Building becomes storage space

A five-story building in downtown Casper has been turned into a repository for professional records.

Bob Ide, president of Ide Land and Leasing, said the five-story, 50,000-square-foot Intermountain Building at 200 N. Durbin is already about two-thirds occupied.

The building provides a climate-controlled space to store business records for such professionals as lawyers and accountants, Ide said.

Cost of the renovation will total over $1 million, he added.

Fire Rock restaurant sold

The Fire Rock Steakhouse & Grill in east Casper is being sold, effective April 6.

The current owners are Neil McMurry and Rich Fairservis, and the buyer is the Johnson Restaurant Group, which owns Eggington's, Johnny J's, and Old Chicago restaurants in Casper and Cheyenne.

Fairservis said due to their many other business interests, he and McMurry could not devote the time needed to operate the Fire Rock.

Beef council sets meeting

The Wyoming Beef Council will meet on April 8 at the Days Inn in Thermopolis.

Council members will hear funding requests and determine the yearly marketing plan for fiscal year 2010, according to a press release.

The council will also conduct interviews with producers who have submitted applications for the vacancy as Wyoming director to the Federation of State Beef Councils.

The Wyoming Beef Council is a five-member board of beef producers who oversee how checkoff dollars collected in Wyoming are spent.

Wind River conference slated

The Wind River Development Fund and its partners will host the 9th Annual Wind River Business Conference on April 7 and 8 at Central Wyoming College in Riverton.

The conference will focus on how tourism and the energy industry affect the Wind River Indian Reservation and surrounding area.

The tourism portion of the conference will be held April 7. Keynote speaker for this part of the program will be Robin Fohrenkam, president of the Arizona American Indian Tourism Association.

The energy part of the conference will be April 8. The keynote speaker will be Rob Hurless, energy and telecommunications policy advisor for the Governor's Office.

For more information or to register, call 307-335-7330.

Wyoming Machinery garners honor

Wyoming Machinery Co. of Casper has been recognized as Dealer of the Year for 2009 by Houston-based Cat Lift Trucks.

The award is based on 2008 sales performance, customer relationships and operational know-how.

Cat Lift Trucks sells a full line of durable lift trucks with models ranging from 2,200 pound to 36,000 pound capacity, according to a press release.

Visitors bureau provides incentive

The Casper Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is offering an April "Stay and Play" package that includes one night's lodging at a participating hotel and a $40 gift card to the Eastridge Mall for $99.

Aaron McCreight, CEO of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in a press release that the goal is to encourage travelers to choose Casper as an overnight getaway destination.

Stay and Play packages, which were launched in August 2008, have included an all-you-can watch movie pass, Hogadon Ski Area passes, Wyoming Shootout tickets and golf at Three Crowns Golf Course.

'Wyoming Saves' program offered

The University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service has launched a statewide program to help people save more and reduce their debt.

The program is supported by several credit unions in the state. People who enroll in "Wyoming Saves" also will be eligible for prizes, a press release states.

Deadline for registration is April 1. For forms, visit the Web site http://wyomingmoneytalk.blogspot.com.

Event focuses on Legend Rock

A symposium on the history, research and preservation of the Legend Rock Petroglyph Site will be held at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, April 1-5.

The event will be held in conjunction with the spring meeting of the Wyoming Archaeological Society, according to a press release.

The site, located near Thermopolis, is one of the finest and most significant rock art sites in North America, with some of the etchings dating back 2,000 years.

For registration information, contact Sylvia Huber at 307-527-7523, or email eagleofcody@bresnan.net.

Transmission line planned

SALT LAKE CITY - Rocky Mountain Power has awarded a $600 million contract to three construction companies to build a high-voltage transmission line to bring more coal-fired and wind-powered electricity to Utah's urban Wasatch Front corridor.

Contractors are digging holes for transmission towers for the 135-mile line that will run from southeast Idaho to a substation near Salt Lake City's airport.

The power will come mostly from Wyoming and Idaho, but the line also will help move power around PacifiCorp's Northwest-based, six-state service area.

PacifiCorp is Rocky Mountain Power's parent company.

The contract was awarded to a partnership of Black & Veatch Construction Inc. of Overland Park, Kan.; Henkels & McCoy Inc. of Blue Bell, Pa; and Kiewit Western Co. of Omaha, Neb.

Rocky Mountain Power spokesman David Eskelsen says the 345,000-volt power line will help solve a "pinch point" in southwest Wyoming, where many power lines converge.

Technology firm moves to Idaho

NAMPA, Idaho - Technology Alignment has relocated to Nampa, Idaho, from Laramie.

The company develops and distributes computer routers, office telephone systems and Linux operating systems.

Technology Alignment currently has only four full-time employees, but Chief Executive Officer Dianne Ursini says she hopes to grow the business to about 150 employees in the next two years.

Right now, the business is hiring a sales team. It's manufacturing division is still at its former headquarters in Laramie.

Ursini said Laramie's 1.9 percent unemployment rate made it difficult to grow. But thousands of technology employees in the Boise and Nampa region have been laid off from other businesses in the past two years. Ursini said she was attracted to Nampa because of the region's skilled work force.

Grand Targhee acquires retailer

Grand Targhee Resort of Alta has bought local Teton Valley retailer Habitat, which sells high-altitude sports gear.

Habitat will move from Victor, Idaho, to the new Colter Building in Driggs, Idaho, on April 1, according to a press release.

Grand Targhee Resort has four retail outlets at its base area. Habitat will be its only retail store outside the base area.

Coal firm reports revenue hike

Foundation Coal Corp. says coal sales revenues in the Powder River Basin increased by $28.3 million in 2008, when compared to 2007.

However, coal sales volumes decreased by 2.4 million tons, due to transportation interruptions, a decision to limit production related to market conditions and reduced shipments tied to customer requirements.

The company said an 18 percent decrease in production and shipments at the Eagle Butte Mine was partly offset by an 8 percent increase at the Belle Ayr Mine.

Inventors' event coming to Casper

An annual inventors' conference sponsored by U.S. Senator Mike Enzi will be held in Casper on April 25 with the theme, "From Garage to the Assembly Line."

"This is the seventh year that I've brought the inventors' conference to Wyoming and it's exciting to help give Wyoming residents an extra edge to get their ideas out there and running," Enzi said in a press release.

The keynote speaker will be Ryan Patterson of Grand Junction, Colo. When Patterson was 18, he invented the American Sign Language Translator Glove to help deaf people communicate. He currently works for Lockheed Martin in Denver.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, call Robin Bailey at 307-682-6268.

Gold prices expected to climb

Australian-based Resource Capital Management expects gold to trade in a range between $900 to $1,050 in the next six months.

The firm expects a high level of price volatility, but a weak dollar as the U.S. heads for a record deficit should see gold break through the psychologically significant $1,000-per-ounce barrier.

State rig count drops

HOUSTON - The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the United States dropped by 46 last week to 1,039, as weak energy demand continues to hamper oilfield activity.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas lost 17 rigs, Oklahoma lost six, Louisiana lost four, and North Dakota and Wyoming each lost two. New Mexico, Colorado and Alaska each lost one. California added three rigs, and Arkansas was unchanged.

Of the rigs running nationwide, 810 were exploring for natural gas and 217 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday. A total of 12 were listed as miscellaneous.

A year ago, the rig count stood at 1,808. The U.S. count is down nearly 50 percent since the end of August. Oil prices peaked near $150 a barrel in July before plunging. Light, sweet crude for April delivery fell $2.31 to $52.05 in trading Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

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.