Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 3

1 City Editor David Mayberry can be reached at (307) 266-0633, 1-800-559-058 or david.mayberrytrib.com Managing Editor Ron Gullberg can be reached at (307) 266-0560, 1-800-559-0583 or ron.gulibergtrib.com Friday, December 10, 2010 awsiit A3 PAWS woett State official: Details of agreement will be released next week "There is an agreement, and it's my understanding the agreement is awaiting signature," Hill said. McBride, who must sign the settlement, has said he wants the issue resolved before his term expires next month. McBride was at an education meeting in another state Thursday, Hill said. Pearson spokesman Adam Graber said he had heard about a settlement but had no details. Wyoming has a four-year, $40 million contract with NCS Pearson to design, administer and score a test to measure public school student performance dn English, math, reading and science.

This year's Proficiency Assessments for Wyoming Students, or PAWS, which was administered last spring, was plagued with technical problems that raised questions about whether the results were reliable. Many districts reported software problems that in some cases caused answers and work to disappear. In addition, some teachers determined that some protractors supplied with the math portion of the test were inaccurate. The state Education Department has said the problems cost Wyoming about 9,5 million in damages. Pearson had offered to compensate the state for $266,000 in damages.

An independent analy -sis concluded that the problems did not affect how well students scored, but state education officials say the analysis as limited and still leaves doubt about the reliability ofthe test's results. In addition, the state has decided to go back to an all-penil-and-paper format for next year's test and maintains the current contract should be adjusted so that the state pays Pearson less. exam this year, a state education official said. Mary Kay Hill, the agency's director of administration, said Thursday that details of the set tlement will be released next week by state Superintendent Jim McBride and officials with NCS Pearson Inc. By BOB MOEN Associated Press writer CHEYENNE After months of negotiations, the Wyoming Department of Education has reached a settlement with a testing company over technical problems that plagued the state's student assessment 1 1 1 Piqued over land latents Judge dismisses lien filed by Corrigan Hi .1 Ellen Axtmann and daughter, Bei, of Laramie, haul their freshly cut Christmas tree out ofthe Medicine Bow National Forest recently.

The U.S. Forest Service sells permits that allow Christmas tree harvests from the forest. (Ken Driese Star-Tribune correspondent) By TOM MORTON Star-Tribune staff writer A judge Thursday dismissed a lien filed by a Casper man who is no stranger to controversial and arcane interpretations of the law. The latest episode involving Ed Corrigan began in 1974, when he told Dennis and Gloria Thome Corrigan's sister -about a house in north Casper. The Thomes bought the house for $9,400, and three years later moved to West Virginia.

The Thomes gave Corrigan the opportunity to rent out the house, pay the mortgage and taxes and provide the upkeep from the proceeds, and pocket whatever was left over. A year ago, Gloria Thome died, and her husband eventually found someone interested in buying the property. But a title company in September told the prospective buyer that Corrigan had filed a lien called a "declaration of land patents" on the property, which meant it did not have a clear title. So Dennis Thome, through his attor -ney Marvin Bishop III, sued his former brother-in-law for filing a frivolous lien. And District Judge Scott Skavdahl on Thursday had the opportunity to hear yet Please see PIQUED, A4 MN BRIEF FROM STAFF WIRE REPORTS Amoco board buys OYD property SourccGas lot with Coke building is targeted for development Casper in 1998.

Money in the fund came from Amoco, now BP; no city of Casper nor Natrona County money was used for the purchase. "We bought it at its appraised value," Sissman said. The board hopes to reclaim that money, probably within two years, as local developers or businesses submit proposals and refurbish the property, he said. "The goal is not to make money," Sissman said. Instead, the joint powers board wants to see improvements to the western edge ofthe Old Yellowstone District, where support firms for the refinery once stood, he said.

That would enhance the Please see PROPERTY, A4 By TOM MORTON Star-Tribune staff writer The Old Yellowstone District moved closer toward its full development after the joint powers board that manages the former Amoco refinery property bought property from SourceGas Distribution, the board's chairman said Thursday. The Amoco Reuse Agreement Joint Powers Board on Wednesday bought the site at Spruce Street and Midwest Avenue and the historic Coca-Cola building fronting West Yellowstone Highway, Scott Sissman said. The joint powers board paid $1,615,111 from its economic development fund as part of the agreement ne -gotiated between the company and Charter school reps gauge local interest Lummis gets Appropriations seat CHEYENNE U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.

was named Thursday to the influential and powerful House Appropriations Committee. The position will give the second-term congresswoman a say in how to dole out more than $1 trillion in annual government spending. Lummis was named to the committee by the House Republican Steering Committee as the representative for small states, or those with House delegations with only as many as two members. Lummis was elected to the Steering Committee last month; she was absent when her colleagues elected her to Appropriations. In a media release, Lummis said she will work on the committee to help rein in "out-of-control federal spending." Officials rule hiker's death was a suicide ROCK SPRINGS Authorities in Sweetwater County say a 72 -year-old man whose body was found last weekend took his own life.

Jean Soule of Rock Springs was missing for two weeks before his body was found Saturday along the lower reaches of White Mountain, where he frequently hiked. Nearly 150 people volunteered to help search for him that day. Detective Dick Blust said a suicide note was found at the scene and investigators have concluded that Soule jumped to his death. The retired miner was an avid hiker known to cover up to 30 miles in a single day. He was last seen Nov.

20 leaving his home for his daily walk. Walker finds decomposed body CHEYENNE A decomposed body of a man was found Thursday in a windswept field in north Cheyenne. Police were investigating the identity of the body and had few details to offer, said Cheyenne Police spokesman Lew Simpson. A local man walking his dog found the body Thursday morning in a small gully near the intersection of Storey Boulevard and Canyon Road. Simpson said it wasn't immediately clear how long the body had been out there or if foul play was involved.

"It might've been out there for awhile," Simpson said. Report: Smoldng causes immediate damage Smoke-free workplace advocates hope Surgeon General's findings bolster position By JACKIE BO RCHARDT Star-Tribune staff writer Representatives from an Oregon charter high school visited Wyoming this week to introduce their school model to interested community members. Educators from the Redmond Proficiency Academy in Redmond. expressed interest in applying for charters in Casper and Cheyenne this fall. The two cities mirror Redmond in demographics and perceived need for another educational option, said Michael Bre-mont, director of Personalized Learning Inc.

and principal at Redmond Proficiency Academy. Wyoming is also attractive for its small number of charter schools three and the possibility of obtaining federal grants. Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of local school boards. Charter schools receive state and federal funding through the district like every other public school. Families choose to have their children attend charter schools and the children are accepted via lottery as positions are available.

In Wyoming, a charter school can on- Please see CHARTER, A4 workplace smoking ban. Proponents don't intend to ask the board to revisit its decision in light of the report. Instead, they've decided to pursue regulations in Casper, Evans -ville and Mills. When they passed on the ban, health board members said the issue should be handled by state lawmakers and expressed concern over a Please see SMOKING, A4 smoke can also damage a person's DNA, which could lead to cancer. Findings from the report, which was released Thursday, could bolster the case for workplace smoking bans.

Supporters of the regulations say cigarette smoke puts the health of workers and customers at serious risk. The CasperNatrona County Board of Health declined last month to pursue a countywide By JOSHUA WOLFSON Star-Tribune staff writer Advocates for smoke -free workplace regulations in Natrona County say a new report by the U.S. Surgeon General demonstrates tobacco smoke poses an imminent health threat. The report concludes even limited exposure to tobacco smoke can cause immediate damage to the body and can trigger heart attacks. Tobacco iM5BH1 Find Star-Tribune staff blogs and Twitter addresses at www.trib.comentertainmentsocial..