Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 3

KFNB-TV may be back on air soon Suit filed to appoint for station Malpractice trial in District Court CASPER Trial of a malpractice suit against Casper doctors Louis Steplock and Marlene Maseberg began this week in District Court before Judge Dan Spanglcranda 12-pcrson jury. The trial is docketed to last eight days, Spangler said Tuesday. The jury was selected Monday and opening arguments were made. Testimony continues today. Lucille Villanova, and her band, Bill, filed suit against the doctors in May 1988.

The couple claim that Lucille Villanova's care following heart surgery in 1985 was substandard and as a result, she suffered unnecessary pain and medical expenses. ill I ix; A ym cV i-. 1 By EMILY QUARTERMAN Star-Tribune staff writer CASPER KFNB-TV may be back on the air this month, a local lawyer representing Channel 20's new owners predicted this week. On Thursday John Burk, representing Wyomedia filed a lawsuit seeking appointment of a receiver to be in charge of the station while legal bickering is settled, District Court records show. KFNB will lose its ABC affiliation, "greatly" reducing the station's value, if it does not resume broadcasting, the suit says.

Burk said Tuesday his client hopes to have the station, which has been off the air since April, broadcasting within a couple of weeks. "We're in the very early stages," Burk said. "There's an awful lot of things to put together." Mark Nalbone, former Channel 20 engineer and station manager, must be approved as the station's "receiver," in charge of its equipment and operation, Burk said. Wyomedia lawsuit was filed against First National Entertainment First National Broadcasting and Casper Channel 20 who allegedly borrowed a total of $850,000 from Marvin Engineering Co. Inc.

and defaulted on the loans. The suit says the loans, secured with Channel 20's equipment, Federal Communications Commission licenses and other assets, were sold to Wyomedia Corp. in June. An Aug. 11 letter from A.J.

of Florida who identifies himself as principal stockholder of Casper Channel 20 Inc. attached to Wyomedia's suit says that Stanton resigned the presidency of that as well as Heart of Wyoming Television Inc. "because of the disastrous state of their financial and legal affairs." "The stockholders have been advised of my resignation and no one has contacted me and no one has made any effort to appoint officers or assume any direction for the corporations," Stanton's letter says. Stanton also says he has no objection to appointment of a receiver to take over the station's management. Tricia MclnroyStar-Tribune Bob Murphy operates the backhoe and Dave Donahoe bends his back in the trench during construction along Collins Drive Tuesday.

Work on the street is expected to take four-to-six moreweeks. Road work 1 1 Raid nets arrest of four drug charges on possible CASPER A man who allegedly sold drugs to an undercover police officer during a raid was arrested Monday, along with three other people suspected of selling drugs, according to a press release. The Central Drug Enforcement Team executed a search warrant at 827 N. Park St. Monday and seized a quarter of a pound of marijuana, a "small amount" of cocaine and more than $1,600.

Denisa Wentz, 28, Steve Spurlin, 19, and Thersa Hughes, 19, were arrested, the release says. "Also arrested was Harry Campbell, 39, who sold a small amount of methamphetamine to an 15 from the Citizens' Clearinghouse for Hazardous Wastes Inc. informing her that the posse "has been nominated to receive the acclaim of the Grassroots Movement at Grassroots Convention '89" Oct. 6-9. Burkhart said she plans to go to Virginia to accept the award.

"It's really a big deal, this gathering that they're having," she said. Burkhart said she was "really shocked they gave us this award," since there are countless grassroots environmental groups that have combatted pollution for years and her 3-year-old organization is comparatively new, DUI charge reduced; woman pleads guilty CASPER Susan A. Wright, 21, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Municipal Court to alcohol-related careless driving, amended from driving while under the influence, and was fined $760 with $200 suspended on the condition that she commits no similar offenses for one year, court records show. Troopers place 18th at DCI competition KANSAS, CITY, Kan. The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps placed 18th: out of over 50 corps competing in Drum Corp International last weekend in Kansas City, according to Janet Garner, a Troopers board member.

The Troopers, with a score of 78, tied with the Florida Wave. Last year at DCI competition, the Troopers placed 19th. This year's first place winner was Santa Clara Vanguard with a score of 98.8; anjl second was The Phantom Regiment with 98.4. I i Pollution Posse wins recognition CASPER-The Wyoming Pollution Posse will be honored in Arlington, for its contribution to the ''Movement for Environmental Justice," posse leader Linda Burkhart announced Tuesday. Burkhart received a letter Aug.

I Albertson's union only ready to strike CASPER Albertson's workers will be prepared to strike if contract negotiations this week are not successful, union officials say. A headline in Tuesday's Star-Tribune incorrectly inferred the union's action plans in case the talks fail. Man assaulted outside residence CASPER A man was injured Saturday when he was struck with a bat during a fight outside a local residence early Saturday morning by assailants who got him out of bed, according to his landlady. Linda Valenzuela said Tuesday an earlier report that Layne D. Luckow, 20, was injured at a post-party brawl on CY Avenue was inaccurate.

The party was on Elk Street, Valenzuela said, and although Luckow attended the party, he was not attacked until after he had gone to his home on CY Avenue. Valenzuela said she witnessed the assault. i Branches dumped free at balcfill through week CASPER Because of last Friday's hail storm, people hauling tree branches or leaves will be able to dump them for free at Casper's balefill facility through Saturday, city officials announced this week. And during the next four weeks, the city will pick up properly bundled branches left next to alley or curbside trash containers on regular pickup days. Branches should be no longer than six feet, and tied securely with wire or twine into bundles weighing no more than 80 pounds, according to an announcement from Public Works Superintendent Mike Haigler.

Leaves and other light debris should be bagged. In order not to clog storm sewers, debris should not be placed in gutters, according to Haigler. Area couple, man face family violence charges CASPER A Natrona County couple was arrested Monday for simple assault under the. Family Violence Protection Act, sheriff's reports show. A 36-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman were arrested at 4:41 p.m.

Monday following a dispute in their home in the 3500 block of Blue Sage Lane, the reports show. In addition, a 30-year-old man was arrested under the Family Violence Protection Act after allegedly assaulting a 22-year-old woman in the 2400 block of Prairie Lane Monday at 2:30 p.m., another sheriff 's report shows. Bits, tools, car reported stolen CASPER Tools, a lawn trimmer, a car and mining drill bits were among goods reported stolen this week, Casper police and Natrona County sheriff's reports show. Darrel Aanestad told deputies Monday that sometime between Aug. 14 and Monday two 12V-inch mining drill bits worth $10,300 were stolen from 1275 6 Mile Road.

And Gary Leslie, 40, informed police officers that on Tuesday, a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo valued at $1,300 was stolen from a driveway in the 1800 block of South Mitchell. Another police report shows that Ruben Servantez, 55, reported that a tool box, tools and a lawn trimmer worth a total of $2,650 were stolen from a garage in the 2200 block of Shumway Sunday or Monday. Official urges contractors to work at underbidding Ohio Hough on drunks' edicts don't deter drivers RIVERTON (AP) The winning of contracts for federal abandoned mine lands projects by South Dakota and Montana contractors has a state Department of Environmental Quality official urging Wyoming contractors to "sharpen their pencils." A South Dakota company recently won two contracts worth more than $470,000 for AML work in the Gas Hills east of Riverton and with $4 million in work going to bid next month, state AML Director Gary Beach is urging Wyoming contractors to work to underbid their out-of-state competitors. "We're seeing contractors, particularly from Montana and South Dakota, are getting the bids," he said. "They either have lower costs, lower overhead, whatever." The contracts have been going to undercover officer who was searching the residence," the release says.

The search was conducted after undercover officers allegedly purchased nearly four pounds of marijuana from Wentz over a four-month period, according to the release. Drug delivery and drug delivery conspiracy charges "are expected to be filed against those arrested," the release says, and more arrests are possible. The Central Drug Enforcement Team is a multi-county cooperative partially funded and supervised by the state Division of Criminal Investigation. out-of-state contracts despite a state law calling for Wyoming businesses to win state jobs if their lowest bid is within 5 percent of the bid presented by an out-of-state company. "Even with that, the out-of-state boys still win the Beach said.

"We're willing to pay a few more dollars for a resident firm to get the job. We're still not getting resident firms picking up the bids." In the most recent bid, Roth Trucking of Rapid City, S.D., won two contracts to close mine shafts, backfill and grade in the Gas Hills. Beach urged potential contractors to place their names on bidding lists so they will be notified of bid-lettings. "By now, I think most contractors are aware of the work," Beach said. "It's a matter of the resident contractors being able to take advantage of the preference." The birds remain difficult to spot because they spend much of their time on cliffs in remote areas.

"Many people have heard of them, but not many have seen one," said Barbara Franklin, a Shoshone wildlife biologist. Franklin had previously worked for The Peregrine Fund, a nonprofit corporation which contracts with government agencies to release the birds. In Wyoming, the birds have been released at four sites in the Shoshone, on the North Fork, the South Fork and two in the Crandall area. The Cody area was identified as a secondary site to reintroduce the birds because of its prime habitat. Edgerton mayor gets nomination for acliievements Award given by WCW CHEYENNE Longtime Edgerton Mayor Maxine Patterson has been nominated for the Woman of Achievement Award, granted annually by the Wyoming Commission for Women.

Patterson was first elected mayor of Edgerton in 1965, when the town still had dirt streets and residents bought water for $1 per barrel, according to a brief biography of Patterson submitted to the commission by Casper lawyer Frank Bowron and former Speaker of the House Pat Meenan. During her tenure as mayor, the town has acquired a water and sewer system, a park, a new town hall and jail, a branch of the Natrona County Library, paved streets and a new fire station, largely due to Patterson's skill at landing state and federal grants and loans. She has chaired the Wyoming Association of Municipalities Legislative Committee, and served as its president, gaining a reputation as the Legislature's most effective lobbyist, according to the biography. Nominations for the award close Oct. 1, according to Jan Nelson-Schroll, executive director of the women's commission.

Past winners have included State Supt. of Public Instruction Lynn Simons, writer and homemaker Imogene Dickey of Sheridan, educator and stateswoman Verda James of Casper, and minority advocate Oralia Mercado. Recognized in 1988 were Laramie County State Sen. Win Hickey for her political work, Sandy Shuptrine of Jackson and Judy Killion of Green River for volunteer work, Virginia Cole Trenholm of Cheyenne for her work in the arts and humanities, and Ruth Aubuchon for business, according to the commission. Awards will be announced around Dec.

1. Falcon recovery program increases numbers in state WASHINGTON (AP) Special license plates and tough-on-drunks sentences jby the only judge in a small Ohio town don't seem to deter tipsy drivers, concluded a study released Tuesday. The study compared drunken driving statistics and interviewed drivers and law enforcement officials in Cambridge, Ohio, and nearby New Philadelphia, where no-nonsense Judge Edward O'Far-rell has been handing out unusually strict sentences to intoxicated drivers. I Researchers said their surveys "failed td show less drinking and driving in New Philadelphia." In drunken driving cases, O'Far-rell since 1982 routinely has handed out 15-day jail sentences to first-time offenders; imposed a standard $750 finef rejected plea bargains; and required the vehicles of restricted drivers to be tagged with a distinctive red-on-yellow license plate. In Cambridge, 40 miles south of New Philadelphia, drunken drivers usually get sentences of three days or less in special education camps.

The report funded by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showed motorists in the two towns had a gobd sense of their relative chances of going to jail if caught driving ujider the influence. The drivers were aware that jails were overcrowded and that there were a relatively 'small number of police on patrol.1 In the (study, anonymous spot-checks that included breath tests found a numbers of drunken drivers in both communities. The report said that before changing their driving habits drinkers have to be convinced there's a strong likelihood of getting caught and going to jail. "Even a determined judge like Edward O'Farrell is incapable of creating the needed certainty of punishment on his own," the report said. "Limited jail space remains an important constraint on the O'Farrell policies." "I think I've known that all O'Farrell said in a telephone interview.

"You can't do it alone." New Philadelphia has just begun work on a new 100-bed jail, but in the meantime there's a 12-month to 18-month waiting list to get into the existing 19-bed facility. The shortage of jail space tends to counteract O'FarrelPs tough sentences; once sentenced, drunken drivers must wait to serve their time and if they wait long enough the sentence gets suspended. "On a first offender now I am simply unable to get anybody into the jails," the judge said. "If I don't have a jail to put somebody away, I can't follow up. "That has been disheartening to me." "People know that the jails are filled," O'Farrell said.

They also know there are a limited number of police officers on patrol. "There just aren't enough people out there to adequately cover the problem," O'Farrell said. CODY (AP)-Peregrine falcons are still a rare sight in Wyoming, but a program aimed at their recovery in the state has at least made it possible for those who know where to look to get a glimpse of the birds. Peregrines, an endangered species, were once extinct in the region, largely because the chemical DDT filtered through the food chain, causing the egg shells of the birds to become thin and fragile. But through the efforts of The Peregrine Fund, the Shoshone National Forest, the state Game and Fish Department and the Bureau of Land Management, the number of the birds in the state has increased to 26 as of this summer..