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WYOMING BUDGET
Wyoming governor: Revenue drop means 'tough decisions' ahead
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming's governor says less wasteful spending won't be enough to address budget shortfalls.
A report released Tuesday predicts $185 million less revenue for major state accounts over the next three years.
The Consensus Revenue Estimating Group report comes as Gov. Mark Gordon prepares to release his first state budget Nov. 18.
Gordon says in a release Wyoming may be facing a "fundamental change" in how it will be able to fund government services.
Wyoming officials already have made a series of spending cuts to address declining revenue from the fossil-fuel industries, especially coal and natural gas.
State lawmakers have been reluctant to boost revenue through new and higher taxes. Gordon isn't proposing tax increases yet but says the state faces many "tough decisions" in the years ahead.
BEET HARVEST
Freeze, warm spell, damaging to Wyoming beets
(Information from: The Cody Enterprise, http://www.codyenterprise.com)
CODY, Wyo. (AP) — Farmers in Wyoming are wrapping up a difficult year for sugar beets.
A cold snap followed by a week of mild temperatures is threatening the harvest in the Bighorn Basin.
A freeze followed by a thaw causes liquids to run out and spoil other beets when they're stacked in piles. It also lowers the sugar content and price for beets.
The Cody Enterprise reports a summer hailstorm and rainy weather also made for a difficult year.
Farmer Cody Easum says harvest size and sugar content are both low this year.
A local beet pile is growing by about 1,200 tons (metric tons) per day, down from 3,000-4,000 tons in a typical year.
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CARBON CAPTURE RESEARCH
First experiment installed at Wyoming CO2 research site
(Information from: The Gillette (Wyo.) News Record, http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com)
GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Researchers have installed the first experiment at a Wyoming power plant where they will study how to keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Dave Gribble with Wheat Ridge, Colorado-based TDA Research says work at the coal-fired power plant near Gillette should prove that a method to capture the gas that contributes to global warming works at larger scales.
Previously the firm tried its technique at the National Carbon Capture Center in Atlanta.
The Gillette News-Record reports TDA Research will now work with larger gas volumes at Basin Electric's Dry Fork Station.
Wyoming officials have allocated $15 million toward the $21 million research facility. The $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE to capture and profitably use CO2 will occupy five other research bays starting in late 2019 or early 2020.
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ELK FEEDGROUNDS
Lack of public comment on Wyoming refuge feeding practices
(Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com)
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming wildlife officials say a plan to shift bison and elk feeding for the first time in more than a century has not triggered much public reaction.
The Jackson Hole News & Guide reported Monday that a park deputy manager has reported receiving 5 public comments so far but expects agencies to submit comments around the deadline.
Deadline for comments are due to the refuge by Oct. 30.
Wildlife officials say the plan was released at the end of September and intended to scale back elk and bison feeding days by 50% making the animals more reliant on native vegetation.
Officials say that involves feeding the elk later and ending the alfalfa handouts earlier to draw fewer elk to feedgrounds on the National Elk Refuge north of Jackson.
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WIND TURBINES-NUCLEAR MISSILES
Military wants more rules for turbines near nuclear missiles
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The military wants North Dakota and four other states with nuclear missile arsenals to consider introducing new rules aimed at preventing conflicts between wind turbines and helicopters that provide security at launch facilities.
The military says it's an "issue of concern" in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska.
Department of Defense and Air Force officials met Tuesday with North Dakota lawmakers and regulatory officials. The military has proposed bigger buffer zones between missile launch facilities and wind turbines in North Dakota, and special lighting on the towers.
American Wind Energy Association spokesman Tom Vison says developers already work with the Defense Department to mitigate potential risks from wind farms. He says state rules would be overly restrictive and could halt projects.
DEATH PENALTY-REPUBLICANS
GOP death-penalty opponents look to new effort in 2020
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Republicans in states including Wyoming, Utah and Ohio plan to keep pushing for death-penalty repeal even as U.S. officials move toward resuming executions.
A national group, Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, released a statement Monday saying the death penalty is costly and prone to error.
Over 250 people signed including Republican Rep. Jared Olsen, of Cheyenne, who promised in a news conference to try again with death-penalty repeal legislation in Wyoming in 2020.
The Wyoming Legislature last winter came the closest it has in recent memory to abolishing capital punishment.
The measure cleared the Wyoming House but failed 18-12 in the Senate. Repeal opponents argued in part that capital punishment encourages criminals to cooperate with investigators.
U.S. officials announced in July federal executions would resume after a 16-year informal moratorium.
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