Associated Press

Power station fire burns three

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:33:00 +0000

Three workers were burned in the second fire in a week to break out at the same power plant near Wheatland.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative says the fire broke out early Sunday at the Laramie River Station.

The Bismarck, N.D.-based utility said in a release Monday the fire started in the plant's coal unloading area.

Three workers were taken to Platte County Memorial Hospital. One worker was flown to a burn center in Greeley, Colo., and remains there for treatment.

Construction on a natural gas powered electric facility begins

Associated Press — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:27:40 +0000

Construction has begun on a new $237 million power plant near Cheyenne.

Mead says agencies may not need to make budget cuts

Associated Press — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:11:27 +0000

Gov. Matt Mead says it appears likely that state agencies won't face more spending cuts in the two-year budget cycle that begins next year.

Mead says he's informed state lawmakers that state agencies won't honor lawmakers' request to present proposed spending cuts of up to 6 percent at legislative committee hearings this summer.

Most state agencies saw budget cuts averaging 6.5 percent in the supplemental budget that state government approved early this year. Mead says state revenues are improving and that more cuts probably won't be necessary.

Judge dissmisses Y-Cross lawsuit

Associated Press — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:33:54 +0000

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit that contested how the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University managed and planned to sell a ranch jointly owned by the universities' foundations.

The attorney for the Denver woman who donated the ranch to the two universities said Thursday that Amy Davis would appeal to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

The Y Cross Ranch covers 50,000 acres between Cheyenne and Laramie.

Wyoming Supreme Court to consider drunk driving law

Associated Press — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:13:40 +0000

The Wyoming Supreme Court is considering a challenge to a recent state law that allows judges to give permission over the phone to police officers to draw blood or perform other tests on people suspected of drunken driving.

Two drivers who submitted to testing after a Teton County judge authorized officers over the phone are contending the tests should be disallowed in their cases because the search warrants don't meet constitutional requirements for written affidavits.

Supreme Court agrees to hear Hill case

Associated Press — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:46:00 +0000

The Wyoming Supreme Court has agreed to hear the lawsuit filed by state schools Superintendent Cindy Hill.

Hill is suing the state and Gov. Matt Mead over a new law that took away many of her powers and duties.

Laramie County District Judge Thomas Campbell last month asked the Supreme Court to take up the lawsuit because it raises constitutional questions.

Judge rules against making fracking ingredients public

Associated Press — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:16:16 +0000

A judge in Casper has sided with the state of Wyoming and ruled against environmentalists who sought to make public the lists of ingredients that go into hydraulic fracturing fluids.

Environmental groups had requested the ingredient lists from the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, arguing that the public needs to know what chemicals companies are putting underground.

Hill loses injunction request

Associated Press — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:30:31 +0000

State Superintendent Cindy Hill will take her case to the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Wednesday District Court Judge Thomas Campbell refused to issue a preliminary injunction and restore her powers and duties immediately. But he did send her case immediately to the Wyoming Supreme Court for further action.

More groups join the wolf lawsuit

Associated Press — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:47:52 +0000

The National Rifle Association and Safari Club International are blaming wolves for bringing down the quality of big-game hunting in northwestern Wyoming.

The hunting groups are pushing to intervene in lawsuits pending in federal courts in Washington D.C. and Wyoming. The groups want to oppose environmental groups' push to reinstate federal protections for wolves in Wyoming.

Judge will rule on Superintendent Hill case next week

Associated Press — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:11:08 +0000

A district judge in Cheyenne says he will rule in a week whether to restore the powers and duties recently taken away from state schools Superintendent Cindy Hill.

Judge Thomas Campbell heard more than two hours of testimony and arguments Thursday in Hill's lawsuit challenging a new law that removed her as head of the Wyoming Education Department.

District Judge orders post-conviction DNA test

Associated Press — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:15:37 +0000

Enzi supports balanced budget requirement

Associated Press — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:12:43 +0000

Sen. Mike Enzi is supporting the idea of a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced U.S. budget.

He's co-sponsoring a bill that would make a balanced budget a constitutional requirement.

Enzi says it's the only solution to solving the nation's fiscal mess.

The Balanced Budget Amendment would restrict Congress from spending more than federal revenue in any fiscal year and would limit spending to 18 percent of the gross national product.

Wyo lawmakers face anti-abortion bills

Associated Press — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:12:33 +0000

Wyoming lawmakers are facing bills this session that would restrict access to abortion services.

Meanwhile, a group is capitalizing on the legal victory it won against the state last year that allows it to display an anti-abortion poster in a tunnel leading to the state Capitol.

The anti-abortion bills aren't set for a hearing until late in January. Abortion rights groups say they're gearing up for a fight and similar bills have been defeated in recent legislative sessions.

Wyoming Legislature faces budget talks in 2013 session

Associated Press — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:59:43 +0000

Wyoming House Speaker-elect Tom Lubnau says crafting a supplemental state budget will be the "overriding concern" as lawmakers open the 2013 session tomorrow

State financial analysts are warning that Wyoming needs to brace for flat revenues for years to come, given the slumping national demand for coal and increasing natural gas production in other states.

Gov. Matt Mead presented a budget proposal to lawmakers last month calling for cutting state agency budgets by an average of 6.5 percent.

Wolf hunting season ends

Associated Press and Associated Press — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 14:40:55 +0000

Wyoming's wolf hunting season ends today.

Hunters are allowed to kill a total of 52 wolves ... but as of Friday afternoon, they had taken only 43.

It's Wyoming's first wolf hunting season since the federal government reintroduced wolves to the Yellowstone ecosystem in the 1990s.

Besides those taken during hunting season, 25 wolves have been killed around Wyoming this year because they were considered predators.

Still no official word on what caused the Casper Mountain fire

Associated Press — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 01:40:30 +0000

Authorities still haven't determined what started the wildfire that burned 15,000 acres on Casper Mountain this summer.

Natrona County Fire Inspector Dave Baker told the Casper Star-Tribune that investigators believe it was human-caused. The leading theories are that the fire was accidentally started by ATV use or discarded smoking material or that it was intentionally set.

The fire destroyed 37 homes and cabins. Authorities know of only one person who has rebuilt so far.

Charges filed against workers of Wheatland pig farm

Associated Press and Ass — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 00:51:11 +0000

An undercover probe of a pig farm near Wheatland by the Humane Society of the United States has resulted in misdemeanor charges against nine former workers.

The Platte County Attorney's Office filed the charges. Officials are still attempting to serve warrants on some defendants.

Feds and Shoshone Tribe oppose Northern Arapaho on eagles

Associated Press and Associa — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 01:29:15 +0000

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Eastern Shoshone Tribe are urging a federal judge not to reconsider his recent ruling banning the Northern Arapaho Tribe from killing bald eagles on a central Wyoming reservation.

The Northern Arapaho Tribe last month asked U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson of Cheyenne to change the ruling he entered earlier saying that the tribe couldn't kill the birds on the Wind River Indian Reservation because of objections from the Eastern Shoshone. The two tribes share the reservation.

Citizens' group loses Wyo. wind farm challenge

Associated Press — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:25:50 +0000

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The Wyoming Supreme Court has upheld permits issued by the state and Converse County allowing construction of two wind farms in the Laramie Range.

Wasatch Wind of Salt Lake City plans to construct 62 towers at two locations. The Northern Laramie Range Alliance had challenged permits issued to the company by the Converse County Board of County Commissioners and Wyoming Industrial Siting Council.

A statement from the Northern Laramie Range Alliance says it still intends try to block construction of the wind farms.

Study says ecosystems help climate change

Associated Press — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:08:19 +0000

A new study estimates that ecosystems in the western U.S. absorb and contain nearly 100 million tons of atmospheric carbon each year.

The Interior Department said Thursday that's nearly 5 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, ecosystems in the West help to offset the air pollution that contributes to climate change.

The study authored by U.S. Geological Survey scientists is part of a congressionally mandated national assessment of how ecosystems capture and contain carbon from the atmosphere.

Sen. Enzi won't sign Americans for Tax Reform pledge

Associated Press — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:22:36 +0000

Conservative activist Grover Norquist says U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi will have to be accountable to the people of Wyoming if he backs off a pledge to not raise taxes.

Enzi said Thursday he will abide by his oath of office but won't sign or be bound by any lawmaker pledges, including the Americans for Tax Reform pledge championed by Norquist.

The pledge calls for opposing increases to marginal income tax rates and to oppose any net cuts to tax deductions or credits unless the moves are offset by reduced tax rates.

Wyoming judge to hear arguments in Y Cross suit

Associated Press — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:46:34 +0000

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.

Fundraising For Bridger-Teton Drilling Is Going Slow

Associated Press — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:09:43 +0000

An effort to buy oil and gas leases in western Wyoming to protect the land from development is raising funds at about half the speed needed to complete the $8.75 million deal.

Report Is Critical Of Wyoming Department Of Education

Associated Press — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:06:16 +0000

A report by consultants hired by the Legislature gives the Wyoming Department of Education poor marks in implementing state education reforms.

The report says the agency has failed in some of its responsibilities and hindered other entities involved in the state's initiative to better prepare its public school students for college and careers.

The report blames much of the agency's failings on loss of too many key personnel in the last two years.

Sinclair offers reward after apparent sabotage

Associated Press — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:54:48 +0000

Sinclair Oil is offering a $25,000 reward for information about an apparent sabotage attempt at its refinery near Rawlins.

Workers discovered damage to a number of valves on Oct. 18 after noticing strange feedback from instruments on a hydro-cracking unit.

A company spokesman says the company concluded the damage was intentional but wouldn't comment on whether there were signs of a break-in.

Sinclair Police Chief Jeff Sanders confirmed Wednesday that his department is investigating.

Video Leads To The Arrest Of Kidnapping Suspect

Associated Press — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 18:44:24 +0000

Wyoming authorities say a 39-year-old Montana man has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of an 11-year-old girl in Wyoming.

Court records filed in Cody identify the suspect as Jesse Paul Speer. He was arrested Saturday in Belgrade, Mont., on a hold for Wyoming. He faces extradition to Wyoming on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and felony use of a weapon.

Speer's bond is set at $2 million and he faces a court appearance in Bozeman on Monday afternoon.

Drilling picking up in Converse Co.

Associated Press — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:18:33 +0000

Many coal-bed methane companies have downsized their production in the Powder River Basin over the last couple of years because of low natural gas prices.

Workers in the industry were forced to move to other states to find jobs.

But a growing oil play in Converse County is bringing some of those workers back.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. is one of the companies actively drilling in Converse County.

Deal Reached To Prevent Drilling In The Wyoming Range

Associated Press — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:45:26 +0000

A land conservation group has reached a long-sought agreement to prevent a gas drilling project in northwest Wyoming by buying out a vast area of mineral leases inside Bridger-Teton National Forest.

The Trust for Public Land tells The Associated Press it plans to buy out 58,000 acres of oil and gas leases owned by Houston-based Plains Exploration and Production Co. for $8.75 million.

General Speaks At UW

Associated Press — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:41:20 +0000

The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East says attacks on international forces by Afghan soldiers and police are disheartening.

But Gen. James Mattis says such treachery is a part of war and will not diminish the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan.

He says measures have been taken to help reduce the so-called insider attacks that have claimed more than 50 American lives this year.

Mattis spoke and answered questions for little over an hour Thursday at the University of Wyoming.

Wyoming loses Roadless Rule Appeal

Associated Press — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:20:55 +0000

The Supreme Court has turned away an appeal challenging a federal rule that bars development on 50 million acres of roadless areas in national forests.

The justices said Monday they will leave in place a federal appeals court decision that upheld the so-called roadless rule that took effect late in the presidency of Bill Clinton.

The state of Wyoming and the Colorado Mining Association said closing so much forest land to development has had serious consequences for residents of Western states and the logging, mining and drilling industries.