Them on Us: Brucellosis; DHL closures; TGR sold

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

By Jake Nichols

Wyoming livestock producers are collectively holding their breath, worried the ax may fall regarding the state’s current brucellosis-class free status. After two Angus cows in Sublette County tested positive for brucellosis, the Cowboy State has been put on probation. Wyoming has two years to make sure the disease does not show up in another herd statewide, and the Daniel rancher with the infected cows must comply with authorities and slaughter his entire herd.

Additional reports out of KULR-TV8 in Montana claim preliminary tests indicate that 13 more cattle in another Sublette County herd may be infected with brucellosis. Assistant State Veterinarian Jim Logan told the news station that about 325 cattle from the herd have been subjected to preliminary blood tests and another 250 will be tested next week.

The discovery has already begun fueling movements, which culminated in a lawsuit filed earlier this month, against the feeding program in the National Elk Refuge and 21 other feed grounds in Wyoming. Opponents of the program claim the close confines created in supplemental winter feeding areas contribute to the spread of brucellosis among wapiti and eventually, though not proven, the disease is passed on to domestic cows.

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The end may be in sight for DHL Express in the West. The package delivery service recently announced it is closing its Wyoming offices in Rock Springs and Casper. This on the heels of their decision to close all seven of their offices in Montana could spell the end for the carrier ranked number three behind UPS and Federal Express. We read the scoop in the Billings Gazette.

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Jackson photographer Thomas Mangelsen received the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association. His book, “The Natural World,” took top honors in the Coffee Table/Large Format category. The award recognizes excellence in independent publishing. The news came from a CBS TV affiliate in Denver.

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Skiers at the Village may soon enjoy pothole-free parking. According to the Wyoming Business Report, Teton County was approved for a $1.5 million Business Ready Community grant, along with an additional $1.5 million loan, to construct a new parking lot, restrooms and guest services at Teton Village. The county will have to buck up $4,211,160 in matching monies.

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The deal is done; Teton Gravity Research is sold. The Jackson-based feature film and television production company’s reach in the action sports market boasts a 140-stop North American and 20-stop European film tour as well as a website that generates 27,000 unique visitors daily, according to the company’s website. TGR has produced 23 award winning films and 53 half-hours of television programming over the past 12 years.
Mac Lackey, managing partner at the investment firm BlackHawk, said the TGR team has built a strong brand with a global following. “We will work closely with the founders to continue building on their foundation in action sports media,” he added.
News of the acquisition reverberated as far away as North Carolina, where we read the story in the Tech Journal - the leading business publication of the southeast. BlackHawk is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.

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After wrapping on another successful festival, the Jackson Hole Film Institute is garnering rave reviews from across the country. Independent movie tracker IndieWire - the “Variety” of the indie film world - was among many entertainment news outlets to give the growing local film festival a pat on the back.
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Them on Us: Brucellosis; DHL closures; TGR sold | Planet JH News Article: General News

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