Cheyenne, Wy – Tourist numbers are expected to be high this summer, but restaurants and hotels across Wyoming may still struggle to make a profit. The Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant Association's Lynn Birleffi says the state's worker shortage makes it particularly hard to hire seasonal workers. Add to that higher utility costs for hotels and higher food costs and Birleffi says the hospitality industry is struggling.
Birleffi says tourists probably won't see much change. But she says some businesses may be in the red by the end of the summer.

Washington D-C – In separate speeches on the Senate floor, Wyoming Senators John Barrasso and Mike Enzi spoke out against Lieberman-Warner global climate change bill. Enzi says the bill would require too many costs of companies that would in turn drive up consumer costs.
Senator John Barrasso says it would hurt Wyoming families and likely cost the state several energy jobs. Enzi says the solution to using global warming needs to involve innovation and technology.

Jackson, Wy – Five conservation groups say they have
filed a lawsuit to stop the federal government from feeding elk on
Wyoming's National Elk Refuge.
The groups say that by feeding an estimated 7,500 elk every
winter, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has turned the refuge
into a breeding ground for diseases that can harm both wildlife and
livestock.
Jeff Welsch with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition said a
lawsuit demanding a stop to the feeding was filed Tuesday in U.S.
District Court in Washington D.C.

Cody, Wy – A group of state and federal officials has
agreed to recommend that the National Park Service keep Sylvan Pass
open during the winter to provide an entry into Yellowstone National Park.
The regional director of the National Park Service issued a
decision late last year that the federal agency would stop winter
maintenance of the pass. The pass leads to the east entrance of
Yellowstone National Park and rises to an elevation of 8,530 feet.
The Park Service had proposed closing the pass in the winter to

Wyoming – In just a few months, the world's best athletes will descend on Beijing for the 2008 summer Olympics. Some of those athletes are still pushing the limits of their physical endurance to qualify for the U-S team. That includes a few young swimmers from the University of Wyoming. Peter O'Dowd has the story.

Wyoming – South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius won a significant victory in court this month, and a University of Wyoming professor helped. UW assistant professor of biomechanics Matt Bundle was on the team of scientists that made the case that his prosthetic legs do not give him an unfair advantage. An Elsa Partan interview.

By AP

Rock Springs, WY – Wyoming Republicans chose two more national delegates at their state convention in Rock Springs this weekend.

The state GOP also chose 11 "guests" who will go to Minneapolis-St. Paul to be on hand in case they're allowed to vote at the Republican National Convention.

By choosing the 11 nonvoting "guests," the Wyoming Republicans are seeking to make the most of their diminished status at the September national convention.

By AP

Cheyenne, WY – Two ironworkers remain hospitalized, one in critical condition, with injuries they suffered in a crane accident at a northeast Wyoming coal mine.

TIC Wyoming Inc. says two of its employees - Andrew Milonis and Frederico Salinas - were being treated Sunday at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper.

Hospital nursing supervisor Mike Chambers says Milonis is listed in critical but stable condition, and Salinas is listed in stable condition.

By Bob Beck

Laramie, WY – One possible solution to Wyoming's worker shortage is to use recently older or recently retired workers who are hoping to change careers. Wyoming is starting to see larger numbers of these types of workers. State Workforce Services Director Joan Evans says that for employers to take advantage of this growing population, they need to make their jobs more flexible. She mentions a recent discussion with an older worker who was considering a job.

Gillette, Wy – Federal investigators say it may be months
before they determine what caused the collapse of a massive crane
that injured three workers at a coal mine in northeastern Wyoming.
Two ironworkers remain hospitalized at the Wyoming Medical
Center in Casper. One man is listed in critical condition, and the
other in stable condition.
Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesman Bill
Denning says investigators were on the scene Monday. He says it
will take months for the agency to reach conclusions about the