Episode Details

It's time to take a look at what's happening around Wyoming, for Monday, June 2nd. I'm Wendy Corr, bringing you headlines from the Cowboy State Daily newsroom - Brought to you by the Wyoming Community Foundation, who asks you to give back to the place you call home. "5 to thrive" is YOUR opportunity to leave a legacy for generations to come. Support the community nonprofits you care about with a gift through the Wyoming Community Foundation. Visit wycf.org to learn more.

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The Wyoming Democratic Party has a new chairman, and he's a 32-year-old from Laramie.

Lucas Fralik gives up his seat as the Wyoming Democratic State Central Committee's committeeman to the Democratic National Committee, to serve as the party chair. Cowboy State Daily's Clair McFarland reports that Fralik fills the seat of outgoing Chairman Joe Barbuto, who announced his departure from the post May 21 after three terms.

"Joe Barbuto chaired that party for eight years, starting in 2017 that includes three terms, two, two year and one, four year. They changed the bylaws so they they doubled their terms, and he stepped down to take a role with a national group that helps state Democratic parties. And so… Lucas Fralik, very energetic young man, only 32 years old, won the vote by a significant margin, and his messaging was kind of just like, get on The ground and help people stand for the underdog… If there's a disaster, if there's a need, find people in need and show up for them, show them what we're about by actually doing what we're about, was his messaging."

Fralik also previously served as Campbell County and Albany County party chairman. He won the seat by a 52-4 vote during the party leadership's Sunday meeting in Rock Springs, running against Evansville Mayor Candace Machado.

Read the full story HERE.

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Nearly four years ago, a sick young girl arrived in the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center's emergency room, where two nurses found that she had a fever, trouble breathing and an abnormal heart rate. Hours later, after an examination by a physician's assistant, she was discharged without being admitted. Her parents found her dead on the living room couch the next morning.

The 7-year-old girl's parents filed a lawsuit alleging that she was misdiagnosed and would still be alive had ER nurses and doctors followed hospital procedures. But Cowboy State Daily's Justin George reports that Cheyenne Regional Medical Center has challenged the lawsuit, claiming it has no liability because the doctors and nurses involved were contractors.

"They had independent contractors that worked as nurses. They had an independent contractor that worked as a physician's assistant, and they had an independent contractor working as a doctor overseeing that physician's assistant. So when the discharge orders were made and the diagnosis was made on this child, Cheyenne Regional Medical Center are saying that that was not dumb, that was not the hospital making it, but under Wyoming State law, it was the independent contractor making it, and they are liable, and not the hospital."

CRMC's use of contracted medical staff has come under fire in recent weeks. Doctors who have left or are leaving the hospital say the hospital's reliance on independent contractors in the roles of doctors, nurses and other health specialists has resulted in degraded care, staffing shortages, long hours and a lack of confidence in leadership.

Read the full story HERE.

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There's a parasite out there that bree