Teton, Argentina parks trade staff

MOOSE -- Grand Teton National Park and a national park in Argentina are exchanging trail crews and other park employees under a sister park agreement.

Grand Teton has been a sister park with Los Glaciares National Park since last year. Both parks contain rugged granite peaks and glacially carved valleys and have a history of ranching.

Several Grand Teton employees traveled to Los Glaciares to share their professional expertise last year. This past August and September, employees from Los Glaciares visited Grand Teton to expand their knowledge of trail maintenance and park management.

This winter, Grand Teton's trail supervisor and other staff plan to make another trip to Los Glaciares.

Search ongoing for defendant

GILLETTE -- Authorities in northern Wyoming say they are still searching for a woman who was convicted of 10 counts of forgery and embezzlement.

Campbell County Sheriff Bill Pownall said 57-year-old Julie Deliramich failed to show up for court Friday to hear a jury announce its verdict in her case.

Deliramich, a former bookkeeper with the Fox Park Homeowners Association, was found guilty of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization. She worked for the organization from 1998 through 2003. Each of the charges carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Biologists release swift foxes

FORT PECK, Mont. -- Another 30 swift foxes are now roaming the plains of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana.

Wildlife biologists on Monday released more of the fleet-footed predators as part of ongoing efforts to recover the species, once wiped out in Montana.

Les Bighorn, a wildlife technician for Fort Peck Fish and Game, said the species is also a central character in the creation story of the Assiniboine tribe and an important cultural icon.

Swift foxes only weigh about 5 pounds but can run up to 25 mph.

Biologists are reintroducing them to northeast Montana in hopes of rebuilding a link with populations in Wyoming and north of the reservation.

Montana officials estimate only about 500 swift foxes are in the state.

Jackson real estate slogs

JACKSON -- The first nine months of this year were a buyer's market for real estate in Jackson Hole.

That's according to Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates, which tracks the Jackson Hole housing market.

The firm reported in its newsletter last week that the number of single-family homes sold in Jackson Hole was down 42 percent compared to the first nine months of 2008. The dollar value of those homes sold was down by 50 percent, and the average sale price was down 13 percent.

The firm reports an even softer market for townhomes and condominiums in Jackson Hole. Condo and townhome sales were down 74 percent and the average price was down 39 percent.

Getting mortgages wasn't an issue for many homebuyers. Half of all Jackson Hole homebuyers paid cash.