UP to members of the State Loan and Investment Board for investing in the next 50 years of Laramie County Community College and beyond.
Comprised of the state’s top five elected officials, the board voted 3-0 (with Gov. Matt Mead and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow absent) on Oct. 4 to loan the college $30 million to build a new residence hall. LCCC will pay back the loan over 25 years with 2.5 percent annual interest, which will amount to more than $1.6 million a year.
Laramie County voters rejected a $29.5 million proposal last November that included $8 million toward construction of a 352-bed dormitory, among other projects. Following the failed vote, LCCC officials successfully lobbied the state Legislature to create this new loan program, which allows the state to loan up to $60 million to community colleges for such projects.
Critics of the loan say voters spoke on the residence hall project, and that should have been the final word. But only about 22 percent of registered voters participated in the special election, and the margin of defeat was 59-41. Those numbers hardly add up to an overwhelming rejection of the project.
LCCC President Joe Schaffer pointed out that the college currently has 276 beds. Yet for the past two years, roughly 600 potential students have applied to live on campus. Studies show that 85 percent of those unable to secure on-campus housing didn’t enroll at LCCC.
We say kudos to college leaders for seeking other ways to fund important projects that keep the college moving forward, and thank you to state officials for helping make them happen.
DOWN to the many members of the Wyoming State Bar who declined to participate in this year’s judicial poll, which asks attorneys to offer their input on the performance of judges at all levels throughout the state.
As voters prepare to decide whether some of these judges should be retained, few measures exist to gauge their performance. So when less than half of the state’s lawyers participate in this annual survey, it’s difficult to gauge whether the judges being considered for retention deserve a “yes” vote.
In Laramie County, the only judge up for retention this year is Denise Nau, who serves at the circuit court level. Of the 75 attorneys who offered their thoughts about her performance, 63 percent said she should be retained for another four years. Yet just 30.7 percent said they approve of her “open-mindedness and impartiality in judicial matters,” while 25 percent said they strongly disapproved. And in the “courteousness and politeness” category, only 27.6 percent strongly approved, while the same percentage said they strongly disapproved.
Here at the WTE, we’ve had experience with Judge Nau in the courtroom, and we have to side with those objecting to her performance. But the average voter hasn’t had such an opportunity. Unless more lawyers participate in this important survey, voters will have no idea whether to keep judges on the bench or ask for someone new.
UP to professional saddle bronc rider and 2014 Cheyenne East graduate Brody Cress for qualifying to compete in his second National Finals Rodeo starting Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.
The 22-year-old made history this past summer by becoming the first saddle bronc rider in 86 years to win back-to-back championships in the event at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Though he has been sidelined since Aug. 4 with a broken ankle that required two surgeries to repair, he is No. 6 in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings with $111,587.67 in earnings this season.
We can’t wait to cheer on the hometown boy come December!
