Legislative committee to look at property tax relief

CHEYENNE - The Legislature's Joint Interim Revenue Committee will meet for three days in January to discuss Gov. Dave Freudenthal's property tax relief proposal for seniors.

The committee also will review all previous property tax studies conducted by the state, said Senate Vice President Jim Anderson, R-Glenrock, co-chairman of the revenue committee.

The legislative management council, which includes legislative leaders, approved the additional meeting days Friday.

The legislators want to make people aware of the property tax relief programs that are currently available, like the tax rebate for the elderly and disabled and the veterans tax exemption, Anderson said.

The committee also will be looking at an array of other interim property tax relief measures given that the governor's proposal calls for a constitutional amendment that won't be on the ballot until November, 2008.

"This is an issue we've been aware of for some time and we certainly are not going to let it go unnoticed," Anderson said.

Freudenthal's proposal would cut property taxes in half for people over 65 who have lived in their homes for at least ten years.

Baby's autopsy shows no obvious cause of death

An autopsy on a 11-month-old Cheyenne boy who died this week revealed no obvious cause of death, Cheyenne police said.

Preston Stratton, son of Jason and Stephanie Stratton of Cheyenne, died Tuesday at the Denver Children's Hospital.

Stephanie Stratton called 911 on Sunday to report her child was possibly in cardiac arrest.

Detectives who responded to the home at 940 W. College Drive said that "something didn't look right," police spokesman Mark Munari said. The child was transported to Denver and died at about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

The case has been turned over the to the Laramie County District Attorney, who will await the results of toxicology tests from the autopsy before deciding whether to pursue charges, said Munari, adding that the child's parents have been cooperative with investigators.

The Strattons' two other children, including Preston Stratton's twin, have been placed in protective custody.

Sweetwater mine readies for production

GREEN RIVER -- A Canadian uranium company is working to bring a small uranium mining operation in northeastern Sweetwater County into production, according to company officials.

Ur-Energy, Inc. officials said the company is currently working on mine planning, baseline studies and permitting activities to bring is Lost Creek uranium deposit into production as early as 2009.

Ur-Energy operates the Lost Creek uranium mine, which is located on federal lands approximately 15 miles southwest of the tiny town of Bairoil, some 40 miles north of Rawlins.

Company officials said in a release that based on favorable results and early completion of this year's planned exploratory drilling program, the company is seeking to expand drilling to include 125 additional holes at the Lost Creek mine.

Officials said the Lost Creek operations, once completed, is expected to produce about 11 million pounds of uranium over the approximately 10-year life of the mine.