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The future of Wyoming voting

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The future of Wyoming voting


CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now)—With the presidential election less than nine weeks away, we examine how our voting process is shaping up for the big day.

As we approach the general election in a few months, we look at what Wyoming is doing to ensure that our voting population is properly represented and engaged.

Voting is one of those rights sacred to our democratic republic.

Yet Wyoming’s new voting rules, implemented after the last legislative session, decreased the number of days for early and absentee voting.

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It also pulled absentee ballot drop boxes and created a no-party-switching bill.

These changes leave some voters confused and disconnected from the election outcomes.

With that in mind, I contacted the ACLU, which told me they worry that these tactics to secure voting transparency may sow seeds of mistrust in our electoral system and the election itself.

“Elections matter, and the election this November could affect the course of our country and democracy for decades to come, years to come, decades to come,” said Janna Farley, ACLU Wyoming.

Secretary of State Chuck Gray disagrees, saying he feels there is still room for improvement and wants to take it further.

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Suggesting proof of residency and citizenship as further measures.

These were the same measures vetoed by Governor Mark Gordon last year for overreach.

”We’re hoping to bring through an even more explicit ban through the legislative session in 2025 that would be, of course, after the general election. But that, I think, is one of the election integrity reforms that we are looking forward to working on,” said Chuck Gray, Secretary of State of Wyoming

Grays says it is important to adhere to the uniformity of the election code, and if the numbers continue to go down, he will reevaluate that.

He also says he’s still proud of the last primaries and looks forward to the Wyoming state, house, and presidential elections.

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He also adds that seven counties still have drop-off boxes in them.



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Guest Column: Why Wyoming Is Losing Healthcare Workers

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Guest Column: Why Wyoming Is Losing Healthcare Workers


As a member of the Labor/Health/Social Services committee in the Wyoming legislature, I experienced first-hand the complaints by the Medical Cartel that they can’t get young people to go into the healthcare field, and that there aren’t enough health care workers.

My first question to those complaining of this to our committee, is “Do you require the so-called COVID vaccine?” and then, “Do you require masking or testing?” 

Today, my daughter called me in tears to report that the Nursing Program in which she is enrolled at Central Wyoming College in Riverton is going to require her to take a COVID test, even though she is not sick, in order to complete the clinical portion of her study at Westward Heights Care Center in Lander, because they are having an “outbreak” (I later learned this is FOUR people).

An “outbreak” of what, I wonder, since the COVID PCR test was never meant to be used as a diagnostic tool, ACCORDING TO ITS INVENTOR.

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All that so-called COVID tests measure is that a person has a coronavirus, of which there are literally millions.

I called Jim Kniola, Nursing Instructor at Central Wyoming College, and he told me that they follow and comply with “the evidence.”

He was very condescending and further told me that Westward Heights Care Center requires it.

Neither my daughter, nor I, want any swab with who-knows-what on it placed near her blood-brain barrier. This shouldn’t require an exemption of any kind.

What happened to those who misuse the cry “my body, my choice!” when, in this case, it actually applies.

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Today my daughter decided to leave the nursing program and instead study Health Science, in the hopes that the WY legislature will do its job and protect medical freedom in the next two years, after which time she can pursue a nursing degree at a 4-year college. 

In 2023, I was the prime sponsor of HB0066 – Prohibiting mask, vaccine and testing discrimination.

Had the bill passed, my daughter and others like her would not be forced to postpone their dream of becoming nurses.

I have serious doubts that my primary opponent is likely to propose or vote to protect medical freedom, having received $1000 from the Wyoming Hospital Association, who is responsible for keeping these kinds of requirements in place and locking Wyoming down during the scamdemic.

Rep. Jeanette Ward

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Ward represents House District 57 in Casper.



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Assault suspect in custody following hours-long search in Wyoming

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Assault suspect in custody following hours-long search in Wyoming


WYOMING, Mich. — Police have apprehended a suspect in Wyoming after an hours-long search Thursday.

The Wyoming Police Department (WPD) says an assault suspect ran from officers near the intersection of Oakcrest Street and Clyde Park Avenue at around 11:30 a.m.

We’re told the incident prompted a large police presence in the area until the suspect was located and apprehended around 2:45 p.m. in the 3900 block of Clyde Park Avenue.

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A FOX 17 photojournalist was at the scene during a portion of the search. A witness said he saw at least a dozen officers, many of them with weapons drawn.

Another neighbor recounted seeing the suspect jump between people’s backyards.

Police say nearby schools were notified out of an abundance of caution.

WPD thanks community members who offered tips as to the suspect’s whereabouts as well as other law enforcement agencies who helped look for the suspect.

Follow FOX 17: Facebook – X (formerly Twitter) – Instagram – YouTube

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Anthrax Outbreak In Wyoming Sparks Health Warning—Here’s What To Know

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Anthrax Outbreak In Wyoming Sparks Health Warning—Here’s What To Know


Topline

An outbreak of anthrax—a deadly bacterial disease feared as a potential bioweapon—among cattle and wildlife in Wyoming has killed dozens of animals, and health officials are urging people to take care as experts investigate what marks the first outbreak of its kind in the state in decades.

Key Facts

The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory has confirmed a case of anthrax in a dead moose in Carbon County, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department said in a statement.

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The discovery marks the first time the deadly bacterial disease has been confirmed in wildlife in Wyoming in decades—the last case was reported in 1956—and the state agency said the moose is “the only documented case reported in wildlife at this time.”

Anthrax has also been found in nearby cattle in Carbon County, officials said, the first confirmed infections in Wyoming cattle since the 1970s.

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The Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory confirmed the diagnosis in late August and said anthrax had been found in cattle from multiple herds around the Elk Mountain region.

Wyoming State Veterinarian Hallie Hasel told Cowboy State Daily at least 50 cattle have died due to anthrax, warning that losses may climb as officials determine the full extent of the outbreak.

Hasel said the outbreak appears to be limited to a localized region at this time and the Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department said it “will continue to monitor the situation and assess impacts to wildlife.”

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Does Anthrax Pose A Risk To Humans?

Though “human cases are rare,” Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department said “precautions are warranted” in light of the outbreak. To limit the risk of anthrax exposure, Wyoming officials advised hunters and the public to stay away from any dead cattle or wildlife they encounter, to avoid harvesting sick-looking animals and to avoid picking up any roadkill in the Elk Mountain area, as well as to wear gloves while field dressing or handling harvested animals. The agency also advised owners of dogs, horses and other pets to keep the animals away from any carcasses they might encounter and urged anyone encountering dead wildlife to take a note of its location and report the findings. Health experts and organizations recommend seeking medical attention if anthrax exposure is suspected and antibiotics can be given as a form of post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, to prevent anthrax from developing if symptoms haven’t developed.

Key Background

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can jump from animals to humans, and its discovery in both livestock and wildlife in Wyoming means there is a risk to humans. Human anthrax infections are relatively rare, especially in countries like the United States, but are serious and often rapidly fatal without prompt treatment with antibiotics. There are four types of anthrax—cutaneous, injection, inhalation and gastrointestinal—which occur when the bacteria enter through the skin, an injection, are breathed in or are eaten. More than 90% are cutaneous (skin) anthrax, which can happen after spores enter through cuts or grazes when handling infected animals or contaminated animal products like hides, wool or hair. It is considered the least dangerous form of anthrax and around a fifth of patients will still die without treatment. But almost all treated properly with antibiotics will survive with symptoms like itchy skin, blisters, sores and swelling appearing around the infection site around one to seven days after exposure. The antibiotics most commonly used to treat anthrax—ciprofloxacin and doxycycline—are readily available and widely used throughout medicine.

Tangent

While anthrax is an infectious disease, it is not contagious and does not spread between people or animals. Infections primarily occur in mammals—often wild and domestic herbivores like sheep, cows, goats and deer—as well as some bird species. It almost always arises following environmental exposure and the durable nature of the spores mean it is practically impossible to eliminate or control the threat of anthrax in a given area once it is established. These features, along with the ability to disperse it as an aerosol, also make anthrax an ideal candidate for biological warfare. It is well-documented that many countries have explored the possibility of weaponizing anthrax and while some have admitted developing weaponized strains, no country is known to have deployed any. Officials worry anthrax could be deployed by non-state actors like terrorist groups, such as through letter attacks, and the CDC says anthrax is “one of the biological agents most likely to be used” in a bioterrorist attack.

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Surprising Fact

Experts appear to be discovering new ways anthrax can manifest in humans, though examples are exceedingly rare. Scientists and clinicians used to believe only cutaneous, inhalation and gastrointestinal anthrax were possible in humans, though they recently discovered a distinct form of anthrax among heroin-injecting drug users in northern Europe. Symptoms for injection anthrax are similar to cutaneous anthrax but can include an infection deep under the skin or in the muscle where the drug was injected, the CDC says, and it can spread faster through the body and be harder to recognize than the cutaneous form. The CDC also warns of another anthrax disease: welder’s anthrax. The agency said the “newly identified and rare disease… has been found in several people who are welders or metalworkers.” It can cause severe pneumonia and be fatal, the CDC said, urging welders or metalworkers who develop “fever and chills with sudden cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or coughing up blood, see a healthcare provider immediately.”

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Further Reading

ForbesWhat To Know About Anthrax As WHO Warns Of Growing Outbreaks In Africa



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