KOWBAM

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Wheatland and central Platte County Thursday afternoon at 2:56pm. Trained weather spotters spotted a tornado to the southwest of Wheatland. The tornado was reported to touch down at approximately 3:09pm in the vicinity of hightower and Sybille Creek road.

On Monday morning, the Cow Camp fire about five miles southeast of Laramie Peak was burning nearly 100 acres. Last night, the fire was up to 1,500 acres. Today, that same fire has grown to 3,500 burning acres.

The Laramie Colts played their second game of the 2012 season last night but the results were all too similar to the opener; 12 runs allowed in a losing effort.

The 2012 Laramie Colts season began with great excitement, enthusiasm and energy, but the season opener ended with a disappointing 12-7 loss. The Sunday afternoon game in Laramie was one of firsts. It was the first regular season and home game for the Colts, the first time any of the Colts players suited up in the blue and white pinstripes, but perhaps most significantly, the first time Laramie faced the Casper Cutthroats, the newest member of the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League.

Once upon a time, people used credit cards as back-up funds, tapping into them only when an unforeseen emergency arose. But now, thanks to the current state of the economy, a staggering number of consumers are using their cards for routine bills like mortgages and groceries.

Writing for a website that is based in Laramie, it seems odd to recommend an event occurring elsewhere, but during the third weekend in June, Cheyenne is going to be where it's at. From 5 pm until midnight on Friday and Saturday, June 15 and 16, the annual Wyoming Brewers Festival in the Cheyenne Depot Plaza will be party central in the Cowboy State.

The American Legion baseball season is off to a good start for the hometown Laramie Rangers. They are 2-0 in this new season. After an upcoming Memorial Day weekend tournament in Cheyenne, the Laramie Rangers will have their home opener at Cowboy Field June 1 against North Platte, Nebraska. It's a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 5 pm.

Laramie High School senior Kari Campbell was awarded Female Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Athlete at the Laramie Quarterback Club Spring Senior Honor Banquet on Wednesday night. The honors come with $1,500 in Gene Benson Memorial Scholarship money presented by Pepsi. Tate Hilgenkamp was named Male Athlete of the Year, a scholarship reward of $500.