Laramie, Wy – Agencies that help victims of sexual assault will be getting some needed financial support. Congress recently approved new funding for the Violence against Women Act. For the first time, money will go to those who help victims of rape or incest. The Director of Wyoming's Coalition against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Jennifer Watrin says in this state, the money will be used to hire and train staff. She calls it critical funding, because agencies around the state will now be able to hire staff that many are lacking.

Laramie, Wy – Cold Weather and Snowstorms are improving business for the snowmobile industry. The co-owner of the Bear Lodge in the Big Horns, Rick Young, says business is up about 30 percent. He says the good snow is bringing people from many other states.

Washington D-C – A sweeping defense bill headed to the
president's desk includes a provision urging the Pentagon to
maintain 500 nuclear missiles in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota.
The legislation calls on the Pentagon to keep all the missiles,
stating that it is national policy not to decrease the current
number.
Senators from the three states authored the provision before an
upcoming Pentagon policy review.
The nation's nuclear missile stockpile has been slowly reduced

Gillette, Wy – A Gillette teenager shot dead in his home
last month was the victim of an apparent contract killing,
according to court documents charging two men with murder in the
case.
Christopher Robert Hicks and Jacob Paul Martinez, both aged 19,
face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit
first-degree murder in connection with the November 26 shooting
death of Bryce Chavers, age 16.
A sworn statement from Eric Seeman, an investigator with the
Campbell County Sheriff's Department, was filed in court Wednesday

Cheyenne, Wy – Governor Freudenthal says he doesn't think
that providing state funding to replace a tram at Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort is a high priority.
Resort officials announced this year that they planned to shut
down the famous tram at the end of next summer. They cited
maintenance costs and safety concerns.
They have said that they hoped to replace the tram at an
estimated cost of 25 (M) million dollars. They're planning to ask
state lawmakers for assistance during this winter's legislative
session.

Laramie, Wy – Agreements have been signed to begin construction of a hotel and conference center at the University of Wyoming. The site will be at the corner of 22nd and Grand next to the U-W football stadium. The site will also include retail stores and restaurants. U-W Vice President for Budget and Planning Phil Harris says the project has been in the works for about eight years. He says it will allow U-W to finally bring top conferences to the campus. Harris says construction will begin next year and the project should take about a year to complete.

Laramie, Wy – Travelers heading out on the roads before Christmas should see good conditions east of the continental divide. But in western Wyoming snow will make driving more challenging. National Weather Service forecaster Dave Lipson says the snowfall will be heaviest in the valleys of the west.
He says this means only some Wyoming residents will have a white Christmas because as the snow piles up in the west it will be melting in the east.
Lipson says after Christmas there could be snow in the west again, but the east should remain clear and dry.

Gillette, Wy – Two 19-year-old men have been arrested in
the death of a 16-year-old boy found shot to death in his Gillette
house last month.
Police identified the two as Christopher Robert Hicks and Jacob
Paul Martinez, both of Gillette.
The Campbell County Sheriff's Office says the two were arrested
last night (Monday) without incident.
Charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit
first-degree murder were being sought by police. They are scheduled

Laramie, Wy – Senator Craig Thomas admits he is becoming less concerned that the Bush administration has been monitoring overseas phone calls and e-mails of U-S citizens. Thomas says he was first troubled when he first heard about it, but he thinks it is becoming less of a concern. I'm anxious to get all the facts. Because what we have heard up till now are people who just wanted to attack the President.

Laramie, Wy – The state of Wyoming is continuing to study its electricity transmission gridlock problem. Basically there is a constraint on the amount of electricity Wyoming can export because of the gridlock. After doing a report with public and private entities, Wyoming will now start work with the company National Grid U-S-A.