Inmate dies at medium security facility
TORRINGTON – A man convicted of sexual abuse of a minor has died at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution.
The Wyoming Department of Corrections reports Inmate Carl Pearson died Nov. 5. Pearson, born Dec. 7, 1951, was convicted of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Minor – Less than 13 Years Old, in Weston County. He was sentenced to between 25 and 30 years.
According to the WDOC, an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of Pearson’s death.
Tepee Pools at Hot Springs State Park Sold
THERMOPOLIS – There are new owners for the long-running Tepee Pools attraction at Hot Springs State Park.
The aquatic attraction’s sale to Hot Springs I Limited Partnership was announced Monday. The Tepee Pools have been in operation for several decades and is one of two aquatic attractions at the state park. The operation has come under scrutiny by park officials as the facility has aged and park officials identify improvements and repairs they would like to see made to the operation. Those improvements will be prioritized, according to the park officials.
“Hot Springs I Limited Partnership is excited to add Tepee Pools to our hot spring developments. This partnership with the state and local community, along with our experience, will create a destination that Wyoming will be proud of,” Keith Shellhamer, Hot Springs Limited Partnership Chief Operating Officer said.
Hot Springs I Limited Partnership operates other hot springs facilities throughout the US, including Carson Hot Springs and Jemez Hot Springs. The two aquatic operations in Hot Springs State Park are operated through a lease agreement between operators and the state park.
Wyoming Library Association Disagrees with School Library Guidelines
CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Library Association is disagreeing with guidelines Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder issued last week that aim to help school districts create school library materials policies.
Responding to the guidelines Monday, the WLA doesn’t find fault with every point made by Degenfelder’s office, siding with the idea that policies addressing materials shouldn’t be used to discriminate and be uniformly applied.
The WLA does not think an example using draft language from Laramie County School District No.1’s proposed policy should have been included in Degenfelder’s guidelines as the proposal is still in the public comment phase. The organization also doesn’t agree with the application of a rating scale as used by Park County School District No. 1 because the scales are not evidence based.
The WLA also notes that industry standards and best practices addressing reconsideration of books focus on the entire book, as opposed to considering passages from a book. Additionally, the WLA disagrees with the recommendation to implement an opt-in policy that it argues restricts access to library materials. The WLA supports an opt-out policy that supports parental involvement.
“(The) WLA encourages local school boards to seek out the expertise of their certified school librarians when creating, revising, and implementing local policies around the access and use of library materials and resources curated for the needs of their unique school communities.”
