...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...Portions of south central Wyoming and southeast Wyoming,
including the following areas, in south central Wyoming, Shirley
Basin. In southeast Wyoming, Central Laramie County, Central
Laramie Range and Southwest Platte County, East Platte County,
Laramie Valley, North Laramie Range, South Laramie Range and South
Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...Through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Couples who want to get married in Wyoming would have to pay for three hours of premarital counseling if a new legislative proposal gets approved. The bill also would require three
CHEYENNE — Couples who want to get married or divorced in Wyoming would have to pay for counseling if state lawmakers approve of an attempt to decrease divorce.
Couples who ignore the requirement would have to wait a year to get a marriage license or a divorce decree. It's a proposal that asks couples to understand the consequences of life-changing decisions, said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ed Buchanan, R-Torrington.
"Perhaps a year is too long to wait," he said. "I wanted to open up the discussion."
Wyoming had the nation's third-highest divorce rate behind Nevada and Arkansas in 2004, according to the federal government's National Center for Health Statistics. By 2007, the Cowboy State still held one of the top five spots in the rankings.
Meanwhile, divorce has become one of the top reasons for children to end up in poverty.
Buchanan said state law already requires divorcing couples to get co-parent counseling before the split. But this is the first proposal to address how couples deal with each other once the divorce is finalized. It's also an attempt to decrease the state's divorce rate with at least three hours of premarital counseling before the wedding.
"All it is is education," he added. "It's education regarding the most common stressors in a relationship."
It's also a chance for couples to address how they would handle communication, money, children and conflict resolution after the ceremony.
Buchanan said the only consequence for couples who decide to opt out is a longer wait for a marriage license. A judge could wave the counseling requirement in the case of a divorce so that victims of domestic violence wouldn't have to meet a counselor alongside their abuser.
Becky Vandeberghe, president of WyWatch Family Action, said the organization supports legislation that cuts down on divorce. But the group also wants to protect constitutional rights.
She added that Buchanan's proposal would gain the support of the family values group if it can strengthen one without trampling the other.
