Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 3

star Casper Area Tuesday, Sept. 3, 1 985 Star-Tribune. Casper, Wyo A3 City's gas access to consultant Northern's allowed records "Ina V. i I a fill fj il im vv oj By JEFF THOMAS Star-Tribune staff writer CASPER Casper's gas consultant, denied access to Northern Utilities records in July, was allowed into Northern offices more than three weeks lalcr to view the same material, the consultant says. From his Chicago office, Al Ward said he was permitted to look over "just about everything" he wanted to see during an inspee-ton of Northern records Aug.

15 and 16 in Casper. However, some questions have gone unanswered, he said. Ward is preparing Casper's arguments against Northern's proposed natural gas price increase, due for hearing before the state Public Service Commission Council to consider police officers' claim for allegedly promised raises Siar-TribuncRick Sorenson Cheerleaders collecting for the Ml) A Monday at Washington Park lake shelter from the rain MDA telethon tops last year's results Sept. 16. Northern records will help the city determine if the utility is justified in asking for the rale hike, he said.

In addition to reviewing Northern documents firsthand, Ward said the company has supplied him with copies of answers provided to the PSC Consumer Rcprcseniaiivc Staff. But Ward said more documentation may be needed to solidify the city's case against the rale increase. Ward said Northern told him the company did not have the documentation necessary to answer some of his questions. He would not elaborate on the type of information he had requested. "I'd like to have more, but we'll go with what we have," Ward said.

"It might strengthen (the city's case) if I had more." job performance review. "The perception is, once you're at the public trough, you get automatic increases," Minner said. "That perception is not correct." The claim will be discussed at the council's regular meeting, scheduled for 7:30 tonight at City Hall in the council chambers. For the first time, tonight the council will see a proposed bill that would require businesses using automatic burglar and fire alarms to register their systems with the city. Under the proposed ordinance, a minimum penalty of $50 would be required for each false alarm after a certain number of "free" false alarms have been registered.

Minner said human error is often behind false alarms. Employees improperly trained or ignorant of the proper use of automatic alarm systems are generally at fault, he said. The ordinance also proposes to reduce police and fire response to alarm users whose alarms become "a public nuisance" and would outlaw alarm systems that automatically phone police or fire dispatchers. Police received 1,460 burglary alerts via alarm systems in 1984, according to a police spokesman. All but two of the alarms were false, he said.

A report to the council accompanying the ordinance will recommend that the police set up technical standards for alarm system printers linked directly to the police, fire and sheriff dispatch offices. One Casper alarm company, Protecier General, already is wired into the dispatch centers. CASPER Wyoming residents pledged "about $2,000" more in this year's muscular dystrophy telethon than in 1984, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Wyoming district director. The MDA's Mike Newman said the $148,615 brought in by the traditional Labor Day event surprised the telethon's 600 Wyoming organizers and volunteers, who were able to drnw nbout $2,000 less last year. "It's significant, I think, due to the economy," Newman said, citing the hard times that have fallen on parts of the state.

Newman said the Casper area tallied $28,383 in pledges, "down a little bit" from last year. But he indicated last-minute gains during the final hour of the the telethon were responsible for the statewide Corps of Engineers must decide on permit Deer Creek Dam decision success. "We were surprised. We did not think that was going to happen," he said. Newman said this year's pledge's did not break the state record, but he said the gains are still remarkable in light of the current economic slump.

He said pledges are an indicator of a broad community support base for the MDA. due next July and whooping crane issues. A key factor regarding the whooping cranes will be the opinion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The corps seldom issues a water project permit in the face of a negative opinion on endangered species effects from Fish and ildlife, a corps spokesman said last month.

Purcell told the WWDC this week the Inland Lakes issue is a river regulation question involving the Wyoming State Engineer's Office and should not really affect a permit for the Deer Creek Dam. On the whooping crane issue, Purcell said a preliminary state analysis showed the dam would deplete the river above the crane habitat by a negligible amount 0.7 percent. Further study the slate will do for the EIS should show even less depletion is likely, he said. Northern did not allow Ward to enter its offices during his first attempt to view company records July 22 and 23. At the same time, the company permitted PSC consumer representative staff members to examine Northern documents.

Although Ward was denied access. Northern Vice President Kent Mahlman said the company would provide copies of documents to Ward or invite him to review them in person. However, Ward said, the delay in gaining access to company documents may make it difficult to prepare an adequate case against the rate increase. But "it's too late to do anything at this point," he said. The city must submit its written arguments to the PSC by Sept.

6. City Administrative Assistant Donald MacMillan. in an Aug. 29 memo to Minner, said the Protector General printer is seen as an unfair advantage over other alarm companies. MacMillan said others will be allowed to install printers, but said the process will be made simpler by establishing standards.

Also expected for council approval is an agreement under which Casper will perform all building inspections in the town of Bar Nunn. Under the agreement, Casper will be paid $22.40 per hour for the serv ices, according to Minner. Natrona County recently turned over all of its inspection duties to the city, but pays a flat yearly fee for the service. Other items the council will consider include: A request from Sonlight. Christian Academy, 1600 E.

Second St. an elementary school operated by Sonlight Ministries to continue lo operate the school for another year in the general business zone in which it is located. The school is applying for its third extension and may find opposition to its request, Minner said. The school, which opened in 1982 housing first through sixth grades, now includes kindergarten through eighth grades, he said. The expansion of the school may concern the council, Minner said.

A resolution authorizing the city to intervene in Northern Utilities' rale hike request before the stale Public Service Commission Sept. 16 All I he stations will run i ho same programming once they arc on i lie air, Sieler said. Rawlins Channel II. previously owned by Rawlins Broadcasting, will be on the air bv Oct. 15, Sieler said.

Chevenne's station is expecied to be on the air before the end of the year and Scoiisbluff's new station will be on the air by early 1986. Sieler said. 1 he new companv plans a full news Mali for KXWY, Sieler said. The corporal ion will be publicly owned. Brand said.

The corporation's patent company. First National nicrtain-meni Inc. is mainly involved in producing movies and television programs. Brand said. Other principals in the cot p.

nation include Vice President I Cohen, who was executive producer of "The Buddy Hollv Story," and President Allen Gelbard, who is head of Telecom Equipment Corp. HianJ has Ivcm involved in various production companies, including thai of Harry Saltman, who produces the James Bond movies. The corpoiaiion is taking Riverton station over from Hi-llo Broadcasting; the Rawlins station from Rawlins Broadcasting: and Channel 20 in Casper from Heart of Wyoming Inc. By JEFF THOMAS Star-Tribune staff writer CASPER Tonight the per City Council will consider a claim from several city police officers that they should get pay raises they say the city has guaranteed. Other officers are asking the city for pay increases that would put them at the level they would have been if the city had not frozen employee wages during fiscal year 1984-85.

The city administration is advising the council to reject both requests. Kevin Burl, police personnel director, did not indicate how many officers are involved in the claim. Acting City Manager Joe Minner said "about a dozen" patrolmen are represented in the claim. An Aug. 30 memo from Burt lo Minner says at least one officer incorrectly claims pay raises are automatic.

Burt said the claim is based on an incorrect interpretation of an employee manual that says raises are annual events, but only if granted by the department. The other portion of the claim involves officers who want their pay boosted to the level it would have been had the city budgeted funds for pay increases during the 1984-85 fiscal year. But Minner said the council, in approving 5 percent pay increases for city workers for the 1985-86 fiscal year, did not intend to make any of the raises retroactive. Each employee will move up one salary step on his or her employment anniversary date during the current fiscal year, assuming satisfactory marks on a Star-1 rihune Kick Sorenson KXWY-TV announces new company will acquire station the necessary permit from the corps, and "hopefully to address Nebraska and (the) whooping crane people's concerns to the point that they would not feel obligated to sue on issues of concern," Purcell said. He also said Wyoming might "have to say no" to some things those groups request to meet their objections to the project." Nebraska government officials have said they are concerned that regulation of North Platte River waters after construction of the Deer Creek Dam could threaten water supplies for Nebraska's Inland Lakes reservoirs.

Conservation groups concerned with protecting whooping crane and other endangered bird habitat in Nebraska have said construction of another dam on the Platte system could mean incremental depletion of water supplies that would further deteriorate habitat that should be protected. Even liny depletions could pose that problem, conservation spokesmen have said. Similar concerns have threatened or stopped other projects on the Platte in past years. Corps spokesmen have said the corps will look at the Inland Lakes diamond and 10 one-point diamonds on a yellow gold mounting. The ring allegedly was stolen from a jewelry box in the victims' bedroom.

Local youth victim of apparent suicide CASPER Sheriff's deputies and paramedics answered a call Monday to an apparent suicide at a Chalmers Street residence. Natrona County Sheriff John Barrett said a 17-year-old male was pronounced dead on arrival Monday afternoon at Memorial Hospital of Natrona County. Barrett said the victim apparently had strangled himself, but he By ANNE MacKINNON Star-Tribune staff writer CASPER The proposed Deer Creek Dam between Casper and Glenrock could get a yes-or-no permitting decision from the federal government next July, the administrator of the Wyoming Water Development Commission said last week. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must decide whether to issue a key construction permit for the $45 million dam approved by the 1985 Wyoming Legislature.

Under a new schedule the corps has issued, a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) should be prepared by November and a final EIS completed by spring. With those in hand, the corps could make a decision on the permit in July 1986, WWDC administrator Mike Purcell said. Purcell said Wyoming needs to be aware that the Deer Creek project might face a lawsuit from two groups, the state of Nebraska and conservationists concerned about whooping cranes, both of which have raised objections to the dam. Such a suit might be filed once a corps permit were issued, he said. But the WWDC's goal is to get Police nab suspect in business burglary CASPER Police have arrested a suspect in a burglary at Little Big Man Pizza at 3350 CY Ave, according to a Casper Police Department report.

The suspect allegedly broke into the business Sunday night and took $345 in cash and merchandise, according to the report. Stolen goods included $300 in cash that 'was in a plastic container at the time of the alleged burglary. Ring reported stolen from local residence CASPER Unknown persons burglarized a residence on the 1600 block of Westridge Drive and took a $3,600 ring, according to a Casper police report. The ring, reportedly taken sometime between Aug. 17 and Aug.

29, has a Vi carat white ill CT" i-i I 1 By CATHERINE WARREN Star-Tribune staff ritcr CASPER KXWY-TV in Casper and lour oihcr stations in Wyoming and Nebraska will be acquired in the next lew weeks by a newly formed Fori Lauderdale and Los Angeles-based company, KXWY Manager Peiei Sieler said Friday. The company, first National Broadcasting, sees Wyoming as a promising market to branch into television station ownership, according to board chairman Irving Brand. The company will operate with "good absentee management," Brand said. He said the companv feels Wyoming's econony will improve, making the slate a promising market. TV stations lo be run by the new company include Riverton's KFWY; Rawlins' KRWY; a new station Chevenne's KLWY; and KSBN in Scottsbluff, Neb.

Brand said the company plans lo acquire more TV sialions in other stales. One company, he said, can own up 12 stations, according to Federal Communications Commission regulations. Three of the stations in Cas-per, Rawlins and Riverton will have iheir ownership transfers completed by Wednesday, Sieler said. said the mishap was "still under investigation" and that the cor-oner has not yet officially deter- Ofl tSTSCt II1IIICU 1 1 IE 11U3V VI Wiaill. The victim's identification is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Mike Sweeney of Casper uses body English while plaving in a Boccie Ball tournament at Washington Park Monday lo benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association..