Business  (top)

'Micro-cars' rev up consumers
SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- In a window-clad showroom on a busy downtown corner here, the future of U.S. motoring could be on display.

Baby jets will change travel
OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Not one of the planes has yet been delivered, but that hasn't stopped customers from placing orders for several thousand of the super-small jets that some industry observers predict could alter the face of business travel.

Dollar down against other currencies
LONDON (AP) -- The U.S. dollar was down against other major currencies in late European trading Monday. Gold prices were lower.

Common myths about FDIC insurance
The Mountain States Better Business Bureau along with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation wants to correct common false assumptions regarding FDIC-insured bank products. Below are some of the misperceptions relayed to Better Business Bureaus and the FDIC call center:

Income statistics ahead -- caution required
The picture painted by Wyoming's per capita personal income numbers is probably too rosy, a state labor force expert says.

Cost of South Dakota power plant escalates
The largest power plant in South Dakota history, a proposal already under fire from environmental advocates for using coal instead of wind, would be 50 percent more expensive than previously estimated, according to utility executives.

Ads offer new model for getting rich online
WASHINGTON -- For hundreds of thousands of people, the dream of making an Internet fortune works like this: Earn pennies at a time in exchange for allowing Google Inc. or Yahoo Inc. to place advertisements on a personal or small-business Web page.

Livestock report
TORRINGTON (USDA) - Torrington Livestock sold 650 cattle Friday.  Compared to last Friday, slaughter cows sold steady to $1 higher, slaughter bulls and feeder cows steady. Breaker slaughter cows brought $48.25-$53.25, boning $46.50-$54, lean $42.25-$45.50; slaughter bulls ranged from $57-$63.50; young feeder cows brought $62-$69, middle-aged brought $54-$56, aged feeder cows $48-$54; feeder steers 730 lbs $114.25; feeder heifers 810 lbs. $104.75, 960-995 lbs. $99.75-$101.75; young bred cows brought $860.

Casper Penney's gets make over
Shoppers at JC Penney's in Casper's Eastridge Mall can expect some rerouting as construction crews work on better traffic patterns in the coming weeks.

Business Briefs
Barnes takes over at CAEDA

Casper  (top)

Casper Briefs
College registration opens

Council to vote on medical campus plans
The Park Ridge Medical Campus Addition next to Hat Six Road in east Casper is coming along as planned, according to the project manager.

Tweety twansports tykes
What does a seven-story, 77,500-cubic-foot Tweety Bird say?

today's events
Night Out

A Look Back in Time: Fate levies the unexpected
Daniel Sandoval

Relay for Life marks progress for Casper family
Some families keep track of their kids' progression with pencil marks on a door frame.

today's events
On the ice

Ad leads to prostitution charge
A man's complaint about phone calls for his live-in girlfriend led to the arrest Saturday night of a 44-year-old woman suspected of prostitution, Mills police say.

Juror absences delay trial
Witnesses, attorneys and 37 prospective jurors showed up in court on Monday morning for the start of an accused burglar's three-day trial.

Severed line shuts down 911
The reason many phone calls to the Casper Police Department were answered with, "Casper Police, is this an emergency?" is that the dispatchers were doubling as 911 operators Tuesday.

For women, retirement planning is crucial
At 24, Diane Kasler was young, in love and carefree.

Fire consumes warehouse in Casper
Fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of a blaze that destroyed a warehouse in the area of East C and North Park streets on Sunday night.

Casper briefs
Aging Division seeks public comment

On the trail
A century ago, one of the original travelers of the Oregon Trail started to worry the trail's history would be lost.

An animal yarn
In a way, Peg Jackson says, spinning dog hair into yarn is sharing.

Parts of Casper lose power
A circuit break that may have been caused by a traffic accident cut power to 2,400 Rocky Mountain Power customers Tuesday, a spokeswoman said.

Today's events
Lift off

Brilliant!
On a rare day when drivers had to parallel park on Casper Mountain, hundreds of folks heard some good bleugrass and bought stuff. Music festivals, it seems, are no different at 8,000 feet.

Talkin' with Sal: Green Bay or bust
The occasion was last night's surprise birthday party for Peggy Jane the Mom at the Atrium in Lambeau Field.

Council considers medical campus
The Casper City Council will consider the final plans for Park Ridge Medical Campus in east Casper. The campus will include a new home for Western Medical Associates, as well as possible additions of other medical facilities later.

Relay for Life marks progress for Casper family
Some families keep track of their kids' progression with pencil marks on a door frame.

Ad leads to prostitution charge
A man's complaint about phone calls for his live-in girlfriend led to the arrest Saturday night of a 44-year-old woman suspected of prostitution, Mills police say.

Fire consumes Casper warehouse
Firefighters sifted through debris Monday afternoon as they tried to determine what caused a fire the previous night that devoured a Casper warehouse filled with roofing materials.

Community  (top)

Schumacher-Rodrick
CASPER -- Brianne Nichole Schumacher and Derek Paul Rodrick are engaged to marry Sept. 2, 2006, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church.

Casper Calendar for Monday, July 31, 2006
Today

UW announces in-state spring grads
The University of Wyoming awarded degrees to 1,321 students at the completion of the 2006 spring semester.

Wyoming Calendar for Monday, July 31, 2006
Today

Casper Area Police Calls
Casper Police Department

Town Crier for Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006
Today's Highlights

Book Ins
Those booked in are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Town Crier for Monday, July 31, 2006
Today's Highlights

District Court Doings
Here is the activity for the Seventh District Court.

Dean-Metzger
SOUTHGATE, Mich. -- Stacey Dean and Christopher Metzger are engaged to marry Aug. 11, 2006, at Crystal Gardens.

Natrona County Fire District Calls
July 21, 2006

Natrona County Marriages, Divorces, Births
{M3MARRIAGES

Pomroy-Dax
CASPER -- Angela Pomroy and Steven Dax are engaged to marry Aug. 12, 2006, at their home.

Overman-Hamler
GENESEE, Colo. -- Tennille Overman and Troy Hamler are engaged to marry Sept. 23, 2006, in Genesee.

Kinions celebrate 50th
BUFFALO -- Edward "Ed" and Doris Kinion will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house Aug. 5, 2006, from 1-3 p.m. in Onderdonk Hall at St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Karen Athman, Kimberly Schrantz, and JoAnn Palmer are the hostesses. No gifts please, just cards with a special memory.

Casper Calendar for Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006
Today

Bowen-Chadsey
CASPER -- Michelle Ann Bowen and Clinton Chadsey were married July 22, 2006, at Frontier Church with Rev. Robert Griffin officiating.

King-Timberman
CASPER -- Mindy King and Zeb Timberman are engaged to marry Sept. 2, 2006, at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church.

Evans-Crawford
JACKSON -- Amy Lynn Evans and William Crawford Humphreys III are engaged to marry Aug. 12, 2006, at the Spring Creek Ranch. 

Orr-Jones
EVANSVILLE -- Debra L. Orr and Collin J. Jones were married May 20, 2006, at their home with Pat Allan officiating.

Elections  (top)

Dems may cede seat in Legislature
CHEYENNE -- Two Republican political newcomers are vying for the Wyoming House District 12 seat being vacated by a Cheyenne Democrat.

GOP candidates differ on food tax
CHEYENNE -- A pair of political newcomers vying for the right to represent the GOP in the race for Cheyenne's Wyoming House District 41 differ in their views on the state sales tax on groceries.

Mayors challenge GOP House member
CHEYENNE -- The Republican primary race for House District 3 in southeastern Wyoming pits an incumbent lawmaker against mayors from Wheatland and Glendo.

Young Laramie Dems vie to challenge Republican
LARAMIE -- Two youthful candidates with some new ideas and some old ones are competing in the Democratic primary in a House district that embraces West Laramie, some other areas west of the railroad tracks and much of the southwestern part of town.

District 37 hopefuls promote state savings
The two Republican candidates for the House District 37 seat differ in background (one's an incumbent, the other's a first-time candidate for office) and expectations.

Big field seeks House seat
CHEYENNE -- Three candidates with varying opinions on Wyoming's economy will face off in the Aug. 22 Democratic primary to represent House District 41 in the Legislature.

Three seek to replace Hageman
CHEYENNE -- An educator, a financial adviser and a rancher are the three candidates for the Wyoming House District 5 seat being vacated by veteran state Rep. Jim Hageman of Fort Laramie.

Republican candidates share core views
Republicans in downtown Casper will face a choice between an incumbent and a political newcomer next month as they select a legislative candidate for House District 56.

Retired trooper, teacher square off in HD 18 Republican primary
GREEN RIVER - A retired Wyoming state trooper and a retired Bridger Valley school teacher are vying for the Wyoming House District 18 seat in the Republican primary.

Attorney-rancher, businessman square off
JACKSON -- A rancher and a businessman are vying to represent Teton County in the Wyoming House of Representatives in the Aug. 22 Republican primary election.

National  (top)

There's no accounting for taste when it comes to climate

Want to spend April in Paris? Fine, but take an umbrella -- and a warm jacket. August in San Francisco? "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco," Mark Twain is rumored to have said of that city's notoriously chilly summertime weather.

100 calls ask about Colo. killer's claims
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Robert Charles Browne's claims that he killed 49 people have generated a flood of more than 100 anguished calls from families and friends of people missing around the nation, some for years.

2 men found safe in closed W.Va. mine
MAMMOTH, W.Va. (AP) -- Two men who sneaked into a closed coal mine to search for scrap metal to sell were rescued after they became lost about 3,000 feet inside the mine, authorities said

FDA to consider over-the-counter morning-after pill after all
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government revived efforts Monday to widen access to the morning-after pill, but only to women 18 and older, issuing a surprise announcement that it was reconsidering over-the-counter sale of the emergency contraceptive almost a year after it was thought doomed.

Mel Gibson apologizes for behavior when he was arrested
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Mel Gibson issued a lengthy statement Saturday apologizing for his drunk driving arrest and saying he has battled alcoholism throughout his life.

Phoenix residents watch out for serial killers
PHOENIX (AP) -- With two serial killers on the loose in Phoenix, Marnie Reiher knows she should stay off her front porch. She shouldn't answer the door. And if the cats sneak out at night, she should leave them on their own till morning.

Need surgery? Want a trip to New Dehli?
After going overseas to outsource everything from manufacturing to customer services, American businesses -- pressed by rising health-care costs -- are looking offshore for medical benefits as well.

Sexual violence in prisons may be more prevalent than reported
WASHINGTON -- Fewer than three U.S. prisoners in every 1,000 report they were sexually abused or harassed, but that probably is not the whole story, a government study says.

A 6-pound police K-9 dog? Meet Midge (short for midget)
CHARDON, Ohio (AP) -- Though she's only a 6-pound Chihuahua-rat terrier mix who looks like she belongs in Paris Hilton's purse, Midge has the will, skill and nose of a 100-pound German shepherd.

national and world briefs
Polls close after Congo election

Hidden camera brings bears of Alaska sanctuary to the world
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Only a lucky few humans are allowed each summer to get up close and personal with the McNeil River bears, but thanks to the wilderness equivalent of the "Big Brother" show, the animals are available to the world.

Drought strikes Dakotas hardest
STEELE, N.D. -- Fields of wheat, durum and barley in the Dakotas this dry summer will never end up as pasta, bread or beer. What is left of the stifled crops has been salvaged to feed livestock struggling on pastures where hot winds blow clouds of dirt from dried-out ponds.

Heat wave reaches Northeast
NEW YORK (AP) -- Blistering heat settled over the eastern half of the nation Tuesday, sending man and beast in desperate search of relief: An air-conditioned subway car in New York City. A plunge into the Atlantic Ocean in New Jersey. And cold showers for suffering livestock in Ohio.

East braces for triple-digit temperatures
CHICAGO (AP) -- Elderly residents were evacuated from blacked-out apartments Tuesday and public officials urged people to conserve electricity as a stifling heat wave spread across the eastern half of the nation, sending temperatures toward potentially record highs.

Cat fight embroils Hemingway home
MIAMI (AP) -- The caretakers of Ernest Hemingway's Key West home want a federal judge to intervene in their dispute with the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the six-toed cats that roam the property.

People in the News
NEW YORK (AP) -- Boy George will perform his court-ordered community service by picking up trash on city streets in the August heat, a sanitation spokesman said.

Widespread flooding hits El Paso, Texas, prompting evacuations
EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A third day of heavy rain caused widespread flooding around El Paso on Tuesday, swamping mountainside homes, forcing evacuations and closing major roads.

Killer: I'm mad at Israel
SEATTLE -- Officials stepped up security at both synagogues and mosques Saturday as authorities investigated a shooting at a Jewish organization that killed an employee and wounded five others, including a pregnant woman.

Report calls for changes to speed projects
WASHINGTON -- Congress should change federal law to make it harder to bring lawsuits that can tie up new roads, logging or other projects for years, a House task force said Monday.

Close spousal deaths backed up by science
Elderly couples often seem to share times of death, be it the same day, week, month or year.

Texans in Crawford don't like protest park
CRAWFORD, Texas -- Like many folks in President Bush's adopted hometown, 83-year-old Robert Westerfield isn't exactly rolling out the welcome mat for the town's newest resident: war protester Cindy Sheehan.

House ties minimum wage to inheritance tax reduction
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress is spending its last working days before a long summer break by attending to pocketbook issues, with votes to increase the minimum wage, cut estate taxes and shore up pensions.

FDA considers allowing nonprescription sales of morning-after pill after all
WASHINGTON -- A three-year effort to allow at least some women unrestricted access to the morning-after pill could end in just weeks.

Reubens tires of Pee-Wee character
By TERRY MORROW

Heat wave keeps rolling over upper Midwest, Plains
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Stocked up with extra water and wearing a short sleeve shirt, Nate Olson was ready for the heat Monday morning, saying, "the past week's been pretty bad."

Mel Gibson apologizes for DUI arrest, 'despicable' remarks
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Mel Gibson issued a lengthy statement Saturday apologizing for saying "despicable" things to sheriff's deputies when he was arrested for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Don't skip showers
In triple-digit temperatures, there are few things more appealing than a dip in a crystal-clear pool.

Obituaries  (top)

Bertha Reid Perkins Shaffer
BURLINGTON -- Graveside services for Bertha Reid Perkins Shaffer, 95, will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, in Burlington Cemetery with Donald Gemmel officiating. Interment will follow.

Frances Marie Zakotnik
KEMMERER -- Funeral services for Frances Marie Zakotnik, 93, will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4, at the Methodist Church in Kemmerer. Interment will be in Kemmerer Cemetery under the direction of Hudson Funeral Home.

Robert Elmore Stringham
DOUGLAS -- No funeral services will be held for Robert Elmore Stringham, 83.

Valdon Roe Morrill
ROCK SPRINGS -- A memorial service for Valdon Roe Morrill, 49, will be conducted at 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, at First Baptist Church in Rock Springs with the Rev. Cleve Martin officiating.

George J. Mattocks
LANDER -- A funeral for George J. Mattocks, 87, will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006, at the Chapel of Mount Hope Hudson's Funeral Home with Pastor Mike Christensen of the Church of Christ officiating.

Leonard W. "Wally" Floyd
CODY -- Funeral services for Leonard W. "Wally" Floyd, 80, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the Cody Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center.

Margaret Wyoma Sarvey
GLENROCK -- Funeral services for Margaret Wyoma Sarvey, 93, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 7, at Community Baptist Church in Glenrock with Pastor Rick Bishop officiating. Interment will be in Glenrock Cemetery.

Margaret Wyoma Sarvey
GLENROCK -- Funeral services for Margaret Wyoma Sarvey, 93, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 7, at Community Baptist Church in Glenrock with Pastor Rick Bishop officiating. Interment will be in Glenrock Cemetery.

Paul Leo Sutton
LOVELL -- Funeral services for Paul Leo Sutton, 80, were conducted July 28 at Haskell Funeral Home in Lovell.

Sally Cordova
CASPER -- Funeral services for Sally Cordova, 55, will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church with the Rev. Michael Carr officiating.

Anna Marie Ward Bates
CASPER -- Memorial services for Anna Marie Ward Bates, 76, of Grand Junction, Colo., will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, in Highlands Cemetery.

Hannah Christman
CASPER -- At her request, no public services will be held for Hannah Christman, 101. Cremation has taken place.

Odd  (top)

Louvre in the loo? Village opens restroom art gallery
YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio (AP) -- Call it Chagall in the stall, Picasso in the powder room.

LA mom gives birth to quadruplets 3 years after having triplets
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- After delivering triplets three years ago, Angela Magdaleno thought she was done having babies. She was wrong four times over.

Odds and Ends
SCIO, Ore. (AP) -- Big Red, a rooster who drew tourists with his daily stroll down Main Street, died this week after getting mauled by a dog.

Regional  (top)

Hidden camera brings bears of Alaska sanctuary to the world
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Only a lucky few humans are allowed each summer to get up close and personal with the McNeil River bears, but thanks to the wilderness equivalent of the "Big Brother" show, the animals are available to the world.

Wilderness groups challenge reversal
SALT LAKE CITY -- Wilderness groups were in federal court Friday trying to reverse a decision by the Bush administration that stopped a federal agency from creating wilderness study areas or doing surveys for wilderness-quality public lands.

Child presumed dead in flash flood
PRICE, Utah (AP) -- A 1-year-old child was missing and presumed dead after a flash flood caught the family's pickup truck off U.S. 6 between Helper and Price Sunday, Carbon County authorities said.

Lavender becomes profitable in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Lavender, that colorful and fragrant herb, has long had a pull on the popular imagination.

Tribes gird for fight over power lines
BOISE, Idaho -- When Marci Bailey's relatives signed an agreement with Washington Water Power 50 years ago to string utility lines across an allotment of Nez Perce tribal land, one family member signed the contract with a black thumbprint because he didn't know how to write.

Group soldiers on in name of harmony
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. -- Pausing as he pushed a jogging stroller piled with supplies up a dusty hill, Art Goodtimes proudly called himself a holdover from the Summer of Love days in the 1960s.

Court rejects nude dancing appeal
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Supreme Court on Friday upheld a South Salt Lake ordinance that prohibits nude dancing at sexually oriented business.

Western governors push for federal disaster assistance
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- Gov. John Hoeven and his counterparts in Western states, including Wyoming, are urging Congress to pass drought aid legislation.

Panhandle fires rage
Residents of Chadron, Neb., were ordered to drastically cut water use, and more people were evacuated Monday from areas south of the northwestern Nebraska city as wind and dry conditions fueled raging wildfires for a fourth day.

Messages in the trees
FEATHERVILLE, Idaho -- Some are rousing political slogans from the Basque homeland, while others depict sexual exploits in surprisingly explicit detail. And like modern graffiti, a great many Basque tree carvings merely note for posterity that Joe, Jose, or, most likely, Joxe, "was here."

Lower temps, rain aid crews fighting Nebraska wildfires
Rain and lower temperatures helped firefighters battling wildfires in northwest Nebraska.

Wildlife chief stresses science
LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Mitch King calls himself an eternal optimist, which must come in handy in his job as regional director of the federal agency that has to make decisions about grizzly bears, wolves, lynx, livestock grazing on public lands and the Preble's meadow jumping mouse.

Crews corral S. Dakota blaze
PIEDMONT, S.D. (AP) -- A wildfire that claimed seven homes and burned five square miles in Meade County was declared contained Sunday afternoon.

Wanderer prefers cowboy life
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- For Archie Hughes, the cowboy life is pure poetry, and he has followed his destiny of ridin' and rhymin'.

Feds may use ferrets to control prairie dogs
COLBY, Kan. (AP) -- The federal government is considering an experiment that would use ferrets to reduce the exploding population of prairie dogs in Logan County.

Logjam blasting prompts debate
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Last week's dynamiting of a logjam on the Salmon River in central Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness has prompted criticism from groups who say federally protected reserves are no place for high-explosive intrusions on nature.

BLM vetoes oil and gas development in Arches
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Bureau of Land Management has rejected parcels for oil and gas drilling that would have marred views from Arches National Park and invade nearby bighorn sheep habitat.

When the canyon roared
LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) -- Rain fell in fat drops from the dark clouds that shrouded the Big Thompson Canyon. They quickly quenched the parched earth, but soon they washed the thin mountain soil down gullies. The water unleashed rocks and boulders, which tumbled down the sides of the canyon.

Heat, fires hit farmers, ranchers
BILLINGS, Mont. -- Rancher John Small figured the worst was over when the spring rains fell, and the land turned green. It looked like he'd have a nice hay crop for a second straight year. It seemed that, finally, the yearslong drought in southeast Montana had broken.

Science lab could transform town, leaders say
LEAD, S.D. -- A mining town is an atypical destination for someone looking to grab a double mocha latte, check out some local art or dine at an upscale downtown cafe.

Feds, states press communities to defend against wildfire
MONUMENT, Colo. -- Jean Rodeck looks at her neatly groomed yard, her expertly thinned forest and the five firebreaks cut into the nearby hill -- and knows she could still lose everything to a wildfire.

Special  (top)

Under rulings, Georgia can't require voter photo IDs this year
ROME, Ga. (AP) -- The same federal judge who threw out Georgia's voter ID law last year blocked the state Wednesday from enforcing its revised law during this year's elections.

Chinese automaker plans new MG assembly plant in Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- China's oldest carmaker plans to build an assembly plant in southern Oklahoma to help revive a historic English automotive brand -- the MG.

Feds may let acres of salty farmland go fallow
FIVE POINTS, Calif. (AP) -- Dry, brittle grass is all that pokes through earth that once grew tons of tomatoes, garlic and lettuce.

Spacecraft launched in test of private space station technology
An experimental inflatable spacecraft bankrolled by real estate magnate Robert Bigelow rocketed into orbit Wednesday to test technology that could be used to fulfill his dream of building a commercial space station.

Federal protection for consumer credit, debit transactions
NEW YORK (AP) -- Earlier this year, consumers who thought they were requesting a free trial of a tooth whitener from an Internet site soon found withdrawals of $106.90 from their bank accounts or similar charges to their credit cards, according to a nonprofit consumer education group.

Top Story  (top)

Agency moves on disease plans
JACKSON -- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department's approach to eliminating brucellosis in western Wyoming elk is drawing mixed reviews.

Wyoming makes strides to prevent medication errors
Corinna Harper feels nauseated when she thinks about having a routine physical. She hesitates to take her children to the doctor's office even when they are sick and said she's lost all faith in the medical profession.

Survey: Wyo. teens more likely to drink, drive under influence
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) -- Wyoming has higher rates of binge drinking and drunken driving among teens than the national average -- statistics one group says contribute to the state's elevated teen death rate.

EPA: Ozone spikes weren't from weather
JACKSON -- Spikes in ozone levels around Pinedale this winter were not caused by weather patterns, but by causes on the ground, according to Environmental Protection Agency officials.

Fires rage across region
BOISE, Idaho -- Federal land management agencies are being asked to make more employees available to fight wildfires because existing crews and equipment have been stretched to the limit by nearly 60 major blazes burning around the West.

Two plead guilty to crimes during Hells Angels run
Three members of the Hells Angels motorcycle club, in Cody for the annual World Run, appeared at the Park County courthouse in connection with their Wednesday arrests, according to a release issued by Lee Haines, spokesman for the joint Park County/Cody/Powell law enforcement agencies policing the rally.

World  (top)

Fidel Castro steps down temporarily to undergo surgery
HAVANA -- Fidel Castro temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to his brother Raul on Monday night and told Cubans he underwent surgery.

Gunmen seize 29 in raids on chamber of commerce, phone company
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Gunmen dressed in military fatigues burst into the offices of the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and a nearby mobile phone company Monday, seizing 29 people in a daylight raid in a mostly Shiite area of the capital.

Lebanese civilians flee during halt in Israeli airstrikes
MARJAYOUN, Lebanon -- Lebanese fled north in overflowing trucks and cars Monday, taking advantage of a lull in Israeli bombardment. Israel's prime minister took a tough line, apologizing for the deaths of dozens of Lebanese civilians in a single strike but declaring there will be no cease-fire.

Even trash has deadly consequences in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- On these streets even the garbage can kill.

Israel Agrees to Halt Bombing Temporarily
JERUSALEM -- Israel agreed to halt bombing for 48 hours and allow besieged civilians safe passage out of southern Lebanon, U.S. officials said Sunday -- a concession granted under intense pressure after one of its airstrikes hit a house full of women and children, killing at least 56 people.

Rice returns to Mideast as Lebanon broils
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Israeli troops pulled back from a border town Saturday after a week of heavy fighting with Hezbollah guerrillas, and warplanes killed a woman and her five children in a strike that leveled their home. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice returned to the Middle East to push a refined U.S. peace plan.

Climbers discover long-lost crash site
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The gods of fate decided that, finally, it was time.

Guantanamo detainees often attack military guards
WASHINGTON -- The prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay during the war on terror have attacked their military guards hundreds of times, turning broken toilet parts, utensils, radios and even a bloody lizard tail into makeshift weapons.

Israel bombs southern Lebanon just hours after promising halt
QANA, Lebanon (AP) -- Israeli warplanes carried out strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday, hours after agreeing to temporarily halt air raids while investigating a bombing that killed at least 56 Lebanese civilians, mostly women and children seeking shelter.

NATO takes on a country out of control
KABUL, Afghanistan -- Southern Afghanistan, homeland of the Taliban and hub of the global heroin trade, is spinning out of control.

Will Cuba's offshore oil discovery finally break the U.S. trade embargo?
MIAMI (AP) -- Some facts about America's trade embargo with Cuba:

Farmer gets face transplant
BEIJING (AP) -- A Chinese farmer who received a partial face transplant after being mauled by a black bear has been discharged from the hospital and will go back to his rural mountain village, state media said Saturday.

U.S. sends armor brigade to Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. command announced Saturday that it was sending 3,700 troops to Baghdad to try to quell the sectarian violence sweeping the capital, and a U.S. official said more American soldiers would follow as the military gears up to take the streets from gunmen.

Israel ground forces intensify attacks, air war resumes despite two-day pause
BOURJ AL-MULOUK, Lebanon (AP) -- Israeli forces battled Hezbollah across a broad front in Lebanon's south Tuesday, hours after the government in Jerusalem ordered its army to punch all the way to the Litani River and hold the ground until an international peacekeeping force comes ashore.

Wyoming  (top)

Black Hills fire restrictions are announced
RAPID CITY, S.D. -- Federal and state agencies have imposed new fire restrictions for the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota and Wyoming because of record-breaking high temperatures and increasing fire activity throughout the region.

Thomas: Let hill plan play out
JACKSON -- U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas said a development plan for the Jack Morrow Hills area needs time to play out before more stringent environmental protections are enacted.

The Whole Town's Talking: Double the (newborn) fun
If giving birth is a life-altering experience, imagine giving birth to twins. Twice. In the same day.

Hells Angels leave Cody
CODY (AP) -- The Hells Angels are headed home -- and some to the big bike rally in Sturgis, S.D.

Lessons from FutureGen
GILLETTE -- Wyoming officials say they will meet with members of the FutureGen Alliance's site selection team in a few weeks to discuss why the proposed Campbell County site was disqualified for the U.S.-led international effort to develop a zero-emissions, coal-gasification power plant.

Wyoming Briefs
Man, 91, earns honorary Gillette College degree

Officers gave up pay, vacation, promotion
SHERIDAN (AP) -- A police lieutenant gave up four weeks of vacation time and opportunities for promotion, and a patrol officer accepted a week of unpaid leave, for their roles in a traffic stop of the mayor that some said was politically motivated.

Dems may cede seat in Legislature
CHEYENNE -- Two Republican political newcomers are vying for the Wyoming House District 12 seat being vacated by a Cheyenne Democrat.

Mine reclamation measure survives
WASHINGTON -- The fate of a provision to increase payments to Wyoming and Montana from the federal Abandoned Mine Land Fund and revamp its funding source hangs in the balance as the Senate prepares to vote this week on a controversial tax bill containing the measure.

Where will they go to school?
JACKSON -- With about a month to go before the start of the new school year, no resolution has yet been reached regarding Wyoming's education of Idaho students.

Doctor sues UW, clinic chief
CHEYENNE -- A former University of Wyoming Family Practice Residency Program administrator says he was retaliated against after he reported the program director for sexual harassment.

Big field seeks House seat
CHEYENNE -- Three candidates with varying opinions on Wyoming's economy will face off in the Aug. 22 Democratic primary to represent House District 41 in the Legislature.

GOP candidates differ on food tax
CHEYENNE -- A pair of political newcomers vying for the right to represent the GOP in the race for Cheyenne's Wyoming House District 41 differ in their views on the state sales tax on groceries.

A different type of shooting
POWELL -- Neale Blank makes no bones about it -- he's living the good life. He has worked hard, retired, and now his life consists of simple things.

Energy panel will get new start
GREEN RIVER -- A federal advisory group directed to monitor the development of the Pinedale Anticline gas field is looking for a new start.

Agency moves on disease plans
JACKSON -- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department's approach to eliminating brucellosis in western Wyoming elk is drawing mixed reviews.

Streakers show at Jackson event again
JACKSON -- Teton County’s 50th annual fair was again upstaged this year by its most notoriously rowdy event, the demolition derby.

cal front
Uinta County Fair 

Survey: Wyo. teens more likely to drink, drive under influence
LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) -- Wyoming has higher rates of binge drinking and drunken driving among teens than the national average -- statistics one group says contribute to the state's elevated teen death rate.

Wyo State Fair manager mulls Nebraska job
LINCOLN, Neb. -- He has worked at the biggest state fair in the United States and, most recently, at the smallest.

Wyoming Calendar for Aug. 1, 2006
Today

Doctor sues UW
CHEYENNE -- A former University of Wyoming Family Practice Residency Program administrator says he was retaliated against after he reported the program director for sexual harassment.

Mixed on meth
CHEYENNE -- A state lawmaker who has worked for years on substance abuse laments that the methamphetamine problem has become embroiled in this year's gubernatorial campaign.

Forty percent of Hartville fire contained
HARTVILLE -- Firefighters gained 40 percent containment of a fire burning in Platte County.

Fires rage across region
BOISE, Idaho -- Federal land management agencies are being asked to make more employees available to fight wildfires because existing crews and equipment have been stretched to the limit by nearly 60 major blazes burning around the West.

Crews battle 'Old Chicago' fire
HARTVILLE n Fire crews ignited backfires near the Wyoming Air National Guard's Camp Guernsey Saturday afternoon, hoping to create a "dead zone" and stall a fire that had grown to more than 10,000 acres.

wyoming briefs
Rabbit-related crash kills woman

GOP and Dems agree -- third parties given little chance to succeed
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- A former chairman of the Wyoming Republican Party is among the founders of a new centrist political movement. But both Democratic and Republican party leaders in Wyoming say there's little reason to expect a shift from the two-party system.

Charter school organizers push on
Supporters of a proposed Lander charter school aren't giving up after the local school board turned them down last month.