CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – The state House has drastically changed a bill dealing with prep athletes who suffer concussions.      Senate File 38 was amended in the House on Friday. It faces one more House vote.      The Senate version of the bill sets statewide standards on when middle- and high-school athletes who suffer concussions can play again.      But the House eliminated that through an amendment offered by Casper Republican Rep. Steve Harshman, who is a high school football coach. His changes leave it up to each school district to decide how to handle students with concussions.      The only conditions forced on districts would be that coaches are required to get training to recognize concussions and that students and parents be informed about head injuries and any restrictions imposed on the athlete. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – The state Senate has given final approval to a proposed two-year extension of Wyoming’s moratorium on using eminent domain powers for wind projects.      House Bill 230 passed unanimously on Friday and now goes to the governor for his signature.      The bill would prevent private wind companies from condemning land to build collector lines to connect wind turbines with transmission lines until the end of June in 2013.      Supporters of the extended moratorium says state lawmakers need more time to consider whether to either permanently ban the use of eminent domain by wind developers or restrict it in a different way. … Read entire article »

SHERIDAN, Wyo. (AP) – Sheridan Memorial Hospital trustees have given administrators the green light to move ahead with plans for an expansion of the hospital’s Welch Cancer Center.      The expansion is estimated to cost about $8.2 million.      The Sheridan Press reports the move came on a unanimous vote Wednesday.      Hospital CEO Mike McCafferty says the project design team is developing a guaranteed maximum price.      McCafferty says the trustees’ approval allows administrators to start fund-raising and other activities. … Read entire article »

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) – Gillette police say violent crimes dropped by 12.5 percent in 2010.      Police say it’s the third straight year there’s been a drop in violent crimes, which include rape, robbery, aggravated assault and murder. The city has not had a homicide since 2007.      The Gillette News Record reports that the statistics were released Friday as part of the department’s annual crime report.      The number of juveniles arrested in schools increased to 679, a 32 percent jump from the previous year. Most of those arrests were for minor offenses such as tobacco violations and breach of peace. Gillette Police Chief Jim Hloucal says it’s difficult to say whether the spike in juvenile crime actually the result of increased reporting. … Read entire article »

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) – A Natrona County group is trying to get Casper city officials to introduce a no-smoking ordinance at workplaces this fall.      Smokefree Natrona County told the Casper City Council Thursday that they are conducting a poll to gauge public opinion on a workplace smoking ban and are taking air-quality measurements at work sites that allow smoking.      Council members plan on discussing the proposal at a later date.      The Casper Star-Tribune reported Sunday that about 18 percent of the Wyoming’s population lives in areas with smoke-free workplaces. The newspaper says that Smokefree Natrona County is targeting Mills and Evansville in addition to Casper as places where they want a workplace no-smoking ordinance. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – Leaders of the Wyoming Legislature say improved state oversight of public schools should stand as the biggest achievement of the session that’s now entering its final week.      House Speaker Ed Buchanan and Senate President Jim Anderson say lawmakers came into this session determined to demand more accountability from students, teachers and administrators. The state now spends nearly $1.5 billion annually on its schools.      Senate File 70 is the session’s main education accountability bill. The House amended the bill on Friday to delay some provisions designed to hold underperforming schools accountable for low student scores. While some in the Senate may object to the amendment, time is short to reach a compromise before Thursday’s scheduled adjournment. … Read entire article »

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) – Sweetwater County is seeking to host the Mountain States Rodeo Circuit Finals.      The Sweetwater County Fair Board this past week endorsed a request to support a bid by the county Events Complex to host the rodeo.      Sweetwater County Events Complex Executive Director Larry Lloyd says the bid will seek to have the rodeo for three to five years.      The Rock Springs Rocket-Miner reports the Mountain States Rodeo Circuit Finals has been held in Denver in recent years. The event has not been hosted by Sweetwater County since 2000.      The rodeo is one of 12 in the United States intended for competitors who must compete, or prefer to compete, on a regional level rather than on a national level. … Read entire article »

RAWLINS, Wyo. (AP) – Speeds measured at a proposed multi-billion dollar wind farm south of Rawlins are some of the highest that have been seen at the site in more than three years.      Power Co. of Wyoming engineer Ryan Jacobson says speeds measured at the site were an average of 42 mph for January, a feat he called “pretty incredible.” Jacobson says the goal is for the wind farm to produce enough electricity to power 600,000 homes in the west.      The Casper Star-Tribune reported Sunday that engineers are measuring wind speeds at the location for the 1,000-turbine wind farm known as the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Energy Project. The project would cost as much as $6 billion and would be on 154 acres of a ranch owned by Denver-based Anschutz Corp. called the Overland Trail Cattle Company. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – The Wyoming House has given preliminary approval to a measure that would ask Wyoming voters whether the right to hunt, fish and trap should be constitutionally protected.      The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports that the House supported Senate Joint Resolution 1 Thursday. The Senate has already approved the measure that would ask votes next year to add the right to hunt to the state Constitution.      In November, similar measures were approved by voters in three states – Arkansas, South Carolina and Tennessee. Arizona voters rejected such an amendment.      The resolution’s supporters say the right to hunt is under attack from animal rights groups. But Democratic Rep. James Byrd of Cheyenne says amending the Constitution will cost “a sizeable amount of money.”      —      Information from: Wyoming Tribune Eagle – Cheyenne, http://www.wyomingnews.com … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – The Wyoming House is set to vote on a bill to allow people to carry concealed guns without a permit.      The House has scheduled a final vote on the bill Friday and legislative leader say they expect it will pass. The Senate has already approved it.      Proponents emphasize that both the Wyoming and federal constitutions specify people have the right to carry guns.      Opponents include some police groups who say the bill could encourage dangerous people to carry guns who wouldn’t be able to pass a background check under the state’s existing concealed-carry permit system.      Wyoming would continue to issue concealed-carry permits even if the bill passes so citizens could have reciprocity with other states. … Read entire article »