CHEYENNE (WNE) – Tuition generally is the primary concern for students considering taking college courses. And students in Laramie County have access to colleges with comparatively low tuition.
Sandra Caldwell, executive director of the Wyoming Community College Commission, said base tuition within Wyoming’s seven community colleges is $94 a credit hour and did not change this academic year.
A Wyoming Tribune Eagle article from February 2017 states that the Wyoming Community College Commission last approved a tuition increase for the 2017-18 year. That increase was $5, bringing the cost to $94 per credit hour for in-state tuition.
Caldwell said, “Every other year, we do a tuition policy study. We look to see what the comparators are in the region, what is reasonable to be looking at and what the best practices and policy statements are in the country.”
She said the commission will discussion any possible changes for community college tuition in the 2019-20 academic year at its October meeting. She added that the commission’s discussion generally aligns with the tuition discussion at the University of Wyoming.
Brandy Payne Cervera, the financial aid director at Laramie County Community College, said tuition at LCCC is $142 per credit hour for in-state tuition. That’s $1,713 a semester for a full-time, in-state student.
“It could be higher if a student has a program fee or a course fee, but those are the standard tuition and fees,” she explained.
Sheridan hospital faces malpractice lawsuit
SHERIDAN (WNE) – What started as a simple knee surgery resulted in lifelong damages, according to Neal R. Schuman and those representing him in a civil lawsuit against Sheridan Memorial Hospital for negligence and medical malpractice.
According to the complaint filed by Schuman’s counsel, Schuman went in for knee replacement surgery July 2015.
After the surgery, Schuman faced complications with constipation, and a nurse performed an enema on Schuman after he said it hurt and asked her to stop the procedure. Court documents said during the procedure the administering nurse caused serious medical complications and that from July 30, 2015, to Aug. 6, 2015, the trauma caused by the enema went untreated. On July 31, Schuman was taken to the intensive care unit for his worsening condition.
On Aug. 6, more medical issues were discovered and surgery was scheduled. Court documents state that a diverting colostomy was necessary and, because of the emergent nature of the surgery, it was performed without Schuman’s informed consent. He also faced what the complaint describes as a life-threatening form of Fournier’s gangrene.
Court documents state that on Aug. 6, 8, 10 and 12, SMH conducted surgeries to remove damaged tissue from the man’s wounds.
Schuman now must carry a colostomy bag with him at all times.
The complaint said the administering nurse directly contributed to and caused Schuman’s injuries relating to the extent of the infection that led to the ultimate outcome. Counsel claims the nurse failed to accurately document Schuman’s conditions and did not seek the intervention of a physician.
The documents also claim the physician failed to investigate and treat the infection and damage caused by the enema.
Burn grows out of control, destroys home
WORLAND (WNE) – A controlled burn, which appeared to be out, was reignited by high winds Sunday evening, causing a complete loss of the home of Larry Costalez on U.S. Highway 20 north of Worland.
No injuries were caused by the fire.
“They were doing some property clean up on that property, burning some leaves and piles of stuff. He’d been watching it for several hours, went to have dinner and thought it was taken care of and out and when that high wind came out last night, it blew it everywhere. Started the deck and then from there it ignited the house. Got into the house and then from there the trees and so forth,” Worland Fire Department Chief Chris Kocher said.
“The fire became highly wind driven and it was difficult to contain due to the high winds,” he added.
According to the National Weather Service, the Worland area experienced gusts of wind up to 59 mph Sunday evening.
U.S. 20 was closed to thru traffic most of the evening while fire crews fought to control the blaze. The fire was called in around 8:35 p.m. Sunday evening.
Kocher stated that the fire was fought with three structure engines, the ladder truck, two wildland units and two command units. Crews fought the blaze until around 2:48 Monday morning, returning at daylight to mop up.
Prosecutor says evidence that man murdered
his wife is strong
POWELL (WNE) – A prosecutor argued in court on Monday that authorities have strong evidence that Dennis Klingbeil murdered his wife, Donna Klingbeil, at their Wapiti home.
Park County Attorney Bryan Skoric noted that one family member has told authorities that Dennis Klingbeil said he planned to “put an end” to a long-running dispute with Donna Klingbeil over their assets on the night of Sunday, Aug. 5.
Hours later, Dennis Klingbeil allegedly called another family member and reported that he’d shot Donna Klingbeil in the head. Donna Klingbeil, 75, later died of her injuries; meanwhile, Dennis Klingbeil, 76, reportedly overdosed on various medications and spent several days recovering at West Park Hospital in Cody before being released and arrested on Thursday.
Klingbeil has been charged with first-degree murder, alleging he killed Donna Klingbeil “purposely and with premeditated malice.”
Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters sided with Skoric on Monday and ordered Dennis Klingbeil to be held in the Cody jail without bond pending further proceedings. State rules of criminal procedure allow judges to deny bail in first-degree murder cases, when the death penalty is a possibility and “the proof is evident or the presumption great.”
“The statement, ‘I shot my wife in the head,’ that’s pretty good proof,” Skoric argued, calling Klingbeil “an extreme danger to the community.”
He also argued that Klingbeil, who has “significant assets,” is a flight risk — particularly given the potential penalties a conviction could bring.
However, one of Klingbeil’s defense attorneys, Anna Olson of Casper, disputed the prosecution’s description of the case and of her client.
“The proof is not great. We have hearsay statements,” Olson argued. “This is a one-sided story of what happened. We don’t know what happened in that house.”
1,300-acre fire burns in Yellowstone
CODY (WNE) – The Bacon Rind Fire in Yellowstone grew over the weekend and an area closure in now in effect.
Warm temperatures, drier air and higher winds last weekend fueled growth of the fire 1,321 acres. An area closure in the northwest corner of the park is in effect, impacting all park trails in that area. Trail status can be found in the park’s Backcountry Situation Report.
All roads and visitor facilities in the park and surrounding communities remain open.
Fire growth is expected to be moderate this week due to lower temperatures and increased moisture. Up-to-date fire information can be found on InciWeb.
A public fire information phone line has been established at (406) 640-3048.
A new fire also was detected south of Heart Lake. The Basin Creek Fire was detected on Aug. 10 and is 0.2 acres burning in a forested area 5 miles south of Heart Lake.
