Woman dies of apparent overdose

GREEN RIVER - A Sweetwater County woman died at her home in Wamsutter over the weekend, the victim of an apparent drug overdose, according to authorities.

Sweetwater County Sheriff Rich Haskell said the body of 39-year-old Deanna Noller was discovered in a bedroom at her home Sunday afternoon after neighbors alerted police.

Deputies interviewed the victim's two grade-school-age daughters shortly after. The older, 10-year-old child told authorities she went into her mother's bedroom and found the victim not breathing.

Another resident at the home, Thomas J. McCall, told deputies the victim had a problem with several narcotics, including methamphetamines and oxycodone, according to Sweetwater County Circuit Court documents.

Haskell said a number of syringes and a spoon containing a white residue were found at the scene. He said the liquid in one of the syringes initially tested positive for meth.

County Coroner Dale Majhanovich said preliminary investigative findings are "consistent" with a drug overdose being the cause of death.

He said an autopsy will be conducted today and there were no outward signs of physical or sexual assault.

Haskell said McCall, 54, was arrested Monday on two counts of felony child endangerment and one count of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

McCall appeared in circuit court Tuesday afternoon. Judge Dan Forgey set his bond at $10,000 cash or surety.

Haskell said Noller's daughters were placed in the care of the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

Tribune Eagle lays off two employees

CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Tribune Eagle laid off two newsroom employees this week as part of cost-saving measures prompted by the economic recession.

Publisher and President Michael McCraken said the locally owned paper laid off a reporter and a copy editor on Monday. The newspaper also eliminated its weekly television listings section last week and has cut back on its travel budgets, he said.

"Certainly it was something we didn't want to do, but we felt the economic sting of the recession just like everybody else," McCraken said.

He said the newspaper's overall employee count is down 14 people from January last year. The paper now has 89 full-time employees, including 25 in the newsroom. Most of the decrease has been in the production department and most has been handled through attrition, he said.

McCraken said lower advertising revenues, higher newsprint costs and the company's recent $15.5 million press expansion are among factors affecting the company's financial situation.

Larimer a candidate for GOP co-chairman

CHEYENNE - A prominent Republican from Wyoming is stepping forward as a candidate for co-chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Jan Larimer is Wyoming's Republican national committeewoman.

Larimer announces her candidacy for the co-chairman position a day before the RNC holds a forum in Washington, D.C. At the forum, candidates for the top five RNC offices, including chairman, will speak to and take questions from RNC members. The full RNC will choose its officers Jan. 30.

Larimer lives in Jackson and has been Wyoming's Republican national committeewoman since 1988.

Her spokesman, Matt Burns, said at least one other person is running for RNC co-chairman: Tina Benkiser, chairwoman of the Texas Republican Party.