In Other News ...
WWAMI students voice their concerns, the push for police transparency continues, and Laramie’s LGBTQ protections make it an “all-star” city. The top news stories from Albany County as of Dec. 6, 2023.
Welcome to the Laramie Reporter’s “In Other News” segment, a biweekly rundown of the top news stories from Albany County as reported by local, state and national media. Subscribe to our newsletter to get this rundown in your inbox every other week.
Laramie has the strongest protections for LGBTQ+ residents in the state, according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign. The Campaign’s Municipality Equality Index evaluated more than 500 cities across the country, including seven in Wyoming. Laramie earned a score of 89 out of 100, significantly higher than any other Wyoming city and also significantly higher (by 19 points) than its own score just last year. City staff will recommend the creation of a human rights commission this winter. Wyoming Public Radio examined how those scores reflect the lived experiences of queer Wyomingites, from Laramie to Casper to Sheridan.
Reading status: Open access
The Laramie City Council will require virtual public commenters to show their faces on camera. The new rule comes after two consecutive meetings were disrupted by antisemitic commenters. The new rule also requires that public comments be “germane” to the business of the council.
Reading status: Open access
Medical education students at the University of Wyoming say they’re worried about the future and reputation of the WWAMI medical education program. WWAMI is located in the College of Health Sciences, which has been weathering significant shake-ups under the leadership of Dean Jacob Warren. WWAMI students told the UW Board of Trustees the swift removal of their director, and the lack of communication following it, have led to an erosion of trust.
Reading status: Open access
A rural Albany County ranch family is fighting for the creation of a one-room schoolhouse for their children. The Laramie Boomerang reports the small school was initially approved by the Albany County School Board. That approval was then revoked, with a letter from the superintendent calling the proposal “not economically feasible.” The family is now pursuing a legal remedy in the courts.
Reading status: Open access
An anti-LGBTQ preacher has officially won the free speech lawsuit he brought against the University of Wyoming this year. A federal court ruled that UW can no longer censor Schmidt’s views on the sexual identity of individual students — the views that originally landed Schmidt in hot water. However, UW can still enforce its discrimination and harassment policies more generally.
Reading status: Open access
Lawmakers advanced a bill that would strengthen police oversight in Wyoming. Currently, the state commission tasked with certifying officers for duty — and for revoking that certification in the wake of bad behavior — cannot access personnel records for police officers. Those personnel records are explicitly exempted under the Wyoming Public Records Act. The new bill would establish an exemption to that exemption, allowing the commission to see the personnel records it needs to investigate alleged bad behavior.
Reading status: Open access
In a separate fight for police transparency, WyoFile and the Casper Star-Tribune are pushing for the release of the settlement agreements signed by police agencies and the families of people they’ve killed. The records requests come after a separate lawsuit out of Converse County appeared to include a declaration that settlement agreements between government and private entities are a matter of public record. In Albany County, the government settled with Debbie Hinkel, the mother of Robbie Ramirez, for an undisclosed amount last year. WyoFile is seeking the release of those settlement details and Hinkel supports their release.
Reading status: Open access
Lawmakers are once again pushing a “parental rights” bill despite warnings that such a bill could shield abusive parents from detection. The bill would allow parents to opt-out of any health screenings or questionnaires provided by the school. A spokesperson for the Wyoming Education Association said these screenings were the “frontline defense” against child abuse because they let someone outside the home see if the child has bruises or other injuries indicative of abuse. The Joint Judiciary Committee advanced the bill on a 10-4 vote with the help of Albany County Rep. Ocean Andrew (HD-46). Albany County’s Sen. Chris Rothfuss (SD-9) and Rep. Karlee Provenza (HD-45) voted against.
Reading status: Open access
The University of Wyoming won $11.2 million in federal funds to further study carbon capture and storage. WyoFile reports the newly funded project will assess areas where captured carbon could be stored underground. The new project joins three other federally funded projects already underway at the university that seek to develop a carbon capture industry in Wyoming.
Reading status: Open access
In the ongoing push to address Laramie’s housing shortage, public-private partnerships are starting to take shape. These partnerships “sweeten” the prospect of developing denser, more affordable housing by discounting the price of land or other upfront costs.
Reading status: Open access
Wyoming Public Radio highlighted local connections to global conflicts during a recent episode of its Open Spaces program. Ukrainian UW student Anastasiia Pereverten has been hard at work documenting the war crimes occurring in her homeland. She has also been advocating for continued U.S. support. Meanwhile, Palestinian UW student Abdalrahim Abuwarda watches the war in his own homeland from afar, powerless to help his wife and three young children who live there.
Reading status: Open access
Albany County School District No. 1 will “pump the brakes” on the proposal to close Beitel Elementary School, the Laramie Boomerang reports. The district will have to make significant cuts to its budget this year. During a meeting in September, the district board discussed the possibility of closing Beitel, which was met with frustration from Beitel parents. Now, the district will wait for more detailed information before raising the issue again.
Reading status: Laramie Boomerang paywall
Laramie’s annual Downtown Holiday Parade will take place Friday. Organizers said it will likely be the biggest parade on record, with thousands of attendees and more than 50 floats.
Reading status: Open access