Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
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A shortage of viral transport medium has slowed COVID-19 testing in Wyoming and nationwide. Now, at least one Wyoming doctor is working around the bottleneck by using a simpler, more common, CDC-backed, substitute: medical saline solution. Dr. Brent Blue of Emerg+A+Care in Jackson is sending patients’ samples to a laboratory “with a simple swab in a saline solution,” he wrote WyoFile. Until recently, public health agencies have recommended that samples be sent in a liquid viral transport medium that’s more complex to make than medical saline... Full story
By the end of the second full week since the Wyoming Department of Health announced the state’s first confirmed COVID-19 case, the virus was still tightening its grip on the Equality State. The DOH’s official number of confirmed positive cases went from 29 Monday to 70 by Friday morning. Wednesday marked the state’s single biggest increase of known infections in one day, with a 70% increase over 24 hours, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. On Friday, DOH reported 17 people had recovered from the virus. However, public health officials warn... Full story
CASPER — The ACLU last week asked Wyoming officials to call on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to temporarily cease raids used to deport undocumented immigrants. The request, made in an open letter addressed to Gov. Mark Gordon and prison officials, comes as part of what the Wyoming chapter of the civil liberties organization calls a necessary response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has spread rapidly in jails and prisons elsewhere but has not yet been linked to a jail or prison facility in Wyoming. An ACLU spokeswoman said by phone W... Full story
CHEYENNE – Shuttered schools, closed businesses and work-from-home mandates are the new normal in Cheyenne as people try to limit social interaction to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has already killed more than 2,000 Americans. Extended closures of public spaces are creating sudden and large-scale job and revenue losses. But local economists say social distancing is necessary to avoid prolonged financial hardship. “Given that this is a pandemic, you’re going to have loud voices on both sides,” said Linda Thunstrom, an economist at the... Full story
CASPER — Local, state and national leaders have all urged residents to avoid public areas and avoid in-person interactions as the novel coronavirus continues to spread. Compound that social isolation with the uncertainty brought about by a pandemic, and it could have a severe impact on a person’s mental health. “I think the biggest thing is a feeling of being isolated. That in and of itself can create anxiety,” said Kevin Hazucha, CEO of the Central Wyoming Counseling Center. “We all want to feel connected; it’s human nature.” Without that... Full story
CHEYENNE – Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are being asked to social distance themselves and stay home. For domestic violence survivors, this advice can turn deadly. Fortunately, local law enforcement either haven’t seen a rise in domestic violence related incidents, or have recorded a very low increase in domestic violence calls. But domestic violence advocates say abusers use isolation as a tactic to continue their abuse. Safehouse Services Executive Director Carla Thurin said isolation is already a tactic abusers use to vict... Full story
JACKSON — Lorraine Adams didn’t suspect she had COVID-19 until she read that a symptom of the disease is losing your sense of taste and smell. That’s been an indication for many young and otherwise healthy Jackson Hole residents. “My heart just sank,” Adams said. Adams, 26, is one of several Teton County residents interviewed by the News&Guide this week who tested positive for coronavirus but had hardly any symptoms. Jameson Mitchell, 26, and Kyle Craighead Haynam, 35, also felt relatively fine. “I never had a fever or cough,” Jackson nativ... Full story
CHEYENNE – Across the state of Wyoming, there are web developers who specialize in coding mobile applications, makers who use 3D printers to bring ideas to life and mapping professionals who use GIS to show data visually. So as Array School of Technology and Design CEO Eric Trowbridge watched coronavirus impact communities around the world, he started brainstorming ways to bring Wyomingites in the tech community together to find solutions. With Array leading the charge, the Wyoming Technology Coronavirus Coalition was formed March 17. Since t... Full story
In response to student hardships caused by novel coronavirus COVID-19, the University of Wyoming is taking extraordinary steps to provide financial security for students for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. Those steps include: -- A decision to pay the university’s 2,200 student employees, many of whom no longer have access to their positions, through the end of the semester. This is estimated to cost $1.5 million. -- The launch of a $250,000 matching program, Pokes Make the Difference, by the UW Foundation’s Board of Directors to... Full story
As reported coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases continue to go up and because not everyone who may be ill can be tested, a Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) official is offering advice on what residents who are sick with a respiratory illness should do. “Most reported cases of COVID-19 in Wyoming so far can describe a likely source of infection, such as contact with a known case,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH. “But there are others with an unknown source of infection and there are likel... Full story
The Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, Michael K. Davis, today entered an Order extending to May 31, 2020 three Orders issued by the Court to implement measures to protect the health of the public and court personnel throughout Wyoming, while still permitting essential functions to proceed in a timely manner. The Orders: 1) Advise all District and Circuit Courts to suspend in-person proceedings, except in certain specified circumstances where required by law and the constitution. Judges are encouraged to use video or telephone... Full story
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon has signed an Executive Order (EO) permitting restaurants and bars and grills with a Wyoming liquor license to sell malt beverages and wine with take-out and curbside food orders. The expanded privileges, effective immediately, will help businesses supplement sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The social distancing measures we have implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19 have been extremely challenging for the restaurant industry,” Governor Gordon. “This Executive Order provides an opportunity for an a... Full story