Show Page 3 In brief Franklin County discovers gas spill — PRESTON Franklin County officials recently found themselves dealing with a problem that's been plaguing Preston for nearly 20 years A 500-gallgasoline tank was found leaking cast of the new University of Idaho Extension Service office 39 W Oneida St The leak was detected in August when a contractor hired by the Environmental Protection Agency drilled more than 200 holes in Preston looking for gasoline in a layer of water just eight feet or so beneath the surface The EPA was in Preston after a discharge into the Preston sewers alleged by EPA to have been caused by a leak at the V--l Oil service station in Preston created levels of gasoline fumes in the sewers and basements of residents nearby The Franklin County Commission learned Monday the tank was likely a leftover from a previous owner of the Extension Service office which is now owned by the county Doug Tanner a hydrologist with the Idaho Division of Environmental Quality said “All of the county’s tanks were registered so this wasn’t installed by the county” The tank and about 30 cubic yards of soil between the county courthouse and the Extension building were removed in August The commission approved drilling three monitoring wells east of the building around the site with an option to dig a fourth if the gasoline plume starts edging south “You don’t become responsible until you become aware” said Commission Chairman Brad Smith on High court: Gas charge doesn’t wash SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah The EPA requires underground storagowners to show they have the resources to correct leaks and compensate others for any damages caused by leaks After a $10000 deductible the state fund pays varying amounts for small and large owners Without the fund business owners could face large daily fines for noncompliance with EPA regulations slate attorneys aigued To reduce hardship on the industry the justices said their decision that makes the surcharge unconstitutional will not take effect until 61 days after the end of the 1997 legislative session Supreme Court has ruled that a surcharge meant to build an insurance fund Ouality underground siumpc imk own e-tank protecting businesses with underground gasolinCjStoragc tanks is unconstitutional The half-ccper gallon “environmental surcharge" has been collected since 1990 on gasoline as it is delivered to underground tanks for resale mostly at service stations The high court's ruling on Tuesday leaves the future of the $36 million Petroleum Tank Storage Fund — and the insurance program — uncertain Utah businesses depend on the program to meet financial responsibility requirements set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency nt Chief Justice Michael Zimmerman wrote that the delay will give the Legislature the Department of Environmental near-explosi- ers and operators time to divide "i doll ns ihnmgli the surcharge said its Vdt ike Cilv attorney I'eler Stirba Hut 'he company does not rely on the stale Inud because il is he ' plained I lie Inch coml lound the surcharge is il ilu fund can continue to provide insmanci or to make other arrangements The state Division of l'n irmmciii Response and Remediation will I igm working immediately to nuke clungis by the court's deadline said diieeim Kent Gray The fund has paid ahum s million in claims hut has a suiphis Besides gas stations government and school districts need the instiuiiee The surcharge is the main eonlrilmtoi to the fund but it also gels money liom interest and fees for annual storage tank registrations The half-cecharge was challenged by the V--l Oil Company an Idaho eoi ' poration V- -l has paid out “thousands self-insure- uni - jb Mfe - measure" icvcmic-ruisin- iiiddies as a lax on motor luel -- must Iv spent on highways none d the surcharge actually was a us I nlei the Utah Constitution taxes on nniioi luel only can be spent on highways le coml ordeted a refund solely for w Ini h I I aci liaiees paid Oil Sliiba argues V- -l by ottiei lompames mav deserve refunds Ilul Assistant Attorney General Clark S'lclxon said collecting taxes on motor luel is the Constitution only 'units the use ol such funds to highways nl 'w£r‘' 'I'enud a d Charges pending in fight at Sky View vr - sL-- Jcme Skoy y stuff writur A 16 court-assigne- d year-ol- d sludeiii at Sky View High School v as pulled oul of class and attacked four by olf-cump- dcs ruesdav in am a green van earmales pulled up to Sky asked a girl to find the Mu- About ly ing mile llein and tell hint his friends w aided to sec him I lie Mudcril was released from e iiss ami confronted hy four of 'lie group on the north end of the school l licie was an exchange of winds some punches - they weiil aflei him they tackled and power outage at USU Frayed wires filled an underground electrical vault at Utah State University with smoke and knocked out power to buildings on the southeast side of campus at about 10:30 am Tuesday but the juice was quickly restored to most buildings after workers rerouted power to other lines But power to administrative offices and classrooms in Old Main and the Family Life Building was out even longer while workers spent the rest of the afternoon replacing the faulty wiring USU spokesman Paul Norton said a number of employees was sent home after the power outage knocked out the lights and downed computer systems because people just were not able to do their jobs Power came bpek up at about 3:45 pm he said USU Fire Marshall Gene Fchlman said the problem was first reported when people walking by saw smoke coming from the vault covers on the Quad behind Old Main Fchlman added that while there was lots of smoke fire never broke out in the underground vault “Once power was rerouted it quit” he said Logan Gly Fire Department was called to chick the vault before workers entered and firefighters stood by while repairs were made to the line Damage was reported as $500 Judge blocks UTA appointment SALT LAKE CTY (AP) — A 3rd District judge today issued a temporary restraining order skipping Salt Lake County from makiig an appointment to the Utah Transit Authority board Such an appointment could have meant the demise of UTA general manager John Pingrcc Judge Homer Wilkinson sided with Salt Lake City in its argument that UTA board member Manuel Romero should remain as a board member meaning the board remains 7 over whether Pingree shoull be ousted after 19 as head of the transit authorit7-- y-’ “Feelings are runnirg high animosity is taking over for rational thinking” (be judge said of the simmering controversy over who has the authority to term replace Romero whosettirec-yea- r on the board ended in August Wilkinson decided that neither the city or county should be able to replace Romero The city wanted o replace him with University of Ufa President Arthur K Smith who is ptvPingrec The county argued that khad appointed Romero and lhatit should have the authority to rcplaa him Commissioners wanted Stcjhcn Rees a former Mate senator and an acm ist to take Romero's sea Got a local news tty? Call City Editor JenniferHines 752-212- 1 Ext 3021 w i Electrical fire causes ‘ R Hart Evanf'Herilu J Laura Stewart a fourth-grad- e teacher at Adams Elementary School in Logan helps some of her students with a gravemarker rubbing at the Logan Cemetery The activity was part of a unit on folklore that Stewart and her colleagues Sue Sorenson and Holly Fjeldsted are presenting this Cemetery school m - : week At the cemetery U’llJ f Randy Williams talked to the suden'1' about Cache Valley traditions and hr lory such as community settlement mliuiLi'y !ojy naming patterns local legends and local occupations The student: taught cemetery etiquette as well t c punched him" said Principal r Liny Olsen this morning Police arc questioning witnesses and said charges arc pending leacher Nanette King reported ilul lour male teachers ran oul broke up the light and (old the uiackcis to gel off campus re Ire f hi ill y Deputy Sheriff tali Maples resource olficcr al skv Yiivv called in a description u hi van io dispatchers Utah Hu iivi Patrol I'roopct I arry i nisgiu spotted the van and stopped it in North logan Ihe gioup was questioned al iis police station and released u util luiiher investigation said Maples I he incident docs not appear to 'v u Maples said Ilic e on i nula! ion was squabble over hu issineni of one of the male's mssis by the Sky View student However two of the males in Hu i an iihniticil they belonged to bureau Crips a gang based oii ol ihe Salt Lake City aiea Maples said hi males in the van were all I one was a former Sky lew kill two were juveniles and ' oihe i seven were adults I he w I Millville asks again for water bon d By Charles staff writer H Featherstone If approved Stringham said i m on these projects would Mail in : And the bond would he paid km! years from the $20 a month In charges for each water connection In May Millville volets million bond initiative to ptv projects Earlier this year tin ci a $250000 grant front ilc I i! Water Resources to help the o its water system Miters will east ballots n M:i mentary 67 N Main St For the second lime in a year Millville residents will go to the polls to vote on funds for a city water project “It’s something that has to be done” said Millville Mayor Glen Stringham “We've got low pressure in a north area of town some bad water samples which is why we've got a temporary chlorination system And there arc some places in town with inadequate fire protection” The city is asking voters on Nov 5 to $1 million in general obligation bonds for new I million-gallo- n reservoir approve improving Garr Spring upgrading the town's pipeline and installing a chlorination svstem By Miriam Rand Judge David Roth In passing sentence staff writer An River Heights man was sentenced to prison Monday on a laundry list of charges including burglary theft and weapon and drug offenses Jed Kelly Fornoff 18 694 S 600 hast was charged in a series of burglaries of homes in River Heights Hyrum Providence Millville and Logan between October 1995 and January 1996 He was also at Dave's charged with October break-in- s Pizza in Wcllsvillc and Ycatcs Coal and Oil in Logan ti 'N d : River Heights man sentenced for refused a request by Fornoff’s lawyer Arden Lauritzcn to delay sentencing to allow time for further psychiatric evaluation Prosecuting attorney Patrick Nolan countered that Fornoff had been unwilling to cooperate during previous evaluations and Roth said there was no compelling evidence to believe Fornoff was incompetent Roth also denied Lauritzcn's request that Fornofl be put in a rehabilitation program rather than sending him to prison explaining that he would rather save places in I I break-i- n POCATELLO Idaho (AP) — a docn political yard signs sprout like a garden d in Jean and of free speech Hunt's Wil-for- wcll-manicur- front yard But look carefully There arc endorsements for both Republicans and Democrats Nearly all s local candidates from both are represented It's a household where newlyweds Jean 67 and Wilford 79 arc discovering some differences ahivut each other SFc's a hard-cor- e Penns rat pur-tic- weapons drug charges Jim sen lie's a dyed-in-the-wo- Republican "We do fight sometimes" Jean said with her Jeep Arkansas accent and a big - N retired professional clown and his lifelong connections with the Democratic Parts Ihe reii windows of her : oin's - O' ' p knew ehireh They oihit just two a iro't philosophy "There's just ccnain things that I can't stand about these Democrats They want to spend all this money" said Wilfoid “Rush Limhaugh tells you the truth Yoj' never catch him in a lie" But Jean's Democratic rurs v Bannek Cot it threi I Headquarters S' new ( I : n i n it i e a Il s I e rim rj o I 2tt is or the s Disl Me ! picini’iniry hearure nt possession o a 'easn possession o substance and pos--- i hire paraphernalia c r was in the Cache rentx lad today completing a riie on an unn latcd offense was nested about 4 ' "i sp’ i i ied er 's' '"Jure Ji aTI I Id le Yeeh ' su'd" an :n i wind"w ot L wasn't inijn! ’ i i v N ( jabs Each is a in their own believer strong w hat loaded was v r irnvi vi : light-hearte- oi mg a in si slioigun v Wilford a retired railroad worker Irom Pm are llo is a di ogan man is sehid- in couit next week : g on I w o lelonv I i'iotiis compact car are plastered with candidate stickers 115 ::!i peu i a 12 North Logan man faces e third-degre- W Rush LimKiiigh Ian His pickup hears a single slieker on the bumpir del hiring him a proud member of the (imelhyc Clinton Club” “The last Dem hmi I voted for iv John I Kerne dy and that's only bee a use I didn't know anv hetur" Miltorel said They met in the summer of FIGHT on Page Nee I southern smile She's I s: rehabilitation programs bi p thought would use tk in But citing I ornoll s ag: h im Fornoff s second-degree Iclonics a term of not less than Utah State Prison on wd to run concurrently Fornoff was given im dos County Jail for the roivl t c and ordered to pay S5"x after his release Fornoff was not lined credit for time already se Countv Jail Pocatello pair finds sparks in mixed man iagMore than lull Il i ' - 2i when the s a in wa-u- passinger Vreng ni pickip in was kod on an deputv shcr- - |