Microtel opens Rawlins hotel

A Microtel Inn & Suites hotel has opened at 812 Locust St. in Rawlins, the first such property in the state.

The 59-room hotel showcases the Microtel brand's prototype design, and includes such amenities as free WiFi and free local and long distance phone calls.

The hotel is owned by the Wyoming-based partnerships Rawhide Group and Rawlins Hotel Group, and is managed by Omni Hospitality of Medina, Ohio.

Microtel Inn & Suites offers single, double and suite accommodations, according to a press release.

Article highlights Casper bakery

An article published July 24 by the Wall Street Journal features Casper's First Street Bakery and owner Marsha Asbury.

The article discusses the local economy and rising inflationary pressures being felt by the bakery and elsewhere in town.

BN earnings slide

NEW YORK -- Railroad operator Burlington Northern Santa Fe says its second-quarter earnings fell 19 percent, mostly due to one-time charges related to an environmental cleanup in Montana.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. earned $350 million, or $1 per share, compared with $433 million, or $1.20 per share, in the same quarter of 2007.

The 2008 period included charges of 31 cents per share in cleanup costs, and 3 cents per share resulting from a fatal grade crossing accident.

Revenue rose 17 percent to $4.48 billion.

Analysts expected a profit of $1.30 per share on revenue of $4.43 billion.

Fort Worth, Texas-based Burlington Northern said it was also hurt by the weak U.S. economy, high fuel prices and "significant damage" from Midwest flooding.

'High-impact' firms identified

Wyoming has 988 "high-impact" firms that are engines for job growth, according to a study released by the Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration.

Distributed across all industries, high-impact firms account for almost all employment and revenue growth in the national economy, the study concludes.

Of the 376,604 high-impact firms identified by researchers nationwide, 988 are located in Wyoming. That number represents 2.55 percent of Wyoming's firms.

Rig count remains unchanged

HOUSTON - The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States rose by 29 last week to 1,957.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Louisiana gained 14 rigs, Colorado and Texas each gained four, North Dakota gained three, Oklahoma gained two, and California and New Mexico each gained one. Arkansas lost one rig. Alaska and Wyoming were unchanged.

Of the rigs running nationwide, 1,555 were exploring for natural gas and 393 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. Nine were listed as miscellaneous.

A year ago, the rig count stood at 1,775.

Baker Hughes has tracked rig counts since 1944. The tally peaked at 4,530 in 1981, during the height of the oil boom. The industry posted several record lows in 1999, bottoming out at 488.

Consulting firm opens office

CTL/Thompson, Inc, a consulting engineering firm, recently opened an office in Cheyenne.

Presently, CTL/Thompson is working on a number of projects in Wyoming. These include a recently completed Jackson restaurant, an office/condo building and several residential projects, according to a press release.

The Cheyenne office is located at 1623 Central Ave.