Attorney: Dismiss frat members' suit

CHEYENNE - A lawyer representing three University of Wyoming administrators this week said a civil rights lawsuit by four UW fraternity members has no merit and should be dismissed.

In papers filed in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne, attorney Richard Rideout of Cheyenne denied that the administrators failed to provide due process to the Sigma Nu fraternity members who were accused in a September drinking incident.

The lawyer also denied that the administrators violated the First Amendment by punishing one of the fraternity members, junior John J. Whitmire, for posting a video on a social-networking Web site.

Four fraternity members were ordered suspended over the incident in October, but a state judge stepped in to prevent the suspensions. UW President Tom Buchanan later lifted the suspensions and called for a new investigation.

The fraternity members originally filed a lawsuit against the state, and against the UW administrators. The state was dropped from the lawsuit earlier this month.

Injured miner remains hospitalized

GILLETTE - A coal mine worker from Belle Fourche, S.D., who was seriously injured when a bulldozer rolled over remained hospitalized Thursday with head injuries.

Clair "Brian" Christy, 44, was injured in the Christmas Eve accident at the Black Thunder coal mine near Wright.

Greg Schaefer, Arch Coal's vice president of external affairs, said the bulldozer rolled over on a steep embankment.

Schaefer said a LifeFlight helicopter couldn't land because of weather conditions, so Christy remained in a Wyoming hospital until he could be airlifted to Rapid City Regional Hospital on Christmas Day. He was listed in critical condition.

Snowboarders survive cold night

JACKSON - Two snowboarders spent Christmas Eve night wandering around the backcountry after taking the wrong route down a mountain near Togwotee Pass.

The 20-year-old and 17-year-old were rescued on Christmas morning.

"This one turned out to be positive," said Teton County sheriff's Capt. Jim Whalen. "So often in the middle of winter, they don't turn out positive."

The sheriff's office said the snowboarders were headed to Pinedale when their group stopped to snowmobile in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

One snowmobiler dropped them off on Angle Mountain. The three agreed to meet up at the bottom, but the snowboarders went down a different drainage.

The snowboarders were reported missing around 5:45 p.m.

The men ended up snowboarding at least 3.5 miles, then spent the night walking around the Buffalo Fork drainage while the temperature dipped below zero. One of the men started a fire with matches.

At daybreak, they hiked up a ridge and used a cell phone to call 911.

Teton County Search and Rescue received a call from the snowmobilers while a search helicopter was in flight. The snowboarders guided the helicopter to their location.

The snowboarders declined medical treatment. Their identities weren't released.