Welcome to the Laramie Reporter’s “In Other News” segment, a biweekly rundown of the top news stories from Laramie and Albany County as reported by local, state and national media. Subscribe to our newsletter to get this rundown in your inbox every other week.
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A former deputy with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office is suing his former supervisor for allegedly leading a “years-long racist tirade” and forcing his resignation. Jamin Johnson, a former corporal, is suing Christian Handley, a former patrol sergeant, alleging that Handley frequently used the n-word and other racial slurs in reference to both Johnson and other Black people throughout Laramie. Johnson alleges that Handley once drove by Johnson’s house, yelling “mother fucking n******!” at both Johnson and his family. Johnson accuses Handley of orchestrating a “sham disciplinary process” that forced Johnson to resign. The alleged racist behavior took place while David O’Malley was sheriff. When Aaron Appelhans became sheriff last year, Handley was fired almost immediately.
Reading status: Open access
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The Laramie City Council approved a $20 registration fee for landlords while rejecting a complaint filing fee for tenants. Two weeks before, the council had approved rental regulations outlining health and safety standards for rented residential units in Laramie. Under the new regulations, landlords must register their rentals with the city, paying $20 per unit per year. Tenants who believe their unit falls below the new standards, and who have sought redress from their landlords, will be able to file a complaint for free with the city manager’s office. Councilors said a complaint filing fee for tenants would have hurt the city’s poorest residents and trapped them in unsafe living conditions.
Reading status: Open access
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University of Wyoming leadership warned of a “challenging” time ahead, as the spring semester begins amid an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases. UW is no longer trying to contain the virus, instead shifting to a strategy of “management” as the virus inevitably spreads through the campus community. College of Health Sciences Dean David Jones urged both masking and vaccination for the entire UW community. He pointed to data showing that the overwhelming majority of those being hospitalized and dying are unvaccinated. Photojournalist and UW student Vanta Coda III documented the first days of the semester in a photo essay exclusive to The Laramie Reporter.
Reading status: Open access
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The University of Wyoming’s status as a research institution has fallen, but its endowment — money from private donors used for a variety of purposes — has “skyrocketed.” WyoFile reports UW fell in the Carnegie Foundation’s rankings, even as some other Mountain West universities rose to achieve the coveted “R1 research institution” designation. UW does, however, have a substantial endowment, one that has risen from $586 million in 2020 to $839 million now. President Ed Seidel said the university should use its endowment more wisely, funding endowed faculty chairs and support staff rather than new buildings.
Reading status: Open access
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The Albany County School Board named Mary Alice Bruce as its newest member. Bruce fills the vacancy left by Jamin Johnson, who stepped down from the board this month to pursue opportunities out of state. Bruce is a retired UW professor of counselor education and former math teacher. During her interview with the board, she said teachers and administrators should “take the lead” when deciding curriculum.
Reading status: Open access
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During a separate meeting, the Albany County School Board discussed but did not take action on masks. Face coverings are currently optional for public school students in Albany County — despite low vaccination rates in the county and the highest transmission levels since the pandemic began. The district had a mask mandate in place at the start of the fall semester, extending that mandate through the winter holidays. The mandate was relaxed ahead of students’ return in January. A lawsuit inspired by that mandate has continued in federal court, but Albany County Schools were dismissed from that lawsuit this month. A judge ruled that the 128-page misinformation-heavy lawsuit was “a confused jumble” that failed to state its aims clearly.
Reading status: Open access
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The legislative committee tasked with generating a redistricting plan has scrapped a map produced by Albany County legislators. WyoFile reports that the urban-rural divide is causing “chaos” as the State Legislature’s budget session nears. Legislators from more rural districts have redrawn the proposed maps from Albany and Laramie Counties — two locations with dense urban centers that grew during the 2020 Census. Without a committee-backed redistricting map, the fight will carry on into the session and lawmakers will risk ending up with no plan.
Reading status: Open access
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Only about 10 percent of Wyoming’s children aged 5-11 are vaccinated. Wyoming Public Media reports childhood vaccination rates are low across the country, but especially low in Wyoming. (Albany County’s childhood vaccination rate of 26 percent is actually higher than the national average of 20 percent.) Children are less likely to be hospitalized or die from COVID-19 than adults, but the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics and state health officials say the benefits to children outweigh the rare side effects that have worried many parents. A Laramie pediatrician told Wyoming Public Media that "With most diseases, it's that one child out of a thousand that we protect by doing vaccines. And even that one child's life is really valuable."
Reading/listening status: Open access
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The Albany County Commissioners approved the Rock Creek Wind Project, a planned 590-megawatt wind farm that will straddle the Albany-Carbon county line north of Laramie. The Laramie Boomerang reports the bulk of the project will be in Albany County. The commissioners tabled their decision in December, citing a need to ask more questions about the project. Its approval mirrored last year's approval of the Rail Tie Wind Project; Chair Pete Gosar asked the energy company to be “good neighbors” and go beyond the strict requirements of the county’s regulations, while Commissioner Heber Richardson said making such a request was inappropriate.
Reading status: Laramie Boomerang paywall
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The Laramie Police Department charged a man with felony property destruction after he climbed atop St. Matthew’s Cathedral last Wednesday. The charge could cost the transient man up to a decade in prison. The Laramie Boomerang reports “Upon arrival, officers initially trained weapons on the man while commanding him to get down from the roof.” But he was eventually brought down in restraints after two hours of negotiation. Reverend Brian Gross said “I’m really pleased with the professionalism of all the departments that showed up and their diligence to make sure everybody involved was safe, including the man on the roof.”
Reading status:Laramie Boomerang paywall