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THE WYOMING MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVED THE GO-AHEAD TUESDAY FROM THE NATRONA COUNTY COMMISSION TO OBTAIN A $37 MILLION BRIDGE LOAN TO BUY THE MOUNTAIN VIEW REGIONAL HOSPITAL.

LAST MONTH, THE MEDICAL CENTER ANNOUNCED IT WOULD BUY THE 23-BED MOUNTAIN VIEW REGIONAL HOSPITAL, WHICH BEGAN AS NEUROSURGICAL HOSPITAL AFTER A BITTER FIGHT THAT STARTED MORE THAN A DOZEN YEARS AGO BETWEEN A GROUP OF NEUROSURGEONS AND THE WMC'S ADMINISTRATION.

THE APPROVAL OF THE LOAN REQUIRED THE PARTICIPATION OF THE THREE GROUPS RELATED TO THE WYOMING MEDICAL CENTER, SO HANG ON.

NATRONA COUNTY OWNED THE HOSPITAL UNTIL 1986 WHEN THE NONPROFIT WYOMING MEDICAL CENTER, INCORPORATED, WAS FORMED.

THE COUNTY CONTINUED TO OWN THE BRICK AND MORTAR ASSETS MOSTLY IN THE 1200 BLOCK OF EAST SECOND AND EAST THIRD STREETS.

THE MEDICAL CENTER LEASED THAT PROPERTY FROM THE COUNTY, AND THE RENT, IN EFFECT, WAS TO PROVIDE CHARITY CARE AND PRISONER CARE, AND MAINTAIN THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY WHICH IS NOW WORTH NEARLY $300 MILLION.

THE GROUP THAT OVERSEES THE LEASE IS APPOINTED BY THE NATRONA COUNTY COMMISSION AND IS CALLED THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL OF NATRONA COUNTY.

IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE COUNTY OWNS HOSPITAL ASSETS AND THE HOSPITAL IS RUN BY A NONPROFIT CORPORATION, STATE LAW REQUIRE THE COUNTY TO OBTAIN THE FINANCING.

HOWEVER, THE WYOMING MEDICAL CENTER, NOT THE COUNTY, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING OFF THE LOAN THROUGH REVENUES AND OTHER FINANCING.

SO TO GET APPROVAL, THE MEDICAL CENTER, THROUGH THE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES, NEEDED TO FORMALLY ASK NATRONA COUNTY TO OBTAIN THE LOAN.

TUESDAY, THEY MET AT THE MEDICAL CENTER AND APPROVED THE RESOLUTIONS TO GET THE LOAN FROM RBC ROYAL BANK OF CANADA.

AFTER THE MEETINGS, MEDICAL CENTER SPOKESWOMAN KRISTY BLEIZEFFER SAID THE HOSPITAL DOES NOT ANTICIPATE RATE INCREASES AS A RESULT OF THE APPROVAL OF THE LOAN.

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AN ALBANY COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY AND A TROOPER FROM THE WYOMING HIGHWAY PATROL WERE INVOLVED IN A SHOOTING WHILE ON DUTY SATURDAY, MAY 26TH THAT INJURED A SUSPECT.

ACCORDING TO THE ALBANY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON FOREST SERVICE ROAD 700 NEAR VEDAUWOO IN THE LATE EVENING HOURS SATURDAY. THE DEPUTY AND TROOPER WERE NOT INJURED IN THE SHOOTING, BUT THE SUSPECT SUSTAINED SEVERAL INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO COLORADO FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT.

THE WYOMING DIVISION OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION WAS REQUESTED TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT. THE DEPUTY IS CURRENTLY ON PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE PENDING THE INVESTIGATION, AS PER THE POLICY OF THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE.

THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAID THE INCIDENT WAS TRAGIC AND UNFORTUNATE FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED AND THAT THE NAMES OF THE DEPUTY, TROOPER AND SUSPECT WILL NOT BE RELEASED AT THIS TIME. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE ALSO SAID THEY WILL NOT BE RELEASING ANY FURTHER INFORMATION UNTIL DCI COMPLETES ITS INVESTIGATION.

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A SINGLE-VEHICLE ROLLOVER CRASH LEFT ONE PERSON DEAD MONDAY EVENING ON A HIGHWAY NEAR CASPER.

65-YEAR-OLD GARY STEWART WAS NORTHBOUND ON HIGHWAY 257 IN A PONTIAC WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED AT MILEPOST 5.5 SHORTLY AFTER 6:30 P.M., ACCORDING TO A CRASH REPORT FROM THE WYOMING HIGHWAY PATROL.

THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE STEWART OVERCORRECTED, SENDING THE PONTIAC BACK ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY BEFORE ROLLING ONE AND A HALF TIMES, COMING TO REST ON ITS ROOF.

STEWART, WHO WAS NOT WEARING A SEATBELT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

SPEED AND ALCOHOL USE ARE BEING INVESTIGATED AS POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, ACCORDING TO THE PATROL'S REPORT.

WEATHER WAS OVERCAST AND THE ROAD SURFACE WAS DRY AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.

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CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - ONE OF THE MOST LIBERAL POLITICIANS SEEKING NATIONAL OFFICE IN WYOMING IN RECENT YEARS IS RUNNING AGAIN BUT HAS SWITCHED PARTIES FROM DEMOCRATIC TO REPUBLICAN.

SEVENTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD FORMER ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST CHARLIE HARDY IS RUNNING IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY AGAINST U.S. SEN. JOHN BARRASSO.

HARDY SAID TUESDAY HE'S NOW AN "EISENHOWER REPUBLICAN," REFERRING TO REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT DWIGHT EISENHOWER, WHO WARNED AGAINST OUT-OF-CONTROL MILITARY SPENDING.

HARDY LIVES IN CHEYENNE. HE SUPPORTS UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE AND A STEEP INCREASE IN THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE BUT IS NOW PESSIMISTIC HE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AS A DEMOCRAT IN HEAVILY REPUBLICAN WYOMING.

HARDY LOST TO RYAN GREENE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR U.S. HOUSE IN 2016.

HARDY WAS THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR U.S. SENATE IN 2014 AND GOT 17 PERCENT AGAINST REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT MIKE ENZI.

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