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UNIVERSITY-RECORDS LAWSUIT
University of Wyoming likely to appeal records lawsuit loss
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A University of Wyoming official says the school will likely appeal a judge's order to turn over records to news media outlets. University spokesman Chad Baldwin said Monday the school's board of trustees hasn't made a final decision on whether to appeal but “that is the intent at this point.” Albany County District Court Judge Tori Kricken ruled Friday that the vast majority of records sought by the Casper Star-Tribune and WyoFile should be released. The university withheld records the news outlets sought involving a trustees' decision not to renew the contract of university President Laurie Nichols in 2019. Nichols recently took a job as president of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.
GRIZZLIES-HUNT STUDY
Study: Grand Teton elk hunt not a major draw for grizzlies
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Scientists have concluded that an annual elk hunt in Grand Teton National Park doesn't draw in and concentrate large numbers of grizzly bears. Researchers say the November to December hunt probably takes place too late in the year for grizzly bears to seek out animal remains left behind by hunters. The researchers theorize many grizzly bears have denned up for winter hibernation by the time a significant number of remain have accumulated. The park holds the hunt to control elk numbers. The study took place after a grizzly mauled a hunter in 2011 and a hunter shot and killed a charging grizzly in 2012.
AP-US-ELECTION-2020-CHAFEE
Lincoln Chafee files to run for president as Libertarian
Former Democratic presidential candidate Lincoln Chafee has filed to run for president as a Libertarian. Online records show that the former governor of Rhode Island on Sunday registered the “Lincoln Chafee For President” campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission. Chafee moved to Wyoming last year and joined the Libertarian Party. He was a Republican in the U.S. Senate and became an independent after losing his seat in 2006. Chafee was then elected Rhode Island governor in 2010 as an independent and became a Democrat in office. He didn't run for reelection but mounted a short-lived run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2015.
FATAL CABIN FIRE
Woman, 2 dogs died Friday in a cabin fire west of Casper
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A woman and two dogs have died in a cabin fire west of Casper. The Natrona County Sheriff's Office said a man who also lived at the cabin tried to leave the property Friday to get help, but got stuck. Officials say he spent the night in his pickup and later drove an all-terrain vehicle out. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but the sheriff's office says there was no indication of foul play. The woman's name has not been released.
GRAND TETONS-MOUNTAIN GOATS
Grand Teton park to begin killing invasive mountain goats
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Grand Teton National Park officials say an operation to kill mountain goats is beginning on Sunday. The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that aerial gunners contracted by the park will spend up to a week locating and shooting at the approximately 100 goats in the high Tetons, which includes the north and west slopes of the range's Cathedral Group. The mountain goats are an invasive species and park officials say their eradication will help the mountain range's struggling bighorn sheep herd. Park officials plan to close the area to the public next week.
COAL PRODUCTION SLOWS
Wyoming Powder River Basin coal production continues to slow
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Federal data shows coal production in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming continued declining during the third quarter of 2019. The Casper Star-Tribune reports the U.S. Energy Information Administration published the information Thursday showing a 7.7% decrease in year-to-date production. National coal production also fell 6.9% in the third quarter of 2019 compared to the same quarter in 2018. U.S. coal consumption experienced a similar decline, decreasing 13.4% from the same period in 2018. Utility company PacifiCorp has coal plants throughout rural Wyoming but the company says it is hastening the closure of about two-thirds of its national coal operations.
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