By AP

Cheyenne, Wyo. – Wyoming is ranked No. 14 in an annual nationwide report on public health.

Wyoming scored high for strong per capita health spending, low infant mortality rate and low rate of infectious disease. But the state lost points for low immunization rates and high tobacco use.

The report released Wednesday was assembled by the United Health Foundation in partnership with the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. Its stated goal is to highlight the nation's health successes and challenges.

By Elsa Partan

Laramie, WYo. – Food pantries in Wyoming have seen another spike in demand.

Marguerite Meyer of the Food Bank of the Rockies in Casper says pantries around the state saw a 25 to 40 percent rise in requests for food this fall. She says many of the newcomers are from families with two working parents.

"These are considered the working poor," Meyer says. "They're families that were making it a year ago, but now with the economy and our high cost of living, these folks just aren't making it."

By Peter O'Dowd

Laramie, WY – Wyoming football recruiting efforts will get underway immediately under the new head coach Dave Christensen. Christensen told reporters last night that he will get to work in Laramie on Monday morning after he coaches his current team, the Missouri Tigers, in the Big 12 Conference Championship game this weekend. Christensen says he will recruit across much of the country, and use his contacts in places like Kansas City and Oklahoma. He says getting athletes to come to Wyoming should be no problem.

By Peter O'Dowd

Laramie, WYo. – A state representative from Sheridan says he expects a vigorous debate at the Capitol over a proposed statewide smoking ban.

A committee endorsed the bill this week. The full legislature will discuss it in January. Republican Representative Jack Landon was one of three lawmakers on the committee who voted against the endorsement.

By Elsa Partan

Laramie, Wyo. – Wyoming lawmakers will consider a raft of property tax relief bills in the next legislative session.

Governor Dave Freudenthal has proposed to reactivate the Homestead Property Tax Exemption. That would help people whose homes are worth 237-thousand dollars or less, which includes the vast majority of Wyoming households. The average household would see a discount of 278 dollars.

By AP

Cheyenne, WYo. – The market value of Wyoming's public employee pension fund is down 25 percent in the current financial crisis.

Executive Director Thom Williams said the market value of the fund's investments is now about $4.7 billion. That's down from $6.2 billion at the end of June.

Williams emphasizes that the fund is having no trouble meeting its obligations to the roughly 19,000 retired public employees.

By Addie Goss

By Peter O'Dowd

Laramie, Wyo. – A state agency is trying to suspend the driving privileges of parents who don't pay child support.

The Department of Family Services' Brenda Lyttle (Little) will discuss a bill on Thursday with the legislature's joint judiciary committee in Casper. The bill would target more parents who are behind on payments.

"What we are doing is narrowing the scope to the non-payers who owe 5,000 dollars or more and haven't made a payment in 90 days," she says.

By AP

Cheyenne, Wyo. – A legislative committee has recommended that Wyoming enact a statewide ban on smoking in enclosed public places, including bars and restaurants.

The Joint Labor, Health and Social Services committee voted 12-to-3 on Monday evening to endorse the ban. The bill now heads to the full Legislature when it convenes next month.

Committee Co-chairman Rep. Jack Landon was among those voting against the bill. The Sheridan Republican says he believes that people in the state are already limiting their smoking voluntarily.

By Bob Beck

Laramie, Wy – The University of Wyoming is expected to name a new football coach this week. Wyoming has agreed to hire Missouri Assistant Dave Christensen who told officials in Columbia that he will take the Wyoming head coaching job when the Tigers finish their season. Missouri plays for the Big 12 championship this weekend. Christensen is viewed as one of the most innovative offensive minds in College football. He had a meeting with U-W officials in Laramie over the weekend and decided to accept the job.