Wyo GOP names executive director

CHEYENNE -- The Wyoming Republican Party's new executive director, Randy J. O'Hara, will take over the job Nov. 18.

O'Hara most recently served as the political director of the Salt Lake County Republican Party in Salt Lake City, according to a media release from the Wyoming Republican Party.

His political experience also includes work with the 2000 Bush-Cheney presidential campaign, as well as with former Ohio Secretary of State and Buckeye State gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell and former Ohio Congressman and U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman, R-OH.

O'Hara replaces Amy Larimer, who left the director's office last summer to take a job in the private sector.

"Randy will bring a depth of experience to our party that will help Republican candidates win up and down the ballot in 2010," Wyoming GOP State Chairman Diana Vaughan said in the release.

"I am excited to get to work to help make sure we protect our veto-proof majorities in the state Legislature, send Cynthia Lummis back to the U.S. House and win the five statewide races -- including the governor's office," O’Hara said.

Nursing Board celebrates 100th

CHEYENNE -- The Wyoming State Board of Nursing will celebrate its 100-year anniversary with an open house and re-enactment of its first board meeting on Dec. 7 at its office in Cheyenne.

On Dec. 7-8 of 1909, the state Nursing Board issued the state's first professional nurse's license and held its first board meeting.

Members of the current board will hold a mock board meeting on Dec. 7 following the agenda of the first meeting 100 years earlier.

The agenda included approval of purchase of stationery and setting the curriculum and size of nursing schools.

The public is invited to visit the board office at 1810 Pioneer Ave., attend the meeting re-enactment at noon and join the board and staff for an afternoon tea.

The Wyoming State Board of Nursing is the regulatory office that licenses professional nurses in Wyoming. The board's mission is to serve and safeguard the people of Wyoming through the regulation of nursing education and practice.

For more information, call Maxine Hernandez at 307-777-6120.

Less kids on Wyo insurance

CHEYENNE -- Fewer Wyoming kids are on the state's Kid Care CHIP health insurance program, but more are on Medicaid.

Wyoming Department of Health Chief Financial Officer Bob Peck said the numbers could mean that more parents are losing their jobs. The Kid Care program offers health insurance to kids who are uninsured and meet income and eligibility guidelines, while Medicaid is the state- and federally funded program for lower-income residents.

Peck said the number of Kid Care children dropped from 6,200 to 5,400 last year. There were nearly 50,000 kids enrolled in Medicaid in fiscal year 2008, compared with more than 52,000 in fiscal year 2009.