From staff and wire reports | Posted: Tuesday, May 8, 2007 12:00 am
Guard begins Afghan mission
CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Air National Guard has begun a 120-day mission to provide airlift support to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Details of the mission were not released, other than the fact that personnel will be rotating in and out of Afghanistan, according to a Wyoming National Guard news release Monday.
"Although many details remain classified for the safety of our personnel, we know Wyoming's residents will continue to show support for our personnel and their families and for that we thank them," Col. Harold Reed, 153rd Airlift Wing commander, said in the statement.
The first group of guard personnel left Cheyenne last weekend. They will be followed by additional personnel over the four-month period of the mission.
The Wyoming Air National Guard has more than 1,000 men and women. The 153rd Airlift Wing is based in Cheyenne.
House passes Grand Teton bill
CHEYENNE - The U.S. House unanimously passed a bill Monday that would add about 50 acres to Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming.
The bill expands the borders of Grand Teton National Park in order to accept a private donation of the land. The land, adjacent to the park's east boundary, is valued at $19.8 million.
"A Wyoming family has been extremely charitable in donating this land to Grand Teton National Park so that it may be permanently preserved and enjoyed," Rep. Barbara Cubin, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement.
Cubin, R-Wyo., said an act of Congress is necessary to expand national park boundaries.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., has introduced similar legislation.
Woman gets prison in baby death
GREEN RIVER - A woman has been sentenced to one and a half to 10 years in prison after pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the 2005 drowning death of her 9-month-old baby.
District Judge Nena James sentenced Norma C. Merritt, 24, last week.
According to police, Merritt said she had left the baby and her 2-year-old son unattended in the bathtub.
Motocross park gets back on track
CHEYENNE - The donated services of an engineer have put a proposed motocross track back on schedule, with plans for the first race July 29.
Laramie County officials told the Cheyenne Cycle Club last month that its site plan for the county-owned land at Archer was incomplete. The plan didn't include traffic or drainage studies.
The group's president, Kevin Carbaugh, said there wasn't enough time to get those studies done before July 29.
That's when Larry Gallagher, of Summit Engineering, offered to donate his time for the drainage study, according to the club's vice president, Karen Hayes.
"That was very, very nice," Hayes said. "He's gone above and beyond."
The club still needs to apply for permits, build the track and then have it inspected. Club officials say they need to open the track in time for the July 29 race to keep their No. 3 standing in the Sports Riders Association of Colorado league.