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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Albany County votes for gender neutral positions such as “councilor” and “commissioner,” but it also casts votes for “precinct committeemen” and “precinct committeewomen.” The Laramie Reporter examined why that is, digging into the fact that laws can outlive the memory of their origin and dictate policy long after anyone remembers why they were passed. The needlessly segregated positions also put potential nonbinary candidates in a bind when it comes to filing to run.
Reading status: Open access
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The city announced its three top contenders for the office of Laramie Police Chief. Members of the public will have the opportunity to meet and question the finalists during a public forum tomorrow. The three finalists include two external candidates and the current assistant chief.
Reading status: Open access
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The Albany County Commission approved a Natural Resource Management Plan after months of revisions and public input. The plan outlines how federal and local agencies ought to collaborate whenever new policies have an impact on the county’s natural resources. The plan only applies to federally-owned lands within the county – about one-fourth of the county’s total acreage.
Reading status: Open access
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A notorious local landlord, Max Bossarei, is up to his old tricks – keeping deposits and making himself unreachable when tenants look to sue him. Bossarei has also bought a cozy million-dollar home south of the city. The purchase comes as a slap in the face to the numerous tenants who allege that Bossarei has cheated and robbed them. Bossarei is also selling his most visible rental property – the motel on Third Street formerly known as the Xenion.
Reading status: Open access
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Enrollment at the University of Wyoming continues to fall. Wyoming Public Radio reports the university’s student headcount fell for the third time in three years – a total three-year decline of more than 9 percent. Administrators are hopeful, however, that pandemic-era trends might be reversing. For the first time since 2019, first-year enrollment went up.
Reading status: Open access
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The University of Wyoming is also moving to a block tuition model, meaning full-time students pay one flat semester rate, whether they take four classes or six, instead of a per-credit-hour rate. The Laramie Boomerang reports the move is meant to make graduating on time more attainable. The new tuition model comes alongside a 4 percent tuition hike – the standard annual increase.
Reading status: Laramie Boomerang paywall
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The Joint Judiciary Committee rejected a proposal increasing penalties for those who assault or threaten healthcare workers. Wyoming Public Radio reports violence in hospitals has been increasing for years, and has accelerated during the pandemic. Judiciary Committee members, including Laramie Rep. Karlee Provenza (HD-45), argued the bill would fail to halt the violence.
Reading status: Open access
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The City of Laramie is starting to form an Urban Renewal Authority – a mechanism the city can use to clean up “blight conditions” in Laramie. The Laramie Boomerang reports the city already has the authority to condemn buildings, but the URA would empower the city to identify blight conditions and work on redevelopment in the blighted areas.
Reading status: Laramie Boomerang paywall
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After several construction delays, the new Slade Elementary School is now officially up and running, with students and teachers in classrooms, the Laramie Boomerang reports. The new building is divided into three pods, and has capacity for significantly more students than the old building a few blocks south. Supply chain and workforce shortages plagued the school’s construction, as they have plagued construction projects everywhere.
Reading status: Laramie Boomerang paywall
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The Laramie Boomerang named its long-time, award-winning sports writer David Watson as its new managing editor. The Boomerang reports Watson has filled in as interim editor several times in the past half decade, as the newsroom cycled through three or four short-lived editors.
Reading status:Laramie Boomerang paywall