Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 3

I Thursday, March 10,2011 Managing Editor Ron Gullberg can be reached at (307) 266-0560, 1-800-559-0583 or ron.gulibergtrib.com A3 town halls don't catch on ulyiiig Contractor: School administrators afraid to hear about suicide and gay issues with Nash to pay him $80,000 to conduct up to 20 town hall meetings around the state in order to address bullying in schools. The town halls were offered on a voluntary basis to communities and Nash was to be paid only for those meetings that were held. Only five town halls have been held and no more are scheduled this school year. Nash said he was paid about $20,000 for overseeing the ones held, notinghe gave up his normal anti-bulfying business in order to set aside the time to conduct the co-founder of an anti-buDying program that is used nationwide, said Tuesday. State and local education off finals deny any fear of holding the town halls, saying they don't believe such meetings are needed or they weren't prepared to hold them now.

"I do not think that the districts are afraid of their parents," said Bruce Hayes, school safety consultant with the state Education Department. The Wyoming Department of Education last fall signed a contract full 20 meetings. Nash, a professional rodeo clown from Cheyenne, said districts that decide against the town nan meet-ingsarestiflingthevomofparents, children and educators on bullying issues in schools. "Not having town han meetings, to me, and it's just me personally, is like saying to the parents, 'I don't care whatyouthink, andl'mnot going tohave an openforum where you can come and talk to he said. Please see BULLYING, A4 By BOB MODI Associated Press writer CHEYENNE Few school districts in Wyoming have held town hall meetings paid for by the state to address school bullying, and the anti-buDying instructor hired to conduct the town halls says some school administrators are afraid to hear what parents and others have to say about suicide and gay andles-bian issues.

"We know what we have been told, that these town hall meetings have created more work, or the knowledge that there needs to be more work done, and that they are uncomfortable with the agendas that have showed up," Marvin Nash, yxr vA (. -hi mr, -v MA- A In brief (FROM STAFF WIRE REPORTS 911 snoring calls ted to arrest CHEYENNE -It was a real sleeper of a 911 call so much so that a Cheyenne, man went to jail. Police say 45-year-old Michael T. Caldwell called 911 three times in less than anhour early Saturday morning. He allegedly complained that people who had refused to leave his apartment were snoring too loudly.

Everyone except Caldwell was asleep when police arrived. Police say they told Caldwell to call oil only in emergencies. They say Caldwen then tried to call the dispatch center again he wanted another officer on the scene for a second opinion. He was arrested at 3:51 a.m. and bookedinto jail.

UW trustees seat two raw VARTIN KIDSTON THE BILUNGS GAZETTE Susie Douglas, public Information officer for the Shoshone National Forest, looks at a new sign Tuesday that will be placed along the Beartooth Highway this summer. Looking back, looking forward luCHibsrs LARAMIE -the University of Wyoming board of Beartooth Highway supporters plan 75th anniversary celebration, seek more funding ceiving around $6 million. Until the highway is rebuilt, he said, the state is reluctant to take over the highway's maintenance. "I think our actions in that regard show that we have an interest in at least partnering to rebuild that road," Beers said. "It would be a political decision to take that road onto our state system after it's rebuilt and brought up to today's highway standards." Please see HIGHWAY, A4 ming to look at that highway as a valuable resource instead of an expensive, money-sucking highway." Cody Beers, spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, said the state has two members on the Beartooth Highway steering cornmittee.

The state also requested and received funds for the highway from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. But while the state requested $60 million to rebuild its portion of the road, Beers said, it ended up re rounding communities, including Cody and, on the Montana side, Red Lodge and Cooke City. Kim Capron, project coordinator with Friends of the Beartooth, hopes the results will persuade transportation officials, especially those in Wyoming, to give the road higher consideration as it allocates funds for future projects. "We'll end up with figures that we can actually use," Capron said of the study. "Everything we do now is anecdotal.

We'd like to get Wyo By MARTIN KIDSTON The Billings Gazette CODY The gateway communities to the Beartooth Highway in Wyoming and Montana are making plans to celebrate the route's 75th anniversary in June. Oncesnowplowsclearthemoun-tain pass and the celebrations get under way, Friends of the Beartooth All-American Road will also launcha study to identify the economic benefits the highway brings to the sur Captive bison eat Yellowstone's hay Police: Woman charged in infants death had drugs in system trustees recently gained two new JohnMacPhersonof Saratoga and Jeff Marsh of Torrington took their seats on the 12-member board last week. Gov. Matt Mead made the appointments when he 1 announced his statewide board, committee and commission appointments. The Senate recently confirmed the appointments.

The UW board of trustees is responsible for the general policies governing the university and oversees such things as academic policies and the general welfare of students. MacPherson replaced Taylor Haynes of Chey- enne, and Marsh replaced Chuck Brown of Wheatland on the board. The governor reappointed current trustees Warren Lauer of -Laramie and Dave Palmer-lee of Buffalo. Afl four trustees' terms will run through 2017. Luehs offers Social Security reform bill CHEYENNE Rep.

Cynthia Lummis has introduced legislation that she says willhelp keep Social Security viable by slowly raising the retirement age. Under the Wyoming Republican's plan, the Social Security retirement age would start to go up in 2024 in phases. People now in their 50s and older would see no change. A49-year-oldperson now would see their retirement age increased by one month. A35-year-old today would see their retirement ageraisedbyoneyear.

Nineteen-year-olds will see their retirement age go up two years, and4-year-olds will have theirs go up three years. Lummis said action is needed now because the Social Security program is at risk of becoming insolvent in 2037. those concerns," Nash said. "Our preference is not to manage wildlife any more than is necessary, whether it's bison or any other species in the park, unless it's an issue involving an experimental population, an endangered species or a normative species." In 2008, more than 1,400 bison were killed, with the meat distributed to tribes and food banks. The bison tend to migrate when the herd tops 3,000 animals.

This year, the park's bison population was estimated at 3,900. The slaughter option was taken off the table this year when Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer issued a 90-day moratorium on shipment of bison to slaughter in Montana. There is no other route for the Park Service to move the bison, since commercial trucking is not allowed inside the park. The moratorium won't expire until May.

Before then, park officials could haze bison back into the park if there is sufficient natural food, which is dependent on the weather. Nashsaidit'sstillunde-cided whether the 40 percent of the more than 600 bison that tested positive for exposure to brucellosis would be allowed to return to the park. "We haven't made any decisions," he said. By BRETT FRENCH The Billings Gazette More than 600 bison are being held in capture facilities north of Yellowstone National Park, including 62 that were captured Wednesday. For a month, the bison have been devouring as much as 5 to 6 tons of hay a day, park, spokesman Al Nash said.

The hay comes from the park's stockpile of 310 tons that is used for stock during the summer. Park officials are concerned that feeding the animals may habituate them to return to the area in future winters. "We certainly have cutors charged the 2-month-pld infant's mother, Crystal Ann Cardenas, with criminally negligent homicide and two counts of child endan-germent involving methamphetamine in the wake of her child's death last September. The homicide charge, a misdemeanor, carries a maximum possible penalty of one year in jail. The child endan-germent charges are felonies, each carrying a maximum possible penalty of five years in prison.

Please see DEATH, A4 By WILLIAM BROWNING Star-Tribune staff An infant who died in a Casper home last year after suffering a breathing problem was sleeping in a bed with methamphetamine paraphernalia beside it, authorities say. Police say they also found several pipes and bowls used to smoke marijuana and methamphetamine inside the Cypress Street home, according to an arrest affidavit from the case. Earlier this month, prose Burglary suspect will undergo mental evaluation eral DVDs and a $250 check were stolen in the break-in, according to an arrest affidavit. The check, which was meant to be given to a local charity organization, was ultimately cashed by Hayden at Hilltop National Bank, authorities say. Davisson remains in custody while awaiting a mental evaluation.

1 All three suspects face the possibility of more than 30 years behind bars if convicted. Reach reporter William Browning at (307) 266-0534 or at william.browningtrib.com. Follow him on Twitter wtbrowning. By the Star-Tribune staff The attorney for a man accused of having a role in the burglary of a Casper home last yea? has requested a mental evaluation for his client. In January, prosecutors charged Jonathan Davisson with six felonies relating to answering to the charges.

Park accepted the motion with no objection from prosecutors. Davisson along with Melissa Hayden and Dakota Stanley, both 18 is accused of breaking into a Whispering Spring Road residence in November. An XBox, a DVD player, sev his alleged involvement in burglary- and forgery-related crimes. The 20-year-old appeared in Natrona County District Court on Wednesday for a scheduled arraignment. His attorney, though, told Judge David Park he thought Davisson needed to be evaluated before formally Jut Hi'.