CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – More than 100 Wyoming National Guard troops are deploying to locations around the state to help prepare for possible flooding as temperatures rise.      Renny MacKay is spokesman for Gov. Matt Mead. MacKay says five teams of 23 troops each are deploying on Tuesday.      MacKay says two teams are headed to Carbon County: one to Baggs and another to Saratoga. He says two other teams are going to Fremont County, where one will working on the Wind River Indian Reservation and the other will work off the reservation. The fifth team is going to Afton, in Lincoln County.      The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service reported on Tuesday that statewide snowpack in Wyoming stands at 327 percent of average. Officials say waters will likely rise over the next two weeks. … Read entire article »

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) – Federal aviation investigators say the pilot of a small plane had no contact with air route traffic controllers before it crashed in Wyoming, killing both people aboard.      The single-engine plane crashed May 18 about 45 miles north of Rock Springs. Authorities identified the victims as pilot Gilmer Mickey of Englewood, Colo., and passenger Bob Albert of Fort Collins, Colo. Both were 55.      The plane was flying from Pinedale to Fort Collins.      A National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report released last week says the plane crashed about 30 minutes after taking off. The report says a recording of radar tracking information shows the plane descended at high speed before the crash.      The NTSB says Mickey’s family alerted officials when the plane failed to arrive. The wreckage was found May 19. … Read entire article »

SHERIDAN, Wyo. (AP) – Sheridan’s public works director has paid a $70 fine for a “befouling” citation.      The Sheridan Press reported over the weekend that the citation issued in the early hours of May 14 alleges an officer caught Nic Bateson urinating in an entryway on Main Street.      Bateson told the paper there’s no excuse for his actions, apologized to the community and says he has learned from his mistakes.      According to written case report, Bateson asked the officer if he knew who he worked for. On police video reviewed by the newspaper, Bateson tells officer Jerome Smith that he works for city and asked Smith not to write a ticket. Smith replied that he also works for the city but he doesn’t “go around peeing on the street.”      City officials declined to comment. … Read entire article »

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) – Wyoming state officials along with a private company will test new technology to examine how much marketable coal bed methane remains in some Powder River Basin wells.      Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Wyoming State Geological Survey and Laramie-based WellDog will examine wells owned by Galaxy Energy, a subsidiary of Dolphin Energy.      The Casper Star-Tribune reports that Galaxy Energy is in bankruptcy and tests will be conducted at the company’s wells before they are capped by the state as part of a pilot project.      Commission superintendent Tom Doll says the hope is that well operators eventually will be able to use the technology to tap gas in wells that otherwise might be plugged or capped. … Read entire article »

RAWLINS, Wyo. (AP) – A wind farm slated for southern Wyoming will use military technology to track birds and bats.      A radar system coming to the wind project just south of Rawlins will help developer Power Co. of Wyoming LLC collect data about the habitat and migration patterns of golden eagles, bald eagles, hawks and other bird species and bats at the proposed 1,000-turbine wind energy project.      The Casper Star-Tribune reports that the information will be used in a management plan for birds and bats on the company’s Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project.      The radar monitoring system joins the wind energy project’s sage grouse monitoring program launched last year. Fifty female grouse were tagged with GPS tracking devices, and a male grouse study in the ranch area is being conducted. … Read entire article »

     LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) – This year’s Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show will be held this week in Laramie.      The convention hosted by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association is scheduled to run Wednesday through Saturday morning. People who aren’t members of the association are welcome to attend.      The theme for this year’s convention is “Opportunity for Growth” and will include presentations and discussions on issues facing the cattle industry.      Members of Wyoming’s congressional delegation and Gov. Matt Mead have been invited to speak. … Read entire article »