By Peter O'Dowd

By Kristin Espeland

Casper, Wy – Before the Wyoming Republican Central
Committee meeting began this morning (Tuesday) to replace the late
U-S Senator Craig Thomas, the politicking already had begun.
The Central Committee convened its meeting to select three
nominees for the seat at 8 a.m. at the Best Western Ramkota hotel
in Casper.
But well before the meeting started, the candidates were in
place along the concourse, with signs and stickers seeking to sway
the 71 committee members to their side.
Thirty candidates are in the running.

By Peter O'Dowd

Laramie, WY – A former chairman of the Albany County Democratic Party is criticizing democrats for not speaking out against the process to appoint the state's next senator.

Laramie-based attorney Warren Lauer says the Democrats should be more vocal and involved as the Wyoming G-O-P continues to narrow its field of candidates.

The Executive Director of the Wyoming Democratic Party Brandon Owens says his group has indeed been involved. However, the governor's office denies this.

Cheyenne, Wy – Wyoming's seasonally adjusted unemployment
rate increased for the third straight month to three-point-three
percent in May, up from April's two-point-nine percent.
The state jobless rate has steadily increased each month since
its recent low of two-point-three percent in February.
Still, the Wyoming unemployment rate remains below the U-S rate.
Platte County posted the highest unemployment rate in May at
four-point-two percent, followed by Fremont and Big Horn counties
at four-point-one percent.

Casper, Wy – Three have been chosen.
The state Republican Central Committee has selected Tom
Sansonetti, John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis as the finalists to
fill Wyoming's vacant seat in the U-S Senate. In the final vote, two people were eliminated from consideration
-- former Wyoming U-S Attorney Matt Mead and former state
Department of Agriculture Director Ron Micheli.
Sansonetti is a former Interior Department attorney. Barrasso is

Casper, Wy – Some 30 candidates are spending some final hours trying to get themselves noticed by 71 Republicans from across the state. Those Republicans will narrow the 30 names to three possible candidates to become next U-S Senator from Wyoming. The State Republican Central committee will hear from many of the candidates throughout the day and many agree that making the list will be a challenge. Doug Chamberlain is a former Wyoming Speaker of the House. He's tried to be low key about his intentions.

Pinedale, Wy – The Bureau of Land Management's Pinedale office has been bombarded with 85,000 e-mails and a stack of letters six inches high from those opposed to oil and gas leasing near the Upper Green River.
The public had its final chance today to comment on revisions to a BLM document that guides drilling on nearly one million acres in the Pinedale Resource Area. Kellie Roadifer (Road-a-fur), of the BLM, expects an additional 7,500 natural gas wells will be drilled over the next decade.

By Peter O'Dowd

Laramie, WY – Honeybees in eight Wyoming counties are dying off, but the Department of Agriculture's Hank Uhden says most farmers and recreational gardeners have little to worry about.

Casper, WY – The Wyoming Republican Party has narrowed the field of candidates to replace the late Senator Craig Thomas down to 10.

The top vote getter in the first phase of today's hearing in Casper was Tom Sansonetti, who led candidates with 65 votes out of 71.

John Barrasso had the second most votes with 60.

Ron Micheli had 57.

Others who were expected to make it to the final 10 have, including Cynthia Lummis, Matt Meade, Randal Luthi and Colin Simpson.