Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 1

Prep footlxill kicks off tonkjlitDl Business shows clout at suinmitA5 WYOMING'S STATEWIDE NEWSPAPER FOUNDED IN 1H9 1 1 Forum's snub a i i f-- I EQC rejects blasting study Hearing focuses on dangers of toxic gas By DUSTIN BLEIZKfT F.R Star-Tribune energy writer After 8 12 hours of testimony, an attorney for RA(i Coal West asked that its mine blasting case before the l.nvi-ronmental Quality Council In-continued at a later date because the council refused to accept evidence that was submitted only days before. Sarah Klalin, attorney for the Powder River Basin Resource Council, objec ted to the submission of a supplemental study of blasting conditions at RAG's Eagle Butte mine north of Gillette, staling that her client did not have sufficient time to review the study and call a witness to cross examine the study's authors. Before the council had issued its decision to not accept RAG's late evidenc e. Klahn told the Star-Tribune the PRBRC would have an excellent case to appeal the hearing if the council accepted the evidence. Instead, the council SI 5 f-i-, III 1 lak.

inir-i. i drlt- -i I njumiilJIIiMP HHII V. imrliiiiiir Fl. Jrl peeves Dawson Libertarian hopeful says he'd take votes from Bebout By MATTHEW VAN DUSEN Star-Tribune staff writer Libertarian candidate for governor Dave Dawson said Thursday that the Petroleum Association of Wyoming did not invite him to their forum because he will steal votes from Republican Eli Bebout in the general election. They have a lot invested in their golden boy," Dawson said of Bebout.

"I will draw a lot more votes from Bebout than from Freudenthal, primarily because there are a lot more Republicans than Democrats in the state." Dawson said that rank-and-file Republicans were disenchanted with the party's direction, and would vote for him. He cited former Sen. Alan Simpson's last-minute advertisement as an example of how the Republican Party elite had betrayed its members. The ad accused candidates Ray Hunkins and Bill Sniffin of lying about Be-bout's former support for nuclear waste storage in Wyoming, Dawson said he first learned of the PAW forum when the Star-Tribune called him Wednesday for his comment on the proceedings. PAW President Bruce Hinchey said "it didn't cross my mind" to invite Dawson to the event.

Hinchey added that Wednesday was the first time that he had organized a candidate's forum. Hinchey said he would have been happy to include Dawson if he had called. Hinchey rejected Dawson's claim that he was not invited because he will undercut Bebout 's support. He said that Bebout was popular among energy workers because of his business background. is a businessman and understands the practices and concerns that we go through," Hinchey said.

Please see DAWSON, A14 MORRY GASHAP Jill Ryan of Wauconda, holds up a sign to protest the possible baseball strike at the Milwaukee Brewers-Chicago Cubs game in Milwaukee on Thursday. Baseball talks down to wire Baseball's score: Strikes 5, Lockouts 3 The players' union and the owners have to agree on the issues concerning luxury tax and revenue sharing. A strike this season would be the ninth work stoppage since 1972. MLB Players Association strikes April 1,1980 June 12, 1981 Aug. 6, 1985 Aug.

12, 1994 13 days Belays 50 days 2 day 232 days 86 games 92 exhibition 71 2 games 0 games 912 games' By RONALD BLUM AP sports writer NEW YORK Baseball negotiators worked into this morning, inching toward a possible labor deal as the nation awaited word on whether players would strike later in the day. Lawyers for both sides, carrying proposals and umbrellas, shuttled between the commissioner's office and union headquarters in the rain. Progress was coming slowly, according to people who spoke to negotiators. "We're just going to keep working," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. "I've been prepared to stay for the night all week.

"Of course there is an increase in sense of urgency. No one wants to lose a single game or a single day of games." There was no set time for the start of a strike, which would be the sport's r1 games i i 1972 I Feb. 8,1973 12 days (Some spring training missed) March 1,1976 17 days (Commissoner Bowie Kuhn orders camps open) MLB Owners lockouts SOURCE Associated Press ninth work stoppage since 1972. The first game affected would be St. Louis at Chicago, which is scheduled to begin Feb.

32 (Spring Environmental act Gay-hater Phelps to picket college sustained her objection, granted a continuance of current blasting restrictions and agreed to reconvene at 8 a.m. this morning. RAG is expected to ask for a temporary change in blasting restrictions until a date is set to continue the hearing. "It is extremely difficult for me to see how to go forward without that information (the supplemental Eagle Butte blast study)," said Ed Harris. Holland Hart attorney representing RAG.

During opening statements, both attorneys agreed toxicology testimony would be key to efforts to determine the level of noxious gases a person can safely be exposed to. Eagle Butte mine officials, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Powder River Basin Resource Please see RAG, Al Central bankers meet in Jackson By JOSEPH REBELLO Dow Jones Newswires JACKSON The world's best-known economists and central bankers are meeting here this weekend to try to decide a question Wall Street resolved long ago: Who is best equipped to fight recessions elected government officials or central bankers? Investors are paying attention anyway, hoping that the predictably academic tone of the annual economic conference of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City will not keep Alan Greenspan from shedding light on a more urgent question: Does the Fed need to do more to fight the current U.S. economic downturn? Please see BANKERS, A 14 082762749 7 STjr year since the beating death of openly gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard. Shepard's murderers, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney, are both serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for the kidnapping and murder. Casper College received a letter from the organization on Please see PHELPS, A14 By HOLLY STROTHER Star-Tribune staff writer An anti-gay organization led by Rev.

Fred Phelps of the West-boro Baptist Church of Topeka, will picket several key locations in Casper, Laramie and Fort Collins, on the anniversary of Wyoming's most notorious hate crime. Oct. 12 will mark the fourth 15,1990 days training missed) "No postseason Spring oavs in tlaltcs at 3:20 p.m. LDT. Fourteen games are scheduled at night, but the union told Please see BASEBALL, A 10 fff.

to' 1 i i i i id' FILEAP The grouch The heck with baseball. It's football season. 6916 or (307) in in One Percent tax panel makes recommendations I xf 2 i 1 I I in November, The seven-member One Percent No. 12 Advisory Committee sat with members of the Casper City Council and Natrona County Commission on Thursday to present their recommendations on funding projects from fiscal years 2003 to 2007. Those allocations will beon the city council's and Please see TAX, AM President Bush's administration is examining the core law that requires the study of environmental impacts of projects.

Here, Bush walks with two firefighters Aug. 22 in Ruch, in trees burned by a wildfire. Story, A7. By MARK BRADY Star-Tribune staff writer The Natrona County Public Library, Meals on Wheels and the Boys and Girls Club of Central Wyoming were big winners on Thursday as recommendations came out on funding from the Optional One Percent Sales Tax No. 12 going before voters Inside: Advisers, B4 Calendar, B6 Casper Area, A3 Classified, C4 Comics, D6.C6 Crossword.

C6 Letters, A 13 Markets, Movies, Obituaries, Open Opinion, Sports, Weather, Wyoming, Today A6 B4 B3 Spaces, CI A12 Dl B6 Bl Open Spaces The drought that has afflicted Wyoming for several years has meant mild winters and larger big-game populations. But dry conditions also means winter ranges are in poor conditionCl Wyoming's statewide Harm and quiet 8649 newspaper. Subscribe today. (800) 442.