Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 15

star Cqs: Bebout pulls offer to buy school section Sadler: Landowners in area upset by possible sale Wotco lays off about 55 workers Jahn: It's seasonal, temporary i A. .,,4 Woteo's schedules began to decrease in November, but Wotco kept the size of the ork force intact because it anticipated, and saw, an increase in the production schedules in January, Jahn said. This past week, however. Caterpillar indicated the schedules would drop, so Wotco decided to initiate the layoff based on seniority, he said. Most of the rest of Wotco's ork, like other metal fabrication companies, is done on a bid basis and usually not subject to major contracts or seasonal downsizing, he said.

"It's unfortunate, very unfortunate," Jahn said "It's not an easy decision on anybody's part, but obviously for the longevity and economic health of the company, we have to do it." Those laid off ith the most seniority will have the first opportunity to be recalled, he said. The company also has set up programs for the affected employees to collect unemployment insurance benefits, he said. By TOM MORION Star- Tribune staff writer CAS PL Wotco ill be laying off a much as a fourth of its workforce in at part of a seasonal downsizing, its president said Wednesday. 1 he exact number of affected employees isn't certain yet, Dick Jahn said, but the layoff would affect about 25 percent, or about 55 of the company's approximately 220 employees. Wc would classify it as temporary." Jahn said, adding that Wotco expects the schedule to pick up again in July, as well as the rehiring.

"It's very cyclical, it's not un-t pical at this time of year," Jahn said, adding that the size of the la off is similar to past downsiz-ings. Wotco manufactures the bodies for Caterpillar mammoth off-road dump trucks with capacities ranging from 85 tons to 240 tons, Jahn said. "It is purely schedule-driven from Caterpillar," he said- if By DAN HL WISEMAN Star-Tribune staff writer CASPER A request by Lorraine Tavares Bebout to purchase 640 acres of state trust land southwest of the city and near the base of Casper Mountain as ithdraw Wednesday, the state lands director says. State Lands Director Howard Schrinar said people who own land near the school section off Coates Road were upset about the proposed sale because "they view this as a backyard playground." Bebout. the ife of Rep.

Eli Bebout, D-Riverton, HD55, said she ithdrew her nomination to purchase the land because "I don't want to lower myself to fight those people that are causing us all the problems at this time." Lorraine Bebout offered about for the trust land three to four miles south-w est of Casper or about $3 1 0 an acre, Schrinar said. The Wyoming Constitution says the state must manage trust lands for the benefit of public schools. Schrinar has interpreted that to mean that the best return to the state would be to sell trust land rather than lease it. Schrinar said investing $200,000 with an 8 percent return ould bring $16,076 a year to the state compared to the $5 1 0 a year the state currently receives from Bebout and the family she as born into. The land is probably orth $500 an acre, Schrinar said, hich would bring $320,000 hich if the state ere to invest at 8 percent would realize about $25,000.

The State Land Board has put a moratorium on new "nominations" essentially offers to purchase state trust land which was deeded to the state by the United States government hen yoming entered the union. Shrinar said he currently has a backlog of about 1 30 nominations. Rep. Dick Sadler, D-Casper, HD59, said he and several landowners in the area had planned to circulate a petition to try and block the sale, which Schrinar said Bebout proposed Jan. 4.

"Most people ride horses out there," said Sadler, no represented the area when he as a state senator. "Neighborhood kids use it." Sadler also said he was "madder than hell" that the "State Land Board has allowed or put Kick Sorenm Sur-Tribune A sign on Coates road southwest of Casper forbids travel onto state land Coroner investigates cause of woman's death up tw expensive signs saying stay on the county road" that runs through the state section. want to know who put up these signs," Sadler said. Lorraine Bebout said her family owns land adjacent the school section. The Tavares family has held the school 'We done nothing but good for that school section.

We had a lot of people cause problems through the years. The abuse on the land was unbelievable' Lorraine Tavares Bebout the land was unbelie -able." The Tavares family still occasionally grazes livestock on the school section, Bebout said. Bebout said her decision to ithdraw the sale nomination was not politically motivated despite the fact that her husband has indicated he is considering a run for statewide office. "He (Eli) has noth- Thorpen said. Young's two children reportedly notified neighbors about 4:45 p.m.

Tuesday that they couldn't obtain a response from their mother, who was in the locked bathroom of their residence in the 900 block of North Jackson Street, Police Lt. Jack Watters said. Young reportedly told her children she was going to bathe, Hazen and Watters said. Police forced open the bathroom door, found Young lying on the floor and dispatched an ambulance, Watters said. The cause of Young's death was still unknown Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

CASPLR The Natrona County Coroner's Office is investigating the death of Juliana Young, 36, who died at the Wyoming Medical Center about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Police Detective Gary Hazen said Wednesday. A drug overdose is suspected as the cause of Young's death, according to Natrona County Coroner James Thorpen, who said an autopsy ill be conducted today and that toxicology samples were drawn and sent to a lab in Colorado. The cause of death on't be determined until coroners receive the toxicology results in about a week, orraine Bebout said. "It ing to do with it," is in my (the Tav section lease for about 35 years, she said.

"We've done nothing but good for that school section," Bebout said of the Tavares family. "We've had a lot of people cause problems through the years. The abuse on ares) family. He has about hat do about never had much say that." Metro Animal Control to start spay, neuter plan $400 in donations set aside to subsidize program 3 arrested in domestic disputes ner at the couple's residence when an argument ensued and the woman allegedly began hitting the man in the back with her fists, Watters said. The man allegedly took a handful of raw hamburger and shoved it in his girlfriend's face, Watters said.

Police issued a citation for DVPA assault and battery to a woman who allegedly punched her boyfriend repeated times in the face about 2:50 a.m. Sunday in the 500 block of South Sun, Walters said. The woman allegedly punched her boyfriend in the face five times and left the residence, according to Watters, who said police responding to the scene reported the man had blood on his lips. The woman was issued a citation and not arrested because she is caring for a small child, Watters said. By Dl IRDRL STOULZLE Star- ribuiw stuj) riter CASPL Three people were arrested and one woman was issued a citation lor acts of alleged domestic violence last weekend, Police Lt.

Jack Watters said Monday All of the cases fall under the Domestic Violence Protection Act, according to Watters. Police arrested a man, 43, who allegedly slapped his mother's face, bloodying her nose, about 3:45 p.m. Friday in the 800 block of West I Ith Street, Walters said- The man reportedly told police the incident was "a family matter," Watters said. Police arrested a man, 37, and his girlfriend, 23, for allegedly assaulting each other about 9:30 p.m. Saturday in the 400 block of Fast Slreet, according to Walters.

The nan had been cooking din By DEIRDRESTOELZLE Star- Tribune staff writer CASPER Metro Animal Control wants all local pets spayed and neutered, and will pay half the cost of sterilization by local veterinarians under a new program if funding requirements are met, MAC Animal Protection Officer Diane Vincent and Interim Manager Mark Stuhlmiller said recently. Seven veterinarians in Casper told MAC they are unwilling to provide free animal sterilization, according to Vincent. Furthermore one male veterinarian hose name wasn't released told MAC he wouldn't "participate with city government," Vincent said. Under the terms of the proposed program, pet owners will pay $10 for the neutering of a male cat and $20 for a cat spaying; $20 for neutering a dog and $25 for spaying a bitch. The veterinarian is paid the money collected from the pet owner and the match from MAC's subsidized fund.

the dog, Vincent said. Comprising four local veterinary hospitals, Metro Spay and Neuter not a city operation has offered monthly sterilization clinics for the past ten or 1 5 years, according to Casper veterinarian Marc Miller. Veterinarians from All Creatures Veterinary Hospital, West Animal Hospital, Popish Veterinary Clinic and the Animal Hospital of Casper perform sterilizations once a month at their respective offices, Miller said. "The city is trying to do something that in essence should be helpful for Casper, but this is certainly nothing that is new or different," he said. But business for them "isn't overflowing or something that we couldn't make more time or space for if we felt that there was a demand for it," Miller said.

Metro Spay and Neuter charges $55 to spay a dog weighing under 50 lbs. and $65 for a dog weighing more; $45 for the neutering of a dog; $45 for the spaying of a cat and $30 for the neutering of a cat. Right now MAC has $400 in a City Council-approved subsidy account set up to fund the program, through which pet owners and MAC would split the cost of animal sterilization by a veterinarian chosen by the pet owners. Money for the program will come only from grants and donations, and not from the General Fund, Vincent said. Animals adopted from the city shelter would be sterilized entirely through the subsidy.

Adoption costs $20 for cats and $25 for dogs, including a free vet check within 72 hours of adoption, and an additional cost is tagged on for pets hich are already sterilized, Vincent said. In a questionnaire sent to Casper's veterinarians, MAC learned that the lowest amount for which animal doctors would neuter a cat is $15, and that the lowest price for which they would spay a dog is $50, according to Vincent. Neutering cats and dogs is less expensive than spaying, which generally costs between $55 and $95 depending on the size of Through sterilization, MAC expects to "dramatically reduce" pet overpopulation and eventually end the high euthanasia rate at the shelter, Casper Public Safety Director Art de Werk, ho oversees MAC, said. Last year about 2,400 animals ere put to sleep at the Metro Road shelter a practice MAC wants to discontinue, according to Stuhlmiller. About 4,000 animals stayed in the shelter last year, Vincent said.

The dead animals are dropped off at the city landfill, Vincent said. The program targets pet owners who "truly can't afford to pay" the full price of sterilization, according to Stuhlmiller, who said the program on't get underway ithout several thousand dollars. MAC has applied for federal grants and is now seeking donations from public and private sources. For more information call Vincent at 235-8398, or write to MAC's Spay and Neuter Program, 200 N.David, Casper, 82601. CASPER BRIEFS Six sentenced in District Court on felony convictions EQC hears Bessemer designation today CASPl The Fnvironmental Quality Council is scheduled to resume its hearing this morning on whether to designate portions of Bessemer Mountain "rare or uncommon" at the Department of Fnvironmental Quality, Casper office, 3030 Energy Lane in the Pronghorn Room.

If a parcel of land is declared rare or uncommon by the EQC, the designation can be used as grounds to deny a non-coal mining permit, if the FQC further finds that mining would irreparably harm the designated area. Today's meeting begins at 9 a.m. Jet on display today at airport CASPl People may tour one of SkyWest Airlines' new 50-passenger Canadair jets from noon to 4 p.m. today at the Natrona County Airport, a SkyWest spokeswoman said Tuesday. The jets are due to begin serving Casper from Salt Lake City April 3, the spokeswoman said.

Waste management meeting announced CASPl The City of Casper will conduct a second public meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Events Center to evaluate suggested alternatives for the city's jste collection and disposal system. he meeting, held in the center's Summit Room, will review the public comments collected by the city's consultant R.W. Beck and Associates al the city's Jan.

1 1 meeting on solid waste management, Mayor Mike Reid said in a press release. and a fine of $10,000. Steven Patrick, 19, as convicted of burglary and sentenced Jan. 31 by District Court Judge Harry Leimback to serve six months' at the Community Alternatives of Casper and three years' supervised probation, according to another release. Patrick, who committed the crime last July, was also ordered to obtain and complete counseling, perform community serv ice, make restitution for his crime, avoid the consumption or possession of alcohol and pay $50 to the stale Victims' Compensation Fund, the release indicates.

Brad Crandall, 36, was convicted of grand larceny and sentenced by Leimback on Feb. 7 to serve one to five years of supervised probation, according to another release. Crandall, who committed the grand larceny in March 1992, was also ordered to pay $50 to the state Victims Compensation Fund, obtain counseling, perform community service and make restitution for his crime, the release specified. Grand larceny is a felony that carries a sentence of up to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of $10,000. By DEIRDRESTOELZLE Star-Tribune staff writer CASPER Six people convicted of felonies were sentenced recently in 7th District Court, according to releases issued by the District Attorney's Office.

Jordan Roy Annis, 23, was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a minor and sentenced Feb. I by District Court Judge Dan Spangler to serve five years' supervised probation, according to one release. Annis, who committed the crime between Jan. 1 988 and Dec. 3 1 1 992, was also ordered to obtain counseling, perform community service, enter and complete the sexual offenders' intervention program, avoid alcohol and controlled substances and to have no contact with the victim or any minor female, the release indicates.

Taking indecent liberties with a minor is a felony in Wyoming that carries a sentence of up to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of between $100 and $1,000. Barry Sams, 39, was convicted of filing a false voucher unemployment fraud and was sentenced by Spangler Feb. 8 to serve one to five years' supervised probation, according to another release. Sams was also ordered to make full restitution for his crime, obtain counseling and perform community service, the release indicates. Unemployment fraud is a felony that carries a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment, the release specified.

Christine Starr, 28, was convicted of grand larceny and sentenced Feb. 10 by Spangler to serve two years' supervised probation, according to another release. Last November Starr was found guilty by a jury of the theft in June of $1,965, the release indicates. Grand larceny is a felony in Wyoming that carries a sentence of up to 10 years' imprisonment. David Slaughter, 37, was convicted of two counts of burglary and sentenced Feb.

10 by Spangler to concurrent terms of seven to nine years' imprisonment in the Wyoming State Penitentiary on each count, the release indicates. Slaughter's sentence is to be served concurrently with an earlier sentence in Laramie County, according to the release. Burglary in Wyoming is a felony that carries a sentence of up to 10 years' imprisonment.