Posted: Saturday, February 28, 2004 12:00 am
Sheriff reviews prisoner monitoring
RIVERTON - The first inmate suicide at the county jail in some 15 years has prompted police to review their handling of prisoners.
Fremont County Sheriff Skip Hornecker said he's looking into improving monitoring of prisoners and removing any items at the Fremont County Detention Center that could aid a suicide attempt.
The Jan. 26 suicide of 34-year-old Robert Barry was the first in county jail system since 1987, according to Hornecker, and the first at the new detention center.
If inmates appear to be considering suicide they're put on suicide watch, which includes face-to-face jail personnel contact with the inmate at least every 15 minutes or placing the inmate in a restraining chair, according to Hornecker.
Hornecker said there were no indicators Barry was about to commit suicide.
He said inmates who exhibit suicidal behavior are evaluated by counselors from Fremont Counseling Service to see if mental health treatment is needed.
Sweetwater schools to cut 8 jobs
GREEN RIVER - In an effort to save money lost because of declining enrollment, the school district is cutting eight positions, including six teachers.
Sweetwater County School District No. 2 is cutting three classroom teacher positions, three special education teachers and two teachers' aide positions.
The district's board of trustees voted to accept the cuts which will affect art, photography, business and journalism programs.
The district will offer photography and yearbook as extracurricular activities, which means students wanting to participate will need to do so outside the classroom.
Sheridan newspaper seeks public access
SHERIDAN - Citing a lack of public access, a newspaper is seeking a court order prohibiting the Sheridan County Commission from making appointments to public boards.
The Sheridan Press has petitioned a district court judge for a preliminary injunction to prohibit appointments by the commissioners to the Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees until names of hospital board candidates are made public and a meaningful opportunity is provided for the public to comment on the appointments.
Cheyenne attorney Bruce Moats is representing The Press.
Legal counsel for the commission is through the Sheridan County Attorney's Office.
The Press' decision to seek legal action on a pending hospital board appointment is in response to the commission's refusal to publicly release the names of candidates applying to the Sheridan County Fair Board.
The Press is seeking a court injunction because the parties could not agree to terms late last week for a declaratory judgment on whether names and interviews for appointments to public boards should be available to the public.
BLM planning controlled burns
BUFFALO - The Bureau of Land Management is planning prescribed burns on nearly 2,000 acres in northeast Wyoming this year.
The BLM is also proposing to burn about 300 acres of big sagebrush to prevent future wildfires about 25 miles southeast of Thermopolis.
The BLM's Worland Field Office, along with cooperators from the Big Horn River Ranch Company LLC, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, are proposing to burn the sagebrush in the VH Draw Grazing Allotment.
Two more burns are scheduled this fall in Campbell County.
The burns could take place this year or next year, depending on weather conditions.