Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 20

Wednesday, Jan. iou oum-1 1 wun, yu. i Pro-lifers rally on capitol steps Ik mm By JOAN BARRON Capital Bureau Chief CHEYENNE One speaker at a pro-life rally held on the steps of the Capitol Building Tuesday received a tepid response for his moderate stand on abortion. Rep. Douglas Chamberlln, R-Goshen, substituting for Rep.

Ron Mlchell, R-Ulnta, told the throng of more than 100 pro-life advocates from throughout the state that be firmly believed "you can't legislate morality." Although he encouraged the abortion foes to continue their efforts, Chamberlain also said he could not turn his back on cases of rape or incest resulting In pregnancy. The 37-year-old farmer-rancher from LaGrange said later he voted to allow state funds for abortions of pregnancies resulting from rape or Incest. "I told Mlchell I would say what I believe even if it didn't fit Into the program," Chamberlain said. "I see so many cases of child and mutilations in foreign I was In Vietnam and saw atrocities and frankly those children would have been better off If they had not been born." "I just can't take the same stand they take," he added. Chamberlain's remarks drew only a smatter of applause from the crowd, most of them members of Rlght-to-Llfe organizations.

After a march up Capitol Avenue, the group gathered near the steps of the statehouse in brittle cold, carrying signs reading, "Adoption, not abortion," "The debate is not over," and "Respect life no matter how small." Several women in the crowd carried infants in their arms. Two small children hauled a large banner imprinted with the 1 Li iT. t'. Frannie man charged with shooting death RED LODGE, Mont. A Frannie, Wyo.

man 1 charged In the shooting death of another Frannie man just across the state ltne In Warren, Mont Jeffrey Ball, SI, was released on a 93,000 cash bond. He Is accused In the death of George at clntyre, S3, Sunday night. Mclntyre was apparently shot with a .44 Magnum revolver at a mobile home northeast of Warren, according to a spokesperson for the Carbon County attorney's of flee In Red Lodge. The spokesperson said Ball turned himself Into authorities shortly after the shooting. No preliminary bearing has been set as authorities Investigate the circumstances Of the shooting, said the spokesperson.

County attorney Pablo Perhaca' office would release no other details of the shooting. Thermopman charged with stabbing wife THERMOPOLIS A TbermopoUs man as arrested on charges of stabbing his wife, attempting to stab his mother, choking bis sister and kicking his son. William Wend, Is being held In lieu of Hooobond. According to Hot Springs County attorney Michael Messenger, Wentz Is charged with aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon for allegedly stabbing his wife, Michelle, 17, in the Aittocks Friday afternoon. She was treated and later released from a TbermopoUs hospital Messenger said Wenti is further accused of attempting to stab his mother, Eleanor Wents, as well as hitting and choking her.

The county attorney said Wentz also faces charges for allegedly hitting and his sister. Ginger Wentz, and hitting and kicking his 23-month old son, Eric. Messenger said Wentz allegedly used a kitchen knife and a steak knife after Wentz "came home drunk." He said the Incident took place at the oil field worker's mobile A preliminary hearing for Wentz will be held Monday. United Press International Anti-abortion protestors marched through downtown Cheyenne Tuesday and then gathered at the state capitol on the seventh anniversary of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing abot Hons.

Pro-life rally Lawmaker sponsoring bill zing severance tax equali Carter's Iowa victory-draws opposite views picture of an Infant, a tear flowing from Its right eye. The march and rally were conducted In observance of the eighth anniversary of the Wyoming Supreme Court ruling legalising abortions. Dick Rlddell, chairman of the Laramie County Rlght-to-Llfe Education Committee, said there have been more than 7.5 million abortions In the VS. since the 1973 court ruling. "We are here today to grieve over the deaths of these precious children," Rlddell said.

"We are here today to affirm that life Is sacred." Tom Murphy, state pro-life chairman from Gillette, said abortion opens the path to legalized killing of the retarded and the elderly. Murphy said pro-life advocates cannot make converts through emotions, but must educate themselves and use sound, reasonable debate. He said they must also realize that most abortion advocates are not monsters. Murphy also urged the crowd to support any organization that offers alternatives to abortion and to let their legislators know their feelings. The most militant speaker waa Sharon Cornthwaite of Casper, co-founder of the Wyoming Rlght-to-Llfe Committee, who stressed the need for political activism.

Congressman Dick Cheney, she said, has an "exemplary" record on pro-life, but not U.S. Senators Malcolm Wallop and Alan Simpson. "Sen. Wallop comes up for election In two years," said Mrs. Cornthwaite.

"Remember that." She urged pro-life supporters to find and support good candidates for political office. "Voter power is where it's at," she said. even give him a passing grade. Freudenthal said the Iowa precinct results showed that President Carter's policies are more acceptable than Kennedy's to rural, agricultural ares, such as Iowa and Wyoming. The Carter campaign coordinator also urged Wyoming Democrats to consider the results of a CBS poll released Monday that "showed that both George Bush and Ronald Reagan would beat Sen.

Kennedy in the Iowa general election." He said the same poll showed Carter would beat either Reagan or Bush, the front-running Republican contenders. "This is not a year to forsake a proven winner for a challenger with questionabl support," he said. But Roncalio de-emphasized the importance of the Iowa precinct caucuses. "The tests really to watch will be Illinois and the intervening primary voting," he said. Roncalio said he still believes Kennedy will win the Democratic nomination.

"When the bell rings," Roncalio said, "he will come out fighting for round No. 2." his advice," Cronberg aid. "All we can do at the present moment Is let him look at It, too, and see what he says, bf he gets his answer back and agrees with Mr. Yonkee, I would say we will look at It and stop the procedure. If he doesn't agree, we will continue." A newspaper reporter who was denied access to the meeting was told the executive session was proper because the board is a licensing agency.

The state open meetings law allows executive sessions when a licensing agency is preparing, administering or grading examinations. However, Yonkee said the board's review did not Involve licensing or fall under any other exemption from the state open meetings law. MBPP plant A dispute over job safety at the project late tn 1978 resulted In extensive discussions between MBPP officials, union leaders and state job safety Inspectors to Improve safety. At one point Owsley threatened to close the project until new safety steps were taken. The 1,500 megawatt power plant Is being built by a consortium of consumer-owned electric cooperatives led by Basin Electric of Bismarck, N.D.

It will provide power to rural electric cooperatives in seven states. Owsley, In the meantime, Is scheduled to appear before the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee this week to push for restoration of four new Inspector positions In his agency. The new positions were rejected by Gov. Ed Herschler. CHEYENNE (UPI) Wyoming supporters of Mass.

Sen. Ted Kennedy Tuesday compared Kennedy's defeat in the Iowa caucuses to a fight in which 14 rounds remain, while Carter backers called the Iowa results a "resounding endorsement" of the president. Carter defeated Kennedy by more than a 2-to-l margin Monday in the Iowa precinct caucuses, the opening round of the 1980 presidential contest. Several months ago, the senator led Carter 2-to-l in the polls. Former Congressman Teno- Roncalio, an honorary co-chairman of the Wyoming Kennedy for President campaign, likened the caucuses to "a heavyweight championship match in which there are 14 rounds left to go." "Carter won the first one on points," Roncalio said.

"It is a long, hard battle before this one will be over. The Wyoming coordinator of the Carter-Mondale re-election bid, however, called the Iowa results "a resounding endorsement of President Carter's bid for re-election." "Iowa is the first test of the Ted Kennedy candidacy outside of Massachusetts," said David Freuden-thal, "and the people of Iowa didn't Majhanovich said this Is where the disparity comes In. If the unit approach had been" used on coal In 1978, he said, the average assessment would have been $7.24 per ton. Under his bill, some companies would pay more tax and some would pay less than in the past. I Majhanovich said the same gap on values can be found In uranium production.

The value ranges from a low of $5:28 per ton for Exxon to a high of $22.01 lor Getty OIL he said. Majbanovich's fixed rate method would" have little effect on severance tax revenues at the present. A fiscal note attached to the bill said revenue would have totaled $105.1 under the bill this year. Instead of the $105.2 million generated by the current method. "The only drawback to the bill is that this rate will remain fixed until the was called superintendent, J.

Neal Large, and alleged the defendants failed to meet standards set by state law on special educational assistance. Curtis, who attended schools in California before moving to Powell and later attended Laramie public schools, said the teachers in those areas were "more helpful and more understanding" than those In Powell. He said they provided special help to Curtis and others following general class instruction. "They didn't do those things in Powell," he said. Curtis testified that teachers were averse to questions about lessons, and that one teacher called him "a bird brain.

He called me that an awful lot of times." Curtis said other children at his school CHEYENNE Sen. Steve Majhanovich says the state's method of basing mineral severance taxes oa the value of production should be changed because, some companies are paying more than they should. The Rock Springs Democrat is sponsoring a bill which would base the tax on the average assessed value per production unit of the mineral, rather than the value of the gross production extracted. Majhanovich, terming the measure an effort to equalize the severance tax on minerals, reported that coal now has 19 different assessment figures for tax purposes. -The value of coal, based on sales prices, ranges from $3.50 per ton for Pacific Power ft Light Co.

to $12.50 per ton for Medicine Bow Coal he said. The state's 10.5 percent severance tax on coal is applied to those tonnage values In arriving at the severance tax owed. And Son says he CHEYENNE (UPI) The son of a Wyoming couple suing Park County School District No. 11 for educational malpractice took the stand in U.S. District Court Tuesday and testified he was called a "bird brain" several times by a district teacher.

A $328,000 suit filed by V. Edward and Mary Burton of Laramie claims the district and its officials refused to investigate the boy's learning disability and illegally failed to provide special educational help. Curtis Burton, now 18, attended Powell schools from 1971-76, starting in the fourth grade. He was denied special help after his parents advised the district that he suffered a learning disability, the suit charged. The suit named as defendants the district its board of trustees and a former AG is asked to rule on closed session charge Legislature changes It," he said.

"Now, as the value of the minerals goes up, we get more severance tax revenue. "I think it's a good economic way, but I think It's a sneaky way to do It," he said. He added that the bill can be changed to Include an escalating rate. "Some of the mineral companies have objected," said Majhanovich, purchasing agent for Mountain Fuel Supply a natural gas firm. "I'm just throwing this out on behalf of those who are paying too much." The fixed rate method would require dual billing by the Department of Revenue.

A spokesman In the department's ad valorem tax division said the agency would still have to go through the valuation process to determine the ad valorem taxes for the counties, and would have to compile second billings on the unit value of production. 'bird brain followed the teacher's example. The family's attorney, Patrick Hacker, said his opening statement Monday that at one time the young Burton was placed by a teacher in a closet and left there for the remainder of the school day. On another occasion, Hacker said, Curtis repeatedly tried to drown himself in a toilet and attempted to run through a glass door. He said the boy Iwu been diagnosed as hyperactive and also as possibly having suffered minimal brain damage from lack of oxygen when he was born In a police ambulance in California.

But Hacker told the six-person jury that Curtis was not mentally retarded, and that he has an average or above-average IQ. has delayed Its payments. The payments were estimated to be 20 percent of the hospital's income. A nurse commented that the quality of care given patients should be addressed since that should be a main concern in selection of a management firm. And Soumas, who had been critical of the society throughout the meeting, admitted that health care in Fremont County was better than it has ever been "partly due to the Lutheran Society, the medical staff and the community." Gordon Larsen, who works with all of the hospitals under the management of the society In Wyoming, said services the home office In Fargo, N.D., renders to the hospital Include central purchasing at a considerable cost reduction, payroll, eliminating paperwork, financial analysis, planning, legal assistance and blanket Insurance for all employees.

"The purpose of our society is to enhance the ability of each institution to better serve the community. We rely heavily on what services and direction the local board wants," he concluded. No decision is expected for some time on retention of the society, said Barbara Myers of the Sweetwater area. gpital management firm draws liquor store owner discovers burglary WORLAND Leroy Schneider went to work a little early Tuesday morning to do some paper work and discovered a burglary In progress. Worland police Sgt Joe Kraft said Leroy Schneider, the owner of Goose's Liquor Store, often goes to his store early in the morning to catch up on bookwork.

But when Schneider arrived at 3:07 a.m. Tuesday, he saw a man run out of a resiroom and Jump through the drive-up window. Schneider then called police who arrested Frank Lindberg, 24, about four Mocks from the store. Kraft said money believed taken in the burglary was found In Llndberg's possession. A search of Llndberg's house later uncovered "several bottles" of liquor believed taken from the liquor store, Kraft said.

He added that 10 pounds of frozen meat, cartons of cigarettes and 20 candy bars were also found In Llndberg's bouse: Police susoect those Items were taken in a burglary Saturday at the Cream of the Valley coffee shop in Worland Lindberg is now In Jail in lieu of a 110,000 bond. Victim takes stand COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) The victim of an alleged kidnapping last October testified Tuesday that Tommy Dale Cross of Balroil, forced his way Into her car and sexually abused her twice before she escaped from him. Sally Cole, 29, was the first witness in first-degree kidnapping trial, which began Tuesday in Pottawattamie County District Court. She said Cross Jumped Into her car at a truck stop tn Council Bluffs the morning of Oct 26, drove her to a cornfield southwest of Omaha, and sexually abused her. Then, she Mid, Cross threw her Into the trunk of her car, drove back to the Council Bluffs truck stop to pick up his luggage and beaded north on Interstate 29.

Near Watertown, S.D., Ms. Cole testified, Cross let her out of the trunk, 1 took her Into another field and attacked her again. Then he gave her clothing and allowed bei back Into the front seat, she said. She said' Cross became drowsy near Fargo, N.D., and allowed her to drive. They stopped for gas at a Grand Forks, ND- service station; and, when Cross left uh cw um to the local police station for help.

i. ttm tm fAM Attkwm km wu kfmuq a uranu rvru hospital Cross wu arrested shortly afterward at a bar In Pembina, N.D. evaluation hearing CHEYENNE (UPI) State officials asked the attorney general Tuesday to rule whether a state agency lawfully held a closed session during review of a nursing home's expansion plan. Department of Health and Social Services spokesman Chris Cronberg said the department asked for a ruling in response to a charge by Sheridan attorney Lawrence Yonkee, former special prosecutor of the 1978 state grand jury. Yonkee claimed the Wyoming Certificate of Need Review Board acted unlawfully in closing its Dec.

14 meeting on Eventide of Sheridan's plan to build a 60-bed addition. "We have asked the attorney general for Inspectors at WHEATLAND (AP) The head of Wyoming's job safety program says his staff is making a "wall-to-wall" Inspection of the Missouri Basin Power Project at Wheatland. Donald Owsley, administrator of the Wyoming Occupational Health and Safety Commission, said eight of his nine Inspectors are on site at the massive project on the Laramie River In eastern Wyoming. The Inspection was prompted by the death two weeks ago of a South Dakota electrician, the fourth fatality at the power project since construction started In July, 1976. Owsley also said his staff has received numerous complaints from workers of safety violations, and he wanted either to find violations or "dispell rumors." criticism at By BONNY KHZ! Correspondent LANDER The high cost of operating the two hospitals In Fremont County drew criticism at an open bearing Tuesday on the evaluation of the Lutheran Hospital and Homes Society.

The society has operated both Rlverton Memorial Hospital and Bishop Randall Hospital tn Lander for more than 30 years. Six competing organziatlona recently made presentations to the board. Recent criticism of the Lutheran Society has come from hospital board members Jim Soumas and Walt McDonald, both of Rlverton. The Rlverton medical staff is generally tn favor of a change of management, but the medical staff In Lander wants to continue with the society. About 35 people, mostly Rlverton people who wanted the change, attended the meeting.

The management contract between the local hospital board and the Lutheran Hospital and Home Society runs until 1990, tut Soumas said the board's legal counsel did not wish to address the question of breaking that contract Soumas and McDonald were critical Tuesday of the Urge accounts receivable outstanding at the hospitals, and of losses shown by both. Bishop Randall Hospital showed a profit In 1979 after suffering losses the two previous years, while the Rlverton hospital has shown a loss all three years. One reason given for the difference this year was that the Lander hospital Is utilized much more, than the Rlverton hospital. Utilization at Rlverton fluctuates from 40 to 50 percent, according to hospital figures, but the break-even figure is 52 percent, said Lutheran Home and Hospital Planner Nancy Anderson. The society did admit there wefe some areas where Improvement could be made tn its operation.

One involved the Rlverton hospital's pharmacy department, where supplies have beenldlspensed without charge. The new administrator, Art Brown, said he thought that hole had now been plugged. In regard to the accounts receivable, a spokesman for the society pointed out that a hospital Is not like any othetj business, which can shut off those who do hot pay," but must accept everyone. li ne also said Blue Cross-Blue Shield went to a new computer system In June, which.