FFA chapter receives national ranking

The Natrona County High School Casper FFA Chapter recently was named a two-star winner in the National FFA Chapter Award Program, according to a release from the school district.

The chapter was chosen from a nationwide pool of more than 600 candidates for the honor. Chapter members have been invited to attend the 81st National FFA Convention in October in Indianapolis.

The National FFA Chapter Award Program recognizes FFA chapters for developing and conducting a detailed program of activities. Every year, chapters are recognized as having earned a one-, two- or three-star rating on their application. The three-star rating is the highest level of accomplishment a chapter may receive.

The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of more than 500,000 student members, all preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture.

For more information, visit www.ffa.org.

Nic at Noon features Bryan Ragsdale

Green River singer/songwriter Bryan Ragsdale will perform his acoustic/folk/country style at the Nicolaysen Art Museum & Discovery Center's Nic at Noon on Sept. 5, according to a release from the museum.

"My family has been in the Rocky Mountains since the 1800s," Ragsdale said in the release. "My family are ranchers, miners, and war heroes."

Nic at Noon is the museum's informal, monthly concert series where visitors are invited to bring in their lunch and hear performances by local musicians from noon to 1 p.m. There is no admission charge.

For more information, call the Nic at (307) 235- 5247 or visit Ragsdale's Web site at wyomingmelodies.com.

Library hosts Teen Tuesdays

To encourage teens in their use of the library, Natrona County Public Library will hold regular events throughout the school year, including Teen Tuesdays at 4 p.m. each Tuesday in the Teen Zone.

September's lineup includes "Anime Club" on Tuesday, "Button Up!" on Sept. 9, a celebration of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance series on Sept. 16, "CrafTeen Give" day on Sept. 23, and "Game On!" from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 29. On "CrafTeen Give" day, teens will make crafts for the library's books-by-mail patrons.

For more information, call 577-READ ext. 101.

Fall softball tourneys return

The ninth annual One-Pitch Slow Pitch Softball Tournament is scheduled for Sept. 6 in Casper. Games in men's and women's divisions will be held throughout the day at the Crossroads Softball Complex. The championship game in the men's and women's divisions will be held at 11 p.m., followed by "if necessary" games at 11:45 p.m.

Traditional softball rules are modified giving each batter only one pitch. If the batter is pitched a ball, he or she will walk to first. A strike or a foul ball is an out.

The annual Old Geezer Softball Tournament is scheduled for Sept. 7 at Crossroads Fields. All teams are made up of players age 40 and older. Game modifications include no sliding but most other rules remain the same.

The deadline to register for both tournaments is today, and the entry fee for each tournament is $100. Each team is guaranteed a minimum of three games.

For entry forms or additional information, contact the Casper Recreation Division at 235-8383 or visit www.crlasports.com.

Greenhouse sets fall hours

New fall hours for the Casper College Greenhouse, featuring a variety of plants, birds and reptiles, have been announced, according to a release from the college. The greenhouse will be open to the public from noon to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A wide variety of plants are grown in the greenhouse, representing several different climates from desert to tropical.

The greenhouse, which is located on the west side of the Loftin Life Science Center, is free and open to the public.

WYDOT begins work on East Yellowstone

Wednesday morning traffic will be restricted to two lanes on a portion of East Yellowstone Highway (Highway 20/26/87) through Evansville, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.

Both directions of traffic will be diverted to the west-bound lanes between Curtis and Evans streets, as crews perform drainage repair work. Business and residential access will not be affected, and work is expected to take one week.

This project is part of WYDOT's Contract Maintenance Program.

Andreen Hunt Construction of Casper performs the work at an estimated cost of $171,000.