Park County school district addresses potential of employees joining LegislaturePowell TribunePark County School District 1 Superintendent Jay Curtis said in 16 years at the helm of school districts, he’s never had an employee express a desire to run for office. This year, he’s had two. Now, w ith the school board’s approval, Curtis is reworking an existing policy addressing what happens if a school employee is elected to an office such as the Wyoming Legislature and is gone for 20 or 40 days each year. It’s unusual but not without precedent. Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, for instance, has been a longtime legislator, football coach and high school teacher, the Powell Tribune reports. Read the full story. Sweetwater official suggests further trimming Wyoming’s long-sought pronghorn migration corridorJackson Hole DailySouthwestern Wyoming’s county officials are concerned that proposed protections for the Sublette pronghorn herd could impede economic development. A working group, appointed by Gov. Mark Gordon, met to discuss how protecting the herd’s migration could impact agriculture, energy and recreation. The working group’s chairman suggested trimming two southwestern segments from the proposed corridor. Those segments are different from two Gordon removed. If cut, the total number of protected herd segments could drop from 10 to six, the Jackson Hole Daily reports. Read the full story. Governor declines to remove Hot Springs County commissionersWyoming Public RadioGov. Mark Gordon declined to seek the removal of two of Hot Springs County’s three commissioners following a verified complaint that alleged they violated their oaths of office when they reconsidered a land use change application. The complaint challenges how two commissioners handled a local family’s request to establish a 12-teepee campground on their property. Though Gordon said in his decision that there was “much to find wrong with the actions of the Board and others in this matter,” especially because the commissioners didn’t ask for a new land-use application, he declined to ask the state attorney general to pursue their removal from office, Wyoming Public Radio reports. Read the full story. Drone company aims to bring flying avalanche bombing to WyomingKHOL 89.1FMLast year, Alaska became the first state to use drones that ignite and drop explosives to trigger controlled avalanches in hard-to-reach slide paths after receiving approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Drones from Nebraska-based company Drone Amplified carry up to 10 pounds of explosives, called charges, and trigger them from the air. Flying in charges is one of the latest advancements that aims to make avalanche control faster and safer, Jackson Hole Community Radio reports. Read the full story. With Iran war, Wyoming’s helium value risesUinta County HeraldMuch of the world’s helium comes from Qatar, but due to the war in Iran, Qatar cannot currently extract or ship helium. However, there is abundant helium in the natural gas reserves of southwestern Wyoming. ExxonMobil’s LaBarge gas processing facility near Kemmerer can extract helium and refine it to Grade-A quality for industrial use. Because of helium’s growing role in medical technology, supercomputers and other industries, demand has increased, the Uinta County Herald reports. Read the full story. The post Local Lookout: Teachers seeking office | Pruning pronghorn protections | Controlling avalanches with drones appeared first on WyoFile . ...read more read less