The University of Wyoming filed a lawsuit this week seeking $2.5 million from an energy company it partnered with to research enhanced oil recovery.

The university in 2024 signed a contract with Houston-based ACU Energy to advance research at the university’s Center of Innovation for Flow Through Porous Media, according to the university’s complaint filed Monday in Wyoming’s U.S. District Court. ACU Energy agreed to pay the university $15 million over the six-year research period. The company, according to the complaint, was to pay the university $2.5 million annually with two payments each year.

While the university kept up its end of the bargain — by assembling a research team, training research members and incurring costs to modify laboratory space — ACU Energy “failed to pay the University even a cent owed under the Agreement, leaving $2,500,000 outstanding in unpaid invoices,” the complaint alleges.

ACU Energy did not respond to a WyoFile request for comment before publication.

The company notified the university in February that it was terminating the contract, and the university notified ACU Energy in May of its breach of contract, according to court filings. The university asked the court for a jury trial.

Enhanced oil recovery refers to methods used to squeeze more crude from reservoirs that have already been tapped for primary production, extending the life of an oilfield.

The university commonly accepts money from private businesses in return for lending resources and expertise to advance research. The Center of Innovation for Flow Through Porous Media is part of the university’s Research Centers of Excellence in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. 

The Center of Innovation for Flow Through Porous Media, led by Mohammad Piri, a professor of petroleum engineering, bills itself as “the most advanced oil and gas research facility in the world.” The center conducts research at the university’s High Bay Research facility, which “is funded by $37.2 million in state dollars and $16.3 million in private contributions, with an additional $9.2 million in private gifts for research equipment,” according to the center’s website.

The center has received donations from oil industry heavyweights like ExxonMobil, Halliburton and Baker Hughes.

Piri was tapped to serve as “principal investigator” for the UW-ACU Energy partnership, according to the university’s complaint. As of press time, ACU Energy had not filed a response to the lawsuit.

A pup got lucky last weekend when she was rescued off the California coast after being swept out to sea.

The black Labrador retriever mix named Sadie initially escaped from the home where her owners were staying in San Diego during a Sunday football game, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said. 

The pair, Alexis Barcellos and Brandon Valdez, tracked Sadie using the AirTag on her collar and set out to the coast to find her, officials said. 

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Lifeguards in Ocean Beach, nearly 2 miles away, alerted a lifeguard tower about a dog that had been swept out into the rip current near a jetty. 

Lifeguard units and a U.S. Coast Guard boat were dispatched to find the pup.

“At that point, I kind of just said, ‘Please let us find this dog,’” San Diego Fire Department lifeguard Jack Alldredge told The Associated Press. 

The initial search yielded no sightings, and lifeguards began making their way back to land.

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“Until a miracle happened,” the fire department said in a social media post. “Jet Ski 2 spotted the dog about a half-mile offshore near South Mission Beach.”

“We got closer and closer, and then we realized it was her, and we were pretty excited,” Alldredge said.

Sadie was found and transferred to a surf boat that brought her to shore, where she was reunited with her owners, officials said.

In a video message, Sadie’s owners said they would be forever grateful for her rescue. Barcellos recalled the moment when she heard a call on the radio that they had found the dog.

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“And we kind of just held our breath, and they were like, ‘And the dog is alive,’” she said. “And we kind of just started crying right away.”

BAY AREA, CA — Vespucci, a longtime Italian restaurant in San Mateo, will close permanently at the end of the year after 11 years in business, its owners announced this week.

Dec. 31 will be the restaurant’s final day of service, according to a message shared by owners Manuela Fumasi and Francesco Zaccaro, who reflected on more than a decade of serving the local community.

“From the moment we opened our doors, this community welcomed us with a warmth and kindness we will never forget,” the owners wrote. “As Italian immigrants, far from our first home, you made San Mateo feel like our home.”

The couple described the restaurant’s run as a “beautiful adventure,” acknowledging that it was often challenging but filled with meaningful connections, friendships and lasting memories. They thanked customers for celebrating milestones with them and for supporting the business over the years.

“This decision hasn’t been easy, but we know it is the right one for us at this time,” they said.

Vespucci has been a fixture in San Mateo’s dining scene since opening in 2015, offering Italian cuisine and serving as a neighborhood gathering spot for residents and regulars alike.

Inside, all of the artworks displayed were created by Maestro Vittorio Fumasi, with several pieces having been exhibited in major art shows in Italy and internationally. While some works predate the restaurant, others — including the low-relief piece “Italy” and the high-relief portraits of Vespucci — were commissioned specifically for the space.

Fumasi has also adorned Vespucci’s dining tables with her own artwork, and said some of those pieces will be offered for sale after the restaurant closes, allowing longtime customers to take home “a piece of Vespucci,” she told the San Mateo Daily Journal.

“We are going to miss you all,” the owners wrote. “With all our affection.”

The restaurant is located in downtown San Mateo at 147 E 3rd Ave. The menu can be found here.