County holds budget hearings

The Natrona County Board of Commissioners will meet today for budget hearings for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Hearings will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the health department and continue throughout the day. The commission will hear from the coroner, child support enforcement, the library, the roads, bridges and parks, the sheriff's office, and other county-related offices.

Budget hearings are open to the public. To attend, go to room 115 in the courthouse, 200 N. David, in Casper. For more information, contact the commissioners' office at (307) 235-9202.

Casper-Chicago flights begin

Starting today, central Wyoming travelers can fly direct daily to Chicago from Casper on United Airlines for at least five months.

In March, the airline worked out a deal with the Wyoming Aeronautics Commission and the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance for $400,000 in funding to share the risk of United's offer to provide daily direct air service between the Windy City and the Windy State. United wants to break even and make a 5 percent profit, and portions of the $400,000 will be allocated to the carrier if not enough passengers use the service, an Aeronautics Commission spokeswoman said in March.

Glenn Januska, manager of the Natrona County International Airport, said the Casper-Chicago service will not be affected by United Airlines' announcement on Wednesday of major cost reductions including cutting 1,100 jobs and grounding its fleet of Boeing B737s and six 747s.

March for Babies raises bucks

Casper raised more than $95,000 for March of Dimes March for Babies, formerly known as WalkAmerica, to benefit all babies, those born healthy as well as those who need help to survive and thrive.

The march down Center Street last month was well received by the participants and raised awareness of the mission of the March of Dimes. A Children's Festival held at City Park featured old-fashioned fun and the barbecue was a huge success.

Money raised in Casper supports the new NICU Family Support project at Wyoming Medical Center, the Cub House project and the Teen to Teen program.

Thirteen percent of live births in Wyoming are premature, according to information from the March of Dimes.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more information, visit marchofdimes.com.

Muddy Mountain Road opens

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Casper Field Office announced that Muddy Mountain Road will open Friday. However, Lodge Pole Campground is unavailable for use until the remaining snow has melted. Rim Campground will be available to the public, according to a news release.

"The public should be aware that some areas are still wet and muddy due to melting snow, and recent rain, and should use caution when traveling on the mountain," said Joe Meyer, assistant field manager for resources.

Muddy Mountain road is closed on an annual basis for public safety and resource protection. The closure normally runs from the end of November through the beginning of June.

The road is the primary access route to the Muddy Mountain Environmental Education Area, which includes two campgrounds and numerous recreation trails.

For more information, call the BLM office at (307) 261-7600.