Gov appoints new judge

CHEYENNE -- Catherine Rogers, a Laramie County Circuit Court magistrate, was appointed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal on Friday as a judge with the First Judicial District Circuit Court.

Rogers, a Cheyenne attorney, is the former president of the Laramie County Bar Association and serves on the boards of several state philanthropic organizations. She has a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and a law degree from the University of Wyoming.

Freudenthal picked Rogers over attorneys Tori Kricken of Laramie and Robert Rose III of Cheyenne.

Rogers replaces Thomas Campbell, who left his circuit court seat in August to take a district court judgeship.

Crews battle Yellowstone fire

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Yellowstone National Park officials are using water dropped from helicopters to try and slow the 250-acre wildland fire away from a nearby power line and the Grand Loop Road.

The Arnica fire, which likely started on Sept. 13 after a lightning strike, is burning about five miles west of the Bridge Bay Campground along the western shore of Yellowstone Lake. The fire is burning in a flat area of mature lodgepole pine.

With smoky conditions, visitors are being asked to reduce driving speeds. No road closures are anticipated.

The fire is expected to grow in the next 24 hours, especially during the peak afternoon burning period. Smoke and flames will be visible from the Grand Loop Road.

Since Yellowstone National Park is a fire-adapted ecosystem, the wildland fire is being allowed to play its natural role. But firefighters are monitoring the blaze from the air, ground and the Mt. Washburn fire lookout.

Fire updates will be posted to the Web at http://www.inciweb.org/ and http://www.nps.gov/yell/parknews/newsreleases.htm, and will be recorded on the park's 24-hour fire information line at 307-344-2580.

G&F suspects serial poacher

NEWCASTLE -- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is investigating two recent poaching cases south of Newcastle that may have been committed by the same person or people.

Someone shot a buck mule deer along U.S. Highway 85 last week. The yearling deer was found about 24 miles south of Newcastle.

That's the same area where someone shot and abandoned five antelope on Sept. 4.

Newcastle game warden Dustin Shorma said he believes the same person or people committed both acts of poaching. He said it's likely someone driving by on U.S. 85 saw something that might help the investigation.

Anyone with information about poaching can call the department's Stop Poaching tip line at 1 (877) WGFD-TIP.