Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 1

SEE ENJOY! C1 CASPER St Wednesday, April 4, 2007 WYOMING'S STATEWIDE NEWSPAPER latte board plans attorney probe basement of the Platte County Courthouse. Eikenberry did not attend the meeting. Her office assistant, Gloria Mathis, said Eikenberry has been out of town visiting her mother since late last week; Eikenberry wasn't notified that her situation was on the commission's agenda until Monday morning. For more Board wants objective assessment A14 ichardt said. He said some people in the audience had concerns about her performance.

About 30 people filled the small meeting room some were forced to stand in the termine if there were grounds to seek Eikenberry's removal. "What we hope to gain from this type of operation is credibility and the removal of ourselves from any pettiness that may be involved in this process and to concentrate solely on the ability of the county attorney to do her job, which we don't have an opinion on," Re- ed to hire Rawlins lawyer Catherine MacPherson to investigate the dismissals. MacPherson is expected to start her investigation by the middle of this month and have it completed by early May. Commission Chairman Joe Reichardt said MacPherson could help sift through the personal and political issues to de criminal charges against at least people whose charges were prepared by the previous county attorney, Eric Alden, since she took office in January. Eikenberry's supporters say her office was short staffed when she took over and that she should be given time to get up to speed.

The county commission vot Bail set in 7 -1n-m- id' By DAN LEWERENZ Associated Press writer WHEATLAND The Platte County Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to hire an investigator to look into complaints against Platte County Attorney Mary Eikenberry. According to a court document, Eikenberry has dismissed New council member resigns By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER Star-Tribune energy reporter Recent additions to the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council have all come from the oil and gas industry, which could hinder the council on matters regarding water discharge a key element of the state's energy industry. News Tracker CM I I I approved all three of (aov. uave FreudenthaTs appointments to ftll three expired terms on the Wyoming Enwonmental Quality Council. Th latest One of the new appointees resigned because he would have to recuse himself from water discharge matters.

The remaining two appointees must also recuse themselves from such matters. IKhafi next: The council's staff must determine whether the newest appointee, Mark Gifford, falls under the same recusal rule. When terms for three of the seven-member council expired at the end of January, Freudenthal appointed Craig Newman, David Searle and Kirby Hedrick to fill the seats. In recent weeks, it's been determined that all three must recuse themselves from cases that involve the "national pollution discharge elimination system" program under the Clean Water Act, according to the EQC. Federal regulations stipulate that a person who earns more than 10 percent of his gross income from a company that holds a national pollution discharge permit must recuse himself from permit controversies.

Newman, a Casper-based oil and gas attorney, said he became aware of the recusal rule himself when filling out forms for the appointment, and offered his resignation about two weeks ago. The governor's office announced the resignation Monday. "It would have disqualified me from acting on any of those NPDES hearings, and I know that's a big part of the Please see RESIGN, A14 Weather Index Advisers 17 Edward Taylor talks with an attorney shortly before his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court on Tuesday afternoon. Taylor is charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of Mark Fisher. Judge sets $1 million bond killing News Tracker Last we knew: Edward Taylor was charged with first degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Mark Fisher.

The latest: At Taylor's initial death of Mark Fisher, a 48-year-old Casper man found dead Sunday night in his home. About four hours after Fisher was found, Taylor turned himself in, telling a Johnson County Sheriff's lieutenant, "I committed homicide on April Magic bullet A French train hits 357.2 miles per hour on the rails. SeeA9 4 Bebout wins Senate seat By JOAN BARRON Star-Tribune capital bureau CHEYENNE After a seven-year hiatus, former Wyoming House Speaker Eli Bebout will return to the state Legislature this time as a rank-and-file member of the Senate. The Fremont County Commission voted 4-0 Tuesday afternoon to appoint Bebout over two other candidates to replace the late Sen. Bob Peck, R-River-ton, in Senate District 26.

BEBOUT News Tracker I Last we knew: The other candidates TheFremont were Doug County Thompson of Republican Jeffrey City, a Central member of the Committee county com- nominated Eli mission, and Bebout of LoisHerbstof Riverton, Doug Riverton, out- Thompson of going presi- Jeffrey City and dent of the LoisHerbstof Wyoming Rivertonto Stock Growers replace the late Association. Bob Peck inthe Thompson re- state Senate, cused himself from the dis- "The latest: cussion and The county vote, Bebout commission said Tuesday selected Bebout, evening. former House Bebout not speaker and GOP only attained gubernatorial the highest candidate, to fill leadership out Peck's term, spot in the House, but he "What' next: also was the Senate GOP Republican leadership Party's stan- decide on dard bearer in Bebout's the 2002 gu- committee bernatonal assignments. election. He lost to Democrat Dave Freudenthal, who now is in his second term as the state's chief executive.

After occupying such a position of power in the Legislature, Bebout's desire to start over in the Senate was puzzling to many political observers. "I'm actually number 90 out Please see BEBOUT, A14 I think I'd make a great EQC board member. I Tlw The Dan Cepeda, Star-Tribune minor injuries. Taylor shot Fisher twice, including once in the head, the unidentified person told police. Minutes before Fisher's body was found, Taylor's wife, Beth, went to the downtown Casper police station and said her husband had just threatened to kill her after seeing her leave Fisher's home, the affidavit said.

Taylor allegedly pointed a .45 caliber pistol at her head. During Tuesday's court proceedings, Assistant District Please see BOND, A14 i By JOSHUA WOLFSON Star-Tribune staff writer A Natrona County judge Tuesday set bail at $1 million cash for a man accused of killing his wife's friend, after being told that Edward Taylor is a danger to himself and others. Taylor, shackled and in an orange jail uniform, wore bandages over his right eye and ear during his initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court. He also had a cut under his left eye. He is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting court appearance, a judge set his bond at $1 million cash.

BWhafsnext: A preliminary hearing for Taylor is expected next week. Fool's Day," according to a police affidavit. Taylor, 42, told an unidentified person that he blasted his way into Fisher's North Kenwood Street home with a shotgun, the affidavit said. Fisher fired at him, inflicting Grizzly suit Conservation groups have challenged the federal government's plan to remove Yellowstone-area grizzly bears from protection under the Endangered Species Act. See 81 One spaceman's junk is another's treasure For almost five decades, Norton Sales has been collecting the nuts, bolts and heat exchangers that helped astronauts shrug off the embrace of gravity.

Now those junked parts are getting a second shot at space. SeeA14 I p- Grouch Grouch A7 Ht5i Low: 23 Jacket swap? With the Masters ready to roll, will Phil and Tiger swap green garments? SecD1 Unemployment drops again Wyoming employers go wanting as jobless rate nears records. See A3 Rulon's plane The plane that hit a frigid Lake Powell and sank, carrying Olympic hero Rulon Gardner, is brought to the surface. SeeB1 A3 D5 CI A6 A7 B3 A10 C5 B6 Casper Classified Comics Enjoy! Markets Movies Obituaries Opinion Puzzles Weather Big hurricanes ahead? Colorado State forecasters are expecting 17 named hurricanes in upcoming season. SeeA8 1 1 im hi in liiriiTiiiii ia "TT.