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Short 'Stories from the Tenants Downstairs' describe the gentrification of their home By Daniel Estrin Published August 13, 2022 at 7:04 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 8:26 NPR's Daniel Estrin talks with author Sidik Fofana about his debut collection, "Stories from the Tenants Downstairs." Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/short-stories-from-the-tenants-downstairs-describe-the-gentrification-of-their-home | 2022-08-13T13:15:15Z |
NPR's Daniel Estrin speaks to Elizabeth Estrada of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice about the spread of abortion misinformation in the Latino community.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Daniel Estrin speaks to Elizabeth Estrada of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice about the spread of abortion misinformation in the Latino community.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/the-latino-community-is-facing-issues-with-misinformation-on-abortions | 2022-08-13T13:15:21Z |
The Nez Perce tribe has resumed its annual powwows after canceling them for the pandemic. They are an important way for the tribe to assert its presence in northeastern Oregon.
Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting
The Nez Perce tribe has resumed its annual powwows after canceling them for the pandemic. They are an important way for the tribe to assert its presence in northeastern Oregon.
Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/the-nez-perce-tribe-resumes-annual-powwows-after-pandemic-hiatus | 2022-08-13T13:15:27Z |
The FBI recovered classified information in its search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago property this week. Unsealed court filings are offering clues about the investigation.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The FBI recovered classified information in its search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago property this week. Unsealed court filings are offering clues about the investigation.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/unsealed-documents-tell-the-what-and-why-of-the-fbis-search-of-trumps-property | 2022-08-13T13:15:34Z |
An unsealed warrant for the search of former President Trump's home indicates the FBI is investigating a possible breach of the Espionage Act.
Copyright 2022 NPR
An unsealed warrant for the search of former President Trump's home indicates the FBI is investigating a possible breach of the Espionage Act.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/week-in-politics-fbi-investigates-trump-for-potential-breach-of-the-espionage-act | 2022-08-13T13:15:40Z |
Diaa Hadid chiefly covers Pakistan and Afghanistan for NPR News. She is based in NPR's bureau in Islamabad. There, Hadid and her team were awarded a Murrow in 2019 for hard news for their story on why abortion rates in Pakistan are among the highest in the world. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/what-daily-life-in-afghanistan-looks-like-1-year-after-the-taliban-takeover | 2022-08-13T13:15:46Z |
What is the state of safety in Afghanistan under Taliban rule? By Daniel Estrin Published August 13, 2022 at 7:04 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 6:47 NPR's Daniel Estrin speaks with Tamim Asey, a former defense official for Afghanistan, on how safe the country is a year after the Taliban takeover. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/what-is-the-state-of-safety-in-afghanistan-under-taliban-rule | 2022-08-13T13:15:52Z |
Trump-endorsed candidates have done well in key party primaries so far, but they may prove to be too extreme when they come before the general electorate this fall.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Trump-endorsed candidates have done well in key party primaries so far, but they may prove to be too extreme when they come before the general electorate this fall.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/will-trumps-endorsements-be-a-boost-to-candidates-come-fall | 2022-08-13T13:15:58Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Patton Oswalt, left, and James Morosini are an estranged father and son in “I Love My Dad.” (Magnolia Pictures/TNS)
This eight-part series makes a couple of nods to the beloved 1992 film, including a Rosie O’Donnell cameo and a twist on the immortal line about no crying in baseball. But creators Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham have a more ambitious game plan. Jacobson, one-half of the “Broad City” team, plays a small-town catcher who must confront her own racial prejudices and sexual orientation as she tries to lead her Rockford Peaches to a championship. The writers’ social agenda often overshadows the action on the diamond. But the cast of seasoned pros, including a terrific D’Arcy Carden (“The Good Place”), will keep you rooting for the team no matter your political leanings. Friday, Prime Video
‘I Love My Dad’
Come for the clever idea, stay for the icky execution. Patton Oswalt stars as a man, estranged from his adult son (writer/director/star James Morosini), who catfishes him, pretending to be a beautiful young woman. It’s intriguing to see the men get to know each other via texts and social media and Oswalt is terrific as the negligent pop. But the cringe factor is high when Morosini visualizes their online interactions in scenes that feature “father” and “son” envisioning each other naked and having sex. Friday, On demand
‘I Am Groot’
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” may be on leave, but Baby Groot is still causing mischief. These clever three-minute shorts owe more to Harpo Marx than Stan Lee, with our vocabulary-challenged hero surfing on soap bars, battling a bonsai tree and challenging his “twin” to a dance-off. Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon makes a cameo. Disney+
‘Never Have I Ever’
When we first met Devi two seasons ago, she was paralyzed by the death of her father and her fear of boys. It was easy to be on her side. Our allegiances to her get tested in this third season as Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s character reveals more superficial, self-centered tendencies. That may upset viewers who thought they had fallen for a standard teen rom-com. But give Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher credit for creating a hero inspired by real life rather than a John Hughes movie. Friday, Netflix
‘Licorice Pizza’
Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim make smashing movie debuts in Paul Thomas Anderson’s sorta romance about creative oddballs who find each other. Like “Boogie Nights,” another perfect movie from Anderson, “Licorice Pizza” captures bursts of life on the fringes of ‘70s Hollywood. But unlike “Boogie Nights,” it’s a song of innocence. Energy and youth burst from every vivid frame, with its characters often shown running to their next adventure. Prime Video | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/5-shows-to-watch-a-league-of-their-own-tv-series-pitches-a-whole-new/article_c2dc5aa5-fa36-5045-b1c3-fd94fdf6cbdf.html | 2022-08-13T13:36:29Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
'Secret Headquarters' review: Family superhero movie finds its powers
A superhero comedy for families with more than a few genuine laughs, “Secret Headquarters’” superpowers are in the way it plays to its target audience.
It doesn’t pander to teens – ahem, young adults – but rather it meets them where they’re at, and it’s made with warmth rather than cynicism. That makes it stand out among contemporaries that are either too cool or too out of touch to realize how to talk to kids.
Walker Scobell, recently seen hamming it up alongside Ryan Reynolds in Netflix’s teeth-grating “The Adam Project,” is put to much better use here as Charlie Kincaid. He’s a 14-year-old who is shuffled between the homes of his divorced parents who doesn’t understand why his father never has time for him.
When he and his friends – including Berger (“Good Boys’” high-pitch squealer Keith L. Williams), Lizzie (Abby James Witherspoon, Reese’s niece) and his crush Maya (Momona Tamada) – discover his father’s underground sci-fi man cave, they start to put the pieces together. Turns out Dad (Owen Wilson) is The Guard, a superhero who has helped curb global crime, who has a wealth of neat-o gadgets at his disposal. So at least he has somewhat of an excuse for being absent all the time.
Charlie and his friends help themselves to these supertools and use them to become heroes in their own worlds, throwing heaters in Little League Baseball and cheating on tests. But they soon become targets of Ansel Argon (Michael Peña, game as always), a defense contractor who has been looking to harness The Guard’s power source for years.
”Secret Headquarters” is harmless, good-natured fun, and the script by Christopher L. Yost (“Thor: Ragnarok”), along with directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (the original “Catfish”) and Josh Koenigsberg, has a welcome silly streak. It has more in common with “Sky High” than it does the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in a genre that has become way overblown, “Secret Headquarters” is a welcome return to Earth. Pass it on. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/secret-headquarters-review-family-superhero-movie-finds-its-powers/article_2a58722e-49c2-5215-8a15-de71dda18480.html | 2022-08-13T13:36:35Z |
Cheyenne and Laramie County
Start Your Own Business
– Aug. 10, 6-7 p.m. Learn the fundamentals of starting a business in Wyoming! This workshop will cover business models and plans, the feasibility of business ideas, legal structure and regulations, and the reality of startup financing. Presented in partnership with the Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network and the U.S. Small Business Administration. RSVP lclsonline.org/calendar/. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Open Mic Night at Blue Raven
– Aug. 10, 7-10 p.m. A musical open mic night, presented in collaboration with Wyoming Wave Studios. Blue Raven Brewery, 209 E. 18th St. 307-369-1978
Laramie County Fair Pig Wrestling
– Aug. 10, 7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Watch teams of four attempt to wrestle a pig in a muddy pen. Multiple age divisions will compete, from pee-wee to adult, to see who will wrestle their pig into a bucket in the fastest time. Archer Arena, 3801 Archer Parkway. 307-633-4670
Tales Together
– Aug. 11, 10:15-10:45 a.m. An interactive early literacy class for preschool children and their caregivers. Practice new skills incorporating books, songs, rhymes, movement and more. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
”Nazi Germany and the Racial State” presentation
– Aug. 11, 6-8 p.m. The second installment in a series of expert presentations from Adam Blackler, associate professor of history at the University of Wyoming, all of which will provide context and historical background for the themes and concepts presented in Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition for libraries, currently on display. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Open Jam Night
– Aug. 11, 7 p.m. Free. The Lincoln Theatre is hosting its monthly Open Jam Night. Musicians are encouraged to bring their guitar, bass, etc., and come jam with other local musicians! Backline provided. A full bar will be available for those who just want to come and watch. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Story Time
– Aug. 12, 11 a.m. A children’s story time in the blue dome of the Children’s Village. Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, 710 S. Lions Drive. 307-637-6349
Teen Terrace Hangout
– Aug. 12, 3-5 p.m. Teens can enjoy the sunshine with friends on the Teen Terrace. Beverages and popsicles will be provided. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Fridays on the Plaza
– Aug. 12, 5:30 p.m. A weekly summer concert series featuring acts from around the country. This week’s headliner is Rozzi, with an opening performance by Holdfast. Cheyenne Depot Plaza, 1 Depot Square. 307-637-6200
Cheyenne Farmers Market
– Aug. 13, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Local and regional vendors sell their produce, honey, jams, meat, bakery and specialty items, and much more. Proceeds benefit Community Action of Laramie County and its programs. B Parking Lot, Frontier Park, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-635-9291 or www.calc.net/farmers-market
Laramie County Fair Demolition Derby
– Aug. 13, 5 p.m. $15. Follow the sounds of revving engines and metal being crunched beyond recognition. Cheer on the crashing and hard hits in a yearly favorite event. Laramie County Motorsports Park, 3801 Archer Parkway. 307-633-4670
Whiskey Meyers @ the Chinook
– Aug. 13, 7 p.m. A live performance from Whiskey Meyers, with Shane Smith & The Saints and 49 Winchester as supporting acts. Terry Bison Ranch, 51 I-25 Service Road. 307-302-0147
Poetry Open Mic @ The Hawthorn Tree
– Aug. 14, 1-3 p.m. Free. Each poet gets five minutes to read, but occasionally go two rounds, so bring extra poems. Arrive five minutes early to sign up. The Hawthorn Tree, 112 E. 17th St. 307-369-4446
Hip-Hop Paint and Sip
– Aug. 14, 1-4 p.m. Ages 14 and up. $35. A Sunday of painting, drinks and hip-hop music. The Louise Event Venue, 110 E. 17th St. 307-220-1474
Tales Together
– Aug. 16-18, 10:15-10:45 a.m. An interactive early literacy class for preschool children and their caregivers. Practice new skills incorporating books, songs, rhymes, movement and more. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
St. Mary’s Food Truck Rally
– Aug 17, 4 p.m. The Cathedral of St. Mary will host a food truck rally in their parking lot at and invites the greater Cheyenne community for food, fellowship and fun. The Cathedral of St. Mary, 100 W. 21st St. 307-635-9261
Open Mic Night at Blue Raven
– Aug. 17, 7-10 p.m. A musical open mic night, presented in collaboration with Wyoming Wave Studios. Blue Raven Brewery, 209 E. 18th St. 307-369-1978
Cheyenne Civic Concert Band performance
– Aug 17, 7-8 p.m. Free. The Cheyenne Civic Concert Band continues its traditional summer band concerts. Make sure to bring lawn chairs or blankets for this outdoor performance. Lions Park Amphitheater, 4693 Lions Park Drive. 307-256-6987
Fridays on the Plaza
– Aug. 19, 5:30 p.m. A weekly summer concert series featuring acts from around the country. This week’s headliner is Jeremiah Tall, with an opening performance by Dirty Grass Players. Cheyenne Depot Plaza, 1 Depot Square. 307-637-6200
Country Dance Lessons with David Uriquidez
– Aug. 19, 6-8 p.m. $15 per person, $25 per couple. Be the star of the country bar after attending this swing dance class. Bring water and dance appropriate shoes. Tickets available via https://cfdoldwestmuseum.org/products/country-dance-lessons Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-778-7290
Cheyenne Farmers Market
– Aug. 20, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Local and regional vendors sell their produce, honey, jams, meat, bakery and specialty items, and much more. Proceeds benefit Community Action of Laramie County and its programs. B Parking Lot, Frontier Park, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-635-9291 or www.calc.net/farmers-market
NRA Action Pistol Regional and Wyoming State Championship
– Aug 20-21, 9 a.m. Some of the top Action Pistol competitors in the U.S. will compete in the “Steamboat Challenge” shooting competition. NRA Action Pistol is best described as “precision pistol shooting at speed.” Otto Road Shooting Range, 1531 Otto Road. 307-640-3847
Historic Cemetery Walk
– Aug 20, 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. $10. The living history program, “Cheyenne’s Melting Pot,” presented by the Cheyenne Genealogical & Historical Society, begins at the main gate of Lakeview Cemetery and features interesting characters who played large and small parts in Cheyenne’s frontier history. Lakeview Cemetery, 2501 Seymour Ave. 307-630-0924
Cheyenne Arts Celebration
– Aug. 20, 12:30-7 p.m. Free. The Cheyenne Arts Celebration may be young, but it’s in the middle of rapid growth. This festival features live music, vendors, food, drinks and more. Lions Park, Lions Park Drive. 307-637-6423
Puddle of Mudd
– Aug 20, 8-10 p.m. $30. This Kansas City, Missouri-based rock band enjoyed mainstream success in the ‘90s, and now they’re on their way to downtown Cheyenne. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Cultural Blind Spots series
– Aug. 21, 2 p.m. Join St. Mark’s in the second installment of its Cultural Blind Spots series, which will explore the experiences of minority ethnic groups in Cheyenne. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1908 Central Ave. 307-634-7709
Animal Collective @ The Lincoln
– Aug 22, 7-10 p.m. $25. Renowned indie rock group Animal Collective will perform at the historic downtown theater. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Open Mic Night at Blue Raven
– Aug. 24, 7-10 p.m. A musical open mic night, presented in collaboration with Wyoming Wave Studios. Blue Raven Brewery, 209 E. 18th St. 307-369-1978
”’Twilight of the Gods:’Defeat, Memory, and Legacy of World War II and the Holocaust” presentation
– Aug. 25, 6-8 p.m. The third and final installment in a series of expert presentations from Adam Blackler, associate professor of history at the University of Wyoming, all of which will provide context and historical background for the themes and concepts presented in Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition for libraries, currently on display. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
New Frontier Cheyenne Gun and Western Collectibles Show
– Aug. 26, 12-5 p.m.; Aug. 27, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. This Western collectible and firearms show will have a large assortment of new and antique firearms, accessories, knives, edged weapons, cowboy and Indian artifacts, relics, Western memorabilia, antiques and jewelry. Laramie County Events Center at Archer, 3801 Archer Parkway. 307-633-4670
Fridays on the Plaza
– Aug. 26, 5:30 p.m. A weekly summer concert series featuring acts from around the country. This week’s headliner is Jocelyn & Chris, with an opening performance by The Patti Fiasco. Cheyenne Depot Plaza, 1 Depot Square. 307-637-6200
Cheyenne Farmers Market
– Aug. 27, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Local and regional vendors sell their produce, honey, jams, meat, bakery and specialty items, and much more. Proceeds benefit Community Action of Laramie County and its programs. B Parking Lot, Frontier Park, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-635-9291 or www.calc.net/farmers-market
End of Summer Foam Party
– Aug. 27, 10 a.m.-noon. Summer is over, and it’s time to go back to school. Join the library for outdoor games and sipping on lemonade as we enjoy the last rays of summer with a foam party. Performance Park, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
University of Wyoming Football Fest
– Aug. 27, 2-6 p.m. Prepare your best University of Wyoming football cheer, don your brown and gold, and get ready for game day at the library. Join fellow fans to watch the first game of the season as the Cowboys take on Illinois. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
New Frontier Cheyenne Gun and Western Collectibles Show Auction
– Aug. 27, 4 p.m. This year’s auction includes antique Native American and cowboy items, Old West memorabilia and eight special items worn on-screen by famous (now deceased) actor John Wayne. Laramie County Events Center at Archer, 3801 Archer Parkway. 307-633-4670
Edge Fest 2022
– Aug. 27, 5-11 p.m. Experience Tones & I, Claire Rosinkranz and Joe P at the seventh installment of this free outdoor music festival. There will be food and drink on site, as well. Civic Commons Park, Bent Avenue and 20th Street. info@edgefest.com
Tales Together
– Aug. 30-31, 10:15-10:45 a.m. An interactive early literacy class for preschool children and their caregivers. Practice new skills incorporating books, songs, rhymes, movement and more. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Open Mic Night at Blue Raven
– Aug. 31, 7-10 p.m. A musical open mic night, presented in collaboration with Wyoming Wave Studios. Blue Raven Brewery, 209 E. 18th St. 307-369-1978
Cheyenne Farmers Market
– Sept. 3, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Local and regional vendors sell their produce, honey, jams, meat, bakery and specialty items, and much more. Proceeds benefit Community Action of Laramie County and its programs. B Parking Lot, Frontier Park, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-635-9291 or www.calc.net/farmers-market
Open Jam Night
– Sept. 8, 7 p.m. Free. The Lincoln Theatre is hosting its monthly Open Jam Night. Musicians are encouraged to bring their guitar, bass, etc., and come jam with other local musicians! Backline provided. A full bar will be available for those who just want to come and watch. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Hispanic Festival
– Sept. 10, 12-8 p.m. Free. Celebrate Hispanic culture with educational exhibits, games, mariachis, art exhibits, live music, food and craft vendors, piñatas and other kid-friendly activities, food, beer, 50/50 raffle, drawings and a car show. Cheyenne Depot Plaza, 1 Depot Square. 307-275-425
Poetry Open Mic @ The Hawthorn Tree
– Sept. 11, 1-3 p.m. Free. Each poet gets five minutes to read, but occasionally go two rounds, so bring extra poems. Arrive five minutes early to sign up. The Hawthorn Tree, 112 E. 17th St. 307-369-4446
Arts in the Parks
– Sept. 15-18, park hours. The Wyoming Arts Council partners with Wyoming State Parks to hold various arts activities in parks across the state. Plein Air in the Parks is an annual event that pairs talented artists with beautiful locations. This painting competition is open to artists of all ages and offers cash awards. Curt Gowdy State Park, 1264 Granite Springs Road. 307-777-7742
2022 Cheyenne Greek Festival
– Sept. 16-17. A yearly celebration of Greek culture. Cheyenne Frontier Days Exhibit Hall, 8th Street and Dey Avenue. 307-635-5929
CFD Hall of Fame Introduction
– Sept. 16, 5 p.m. The Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame showcases individuals, livestock, and organizations whose distinctive contributions to Cheyenne Frontier Days have helped grow a dream into “The Daddy of ‘em All.” CFD Headquarters, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-778-7290
Joe Gato @ Cheyenne Civic Center
– Sept. 22, 7 p.m. Joe Gatto, a stand-up comedian, actor, producer and co-star for the hit TV show “Impractical Jokers,” will give a performance. Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20th St. 307-637-6200
Brandt Tobler @ The Lincoln
– Sept. 23, 8-11 p.m. $35. Stand-up comedian Brandt Tobler is coming home to Cheyenne for a night of comedy. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Tom Segura @ The Lincoln
– Oct. 27, 7 p.m. One of the biggest names in stand-up comedy. Segura has four Netflix specials under his belt – “Ball Hog” (2020), “Disgraceful” (2018), “Mostly Stories” (2016) and “Completely Normal” (2014). Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20th St. 307-637-6200
Ongoing
Governor’s Capitol Art Exhibition
– Through Aug. 14, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Presented by the Wyoming State Museum, this exhibit compiles 66 different pieces of artwork from artists around the state of Wyoming. Wyoming State Capitol basement extension, 200 W. 24th St. 307-777-7220
CFD Western Art Show and Sale
– Through Aug. 14, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Top western artists from around the country will interpret the culture and heritage of the American West through paintings, sculpture, mixed media and drawings in a highly acclaimed yearly collection. Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-778-7290
Summer Reading Challenge 2022
– Through Aug. 15. Read for prizes in the Laramie County Library’s annual Summer Reading Challenge. With ticket drawings, level prizes, completion prizes and activities throughout the summer, there is no better time to dive in to the ocean-themed challenge. Visit LaramieCountyLibrary.org/SRC2022 to begin this year’s summer reading voyage. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Habitat: Artist’ Books
– Through Aug. 21. Curated by University of Wyoming art professor Mark Ritchie, this year’s iteration of Laramie County Library’s annual book arts exhibit features collaborative work by artists and writers from Wyoming, Wales and around the United States. Each artist/writer pairing was challenged with creating a broadside or folio to include text interpreting habitat. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit
– Through Aug. 28, library hours. Laramie County Library is one of 50 U.S. libraries selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II
– Through Aug. 28, library hours. Smithsonian poster exhibition traces the story of Japanese national and Japanese American incarceration during World War II and the people who survived it. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Laramie and Greater Wyoming
7220’ Music Fest
– Aug. 27, 3-10 p.m. $20. A music festival to raise money for Albany County Search and Rescue and Laramie Chamber Business Alliance. There will be street vendors, food trucks and music. Bond’s Brewing Company, 411 S. Second St. 307-460-3385
307 Film Festival
– Aug. 27-28. $49 for weekend pass. A festival that celebrates films and filmmakers from across Wyoming, the United States and internationally. Studio City UW, 2422 Grand Ave. 307-460-1598
Fort Collins, Colorado
Foodie Walk
– Aug. 19, 5-8 p.m. Free. A monthly self-guided food walk through downtown Fort Collins. Various locations, Fort Collins, Colorado. 970-484-6500
Off the Shelf: Contemporary Book Arts in Colorado
– Aug. 26-Dec. 18, museum hours. Free. This exhibit features artists that innovate and defy our conceptual framework of the book and its contents. The artist book, a medium spanning the public and private sphere of creators and viewers, reflects on issues intimate and grand. Colorado State University Gregory Allicar Museum of Art, 1400 Remington Street, Fort Collins, Colorado. 970-491-1989
Three Dog Night @ Lincoln Center
– Sept. 12, 6 p.m. Live at The Gardens Summer Concert Series. Stewart Copeland’s “Police Deranged for Orchestra” is a high-energy orchestral evening celebrating the work of former member of “The Police,” Stewart Copeland, and focuses on the rise of his career in music that has spanned over four decades. The Gardens on Spring Creek, 2145 Centre Ave. 970-221-6730
Marc Maron @ Lincoln Center
– Sept. 23, 7 p.m. Marc Maron has four hit stand-up comedy specials, including “More Later” (2015), “Thinky Pain” (2013), “Marc Maron: Too Real” (2017) and 2020’s “End Times Fun,” which was nominated for a 2021 Critics’ Choice Award. The Lincoln Center Performance Hall, 417 W. Magnolia St. 970-221-6730
20th ArtWear Fashion Show
– Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. The ArtWear Biennial is dedicated to highlighting wearable art. ArtWear’s goal is to present innovative and wearable artwork of the highest quality and provide a forum to explore unique materials and techniques. This event is a fundraiser for The Lincoln Center’s Visual Arts Program. The Lincoln Center Performance Hall, 417 W. Magnolia St. 970-221-6730
A Culture Preserved (in the Black Experience) Art Show
– Through Oct. 16, museum hours. $5. This exhibit addresses how Black culture and its heritage reflect and shape values, beliefs and aspirations, which define a people’s identity. By bringing together the past and the present, the old meets the new in the Black artistic world. Museum of Art Fort Collins, 201 S. College Ave., Fort Collins, Colorado. 970-482-2787
Greeley, Colorado
”Weird Al” Yankovic @ Union Colony Civic Center
– Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. $52-$89. For only second time in his career, the legendary satirist and five-time Grammy winner will host an intimate evening of non-parody music. Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., Greeley, Colorado. 970-356-5000
David Brighton’s Space Oddity @ Union Colony Civic Center
– Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m. $28-$53. A journey through David Bowie’s storied career by Brighton and the Space Oddity Band. Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., Greeley, Colorado. 970-356-5000
Boulder, Colorado
Hiatus Kaiyote @ Boulder Theater
– Aug. 31, 8 p.m. $39.50-$40. A performance by Melbourne-based, genre-transcending alternative band Hiatus Kaiyote. Boulder Theater, 2042 14th St., Boulder, Colorado. 303-786-7030
Marcus Mumford @ Fox Theater
– Sept. 19, 8 p.m. $45-$50. On his first ever solo tour, the founder and lead singer of folk band Mumford and Sons will perform with special guest Danielle Ponder. Fox Theater, 1135 13th St., Boulder, Colorado. 303-447-0095
Anthony Doerr @ Boulder Theater
– Sept. 27, 6:30 p.m.; doors at 5:30 p.m. The author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “All the Light We Cannot See,” and most recently “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” will hold a book reading. Boulder Theater, 2042 14th St., Boulder, Colorado. 303-786-7030
black midi @ Fox Theatre
– Oct. 3, 8 p.m. $25-$30. Painfully unique experimental/math-rock outfit from London, black midi, is touring their most recent album “Hellfire,” with support from rapper Quelle Chris. Fox Theater, 1135 13th Street, Boulder, Colorado. 303-447-0095
Viagra Boys and shame @ Fox Theatre
– Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m.; doors at 7:30 p.m. $22-$25. Don’t let the name fool you, Viagra Boys are a sextet of classically trained jazz musicians playing off-kilter post-punk rock. shame are on the forefront of the newest wave of post-punk out of London England. Fox Theater, 1135 13th St., Boulder, Colorado. 303-447-0095
Denver
Thomas Rhett @ Red Rocks
– Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. $50-$170. Country music singer Thomas Rhett will perform with support from Parker McCollum and Conner Smith as a part of his “Bring the Bar To You” tour. Red Rocks Amphitheater, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado. 720-865-2494
The Decemberists @ Mission Ballroom
– Aug. 12, 8 p.m.; doors at 7 p.m. $42-$99. The Decemberists’ distinctive brand of folk-rock have maintained them a cult following since they broke out in the year 2000. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. 720-577-6884
Sleeping with Sirens @ The Ogden
– Aug. 13, 7 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. Sleeping With Sirens have tested the boundaries of rock by walking a tightrope between pop, punk, metal, hardcore, electronic, acoustic, and even a little R&B. The “CTRL + ALT + DEL” Tour comes following the release of their fifth studio album, “How It Feels to Be Lost.” Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave, Denver. 303-832-1874
Loco Locals Comedy Extravaganza
– Aug. 17, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $10. A night of stand-up comedy. Ten-minute sets from five different comics. Avanti Food and Beverage, 3200 Pecos St., Denver. 720-269-4778
Mt. Joy @ Mission Ballroom
– Aug. 18, 8 p.m.; doors at 7 p.m. A performance from indie-rock band Mt. Joy, fresh off their latest studio album, “Orange Blood.” Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. 720-577-6884
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats @ Red Rocks
– Aug. 23-24, 7:30 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. Folk artist Nathaniel Rateliff is stopping by Red Rocks with support from Caroline Rose for his 2022 North American Tour. Red Rocks Amphitheater, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado. 720-865-2494
My Morning Jacket @ Red Rocks
– Aug. 26-27, 7:30 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. A two-night performance from alternative-rock band My Morning Jacket. Red Rocks Amphitheater, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado. 720-865-2494
Nine Inch Nails @ Red Rocks
– Sept. 2-3, 7:30 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. A two-night performance from critically acclaimed industrial/electronic/metal band fronted by Trent Reznor. Red Rocks Amphitheater, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado. 720-865-2494
Courtney Barnett & Japanese Breakfast @ Mission Ballroom
– Sept. 3, 5 p.m.; doors at 4 p.m. $52-$124. Courtney Barnett, as a part of her “Here and There Festival Series,” is stopping in Denver with indie outfit Japanese Breakfast, Arooj Aftab and Bedouine. Barnett is coming off the release of her third studio album, “Things Take Time, Take Time.” Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. 720-577-6884
Echo & The Bunnymen @ The Ogden
– Sept. 4, 9 p.m.; doors at 7 p.m. Legendary Liverpool band Echo & the Bunnymen are announcing their return to the U.S. for a tour in support of their 12th studio album and first since 2009, “Meteorites.” Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave, Denver. 303-832-1874 | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/sunday-calendar-8-13-22/article_213808fd-3939-528e-a6e6-a0acbc5666f6.html | 2022-08-13T13:36:41Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Bullies are not just limited to the schoolyard. Workplace bullies are all too common, as are bullies at home. And of course, there is no shortage of social media bullies, or those who like to make their demands known publicly. We also have – and there are those who even applaud – a few celebrity bullies. Not exactly a good example to set for the children of the world.
A bully may claim they love their family, yet they will harm those closest to them when they don’t get their way. A bully may save their negative, pent-up projections for their fellow employees and turn into Attila the Hun at work. But bullies can take less obvious forms as well.
Even road rage is a form of bullying from people who just can’t hack it when they don’t get their way.
If someone is bullying you, there is a solution. You can usually find a way to make them stop.
Here’s an example. A group of employees was feeling undervalued at work because the self-proclaimed group leader kept taking full credit for the others’ work. If anyone confronted him, the bully would make some kind of threat, akin to blackmail, until the person who was trying to fix the problem backed off. Finally, the group did their own work without including the bully and then presented their work to the boss. The boss immediately recognized what had been going on, which solved the problem. The bully was later fired.
Sometimes the bully in the family is the 3-year-old who may have become too used to getting their own way. In this case, simply valuing, teaching and rewarding kindness – and doing it consistently – can shift the family dynamic. It takes a total family effort and, trust me, it’s worth it. When kindness starts at home, it prevents the roots of bullying from taking hold.
Once a bully sees they can get what they want through physical power or intimidation of some kind, they like the feeling that comes with it. They feel empowered, and those of us who have suffered at their hands have to learn to take our own power back. Sometimes that may mean taking a loss or walking away from the relationship, whether personal or professional. Bullies are abusers, and abusers won’t get the message until they lose something big.
Depending on the situation, you may need to quit your job and reinvent yourself or leave your home and find a new life somewhere safe and supportive. If physical abuse is going on, this is your best option.
In other cases, you can often fight and win something back from the bully. When you stand up for yourself and you win, it changes your life.
Maybe you don’t win it all. You don’t need to profit or get even from this process; you just need to get free, so keep that focus. Look at yourself and understand that you don’t deserve to be treated this way by anyone.
Please stand in your power and take it back from whoever tries to take it from you. This is your essence as a human being, so don’t let it be hijacked. And you don’t have to do this alone. Many support groups offer answers. Just ask the Google gods.
Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist in Westlake Village, Calif., is the author of “The Happy Couple: How to Make Happiness a Habit One Little Loving Thing at a Time.” Follow his daily insights on Twitter at @BartonGoldsmith, or email him at Barton@bartongoldsmith.com. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/when-bullies-do-their-thing/article_851acc2b-62a4-54cd-9680-17ee81e7fac0.html | 2022-08-13T13:36:47Z |
In light of recent controversy surrounding the banning of books in Wyoming public school districts, as well as school districts around the U.S., the Wyoming Tribune Eagle spoke with a selection of Wyoming authors to weigh with their perspectives and recommendations for “banned book” reading.
Craig Johnson
Author of: the “Longmire” book series
Once mostly known well around the state of Wyoming, Johnson has gained significant traction since Netflix optioned his 21-book series that follows the adventures of Sheriff Walt Longmire into one long-running series, titled “Longmire.”
“Obviously, as an author, I’m against it,” Johnson said in an interview with the WTE. “The thing that I laugh about is, I mean, just for the fun of it, I looked up to see what was the most banned book in the United States, and it was ‘1984,’ the George Orwell book, for goodness sake.
“I’m always consistently amazed by this, because I guess my first question to these people that are trying to ban these books would be, ‘Have they read them?”
In “1984,” Orwell presents a a totalitarian society controlled by a fascist government through the limiting of information, be it conveyed through speech, literature, historical documentation and even, thought.
For those who haven’t read the novel, or don’t quite remember the plot, the main character gets wise to the injustices of the society through the acquisition of a book that reveals the true purpose and methods of control utilized by the governing party.
Among other banned books that flabbergast Johnson are the works of John Steinbeck, “Of Mice and Men” and “Grapes of Wrath.” The latter of the two was heavily criticized for what was identified as promoting socialist ideals.
Johnson recalls visiting Monterey College, where the school erected the National Steinbeck Center in the author’s name. Every time he walks into the well appointed building, he remembers that nearby is the town square, where residents burned copies of “Grapes of Wrath” when it was originally released.
“One of the great things is that young people are extraordinarily intellectually resilient and extraordinarily rebellious,” he said. “The more you tell them you can’t read there’s more they’re gonna want to. I remember as a kid, all the things that I wasn’t supposed to be involved in or supposed to be doing or whatever, those are the first things I was drawn to.”
Johnson’s most recent book in the Longmire series, “Daughter of the Morning Star,” received backlash due to the subject matter focusing on the issue of murdered and missing indigenous women. One reader wrote and expressed his disappointment that Johnson was getting “too political.”
The reader did eventually read the book and cited it as one of his favorites in the series upon completion. Books are meant to have a message, whether that reader agrees the with message or not. So Johnson is avoiding becoming “airport fodder” – paperbacks lining airport book stands – by ensuring each of his books makes a statement.
He specifically puts Walt Longmire in situations that Wyomingites are familiar with.
“I tend to refer to it as the ‘Burr-Under-the-Saddle-Blanket School of Literature.’ You have a sense of injustice when there’s something wrong or there’s something that you think needs to be addressed,” Johnson said. “I’ve discovered that that’s one of the best fuels for me as a writer – when I’m a little disgruntled about something.
“That burr under the saddle blanket is there, I can feel it and the horse can feel it, neither of us like it, so I’m gonna have to deal with it.”
Suggested reading: If it’s banned, read it.
Final comment: “Read things that are going to get you out of your comfort zone or things that you normally wouldn’t pick up. Read about the things that are going to stretch you as a human being, things that are gonna be of interest to you. You may be surprised at what you’ll gain.”
Mark Spragg
Author of: “Where Rivers Change Direction,” “The Fruit of Stone,” “An Unfinished Life,” “Bone Fire”
Spragg feels strongly about the issue of banning books.
“It seems to me it’s about control, and always under the guise of being somebody’s savior,” Spragg said. “The savior from sexual input, the language input, the war scenes, whatever. It’s been interesting looking over these lists of (top banned) books.”
Prior to his interview, Spragg sent a document briefly compiling his stance on the matter of banning books, particularly in Wyoming.
“Banning books is, more accurately, an effort to ban thought, opinion, and perspective,” the statement reads. “I believe that those who urge the banning do so because they are fearful that their point of view will be discovered as untenable, disgraceful, able to exist only in an intellectual or religious vacuum.
“Censorship is the tool of dictators, of bullies, of cults, of the intellectually timid.”
The majority of it is dumbfounding to him. In light of recent events, Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” is as important as ever, and restricting “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee seems “blatantly racist.”
Book banning is an act that has occurred since mankind began writing and documenting history. He references how the Visigoths sacked Rome in the year 410 and burned every book in the empire. It’s one of the prominent book burnings among other instances in history – ancient china, the Bolshevik revolution and Nazi Germany.
Raised in Cody, Spragg has always thought of Wyoming as a place where though he “might not always agree with his neighbors,” but it was never his right to tell them “what they could think, believe, or read.”
Suggested reading: “A Brave New World,” by Aldous Huxley; “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck; “The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood; “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain; “Beloved,” by Toni Morrison; “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker; “The Satanic Verses,” by Salman Rushdie; “Slaughterhouse Five,” by Kurt Vonnegut; “The Awakening,” by Kate Chopin.
Final comment: “I think people are more fearful. Fear – that’s the root of banning books. You’re fearing another voice in the world, another opinion, another perspective, and you find that somehow threatening because it’s satisfying to make somebody that you aren’t, the other.
“The solipsism of it is what always startles me. If you don’t like to go swimming, don’t drain the pools. There are other people that want to get in the water.”
Kathleen O’Neil Gear and W. Michael Gear
Authors of: The “People” series
The Gears, a longtime husband and wife writing duo, echoed the majority of Spragg’s beliefs on the subject.
As authors, they’ve had a number of their books challenged and even banned in school districts. In their interview with the WWTE, they wanted to approach the subject as anthropologists, an occupation in which they’ve both received awards for their work.
Where, they with Spragg is that the country is currently seeing a revitalization of book banning and in an attempt to control the flow of creative information due to increased political polarization from both extremist conservatives and extremist liberals.
“What we’re seeing out there is what anthropologists call a ‘revitalization movement,’” O’Neil Gear said. “What that means is, when people feel threatened, because of disease or violence or warfare, what they tend to do is, any idea that is new becomes threatening, and books that represent those ideas are the scapegoats. Therefore, they start banning books.”
There’s the classics listed previously in the article, but then there’s newer works, like the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, that have faced pushback in the school system. The Gears go as far to say that the school system has struggled in recent years to push students to think critically about the works they’re reading.
It spawns from the fear brought on by a changing world, the idea that your truth is the only truth, and no other’s belief is viable.
However, there is one point where they might disagree with Spragg on the use of banning books as a method for acquiring power.
The method of revising history and limiting the creative work of the past is nothing new, as O’Neil Gear argues that history has always been written by the conquerers. When more information is discovered about the past, and as we come to understand past events through a more enlightened lens, then those events need to be reframed.
“It’s not always just a power struggle, it’s about getting it right,” O’Neil Gear said. “Mike and I have been doing archaeology for most of our lives, and every day we find something revises our understanding of America. You have to revise that understanding.”
When it comes to the Gear’s “People” series, of which there are over 20 entires spanning since 1990, the series focuses entirely on Native American culture. They’ve received pushback for their “mythological” depictions of Native American beliefs in “Children of the Dawnland” and “People of the Wolf.”
Their other work, “Alpha Enigma,” was described as being censored by Penguin Random House for insensitive language – the use of the word “skinny,” describing a small hills as looking like “boils” or saying that a character has a “hispanic accent.”
Mike Gear estimates that every book they’ve released has garnered some sort of pushback, and the reality is that authors simply have to get used to upsetting someone, no matter how innocent a reason.
“The first time it was so shocking and concerning,” Gear said about their first disgruntled reader. “That I answered the door with with the .45 caliber pistol in my waistband and Kathy was around the corner with her nine millimeter. It was that frightening.”
Suggested reading: “Fahrenheit 451”, by Ray Bradbury; “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee; “Grapes of Wrath” and “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck; “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain
Final comment: “This has a religious component in the anthropological sense. People who want to ban books believe that they have ultimate truth that they have revelation, whether it be religious or political,” O’Neil Gear said. “When you have ultimate truth then it’s very easy for you to decide what other people need and what they should be doing.”
Tim Sandlin
Author of: “Skipped Parts,” “Sorrow Floats,” “Sex and Sunsets” and “Social Blunders.”
On the other end of the argument, Sandlin is all for the banning of books.
Heck, he’s hoping some of his work get banned some time soon.
“Well, I think it’s horrific for the librarians and the teachers that have to put up with the abuse. Small-town communities, they get ripped in half by these things,” Sandlin said over the phone. “From the point of view of the writers and the kids, I disagree with the other writers, I think it’s great.”
While Sandlin manages to pull a good amount of humor from his observations, there’s some truth to this idea – the fastest way to get a book on the best seller list is to get it banned. At one point it was the classics, like “Slaughterhouse Five” and “Catch 22,” which Sandlin gravitates towards for their humor, that were taking the majority of the blame.
Even “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss, garnered pushback in the Northwest because of its pro-environment, anti-logger message, Sandlin said. He also jokes that some of the stories from the Old Testament of the Bible would be banned in schools if he had written them today.
Literature that focuses on experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as other ethnic perspectives of the American life, are under fire as of late.
“I never heard of a straight kid who decided to be gay because he read one of those books,” Sandlin said. “Maybe (these people banning books) don’t want the gay kids to have to think that they’re not alone and that everybody’s against them, but it’s sure not turning straight kids gay.”
The effect on the community is a much more serious matter.
“For teachers and librarians that have to take the brunt of this stuff, then it’s a bad thing,” he said. “You know, book burning throughout history has been a bad sign, it means there’s certain people trying to control what you think and what the kids think.
“Even though the writers are gonna make a lot of money if they get on the list, it’s still not something I would encourage.”
Suggested reading: “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss; “Slaughterhouse Five,” by Kurt Vonnegut; “Catch 22,” by Joseph Heller; “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain.
Final comment: “If you tell a bunch of high school kids it’s illegal to eat an eggplant, the eggplant sales will just boom.”
Nina McConigley
Author of: “Cowboys and East Indians”
McConigley, an award-winning author and writing professor at the University of Wyoming, offers not only the perspective of an author, but as a teacher. She regularly pushes her students to experience literature that they might not agree with.
In her class, which focuses on non-traditional narratives of the American West, she requires students to read “The Laramie Project,” a play published in 2001 that is centered around events following the torture and murder of UW student Matthew Shepard in 1998.
“Brokeback Mountain,” by Annie Proux, which explores the sexual relationship between two Wyoming cowboys in the 1960s and ‘70s, is also in the curriculum. In the past, students have refused to read these two works, opting instead to take a failing grade on the assignments associated with them.
Perspectives that conflict with one’s pre-set beliefs are often the most powerful.
“I heard a lot about the Vietnam War, but the first time I ever really understood the Vietnam War was what I read ‘The Things They Carried’ by Tim O’Brien,” McConigley said. “You understand it, and the perspective is completely different from all the facts and figures in history that I’ve ever read about the Vietnam War.
“I myself write about race in Wyoming and I’ve gotten so many book clubs in Wyoming where people are like, ‘I never thought about race in Wyoming.”
The one that confuses her is the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel “Maus,” by Holocaust survivor Art Spiegelman, which depicts a rendition of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany through a struggle between cats and mice. Students, in her experience, have loved the book, but it was one of the books most recently banned in school systems.
In a perfect scenario, challenging books spawn discourse between students. In a sense, it’s part of the teachers responsibility to teach the literature in a fashion that clarifies the message of the book.
Suggested reading: Maus I and II, by Art Spiegelman; “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison; “1984,” by George Orwell; “Captain Underpants,” by Dav Pilkey.
Final comment: “It’s people’s fear of the unfamiliar. It’s people’s fear of the unknown. I see that so much as a teacher. I’ve had students who are resistant to those kinds of books and then they’re like, ‘Oh, actually, this is amazing.’ They connect completely with something that they didn’t think they would.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/wyoming-authors-offer-banned-book-suggestions/article_7b786e57-e53e-570b-aa42-98dc6ab19113.html | 2022-08-13T13:36:54Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Daniel and Christine Aneiros of Laramie will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary Aug. 19.
She’s a homemaker, bookkeeper and works in social services for the St. Paul’s Newman Center in Laramie. She also volunteers for Laramie Interfaith and says she never plans to retire from doing what she loves.
He was an engineer for Sinclair Oil Corp. for 43 years and officially retired in 2010. But like Christine, Daniel says he’s never really going to retire. He now volunteers for the local Meals on Wheels program.
They are the parents of Michelle (Eric) Worden of Laramie; Christopher (Juliana) Aneiros of Reno, Nevada; and Teresa (Jason) Whitney of Helena, Montana. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/announcements/anniversaries/anniversary/article_43883a20-527b-586b-bac4-8d29903aa407.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:00Z |
SATURDAY
CANCELED Annual Elks Alley Sale: The event that had been scheduled for Saturday as been canceled.
Reformed Presbyterian Church hosts Psalm sing, picnic and games: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Undine Park.
Summer Market Day at the fairgrounds: 3-6 p.m., beef barn.
Free observing night: 8:30 p.m., rooftop of the STAR Observatory on the University of Wyoming campus, weather permitting.
SUNDAY
Unexpected Company Senior Theatre meets: 1 p.m., Alice Hardie Stevens Center. Agenda includes planning for a fall production. Anyone age 50 and older is invited to participate on or off stage.
New Life Church Back2School Giveaway: 3-6 p.m., Albany County Fairgrounds. Free school supplies and shoes, while supplies last.
Laramie Connections free Meet and Eat dinner and faith gathering: 4:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1517 E. Canby St.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
MONDAY
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
TUESDAY
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
WEDNESDAY
UW Board of Trustees meets: 7:30 a.m., via teleconference. On the agenda is consideration of the University of Wyoming’s supplemental budget request for the 2023 legislative session and begins with an executive session. The public part of the meeting will begin after, about 8:30 a.m. and livestreamed at wyolinks.uwyo.edu/trusteesaugust/.
Laramie Tai Chi and Tea meets: 1:30 p.m. at outdoors Harbon Park, North 14th and Gibbon streets. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Unexpected Company Senior Theatre auditions for “Six Stages of Life”: 2 p.m., Alice Hardie Stevens Center, 603 E. Ivinson Ave. Participants must be at least 50 years old, no experience necessary.
Ivinson’s women’s health team hosts prenatal education: 5:30 p.m. in the Summit conference room. For more information and registration, visit ivinsonhospital.org/childbirth.
Laramie Chamber Business Alliance Business After Hours: 5:30-7 p.m., hosted by ANB Bank, 3908 Grand Ave. Members can enjoy a pig roast and games at this family friendly event.
THURSDAY
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 5:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
FRIDAY
Open house for renovated LFD training facility: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Laramie Fire Department drill grounds, 2451 County Shop Road.
Downtown Laramie Farmers Market: 3-7 p.m., parking lot north of Depot Park on South 1st Street.
Aug. 20
‘The Legacy of Wyoming’ performed by Buffalo Bill and Dr. Jo: 5-8 p.m., Wyoming Territorial Prison. For tickets, call 307-745-6161.
Revive the Wyo fundraiser: 5-9 p.m., historic train depot in downtown Laramie. Enjoy a cajun-themed meal and entertainment. Cost $35 a person. For tickets, visit https://htru.io/Ssrf.
Aug. 21
Walk with a Doc: 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the Washington Park west shelter No. 3. Bring walking shoes and a friend. For more information, email questions@ivinsonhospital.org.
Laramie Connections free Meet and Eat dinner and faith gathering: 4:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1517 E. Canby St.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
Aug. 22
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
Aug. 23
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Aug. 24
Laramie Tai Chi and Tea meets: 1:30 p.m. at outdoors Harbon Park, North 14th and Gibbon streets. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org.
Aug. 25
Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer’s/dementia: 3 p.m., meet for coffee, pie, understanding and comradeship at Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 204 S. 30th St. For more information, call 307-745-6451.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 5:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
Aug. 26
Downtown Laramie Farmers Market: 3-7 p.m., parking lot north of Depot Park on South 1st Street.
Aug. 27
Thrown-Out Bones performs: 5:30-7p.m., Washington Park band shell, 18th and Sheridan streets. Popcorn, pretzels and beer.
UW Planetarium presents “Back to the Moon For Good”: 8 p.m., UW Planetarium. What’s up in the sky around Wyoming.
Aug. 28
Laramie Connections free Meet and Eat dinner and faith gathering: 4:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 1517 E. Canby St.
Al-Anon Family Group meets: 6:30 p.m. at the Presbyterian church, 215 S. 11th St. For relatives and friends of alcoholics. For information, call Jane at 307-760-4683 or Mark at 307-760-4716.
Aug. 29
Alcoholics Anonymous meets: Daily at various times in person or on Zoom. For more information, call 307-399-0590 or visit area76aawyoming.org or aa.org.
Survivors of Suicide Support Group: Meets from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at Hospice of Laramie House, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Women for Sobriety meet: 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. For meeting details, email 1093@womenforsobriety.org.
Aug. 30
Prayers & Squares Quilting Group meets: 9 a.m., Room 1 of Hunter Hall at St. Matthews Cathedral.
Aug. 31
Laramie Tai Chi and Tea meets: 1:30 p.m. at outdoors Harbon Park, North 14th and Gibbon streets. For more information, visit laramietaichiandtea.org. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/announcements/whats-happening-aug-13-2022/article_974a02a1-1f5e-52ee-80c5-d63ad17ab6da.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:06Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
The Federal Communications Commission requires phone companies support the 988 number for people to call to reach an existing suicide-prevention hotline, including in Wyoming.
A new phone number has come online for anyone in a mental health crisis with potentially suicidal thoughts.
The new number, 988, replaces the 1-800-273-TALK option for the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 1-800- 273-TALK number will remain available as well as 988.
To access the free service, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text “WYO” to 741-741 for the Crisis Text Line. The number is staffed with full-time Wyoming-based coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Wyoming-based coverage and simplified call-in number launched last month.
If someone may be considering suicide, ask outright, “Are you feeling suicidal?” said Tracy Young, community engagement consultant for Albany County.
Ask if they have a plan, if they have been thinking about it. If someone answers “yes,” ask how to help, check in with them, and if there is a fear of imminent death or injury, notify emergency services, she said.
In addition to 988, another national resource is:
Trevor Lifeline, with emphasis on LGBTQ issues, Text START to 678-678 or call 1-866-488-7386
Local resources include:
Ivinson Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health Services, 307-742-0285
Cathedral Home, Laramie Youth Crisis Center, 307-742-5936
University of Wyoming University Counseling Center Mental Health Crisis Intervention, weekdays during business hours, 307-766-2187; weekends or after hours, 307-766-8989.
Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988, Select 1. Text 838255 to start a confidential chat any time. Many of the responders are veterans themselves. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/988-goes-nationwide-suicide-intervention-is-wyoming-based/article_2123c4fa-73c6-59c5-9af3-c2407ce48e7a.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:12Z |
JACKSON — Shortly after U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney asked a handful of moderate Teton County Republicans, Democrats and independents for their vote Monday afternoon on the back porch of a Snake River-side Wilson home, some attendees made clear that their alliance was not easy.
“So many of us have changed our party to vote for you,” one woman called from the back of the crowd, standing near an infinity pool that emptied into a pond just behind her. “But please remember, Roe v. Wade is not a black and white issue. There’s housing involved, there’s life and death involved. It’s not black and white.
“So please remember that,” the woman said.
Cheney is facing a stiff primary contest from Fort Laramie attorney Harriet Hageman, who former President Donald Trump endorsed to unseat the Republican congresswoman who voted for his impeachment and has since vice-chaired the committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Down roughly 20 points in the most recent poll from the Casper Star-Tribune, Cheney has courted Democrats, asking them to switch parties in the Aug. 16 Wyoming primary and vote for her. She also didn’t back down from her criticism of the former president.
“A president trying to use force to overturn an election to stay in power — that’s a line we must never cross,” Cheney said. “I really believe that there are men and women in both parties who believe strongly that that’s the most important thing. I hear it, I see it. I talk a lot to my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, who understand that we are at the edge of an abyss.”
On Monday, at the private campaign event at Patricia Russell’s Wilson home, Cheney joked about talking more often with Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, after her work on the committee. In televised hearings the committee has made the case that Trump instigated the Capitol violence and is unfit for future office. Those quips drew laughter from the crowd, which was packed with a who’s who of moderate Teton County politics.
Patricia Russell, the host, is a former member of the Teton County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees. Republican Teton County Commissioner Mark Barron and Republican commission candidate Alex Muromcew, who previously fought for the Teton County GOP to continue recognizing Cheney as a Republican, were in the crowd. Also in the crowd were Paul Vogelheim and Andrew Byron, Republicans running for seats in the Wyoming House of Representatives.
But for every Republican, there were also Democrats, including Teton County Board of County Commissioners Chair Natalia D. Macker and Teton County Commissioner Luther Propst. Jackson Town Councilor Arne Jorgensen attended, as did Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr, a Democrat.
“It was surreal to see the range of people there in support of Liz Cheney because there were many Democrats there who have not necessarily been Cheney supporters,” Commissioner Propst told the News&Guide after the event. “There’s a political divide in the country that brings people together behind Liz Cheney that don’t support her on major policy issues but do support the peaceful transfer of power after an election was certified as free and fair.”
John Fox, a Teton County Republican and member of Hageman’s grassroots team in the northwest corner of Wyoming, said he wasn’t invited. But he wasn’t surprised by the people who were there.
“It’s funny, isn’t it?” Fox said. “When there was no such thing as Jan. 6 and her on that commission — these same people on the Democrat side would never even be caught in the same room as Liz Cheney.
“And now they think she’s almost a hero,” Fox said. “A lot of people think that Liz Cheney is almost a goddess. She has put herself on the line. She believes in the Constitution instead of her own career.”
But “she’s no goddess to me,” Fox said. “She is a pure, 100% traitor.”
Hageman blasted Cheney on Tuesday for her most recent campaigning.
“Cheney has completely abandoned Wyoming, is totally obsessed with her own personal political vendetta against President Trump, and only speaks to people who already agree with her,” Hageman said in a prepared statement.
“Liz Cheney only appears in Wyoming occasionally, and when she does, she visits with small groups in private homes, away from the thousands of voters she’s supposed to be representing,” she said.
Hageman has held at least two town halls in Teton County, including a recent event during which Donald Trump Jr. stumped on her behalf.
Cheney has been traveling with a Capitol Police security detail for almost a year because of threats she’s received. Since appearing at a ticketed event at the Center for the Arts in Jackson in March, Cheney has not appeared before many public audiences in the state. Jeremy Adler, a Cheney spokesperson, said that he couldn’t comment on security and that Cheney would continue attending house parties and “events of that ilk.” He didn’t say where the next event would be.
But while the Monday night crowd was chummy at times, Cheney’s stances on abortion and climate change did give some people in the otherwise enthusiastically supportive crowd pause. After folks mingled, snapped selfies with Cheney and then listened to her speak between bites of mini grilled cheese sandwiches and meatballs on a stick, Teton County resident Margie Lynch pressed the congresswoman about whether she’d support the Inflation Reduction Act, the Senate Democrats’ bill aimed at raising $400 billion to fight climate change, raise taxes on loopholes and allow Medicare to negotiate over the price of some prescription drugs.
“I really believe that we’re at a point where the last thing we should be doing is injecting more cash into the economy,” Cheney said in response. “I’m likely to be a no vote on that.”
Lynch then pressed her, pointing to the haze over the Tetons, which she said was likely caused by wildfires elsewhere in the West.
“I would not say to you that I don’t believe in climate change, because I think clearly you’re seeing it,” Cheney said. “I think there’s a question about what to do about it.”
That answer got less applause than when Cheney said that abortion “as an issue in particular, doesn’t belong in politics” — and significantly less laughter than when Cheney quipped about Pelosi telling former longtime U.S. Sen. Al Simpson that Democrats crossing over to vote for Cheney in Wyoming was “only temporary.”
Lynch, a member of the Jackson Hole Climate Action Collective’s board, described herself as “very liberal” but said she was registered as a Republican to vote for Cheney.
“Protecting the climate is vitally important, and I hoped to hear a different answer from her,” Lynch said.
But Lynch said she would cast her ballot for Cheney nonetheless in the August primary. Cheney told the crowd that politicians need to get away from “reflexive partisanship” and acknowledged that she’d been guilty of it on a number of occasions. And Lynch, for one, felt that the congresswoman was putting her money where her mouth is, including by voting for the Right to Contraception Act, which would protect people’s right to access a range of birth control. Democrats have worried that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could lead to Republican efforts to erode the right to contraception.
Lynch said she was crossing over because it’s “pragmatic.”
“We need Liz Cheney to continue having the opportunity to speak on the national platform for these vital interests,” Lynch said. “And, partly, the alternative to her is really troubling.”
Hageman, on Aug. 3, told Natrona County conservatives that the 2020 election was ”rigged” and a “travesty,” a departure from her past rhetoric about the election in which she’s questioned the results and process but stopping short of saying it had been stolen from Trump, who lost to President Joe Biden.
Cheney, in a Monday evening interview, fired back at Hageman.
“She has to say that. If she says anything else, she’ll lose the support of Donald Trump,” Cheney said. She went on to say that Hageman’s claims are the same ones that led Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani to have his law license suspended.
“She’s saying it because she thinks that’s what she has to say to win the seat,” Cheney said. “And that is exactly the kind of person that should never be entrusted with the power of office.”
Hageman, in response, said in her statement that “millions of people have lingering questions about the 2020 election and many of them are here in Wyoming.”
Hageman pointed to a Pennsylvania court that determined the state’s mail-in voting law was unconstitutional and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s spending of “an unprecedented $500 million to take over local elections offices in mostly Democrat precincts.”
Cheney’s stance on the 2020 election and her participation in the Jan. 6 committee is part of what drew some attendees to her, despite their unease over the candidate’s positions on abortion and climate.
“I’m not a Republican, but it doesn’t matter,” said Astrid Flood, sitting on a bench in Russell’s backyard. “I hate that son of a b----, Trump. I can’t stand him, and I just want somebody to bring him down.”
Kate Mead, a former Republican who dropped her party affiliation halfway through the Trump administration, identifies as an independent. Sitting with Flood, the rancher and Teton County School Board member said she disagreed with Cheney on reproductive choice but was behind her because of her stances on the election.
“Harriet Hageman’s got a problem. She just said the other day that the election was stolen,” Mead said. “She’s a lawyer. For her to say that in light of 60 court cases where judges said it was not stolen — it’s malpractice. I think she could get a bar complaint against her.”
Attendees also were relatively bullish on Cheney’s chances in the primary, some pointing to a recent report from Town Councilor and statistician Jonathan Schechter who laid out a path to a Cheney victory on Tuesday, despite her deficit in recent polling.
Schechter, in a recent blog post, argued that Cheney stands a chance if she can muster 30,000 votes outside of the traditional GOP base. That, he said, could happen if enough Democrats and independents cross over to vote for her — particularly if the amount of crossover voting surges in the last few days before the primary.
“A case can be made that Liz Cheney will win,” Schechter wrote.
Jim King is a professor of political science in the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies at the University of Wyoming who’s spent 30 years studying the Cowboy State’s politics. He has said independents are more important than Democrats for Cheney.
“Cheney’s only path to victory would be if she had overwhelming support of the independents who traditionally participate in the Republican primary, and I don’t see that she’s got that,” King said.
Standing in line to greet Cheney Monday evening, John “Tote” Turner said the FBI’s Monday raid of Trump’s Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, could “infuriate enough conservatives to get out and vote” but could also motivate moderates and Democrats to make it to the polls and cast their ballots. Turner, a member of the Teton County GOP’s executive committee, felt the race could go either way.
“Polls show one thing, but I know enough people turn over, I think she’s actually got a chance,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a done deal.”
Fox, for his part, thinks Hageman will win by 30 points.
“The thing about Teton County and Jackson — you know that this is not Wyoming,” Fox said. “The rest of Wyoming is a little different than Teton County. So, yes, I’m sure Cheney is probably going to do well here in this county. I would think that, for the state as a whole, Hageman is going to win this thing.
“And I hope she wins it big,” Fox said. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/cheney-wines-and-dines-surreal-mix-of-teton-county-politicos/article_c4e3068b-6082-5b40-b213-71894a3b1605.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:18Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Rock Springs volunteer Pat Sisneros assists a Sweetwater County student in need of a pair of new shoes for school.
ROCK SPRINGS — When a family barely has enough money for food after paying household bills, preparing their children for the new school year can be stressful. Some children return to school without the materials they need to succeed.
But this year, there are a few organizations that are connecting kids in need with the supplies required in classrooms.
Volunteers from a local church kicked the week off by giving the gift of opportunity that many children will not receive otherwise.
The inaugural Back to School Blessing Shoe Drive took place at The First Assembly of God in Rock Springs on Sunday, Aug. 7.
Assisting young students from Pre-K to eighth grade, volunteer shoe fitters greeted them in the main lobby area, ready to help them find the perfect fit.
Members of the church partnered with Sole Mission for training. Sole Mission is dedicated to giving new well-fitting shoes to low-income children in the United States. They host shoe drives in Riverton, Lander and Laramie as well.
“We want to make sure kids are getting the right fitting shoes,” said Kelly Ward, facilitator of Sole Mission. “Kids can grow two or three sizes a year in shoes.”
About 250 new shoes were donated for the event. Bomba brand packaged socks were also available on tables in the next room.
“For every pair of socks that Bomba sells, they give a pair away for free,” Ward shared. “They’re very generous.”
Green River Pre-K student Zaylee Winn smiled as she found shoes with her favorite colors on them. She said “they will match her clothes and they feel great.”
The back-to-school drive began at 2 p.m. but according to Pastor Nicole Heidt, families were arriving by 12:30.
“It’s exciting to do this for the community,” Heidt expressed. “We really didn’t know what to expect since this is our first time doing this.
“We hope it would be a blessing for them. We want to help those who are struggling because of rising costs in food, gas and whatever makes it difficult for them to buy school supplies and shoes.”
She added, “Getting ready for school is such a huge economic investment. We just hope this makes it a little easier.”
She noted that some families may not even be able to afford $10 socks.
“That’s why we’re doing it,” she said. “I hope this is the beginning of something. We have a great partnership with Sole Mission and we’re looking forward to doing it every year.”
The children also had the opportunity to pick out a free backpack and a fresh-from-the-grill hot dog.
Volunteer Kitty Johnson recalls how difficult it was for her parents to buy school supplies and shoes for her and her siblings as “the new school year started to sneak on them.”
“It feels really awesome doing this,” said Johnson. “It’s not easy to prepare the little ones for school, especially for those families with more than one child these days. Kids in our community need all the help they can get.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/easing-the-burden-shoe-drive-helps-kids-step-into-new-school-year/article_d703c95b-6c9d-5e88-8488-d24230bbd7f1.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:24Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
1 of 2
Thomas Faber of Laramie with his $1,000 award from Albany County Democrats for winning the 2022 Be the Change Scholarship, which he’ll use while studying at the University of Wyoming.
Welcome to the first of many Life Hacks columns, the Boomerang’s twice-monthly community bulletin board-style roundup of local events, happenings and achievements.
As you saw with last week’s first Weekend edition, our new bulked-up Saturday print editions features a Laramie Life section the second and fourth weekends of the month, with Business the first and third.
If you haven’t read it already, today’s cover story — and informative sidebars — on the local impacts of suicide is don’t-miss community journalism.
Faber receives Be the Change Scholarship
Laramie High School Class of 2022 graduate Thomas Faber has been awarded a $1,000 Be the Change Scholarship from Albany County Democrats, which he’ll use when he attends the University of Wyoming to pursue a double major in international studies and history.
Through his studies, Faber hopes to advocate for effective and informed foreign policy, according to a press release announcing the scholarship.
“Thomas is a young person who earns the respect of faculty and peers through his tireless work ethic and ability to onnet to classroom material and real-world applications,” wrote LHS counselor Bryon Lee in a letter of support.
All students are encouraged to apply regardless of party affiliation.
Raffle benefits abandoned, abused animals
Laramie Home on the Range recently held the drawing for the group’s Summer Fun Raffle, raising nearly $2,400, the nonprofit reports.
“This will help pay rent and feed for a month!” said Home on the Range President Pam Brekken in an email to the Boomerang.
The local animal sanctuary is dedicated to feeding, caring for and provided a forever home for 23 abandoned, neglected and abused animals.
Winners of the raffle are: Madoka Grenvik, Matt Gray, Bill Anderson, Joseph Hussand and Tom Larson.
A University of Wyoming graduate students was among the inaugural group to attend the Western Governors’ Leadership Institute in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, last month.
Christie Wildcat, who is Northern Arapahoe on her maternal side, is in her second year of graduate school studying anthropology and political science, according to a Western Governors’ Foundation press release.
She was one of 21 state delegates chosen for the first class of the institute.
The initiative included a leadership development forum with a host of current and former governors from around the region.
Wildcat also attended the WGA’s annual meeting.
Life Hacks is a semi-monthly column featuring notable milestones and happenings inthe Albany County community. Send your LifeHacks items to editor@laramieboomerang.com. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/entertainment/laramie-student-receives-1-000-award/article_9bceccc9-167f-5e03-930f-f65dc9346191.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:31Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
The Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie will host a Western show Aug. 20 as a continuation of its 150th anniversary celebration.
Wyoming’s unique place in Western history will be presented with songs and a spread at the Wyoming Territorial Prison Historical State Historic Site next week.
“The Legacy of Wyoming” is a presentation by Buffalo Bill and Dr. Jo, musicians and singers Bill Boycott and Joanne Orr. The folk duo present cowboy and folk music representing the Rocky Mountain West using a variety of instruments, songs, stories and what they describe as “world class yodeling.”
The Aug. 20 event is being hosted as part of the Territorial Prison’s 150th anniversary celebration, said Lynette Nelson, visitor services supervisor for the site.
The experience begins with a meal served outside by the Albany County Cattlewomen from 5-7 p.m. After dinner, Buffalo Bill and Dr. Jo will present the hour-long “The Legacy of Wyoming” in the Horsebarn Theater on the prison grounds.
Participants will have an opportunity to tour and learn about the history of the “ranchland,” a movie-style Old West town replica on the park’s grounds. They also will be able to tour the prison and grounds.
Cowboy Joe, the University of Wyoming mascot, will also be at the event.
“We are very excited to bring Buffalo Bill Boycott,” Nelson said. “He is a well-known artist. This is a way to celebrate the progress we have made in Wyoming.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/entertainment/territorial-prison-offers-dinner-and-a-show-cowboy-style/article_a59b19a1-2d4d-5cae-a642-dafde5d64d8a.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:37Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Lou Farley, spiritual and bereavement counselor at Hospice of Laramie, considers himself a listener at the Survivors of Suicide group he facilitates. It meets at 5:30 p.m. Mondays at Hospice of Laramie, 1754 Centennial Drive.
Suicide is an intensely personal act with an impact that ripples through families and communities. It triggers grief not only from loss, but from the many unanswered questions family and friends are left with.
The need for a specialized place to cope with that grief is one of the reasons Survivors of Suicide, a support group in Laramie, meets weekly, said Lou Farley, the group’s coordinator.
“The feelings are tender, raw. Suicide grief is complicated,” Farley said. “Many people who survive a suicide experience abandonment, rejection. Not just from the family, but for that which life offered.
“The person electing suicide is telling them, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’”
The group routinely has six to eight people at its weekly meetings at Hospice of Laramie, where Farley is spiritual director and counselor. It averages six to eight participants s week and has been meeting for about a year.
A group for survivors is not a replacement for therapy but is a place to go where the grief of a suicide is something others understand, Farley said.
It is a place to help heal, not to “get over it,” he said.
“There is no getting past it. People will live with the reality for the rest of their life,” Farley said of the impact of suicide.
The role of the group is to “understand intimately,” Farley said, whether it is rejection, shame or questioning what else might have been done.
“If the survivor was in a primary relationship such as a spouse, some may feel inadequate or insufficient,” he said.
There also is deep shame for some.
“Shame can come from, ‘I never knew it was coming. I didn’t see it,’” he said.
Farley, who served as a counselor in Laramie for 30 years before retiring, said he knows there is nothing that will immediately take the pain of loss away. There are no magic words or bits of advice that will eliminate the pain of grief, and he emphasizes that the group offers support, not a cure.
There is nothing to say to a grieving person to “fix” their feelings, Farley said.
“What they need is someone to hear them, and (in this group) they are hearing. I’m not the leader of the group, I’m the facilitator of the group,” he said.
I that role, Farley said he tries to be someone who can bring people together.
“I see them as an organism. My job is to optimize the sense of community, compassion,” he said. “We say talk whenever you are ready to talk and don’t until you’re ready.”
Even in the few months the group has been meeting, Farley said he’s seen “significant progress. It’s amazing what these people offer each other. We ‘get’ each other here.”
Farley said the group has created “a common sense of hope for healing — first for themselves and one another — courage to say the vulnerable thing; acceptance of one another.”
Farley said the number of suicides in Wyoming is a problem that has been growing. Although many survivors feel they should have been able to prevent the death, that is not a position supported by current psychological understanding of suicide, he said.
In Wyoming, he said the attitude that one’s problems are “nobody else’s business” may contribute to the number of suicide deaths. There is a reluctance for many to ask for or receive care.
“We pride ourselves in our individualism,” said about the prevailing thinking of being Western and independent, what many call the “cowboy way.”
Laramie, though, is different in that the community is responsive to people’s needs, Farley said. He cited the support for Hospice of Laramie and for the Survivors of Grief Support Group as examples.
“We are a rare oasis of valuing a community over the individual,” he said. “We take care of others here.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/grief-shared-survivors-of-suicide-offer-strength-to-each-other/article_fa07d89c-859d-5f83-8739-5aa77a158583.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:43Z |
As Laramie Police Department Chief Dale Stalder prepares for retirement, Laramie City Council reviewed and discussed the department's 2020 annual report.
The LPD and council hosted a work session Wednesday to examine the results of the report completed. The meeting was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was postponed because of an unexpected power outage.
The outage, which turned off power for nearly 9,800 customers for hours beginning at 1:35 p.m., was caused by an arc in a local substation that damaged a switch, according to a PacifiCorp, parent company of Rocky Mountain Power.
Some central themes of the 2020 report were demographic issues, training and comparing local and national statistics. Stalder said that many new features in the 2020 report were in response to local input, specifically demographic information on traffic stops.
“Our stop rate on traffic stops absolutely matched our local demographics for racial and (ethnic) groups,” said Stalder.
Some data specific to LPD’s Computer Aided Dispatch Record Management System (CAD/RMS) will not be available for about 60-90 days and was unavailable this week, Stalder said.
Call for mental health responses also were part of the report, with total calls for service decreasing by about 2,000 between fiscal years 2016 and 2017. They were about the same from 2017-20, according to the report.
Mental health calls for service are commonly referred to as welfare checks, and the annual report says they’ve generally increased in Laramie in recent years. Mental health calls for service increased from about 530 in 2016 to 635 in 2020.
Mental health also has been a high-profile topic for law enforcement around the nation, as well as Albany County and Laramie. Stalder was on the Albany County Mental Health Board and provides officer training specific to mental health crises.
As a result of increased training, some City Council members said they are curious to see more information about training in all areas of policing, especially compared to national statistics.
“I would love to see training called a little bit more out to see what certifications our officers have, what percentage of the force has them and how that might relate to national averages,” said council member Fred Schmechel. “Additionally, the amount of funding that we spend on the efforts of training would be helpful so we can understand what it takes to maintain that level of preparedness.”
Mental health services for officers through the LPD chaplaincy program also were detailed in the annual report. Chaplaincy offers spiritual and emotional support through the use of pastors, rabbis, imams and other religious leaders, most commonly in military bases.
Stalder said peer support teams were formed in 2020 as part of the local effort, which “provide all PD personnel with an ‘ear’ when they may want to talk through an incident but aren’t sure they would like to see a professional counselor,’” according to the report.
Use of force also was detailed, including cases where officers displayed a gun or pointed it at a person. Stalder said this data is hard to compare to that reported by other police forces, as there is national debate on whether or not these instances count as a use of force.
In 2020, seven use-of-force reports followed department policy while 15 did not include sufficient entry, the report says. No instances where an officer used force fell outside of department policy in that fiscal year.
Citizen complaints were also recorded in this data set, and were investigated internally within LPD.
“The police department stopped doing annual reports probably in 2002 or 2003, and it is something that I picked back up in 2015,” Stalder said about a gap in historical data.
Stalder said the LPD annual reports from 2015 to 2020 provide “pertinent and valuable information” on the department’s potential bias issues, along with information on the makeup of calls.
He said future reports will include National Incident Based Reporting System information as well as bias incident calls. LPD added bias incident call classification for noncriminal and criminal offenses to provide a place for targeted groups to report incidents that may or may not fall into a criminal category, such as the hanging of a Nazi flag in a community space or noncriminal harassment.
Looking forward to future annual reports, some council members inquired about whether or not annual reports would continue with a new police chief, with Stalder focusing on his confidence in the continuity of this process. With a national search that includes internal candidates, Stalder did not express any major concerns.
“I’ve been very much involved in the process to find a replacement for myself,” he said. “(The annual report) is going to be up to the next person.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/mental-health-response-part-of-annual-lpd-report/article_9b55b07e-a568-50df-a120-54c6cd6f3618.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:49Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
1 of 3
This restored historic Union Pacific caboose is one of the outside attractions that draws people traveling through Centennial to stop in and explore the Nici Self Museum. Now the museum has a new website that offers virtual tours of its items and exhibits.
This screenshot shows the homepage of the new Nici Self Museum's website, niciselfmuseum.com, an effort to allow the remote Albany County destination to be more available for online tourism.
This screenshot shows the homepage of the new Nici Self Museum's website, niciselfmuseum.com, an effort to allow the remote Albany County destination to be more available for online tourism.
The Nici Self Museum in Centennial is open during the summertime and offers a free glimpse into the area's history and Western legacy.
Technology and the internet have progress to the point of making exploration and traveling as much a virtual pastime as a physical one.
Especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and people have altered their electronic entertainment and education habits, small, remote communities are taking advantage this new avenue of digital tourism.
The small, out-of-the-way community of Centennial in Albany County is inviting visitors — in-person and virtually — to discover and enjoy the rural Wyoming experience.
One of Centennial’s main attractions is the Nici Self Historical Museum, which has hired a designer from a local photography studio to help show off the museum’s unique treasures online.
While the museum is a common stop for people driving through the community on their way to and from the Snowy Range Mountains, the museum hopes to attract others from the region to come specifically to see its collection.
The Nici Self Museum was named for Nici Self, a founder of the Centennial Valley Historical Association which supports operation of the museum. It focuses on life for ranchers and loggers in the 20th century, along with the evolution of the Centennial Valley through the decades.
“We (are) collecting and preserving the history of the valley,” said museum board member Cecily Goldie. “Most of what we collect comes from the valley or from someone who has a kind of thing that would’ve been used in the valley.”
With eight buildings, a train caboose, garden and a variety of outdoor displays, the museum provides more than enough variety to educate visitors on the lives of the community as it was established. As people become more interested in history and settlers in the West, the museum is a step into the past.
“We were established in 1975, and if we would’ve waited longer there’s a lot more that we could’ve lost that would just be gone,” said David Redder, another board member. “People want to see what was going on.”
While centered on remembering the past, the museum understands the deep importance of an online presence. Visitors are often passersby who see the museum’s landmark train caboose or beehive burner outside, but the goal to offer a free day trip destination for Colorado residents or Laramie families requires a different approach.
“You’re not going to get (intentional visitors) without a website,” Redder said. “Smaller (museums) are going to have problems just due to the cost.”
The cost to go digital is part of why the Nici Self Historical Museum put a website on hold, but after finding a local organization to help achieve the goal, it’s proud to have one.
The website has other benefits, like being a source of information that might be unable to come by. Since Centennial can be hard to access in winter months, the museum is closed after Labor Day and reopening on Memorial Day the next year. Additionally, the museum is primarily open on weekends.
The website offers exhibit and building information, along with a place to donate so that people can support the museum 24/7 every day of the year. The museum also is used for genealogical research by residents and their descendants.
“There’s enough here that is intriguing, and certainly the objects outside are appealing to a generation that had to use them,” Goldie said.
With a new website, the museum also has other new things to offer in its last month of operations this year.
“The museum also just installed a brand new railroad crossing sign and a local community member recently donated a treasure trove of photos and stories of local skiing history as well,” said Allison Plude from Seneca Creek Studios, the designer of their new website, in a press release. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/nici-self-museum-expands-online-to-extend-its-reach/article_7bb5f155-148e-582a-a10a-7ebe896ee45a.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:56Z |
It was almost as if his brain didn’t know how to go on living.
That’s how Tracy Young described her struggle to understand what led her son, Alexandre Cole Young, to end his life in 2013.
Alexandre was a soccer player for the University of Wyoming. After four concussions, the part of his brain that made sense out of his life was no longer available to him, she said.
And after eight years since their son choose to kill himself, Young said she and her husband still haven’t gotten “over it,” as some friends and colleagues have suggested.
“You never get over it,” she said. “It’s still with us every single day.”
Preventing that pain, and the drive to head off both suicide and its impact on families, is something Young confronts on a regular basis through the Coalition of the Prevention of Suicide and Substance Abuse (CoPSSA) in Albany County.
Young is contracted by the county as a community engagement consultant. A lot of that work involves bringing together the various agencies and individuals that can help prevent suicides, she said.
Those connections are important because there is no one way to prevent suicides, Young said. Identifying who is at risk, providing health care resources and knowing how to intervene are part of the picture. But the solutions are more broad-reaching than the scope of most individual agencies.
CPSSA is a collaborative effort between Albany County, law enforcement agencies, the University of Wyoming, Cathedral Home, Ivinson Memorial Hospital and other clinics, counseling centers, nonprofit agencies and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
COVID-19 interrupted CoPSSA’s meetings and the coordination between the agencies, Young said, adding she’s happy to see the group revitalized.
The need is in the numbers, Young said.
"Suicide is a very serious public health concern everywhere,” she said. “In Wyoming, we tend to be in the top five annually.
According to COPSSA, the rate of suicide deaths per 100,000 in Wyoming is 26.9, nearly double the national average of 14 per 100,000.
What this means is that every two days, someone dies from suicide in Wyoming, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. Men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women; firearms are used 65% of the time.
Some reasons for the high numbers may also be rooted in culture and societal taboos.
Lou Farley, who coordinates the Survivors of Suicide support group in Laramie, said Wyoming’s tradition of individualism may prevent some people from getting help for mental health issues.
He said he has not heard of a proven way of preventing suicides. Also the spiritual director for Hospice of Laramie, Farley has 30 years of experience providing counseling services in Laramie.
“We have not arrived at an effective antidote to suicide culture,” he said.
That culture is exactly what Young and the others in CoPSSA are working to change. Young describes the process as a way of looking at suicide prevention on multiple fronts, in large and small ways.
Young compared the task to another cultural change that started with a group of parents who wanted to prevent their high school students from drinking and driving.
“The best example is MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving),” she said. “It took 30 years to change the DUI rates in the country. But from 2003-13, underage drinking was reduced by 30% in Albany County.”
MADD worked for small changes: changes in underage drinking laws, stiffer penalties for drunk driving and safe ride home programs, Young said.
“These are all small things, hard to measure,” she said. But their efforts also changed the culture from “everybody does it” to “it is not acceptable.”
Locally, Young said people can look at everyday decisions that can make death by suicide easier for someone considering it. Examples, she said, are the use of gun locks or designing multi-story buildings that are hard to exit from the roof or higher floors.
Initiatives include reducing the use of alcohol and other drugs, Young said, because “alcohol is a factor is so many suicides.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/no-solitary-act-how-changing-a-community-can-reduce-suicides/article_e453bf4e-988e-539e-8d43-52125b6a5115.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:02Z |
Dominic Blake’s first tattoo was a small black semicolon tucked behind his right ear.
It is not only OK to ask about it, he hopes everyone will.
A semicolon tattoo is a message about mental health and suicide prevention. It started in 2013 when Project Semicolon was launched as a way to encourage discussion about depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
The message of Project Semicolon (projectsemicolon.com) is “your story isn’t over.”
“The project, and its ‘;’ symbol, have become very well-known over the past few years,” Blake said. “I got this in 2014, before I knew about the project. My boss had one. He got it for mental health.
“It’s a semicolon because it is something that someone would use when they could have ended the sentence but chose not to.”
In written English, a semicolon separates two parts of a sentence that could each stand on its own; it indicates a stop but not a full stop.
Blake said he wanted to call attention to issues such as anxiety and depression, and reduce social stigma about mental illness.
Blake talked about his small semicolon while waiting for an appointment at Vintage Electric Tattoo in Laramie.
The shop’s owner, Chad Elsasser, said the semicolon is becoming a regular tattoo request.
“They are placed in a different area and for a variety of reasons,” Elsasser said. “Maybe they’ve lost somebody or they were going through it. It’s a reminder — wherever their heart goes.”
There are a “thousand different directions” on the style of the tattoo, Elsasser said. Some, like Blake’s, are plain. Others have names, dates or other decorations added.
While a universal symbol, how it’s done is personal, he said. “It’s more about the meaning than the tattoo.”
For some, getting the tattoo is a way to put something at rest; it allows them to move on but they keep a reminder of a friend or how a suicide or attempt impacted their lives, he said.
Because it lasts, Elsasser said the tattoo never diminishes or takes away the power of what his clients are doing.
For Blake, the symbol speaks to a broad range of mental health issues. He said speaking about mental illness can be a very difficult for many people.
“I used to be a bartender. People would see (the tattoo) and ask about it,” Blake said. “Mental health has such a stigma. It opens up a conversation about it.”
Blake now works as a firefighter in Cheyenne.
“People don’t want to talk about it, but it’s important to normalize it. to de-stigmatize it,” he said about issues of suicide and mental health.
Elsasser said when clients get their semicolon tattoos, some will choose to explain their decisions. There is no pressure for an explanation, he said; his studio is a safe space.
Blake said the concept of safe space is what he hopes he communicates with the semicolon, that space is not just within four walls, but within conversation.
The semicolon, he said, means he offers a safe space to talk. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/not-a-full-stop-semicolon-tattoo-opens-mental-illness-conversations/article_fc3b0c1e-e5bd-5f3a-bccf-f5035eddb5a8.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:08Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
The Cheyenne FBI office on Airport Parkway is the target of a planned protest Sunday in response to the federal agency's search of former President Donald Trump's residence in Florida.
CHEYENNE – A rally is planned for this weekend at the FBI's Cheyenne office in protest of recent actions by the federal bureau.
A post by Don Odom in the Facebook group "Cheyenne and Wyoming News" says a "rally in support of President Trump" is planned for noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at the office, 1109 Airport Parkway. Odom is a Republican candidate for state House District 61.
Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence was searched Monday by FBI agents. Trump and his supporters have expressed outrage about the search.
Odom, using his campaign page, also created a Facebook event for the rally. He said in an interview that he was not the organizer, but that he created the event page to help promote the event.
"Join us at the Cheyenne FBI field office in protesting the political use of the FBI. The current administration is going after President Trump because they know he will defeat them if he runs," the event description reads. "They have tried to destroy him since he came down the escalator and announced he was running the 1st time. They have not given up after 6 years of lies, fake scandals, and hoaxes. Come show your peaceful dissent against the FBI and your support for President Trump!"
In a Thursday interview with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Odom said he doesn't buy Trump having classified documents at his residence.
"I just believe that we need to stand up for what we believe in, and I believe the FBI has overstepped, and whether it's orders from above or not, I just see this as a political move," the candidate said.
Odom said he didn't know how many people to expect at the Sunday protest.
Local law enforcement and the FBI's regional office said Thursday they're aware of the planned rally.
"The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights. We advise individuals taking part in protest activities to remain aware of their immediate surroundings and to report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement," Vikki Miyoga, public affairs officer for the bureau's Denver field office, wrote in an email Thursday.
Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco said his department has "been in discussions with the FBI" about the planned event. He said the federal agency has not requested help from the Cheyenne Police Department.
"We'll make our officers aware of it and request some extra patrol as they have time," Francisco said in an interview. "Unless something more serious draws our attention to it, we don't plan on particularly staffing the event or anything like that."
On Thursday afternoon, a man was shot and killed by law enforcement after he allegedly attempted to break into the FBI's Cincinnati field office while armed, according to the Associated Press and other media reports. As of that time, the man's motives were unclear.
Miyoga on Thursday afternoon sent a statement to the WTE from FBI Director Christopher Wray and the FBI National Press Office in Washington, D.C. She said it was "not specifically about any situation in Colorado or Wyoming."
"Unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others. Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans," the statement said. "Every day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. I am proud to serve alongside them." | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/rally-at-cheyenne-fbi-office-planned-for-sunday/article_c57ec96d-66af-5188-acde-8c187b65c416.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:14Z |
A WyoFile investigation of the three candidates vying to be Wyoming’s next secretary of state reveals marked differences in professional experience, political backing and even history of compliance with the very laws and regulations enforced by the office in question.
Secretary of state is the second highest office in Wyoming’s executive branch behind only the governor.
The four-year position oversees elections; registers and authorizes businesses operating in the state; records state agencies’ rules and the proceedings of the Wyoming Legislature; regulates the state’s securities industry and enforces securities law; and serves as Wyoming’s de facto lieutenant governor, ready to step in should the governor die, leave office or be unable to fulfill duties.
The secretary also serves on the powerful State Board of Land Commissioners, State Building Commission, State Loan and Investment Board and as the chair of the State Canvassing Board.
WyoFile sought interviews with all candidates and submitted written questions when requested. The same original request for academic and professional experience was asked of each candidate along with follow-up questions that varied depending on the candidates’ initial responses. Staff also relied on public records tied to the professional endeavors and commercial enterprises of the candidates.
Rep. Chuck Gray (R-Casper) declined to answer questions about his employment, professional experience or other qualifying attributes for the complex job.
Gray has represented House District 57 in the Wyoming Legislature since 2017.
He has listed Mount Rushmore Broadcasting, Inc. as his sole employment — initially working as a program director, then later as an operations manager — on each of his requisite elected official financial disclosure forms.
According to records from the secretary of state’s office — and later confirmed by a department spokesperson — Mount Rushmore Broadcasting was administratively dissolved by the state almost two decades ago for failing to file annual reports and pay its license fees to Wyoming. Gray’s father, Jan Charles Gray, is president of the Delaware-based entity, according to state records. The entity uses a registered agent in its Wyoming filings, but 2016 documents from the Federal Communications Commission indicate that the elder Gray is also owner of the corporation.
Like all out-of-state entities, it was required to obtain a certificate of authority from the secretary of state’s office before transacting business in the state. It did so in 1993, according to state records, but failed to file requisite annual reports and pay yearly fees based on its assets located and employed in Wyoming. Mount Rushmore entered into a 24-month period during which it could have paid a reinstatement fee, as well as what was already owed. But the company did not comply within the two-year window, after which Wyoming statute does not allow entities to be brought back into good standing.
During a July candidate forum in Casper, Gray said he became a permanent resident of Wyoming in 2012. He spent his childhood summers here with his father after his parents divorced, he said.
Prior to going to work for his father, Gray graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with bachelor’s of science and bachelor’s of arts degrees, according to his lawmaker bio.
When WyoFile approached Gray to clarify his professional experience immediately following the forum in Casper, he declined to answer questions, but said he would respond to written questions over email. WyoFile sent several written questions to the lawmaker, including a request for more details regarding his duties as an employee of Mount Rushmore Broadcasting and how his academic and professional resumes qualified him for the position. Gray responded with a statement about ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting — he feels both are threats to election integrity — but no further information on his background. WyoFile sent a subsequent email asking about his employer conducting business in Wyoming without a certificate of authority. The lawmaker did not respond.
Mount Rushmore Broadcasting is currently the licensee for two AM stations and five FM stations in Wyoming, according to Federal Communications Commission records. Most of those stations are in Casper, and all but one of those can currently be heard on the air.Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Gray’s candidacy, as have Reps. John Bear (R-Gillette), Jeremy Haroldson (R-Wheatland), Mark Jennings (R-Sheridan) and Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier. Gun Owners of America have also endorsed him.
Sen. Nethercott, a Cheyenne attorney, has represented Senate District 4 since 2017.
Since 2013, Nethercott has been late six times to file annual reports with Wyoming for her in-state corporation, Tara B. Nethercott, P.C. At no point did she exceed the 24-month compliance window, and the attorney’s business remains in good standing, according to state records. Nethercott is also properly authorized to practice law in the state, according to Wyoming state bar records, and has no history of disciplinary charges or public discipline.
After growing up in Fremont County, Nethercott said she earned three degrees from the University of Wyoming, including her Juris Doctorate in 2009. From there, she said she began a private practice in Cheyenne and spent about a decade with Woodhouse Roden Nethercott. The firm relied on federal pandemic relief through a PPP loan of $111,000 in order to retain nine employees. Nethercott voted against the same ARPA allocation bill that Gray did, but said her vote was due to what was left out of the bill and she would not have voted against it had the vote been closer.
She currently practices with Crowley Fleck, and much of her legal work involves business organizations, according to the lawmaker.
“I am the most qualified candidate running for a variety of reasons,” Nethercott said, pointing to her numerous leadership positions, including as co-chairperson of the Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee during the 66th Wyoming Legislature and chairman of the board of directors for the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce in 2018. In 2021, she was awarded Legislator of the Year by the Wyoming County Commissioners Association. The Wyoming Business Alliance gave her a similar award last week.Mark Armstrong, the third candidate in the race, has spent his career working as a geologist, and he said that’s an important distinction between him and his competitors.
“These people in government [who] aren’t scientists, they don’t know what good science is,” Armstrong said. “It’s extremely difficult to hold them accountable for inappropriate actions. And I can take care of those things as secretary of state.”
Armstrong has earned degrees from several universities, including the University of Wyoming, the Colorado School of Mines and Stanford University, he said.
In 2010, Armstrong’s license to practice geology in Wyoming expired when he did not renew it. He made the decision to let it lapse after the Wyoming Board of Professional Geologists “would not enforce a blatant ethics violation,” he said. Since then, his geology work has been based in California, where he remains professionally licensed.
Armstrong does not have legal training, but he has legal experience from a lengthy court battle with his former employer, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, he said.
According to court documents, Armstrong began work in 2005 as an environmental analyst for the state agency, inspecting and issuing permits for waste facilities. While an employee, Armstrong told the director of DEQ that he thought his supervisor was improperly influencing a permitting decision involving a Casper landfill. However, the state fired Armstrong in 2007 for incurring $2,500 in personal charges on his state-issued cell phone. The state’s Office of Administrative Hearings reinstated Armstrong in 2008, but the DEQ appealed that decision. Armstrong found different work in Montana — another position related to environmental waste — but the legal battle continued, with Armstrong representing himself. Eventually, he appealed to the Wyoming Supreme Court. His case was dismissed for “failure to follow the Wyoming Rules of Appellate Procedure,” according to the opinion written by former Justice William Hill.The way Armstrong sees it, the process gave him courtroom experience that would be valuable to the secretary of state role.
During another debate in Casper, Gray accused Nethercott of failing to disclose her campaign finance information. At the time, neither candidate had provided such information to the state.
“Our campaign reporting filings are due tomorrow. And the whole public can see them tomorrow,” Nethercott rebutted.
Gray, Nethercott and Armstrong all met the Tuesday deadline. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/secretary-of-state-hopefuls-vary-on-compliance-issues/article_750dd84c-2433-591c-952e-e9c3a91aade9.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:20Z |
Decades before millions of viewers began tuning in to "The Voice" on national television, Wyoming was hanging on every word of "The Voice of Wyoming." Chances are many in Cowboy State haven't met Bob Beck, but most know him nonetheless.
The veteran Wyoming Public Radio news director has spent the better part of four decades creating, hosting and producing award-winning programming and reporting stories and issues that have shaped multiple generations of Wyominigites.
Now the Laramie journalist and co-host of the popular news magazine "Open Spaces" is close to signing off permanently his his impending October retirement.
Beck’s legacy is reflected in a variety of work, including high-profile legislative issues, species restoration and Wyoming’s greatest losses. His focus in recent years as been public policy and state government. But he said his success in reporting nearly any subject stems from his beginnings as a sportscaster.
“I look at the Legislature kind of like covering sports,” Beck said from his Laramie office. “There’s a game plan, there’s a result, there’s a strategy in that.”
While he’s spent decades at Wyoming Public Media, which operates WPR, Beck said he didn’t initially expect to find a home in Laramie. He and his late wife originally intended to stay for a couple years while she got her master’s degree. He moved to Laramie to work for another radio station, but eventually moved to WPM to work in its news department.
“When I came in 1988, I was the only full-time professional news person. Everybody else were students or interns,” Beck said of the local radio news scene. “Eventually we added on, but it was sort of fun. It reminded me of when I was in college.”
Like many journalism students, Beck found himself enjoying time with radio stations near his university. He spent several years in Illinois not far from his alma mater, Southern Illinois University, until he moved to Sheridan at the recommendation of former coworkers. From there, Beck moved to Laramie and WPM, helping the organization build its reach and reputation.
“It’s funny. It’s like there’s different chapters of my Wyoming Public Radio time," Beck said. "There was the smaller station, when we were starting to build ourselves a reputation.
"Then there’s the point where we started having four people, and eventually seven and eight people working here, where we kind of grew into this really big, statewide presence and we were able to do a lot more.”
Like many journalists, Beck has learned to deal with the emotional challenges of living in a community he reports about. When eight University of Wyoming cross-country runners were killed by a drunk driver in 2001, he reported on it despite being too close to the issue for comfort.
“I had seen that cross-country team the morning they were killed,” Beck said. “They were going for a workout in the Snowy Range Mountains and I was taking my dogs up to the mountains that Saturday morning as well.”
In addition to being in close physical proximity to them, he knew their coach, followed the team during its season and felt a close connection to the student-athletes as a former cross-country runner himself.
“We had been at the same bagel place," he said. "The only reason they were available is because their meet got canceled because of 9/11. I was at church (with) my wife — seemed like a good week to go to church.
"Somebody stood up in the prayers and concerns section and said, ‘I need you to pray for my roommate. Her brother and all the cross-country runners were killed last night.’”
Before that tragic event, Beck led the station through its coverage of gay UW student Matthew Shepard’s murder in 1998, a case that shook the country.
Beck said that he was thankful for the opportunity to provide high-quality coverage of the case, criticizing the way many television news stations and big-name print publications handled the story. Something that separated WPM’s coverage from making those mistakes is the connection each intern, reporter and news employee had to the community being based in Laramie themselves.
It's that connection to the people in the Cowboy State that resonates with listeners, Beck said. People can tell they're getting information and stories from one of their one, someone who understands Wyoming and Western issues and attitudes.
“Talking to people in Wyoming over the years has actually been one of the pleasures, because many are outspoken and will tell you what they think,” Beck said. “They’re willing to let you invade their lives sometimes to get a good story.”
Over the years, Beck said he's seen journalism, and especially radio journalism, shift in unprecedented ways. The quality of audio content is one of the most notable changes for audiences, but the challenges of the job also have changed significantly.
“I used to have to use razor blades and tape to do longer pieces and to edit things down," he said about working with physical audio tape as opposed to digital recordings. "The quality now is just so much better. We go back and listen to stories and I can always hear the hisses.
"These kids today don’t have any idea how hard it was and how long it took to put together a feature.”
With the elimination of cassettes and the introduction of digital media, Beck said his priorities have remained the same: report fairly and make relationships with the community you report on. As a professor at UW, he was able to educate a generation of new journalists, teaching them the ins and outs of ethics and pushing them to break the suspicion facing reporters and produce content that benefits their communities.
“So many of the people that have come here, they’ve left and worked for major radio stations like NPR,” Beck said. “They’ve worked across this country and they’re carrying a legacy that I’m very proud of.”
Reflecting on his time as a journalist and the future of journalism, Beck said he understands news work to be a very difficult profession, one that requires a lot of sacrifice. For young journalists or those looking to enter the field, he encourages them to prioritize their health and be sure that they're getting everything they want out of their chosen profession.
“You better love it, and if you don’t love it, get out of it,” Beck said.
When his final broadcast is done in October, Beck said he doesn't have any grand plans — at least not right away. First on the to-do list is spending a few months just following sports and relaxing with his fiancee.
He also said he has no regrets when reflecting on a long, eventful career. He joked about wishing UW’s basketball team had made it to the Final Four, but otherwise, he said he'll retire satisfied and happy.
“I’ve covered everything," he said. "For a time, I knew the vice president of the United States personally. I don’t know what I haven’t done ... (and) I don’t think there’s anything I didn’t get a chance to do.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/the-voice-of-wyoming-from-matthew-shepard-the-uw-8-and-the-legislature-bob-beck/article_51f56c08-6e84-5fe5-8d50-9db70f3d9ac2.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:27Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Tuesday’s power outage that affected nearly 9,800 Rocky Mountain Power customers in Laramie also could have damaged equipment at the University of Wyoming Planetarium, prompting a cancelation of ongoing summer viewing events.
“Regretfully, we experienced electrical-related damage to our theater equipment Tuesday afternoon and don’t expect replacements or repairs to to be available for the next couple of weeks,” planetarium coordinator Max Gilbraith says in a press release. “We are going to temporarily close the planetarium and cancel all public shows until we are up and running 100%.”
In the meantime, people are invited to a free observing party at 8:30 p.m. tonight (weather permitting) on the roof of the STAR Observatory on the UW campus.
A spokesman for PacifiCorp, the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power, said in a Friday email he didn’t have a root cause for the outage, but “there was an arc in the substation that damaged a switch” and that “permanent repairs were completed later that night.”
State receives $6M for habitat work, research
A local project is included in more than $6 million worth of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation grants in Wyoming to be used for improving wildlife habitat, assist research and enhance public access.
The local effort will plant up to 100 seedling trees per acre across 900 acres of habitat on the Medicine Bow National Forest in Albany and Carbon counties. Specifically, the area will include parts of where the 2018 Badger Creek and 2020 Mullen wildfires burned nearly 200,000 acres of forest.
This seedling project is part of a larger Elk Foundation commitment to commit at least 41 million to wildfire restoration work, according to a RMEF press release announcing the new grants.
“This funding is extremely critical and goes on the ground for 20 different projects across the state including wildfire restoration, aspen enhancement, invasive weed control, stabilizing stream bank erosion, conifer thinning, water source improvement and three research projects,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “Other projects include conserving more than 2,200 acres of elk habitat, providing funding to improve elk hunting access on private land and more than a dozen projects that support hunting, recreational shooting and outdoors-related endeavors.”
Limited vouchers available for tire, refrigerator disposal
The Albany County Planning Office has announced it will offer a limited number of vouchers to county residents to dispose of tires and refrigerators at the Laramie Landfill/Recycling Center.
The dates the vouchers can be used are Aug. 22 through Sept. 10 during the landfill’s regular hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The vouchers will be good for up to 25 car and light truck tires and two refrigerators only, as well as up to two tractor tires. You must have a voucher in hand to drop off these items at the landfill.
To get a voucher, contact the Albany County Planning Office in person or by email. Commercial landowners are not eligible.
The office is located at 1002 S. 3rd St. and can be contacted at planning@co.albany.wy.us or 307-721-2568. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/worth-noting-aug-13-2022/article_143abe05-e69d-56b7-b23a-b1bfebd891dd.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:33Z |
Longtime readers of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle know we have a rich history of endorsing candidates in various high-profile local, state or federal races. These recommendations were made only after our editorial board completed thorough interviews with the candidates in the race — usually in person.
Unfortunately, time and resources don’t allow such a thorough vetting of candidates at this time. But in one key race at the state level, one candidate is so obviously the wrong fit for the job that he has earned our first-ever “non-endorsement,” a recommendation that Wyoming voters choose anyone but him.
No, we’re not talking about Chuck Gray in the secretary of state’s race (although it was tempting to make this a twofer based on his ridiculous, unsubstantiated statements about Wyoming election integrity alone).
Instead, the focus of our opposition at this point is “incumbent” Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder.
This will come as no surprise to those who have read these pages over the six months since he was appointed by Gov. Mark Gordon to fill the remainder of Jillian Balow’s term when she resigned to take a similar position in Virginia. That’s because nearly every time he has spoken publicly about an issue, Mr. Schroeder has earned a “Thumbs Down” from the WTE Editorial Board.
Each time, the “down” was well-deserved, and we even showed some restraint by not giving them to him in consecutive weeks. But regardless of whether he received them at the time or not, the evidence points to Mr. Schroeder being possibly the worst person Wyoming voters could put in a position to lead the state’s public school system. (Yes, even worse than Cindy Hill, believe it or not.)
The main reason he’s the wrong fit is Mr. Schroeder comes from a private, military school background and seems hell-bent on making our public schools look and feel like those institutions. That’s fine if you choose to send your child to such a school, but not appropriate for the vast majority.
Next, he clearly believes his main purpose isn’t to focus on the details of supporting the state’s 26 K-12 school districts, it’s to appeal to the far-right base that sent him to Cheyenne in the first place. (It wouldn’t be appropriate to blame the governor for inflicting Mr. Schroeder on us, since the other two finalists offered by the Wyoming GOP had even less professional experience in education or none at all.)
Among the other evidence:
Within his first few weeks in office, Mr. Schroeder was testifying in committees of the Wyoming Legislature, but not in support of more funding for K-12 education or higher pay for teachers. Instead, he publicly supported one bill to ban teaching critical race theory, even though he acknowledged it wasn’t being taught at the K-12 level in Wyoming. He supported another “prohibiting biological males from athletic teams and sports designated for females in public schools,” saying he considers transgender identities part of a “social contagion.”
In late May, he held an event at Cheyenne’s Evangelical Free Church promoting charter schools. During the event, he said it was alarming how U.S. public schools have become one of most toxic places for children before being challenged by someone in the audience and clarifying that he didn’t mean Wyoming schools.
Later, he said, “The evangelists of secularism saw two institutions, government and education, as the perfect twin vehicles through which they would remake society in their image. Once more, through this quiet revolution, they anticipated the American people would be sleeping at the wheel, and by the time they woke up, it would be too late.”
He said the end result would be that the federal government would sink its hooks deeper into public schools, with a growing number of strings attached.
In June, Mr. Schroeder loudly proclaimed that Wyoming would not comply with a USDA Food and Nutrition Services mandate that requires states to comply with nondiscrimination policies that include new provisions for gender identity and sexual orientation.
If he were able to follow through on this statement, the state would have to come up with $40 million a year to cover the federal government’s share of funding for school lunches. He said there is no way he would deny any student a meal; instead, this is about pushing back on Biden administration mandates, and “We categorically reject gender ideology and will not bow to the coercive will of a bully government.”
Earlier this month, he said he wants Wyoming to have a law that would prevent teachers from discussing some sexual and gender-related topics with young children. Modeled after Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act — referred to by critics as the “don’t say gay law” — this legislation would keep teachers from mentioning these topics to students in kindergarten through third grade.
That’s just the high-profile positions he’s taken. No doubt, he has many more deeply held, ultra-conservative beliefs he hasn’t yet had the opportunity to share on a public stage. But it’s more than enough to know he’s the opposite of the inclusive, accepting and supportive leader that LGBTQ students and staff of all gender identities — as well as the rest of Wyoming residents — need.
Of course, we know there are many in the state who will support Mr. Schroeder because they agree with him on these issues. Chief among them are the leaders of the Wyoming Republican Party who have gone out of their way to show their support, even though there were four other Republicans seeking the position until Sheridan military college professor Thomas Kelly (one of the three finalists for the job initially) announced his withdrawal from the race earlier last week.
As the most high-profile candidate in the race, Mr. Schroeder has to be considered the favorite to advance to November’s general election. He certainly has statewide name recognition – something none of the other three remaining GOP candidates can claim.
We just hope that notoriety leads voters who value the integrity of the K-12 public education system to pick someone — anyone — else.
If so, the amount of time Mr. Schroeder has to inflict his idea of “leadership” on our public school system will be limited to less than 12 months. If not, brace yourselves, folks. We’re afraid his “shock-and-awe” trampling of the rights of certain Wyoming students and his politicization of the office has only begun.
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Aug. 6 | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/a-non-endorsement-who-not-to-pick-for-state-superintendent/article_2117e162-ac59-5291-87e6-4b8dfb95dd6b.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:39Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Wyoming editorial
State should do more to support mental health care
It’s not easy to provide health care in Wyoming. Low populations mean low revenues to support services. Health care employers are always struggling to recruit and retain employees. And long distances between providers make accessing services difficult.
On top of all these challenges, mental health care providers also must overcome the stigma attached to mental illnesses, which discourages many people from getting help. All these problems have contributed to Wyoming having the highest suicide rate in the nation.
Last month, Wyoming joined in the national implementation of the 988 crisis hotline number, which replaces the former 10-digit number with a three-digit code, just as we have with the general emergency 911 number. It was a great step toward addressing one gap in mental health care.
Andi Summerville, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers, discussed at a meeting of the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee how vital such a hotline is to a comprehensive mental health care system.
About 80% of crisis calls can be handled over a phone, Summerville told the committee, by directing them to services that can address the caller’s needs.
Calls to 988 are routed to two call centers in Wyoming, one in Greybull and another in Casper. Together, they provide 24/7 service.
The federal government has provided grants to the call centers, and the Wyoming Legislature appropriated $2.1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act funding to support it.
This was a solid step toward improving mental health care services in Wyoming. However, as Summerville explained to the committee, a comprehensive system would include an active mobile crisis team to respond to those callers whose needs can’t be addressed with human contact and good referrals. Wyoming currently has none, and so that responsibility falls to law enforcement and paramedics. Likewise, crisis facilities are few and far between. Cloud Peak Counseling is the only resource in the Big Horn Basin providing crisis stabilization services, and there are only three others in the state.
A comprehensive system would also include post-crisis support services at the back end of the line.
Such a network, Summerville said, will result in about 85% of those with a crisis remaining stable in the community after treatment. That means they usually can maintain employment, which will lower their need for scarce social services.
Wyomingites are reluctant to look to government for solutions, and they don’t want the government spending too much on social services. It’s really a good idea to be wary of government solutions. When government takes on too many roles in addressing social problems, you often get more bloat and taxes and little in the way of solutions.
However, when services are so scarce that they become nearly inaccessible, and those in crisis don’t get the help they need, taxpayers end up paying more through law enforcement, prisons, emergency rooms, ambulance transport, and homelessness — and the illness remains mostly untreated.
It behooves the state to address some of the gaps in mental health care. A small investment in services can save taxpayers money down the line — on top of saving lives. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/state-should-do-more-to-support-mental-health-care/article_db6c7786-4ab4-5375-8884-e297ae479293.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:45Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Wyoming editorial
Wyomingites should not be deterred from voting by bogus fraud claims
There is a paradox in Wyoming politics concerning voter participation.
We live in a state that is dominated by one political party, which makes the primary election often more important than the general in deciding who will take office. Consider that Gov. Mark Gordon slogged through a tough Republican primary in 2018 only to coast to victory in November 2018. And every election, there are state legislative races with several Republicans battling in the primary, only for them to run unopposed in November.
Despite the primary’s importance here, considerably fewer voters participate in it. Since 2000, voters have cast 2.46 million ballots in Wyoming’s general election compared with 1.35 million in the primary. The elections that matter the most sometimes have dramatically less turnout.
This year, it’s all the more critical for voters to not wait until November to make their voices heard. The Aug. 16 primary – early voting has already begun – will decide one of the most watched congressional elections in the nation: the battle between Rep. Liz Cheney and natural resources attorney Harriet Hageman. There’s also a gubernatorial primary, a race for secretary of state that lacks an incumbent and a slew of legislative contests that have been influenced by the redistricting process.
We hope, as the election approaches, that voters aren’t swayed from participating in the democratic process by misleading claims about election integrity. Our state has long had a reputation for fair and efficient elections, with results often coming soon after the polls closed. Unfortunately, some politicians are stoking fear and doubt in our elections system. Their ranks include Rep. Chuck Gray, who is running for secretary of state. That post oversees elections in Wyoming, and past officeholders, including Republican Ed Buchanan, have dispelled voter fraud falsehoods while encouraging turnout.
Gray says he’s running to stop voter fraud, though the practice is exceedingly rare here. Since 2000, there’s been four cases in 3.81 million votes. Gray says he will ban ballot drop boxes in Wyoming, but there is no evidence that their use has caused problems in Wyoming. Gray, while he was running for U.S. House, also made a point of visiting a partisan Arizona recount that sought to rehash unfounded claims about the “stolen” 2020 presidential election, but in the end, only reaffirmed Joe Biden’s win.
Gray is not alone. Hageman has for some time refused to acknowledge that Biden was legitimately elected. Then on Wednesday, she went even further, claiming the election was rigged to make sure Trump could not be reelected. That message is not only inaccurate. It’s proving corrosive, according to interviews with voters who now believe — without a shred of actual evidence — that the system here is suspect. Those unfounded fears have even driven a movement in Park County to implement a hand-counted ballot system. Mark Armstrong, another Republican secretary of state candidate, is also making unfounded claims about absentee balloting and voter fraud.
But none of the people who are worried about election integrity in Wyoming can point to an actual election in our state where voter fraud has come anywhere close to changing the outcome. Ask yourself: Why are politicians who are sowing doubt in our elections system not concerned that their own election victories are valid? Why aren’t they citing a clear case of fraud or abuse in Wyoming? It’s because our system is safe and secure.
Early voting has already begun, and in a matter of days, people will head to the polls for Election Day. When they fulfill that sacred process of choosing our next leaders, voters should not be deterred by fears of fraud. All the evidence suggests we have a system that voters can feel confident participating in.
Your vote counts. Don’t let anyone suggest otherwise. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/wyomingites-should-not-be-deterred-from-voting-by-bogus-fraud-claims/article_b7e45142-1b5c-5818-b149-571a5a779915.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:51Z |
“Facts First” is the tagline of a CNN branding campaign which contends that “once facts are established, opinions can be formed.” The problem is that while it sounds logical, this appealing assertion is a fallacy not supported by research.
Cognitive psychology and neuroscience studies have found that the exact opposite is often true when it comes to politics: People form opinions based on emotions, such as fear, contempt and anger, rather than relying on facts. New facts often do not change people’s minds.
I study human development, public health and behavior change. In my work, I see firsthand how hard it is to change someone’s mind and behaviors when they encounter new information that runs counter to their beliefs.
Your worldview, including beliefs and opinions, starts to form during childhood as you’re socialized within a particular cultural context. It gets reinforced over time by the social groups you keep, the media you consume, even how your brain functions. It influences how you think of yourself and how you interact with the world.
For many people, a challenge to their worldview feels like an attack on their personal identity and can cause them to harden their position. Here’s some of the research that explains why it’s natural to resist changing your mind – and how you can get better at making these shifts.
Rejecting what contradicts your beliefs
In an ideal world, rational people who encounter new evidence that contradicts their beliefs would evaluate the facts and change their views accordingly. But that’s generally not how things go in the real world.
Partly to blame is a cognitive bias that can kick in when people encounter evidence that runs counter to their beliefs. Instead of reevaluating what they’ve believed up until now, people tend to reject the incompatible evidence. Psychologists call this phenomenon belief perseverance. Everyone can fall prey to this ingrained way of thinking.
Being presented with facts – whether via the news, social media or one-on-one conversations – that suggest their current beliefs are wrong causes people to feel threatened. This reaction is particularly strong when the beliefs in question are aligned with your political and personal identities. It can feel like an attack on you if one of your strongly held beliefs is challenged.
Confronting facts that don’t line up with your worldview may trigger a “backfire effect,” which can end up strengthening your original position and beliefs, particularly with politically charged issues. Researchers have identified this phenomenon in a number of studies, including ones about opinions toward climate change mitigation policies and attitudes toward childhood vaccinations.
Focusing on what confirms your beliefs
There’s another cognitive bias that can get in the way of changing your mind, called confirmation bias. It’s the natural tendency to seek out information or interpret things in a way that supports your existing beliefs. Interacting with like-minded people and media reinforces confirmation bias. The problem with confirmation bias is that it can lead to errors in judgment because it keeps you from looking at a situation objectively from multiple angles.
A 2016 Gallup poll provides a great example of this bias. In just one two-week period spanning the 2016 election, both Republicans and Democrats drastically changed their opinions about the state of the economy – in opposite directions.
But nothing was new with the economy. What had changed was that a new political leader from a different party had been elected. The election outcome changed survey respondents’ interpretation of how the economy was doing – a confirmation bias led Republicans to rate it much higher now that their guy would be in charge; Democrats the opposite.
Brain’s hard-wiring doesn’t help
Cognitive biases are predictable patterns in the way people think that can keep you from objectively weighing evidence and changing your mind. Some of the basic ways your brain works can also work against you on this front.
Your brain is hard-wired to protect you – which can lead to reinforcing your opinions and beliefs, even when they’re misguided. Winning a debate or an argument triggers a flood of hormones, including dopamine and adrenaline. In your brain, they contribute to the feeling of pleasure you get during sex, eating, roller-coaster rides – and yes, winning an argument. That rush makes you feel good, maybe even invulnerable. It’s a feeling many people want to have more often.
Moreover, in situations of high stress or distrust, your body releases another hormone, cortisol. It can hijack your advanced thought processes, reason and logic – what psychologists call the executive functions of your brain. Your brain’s amygdala becomes more active, which controls your innate fight-or-flight reaction when you feel under threat.
In the context of communication, people tend to raise their voice, push back and stop listening when these chemicals are coursing through their bodies. Once you’re in that mindset, it’s hard to hear another viewpoint. The desire to be right combined with the brain’s protective mechanisms make it that much harder to change opinions and beliefs, even in the presence of new information.
Train yourself to keep an open mind
In spite of the cognitive biases and brain biology that make it hard to change minds, there are ways to short-circuit these natural habits.
Work to keep an open mind. Allow yourself to learn new things. Search out perspectives from multiple sides of an issue. Try to form, and modify, your opinions based on evidence that is accurate, objective and verified.
Don’t let yourself be swayed by outliers. For example, give more weight to the numerous doctors and public health officials who describe the preponderance of evidence that vaccines are safe and effective than what you give to one fringe doctor on a podcast who suggests the opposite.
Be wary of repetition, as repeated statements are often perceived as more truthful than new information, no matter how false the claim may be. Social media manipulators and politicians know this all too well.
Presenting things in a nonconfrontational way allows people to evaluate new information without feeling attacked. Insulting others and suggesting someone is ignorant or misinformed, no matter how misguided their beliefs may be, will cause the people you are trying to influence to reject your argument. Instead, try asking questions that lead the person to question what they believe. While opinions may not ultimately change, the chance of success is greater.
Recognize we all have these tendencies and respectfully listen to other opinions. Take a deep breath and pause when you feel your body ramping up for a fight. Remember, it’s OK to be wrong at times. Life can be a process of growth. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/biases-biology-help-explain-why-facts-dont-change-minds/article_d9d1e8d5-5f19-56d5-a8c4-a4b049e9e7b3.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:57Z |
Here’s a question Wyoming voters should ponder: If Harriet Hageman really believes the 2020 presidential election was rigged against former President Donald Trump, why did she wait 11 months to finally say so?
Trump has repeatedly shown that a candidate’s total loyalty to him is what matters most. But last September, Hageman convinced Trump to endorse her candidacy against his bitter enemy, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, without publicly declaring that massive voter fraud cost him the election.
That’s curious, because Hageman wasn’t even a Trump supporter in 2016. As a member of the National Republican Convention’s rules committee, she tried to keep the future president from getting the nomination.
While most Trump-backed candidates have been shouting “stop the steal!” from the rooftops, Hageman has kept dancing around the issue.
“We have to pay very, very close attention to this so that 2020 never happens again,” Hageman said at a Bar Nunn event in March.
When WyoFile asked for clarification, Hageman emailed a statement that acknowledged she’s frequently asked if Joe Biden was legitimately elected. “I’m afraid the answer is we don’t know,” she demurred.
That’s a far cry from what Hageman proclaimed at a political forum in Casper last week. “Absolutely the election was rigged,” she said. “It was rigged to make sure that President Trump could not get re-elected. What happened in 2020 was a travesty.”
Cheney had tried for weeks to goad Hageman into playing the card.
“I’d be interested to know whether or not [Hageman] is willing to say here tonight that the election was not stolen,” Cheney said at a Sheridan debate in June. “She knows it wasn’t stolen. I think she can’t say that it wasn’t stolen because she’s completely beholden to Donald Trump, and if she says it wasn’t stolen, he will not support her.”
But Hageman didn’t bite at the time. Why did she hold back until less than two weeks before the Aug. 16 primary?
Former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., a Cheney supporter, provided one possible reason why Hageman would want to keep some distance between herself and Trump’s phony 2020 election claims when WyoFile interviewed him back in March.
“Hageman doesn’t dare go off on that tack, because Wyoming people are rather reasonable,” Simpson said. “If her full-page ad is ‘stop the steal,’ then we know that she’s slipped into some unhinged state, and she’s not going to do that.”
Hageman hasn’t suddenly become “unhinged,” so either she made the political calculation that there is no downside in Wyoming to fully embracing her benefactor’s lies, or Trump, realizing that his lacky still hadn’t said the magic words, “It was rigged,” finally pulled her string.
Timing is everything, especially in politics. Last week, pro-Trump election deniers won high-profile primary races in several states. One was John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official who narrowly defeated Michigan Congressman Peter Meijer.
Meijer and Cheney are two of the 10 GOP U.S. House members who voted to impeach Trump. Most decided not to seek re-election, but they haven’t all been vanquished, and that’s undoubtedly set off alarm bells at Mar-a-Lago. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., finished first in his primary, while Trump’s hand-picked candidate was third.
Politico reported while Trump “went all-in on several election-denying candidates, as the votes rolled in, he seemed to come out on shaky ground. … The fact that these battles were, and are, close might signal Trump’s hold on the party is loosening.”
Trump doesn’t want to see Cheney merely beaten, he wants her crushed. If there was ever a time for Hageman to jump in the election-is-rigged camp with both cowboy boots, this appears to be it. Several former members of Trump’s administration are working on Hageman’s campaign. It wouldn’t be difficult to get that message to her.
Hageman may regret this shotgun wedding. Inevitably the truth will come crashing down on Trump. It’s already out there, for anyone who cares to open their eyes.
An Associated Press review of every potential case of voter fraud in the six battleground states disputed by Trump uncovered fewer than 475 instances out of millions of ballots cast. In no state would it have changed the outcome of the presidential election.
Last month, a group of esteemed conservative Republican jurists and officials released a report that concluded while Trump’s supporters have spent 20 months scouring for proof that the election was stolen, “On objective examination they have fallen short, every time.”
Does Hageman actually believe the election was stolen from Trump? I doubt it, but it probably doesn’t matter to those who decided to vote for her as soon as she received his official blessing.
Hageman must have realized she wouldn’t be allowed to just skate to victory without making the ultimate show of loyalty to her leader. It may have been tough for her to get the words out the first time, but I bet “absolutely it was rigged” will now easily roll off Hageman’s tongue. It’s the issue that will forever define her, and that may be the only taste of revenge Cheney gets in this election. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/does-hageman-really-believe-the-big-lie/article_3a88d895-e781-5334-97c5-7f9383ac0082.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:04Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
In its recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court denounced judicial resort to the doctrine of substantive due process to pour the foundation for the fundamental right to access contraceptives, abortion and same-sex marriage. Since then, the “reading public,” to borrow from James Madison, has expressed deep interest in the origins of the doctrine.
A search for the early development of substantive due process will reveal the Court’s landmark ruling in 1905, in Lochner v. New York. In Lochner, the Court declared the existence of the “liberty of contract” doctrine, a fundamental right protected by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. The Court’s pronouncement of “liberty of contract,” derived from substantive due process, undercut at the turn of the 20th century, the authority of states to exercise their police power to promote the health, morals, welfare and safety of its residents.
Lochner was not the first case in which the Court had employed substantive due process, but it represented a historic moment for its influence on constitutional law for the next three decades. The Court had first resorted to the use of substantive due process in 1856, but Lochner cemented the practice.
Joseph Lochner had been convicted for violating a New York law by requiring a worker in his bakery to work more than 60 hours in one week. The statute prohibited bakery employees from working more than 10 hours per day or 60 hours per week. Lochner challenged the statute as an unconstitutional exercise of the state’s police power to regulate the health, morals, welfare and safety of the people.
Lochner v. New York proved to be a difficult case for the Court. Initially, the justices voted by a bare majority to uphold the law. Justice John Marshall Harlan was assigned to draft the opinion. Justice Rufus Peckham wrote a strong dissent. Before the Court finalized its opinion, one of the justices – likely Chief Justice Melvin Fuller – switched his vote. Peckham’s dissent became the opinion of the Court, and Harlan’s opinion became a dissent.
Fuller concluded that the maximum working hour law was an exercise in “featherbedding,” that is, “paternalistic and depriving both the worker and the employer of fundamental liberties.” It has been suggested that Justice Joseph McKenna, whose father owned a bakery, persuaded Fuller to switch his vote on the ground that bakeries posed no health threats, which meant that the law’s premise was a sham.
Justice Peckham, who viewed state regulation of the economy as an exercise in socialism, agreed that employment in bakeries represented no danger or health threat, wrote for a 5-4 majority, that the statute unconstitutionally interfered with “right of contract between the employer and the employee.” The liberty protected by the 14th Amendment, he said, included the right to purchase and sell labor. Thus, any statute interfering with the right would be invalid “unless there are circumstances which exclude that right.”
A valid circumstance would be reflected in a valid exercise of the police power, but the statute, in Peckham’s view, was devoid of any health concern and thus represented little more than a labor regulation. The majority’s opinion ignored the wealth of evidence collected from health professionals by a legislative committee that demonstrated numerous diseases and other health threats to workers who toiled in bakeries beyond the limits imposed by the legislature.
In essence, the Court substituted its own medical “expertise” for the testimony of health professionals, which led critics of the opinion to accuse the Court of behaving like a super-legislature. In time, this practice earned the opprobrium of “Lochnerizing.” The Court’s infusion of “substance” – its own sense of justice and fairness into procedural aspects of due process of law – when deciding whether the state could regulate business and labor, opened the floodgates to judicial activism. The Lochner brand – conservative judicial activism – would govern for the next three decades until the Court’s composition changed with appointments made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
As the “reading public” knows, the introduction of substantive due process to assist and defend conservative versions of economic liberties would, in time, give way to judicial defense of more progressive or liberal values emphasizing personal liberties. This practice would support, for example, judicial rulings that upheld the fundamental right to contraceptive devices, reproductive decisions and same-sex marriage. Observers of this practice might well conclude that what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Lochner’s invitation to judges to impose their own views, values and preferences – economic, social and political – proved galling to Peckham’s colleagues, including Justices John Marshall Harlan and Oliver Wendell Holmes. They filed historically famous dissents that proved influential in the development of other constitutional law doctrines. We turn next week to those dissents.
David Adler, Ph.D., is a noted author who lectures nationally and internationally on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and presidential power. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/lochnerizing-supreme-court-cements-substantive-due-process/article_b5d167ae-5475-5629-8cd7-b393471c4508.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:10Z |
This is big folks, really big!
Our small election in our small state is a really big deal across the country and around the world.
The Liz Cheney-Harriet Hageman race for our lone U.S. House seat in the GOP primary is being covered breathlessly by media and watched nonstop by political junkies from just about everywhere.
For example, news organizations have even reached out to our tiny local coffee group in Lander, the Fox News All-Stars. These dozen guys have been featured in a full-page spread in USA Today and in the large Danish newspaper Berlingske. Just before the election, a TV crew from Japan will be filming our guys pontificating on the race.
This type of national news coverage is happening all over Wyoming. The world is fixated on the Cowboy State because of the personal feud between Cheney and former President Donald Trump.
Cheney voted to impeach Trump. She also is vice-chair of a congressional committee blaming the former president for the riot that happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She has been outspoken in her efforts to knock down the former president.
Trump has singled out Cheney as “despicable” (his word). He has been to Wyoming once to help Hageman. Might he drop by again just before the primary? If polling shows Harriet in trouble, he will be back. This is personal to him.
As Election Day approaches, I see two possible conclusions that would be totally unprecedented in Wyoming history.
First, there is going to be unprecedented crossover voting in Wyoming in Tuesday’s Republican Primary. I earlier predicted 15,000 such crossovers. I reached out to some other knowledgeable Wyomingites with my speculation that maybe 30,000 might do so. Nobody agreed with me on the higher number. Today, I think that higher number might be in reach.
Secondly, the money being spent here is over the top. I thought the 2018 GOP governor primary would be hard to beat when three candidates each spent more than $2 million.
Cheney might be spending that much in a single month! How does she spend that much? By hiring highly qualified people to convince individual voters one at a time to support her cause. This might be the only time in American election history that this strategy has been tried.
It could only work in a primary election in the state with the lowest population. It is a great tactic, and it might work.
Originally, it seemed like the biggest asset for Cheney was the power of incumbency, but it pales compared to the results of the millions of dollars being spent. The barrage of TV ads, digital messages and direct-mail pieces has been unrelenting for months.
For years into the future, I predict political strategists will look at this campaign to see how Cheney pulled it off — if she wins.
Another two considerations will be big in this election.
Voter apathy will come into play. Although it is mind-boggling to think anyone would knowingly stay away from the polls in this highly-charged election, we need to remember that this is an off year politically from presidential years. This would hurt Hageman and help Cheney.
Voter motivation will be big. Trump haters despise the former president so much they might just move heaven and earth to vote against him. This election is a proxy war on Trump. The folks wanting to poke him in the keester are legion. This will also hurt Hageman and help Cheney.
So, let’s discuss in a little more depth about apathy and motivation.
Despite these dog days of summer and the doldrums that come with them, could not the argument be made that anti-Cheney voters might be just as eager to vote for Hageman as the anti-Trumpers are eager to vote for Cheney? Polls seem to indicate this. However, I still am not convinced of the accuracy of these polls.
And are not the Hageman voters motivated, too? Besides being pro-Trump, a great many believe Cheney has abandoned Wyoming for the national stage. They believe she should move on and they intend to help her do that by voting for Hageman.
Election Day is drawing near, and this campaign is nearing its end. To me, it looks like a dead heat with Hageman seemingly losing momentum because of voter apathy. And I see Cheney quietly gaining ground thanks to crossover voting.
There are only 581,000 people in Wyoming. But at this time, in this place, millions of people across the country and the world are watching.
Folks, this is really big! | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/the-whole-world-is-watching-wyoming-politics/article_98e29959-4e86-5a3a-9892-24a27fba6ffa.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:16Z |
This is a story told by Fredrick Douglas Dixon, director of the Black Studies Center at the University of Wyoming. It’s adapted to reflect the times in which Wyoming will elect a congressman.
Once upon a time, Truth and The Big Lie crossed paths in Wyoming.
Each acknowledged it was a fine Wyoming day. “It may rain,” said The Big Lie. “The sky is clear,” said Truth, as both looked at the clear blue sky overhead. Soon, they happened upon a small pond. Truth said, “The water is inviting.” The Big Lie smiled deviously, “Should we go skinny-dipping?”
They undressed, left their clothing on the bank and jumped into the cool water. Suddenly, The Big Lie scurried out from the pond, grabbed Truth’s clothes, put them on and ran away. Truth hurried from the pond, chasing The Big Lie, hoping to retrieve her clothes.
Buck-Naked Truth, older, thus slower than The Big Lie, was last seen breathlessly chasing The Big Lie down the Wyoming campaign trail. Election Day was near, and there were some salt-of-the-earth Wyoming folks along the road, watching the chase. When they saw the Buck-Naked Truth, they turned their eyes away.
So it was that The Big Lie ended up traveling the state, campaigning as Truth, and we are left to wonder whether there are enough people willing to look upon the Buck-Naked Truth to save our democratic Republic.
Tuesday night, we will know.
Until Trump, it would have been impossible to comprehend what happened at Jonestown in 1978. Those 900 bodies, bloating in the hot sun after drinking the Kool-Aid, some having poured it down their children’s mouths. Incomprehensible, until now.
The question Tuesday is whether our republic will join those rotting corpses.
Sissela Bok is a philosopher and an ethicist. She’s written a relevant book titled simply “Lying.” She argues persuasively that not all lies are created equal. Some are considerably more damaging than others, particularly political lies.
The “principle of veracity” is what she calls “a minimally necessary basis for a functioning society,” a lowest common denominator. It is no small thing that authoritarians lie while free people prefer truth. Bok says, “trust in some degree of veracity functions as a foundation of relations among human beings; when this trust shatters or wears away, institutions collapse.”
Jesus knew that, taught it, promised it was the truth that would set us free. Bok suggests the political lies that will enslave us.
The premise of Bok’s writing is that political lies interfere with the voters’ duty to make the right choice. The intentional deception gives power to the liar and takes it away from the deceived. She believes that employing large-scale lies as a weapon eventually deprives voters of the inherently necessary ability to make the right choice.
We can’t have a free country when choices about who will lead it are the product of lies.
It’s why no one wants to play chess or golf or anything else with a cheater. It really isn’t chess or golf if the winner cheats his or her way to victory. It really isn’t a free election if one side uses dishonesty as the basis for their appeal to the voters.
Cheating at chess means the best players can’t win. Lying to win an election means the lesser, least worthy of the candidates comes out on top. It devalues the rules in favor of those who don’t follow them. It makes losers into winners.
In chess or golf, you can quit playing with a cheater. Walk away. Find honest companions and play the game with them. At Jonestown, it wasn’t that easy. Neither is it that easy in a democratic republic.
Tuesday, when you walk into the voting booth, the choices will be clear. There is a Liar and there is a Truth Teller. If, by Election Day, Buck-Naked Truth hasn’t caught up with The Big Lie, we will all be losers, and our republic will be one step closer to its demise. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/will-truth-catch-up-with-the-big-lie-by-tuesday/article_2562fc89-b0f0-5733-824d-57c4112b6588.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:22Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
There are moments when the Gem City sparkles brightly and we at Hospice of Laramie are grateful for the compassionate sheen it brings to our community.
Recently, a patient of ours was in severe pain and in need of significant dental work. As the spiritual counselor at hospice, I contacted Dr. Bruce Adams’ office, shared the situation with them and asked if they could possibly help us.
Within minutes the office set up an evaluation and treatment visit for the next day.
The kindness, compassion and skill shown to our patient in that visit was incredible and heart-inspiring.
Thank you to Dr. Adams and his “right and left arm” Andrea for the care given during a most vulnerable hospice time. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/local-dentist-steps-up-for-hospice-patient/article_9c28937d-cb5c-5145-911a-acd965f2ca72.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:28Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Larry and Mona Weeks of Gettysburg Drive celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on June 3. They were married at Tolt Congregational Church in Carnation, Washington in 1967.
Larry and Mona met during the Seattle Seafair Festival in August, 1966, at a United Services Organizations (USO) dance on the World’s Fair Grounds at the base of the Space Needle.
Larry was in the US Navy, stationed in San Diego, CA, but his squadron was invited to the Seattle Seafair by the Governor of Washington, who had served on his ship during the Korean War. After many letters and long distance phone calls, Larry and Mona were engaged at Christmas time and were married the following year.
After honeymooning in Victoria, British Columbia, Larry and Mona lived in Long Beach and Santa Ana, CA, while Larry finished out his enlistment with the Navy. They settled in Larry’s home state of Iowa upon his discharge.
After traveling for many years between Iowa and Washington to visit Mona’s family, the family moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado in 1986. They moved to Cheyenne in 2004 where they have enjoyed the amenities that come with a smaller community.
Now both retired, Mona is actively involved in quilting, while Larry is an avid fly-fisherman and woodworker.
Their children are Thomas Weeks of Republic, Washington; Anne Weeks of Loveland, Colorado. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/milestones/anniversaries/weeks-55/article_15f24838-9d0a-5d22-9f60-0fb10ab6e936.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:35Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Pink, purple and unicorns are just the icing on the cake of Eralyn’s treasured things! She loves watching Disney and Marvel movies.
Eralyn, 13, says it elevates her mood when someone reads aloud to her. The balance beam, uneven bars and back walkovers are just a few phrases this gymnast knows well. Animals are well-liked by Eralyn, who is also keen on watching YouTube videos in her free time. Listening to music while drawing and writing also make her happy.
When in the spirit for it, Eralyn is a joyful dancer. Those who know her best remark that she is an insightful, honest and funny child who likes to be helpful. Eralyn makes meaningful connections with the adults in her life. She loves babies and small children, but thrives in the company of older peers when it comes to friends.
English is this seventh grader’s most-liked time of the school day.
Eralyn would do best in a family residing in a more urban area, in which she can be the youngest or only child in the home; however, her caseworker will consider all family types. She hopes to have pets in her family and has significant connections to maintain following placement.
Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. Eralyn lives in Colorado. Child ID: 334602
Child profiles are provided by Raise the Future at www.raisethefuture.org. For more information about waiting children, contact Raise the Future at 800-451-5246.
An approved adoption home study is required to be considered for placement of a child. Children can be placed across state lines, so Wyoming families are encouraged to inquire, regardless of the child’s current state of residence.
For information about becoming an adoptive parent, contact Wyoming Children’s Society at 307-632-7619 or visit www.wyomingcs.org. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/a_child_waits/a-child-waits-8-13-22/article_4a6f1ccf-a6b5-5161-85ad-1bcde465b4de.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:41Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
“I voted” stickers on a table at the Laramie County Courthouse in Cheyenne, on Friday. Alyte Katilius/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
CHEYENNE – Offices of the Laramie County clerk, except for real estate and recording, will be closed for business on Tuesday due to the primary election. The reason for the closure is that staff will be managing and assisting election judges at vote centers during the primary voting.
Offices closed on primary election day are Motor Vehicle Titles, Marriage Licenses, Administration, Finance, and the Records Center.
The clerk’s election office will respond to voters’ questions on election day. The office will continue to receive absentee ballots until 7 p.m. on the day of the election.
Voters can also deposit their absentee ballots in the official ballot drop box located outside the Laramie County Governmental Complex, on Carey Avenue between 19th and 20th streets. The drop box will close at 7 p.m. Absentee ballots delivered after the 7 p.m. deadline will not be counted.
Voters with election day questions may call 307-633-4242.
Normal business hours for all offices of the county clerk will resume on Wednesday. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/county-clerk-details-office-closures-during-primary/article_b24a8275-5430-5207-a310-491903593a94.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:47Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Child care assistance available for community college students
CHEYENNE – The Department of Family Services has announced that money will be available for qualified community college students, to assist them with the cost of child care during the fall 2022 semester.
The emergency child care assistance grant provides funds for students enrolled in a degree, credit diploma or certificate program, whether they take those classes in person, online or in a hybrid, said a Thursday news release from the state DFS. Citizens, non-citizens and international students all may qualify.
Qualified students must also experience one or more of the following hardships related to child care costs:
They must be underemployed
Unemployed
Be taking a reduced college course load
Have reduced credits earned in the prior academic term
Be at risk of reduced credits in the upcoming academic term
Face prohibitive child care costs
The level of assistance depends on the age and number of children. Grant awards are prorated based on student enrollment, meaning the level of the award depends on the number of credit hours a student is enrolled.
"DFS is excited to partner with community colleges across the state to provide essential child care support for students working to achieve their educational goals and enter the workforce as a valuable resource to Wyoming communities,” said Roxanne O'Connor, the DFS Support Services Division's senior administrator. “We are very grateful for the work and collaboration that the community colleges and the Community College Commission put towards this innovative and much needed program. Since we know that child care is a cornerstone of economic strength, the widespread impact of these dollars will be realized by students, educational institutions and employers throughout Wyoming."
Applications will be available at the beginning of the fall semester. Funding is limited, and awards will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Funding is provided through American Rescue Plan Act child care discretionary dollars. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/child-care-assistance-available-for-community-college-students/article_627a5486-f86f-557a-aee3-16fcc2903231.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:53Z |
CHEYENNE – In the face of some distrust by Wyomingites of the integrity of voting systems, election officials want to reassure the public that upcoming votes are secure.
And should there be any issues of alleged criminal acts, or even calls to local authorities, law enforcement officials said they will be ready to intervene. However, they are not planning on proactively monitoring polling places.
Outgoing Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan and Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee stressed, in interviews with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle this past week, that voters should have confidence in the upcoming Tuesday primary election.
“If you don’t trust law enforcement, for example, if you don’t trust your elected officials, if you don’t trust your courts, if you don’t trust your elections – all of those things are the foundations that are integral to a properly functioning democracy,” Buchanan said.
Both Buchanan and Lee described the numerous checks and balances to ensure a secure and accurate tally of votes.
Lee explained that the state’s voter registration system is a database checked against Wyoming Department of Health records to remove people who have died. Voter registration is also checked against Social Security numbers, state driver’s license numbers and criminal records in cases of people with felonies who may be ineligible to vote.
Wyoming voters are also required to show proof of identification when they vote, whether a driver’s license or state-issued ID, a passport or a military ID. Residents can present an ID issued from another state, as well, and there is no requirement to how long someone needs to have lived in the area to be able to vote.
Wyoming’s voter ID law went into effect last July. A full list of accepted documents are on the secretary of state’s website at sos.wyo.gov/Elections/VoterID/Default.aspx.
A chain of custody is established for any materials that leave the county clerk’s office and travel to voting locations.
“We know who brought it, who delivered it, what time, what date, we know when it’s brought back – we know who has done that, and what time and date,” Lee explained. “Everything has security seals on it,” whether tamper-evident seals, or wire seals that are “uniquely numbered,” with records “that are checked and rechecked at every step of the process.”
Offline
Wyoming’s election machines are not connected to the internet, the two officials said.
Lee suggested people can think of voting machines as “an expensive pencil” marking on a paper ballot.
Electronic voting machines can help eliminate common voting errors, such as selecting too many candidates, and minimizes confusion that can result from inadequately bubbled or punched physical ballots, or illegible handwriting. Machines can make it easier for people with disabilities to vote, allowing anyone to enlarge text, change the font or adjust the screen’s contrast.
“The voter uses that to mark their choices for the ballot, and then the paper ballot is produced (and) the voter can examine and verify that, yes, those are the selections I made before actually casting that ballot in the tabulator,” Lee said. “The votes are tabulated from that paper ballot, and they’re also auditable from that paper ballot.”
Speaking separately and on Friday, Buchanan said the state’s ballots are kept for almost two years following an election so they can be recounted or examined, if needed.
When it comes to physical security of voting machines and ballots, Lee said “it would be very evident” if someone were to tamper with the equipment, and all of it is under video surveillance.
Lee encouraged people to get involved with elections and ask questions of reliable sources.
Law enforcement
Local law enforcement say they don’t plan to have any officers stationed at polling places.
Representatives from the Cheyenne Police Department, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Highway Patrol each said separately their departments would be available if called upon to respond to an incident.
Officials said incidents or disruptions involving elections seem to be rare in Laramie County, and in Wyoming as a whole.
Close to 60% of voters surveyed in a recent University of Wyoming poll said that they are “very confident” that votes in the state’s primary election “will be accurately counted this year.” Those who are “somewhat confident” make up 32%, and those who are “not too confident” and “not confident at all” totaled just 4 and 3%, respectively.
This is despite the same poll saying 43% of those surveyed believe “there is solid evidence that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election,” and 40% who said President Joe Biden was “not legitimately elected.”
Taking questions
Although Buchanan works to communicate the accuracy and security of election systems to voters, he said he never backs down from questions.
“I welcome the questions, because I know the national narrative has created some seeds of doubt,” Buchanan said. “And so I start by saying, ‘It’s understandable that you have questions. If I weren’t in this business, I would have the same questions. So let’s talk about those.’”
He addresses those questions “one by one,” explaining exactly how Wyoming’s voting machines work.
After a recent presentation in Moorcroft, the secretary said, he stayed afterward for four hours until all elections-related questions were exhausted.
Answering these questions is vital to maintaining or building confidence in democratic systems, Buchanan said.
“We didn’t dismiss things out of hand, and we were proactive in going out and educating people about our election systems, because we wanted them to know that we could answer all their questions, and wanted them to know that they could have confidence in these systems,” he said. “I recognize that if any of us lose confidence in those institutions that are the foundation of our republic, then you’re gonna cease to have your Republic – you’re gonna cease to have your democracy.”
Debunking misinfo
Buchanan, a Republican, has repeatedly touted efficacy of Wyoming’s voting systems, and in public presentations has refuted misinformation the 2020 election was “rigged.”
He has spoken against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a Minnesota businessman who has promoted the theory that voting machine companies Smartmatic and Dominion worked with foreign countries to rig machines and prevent former President Donald Trump from being re-elected.
The machines used in Wyoming since 2020 came from Election Systems & Software, which is based in Omaha. Buchanan said the head of security at the company is a Navy veteran from Scottsbluff who worked for years as security expect for the military and the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.
ES&S machines are tested before use, both by the federal government and independently in Idaho. The machines are checked for vulnerabilities to things like hacking, and then must “flawlessly” count a million ballots before they’re part of a real election, Buchanan said.
“People will say, well, ‘We trust what you’re telling us, but what you don’t know is...’ ‘Companies, you may trust them, but I don’t trust them,’ etc. Well, I’ve gotten to know these people personally, met them,” the secretary said.
The state’s top election official also encourages Wyomingites to become poll workers, who are always in demand.
“I have found that people that go and become poll workers learn even more about the election process, and when they do that, they have more confidence than other citizens, because they actually worked in the process and saw exactly what went on with their own eyes,” Buchanan said. “And they usually come away with a greater appreciation and confidence in the system.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/election-officials-reassure-public-of-voting-security/article_cd314131-9142-5ca0-8fa7-fca33be954ee.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:59Z |
Recently arrested by the Cheyenne Police Department:
Jozlyn J. Dickinson, 29, of East 16th Street for misdemeanor driving under the influence (alcohol, second in 10 years) and no proof of liability insurance at 11:46 p.m. Wednesday in the 1800 block of Cheyenne Place.
Scott L. Boicourt, 40, of East Lincolnway on a probation/parole violator arrest without a warrant at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday at his residence.
Dominique K. (Cathcart) Stanford, 48, of Drew Court on a misdemeanor probation/parole violator arrest without a warrant at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Cheyenne-Laramie County probation and parole office, 1934 Wyott Drive.
Kelly A. Chavez, 50, transient, for misdemeanor unlawful entry onto property at 3 a.m. Wednesday in the 200 block of East 23rd Street.
Raymond J. Medina, 31, of Stanfield Avenue for misdemeanor domestic battery at 1:33 a.m. Wednesday in the 200 block of Stinson Avenue.
Ronel D. Olmstead, 53, of Thornton, Colorado, on a misdemeanor warrant out of Platte County for failure to appear at 12:58 a.m. Wednesday in the 2200 block of East Lincolnway.
Stephen D. Asbridge, 35, of Desmet Drive for misdemeanor DUI (alcohol, second in 10 years) at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday in the 500 block of Desmet Drive.
Jeremy C. Kelsey, 28, of Central Avenue for misdemeanor interfering/obstructing, on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear and a felony warrant out of Albany County for failure to appear at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday in the 1400 block of Hugur Avenue.
Andres M. Lopez, 28, of Grove Drive for misdemeanor DUI (alcohol, second in 10 years) and careless driving at 5:25 p.m. Tuesday at Ames Avenue and Parsley Boulevard.
Alejandro B. Otero, 28, of Denver for misdemeanor disturbing the peace/property at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 2200 block of Warren Avenue.
Anne M. Mawk, 34, of Mancos, Colorado, for misdemeanor interfering/obstructing, on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear, and on misdemeanor warrants out of Cortez County, Colorado, for failure to appear and contempt of court at 2 a.m. Tuesday at West Lincolnway and Carey Avenue.
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Recently arrested by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office:
Cleeche S. Copeland, 34, of 13th Street on a felony warrant through Laramie County District Court for failure to comply and a felony warrant for theft (pick pocketing, greater than $1,000) at 9:05 a.m. Wednesday at the Laramie County jail, 1910 Pioneer Ave.
Rocsand P. Bocanegra, 42, of Windmill Road for felony second-degree murder at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of Mitchell Court.
Jackey D. Vasquez, 26, of 11th Street on a felony warrant out of Colorado for parole violation at 11:10 p.m. Tuesday in the 1100 block of Lake Place.
Susan L. Shiery, 60, of Kirby on misdemeanor warrants for failure to pay and probation violation at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday at the Laramie County jail.
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Recently arrested by the Wyoming Highway Patrol:
Justice A. Stehlin, 27, of East 20th Street for misdemeanor DUI (combination controlled substance and alcohol), failure to maintain single lane, speeding (exceeds 80 miles per hour by 6 mph or more) and possession of a controlled substance (3 ounces or less) at 5:10 p.m. Wednesday at mile marker 18.5 on southbound Interstate 25.
Philip G. Guilford, 50, of Russell Avenue for misdemeanor driving without a required ignition interlock device, driving without a valid license, no seatbelt and speeding (40 mph in a 30 mph zone) at 10:32 p.m. Tuesday at Central Avenue and East First Avenue. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/police_blotter/police-blotter-8-13-22/article_f5aec96c-714a-5658-945d-a66a9a0bdc5d.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:05Z |
Have you ever felt a knocking on your heart? A feeling like you know you should reach out to someone?
You know you should help. You know should make eye contact, say something, touch their arm or give them a hug. Your heart is telling you to do it, but you don’t. You miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can never get back.
These opportunities happen all the time to all of us. It only takes a second to miss them.
Her nail polish was cheerful turquoise. It matched the bright, happy color of her headband. However, everything between the nail polish and headband spoke of sadness. Her teenage shoulders were bent from weakness as if they had carried years of stress. Her blue eyes rarely connected with mine as she took my order and prepared my sandwich.
It was a quick lunch stop for me as I was driving home from a speaking event. In and out. That is what I wanted. It was late in the afternoon, and only hunger could interrupt my determination to get home. A fast sandwich and then back on the road. I paid her, thanked her and hustled away with my lunch.
The whole time, her despair was knocking on my heart’s door saying, “Help, help, let me in!”
I ran through the rain to the safety of my car and began the drive again. With every bite I took and every mile I drove, I thought of her. The knocking was still there. The heaviness of her sadness. The guilt grew with every swish of my windshield wipers. Guilt for keeping the words I wanted to say to her inside … beating them down deep into my throat because I didn’t want to take the time.
My mind was going faster than the speed limit with thoughts of …
Why didn’t I?
Why didn’t I talk to her?
Why didn’t I ask about her day, her family, her life?
The shop was slow, I could have taken the time to talk to her, to help her, if only by showing I cared.
Why didn’t I?
How many times have I done this – missed an opportunity to help a stranger or even someone close to me? The heart knocks happen in small ways. A word. A look. A feeling. They are easy to miss and easy to ignore.
And yet, it is so easy to take a moment to smile, to ask, to give words of encouragement or a hug. It’s so easy to let someone know you care.
Life lessons are hard to learn. Especially when you miss the opportunity and there isn’t a “do-over.” This is one I won’t forget. Her turquoise sadness I won’t forget.
Next time I feel that knocking on my heart from someone in need, I will take the time.
Pennie’s Life Lesson: Never miss a chance to care, help and show kindness. Never miss a chance to love.
Pennie Hunt is a Cheyenne-based author, blogger and speaker who teaches how to “Love Your Life ... NO MATTER WHAT!” Visit her online at www.PennieHunt.com. Email: penniehunt@gmail.com. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/hunt-why-didnt-i-help/article_34fbc733-d5e8-5d18-b63f-02c45c13c8ba.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:12Z |
What an amazing new experience I encountered this past week! I flew from Cheyenne Regional Airport to California, and I have to say it was brilliant.
The trip started with free parking at our new airport terminal, then a quick TSA security check, a 20-minute flight to Denver and a connecting flight to Bakersfield.
Lately, I have come to hate the drive down Interstate 25. I find when I travel, the hardest part is the drive home from Denver International Airport. When I’m tired, the I-25 drive is intolerable. However, this trip was a smooth 20-minute flight from Denver and a 10-minute drive back to my house. I love supporting Cheyenne and our airport, and it was a great experience across-the-board. To anyone who flies, I highly recommend you fly from our airport.
Throughout the week, I receive a lot of letters from folks in our community. One letter that stood out from the rest was dedicated to praising Debbie Martinez and her photography that documents life in Cheyenne. I’m not on social media, so our PIO pulled up her Facebook page, and immediately I was in awe of her work. It was like looking at a colorful pictorial history of events that happen in Cheyenne. I can’t say it enough, I really appreciate folks with artistic abilities, and her pictures are definitely in this category. Thank you for alerting me about Debbie’s beautiful work.
There’s a huge number of unpaid parking tickets we have in Cheyenne. Last winter, we did an amnesty period and then started to immobilize vehicles that had very large unpaid balances. In the first four months, we installed the Barnacle System 21 times and collected $30,249 from parking tickets. The Barnacle System requires at least five installations monthly to break even on the cost of the system.
Today, we have 3,400 unpaid parking tickets in the amount of $204,000. Starting immediately, the city will be looking at vehicles with three or more unpaid parking tickets. When we find them, they will be immobilized with the Barnacle or the old-fashioned “boot.” If you have unpaid parking tickets, you can avoid the boot by paying the tickets or entering a payment plan. Going forward, our parking officers have a new goal: five Barnacles installed each week, until we get the money owed.
We met with Jason and Sam from our Community Recreation and Events Department. I always enjoy our time together. A new home for our gymnastics program was one of the big topics. Currently, our program is housed in the old Carey Junior High School gym. I am so thankful that the school district has allowed us to use this site. It is not perfect, but our gymnasts have a place to practice their craft. We reviewed the options and are now working to find a permanent solution.
We also discussed the Civic Center and how we will manage the facility with Andrew and his family moving to Saratoga. Andrew has been a fantastic technical director for our team, and he will be missed. Our Civic Center has gone from a dozen shows a year to over 100. Our crew is vital to making the venue the experience we all expect.
The United Way is a vital part of our community that helps take care of the most vulnerable as part of its mission. I had three meetings with them this week. First, we met to discuss the city taking part in this year’s campaign. I told them I was all in! United Way has 24 partner agencies that are focused on helping with education, financial stability and health. They focus not only on the programs, but also the outcomes, ensuring our dollars are well spent.
Thursday, I attended the United Way kickoff breakfast at Laramie County Community College. I am so appreciative of the team who was there to volunteer. This year, Bryan and Sara Pedersen, along with their children, are our campaign chairs. Our economy is tough, and especially so for many in our community. I would ask you to consider donating to United Way this year, either through your job or just by calling and making a donation. Judy and I will join you.
The city has an investment committee, and we met this week. We are blessed to have two community volunteers. Patrick Fleming and Jeff Prince are two investment professionals who volunteer their time to help make our program successful. Times are tough for investors; our 401(k)s will show that. Nonetheless, I was pleased to learn the city is doing better than most, and our investment team beat the benchmark handily. I am talking about volunteers again – the people here rock!
The Enhanced Use Lease is a private/public partnership between the Air Force and a private developer. I am excited about the EUL and the affordable housing that will be built there. It is located next to Little America, on the land where Frontier Days has its park-n-ride. I met with Tony O’Brien and Daniel from Little America to discuss the project and how it might impact their beautiful facilities. I was pleased to learn they are willing to work together to see this important project move forward. It is always a treat to drive through Little America. The beautiful trees, lawns and landscaping make it an oasis.
Neil Theobald used to be the president of the University of Wyoming. He retired from that position and wants to end his career teaching. Currently, he is traveling throughout the state to learn why teachers are leaving the profession. As part of that conversation, he came to interview me about my impressions of our school system and the challenges our teachers face. I really enjoyed the conversation. Neil has a love for teachers and the profession. I hope he figures out how to make teaching in our local schools more appealing to the best teachers in our region. What could be more important?
Chief Kopper from our Fire Rescue department stopped by to give me an update on the new fire stations we hope to start constructing this fall. As with every big project, there are ups and downs. What I appreciate most is the way our fire crew acknowledges the challenges in working to overcome them. The good news is we are almost done with the bidding process and hope to start the projects this fall. When we are completed with the construction of the three new fire stations, our emergency response will be improved.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization is a federally funded program that funds the planning for our transportation system within the city and county-metro areas. We met this week with MPO, in a work session to discuss the proposed plans for the next fiscal year. Plans for county impact fees, greenway access to the base, Allison Road, Southwest Drive and safe routes to school are just a few of the plans discussed.
The MPO policy committee is made up of the mayor, Commissioner Thompson and Ralph Tarango from the Wyoming Department of Transportation. I did not think I would enjoy being a part of this committee that much, but I have found the subject fascinating and the team fun to be with. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/mayor-s-minute-parking-ticket-scofflaws-put-on-notice-about-unpaid-fines/article_e5439dd4-0818-5e73-b3fc-e313c96fdd68.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:18Z |
This is a story told by Fredrick Douglas Dixon, director of the Black Studies Center at the University of Wyoming. It’s adapted to reflect the times in which Wyoming will elect a congressman.
Once upon a time, Truth and The Big Lie crossed paths in Wyoming.
Each acknowledged it was a fine Wyoming day. “It may rain,” said The Big Lie. “The sky is clear,” said Truth, as both looked at the clear blue sky overhead. Soon, they happened upon a small pond. Truth said, “The water is inviting.” The Big Lie smiled deviously, “Should we go skinny-dipping?”
They undressed, left their clothing on the bank and jumped into the cool water. Suddenly, The Big Lie scurried out from the pond, grabbed Truth’s clothes, put them on and ran away. Truth hurried from the pond, chasing The Big Lie, hoping to retrieve her clothes.
Buck-Naked Truth, older, thus slower than The Big Lie, was last seen breathlessly chasing The Big Lie down the Wyoming campaign trail. Election Day was near, and there were some salt-of-the-earth Wyoming folks along the road, watching the chase. When they saw the Buck-Naked Truth, they turned their eyes away.
So it was that The Big Lie ended up traveling the state, campaigning as Truth, and we are left to wonder whether there are enough people willing to look upon the Buck-Naked Truth to save our democratic Republic.
Tuesday night, we will know.
Until Trump, it would have been impossible to comprehend what happened at Jonestown in 1978. Those 900 bodies, bloating in the hot sun after drinking the Kool-Aid, some having poured it down their children’s mouths. Incomprehensible, until now.
The question Tuesday is whether our republic will join those rotting corpses.
Sissela Bok is a philosopher and an ethicist. She’s written a relevant book titled simply “Lying.” She argues persuasively that not all lies are created equal. Some are considerably more damaging than others, particularly political lies.
The “principle of veracity” is what she calls “a minimally necessary basis for a functioning society,” a lowest common denominator. It is no small thing that authoritarians lie while free people prefer truth. Bok says, “trust in some degree of veracity functions as a foundation of relations among human beings; when this trust shatters or wears away, institutions collapse.”
Jesus knew that, taught it, promised it was the truth that would set us free. Bok suggests the political lies that will enslave us.
The premise of Bok’s writing is that political lies interfere with the voters’ duty to make the right choice. The intentional deception gives power to the liar and takes it away from the deceived. She believes that employing large-scale lies as a weapon eventually deprives voters of the inherently necessary ability to make the right choice.
We can’t have a free country when choices about who will lead it are the product of lies.
It’s why no one wants to play chess or golf or anything else with a cheater. It really isn’t chess or golf if the winner cheats his or her way to victory. It really isn’t a free election if one side uses dishonesty as the basis for their appeal to the voters.
Cheating at chess means the best players can’t win. Lying to win an election means the lesser, least worthy of the candidates comes out on top. It devalues the rules in favor of those who don’t follow them. It makes losers into winners.
In chess or golf, you can quit playing with a cheater. Walk away. Find honest companions and play the game with them. At Jonestown, it wasn’t that easy. Neither is it that easy in a democratic republic.
Tuesday, when you walk into the voting booth, the choices will be clear. There is a Liar and there is a Truth Teller. If, by Election Day, Buck-Naked Truth hasn’t caught up with The Big Lie, we will all be losers, and our republic will be one step closer to its demise. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/mcdaniel-will-truth-catch-up-with-the-big-lie-by-tuesday/article_3238015c-8a7d-5d34-ab8b-d5475c12ec92.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:24Z |
In the short time I have lived here, I have been continually impressed by the lack of attempts at media manipulation I have faced locally.
In virtually every other city where I have been a journalist over the last 30 years, and especially in the last decade-plus, media manipulation has increasingly become the norm, conducted by people of all backgrounds and with any degree of influence. One of the latest flavors involves regular consumers themselves trying their hand at influencing how they are portrayed by the news media.
This occurs when someone a journalist interviews, or some organization a reporter writes about, tries to shape news coverage, often through less-than-aboveboard means.
Some may be inclined to blow this off as what we in the media industry refer to as inside baseball. I disagree.
The more what you hear, read and see is covertly shaped by the very people with a vested interest in this, the less likely you will get a somewhat objective version of what transpired. Without getting the straight news (what you read about in the other sections of this publication), you may never know what actually took place.
Ignorance is not bliss.
Media manipulation
Media manipulation can take place when someone insists on anonymity, even though what they are saying is completely anodyne.
There certainly are times when a journalist should consider keeping someone’s name out of the public domain. On these rare occasions, it’s usually done because someone would face personal risk for speaking out.
With institutions – a government, a company, a religious organization, even a nonprofit – shaping the media message is a big business. There are thousands of people in the U.S. whose job is to do just this, and these entities have the money to pay these molders of opinion. To be sure, there are many PR people who do not try to manipulate the media, it is just that, at least in other cities where I have worked, they are a vanishing breed.
Here in Wyoming, it has been a refreshing experience to be a journalist. I can count probably on one hand the number of times someone has tried to sway what I am writing in manipulative ways. (It has never succeeded.)
Two recent experiences reminded me of this, and particularly the difference between being a journalist in Washington, D.C., versus here in Cheyenne.
My first reminder came last week, when a journalism publication posted online a story about ways in which public relations experts, working for public agencies, try to shield YOUR government from media scrutiny. The author of this Columbia Journalism Review story, Kathryn Foxhall, has spent years advocating against what she appropriately calls “censorship by PIO.”
PIOs
PIOs are public information officers, the government spokespeople who discuss the police, public health issues, regulatory proceedings and much more.
Foxhall contends, academic research shows and my own investigative reporting in Washington has found (such as is online here) that more PIOs are increasingly trying to censor what their government bosses want to keep secret.
If you care about how your tax dollars are spent, or how the government exercises its authority, you should be wary of this trend. When these government PR representatives withhold information from journalists, they are also withholding it from YOU.
By way of disclosure, Foxhall in her CJR article briefly quotes me. She and I have been on a journalism association local board together.
Just about every government representative I have dealt with in Wyoming is refreshingly honest. They pick up the phone. They respond to emails. They mostly answer most of my questions. They do not monitor interviews I conduct with their colleagues. They do not try to dissuade me from doing my job. When they disagree with my reporting, they act like adults and calmly discuss their concerns with my boss, Brian Martin, and/or with me.
In short, these folks are not guilty of censorship by PIO. They have my respect. I hope I am earning theirs.
Bizarro world
This week, in our newsroom, we encountered a situation so bizarre, I was tempted to immediately write it off. After thinking about it overnight, I decided to write this.
A political candidate here in Wyoming engaged in just this sort of media manipulation, with this newspaper. Black was white and up was down with this person.
The politico contended that we had not reached out to them before we published a news report. Apparently, our several phone calls and emails were not received. (This sort of thing does sometimes actually happen, I just have no evidence that it did here.)
When I again reached out to this person, calling and using this time a different email address, I got no questions answered. Instead, this person doubled down on their false allegations.
After the primaries on Tuesday, I intend to write more about this, and to identify the person and to try to get their side.
So stay tuned. And please go vote.
Jonathan Make is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s assistant managing editor and editor of the Wyoming Business Report. He can be reached at jmake@wyomingnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @makejdm. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/my-side-of-the-story-media-manipulation-and-elections/article_11b5697c-eabf-586a-b1ed-f2053317a117.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:30Z |
Dear Cheyenne drivers: Please stop running red lights Letter from Mary Greening | Cheyenne Aug 13, 2022 2 hrs ago Comments Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save To the dear people in Cheyenne who are blatantly driving through red lights, PLEASE STOP.Thank you. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Tags Letter To The Editor Recommended for you Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus Trending Now Gordon and Hageman ahead by wide margins in UW poll CFD may have spurred COVID-19 spread; stats not in Laramie County primary legislative candidates make their case Poll: Hageman up big ahead of Wyoming's GOP primary next week Sheriff's office trying to find woman after stabbing left man dead Monday Latest Special Section Cheyenne Frontier Days To view our latest Special Section click the image on the left. Latest e-Edition Wyoming Tribune Eagle To view our latest e-Edition click the image on the left. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/dear-cheyenne-drivers-please-stop-running-red-lights/article_a837ec32-9e27-5d3a-b930-4c8fa25d1057.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:37Z |
Our disabled veterans are grossly undercompensated. They've been asking various Congresses and administrations for fair and adequate compensation since the end of World War I in November 1918, 103 years ago.
In 2022, a totally disabled veteran with no dependents is compensated at the ridiculous rate of $39,984.72 annually. The National Average Wage Index (NAWI) for 2020 was $55,628.60 per annum, and the median income for 2020 was $67,521. The per capita GDP in 2020 was $63,416, among the highest in the world.
They are only compensated for projected lost wages and not including a "loss of quality of life" payment, which is now the norm in personal injury cases in court.
Disabled veterans realize that they are being manipulated by our tax-evading elites, who use campaign donations to congresspeople in order to keep veterans' compensation low so as to ensure a low tax rate for themselves. It is open, but legal theft from the poor and disabled by the rich and powerful by the investor class of wealthy elites who constantly get something for nothing from a willing Congress.
So … We can levy at least a penny tax on every dollar traded on the stock market to pay for the compensation due to our disabled veterans. The New York Stock Exchange alone traded about 1.46 billion shares a day in 2019. There are presently 13 separate stock exchanges operating in the USA.
This is now a national security problem.
Once our youth fully understand that should they enlist in the armed forces and subsequently be seriously injured or sickened in the line of duty, then they are looking at a lifetime of near poverty, this realization among our young people will cause the armed forces to collapse quickly. In fact, this has already started.
No one wants to be played for a fool, not even a young person. And that is what we are doing to our youth.
We have no right to expect our youth to make a lifetime sacrifice like this so that our elites can evade proper taxation. Be warned. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/failing-to-adequately-support-disabled-vets-is-a-national-security-problem/article_81812c7b-0d7b-5c61-b4ad-28615834bb95.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:43Z |
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Is it just me, or is it just because of the way we have let our politicians and judges become kings and queens, that it seems we are letting our political parties become authoritarian royalty?
They live by a different set of rules, have their own health care systems, get vacations all the time and get instant killer retirement packages. All on our dime.
Is one party really just always right, and the other always wrong? How can that even be possible? Have our politicians and judges just formed the end of our democracy under our own noses, and we are drinking the Kool-Aid? What politician will change that? Not a one.
Yet some think a president can be an emperor above the law? What happened to the Constitution? Has it become like the Bible, and there are becoming dozens of versions? Some just radicalized? Are we divided into Republicans and Democrats, period?
But now it seems we are breaking into more factions. You can say you’re a Republican, but go against the team. That makes you a RINO, right? And the same goes for the Democrats. You can say you’re a Democrat, but not go along with all the tenants of being a Democrat. That makes you a DINO right?
Like Manchin and Sinema, they are the new DINO Party! If you think Liz Cheney is more of a Democrat, she is in the new RINO Party! Maybe the ballots need to reflect these new parties. If these people can say they are one thing, yet vote as another, why can't we? Why can we only vote for our declared team in primaries? Are we getting squeezed?
Maybe it's time to think more of honesty and integrity and stop believing in Trumpsters and Bideneers. Maybe it is time for a Convention of States, growing in acceptance as an Article V convention. Where "We the People" take back our government, not some deadbeat.
At the very least, isn’t it time to think for ourselves? | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/we-are-letting-our-political-parties-become-authoritarian-royalty/article_17fd74aa-e563-5fc3-a3a1-f22c5babc7c8.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:55Z |
Many aspects of Wyoming’s education system, from the constitutional prohibition against legislators prescribing textbooks to the block grant funding model, rely on the concept that districts and institutions know what is best for their students.
Recently, however, everyone from private citizens to legislators are taking it upon themselves to decide what other people should be able to read and learn – and they think both K-12 students and those in college shouldn’t be allowed to learn things that these would-be education decision-makers personally disagree with.
Laramie County School District 1 is facing a new round of attempts to ban books in school libraries. (The people organizing these attempts object to the language of “banning,” but it’s hard to think of a better way to describe trying to prohibit schools from purchasing books and students from reading said books. And since they’ve turned off comments on their Facebook page, it’s also hard to engage in a true effort to share awareness about the books being featured.)
Rather than the current opt-out system that the school district has, where any parents who have concerns regarding their child’s reading can limit what titles their children can access, the parents opposed to certain books favor an opt-in system. Using this approach, thousands of other parents would have to opt into allowing their students access to all the materials that should be available to them. To this editorial board, this seems like one group of parents attempting to control the parenting decisions and children of others, instead of focusing on their own choices and children.
Of particular concern is the ways in which these parents seem to want schools to cater specifically to the things that they personally agree or disagree with, telling other parents to go to the public library or Amazon.com if they want their kid to read “Slaughterhouse-Five.” (Yes, a book from 1969 is still apparently a concern.) But a public school is just that – public. A student whose parents are fine with them reading “The Bluest Eye” shouldn’t have to hitch a ride to the public library or spend $10 on Amazon because it makes a handful of parents uncomfortable.
While those challenging library policy ask us to “think of the children,” legislators who wish to control what is taught at the university level ask us to “think of the constituents.”
After efforts to defund the Gender and Women’s Studies program at the University of Wyoming failed during the last session, Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, revisited the issue in a recent meeting between lawmakers and trustees. Steimetz and other lawmakers have cited everything from concerned constituents (failing to note how many constituents fall into that group) to low numbers of graduates in the program as reasons to pull funding from this program, specifically.
But both of these arguments seem to run counter to two of the core mission statements of the university to “graduate students who have experienced the frontiers of scholarship and creative activity and who are prepared for the complexities of an interdependent world” and to “nurture an environment that values and manifests diversity, internationalization, free expression, academic freedom, personal integrity and mutual respect.”
There isn’t a one-to-one correlation between “the value of a degree program” and “the number of students majoring or minoring in that program.” In their time at UW, students may decide to get credits by taking classes in many areas that they don’t intend to major or minor in. An English major will still take classes in mathematics and science, and a business major may decide that anthropology and religious studies classes are the best options to complete their degree. Part of being a well-rounded student and a well-rounded human being is exposure to different ideas and concepts.
Hundreds of students end up in Gender and Women’s Studies courses each semester, sometimes because they’re interested in the topic and want to get their required credits, sometimes because they want to make a career out of championing the rights of women and the rights of people of all gender identities. We doubt that lawmakers would consider taking away degree requirements for mathematics courses, no matter how many students graduate with a degree in math. And in the same way that a parent concerned about a particular book can decide not to let their child read it, a student concerned about the contents of a Gender and Women’s Studies class can just … not take it.
Again, Sen. Steinmetz and others seem to be confusing protecting their own beliefs with forcing their beliefs on others. Attempting to remove the option to even take a Gender and Women’s Studies course from all students because a few constituents don’t like it turns concern into curtailing academic freedom.
We ask that everyone, from parents to lawmakers, try to remember the core values of personal liberty, academic freedom and trust in educational institutions that are enshrined in our Constitution. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/staff_editorials/residents-lawmakers-shouldnt-force-their-beliefs-on-students/article_630f2d34-10c6-5a5a-a54e-af50afae4b66.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:01Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Amid reports that a billion-barrel oil reserve had been discovered in central Wyoming, the company behind the find was quick to explain that it has not, in fact, doubled the known volume of recoverable oil in the state.
Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd., an oil and gas company based in Alberta, estimated in January that federal leases it holds in Natrona and Converse counties overlie most of a reservoir containing 1.5 billion to 1.9 billion barrels of oil.
The company announced last week that a report it commissioned from an independent consultant, Ryder Scott Company, found approximately 993.5 million barrels of oil in the reservoir, supporting its internal findings. Only a fraction of that oil is recoverable with current technology.
“There’s really a misunderstanding between resources and reserves,” Arthur Millholland, COPL’s president and CEO, said during a call with investors on Monday.
Reserves refer only to oil that can feasibly be extracted. The majority of the oil in the reservoir cannot.
The company’s internal analysis now indicates that the reservoir holds between 1.7 and 2.1 billion barrels of oil, higher than Ryder Scott’s findings. It expects wells to extract about 8-10% of that oil, or 133 to 207 million barrels, before the underground pressure falls too low.
Secondary oil recovery — injecting water or gas to raise that pressure and force more oil out of the ground — typically releases another 10-30% of a reservoir’s oil.
COPL, targeting the high end, hopes the reservoir will ultimately produce about 666 to 826 million barrels of oil (but is unlikely to declare all of that oil recoverable).
Millholland said in a Friday statement that the report from Ryder Scott “validates what we announced at the start of the year and highlights the significant potential of our fantastic Wyoming asset.”
The Star-Tribune was unable to reach a Ryder Scott office familiar with the report.
As some in Wyoming celebrate the discovery, others await more proof. State officials have not yet corroborated the company’s numbers.
The Wyoming State Geological Survey, which regularly appraises oil resources throughout the state, has identified proven reserves — oil with a high likelihood of profitable extraction — of roughly 700 million barrels statewide.
Christina George, the agency’s outreach and publications manager, said in an email to the Star-Tribune that it “does not have additional information to provide” about the COPL discovery, “other than that the upper sands in the Frontier Formation have received a lot of interest in the recent past, and we expect discoveries of reservoirs in Cretaceous-age rocks to continue in the Powder River Basin.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/big-oil-discovery-can-t-all-be-drilled/article_0c137789-3b51-5f56-b7e0-969de44309a6.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:07Z |
With less than a week before primary day in Wyoming, state candidates’ fundraising numbers were released, giving a look at how much money they’ve been collecting and spending.
Wyoming’s midterm elections are taking place Tuesday, when offices like governor, secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction will be on the ballot.
In two of those three, there is not a true incumbent running, opening up the field to heated races.
Secretary of State Ed Buchanan is not running for reelection, having sought and obtained a position as a judge in Goshen County. Now, Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, is battling it out with Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper for the secretary’s seat.
Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow resigned to take the same job in Virginia earlier this year, which meant that the Wyoming Republican Party was tasked with filling the seat.
The party’s central committee selected three candidates, of which Gov. Mark Gordon appointed Brian Schroeder, who is now running to be elected to the post.
Because Schroder is unelected but has held office for a few months, he has some advantage of incumbency on his side, but likely not as much as someone who served a full term in office and was elected by voters.
Former President Donald Trump threw his support behind the two most hard-line Republicans in those races: Schroeder for superintendent and Gray for secretary of state.
Gov. Mark Gordon, on the other hand, is facing multiple challengers to his right in his run for reelection.
Gray’s campaign collected roughly $528,000 to Nethercott’s $333,000, according to campaign finance reports released by the secretary of state’s office.
But Nethercott collected more in individual donations ($181,350) than Gray ($17,480).
Gray’s father, Jan Charles Gray, donated $500,000 to his campaign, the records show. Gray himself donated $10,000 to his own campaign.
Nethercott also loaned her campaign $95,000, which she says was “necessary to start [the] campaign.”
“I am humbled and grateful for the financial support from the generous and hard working men and women of Wyoming,” she said. “This campaign would not be possible without their support.”
Excluding Gray’s or Nethercott’s own donations or immediate familial donations (Nethercott also had a cousin who donated $2,500) Nethercott out-raised Gray by roughly 10 to 1.
Both candidates have just over $96,000 left in the bank to spend.
Some of the big names that donated to Gray were Dan and Carleen Brophy, two wealthy political donors, in addition to Susan Gore, founder of Wyoming Liberty Group and the Gore-Tex heiress, who was accused in a New York Times investigative piece last year of funding a political spying operation in the state.
Gray also received donations from Rep. Tim Hallinan, R-Gillette, Sen. Tim French, R-Powell as well as Donna Rice, a member of Wyoming Republican Party leadership.
Nethercott received donations from over a dozen Republican legislators plus three Democratic lawmakers: Rep. Andy Schwartz, D-Jackson, Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, and former Sen. Liisa Anselmi-Dalton.
Nethercott also took almost $55,000 from political action committees, the records show. Gray collected $500 in PAC money.
“President Trump has endorsed our campaign because I support voter integrity measures and passed the voter ID bill,” Gray said in a statement. “But the insider establishment has big money in Wyoming to support candidates like Liz Cheney and Tara Nethercott, including with PAC dollars. They’re teaming up with the Star Tribune to put out false, defamatory stories that serve as a contribution to the Nethercott campaign worth hundreds of thousands of dollars — l’m grateful to my family for stepping up to counter these liberal attacks with funds from family businesses that I helped to build.”
Gray and Nethercott have emerged as candidates on opposite sides of the debate on election integrity.
Gray is running as a 2020 presidential election skeptic, saying that there was more fraud than the margin of votes between Trump and President Joe Biden. Gray is pushing to ban ballot drop boxes, which have become a target after the movie “2000 Mules” was released, a film that alleges widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Gray has also sponsored numerous showings of the movie throughout Wyoming while on the campaign trail.
Nethercott says that there is “no objective evidence” to prove that the 2020 election was stolen for President Joe Biden, and she repeatedly emphasizes her confidence in Wyoming’s elections.
According to a database maintained by the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, Wyoming has seen just three instances (involving four people) of voter fraud in 40 years, and none since 2014.
Once again, Gordon is facing multiple opponents to the right of him politically.
The governor brought in about $541,000. Of that, $392,800 of that came from individual donors — the sitting governor received $100,000 in loans from his wife and $45,000 from PACs (about 80% of that came from PACs outside Wyoming).
In the 2018 gubernatorial primary, Gordon came out on top of a crowded field with only 33% of the vote, helping to spur an unsuccessful movement from the right to enact run-off elections.
Gordon is not well liked by some on the far right in Wyoming. Multiple times during a recent gubernatorial debate, Gordon made sure to point out that he is “a Republican, and a conservative Republican at that.”
Gordon is being challenged by retired Marine Brent Bien who reported nearly $100,000, records show. Over a third of that was from him or his immediate family. Bien himself donated over $31,000.
From individual donors, Bien garnered about $54,000.
“Brent and Sue have been blessed to have great careers that have allowed Brent to pursue service including using his own money to travel the state and meet voters where they are,” said Sam Rubino, Bien’s campaign manager. “This campaign has always been about the hard working people of Wyoming, not millionaires and political donors.”
Veterinarian and serial political candidate Rex Rammell, on the other hand, only raised $9,200 from individuals while loaning his campaign over $66,000.
Rammell has a colorful history, including criminal charges and multiple bids for office in Wyoming and Idaho. He ran for Wyoming’s governor in 2018 as a Constitution Party candidate and made multiple runs in Idaho.
During the recent debate, Rammell used his closing statement to accuse Bien of not meeting state constitutional requirements needed to hold the office of governor.
To run for governor, a candidate must reside in the state for five years, but according to the state constitution, residency is not lost by military service, and Bien — who recently moved back to Wyoming after serving in the military — said he maintained his residency throughout his time in the Marines.
Rammell filed a complaint with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, which responded by closing it without taking action because the complaint “seeks a legal analysis of the term residency which goes beyond that contained in the current statutes.”
Megan Degenfelder, formerly chief policy officer at the education department and currently the government and regulatory affairs manager for Morningstar Partners Oil & Gas, raised nearly $130,000 from individuals, plus about $10,000 from her immediate family and $70,000 in loans of her own money.
“It is clear that Wyoming voters want conservative elected officials they can count on, who have actually lived in and contributed to our communities and who focus on issues that matter to our state. As a lifelong Wyomingite, I am that candidate. I will be accountable to the taxpayers of this state and I will work tirelessly to prepare students for successful futures in Wyoming,” Degenfelder said in a recent press release.
She also received a significant amount of PAC money — $23,050.
“The primary PAC donations came from Wyoming industries that represent the workforce that students are eventually going to be entering into,” Degenfelder said. “It shows that they’ve decided that I’m the candidate who’s most likely to understand the needs of industry.”
Like Schroeder, Degenfelder also applied to be the interim superintendent when Balow resigned, but ultimately got fourth in the central committee’s vote.
Degenfelder also received the endorsement of former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson, a Wyoming political icon who recently received the presidential medal of freedom, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis and more than 20 current lawmakers, according to a campaign press release.
Trump-endorsed Schroeder trailed Degenfelder in individual donations, raising less than $27,000 from individuals who aren’t himself or family. Some of that money came from Gore, Hallinan and former state representative Marti Halverson (who was also a finalist for the superintendent position earlier this year).
Schroeder is the former head of Veritas Academy, a private Christian school in Cody, and has experience as a family and youth coordinator and as a teacher and administrator in private schools in California, Wisconsin, Michigan and Wyoming.
He’s deeply conservative; he’s called for Wyoming to enact a law similar to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which, among other things, “prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels.”
He advocates for more parental control in public schools. He opposes the teaching of critical race theory (which is not currently taught in Wyoming public schools).
The other Republican candidate in the superintendent race is Casper-based substitute teacher and cosmetologist Jennifer Zerba, who raised only $300 from two individuals.
While fundraising is one indication of a candidate’s viability, it is not infrequent that those who outraise their opponents lose the election. Early voting is ongoing and primary day is Tuesday. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/campaign-finance-numbers-released/article_dee9a9ee-9834-5329-8efa-b4c041a3ca43.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:14Z |
California man found with 300 pounds of pot pleads guilty
GILLETTE (WNE) –- A California man who was caught driving through Campbell County with nearly 300 pounds of marijuana pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver marijuana, a felony.
Leng See Chang, 33, entered his plea in July.
In a plea deal, prosecutors recommended a suspended three to five-year sentence with a 180-day split-sentence in jail, followed by three years of supervised probation.
District Judge James “Mike” Causey dismissed a second charge of felony marijuana possession, per the plea agreement, according to court documents.
Chang was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy at about 11 a.m. March 31 when he was clocked driving 64 mph in a 55 mph zone near Highway 50 and Force Road.
The deputy noticed the back seats folded down and two tan sleeping bags covering something that took up nearly the entire back and “went all the way to the roof” of the Toyota RAV4. He also smelled a “sweet odor” coming and going from the vehicle with the wind, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.
A drug dog indicated drugs were present in Chang’s SUV, according to the affidavit. The deputy who pulled Chang over said Chang appeared nervous and that he saw Chang’s “chest heaving” when the K-9 deputy arrived.
At first, Chang denied having illegal drugs inside the car. But eventually he admitted to having “a few hundred pounds” of marijuana in the back, according to the affidavit. A search turned up 16 large black garbage bags full of dryer sheets and vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana.
Each garbage bag held more vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, weighing about 1 pound each, according to the affidavit. In all, the seized marijuana weighed 296.7 pounds.
Wyo man gets 37 years in prison; will appeal
GILLETTE (WNE) – A man found guilty and sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for child sexual abuse accusations dating back to 1999 has filed his intent to appeal his sentencing to the Wyoming Supreme Court.
Ronald L. King, 71, was sentenced on June 10 to 37-45 years in prison for three felonies related to a number of accusations of sexual abuse from three then-minors dating back to 1999.
King filed his notice of intent to appeal the sentence to the Wyoming Supreme Court on June 24 in District Court.
In March, a jury found King guilty of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, third-degree sexual abuse of a minor and immoral or indecent acts.
District Judge Stuart Healy III gave King a 25- to 30-year prison sentence for first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, related to digitally penetrating a child. That sentence is to run consecutive to two concurrent sentences for the other two counts.
King received 8 to 10 years in prison for immoral or indecent acts concurrent with a 12- to 15-year prison sentence for third-degree sexual assault, according to court documents.
He was convicted on charges that involved him exposing his penis to a child, making a child touch his penis and digitally penetrating a child. He was acquitted of two additional counts of taking immodest or indecent liberties with a child, according to court documents.
The reported incidents occurred from 1999 to 2001, 2007 and 2011.
Jackson man pleads no contest after second stabbing
JACKSON (WNE) — A Jackson man has pleaded no contest to two felonies after he was arrested for stabbing a man in the face March 15 while he was on probation for another stabbing.
Manuel Vargas, 25, pleaded no contest to aggravated assault and battery and interference with a peace officer per a plea agreement filed July 12.
Each of the two charges carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Per the plea agreement, the state will argue for a consecutive prison sentence of eight to 10 years in prison for the assault charge and three to five years for the interference charge.
The incident occurred March 15 at 6:13 a.m. when two Jackson police officers were dispatched to the White Buffalo Club.
The man stabbed was Vasanthraj Narayana, who identified himself as an operations manager for the hotel.
Narayana and Vargas were living together at the time of the incident. According to Narayana, the incident began because he had told Vargas to be quiet. Vargas then came at him with his knife, attempting to stab him in the stomach on the left side, then the chest on the left side — attempts Narayana evaded.
Vargas, on the other hand, told officers he was trying to defend himself when Narayana got mad at him while Vargas was cooking. He told officers he stabbed Narayana with a pocket knife because “he grabbed me.”
Vargas resisted police attempts to detain him, causing a struggle between him and the officers. He was eventually physically restrained and placed in handcuffs.
Narayana was transported to the emergency room, where he received six stitches in his face, between his left eye and ear.
At the time of the incident Vargas was on supervised probation for a previous altercation on Aug. 18 2021, in which he stabbed one person, tried to stab another and punched a third at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.
He was released on that previous charge Feb. 13 and was on probation at the time of the March stabbing. His probation has been revoked.
Vargas also is facing restitution of $95,000 for the victim’s medical bills.
15-year-old bound over after alleged gun threats
GILLETTE (WNE) — The teenager accused of drunkenly approaching the wrong apartment with a large rifle and threatening the four women inside has been charged and bound over to District Court.
W.A.C. Jr., 15, was bound over to District Court on July 21 after Circuit Judge Lynda R. Bush found probable cause to suspect him of four felony counts of aggravated assault related to allegedly using a gun to threaten four people. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of minor in consumption of alcohol, according to court documents.
He was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. July 13 after Gillette police officers were called to an apartment on Constitution Drive for the report of a man with a gun knocking on an apartment door and making threats.
The caller, 16, said she believed she heard the man outside, later identified as the 15-year-old boy, rack the gun while shouting to be let in and making threats.
A sheriff’s deputy arrived first where he found and detained the suspect.
The suspect told officers that his friend had stolen a bottle of Crown Royal and a case of Twisted Tea from him, according to the affidavit.
Because of that, the 15-year-old then went back into his friend’s residence and took his friend’s gun, a Browning .338. He told officers he thought he was going to his friend’s apartment to confront him about the theft and eventually realized he was at the wrong apartment.
Standoff in Evanston ends with arrest
EVANSTON (WNE) — Local law enforcement officers were able to de-escalate a potentially dangerous situation Tuesday night after their attempt to serve a warrant led to a standoff in the Aspen Grove area of Evanston.
Evanston Police Department officers and agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were involved in the incident.
After officers arrived at 212 Toponce to serve Michael Mark Moore for bond revocation, Moore barricaded himself inside the residence, according to a press release issued by EPD. Moore was out on bond for a felony charge of delivery of a controlled substance.
“Moore had recently been making threats to harm public officials on social media sites,” the press release states. “Officers had previously responded to Moore’s residence in the past for a self-inflicted gunshot wound from an AK-47 rifle. He was actively seeking to attain a firearm on social media to accomplish his tasks.”
Officers secured the scene and reached out to the Sweetwater County Special Response Team for assistance, the release states, and Sweetwater County personnel and equipment soon arrived on scene.
“After a short stand-off with the joint operations personnel, Moore was flushed from the residence and taken into custody,” the release states. “He was transported to the Evanston Regional Hospital for treatment and released. He was then transported to the Uinta County Detention Facility, where he is awaiting his court appearance.”
Gillette man arrested for DUI with kids in the vehicle
SUNDANCE (WNE) — A Gillette man faces a felony charge of driving under the influence while his two minor children were present in the vehicle.
On July 2, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy was stationary on Pine Haven Rd. at around 9.18 p.m. when he observed a vehicle approaching at a higher rate of speed than the posted 20 mph. As the vehicle passed the deputy’s position, it allegedly accelerated to 34 mph and almost drove off the roadway.
The deputy reported that he conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Jesse Campbell.
He allegedly observed that Campbell had bloodshot, watery eyes and a strong smell of alcohol was omitting from inside the vehicle. Campbell allegedly confirmed he had had a few beers around lunchtime.
He agreed to perform a sobriety test, which the deputy reports returned results consistent with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or greater.
Campbell’s two minor children were also present in the vehicle, according to court reports.
Campbell was arrested and consented to a breath test at the Crook County Detention Center, which returned a result of 0.147% blood alcohol level.
He has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol with a child passenger — second offense, a felony with a maximum penalty of five years of incarceration, a $750 fine or both. He has also been charged with a misdemeanor count of abandoning or endangering a child.
Teen accused of attempted murder pleads to lesser charges
CHEYENNE (WNE) — An 18-year-old pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in Laramie County District Court to two counts of aggravated assault and battery. The charges are linked to his younger cousin’s killing of another teenager last July.
Xavier Sanchez, of Casper, was originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He had been accused of working with his cousin, 17-year-old Raymond Sanchez of Cheyenne, to kill 14-year-old Daniel Barlow, and of firing at least one shot at the exterior of Barlow’s apartment building as he fled the scene.
Each count of aggravated assault and battery carries up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Laramie County District Judge Thomas Campbell said during the hearing that the terms of the plea were laid out in a plea agreement, but that document was not publicly available on Tuesday.
Xavier Sanchez remained in custody at the Laramie County jail on a $100,000 cash bond.
The cousins entered not-guilty pleas in February.
Raymond Sanchez was originally charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder two weeks ago and faces at least 20 years in prison.
At his July 11 change-of-plea hearing, Raymond Sanchez described how, while under the influence of several substances, he and Xavier, along with Xavier’s friend, went to Barlow’s apartment building, intending to fight Barlow.
When Barlow didn’t come outside, Raymond told Xavier’s friend to knock on Barlow’s door while Raymond and Xavier waited outside the doorway.
When Barlow opened the door, he apparently recognized Raymond, who fired one shot at the door as Barlow slammed it shut. The bullet went through the door and struck Barlow, who died from the injury. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/crime-and-punishment/article_58afb48b-f1f9-554e-9a29-7617df327c1b.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:20Z |
It rises amid the Great Divide Basin, going from 6,500 feet to over 9,000 feet in elevation over a distance, as the crow flies, of about 5five miles. Green Mountain is aptly named, being one of the few timbered areas for miles around.
While there’s Crooks Mountain to the west and Ferris Mountain to the east, Green Mountain offers the only developed woodland recreation facilities within several hundred square miles.
If you’ve never heard of Green Mountain, you’re likely not alone. Maybe you recall a lone Bureau of Land Management sign pointing its direction along Highway 287 about 6 miles east of Jeffrey City.
I had not been up Green Mountain in years, although I go to the adjacent Sheep Mountain on the western edge of Green Mountain, every year in my work as a wildlife biologist. I’d not taken the time or had an opportunity to return to Green Mountain. It was time for a return visit to see if anything had changed.
My first surprise came just before I turned off Highway 287 onto Green Mountain Road. Amid that sea of sagebrush and looking completely out of place, a cow moose and her calf were in “we’re lost” mode. They likely wondered how to get to the nearest willow bog. Typically, young bulls are the ones out wandering, not a cow with a calf.
Last time I was on Green Mountain I explored the area while searching for routes to include in my “Mountain Biking Wyoming” guidebook. That’s been a while, since that book was published by Falcon Press in 1999.
I recall my trip there. I drove up the rough road to the mountain summit. It was early season when many areas remained wet and soggy. I pulled into an old clear-cut to camp for the night. To my utter surprise, my truck immediately mired in mud up to both axles.
I had no hope of digging my way out, so I just camped there for the night figuring I’d get out one way or another the next day.
Luckily, since I was exploring potential mountain bike routes, I had my bicycle with me. At that time I was accompanied by Darth, my first Australian shepherd. Darth ran alongside as I biked the rolling summit ridge of Green Mountain before taking the loop road back down the mountain towards the lone campground.
Descending, I discovered the road washed out. I bike-hiked through the debris, and then hopped back on my bike to continue to the campground.
Once there, it was slim pickings. Two campsites were occupied, but I smiled when I realized one was “that guy.” He had a camper, a big truck and an ATV parked nearby. The man sat at a picnic table with his two kids.
To make a long story short, this wonderful man helped me out. He drove up the mountain (taking the route that wasn’t washed out), pulled me out of my mud bog and then waved as he drove out of sight. He actually seemed happy to have a little adventure with his kids.
Since those days, Green Mountain got a facelift. The rough gravel road — making that loop up, across and back down the mountain — is improved. It remains a slow route, pocked with potholes, but there’s no hint of where the road once washed out.
The rather stark campground from 25 years ago changed. Now the 18 campsites, arranged in a row going up the mountain, are spread out. Timber between the sites offers more privacy and rather attractive accommodations.
The route up Green Mountain is a “lollipop” loop, separating near the bottom. One fork goes to Cottonwood Creek Campground maintained by the BLM. The other side goes by a mewer campground run by Fremont County. It is more open, offering a less picturesque setting.
Once on top, there are plenty of dispersed camping areas. This time of year, I had plenty of elbowroom. I’ve also been on Green Mountain during hunting season when it is crowded and very busy.
Bring a mountain bike, binoculars for birding, hiking shoes and maybe a fishing pole. While there aren’t any established trails, there are plenty of old logging roads to explore. Brook trout can be caught in the small Cottonwood Creek, but the mountain lacks any lake or major waterway.
Bike or drive to Wild Horse Point. It now has a picnic area, complete with an outhouse. It gets its name from the fact that wild horses abound in this region and occasionally make their way up the mountain.
Footpaths continue from the parking area up to a clearing with views that span across the valley below.
It is worth checking out, as is all of Green Mountain. It likely gets busy on the weekends, so is a better weekday destination. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/green-mountain-a-woodland-oasis-in-the-great-divide-basin/article_65f0e23d-39ba-5461-8be4-5938510c6371.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:26Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Laramie resident Susannah Heller walks through areas of the Mullen Fire burn on the west side of the Medicine Bow Mountains near the North Platte River. Research will study how cheatgrass, a common invasive grass, can out-compete native species following fire.
Laramie resident Susannah Heller walks through areas of the Mullen Fire burn on the west side of the Medicine Bow Mountains near the North Platte River. Research will study how cheatgrass, a common invasive grass, can out-compete native species following fire.
Courtesy File Photo/Tanner Hoffman
Two sagebrush plants (green) which are native to the West, are being overrun by non-native cheatgrass.
Jennifer Strickland/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service File
PINEDALE — In time to account for this past calving season and this summer’s grazing, the Farm Service Agency just upped the ante for losses of very young beef cattle and bison by raising compensation for young under 250 pounds, in the Livestock Indemnity Program.
The Farm Service Agency already helps reimburse producers whose livestock are killed by wolves and bears in the state’s predator management zone — and with good record-keeping — poisonous plants, drought and bad weather.
FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux of South Dakota announced the increase for a beef calf under 250 pounds from $175.27 to $474.38 per head. For bison, compensation rose from $336.84 to $599.15 per head.
Updated LIP payment rates take effect immediately and will be applied retroactively starting Jan. 1, 2022, for all eligible causes of loss including excessive heat, tornado, winter storms and other qualifying natural disasters.
Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FSA offers a wide range of federally funded programs, including pre-filled applications for emergency loans and grants. FSA compensated for above-normal costs to haul water to drought-stricken livestock and added compensation to haul feed to livestock and livestock to forage or other grazing acres.
FSA will invest $10 million for agriculture-oriented taxpayer education plus $4.5 million in outreach for the Conservation Reserve Program’s "Transition Incentives Program to help beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers access land.”
In Wyoming, FSA also announced the new Big Game Conservation Partnership pilot that “rewards landowners for providing valuable ecological services for the public good, including direct compensation through 10- to 15-year habitat leases.”
In Sublette, Teton, Lincoln, Park, Fremont and Hot Springs counties, USDA is investing $15 million for stewardship activities:
Conserve big game habitat and sustain working ranches for future generations through the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program to ensure land is not subdivided, mined or developed.
Enhance rangeland and water resources for wildlife and livestock through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program to help landowners repair wet meadows or eroding streams, get rid of invasive weeds and replace or remove fences so wildlife can move easily.
Foster healthy native plants and productive grazing land through the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program, paying landowners an annual habitat lease in exchange for keeping native grasslands intact while still grazing livestock. This novel pilot rewards landowners for providing valuable ecological services for the public good, including direct compensation through 10- to 15-year habitat leases.
With a habitat lease, ranchers can make “a reasonable livelihood producing agricultural products while also keeping habitat healthy and whole.”
This Wyoming pilot also allows landowners to receive Farm Bill payments from both the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency for the first time. A rancher could use EQIP to manage invasive cheatgrass and then use Grasslands CRP to maintain native plants after weed treatment.
The USDA collaborates with Wyoming Game and Fish, the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust and others.
For more information about this USDA pilot, contact Jennifer Hayward, NRCS conservationist, at 307-367-2257. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/landowners-ranchers-can-pair-nrcs-fsa-programs/article_074c3e99-bd0e-5751-b89b-8d48dcc6a188.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:32Z |
JACKSON — Dan Dockstader has been around Wyoming’s political block between his 36 years at the Star Valley Independent, which he publishes, and his 16 years in the Wyoming Legislature, where he now serves as Senate president.
But this primary isn’t like other elections he’s seen.
“This is new territory for everybody,” Dockstader said. “I haven’t seen that, where a former president has put out an endorsement for a state superintendent or secretary of state race.”
Down-ballot patronage from a former president, including Donald Trump, is a first, Dockstader said.
“A first here, anyway,” the Senate president said.
Trump has gotten involved in Wyoming politics before, endorsing the late Foster Friess over Mark Gordon in the 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary, where conservatives sought to keep Gordon, a moderate, from being elected.
Friess lost, and Trump later distanced himself from his erstwhile pick.
This week, however, marked the first time Trump has gotten involved in down-ballot races in Wyoming.
The former president long ago endorsed Fort Laramie attorney Harriet Hageman in her bid to oust Republican Liz Cheney from her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, reacting to Cheney’s vote in favor of his impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection and her continued rebuke of his claims about the 2020 election being stolen.
Then, on Friday, Trump threw his weight behind candidates for Wyoming secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction, backing Casper Republican Chuck Gray for the state’s top election job and incumbent Brian Schroeder as Wyoming’s head education official.
Trump also endorsed incumbent Curt Meier for treasurer.
But two days later, U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis endorsed three candidates of her own, backing Trump on Hageman, but splitting with him on her picks for secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction.
She did not announce her pick for treasurer.
Lummis endorsed Cheyenne Republican Tara Nethercott for secretary of state and Megan Degenfelder for superintendent, chalking up her decision in part to their qualifications and lifelong ties to Wyoming.
“They were raised in Wyoming, educated in Wyoming schools, built businesses in Wyoming, volunteered in Wyoming and contributed greatly to Wyoming communities,” Lummis said in a Sunday Cowboy State Daily column. “They have chosen to make Wyoming and its people their priority throughout their entire lives.”
Her office declined a request for further comment.
Gray hasn’t outright said the 2020 election was stolen from Trump but has said it was a “disaster” and “fraudulent.” He champions “2000 Mules,” a film alleging that Biden’s victory was due to “mules” paid by unnamed nonprofits to stuff ballot boxes with potentially fake ballots in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — states Trump lost to Biden.
Reuters and other news outlets have fact-checked the claims in the movie and determined that it doesn’t show “concrete, verifiable” evidence of “widespread voter fraud.”
Schroeder, the current superintendent of public instruction, was at the heart of a legislative debate about transgender women participating in girls’ sports and recently railed against critical race theory in a letter to legislators.
Nethercott has firmly denounced claims of an illegitimate 2020 presidential election and supported the use of ballot boxes in Wyoming. Gray, meanwhile, has advocated for banning them.
Degenfelder, like Schroeder, opposes teaching critical race theory in the classroom and allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Jim King, professor of political science in the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies at the University of Wyoming, said that what’s happening in Wyoming is not unusual nationwide.
Trump has stepped into federal and down-ballot races in multiple other states, issuing over 230 primary endorsements for governors, senators and state officials who back his hardline conservative rhetoric and, in high profile races for secretaries of state that oversee elections, support his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
“It seems Trump is looking up and down the ballot everywhere,” King said. “We’ve got a former president making an endorsement in the secretary of state’s race here just like he did in Georgia, just like he did in Arizona.”
In Georgia, Trump’s pick lost. But in Arizona, Mark Finchem, who introduced a resolution to decertify the 2020 election results, won.
King said it’s not clear how much weight Trump’s voice will have in Wyoming for lower-profile races. Endorsements, King said, only matter if voters “have some sort of connection to the endorser.”
“Saying that Trump has endorsed this candidate or Lummis endorsed that candidate doesn’t mean anything unless the voter getting that, hearing that, is strongly committed to the ideas or believes that the endorser really is providing good information along the way,” he said.
King also said many people likely know that Trump has endorsed Hageman but likely don’t know who the candidates for secretary of state are.
“Let alone endorse them,” King said.
But at least one Wyoming Republican is putting stock in Trump’s endorsements. Over 70% of the state voted for him in the 2020 election. “When Trump puts his stamp of approval on a candidate, there’s a pretty high probability that that candidate is going to win,” said John Fox, a member of Hageman’s grassroots campaign.
Nationwide, Trump has a 93% success rate in the 2022 primaries, according to Ballotpedia.
“The Trump voters like myself and people like me — if Trump says this is a good guy or good gal, guess what? That’s enough for me,” Fox told the News&Guide. “I’m going to pull that lever.”
He said he’d followed Trump’s picks in the primary, casting a ballot before he left for vacation.
National politicos aren’t the only ones weighing in. Gun Owners of America, a pro-gun group, not only endorsed Hageman over Cheney, but also cast their weight behind Schroeder, the incumbent superintendent. The lobby has previously come under fire from legislative Republicans for backing conservative candidates in tight legislative races.
Even Dockstader, who said he’s generally steered clear of endorsements in his 16-year political career, threw his weight behind Nethercott, a state senator who’s running for secretary of state against Chuck Gray, a Casper Republican in the Wyoming House of Representatives.
Dockstader attributed his decision to endorse Nethercott to her record — she serves on the Senate Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions committee — her education and experience. But the Senate president also said he had “concerns” about Gray being elected.
“We have a successful system in place with our existing clerks,” Dockstader said. “If he goes in and changes that to any great degree, then do we have to reinvent the wheel as to how we do elections in the state? And a state that, for the most part, people are comfortable with the security that’s there?”
Gray did not respond to a request for comment.
Cheney, in an interview Monday night, dodged a question about the Wyoming races.
“I don’t want to get into individual races, both because I can help people and I can also hurt people if I announce my support for them,” she said, adding that she doesn’t think voters should support Republicans who are “election deniers.”
“I also think that the Democrats should not be playing games,” Cheney said, pointing to the primary for Michigan Republican Peter Meijer’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. There, Democrats invested to support his opponent John Gibbs, who has called the results of the 2020 election ”mathematically impossible.” Meijer, like Cheney, voted to impeach Trump.
“They did that specifically because they wanted his opponent to be their opponent in the fall,” Cheney said. “That’s playing with fire. It’s really dangerous.”
Other Wyomingites were critical with national politicians getting involved locally.
“They don’t seem to know what the job is,” said Kate Mead, a Teton County rancher and member of the Teton County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees. “It’s a pass through agency. They pass through federal money. They’re really not a policymaking agency, because local control is obviously the basis for Wyoming education.”
The state superintendent does, however, sit on the state board of education, which sets state education policy.
Gov. Mark Gordon appoints the board and also is running for re-election. He hasn’t received presidential or senatorial endorsements.
Fox said he also doesn’t necessarily agree with the precedent the national endorsements set.
“Normally I would say it’s probably not something to do on a regular basis,” Fox said. “But because Wyoming has such a huge race, and there’s been so much attention on the Cheney-Hageman race, you know what, why not?”
Lummis had previously endorsed the late Alta Republican Leland Christensen when he ran against Cheney for a seat in the U.S. House in 2016, as Lummis was vacating her seat after a nine-year run as Wyoming’s only representative.
Lummis’ staff deflected a request for further comment, saying her op-ed “speaks for itself.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/national-endorsements-shape-down-ballot-races/article_005aebb5-f7c4-535d-9c0c-027500716750.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:38Z |
Witness: Elk chases tourist who got too close
JACKSON (WNE) — The bull elk was standing in the rain, grazing, when Adam Collins pulled into the parking lot Friday to see the Chapel of the Sacred Heart in Grand Teton National Park.
The 44-year-old visitor from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, stopped the car and got out to take a few photos, making sure to keep his distance as the elk moved toward the Teton Park road. But other people didn’t keep their distance, including one man who went out on the road, started taking pictures and inching closer and closer to the elk.
As Collins watched, that man got within 10 feet of the hoofed and horned ungulate. That’s when the elk appeared to decide it wasn’t having it.
“He kneeled down on one knee to take a picture and the elk turned, reared up and started charging him,” Collins said.
The man split, running backward through a grove of four trees to avoid getting gored. The elk got within 5 feet of the man, Collins said, but his decision to run through the trees turned out to be a good one. The elk stopped on one side. The man kept running.
“This guy was almost in arms’ reach of getting the antler end of the elk,” Collins said.
From what Collins saw, the man who narrowly dodged the elk’s horns didn’t appear to be injured.
But the incident comes after a stretch of bison gorings in Yellowstone National Park earlier this summer, and serves as a reminder that wild animals — not just bison and bears — can be dangerous, especially when humans get too close.
The rules for observing wildlife — and maintaining distance from toothy, four-legged, and furry creatures — in the southern national park are the same as in Yellowstone, Grand Teton’s larger, northern neighbor. Both parks require visitors to maintain at least 25 yards from all wildlife, and the parks’ rules warn that animals “are wild and may act aggressively if approached.”
Avoid harmful blooms in Shoshone National Forest waters
JACKSON (WNE) — The Shoshone National Forest advises recreationists to be careful at Brooks Lake and certain other lakes in the Wind River Ranger District because of harmful cyanobacterial blooms in the water.
Where blooms are present, people and their dogs should avoid any contact with the water, a forest press release said.
Advisories are in effect for Brooks, Upper Brooks, Upper Jade and Rainbow lakes. Other water bodies are being investigated for possible blooms: Pelham Lake, Scouts Pond, some lakes in the Dunoir area and small lakes off the Burroughs Loop Road, Forest Service Road 510.
“HCBs may be green, brown, or blue green in color and may appear as discolored water, small grass clippings, scum, floating mats or spilled paint,” the forest release said. “HCBs can occur on or in the water, either floating or attached to plants, rocks or other material.”
According to the Wyoming Department of Health, “people or animals that have direct contact with the contaminated water by swimming, breathing in aerosols or swallowing the contaminated water can experience symptoms.”
Symptoms vary depending on the method and length of exposure and the particular toxin involved.
People may experience skin, eye, throat and respiratory irritation. In pets, the symptoms may be more severe: excessive salivation, vomiting, fatigue, staggered walking, difficulty breathing, convulsions, liver failure and death within hours to days of the exposure, the Health Department’s website says.
Its suggested precautionary steps include the following:
• Avoid contact with water in the vicinity of the bloom, especially in areas where cyanobacteria are dense and form scum.
• Do not ingest water from the bloom. Boiling, filtration or other treatments will not remove toxins.
• Rinse fish with clean water and eat only the fillet portion.
• Do not allow pets or livestock to drink water near a bloom, eat bloom material or lick fur after contact. If people, pets or livestock encounter a bloom, rinse the affected area with clean water.
Wild horse adoption maintains 100% success rate
The Bureau of Land Management and Mantle Adoption and Training Facility adopted out 15 wild horses and two burros during a Saturday adoption event.
Since expanding the adoption at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2015, the BLM has had a 100% adoption rate for horses and burros at the event.
This year’s adoption was held at Lion’s Park inn Cheyenne and drew large crowds for daily wild horse demonstrations.
The highest adoption bid was for a 2-year-old saddle-started gelding named Benjamin.
“Our adoption events during Cheyenne Frontier Days offer a unique opportunity to showcase the work being done by the BLM to keep our horses, burros, and rangelands healthy,” said BLM Wyoming State Director Andrew Archuleta. “Our main priority at adoption events is to find good homes for the horses and burros under our care.”
The next live adoption event in Wyoming is Aug. 19 at the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas and will feature halter-started horses trained at Mantle’s Wild Horses. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/out-and-about-aug-13-2022/article_b21aa31d-d004-532d-834a-109ad1b505ef.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:45Z |
CASPER — Competing ideas about how the U.S. should safeguard its energy resources continue to fuel a largely partisan debate about the value of fossil fuels compared with their low-emissions alternatives.
“Our world is facing an energy crisis that has been brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Mark Brownstein, senior vice president of energy at Environmental Defense Fund, said at a recent panel discussion in Washington.
“We’re struggling to respond to that crisis,” he added, “but make no mistake about why we’re in an energy crisis today: It’s the act of an autocrat.”
Brownstein noted that the European energy shortage brought on by Russia, which the U.S. is trying to help alleviate, has added to the strain on the global economy at the same time that the effects of climate change are causing harm worldwide — including record heat in Europe and historic flooding across the U.S.
The price of oil is set internationally. Though natural gas prices tend to be regional, they’re also influenced by lasting disruptions elsewhere. Anyone who uses those energy sources is therefore vulnerable to the whims of unstable political leaders, argued Ray Mabus, former U.S. Secretary of the Navy under President Barack Obama, during Thursday’s event.
“By continuing our dependence on fossil fuels, we keep autocrats — dictators — like Vladimir Putin armed, arrogant and affluent,” Mabus said.
U.S. production of oil and gas has been slow to rebound from the pandemic. And while drilling decisions in the U.S. are made at the company level, beyond President Joe Biden’s control, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and the remaining 11 member countries of oil cartel OPEC decide together how much oil to produce in order to manipulate its price.
Biden has called repeatedly on U.S. oil companies to increase output, and has tried in recent months to convince other major oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, to do the same, in an effort to bring down gasoline prices.
The latter move was criticized sharply by Republican leaders.
Many, including U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., think the solution is to generate so much oil in the U.S. that OPEC loses its ability to influence prices, and export enough natural gas to Europe that the continent no longer depends on imports from Russia, its primary supplier.
Republicans also want the Biden administration to make more public land available for drilling and expedite the permit- ting process for new oil and gas infrastructure.
“America would be better off and more prosperous if we turned to our own energy producers,” Barrasso said in a Wednesday statement. “No cartel will save this administration from its terrible energy policies. It is high time to unleash the resources this administration keeps trapped in the ground. It is time to make America energy dominant again.”
Thursday’s speakers disagreed. They pointed instead to Democrats’ nearly $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which was then being finalized and has since cleared the Senate in a par- ty-line vote, and aims to facilitate the growth of renewable and low-carbon electricity sources, electric vehicles and energy-efficient buildings while reducing carbon emissions from oil and gas production.
“It’s the beginning, not the end,” Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said at the panel. “It’s not going to solve our efforts towards address- ing climate change, and create cli- mate rescue. It’s not sufficient. But it’s a huge first step.”
The bill introduces funding for oil and gas companies to reduce how much methane, a greenhouse gas much more potent than carbon dioxide and the primary component of natural gas, escapes during extraction and transport. It also imposes new fees on the methane that is still lost or released.
According to Barrasso, new constraints are the opposite of what the embattled industry — or the rest of the country — needs. “Instead of pleading with dictators in other countries to increase oil and gas production, we should expand American production,” he said in the Senate ahead of the bill’s passage.
Paul Eaton, a retired Army major general and another panelist Thursday, argued that conserving methane at existing wells would “get the most out of what we’ve already drilled.”
State and federal regulations already cap the release of methane and try to minimize leaks. A handful of companies operating in Wyoming have taken things further. In November, the United Nations commended Jonah Energy’s efforts to measure and report its methane emissions. PureWest announced in May that it would help researchers study novel monitoring technologies.
“We’re not at the point yet where we can say that renewables can serve all needs in all situations,” Brownstein said. “That’s absolutely true. But the trend is clear.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/parties-differ-on-energy-solutions-blame-for-high-prices/article_0a5a1e2f-2420-5a04-ab92-cff9770846a3.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:51Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
BUFFALO — Eight months after Fourth Judicial Court Judge William Edelman dismissed a libel lawsuit filed by the Patriot Conservatives of Johnson County PAC against the Buffalo Bulletin, the case has finally concluded after the PAC's bank account was garnished to pay court-ordered sanctions.
Chris Wages, attorney for the defendants, said that ordering a plaintiff to pay sanctions is a “pretty extraordinary measure."
Attorney Nick Beduhn represented the PAC.
“The initiation of the legal action in the first place was flawed and I made a concerted effort to bring that to the attention of the attorney for the Patriot Conservatives,” Wages said.
“Aside from the fact that I didn't believe the substance of the suit was a strong cause of action, they sued parties that could have nothing to do with the case, which I thought was irresponsible and poor legal practice,” he said. “I notified the plaintiff's attorney, and given the opportunity to fix it, they did nothing. So innocent parties were required to spend time, energy and money defending a frivolous lawsuit. The judge recognized all those factors and made an award in favor of the defendants that were erroneously sued.”
While Edelman ordered the sanctions in December, the PAC had failed to pay their debt. Ultimately, the Bulletin asked the court to garnish the PAC's bank account to collect the debt.
“While I am happy that this case has finally come to an end, I find it really sad that in addition to fighting a frivolous lawsuit, that we had to go to extreme measures just to collect the court- ordered sanctions," said Robb Hicks, publisher of the Buffalo Bulletin.
Last August, the Patriot Conservatives of Johnson County — recently renamed the Patriot Conservatives of Wyoming — filed a libel suit against defendants Eclipse Media, Inc., the Weiser Signal American Inc., the Buffalo Bulletin Inc., Pronghorn Publishing Inc., and Frontier Newspapers Inc. claiming the PAC was defamed by the Buffalo Bulletin newspaper.
In November, Edelman dismissed the the complaint against defendants Weiser Signal American Inc., the Buffalo Bulletin Inc., Pronghorn Publishing Inc., and Frontier Newspapers Inc. because either the entities no longer exist or there is connection between any actions taken by the defendants and any injury alleged by the plaintiff.
Eclipse Media, Inc. is the publisher of the Buffalo Bulletin.
In December, Edelman ruled that the PAC had failed to “allege or identify any oral communication made by Eclipse Media, Inc., which is required for a claim of slander.”
Edelman ruled that even if the allegations in the complaint are true, the plaintiff has no cause for action for defamation because the PAC is considered a public figure that inserted itself into a public controversy and they failed to make any credible claim for economic damages.
Edelman also ordered the PAC to pay $8,942 in sanctions to the defendants and defense counsel for failure to dismiss charges against uninvolved parties after the PAC's attorney Beduhn was made aware that those parties were not involved.
However, the Patriot Conservatives never paid the court-ordered sanctions.
"These people are not conservative," Hicks said. “They are just bullies with a podcast and a sign. It is not a conservative value to file frivolous lawsuits. It is not a conservative value to not pay your bills. It is not a conservative value to disregard the rule of law.”
“The fact that we were forced to garnish their bank account is demonstrative of these people's lack of character,” Hicks added. “At any point, David Iverson (the PAC's chairman) or John Dematteis (the PAC's listed treasurer through June 2022) or Roger Bronnenberg (the PAC's current treasurer) could have penned a check to pay their court-ordered sanctions. Instead they forced us to play a game to find out where they had their money hidden. At that point, the court garnished their account to pay their debt.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/patriot-conservatives-account-garnished-to-pay-sanctions/article_f490fc01-42d5-587e-8d27-83be03bf14ad.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:57Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
While Wyoming's prolonged statewide drought continues, July brought a little relief, according to the National Weather Service. Even in August, there's plenty of green and color in the high country, like this beautiful setting at Lookout Lake in the Snowy Range.
As floods, fires and other natural disasters take hold across the country, weather in southern Wyoming has been near or approaching more average levels.
The summer so far in the area has had high temperatures, though these were only slightly above average for July, said National Weather Service meteorologist Aaron Woodward.
In July, the average in the Laramie/Rawlins region was 83.5 degrees, with highs of 91 degrees July 9 and July 18, a record high for both days. July overnight temperatures also were in line with past years with an average temperature of 51.6 degrees.
Night temperatures followed a normal diurnal curve, where temperatures increase in the afternoon as cloud cover dissipates, and then begin to drop again when the sun goes down, Woodward said.
Letting it rain
Much in line with the hopes of farmers and gardeners, annual rainfall in Laramie is slightly up from the 6.91 inches accumulated by Aug. 10 last year.
A total of 0.96 inches of rainfall was recorded in July, contributing to a total amount of 7.08 inches of rainfall this year as of Aug. 10. This is still about 2.9 inches below average in a normal year.
The rain could represent a hopeful turn in a prolonged drought facing much of Wyoming. So far, 2022 has been the 10th driest year on record for the county over the past 128 years, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System.
Drought conditions are worse east of Albany County toward Goshen and Platte counties, Woodward said.
The region now has a severe to moderate drought level, but there are hints of no drought in certain parts of the state like Albany County.
“You’re not doing great, but that’s not bad,” Woodward said. “We’ve been in this monsoon surge pattern where this moisture comes up. We’ve been in that pattern for a little while.”
The monsoon weather pattern has caused the National Weather Service to issue potential flood notices for areas near the Mullen Fire burn scar.
Fire danger
The number of red-flag warnings issued this year has so far been below average, Woodard said, adding that, “It’s been a pretty calm fire season so far.”
Still, there have been wildfires in Wyoming and around the region, such as the Sugarloaf Fire and others near Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
While the Sugarloaf Fire near Laramie Peak is believed to be human caused, the details surrounding its ignition are still under investigation, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire started July 25. It has burned 839 acres and was 60% contained as of press time. At one time, more than 300 firefighters were working the fire. Now that it has been put on patrol status, that number has decreased to 20.
Fire fuels have not been easy to ignite because of high moisture and humidity levels and low wind speeds, Woodward said.
Still, fire restrictions are in place in many Wyoming counties, as well as the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/rainfall-helps-ease-area-drought-conditions/article_07cb5308-63ec-5bab-8f5e-adabf840a568.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:03Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
A key timing restriction protecting some wintering greater sage grouse from oil and gas development doesn’t align with the imperiled birds’ use of the critical habitat, a University of Wyoming study shows.
Sage grouse generally move to winter range on Nov. 7 and stay through March 13, according to research by professor Jeff Beck and others who used data from hundreds of GPS-tagged sage grouse. But Wyoming’s restrictions on oil and gas activity in defined “winter concentration areas” start only on Dec. 1, according to Gov. Mark Gordon’s executive order protecting the bird.
The new information could lead to a revision of that executive order, members of the Sage Grouse Implementation Team said last week.
The understanding of grouse winter habits “has changed somewhat from what the assumptions were,” Beck told the team.
SGIT chairman Bob Budd agreed.
“We were using the best science available,” Budd said of the existing protective timeframe. However, “what we thought [to be correct] wasn’t right,” he said in an interview.
“Now it’s a matter of saying ‘do we need to change the way we are managing?’”
Another team member, Brian Rutledge, a consultant for Audubon , said science shows the grouse protection “has to occur earlier.”
Calling the research “big news to everybody,” he said winter concentration area protections may need to extend from November to April or May.
Beck and two associates plan to refine their findings and take them to the grouse-team’s winter concentration area subcommittee. The work has not yet been published. Should the WCA subcommittee call for expanded drilling restrictions, there’s a “pretty good chance” the full SGIT would forward that to the governor, Budd said.
Gordon could then change his executive order to revise when drilling would be allowed in WCAs.
Budd’s willingness to advance new protections, “that’s a big deal,” Rutledge said. “That’s responsiveness.”
Beck, a professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, along with post-doctoral research associates Kurt Smith and Aaron Pratt, used information from 540 grouse collected between 2008-2018. All told 900,000 GPS locations made up the data set.
The researchers tracked sage grouse movements in five general areas: the Tongue/Powder River area, Bighorn Basin, Wind/Sweetwater Rivers area, Upper Green River valley and northern Red Desert.
On average the data showed that 25% of the tagged grouse arrived at wintering grounds by Oct. 10, half by Nov. 7 and 75% by Nov. 25., researcher Pratt told the grouse team. The governor’s executive order drilling restrictions, however, begin “after most birds have already arrived,” Pratt said.
The existing protections end on May 15 when only half the population has left the winter habitat, he said.
Wyoming has defined only one WCA, which is largely located in an energy field approved for drilling and fracking. The Normally Pressured Lance, or NPL gas field and the corresponding wintering area lie in southern Sublette County near the Jonah gas field.
No drilling is expected to occur there this winter, SGIT member Paul Ulrich, a representative of Jonah Energy, which owns the rights to the NPL Field, told the team.
Gordon recognized and protected the lone WCA after a biologist discovered as many as 2,000 grouse there. Gordon designated the WCA because Wyoming’s general sage grouse core-area conservation strategy did not cover the Sublette County winter refuge.
Extending the protective dates for the Sublette WCA may not be enough, Rutledge said. That’s because un-designated WCAs — defined as places where 50 or more birds flock — exist inside protected core areas as well.
But those core areas, generally delineated around habitat used in other seasons, may not have adequate winter drilling restrictions, Rutledge said.
Wyoming also should better define what activities unsettle grouse on their winter range, Budd and Rutledge said. Those potentially disruptive activities include things like snowmobiling and antler hunting.
Greater sage grouse spend an average of 94 days a year in breeding habitat, 99 days in summer habitat and about 46 days on fall transitional range. But winter is the longest single season, the UW research shows, extending for 126 days.
Last week’s discussion came as the Wyoming Game and Fish Department prepares to release its annual summary of grouse population trends, derived from counts of strutting males at spring breeding grounds known as leks. That information and similar estimates from other Western states help inform the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as it monitors the struggling species for potential protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Wyoming’s core areas, WCAs and connectivity areas cover where an estimated 83% of the state’s population of birds live, according to the governor’s executive order. The designations cover about 24% of the state and are designed to encourage development elsewhere and limit the amount of surface disturbance in the protected zones.
Greater sage grouse tend to spend winter in gently rolling terrain, where sagebrush covers at least two-thirds of the landscape and is not completely covered by snow, the researchers told the team.
Rutledge said it is possible the sage grouse team could receive recommendations from its WCA subcommittee before this winter.
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/research-shows-winter-sage-grouse-protections-miss-key-weeks/article_99f289b5-c5fe-5c14-a78d-2c35dd97f6b6.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:09Z |
JACKSON — After a July 16 accident on its 2,820-foot zip line, Snow King Mountain Resort closed the line for a week to reassess its safety.
According to resort manager Ryan Stanley, a woman was riding the zip line Saturday, July 16, and failed to engage the brake on her trolley. When she smashed into the brake plate at the base — likely after reaching speeds close to 60 mph — the force of the impact swung her up into the metal stopper, which sliced open her arm.
An employee who witnessed the incident said the woman was treated by Snow King’s on-site EMT and transferred to St. John’s Health, where she received stitches. Stanley was unable to identify the woman.
“It was definitely an unfortunate incident, and we’re going to try and prevent it from ever happening again,” he said.
On that same Saturday, another individual fell out of Snow King’s Cowboy Coaster and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Stanley declined to comment further on that accident.
Lt. Russ Ruschill with the Jackson Police Department said officers responded to three medical assists within a one-block radius that day.
The resort promptly shut down its zip line and spent a week working with the ZipTour manufacturer, Terra Nova, to make adjustments. Participants now zoom down the steepest zip line in the country on a slightly slower trolley, and the metal stopper, where the woman sliced her arm, now has some foam padding.
The primary mechanics of the ZipTour still remain though: “It is a user controlled experience,” Stanley said.
To travel down the line, riders must pull down on a bar, releasing the brake. To slow down and come to a stop, riders ease up on the bar.
Some of the first riders got stuck during the zip line’s soft launch in May. In response the resort changed out the brake pads on its trolleys for a faster model.
“They had the most grippiest, safest type on there,” Stanley told the News&Guide at the time. “So it seems like there’s a need to potentially dial it back a little bit.”
Asked in that interview if he was concerned putting faster brake pads on one of ZipTour’s steepest runs, Stanley said, “No, I don’t think so at all.”
This past week he clarified that most changes are “dictated and directed” directly by Terra Nova.
Now that they’re back to a slower model, people might get stuck “a little more frequently,” Stanley said, “but that’s a better outcome.”
Terra Nova, a Utah based company with 30 installations worldwide, could not be reached for comment.
Snow King has since reopened its zip line. Riders start by watching a new safety video that shows the mountain they are about to experience. The previous video was filmed at another ZipTour location.
The video is only the start of a series of safety briefings, which have expanded since the resort’s soft opening.
“The process takes a couple hours because they go through so much training, now, at every location,” Stanley said.
Tickets cost $125 for the two-pronged ZipTour.
Snow King plans to build a practice station at the base next summer where people can test out the harness and make sure they have the strength required to pull down on the bar.
Signs posted at the start of the ride warn clients that “the ZipTour requires a moderate to high degree of physical strength and stamina.”
The rides are not recommended for people with a history of back, neck or bone injuries, recent surgery or “any other current physical or mental illness.”
The zip line operator who witnessed the July 16 incident said the woman admitted before the ride that she had a recent shoulder injury but said she still felt up to the task. That could have been the reason she didn’t brake before arriving at the platform.
Snow King operates on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and is required to report accidents over a certain threshold to the U.S. Forest Service.
The Forest Service requires reporting for incidents “resulting in death, permanent disability, or personal injuries that are life-threatening or that are likely to cause permanent disability.”
Stanley said the resort has not reported either the zip line laceration or the coaster tumble.
Two days before those accidents, a family visiting from Louisville, Kentucky, had a close call on the same lines. Anthony Concepcion was ziplining Snow King’s second stretch with his 18-year-old daughter on July 14 when, he said, an employee left the handle on her trolley twisted, preventing her from fully engaging the brake.
As a result, she slammed into the brake plate at the bottom, her legs swinging level with her head. She wasn’t tossed up into the line or the trolley, Concepcion said in an email to the News&Guide.
“This is something that the rider isn’t responsible for; it’s the responsibility of the worker to ensure the ropes are in the proper positions before sending the rider,” the Louisville man said.
During the same visit, Concepcion said, he witnessed a rider in her 60s get stuck on Snow King’s larger line. That rider had to be rescued by rope, a maneuver she hadn’t been trained for.
“There appeared [to be] no standard forms of communication to the stranded zipper as to what to do and what not to do as she attempted to attach the recovery rope to her harness,” Concepcion wrote in a TripAdvisor review the same day as the experience. “I watched as she misunderstood the instructions and the guides struggled to clearly communicate the required steps for her to take.”
Concepcion also wrote: “These types of simple errors shouldn’t be happening in an operation like this.”
Stanley responded to the TripAdvisor comment, writing, “We have shared your thoughts with the team in order to improve the operation and customer service. Our goal is to achieve great customer service and we will strive to improve.”
In a follow-up email to the News&Guide, Concepcion said the lack of up-front communication “can cause a stuck rider a lot more anxiety when they don’t know what to expect. The lack of clarity can also lead to a stuck rider doing something with their equipment that could put their safety at risk.
“I think they also need to consider some sort of screening process for riders that seeks to identify those who might struggle with the physical expectations of pulling down on the trolley.”
In January, a person riding a tube was injured at Snow King after sliding over the end of the ramp, through a thin sheet of protective netting, and onto the frozen ice chunks below.
Stanley had a similar message at the time: “It’s a patron-controlled experience,” he said. “All you do is put your feet down and slow yourself down.”
In 2017 a visitor from Columbus, Ohio, wrote in a TripAdvisor review that her husband flipped his cart on the Alpine Slide, “crashing into the concrete slide and ripping off chunks of skin on his hand, elbow and knee.”
Snow King’s marketing department apologized in a follow-up comment, writing: “We do our best to warn people of the risks associated and that they are in control of their speed on the slide via signage, audio recordings at the top, and the attendant. We will use your comments to ensure that our staff does an even better job of informing guests of the risks associated with the activity and helping out in the event of a fall.”
In 2018, Snow King was sued for negligence after a teenager was allegedly “severely and permanently injured” in a pond skim accident. The lawsuit was filed shortly before Wyoming’s Skier Safety Act — a law designed to protect ski areas from lawsuits — went into effect.
Now, in Wyoming and other states with similar laws, skiers assume responsibility for their sport. Tubing falls under the same provision.
A 2017 article in Outside magazine found that commercial zip lines are mostly regulated by state agencies responsible for oversight of roller coasters or elevators.
“In most places, including Illinois and Georgia, the state labor department oversees zip lines. In Florida, the task falls to the Department of Agriculture. In Connecticut and Maine, it’s the state fire marshal. And in states like Arizona or Virginia that lack state oversight, zip lines may be subject only to city or county regulations.”
In Shenandoah County, Virginia, the article states, building inspectors are responsible for vetting zip line platforms.
Wyoming does not have an agency responsible for regulating amusement park rides, according to SafePark USA.
It has one law on the books for carnivals and circuses, requiring vendors to carry a license and $500,000 insurance coverage. That law allows county and local governments to inspect rides but does not require it.
Because Snow King Mountain Resort operates on Forest Service land, it is subject to greater oversight. The Forest Service considered safety when it conducted an environmental impact assessment for the resort’s expansion, concluding that zip lines were ultimately safer than Snow King’s primary use, skiing.
“Zip lines are increasingly common and popular features at permitted resorts and, while there have been injuries and even deaths, they have been extremely infrequent and far fewer than those resulting from skiing,” the Bridger-Teton’s study stated. “In-depth analysis is not necessary to determine that this issue does not constitute a significant safety risk.”
In its review, the Bridger-Teton also wrote that zip lines require post construction testing and approvals from the Forest Service. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/snow-king-closed-zip-line-for-week-following-accident/article_1c289095-9349-5d7b-beb0-cf1a473b41e2.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:16Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
POWELL — Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team began field captures of grizzly bears Tuesday and plan to continue through the end of October.
Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Yellowstone National Park, will be baiting the areas with roadkill deer and elk, marking the areas well with brightly colored signs to warn those traveling through the areas of the possible danger.
“It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs,” the park’s public affairs office said in a press release.
It’s part of the team’s efforts to monitor the species’ population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem required under the Endangered Species Act.
Potential capture sites are baited with the roadkill using culvert (barrel) traps or occasionally foot snares. Once captured, bears are handled with strict safety and animal care protocols developed by the team.
The team began radio collaring grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) in 1975. Since then, they have radio monitored close to 900 individuals for varying durations, but typically for two to three years. More than 100 individual bears have been monitored for more than five different years.
According to the study team, data collected from radio-marked bears provide information necessary for tracking key population parameters.
“By observing radio-collared bears, we document age of first reproduction, average litter size, cub and yearling survival, how often a female produces a litter, and causes of mortality,” the team reported in its most recent annual report.
The collected data allows scientists to estimate survival among different sex and age classes of bears. Collectively, this is referred to as “known fate monitoring.”
In conjunction with other estimates (i.e., number of females with cubs, annual mortality), this information is used to estimate population size and evaluate sustainable mortality.
Location information obtained from collared bears also provides reliable data that helps resource managers focus their activities toward landscape issues that impact grizzly bears in the ecosystem.
Monitoring of grizzly bear distribution and other activities are vital to ongoing recovery of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, park officials said.
In 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended that grizzly bears in the lower 48 states remain protected under the Endangered Species Act after a five-year status review.
The news was met with immediate complaints from officials in Wyoming and western states, who have been working to gain management of the species, which they say has been fully recovered for years.
“The grizzly bear in the lower-48 states is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all of its range, but is likely to become so in the foreseeable future,” the report concluded.
Since dropping to a low of around 136 bears in 1975, new estimates by the study team have concluded that more than 1,000 grizzlies now live inside the species’ primary conservation area in and around Yellowstone National Park known as the Demographic Monitoring Area (DMA).
There are no known estimates on the population of grizzly bears outside the DMA. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/study-team-begins-trapping-grizzly-bears-in-yellowstone-ecosystem/article_94ffde84-fa39-5658-9746-173ba1568a12.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:22Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
This large bronze sculpture titled “Breakin’ Through’ is on the northwest corner of the entrance to War Memorial Stadium on the University of Wyoming campus. UW trustees are discussing ways to “break through” to attract and retain students and faculty.
Members of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and UW Foundation talk about creating endowment funds during a retreat in Pinedale in July. The group will discuss the idea further during a September meeting.
This large bronze sculpture titled “Breakin’ Through’ is on the northwest corner of the entrance to War Memorial Stadium on the University of Wyoming campus. UW trustees are discussing ways to “break through” to attract and retain students and faculty.
Greg Johnson/Boomerang File
Members of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and UW Foundation talk about creating endowment funds during a retreat in Pinedale in July. The group will discuss the idea further during a September meeting.
The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees will consider creating endowments for faculty and students when it meets next month.
The idea is part of a university initiative to focus on expanding its competitiveness by retaining high-quality faculty and students. The money would go to better supporting faculty and students with a goal of fostering a sense of security and encouragement within the university community.
“We’ve had successive budget cuts over the years,” UW president Ed Seidel said during a Board of Trustees retreat last month. “We’ve had administration changes. Both of those have combined to lower morale. ... We have to build back.”
Chairman John McKinley presented the idea that the university could create three new endowments: one for student scholarships, one for faculty work and support and another for research at all levels.
He proposed that the Board of Trustees and UW Foundation each contribute $5 million to each of the endowments, resulting in three $10 million endowments that could then generate additional money from private donors.
The concept was at its beginning stages during McKinley’s presentation in July. Some suggestions of how the money could be used included increasing the number of endowed deanships, chairs and fellowships.
These types of positions can allow faculty members to access more financial resources for conducting research and other work. With money available to invest in starting research projects and programs, the faculty could bring in additional money from donors to the university in the long term, Seidel said.
UW Foundation President John Stark and the budget committee was tasked with working through the ideas to bring a more specific plan to the table in September.
Building prestige
The endowment money fits into a larger university plan to invest in programs that will make UW more competitive. Programs listed as high priority for the university include the Science Initiative program, the School of Energy Resources, engineering, tourism and outdoor recreation, agriculture, entrepreneurship and computing.
“We still need buildings and facilities, but it’s about the people,” Seidel said.
This list encompasses aspects the university has been focusing on the last few years, Seidel said. Investment into the areas of arts and humanities also could be considered.
Trustee Michelle Sullivan raised concerns that the priorities outlined in the proposal don’t mesh with the university’s plan to better align the disciplines of arts and humanities and the hard sciences with their respective areas of study.
“There are major colleges which aren’t reflected in these priorities at all,” Sullivan said. The College of Arts and Humanities “is a new college and we need to be setting that as an area of focus while we fundraise.”
Seidel said that the university would work to cover as many of its priorities as possible, but would “be opportunistic” in how it accepts money from willing donors who may want to offer assistance for programs lower on the priority list.
“Where we really have success is where a donor’s interest in providing private support overlaps with the university’s,” Stark said. “That’s the secret sauce.”
He said that if this alignment could extend to the Wyoming Legislature as well, the university would be in an even better position.
Money from the endowments also could be used to expand scholarship options for students who may not be eligible for higher-level scholarships and to offer opportunities for more undergraduate and graduate research, Seidel said.
McKinley added that any money the university saves on its current scholarship funding mechanism could be applied to student programs that enhance the university experience and increase student success.
“For every dollar that we’re able to generate in student scholarship funds, it frees up a dollar in wagers and discounts that the university is already doing,” McKinley said. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/uw-board-mulls-30m-in-new-endowments/article_d75849b6-9a45-5bda-9354-8758dc75fa06.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:28Z |
DOUGLAS — On the morning of Aug. 3, two gentlemen in dressed-to-kill sport coats walked into the Converse County Courthouse prepared to meet with the five county commissioners. With their presentation ready, it was indisputable that this discussion was of great relevance to the citizens of Converse County, considering Douglas’ mayor, police chief and city officials were also in attendance.
Founder and CEO of 307 Horse Racing, Jack Greer, and COO of Wyoming Financial Group Kyle Ridgeway were there to discuss pari-mutuel wagering, more specifically, the legalization of off-track horse race betting in Converse County.
The idea obviously sparked some interest from the county commissioners, who have already drafted a resolution to place the measure before voters on the November general election ballot.
While the commissioners won’t decide whether to approve the resolution until Aug. 16 (coincidentally on primary election day), to have pari-mutuel betting in a county requires a public vote.
However, Commission Chairman Jim Willox cautioned it is not a done deal but simply a placeholder for the commissioners to discuss it at their next regular meeting, so it may or may not show up on the November ballot.
Currently, there are two additional companies with facilities located in the state focused on horse racing and off-track betting: Wyoming Downs and Wyoming Horse Racing. However, 307 Horse Racing is the first Wyoming owned and operated entity.
And with five successful facilities currently up and running in Gillette, Casper, Cheyenne, Rawlins and Sheridan, its sights are now set on Converse County.
“I talk about this like I was around in the ‘70s when horse racing was a big deal in Wyoming and we had all these tracks like I was there. I wasn’t there. But I have read the history about that,” Ridgeway said. “In Wyoming, (the late) Sen. (John) Schiffer and (state Rep.) Sue Wallace and the folks in the legislature looked at some models of other states and they brought the horse racing industry back. And they passed these laws in 2013 where we have this alternative form of pari-mutuel wagering.”
According to Ridgeway, the ‘70s and ‘80s brought about the idea of simulcasting, which allowed people to bet on a live track from somewhere else.
“ They’ve now taken a lot of that historical horse racing data and turned it into what are known as historical horse racing terminals,” Ridgeway explained. “What these terminals do is they basically ‘gamified’ betting on a horse race, but they still allow you to essentially bet on a de-identified historical horse race.”
Although pari-mutuel wagering has been legalized in Wyoming, each county is given some regulatory authority.
As Ridgeway explained to the commissioners, the first step to having pari-mutuel wagering in Converse County is to have an election by the citizens.
And if passed, both Ridgeway and Greer would visit yet again to discuss obtaining a resolution for a specific site.
To sway the commissioners, both men dove right into the benefits a 307 Horse Racing facility would bring to the county.
One of those benefits goes to those who breed and raise race horses in the county, with .3% of the total bet collected via a tax.
“It’s called the Wyoming Breeders Fund, and it’s a pool of money to raise and breed horses in Wyoming. This year I think we’re going to hit $5 million in this .3% for the fund. That’s a huge number; it’s a huge incentive to breed and raise horses here,” Greer said.
Ridgeway added that as the gaming locations grow, as the bet grows and as the industry matures, the number in this breeding fund goes up.
In addition, 1% of the total bet goes directly to the county, and if a facility resides within a city or town borders, such as Glenrock, Douglas or Rolling Hills, the 1% is split 50/50 with the municipality.
“To give you an example of what numbers would look like, our Rawlins facility is relatively a similar-sized community to Douglas, so if we do a facility here, then that’s projecting to generate $75-$100,000 per year for each entity. So, the city receives $100,000, and the county receives $100,000. So, that . . . basically, (the) gaming commission sending you that check,” Ridgeway said.
County Commissioner Robert Short questioned the type of crime experienced in these facilities, as well as if there will be an increased need for law enforcement.
Ridgeway said 307 Horse Racing’s model has been to partner with the nicest place in each community they are able to find.
The Wyoming Gaming Commission requires these facilities to operate with security cameras and to have access to those cameras at all times. The facility will also be subject to random audits from the gaming commission and its law enforcement, and all locations require the employment of federally background checked employees.
“In our experience, these are the safest facilities you can have in a community if liquor is available, because most bars don’t require a background check, drug testing, and all of these other types of things you must have,” Ridgeway said.
“The speech that I give to everybody is, I can only speak about our operation. We were informed that Teton County commissioners and the Chief of Police in Jackson did a bunch of research on our facilities, and, based on their research on every community we’ve been in, there has been zero impact,” he added. “And I think the quote was, ‘We have no greater use of police resources than any other business.’”
According to Ridgeway and Greer, these horse race betting facilities have terminals that cost $25,000-$35,000. With 30 to 40 terminals per facility, they are averaging a seven figure investment per location.
When considering the addition of federally background checked employees and the amount of eyes necessary in terms of cashing out winning bets, they referred to these as “professional, first-class facilities.”
And to add a sense of family engagement, most of their facilities offer a restaurant that is completely segregated.
“I took my 2-year-old down there (Casper) with my family on Monday and had dinner, and it’s because gaming is on a different side,” he added. “We haven’t been able to do that in every facility, but you can do it in a way that allows people to eat.”
Greer currently operates his live horse race events at the Cam-Plex in Gillette, which is part of the requirements of having a live events license.
“ The way it works in Wyoming is you have to get a live events license first to be an operator in the state. Then you have to run a minimum of 16 live race days,” he explained. “That gives you the ability to hold a HHR (Historic Horse Racing) simulcast license.”
Greer encouraged those interested to visit the CamPlex, noting his races average a few hundred attendees.
“Every local community has its own thing in Wyoming. We try to approach each of these communities with the sensitivity of what they are,” Ridgeway said.
Both gentlemen concluded their presentation by stating yet again that their presence was to request for the commission to pass a resolution authorizing a pari-mutuel wagering question to be placed on the 2022 general election ballot, and the commission agreed to draft the resolution. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/wanna-bet-that-may-be-a-question-for-voters/article_6659d768-b5a8-5621-81ab-7a89330e091e.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:34Z |
Lummis cosponsors education bill on learning loss
U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, cosponsored Sen. Tim Scott’s, R-S.C., Raising Expectations with Child Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery (RECOVER) Act.
The bill's backers say it would empower parents to take action to solve the learning loss crisis that students are experiencing after months of COVID-19 school interruptions.
“While Wyoming quickly reopened schools, the interruptions in the school schedules will continue to impact children’s development for years to come," said Lummis in a Wednesday news release. "We can help mitigate those effects by repurposing unused COVID funds for intervention programs. I am proud to join Senator Tim Scott in pursuing student success in a fiscally responsible manner."
As of this past May, states and school districts had yet to spend 93% of allocated education funding from the American Rescue Plan, according to Lummis' office. The new bill would allow states and school districts to use those unspent funds to issue Child Opportunity Scholarships directly to parents.
These scholarships are targeted at low-income families. The money can be put toward tutoring services, private school tuition, books, testing fees and educational therapies for children with disabilities.
Clerk responds to absentee ballot concerns
The Laramie County Clerk’s office has received inquiries about a recent mailer sent to registered voters containing an absentee ballot request form. Officials also address the concerns in a press release.
The county clerk’s name appears on the address label. However, the mailer was sent by a candidate’s campaign, and the clerk’s office was not consulted or made aware of the mailer, according to the press release.
The form is publicly available on the Secretary of State’s website and may be used by registered voters to request an absentee ballot from a any county clerk office in Wyoming.
It does not appear any laws were violated, but the mailer has confused some voters and resulted in calls to the Laramie County Clerk’s Office, according to the news release. The office reminds voters they have three options for casting a ballot, one of which is by absentee mail ballot.
On primary election day Tuesday, voters can cast their ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at their designating polling place. Voters may request an absentee ballot; however, they are not permitted to request one on the day of the election. Absentee ballots must be received no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day.
For more information, visit co.albany.wy.us/164/Elections.
Pro-gun organization endorses Liz Cheney
The Independent Firearm Owners Association has endorsed incumbent U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, for another term.
“The time for divisive partisan rhetoric is past. The state, the country and the world demand responsible, adult leadership,” according to a statement announcing the endorsement. “The Independent Firearm Owners Association knows Liz Cheney has consistently been a strong leader for firearm civil liberties for Wyoming, Congress and the nation.”
The organization said Republican gun owners can demonstrate the power of Second Amendment freedoms by returning Cheney to Congress.
Limited monkeypox vaccines available in Wyo
The Wyoming Department of Health reports that vaccines meant to help prevent monkeypox are available in the state on a limited, targeted basis.
Public health experts are tracking an outbreak of monkeypox that has spread across several countries that don’t normally report the disease, including the United States. No cases related to this outbreak have yet been identified among Wyoming residents.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH, said monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. “This disease is usually characterized by a rash and can also involve other symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and tiredness,” she said.The following adults are eligible for pre-exposure vaccination if they live or work in Wyoming:
• Men who have sex with men and who have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the last year.
• Partners of men who have sex with men who have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the last year.
• Transgender and nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with multiple or anonymous sexual partners who are male or male assigned at birth within the past year.
• Sex workers of any sex.
Vaccinations will begin the week of Aug. 15. Eligible adults interested in vaccination appointments should contact the public health office in their area. A listing of public health offices by county can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2p9h6xxt. People may also call WDH at 307-777-6004 for help finding the closest local public health office. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/worth-noting-aug-13-2022/article_8367f590-fb73-5a27-91fa-fcf9c3747113.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:40Z |
I keep learning a lot from the majesty of the mountains, the wisdom of AA and the simplicity of the Commandments, all 10.
I keep learning about what it means to see myself in a larger whole, and yet find peace in the recognition of our humanity.
“It’s not about me” is my favorite statement when I am nervous before a funeral, a wedding or where I feel uncertain about the “ground” where I need to stand. I keep trying to be humble and seek a peaceful way.
So, I take the liberty to write about Wyoming. Now, more than in many years past, who is on “the ticket” can influence us all for two, four, 10 years. And I return to the wisdom of AA and our need for a higher power.
The first step in any recovery, from addictions to cellphones, sports, alcohol and sex is recognizing a higher power. What that means not only echoes how often I find comfort in knowing how many ways I try and fail, but also the First Commandment: “Thou shalt not have any gods before me.”
The struggle of the first humans, Adam and Eve, was that they wanted to “play God.” No matter what happens to us, no matter what happens to our desires, no matter what happens to our plans, we did not make this world and we are not in charge of it.
That is the providence of God alone.
Perhaps the clearest statement of our human vanity is the poem “Ozymandias,” penned under a different tyranny. The poet writes, “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye mighty and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of the colossal wreck, boundless and bare.”
That statue now lies in the desert of Egypt, where the wind blows the pharaohs’ power away.
To see oneself as part of a larger whole has always been a problem, but especially for tyrants who think their wishes should rule the state, the nation or the world.
Higher power simply says, “We cannot play God.”
So, what is at stake for us in Wyoming is letting go of our proud isolation. We don’t have a copyright on the pure, white light. Moreover, we can rise above the insidious calls on social media to “play God.”
Those calls include bullying, lying, fomenting division and self-promotion, all of which imply, “I alone have the answer. I, alone, want to be in charge.”
As a Wyomingite since 1982, I have seen the politics of self-promotion play itself out in many ways. But today, I take the challenge to say that playing God is not just the providence of Republicans or Democrats. It is the work of either party which choses to believe, “I can bully people. I can practice deceit. I can claim I am the only one with an answer for our economy.”
They cannot say in public what they really mean: “I can play God.”
Both a Democrat, John Kennedy, and a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed the national need for unifying our nation, in spite very differing views. Kennedy started the Peace Corps at the height of the Cold War and Lincoln sustained the vision of one nation at the height of the Civil War.
It wasn’t political parties, but the presidents who knew we had to come together in the face of social pressures.
Both Lincoln and Kennedy were assassinated because they believed in a union beyond differences and a wisdom beyond party lines.
They kept reaching to a higher power, and so can we. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/guest_column/higher-power-and-the-politics-of-self-promotion/article_65f65439-b336-5453-af98-37bcdb161b54.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:47Z |
The elixir came along just in time. Right when a 71-year-old guy could be forgiven for getting a little pessimistic and cynical, maybe even grouchy, along comes a puff of blessedly fresh air.
It’s enough to blow a geezer’s hat in the creek.
My wife is a retired nurse practitioner, an anthropologist and a pretty good archaeologist. She’s got more degrees than a thermometer, from swell universities. With my lone English degree, I’ve spent the last 37 years at a dead run trying to keep up with her. Anything I think, she thought yesterday.
And she says most of us start to fall apart between the ages of 65 and 75.
There are exceptions. But when I offered the opinion that I’ve been pretty lucky health-wise, she hooted in disbelief and called me an “orthopedic train wreck.” That’s what I get for looking on the positive side.
But (like any husband, it’s painful to admit this) she had a point. Ouch!
Dry skin, aching joints, repaired rotator cuffs (port and starboard), a restrung quadriceps muscle, three laminectomies and a fusion out back, trouble hearing in a crowded restaurant, difficulty remembering names and details that were once on the tip of my tongue, a wrestling match getting out of some chairs …
It brings back the words of the great Merle Haggard when he appeared in Cheyenne not long before he died. He said that for the first time his road crew included a nurse.
Shaking his head at the notion of our “golden years,” Merle said: “Friends, we’ve been lied to.”
That said, we’re fortunate to have great facilities to handle our various and sundry maladies. The same clinic in Laramie that saved the NFL career of Josh Allen has handled all my orthopedic woes. The people there are wonderful. We have an excellent hospital in Cheyenne full of savvy professionals and plenty of specialists down on the Front Range for the exotic stuff.
It’s not like the old days when my grandparents had to come to Chicago from rural Indiana to see their doctors.
I’m reading Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s book “The Real Anthony Fauci,” and it’s an indictment of our public health agencies and the pharmaceutical industry.
Then I think of the amazing research that has gone into treating multiple myeloma (the disease that killed my father) and now has far extended the lives of those who have it (think Tom Brokaw), and I see another side.
This thinking two things at once business can get complicated. Walk, chew gum. Walk. Chew gum.
So, back to what came along just in time. I was 67 when my first granddaughter was born and 69 when her little sister arrived. Suddenly, things like highchairs, stuffed toys and a wayward pacifier found under a bed started showing up at our house. Baby gates went up, cabinets secured and an old spring-action “Wonderhorse” (fittingly named “Cheyenne”) went from the garage to the man cave.
The younger one lets her sister do most of the talking, but last month at an ice cream shop in Gillette she took a taste from her mom’s dish and proclaimed, “MINE!”
(Now there’s a concept that will serve her well in life.)
The next morning she spotted a big, ugly fly on the wall and said, “FLY!”
Life is full of little firsts for her, and I was thrilled the first time she butchered the word “grandpa.”
Her sister looks in awe at a cousin who is a gifted barrel racer, and for a guy who grew up watching “Spin and Marty” on the “Micky Mouse Club” every afternoon in Chicago, a granddaughter who is into rodeo is more than I could ask.
And she can yodel.
So, right when a guy could be forgiven for becoming a curmudgeonly collection of aches, pains and leg cramps, along come these two little breaths of fresh air. And you have to figure this is all about so much more than just us, like gazing at the Milky Way above your August campfire.
My older brother once said having kids (sometimes) was like “paying a nickel and getting a quarter back.”
I heartily agree.
For grandpas, make that payoff 50 cents. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/guest_column/merle-was-right-about-these-years/article_de143d3b-631c-54cb-8915-3ab3ca8cf102.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:53Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Have you ever felt a knocking on your heart, a feeling like you know you should reach out to someone? You know you should help. You know should make eye contact, say something, touch their arm or give them a hug. Your heart is telling you to do it, but you don’t.
You miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can never get back.
These opportunities happen all the time to all of us. It only takes a second to miss them.
Her nail polish was cheerful turquoise. It matched the bright, happy color of her headband; however, everything between the nail polish and headband spoke of sadness. Her teenage shoulders were bent from weakness as if they had carried years of stress. Her blue eyes rarely connected with mine as she took my order and prepared my sandwich.
It was a quick lunch stop for me as I was driving home from a speaking event. In and out. That is what I wanted. It was late in the afternoon and only hunger could interrupt my determination to get home. A fast sandwich and then back on the road. I paid, thanked her and hustled away with my lunch.
The whole time her despair was knocking on my heart’s door screaming: “Help, help, let me in!”
I ran through the rain to the safety of my car and began the drive again. With every bite I took and every mile I drove, I thought of her. The knocking was still there, and the heaviness of her sadness.
Guilt grew with every swish of my windshield wipers. I felt guilt for keeping the words I wanted to say to her inside,, beating them down deep into my throat because I didn’t want to take the time.
My mind was going faster than the speed limit with thoughts of, “Why didn’t I?”
Why didn’t I talk to her? Why didn’t I ask about her day, her family, her life?
The shop was slow. I could have taken the time to talk to her, to help her, if only by showing I cared.
Why didn’t I?
How many times have I missed an opportunity to help a stranger, or even someone close to me?
The heart knocks happen in small ways. A word. A look. A feeling. They are easy to miss and easy to ignore.
And yet, it is so easy to take a moment to smile, to ask, to give words of encouragement or a hug. It’s so easy to let someone know you care.
Life lessons are hard to learn, especially when you miss the opportunity and there isn’t a do-over.
This is one I won’t forget. Her turquoise sadness I won’t forget. Next time I feel that knocking on my heart from someone in need, I will take the time.
Pennie’s Life Lesson: Never miss a chance to care, help and show kindness or a chance to love.
Pennie Hunt is a Wyoming-based author, blogger and speaker. Contact her atpenniehunt@gmail.com. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/guest_column/never-miss-a-chance-to-care-help-and-show-kindness/article_bc329265-66b5-57cd-b1c9-b15fc1afd1bf.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:59Z |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Someone wrote a letter generating the headline "Cheney a traitor, not a hero."
To whom is she a traitor? Is it the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys of the Wyoming Republican Party? The ones who parade in flak jackets and ammunition or ride in the back of pickups with guns and flags?
This group of little people support a fascist who will destroy the Constitution and democracy of the United States. Not one source of media has avoided showing the fascist planning, leading and guiding the crowd to the Capitol on Jan. 6 to "put him in power." Those who choose to be deaf and blind are quite pitiful, really.
Liz Cheney is not a member of this group. Is this what makes her a traitor? Liz still supports killing the grizzlies and wolves, polluting energy sources, limited economic development, cutting benefits to veterans. She's a true Wyomingite in these respects. I totally disagree with her on the majority of her positions.
So why am I voting for Liz in this election?
As Liz has said, "truth matters." Truth has to be fought for, protected and honored. Our country is at risk. Our freedom is challenged. Many of us are children or grandchildren of World War I, World War II and the Korean War, as well as peers and classmates of Vietnam veterans.
For the veterans who shared their stories, their horrors and their trials, we are eternally indebted. These are the true fighters, protectors and honorable men and women. We never found this history "boring" or learned about it through video in history class. We lived it.
Our freedoms, constitution and democracies have never been free. The veterans earned them for us. If lies, badgering and mockery put our country at risk of demise, facts have been presented and are still developing to stop those who threaten our country.
Liz Cheney is supporting the work and sacrifice of the veterans we called dad, grandpa and brother. Their work is invaluable to the stability of the United States as it kept the fascists out of power. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/letters_to_editor/cheney-anything-but-a-traitor/article_47ab9faf-a43c-58fb-9f4e-5e2db871029e.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:05Z |
With one candidate dropping out and a faction of Republican support coalescing around another, the race for superintendent of public instruction is sharpening as Aug. 16 primary election approaches. The winning Republican primary candidate will face Sergio Maldonado, the lone Democrat running for the office, in the November general election.
The Wyoming Republican Party announced on Aug. 1 that Thomas Kelly, one of five candidates running in the Republican primary, dropped out and cast a vote for Brian Schroeder, the governor-appointed incumbent.
Kelly felt “the conservative elites were rallying behind Superintendent Schroeder,” he said, and “it looked like I was going to cause more damage than good by staying in the race.”
Schroeder, who has made headlines for political maneuverings regarding hot-button issues like critical race theory and discrimination policies, has since secured the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, the Casper Star Tribune reported.
He’s not the only candidate to win a high-profile endorsement. U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) announced her support for Megan Degenfelder, a sixth-generation Wyomingite and former chief policy officer at the Wyoming Department of Education.
“Senator Lummis is the epitome of conservative Wyoming values and has spent decades working tirelessly to improve our state,” Degenfelder said in a statement about the endorsement. “What matters most to me is the support of Wyoming leaders who have built this state into what it is today.”
Candidates Jennifer Zerba and Robert White also remain in the GOP primary race.
In a statement to WyoFile, Degenfelder said she remains focused on her campaign message: “to make sure parents are the number one decision makers in their children’s education and to continue fighting to keep anti-American curriculums out of our classrooms.”
Wyoming parents and taxpayers, she said, “are ready for a true conservative” to be their new superintendent of public instruction.
Degenfelder grew up in Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming. She then went on to obtain her master’s degree from the University of International Business and Economics in China, an experience she says enhanced her appreciation for U.S. “constitutional government and freedoms.”
She previously told Wyofile she’d support looking into expanding school choice options in Wyoming. “We have barely scratched the surface here in Wyoming when it comes to school choice,” Degenfelder said. “We can start, you know, looking at the voucher system. I’m extremely supportive of leaving no stone unturned when it comes to school choice.”
When it comes to combating teacher burnout, she said, “working on individual levels with our school districts is the best way to accomplish that.”
As someone who’s worked in the coal, oil and gas industry, Degenfelder said, she’s seen firsthand what skills companies are looking for. “I really would like to bridge the gap between our industry and their needs and the education system,” she said.
“When I started this race I wanted to give Republicans another choice,” said Casper-based candidate Zerba, a substitute teacher and cosmetologist. “Somebody who is not as far right leaning as the others, someone who’s more moderate.”
Zerba said she remains the outlier in the slightly less crowded Republican primary. “I am not in support of charter schools, I am not in support of vouchers, I am not in support of private schools. I am not in support of sectarianism,” Zerba said.
Putting public dollars into private, religious schools violates the Wyoming constitution, she contends. Zerba also said she won’t “allow discrimination against any of our pupils, which is unconstitutional.”
Zerba will also focus on making sure students are prepared for blue-collar jobs. “We are blue collar and we do not have enough people filling those blue-collar jobs,” Zerba previously said.
Her experience as a substitute teacher, Zerba said, gives her a better understanding of educators and the stresses they face.
Schroeder worked as a private Christian school administrator in Cody prior to his appointment by Gov. Mark Gordon as head of the department of education.
During his roughly six-month-stint in office, he championed a Teacher Apprenticeship Program based on a similar model launched in Tennessee as a way to address the state’s teacher shortage.
“The first priority is to cast the vision to lead the nation in education,” Schroeder wrote to WyoFile in April. “There is something deep within the DNA and character of the Wyoming people that sets the stage for this possibility. Education is one of those fields where less is more.”
He expressed similar sentiments in an eight page paper titled “Lead the Nation: A Vision for Wyoming Schools.”
The Wyoming Department of Education sent the paper to legislators on July 6.
The Park County Republicans’ secretary also emailed the document out on July 18, noting in the body of the email, “Hello everyone. It is our intent to inform as many as possible voters … We do not endorse any candidate until after the Primary, however. Please read the attached document.”
While the Park County Republicans continue to assert they’re not violating state law nor party rules, those communiques raised some eyebrows in a state where statute prohibits a party from financially supporting a primary candidate directly, or indirectly.
The vision paper also appears on Schroeder’s campaign website.
In the paper, Schroeder writes, “The evangelists of secularism saw two institutions — government and education — as the perfect twin vehicles through which they would remake society in their image.”
He writes that federal dollars and the requirements that accompany them set the stage for “the social engineers to fundamentally transform our society – through our schools – into a world that is radically contrary to everything we hold dear.”
But Schoeder may not have the authority as superintendent to carry out all aspects of his vision. In June, Schroeder condemned a USDA free-and-reduced-school-lunch program policy update requiring schools to investigate discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, through statements released by the WDE.
Wyoming receives $40 million per year for the program.
“I will support (and encourage) all efforts to begin the process of cutting ties with federal funds while upholding the constitutional mandate to financially sustain Wyoming public education,” Schroeder said.
A WDE spokesperson clarified in July that “Superintendent Schroeder has not withdrawn Wyoming from the USDA Nutrition program, as that is not within his authority,” but that the department also wasn’t complying with the new federal mandate, which could result in the loss of the funds.
Schroeder also expressed his continued support for charter schools, writing in his vision paper “the charter school movement is such a critical piece in this whole thing. It helps break the stronghold of centralization, moves things back to the parents and local control, and brings competition back into the picture.
Robert White, a Rock Springs trona miner, is also running for superintendent. He previously told WyoFile he wants to enhance communications between schools and parents.
He said his top priorities as superintendent would be addressing school shootings, lowering classroom sizes and increasing teacher pay. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/townnews/politics/candidates-refine-stances-as-race-for-education-chief-narrows/article_23f7ce30-f7e5-55ac-a162-cc90f7b13310.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:11Z |
CHEYENNE – Wyoming’s inaugural high school girls wrestling season has been mapped out, but it’s unclear how Laramie County School District 1 will be involved.
The Wyoming High School Activities Association voted in late April to sanction girls wrestling starting this school year. At the time, Wyoming was the 36th state to sign off on girls wrestling as its own sport.
However, the WHSAA’s late approval didn’t give LCSD1 adequate time to advertise or gauge interest in the new offering, director of instruction Steve Newton said.
Newton – who has assumed duties previously held by newly retired district athletics director Tom Seamans – said a proposal to add the sport to Cheyenne’s three high schools could go before the LCSD1 trusties shortly after school starts Aug. 24.
“We fully intend to bring it before the board very soon with the district’s recommendation that it be approved as (an LCSD1) athletics program going forward,” he said. “This is an incredible opportunity for girls in our community.”
A number of different ideas of how to handle the inaugural season have been bandied about. Which of those ideas is recommended to the trustees depends on the numbers of girls interested, Newton added.
“It’s hard to predict if we’ll have a massive influx of numbers, or if it will look similar to the number of girls who have gone out so far,” he said. “We’re hopeful more will get involved, but I’m not sure the public is fully aware of it. The girls who may want to contemplate wrestling might not know how things have evolved.
“There are some kids who won’t be interested until you can paint a complete picture of what the season is going to look like and are encouraged to give it a shot. The schools will start promoting it and encouraging girls to be a part of it. Those numbers will shape how it’s organized in the first year.”
The WHSAA has decided to run the first season concurrently with boys wrestling. Practice starts Nov. 21 with competitions starting in December. All but one round of the single-classification state tournament except will be held Feb. 23 at the Wyoming Center in Casper. The championship bouts will be wrestled prior to the semifinal round of the boys tournament Feb. 24, WHSAA associate commissioner Trevor Wilson told WyoSports in July.
“We want to get those girls a big crowd and some recognition,” Wilson said.
Like Newton, Wilson isn’t sure how many girls will choose to wrestle now that it’s its own sport. Because of that uncertainty, girls will still have the opportunity to wrestle against boys during the regular season in order to get more matches under their belts.
“If we say girls can only wrestle girls, they might only get a couple matches during the regular season,” Wilson said. “We don’t want that. Some of them may not want to wrestle boys, and I get that. At least they’ll have the option if they choose.
“… Maybe five years from now it will be so big girls can only wrestle girls and boys only wrestle boys. We want to get this thing going and make it big for the girls. It’s one of the fastest growing sports in America, but it’s just a question of how many girls we’ll have the first year.”
The WHSAA needed eight schools committed to sponsoring girls wrestling before it would consider voting on sanctioning. Laramie County School District 2 voted to be part of the inaugural group before the WHSAA’s April vote, Burns athletics director Barry Ward said.
Wilson said the WHSAA stopped keeping track of how many schools were on board after the eight-school commitment threshold was reached, but he knows there are more than 20 have expressed interest.
“I think we’ll have most of the schools in the state involved,” he said.
Just as he envisions a time when girls won’t have to choose to wrestle boys to gain experience, Wilson sees a time when the sport is completely separated, similar to girls and boys basketball.
“We’ll get to a point where there’s a girls coach and a boys coach and a girls season and a boy season,” he said. “The seasons will still run at the same time, but they’ll be totally separate sports.”
Indoor track split
The WHSAA board also voted to divide indoor track and field into two classifications for the first time starting this school year. The sport has always been one class since the first state meet was scored in the early 1990s. The WHSAA sanctioned it in 2006.
The split is driven, in part, by the number of new teams that sprung out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the 2021 season, athletes from many Class 3A, 2A and 1A schools suited up for 4A schools. That campaign saw limited entries at all meets – including state – and all schools trying to manage contact tracing. As a result, five new girls teams and three new boys squads competed at the 2021 indoor state meet.
This past winter’s state meet featured 24 girls teams and 19 on the boys side.
“The sport had just gotten too big for one class,” Wilson said. “This also gives those smaller schools a chance to be their own team and be able to compete (for state championships) without having to go head-to-head with the very large schools.”
Pine Bluffs and Burns sent athletes to compete for Cheyenne’s schools prior to 2021. They combined for a cooperative team that season, and have been given three years by LCSD2 to prove the program has long-term viability.
Ashley Thurin coaches the Pine Bluffs portion of the co-op team, and said many of her athletes will miss the opportunity to compete for state championships against larger schools. However, the benefits of the move are overwhelmingly positive.
“With indoor track becoming more popular, I think it was necessary to split classes, and I’m hopeful it will be a smooth transition for all athletes and coaches,” she said. “There is still great competition at the smaller school levels, but this gives some of my athletes the chance to see where they stack up in their own classes before the outdoor season.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/burns/lcsd1-still-weighing-girls-wrestling-options/article_9c3896f4-18b4-54bd-9330-9efe44434cbb.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:18Z |
CHEYENNE – Ashli Smedley lost just three matches during her first season as Cheyenne Central’s No. 1 singles player.
All three were in straight sets. Two came to Natrona County’s Theresa Travjova, who was the state runner-up. The other was to state champion Finley Klinger of Kelly Walsh.
Klinger graduated while Travjova was a foreign exchange student. Smedley won her final two matches of the season to place third. The path is clear for her to win a state championship.
The junior isn’t leaving anything to chance, though. Smedley has continued to practice just as hard as ever before. She has worked to refine her groundstrokes and serves.
However, the area Smedley sought to improve the most isn’t one that’s abundantly clear – her mental approach.
Smedley went 19-0 playing No. 1 doubles with her older sister, Kaitlyn Smedley, as a freshman. Earning the No. 1 singles spot was a big step up in not just competition, but pressure. For the most part, Smedley thought she handled it well but knows she also could have been better.
Playing at a World TeamTennis event last month in Florida really brought mental approach to the forefront for Smedley.
“I feel like I’m better prepared for that pressure than I was last year, but I’m trying to get a little bit better at it every day,” Smedley said. “I’m more positive and I realize my strengths and weaknesses mentally. I’m trying to prepare myself to keep going even when things are hard.
“There were times last season – especially when I went up against really good players – that I kind of got overwhelmed and broke down.”
Smedley has worked to push through mental barriers by forcing herself to keep jogging even when her mind is telling her she needs to stop. She’s also immersed herself in 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal’s book and another specifically on the mental aspects of tennis.
“Tennis is mostly mental and about the way you see things,” she said. “It’s about wanting more and enduring more than your opponent. Every day you have to go out, you have to get a little more mentally strong, you have to keep trying and never give up while remembering the positive aspects of your game.
“Remembering what you’re good at motivates you and pushes you to be better.”
Smedley is OK with being nervous before and during matches. She considers it normal and a sign that she cares about the outcome of her matches. The area she wants to improve upon is positive self-talk, not getting down on herself and letting a couple mistakes snowball and get away from her.
“I’ve been working on pushing out the negative thoughts and telling myself I’m good at tennis,” she said. “I get really tight sometimes, so I have to learn how to relax and play loose. This is the year I can be the player I want to be.
“I know what it looks like when things are getting away from me. I think I can stop it now.”
Being mentally strong is just as important as having a wicked serve or a killer backhand, if not more, first-year Central coach Ron Bronson said.
“The top players in Wyoming are pretty even,” he said. “They play each other all the time, and the scores are usually pretty close. If you can unlock that mental area, it will allow you to win matches you maybe shouldn’t win.
“Keeping your composure and being adaptable are important. Those are difference-makers in high school tennis.”
Bronson has been impressed with the way Smedley has carried herself during the first week of practice.
“She has senior energy because of the experience she has,” Bronson said. “I’m really excited to see her perform because I know how hard she has worked since last season ended. I’m ecstatic she’s a junior because she’s a great player to have on your team.
“There’s so much potential there, and her ceiling is really high. She’s good, but she’s also got so much room to grow.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/central-s-ashli-smedley-has-worked-to-improve-mental-approach-to-tennis/article_b280cfd0-0736-5393-8130-f71313680820.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:24Z |
Schools not listed here did not provide information to WyoSports. Please email sports@wyosports.net to have your information included in future listings.
HIGH SCHOOLS
All athletes must have a physical dated after May 1, 2022 in order to participate in practice. Athletes without completed physicals will not be allowed to practice.
Cheyenne Central
All families should visit central.rschoolteams.com and fill out the online activity registration form. Families can upload physical and sign registration forms on that website. Those forms must be filled out before athletes can practice.
Football: Practice started Aug. 8.
Golf: Practice started Aug. 8.
Tennis: Practice started Aug. 8.
Cross-country: The first practice starts at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15. Runners should meet in the parking lot on the west side of Central High.
Girls swimming and diving: The first practice will start at 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 in the Central natatorium. There is a second practice starting at 3 p.m. the same day. Athletes must bring a swimsuit, cap, goggles and towel.
Volleyball: The first practice starts at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 in the Central Fieldhouse. Sophomores, juniors and seniors also will have a second practice starting at 4 p.m. the same day.
Cheyenne East
Fall sports registration also can be completed by using the Athletic Registration tab at www.cheyenneeastathletics.com.
Football: Practice started Aug. 8.
Golf: Practice started Aug. 8.
Tennis: Practice started Aug. 8.
Cross-country: The first practice starts at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15 at Brimmer Park, 3056 Windmill Road.
Girls swimming and diving: The first practice starts at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 in the East High natatorium. There also will be a second practice starting at 3:15 p.m. the same day.
Volleyball: The first practice runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Aug. 15 in the East main gym. Athletes should bring a sack lunch.
Cheyenne South
All families should visit www.cheyennesouthbison.com and fill out the online activity registration form. Families can upload physical and sign registration forms on that website. Those forms must be filled out before athletes can practice.
Football: Practice started Aug. 8.
Golf: Practice started Aug. 8.
Tennis: Practice started Aug. 8.
Cross-country: The first practice is Monday. Aug. 15.
Girls swimming and diving: The first practice starts at 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 at the South natatorium. There will be a second practice from 3-5 p.m. the same day.
Volleyball: The first practice starts at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 at the South main gym. There will be a second practice at noon the same day. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/lcsd1-2022-fall-sports-start-times-copy/article_603dbab1-3d68-5063-9724-bd55e45c779d.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:30Z |
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People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/prep-golf-central-girls-east-boys-win-in-wheatland/article_88051b7f-052b-51c7-8f13-25ed1b8cf035.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:36Z |
They arrived one-by-one during a hot late afternoon under a bright, cloudless sky near the corner of N. 15th St. and E. Reynolds St. — entering a field synonymous with a rich football tradition.
The youthful gathering quickly grew Wednesday on the north end zone of the old Deti Stadium. They were sporting white helmets and full pads under the group’s kaleidoscope of colorful jerseys. Most of the tops had team sponsorship names on the back and a few jerseys left no doubt about their NFL loyalties.
It was a full practice for the entire Laramie Youth Football organization, a longtime all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to “supporting, encouraging and enabling youth to benefit from participating in football in a safe and structured environment,” states the mission on the LYF website, laramieyouthfootball.org.
The proud football organization can be considered in the midst of a revival this season by building on its past, and changing a culture for the future.
It’s a Laramie football culture that has a clearer direction from the bottom up and top down from fourth grade to seniors in high school.
After the players from 4-6 grades ran about 100 yards and back, and participated together for pre-practice stretching, they separated into groups: clocking speed for 20 and 40 yards, tackling drills, rushing drills and edge-rushing drills. Welcomed water breaks were between the players rotating among the separate groups spotted throughout the whole field — each drill under the direction of a couple of coaches.
“I thoroughly enjoy football and love teaching all kids — and not just the best athletes on the field,” said Danny Punches, who coaches 5-6 grade players. “It’s teaching them a skill, determination, accountability and responsibility they might not get somewhere else. Being a part of that just seems to grow this community as a whole.
“Seeing the kids after you coach them in the community and to see how they succeed, you can’t put a value on that.”
Punches played at Rock Springs High as a cornerback, tight end and outside linebacker. He was recruited and played wide receiver for a year at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota. He has been a LYF coach for six years and became a member of the board of directors this season.
Another board member this season is Tony Shingleton, who joins Punches coaching 5-6 graders. He brings a wealth of youth football coaching experience.
Shingleton played on the offensive line at Laramie High, and was a part of the 1984 Plainsmen state championship team that went 9-1 that season. He has coached youth football for 14 years, starting in Palisade, Colorado, just east of Grand Junction. He also was a board member for the Mesa County Junior Football Association for six years prior to moving back to Laramie. Upon his arrival in the Gem City he became a part of the Laramie Youth Football organization.
“I got involved in coaching when my kids were young and started playing football,” Shingleton said. “I enjoy passing on the traditions of the game — not only X’s and O’s, but life skills along with it. When I moved here, I really missed coaching and after about four years I got back into it.”
For the past several years, Laramie Youth Football had two board members, Heather Jacobson and Adam Lindstrom. The board has grown to 10 members this season.
“Heather and Adam did an outstanding job with it being just the two of them,” Shingleton said.
The organization also has about a dozen coaches for two fourth grade teams and four teams for combined 5-6 graders. Practices began Aug. 1 and skill assessments were Aug. 2-4. Teams will be selected before Monday with team practices starting next week. Practices run four times a week. The regular season of one game per week begins the week of Sept. 5 and goes through the week of Oct. 1, which will be championship weekend.
It’s also the first season the youth players will be participating in community service projects. The popular Snowy Range Showdown that started more than 10 years ago will feature 4-6 grade All-Star teams from around the region. It is set for Oct. 30 at University of Wyoming’s War Memorial Stadium.
Middle school connection
Shingleton also is an assistant coach for the eighth-grade team with head coach Jared Krysl coaching the Scouts. Sean Baker coaches the seventh-grade team.
“Last year, I invited the eighth and seventh graders to come and watch the 5-6 grade games,” Shingleton said. “The sixth-grade players knew they had the upperclassmen’s support. It was because they will all be in high school together anyway. The eighth graders even helped run the chains and down markers.”
Punches added: “The eighth graders would go straight from their practices or games and come support our program.”
Punches also said all the coaches talk, share stories and have the “camaraderie of a football community as everyone is involved with them asking questions about our kids and us asking about their kids.
“The only way to make a football program successful all the way through is to have everybody involved at every step,” Punches continued. “One of the things I like to brag about for Laramie Youth Football is that we purchased a two-man sled and a five-man blocking chute for the Laramie Middle School this year. That will not only help those players right now, but for future generations of players because the equipment they had was antiquated.”
Dropping off
Shingleton played for legendary Laramie High coach John Deti Jr., who followed his equally legendary father, John Deti Sr.
Deti Jr. led the Plainsmen to a 157-79 record from 1977-2002, won two state championships in 1984 and 1994, was runner-up in the championship game five times and won 11 conference championships.
Since 2003, Plainsmen football has had seven head coaches for a combined 39-139 record without reaching .500 in those 19 years. LHS football was winless twice, won one game six times and two games three times. It’s also no secret many of the losses were blowouts.
One of the major reasons for the nearly two decades of lackluster results at the high school level was the absence of football continuity in the community. Second-year Plainsmen head coach Paul Ronga recognized the disparity immediately.
“One of my initiatives when I got here was to tackle that and to get our program, our school and our community centered around Laramie High football — to be more in line with them and to embrace them as one huge community and program,” Ronga said.
“We went to the middle school for meetings for 3-8 graders. We had slide and video presentations with parents, coaches, students interested in playing and students already playing. High school football players also were there speaking about what they do and to motivate them to continue playing and staying with football as they progress. We brought to them what we do at the high school — offense, defense, special teams and practicing. They can get that under their belts now so it makes the transitions that much easier.”
Ronga also had coaching clinics for all levels so “everyone can be more on the same page as a uniformed script to be carried from each grade level and for each team on the way up to 12th grade,” he said.
Punches added: “There about 40-50% of kids who play 4-8 grade football, and do not play football by the time they are freshman in high school.”
Shingleton also said: “There’s a huge drop off once kids go from middle school into high school. A lot of them don’t play football at the high school level. What coach Ronga is trying to build as far as the overall Laramie community of football and what we are trying to do from the youth level and up; if we can get it to all meet in the middle, then we can get it on track to where the culture changes for the better.
“Then we can bring the tradition of Laramie football back to where it was.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/laramie_high/laramie-youth-football-has-one-eye-on-the-season-other-eye-on-the-future/article_e0a69c3b-239b-593e-a60b-87034ed887a7.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:42Z |
LARAMIE — The start of the season is almost here for the University of Wyoming’s fall sports teams.
UW hosted its fall sports media day Friday at War Memorial Stadium’s Wildcatter Club, with players and coaches from the cross-country, soccer and volleyball teams providing insight on what to expect in 2022. Here is a look at each program with the fall quickly approaching.
Excitement surrounds cross-country
With an accomplished group returning and the Mountain West championships coming to Laramie for the first time in more than a decade, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding Wyoming cross-country this season.
One of the things UW coach Scott Dahlberg is looking forward to most is building off the historic success of last season. The Cowboys and Cowgirls both finished sixth at last year’s MW championships, with a bevy of student-athletes making their mark on the school record books.
“We have top-10 lists that we have on the outside of our office for every event in track,” Dahlberg said. “From the distance events for men and women, indoor and outdoor, we had 25 performances that ended up on the top-10 list. To put some perspective on that, you look at the next year that had the most entries, and it was 10. Looking at the last four years, the average was two for the distance events.
“To have 25 in one year, we were really excited about. We knew it was coming, so I think that just generated a lot of excitement, and it was a good catalyst for what we were going to be doing in the summer. The athletes have carried that (over), and they’ve been training their tails off.”
Katelyn Mitchem, a fifth-year senior from Broomfield, Colorado, is confident that experience on the roster will translate to more success on a team-wide level.
“Especially with cross-country and building up mileage, I feel a lot more confident in my training and everything,” Mitchem said. “Every year, I’ve been able to build on mileage and summer training, and that’s just something that takes a lot of time to develop. I’m really glad I got a fifth year, because I’m not ready to be done.”
This year, UW hopes to benefit from a home-field advantage when the conference championships roll around.
The last time the event came to Laramie was 2010, with Dahlberg noting that, if the MW stays with its current rotation, it won’t return until 2034. The coach added that, with it taking place in late October, conditions could range anywhere from perfect weather to snowfall.
Familiarity with such conditions, as well as the school’s elevation, could provide UW with an edge.
“It’s really exciting,” Dahlberg said. “There are a lot of sea level schools that aren’t excited about it. We just know that we have a support system. The athletic department, the campus, the community, it’s something special. Not every school has what we have in that capacity, and our athletes are excited to be able to do it on our home turf.
“There are a lot of cool things besides the altitude equation that goes into why we want to host it. It’s really special, and I hope we get to do it again in the future.”
Trip bonds volleyball team
With a total of eight high school signees and transfers on the roster, the UW volleyball team has as many newcomers as it does returning players.
Fortunately for the Cowgirls, chemistry doesn’t seem to be an issue. A 10-day trip in June to Croatia and Greece is largely to thank for this.
“We gained a ton of experience and a ton of team bonding,” associate head coach Kaylee Prigge said. “Our newbies got to come with us on that trip, so that was just exponential in our growth as a team. We feel like we’re way ahead of where we would be otherwise on day four of preseason.”
The departure of five-time All-MW honoree Jackie McBride will undoubtedly hurt, but the Cowgirls feel confident with where they stand heading into the upcoming season. There’s also a sense of unfinished business.
Typically one of the most consistent teams in the MW, an 8-10 showing in league play marked the program’s first time posting a conference record below .500 since 2010. Senior outside hitter Hailey Zuroske and junior outside hitter Naya Shimé both note that the struggles of last season have given the Cowgirls a chip on their shoulder heading into 2022.
“We have something to prove to ourselves and everyone in our conference,” Shimé said. “Everyone has a little bit of fire in them right now, because we want to prove something. We don’t have anything to lose, so I think it’s going to be really fun.”
Added Zuroske: “I was actually watching film a few days ago, and it just gets me so fired up. I feel like we have so much to prove after last year, because nobody is happy with where we were. As a whole, we’re all so excited to have that new opportunity and give it all we got.”
Soccer eyes Year 2 under Corbin
The UW soccer program found itself in an unusual position at the start of its 2021 campaign, with Colleen Corbin being hired as head coach barely a month before the start of the season. There were some positive moments, including a 6-1 rout of Nevada and a 3-1 win over Border War rival Colorado State to close out the year, but there were also some growing pains amid an 8-10-1 season.
Part of the challenge was learning a new system — senior midfielder Hannah Hagen said “there was a lot of kick and run” under their former coach, while Corbin’s scheme has more structure and is “very fundamental-based.” Fifth-year midfielder Jamie Tatum believes that the new approach meshes well with the Cowgirls’ roster, and is excited to see what 2022 holds after growing more accustomed to how their coach wants them to play.
“The biggest thing I first noticed when I got here as a freshman was that there were a lot of talented girls, but I don’t think they were really utilized in the right way,” Tatum said. “The style of soccer wasn’t suited to what we had here, so with (Corbin) coming in, it’s actually a style of soccer I was used to playing from club.
“It’s really nice and I think it fits the players a lot better. Where we were at last year to where we’re at now is so exciting, and everybody is super confident to prove everybody wrong. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s finally here.”
Corbin feels a full year of her and her coaching staff working with their team has also helped improve team chemistry. Around this time last year, she was still figuring out what roles various players needed to fill on the pitch. Now, there’s a sense of comfort in terms of knowing what different players are capable of, as well as in how they’ve gelled together.
This chemistry was on display last week, as they defeated Kansas State in a scrimmage.
“I’m super proud,” Corbin said. “I told our girls the other day in film that I think the thing I’m most proud of when I look at our roster is the team chemistry, and how deeply they support one another. When you have a roster of 31 girls and 11 are playing at a time, that can be really challenging. From a culture and a team environment standpoint, it’s just been really fun to watch.
“They’re a really good group of kids and it’s fun to be around. They’ve been able to generate a really awesome balance between being competitive, and challenging and pushing each other, and also being able to spend time away from the soccer field together and grow those relationships.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/other_sports/wyoming-fall-sports-teams-prepare-for-upcoming-seasons/article_56d60f22-fee7-5330-9129-273b090483ef.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:49Z |
LARAMIE – The start of the season is almost here for the University of Wyoming’s fall sports teams.
UW held its fall sports media day Friday at War Memorial Stadium’s Wildcatter Club, with players and coaches from the cross-country, soccer and volleyball teams providing insight on what to expect in 2022. Here is a look at each program with the fall quickly approaching.
Excitement surrounds cross-country
With an accomplished group returning and the Mountain West championships coming to Laramie for the first time in more than a decade, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding Wyoming cross-country this season.
One of the things UW coach Scott Dahlberg is looking forward to most is building off the historic success of last season. The Cowboys and Cowgirls both finished sixth at last year’s MW championships, with a bevy of student-athletes making their mark on the school record books.
“We have top-10 lists that we have on the outside of our office for every event in track,” Dahlberg said. “From the distance events for men and women, indoor and outdoor, we had 25 performances that ended up on the top-10 list. To put some perspective on that, you look at the next year that had the most entries, and it was 10. Looking at the last four years, the average was two for the distance events.
“To have 25 in one year, we were really excited about. We knew it was coming, so I think that just generated a lot of excitement, and it was a good catalyst for what we were going to be doing in the summer. The athletes have carried that (over), and they’ve been training their tails off.”
Katelyn Mitchem, a fifth-year senior from Broomfield, Colorado, is confident that experience on the roster will translate to more success on a team-wide level.
“Especially with cross-country and building up mileage, I feel a lot more confident in my training and everything,” Mitchem said. “Every year, I’ve been able to build on mileage and summer training, and that’s just something that takes a lot of time to develop. I’m really glad I got a fifth year, because I’m not ready to be done.”
This year, UW hopes to benefit from a home-field advantage when the conference championships roll around.
The last time the event came to Laramie was 2010, with Dahlberg noting that, if the MW stays with its current rotation, it won’t return until 2034. The coach added that, with it taking place in late October, conditions could range anywhere from perfect weather to snowfall.
Familiarity with such conditions, as well as the school’s elevation, could provide UW with an edge.
“It’s really exciting,” Dahlberg said. “There are a lot of sea level schools that aren’t excited about it. We just know that we have a support system. The athletic department, the campus, the community, it’s something special. Not every school has what we have in that capacity, and our athletes are excited to be able to do it on our home turf.
“There are a lot of cool things besides the altitude equation that goes into why we want to host it. It’s really special, and I hope we get to do it again in the future.”
European trip bonds volleyball team
With a total of eight high school signees and transfers on the roster, the UW volleyball team has as many newcomers as it does returning players.
Fortunately for the Cowgirls, chemistry doesn’t seem to be an issue. A 10-day trip in June to Croatia and Greece is largely to thank for this.
“We gained a ton of experience and a ton of team bonding,” associate head coach Kaylee Prigge said. “Our newbies got to come with us on that trip, so that was just exponential in our growth as a team. We feel like we’re way ahead of where we would be otherwise on day four of preseason.”
The departure of five-time All-MW honoree Jackie McBride will undoubtedly hurt, but the Cowgirls feel confident with where they stand heading into the upcoming season. There’s also a sense of unfinished business.
Typically one of the most consistent teams in the MW, an 8-10 showing in league play marked the program’s first time posting a conference record below .500 since 2010. senior outside hitter Hailey Zuroske and junior outside hitter Naya Shimé both note that the struggles of last season have given the Cowgirls a chip on their shoulder heading into 2022.
“We have something to prove to ourselves and everyone in our conference,” Shimé said. “Everyone has a little bit of fire in them right now, because we want to prove something. We don’t have anything to lose, so I think it’s going to be really fun.”
Added Zuroske: “I was actually watching film a few days ago, and it just gets me so fired up. I feel like we have so much to prove after last year, because nobody is happy with where we were. As a whole, we’re all so excited to have that new opportunity and give it all we got.”
Cowgirls soccer eyes Year 2 under Corbin
The UW soccer program found itself in an unusual position at the start of its 2021 campaign, with Colleen Corbin being hired as head coach barely a month before the start of the season. There were some positive moments, including a 6-1 rout of Nevada and a 3-1 win over Border War rival Colorado State to close out the year, but there were also some growing pains amid an 8-10-1 season.
Part of the challenge was learning a new system – senior midfielder Hannah Hagen said “there was a lot of kick and run” under their former coach, while Corbin’s scheme has more structure and is “very fundamental-based.” Fifth-year midfielder Jamie Tatum believes that the new approach meshes well with the Cowgirls’ roster, and is excited to see what 2022 holds after growing more accustomed to how their coach wants them to play.
“The biggest thing I first noticed when I got here as a freshman was that there were a lot of talented girls, but I don’t think they were really utilized in the right way,” Tatum said. “The style of soccer wasn’t suited to what we had here, so with (Corbin) coming in, it’s actually a style of soccer I was used to playing from club.
“It’s really nice and I think it fits the players a lot better. Where we were at last year to where we’re at now is so exciting, and everybody is super confident to prove everybody wrong. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s finally here.”
Corbin feels a full year of her and her coaching staff working with their team has also helped improve team chemistry. Around this time last year, she was still figuring out what roles various players needed to fill on the pitch. Now, there’s a sense of comfort in terms of knowing what different players are capable of, as well as in how they’ve gelled together.
This chemistry was on display last week, as they defeated Kansas State in a scrimmage.
“I’m super proud,” Corbin said. “I told our girls the other day in film that I think the thing I’m most proud of when I look at our roster is the team chemistry, and how deeply they support one another. When you have a roster of 31 girls and 11 are playing at a time, that can be really challenging. From a culture and a team environment standpoint, it’s just been really fun to watch.
“They’re a really good group of kids and it’s fun to be around. They’ve been able to generate a really awesome balance between being competitive, and challenging and pushing each other, and also being able to spend time away from the soccer field together and grow those relationships.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/wyoming-fall-sports-teams-prepare-to-kick-off-seasons/article_f7657e99-4176-59aa-84ed-f36dbe20ca8c.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:55Z |
A summer edition of NPR's Books We Love. Today, we hear recommendations from our staff for three non-fiction titles: "Making Videogames," "The Nineties," and "Korean American."
Copyright 2022 NPR
A summer edition of NPR's Books We Love. Today, we hear recommendations from our staff for three non-fiction titles: "Making Videogames," "The Nineties," and "Korean American."
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/books-we-love-3-recommendations-for-a-non-fiction-read | 2022-08-13T13:53:52Z |
The House provided final approval to the Democrats' bill that calls for historic climate investments, curbs to prescription drug costs, changes to corporate taxes and more.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The House provided final approval to the Democrats' bill that calls for historic climate investments, curbs to prescription drug costs, changes to corporate taxes and more.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/democrats-pass-major-climate-health-and-tax-bill | 2022-08-13T13:53:58Z |
Using pandemic recovery money distributed by the European Union, Italy is trying to bring back one dying village in each of the country's 21 regions. The villages will each get $20 million.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Using pandemic recovery money distributed by the European Union, Italy is trying to bring back one dying village in each of the country's 21 regions. The villages will each get $20 million.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/italy-is-spending-hundreds-of-millions-to-save-dying-villages-will-it-work | 2022-08-13T13:54:05Z |
NPR's Daniel Estrin talks with Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media about Serena Williams' retirement announcement and a baseball all-star's 80-game suspension.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Daniel Estrin talks with Howard Bryant of Meadowlark Media about Serena Williams' retirement announcement and a baseball all-star's 80-game suspension.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/saturday-sports-serena-williams-to-retire-fernando-tatis-jr-80-game-suspension | 2022-08-13T13:54:11Z |
Superorganism reaches into all the musical corners of the Earth on 'World Wide Pop' NPR | By Daniel Estrin Published August 13, 2022 at 7:07 AM MDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Flipboard NPR's Daniel Estrin talks with Superorganism's singer, Orono, about the band's latest album, "World Wide Pop." Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/superorganism-reaches-into-all-the-musical-corners-of-the-earth-on-world-wide-pop | 2022-08-13T13:54:17Z |
The Nez Perce tribe has resumed its annual powwows after canceling them for the pandemic. They are an important way for the tribe to assert its presence in northeastern Oregon.
Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting
The Nez Perce tribe has resumed its annual powwows after canceling them for the pandemic. They are an important way for the tribe to assert its presence in northeastern Oregon.
Copyright 2022 Oregon Public Broadcasting | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/the-nez-perce-tribe-resumes-annual-powwows-after-pandemic-hiatus | 2022-08-13T13:54:24Z |
The FBI recovered classified information in its search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago property this week. Unsealed court filings are offering clues about the investigation.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The FBI recovered classified information in its search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago property this week. Unsealed court filings are offering clues about the investigation.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/unsealed-documents-tell-the-what-and-why-of-the-fbis-search-of-trumps-property | 2022-08-13T13:54:30Z |
A look at what ordinary Afghans have lost, and gained, since August 15, 2021, when the Taliban abruptly took over the country.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A look at what ordinary Afghans have lost, and gained, since August 15, 2021, when the Taliban abruptly took over the country.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/what-daily-life-in-afghanistan-looks-like-1-year-after-the-taliban-takeover | 2022-08-13T13:54:37Z |
R. Kelly accuser to give key testimony on trial-fixing charge
CHICAGO (AP) — R. Kelly’s federal trial in Chicago that starts Monday is in many ways a do-over of his 2008 state child pornography trial, at which jurors acquitted the singer on charges that he produced a video of himself when he was around 30 having sex with a girl no older than 14.
There’s one big difference: This time, prosecutors say, she will testify.
Kelly goes into Chicago federal court already sentenced by a New York federal judge to 30-year prison term for a 2021 conviction on charges he parlayed his fame to sexually abuse other young fans.
Among the most serious charges the Grammy Award winner faces at his federal trial is conspiracy to obstruct justice by rigging the 2008 trial, including by paying off and threatening the girl to ensure she did not testify.
Testimony by the woman, now in her 30s and referred to in filings only as “Minor 1,” will be pivotal. The charges against Kelly also include four counts of the enticement of minors for sex — one count each for four other accusers. All are also slated to testify.
Even just one or two convictions in Chicago could add decades to Kelly’s New York sentence, which he is appealing. With the New York sentence alone, Kelly will be around 80 before qualifying for early release.
Prosecutors at the federal trial plan to play the same VHS tape that was “Exhibit No. 1″ at the 2008 trial. While it was the only video in evidence 14 years ago, at least three other videos will be entered into evidence at the federal trial.
Prosecutors say Kelly shot the video of Minor 1 in a log cabin-themed room at his North Side Chicago home between 1998 and 2000 when she was as young as 13. In it, the girl is heard calling the man “daddy.” Federal prosecutors say that she and Kelly had sex hundreds of times over the years in his homes, recording studios and tour buses.
Before the 2008 trial, Kelly carried a duffle bag full of sex tapes everywhere he went for years, but some tapes later went missing, according to court filings. In the 2000s, bootleg copies of some videos appeared on street corners across the U.S.
Kelly, who rose from poverty on Chicago’s South Side to become a star singer, songwriter and producer, knew a conviction in 2008 would effectively end his life as he knew it.
On June 13, 2008, Kelly shut his eyes tight and bowed his head as jurors returned from deliberations. As a court official read the jury’s decision and it became clear Kelly would be acquitted on all counts, tears streamed down his cheeks and he said over and over, “Thank you, Jesus.”
Two Kelly associates, Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, are co-defendants in Chicago. McDavid is accused of helping Kelly fix the 2008 trial, while Brown is charged with receiving child pornography. Like Kelly, they have also denied any wrongdoing.
Double jeopardy rules bar the prosecution of someone for the same crimes they were acquitted of earlier. But that shouldn’t apply to the Chicago federal trial because prosecutors are alleging different crimes related to Minor 1, including obstruction of justice for fixing the 2008 trial.
Minor 1 first met Kelly in the late 1990s when she was in junior high school. She had tagged along to Kelly’s Chicago recording studio with her aunt, a professional singer working with Kelly’s music. Soon after that meeting, Minor 1 told her parents Kelly was going to be her godfather.
In the early 2000s, the aunt showed the parents a copy of a video she said depicted their daughter having sex with Kelly. When they confronted Kelly, he told them, “You’re with me or against me,” a government filing says.
The parents took it as a threat.
“Minor 1′s mother did not want to go up against Kelly’s power, money, and influence by not following what he said,” the filing adds.
Kelly told the parents and Minor 1 they had to leave Chicago, paying for them to travel to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. When they returned, prosecutors say Kelly sought to isolate Minor 1, moving her around to different hotels.
When called before a state grand jury looking into the video, Minor 1, her father and mother denied it was her in it. Prosecutors say an attorney for Kelly sat in on their testimony and reported back to Kelly what they said.
Prosecutors from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office chose to push ahead with charges and to take the case to trial in 2008 despite what they knew was a major hurdle: their inability to call the girl in the video to testify.
Any confidence Kelly may have had of beating similar charges a second time were likely dashed when he learned Minor 1 was now cooperating the government. With more resources, federal prosecutors also boast conviction rates of more than 90% compared to around 65% for their state counterparts.
In 2008, his lawyers argued the man in the VHS video who appeared very much to be Kelly was not Kelly. They showed jurors that Kelly has a large mole on his back, then played excerpts of the video in which no mole was visible on the man.
One of Kelly’s attorneys, Sam Adam Jr., told jurors during closings that no mole on the man’s back meant one thing: “It ain’t him. And if it ain’t him, you can’t convict.”
Some 2008 jurors told reporters after the trial that they weren’t convinced the female in the video was who state prosecutors said she was.
That shouldn’t be an issue at the Chicago federal trial. Prosecutors say both the girl and her parents will testify.
What defense Kelly’s legal team will present this time isn’t clear.
The defense is likely to say Kelly’s accusers are misrepresenting the facts. Kelly was more blunt in a 2019 interview with Gayle King of “CBS This Morning,” saying about the women: “All of them are lying.”
__
Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at @mtarm.Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/13/r-kelly-accuser-give-key-testimony-trial-fixing-charge/ | 2022-08-13T14:25:51Z |
NPR's Daniel Estrin speaks with actor Aubrey Plaza about her new thriller, "Emily The Criminal," which centers around a woman who turns to crime to pay off student loan debt.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Daniel Estrin speaks with actor Aubrey Plaza about her new thriller, "Emily The Criminal," which centers around a woman who turns to crime to pay off student loan debt.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/aubrey-plaza-goes-from-art-school-to-fraudster-in-emily-the-criminal | 2022-08-13T15:06:06Z |
A summer edition of NPR's Books We Love. Today, we hear recommendations from our staff for three non-fiction titles: "Making Videogames," "The Nineties," and "Korean American."
Copyright 2022 NPR
A summer edition of NPR's Books We Love. Today, we hear recommendations from our staff for three non-fiction titles: "Making Videogames," "The Nineties," and "Korean American."
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/books-we-love-3-recommendations-for-a-non-fiction-read | 2022-08-13T15:06:12Z |
Using pandemic recovery money distributed by the European Union, Italy is trying to bring back one dying village in each of the country's 21 regions. The villages will each get $20 million.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Using pandemic recovery money distributed by the European Union, Italy is trying to bring back one dying village in each of the country's 21 regions. The villages will each get $20 million.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/italy-is-spending-hundreds-of-millions-to-save-dying-villages-will-it-work | 2022-08-13T15:06:18Z |
Superorganism reaches into all the musical corners of the Earth on 'World Wide Pop' By Daniel Estrin Published August 13, 2022 at 8:07 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 7:16 NPR's Daniel Estrin talks with Superorganism's singer, Orono, about the band's latest album, "World Wide Pop." Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-13/superorganism-reaches-into-all-the-musical-corners-of-the-earth-on-world-wide-pop | 2022-08-13T15:06:24Z |
The new school year is underway and so are new federal guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated recommendations on Thursday, largely loosening virus protocols and leaving much of the decision-making to individuals and local officials.
The changes to the existing guidance are a reflection of the country's sweeping immunity. Around 95% of the population have some immunity due to a combination of vaccination and past infections, according to Greta Massetti, a senior epidemiologist at the CDC.
"We also have a better understanding of how to protect people from being exposed to the virus," Massetti said in a statement. "This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives."
Health measures will probably look different depending on the school district, but here are some things to know about best practices recommended by the CDC.
Universal indoor masking is recommended in nearly half the country
The CDC calls on students and staff members to wear "well-fitting" masks at school if they live in communities where COVID-19 transmission rates are high. As of Thursday, that accounts for nearly 40% of counties in the U.S., including Los Angeles, Nashville and most of Florida.
In general, students who are sick from or exposed to the virus should wear face coverings for 10 days, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or previously infected. The latest guidance also advise people to put on a mask while in the school nurse's office or other health care settings.
The CDC asked school administrators to ensure that masking polices accommodate students with disabilities or those who are immunocompromised.
"Students with immunocompromising conditions or other conditions or disabilities that increase risk for getting very sick with COVID-19 should not be placed into separate classrooms or otherwise segregated from other students," the agency said.
Routine testing is no longer recommended, with some exceptions
The agency no longer recommends routine testing in K-12 schools unless COVID-19 transmission rates are high in the area.
If that's the case, school administrators should consider implementing health screens for "high-risk activities" like close-contact sports, band and theater. Large events like prom, tournaments and field trips should also incorporate testing or possibly be rescheduled if infection rates become concerning. The same rules apply for the first day back after the holidays and other vacation breaks, according to the CDC.
When it comes to testing, the new guidelines also make no distinction between vaccinated or unvaccinated people — which is a sharp difference from previous rules.
Quarantine requirements are dropped
Similar to routine testing, the CDC is no longer advising students or staff members who are exposed to the virus to quarantine. Instead, the agency's new advice is that people who were exposed wear face coverings for 10 days and get tested.
Because of the testing and quarantine policy changes, the CDC says that "test-to-stay" programs, which required exposed unvaccinated students to get tested frequently in order to attend school, are no longer necessary.
That being said, the agency urges schools to allow for "flexible, non-punitive and supportive" paid sick leave policies as well as allow for excused absences when students are sick.
"Avoid policies that incentivize coming to school while sick, and support children who are learning at home if they are sick," the new guidelines say.
What to do if you or your student is sick
Students and staff members who experience symptoms like a cough, fever or sore throat should head home and get tested immediately, the CDC said. For people who are at risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19, the agency recommends consulting their doctor.
Those who test positive should isolate at home for at least five days. Afterward, isolation depends on whether they continue to exhibit symptoms or test positive for the virus.
Students and staff members sick with the virus don't have to get a negative test result to end isolation, but it could shorten the number of days they should wear a mask after getting sick.
But generally, the CDC recommends students and staff continue wearing a mask for 10 days after symptoms began to show.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/health-wellness/2022-08-13/what-parents-teachers-and-students-should-know-about-the-cdcs-new-covid-guidelines | 2022-08-13T15:06:31Z |
1 killed after strong winds cause stage collapse at music festival in Spain
CULLERA, Spain (CNN) - One person died Saturday and dozens more were injured, three of them seriously, after a stage collapsed at a music festival near Valencia, Spain, according to local officials.
Disaster struck at the Medusa Festival in the town of Cullera near Valencia at 4:18 a.m. local time “due to a strong gust of wind,” they said.
The man killed in the stage collapse incident was 22 years old, the Spanish Civil Guard told CNN.
Early Saturday morning festival management announced that the festival had been suspended.
“Due to inclement weather occurring in the early hours of Aug. 13, 2022, and with the aim of guaranteeing the security of the concert-goers, workers and artists gathered at the Medusa Festival, the festival organization suspends its activity for the time being,” festival management said on Instagram.
“The festival site is cleared as a preventative measure with the aim of facilitating the work of the emergency and security services at the Medusa Festiva,” it added.
Videos posted on social media early Saturday showed strong winds and structures falling from the stage as large crowds of festival attendees were evacuated.
The Civil Guard said there were about 50,000 people at the festival site when the incident happened. The press office added that evacuation of the festival took about 40 minutes and the exit doors to the site were functioning properly.
The Spanish Civil Guard, Spain’s paramilitary police unit that is in charge of the investigation, also said there was more damage than just the partial collapse of the stage.
“Due to a strong gust of wind, the main entrance and the main stage of the Medusa Festival in Cullera fell to the ground,” the Civil Guard press office in Valencia told CNN.
The Valencia section of Spain’s national weather service (AEMET) said on Twitter that warm breezes were producing very strong gusts of wind and abrupt increases in temperature.
Around 3 a.m. local time, the temperature was a blistering 40.5 Celsius (104.9 degrees Fahrenheit) at the Alicante-Elche airport, just south of the concert site, on the Mediterranean coast -- with winds measuring 82 kilometers (around 50 miles) per hour.
Temperatures have been soaring across Europe with droughts declared in several parts of England and wildfires in France.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/13/1-killed-after-strong-winds-cause-stage-collapse-music-festival-spain/ | 2022-08-13T15:15:05Z |
Salman Rushdie on ventilator after stabbing, may lose an eye
MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Salman Rushdie remained hospitalized Saturday after suffering serious injuries in a stabbing attack, which was met with shock and outrage from much of the world, along with tributes and praise for the award-winning author who for more than 30 years has faced death threats for his novel “The Satanic Verses.”
Rushdie, 75, suffered a damaged liver, severed nerves in an arm and an eye, and was on a ventilator and unable to speak, his agent Andrew Wylie said Friday evening. Rushdie was likely to lose the injured eye.
Authors, activists and government officials condemned the attack and cited Rushdie’s courage for his longtime advocacy of free speech despite the risks to his own safety. Rushdie’s fellow author and longtime friend Ian McEwan called him “an inspirational defender of persecuted writers and journalists across the world,” and the actor-author Kal Penn cited him as a role model “for an entire generation of artists, especially many of us in the South Asian diaspora toward whom he’s shown incredible warmth.”
Police identified the suspect as Hadi Matar, 24. He was arrested after the attack at the Chautauqua Institution, a nonprofit education and retreat center where Rushdie was scheduled to speak.
Authorities said Matar is from Fairview, New Jersey. He was born in the United States to Lebanese parents who emigrated from Yaroun, a border village in southern Lebanon, the mayor of the village, Ali Tehfe, told The Associated Press.
Rushdie, a native of India who has since lived in Britain and the U.S., is known for his surreal and satirical prose style, beginning with his Booker Prize-winning novel from 1981, “Midnight’s Children,” in which he sharply criticized India’s then-prime minister, Indira Gandhi. “The Satanic Verses” drew death threats after it was published in 1988, with many Muslims regarding as blasphemy a dream sequence based on the life of the Prophet Muhammad, among other objections. Rushdie’s book had already been banned and burned in India, Pakistan and elsewhere before Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a 1989 fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death.
Khomeini died the same year he issued the fatwa, which remains in effect. Iran’s current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, never issued a fatwa of his own withdrawing the edict, though Iran in recent years hasn’t focused on the writer.
Investigators were working to determine whether the assailant, born a decade after “The Satanic Verses” was published, acted alone.
Iran’s theocratic government and its state-run media assigned no rationale for the assault. In Tehran, some Iranians interviewed by the AP praised the attack on an author they believe tarnished the Islamic faith, while others worried it would further isolate their country.
An AP reporter witnessed the attacker confront Rushdie on stage and stab or punch him 10 to 15 times as the author was being introduced. Dr. Martin Haskell, a physician who was among those who rushed to help, described Rushdie’s wounds as “serious but recoverable.”
Event moderator Henry Reese, 73, a co-founder of an organization that offers residencies to writers facing persecution, was also attacked. Reese suffered a facial injury and was treated and released from a hospital, police said. He and Rushdie had planned to discuss the United States as a refuge for writers and other artists in exile.
A state trooper and a county sheriff’s deputy were assigned to Rushdie’s lecture, and state police said the trooper made the arrest. But after the attack, some longtime visitors to the center questioned why there wasn’t tighter security for the event, given the threats against Rushdie and a bounty on his head offering more than $3 million to anyone who killed him.
Matar, like other visitors, had obtained a pass to enter the Chautauqua Institution’s 750-acre grounds, Michael Hill, the institution’s president, said.
The suspect’s attorney, public defender Nathaniel Barone, said he was still gathering information and declined to comment. Matar’s home was blocked off by authorities.
Rabbi Charles Savenor was among the roughly 2,500 people in the audience for Rushdie’s appearance.
The assailant ran onto the platform “and started pounding on Mr. Rushdie. At first you’re like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then it became abundantly clear in a few seconds that he was being beaten,” Savenor said. He said the attack lasted about 20 seconds.
Another spectator, Kathleen James, said the attacker was dressed in black, with a black mask.
Amid gasps, spectators were ushered out of the outdoor amphitheater.
The stabbing reverberated from the tranquil town of Chautauqua to the United Nations, which issued a statement expressing U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ horror and stressing that free expression and opinion should not be met with violence.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday’s attack, which led an evening news bulletin on Iranian state television. From the White House, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan described the attack as “reprehensible” and said the Biden administration wished Rushdie a quick recovery.
After the publication of “The Satanic Verses,” often-violent protests erupted across the Muslim world against Rushdie, who was born in India to a Muslim family and has long identified as a non-believer, once calling himself “a hard-line atheist.”
At least 45 people were killed in riots over the book, including 12 people in Rushdie’s hometown of Mumbai. In 1991, a Japanese translator of the book was stabbed to death and an Italian translator survived a knife attack. In 1993, the book’s Norwegian publisher was shot three times and survived.
The death threats and bounty led Rushdie to go into hiding under a British government protection program, which included a round-the-clock armed guard. Rushdie emerged after nine years of seclusion and cautiously resumed more public appearances, maintaining his outspoken criticism of religious extremism overall.
In 2012, Rushdie published a memoir, “Joseph Anton,” about the fatwa. The title came from the pseudonym Rushdie used while in hiding. He said during a New York talk the same year the memoir came out that terrorism was really the art of fear.
“The only way you can defeat it is by deciding not to be afraid,” he said.
The Chautauqua Institution, about 55 miles (89 kilometers) southwest of Buffalo in a rural corner of New York, has served for more than a century as a place for reflection and spiritual guidance. Visitors don’t pass through metal detectors or undergo bag checks. Most people leave the doors to their century-old cottages unlocked at night.
The center is known for its summertime lecture series, where Rushdie has spoken before.
At an evening vigil, a few hundred residents and visitors gathered for prayer, music and a long moment of silence.
“Hate can’t win,” one man shouted.
___
Italie reported from New York.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/13/author-salman-rushdie-ventilator-after-new-york-stabbing/ | 2022-08-13T15:15:11Z |
R. Kelly accuser to give key testimony on trial-fixing charge
CHICAGO (AP) — R. Kelly’s federal trial in Chicago that starts Monday is in many ways a do-over of his 2008 state child pornography trial, at which jurors acquitted the singer on charges that he produced a video of himself when he was around 30 having sex with a girl no older than 14.
There’s one big difference: This time, prosecutors say, she will testify.
Kelly goes into Chicago federal court already sentenced by a New York federal judge to 30-year prison term for a 2021 conviction on charges he parlayed his fame to sexually abuse other young fans.
Among the most serious charges the Grammy Award winner faces at his federal trial is conspiracy to obstruct justice by rigging the 2008 trial, including by paying off and threatening the girl to ensure she did not testify.
Testimony by the woman, now in her 30s and referred to in filings only as “Minor 1,” will be pivotal. The charges against Kelly also include four counts of the enticement of minors for sex — one count each for four other accusers. All are also slated to testify.
Even just one or two convictions in Chicago could add decades to Kelly’s New York sentence, which he is appealing. With the New York sentence alone, Kelly will be around 80 before qualifying for early release.
Prosecutors at the federal trial plan to play the same VHS tape that was “Exhibit No. 1″ at the 2008 trial. While it was the only video in evidence 14 years ago, at least three other videos will be entered into evidence at the federal trial.
Prosecutors say Kelly shot the video of Minor 1 in a log cabin-themed room at his North Side Chicago home between 1998 and 2000 when she was as young as 13. In it, the girl is heard calling the man “daddy.” Federal prosecutors say that she and Kelly had sex hundreds of times over the years in his homes, recording studios and tour buses.
Before the 2008 trial, Kelly carried a duffle bag full of sex tapes everywhere he went for years, but some tapes later went missing, according to court filings. In the 2000s, bootleg copies of some videos appeared on street corners across the U.S.
Kelly, who rose from poverty on Chicago’s South Side to become a star singer, songwriter and producer, knew a conviction in 2008 would effectively end his life as he knew it.
On June 13, 2008, Kelly shut his eyes tight and bowed his head as jurors returned from deliberations. As a court official read the jury’s decision and it became clear Kelly would be acquitted on all counts, tears streamed down his cheeks and he said over and over, “Thank you, Jesus.”
Two Kelly associates, Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, are co-defendants in Chicago. McDavid is accused of helping Kelly fix the 2008 trial, while Brown is charged with receiving child pornography. Like Kelly, they have also denied any wrongdoing.
Double jeopardy rules bar the prosecution of someone for the same crimes they were acquitted of earlier. But that shouldn’t apply to the Chicago federal trial because prosecutors are alleging different crimes related to Minor 1, including obstruction of justice for fixing the 2008 trial.
Minor 1 first met Kelly in the late 1990s when she was in junior high school. She had tagged along to Kelly’s Chicago recording studio with her aunt, a professional singer working with Kelly’s music. Soon after that meeting, Minor 1 told her parents Kelly was going to be her godfather.
In the early 2000s, the aunt showed the parents a copy of a video she said depicted their daughter having sex with Kelly. When they confronted Kelly, he told them, “You’re with me or against me,” a government filing says.
The parents took it as a threat.
“Minor 1′s mother did not want to go up against Kelly’s power, money, and influence by not following what he said,” the filing adds.
Kelly told the parents and Minor 1 they had to leave Chicago, paying for them to travel to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. When they returned, prosecutors say Kelly sought to isolate Minor 1, moving her around to different hotels.
When called before a state grand jury looking into the video, Minor 1, her father and mother denied it was her in it. Prosecutors say an attorney for Kelly sat in on their testimony and reported back to Kelly what they said.
Prosecutors from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office chose to push ahead with charges and to take the case to trial in 2008 despite what they knew was a major hurdle: their inability to call the girl in the video to testify.
Any confidence Kelly may have had of beating similar charges a second time were likely dashed when he learned Minor 1 was now cooperating the government. With more resources, federal prosecutors also boast conviction rates of more than 90% compared to around 65% for their state counterparts.
In 2008, his lawyers argued the man in the VHS video who appeared very much to be Kelly was not Kelly. They showed jurors that Kelly has a large mole on his back, then played excerpts of the video in which no mole was visible on the man.
One of Kelly’s attorneys, Sam Adam Jr., told jurors during closings that no mole on the man’s back meant one thing: “It ain’t him. And if it ain’t him, you can’t convict.”
Some 2008 jurors told reporters after the trial that they weren’t convinced the female in the video was who state prosecutors said she was.
That shouldn’t be an issue at the Chicago federal trial. Prosecutors say both the girl and her parents will testify.
What defense Kelly’s legal team will present this time isn’t clear.
The defense is likely to say Kelly’s accusers are misrepresenting the facts. Kelly was more blunt in a 2019 interview with Gayle King of “CBS This Morning,” saying about the women: “All of them are lying.”
__
Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at @mtarm.Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/13/r-kelly-accuser-give-key-testimony-trial-fixing-charge/ | 2022-08-13T15:15:18Z |
NPR's Daniel Estrin speaks with actor Aubrey Plaza about her new thriller, "Emily The Criminal," which centers around a woman who turns to crime to pay off student loan debt.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Daniel Estrin speaks with actor Aubrey Plaza about her new thriller, "Emily The Criminal," which centers around a woman who turns to crime to pay off student loan debt.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/aubrey-plaza-goes-from-art-school-to-fraudster-in-emily-the-criminal | 2022-08-13T15:20:29Z |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention said Friday that several of the denomination's major entities are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice in the wake of its multiple problems related to clergy sex abuse.
The SBC's Executive Committee has received a subpoena, but no individuals have been subpoenaed at this point, according to the committee's lawyers.
"This is an ongoing investigation and we are not commenting on our discussions with DOJ," they said.
The statement from SBC leaders — including Executive Committee members, seminary presidents and heads of mission organizations — gave few details about the investigation, but indicated it dealt with widespread sexual abuse problems that have rocked the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.
"Individually and collectively each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation," the statement said. "While we continue to grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future."
There was no immediate comment from the Justice Department about the investigation.
Earlier this year, an SBC sex abuse task force released a blistering 288-page report from outside consultant, Guidepost Solutions. The firm's seven-month independent investigation found disturbing details about how denominational leaders mishandled sex abuse claims and mistreated victims.
The report focused specifically on how the SBC's Executive Committee responded to abuse cases, revealing that it had secretly maintained a list of clergy and other church workers accused of abuse. The committee later apologized and released the list, which had hundreds of accused workers on it.
A Guidepost spokesperson declined to comment on news of the DOJ probe.
Following the release of the Guidepost report, the SBC voted during its annual meeting in June to created a way to track pastors and other church workers credibly accused of sex abuse and launch a new task force to oversee further reforms. Earlier this week, SBC President Bart Barber, who also signed Friday's statement, announced the names of the Southern Baptist pastors and church members who will serve on the task force.
Southern Baptist sex abuse survivor Christa Brown, who has long called for the SBC to do more to address sex abuse across its churches, celebrated the news of the DOJ investigation.
"Hallelujah. It's about time," Brown said in a Friday post on Twitter. "This is what's needed."
Another survivor, Jules Woodson, went public with her abuse story in 2018 and has been pushing for reforms in the SBC ever since. On Friday, she reacted to the investigation news by tweeting, "May justice roll down!!!"
Oklahoma pastor Mike Keahbone, who serves on the Executive Committee and is the vice chair of the new abuse task force, said on Twitter that the investigation "is not something to fear ... If there is more work to do, we will do it."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-13/the-doj-is-investigating-southern-baptists-following-sexual-abuse-crisis | 2022-08-13T15:20:35Z |
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