State has second-highest suicide rate

CASPER — Wyoming had the second-highest suicide rate in the United States in 2018, according to data released earlier this month.

More than 25 Wyomingites out of every 100,000 died by suicide that year, a sweeping report by the American Association of Suicidology found. That was well above the national rate of 14.2 and barely trailed New Mexico, which had the highest rate in America. It was, however, lower than Wyoming’s rate in 2017, when the figure was more than 27 people per 100,000.

“It’s one of our top priorities, easily,” said Lindsey Martin, who leads the state Health Department branch...