Council to Consider Tobacco/Vaping Ordinance – Sheridan Media sheridanmedia.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sheridanmedia.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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An ordinance that would stiffen the penalty for possessing or using tobacco products on school grounds in Sheridan was an item of discussion Monday night at a Sheridan City Council study session. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.
In response to an extreme increase in the use of electronic cigarettes, or vape pens on school grounds, officials with Sheridan County School District Two have requested the City adopt an ordinance that can be used by the school district to discourage vaping among students. Currently under state statute, anyone under the age of 21 who possesses tobacco products on school grounds is subject to a fine of no more than $25. The ordinance that is being proposed would allow for a fine of up to $750, which is the standard misdemeanor maximum. Under the proposed ordinance, the Court may also order the minor to attend a tobacco education class and if the minor is convicted three times, he or she would then be eligible for probation.
The Board of Trustees for Sheridan County School District Two approved Molly Swan as interim Highland Park Elementary School principal. The action came at the Board’s most recent meeting on June 14. Swan will begin her new role as interim principal early next month. According to a District Two media release, Swan’s career in education spans a total of 29 years, including ten years teaching in Natrona County School District No. 1; nine years teaching in Sheridan County School District No. 1; and ten years with Sheridan County School District No. 2. Swan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Carroll College, a Masters degree in Education and K-12 Reading Endorsement from Chadron State College, and a principal endorsement from the University of Wyoming.
Officials with Sheridan County School District Two sent correspondence Tuesday afternoon to parents of students within the school district that stated “the district has recently experienced small concentrations of positive COVID-19 cases at both Highland Park and Sheridan Junior High School.” The school district in the release, said schools are conducting contact tracing with the guidance of local health officials and requiring close contacts of positive cases to quarantine for 7 to 10 days.
At the time the correspondence was sent, the School District said there were around 50 individuals at each school that have been quarantined. The email states that “individuals who choose to wear face coverings and/or are fully vaccinated are not required to quarantine.”
Year in Review
The year began with a bit of good news in January, as Sheridan made the list for True West magazine’s Top 10 True Western Towns. Bob Boze Bell, True West Executive editor, said Sheridan has always been a hub of Old West activity, and attractions such as the Sheridan Inn, and Trail End State Historic Site helped Sheridan earn a spot on the list.
On March 11, the Wyoming Department of Health announced the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the state was an adult Sheridan County woman. Four days later, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist recommended that all schools in the state close immediately due to concerns over the coronavirus. In late March, Dana Beartusk was arrested and charged with three counts of First Degree Murder for allegedly killing three family members in Big Horn during the evening hours of Sunday, March 29. At a preliminary hearing in April, Circuit Court Judge Shelley Cundiff ruled that there was enough evid