By Elsa Partan

Laramie, Wyo. – The University of Wyoming men's swim team has a chance to win the conference championship this year.

That's something that they haven't done since 1959. The cowboys are undefeated so far this season with ten wins behind them, and they are counting on that strength lasting until the end of the season.

Team captain Eli Bell is a senior this year. He says the conference championship would mean a lot.

"It would be incredible," he said. "Everyone here is fighting for it. It's our goal."

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, Wyo. – The Wyoming House of Representatives has started work on three bills that will help regulate the underground storage of carbon dioxide gas.

Wyoming officials say that addressing the capture and storage of CO2 will all the states energy industry to thrive. But Representative David Miller of Riverton is disappointed in the legislation, because he says it only addresses traditional minerals.

Miller the bill should include more than just hydrocarbons.

By AP

Cheyenne, Wyo. – State health officials are urging Wyoming residents not to eat certain peanut butter products until those products are cleared of possible salmonella contamination.

Kellogg Company announced Thursday that several Austin- and Keebler-brand cracker products containing peanut butter were being pulled from store shelves.

A national outbreak of salmonella bacteria linked to peanut butter sickened more than 430 people in 43 states in November.

By AP

Billings, Mont. – State and federal officials have recommended relocating a small herd of bison from Yellowstone National Park to a Wyoming Indian reservation - part of a bid to restore a species that once numbered in the tens of millions.

The 41 animals are now being held in a federal disease quarantine compound in Montana. If Friday's recommendation is adopted by the state's wildlife agency, they could be moved to the Wind River Reservation by April.

By Peter O'Dowd

Laramie, Wyo. – Wyoming land advocates are praising a decision by the U.S. Senate to protect more than 2 million acres of wilderness in nine states.

The vote came today in one of the largest expansions of wilderness protection in 25 years.

By Elsa Partan

Laramie, Wyo. – More unemployed workers are asking for help from the state Department of Workforce Services. Director Joan Evans says the Riverton employment office has seen a ten percent increase in foot traffic in recent weeks.

"It really is a variety of factors, you can't really point to one thing," Evans said. "But I think an overall tightening up in the economy is really impacting us here in Wyoming."

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, Wyo. – A series of bills that attempts to make Wyoming ready to address carbon capture and storage will be debated by state legislators.

A house committee approved four bills that address some legal and regulatory questions, so that the state can move forward with addressing carbon capture.

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, Wyo. – A legislative committee has approved a bill that would increase the amount that an individual may contribute to a candidate in Wyoming.

It would raise individual contributions from a thousand dollars up to $2,300 hundred dollars per election. It would allow a person to contribute $4,600 hundred dollars if they donate in both the primary and general elections.

But the Equality State Policy Center's Dan Neal says the increase is too much.

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, Wyo. – An effort to help groups preserve and promote areas of the state with cultural and historical significance has hit a snag.

A legislative committee postponed action on the bill after a number of energy and agricultural groups showed up in opposition. Devon Energy's Margo Sabec fears that if an area is identified by the state as a place of cultural significance, that federal officials will ban energy development in that area.

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, Wyo. – The state senate is debating a bill that would keep the name of someone accused of committing a sex crime secret, until the case goes to a district court.

No other person accused of a felony gets similar protections, including someone accused of murder. Senator Tony Ross says a sex crime is particularly heinous crime, which is why all identities should be kept secret.

"More often then not releasing the actors name may reveal the name of the victim, even before there is a probable cause hearing," Ross said.