Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal will propose to reactivate the homestead property tax exemption.   He says it’s intended to offer relief to homeowners struggling with increasing food, gasoline and home heating fuel costs.   Jackson State Representative Keith Gingery is all for it. He’s proposed similar action for the past two years…running into opposition from eastern Wyoming lawmakers last session. The Governor says his proposal would offer between $184 and $291 dollars in property tax relief.   Gingery was hoping for something closer to $500 dollars.

 

Don’t be too surprised if you see Town of Jackson or Teton County employees working in the dark today.   It’s part of an employee program called “Waste Not Wednesday” and is designed to find ways to reduce energy consumption.   Co-cooridantor Jill Smith tells us the goal this week is to reduce office power consumption.   Next Wednesday is being called “Be the Engine”…encouraging employees to use their own power to get to work and, whenever possible, do their work.    It’s all part of a larger 10 by 10 initiative with the goal of reducing energy consumption by ten percent by the year 2010.

 

The Wyoming Department of Health is investigating a case of bubonic plague in an out of state resident who recently visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.   The young adult was part of a group of Boy Scouts working on Bridger Teton National Forest projects between July 26^th and August 3^rd.   Department staff will be in Teton County this week to look for fleas or animal carcasses in areas he visited. Although rare, the disease has been documented in 22 of Wyoming’s 23 counties over the years and is the sixth case since 1978.   The boy is reportedly recovering in Connecticut.

 

After an exceptionally snowy winter and wet spring…northwest Wyoming has seen below average precipitation this summer.   As vegetation dries out, our regional fire danger is growing.   As a result, Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger Teton Forest have heightened their fire danger rating to “Very High” this week.   High temps, low humidity, strong winds and the potential for dry lightning prompted a “red flag” warning in the region Monday.

 

Jackson State Bank and Trust is advising customers that a data tape containing account and client identity information has been lost. It contains information about customers’ names, Social Security numbers and accounts at banks including Jackson State Bank and United Bank of Idaho.   However, bank officials say it would take special equipment to get the data and there’s no indication its been accessed. 

 

Wyoming Game and Fish is looking for a few good wardens.   Spokesman Ray Haggeman says the agency will be accepting applications between September 27^th and October 27^th.   All are selected by competitive exam.

Wardens must have a bachelors level degree in a wildlife related field and pass thru some other hoops…including a psychological examination.

If you’re bringing a horse, mule or burro into Yellowstone National Park you’ll need proof they’ve been tested for E I A.   Equine Infectious Anemia virus is spread from infected to healthy animals through large biting insects like horseflies….and there is no vaccine, treatment or cure.   Proof of a negative Coggins Test within the past 12 months will be required.

Just five of 36 restaurants, bars or liquor stores checked last weekend were willing to sell alcohol to minors.   Jackson Police Chief Dan Zivcovich was pleased with the results.   He says the main objective is to re-enforce the concept of checking all liquor customer ID’s instead of counting on observation. No adults solicited by underage undercover officers were willing to buy alcohol for them.    Zivcovich says the Home is still the largest source of alcohol to teens.

 

Beginning September first, St. John’s Medical Center will assume management of the former Urgent Care of Jackson Hole Clinic on South Highway 89 in the Smith’s plaza.   St. John’s spokesperson Karen Connelly says the St. John’s Family and Urgent Care Center will meet a need identified in hospital strategy planning over a year ago….that primary care providers aren’t available at the same level as they have been in the past.

Second generation physician Dr. Jim Little, Junior will serve as medical director.    A new physician, Dr. April North will also join the staff.   St. John’s will complete purchase of the clinic later this month.

 

Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain is proposing to “re-negotiate” the 1922 Colorado River Compact.    Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal was “absolutely astonished” that a presidential candidate would propose such a move.   He points out that McCain is from Arizona, which has been trying to reopen the compact for years.   But, he says the motive is clearly not to send more water to the upper basin states.

Freudenthal says that water agreement has been hashed out over years…and re-opening it would be a “very serious” problem for Wyoming.

The National Museum of Wildlife Art is pleased to announce that its nominee, Jackson Hole High School Junior Hillary Lavino, has been selected to participate in Polar Bears International’s “Adventure Learning Leadership Camp” in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, from October 1 through October 9, 2008.

Lavino will join more than a dozen top students from four countries on this remarkable adventure to the Far North.

Grand Teton Park Rangers, the Federal Motor Carrier Administration and Wyoming Highway Patrol conducted a two-day safety inspection detail in the Park last Tuesday and Wednesday.   Focusing on commercial buses and trucks, five vehicles were parked because their drivers had worked too many hours or failed to properly log their hours.   One bus operation was suspended until emergency exits could be repaired, and three other buses were taken out of service for tire, brake and steering failures.   Two had to be towed out.   21 seat belt warnings were issued and one person charged with possession of a controlled substance.

 

Yellowstone National Park will dedicate a new Yellowstone Justice Center at Mammoth Hot Springs August 25^th.   US Magistrate Steve Cole is the 4^th person to hold the judicial post there since it was established in 1894.   National Park Service Law Enforcement personnel typically hand out three thousand citations a year, make 250 arrests, and conduct 150 criminal investigations….a total of about 600 court cases each year.   The new, nearly seven million dollar building, will house federal courtrooms, Judge’s Chambers, US Attorney’s Office offices, and offices for the US Marshals Service and Park agents.

On a three to two vote…the Teton County, Wyoming Board of Commissioners has again voted to proceed with a resolution that would create a second penny sales tax for local purposes. Supporters say it could help secure funding for a variety of unmet needs including START transit, Affordable Housing, Jackson Hole Fire-EMS, and other capital improvement projects Commissioners Leland Christensen and Paul Vogelheim voted against the move.

 

The resolution must also be approved by the Town of Jackson before it can go to voters…and, as it did once before, the town council again voted two to two this week to turn it down.   They have till August 25^th to reconsider a resolution for the November election or wait and possibly consider it again in May.

After public hearings this week, the Jackson Town Council is now considering final action on a couple of proposals.   One would adopt a new in-lieu fee for employee housing.   Another would support a grant application to the Wyoming Business Council to help build the Home Ranch parking lot and Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. A final vote on both issues will come September 2^nd.

Wyoming democrats have elected 35 year old Chris Rothfuss…a U of W professor from Laramie… as their nominee to face republican Senator Mike Enzi this fall.   His victory was clear….but the democrat race to fill the unexpired term of the late Senator Craig Thomas was much tighter.   Initial results indicate Nick Carter edged Keith Goodenough by 304 votes…out of over 24 thousand cast.   Carter, then, will challenge Senator John Barrasso for that position.

 

For Wyoming’s lone US House seat….democrat Gary Trauner of Jackson Hole will face republican Cynthia Lummis…the former state treasurer… this fall.   She edged her nearest competitor, Mark Gordon, by a handy seven thousand vote margin.

Locally…Gordon won that race in Teton County, but lost it in Lincoln.    David Herbert will be the Libertarian candidate for the House.

 

Teton County voters approved four of five issues on the SPET ballot Tuesday.   The one cent sales tax will help fund design of a one and a half million dollar library expansion, two and a half million for a new START Transit facility, one and half million for a new pathway project between Jackson and Wilson and another one million for sidewalks in Jackson. A whopping 79 percent rejected spending nearly 53 million for a new Justice Center.

 

Incumbent county commissioners…democrat Andy Schwarz and republican Leland Christensen will defend their seats against republican Dennis Triano and democrat Claire Fuller in the November election.

 

The four top vote getters for Jackson Town Council were incumbents Mark Obringer and Abe Tabatabai (tobba tub-bye) .   They’ll share the November ballot with Greg Miles and Louise Lasley.

 

In other contested races…for the district 22 House Seat, Charles Stough of Pinedale defeated Don Wooden of Alpine for the republican nomination to face democrat Jim Roscoe of Wilson in November.