Green River City Councilman Ted Barney's life-changing, mind-opening experience happened many years ago when he made the decision to go on a high school trip to Paris and London.

"It was the best decision I ever made in my life," he said. "It opened my eyes to a great big world. It brought me out of the box of Sweetwater County."

Barney pays close attention to what is going on around the world; and that is a big reason he is running for county commissioner.

Barney is a Green River resident who has worked as an investigator in the public defenders' office for 16 years and is in the middle...