Wyoming – And now for a redneck perspective. That was the name of Mike Bressler's column in Planet Jackson Hole for five years. He wrote under the pen name of Clyde Thornhill. And he has just self-published his first book called Saddles to Sushi. An Elsa Partan interview.

Wyoming – While the national economy is in a slowdown Wyoming's economy continues to steam along. But there's a financial dark side to all this prosperity. We went to southwest Wyoming to take a look. Elsa Partan reports.

Wyoming – Oil has reached record prices this year. Today it's at 124-dollars per barrel. And some believe drilling in Wyoming is poised to heat up again. We traveled through the oil fields in Northern Wyoming to talk with two ranchers who have very different views on the good, the bad, and the future of oil production in the United States. Peter O'Dowd reports.

By Lara Barbier

Laramie, Wyo. – A state economist says the wages in most industries in Wyoming are keeping pace with inflation but there are a few that are falling behind.

David Bullard is a Senior Economist with the Wyoming Department of Employment. He says some of the biggest winners in the weekly payroll increase are construction, administration, accommodation and food services.

Also, most counties are keeping up.

By Elsa Partan

Laramie, Wyo. – Senator John Barrasso says he and the other members of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee were appalled by the waste of millions of dollars by the Indian Health Service.

The Government Accountability Office issued a report about mismanagement, and Barrasso's committee reviewed it.

Barrasso says he will hold the Indian Health Service accountable for mismanaging millions of dollars in cash and property.

Laramie, Wyo. – State Treasurer, Joe Meyer, is supporting businessman and rancher Republican Mark Gordon in the race for U.S. House.

Meyer praised Gordon's work ethic and said that he would reach across the aisle in Washington to reflect Wyoming's principles.

House candidate, Republican Cynthia Lummis, did not receive Meyer's nod.

Before Lummis stepped down as state treasurer, she endorsed Meyer's opponent in the 2006 race.

Cheyenne, Wyo. – Gov. Dave Freudenthal has ordered Wyoming state agencies to work together to protect sage grouse.

A federal judge in Idaho has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider its ruling that the birds don't deserve protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Freudenthal says that federal protection for the birds would harm Wyoming's energy economy.

Freudenthal's order maps out sage grouse areas around the state where future energy development would be discouraged.

By AP

Gillette, Wyo. – New U.S. Geological Survey estimates have lowered the amount of recoverable coal in the nation's most prolific coalfield.

The USGS is assessing coal reserves in the nation's largest coalfields. It started with the most productive one - the coalfield around Gillette in northeast Wyoming. The Gillette coalfield is part of the coal-rich Powder River Basin in northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana.

By Elsa Partan

Pinedale, WY – A community organizer in Pinedale says she was pleased with the Department of Environmental Quality's solutions for the area's ongoing air pollution problem. Linda Baker of the Upper Green River Valley Coalition says last night's meeting with the DEQ gave her the impression that the department did a lot of work since their last meeting in Pinedale.

Cody, Wy – Calm winds slowed the growth of a wildfire
that has burned more than 12 square miles in the Shoshone National
Forest east of Yellowstone National Park.
The Gunbarrel Fire is burning about 40 miles west of Cody in the
North Absaroka Wilderness of the Shoshone National Forest.
A fire management team is allowing the fire to burn through
bug-killed timber in a remote area.
The closest structures to the fire are about one mile away. A
forest spokeswoman says Thursday's winds pushed the fire away from
the buildings.