Energy West declares dividend

The board of directors for Energy West of Great Falls, Mont., has declared a dividend of 16 cents per share to shareholders of record as of Nov. 5, according to a press release.

Energy West is a natural gas, propane and energy marketing company. It has customers in Cody, and markets about 2.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas to commercial and industrial customers in Montana and Wyoming.

Best Western opens Hulett hotel

Best Western International has opened the Best Western Devils Tower Inn, located at 229 Highway 24 in Hulett.

The hotel, owned by Devils Tower Inn, LLC, has 40 guest rooms, a press release indicates.

Hotel amenities include an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, fitness facility and complimentary continental breakfast. There also is a meeting space to accommodate up to 48 people available on-site.

Child-care center names co-director

Lisa Burgess has been promoted to co-director of the Neighborhood Child Learning Center in Casper, according to a press release.

In her new position, Burgess will perform administrative tasks, work with curriculum for the children and do hiring.

The child-care center is located at 3036 E. 8th St.

WCDA elects officers

The Wyoming Community Development Authority board of directors has elected officers, according to a press release.

Joe Bluemel of Kemmerer is the new chairman. He has been a WCDA board member since 2003.

John Stoll of Laramie was elected vice chairman. He is a former chairman of the WCDA board of directors.

Wayne Deahl of Torrington was elected secretary/treasurer, and Edward Luhm of Worland is the new assistant secretary/treasurer.

Chili's comes to Laramie

A ground-breaking ceremony for what is billed at the highest elevation Chili's Grill & Bar in the world occurred in Laramie last week.

The new establishment will be at 2523 Grand Ave.

Bighorn Associates, which will operate the Laramie Chili's, also is planning to construct a Chili's in Casper next summer.

Ultra reports production increase

Ultra Petroleum Corp. of Houston has reported 22 percent organic production growth in the third quarter, according to a press release.

Total production in the third quarter was 28.7 billion cubic feet equivalent of natural gas, compared to 23.6 Bcfe in the third quarter of 2006.

Third quarter 2007 production in Wyoming alone increased by 26 percent. In the Pinedale and Jonah fields, the company reported 157 wells.

Gasco Energy reports loss

Denver-based Gasco Energy reported a third quarter net loss of $35.1 million, or 37 cents per share.

"The quarter was difficult as natural gas prices at the Wyoming Pool were as low as $0.15 per million British Thermal Units," Gasco CEO and President Mark Erickson said in a press release. "Gasco and other companies in the region are having drilling success which has created more supply than the pipelines can handle, forcing prices down."

Counselors receive awards

Four people with ties to the University of Wyoming College of Education have received awards from the Wyoming Counseling Association.

Awards were given to two College of Education graduate students, one alumna and a faculty member during the association's fall conference in Casper.

Wesley Bertagnole, Casper College career specialist, received the J.R. MacNeel Award in remembrance of UW's first counselor education department head.

Missy Williams, a full-time counselor at Evansville Elementary School, received the Richard Means School Counselor Award, which recognizes accomplishments at the K-9 level.

Mary Alice Bruce, UW Department of Counselor Education acting head, earned the Bob Porter Service Award in memory of a 36-year teacher, coach and secondary school counselor in Wyoming.

Elizabeth (Betty) V. Cardona, counseling doctoral candidate, was honored with the Human Rights Award. She intends to return to Guatemala and obtain an academic position related to counseling.

Qwest program aids schools

Qwest Communications International Inc. has a new program to benefit school districts across its residential-service region.

The Qwest 1 Percent Back to Schools program will donate 1 percent of a residential customer's Qwest bill every month to a school district of the customer's choice, when the customer signs up for online billing and auto-pay, according to a press release.

Qwest residential-service customers can visit the Web site qwest.com/onepercent to enroll in the program.

Index rates Wyo third

Wyoming ranks third in the 2007 "small business survival index" produced by the Washington, D.C.-based Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council.

The index covers such things as taxes, regulatory costs, energy costs and health care, according to a press release.

Office Shop to open in Casper

The Office Shop, Inc. will hold a grand opening of a new showroom in Casper on Nov. 16, a press release indicates.

The event will be held in suite 108 of the Market Square Building at 232 East 2nd St. Members of the public are invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at 4 p.m.

The Office Shop carries a full line of office products, including stationery, furniture and business equipment.

The company also has outlets in Cowley and Riverton.

Wyo rig count rises

HOUSTON -- The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States was up last week by 35 to 1,795.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas gained 26 rigs, Louisiana nine, Oklahoma five, Colorado four, Wyoming three and Alaska one. New Mexico lost five rigs.

Of the rigs running nationwide, 1,455 were exploring for natural gas and 335 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. Five were listed as miscellaneous.

Cisco certifies Team Networks

Casper based-Team Networks has achieved Small and Medium Business Specialized Partner Certification from Cisco Systems, according to a press release.

The designation recognizes Team Networks for its investment in the training and personnel needed to meet the growing global demand for highly sophisticated, applications-based unified communications solutions.

Cisco has chosen Team Networks as the first SMB Specialized Partner in the state of Wyoming to expand its market into small and medium business, for which it has recently launched a slew of products designed and engineered for that particular market.