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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The Laramie City Council passed a resolution allowing developers and homeowners more flexibility when it comes to what can and cannot be built in single-family residential zones. Homeowners can now add one accessory dwelling unit — for example, a renovated garage or detached unit — that could be rented out. The idea is that ADUs could address affordable housing, providing cheap housing to a renter while offsetting the homeowner’s mortgage with rental income. Some residents complained that the new allowances could change the “character” of their neighborhoods.
Reading status: Open access
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A racism lawsuit against a former Albany County Sheriff’s supervisor will proceed, now that a federal court judge has struck down the defendant’s motion to dismiss. Plaintiff Jamin Johnson, a former corporal with the sheriff’s office, alleges that his former supervisor, the since-fired and decertified Sergeant Christian Handley, led a “years-long racist tirade” that forced Johnson to resign. Handley had filed a motion to dismiss, claiming the allegations were too old to be actionable. In response, Johnson filed an amended complaint, including new, more recent allegations and highlighting Handley’s alleged membership in the “good ole’ boys” club. Taking into account the amended complaint, the court ruled that the lawsuit should proceed.
Reading status: Open access
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Albany County School District No. 1 is interviewing three finalists this week in its search for the next superintendent. Current Superintendent Jubal Yennie will leave in June. The Albany County School Board received fewer applications than it was hoping for, and fewer applications than its professional search firm was expecting. The current climate, both bodies say, suppressed interest.
Reading status: Open access
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University of Wyoming environmental justice scholar Matt Henry spoke with Wyoming Public Radio about the latest UN climate report. The report is the third and final publication of the International Panel on Climate Change’s 6th Climate Assessment. Earlier reports focused on the physical science underpinning climate change and the likely impacts. The latest report focused on what needs to be done. Henry told Wyoming Public Radio he was impressed that the report acknowledged colonialism’s role in climate change, but frustrated that so little of that analysis made it into the summary for policymakers — the section most likely to be read by a wide audience. Colonizer countries industrialized earlier, using fossil fuels to do so and filling the atmosphere with greenhouse gasses. With the effects of climate change now upon us, the colonized countries who had least to do with the warming atmosphere are likely to bear the brunt of its devastation.
Reading/Listening status: Open access
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Local activist efforts to educate the public about Ukraine, and to raise money for its defense, continue. The Laramie Boomerang reports Ukrainian University of Wyoming student Anastasiia Pereverten is continuing her campaign to aid her homeland with lectures, events and rallies, even as her family in Kyiv grows more accustomed to shelling and bombing.
Reading access: Laramie Boomerang paywall
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Photographer Jesse Freidin visited Laramie yesterday as part of his “Are You Ok?” portrait series. Wyoming Public Radio reports the project seeks to combat the wave of anti-trans legislation sweeping the country by showing that trans and nonbinary youth can be loved and supported. Freidin’s portraits foreground kids in front of their familial support systems.
Reading access: Open access
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A pair of University of Wyoming researchers have developed a new rapid COVID-19 test, but it’s not yet in use and has not been approved by the FDA. The Branding Iron reports Assistant Professor Karen Wawrousek and Professor Patrick Johnson, both in chemical engineering, were seeking a fast, ultrasensitive test on par with the “gold standard” of the popular PCR tests. The test developed by Wawrousek and Johnson detects the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and provides results within about 30 minutes.
Reading status: Open access
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University of Wyoming psychology Professor Matt Gray is the first recipient of the university’s new Laramigo Award for Community Engagement. The UW press office reports that the award, backed by anonymous donors, recognizes contributions to the UW and Laramie community. Gray provides pro-bono therapy to poor domestic violence survivors, runs a clinic on campus, and served as a co-author on the university’s 2018 Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey. That report showed that sexual assault and harassment at UW were higher than crime reports suggest but more in line with national figures and that belief in myths about rape were common. The award comes with a stipend for the recipient and a payment to a nonprofit of the recipient’s choosing. Gray will split the award between the UW Sexual Assault Survivor Emergency Fund and Albany County SAFE Project.
Reading status: Open access