and for resource damage.

Management Council to consider special counsel

The Wyoming Legislature's Management Council will meet Oct. 15 to consider a request to pay for an attorney and others to help the state House in its investigation into Superintendent Cindy Hill. Council Chairman Sen. Tony Ross says the meeting is to vote on the budget request of the Select Investigative Committee to provide for special counsel and other contractors determined necessary by the committee as it looks into allegations against the state superintendent of public instruction. The Management Council won't take public testimony during the meeting. The special committee is investigating Hill's administration of the Wyoming Education Department before she was removed by a new state law earlier this year. Hill had denied any wrongdoing.

Sweetwater County Daughter sentenced for exploiting father

A 52-year-old Sweetwater County woman has been sentenced to two to eight years in prison for taking money from her father while he was being treated at a senior care center. Brenda L. Griffiths pleaded guilty to abuse, neglect, abandonment, intimidation or exploitation of a vulnerable adult. District Judge Rick Lavery also ordered Griffiths to pay $20,000 in restitution to her father. Deputy prosecutor Teresa Thybo says Griffiths took advantage of her father, Everett Kraft, while he was a patient at Sage View Care Center. Thybo said Griffiths spent tens of thousands of dollars from her father's bank accounts without permission at stores and restaurants and to buy a car. Griffiths apologized and offered to get another job to help repay her father.

Wyo. coal-fired plants top EPA new-plant CO2 limit

Several of the coal-fired power plants located in Wyoming emit carbon dioxide at a much higher rate than a proposed federal limit for new power plants. The standards recently proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would require new coal-fired plants to exceed no more than 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour. The relatively new Dry Fork Station north of Gillette emits roughly 2,100 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour. Power plant owner Basin Electric touts the plant as one of the cleanest coal-fired power plants in the U.S. Officials at PacifiCorp say CO2 emissions from their four Wyoming coal-fired power plants range from 2,100 to 2,600 pounds per megawatt-hour. The EPA plans to issue carbon pollution standards for existing power plants in June.

Rock Springs man killed at Bridger Coal; MSHA concerned about 3 US mining deaths in 3 days

Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust, Jr. tells us that a Rock Springs man was killed in an industrial mishap early Sunday morning.






Stassinos, the dozer’s lone occupant, was thrown from the cab and died from injuries he sustained.






The death of Stassinos has brought the total of mining deaths to three in the last three days and that has federal regulators concerned. They are urging U.S. coal companies to refocus on health and safety regulations. The three deaths have occured amid the ongoing government shutdown. In West Virginia, a miner was struck in the head with a piece of equipment and became the state's sixth fatality this year. In Illinois, a miner died when a golf cart flipped and pinned him. It's the first time since 2002 the industry has had three deaths in three days, and Mine Safety and Health Administration director Joe Main calls it an extremely troubling pattern. Fewer than half of MSHA's employees are on the job, and inspections are largely focused on mines with a documented history of problems.

Construction to begin on Casper oil-to-rails hub

Developers say they expect to begin construction this week on a major rail terminal in Casper where crude oil from trucks and pipelines will be transferred onto tanker cars. The pipeline crude will come from as far away as Alberta, Canada, along Spectra Energy's Express Pipeline. Other oil will be trucked in from oil fields west of Casper. The facility also will have tanks for storing and blending different grades of crude. Heavy crude is difficult to refine and blending in lighter crude in Casper instead of at a refinery elsewhere can save customers money. The project is part of a 6-year-old rail development where a variety of other raw products are loaded and unloaded onto rail cars in the Casper area.

WyDOT honored for work to reduce big-game deaths

A regional association of wildlife agencies is honoring the Wyoming Department of Transportation for its work to reduce big-game deaths on Wyoming's roads and highways. WyDOT has built big-game underpasses in three different parts of Wyoming since 2001. Monitoring suggests tens of thousands of mule deer and other animals now use those underpasses during their annual migrations. That potentially saves many big-game animals from being hit and killed. The honor comes from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The association represents wildlife agencies in 23 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

Wyo. 2014 conservation stamp contest announced

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will take entries for its next conservation stamp art competition starting Jan. 1. This is the 31st annual Game and Fish stamp art competition. The sauger will be the subject for the 2014 contest. Sauger are fish that are native to streams east of the Continental Divide. In Wyoming, sauger are found in the Wind-Bighorn River Drainage and the Tongue and Powder River drainages. Sauger are no longer found in the North Platte River or its tributaries. The winning artist gets his or her painting featured on a conservation stamp and a cash award of $3,500. Entries must be postmarked and/or delivered to Game and Fish headquarters in Cheyenne by March 1. Judging is scheduled to take place in Cheyenne on April 14.

Human remains found in Sand Dunes - determined to be prehistoric

Sweetwater County Dick Blust, Jr. says that human remains found in the Sand Dunes north of Rock Springs have been identified as prehistoric.






They notified county authorities, who recovered the remains.






As the remains are prehistoric and were found on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, that agency is normally notified, but the local BLM office is closed due to the current federal government shutdown. Officials said the BLM will be contacted when the Rock Springs office reopens.

Wyoming Vietnam veteran reunion planned for 2015

The Wyoming Veterans Commission is planning to hold a statewide Vietnam veteran reunion in June 2015 in Casper. The reunion would mark the 50th anniversary of the start of U.S. combat operations in Vietnam. The commission will host an organization meeting next week at the Wyoming National Guard armory in Casper. Commission Chairman Al Ellefson says the commission looks forward to partnering with local and statewide organizations to ensure Wyoming Vietnam veterans are honored in a positive manner.

Man sentenced in Wyo. refinery valve sabotage case

A man accused of deliberately damaging valves at the oil refinery in Sinclair has pleaded no contest to a felony charge of making terroristic threats. Carbon County District Judge Wade Waldrip on Monday sentenced Bryant Paul Willingham to two to three years in prison. The judge suspended the prison time in favor of six months in jail and two years of probation. Prosecutors agreed to drop charges of aggravated assault and battery, and reckless endangerment. Refinery workers discovered the damage in October, 2012. Police say Willingham told them it was a joke to get the refinery evacuated so workers could go home. A Sinclair spokesman says two workers shared a $25,000 reward that was offered for anybody who provided useful information in the case.

Oregon man facing felony drug charges in Wyoming

A 65-year-old Oregon man accused of transporting several pounds of marijuana across Wyoming is set to appear in court Wednesday. William Boon, of Cave Junction, Ore., was charged Friday with speeding and multiple drug-related felonies. A state trooper pulled him over on Interstate 80 near Laramie on Wednesday and found more than 10 pounds of packaged marijuana and several pounds of hashish. An arrest affidavit says the trooper stopped Boon for going 79 mph in a 75 mph zone and smelled a strong odor of raw marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Boon is being held at the Albany County Jail on $10,000 bail.

Wyo. sugar beet harvest heats up

Sugar beet farmers in northern Wyoming report having among the best crops in a long time as they undertake the annual harvest. But a sharp decline in sugar prices has put a damper on the strong harvest. Ric Rodriguez grows 1,400 acres of sugar beets and serves as vice chairman of the Western Sugar Cooperative Board of Directors. He says that prices are at a 30-year low. Rodriguez says sugar prices topped $70 per ton in the recent past, depending on sugar content, but they started to slide this year. The sugar factories will store as much of the sugar as they can until prices increase. But some will have to be sold, no matter the price, because of a lack of space to keep it.

Gov. Mead says 233 Wyoming employees face furlough

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead says the federal shutdown is forcing the state to place 233 state employees on furlough starting Monday. Wyoming has 9,867 employees of which 1,600 positions are funded in whole or in part by federal funds. Money for the 233 employees furloughed on Monday comes from federal funds cut by the Oct. 1 federal government shutdown. Mead says more employees may be furloughed if the federal shutdown continues past Oct. 30. The 233 employees work in the Wyoming departments of Environmental Quality, Family Services, the Military, and Parks and Cultural Resources. Mead says it was difficult to take the action but says state and federal law required furloughing the employees. He says they may choose to use annual leave and may apply for unemployment.

Gov. Mead says 233 Wyoming employees face furlough

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead says the federal shutdown is forcing the state to place 233 state employees on furlough starting Monday. Wyoming has 9,867 employees of which 1,600 positions are funded in whole or in part by federal funds. Money for the 233 employees furloughed on Monday comes from federal funds cut by the Oct. 1 federal government shutdown. Mead says more employees may be furloughed if the federal shutdown continues past Oct. 30. The 233 employees work in the Wyoming departments of Environmental Quality, Family Services, the Military, and Parks and Cultural Resources. Mead says it was difficult to take the action but says state and federal law required furloughing the employees. He says they may choose to use annual leave and may apply for unemployment.

Missing hunters in Lander area found OK

Two young elk hunters are all right after spending an unexpected night in the backcountry south of Lander. Fremont County sheriff's officials say the two went to set up camp in the Slate Creek area at the southern tip of the Wind River Range. The two were reported late at around 11 p.m. Wednesday. By that time, snowy weather had moved into the area and a sheriff's deputy wasn't able to reach the area. A search began Thursday morning and involved more than 45 people and several vehicles. The boys were found around 5 p.m. Thursday at the base of some microwave towers about three-quarters of a mile from their truck. Sheriff's officials say they were cold and wet but unhurt. The names and ages of the two weren't released.

Blizzard warnings up for Wyoming

Blizzard warnings are up in Wyoming as a wintry storm moves across the state. Steve Rubin of the National Weather Service in Cheyenne said Friday that Douglas, Wheatland and Lusk are expecting winds up to 40 miles per hour and up to 15 inches of snow. Rubin said the conditions could be really dangerous for those areas beginning around noon. The heaviest snow is generally expected to fall east of the Continental Divide, with some mountains possibly receiving up to 30 inches. Snow began falling in the mountains of central and western Wyoming on Thursday, with some places receiving half a foot. The Weather Service warned of likely power outages and hazardous travel conditions in many areas.

UW reports another drop in rapes in 2012

The University of Wyoming reports a drop in rapes on and near campus for the second straight year, and campus police dealt with fewer alcohol and drug violations in 2012. UW crime prevention officer Aaron Appelhans says the university has been working to improve educating students and others about crime prevention and the consequences of committing offenses, particularly "relationship violence." UW reported five forcible sex offenses on campus and adjacent public property in 2012 - down from seven in 2011 and nine in 2010. Liquor violation arrests decreased from 205 in 2011 to 178 last year. The number of drug arrests fell to 60 in 2012 from 96 the previous year. UW did report more burglaries in 2012, but no murders, robberies, aggravated assaults or hate crimes.

4 to receive UW distinguished alumni awards

The University of Wyoming will give its Distinguished Alumni Award to four people during UW homecoming on Oct. 12. The 2013 recipients are retired Shell executive Thomas Botts; automobile dealer Joseph Drew; law professor and retired UW administrator Joseph R. Geraud; and utility company executive, retired Air Guard colonel and former state auditor Rita Meyer. They will be recognized during the Cowboys' football game against New Mexico.

Government shutdown might impact NV mustang fight

Citing the hardship of the government shutdown, Justice Department lawyers are asking a federal judge in Reno for a stay in a legal battle with wild horse advocates over hundreds of mustangs gathered from a wildlife refuge on the Nevada-Oregon line. The horse advocates said Wednesday it's a ploy to keep them from securing an emergency court order to stop the shipment of animals to a contractor they say has a history of reselling them for slaughter. About half of the 400 horses that once roamed the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge are scheduled to be shipped to a contractor in Mississippi beginning Friday. The Justice Department acting on behalf of the Fish and Wildlife Service asked Judge Miranda Du to postpone any proceedings until Congress restores both agencies' appropriations.

Wyoming WIC not affected by budget impasse

The Wyoming Department of Health says the Women, Infants and Children program has not been affected by the federal budget impasse. Agency spokeswoman Kim Deti says the department has been getting calls from residents in the program concerned whether their benefits were being cut off. Deti says the Wyoming WIC program has enough money to operate normally for another two weeks or so. There are about 11,000 Wyoming residents who get benefits through the WIC program. The program provides food and health support to low-income women and children up to age 5.

Volunteers Needed For Annual Book Sale

Volunteers are needed to help with the annual Sweetwater County Library System Book Sale. Brittany Wells says that anyone wishing to assist at the sale will have an early bird advantage and be able to purchase materials before the general public.






Wells says that the Library Book Sale is a dream for both library supporters and book lovers.






Those would like to volunteer may sign up at the White Mountain Library. Patrons may also call 362-2665 for more information.

Winter storm bears down on Wyoming

Snow has been falling in the mountains of central and western Wyoming, and it's expected to spread down into lower elevations Thursday evening. The National Weather Service has posted a winter storm warning for most of Wyoming through Friday night. The heaviest snow is generally expected to fall east of the Continental Divide. Areas along Interstate 25 can see 7 to 10 inches. Cheyenne is looking at 6 to 12. The mountains, including Casper Mountain, could see up to 20 inches. Gusty winds of 45 mph are expected with the storm. The snow and wind will likely cause hazardous travel conditions in many areas.

Sweetwater County Library System Ghost Walk Tickets Are Still Available

According to Brittany Wells with the Sweetwater County Library System, you still have the chance to purchase ghost walk tickets for their annual paranormal investigation of the alleged haunted library.






Tickets went on sale on Monday and are still available at the Green River Library. Last year, the popular event sold out.






The gallery is free and open during regular library hours. Ghost Walk tickets are $10 each. Patrons must be at least 15 years old to purchase ticket. They must be purchased in person.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department has online walk-in atlas available

he Wyoming Game and Fish Department says the walk-in hunting atlas is no longer available in print but can be accessed on its web site. The walk-in atlas contains information on hundreds of areas where hunters can access private lands for a variety of species. Walk in areas are available in 21 of Wyoming's 23 counties and comprise more than 700,000 thousand acres throughout much of Wyoming. Walk-in acreage varies by hunt area and although many areas have walk-in access, acreage is limited or non-existent in others. No permit is required to hunt in a walk-in area. Hunters should consult the walk-in atlas for a list of species that may be hunted within each area and the dates the walk-in area is open.

Government shutdown's hit magnified for tribes

American Indian tribes have more than access to national parks on the line with the government shutdown, as federal funding has been cut off for crucial services including foster care payments, nutrition programs and financial assistance for the needy. On southeast Montana's Crow Reservation, tribal leaders furloughed 316 workers Wednesday due to the shutdown and earlier federal budget cuts. Tribal programs including home health care for the elderly, bus service for rural areas and a major irrigation project were suspended indefinitely. Other tribes say they'll try to fill the funding gap themselves, risking deficits to cushion communities with chronic high unemployment and poverty against the effects of the budget battle in Washington, D.C. The Bureau of Indian Affairs says essential activities such as law enforcement, firefighting and some social services will continue.

Winter storm aims for much of Wyoming

Winter storm warnings and watches have been posted for a large part of central and eastern Wyoming. The National Weather Service says a storm system was expected to primarily impact areas east of the Continental Divide on Thursday and into Friday night. Some snow and rain was already falling in northwest Wyoming on Wednesday afternoon. Included in the watch area are Cheyenne, Casper, Riverton, Rawlins, Laramie, Gillette, Wheatland and Cody. Eight or more inches of snow is possible in some of the cities. The Weather Service issued a winter storm warning Thursday for Sheridan and the Bighorn Mountains where 10 to 20 inches of snow is possible.

State to seek life sentence in Evansville slaying

Prosecutors say they intend to seek a life sentence for an Evansville man charged with murder and other crimes in the fatal shooting of another man this summer. Defendant Samuel Renner is charged with killing 41-year-old Todd Callies outside Taylor's Sports Bar in July. Renner has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bond at the Natrona County Detention Center. Prosecutor Dan Itzen says the case would not qualify for the death penalty. Prosecutors have said Renner got in a fight outside the bar and returned with a gun later that night. Authorities say Renner was threatening patrons with the gun and say Callies was shot as he tried to tackle Renner.

Wyoming kicks off downsized wolf-hunting season

Wyoming's second wolf hunting season started this week and the state has lowered the quota of wolves available for hunters to kill. Wyoming Game and Fish Department spokesman Alan Dubberley says hunters have reported killing four wolves since the season opened Tuesday in the designated trophy hunting zone bordering Yellowstone National Park. The state classifies wolves outside the trophy area as predators that may be shot on sight. Hunters killed 42 wolves in the trophy zone last year. Dubberley says the quota there this year is 26 wolves. He says the state expects to end the season with no less than 160 wolves left in the trophy zone. Environmental groups are still challenging the federal government's decision to end federal protections for Wyoming wolves.

Rock Springs man receives prison sentence

Sweetwater County Detective Dick Blust, Jr. says that a Rock Springs man has been sentenced to five to eight years in prison for Immoral or Indecent Acts with a Child.






District Court Judge Richard Lavery handed down Tuesday’s sentence. Myers, who is free on bond, was given 10 days to turn himself in to begin serving his sentence. 

Wyo. Vet Commission gets new chairman

Al Ellefson, of Hulett, is the new chairman of the Wyoming Veterans Commission. He will serve a two-year term. Ellefson is a 26-year U.S. Air Force retiree and also worked 15 years with Wyoming's Department of Workforce Services. He is also a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and previously served as their Department of Wyoming commander. He re-appointed commissioner Lee Alley, of Wheatland, as the vice chairman and commissioner Ron Akin, of Casper, as the secretary and parliamentarian. The Wyoming Veterans Commission works with the governor and state Legislature on veterans issues. In addition, it helps Wyoming veterans and their families with benefits and disability claims. The commission also oversees the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery in Evansville and the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum in Casper.

No trial in UW student accused of Facebook post

The attorney for a former University of Wyoming student accused of posting an anonymous Facebook threat against herself says the student intends to plead no contest. Meghan Lanker-Simons is charged in Albany County Circuit Court with misdemeanor interfering with a peace officer. She has pleaded not guilty. Defense attorney Vaughn Neubauer told Circuit Court Judge Randal Arp on Monday that Lanker-Simons intends to change her plea to no contest in an agreement with prosecutors in exchange for her paying a fine and receiving no jail time. Arp canceled Lanker-Simons' trial, which was scheduled for next week. The charge against Lanker-Simons stems from a UW Police Department investigation earlier this year into a graphic, sexual comment against Lanker-Simons. Investigators say Lanker-Simons authored the post.

Couple charged in Wyo. lived in SW Mo. for years

Authorities say a couple charged with murder in Wyoming ago lived "untouchable" in southwest Missouri for years until investigators found key evidence in one of their cases. Wyoming authorities have charged 74-year-old Alice Uden and her husband, 71-year-old Gerald Uden, of Chadwick, with first-degree murder. Alice Uden is charged in the death of Ronald Holtz, who disappeared in 1974 or 1975. Gerald Uden is charged in the deaths of his former wife, Virginia Uden, and her two sons, who were last seen in 1980. Christian County, Mo., Sheriff Joey Kyle says Wyoming investigators have known for years the Udens were in Missouri but didn't have evidence to arrest them until Holtz's remains were found recently. Court records also show Wyoming investigators interviewed Alice Uden in Missouri in 2005.

Federal gov't shutdown hits Wyoming campgrounds

Federal land management agencies are closing campgrounds and other facilities around Wyoming as part of the partial government shutdown. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced Tuesday that it is closing about 4,000 recreational facilities nationwide, including campgrounds, boat ramps and other recreation facilities in Wyoming. The U.S. Forest Service also is closing offices and at least some of its campgrounds around the state. The Shoshone National Forest, based in Cody, announced that all its campgrounds and picnic areas are closed until further notice. The Bridger-Teton National Forest, based in Jackson, put out a similar statement that campgrounds and other developed recreation areas are closed. General areas of the federal lands remain open for hunting, fishing and other activities.

Rocky start for federal insurance exchange in Wyo.

Things got off to a rocky start on Tuesday for the federal government's new health insurance exchange in Wyoming. The site is intended to allow citizens a place to shop for insurance and apply for tax credits to help cover the cost. Wyoming Insurance Commissioner Tom Hirsig was among many people who tried unsuccessfully on Tuesday to get onto the federal government's Internet site. Representatives from the two companies offering insurance in Wyoming also said they were unable to get on. Wyoming is among 36 states in which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans to operate health insurance exchanges under the federal Affordable Care Act. Attempts to reach federal officials Tuesday were not successful. Many federal workers have been furloughed because of the budget showdown in Congress.

Wyo. Supreme Court overturns murder conviction

The Wyoming Supreme Court has overturned a Riverton man's first-degree murder conviction in the 2010 shooting death of another man. The court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for Gabriel R. Drennen. Drennen had appealed his convictions for first-degree murder and aggravated assault and battery in the 2010 killing of 29-year-old Leroy Holster. The Supreme Court ruled it was improper for prosecutors to tell the jury at Drennen's trial that Wyoming law always prohibits the shooting of an unarmed man. The ruling states prosecutors misinformed the jury about the law and that it was up to the jury to decide whether the shooting was justified. Drennen has stated he feared for his life when Holster threatened to kill him and pushed him over a fence.