By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, WY – University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan told legislators that General electric has approached the University about developing a coal gasification project.

Discussions are in the early stages but Buchanan says it would use Wyoming Coal and involve university resources.

Buchanan says they hope to have more information shortly.

By Bob Beck

Cheyenne, WY – The Joint Appropriations committee is trying to decide what to do about a disagreement over how community colleges believe they should be funded.

In his budget recomendation, the Governor denied a 15 million dollar funding request by the colleges that was to go into their new funding model. That model distributes funding to all community colleges.

The Governor was not comfortable with the model and stated that the colleges have plenty of other places to get money.

Cheyenne, Wy – The Governor's plan for reducing the property tax of the state's elderly population got a chilly reception.
The proposal is to reduce property taxes for people 65 and older who have lived in the same home for more than ten years. And the reduction would only apply to half of a homes value up to 200 thousand dollars.
The legislature's revenue committee did not seem excited about the idea. Senator Jayne Mockler says she's doesn't want to target only seniors, especially since she says that is the wealthiest generation in the country's history.

Laramie, Wy – The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will hold eight meetings on the state's wolf management plan across the state next week. The department expects the federal government to de-list the wolf this winter. Spokesman Eric Keszler says the upcoming meetings will address one part of the state's management plan.
Basically, it's a rule that will designate wolves as trophy animals in Northwest Wyoming.

Casper, Wy – A fire at Natrona County High School revealed problems in the school's emergency procedures. No one was hurt in the fire, which is under investigation.
History teacher Bruce Berst and R-O-T-C Sergeant Mack Riggs ran into the boys' locker room to put out a flaming bank of lockers. They couldn't find any fire extinguishers, so they tried to fill buckets with water from the sink. But Berst says the buckets wouldn't fit.

Cody, Wy – The Sleeping Giant ski area, which has been closed for three winters, could reopen by the winter of 2008-09.
The ski area is about 45 miles west of Cody.
Co-owner Jim Nielson of Cody said he and the other owners are planning to make improvements and reopen the ski area.
Nielson said the goal is to provide a family-style ski hill that was once a mainstay of local winter sports.
He says it will not compete with other regional ski areas such as Red Lodge or Jackson Hole.

Laramie, Wy – Comment from some Laramie residents on a proposed transportation and parking master plan for the college town indicates support for a busing system.

But the bus system would have to get them close to their destination in a timely manner.

A common theme among those speaking at a forum was that Laramie has a long way to go to improve its streets to encourage walking and cycling and discourage students and faculty from driving to the University of Wyoming campus.

Pinedale, Wy – Although some think it is much better, some residents of Sublette County say they are wary about the latest plans for gas development in the Pinedale Anticline. Linda Baker of the Upper Green River valley coalition still does not think the Bureau of Land management fully understands the impacts that a community like Pinedale faces with enhanced gas development. That's why she would like to see development slow down.The B-L-M is adding four thousand wells to the area and is requiring drilling that will hopefully have less of an impact on wildlife.

By AP

Washington, DC – Rep. Barbara Cubin returned to Washington this week and has cast her first vote in the U.S. House since October 25th.

Cubin plans to retire at the end of the year. She was away from her duties in Washington for several months last year as she took care of her husband, who has been critically ill. She voted ``present'' on a procedural vote Tuesday night.

She said in a release that her priorities in her final year in Congress are health care, energy development, immigration and public land management.

By AP

Cheyenne, WY – The company behind a proposed $2 billion coal-to-gasoline plant in Carbon County hopes to land a state air quality permit and begin initial site work this year.

Last month, the state Industrial Siting Council approved a permit for the construction and operation of the plant.

Houston-based DKRW plans to place the plant about 13 miles southwest of Medicine Bow and eight miles north of Elk Mountain.

Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in 2009 with the plant becoming operational in 2013.