Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 17

star Wyoming Bl Thursday, Feb. 26, 1987 Star-Tribune, Casper, Wyo. t-l 1 Gas forces residents to evacuate Defeiidents want suit dismissed Jy v' 1 i J. "Vis i 1 J' -f" A -j Siar Tribune file pholo Kilit tnM)sc wvre (ransplanliHl to the Horn Mountains to hnild up tlic lienl Jackson moose sent to Big Horns Station on the Bighorn National Forest. The release in the southern Big Horns marks only the second time thai moose have been introduced into the area.

The present herd, which according to officials numbers between 10 and 15 individuals, are descendants of a herd of eight moose originally introduced into the area in March of 1950. Moose were not historically located in the Big Horns. Roger Wilson, Game Biologist for in Sheridan, said the introduction of the moose to the southern Big Horns was determined to be necessary because of a fear that the present population would not be able to sustain itself due to too few numbers, poaching and accidental death. By KAREN SCIIICHE Star-Tribune correspon den BUFFALO Two stock trailers loaded with eight female moose from the Jackson area crunched through a heavy new snowfall Monday to release their cargo in the Big Horn Mountains west of Buffalo. The eight moose were among a total of 20 animals captured on the Moose Head Ranch near Jackson during the past week as part of a cooperative relocation effort between the U.S.

Forest Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Twelve of the 20 moose tracked were relocated to Colorado, while the eight brought to the Big Horns Monday were released near the Hunter Ranger Controversy delays grizzly report Plaintiff seeks $10 million for deaths ByPAM D1CKIIAUS St r- Tribune ci trrespi mden WORl.ANI) Parties defending against a more than $10 million lawsuit here have filed an answer to the suit and asked that the suit be dismissed. Jim's Water Service, Jinimie D. and Cheryl D. Rodgers filed the answer Jan.

20, asking for dismissal of the $10,097,000 lawsuit tiled by Donna Thomas in December 1986. The accident involving a truck owned by AAA Trucking occurred Dec. 22, 1984 al the intersection of U.S. Highway 20 and Wyoming 431, also known as the Gooseberry Road, about nine miles south of Worland. The AAA truck, driven by Bruce Dangel of Worland, failed to stop at a stop sign on the Gooseberry Road, and crashed broadside into the Thomas vehicle.

Thomas' husband, Timothy, and their two children, Michael and Lisa, were all killed in the accident. In her suit, Thomas, the sole-survivor of the fatal crash, alleges that the Rodgers' and Jim's Water Service owned AAA Trucking. She alleges the company's negligence resulted in the accident which killed her husband and two children. In their answer, the Rodgers deny that they were the beneficial owners of AAA Trucking, or that "they exercised any direction or control over the management of the corporation." They also say they "are without knowledge as to how AAA Trucking Inc. ran itself" or whether corporate formalities, such as stockholders' meetings, were properly observed factors which might permit finding the Rodgers personally liable for company actions.

The Rodgers claim they purchased 300 shares of C.L. Bayne Trucking stock in February 1979. They admit (hat Jim's Water Service began operating Bayne Trucking on that date, but deny that they personally had anything to do with the operation of the corporation. AH assets of C.L. Bayne Trucking became the property of Jim's Water Service after Aug.

10, 1979, the Rodgers' answer states. They deny the assets of the dissolved corporation ever became their personal property, as Thomas' complaint claims. The Rodgers deny that the company was negligent in failing to maintain the truck in a safe condition, that they permitted the operation of the vehicle with what the plaintiff claims were defective brakes, and that they failed to inspect the truck and its brakes. The truck's driver was found guilty of three counts of vehicular homicide in August 1985. He was sentenced in November 1985, to a year in jail with all but five months suspended.

Later that month, he appealed the sentence to the Wyoming Supreme Court. In 1986, the court denied him a new trial and he began serving his sentence in October. Sand Lake permit held by corporation ELK MOUNTAIN The special use permit for Sand Lake Lodge in the Medicine Bow National Forest is held by Sand Lake Lodge Vicki Cheatham of Casper said. The permit is currently being considered for re-approval by the U.S. Forest Service.

Wednesday the Star-Tribune reported the permit was held by Vicki Allaways. The lodge closed last October following its regular fall season and will be allowed to reopen when water system improvements are made and samples meet state requirements, according to Howard Hutchings, Director of the state environmental health division. Cocaine distribution nets 5-year sentence CHEYENNE (AP) A Cheyenne man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in a federal prison for distributing 20 grams of co-caine, according to a spokeswoman with the U.S. Attorney's Office. The spokeswoman said Brian Brockman, 35, had pleaded guilty to the charge.

U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson suspended all but four months of the sentence, she said. Hydrogen sulfide found in Gillette area By LIZ BRIMMER Star-Tribune northeastern bureau C. ILLETTE Campbell County and stale officials advised residents in 13 Rawhide Village homes Tuesday to leave their property temporarily after unexpectedly drilling into deadly levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas when testing for methane gas sources. Department of Environmental Quality engineers drilled into hydrogen sulfide gas measured at concentrations of 4(K) parts per million in the 10 fool deep test hole located in the front yard of a house on Salt Box Lane in Rawhide Villaue, eight miles north of Gillette.

Drilling into such high levels of hydrogen sulfide surprised state and county officials who were drilling for soil samples to determine the geological formations through which potentially explosive methane gas has been leaking for the past two weeks. Previous tests showed the highest out-of-doors hydrogen sulfide concentrations at 7 ppms. Concentrations of the gas measured inside homes read less than 1 ppm. Campbell County Emergency Coordinator David Holland stressed that their recommendation is a precautionary measure and that only those homes in the adjacent area were advised to spend the night with relatives or friends in town. According to Howard Hut-chings, director of Environmental Health in the state Health Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ceiling for acceptable working conditions is 20 ppms.

The maximum allowable level for a 10 minute period of exposure is 50 ppms. At lower levels, such as hydrogen sulfide becomes an irritant to eye and nose tissue and causes headaches and fatigue. Concentrations above 50 ppms can cause larengitis, bronchitis, and sensitivity to light. At 250 ppms, it will cause pneumonia, and inhilation at levels above 300 ppm will cause comas and a loss of breath. Hydrogen sulfide gas is flamable if levels reach between 4.3 to 46 percent of the available air.

Hutchings said that the hydrogen sulfide is not as big a health concern as is the potentially hazardous methane levels in Rawhide Village. Officials are dealing with a number of variables and unknowns, one of which is the effect of barometric pressure changes on the methane and hydrogen sulfide concentrations. But Holland said that the expected change is slight at only .5 pounds per square inch. Officials have not been able to explain why outside levels are higher than any readings in a house along Salt Box Lane but say this is the reason monitoring the gas is critical. Using a word suggested by one Channel 7 TV reporter from Denver, Holland agreed that the situation was "bizzaro." He added, "Maybe it's an act of God it's not coming up at dangerous levels in peoples' homes." Officials did not drill Wednesday, Holland said, because of the hydrogen sulfide levels and because other, less hazardous ways of testing are being sought.

Weston man dies in logging accident NEWCASTLE A Weston County timber cutter was killed in a logging accident Tuesday, according to Weston County Sheriff Don Howell. Howell said Neil Cutler, 48, of Newcastle and Osage was working alone in an area 3 to 4 miles southeast of Moon, S.D., in Pennington County when a tree he was felling apparently caught on an old snag. The top of the snag, a piece about 10 foot long, broke off, said Howell, hitting Cutler on the head. Howell said Cutler had been working alone since about 11:30 a.m. and that when another cutter, Edd Zinc, came to pick him up about 3:00 p.m., Cutler could not be found.

The sheriff said Zinc searched for Cutler and located his body about .3:30 p.m. when authorities were notified. Howell said he believed the accident occured shortly before Zinc returned to the area. The accident was investigated by Custer County, S.D., authorities at the request of Pennington County authorities. Christopulos fete planned today CHEYENNE A reception and a dinner will be held today and March 6 in Cheyenne for State Engineer George Christopulos, who is retiring after 35 years with the state.

The public is invited to both. The reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. today in room 1699 of the Herschler Building, 122 W. 25th St. The no-host farewell dinner will be held March 6 at the American Room at Little America in Cheyenne.

Cocktails will begin at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m., and RSVPs for the dinner should be made by Feb. 27. Christopulos' office requests that anyone who wishes to send a card or letter or a contribution for a farewell gift should send it to Laura Watson, State Engineer's Office, Herschler Building, Cheyenne 82002. Cody man calls for 'White Wednesday' CODY A Cody man recently asked the board of School District.

No. 6 to establish a "White Wednesday" policy of no late-evening extracurricular activities at mid-week, enabling students to participate in church events. He said that since the school has a policy of eliminating from teams those students who don't attend practices, athletes are torn between being booted off teams and skipping important church functions. School District spokesman Bruce Bennion said the district used to have a 6 p.m. deadline for after-school activities on Wednesday nights to allow for church attendance.

But Bennion said that policy was discarded because some churches had nights other than Wednesday designated for their activities, and too many conflicts developed. Diamondville youths sent to juvenile court DIAMONDVILLE Police here did not arrest four youths but rather "referred" them to juvenile court for possible action in connection with a home damaged during a party, a spokesman said. The names of the four male juveniles were given to the Lincoln County attorney's office, the spokesman added. County Attorney Richard Leonard said Wednesday that after reviewing information in the case, he decided to file petitions in juvenile court involving three of the youths. The petitions are not considered actual charges since the matter is handled in juvenile court, he added.

Instructors to climb Gasherbrum II LANDER Six instructors at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander hope to be the first Americans to climb the world's 13th highest mountain, Gasherbrum II. The mountain is part of the Karakoram Himalayan Mountain Range in Northern Pakistan. It is 26,300 feet high and one of 14 mountains in the world that reaches a height of 8,000 meters. The group which includes Malachi Miller, Mike Collins, Dan Helig, Phil Powers, Craig Stebbins and Robb Hess will leave the United States on April 20. They will have 70 days to approach and climb the mountain, arriving at their base camp on May 29 and leaving the base around July 2.

CWC trustees extend all contracts RIVERTON The Central Wyoming College Board of Trustees recently extended all faculty and professional staff contracts. CWC President Ed Donovan said after the meeting that vacancies resulting from resignations would not be filled. A March 24 special meeting has been scheduled for a budget WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. (AP) A long-awaited report on the effect on grizzly bears of a proposed ski resort near Yellowstone National Park has been delayed again, U.S. Forest Service officials said Tuesday.

Hebgen Lake District Chief Ranger Ralph Meyer said there is controversy within the Forest Service over how much land should be included when analyzing the impact of the proposed Ski Yellowstone resort on grizzlies living near Hebgen Lake. GRIZZLY Ill I -win rii.i,-r lil A Forest Service inventory of moose habitat on the Buffalo Ranger District during the summers of 1984 and 1985, indicated that approximately 70 head of moose could be supported in the area, Wilson said. Biologists hope that the recent introduction of eight females, which includes five adults, one juvenile and two calves, will allow the herd to eventually reach that level. Should the animals increase beyond the capacity of the range, a hunting season to allow the harvest of the excess animals could be instituted, Wilson indicated. All the moose released Monday have been blood tested, collared and ear-tagged for future identification.

the forest, several forests? The Yellowstone ecosystem? "Some people who have read the report say we should expand the boundaries of the area covered by the report, but if you get too big, the data gets watered down." Grizzly bears are listed by the federal government as a threatened species in the lower 48 states. The report will predict whether there would be an upward or downward trend in the area's grizzly bear population if the resort is built. John Hall, Ski Yellowstone's major stockholder, cannot begin construction of the year-round resort's downhill ski lifts on leased Forest Service land until the Forest Servcie and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decide whether the resort will hurt bears. little hope White House Chief of Staff Don Regan during a black tie dinner Sunday night.

Though separated by a vase of tulips, Sullivan said those al the table candidly discussed Regan's position as 'the man in the box" as the Iranian arms deal scandal unfolds. Ranking Republican leaders, including Wyoming's Congressman Richard Cheney and former president Gerry Ford, have called on Regan to resign "in the best interests of the presidency." The president's advisers reportedly say that Regan's resignation would clear the way for a replacement who can command respect on Capitol Hill. WLEA training tification. The non-certified deputy, whom Sherrod would not name, has two years to obtain the necessary certification, the sheriff said. "We are not in violation of POST," Sherrod added.

Next week Sherrod said he will evaluate assignments to provide better coverage in the county when the two deputies return to work. The department was recently criticized by residents concerned about lack of regular patrols during the night, Sherrod said. Although he said he'd like to improve coverage Sherrod said, "We haven't got the money and we haven't got the people." Oil state leaders offered Final copy of the Forest Service analysis, which has been awaited eagerly by both supporters and opponents of Ski Yellowstone, had been expected by the end of the month. Meyer said a revised draft will be circulated to biologists for comment, but he has no idea how long it will take them to complete their review so the final report can be prepared. "What is there is good, but some people wanted more," Meyer explained.

"One of the problems we've had with this from day one is deciding how much data should we use, and how much is enough. "At what point do you quit adding in cumulative effects? What area do you limit yourself to, half The president said only that he expects a report soon from his task force on energy policy. "We didn't get any great support or reason for optimism," Sullivan said. Sullivan and Gov. Garrey Car-ruthers of New Mexico did talk to Sen.

Pete Domcnici, a New Mexico Republican who serves on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "He's favorable to the import fee," Sullivan said. Sullivan had hoped to discuss reserved Indian water rights in a meeting at the Capitol but the session was cancelled after a snowstorm hit Washington. Sullivan noted that he sat with and Training (POST) Commission refused to certify them. Former Carbon County Sheriff C.W.

Ogburn had claimed he trained his deputies in the county as effectively as the LEA at less cost to taxpayers. Sherrod, however, campaigned against Ogburn in last fall's election saying he would have all of his officers certified by the state. Another officer involved in the dispute, H. Leroy Graham, no longer works for the Carbon County Sheriff's Department. Tuesday Sherrod said when Colson and Engstrom return to Rawlins all but one of his deputies will have proper Wyoming cer CHEYENNE President Ronald Reagan offered little hope to oil state governors who would like to see the U.S.

charge an import fee on foreign oil, Gov. Mike Sullivan said Wednesday. Sullivan attended the winter conference of the National Governors' Association last weekend in Washington, DC. The governors met with Reagan Monday morn ing and North SULLIVAN Dakota Gov. George Sinner asked the president about the import fee.

Carbon deputies to complete By CANDY MOULTON Star-Tribune correspondent RAWLINS Carbon County will no longer be violating state regulations when two sheriff's deputies complete training at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy this week, county Sheriff Don Sherrod said Tuesday. Deputies Gerald Colson and and Chester Engstrom should complete their training at the WLEA Friday. They have been at the academy since Sherrod took office in January. The two deputies had been involved in a dispute with the state after the Police Officers Standards.