Rapid City Journal from Rapid City, South Dakota • 17

Rapid City Journal II Obituaries, B2 Black Hills Journal, B3 Movies, B5 OCAL Thursday November 30, 2006 Creek Alow salkmti Spriini 5 speak their opinions about letting release 5 cubic feet per second from the Sheridan Lake dam into Spring Creek, dropping the lake a maximum 2 feet at any given time. Koth said that the idea arose again recently after stalling for years when the forest service installed a new valve on the dam that would allow it to be drawn down. The original valve had quit functioning between 2000 and 2001. Now that it is functioning again, Koth said, doing something about Spring Creek is possible but not certain. "We don't really have a plan; we just have a concept We want to try to use some water out of Sheridan Lake to increase the ByRyaaWeodard Journal Staff Writer JOHNSON SIDING Partly emptying Sheridan Lake to restore flow to Spring Creek requires maintaining a delicate balance.

"We don't want to compromise something we know we have for something that we might get," Department of Game. Fish Parks senior biologist Ron Koth said at a meeting Tuesday night at Rim-rock Community Center. and forest service officials called the meeting, which was open to the public, so citizens could voice concerns about the possible project About 75 people, many of them very vocal, showed up to visibility of the Spring Creek fishery, a very highly utilized resource when we've got water." Many in the audience were concerned about lowering Sheridan Lake which is nearly full, in contrast to other nearby bodies of water such as Pactola and Angostora reservoirs at all. Keith Parker of Rapid City said that although he has grown up fishing in the area, he doesn't want to risk improving the fishing if it would sacrifice recreational opportunities on Sheridan Lake. "My concern is, Sheridan Lake is the only lake in reasonable driving distance where you can take a boat and not have to worry about running See Spring Creek, Page B4 Steve McEnroe Journal staff Frank Carroll, acting Mystic District ranger for Black Hills National Forest, addresses a crowd of about 75 people Tuesday night at Rimrock Community Center in Johnson Siding.

Many attended the meeting to hear ideas about a plan to increase flows in Spring Creek by drawing down water from Sheridan Lake. Judge weighs arson charges Sage Paulson is scheduled to stand trial: for a fire that burned nine businesses in Keystone in June 2003. A 4Ti, vt 1 ri Mayor Jim Shaw and Alderman Michael Schumacher spar over the city's plan to buy its own bus benches. Page B4 A Rapid City woman was hospitalized after a late-night standoff. PageB4 Regional Hospital's air ambulance service changes ownership Friday.

Page B5 In brief Man with gun arrested at clinic RAPID CITY A Rapid City man was arrested early Wednesday after brandishing a handgun in front of employees at Pennington County Health and Human Services Office, according to law enforcement authorities. Randall Addy, 56, was arrested after a brief struggle with law enforcement officers. A loaded, small-caliber handgun was found in his pocket. No one was injured. Rapid City police and Pennington County sheriffs deputies responded to the call at 8:28 a.m.

at Health and Human Services, 725 North La Crosse St. Addy has yet to be formally charged, but Chief Deputy Sheriff Dave Bram-blee said he likely will face charges of aggravated assault and possession of a concealed weapon. Aggravated assault carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine upon conviction. Possession of a concealed weapon carries a maximum of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Don PolovlchJournal staff Sen.

John Thune, center, talks with Ken Larson during a tour Wednesday of the Merillat plant in Rapid City. On the far right is plant manager Wayne Bunge. 'Everybody recognizes that things aren't working in Iraq' By Katie Brown Journal Staff Writer RAPID CITY A Judge will decide Jan. 2 whether charges against the man accused of starting a June 2003 fire that burned several Keystone businesses will be modified to avoid possible double Jeopardy. Sage Paulson, 27, is charged with one count of second-degree arson and one count of third-degree arson.

Second-degree arson is intentionally setting fire to an occupied building and carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $25,000 fine upon conviction. Third-degree arson is intentionally setting fire to an unoccupied building and carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The first charge is for burning the White House Resort, and the second is for burning the Railhead Restaurant, both in Keystone. Investigators say the fire was started in an outdoor trash can in front of the Railhead Restaurant about 1 a.m. June 18, 2003.

The fire then spread to several other buildings, damaging a total of nine businesses. Nobody was injured in the fire. Paulson appeared Wednesday before 7th Circuit Judge Janine Kern. Paulson's attorney, Timothy Rensch, and the state, represented by Lara Roetzel, chief deputy state's attorney for Pennington County, will submit written briefs to Kern. Kern will then rule on the possible modification of charges at the Jan.

2 hearing. See Arson trial, Page B2 But Thune remains bullish about West River economy jNost people, irrespective of how they feel about how we got into this, think it's not a good idea to leave the area in Sen. John Thune, By Bill Harlan Journal Staff Writer RAPID CITY Sen. John Thune was optimistic about the Black Hills economy Wednesday but guarded about the future of Iraq. The South Dakota Republican attended meetings and took tours in Rapid City to learn more about economic development here, while the national news focused on the war.

"Everybody recognizes that things aren't working in Iraq," Thune said, during a short break between events in Rapid City. Thune stopped short of calling the fighting in Iraq a civil war. "That's somewhat subjective," he said. Thune also stopped short of calling for specific policy changes in Iraq. He said he would wait for the recommendations of a bipartisan commission now meeting.

But Thune warned against a premature withdrawal of U.S. troops. "Most people, irrespective of how they feel about how we got into this, think it's not a good idea to leave the area in chaos," he said. Thune said he might even support a increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq for a limited period of time, if they could help train Iraqis to take over security duties faster.

Thune will visit Iraq and Afghanistan in December. Coincidentally, 131 local South Dakota National Guard troops will deploy to Afghanistan after Christmas. The 235th Military Police Company mostly from Rapid City, Sturgis and Custer currently is training at Fort Bliss, Texas. Members of the unit will have five days of Christmas leave at home before they deploy. Thune said the National Guard soldiers' Afghanistan mission was important beyond that region.

"If Afghanistan goes south, it's a major See Thune visits, Page B5 Stargate Theater draws the final curtain Rabid skunks found in Wyo. GILLETTE. Wyo. (AP) The discovery of three rabid skunks has prompted health officials to urge people to be especially wary of the animals. One skunk was found in a shed of a coal-bed methane drilling operation.

Another was found on a road and a third was between Gillette and Wright, according to county health officials. All of the skunks were found in October. No rabid skunks have been found since then possibly because skunks hibernate during the winter. But the county's public -health director, Nola Wallace, cautioned that skunks often break their hibernation and move around on warmer days. Jamie Snow, the state's public-health veterinarian, said low rates of rabies are always present in skunk populations in Wyoming.

Talking Business Andrews, opened the Stargate in November 1999, after the Carmike folks had decided to close the North-gate Theater in the same location. Before Carmike, the theater had gone through a series of owners, including United Artists Theaters and First International. The theater's long run ended, by the way, with another Kevin Costner movie: "The Guardian," starring Costner and Ashton Kutcher. I doubt if anyone stood up and applauded at the end. But it seems that the Stargate, at least, deserved a hand as it took its final bow.

Burger King closes today Today is the last day of operations for the Burger King restaurant at 2300 Mount Rushmore Road, Brad Hansen, vice president of operations for Hills King, confirmed. Hills King is the local Burger King franchisee. It operates all of the Burger Kings in the area, included the ones on East North and La Crosse streets and Jackson Boulevard in Rapid City as well as restaurants in Spearfish and Sturgis. See Talking Business, Page B2 The Stargate Theater location in the Northgate Mall has been a movie theater longer than most people can remember. I remember watching "Dances With Wolves" there in 1990.

The room was packed with Lakota people who had come to see this film Kevin Costner had made about their culture. At the end, everybody stood up and applauded. Last Sunday, the Stargate closed its doors, likely forever. Lori Andrews, co-owner of the Elks and Stargate Theaters, confirmed that their lease at the Northgate Shopping Center expires today, and they've been unable to negotiate a new lease with the property's New York management company. "We hate to see it close, but we could not afford to renew at the rate they wanted," she said.

On Wednesday, the staff was pulling out the theater seats, projectors, popcorn makers and other fixtures. The good news for local movie fans is that the Elks Theater downtown remains open for business. Lori Andrews said they have no plans to close the venerable downtown theater. Lori and her husband, Doug Dan DALY Do you have questions or tinrnnts about ear (oca! eovamp? Call ioa teste it 534-84S2. Toll free: 1-8S3-843-2323 ext.

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