skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

WY School Districts Offer Healthy Meals for Kids at Home

play audio
Play

Monday, March 23, 2020   

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Wyoming joins the national effort to protect public health in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis by closing classrooms, school districts are finding creative ways to make sure children who rely on school meals can continue to get healthy, nutritious food.

Tamra Jackson, nutrition programs supervisor for the Wyoming Department of Education, says around 36% of the state's students rely on free or reduced-price meals, and cafeteria workers are stepping up efforts during the pandemic.

"In Wyoming, we have the best group of dedicated, passionate people that are taking care of their kid," she states. "Maybe give them a smile that they're not getting anywhere else during that day."

Jackson says parents should contact their local school district to find out best times to pick up meals or to sign up for delivery.

The Wyoming Department of Education also is posting updates on the COVID-19 situation online at edu.wyoming.gov.

Schools had to apply for waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture , which funds the National School Lunch Program, to allow them to switch to their summer meal operations.

Many Wyoming families that struggle to make ends meet during regular times are facing layoffs, and with hungry children now at home during lunchtime, Jackson says school meals provide critical assistance for families.

Jackson says many Wyoming residents already have reached out to her office with offers to help out.

"What I've been telling them is to reach out to their local schools or school district and ask them what they can do, to volunteer or to donate," she relates.

Jackson points to one district's food service director, who is cooking and packaging meals all by herself, getting help from the school's superintendent and principal to distribute food to families.

Food service staff in another district wrote, "We miss you. Do your homework" on each of the bags prepared for students.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021