Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 15

Casper StarVftibune Wednesday, May 23, 2001 In Brief Hearies focuses on old contract in i (in ii ii if ti 1 1 i i i i nHMuiiimm i 1 1 tup FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Asphyxiation cause of death CHEYENNE A man found dead in his house died from accidental asphyxiation, the Laramie County coroner ruled. The body of Cale Hardy, 19, was found Saturday by a friend who became concerned when Hardy did not answer telephone to the gas station," he said. Cheyenne Light President and CEO Rick Kaysen, whose testimony dominated day one of the hearing, repeatedly explained the negotiations. The company's four-year contract with PacifiCorp expired Dec. 31.

Meanwhile, electricity prices reached unprecedented highs and kept climbing for the second half of last year. Kaysen said his company in late November more or less had come to terms on a contract extension with PacifiCorp, but PacifiCorp changed its mind a week later, and the companies never reached a subsequent agreement. Cheyenne Light first sought bids from power suppliers in March 2000, Kaysen said. "There was no indication at that point in time that prices were going to do what they did in the latter half of 2000," he said in response to Please see CONTRACT, B2 By BILL LUCKETT Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE Questions at a hearing Tuesday into Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power's requested electric rate increase focused heavily on the company's inability to renew its contract to buy power from PacifiCorp at the end of last year. The failed negotiations left Cheyenne's electric company scrambling to find power tempts to find a new power supply began Tuesday in Cheyenne and is scheduled to last until at least May 30.

During a public comment period, Cheyenne resident John Fafoutakis asked company officials "why they waited for energy prices to soar before they decided to renegotiate the contract (with PacifiCorp). "You don't wait for the gas tank to run dry before you go County Jail ii i i ii ji CtibiE U'. (Vi 1 If ml sources. It has since secured power from two other companies at substantially higher prices and now wants to pass on its increased costs to residents at an average increase of $12.46 a month this year and $7.46 next year. A Wyoming Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing on the rate case and an investigation into Cheyenne Light's at Sweetwater 'Vf 5 I ROBERT HENDRICKSStai-Trlbune Senate members of the joint legislative management council about four alternative plans for managing K-12 public education under the recent school finance decision filed by the state Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court said the Legislature must pay lor facilities required for the state educate all Wyoming students in all locations. The court said the v. Detention officers work in the control center of the Sweetwater County Jail in Green River. There are as many as seven detention officers on duty at a given time who share the control center's limited space. No decision on jail cost Voters may see issue on November ballot takes family leave Fritz Cubin hospitalized By JASON MARSDEN Star-Tribune Washington bureau WASHINGTON U.S.

Rep. Barbara Cubin will return to the nation's capital tonight after spending a week in Casper with her hospitalized husband. Cubin, left Washington May 16 to join her 62-year-old physician husband Fritz Cubin, after he was hospitalized at Wyoming Medical Center for symptoms of an as-yet-undiagnosed chronic illness. The four-term Wyoming congresswoman said Tuesday that her husband is returning to the District of Columbia with her late Wednesday, where on doctor's advice he will undergo in-patient testing and treatment at an undisclosed research-intensive hospital. Despite what she termed excellent Casper-based treatment, Cubin's husband has nevertheless seen his condition worsen somewhat over the spring and would benefit from Washington's world-class research and care facilities, she said.

Fritz Cubin has been on leave from his Casper medical practice and was in the capital city a few months ago for tests which proved inconclusive. Cubin said she had been "holding off on making a public announcement in hopes of first receiving a diagnosis and prognosis. "But that's not possible, and we felt that it's time" to disclose the news, she said. "We're remaining optimistic that a diagnosis and some treatment will be forthcoming," Cubin said. "So far, it's been more questions than answers.

But he's confident that he's going to resume his medical practice in the near future, which is most important that's really been the fuel that fires his engines, so his determination is really helpful right now." The urgent need to return to Wyoming to be with him on more than one occasion this year forced Cubin to miss 21 of 28 roll-call votes since May 8, as well as four votes the week of March 5, she acknowledged. However. House clerk's records Please see CI BIN, B2 plea deal calls. Hardy probably died late Thursday or early Friday, according to deputy Laramie County coroner Roger Willhite. Grassland ferret plans shift GILLETTE The U.S.

Forest Service has changed its plan on where to set aside land in the Thunder Basin National Grassland for prairie dogs and the endangered black-footed ferret. A coalition of the state, Campbell, Weston and Converse counties criticized the agency's original plan for reserving acreage, saying it would impede grazing and minerals development. The new areas accommodate coal mines and potential oil and gas development, officials said. The changes came about after the coalition was granted cooperating agency status that allowed it to participate in the plan's development, officials said. The Forest Service plans to reintroduce ferrets to the basin next year.

Prairie dogs are a primary source of food for the ferrets and will be protected as well. The land changes are expected to be included in a final environmental impact statement on how to manage national grasslands in Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. The statement is expected to be released in mid-June and will be available for public comment for six months. Enzi introduces gun bill WASHINGTON U.S. Sen.

Mike Enzi, has introduced a bill to require law enforcement to immediately destroy any records the FBI generates during background checks on gun buyers. The bill is aimed at protecting citizens' privacy and preventing abuse of the background checking system, Enzi said. The bill would require the destruction of records on gun buyers who pass the background checks. Currently the FBI holds records on gun buyers for up to 90 days. There is no control over what may happen with those records during that time," he said.

The bill would also ban the federal government from adding any fee or tax to the background checking process. The government should not impose a fee on an already mandatory procedure. We already have too many unfunded mandates." Enzi said. Judge sought for Green River CHEYENNE The state Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting expressions of interest through June 20 for a district court judgeship vacancy in the 3rd Judicial District in Green River, Wyoming Chief Justice Larry Lehman announced Monday. The opening is one of three district court judgeships the Wyoming Legislature created last winter.

Vacant judgeships in 1st District Court in Cheyenne and 7th District Court in Casper have already been announced. Expressions of interest paperwork can be obtained from the office of Chief Justice Lehman, 2301 Capitol Cheyenne, WY 82002, or by calling (307) 777-7557. Completed forms must be returned no later than 5 p.m. June 20. 1 ft urn i v.

ROBERT HENDRICKSStarTrlbune about the systems. Choosing the more expensive central boiler system could add upwards of $350,000 to the cost of the jail, which at last tally was right around $12.6 million, said John Shuttleworth, a consultant with Edwards and Daniels Architects. Last month, Shuttleworth presented the task force with a revised jail design that included a reduction of nearly 3,500 square feet in the building's design and a savings of nearly $1.1 million from earlier cost estimates. The proposed new jail is Please see JAIL, B2 weighed thing of the past in Wyoming," Smith said. Accordingly, Smith and his colleagues developed basic governance options for the legislators to consider.

MAP did not recommending any option over the others, but said all would meet court standards, Smith said. The first, and what Smith Please see EDUCATION, B2 4-12-6916; e-mail editorstrib.com; lax the imposed to will serve completes are being minor in Chef Leighton Wessel prepares lunch for inmates at the Sweetwater County Jail in Green River. Wessel, who has been the jail chef for four years, said he prepares 150 meals a day in a kitchen with only four burners to cook on. By JEFF GEAR1NO Southwest Wyoming Bureau GREEN RIVER A task force studying how best to build a new jail in Sweetwater County came to no dec ision on the final cost of the proposed new facility at a meeting Tuesday night. Task force members debated which mechanical system the new facility should be equipped with the less expensive rooftop system or the more expensive central boiler system -and then postponed a decision until their June 12 meeting in order to gather more information money to foot that bill could come either through a statewide tax or other revenue-raising mechanisms equally imposed on all taxpayers.

Smith gave a brief summary of a report written by his MAP partner Jim Guthrie. The Davis, consulting firm believes that the Supreme Court decision "means that local control of public education is a Fate of local school control By BRODIE FARQUHAR Star-Tribune staff writer SHERIDAN -A firm that believes local control is a thing of the past presented legislators Tuesday with four options for how education might instead be governed. Jim Smith, president of Management Analysis Planning (MAP), told House and Kennedy murderers sentenced in maximum penalty life in prison -before he will begin serving the sentence in Kennedy's murder. Mahaffey, meanwhile, pleaded guilty accessory to aggravated assault, and a S7 year sentence after he two, (J-10 year sentences that served concurrently for a conviction ol taking indecent liberties with a Natrona County, Campbell said. Please see MURDERERS, B2 prison.

The sentence will be served consecutive to his current prison sentences. Britton is already serving two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison on two separate second-degree sexual assault convictions out of Campbell County. Carbon County Attorney Tom Campbell said. As a result, his sentences on the earlier conviction will be "flattened," which means he must service tors, Britton admitted to his role in entering Kennedy's cell early on the morning of March 22, 2000, and to subsequently strangling and beating Kennedy to death. Though charged initially with first-degree murder, Britton pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Monday before Second Judicial District Judge Kenneth Stebner.

He was then sentenced to not less than 20, or more than 25 years in By CANDY MOULTON Star-Tribune correspondent RAWLINS Wyoming State Penitentiary inmates Edward Britton and Uriah Mahaffey were sentenced to additional prison time on Monday for their roles in the murder of inmate Ellis Kennedy in the protective custody area of the prison last year. In a plea agreement with prosecu State Editor Nadia White. For information, questions and comments about this page, call the news desk (307) or (800) (307) 2660568..