New plants receive $10M loan

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development division announced it has given a $10 million business and industry loan to build bentonite processing plants in Arminto and Bucknam. The plants, according to a release issued Tuesday, will employ 100 workers when it is completed and fully operational.

Rock Springs Mineral Processing Inc., and U.S. Bentonite Processing Inc., received the loan through First Interstate Bank.

A ceremony for the loan will be held at 4 p.m. today at the Bucknam plant site, 12050 Bucknam Road (approximately 20 miles northwest of Casper on U.S. Highway 20/26).

Man pleads guilty to forgery

A Casper man charged with providing a judge with a forged doctor's letter to get a new trial date pleaded guilty Tuesday in Natrona County District Court.

Jesse James Jewart, 21, was arrested in June after a Casper Municipal Court officer told police Jewart submitted a letter from a doctor who later said she had never treated him. Jewart had requested a new trial date due a serious car accident in May.

The letter purported to be from a doctor in Montana who'd treated Jewart. However, the court determined the doctor was actually from Houston. She said Jewart wasn't one of her patients.

A sentencing date for Jewart has not been scheduled.

District receives grant funds

The Natrona County School District recently was awarded a second round of funding from the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, according to a release. The Carol M. White Physical Education for Progress Grant is in the amount of $484,993 a year for three years, which is approximately $35,000 more per year than the first grant.

According to the grant proposal, the money will be used for "creating significant, systemic change in the way physical activity and healthy eating topics are taught in NCSD schools," and "creating better informed, better skilled individuals capable of adopting and maintaining lifelong healthy lifestyles."

Library hosts adults, crafts

The Natrona County Public Library will host a paper-making craft session at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Crawford room.

To sign up, call the library's reference desk at 577-READ, ext. 2.

College offers immigration course

Individuals who are within one year of being eligible to apply for citizenship and who know how to speak, read, and write some English are eligible to sign up for a free citizenship class scheduled to begin Sept. 8 at Casper College.

The free class, sponsored by the college's Adult Basic Education/GED Center, is scheduled to run for 14 weeks, each Monday night from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. It will include lessons on the history of the United States, government and civics.

Preregistration is required for the class, and can be done between Aug. 25 and Sept. 12 by calling Lisa Mixer at 268-2453.

BLM celebrates Trails Center's anniversary

The National Historic Trails Interpretive Center will celebrate its sixth anniversary on Saturday. Admission to the Trails Center will be free all day. The facility is located at 1501 N. Poplar St.

Wyoming Public Broadcasting Service will join the celebration by commemorating its 25th anniversary with a family day event at the Trails Center.

A schedule of events is available at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/NHTIC.html.

"Our sixth anniversary highlights the dedication of all the people who helped make this a reality and those who currently serve to continue to make the Center an amazing experience for all who visit," said Jude Carino, director of the Trails Center.

For more information, contact the Trails Center at (307) 261-7780.