Free Republic

Group plans walk to raise awareness of suicide By The Associated Press CASPER - A Natrona County group plans a walk this month to raise awareness of Wyoming's extraordinary suicide rate. The Natrona County Task Force for Suicide Prevention says the rate in Wyoming is about 22 suicides per 100,000 people, nearly twice the national average. Since 1999, more than 100 suicides have occurred in Natrona County alone. Raising awareness of the problem may encourage people to become involved in preventing suicides, members of the task force say. "It's not just to make sure people know it is a problem,"...

Lawmakers address low pay in education By Jessica Lowell rep5@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle CHEYENNE - The employment picture for K-12 teachers and school staff across the state is equally dismal. In Natrona County, teachers are being aggressively recruited by out-of-state districts with the promise of dramatically higher salaries. In Laramie County, school bus drivers with 30 years of experience make less than $15 an hour; some have filed for bankruptcy protection because they can't make ends meet. In Teton County, teachers routinely work second jobs to earn enough money to pay their bills. In Weston County, teachers have...