Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 15

StarTribune Index Obituaries B3 Regional news B46 Weather B6 THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2008 iute editor Chad mm can be reached at (307) 2b60b83, (8U0j bWj83 or stated com SECTION MAT WYOMING IN BRIEF floral sito LuiMims make House hopeful says coal research would he her top priority What's next: made a The filing period for announcement candidates opens May 15 and doses May 30. said in an interview. Three other Republicans who have announced their intention to seek the party's U.S. House nomination are Swede Nelson, a Cheyenne substitute teacher and motivational speaker; Bill Winney, a retired Navy captain from Sublette County; and state Rep. Dan Zwonitzer of Cheyenne, who works in his family's auction business.

Democrats who say they will run for the state's only seat in the U.S. House are Gary can incumbent Barbara Cubin, who is retiring at the end of the year. Lummis served with Cubin during her 14 years in the Wyoming House and Senate before winning her first term as state treasurer in the 1988 elections. Lummis won a second term in 2002 with no primary or general election opponent. "As I read the direction of the discussion on climate change and energy policy, coal is taking a beating," Lummis Just a little chilly U.S.

By JOAN BARRON Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE -Energy and money for clean-coal technology research will be the top priority for former two-term state treasurer Cynthia Lum-mis if she is elected to the U.S. House. Lummis, a 53-year-old Re publican and Cheyenne lawyer and rancher, announced Wednesday she will be a candidate for the seat being vacated by seven-term Republi 2-. A News Tracker Last we knew: Former State Treasurer Cynthia Lummis indicated she would run for the S. House.

Trauner of Teton County, who lost to Cubin in 2006 by only 1,000 votes, and perennial candidate Al Hamburg of Tor-rington. Lummis was one of three fi since I got into this job is that the citizens of the state are quite animated about what they want the state to be," Freudenthal said. However, Freudenthal added that while many citizens voice concern about how other people develop their property, they don't want government interference in what they do with their own land. "We all want to retain the capacity for me to do what I want," Freudenthal said. Once subdivisions are B2 need two people riding the board for at least five consecutive turns.

The two men are now awaiting confirmation of their record. Sweet already is thinking about marketing the tandem board. "It could be a teaching tool," he said. "Especially if you constructed a triple, because a person could get in between two instructors." a The latest: The Republican formal Wednesday. FROM STAFF i WIRE REPORTS Lawsuit moves to Montana court BILLINGS, Mont.

-A federal lawsuit by a Wyoming energy company seeking to drill on a Montana ranch has been dismissed and refiled in Montana state court. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy of Missoula dismissed the case Wednesday at the request of both par ties after it was determined that the federal court did not have jurisdiction. Pinnacle Gas Resources Inc. of Sheridan, which sued Diamond Cross Ranch LLC, filed a similar lawsuit Monday in the state's 16th Judicial District in Rosebud County, said Billings attorney Chris Mangen, who represents Pinnacle.

A hearing had been set for Wednesday before District Judge Joe Hegel but was canceled after Diamond Cross moved to have another judge appointed to the case. Pinnacle is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent Diamond Cross from denying access to mineral leases held by Pinnacle. Pinnacle has an oil and gas lease for private minerals on 10,316 acres of the southeastern Montana ranch; it says the lease will expire if it cannot begin drilling by Jan. 11. The company, which is developing coal-bed methane in Wyoming and Montana, said it has provided Diamond Cross with notice as required by state law and a surface and damage agreement.

Pinnacle says the ranch is denying access. The ranch's attorney, Loren O'Toole of Plenty-wood, said in court records that Pinnacle's paperwork did not meet the state's notification requirements. Water line killed rig worker An 18-year-oid Gillette man who was killed in a rig accident Saturday suffered head trauma and died at the scene, according to a report by the Campbell County Sheriff's Department. Campbell County Sheriff Bill Pownall said Beau William Hess was struck and thrown into the coal-bed methane drilling rig when a water line kicked up, pulling the cables and stakes that were supposed to hold it down. The accident happened just before 9:55 a.m.

Saturday about 20 miles west of Gillette on Echeta Road. Hess was working for Treco-by Services. An official at Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health Administration office said the agency was notified of the accident by Monday, and an investigation continues. Services for Hess are Friday. Stevenson-Wilson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Cheyenne had a snowy December CHEYENNE Cheyenne received well above the average amount of snowfall for the month of December. The National Weather Service says nearly 18 inches of snow fell on the capital city during December. The average over the past 30 years has been just under 8 inches. Still, that's not as much snow as in December 2006, when Cheyenne got more than 2 feet. Jim Robinson, a Weather Service meteorologist, said he can't point to any year-to-year pattern to account for the higher snowfall.

Some of the snow could melt this week, with expected highs in the 40s and 50s. Your Events More events, Page 02 Mirror Tonight a reading program. public. To to 20 nalists chosen by the Republican State Central Committee to fill the vacancy created by the death in June of U.S. Sen.

Please see LUMMIS, B2 Feds to court: Hear dispute 'This is good Montana official says By LORNA THACKERAY Billings Gazette BILLINGS, Mont. The U.S. solicitor general filed a brief in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday urging the U.S. Supreme Court to accept a lawsuit that Montana wants to bring against Wyoming over water rights on the Tongue and Powder rivers. The U.S.

Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in lawsuits between states and in congressionally approved interstate compacts, which are considered federal law. Original jurisdiction means that states can bring disputes directly to the Supreme Court and skip the normal progression through lower courts. The Supreme Court, however, does not have to accept all cases brought by states against other states. In the Montana vs. Wyoming case, which involves the Yellowstone River Compact, the high court ordered the solicitor general last summer to submit a brief expressing the position of the United States.

Responding to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the solicitor general brief said, "In the view of the United States, the State of Montana's motion for leave to file a bill of complaint should be granted." The brief said Montana has alleged a dispute of "sufficient importance" for the justices to accept jurisdiction, and that there is no other forum where the controversy can be resolved. The next step is for the Supreme Court to decide whether to follow the solicitor general's advice, Montana Attorney General Mike Mc-Grath said Wednesday. "This is good news for us," he said. "Historically, the solicitor general has been persuasive." The Wyoming attorney general's office w-as contacted for this story, but did not immediately respond. Montana contends that Wyoming has violated the Yellowstone River Compact by taking more water out of the river systems than is permissible under the terms of the 57-year-old agreement.

It's an important issue as the West gets drier and demand for water increases. "Two things are really critical here," McGrath said of the solicitor general's brief. Please see LAWSUIT, B2 JL' fSmr Called "Building the Wyoming We Want," the two-day conference will feature presentations from Freudenthal as well as other government officials and preservation groups from around the country. Speaking at his regularly scheduled press conference on Wednesday, Freudenthal said he was pleasantly surprised that the registration limit of 350 people for the conference had already been reached. He said his office is trying to find room to accommodate more noe a paddle, taking a few runs, a light went on," Sweet said.

"You're splitting the duties, so it feels like a marriage. You give up half of the control, and if it's a good one you don't crash." The snowboard, called the "XJ-13." is 9 feet, 7 inches long. Brady works at a snowboard shop. He and his boss, Brian Wood, linked two snowboards lengthwise, bolting the rear 0 tion remains open this week. Rather than raising such concerns to the Legislature during his annual message, Freudenthal said he decided to bring the discussion to the public so citizens could make themselves heard.

"We made a tactical decision about a year ago to try to orchestrate this from the bottom up instead of the top down," Freudenthal said. He said he wants to hear from Wyoming citizens what they want the state to look like in the future. With practice and cooperative partners Brady figured out how to ride the thing. "It's so heavy, you get going pretty quick," Brady said. "On steeper hills you're definitely looking for some drag." They registered the board on the Guinness Book of World Records Web site and were told they could set a record for the world's longest snowboard.

Stan WoincAki, Staf-Tnburw correspondent About 60 brave people jump into the freezing water of Lake DeSmet for the annual Polar Bear Club plunge Tuesday. For the first time, this year, folks were able to buy T-shirts proclaiming their membership, with proceeds going to the Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter. The dub meets at the Lake DeSmet Monument boat ramp at 1 p.m. every New Year's Day. Gov: Taxpayers carry subdivision burden By BEN NEARY Associated Press writer CHEYENNE Gov.

Dave Freudenthal said Wednesday that developers have passed along some of the true costs of subdividing land in Wyoming to taxpayers by failing to build adequate roads and water systems. Freudenthal said he expects that issue and others will be addressed at a conference he has called for next week in Pacnpr nn thp hpnpfits and challenges of growth in' the state te. people and said that registra- "My experience nas reen Kinase see bUBumsiuw, i Jackson men ride two-person snowboard (ACKSON (AP) Every- ing down a mountain in a ca- board on top of the front To get the record, Brady ne i i- Kn iftor hmrA ed to turn in a video of I JACKSON (AP) Every people and said that registra without but after My experience has been board. Piease see SUBDIVISION, To get the record, Brady ed to turn in a video ot one heard of a bicycle built for two, but how about a two-person snowboard? Butch Brady built one and recently teamed up with another snowboarder, Eric Sweet, to make some two-man turns down the Teewinot run at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. They did it for a television crew and the Guinness Book of World Records.

"It seemed initially like go Buffalo Bill Historical Center I Today through March 31 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., the BBHC will be open Tuesday through Sunday, closed on Mondays. Uinta County Museum events Today through Jan. 12, the "Between Fences" exhibrt weaves the history of fences into the development of the United States. Tours of the exhibit will be available. Free admission.

Mirror at 7 p.m. The Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum hosts 'Mirror. Mirror, and discussion series in the Wyoming Humanities Council's Reading Wyoming Discussion group meets in the Old County Library and is free and open to the register and borrow books, cat! (307) 733-9605 as soon as possible. Space is limited participants. Book discussions will include "Buried Child by Sam Shepard, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woo If" by Edward bee, 'Fences by August Wilson, and "A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry.

info: (307) 721-9243 or wwwuwyo.eduhumanities..