RIVERTON, Wyo. (AP) — A 47-year-old Riverton man who acknowledged having sexual contact with and strangling a teenage girl has been sentenced. The Riverton Ranger reports George William Lucas was sentenced Thursday to 40 years to life in prison for second-degree attempted murder. He also was sentenced to 40 to 50 years for sexual assault, 18 to 20 years for sexual abuse and eight to 10 years for intimidating a witness.

RIVERTON, Wyo. (AP) — A trial is set to begin tomorrow for a Lander man accused of driving recklessly when he struck and killed an 11-year-old girl who was leaving her school bus east of Crowheart. William Dean Barnes has pleaded not guilty to felony aggravated vehicular homicide. Authorities say Barnes was traveling east on U.S. Highway 26 at 57 mph when he struck Wind River School sixth-grader MaKayla Marie Strahle (STRAW-Lee) on Dec. 20. She was hit while crossing the roadway.

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — The University of Wyoming's new Visual Arts Building has received national recognition for its energy efficient engineering and design features. The building won a Portland 2030 Challenge Design Award at the recent American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment Green Champions Summit. The winners were picked by Architecture 2030, which is a nonprofit organization that works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector.

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Thanks to the Wildlife Conservation Society, a day for the bison has been set aside. The inaugural National Bison Day was held on Nov. 1. Among the places holding celebrations in honor of the day was the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson.

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