Laramie, Wy – Some outfitters aren't pleased about a
proposal to change the way that landowners are compensated for property damage caused by wildlife.
The state Game and Fish Department pays landowners for a variety of damage caused by wildlife, including elk that eat haystacks and bears that get into beehives.
In exchange for being compensated, landowners are required to allow hunting on their property.

Laramie, Wy – The three men and teenager charged with killing a witness in a sexual assault trial in Gillette have new dates for their preliminary hearings.
The defendants are charged in connection with the shooting of 16-year-old Bryce Chavers. Three of them are also are charged with a second murder.
The first hearing is set for February sixth.

Laramie, Wy – A major winter storm is moving into
western Wyoming.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning
for Jackson, Star Valley and the upper Green River Valley.
Six to 12 inches of snow is forecast for the area around Jackson,
and Pinedale.
Four to nine inches of snow is forecast for southwestern Wyoming.
Heavy snow is also likely in Yellowstone and especially for western Wyoming's mountain ranges.
There may also be high winds with the south pass seeing near white out conditions tonight.

By Kristin Espeland

By Kristin Espeland

Jackson, WY – A Wyoming watchdog group says it has obtained documents that reveal safety problems at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls. Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free has questioned the Department of Energy's plan to produce plutonium-238 at the facility. Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free says the 40-year-old reactor is wearing out and should be replaced. The group also notes the facility couldn't withstand an earthquake. An Energy Department spokesman says upgrades have been made to the reactor in recent years and that the Advanced Test Reactor is operated safely.

Jackson, Wy –
After searching for several hours in cold and wet weather searchers called off their search for a missing snowmobiler Captain Jim Whalen of the Teton County Sheriffs office admits that it does not look good. from a realistic standpoint and frankly from a very sad standpoint there is very little hope that anyone could survive this situation."
Whalen says searchers have had to battle weather and need to be wary of setting off other avalanches as they continue their work.

Laramie, Wy – The Bureau of Land Management is soliciting recommendations to the way it currently handles split estate issues as they pertain to oil and gas development. There are many cases where federal minerals are under private land. B-L-M spokeswoman Heather Feeney says they are asking for a lot of input about what needs to be changed in their current approach. Feeney says the B-L-M has a website with drafts and a comment section. She says they also have plans to have on-site discussions.

Jackson, Wyoming – Wyoming Senate President Grant Larson says it is up to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to prove that state money to fund a new tram would benefit the state. Larson, who represents Teton County, admits that it might be difficult to persuade lawmakers to fund some of the 25 million dollars needed for a new tram. The current 40 year old Tram will shut down in a few months because of safety concerns. Last week Governor Freudenthal said the Tram is NOT a state funding priority. He says private money should buy a replacement.

Cheyenne, WY – It appears that out-of-state residents are working many of the jobs created in Wyoming during the recent energy boom. In the past year, state figures show a total of nearly 7,000 new jobs. Yet, Wyoming's jobless rate is the same as it was a year ago. The discrepancy is there because the unemployment rate is a measure of Wyoming households, while job creation figures don't take residency into account. State Economist David Bullard doesn't have specific numbers, but says a significant number of jobs are filled by those who don't call Wyoming home.