Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 3

nn JUL Thursday, April 30, 2009 Managing Editor Ron Gullberg can be reached at (307) 268-0560, 1-800-559-0583 or ronjullbergtrlb.com A3 NN BRIEF House passes hate crimes bill. Lummis votes no on federal proposal; Senate vote next Cynthia Lummis was one of the no votes. "She voted against it because she believes this is a state's rights issue," Lummis' press secretary, Ryan Taylor, said Wednesday afternoon. The bill, which has the backing of the Democratic White House, now goes to the Senate. Current law restricts federal jurisdiction over hate crimes of assault based on race, colqr, religion or national origin.

The proposal removes a requirement that a victim has to be attacked while engaged in a federally protected activity, such as attending school, to qualify as a federal hate crime, according to published reports. Entitled the Federal Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, the bill would step up penalties for hate crimes and allow the federal government to help state and local authorities investigate hate crimes. Representative Lamar Smith, ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, 'opposed the bill on grounds it was discriminatory because it will allow different penalties to be imposed for the same crime. The Wyoming Legislature has rejected hate crimes bills, including those proposed after the murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998 in Laramie. Please see HATE CRIMES, A4 By JOAN BARRON Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE The U.S.

House of Representatives on Wednesday voted for a Democrat-supported expansion of federal hate crimes laws. The vote was 249-173 for the bill that was opposed by former President George W. Bush on the ground that existing federal and state laws were adequate. Wyoming Congresswoman 1 FROM STAFF I WIRE REPORTS 1 1 Wyo applies for $330M CHEYENNE -Gov. Dave Freudenthal has approved state applications to federal economfc stimulus rrwney totaling more than $330 million.

The governor and other state officials on Wednes-day aimounced that the state will prepare monthly summary reports so the public can track state appli- cations fa stimulus funding. According to the report that details the status of the state's stimulus funding tiirtxighMarcWyciirdng lias applied for Just more than $330 million and has received nearry $242 rniffion from the federal stimulus program. The state has determined that it's eligible to apply for more than $500 million from the $787 billion federal stimulus bill federal program. Arch donates to UW CHEYENNE-Arch Coal has donated $1.5 rnfl-Hontotiie University of WyonrrngforcleancoaT research. The gift announced Vdnesday will be matched by the state of Wyoming.

The money wfll be used to support research into ways that coal from Wyoming can be used more cleanty.such as coal gasification and carbon capture. Tne money from Arch Coal wffl heto the UW School of Energy Resources establishaCleanCoal Technology Center. Tlie universirystjn needs about prrvatenmdingtogetthe center fulxy funded. State: Ready fer cuina flu CHEYENNE -No cases rf swine fhi have been reportedmWyoming.but top health officials said Wednesday they expect the vims win surface here. Healm official said they've fielded dozens of inquiries fromlccal medical office that wanttosend in flu teststothe state health lab in Cheyenne for swine flu testing.

Seven completed tests had come up negative fa swine flu as of Wednesday, said Kim Deti, healm department spokeswoman. "Wewanttoknowwhen thisthinghits Wyoming, because it wffl hit Wyoming, I'm fairly certain," said Dr. Brent Sherard, crecta of the state health department. Deti said Wyoming has access to about 127,500 adutt doses of medication TamifluandRelenza fa swine fru should the virus spread to the state, Mnnt. rikmkses murder appeal BILLINGS, Mont.

-TheMontanaAttomey General's Office notified the Montana Supreme Court on Wednesday that it will not appeal a recent crckrtyaLMstjict Court judge that dismissed the murder case against Bianca Wilson, tiie Billings woman who was twice charged vnthJustmMarchant's murder on Sept. 14, 2004. Aspokesmanforthe attorney general's office said tie decision not to appeal meara the murder ca against Wilson is over and she cannot be charged agam with that crime. The spokesman, Kevin O'Brien, said state prosecutors have no other suspects in the case. Assistarrt Attorney General Mark Mattioli and Attorney General Steve BuJJock met with Marchant's family at their home in Lovell on Monday to explain the decision.

Wilson has been the onry person charged in connection with the Michael Stugelmayer poses near the antenna he has used to broadcast smooth jazz and alternative radio across downtown Cheyenne airwaves for the past six years. Agents from the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday shut down Stugelmayer's amateur station for alleged violations of federal broadcasting rules. (Jared MillerStar-Tribune) Wkm KGd DiMSDig's war Feds silence amateur Cheyenne radio station By JARED MILLER Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE After blasting alternative tunes across downtown Cheyenne airwaves for six years, a tiny amateur radio station went off the air with a whimper Tuesday, forced to stop broad Stugelmayer, a fast -food restaurant employee with aspirations to work in the broadcasting industry, had been running the 24 -hour station out of a tiny attic space above a historic downtown building since 20 03 "It's like someone dying on you," Stugelmayer said Wednesday. "I turn on the radio and forget it's not there." The federal agents, acting on an anonymous tip, issued Stugelmayer a "notice of unlicensed ra preparation for her arrival. The morgue will continue to be used by staff for case examination and temporary body storage.

Fremont County Coroner Ed McAuslan saidhe's disappointed to see her go. "She did a good job," he said. "She helped us considerably" Kohlmeier saved the county about $16,000 in the past five Fremont loses forensic pathologist Kohlmeier's decision to move affects other counties as well casting by the Federal Communications Commission. Station operator Michael Stugelmayer said agents from the Denver FCC Enforcement Bureau ordered him to cut his signal, at 95.5 FM, because of alleged violations of federal broadcasting rules. tice to Colorado Springs, Colo.

She is scheduled to leave this week. In a prepared statement as to why she's leaving, Kohlmeier said, "Not enough work." She didn't return phone calls seeking further comment, Kohlmeier leaves an improved morgue facility in Lander. The county paid for a $3,100 upgrade to provide necessary equipment in dio operation" that said the broadcast signal was too strong for a station without a license, Stugelmayer said. The station was also emitting "spurious radio signals" that "may present a safety hazard to the operation of aircraft since air-ground communications could be affected," according to the notice. Stugelmayer could face a fine Please see RADIO, A4 months.

That's the average cost oi wages, fuel and travel the county would have spent on transporting cases to Loveland, for autopsies roughly $700 per trip. The county coroner will fall back on the old procedure imme diately. "We'll go back to the McKee Please see PATHOLOGIST, A4 Indian," inhis late teens, of slender build, standing 5-feet-11, with shorthair and wearing jeans, a blue shirt and a black and red baseball hat. "He had no scars, marks or tattoos," Prince said, just a short" haircut. The barber wasn't in jured in the incident.

Leslie Stratmoen is News Director for KVOWKTAK radio in Riverton. By LESLIE STRATMOEN Special to the Star-Tribune RTVERTON Just as Fremont County was getting used to the idea of having a forensic pathologist, Dr. Ruth Kohlmeier announced she's leaving. Kohlmeier set up shop in Lander in November. On Friday she announced she's moving her prac Robber cuts and runs from barber shop of money stolen.

Riverton Police Capt. Larry Prince said response time to the downtown shop on Broadway Avenue was delayed because Jones, who is 65, had trouble placing the emergency call via his cell phone. When police ar -rived, Jones reported that the suspect had run off south on Broadway, and into some apartments in the 300 block of East Madison. Police also received He was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Prince said. "It was the fact that he ran, and looked similar, that he was suspect." Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident and are asking anyone with information to call 307-856-4891.

The robbery occurred about 3 p.m. Tuesday at Jim's Barber Shop. The suspect used a semi-automatic handgun and was described as "Hispanic or nesses. They caught a manrun-ning near the apartments and arrested him. However, it turned out be was not the man involved in the robbery.

Prince said20-year-old Patrick Duran of Riverton was apprehended because he fit the description of the robber. Duran was still taken into custody because he had a warrant out for his ar -rest, issued from circuit court. By LESLIE STRATMOEN Special to the Star-Tribune RTVERTON -A River -ton barber had a bad hair day Tuesday. He was robbed at gunpoint -byaclient who had just received a haircut. Barber Jim Jones said the man pulled a gun on him and took his cash from the register.

Jones made the re -port to Riverton police, who didn't release the amount r.cn word cvrrf rnc.