YELLOWSTONENATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) – Trapping of grizzly bears for scientific research is set to resume in Yellowstone National Park not far from where a grizzly killed a hiker last week.      Park officials say the research could help identify which bear killed the man.      The regularly scheduled fall research season for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team begins Wednesday and continues to Oct. 20.     Yellowstoneofficials say the research involves baiting and trapping bears at several sites withinYellowstone. Once trapped, bears are sedated and studied.      Trapping will begin near Yellowstone’sHaydenValley. Park officials say scientists will mark the areas where trapping is taking place.      They say park visitors should heed the signs and keep out of those areas. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE,Wyo.(AP) – Troopers with theWyomingHighway Patrol will be out in force over the Labor Day weekend.      Sgt. Stephen Townsend of the patrol says extra troopers will be deployed over the weekend. He says all troopers are required to work over the weekend and says they will also be allowed to work extra hours.      Townsend says a federal grant is covering overtime payments for the troopers. They will be targeting drunk drivers, aggressive drivers and seat belt violations.      Troopers issued more than 2,500 speeding citations over the last Labor Day weekend. They also arrested 36 impaired drivers and issued 287 seat belt citations. … Read entire article »

JACKSON,Wyo.(AP) – Private plane traffic atJackson Hole Airport has declined since 2006, and experts say it’s probably because of the recession and high fuel prices.      The Jackson Hole News and Guide reported Wednesday (http://bit.ly/pT562n ) that private plane takeoffs and landings dropped 28 percent between 2006 and 2008. Operations have increased since then, but the 2010 figure was still 14 percent below 2006.      Private plane flights are down nationwide. Federal Aviation Administration statics show total hours flown declined by more than 14 percent between 2006 and 2009.     Jackson HoleAirportboard member Jerry Blann says many companies are opting for shares of private planes instead of buying one outright.      Airport officials say aviation fuel costs about $1 more per gallon inJacksonthan at a nearby airport inDriggs,Idaho. … Read entire article »

BASIN, Wyo. (AP) -Wyomingauthorities say two children drowned and two others are hospitalized after high waves hit their family’s kayaks onBigHornLake.      Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn says John and Janice Harder were kayaking with their six children Monday evening near the Kane boat ramp when a wind storm scattered their kayaks. Blackburntold the Powell Tribune (http://goo.gl/hBnWC ) the children’s ages ranged from 3 to 11 years old. The children who died were not identified Tuesday.      Authorities say two other children were hospitalized in Billings,Mont.     Blackburnsays John Harder was able to swim against the wind and waves to take two of his children to shore before asking for help at a nearby minerals plant.Blackburnsays everyone in the family had proper flotation devices. … Read entire article »

POWELL, Wyo. (AP) – Officials say a man involved in a fatal boating accident on the North Fork of theShoshone Riverin northernWyominglast week died of an apparent heart attack.      It was originally thought that the man had drowned after falling out of the boat.      Park County Coroner Tim Power identified the man as 77-year-old Earl Le Blanc and attributed his death to a heart attack.      The Powell Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/q4BhUG) that Le Blanc fell into the water while floating and fishing the river with two other men on Aug. 24 west of Wapiti. … Read entire article »