Cody police report road rage

CODY -- A Cody man was arrested on Wednesday and charged with aggravated assault and battery following an incident that police say appears to have been spurred by a case of road rage.

Stephen Karl Suhl, 35, punched and kicked Carlos Jasso, 59, of Cody, apparently after a traffic dispute near the 1500 block of Sheridan Avenue.

Jasso was treated at West Park Hospital for lacerations, contusions and a facial fracture, according to information released by the Cody Police Department.

Suhl fled the scene of the incident, but was located by officers a short time later.

Police declined to release additional information, citing a continuing investigation.

Rawlins receives record precipitation

RAWLINS -- Rawlins continues to see its record for annual precipitation added onto this year.

The snowstorm at the end of last week dropped about half an inch of precipitation in the area.

The National Weather Service now has recorded 15.31 inches of precipitation in Rawlins since the start of 2009, which is 6.53 inches above normal. By mid-November last year, Rawlins saw 8.94 inches of precipitation.

According to weather service data, 2009 is a record-setting year for precipitation since official data collection started in 1951. The record was previously 12.63 inches of precipitation for all of 1998.

Judge OKs sale right transfer

CHEYENNE -- A federal judge says a potential buyer of a bankrupt Cheyenne hotel can transfer the rights to purchase the property to a different company.

HCW Hospitality got federal approval to buy the Ramada Hitching Post Inn for $3.7 million in August. The hotel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February.

On Monday, a federal bankruptcy judge in New Jersey said HCW Hospitality can transfer the purchase rights to CJM Hospitality, and said CJM hospitality can use $325,000 in nonrefundable deposits to make repairs to the hotel so the business can be reopened.

City officials closed the hotel in September, citing safety concerns and code violations.

BLM seeks coal mine comments

CHEYENNE -- The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is taking public comments on plans to expand a coal mine located about 35 miles northeast of Rock Springs.

Bridger Coal Company is proposing to add about 2,000 acres in lease holdings to the coal mine. That includes leases on about 560 acres of federal land.

Bridger Coal also is asking to modify its lease to conduct surface mining operations.

The BLM plans to take public comments on the proposal through Dec. 16.