MARK GORDON

Montana officials are asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lift threatened species protections for grizzly bears in the northern part of the state.

Reserving doubts whenever others claim to know what’s best is part of life in Wyoming.

Australia’s two largest cities are moving closer to ending lockdowns as vaccination rates climb, but leaders are warning that people should remain cautious with their newfound freedoms and that coronavirus case numbers will inevitably rise.

Former President Donald Trump has chosen a favored candidate in his bid to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney, one of his most vocal critics.

Wyoming Marine killed: Flag will fly at half-staff in Wyoming after the death of Marine Rylee McCollum, who was killed at the Kabul airport on Thursday. Rylee McCollum was a baby when the 9/11 attacks led to the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. McCollum was sent to Afghanistan on his first deployment when the U.S. evacuation began, his sister, Roice McCollum, told the Casper Star-Tribune. According to his sister, Rylee McCollum was manning a checkpoint at Hamid Karzai International Airport when the bombing occurred, the newspaper reported. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Rylee McCollum of Bondurant.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is upping the pressure on public school districts defying a state ban on mask mandates by threatening to cut off some funds.

-- Wyoming’s governor says the state will not return to a statewide mask order or mandate vaccination against the coronavirus despite a resurgence of the virus. Mark Gordon imposed a statewide mask mandate in December and lifted it in March. Gordon also says he doesn’t expect any shutdowns like the public health orders that forced many Wyoming businesses and public places to close or limit occupancy through much of 2020 and into 2021. The coeducational day school will test all students and employees for the virus before the school year. ___JERUSALEM — Israel says more than 1 million people over age 50 have received a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

President Joe Biden is sounding the alarm about the need for more resources to fight a series of wildfires in Western states.

A shortage of jet fuel, coupled with supply chain issues and an urgent demand from firefighting aircraft, continues to cause problems at airports around the West. In Nevada, state and federal lawmakers said they are investigating a possible shortage of jet fuel that could delay cargo delivery and passenger travel at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in the coming days. In California, recent flights in and out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport were disrupted by jet fuel shortages blamed on the lack of tanker truck driver deliveries. The Reno airport’s shortage is caused by a confluence of factors, including a scarcity of tanker truck drivers, said Stacey Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority. Other Western governors including South Dakota’s Kristi Noem have signed similar orders, although Gordon’s still prohibits truck drivers from driving when tired.

A shortage of jet fuel, coupled with supply chain issues and an urgent demand from firefighting aircraft, continues to cause problems at airports around the West.

A shortage of jet fuel, coupled with supply chain issues and an urgent demand from firefighting aircraft, continues to cause problems at airports around the West. In Nevada, state and federal lawmakers said they are investigating a possible shortage of jet fuel that could delay cargo delivery and passenger travel at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in the coming days. A spike in demand for jet fuel both by commercial airlines and from firefighting aircraft in Montana and the Pacific Northwest led to departure problems and daylong flight delays recently at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.

The T-shirt depicts a man in biker attire pointing a gun. "In Wyoming we have a cure for AIDS," it reads. "We shoot f---in' f------."

President Joe Biden is relaunching the council of governors.

President Joe Biden on Thursday will relaunch the council of governors, an advisory board of governors and a number of key Cabinet secretaries and top administration officials focused on strengthening federal and state collaboration on major national security issues. According to details shared first with The Associated Press, Biden is appointing a bipartisan group of nine governors to the council, including seven new governors, and naming two current council members, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, as co-chairs of the group. The seven new governors are Biden’s home-state governor, Delaware Gov. John Carney, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, all Democrats, as well as Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, all Republicans.

— (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday that it won't allow Wyoming and Montana to sue Washington state for denying a key permit to build a coal export dock that would have sent coal to Asia. The Washington state Department of Ecology in 2017 denied a permit for the export dock, saying the facility on the Columbia River would cause “irreparable and unavoidable” environmental harm. Denying the permit violated the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against trade protectionism between states, the coal states argued in 2020. Washington state officials were not trying to block Wyoming and Montana coal but acted because of “valid environmental concerns” about the dock, attorneys for the state argued in a court filing later that year. “We are glad to today mark the end of a long chapter in the debate over coal export in Washington state,” Lee said by email.

The U.S. Supreme Court won't allow Wyoming and Montana to sue Washington state for denying a key permit to build a coal export dock.

Fifteen Republican governors have sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce Secretary, urging that the U.S. Census bureau release redistricting data as soon as possible.

Police say Andrew Garcia attacked a man on the bus and say the victim didn't speak or even look at the suspect before he was attacked.

— (AP) — A next-generation, small nuclear plant will be built at a soon-to-be retired coal-fired power plant in Wyoming in the next several years, business and government officials said Wednesday. The plant featuring a sodium reactor and molten salt energy storage system will perform better, be safer and cost less than traditional nuclear power, Microsoft co-founder and TerraPower founder and chairman Bill Gates said. “We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry,” Gates said by video link to a news conference hosted by Gov. A nuclear plant with hundreds of well-playing jobs, sending power over transmission lines already in place, could offset the economic blow of a coal plant retirement. The plant will be a “multibillion-dollar project” with costs to be split evenly between government and private industry, TerraPower President and CEO Chris Levesque said.

A next-generation, small nuclear plant will be built at a soon-to-be retired coal-fired power plant in Wyoming in the next several years, business and government officials said Wednesday. The plant featuring a sodium reactor and molten salt energy storage system will perform better, be safer and cost less than traditional nuclear power, Microsoft co-founder and TerraPower founder and chairman Bill Gates said. Bellevue, Washington-based TerraPower is working with Rocky Mountain Power, an electric utility serving Wyoming and other Western states, to put the Natrium reactor at one of four of the utility's power plants in Wyoming, with the location to be decided later this year.

Republican political donor, investor and philanthropist Foster Friess has died.

Wyoming Coal Lawsuits FILE - In this July 27, 2018, file photo, the Dave Johnson coal-fired power plant is silhouetted against the morning sun in Glenrock, Wyo. Wyoming coal production, which accounts for about 40% of the nation's total, has declined as utilities switch to gas, which is cheaper to burn to generate electricity. Solar and wind power also are on the rise as coal's share of the U.S. power market shrinks from about half in the early 2000s to less than 20% now. The IEA report sets out 400 steps needed to transform how energy is produced, transported and used. These include no investment in new fossil fuel supply projects, an end to the sale of new internal combustion engine passenger cars by 2035 and a four-fold increase in the deployment of solar and wind power compared to last year's record level.

Elected officials in Wyoming aren’t sticking their necks out in defense of Liz Cheney as she faces ouster from House GOP leadership.

Wyoming coal production, which accounts for about 40% of the nation's total, has declined as utilities switch to gas, which is cheaper to burn to generate electricity. — (AP) — While most states pursue ways to boost renewable energy, Wyoming is doing the opposite with a new program aimed at propping up the dwindling coal industry by suing other states that block exports of Wyoming coal and cause Wyoming coal-fired power plants to shut down. Wyoming could waste a lot of money trying to convince courts to help coal, countered University of Maryland environmental law professor Robert Percival. Who might be targets of future Wyoming coal litigation isn’t yet known. The coal litigation fund followed a 2020 bill that established a $1 million fund to promote Wyoming coal.

Most states are encouraging renewable energy but a new program in Wyoming does the opposite.

There are two winners of a $20 million contest to make products from carbon dioxide emitted by power plants.

Ad___JOHNSTON, Iowa — Facing an uptick in new coronavirus cases and a hesitancy among a significant portion of the population to get the vaccine Iowa Gov. State health data shows 555 new positive cases in the past 24 hours and no additional deaths reported. Illinois Department of Public Health officials on Tuesday reported 2,404 coronavirus cases, including 17 more deaths. State health officials say 43% of people have received at least one dose of a vaccine and about 65% are fully vaccinated. ___ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases reached 39,302, a record high for a second straight day.

— Wyoming’s governor is rejecting a call by President Joe Biden for states to reimpose mask orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus cases nationwide are on the rise, but infections in Wyoming have fallen off sharply since December. Tribal health officials said that the United Kingdom strain was confirmed in a sample obtained in the western part of the reservation. State health officials on Monday announced more than 1 million people in the state, about 17% of Wisconsin’s population, have completed their vaccination cycles. AdThe COVID-related hospitalizations dropped to 549 on Monday, far below the pandemic record of 5,082 on Jan. 11, according to the state’s pandemic dashboard.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker shows Alaska leading states in the percentage of its population to have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Larry Hogan said Tuesday, citing improving COVID-19 health metrics and increasing vaccinations. It was unclear what authority state officials might be able to exert on federal facilities. — County health officials in Wyoming have detected the coronavirus variant that originated in South Africa. Another 16 million doses are expected to be shipped by the end of the month.

FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2019 file photo, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington. House Republicans are expected to vote in the coming days on whether to oust Cheney from their third-ranking leadership post over her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. – When Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, decided to vote to impeach a president from her own party, she knew she'd cause some waves. “Washington, D.C., mythologizes the establishment powerbrokers like Liz Cheney for climbing in a deeply corrupt game. “If people are still as angry in the summer of 2022 as they are now, Liz Cheney faces some real problems,” Warfield said.

The U.S. government has approved routes for a system of pipelines that would move carbon dioxide across Wyoming in what could be by far the largest such network in North America, if it is developed. – The U.S. government has approved routes for a system of pipelines that would move carbon dioxide across Wyoming in what could be by far the largest such network in North America, if it is developed. In all, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management designated 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) of federal land for pipeline development through the Wyoming Pipeline Corridor Initiative, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. Energy markets drive development of carbon capture projects for oil development, said Matt Fry, state of Wyoming project manager for the pipeline initiative. Sage grouse numbers have dwindled substantially over the past century and much of their habitat in Wyoming carries development restrictions.

– A deepening divide among Republicans over President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election runs prominently through Wyoming, the state that delivered Trump's widest prevailing margin by far. The Wyoming Republican Party has made party fealty a core issue and punished state party officials seen as disloyal. I just don't think that's going to play out in Wyoming," University of Wyoming political science professor Jim King said. Though Wyoming voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2020 and 2016, the state embraced Trump reluctantly. In 2016, Republicans in Wyoming initially backed Cruz over Trump almost unanimously for the GOP presidential nomination.

– As lawmakers around the U.S. convene this winter to deal with the crisis created by the pandemic, statehouses themselves could prove to be hothouses for infection. Public health officials say that move endangers the safety of other lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists, the public and the journalists responsible for holding politicians accountable. The risk is more than mere speculation: An ongoing tally by The Associated Press finds that more than 250 state lawmakers across the country have contracted COVID-19, and at least seven have died. Failing that, Democrats asked for requirements on masks and virus testing, which were also rejected. Edwards spoke in opposition to public health restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus during his campaign.

And we must act as though anyone we are around may be infected.”The cases reported Saturday trailed only the record 10,322 cases reported Tuesday. ___ROME — Italy had more than 21,000 daily coronavirus cases and added 662 deaths in the last 24 hours. There were 14 more deaths reported Saturday, bringing the total to 1,874 confirmed deaths. Russia’s 2.4 million confirmed cases is the fourth-largest caseload in the world behind the United States, India and Brazil. ___NEW DELHI — India has registered 36,652 confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours.

They watch as big game animals in the West chase emerging spring greenery to ever-higher elevations, then return to lowlands to avoid the worst of winter's cold and snow. Roads, such as Interstate 80 from Wyoming to California, also hold up and kill migrating big game animals. Reintroduced populations of Western big game animals need decades to rediscover migration routes, research suggests. Mark Gordon in February designated three mule deer migration corridors with plans for others where state officials would encourage but not force help from landowners. And we now have a whole toolbox full of tools that we can use to maintain these migration corridors,” Kauffman said.

Experts have urged the government to reduce social and business activity before the holiday season because of a rise in serious coronavirus cases. The 583 new cases reported Thursday was the first time that South Korea’s daily tally had exceeded 500 since March. KCCI reports that the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 3,331 new positive COVID-19 cases as of 10 a.m. to bring the total to 222,278. The 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 of population, a recognized measure of the pandemic’s spread, also fell Thursday, to 325. The Reno-Sparks area has recorded 59 COVID-19 deaths the last 30 days — half of those this past week.

___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:— US reaches 12 million total coronavirus cases— Italy hits nearly 35,000 new daily virus cases— Calif Gov. ___PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon has reported a record number of coronavirus cases for the second day in a row. California had a record 13,000 new cases on Thursday and more than 1 million total confirmed cases. Overall, Russia has recorded more than 2,064,000 confirmed cases and 35,778 confirmed deaths. ___NEW DELHI — India has reported 46,232 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, with the situation particularly alarming in New Delhi.

Gary Herbert speaks as he joins state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn at a press conference at the Capitol in Salt Lake City, clarifying the state's mask mandate on Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. Minnesota’s per-capita new case counts are better than neighboring Wisconsin and the Dakotas, which have some of the country’s highest transmission rates, but have still raised alarm with the state's health officials. In Idaho, where 1 of every 223 residents tested positive for the virus over the last week, Republican Gov. With Trump still not conceding the race, some Republican governors have greeted Biden’s efforts in a more measured way. In Oklahoma, where cases also are on the rise, Republican Gov.

It’s the latest in a string of actions by the administration meant to boost the mining industry by hastening environmental reviews and shielding companies from international market pressures. Under the 1872 mining law that governs the industry, companies are not required to pay royalties on minerals extracted from public lands. “For too long in the West, the mining industry has enjoyed a sweetheart deal,” Udall said. It directs agencies led by the Interior Department to report back within 30 days on measures they can take to hasten mining projects, and within 60 days with recommendations for imposing tariffs or quotas on China and other U.S. mining sector competitors. Earthworks' Aaron Mintzes said the proposal advances “a mad rush” to advance mining projects before Trump’s term expires at the end of the year.

Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2020-2021 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. The resulting consumer spending led to a rebound in sales tax revenue in some states. Tom Wolf also wants the Legislature to legalize marijuana, with the tax revenue going toward grants for small businesses and criminal justice reforms. State tax revenue often lags economic trends because individuals' income losses aren't reflected on tax returns until months later. The worst is still yet to come, said Brian Sigritz, director of state fiscal studies at the National Association of State Budget Officers.

Supporters say carbon capture would save coal by pumping carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas emitted by power plants underground instead of into the atmosphere. To date, carbon capture has been implemented at only one commercially operating coal-fired power plant in the U.S., the Petra Nova facility outside Houston that's been idle since May. I know its often easy to take shots at carbon capture and say its uneconomic. The study that Clairsville, Ohio-based Leonardo Technologies Inc., the University of Wyoming and others did for the government examined potential carbon-capture economics at four Wyoming coal-fired power plants owned by Portland, Oregon-based PacifiCorp. The Sierra Club also took issue with the study, saying Wyoming coal power is becoming more expensive compared with wind and solar and that the analysis didn't account for rising operating costs at aging power plants.

NEW DELHI Indias virus cases have surged another 32,695, taking the nation closer to 1 million and forcing a new lockdown in the popular western beach state of Goa, two weeks after it reopened to tourists. The new confirmed cases took the national total to 968,876. Coronavirus cases have surged to record levels in the Los Angeles area. ___MELBOURNE, Australia Australias coronavirus hot spot Victoria state is reporting a record 317 newly confirmed cases in a day. ___SACRAMENTO, Calif. California has reported its second-highest daily total of new coronavirus cases and equaled its second worst day for deaths.

FILE - In this July, 1997 file photo, Dwayne Hargo, left, Rick Chatman, right, and Quail Dobbs, in the barrel, try to divert the bull's attention away from a fallen cowboy at the Frontier Days rodeo in Cheyenne, Wyo. Cheyenne Frontier Days has been canceled for the first time in its 124-year history due to the coronavirus. Cheyenne Mayor Marian Orr said Wednesday, May 27, 2020 that organizers decided the risk of spreading the virus was too great for the more than 140,000 people who visit Cheyenne for Frontier Days in late July. Cheyenne Frontier Days, billed as the world's largest outdoor rodeo, has been canceled for the first time in its 124-year history due to the coronavirus, the city's mayor told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Bars all over Cheyenne are typically standing-room-only during Frontier Days as people try line dancing and mechanical bull-riding.

Ellis led the Buccaneers to an undefeated regular season in NJCAA Region VIII. In that game, Ellis had a game-high 23 points and also ripped down eight rebounds. Once the Buccaneers tournament run ends, Ellis career at FSW will come to an end. He set a school record earlier this year with 42 points and has scored at least 32 points on six occasions. Bryant Heston, Mount Dora, Lake-Sumter State CollegeBryant Heston had solid freshman season in 2019 for the Lake-Sumter State College baseball team.

This weeks Next Level looks at former local standouts Mark Gordon, Taylor Pridgen, and Marissa Mesiemore. Thats probably the best way to describe Mark Gordons senior year on the basketball court for Keiser University. Regardless of the Seahawks fate on the hardwood this season, win or lose, Gordon could be penciled in for 20 points. For the season, Gordon is averaging 28 points per game, second in the nation among NAIA Division II schools. In that win, Mesiemore went six innings, striking out 10 and allowing just four hits.

The former Leesburg High School standout, now a sophomore at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, is averaging 22 points in his last six games. He scored 34 points in a 96-69 win on Jan. 15 against State College of Florida and poured in 29 points on Saturday in a 94-71 win over Hillsborough Community College. Next up for FSW is State College of Florida at 4 p.m. Saturday in Bradenton. Last year at Bethune-Cookman University, he averaged 21.9 points and 9.7 rebounds and scored in double digits as a freshman and sophomore at Daytona State College. Perry, who also played at Leesburg during her high-school career, started her college career at Tallahassee Community College.

FILE PHOTO: Dump trucks haul coal and sediment at the Black Butte coal mine outside Rock Springs, Wyoming, U.S. April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart/File PhotoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wyoming and Montana, two coal-producing western states, on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate Washington states decision to block on environmental grounds a coal export terminal intended as an outlet to Asian markets. Wyoming and Montana contend that Washington states denial of a key water permit needed to allow construction of the coal export terminal has interfered with their trade with Asia. The proposed terminal would be located in Longview, Washington, at the mouth of the Columbia River, where it would ship coal transported by rail from Wyoming and Montana. Lighthouse Resources, the developer of the proposed Millennium coal export terminal in Washington state, filed its own lawsuit in federal court against Washingtons governor in 2018 but Wyoming and Montana decided to go straight to the top U.S. court with their constitutional challenge.

This weeks Next Level column updates recent performances by former local standouts Fred Jackson (Lake Minneola), Jada Perry (Wildwood) and Mark Gordon (MDCA). After a solid freshman season, Jackson stepped up his game as a sophomore and ran for 743 yards and eight touchdowns. It marked the fourth time this season that Jackson had run for at least 75 yards in a game. In his final high school game, Jackson ran for 452 yards on Nov. 3, 2017, in a 55-47 win against Leesburg. In Saturdays 94-36 win against Thomas University, Perry led Jacksonville with 18 points in 22 minutes on 8-of-12 shooting.

Thomas, the boys basketball coach at Lake Minneola, directed his Minneola Elite 2023 team to the YBOA Division II national title earlier this month at the Orange County Convention Center. Part of my job as a Tri-City Ballers coach is to get kids ready for high school, Canady said. We work real close with area high school coaches; one of our coaches is Marcus Hawkins, who is boys coach at Wildwood. With the exception of one player, every member of Minneola Elite will be freshmen this year at Lake Minneola. Sometimes, you have to fight with high school kids to focus on the right things on the basketball court, Canady said.