Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 1

iC A Ip INSIDE: AMA CONCERNED ABOUT GOP MEDICAID PLAN A3 1 car limine Getting f'v an EDGE SX CI FEDS TO MOVE FERRET PROGRAM Bl WYOMING'S STATEWIDE NEWSPAPER 0 I) "ST! Hold on to your hat 1 DEPARTMENT OF COERCE 1 MICROGRAPHICS OEPT GARDEN LEVEL No jSnwtage 01 Senate hopefuls Gerry Spence asks, 'Who's John 0 By CHRIS TOLLEFSON Star-Tribune staff writer CASPER Just days after U.S. Sen. Al Simpson, announced his decision not to seek a fourth Campaign term, potential can-didates seeking to fill his seat have begun to make their in lv seat. Dan Sullivan resigned from the Wyoming Senate in 1990 to pursue work as a lobbyist for tobacco and coal companies. But he said Monday that after putting his own political aspirations on the shelf for five years while his brother Mike served two terms as Wyoming's governor, he is leaning toward pursuing the Republican nomination.

"Both (my wife) and I are very interested, and if it's something that we can feel comfortable in doing and feel like we can gain the support, I think we will give it a whirl," be said, while emphasizing that he will not make a firm decision until after the first of the year. In fact, Secretary of State Diana Ohman said that Sullivan was in her office Monday morning picking up a copy of the election codes. For his part, Mike Sullivan has said that he has no interest in running for the seat after losing to Sen. Craig Thomas in the Please see HOPEFULS, A8 5 terest public. With U.S.

Rep. Barbara Cubin indicating her desire to remain in the House, the race appears to have no obvious leader while three Republicans contacted Monday by the Star-Tribune have indicated their strong interest in the race. Casper doctor John Barrasso, State Rep. Eli Bebout, HD55, R-Fremont, and former State Sen. Dan Sullivan of Casper all indicated Monday that they are strongly interested in Simpson's RICHARD ALAN HANNON STAR TRIBUNE Casper College sophomore Amanda Lowrance of Hanna braves wind gusts up to 65 miles per hour as she Walks to the physical science building Monday afternoon.

Balkans to begin mission Bosnian forces Soto NATO foraw 46 nM tKptd Ofjwwd rwirtanat in Botnw But both th Bowtfan end Qowrtflitnt rmmmm vmwm 75.000 Tank Cm MuMMM rock tajnctwi j( mo guu A Mortm Alrp da Haliooptars AnU-aircrafl gum Al Geringer says 4no dramatic hit on anything' UV, community colleges get more; tourism spending flat By KERRY DRAKE Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE In the first of two press conferences scheduled to explain his proposed 1997-98 state budget, Gov. Jim Geringer Monday said spending reductions are the result of not recommending new programs, not "outright cuts." 'Percentage-wise there was not a dramatic hit on anything," Geringer said. Geringer Monday did not discuss the recommendation in his $2,741 billion budget to close the Youth Treatment Center in Casper. He said he will address Department of Health and Department of Family Services funding at 1 p.m. today.

Please see STATE BUDGET, A8 Aircraft a i I Soldiers -prepare for next wave By CHRIS HEDGES New York Times writer Croatia Vanguard units of the NATO force that is to enforce the American-brokered peace in Bosnia arrived in Croatia and Bosnia on Monday. In Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, three "camouflaged British C-130 Hercules transport planes descended from the gray, overcast skies on Monday to deliver the first 28 NATO soldiers, including two Americans, to the city. "We'll be setting up the headquarters for the bigger force to come down," said Sgt. Matthew Chipman, of Beard stown, 111., who arrived with Sgt. Todd Eich-mann, of Kansas City, Mo.

In the Croatian port city of Split, 56 British communications experts arrived from Brueggen, Germany. Some will remain in Split, a major logistics base, while others go on to Sarajevo and Tuzla in Bosnia. The 2,600 multinational "enabling troops" will prepare communications systems, plan transportation and ready supply depots before the main force begins to arrive, two days after the Dec. 14 signing of the peace flotflltn ownrnonl hM cn urNiflown numbtr erf mjtIscm (o Mr rnJMUM Soirttn 8rbt hM unknown numtxr of FROG-7 turtic4r4Uf1aG mmum and turfioMrJr mmltoi 9o ThaWmvyBMncaltKM (Ufm Cm --Cjiif Miii1)f agreement. But the troops' arrival coincides with continued protests by Serbs who reject the peace agreement hammered out last month in Dayton, Ohio.

The Serbs say they will refuse to surrender the neighborhoods in Sarajevo under their control, as the agreement requires. An assembly of Sarajevo Serbs said on Monday that on Dec. 12 they will hold a referendum on the agreement. "The assembly does not accept Mus-limOoat rule over the territory of the Serb city of Sarajevo," said a declaration Please see BALKANS, A8 JOHN GAPS HI AP U.S. Army Sgt.

Todd Eichmann, of Kansas City, far right, and Sgt. Matthew Chipman, of Beardstown, 111., center, follow British soldiers off a transport plane after arriving in Sarajevo Monday. M.V.U.n.laH.I Geringer defends stance on gas panel Says feds call for cooperation but don't listen to state Commission backs increased funding The grouch Who's Gerry Sprnre? 'I can cite incidents to say that we're not building the basis for mutual respect and trust (with the Interior Department) and that's what we need to GOV. JIM tKRIVi.KB a direct conversation and in a letter of Nov. 29.

that the committee work on specific problems with a defined process to reach a defined goal. He also has advocated using the Resource Advisory Council to address the issues in the Green River Basin. He has asked Interior to describe the boundaries between the authorities and responsibilities of the RAC and the new GRBAC. "He has never given me any specific charter or set of directions that they would prefer to see the committee undertake." the governor said. Furthermoie, the governor has objected to the representation given Colorado on the committee and the lack of local community representation on it.

He said only about 10 percent of the basin lies in Colorado but nearly 30 percent of the committee members are from that state. "I continue to be amazed at Please see GAS PANEL, A8 By DAN NEAL Star-Tribune staff writer CASPER Federal Interior department officials have mouthed promises of collaborating and cooperating with state government in recent months, but have broken faith and gone their own way when they choose, Gov. Jim Geringer said Monday. Geringer has refused to appoint a representative of his office to the Green River Basin Advisory Committee as a result. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Assistant Secretary George Armstrong have ignored his concerns about the committee and its objectives, the governor said.

Interior officials have said the committee will work without a representative from the governor if necessary. Geringer has been criticized sharply by several state conservation groups for declining to By DAVID BOYD Star-Tribune staff writer CHEYENNE The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission voted Monday to encourage the Wyoming Legislature to increase Game and Fish Department funding. To back up the recommendation, the commission also voted to send to the Legislature the results from recent public meetings and surveys that overwhelmingly call for increased department funding. Through 11 public meetings, a public comment period, a random phone survey of Wyoming households, and a mail survey of non-resident hunters and anglers, the department found that the public supported increased license fees and developing methods to garner money from people who enjoy wildlife but do not hunt or fish. Public meetings held by the department two years ago to generate a list of priorities showed that the public wanted the department to add and expand programs.

But recent declines in revenue from decreased hunting license sales and inflation led the department to conduct new surveys about funding. The phone surveys showed continued high support for the same priorities identified two years ago, said Larry Krucken-berg, information and education division chief. It also found that 57 percent of Wyoming residents support increased funding for the department. Public meetings throughout the state also showed high sup-Please see A8 Index calendar a2 casper area ci 2 classified c4 10 COMICS D4 CROSSWORD C6 LANDERS. BR0MPT0N C3 LETTERS A7 MARKETS A4 MOVIES C6 OBITUARIES B3 OPINION A6 SPORTS Dl3 WEATHER A2 WYOMING Bl, B3 participate in the committee's work.

The GRBAC is supposed to work out policies promoting development of natural gas in the basin, which extends from Wyoming into Colorado, while protecting the wildlife and other emironmental resources, according to Babbitt. The governor said he suggested to Armstrong, in part in Save money with national brand coupons in the Casper Star-Tribune. Subscribe today: 1-800442-6916 or 266-0550..