CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A bill aimed at keeping American soda ash competitive with a subsidized, synthetic version produced in China is advancing in Washington. The bill, sponsored by Wyoming congresswoman Cynthia Lummis, got the backing of the full House Resources committee on Wednesday. It will be heard by the full House next. The bill would return the soda ash royalty to 2 percent. It rose to 6 percent in October. Soda ash is the trade name for a chemical made from the mineral trona. It’s used in household cleaners, windshields and cellphones. Wyoming produces about 90 percent of U.S. soda ash and the industry employs about 3,000 people in the state. Lummis says soda ash shipments also provide work for hundreds of longshoremen in Portland, Ore. and Port Arthur, Texas. … Read entire article »

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are offering annual entrance passes granting free admission to military service members and their families. The annual passes will become available on Saturday, Armed Forces Day, to active duty service members and their dependents. More than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other public lands across the country also are issuing the passes. Jonathan B. Jarvis is director of the National Park Service. He says places such as the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon symbolize the nation that military service members make great sacrifices to protect. … Read entire article »

MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — A man arrested in Wyoming after authorities say he robbed a bank in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula while his wife and 2-year-old daughter sat in a getaway car has pleaded guilty in the case. WLUC-TV reports Justin McLean faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced Sept. 20 following Wednesday’s plea in U.S. District Court on a bank robbery charge. The Northern Michigan Bank branch near Marquette was robbed Oct. 12. McLean was arrested as a fugitive later that month. The Mining Journal of Marquette has reported that McLean’s wife told the FBI that she believed her husband was going into a McDonald’s restaurant next to the bank. … Read entire article »

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Authorities in Jackson say one citation for careless driving and two citations for destruction of property have been issued during the latest round of abortion demonstrations. Members of Operation Save America demonstrated in the town square Wednesday. Members of a local group, Jackson Hole United, were also out warning people about graphic images being displayed by the anti-abortion group. Teton County spokeswoman Charlotte Reynolds says there have been some complaints about noise, traffic and the groups’ signs. Operation Save America plans to stage demonstrations through Sunday, but they won’t be in the town square on Saturday during the Boy Scouts’ annual Elkfest and antler auction. Last week, members of a Milwaukee-based anti-abortion group also demonstrated in Jackson. The protests follow a recent Wyoming Supreme Court ruling in favor of protesters. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — An attorney for a Sheridan teenager serving a sentence of life without parole for a 2009 home invasion killing urged the Wyoming Supreme Court to find the teen’s sentence unconstitutional. The court on Wednesday heard arguments in the appeal of Dharminder Vir Sen (dar-MIHN’-der VEER sen), who was convicted of killing Sheridan businessman Robert Ernst. Law student Samantha Lind represents Sen, who was 15 at the time of the crime. Lind told the court that society acknowledges juveniles don’t always make good decisions. She said the life sentence for Sen violates the constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Assistant Attorney General Justin Daraie (DAR’-ee-eh) argued that Sen’s sentence was proper. The court already has upheld life sentences for the other two defendants: Dennis Poitra, Jr., and Wyatt Bear Cloud. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Unlike many other ski resort areas in the Rocky Mountain West, Wyoming’s premier ski area of Jackson Hole enjoyed good business this past winter thanks to better ski conditions. Kate Foster of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce says lodging occupancy rates in February and March exceeded rates in 2011. She credited a marketing campaign that targeted skiers in other Rocky Mountain states where the snow wasn’t as plentiful in Jackson Hole. Grand Targhee Ski Resort, for instance, reported about 420 inches of snow this past season. Some major resorts in other states had less than half that amount. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort says it ended the ski season with about 479,000 skier visits, which is the second highest in its history. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A woman accused of stealing more than $66,000 from a Wyoming Montessori school can return to the Boston area while the case continues. Teresa Meadowcroft is the former head of the Village Montessori School in Cheyenne and now lives in Massachusetts. She appeared in court Tuesday in Cheyenne for her first hearing after being charged with larceny, forgery and identity theft. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported she was allowed to post a $60,000 bond and the terms allow her to return home. Meadowcroft hasn’t entered a plea yet. Her lawyer, Robert Moxley, said that will happen at an arraignment hearing, which hasn’t been scheduled yet. Court records say debits from the school’s bank account were made from a card in Meadowcroft’s name for non-school-related items. … Read entire article »

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming State High School Track and Field Championships are set for this week in Casper. The meet begins Thursday and runs through Saturday. Upton senior Kevin Allen is looking to challenge a long-standing record in the discus. Allen tossed the discus 204 feet, 4 inches at the Class 1A East Regional meet last weekend in Cheyenne. The state record is 210 feet, 4 inches set by former Cheyenne Central standout and Olympic medalist John Godina 22 years ago. The Casper Star-Tribune reports that Allen already owns the Class 1A record in the discus (187-7), which he set last year. And he’s attempting a four-peat in the discus and a two-peat in the shot put. Allen will throw at Utah State in college. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A security assessment of the State Capitol building in Cheyenne questions the state’s ability to respond to or prevent a violent incident. Specifically, the assessment advised that Wyoming should increase its security staffing levels if it wants to continue the Capitol’s open environment. The security assessment was performed by Colorado law enforcement agencies, including its State Patrol and Office of Homeland Security, who visited Cheyenne during the past legislative session. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports the full report is confidential because of its sensitive security details. Wyoming Highway Patrol Lt. Klief Guenther briefed lawmakers on some of the assessment’s findings during a recent legislative meeting. He said possible solutions include adding security checkpoints or metal detectors or boosting security staff. Currently nine full-time troopers are responsible for patrolling the Capitol. … Read entire article »

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The Wyoming Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the appeal of a Sheridan teenager convicted of murder in a 2009 home invasion killing. The court on Wednesday will hear the appeal of Dharminder Vir Sen. He is serving a life sentence in the killing of Sheridan businessman Robert Ernst. Prosecutors say Sen was the triggerman in a home invasion robbery. They say Sen and the other two teenagers entered Ernst’s home with a stolen pistol in the middle of the night. The court already has upheld the life sentences for the other two defendants: Dennis Poitra, Jr., and Wyatt Bear Cloud. … Read entire article »