Laramie, WY – The town of Green River has reversed
course and decided to allow smoking in bars, taverns and clubs after all.

The Green River City Council had passed a smoking ordinance on Dec. 4 that banned smoking in all public buildings beginning last week.

Liquor dealers in the city began circulating a petition aimed at
overturning the ban on smoking in bars and clubs.

The Green River City Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday night to reinstate an exemption allowing smoking to continue in bars and
clubs. The new, revised ordinance goes into effect Dec. 27.

By Peter O'Dowd

Laramie, WY – Wyoming has signed an agreement with the federal government that will give the state more sway in the process of listing or delisting endangered species.

Governor Dave Freudenthal announced the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will join the US Fish and Wildlife Service when federal decisions are being made on protecting certain animals.

Laramie, WY – A report says public funding would be needed in order for the state to get air service between Wyoming cities and towns.

The Wyoming Intrastate Air Service Concept report found that such service would be too risky for any private company to undertake.

Laramie, WY – Wyoming is among six states that received the lowest score for being prepared for a potential influenza pandemic.

A research group measured each state in ten categories.

The states that got the lowest score were Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nevada, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Seven states have yet to participate in a federal program to buy antivirals for a potential influenza pandemic. Wyoming is not among them.

The top states in being prepared are Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

By Bob Beck

Laramie, WY – The grocery-store chain Albertson's is leaving the state and selling its eight stores in Wyoming to a company called Supervalu. Supervalu acquired Albertson's last year.

Spokeswoman Christine Wilcox says customers may not notice a change, especially since the stores will keep the Albertson's name.

Wilcox says that Supervalu intends to retain all current Albertson's employees. The transaction will close in late January.

Wyoming – In the first quarter of 2007, four people created nearly 1,200 companies in Wyoming. CJ Baker explains how these companies could hurt Wyoming's Reputation.

Wyoming – A group at the University of Wyoming is looking at the link between how pregnant women eat, and the health of their babies. As Addie Goss reports, sheep can tell us a lot.

Wyoming – The spectacled eider is a duck that lives in the northern Bering Sea. Elsa Partan talks with eider expert and University of Wyoming professor Jim Lovvorn about the duck's decline in numbers and the research he hopes will explain why.

By Elsa Partan

Laramie, WY – The state forester says he's happy with Senator John Barrasso's bill that encourages cooperation between Wyoming and the US Forest Service.

Forester Bill Crapser says the bill would allow Wyoming's Forestry Division to do work on forest service land, such as thinning forests to reduce fire danger or treating trees to prevent pine-beetle infestation.

Laramie, WY – The state Department of Education has collected over $2 dollars of the nearly $7 million it overpaid to local school districts around the state in recent years.

Of 48 school districts, 15 objected to the state audit that found the state overpaid districts because of an error in the teacher seniority calculation. Of the 15 objections, 14 were resolved through informal settlements.

The only school district in the state to seek an administrative hearing on the state's demand for refunds of overpayments is Uinta County School District 1 in Evanston.