Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 29

State news 4 Minneapolis Tribune Wednesday June 3B 's Neppl hanging on to job in party he rejuvenated By Lori Sturdevant Staff Writer When Vern Neppl assumed the chairmanship of the Minnesota Independent-Republican Party in 1977, the joke goes, the entire state party could caucus at one picnic table in Vernon Center. Two years later, with two new IR U.S. senators, one new IR governor and 32 new IR state representatives elected and installed, Neppl proudly presided over a party that seemed to be vigorous, flush with money and growing by the minute. He was reelected state chairman without opposition, and he received the GOP's Outstanding State Chairman a prize bestowed only once before, Auditor criticizes fired DNR pilot Associated Press William Morris William Morris A Department of Natural Resources (DNR) pilot stationed at Grand Rapids, had a conflict of interest because of private flying contracts, used a state plane for personal flights, and may have used state-paid gasoline and oil for private use, according to an auditor's report filed Tuesday. The pilot, Donald Glaser, was fired about two months ago after an investigation by the legislative auditor's office but has taken his discharge to arbitration.

State DNR Commissioner Joseph Alexander said no criminal or civil legal actions are pending against Glaser. Alexander had earlier suspended Glaser and then discharged him. In his report, Legislative Auditor Eldon Stoehr said there was a conflict of interest, several incidents of misuse of state resources, and "improper, perhaps illegal," payments by a federal agency to Glaser. The auditor's report is the official account of the investigation but does not constitute a legal charge against Glaser. The DNR will present its own evidence in the arbitration hearings.

Before the legislative auditor's investigation, DR investigators had obtained testimony from a former Grand Rapids service station operator. The witness, Allen Meyers, estimated that the state was overcharged "at least $4,000" over a twoyear period because Glaser signed false invoices, using a state credit card, the report said. Witnesses said Glaser had some state-purchased gasoline put into five-gallon cans in his patrol car while neighbors said he poured gasoline from cans into his private cars, according to the report. Glaser denied to state investigators that he had misappropriated state funds. He said all gasoline and oil bought with his state credit card was DR continued on page 5B Around Elk River: Grand jury to begin proceedings in Sherburne case A grand jury is scheduled to begin hearing witnesses Thursday about possible misconduct or abuse of authority in the Sherburne County sheriff's department.

County officials said the grand jury met Tuesday, but is considering other cases before taking testimony on the department investigation. A special unit for the Anoka County sheriff's office spent 10 weeks investigating the charges of improper conduct. The evidence compiled in that Renville: No on enforcing City officials in Renville said Tuesday that no decisions have been made about enforcing the town's new ordinance that outlaws the showing of obscene movies. The ordinance was passed last week after the new owner of the Revilla Theater in Renville started showing movies with explicit sex scenes. City Attorney Don Walser said he expects the situation to be discussed at Monday's meeting of the city council.

"Nothing is going to be done until then," he added. Many in the community have objectRedwood Falls: wins top prize in A device to make life easier for the sportsman won top honors for Jerry Beaudette of Minneapolis in the 24th annual Minnesota Inventors Congress in Redwood Falls. His entry in the sports-recreation division of the weekend contest is a griper, or line tie-down device for securing boats, minnow buckets and other sporting equipment. It also won him the best over-all award as well as $500. Other category winners included: Agriculture Cal Courneya, Des Moines, Iowa, for a microwave grain Automotive Lester Rosethal, Omaha, foldaway seat base; Electronics Dr.

George Schossow, White Bear Lake, on Ray Bliss, a legendary Ohio Republican state Chairman Ray Bliss. Now Neppl is fighting hard to hang onto his job. Bill Morris, his rival, says Neppl will lose it when the IR Central Committee meets Saturday. Most party insiders say Neppl is slightly ahead, but, as Vice Chairwoman Donnette Hilton said, "it's so close that a good speech could throw it either way." Whether or not he wins a third term, Neppl's difficulties reflect the difficulties the IR Party has had since its day of glory, Nov. 7, 1978, when it knocked dozens of DFLers out of office.

The reasons Morris supporters cite Cleanup continues at Maple Lake Sharon Leintz, mayor of Maple Lake, continued cleaning up debris from Sunday's storm. Leintz's house, in the background, was damaged and she said she lost two garages and a 22-foot travel trailer. A few doors down from Leintz's home, a canoe (right) was nearly broken in half when it was thrown by high winds. Two large tractor tires and axles had to be retrieved from an open field near Kramer Sales and Manufacturing, an implement dealer in Maple Lake. At the Maple Lake airport, 10 airplanes and 12 hangars were damaged.

Two of the airplanes were reported to be total losses. Roofs were blown off two houses by the storm Sunday and utility crews repaired downed power lines Monday and Tuesday. Staff Photos by Donald Black Services set today for Oscar Knutson Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. today for Oscar R. Knutson, retired chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, who died Monday.

Knutson, 81, was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1948 and served as chief justice from 1964 until his retirement in March 1973. He continued to participate in hearings on a limited number of appeals until 1977. He was a native of Perry, near Superior, Wis. The son of immigrants, he could not speak English until he attended school. The family moved to Warren, in 1916.

Knutson finished high school there and graduated from the Northwest School of Agriculture at Crookston. attended St. Olaf College at Northfield, for one year and then the University of Minnesota and its law school, dropping out a couple of times because of lack of money. He practiced law in Warren from 1927 to 1941 and' was its mayor from 1936 to 1941. His first law partner was Julius Olson, who was appointed a district judge in 1930 and later was appointed a supreme court justice.

Knutson was appointed a district judge in 1941 and in 1948 was ap- for opposing Neppl read like a catalog of the party's bruises and disappointments since that day: Independent lost ground in the Minnesota House in the 1980 election, slipping from a minority of 68-66 to 70-64. A more effective campaign spokesman or strategist might have prevented that, they say. Gov. Al Quie got entangled in a fiscal mess and in April proposed an income tax increase nobody liked. A more forceful state chairman might have persuaded him to do otherwise, they say.

A number of IR legislators, many of whom Neppl helped elect in 1978, Oscar Knutson pointed to the supreme court to succeed Olson, who retired. Knutson was appointed chief justice in 1962. Survivors include Knutson's wife, Katherine; two sons, Robert, Minneapolis, and Richard, St. Paul; and a daughter, Anne Lee of St. Charles, Ill.

Knutson's first wife, Louise, died in 1955. Services will be at the Werness Brothers Chapel in south Minneapolis, with no visitation or reviewal. The family has suggested memorials be given to the University of Minnesota Law School Scholarship Fund. refused to toe the Quie line when his May tax proposal was in trouble. A more powerful state chairman might have whipped 1 them back into the Quie fold, they say.

I The party spent $100,000 on TV ads promoting Quie's tax policies that ran in April, just as Quie's latest tax plan was being lampooned by both parties in the Legislature. A more prudent state chairman would have used the ads earlier, or not at all, they say. Neppl responds that a state chairman has little control over elected officials, particularly one as determined to make his own decisions a as Chairman continued on page 5B Vern Neppl Vern Neppl investigation will be presented to the grand jury by a special prosecutor. The charges of misconduct were made by local citizens, former deputies and current 1 members of the sheriff's department. Sheriff Chet Goenner died unexpectedly during the investigation and since then his two top assistants have been demoted or removed from the departmant.

Officials said that it might take two or three days for the jury to hear the evidence in the case. decisions reached anti-obscenity law ed strongly to the movies. A petition against the movies was circulated by a group of ministers and signed by more than 550 people. Bob Haugen, 51, a Nebraska resident who is showing the movies and has an option to buy the theater, said yesterday he plans to talk to an attorney about challenging the ordinance. Haugen believes that the ordinance is unconstitutional and is an attempt to harass him.

He made the same charge about another new ordinance requiring him to have a license to operate the theater. Minneapolis man inventors contest grounding safety device (he was a winner in energy conservation two years ago); Household Harlin Halvorson, Wells, bifold doors; Industrial Selmer Gramsad, Rochester, adjustable forms for making concrete steps; Personal Bruce Koop of Crystal, car-top wheelchair carrier; Tools Steve Gummow, Rocktown, dual-action ratchet wrench; Alternate Energy Jeanine Lind, Aitkin, fuel furnace; Energy conservation Joseph E. Vance, St. Paul, home insulator; Youngest inventor Karen Kulkey, Cedar, 9-year-old, alphabet soup game; Oldest inventor 70- year-old Weslie Erkel, LeCenter, a walking device. Around continued on page 4B U.S.

milk production up for 25th month Tribune News Services Washington, D.C. Milk production in May was above levels of a year ago for the 25th straight month and probably will continue rising at least until fall, the Agriculture Department says. Production i in the first five months of 1981 was up 4.3 percent from the same period last year, a preliminary report said. In Minnesota the No. 4 state in milk production dairy farms produced 963 million pounds of milk in May, up 6 percent from a year earler.

For the first five months of 1981, production was 4.5 billion pounds, up 8 percent from a year earlier. Dairy operations account for Minnesota's largest source of farm income, bringing in about $1.2 billion last year. The rise in national milk production over the past two years has been a result of 70,000 more milk cows and a 30-pound increase in output per cow, the report said. Minnesota farms, with 875,000 cows, accounted for 20,000 of those 70,000 milk cows. Production per cow averaged 1,100 pounds in May, up 40 pounds from a yer earlier.

Congress went along with an administration proposal to skip a scheduled increase in milk price supports last April 1, and this could have an effect on the plans of dairy farmers. So could new farm legislation pending in Congress which includes dairysupport programs. "Because the support price was not raised and because of uncertainty about the support level this fall, culling of marginal cows may increase," the report said. "However, with the large number of replacements available, the herd will likely remain near present levels but be below year-ago numbers by yearend." With milk expected to be "in abun-; dant supply during the coming months," retail prices of dairy products as a group "may abate somewhat this summer," the report said. Tribune State (612) 372-4542 News Bureaus Rochester 708 Marquette Bank Building (507) 288-1417 817 Medical Arts Building (218) 727-7344.