Wyoming – Elsa Partan speaks with Ric Paul, who recently resigned from the Juvenile Justice Advisory Council.

Wyoming – Bob Beck reports on the effort in Cheyenne to fund Wyoming's community colleges.

By Bob Beck

Laramie, WY – Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. The University of Wyoming and Community College officials will all be part of a summit this week to address the issue. Lena Edmunds of U-W's counseling center says the University will share its proactive approach to suicide with the rest of the state.

Edmunds says a number of stakeholders regularly meet to discuss ways to address students mental health needs. The summit is Friday at Casper College.

Sheridan, Wy – Wyoming could soon force motorists to buckle up.
Wyoming law currently allows police to ticket motorists for safety belt violations, but not to stop them just for that. Sheridan Republican Rep. Jerry Iekel wants to change that with a bill he is sponsoring for the upcoming legislative session.
A recent Casper Star-Tribune poll found that 60 percent of Wyoming residents would oppose such a law.

Laramie, Wy – The North Dakota state Board of Higher Education has offered the job as president of the University of North Dakota to Robert Kelley.
The 63-year-old Kelley is the dean of health sciences at the University of Wyoming. The Board of Higher Education offered him the UND job today, in a unanimous vote.
He has two days to accept the board's offer.
Chancellor Bill Goetz says Kelley was offered a three-year contract worth $300,000 per year.
Kelley would replace Charles Kupchella, who plans to retire in July.

By Addie Goss

Laramie, WY – Wyoming leaders hope that new efforts to clean up the coal industry will allow the state to export its coal power to California.

California recently passed an aggressive law that limits its carbon output by the year 2020 -- and the state will only import energy that meets those standards.

Laramie, Wy – A recent study by the Wyoming department of workforce services has shown them where out of state workers are coming from and what they are doing. The Department's Jeremiah Rieman adds that the study also shows that many former residents are returning to the state to take advantage of a number of job openings. Rieman says an interesting part of the study shows the various positions that interest those workers. For instance, Rieman says former residents tend to be interested in one particular field and that is hospitality.

Cheyenne, Wyoming – A company based in Austin, Texas is urging Wyoming lawmakers to oppose a bill that tries to increase accountability for corporations registered in the state.
Capitol Services Incorporated says the bill does nothing to solve the problem of fraudulent companies registering in the state, and places an unreasonable burden on registered agents - the people who file paperwork on behalf of corporations.

Washington D-C – Representative Barbara Cubin remains a fan of the new enhanced drivers license called Real I-D. All states must provide the enhanced I-D's by 2017, but issues of cost and possible cost of privacy are cited by critics. But Cubin says those issues are overblown. She says the federal government will help states fund the new program. Cubin also says that the government is not collecting a data base on citizens. Cubin says Real I-D will protect the country from terrorists and help manage the nations borders.

Casper, Wy – Wildlife biologists in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, North Dakota and Utah have reviewed research into how oil and gas development effects the sage grouse.
They conclude that the best available science indicates that the current level of sage grouse protection implemented in oil and gas fields is not enough to maintain the bird's population.
Based on that science, the state biologists compiled recommendations on such things as well-pad densities, the pace of development and when development should occur.