Downtown police station closing

LARAMIE -- The Laramie Police Department is closing its downtown storefront location to save money.

Laramie Police Commander Mitchell Cushman said the department wasn't able to do effective police work from the downtown location because it wasn't staffed consistently.

Cushman said police services in the city won't be hindered by closing the downtown location, on South Third Street. It will close Oct. 30.

Cushman said the department may consider opening another office downtown when the economy improves.

Man seeks to expand commission

CHEYENNE -- Laramie County resident M. Lee Hasenauer said he's interested in expanding the Laramie County Commission from three elected members to five.

Hasenauer said he's gauging the public's interest and looking for volunteers to help collect the requisite 4,200 signatures needed to trigger a special election.

Eight other counties in Wyoming have five commissioners: Teton, Fremont, Park, Sheridan, Natrona, Campbell, Converse and Weston. Sweetwater County residents are expected to vote Nov. 3 on whether to expand the commission there.

Proponents say adding commissioners allows them to divvy up the work and focus on areas of expertise. But opponents say it's more expensive for the county to have five commissioners instead of three.

High court censures lawyer

GILLETTE -- The Wyoming Supreme Court has publicly censured Gillette attorney John Craig Abraham for violating conflict of interest rules.

The censure means Abraham will be considered on probation until 2012, and his law license will be suspended if he violates any rules during that time.

According to a report from the Wyoming Board of Professional Responsibility, the censure is in connection with a 2007 case, when Abraham represented defendant Joey Lujan in a drug case. At some point, Lujan allegedly implicated another client of Abraham's. Though Abraham told Lujan the situation created a conflict of interest, he didn't immediately withdraw as Lujan's attorney of record, according to the report.

Group eyes more plane seats

JACKSON -- Officials with Jackson Hole Air Improvement Resources say the travel industry group has contracted with United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines to increase seats on flights into the valley this winter.

Group president Mike Gierau said the airlines have guaranteed 156,000 jet seats into the valley from mid-December to the end of the ski season. In exchange, the group has guaranteed revenue to the airlines. Gierau says he expects the coming season to cost less than the $850,000 paid to airlines last year.

Gierau said 148,000 seats came into the region last winter.