Voters reject jail measure

DOUGLAS -- Converse County residents have voted down a ballot measure to fund a $28.5 million justice center with a 1 cent sales tax.

The tax measure was decided by fewer than 200 votes Tuesday out of just more than 2,200 votes cast.

Currently, the Converse County Jail is beyond full capacity, forcing the county to send some inmates to neighboring counties.

Every year, the county pays about $500,000 to house inmates elsewhere.

Converse County Commissioner Jim Willox said the county will have to evaluate its options.

'Roadless rule' gets support

CHEYENNE -- Attorneys for the federal government and environmentalists argue that a federal appeals court should uphold a ban on new roads in national forests known as the "roadless rule."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and environmental groups laid out their arguments in documents filed Monday in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver.

The 2001 rule applies to at least 40 million acres of forest land.

Lawsuits challenging the rule include one filed by Wyoming. Last year, U.S. District Judge Clarence Brimmer in Cheyenne ruled in that case that the rule wasn't properly implemented.

Wyoming has until Dec. 23 to respond in the 10th Circuit Court. Oral arguments are expected early next year.

The California-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the roadless rule in a separate case in August.

Court upholds $18M award

CHEYENNE -- The Wyoming Supreme Court has upheld a jury award of more than $18 million to a Colorado Springs couple in a lawsuit over a collision between a car and a semitrailer.

The court on Tuesday upheld a Laramie County jury's award last year of $15.7 million to Peter Brophy and $2.3 million to his wife Kate Brophy.

Peter Brophy was 32 when he suffered severe brain damage when his car was struck by a semitrailer at the intersection of Interstates 80 and 25 in Cheyenne in July 2006.

The jury ruled against the trucking company, Omaha, Neb.-based Werner Enterprises, and the truck driver, Cheryl Neal.

Yellowstone sets visitation record

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -- Yellowstone National Park has set a record for annual visitation with two months still to count this year.

The park recorded 3,267,683 visitors from January through October this year. That exceeds the previous 12-month record of 3.15 million visitors set in 2007.

The annual record was set even though October visitation was hurt by cold, wet weather. October's numbers were down by 15 percent from October 2008.

Park officials say they believe the record visitation can be attributed at least in part to the great value national parks offer and to lower fuel prices this past summer.