A-2 Nation Volcano swallows four more houses
Sunday Ranger Wolfe: Landmark’
Track: RHS girls
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second, boys fifth at state meet
Right Stuff ’ author dead at age 88
Diversions
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Sports
A-4 County
Highway segment gets new name
Better
High: 70 Low: 40
Western Wyoming’s Sunday newspaper
Sunday morning, May 20, 2018
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Feds flip on reservation border case Solicitor General now asks Supreme Court not to hear tribal appeal on EPA border ruling
Conservation groups want ‘designations’ in land plans
By Daniel Bendtsen Staff Writer In 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency effectively declared — with little warning — that more than 10,000 non-American Indian people living north of the Wind River were subject to tribal governmental authority. On Friday night, the federal government acknowledged it made a mistake. U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco filed a brief urging the Supreme Court not to take up the case concerning the boundaries of the Wind River Indian Reservation.
Francisco said a Supreme Court review would only threaten to usurp the long-held status quo created by a 1905 Congressional Act, which opened up land to white settlers and led to the creation of Riverton. “At least since the Wyoming Supreme Court’s decision in … 1970, the question of the allocation of criminal jurisdiction on lands sold pursuant the 1905 Act has been settled,” he wrote. “The United States does not assert Indian country criminal jurisdiction over the lands ceded in the 1905 Act and not subsequently returned to full trust status. The decision … is thus consistent with longstanding expecta-
tions regarding the allocation of jurisdiction in the region.” The Office of the Solicitor General is responsible for representing the U.S. in all cases before the Supreme Court. Historically, solicitors general have been enormously successful in getting petitions for certiorari — the legal term used to describe a SCOTUS review of a case — granted or denied. A 2010 study by two professors — one from Harvard and one from Michigan State — found that, when it comes to choosing cases, Supreme Court justices “follow
CWC predicts and welcomes larger tax base; adds $150K
Pour it on
By Katie Roenigk Staff Writer
By Daniel Bendtsen Staff Writer Beginning Tuesday, Fremont County Commissioners are set to put out the land-use recommendations of its public lands committee for a 30-day public comment period. After the 30-day comment period ends, the public lands committee — part of the greater Wyoming Public Lands Initiative — is set to take a final vote on whether to move forward with its current proposals that would ask Congress to change the land-use designations of five Wilderness Study Areas in Fremont County. The proposals for the Bureau of Land Management lands do include a recommendation for 6,000 acres of wilderness at Sweetwater Canyon. However, Julia Stuble — who represents conservation on the 10member county panel — has suggested she still wants to see more concessions to conservation interests before voting to advance the plans. Currently, the landscapes’ status as WSAs means they lie also lie within the National Conservation Landscape System, which was created in 2000 and includes 35 million acres. That system prescribes that the lands be conserved for” hunting, solitude, wildlife viewing, fishing, history exploration, scientific research, and a wide range of traditional uses.” The current proposals mean that all landscapes under review — except Sweetwater Canyon — will be removed from that system. Stuble proposed last week that both the Dubois Badlands and Sweetwater Rocks would remain within that system. She said it was a “a proactive step to address people’s concerns that things are going to change over time.” However, four members of the committee voted to prevent keeping the lands within the system. Sweetwater Rocks lies within both Fremont and Natrona counties. Natrona County Commisq Please see “Land,” page A-7
q Please see “Border,” page A-7
After two years of declines, assessed valuation funding at Central Wyoming College is projected to increase this year by more than 5 percent. Willie Noseep, CWC’s vice president for administrative services, said the change is positive, though it does not compare to the decreases of the past two years. Last year’s assessed valuation in Fremont County was down almost 6 percent. The year before that, the number fell by 27 percent. “That was about a $1.1 million hit that year,” Noseep said during a May 2 budget study session with the CWC Board of Trustees. “This (year) we’re expecting an additional $130,000-$150,000, so that’s a positive in my opinion. … I think that’s really good.”
Compensation Ron Rogers of S&S Builders manned a discharge chute from one of two concrete mixers as crews paved a section of North Federal Boulevard using a new $1 million paver on the machine’s first job. Right, Tobbin Beck smoothed the new concrete as it hardened. The North Federal rebuild project continues this week. Photos by Dan Bendtsen
Miller files for House re-election, Bailey for city council From staff reports Three additional candidates filed for local, county and state offices as the filing period continued for Wyoming’s August primary election. Incumbent Wyoming Representative David Miller of Riverton filed Friday to keep his District 55 seat in the Wyoming House of Representatives. He is the first to file for the seat.
Riverton Ward 3 incumbent city council member Mike Bailey also filed Friday to remain on the council. No other candidates have filed yet for Bailey’s seat. At the state level, Republican legislator Curt Meier, R-LaGrange, filed Thursday for Wyoming State Treasurer Thursday. He aims to replace Mark Gordon, who is running for the
ELECTION
2018
Republican nomination for governor. At the state level, Republican La Grange legislator Curt Meier filed for state treasurer Thursday. He wants to replace Michael Gordon, who’s running for governor this fall. Meier is the first to file for treasurer, although others have announced their intent to file. The filing period continues through June 1. The primary is Aug. 21.
Riverton, Wyo. 307-856-2244 • Lander, Wyo. 307-332-3559 • www.dailyranger.com • Inserts: American Profile, Comics, coupons, Menards, Safeway
Another “positive” he mentioned involved compensation for employees, all of whom received a 1.25 percent base adjustment this year. Combined with changes to market pay for nursing and information technology employees, and internal equity adjustments, Noseep said total compensation and benefits have increased at CWC by more than 4 percent. “We were out of whack by about $450,000,” CWC president Brad Tyndall said, adding that he hoped the salary changes provoke “a lot of smiles.” “They deserve it,” he said of college employees. “They’ve worked hard and made it through the hard times. … If we’re asking people to step up and do more, we need to do justice to that payroll.” Trustee Nicole Schoening pointed out that employees haven’t seen a base pay increase for “a while.” Noseep’s budget report showed the last base adjustment was in 2015. “That’s hard,” Schoening said. “You do the job because you love the job, but it’s nice to be able to monetarily be recognized too. So I’m pleased we’re able to find some q Please see “CWC,” page A-7