The Town Council at their most recent meeting voted to approve increases to a number of fees, including those for open records, a move a Wyoming public information expert says could have a suppressing effect where public information is concerned.
Municipalities across the state, including Jackson, have recently been either enacting or raising fees for open records requests, according to former Wyoming Press Association Director Jim Angell, who also manages the Wyoming News Exchange.
Angell said he believes âthat they do it to limit access to public information.â
The fees hit not only media outlets, such as the News&Guide, but also everyday residents seeking all sorts of information, among the many other entities that also request public documents.
There was plenty of praise to go around Monday night as the Jackson Town Council thanked two outgoing members for their service, while welcoming two new faces to the council and former Vice-Mayor Hailey Morton Levinson to the mayorâs seat.
Councilors Jessica Sell Chambers, a political consultant, retired educator Jim Rooks and new Mayor Morton Levinson were all sworn in to their seats in an Oath of Office Ceremony on Monday morning, then participated in Monday eveningâs meeting for the first time in their new roles.
Morton Levinson replaced former Mayor Pete Muldoon, who was defeated by Chambers and Rooks in his bid for a council seat. Chambers and Rooks, meanwhile, filled the seats opened by outgoing two-term Councilor Jim Stanford, who chose not to run for reelection, and Morton Levinson.
Mayor, 2 new Town Council members to be sworn in Monday morning jhnewsandguide.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jhnewsandguide.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Beppe Amodio, a 25-year-old ski technician at Nomad Sports, tends to ride the START bus to and from work.
But this winter the pandemic, and the changes to public transit that have resulted, have thrown a wrench in his rhythm.
When he finished his shift around 2 p.m. Thursday he grabbed his ski gear and took a few laps. When he tried to catch a bus afterward he ran into an obstacle. Many obstacles.
âI went to go get on the bus back to Stilson, and there were like over 200 people out there waiting,â he said. âI didnât want to go be in a crowd that big because of COVID.â
Elko man dies in slide
An Elko, Nevada, man snowmobiling in the Salt River Range died Friday after being buried in avalanche for about 15 minutes.
Brandon Jones, 41, was snowmobiling away from his group late on Dec. 18 on a slope of what locals call âSuicide Mountainâ when he triggered a medium-size avalanche with a 2-foot crown. He was able to deploy an airbag, which kept him near the snow surface, but his upper body was buried with only his leg sticking out. When his snowmobiling partners did find and uncover him, he lacked a pulse, was blue in the face, wasnât breathing and had foam at the mouth.