Barrasso knocks feds on wolves

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. John Barrasso says the federal government double-crossed the state of Wyoming in deciding to reverse its decision to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list.

Lawyers representing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday told a federal judge in Montana that the agency intends to withdraw a decision it released this spring concluding that wolves no longer needed federal protection.

The reversal followed the judge's order this summer blocking the federal government from transferring wolf management authority to Wyoming, Montana and Idaho in response to a lawsuit from environmental groups.

Barrasso, a Republican from Casper, called the Fish and Wildlife decision a "significant breach of trust." He said the federal wildlife agency reneged on its commitment to the people of Wyoming.

Wyo team wins One Shot hunt

CHEYENNE - The Wyoming team won the 65th annual One Shot Antelope Hunt in Lander over the weekend, but both Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter failed to kill theirs with the required single shot.

None of the eight teams in Saturday's hunt saw all three team members kill an antelope with a single shot each.

"It is a great country when you can miss your shot and your team can still win," Freudenthal said. "The Wyoming team won, for I think the first time since 1989. I took a shot early in the morning that I shouldn't have taken."

The One Shot Hunt started in 1940 as a duel between Wyoming and Colorado teams. It's grown since then into a premier hunting event that attracts hunters from around the world.

Freudenthal led this year's Wyoming team, which also included former state Game and Fish Department director Terry Cleveland and former Fremont County Sheriff Tim McKinney.

Wyoming won because Cleveland and McKinney successfully completed their single-shot hunts faster than the other teams that also killed two antelope. It took the two men one hour and one minute of combined hunting time to kill their two animals.

Doctors criticize medical center brass

CHEYENNE - Some doctors affiliated with the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center are pushing for the resignation of the hospital's chief executive officer and the chairman of the hospital's board of trustees.

Dr. Steven Beer, a neurosurgeon, said medical staff members held a special meeting last week to discuss workplace satisfaction issues. Beer said most of the staff members expressed a lack of confidence in leadership at the medical center and said communication with CEO Charlie Harms has been poor.

The medical center issued a statement in response saying that it's committed to improving the relationship with doctors. It stated that both the hospital and the doctors want a safe, efficient hospital where patients are well cared for.