Tagged: wyoming

 The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services says that the state’s unemployment in October was at five-point-seven percent, well below national figures of nine percent.   David Bullard is a Senior Economist with the department.

“The unemployment rate came down a tenth of percent from September to October.  But it has really been in the narrow range of five point seven to five point nine in the past few months, so little change.  But it is lower than a year ago.”

Wyoming’s proposed wolf management plan, which could remove wolves from federal protections, continues to draw ire from conservationists. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosted the state’s only public informational meeting about the plan in Riverton Tuesday night.

Daryle Murphy of the Sierra Club’s Wyoming chapter called it a “wolf killing plan, not a management plan.” He’s talking about the plan Gov. Matt Mead and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar agreed to this summer.

A jury in Cheyenne handed down the largest medical malpractice verdict in Wyoming history.  The case centered on Louis Prager, who was rushed to the emergency room after an auto accident in 2008.  The doctor, Brian Cullison, failed to diagnose his broken neck.  As a result,  Prager’s left shoulder remains paralyzed;  he’s unable to work;  and he’s in constant pain.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Albany and Carbon counties as natural disaster areas because of flooding. The designation from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday provides emergency loans and compensation for farm income lost because of a natural disaster.
 Farmers and ranchers in the surrounding counties of Converse,
Fremont, Laramie, Natrona, Platte and Sweetwater also qualify for
USDA assistance because they are next to Albany and Carbon counties. Big Horn County also is seeking a disaster designation from USDA.

The Wyoming Business Council and the Wyoming Women's Business Center are sponsoring a grant-funded loan program that could help licensed childcare providers improve their businesses.

Rosemany Bratton of the Wyoming Women's Business Center said she hopes the Community Development Block Grant Child Care Facility Loan Program will help participating providers fill service gaps across the state.

This week’s Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease auction in Cheyenne made a record amount of revenue.

The Wyoming BLM generated more than 49 million dollars from lease sales on 74 parcels of land, and an unheard-of 8 million dollars came from a single parcel.

An agency spokeswoman says the number of parcels auction off is determined by the number of nominations submitted from energy companies. In February, BLM auctioned off 31 parcels and in May, only 14.

 After years of lawsuits and negotiations, the State of Wyoming and the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service have reached an agreement that could lead to Wyoming managing wolves within the state.    The agreement would allow Wyoming to manage ten breeding pairs, but reduce the number of wolves outside of Yellowstone National Park from 350 down to 100.   The Governor’s policy adviser for Wildlife and Endangered Species Steve Ferrell says those numbers will be reduced through such things as hunting…but he does not expect a sudden reduction.