State and Local News for Wyoming
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| 2/8/2010 Wyo. gov. urges fiscal restraint in state address Eds: APNewsNow. UPDATES with details of speech. Will be led after conclusion of address. By BEN NEARY Associated Press Writer CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Gov. Dave Freudenthal says Wyoming legislators need to hold onto the state's financial reserves as they craft a new state budget. Freudenthal addressed legislators in his state of the state address Monday in the state Capitol in Cheyenne. The Legislature will meet over the next four weeks to craft a two-year state budget that will take effect in July. State financial experts predict that Wyoming should have about $700 million in reserves by the start of the new fiscal cycle. Freudenthal says he doesn't see anything that indicates the national economy is on the verge of a robust recovery. Freudenthal opened his remarks by thanking members of the nation's armed forces from Wyoming now serving overseas. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) 2/8/2010 CITY MEETING (RIVERTON) The City of Riverton will hold a public meeting tomorrow night to discuss the revised cooperative agreement proposal between the city of Riverton and the Northern Arapaho Tribe. The proposal is an agreement between the city and the tribe to work together on issues of common interest. The proposal is large. One of the topics in the proposal would hold the city of Riverton accountable for all regulations with the city’s wastewater treatment plant. As long as the city complies with state and federal rules, the tribe would not seek to regulate, manage or issue permits with the plant or it’s discharge. Another part of the agreement indicates that the Northern Arapahoe Tribe wants class one regulatory authority for the Clean air act that will extend a 50 mile radius around the reservation boundary and will take in 9 counties. It’s conceivable that if you fertilize, spray or use a lawnmower within that boundary, there is the possibility you would have to get a permit from the tribes to do so and they could charge you for the permit. Details of the agreement are posted on the City of Riverton’s Website riverton.wyoming.com The meeting is scheduled for Riverton’s City Hall Tuesday night at 7pm. City officials said they will go through each step of the agreement and take questions. 2/8/2010 DOG SLED RACE FINALS (JACKSON) Blayne "Bud" Streeper from Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, won the 8-day International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race (IPSSSDR). Streeper, a familiar name in mushing, won 10 races in 2009, including the Canadian Open, Exxon Open, Willow Open, Anchorage, and the Fur Rondy World Championship. He also won first place in his first IPSSSDR in 2004. Lina Gladh, also from Fort Nelson, British Columbia, was second overall and Joe Gans from Chaska, Minn., was third. Lander Resident Jerry Bath finished in eight place. The International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race ended Saturday in Park City Utah after completing 7 stages of the race that wound it’s way around Wyoming. It’s the largest Dog Sled Race in the lower 48 states. 2/8/2010 BANKRUPTCY FILINGS-WYOMING Bankruptcy filings climb in Wyoming CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Bankruptcy filings rose 60 percent in Wyoming last year, with nearly 1,400 bankruptcies filed in 2009. Bankruptcy Court Clerk Tim Ellis in Cheyenne says that compares to 866 such cases filed in 2008. Still, Ellis says the numbers were far below the state record of 3,300 bankruptcies set in 2005. Filings nationwide rose that year before new, stricter bankruptcy laws went into effect. --- Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle - Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com 2/8/2010 JACKSON HOUSING Wyo. commissioners debate employee housing levels JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - Some planning commissioners in the Jackson region say developers are being required to build too much employee housing. Three years ago the Teton County Housing Authority changed the housing mitigation rate - the amount of affordable housing developers are required to build - from 15 to 25 percent. But some members of the Jackson Planning and Zoning Commission say that rate should be lowered to encourage more development in a tough economy. --- Information from: Jackson Hole News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com 2/8/2010 RIVERTON THEFT (RIVERTON) The city of Riverton is reporting an enternal theft today. City officials have called in the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation to investigate. City auditors have also been constacted for their assistance. Nobody has been terminated yet and futher information is expected. 2/8/2010 CATS-CRUELTY 8 of 127 cats in Wyo. hoarding case adopted so far CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Cheyenne Animal Shelter Director Rick Collard says that so far just eight of the 127 cats collected in a local animal cruelty case have been given new homes. Collard says 55 cats have been euthanized because they were ill or too hostile to humans for adoptions. Thirteen more are currently on the adoption floor at the shelter and another six will join them soon. The animals were found in two homes owned by Richard and Shirley Clark. The Clarks have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor animal-cruelty charges and surrendered the cats to the animal shelter. Collard says many of the cats are still being treated for illnesses. Shelter employees are also trying to get the cats to become more at ease with humans. --- Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle - Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com 2/8/2010 LUNCH (LANDER) The first of a series of business luncheons has been scheduled for Tuesday noon, Feb. 9 in Lander, at the Oxbow Restaurant. Chuck Guschewsky of Fremont Motors, Bonnie Motherway of Mr. D’s Grocery Store and Dean McKee of McKee, Marburger and Fagnant Accounting firm will be the speakers at this first luncheon. They will talk about how to succeed in business in the new economy and reflect on how they have managed to succeed in business for so long. Tickets are $10 each will need to be reserved through the Lander Chamber of Commerce. 2/8/2010 CHEYENNE STABBING Wyo. police investigate after man stabbed CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Police in Cheyenne are investigating after two men were hospitalized with serious injuries following an apparent fight. Police say officers got a report of several people fighting early Sunday morning. When they arrived, they found Daniel Hinds on the sidewalk with a stab wound in his torso. Hinds was taken to a local hospital. Police say another man, Demetrius Elliott, was also taken to a hospital with a serious cut to his left hand. Police say they are still investigating what led to the injuries. 2/8/2010 HOME INVASION (LANDER) Friday evening officers were called to a Lander residence to investigate when a man claimed he was from the gas company and asked to come in to check out a problem. According to the reporting person he was there about 15 minutes looking around and stated he would need to come back on Monday to fix the problem. The homeowner believed it was suspicious and called the gas company who told her they had not sent anyone to that area. The Lander Police Department suggests that if you have someone come to the door claiming to be from a utility company or the Census Bureau to ask them to produce an identification card. Check to see that the picture on the card matches the person wearing it. If you feel the activity is suspicious, call the police immediately. 2/8/2010 WORKFORCE SUMMIT 2010 governor's work force summit set for Casper CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The 2010 Governor's Summit on Workforce Solutions is set to take place June 17 and 18 in Casper. The theme of this year's summit is "Valleys of Change: Mountains of Opportunity." The goal of the annual conference is to help improve the partnerships between employers, economic development professionals, educators and other state and local partners. The summit is sponsored by the Wyoming Workforce Development Council, in partnership with the Governor's Office and the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. In addition to the summit, a Job and Education Fair is being held in conjunction with the main event. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) 2/8/2010 ILLEGAL MEETING Cheyenne secret meeting may have been illegal CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - A newspaper is reporting that the Cheyenne City Council and Mayor Rick Kaysen appear to have held an illegal private meeting just days after the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled against the city for holding a previous secret meeting. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports that at least a portion of a Jan. 11 executive session does not appear to meet any of the exemptions that apply to the state's public meeting laws. And council members Jim Brown and Jack Spiker say in retrospect part of the meeting may have been illegal. The executive session was called to discuss legal matters. But the newspaper obtained a leaked e-mail originally sent by Councilwoman Amber Ash who refers to the meeting and a discussion about the city's budget and laying off workers. Brown says someone should have warned the council they were "out of bounds" when the discussion veered from legal matters. --- Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle - Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com WIND RULES New Wyoming wind energy rules drafted CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - The Wyoming State Lands and Investments Board has drafted new rules regarding wind energy development on state lands and is seeking public comments. State officials say the biggest change in the rules is how surface damages are paid to state land lessees. Typically, a grazing lessee negotiates surface damage payments and splits those payments with the state. The proposed change would allow the grazing lessee to receive 100 percent of the surface damage payment from a wind developer. Another change is a requirement that a wind developer notify existing lessees of state lands of any plan to develop wind energy on the land when it submits a lease application. --- Information from: Casper Star-Tribune - Casper, http://www.casperstartribune.net GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE UW entomologist predicts more grasshoppers POWELL, Wyo. (AP) - A University of Wyoming extension entomologist says he expects more grasshoppers in the state this summer than last due to lots of eggs in the ground, and that grasshopper problems will probably last another two years. Scott Schell says farmers should take action early to prevent the hopping and flying insects from multiplying. Grasshoppers have been a growing problem in eastern Wyoming in recent years. Bob Parsons is the supervisor for Park County Weed and Pest. He says if people wait until they see hoppers flying, then much of the damage has already been done and treatment will be more expensive. Parsons says his agency will help farmers and others with large plots in combating grasshoppers. --- Information from: Powell Tribune - Powell, http://www.powelltribune.com BIG DROP Gov. Freudenthal responds to Rock Spgs concerns ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) - Gov. Dave Freudenthal says the state is working to resolve damage claims stemming from a 2007 project to collapse old mines in Rock Springs. The governor responded to a letter sent Jan. 20 by state Republican Sen. Stan Cooper of Kemmerer and eight other lawmakers from the area. Cooper urged the governor to break what he called the "bureaucratic impasse" that seemed to be preventing a satisfactory financial resolution for homeowners. In his Jan. 28 response, Freudenthal says the state is working out compensation that will be fair to those who had homes damaged by the project. The July 2007 project involved dropping heavy weights to collapse underground mine voids. But some nearby homeowners reported their homes were damaged by the vibrations. --- Information from: Casper Star-Tribune - Casper, http://www.trib.com LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW Wyoming lawmakers prepare to craft tighter budget CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - State lawmakers are gathering in Cheyenne this week to start crafting a budget for what experts predict will be a lean next couple of years. In round numbers, state revenue forecasters predict the state will have roughly $3 billion available for General Fund spending in the two-year budget cycle that starts in July. That's down roughly $1 billion from the current two-year budget. Senate President John Hines, R-Gillette, and House Speaker Colin Simpson, R-Cody, say they don't support dipping into the estimated $700 million in reserve funds the state expects to have by July. They say Wyoming needs to save against a very uncertain future. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) 2/8/2010 TROOPER CHARGED Wyoming trooper in court on steroids charges CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - A former Wyoming state trooper already in prison for kidnapping a truck driver has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of possessing steroids. Forty-two-year-old Franklin Joseph Ryle made the plea Friday in Natrona County District Court. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars if convicted. In November, Ryle was sentenced in federal court to 15-years in prison for kidnapping a truck driver in what prosecutors say was an aborted murder plot. --- Information from: Casper Star-Tribune - Casper, http://www.casperstartribune.net 2/8/2010 REFINERY ODORS Wyoming refinery faces penalties for odors SINCLAIR, Wyo. (AP) - The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality has issued a notice of violation to Sinclair Wyoming Refining Company for releasing odors in September from a refinery in the tiny town of Sinclair in south-central Wyoming. The notice issued last month comes five months after residents of Sinclair complained at a town council meeting about pungent smells coming from the facility. An environmental quality engineer with the state monitored odors near the refinery on Sept. 16 and 17 and detected what was described as a strong onion and crude oil odor at levels higher than allowed by state standards. Refinery officials say they have taken steps to eliminate the odors. According to the notice, the company could be fined up to $10,000 per violation per day and face other penalties. State officials say they are working to reach a settlement with the company concerning the odor violations. --- Information from: Rawlins Daily Times 2/8/2010 SINCLAIR OIL-SPILL Spill causes evacuation at Sinclair refinery SINCLAIR, Wyo. (AP) - Officials at a Sinclair Oil refinery in Sinclair say a spill of a substance called gas oil prompted an evacuation of the refinery and that no one was injured. Officials say Friday morning's spill released about 30 barrels of gas oil after the roof of a tank apparently started leaking. Refinery officials say it's possible water in the tank became hot enough to turn to steam and built up pressure in the tank, causing the tank roof to bulge. John Pfeffer is refinery environmental health and safety manager. He says all nonessential personnel were evacuated as a precaution because in the early stages it was unclear how serious the problem could become. He says workers built dikes around the spill, and that the cleanup should be finished this weekend. --- Information from: Rawlins Daily Times 2/8/2010 INTERNET ASSAULT Internet rape case jolts Wyoming city CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - A rape prosecution in Casper illustrates that middle America isn't immune to the dangers of Internet anonymity and predators who target victims through online ads that hint at sex and prostitution. Two men are accused in the crime. One is charged with carrying out the rape itself in December. The other, the woman's ex-boyfriend, stands accused of posing as the victim online and claiming she harbored a rape fantasy and wanted to be assaulted. Natrona County District Attorney Mike Blonigen says it's difficult for law enforcement to crack down on Internet crime. He says it's fairly easy for people to set up false identities in cyberspace. 2/8/2010 CHEYENNE SAFEWAY State buys Cheyenne grocery store for office space CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The state of Wyoming has purchased the Safeway grocery store in downtown Cheyenne, and the 50-year-old store will close at the end of the month. State construction manager Rich Cathcart says the state paid $2.6 million for the building and plans to use it for office space. Safeway spokeswoman Kris Staaf says the store's 35 employees will be offered jobs at the two other Safeways in Cheyenne. The sale includes a nearby property that Safeway purchased for a planned expansion. The store scrapped the plan when contaminated soil and groundwater was discovered on the site. The state Department of Environmental has said the contamination likely came from dry cleaning and auto repair shops in the area. Cathcart says the state will address the contamination. --- Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle - Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com 2/8/2010 UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD-HISTORIC PLACES Laramie neighborhood listed on historic places LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - The 24-block University Neighborhood Historic District in Laramie has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The designation last week recognizes the significance the area has with the University of Wyoming, and notes the district represents nationwide trends in the early 20th century. Most of the buildings in the district are more than 50 years old, and many were designed in the 1930s by prominent Laramie architect Wilbur A. Hitchcock. The district is also home to towering cottonwoods planted a century ago as part of a beautification project. Kara Hahn is the National Register coordinator for the state of Wyoming. She says the designation is a great way to honor the history of Laramie. --- Information from: Laramie Daily Boomerang - Laramie, http://www.laramieboomerang.com NEWS FROM AROUND THE REGION: 2/8/2010 WOLF NATION Wolves pushed as park "stewards" on a tight leash BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Researchers say small packs of gray wolves introduced to national parks and other sites across the country could curb oversized elk and deer herds that are eating up parklands. Keeping the predators on target would be a tricky prospect: They breed prolifically, roam hundreds of square miles and easily pick up a taste for cows and sheep. The proposed solution, outlined in a paper for the journal BioScience: Neuter the wolves, fence them in, fit them with shock collars and add a tracking device so they can be hunted and killed if they get too far afield. Wolves were wiped out across most of the country last century, letting big game herds balloon from the Adirondacks to the Sierra Nevada. That led to overgrazing in many parks and protected areas. The researchers, led by a National Park Service biologist in the Midwest, propose using wolves as park "stewards" that could the way back to ecological balance. 2/5/2010 Electives proposal gains school trustees approval (Lander) – A standing room only crowd of nearly 100 parents, students and staff were sardined into the Fremont County School District 1 Administrative building’s board meeting room and adjacent spaces Friday morning for the second reading of a proposed change in curriculum at Lander Valley High School. Recommended by the district’s Curriculum Coordinating Committee, the board approved the changes after debating the meshing of required proficiencies with credits for graduation. The changes include approving two new classes, a Native American history class and an English Honors class, plus a proposal for an open period and to incorporate community experience and virtual classes into the curriculum. The changes also include allowing a junior high school student to earn a high school credit in Algebra 1 and a change in the district requirement for the number of elective credits required for graduation. Board chairman Bruce Palmer said he was proud of the community input into the process and he acknowledged the work of district staff, administration and board members that resulted in the recommended changes. Judy Crawford represented one of the stakeholder groups involved in the discussions, the Citizens for Education, at the meeting. She echoed Palmer’s statement and urged community stakeholders to remain involved in the process, and not just when a parent had an individual issue. The board also reviewed a new attendance policy that would allow elementary and junior high school students a maximum of six unexcused absences per semester. Currently, there is no maximum for the number of allowed absences. “Right now a parent can take a child out of school 50 times and there’s nothing we can do about it,” said the district’s truancy prevention specialist Rachel Bergstrom. “The more kids attend school, the better they perform. Sometimes it takes a formal structure to change a culture.” The policy will be an action item on the board’s next meeting. |