Wyoming News Briefs

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho officials say hunters have killed 96 wolves so far in the 2012-2013 hunting season. Idaho Fish and Game officials tell the Coeur d'Alene Press that through Thursday 16 wolves have been killed in Idaho's Panhandle wolf zones since the season opened Aug. 30. Also on Thursday the 2012-2013 wolf trapping season opened and runs through March 31 in the Panhandle zone.

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Gillette Rep. Tom Lubnau, II, will be the next speaker of the House. The Associated Press reports that a majority of 52 Republican representatives who met in Casper Saturday picked Lubnau in a straw poll. The non-binding poll becomes official when the new Wyoming Legislature officially votes for Lubnau after members are sworn in Jan. 8.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barrasso has been re-elected chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. Barrasso has served as policy chairman since January 2012. The senator says decisions made in Washington will have a tremendous impact on the future of the country. He says it important that Republicans show they have the right policy solutions that will benefit every American.

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — The city of Gillette mandates that restaurants with liquor licenses provide alcohol server training for their employees. The measure was meant to make sure the servers are up-to-date in their training and help avoid compliance violations. But a local group called the Substance Abuse Advisory Council wants to add more stipulations to the city ordinance to encourage responsible alcohol serving. The Gillette News Record reports that the city council has been considering a proposal to expand the training requirement to package liquor stores.