Laramie, Wy – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will hold eight meetings on the state's wolf management plan across the state next week. The department expects the federal government to de-list the wolf this winter. Spokesman Eric Keszler says the upcoming meetings will address one part of the state's management plan.
Basically, it's a rule that will designate wolves as trophy animals in Northwest Wyoming.

Casper, Wy – A fire at Natrona County High School revealed problems in the school's emergency procedures. No one was hurt in the fire, which is under investigation.
History teacher Bruce Berst and R-O-T-C Sergeant Mack Riggs ran into the boys' locker room to put out a flaming bank of lockers. They couldn't find any fire extinguishers, so they tried to fill buckets with water from the sink. But Berst says the buckets wouldn't fit.

Cody, Wy – The Sleeping Giant ski area, which has been closed for three winters, could reopen by the winter of 2008-09.
The ski area is about 45 miles west of Cody.
Co-owner Jim Nielson of Cody said he and the other owners are planning to make improvements and reopen the ski area.
Nielson said the goal is to provide a family-style ski hill that was once a mainstay of local winter sports.
He says it will not compete with other regional ski areas such as Red Lodge or Jackson Hole.

Laramie, Wy – Comment from some Laramie residents on a proposed transportation and parking master plan for the college town indicates support for a busing system.

But the bus system would have to get them close to their destination in a timely manner.

A common theme among those speaking at a forum was that Laramie has a long way to go to improve its streets to encourage walking and cycling and discourage students and faculty from driving to the University of Wyoming campus.

Pinedale, Wy – Although some think it is much better, some residents of Sublette County say they are wary about the latest plans for gas development in the Pinedale Anticline. Linda Baker of the Upper Green River valley coalition still does not think the Bureau of Land management fully understands the impacts that a community like Pinedale faces with enhanced gas development. That's why she would like to see development slow down.The B-L-M is adding four thousand wells to the area and is requiring drilling that will hopefully have less of an impact on wildlife.

By AP

Washington, DC – Rep. Barbara Cubin returned to Washington this week and has cast her first vote in the U.S. House since October 25th.

Cubin plans to retire at the end of the year. She was away from her duties in Washington for several months last year as she took care of her husband, who has been critically ill. She voted ``present'' on a procedural vote Tuesday night.

She said in a release that her priorities in her final year in Congress are health care, energy development, immigration and public land management.

By AP

Cheyenne, WY – The company behind a proposed $2 billion coal-to-gasoline plant in Carbon County hopes to land a state air quality permit and begin initial site work this year.

Last month, the state Industrial Siting Council approved a permit for the construction and operation of the plant.

Houston-based DKRW plans to place the plant about 13 miles southwest of Medicine Bow and eight miles north of Elk Mountain.

Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in 2009 with the plant becoming operational in 2013.

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, WY – The University of Wyoming will take its proposed budget before the legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee today.

UW President Tom Buchanan says the top priority is library funding.

UW wants nearly $19 million for acquisitions and technology. Buchanan says the price tag is high because UW had other priorities when the state was short of cash in the 1990s.

Community colleges will also present their budget requests to the JAC.

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, Wyo – The University of Wyoming could soon be embarking on a surprising research project.

U-W President Tom Buchanan told the legislature's Appropriations Committee that the project involves coal gasification at high altitude with Wyoming resources.

Buchanan says General Electric approached U-W about the partnership. He says U-W's new energy school and efforts in the field attracted the company's attention. He says more will be known in coming weeks.

By Elsa Partan

Laramie, Wyo. – Winter snow storms have pushed the state Department of Transportation about a million dollars over budget.

WYDOT spokesman Bruce Burrows says the cost of cleaning up after so many winter storms means the department will have to defer maintenance planned for later on.

"It's like anybody else," he says. "If you end up spending on one need, you have to cut back somewhere else. And that's unfortunate, because we have quite a few needs on our roadway system."