Posted: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 12:00 am
Campbell Co. leads in sales taxes
GILLETTE - Wyoming Department of Revenue reports show Campbell County collected more sales tax money than any other county in the state.
Campbell County collected nearly $174 million in sales and use tax in the 2008 fiscal year.
The county's sales tax collections are some $40 million more than the next highest county in the state, Sweetwater County.
Campbell County consistently has posted the highest sales tax amount in the state since 2000.
Dan Noble of the state excise tax division said the mineral industry is at the heart of the county's sales tax collections.
On the state level, gross sales tax revenues were nearly $981 million, a $60 million increase over the previous year's gross of $921 million.
Gunbarrel fire gets new life
CODY - Warmer, drier weather is giving new life to a wildfire burning east of Yellowstone National Park.
Fire officials said they are expecting increased smoke and fire over the next couple of days. But they say most of the new burning on Monday was taking place within the fire's perimeter.
Cool weather and a little rain had kept the Gunbarrel fire largely in check over the previous few days.
The fire was started by lightning on July 26 and had burned 42,148 acres, or about 66 square miles, of mostly bug-killed wilderness.
Topic: Enhanced oil recovery
Future development of Wyoming's petroleum resources will be among the topics presented during a public affairs program at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on Wyoming Public Television.
The semimonthly University of Wyoming series, "Wyoming Signatures," will feature an interview with Glen Murrell, director of business development with the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) at UW. He will explain EORI efforts to research oil recovery technologies to be shared with Wyoming's independent oil producers.
The program also features a segment on sculptor Patrick Dougherty, one of the artists participating in the UW Art Museum's major exhibition of large-scale public art works, "Sculpture, a Wyoming Invitational." He will explain his sculpture made from locally-found and harvested saplings that are woven into forms inspired by the Prexy's Pasture site where it is installed.
Another segment features an interview with Wyoming's poet laureate, David Romtvedt, who talks about his ties to the Basque culture, his musical talents and his other interests.
"Wyoming Signatures" is produced by UW Television.