TODAY'S NEWSCAST.mp3

 

 

07-24-08

 

Opposition has emerged again to the decision by Bridger Teton National Forest to permit elk feeding grounds at various locations over the next 20 years.  However, this time the opposition is from the governor of Montana.  Governor Brian Schweitzer wrote to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer voicing concerns over the potential for the spread of disease at those feedgrounds.  In fact, said Schweitzer, “On the first page of the document, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department acknowledges the problem”  The contraction of brucellosis he says then gets transmitted to domestic cattle.  Schweitzer says Montana has done everything in its power to prevent the transmission of brucellosis to its cattle herds, while the USDA has insisted upon application of antiquated herd-to-herd regulations for disease transmission in cattle that have nothing to do with transmission from wildlife. Schweitzer says he has twice signed the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee Memorandum of Understanding and it now appears that Idaho is also ready to sign, while Wyoming is not. Says Schweitzer, “I am questioning the wisdom of signing this document, when it has not been demonstrated to me that all parties are truly committed to finding realistic solutions.”

File Photo 

 

Wyoming is now looking at two possible alternatives to deal with the recent injunction placing wolves back onto the endangered species list.  Last Friday Federal District Judge Donald Molloy ruled to suspend removal of the animal from the endangered species list and place it back in control of the federal government.  Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg says the state state is currently trying to determine how to respond. Salzburg says the preliminary injunction is only effective until the court decides the case on its merits.  At that point, Salzburg says if Molloy is still of the opinion that he expressed in the order on the preliminary injunction, then the injunction will become permanent.

 

Several calls to the Jackson Police Department in the past few days have provided solid leads as the police try to locate and arrest a man who assaulted a 17-year-old woman who was caring for a child Monday in Miller Park and stole her wallet.  Sergeant Scott Terry says more help is needed from the public in order to apprehend the man responsible. Terry describes the suspect as a transient between the ages of 30 and 50, weighing between 250 and 280 pounds, and he was wearing a ball cap with a red bill. A composite picture of the suspect is posted on the police department website.  Terry says this man is considered dangerous and should not be approached, call law enforcement if seen. Anyone with leads is asked to call the police department at 733-1430 or Crimestoppers at 733-5148.

Police Department Composite

 

Today is the day celebrated by our neighbors to the south in Utah as Pioneer Day –  commemorating the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Today here in Teton County, the day and the adjacent weekend mean the busiest day of the summer for regional tourism.  Jackson Police Chief Dan Zivkovich says with the added vehicle traffic through town and the added pedestrians, extra caution needs to be taken by drivers. Additionally, says Zivkovich, the county fair has attracted more people into town and streets are not only congested around the fairgrounds, but those people are coming into the downtown area as well.

 

This marks the week 20 years ago that a series of small fires in the Greater Yellowstone area blew up and began on a track that would mark one of the most dramatic fire seasons ever seen in this part of the country.  One fire, the Mink Fire, was already of major proportions and marching through the Teton Wilderness toward Yellowstone.  Retired Bridger Teton National Forest Information Officer Fred Kingwill remembers that week. With the Mink Fire now crossing the boundary from Bridger Teton National Forest into southeastern Yellowstone National Park, the smaller Falls Fire, Shoshone Fire and Red Fire would soon join and become known as the Snake River Complex. It was on July 22^nd when a cigarette was dropped in the national forest just west of Island Park, Idaho, and before the day was over, that start became the North Fork Fire which ultimately raced across the park and into the Old Faithful area, threatening the historic Inn and getting much national attention.  The park this year remembers the year of fire with special displays around the park and a special section of the park newspaper distributed at each entrance station.

 

Advanced Concrete has emerged as the winning team in women's softball in the Teton County Parks and Recreation league. Advanced Concrete and the Teton Vet Clinic/Red’s Auto Glass had ended the regular season in a tie for first place and every game between these two teams all season were close battles down to the wire. The season championship was decided in the final inning of the championship game with a final score of 9 - 8 in favor of Advanced Concrete.  This marks the third straight year this team has won the town championship.

 

 

 

07-23-08

 

Wyoming's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 2.9% in May to 3.2% in June: just barely higher than its June 2007 level of 3.1%.  Still, says the state department of employment, it remains much lower than the current U.S. Unemployment rate of 5.5%.  Big Horn County posted the highest unemployment rate at 4.3%, followed by Fremont, Goshen and Platte Counties tying at 4.0%.  June's lowest unemployment rates were found in Sublette County at 1.4% and Teton County at 1.9%.

 

The amended Record of Decision addressing a long-term plan to guide management of winter use over Sylvan Pass in Yellowstone National Park has been signed now by Mike Snyder, Director of the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service. The amended agreement is the product of work by a joint study group which focused on the costs of keeping the east entrance open and safety issues there. The Sylvan Pass Study Group last month recommended the continued use of a combination of avalanche mitigation techniques to provide for a safe, predictable, limited, core motorized over-snow travel season over Sylvan Pass. The study group agreed the safety of visitors, guides, and NPS employees, was the first priority in avalanche mitigation. They collectively agreed to explore funding of access and safety improvements, and they remain committed to consistent, ongoing communication about these winter operations. The amended record of decision takes into account these recommendations.

 

Wyoming's first case of West Nile Virus in humans this year has been confirmed in a neighboring county.  According to the state Department of Health, the case involves an unidentified male in Fremont County.  State Epidemiologist Tracy Murphy says the incident should serve as an eye-opener to remind residents and visitors in the state to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Murphy says people should wear shoes, socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt when spending time outdoors or when mosquitoes are most active, and insect repellent containing DEET should be used.  Most people infected with West Nile Virus do not develop symptoms, however, some may develop flu-like symptoms. A very small percentage of infected persons may develop West Nile neuroinvasive disease with symptoms that may include severe headache, fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions and paralysis. Murphy points out that most mosquito species prefer to feed at dawn or dusk, so time spent outdoors during these hours should be limited.

 

A couple areas of the forest will be closed to the public beginning next Monday to accommodate service work being performed there by members of the Boy Scouts of America Order of the Arrow.  Forest Spokesperson Mary Cernicek says Big Rocks Trail and the Phillips power line road will be closed on Teton Pass and limited access will be available at two sites near the Goosewing guard station in the Gros Ventre area. Approximately 1100 scouts are anticipated for the service projects here which conclude the largest service mission by the scouts since World War 2.  Altogether nearly 5000 scouts will have participated in similar projects in five national forests across the nation.

 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, in cooperation with Bridger-Teton National Forest, has trapped and relocated a two-year-old female grizzly bear and moved her to an area of the forest about 40 miles northeast of Jackson. According to Mark Goeke of the Jackson Game and Fish office, the bear had been frequenting rural areas southwest of Cody, leading wildlife managers to trapping the animal and moving it away from where it had become habituated. Goeke says the female bear was relocated the same day it was trapped into the Blackrock creek drainage. The release site is located within currently occupied grizzly bear habitat and the Grizzly Bear Primary Conservation Area. Meanwhile, the bear was not radio-collared because of her small body size.

Photo: Wyoming Game and Fish

 

 

07-22-08

 

Jackson Police are looking for the public's help in locating a man they say engaged in strong-arm robbery of a young woman shortly after 3:00 pm yesterday in Miller Park.  According to Sergeant Scott Terry, a 17 year old woman caring for a small child was thrown to the ground as she exited the public restroom, enabling the robber to steal the woman's wallet from her purse which was on a baby stroller. The man was wearing a blue ball cap with a red bill, tan suede boots and was described as being very unkempt.  This composite of the suspect is posted on the police department website.  Anyone having seen someone matching this description is asked to contact the police department or contact Crimestoppers.

 

Now what?  That's the question being asked by US Fish and Wildlife administrators and officials of the three states who were to have taken over management of the recovered gray wolf population in the region.  That was until Federal District Judge Donald Molloy issued an injunction to suspend removal of the animal from the endangered species list and place their control back in the hands of the federal government.  Since then, says Eric Keszler of Wyoming Game and Fish, the issues is still pretty much still up in the air. Former wolf project leader for the US Fish and Wildlife Department Ed Bangs said, quoting now “We felt the science was rock solid and that the delisting was warranted.” Governor Dave Freudenthal says he wasn't surprised by the ruling and he expressed confidence in the state's attorney general's ability to further litigate on the state's behalf.  Wyoming Senator John Barrasso calls the action in the Senator's words “a ruling by an activist judge, not based on sound science but rather pressure from environmental groups making exaggerating claims.” 

 

Reservoirs in the Snake River Basin remain as full as they have ever been for this late in the year.  Palisades Reservoir reached 100 percent capacity last week for the first time since 1999.  Now, says Mike Beus of the Bureau of Reclamation, both Palisades and Jackson Lake are seeing a slow draw-down as crops downstream begin requiring irrigation. At this point, Beus says the reservoirs have peaked and water levels will continue to drop through the remainder of the summer. Beus explains that while a certain amount of Palisades Reservoir is to be available for flood control early in the summer, that capacity can be used for storage once the flood season has passed; which was the case this summer.

 

A three vehicle accident that tied up traffic on south highway 89 near Lower Valley Energy last evening is still under investigation and details are still sketchy.  According to Wyoming Highway Trooper George Nykum, shortly before 5:30 pm, a northbound pick-up truck apparently rear-ended a northbound suburban forcing that car into the southbound lanes where it struck a pick-up pulling a flatbed trailer. In the process, the driver of the suburban – whose name was not immediately released – was ejected. His injuries required him to be flown to Salt Lake City for treatment.  The conditions of the other drivers were not immediately disclosed.  Nykum says investigators are currently analyzing the vehicle damage in conjunction with the skid marks, and are conducting interviews with eyewitnesses to get a better understanding of what happened.  To that end, Nykum asks that anyone who saw the collision take place call the highway patrol at 307-777-4321.

 

Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester last week teamed up with Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi for new legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Joe Medicine Crow of Lodge Grass, Montana.  The 94-year-old Medicine Crow was the first Crow Indian to receive a Master’s Degree, and he gave up his PhD studies to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II. While in Europe he accomplished four “war deeds,” including capturing enemy horses and hand-to-hand combat, making him a war chief among the Crow people. Earlier this year, Tester and retired Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson had nominated Medicine Crow for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is similar to the Congressional Gold Medal. Last month, Medicine Crow received a Bronze Star and the French Legion of Honor, France’s highest award, for his World War II heroism. The Congressional Gold Medal he will now receive is the nation’s highest civilian honor awarded by Congress.

Photo from Sen. Tester

 

 

 

07-21-08

 

Details are still unclear surrounding the fatal fall Saturday of a highly acclaimed mountain guide. 58-year-old George Gardner, a senior guide for Exum, suffered traumatic injuries in a fall while on a solo climb of the Grand.  Gardner was not with any clients at the time of his fall. Some of Gardner's past expeditions included southwest face of Kanchenjunga and west face of Hyani Potosi in Bolivia’s Cordillera Real. No other information about the accident were available as of Sunday night.

 

A federal judge in Montana issued an injunction Friday to suspend the removal of wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains from the federal Endangered Species List.  Judge Donald Molloy's ruling returns management authority for wolves in the region to the federal government while further legal challenges are heard. The US Fish and Wildlife Department removed wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains from the Endangered Species List in March and a number of environmental groups challenged  that delisting decision. As a result of today’s injunction, wolves can no longer be taken anywhere in Wyoming except in cases where wolves are in the act of attacking livestock. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and US Fish and Wildlife Service are currently drafting a Memorandum of Agreement to cooperatively manage wolves in Wyoming until a decision is reached on wolf delisting.

 

The National Park Service had better be ready for change as it enters its second century of service to the county.  That was the message from presenters addressing about 400 park superintendents, retired superintendents and leaders late last week meeting in a rare summit meeting at Snowbird Utah.  Summit Coordinator Joan Anzelmo says one of the presenters, Dr. Emilyn Sheffield of California State University told the group the dynamics of those visiting the parks in the years a head will see significant change. One of the key themes, says Anzelmo, was developing park leaders for the next century.  To that end, considerable attention was given to those invited to the session who are considered emerging leaders. Steven Lockhart of the Yosemite National Institute spoke of “nature deficiency disorders” among children as an important mission for parks in the future.  Lockhart explains that children need the kind of sense of place parks can impart through an appreciation of their natural surroundings.

 

Voters in Teton County will be asked to decide the fate of five proposed special purpose excise tax initiatives during the August primary election.  Among them, $6-million dollars proposed for a pathway at Highway 22 and Highway 189, $1-million for sidewalks in the town of Jackson, $1 ½ million to design an addition for the county library, $2 ½ million for a maintenance facility for the valley’s START busses, and $52 ¾ million for a new county justice center.  Prior to the vote, the town and county have planned three public forums to acquaint voters with the projects.  All of those forums will be held in the auditorium of the Teton County Library including one tonight from six until seven pm, another August 12^th from six until seven pm, and the final one August 13^th from noon until one.  The same information will be presented during each forum and are scheduled to accommodate as much of the public as possible.  In addition to these forums, a brochure describing each project is available at tetowyo.org/cc complete with contact information for each project.

 

The Snake River through Grand Teton National Park is still running surprisingly high for this time of year; and that, says Park Spokesperson Jackie Skaggs is reason for caution when floating or boating through the park.  Skaggs says there have been several minor incidents on the river, most recently last Wednesday. Still, says Skaggs, it serves as a reminder not to take the river lightly, and to make sure to scout ahead and know how to navigate the river. One excellent alternative, Skaggs says is to make arrangements to go with a professional river floating company who has all the proper equipment and experience with that stretch of the river.

 

Senator John Barrasso wants no part of a proposal to reinstate the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit nationwide.  Some in Congress are proposing the reinstatement of the national speed limit used during the energy crisis in the 1970s as a way to conserve energy.  States that didn't comply lost federal highway funding.  But Barrasso says while the speed requirement might work in urban areas, it would prove a burden to people in states like Wyoming where there are long distances between communities.  Barrasso points out that it is not uncommon for residents to commute 100  miles or more round trip to work or school.  Currently, a trip from Jackson to the state's capital involves an average drive of 6 ½ hours while such a mandate would add another two hours to the trip.  Furthermore, says Barrasso, the 55 mph mandate did not achieve anything appreciable in 1974 and there is no evidence it will work any better in 2008.

 

 

07-18-08

 

The fire danger rating in Teton County has been elevated to “high” now with the very warm days and lack of rain.  Grand Teton National Park Fire Education Specialist Tracy Weaver says as we get into the later weeks of the summer, visitors to the park and forest need to be extra careful with the use of fire or those things that could spark a fire. Weaver noted that to date, there have been ten small fires in the interagency fire protection area. Earlier in the week, a bicyclist riding through the national park noticed a burning campfire that had been abandoned, stopped to douse it with water from his personal water bottle and notified authorities.  County fire officials applauded the cyclist for his actions and noted that an abandoned fire like that could very easily evolve into something unfortunate.

 

The Teton County School Board passed next year's budget after a very brief public hearing Wednesday.  That budget bears a bottom line of 34-million-592-thousand-169 dollars for a four-percent increase over last year's budget.  Nearly 1/2-million of that budget will provide technology resources for the new Davy Jackson Elementary School now under construction.  So far, the tighter economy has not led to cuts in programs or increased class sizes, but in light of the increasing fuel prices, Superintendent Pam Shea told the school board travel of competitions or field trips would have to be closely monitored. Next year's budget also reflects an increase in the payment to the state's foundation program – sometimes referred to as recapture payments.  With statewide property reassessment, the payment from Teton County rose 278%,  an increase from a payment in 2008 of 2-million-599-thousand dollars to 9-million-674-thousand dollars in 2009.  At the same time, the funds guaranteed by the state for Teton County education only increased by 6-point-5 percent, or about 2 ¼ million dollars.

 

The state of Wyoming has earned an outstanding credit rating due to its current fiscal policies and liquidity.  State Treasurer Joe Meyer yesterday released the analysis of Wyoming’s economy and fiscal practices by Standard and Poor’s who Meyer says raised the state’s issuer credit rating from AA to AA-plus. The analysis also noted the strong fiscally conservative nature of the Wyoming Legislature and Governor in creating strong reserves and sound fiscal investment practices which have protected and will protect present and future Wyoming citizens from downturns in mineral revenues. Furthermore, Meyer says Wyoming’s permanent funds have been rated one of the world’s sovereign wealth funds and generate 323-million dollars in investment income for Wyoming’s needs.

 

An unidentified camper was mauled by a grizzly bear yesterday morning as he lay in his tent at a forest campground near Cooke City. According to Gallatin National Forest Spokesperson Marna Daley, the bear entered the tent at Soda Butte campground along highway 212 east of Cooke City. The camper resisted and received bites on his arm and hand. Local EMS attendants gave him initial treatment and transported to the Cody hospital. Daley says Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials have set multiple traps in the area but as yet have not captured the bear, which has returned to the campground at least once since the attack. Daley says until the bear is caught, the Soda Butte campground and nearby Chief Joseph Campground have been evacuated and closed.

 

Details about this week's bomb scare along highway 191 south of Boulder, Wyoming are being disclosed now.  According to the Sweetwater County and Sublette Sheriff's Offices, a  vehicle driven by 21-year old Michael Crain of Lander was pulled over after a REDDI report called officers' attention to it. Crain was arrested for DUI and during the course of his routine inventory of Crain's vehicle, the arresting officer found a quantity of suspected methamphetamine, three firearms including a loaded.45-caliber pistol in a pocket on the driver's door, and an improvised explosive device fitted with a fuse. The Sweetwater and Teton Bomb Squads were notified and two bomb technicians responded: Detective Tony Niemiec of the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office and Detective Andy Pearson of the Jackson Police Department. Using the Sweetwater Bomb Squad's bomb disposal robot, Niemiec and Pearson removed the device from the vehicle and safely destroyed it near the scene. The bomb techs said the device had apparently been constructed from sparklers.  Crain remains in custody at the Sublette County Jail in Pinedale pending his initial appearance in Circuit Court.

Photos from Sweetwater County S.O.

 

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne this week urged a group of 400 national park superintendents and retired superintendents to get out and visit the national parks themselves as a tourist would.  Kempthorne was one of several Interior Department leaders helping lead a workshop at Snowbird, Utah looking for ways to keep our nation's parks relevant for generations to come.  The two day meeting was called by Park Service Director Mary Bomar to plan for the second century of the national park system.  Bomar says that there are three significant tasks ahead for park administrators:  reconnecting Americans with their parks, increasing the capacity of the national park system, and developing a new generation of park leaders.  This marks the third such gathering of superintendents in two decades with the first at Jackson Lake Lodge during 1988 and the second in St. Louis, Missouri in 2000.

 

 

07-17-08

 

Teton County School children will have to have a little more jingle in their pockets when they return to school this fall.  Food Service Director Joe DiPrisco says breakfasts on the school cafeteria lines will increase by 10-cents and lunches at the elementary and middle schools will go up by 25-cents due to the rising costs of the groceries.  However, DiPrisco explained to the school board last night the across-the-board increase will not apply at the high school since those lunches are served on an ala carte basis.  Assistance is still available for students based on their needs and the cost increases will only effect full-paid prices.  At the same time, DiPrisco says the school district has obtained some sizable grants to pay for fruits and vegetables, and one of those grants requires the fruits obtained for the elementary students it benefits are given those fruits at no charge.

 

It should be the kind of report to make a lot of noise about, but then again, it is the reduced noise that is being celebrated.  During yesterday's Jackson Hole Airport Board meeting, board members heard the report that the increased arrivals and departures of aircraft through Grand Teton National Park are producing less disturbance than flights did in earlier years.  That, says Airport Manager Ray Bishop, is made sweeter by the number of passengers utilizing the valley's air travel. Bishop says to better monitor the noise emission, the airport will soon have a new type of radar that will track the sound to the specific airplane creating it. In other reports, the board learned that load factors are down for the airlines serving the valley and in response, Delta will be scaling service back from 180-seat 757 aircraft to 140-seat MD-90 jetliners. Frontier is the only airline that has announced plans to discontinue service at the end of the summer.

 

The Bridger Teton National Forest Supervisor has signed the meal ticket for the elk visiting the forest this winter.  Kniffy Hamilton inked the Record of Decision Monday approving the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission’s continued use of National Forest System lands for feedgrounds at Dog Creek, Fall Creek, Fish Creek, Muddy Creek, and Upper Green River on the Jackson and Pinedale Ranger Districts. These and two other locations (Alkali Creek and Patrol Cabin) were considered and evaluated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement associated with the decision. Game and Fish had also proposed an increase in authorized area at Fish Creek and Patrol Cabin in the Gros Ventre watershed because wolf pressure has affected elk behavior at these feedgrounds potentially causing elk from three feedgrounds to congregate at one site.  However, Hamilton decided not to authorize the increased area there out of concern that negative environmental effects to vegetation and wildlife habitat would result from such intensive use. This decision is subject to administrative review and may be appealed within the next 45 days.

 

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne has issued two orders that will strengthen Interior's wildland firefighting resources and help address severe conditions in California as well as the anticipated fire season the west will see later this year. Specifically, the actions could make several hundred additional employees available to assist in wildland fire suppression and support. One directive issued by Kempthorne requests Interior supervisors make all qualified personnel immediately available for fire assignments. The Secretary also signed an order that delegates authority to waive dual compensation limits, so that retired federal firefighters and support workers can be temporarily rehired without losing pension benefits. So far this year, 46,850 wildland fires around the country have burned almost three million acres, and forecasters expect very hot and dry weather conditions to continue over California with a drying trend in the weeks ahead, elevating the fire danger throughout the western states.

 

The state of Montana has taken a big step toward easing its energy shortage with the construction of a pipeline out of Canada. The Montana portion of the 2,148-mile Keystone Pipeline is approximately 282 miles angling from Port Morgan (just north of Malta) to the South Dakota border in Fallon County southeast of Baker. The pipeline, when completed, will transport crude oil from Hardisty, Alberta to U.S. Midwest markets at Wood River and Patoka, Illinois and to Cushing, Oklahoma. The U.S. portion of the project includes construction of approximately 1,379 miles of pipeline and pump stations. The Keystone Pipeline will have an initial nominal capacity of 435,000 barrels per day in late 2009 and will be expanded to a nominal capacity of 590,000 barrels per day in late 2010.

 

 

07-16-08

 

 

Wyoming Highway Troopers closed a portion of US 191 approximately 4 miles south of Boulder yesterday afternoon while a team of bomb experts removed an explosive device from a vehicle. According to Sergeant Stephen Townsend of the WHP, the incident began shortly after 4:00 pm when the Wyoming Highway Patrol Dispatch Center in Cheyenne received a REDDI report about a southbound pickup on US 191. Troopers located and stopped the truck and arrested one individual on suspicion of driving while under the influence. In the process, Townsend says troopers discovered a small amount of drugs and an explosive device in the vehicle, described as a “Sparkler Explosive”. “Sparkler Explosive” devices are homemade devices made from hundreds or thousands of individual hand held sparklers that have been tightly compressed and packaged together. When tightly packed, sparklers are very dangerous and become explosive when ignited. With the assistance of the Sweetwater County bomb squad, officers removed the explosive device and recovered the drugs. The road was reopened by 9:05 pm. Townsend says the quantity and type of illegal drugs were not immediately disclosed.

 

If you commute to work from Alpine, you will need to allow some extra time for the trip in the week ahead. According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, travelers through the Snake River Canyon on US 26/89 can expect to encounter traffic delays over the next couple of weeks as repairs are made in the canyon.  WYDOT officials say the work involves milling off the top layer of pavement, patching holes and applying an overlay of new pavement material. Areas slated for repair are located at various sites between milepost 126, near Wolf Creek and milepost 140, near Fall Creek.  Traffic will be reduced to a single lane with a pilot car, bringing delays of up to 20 minutes for motorists. Work is expected to take place between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. Then WYDOT officials say milling work willtake place in the later part of the week in Star Valley between milepost 95, near Willow Creek Road and milepost 96, near the Nelson water wells, through the Narrows. Work on both projects is expected to be completed by July 31^st.

 

Time is running out for the public to comment on the proposed comprehensive plan for the town and county.  The plan is hoped to embody the vision the areas residents have collectively for future development of Teton County and the Town of Jackson.  Jackson Mayor Mark Barron says while the town is part and parcel of the county, there are some areas of the plan specific to the town. Comments will be accepted through July 31^st.  Barron says those interested can review the plan as it is now proposed online by going to jacksontetonplan.com.

 

The Bridger-Teton National Forest is still soliciting public review and comment on a project to designate roads and motorized trails in certain areas of the forest where motorized use is currently not restricted.  The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available for review either online or at the Teton County Public Library and Forest Supervisor's Office in Jackson.  Forest Travel Plan Specialist David Wilkinson says the objectives of revising the rules are to improve the quality of the system, reduce resource impacts and improve the ability to maintain routes and enforce travel regulations. Wilkinson stresses that travel under review now is limited to summer motorized travel and not snowmobile use.  Public comment on the draft plan is being accepted until August fourth and any changes will be implemented next March.

 

A temporary travel closure is in place on the Signal Mountain Summit Road this in order to facilitate a repaving project. The temporary closure is scheduled to be in effect Monday through Thursday for three consecutive weeks; however, the road will be open to travel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each week. According to Park Spokesperson Jackie Skaggs, the Signal Mountain Summit Road has deteriorated and needs to be repaved in order to ensure safe travel for the many visitors who drive it each summer. Skaggs says the park staff will also be paving the Pacific Creek Road. This project will involve only minor delays of approximately five minutes—travel closures are not required for completion of this roadwork.

 

 

07-15-08

 

An ill wind caused a 29-year-old river floater to go astray Saturday night and become the subject of a brief search.  Teton County Search and Rescue Coordinator Doug Meyer says a group of four young men set out Saturday afternoon to float Crystal Creek in the Gros Ventre area on a queen-sized air mattress.  Meyer says the four arrived that evening at their campsite at the Atherton Campground on the north side of Slide Lake and three of the four headed into camp while the fourth set out to float the rest of the way to his campsite.  Meyer says when Patrick Ryan failed to show up by 11:00 pm, his buddies called for help.  Rescuers with boats and spotlights set out on Lower Slide Lake in search of Ryan and quickly discovered him on the opposite side of the lake – blown their by a wind change.  With no footwear, Meyer says Ryan was unable to hike back to camp.  Ryan was reportedly chilled, but otherwise unharmed.

 

The International Association of Wildland Fire in association with the 9th Biennial Scientific Conference on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has announced plans to sponsor a major Conference to remember the events of the Yellowstone area fires of 1988. In addition to a variety of scientific speakers who will make presentations during the conference, the agenda calls for presentations by former Yellowstone Superintendent Bob Barbee and former Chief Ranger John Varley.  The Conference will be held September 22-27, Jackson. The sessions planned are described as discussions and presentations about lessons learned, fire effects, large fire management, policy, research related to the fires, the use of fire as a management tool, and other related issues. The International Association of Wildland Fire is a non-profit, professional association representing members of the global wildland fire community.

 

A group of leading airlines and the US Air Transport Association emailed an open letter to their customers last week, urging them to contact their congressional delegates regarding the buying and selling of oil futures.  Signed by the chief executive officers of 12 different airlines, the letter says speculation has gone from 21 percent of all oil contracts to 66 percent now, and now each barrel of oil reflects from $30 to $60 in unnecessary speculative costs.  Wyoming Senator John Barrasso has been pointing to oil speculation as a major cause of the country's current energy crisis. Barrasso says the answer to the problem is to become more energy self-sufficient, utilizing what resources we have with an eye to environmental responsibility. Barrasso says currently, we are seeing the greatest transfer in history of America's wealth to overseas.  That, he says, is a situation we cannot allow to continue.

 

The Wyoming Department of Transportation is entering its final phases of constructing 16 passing lanes on US Highway 191 between Rock Springs and Pinedale.  According to WYDOT, the project involves a 75 mile stretch of highway and approximately $14-million dollars worth of work.  Beginning next week, the highway will be chip-sealed and striped – looking for total completion by the end of October.  Once completed, WYDOT District Public Involvement Specialist Theresa Herbin says motorists will have passing lanes available to be able to pass slower vehicles approximately every five minutes along that portion of highway.

 

The King of Beers has met the Governor of Montana. As news about the proposed sale of Anheiser Busch has echoed through financial circles, Governor Brian Schweitzer has written a letter to Busch seeking assurances that relationships with state barley producers continue beyond the sale.
 
 

 

 

07-14-08

 

Grand Teton National Park Rangers and Teton County Sheriff's officers are seeking whoever is responsible for a series of thefts of personal items from vehicles in the park and county. Rangers responded to two separate incidents of theft on Friday, each involving valuable personal items stolen from unattended vehicles during mid-to-late afternoon. In each case, witnesses in the area reported seeing a suspicious Chevy Suburban in the area.   In the latter case, a wallet containing credit cards had been stolen from the car and park rangers later learned that his card had been used at an outside of the park to withdraw funds from an ATM machine. Teton County sheriffs officers also responded to multiple similar incidents on Friday. Officials believe that these incidents may be related and the thefts are under joint investigation.  Officers are reminding people to be sure their vehicle doors are locked when the vehicle is parked and any valuable items are secured.

 

Efforts to cut down on wildlife mortality on the roads in Grand Teton National Park are apparently paying off.  Park Spokesperson Jackie Skaggs says the efforts began when animals killed on the roads soared to 145 in 2005. Skaggs says besides posting articles in the park newspaper and passing out flyers at the entrance stations, the Park became innovative along the roads themselves. Skaggs says as of this week, wildlife traffic mortality is ten animals below what it was last year at this time.  Skaggs says the park monitors road-killed animals ranging in size from a pine martin to elk and bison.

 

A temporary sewer line has been constructed under the Wilson Bridge now and should be operational, officials say, by tomorrow.  The line became necessary when swift water from run-off in the Snake River undermined the sewer pipe a week ago and broke not only it, but two unused pipes buried adjacent it.  A permanent solution for replacing the broken pipe will be taken care of at a later date.

 

A bear in Yellowstone National Park is the latest to be captured and destroyed because of its aggressive behavior in attempts to obtain food from humans. Rangers trapped and removed the black bear from the Beaver Lake Picnic Area and the Indian Creek Campground are of the park and transported it to Park Headquarters in Mammoth where it was euthanized. Rangers say the bear had approached visitors in the two use area and was able to obtain a significant amount of human food. Park officials say the people in these areas were involved in typical park activities and were not at fault for the bear's ability to obtain the food. Repeated efforts to trap the bear were unsuccessful. Based on the animal’s aggressive behavior, lack of fear of people, and its success at getting human food, the decision was made to destroy the bear. Park officials say this marks the first time Yellowstone National Park has euthanized a bear in over two years.

 

Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal calls the removal of Wyoming’s population of Preble’s meadow jumping mice from the Endangered Species List this week evidence of the state’s proactive efforts with regard to sensitive species. The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced earlier this week the removal of federal protection for the Preble’s mouse in Wyoming, but maintained the threatened status of the mouse in the Colorado portion of its range. Land use across the Preble’s mouse habitat in Wyoming is dominated by agriculture, mostly haying and grazing. The Fish and Wildlife Service says continuation of these long-standing activities does not appear to pose a threat to existing Preble’s populations.

Photo: US Game & Fish

 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has finalized its Brucellosis Management Action Plan for the Jackson herd. The plan is designed to identify what action can be taken by wildlife managers and livestock producers in order to reduce the transmission of the disease from wildlife to domestic cattle herds. One of the actions outlined in the plan calls for a trial vaccination program for bison. However, before such a vaccination is implemented the plan says more scientific research must be completed. The Governor's Brucellosis Coordination Team calls the plan a critical step for preventing the disease to be transmitted from wildlife to cattle and thus regaining the state's brucellosis-free status.

 

 

 

 

 

 

07-11-08

 

Travel through the Jackson Hole Airport continues to be more than strong despite the increasing cost of air travel.  According to the airport board, those arriving and departing the valley by air increased by 19% since the first of the year.  During the month of June alone, 23% more people arrived through the gates than during June of 2007, and 28% more departed.  The increases correspond with a 53% increase in flights during the same month and a 16% increase year to date.  Considering the total number of seats represented by those flights, the airport board says flights in and out of the valley have been running about 65% of capacity.

 

Even though the governors participating in the Western Governor's Conference in Jackson recently placed the focus for the coming year on energy and global warming issues, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal told reporters Wednesday that he sees water issues dominating attention.  The governors had hoped to forge energy, environmental and water policies to be able to recommend to the incoming administration next year. Freudenthal says the disputes and litigation between upper basin states and lower basin states are very real with a history of difficult negotiations between those states.

 

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso has joined with Senator Jon Tester of Montana to co-sponsor a bill which would authorize federal matching money for state trust funds used to reimburse livestock owners whose animals are killed by wolves or grizzly bears.  Barrasso says Wyoming spent 1-point-2 million dollars last year to compensate ranchers who lost livestock. Barrasso says in the Upper Green River Cattle Allotment alone, more than 1200 calves were lost during the first decade since wolf reintroduction.  Barrasso says the effort is not only bi-partisian, it is a concerted effort by senators from all three states where reintroduction took place. The proposed bill seeks to not only compensate ranchers for their losses due to predation, but reduce the risk of predation from wolves and grizzly bears as well.

 

A new series of quarters to be struck following the series depicting the 50 states will celebrate America ’s national parks. The first of those coins to appear 2010 will depict Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park . Wyoming Senator John Barrasso points out that it is only fitting that Yellowstone is commemorated on the first quarter since it is the nation's first park.  The state's junior senator says he thinks the coins will increase awareness and promote efforts to preserve America ’s national national parks for future generations.  The Treasury announced it will issue a coin commemorating a national park or site for each state, the District of Columbia , and U.S. Territories in that series. The “ America ’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008,” is modeled after the 50 State Quarter Program. As of May 2008 the Treasury Department received over $3.5 billion in extra revenue based on the popularity of the 50 States Quarter Program.

 

GPS technology joined forces with Sweetwater County Sheriff's officers yesterday. Apparently Roberta Stassinos of Rock Springs found herself in a predicament, but she had a hard time explaining where she was...or how she got there.  Sweetwater County Sheriff Rich Haskell says around 4:45 AM Thursday, county communications officers received a cell phone call from Stassinos who said she'd driven into a river, and water was coming into her vehicle. Stassinos could't provide much information on her location, but her vehicle's OnStar navigation system could - in the form of GPS coordinates. The coordinates led rescue personnel to a large irrigation canal about 6.7 miles north of Farson.  There, they found Stassimos 2007 GMC Denali upright in the canal with water nearly up to the door handles.  Rescue personnel removed the slightly damp Stassimos from her car and turned her over to Sheriff's officers who arrested her for driving under the influence and speeding.

Photo from Sweetwater County S.O.

 

07-10-08

 

It will be a month and a half or more before a successor is found to finish out the term of Teton County Commissioner Bill Paddleford who passed away on Monday.  The Commission has placed on Tuesday's agenda plans to officially authorize a letter notifying the county's Republican Party of the vacancy and asking them to submit three names of potential successors.  Once that letter goes out, the Republicans will have up to 20 days to submit that list to the Commission. Republican Party Chief Joe Schloss says the party must post notices of the search for a successor in the press.  Schloss says narrowing the candidates to three then will actually be done by the county's Republican Central Committee.  The final list of three will then be given to the board of Commissioners who will have up to 20 days to choose which candidate they will appoint to fill the approximately two years left of Paddleford's term.   

 

While there is a silver lining to the high prices of gas and oil in that the State of Wyoming is seeing more minerals money in its coffers, Governor Dave Freudenthal says he is concerned about the future of the overall state economy.  Freudenthal points to high costs for heating, medical costs, housing and a variety of other needs that are strapping the public while he says their purchase of less necessary items and recreation are becoming more guarded.  Freudenthal specifically says while tourism remains strong this summer, it is one specific part of the state's economy that may be impacted in the future. Freudenthal says family trips were most likely planned before the gasoline prices began soaring. Freudenthal says even now, the numbers of visitors to the state remain strong but discretionary purchases like souvenirs or fine dinners are being given up.     

File Photo

 

Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer has issued an executive order, requiring the various departments within that state's government to utilize available technology in order to reduce the need for travel.  Under his order, all boards, councils and commissions attached to the state are to conduct their meetings electronically as much as possible and accommodate citizen participation in the same way, and authorize meetings of advisory councils in the same manner.  Schweitzer notes that the change in operations will not only conserve energy but will save taxpayer money at the same time.

 File Photo

 

Preparations continue for a group of service projects to be performed on Bridger Teton National Forest by over 1000 boy scouts from around the nation.  ArrowCorps5 will conclude the unprecedented campaign which involves a total of five national forests across the nation with a week of activities on Teton Pass and in the Gros Ventre area.  Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Mark Rey says the work he has seen already completed on other forests is admirable. The scouts are beginning similar work on their fourth forest nationally, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California,  this weekend.  Rey says the crews are made up of the exclusive members of the Order of The Arrow – which is the honor society of scouting.  ...and the work appears to be getting done on the other forests with one Utah newspaper declaring, quote: “The scouts have come and gone, but their service and impact will be felt for many years to come.”

 

A wildfire fire which started on the Idaho National Laboratory yesterday afternoon was contained by late last evening after racing through about 14-hundred acres.  The fire was confined to an area of sagebrush and grass between the Materials & Fuels Complex and Central Facilities Area – approximately  40 miles west of Idaho Falls.  Firefighters from the INL Fire Department and Bureau of Land Management used  bulldozers, tanker trucks, BLM air tankers and extensive manpower in battling the fire. INL officials stress tha t no time during the fire were any INL facilities in danger.  Meanwhile, US highway 20 was closed during the height of the blaze.  The cause of the fire has not been determined.

 

 

 

07-09-08

 

High gasoline prices have not made a large impact on tourism in the national parks in this corner of Wyoming.  Statistics released this week by Grand Teton National Park indicate visitation is down by only point-5 percent – and that, says spokesperson Jackie Skaggs, could be attributed to the inclement weather in early June. Skaggs says there were also two closures of the Moose-Wilson road which could have discouraged a few people from entering the park from the south.  At the same time, Skaggs says the park is optimistic about this month's visitations.

Skaggs notes that the recently passed Independence Day holiday weekend felt very busy with visitors represented not only from the region, but from further distances as well.

 

Following the long Independence Day holiday weekend, the average price of gasoline in Wyoming is beginning to fall, albeit by only a fraction of a cent.  Residents of Jackson however saw the lowest price for a gallon of regular in the valley climb to $4.09 this week which is three cents higher than the state average but a penny below the national average.  The lowest prices, $3.83 per gallon, were found in Gillette and Cheyenne while the highest statewide, $4.29, were to be paid in Buffalo.  Nationwide, regular gasoline averages $4.10 a gallon according to AAA Auto Club with several southern and midwestern states still posting prices slightly under four dollars.

 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission is embarking on a new study of the Jackson elk herd which will involve putting radio collars on up to 11 elk along the southern boundary of Yellowstone National Park.  The study is meant to learn about the unusually long migration that takes place between there an the National Elk Refuge which takes the animals through Bridger Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park.  Game and Fish Spokesman Ray Hagaman says the study, which focuses on movement during fall hunting season, is funded in part by sportsmen's groups.  Hagaman says funds for the study are being contributed by Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, Jackson Hole Outfitters and Guides, Safari Club International, Wyoming Outfitters and Guides, and both the National Elk Refuge and Wyoming Game and Fish Department.  The radio collaring is to be accomplished this summer.

 

National Park literature proclaims, “A fed bear is a dead bear” and this week, that's just the case.  A female black bear that had been frequenting the Colter Bay area was captured and destroyed this week because of its habitual behavior.  The bear's behavior had become more bold last month when it grabbed food from people who were cooking on Elk Island in Jackson Lake.  Most recently, says Park Spokesperson Jackie Skaggs, the bear had crashed through two unoccupied tents in the campground – one of which had food stored inside.  Skaggs says the campers from that site were cited and fined for the violation.

 

Grand Targhee Resort's Vice President of Marketing for the past 30 years is leaving the resort at the end of this month.  Susie Barnett-Bushong formally announced her resignation to staff and management late last month. Grand Targhee officials say a national search for Barnett-Bushong’s replacement is currently underway.

 

Tune up the chain saw and begin laying in your supply of firewood.  Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal says residents of the Cowboy State will be paying dearly on their heating bills by year's end. Unfortunately, Freudenthal says the state has no way of intervening in the escalation of the price. Freudenthal is encouraging residents to use the warm summer months to upgrade the winterization of their homes for the months ahead.

 

 

07-08-08

 

Interagency firefighters are on the scene of a fire that was reported near the Bear Trap Meadows in the Big Sandy area of Bridger Teton National Forest in the vicinity of where the Rainbow Family was camped last week. The fire is located approximately 31-miles southeast of Boulder, Wyoming near the Dutch Joe Guard Station. The fire, named the Gathering 2 Fire, has now burned approximately 3 acres of dead trees. A Type One helicopter, which is a specialized helicopter for combating forest fires, has been ordered for this incident. Currently, the fire appears to be moving in an easterly direction. Some of the remaining participants in the Rainbow gathering have been relocated for safety. Cause of the fire is under investigation.
 
A 22-year-old Driggs man is presumed dead after a horseback accident Sunday at Upper Palisades Lake.  Lt. Sam Hulse of the Bonneville County, Idaho Sheriff's office says Colby Beard was horseback riding with some friends near the water's edge. Hulse says the horse reportedly fell spilling Beard into the lake. Hulse says Beard's friends reported seeing him go under the water and tried at great lengths to rescue him until the cold water prevented them from continuing their efforts. Hulse says the friends could not contact help without riding out of the area which took about two hours.  Upper Palisades lake is located seven miles in from the trailhead in mountainous terrain.  Divers were flown into the scene Monday to attempt to recover Beard's body.

The body of the man found last week near the Dutch Joe Guard Station has been identified now as 24-year-old Garrett Bardin, who had been the subject of an intensive search since June 24^th. Bardin's body was found by Tip Top Search & Rescue volunteers at about 10:00 AM July 3^rd in a remote area about 650 yards southeast of the spot where his 2006 Lincoln 4x4 pickup was recovered on June 24th, and a little over half a mile from the Rainbow Family Gathering camp. According to Sublette Deputy County Coroner K.C. Lehr, the apparent cause of death was a single self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Reservoirs throughout the Snake River Basin are in better shape than they have been in several years.  According to the Bureau of Reclamation, Jackson Lake at the top of the system is at 100% capacity while Grassy Lake  and Henry's Lake at the summit of the Henry's Fork are also at their capacity.  Meanwhile, Pallisades Reservoir, which has not seen anything near its normal summer level for the past several seasons, is now reported to be 94% full.  Downstream, American Falls is the only reservoir in the system not above 90% and still has 30% of its capacity left to store what run-off remains.  At the same time, both the Snake River Basin and Upper Yellowstone/Madison Basin report well over 200% of the 30-year average snow-water content is still to come down.

 

Wyoming's U.S. Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, both R-Wyo., are cosponsoring a bill to increase Medicare's reimbursement rates for doctors and protect patient access to the health care program. The senators are cosponsoring the Preserving Access to Medicare Act of 2008 which would stop a rate cut for Medicare payments to doctors that had been mandated through the expiration of a current law. That cut was scheduled to go into effect Monday. Barrasso told the Senate that medicare payments must be kept at a level to make it less desirable for doctors to leave rural areas and seek better incomes elsewhere. Since the vote, the American Medical Association based in Chicago has launched what the senators call a smear campaign in Wyoming, spending tens of thousands of dollars on negative advertising. What needs to be understood, says Barrasso – a rural doctor himself – is that health care in rural areas is very different from care in the cities. Just last Thursday, Barrasso says, Senate majority leadership twice blocked efforts to pass a one-month extension to hold the doctors harmless so that a bipartisan solution could be written and signed.

 

The Teton County Board of Commissioners this morning announced the death of Commissioner Bill Paddleford Monday night after a courageous battle against cancer. According to an official county release he passed peacefully at home. Paddleford was 55.

Teton County File Photo

 

 

07-07-08

A North Carolina man is recovering after falling about 150 feet while on a climb of the Middle Teton in Grand Teton National Park Friday, and severely injuring his ankle.  Grand Teton National Park rangers say twenty- four year old Tom Wilkinson from Chapel Hill, North Carolina tumbled approximately 150 feet while descending the snowfield between the Southwest and Ellingwood Couloirs. Wilkinson's climbing partner called the accident in on his cell phone.  An interagency contract helicopter was called in to help evacuate Wilkinson to Lupine Meadows in a short haul evacuation procedure.  Once there,  rangers were able to provide medical care, and then transport him to Saint Johns Hospital by ambulance. Park officials remind climbers to be aware of varying snow conditions on the mountains above 9,000 feet and encourage all climbers to check conditions at a local ranger station before making an ascent. Rangers say Wilkinson was fully equipped and wearing protective gear at the time of the incident .

 

It was anything but peace and love on their minds when a group of nearly 400 Rainbow Family members surrounded and began pitching rocks and other objects at law enforcement officers in the Big Sandy Region of Bridger Teton National Forest south of Pinedale Thursday.  Incident Information Officer Rita Vollmer says the incident began when officers wanted to question a single individual who fled, rather than cooperate. Vollmer says when he was detained, other Rainbows stepped in and the incident continued to escalate.  Altogether, Vollmer says, five Rainbows were arrested and one officer was treated at a local hospital. Vollmer says other arrests in connection with the Thursday incident are still possible.  However, July 4^th typically concludes the Rainbow gatherings and already, participants are beginning to leave the area.

 

An autopsy has been ordered for the body recovered from near where a 24-year-old Sublette County man's truck was found June 24^th.  Since that time searchers have been trying to locate Garrett Bardin, the son of Sublette County Sheriff Wayne Bardin.  Searchers involved in that effort located a body Thursday, but indentification was not immediately disclosed.  Sheriff's Office spokesman Detective Dick Blust said county investigators who recovered the body and processed the scene believe the cause of death to have been a single self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Blust says sheriff's investigators remain in the area where the search was focused, but an all out search effort is no longer under way.

 

Swift current in the Snake River from high run-off in the high country are being blamed for breaking two pipes near the Wilson bridge Friday, and then breaking a sewage-laden third pipe Saturday.  County officials Friday urged west bank residents to reduce the amount of water they use and cut the amount of sewage being transported through the pipe.  All activity in the vicinity of the exposed pipes was suspended for part of the day, July 4^th, but by evening, rafters were again permited to put in and take out at the boat ramp north of the bridge.  While the sewer pipe is being repaired an official of the sewer district says the sewage is being collected and trucked out.  In the meantime, residents in that area are being urged to minimize water and sewer use.

 

The soaring gasoline prices have dominated the attention of the traveling public this holiday weekend, just as the development of energy sources dominated conversation at the Western Governors' Conference in Teton Village last weekend.  Last week, Dr. John Felmy, chief economist for the American Petroleum Institute visited Jackson to participate in the Western Business Roundtable.  Felmy points out that while the major oil companies are typically equated with petroleum products, oil products are certainly not their sole interest. Felmy also points to “coal to liquids,” a technology frequently promoted by Wyoming leaders, as being a well-defined technology that has been around since World War II and provide a viable alternative as fuel for vehicles.

 

 

  July 4th-08 

 

Searchers in Sublette County have found a body in the vicinity of where the truck belonging to a man missing for a week now was found near the Dutch Joe Guard Station.  Sheriff's officers say the  as-of-yet unidentified man was found Thursday morning by Tip Top Search & Rescue volunteers around 10:00 am.  24-year-old Garrett Bardin, the son of Sublette County Sheriff Wayne Bardin disappeared June 24^th in the Big Sandy region of the county and has been the subject of an intensive search since that time.  Deputy Sheriff Dick Blust said he hoped to have an update and more details available soon, but declined further comment until he had the opportunity to consult with on-scene investigators.

 

The Western Governors' Association took advantage of its meeting in Jackson this week to pass the yoke of leadership from Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal to Utah Governor Jon Huntsman as the next chairman of the association.  Huntsman told members of the press that where organizations frequently change focus under new leadership, the governors will stay the course set under Freudenthal's leadership. Moreover, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer adds that the association will take the lead in forging energy policy that it will offer as a template the incoming administration.  Schweitzer says it makes sense for the western states to assume such a role. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter says the research universities in Colorado have joined in a consortium to study alternative methods for energy production, funded in part with a five-million dollar grant from Conoco/Phillips.

 

Jackson has been chosen by an international online travel resources as one of the top destinations in the U.S.  In its inaugural year, the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards  released a list of the country's 25 top destinations, naming Jackson Hole number 11. According to TripAdvisor Vice President Michele Perry, the winners were selected by the travelers themselves and measured by a combination of TripAdvisor's travelers' favorite places and overall popularity on TripAdvisor. Headlined as “a great town to unwind in after a day in the mountains,” Jackson is cited in the awards for having the longest and steepest vertical slope in the United States which attracts hordes of serious skiers and snowboarders each year. The guide to the top 25 also tells readers that the area also includes Teton Village, a lively community of shops, restaurants, hotels and condominiums. The report goes on to say nearby Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park, offer natural splendor and outdoor adventure all year long. From biking and rafting to fly fishing and golfing, it says, “where to start is the hard part.”  Jackson came in behind number one Lake Tahoe and other California destinations, but ahead of locations like Honolulu and Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

 

Visitation to Yellowstone National Park hit a new record in June, and is on a near record pace for the first six months of 2008. According to spokesman Al Nash Yellowstone recorded more than 612-thousand recreational visits last month – up nearly 2500 visitors from June 2007 Nash says that marks only the second time in history that Yellowstone’s June visitation has topped the 600-thousand mark. Meanwhile, Nash says, the park has recorded 947-thousand-647 visitors during the first six months of this year. While that’s down slightly from last year’s record of 978,235 visitors, Nash says, it is the second highest visitation level ever recorded for the first six months of a year.

 

Don't look for a lot of secret service agents and the Cheney family today at Music In The Hole.  While Vice President and Mrs. Cheney traditionally enjoy the concert at Alpine Field, a White House spokesperson says the Vice President will be aboard “Old Ironsides” in Boston to participate in a military reenlistment ceremony.  The USS Constitution was first commissioned in 1797 and became a familiar vessel to every child studying American history for the generations that would follow.

 

The Grand Teton Music Festival is reminding people in the vicinity of Alpine Field that there will be some firings of simulated cannons during the day on July 4^th.  The first of those firings will be to signal the start of the event at 9:00 am with two more shots at approximately 12:30 pm and again during the performance of the 1812 Overture at 7:15 pm.  Music Festival representatives caution that the noise from those firings may be upsetting to nearby pets.  Likewise, explosions at noon and again during the annual fireworks display at the foot of Snowking Mountain may prove very unsettling to local animals, and animal control officials for the town and county recommend residents keep their pets indoors during the display.

 

07-03-08

The Sublette County Sheriff's officers have revealed that the pick-up truck belonging to the missing son of Sheriff Wayne Bardin  had sustained a degree of body damage, including three bullet holes when it was found.  To date, sheriff's officers have not been able to locate 24-year-old Garrett Bardin who has been missing since June 24^th. According to Undersheriff Jim Whinnery, Bardin's vehicle was towed back to Pinedale from where it was found approximately two miles from the old Dutch Joe Guard Station, near the site of the Rainbow Family Gathering. Whinnery says detectives are continuing a forensic examination of the vehicle, but the shots fired into the vehicle appear to be in a random pattern and are the sort of gunfire damage often seen in vandalism cases. Whinnery says investigators have followed up on information that Bardin is inside the Rainbow gathering voluntarily and is unharmed, but to date they have not been able to confirm or deny that information.  Whinnery says the search continues for Bardin, on a reduced scale. The search will focus today on Muddy Ridge, west of the location where Bardin's vehicle was recovered and where search dogs previously alerted to his scent.

 

The Wyoming Highway Patrol will again be participating with the national program "Operation C.A.R.E" in the interest of holiday safety on the state's highways. Sergeant Steve Townsend explains that “Operation C.A.R.E.” stands for Combined Accident Reduction Effort with highway patrol and local enforcement agencies joining forces to patrol the roads and curb dangerous driving behaviors. Townsend urges the public to also participate in the “Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately” program, or REDDI, to help the uniformed officers keep the roads as safe as possible. The “Operation C.A.R.E.” program will run from July third through the sixth.

 

The US Senate has confirmed Jackson Native Kelly Rankin as the news US Attorney. Rankin has actually been serving as U.S. attorney for Wyoming since the beginning of May. The Senate confirmed Rankin unanimously after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination Thursday. Rankin received both his bachelor’s and J.D. from the University of Wyoming. After working as a prosecutor at the county level, Rankin became assistant U.S. attorney in 2003. When interim U.S. Attorney John Green’s term expired, U.S. District Judge William Downes named Rankin as U.S. attorney in early May and now the Senate confirmation of Rankin’s nomination was the final step in the process.

 

Wyoming Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, are supporting a new energy bill that they say would decrease gas prices and provide more energy for Americans.  Senator Enzi says the bill fails to recognize the importance of coal and nuclear power to the energy equation, but it does go a long way to deal with the current crisis. Senator Barrasso adds harvesting American resources such as clean coal in an efficient and effective way, is the key to energy independence and energy security. In Barrasso's words “it is time for Congress to step up and provide solutions, not just rhetoric.”

 

A California man was arrested in eastern Sublette County on felony-level drug charges on Sunday. According to court documents, Sublette County Deputy Sheriff Toby Terrell arrested 42-year old Daniel Lee Pasko of Eureka, California around on the Forest Service road near the old Dutch Joe Guard Station and the site of the Rainbow Family gathering. In Pasko's car, law enforcement officers found over a pound of marijuana packaged in multiple spice containers, a glass jar and in  multiple vacuum seal-typ bags. Pasko is being held at the Sublette County Jail in Pinedale,  His bond was set in Circuit Court at $15,000 cash or surety. Meanwhile,  a special federal court has been set up in the Farson Fire Hall to handle minor cases arising from the Rainbow Family gathering in southwest Wyoming.

 

St. John's Medical Center has added a new service to their available health coverage with the retirement of one of the valley's specialists. Hospital Spokesperson Karen Connelly says Dr. Stan Siegel was the valley's singular ear, nose and throat specialist, and his retirement left a void in the community. Connelly says the medical center anticipates announcing the arrival of a new ear, nose and throat specialist soon. In the meantime, those needing audiology attention can call the audiology department in Dr. Siegel's former office in the hospital annex.

 

 

07-02-08

Jackson Police were called to investigate a suspicious package in the parking lot of the Bridger-Teton National Forest supervisor's office early Tuesday morning.  According to Corporal Andy Pierson, a forest maintenance person discovered a package that appeared to contain explosives when he arrived about 5:00 am and called police.  Pierson said the package contained two large fireworks – one in its commercial wrapping and the other unmarked with the label removed.  Pierson says at least one of the fireworks had previously been launched.  No further investigation into the incident is anticipated.

 

The Western Governor's Association wrapped up its three-day meeting in Jackson Tuesday with summary comments to the media from host Governor Dave Freudenthal and three other governors.  Freudenthal says the participants discussed a variety of issues ranging from wildlife corridors and climate change to energy policy. Utah Governor Jon Huntsman told reporters that energy and climate change issues topped the association's priorities.  Huntsman says those priority will be worked on throughout the year while the states also will call on their research universities to look at the issue scientifically.  Additionally, he says, the western states plan to begin working with China in addressing the concerns. Huntsman says such dialog is not being done at the federal level, so the consortium of western governors has decided to engage in conversation on a regional level.  Huntsman takes over from Freudenthal as the chairman of the Western Governor's Association and will host next year's conference in Park City, Utah. 

 

A AAA Auto Club survey indicates a slight decline in the number of people planning to take to the roads for the Independence Day holiday this year.  According to Denice Harris of the Mountain West Division of AAA, about 40.45 million Americans plan to travel during the July 4th holiday weekend – that's down 1.3 percent from last year.  Harris blames the high price for gasoline for the decline. Harris says some traveler services will be offering incentives to help counteract the negative economy.  Fore instance, she says,  travelers should watch for free gas card offerings, breakfast promotions, kids-eat-free deals, and car rental discounts in addition to auto club discounts.  At this time, Wyoming's average price for a gallon of regular is slightly below the national average which may help encourage travel to and through the state.

 

Fires in California and other western states have stretched resources to the point that the fire preparedness level has been elevated to five which is the very top of the scale.  Fire Information Officer Lori Iverson, currently in California, explains that national resources have been deployed to fight fire there and other western states leaving new incidents to compete for what resources remain.  Iverson assures, however, that sufficient resources are retained locally to deal with any fire starts at home.  At the same time, two Wyoming Air National Guard 153rd Airlift Wing C-130 cargo planes are also in California helping to battle the wildfires from the air. The aircraft and crews began releasing fire retardant on June 28 to help contain multiple fires throughout California.  Iverson says firefighters are seeing conditions on the forest there that are more typical of late summer or autumn making the forests very susceptible to fire.

 

The Wyoming Department of Education has just released a survey indicating that there are some at-risk behaviors that Wyoming students are at a greater risk of being subjected to than the rest of the nation. Data shows that Wyoming students are at a greater risk of rarely or never wearing a seatbelt, with 15.4 percent of students in Wyoming at-risk, compared with 11.1 percent on a national level. The survey goes on that 14.7 percent of Wyoming's students are at-risk of using smokeless tobacco at least once in a 30 day period, while the percentage of use on a national level is 7.9 percent. In addition, 26.8 percent of Wyoming students said they had carried a weapon at least once in the past 30 days, compared to 18 percent on a national level. Other behaviors that Wyoming students were at greater risk of being subject to, than the rest of the nation, included lifetime methamphetamine use and inhalant use

 

07-01-08

Bridger Teton National Forest rangers have closed the Gros Ventre Road near Slide Lake to all but local traffic due to a landslide there early Sunday and the continued instability of the hillside.  Forest Spokesperson Mary Cernicek says the slide at one time covered the road near Atherton Creek Campground. Cernicek says the slide was initially reported by the campground hosts who said they could hear the mountain sloughing breaking roots and trees for about 10 minutes. Cernicek says the snow melt has made the hillside very soggy and unstable, and forest officials hope to reopen the area to the public as soon as that water percolates through and the hillside stabilizes.

 

The search for the 24 year old son of Sublette County's sheriff continued over the weekend with still no sign of him as his disappearance becomes a week old.  Garrett Bardin of Pinedale was reported missing by his family on June 24th.and at about 4:30 pm, the same day, his silver 2006 Lincoln 4x4 pickup, was found by sheriff's deputies approximately two miles from the old Dutch Joe Guard Station about 35 miles southeast of Pinedale. The search of the area has included a line search for a radius of over a mile from the location where Bardin's pickup was found, the use of tracking dogs, and motorized, and aerial searches extending out some 20 miles. A number of reported sightings of Bardin, all unconfirmed and many anonymous, have been received by the Sheriff's Office, but none so far have produced any results.

Photo: Sublette County SO

 

Western Governors meeting in Jackson this week have agreed to a sort of “balancing act” when it comes to energy development. The Governors Sunday approved a recommendation that projects should adjust to accommodate wildlife in the area, instead of expecting wildlife to adjust to the development. Wildlife biologist Steve Torbit with the National Wildlife Federation helped write the recommendations. Torbit says the Governors also want public input to be valued for its weight when energy development is planned for an area. 

Wildlife officials with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Grand Teton National Park worked cooperatively to trap and relocate a sub-adult male grizzly bear that had been frequenting developed areas near Moran over the weekend. The young bear appeared unafraid of people and repeatedly returned to developed areas despite attempts to haze it. The young bear was trapped early Saturday, June 28th and relocated the same day to a location along the Grassy Lake Road approximately 10 miles west of Flagg Ranch in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.
 
This is Independence Day week, which traditionally is marked by too many people using illegal fireworks in the county.  Reminders have been issued by Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks  and Bridger Teton National Forest that pyrotechnics are always illegal on the federal lands.  Meanwhile, Brian Coe of the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS reminds that Teton County including the town of Jackson also observe a ban on fireworks in the interest of safety. Local laws state that any fireworks offered for sale or simply possessed may be confiscated and destroyed by authorities and those found in violation can be charged with a misdemeanor.  Fines can range up to $750 and the violator can be held responsible for the cost of suppression for any that results from use.

 

Nine Jackson Hole students have been listed by the University of Wyoming as having received bachelors degrees and two others received masters degrees at the end of Spring Semester.  Those students receiving their bachelors include:  Andrew Byron, Katherine Clark, Emily Feuz, William Jaeger,  Christopher Livingston, Michelle Nicholson, Robert Reetz, Wesley Stoker, and Bryon  Riotto.   Meanwhile, John Daily, Anita Moose, Forrest McCarthy, and Bowling Miller were confered their masters degrees at UW.

 

 

06-30-08 

 

 

A 12-year-old Pennsylvania boy is recovering from injuries sustained when he was flipped in the air by a bison near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Thursday.  According to park officials, a mature bull bison, apparently annoyed at the close proximity of the boy, tossed him approximately 10 feet in the air. Witnesses said the boy was posing with members of his family within 1-2 feet of the animal despite repeated warnings from other visitors. The only outward injuries the boy suffered were abrasions possibly received from hitting the ground. Because the boy complained of abdominal pain, he was transported by ambulance to the Lake Clinic and then flown to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.

Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal told the opening plenary of the Western Governor's Association yesterday that Wyoming already dedicates significant resources to preserving wildlife habitat.  The opening session centered on how to protect wildlife migration corridors in the face of rapid population growth, increasing residential development, escalating pressures from energy exploration and production and the predicted effects of climate change. Freudenthal told the group states need the federal government as a partner in actively protecting areas critical to the migration of wildlife in the West.  Freudenthal emphasized the need for the federal government to support the actions of states like Wyoming that invest in the preservation of wildlife habitat and migration corridors. Altogether, governors and nearly 500 attendees heard from Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and NBC special correspondent Tom Brokaw who is also an avid sportsman.
 

The displacement of a scout project planned for the southern portion of Bridger-Teton National Forest has drawn the ire of members of Wyoming's Washington delegation.  Representative Barbara Cubin and Senator John Barrasso sent letters to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer decrying the way the Rainbow gathering was handled.  Both lawmakers told Schafer that is was wrong for the forest to allow the gathering without going through the proper permitting process.  However, Under-secretary Mark Rey explains that considering the history of working with the loosely organized Rainbow Family and lawsuits filed objecting to the permits as infringements on first amendment rights of assembly, the process in use now was pursued as a possible alternative. Meanwhile, Bridger Teton Spokesperson Mary Cernicek says the forest and the national scouting organization has agreed on an alternative site for the project displaced by the Rainbows out of the three that had been planned. The week-long service projects are to begin July 27th. 

 

Skyrocketing fuel prices have spoiled Frontier Airlines Plans for year-around service to Jackson Hole.  Spokesperson Lindsay Purvis says while the market has proven its value to the airline this summer, service will end September 8^th.  Purvis says the airline remains hopeful that the economy will improve by the end of the summer and will certainly reevaluate its decision as the September pull-out approaches. Purvis says Frontier has also dropped service to Louisville, Kentucky and reduced the number of flights in and out of 22 other markets including Dallas, Chicago and Phoenix.