About 10 acres went up in smoke in the Shoshone National Forest Sept. 24.

There was a purpose for that.

Wyoming wolves will remain under federal protections despite recent requests to return management to Wyoming, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

In response to legal challenges from conservation groups, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled last week that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) shouldn’t have accepted Wyoming’s non-binding promise to maintain at least 100 wolves and 10 breeding pairs outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Indian Reservation.

The Lady Panthers swim team is looking strong with five wins in seven meets, including defeating Cody in a dual on Thursday and claiming the Worland Invite Saturday.

However, head coach Luke Robertson is not counting wins, rather he’s tallying the number of girls qualifying for state Oct. 17 and Oct. 31.

Hunters sighting in their rifles for the upcoming wolf hunting season in the trophy zone or anytime in the predator zone can lower their aim after a federal judge placed Wyoming wolves back under federal protections Tuesday.

“Don’t be hunting right now because they’re on federal protection,” said Jeff Obrecht, Game and Fish information officer in Cheyenne. “It’s not news that is welcomed. We’re disappointed and we hope legally we can get resolution that benefits the state of Wyoming.”

Plans are underway to update and revise the comprehensive plan for the Nez Perce National Historic Trail.

The path, also known as the Nee-Mo-Poo Trail, follows the 1877 flight of the non-treaty Nez Perce Native American tribe from their homelands in Oregon while being pursued by U.S. Army.

The contractor building a 40-plus mile pipeline north of Powell has broken several utility lines, prompting concern by Northwest Rural Water District, the potable water provider the contractor is building the line for.

An unusual number of utility lines are being damaged, said Dossie Overfield, Northwest manager.

Powell is at risk of losing its Tree City USA recognition if a nasty little insect arrives.

The emerald ash borer, which kills ash trees, is devastating Boulder, Colo., after having devastated urban forests across the Midwest. Experts believe it’s a matter of time before it arrives in Wyoming. The Powell City Council discussed that during its Sept. 2 meeting.

Eight Powell High School Lady Panthers qualified for 3A state right off the bat at their first swim meet Friday in Lander.

Head coach Luke Robertson is stoked.

“It’s always exciting to see the kids qualify,” Robertson said.

‘Solitary’ cougars may be more amicable to other mountain lions than once thought 

Mountain lions, it’s long been thought, are solitary predators that spend their lives avoiding each other.

Not so fast.

Maybe mountain lions aren’t so antisocial after all.

A “retired” anthropologist and archaeologist still digs the career he didn’t really relinquish following his official retirement, and he is finding a slew of artifacts in the hills.

Larry Todd, 60, from Meeteetse, didn’t head to Florida, but instead to the mountains of northwestern Wyoming, where he examines archeological clues left behind hundreds and thousands of years ago by Wyoming’s first documented occupants.