City Council Puts Dog Park On Hold - Alliance Times

Transcription

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AHS Grad Prepares
For Medical
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ALLIANCE
TIMES-HERALD
VOL.121, NO. 272
ALLIANCE, NEBRASKA
FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008
FIFTY CENTS
City Council Puts Dog Park On Hold
By ELAINE BLEISCH
Times-Herald Writer
ALLIANCE — The city council heard two disputes at last
night's meeting, one involving the location of a proposed dog
park and one over the lease on an office space at the Alliance
Municipal Airport.
Jay Weisgerber addressed the council regarding the use of
Knight Park as a special dog park. The site was chosen because
it already had grass, water and bathrooms and would only
have to be fencing and hydrants installed. Having an area with
irrigated grass is preferable to dirt, Weisgerber said, because in
dirt areas urine would harden and breed disease, but with irrigated grass it would leach into the soil. Weisgerber estimated
that putting the dog park in a location without grass or water
would raise the costs for putting in the dog park from $5,000
or $6,000 to $25,000 or more.
Weisgerber said he was not asking for money from the council, that he and a group of dog owners, who have not formally
organized yet, would sponsor fundraisers, had labor in line to
help and had equipment donated for the dogs. He had also
gone through the city's liability policy and believed that the dog
park would not be any different than the current use of the
park in terms of liability. He said there were three or four city
ordinances that would have to be amended in order to let dogs
off the leash in the park.
The council questioned Weisgerber about the accessibility of
the bathrooms and maintenance of the park. Weisgerber said
the bathrooms would be fenced off separately from the rest of
the park so that people could use them without coming into
contact with the dogs. He is hoping the city will continue to
maintain the park by mowing and trimming on a regular
schedule so the park can be closed during that time and the
dog group could make sure any dog waste was collected prior
to mowing.
Mayor Dan Kusek said he had talked to the Oldtimers Baseball Association, who currently maintain the bathrooms, and
that they do not have a problem with a dog park in that location. He also said he had spoken to Weisgerber about leaving
the tip of the area unfenced so people could sit and watch without having to be in with the dogs.
Ken Hamilton of 843 W. Sixth then spoke against the dog
park at the Knight Park location, saying he lived across the
street and was concerned about the noise of barking dogs and
the smell, as well as the traffic and disruption to the neighborhood. He said he also was worried about how it would affect his
(See CITY on Page 2)
Pope Turns To
Global Audience
By ERIC GORSKI
AP Religion Writer
Photo by Trent Short/Times-Herald
The Leadership Box Butte group toured the Alliance City Landfill yesterday to learn more about local environmental services.
Mike McCauley led the tour and explained the machine that turns an entire city's yard waste into valuable mulch.
Seoul Agrees To Resume US Beef Imports
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press Writer
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea
agreed to resume U.S. beef imports that had
been halted over mad cow disease, clearing a
key hurdle to a broader trade deal with Washington just hours before the countries’ leaders
were to meet Friday.
South Korea suspended U.S. beef imports
in 2003 after mad cow disease was discovered
in the United States, cutting off what was then
the third-largest market for American beef.
Restricted imports resumed last April, but
have been on hold since October when a shipment contained animal parts that have been
banned over mad cow concerns.
The beef issue has been a major irritant in
relations between the allies, and threatened
Senators
Override Veto
On Fluoride Bill
By ANNA JO BRATTON
LINCOLN (AP) — State
lawmakers have turned
down the governor’s veto
of a measure to require
Nebraska towns with at
least 1,000 residents to
add fluoride to their
drinking water.
Governor Dave Heineman called the bill an unfunded mandate.
Communities can opt
out of the proposed law.
The governor said Thursday the cost of a ballot initiative to do so would be
passed on to taxpayers.
Some cities have already opted out of a law
passed in the 1970s requiring fluoride. They will
have to vote again to remain exempt.
The goal of the measure is to reduce tooth decay.
prospects for approving a wider free-trade
agreement — one of the main agenda items at
a summit starting Friday in Washington between South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
and President Bush.
Although not directly related to the freetrade pact, some U.S. lawmakers had insisted
the beef issue needed to be resolved for them
to back the deal. Legislatures in both countries
have yet to approve the pact that was negotiated last year.
South Korea’s Agriculture Ministry said Friday that revived imports were expected to begin in mid-May and expand in stages.
Seoul will first allow American beef imports
from cattle younger than 30 months, including
cuts with bones. Younger cows are believed to
be less at risk for mad cow disease.
Beef from older cattle will also be cleared for
(See BEEF on Page 2)
Nebraska Housing Commission Losing US Funding
By OSKAR GARCIA
OMAHA (AP) — A federal
agency is immediately pulling
funding from a Nebraska
commission designed to fight
housing discrimination, citing
in part the state attorney general’s refusal to prosecute a
case on behalf of two illegal
immigrants.
A U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development official said Thursday
that it would no longer reimburse the state for pursuing
discrimination cases and
would stop forwarding complaints it receives to the Ne-
Chambers Spends Last Day On Legislative Floor
By NATE JENKINS
LINCOLN (AP) — Capitol
regulars cried in the halls and
fellow state senators gushed
with praise for Ernie Chambers’ service as the self-proclaimed “defender of the
downtrodden.”
But the Omaha senator
wasn’t in any mood to reminisce on Thursday, his last
day on the legislative floor he
prowled for 38 years. He was
a reluctant, mostly absent,
observer of his own legislative
funeral and mostly spent the
day like he has thousands of
others since first being elected
in 1970 — working.
“I have no nostalgia ... no
sadness,” Chambers said after he quietly exited the legislative floor at one point
Thursday. “I’m leaving the
Legislature, not the world.”
Chambers logged more
years as a state senator than
anyone in Nebraska history.
And while term limits won’t
officially push the muscled
70-year-old and state’s only
black senator out of his cluttered Capitol office until the
end of the year, he’s done
making, and mostly stopping,
laws for the state.
“He has just been a stal-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI told diplomats
at the United Nations on Friday that respect for human rights
was the key to solving many of the world’s problems, while cautioning that international cooperation was threatened by “the
decisions of a small number.”
The pontiff, addressing the U.N. General Assembly on his
first papal trip to the U.S., said the organization’s work is vital.
But he raised concerns that power is concentrated among just
handful of players.
“Multilateral consensus,” he said, speaking in French, “continues to be in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decisions of a small number.”
The world’s problems call for collective interventions by the
international community, he said.
“The promotion of human rights remains the most effective
strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and increasing security,” the pope said.
Benedict, only the third pope to address the United Nations,
made the remarks after three dramatic days in which he re(See POPE on Page 2)
wart in making sure people
get justice and that justice is
administered fairly,” said Sen.
(See CHAMBERS on Page 2)
braska Equal Opportunity
Commission.
“We believe that the people
of Nebraska are not gaining
their full rights under federal
fair housing laws — so we
can’t let that happen,” Bryan
Greene of the Housing and
Urban Development department told The Associated
Press.
The decision cannot be appealed, but the federal agency
can choose to refund the state
in 30 days if it improves,
Greene said. Otherwise, the
state commission could be decertified, leaving the federal
agency to pursue Nebraska
landlords who violate U.S. civil rights laws.
“It’s not something we do
lightly,” said Greene, who noted that local and state agencies elsewhere have been decertified in the past, but not
frequently.
Nebraska was informed of
the decision in a letter from
Housing and Urban Development received Thursday.
Greene said 37 states and
the District of Columbia, as
well as 70 other municipalities get funding from Housing
and Urban Development, but
are required to have laws and
policies comparable to federal
housing laws. Otherwise, the
federal agency takes the cases.
Nebraska gets $2,400 in
federal money for each case it
investigates,
said Anne
Hobbs, executive director of
the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission. Hobbs estimates the commission would
lose $240,000 annually if
can’t satisfy federal officials.
“We would lose a significant
number of staff,” she said. “It
starts to have kind of a domi(See HOUSING on Page 2)
Commissioners Approach
Livestock Friendly Designation
Photo by Elaine Bleisch/Times-Herald
Angie Wickham helps herself to a cookie at the open house
at the Alliance Public Library yesterday. The library had refreshments available for patrons in celebration of National Library
Week.
ALLIANCE — The Box
Butte County Commissioners
will meet Monday, April 28, at
8 a.m. at the Box Butte County Courthouse. They will be
signing a letter of intent, taking another step towards
making Box Butte County a
Livestock Friendly Designation. They also will be discussing some concerns with
Allo and Mobius. Bayonne
Meyer will be speaking regarding handyman and public transportation grants. Deb
Dopheide will talk about the
county recycling program and
will be presenting Open Alliance Awards to County and
Tourism. Liz Taylor-Hertz will
be giving the tourism report.
At nine o'clock, the county
commissioners will take open
armor coat bids from contractors. Afterwards, Barbara
Keegan will give the county's
road and equipment report,
and Roger Schledewitz will
speak regarding Grant County Road. Jan Bruhn will then
give the county weed report.
There will be an executive
session to discuss performance evaluations.
Resolutions 2008-09, a
transferal of funds from general to road sinking funds;
2008-10, a transferal of funds
from general to noxious
weeds; and 2008-11 a transferal of funds from general to
the veteran's van fund are
scheduled to be reviewed.
Legals
•Estate — Arthur Suiter
•Notice of Default
•Board Workshop
•Public Hearing
City Council
Total Pages: 10
2
Friday, April 18, 2008 – Alliance Times-Herald
INSIDE COVER
City
(Continued from page 1)
property values with the fence
around the park, since it is
more difficult to mow and
weed around a chain-link
fence he was worried that it
would end up looking like a
vacant lot. "As a tax payer I'm
worried about the extra expense in mowing around the
fence," he added.
Hamilton also said that the
park is used more than people realize, that he sees children playing there during ball
games and families having
picnics in the shelter on Sundays. "I hope they can get a
dog park somewhere," he
said, "but I don't know about
the city supplying a park to a
non-profit organization."
Another neighbor, Donald
O'Dell of 816 W. Sixth, also
spoke against using Knight
Park as a dog park, saying
that during baseball season
the kids needed the extra
room for practice. "I think
they need to find somewhere
else to have the park," he said.
Parks Foreman Joe Lewis
then spoke, saying "I'm for the
dog park. I'm concerned
about the location." He said
he had visited the dog park in
Scottsbluff and that it did not
have water, grass or irrigation.
He said that the dogs would
eventually kill the grass.
Councilman Jim Dickenson said he was concerned
that the dog equipment would
make it harder to mow and
that the park would have to
be mowed by hand. He was
also concerned about having
kids and dogs together during
baseball games.
After some discussion
about alternative sites, Dickenson moved to send the issue to staff for work and development with the parks department and the dog group.
The motion was approved
unanimously.
Next before council was
Edward "Ted" Hempel to discuss his lease arrangements
for an office located at the Airport Te rminal Building.
Hempel said he began leasing
office space at the airport in
2000, from what was then the
Airport Authority. He was given a one-year lease with the
option to renew for two years,
and the airport authority had
the option to raise his rent at
that time. At the end of the
first three years, Hempel was
offered a yearly renewable
lease, which again gave the
Airport Authority the option to
raise his rent. In addition to
his rent, he said he also had
to pay extra for insurance and
also had the cost of driving
out there. There were also
some "idiosyncrasies" of the
office that he thought would
make it less desirable to other
tenants. Hempel also cited
some of his contributions to
the airport, including supporting efforts to be nominated as airport of the year,
which the airport won twice.
In 2005, Hempel said, the
city took over the airport and
gave him an almost identical
lease, which gives him the
right to renew by May 1 and
for the city to raise his rent by
May 1. After he renewed in
2007, the city council took up
the lease at a regular meeting.
Hempel was not at the meeting but was assured that
there was no problem with
the lease. However, he said
that he was then given what
he considered to be a new
lease, which contained an addition stating that the city
could ask him to leave with 60
days notice. He said he went
to Dick Cayer, who was in
charge of the airport at that
time, and told him he was not
comfortable signing the lease.
This year, Hempel said, he received a letter informing him
that his rent was being raised
to almost four and a half
times what he is currently
paying. Hempel asked, "Why
was I discriminated against
with this ridiculous rent increase?" He asked the council
to reverse the decision and
give him a more reasonable
rent.
Mayor Kusek questioned
Hempel, asking if he agreed
that the city had the right to
raise his rent to any amount
they desired, and if he
thought it was reasonable to
expect the citizens of Alliance
to lease him the office indefinitely, with no way for the city
to terminate the lease.
Hempel agreed that the
city was within its legal rights
but said he thought it was a
covert attempt to break his
lease by raising his rent.
City Manager Pam Caskie
said that this was not about
making Hempel move or raising the rent, but about the city
trying to regain some control
over the leases. She said
when the city first took over
the airport they went with
whatever the Airport Authority had done initially, but that
they were now reviewing all
the leases and adding "appropriate controls" that would allow the city to terminate leases. She said that for the
record, city staff does not have
the authority to break a lease,
but that it would have to come
before the city council. She
said that in her opinion, and
in the opinion of legal council,
the city needed a way to terminate the lease.
The $500 rent for Hempel
was arbitrary but was intended to "get his attention". She
said he didn't sign his lease
last year and had informed
Cayer that the only control
the city had was over his rent.
She is willing to negotiate the
rent, and has no problem
leaving it at the current
amount, if Hempel will agree
to some sort of termination
clause.
The discussion ended with
both parties agreeing to negotiate a lease and bring it back
to the city council at the May
1 meeting.
Representatives of the Nic
Gasseling Memorial Scholarship committee appeared before council to request the use
of the softball complex on
Memorial Day, May 26, for a
softball tournament that will
raise funds for the Nic Gasseling Memorial Scholarship.
The Alliance Police and Fire
Departments will set up displays and demonstrations to
educate teens and those attending the event about the
importance of seat belt usage.
Caskie said that since the
softball complex would be
used as it was meant to be
used, the city insurance
would cover the event with no
impact on the budget. The
tournament and educational
activities were approved with
four votes; councilwoman
Rowley abstained from the
vote since she is a member of
the committee running the
tournament.
In other action, the council,
with all members present,
unanimously approved:
•The three required readings were waived and the
council approved the final plat
of the Douglas Addition.
council approved Ordinance
No. 2607, releasing the 10
foot utility easements between
Lots 20 and 21, and Lots 24
and 25, Block 11, Lakefield
Addition in order to allow the
construction of the proposed
senior housing duplexes. All
utility companies have been
contacted and there are currently no services within the
easement or an anticipated
need in the future.
council approved Ordinance
No. 2608, reducing the width
of the utility easement on the
northern lot line of Lot 8,
Block 4, Lakefield Addition
from 10 feet to 5 feet. While
there is an electric line in the
easement, there will still be 15
feet in the easement, 5' on Lot
8 and 10' on Lot M to the
north. Currently there is only
a street light line in the easement and no additional lines
are anticipated. Community
Development Director Rick
Houck assured council members that this is more than adequate, as the city only re-
quires a 10-foot easement for
street light lines.
•Approved the request to
utilize the Contingency portion of several funds for the
unexpected rise in fuel costs,
fertilizer and chlorine.
Caskie said these costs
have "skyrocketed" since the
budget process last year, to
rates that the city could not
have anticipated. She also
said it affected almost every
department in the city, and
that they are trying to be proactive in requesting the contingency funds now. She also
noted that the landfill expenses were expected to be even
greater than the $750 being
requested, but that was all
that was left in the contingency fund. For all other departments, there would still
be some money left in the
contingency funds.
•Approved the transfer of
$75,000 from Streets Contingency to Building Structure
and Public Works.
•Approved Resolution No.
08-42 to award the Street and
Sidewalk Rehabilitation projects to Peltz Construction of
Alliance, with an amendment.
Five Invitations to Bid were issued and four were received.
Peltz Construction is the lowest most responsive and responsible bidder and the City
has had a positive working relationship with the firm. The
resolution originally set the
project "in an amount not to
exceed $150,000." Mayor
Kusek made a motion to
amend the amount to
$175,000, to include $25,000
designated to increase off street parking on ninth street
next to the museum.
•Approved the site plans,
floor plans, elevations, the
four earth-tone siding colors,
the shutter, brick and shingle
recommendations for the
Rosewood Estates, LLC building project.
•Established 7 p.m. on
Monday, May 5 for a special
meeting to discuss both future water rates and the technology change to a centralized
server.
•Appointed Joshua G. Carr
and Dorothy L. Schnell to
serve on the Alliance Planning
Commission. This leaves the
planning commission with no
vacancies, although Houck
said there is still one vacancy
on the Board of Adjustments.
The meeting ended with
the council going into executive session to discuss a personnel matter. The council
came out of executive session
at 9:25 and Mayor Kusek
made the motion for Caskie to
execute a contract to hire Larry Miller as the full-time city
attorney. The motion passed
unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
The meeting began with
two proclamations. Parks supervisor Joe Lewis accepted a
proclamation declaring April
6 as Arbor Day. Kurt
Heckeroth, Denise Barker
and Pam McDonald, representing the Volunteer Involvement Pool, accepted a proclamation declaring April 27May 3 as Volunteer Recognition Week.
Chambers
DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln,
one of the 14 other senators
who won’t return next year
because of term limits.
“Nobody’s paid in the lobby
to speak out on behalf of people on death row, for black
youth, for poor kids,” said
Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha.
“Ultimately, the downtrodden
will be defended by our conscience, and Ernie is a man of
conscience, a man of determination.”
Fire & Emergency
Sheriff’s Report
County Court
Thursday, 12:19 p.m. —
The Alliance Emergency Unit
responded to the 1100 block
of Laramie. There were no
transports
The Alliance Volunteer Fire
Department responded to the
1400 block of West 3rd Street
for a hazmat cleanup.
Miscellaneous — Between
7 a.m. Monday and 7 a.m.
Friday the Box Butte Sheriff’s
Office served eight papers,
performed four title inspections and issued four warnings, two citation for a traffic
violation. The Box Butte
County Jail population is 12.
Theft By Shoplifting —
Ryan F. War Bonnett, 22, Alliance, fined $500 and costs.
Disorderly Conduct, Disturbing The Peace — Lisa A.
Whitfield, 25, Alliance, fined
$75 and costs.
Regina M. Lawrenz, 27, Alliance, fined $75 and costs.
Third Degree Assault —
Mathew J. Franchetti, 15, Alliance, fined $150 and costs.
Jeremey L. Shoulders, 28,
Alliance, fined costs, sentenced to five days in the
county jail.
Disturbing The Peace —
Larry A. War Bonnett, 45, Alliance, fined $75 and costs.
Disturbing The Peace,
False Reporting — Jeremy
K. Picket Pin, 27, Chadron,
fined $350 and costs.
Driving While Intoxicated, Criminal Mischief —
Adam E. McCormick, 32, Alliance, fined $933.29 and
costs, jailed.
Speeding — Roy L. Nogard, 56, Crawford 78/60, $125
and costs.
Alliance in Brief
State Patrol
NSP Trooper D. Johnson responded to Gordon. A male
subject was taken into custody on a Sheridan County
warrant.
Nebraska State Patrol Troopers M. Downing and J. Decker responded to mile marker
59 on Highway 20. A male
subject was taken into custody for driving under the influence of drugs.
Pope
peatedly discussed America’s
clergy sexual abuse scandal.
The U.N. setting contrasted
dramatically with the intimacy of a meeting Thursday, at
which Benedict prayed with
weeping victims of childhood
sexual abuse by priests.
The pope took an early
morning flight from the nation’s capital to New York City.
He was greeted by New York
Cardinal Edward Egan and
taken to a helicopter for the
ride into Manhattan.
Across from the U.N., several hundred supporters,
many of them Hispanic, gathered behind metal police barricades.
“Benedetto!” many shouted in Spanish.
A group of New Jersey
Catholics held up a banner for
the German-born pope that
combined
German
—
“Willkommen Pope Benedict
XVI” — and English sentiments: “You Rock!”
A small anti-pope contingent included a group calling
itself Forum for Protection of
Religious Pluralism.
Financial consultant Padmanabh Rao, a Hindu from
Woodbridge, N.J., complained
that the Vatican is converting
people in India to Catholicism.
Queens contractor William
Salazar, who identified himself as a Navajo Indian, said
Catholic priests “came to
America and they killed our
children. Now the pope is
sending priests all over the
world who are raping our children.” Before the pontiff’s
speech, Benedict and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
met alone for 15 minutes.
Beef
imports after the U.S.
strengthens controls on feed
to reduce chances of infection,
the ministry said.
South Korea’s chief negotiator Min Dong-seok said the
U.S. had agreed to press for
the feed measures, adding
that resolving the beef issue
would help strengthen ties between the two countries.
“The beef issue has been a
factor that caused distrust between South Korea and the
U.S,” Min told reporters.
Seoul also agreed not to
immediately halt imports
even if a new case of mad cow
disease is discovered in the
U.S., Min said. Instead, Seoul
would only move to halt imports if the Paris-based World
Organization for Animal
Health downgrades its safety
rating for American cattle.
Miscellaneous — Between
3:37 a.m. Thursday and 4:19
a.m. Friday the Alliance Police
Department responded to the
following calls: two accident,
three security, six animal,
eight traffic, one emergency,
one burglar alarm, one property damage, one theft, one
child abuse, three juvenile,
and one assist to another
agency.
Accident—Thursday, at
10:20 a.m. the APD responded to an accident at Highway
385 and Rock Road . A vehicle, driven by Loren F. Radel,
Parachute, Colo., and a second vehicle, Virgil E. Blakeman, Alliance, received no estimated damage
Housing
no effect” on other commission functions.
The commission — which
also pursues job discrimination and public accommodation cases — expected to meet
Friday to decide what to do
next.
The commission has bitterly fought with Attorney General Jon Bruning over his refusal to file lawsuits based on
complaints forwarded to his
office.
After the commission forwarded the latest case involving the illegal immigrants,
Bruning said the state should
consider shutting down the
commission entirely. He said
he would not use taxpayer
money to pursue a case on behalf of an illegal immigrant,
even if he or she had a legitimate complaint.
Greene said that drew concern from federal officials because, under the federal Fair
Housing Act, aggrieved people
are covered regardless of immigration status.
The case involved a Lincoln
couple that filed a complaint
with the commission alleging
they were discriminated
against by their landlord. According to both Hobbs and
Bruning, the landlord asked
the complainants to provide
drivers’ licenses after becoming concerned that too many
people were living in the apartment.
“We’re concerned about
this rather broad statement
that the attorney general can
pick and choose which cases
to bring,” Greene said.
Since 2003, the commission has forwarded 41 cases
to Bruning’s office, but only
one was prosecuted and none
has gone to trial, according to
the commission.
But, according to Bruning’s
office, it’s actually pursued 22
Community Calendar
BNSF Retirees — Will
have a carry-in dinner at 5:30
p.m. Monday, April 21, at the
Alliance Senior Center. All retirees welcome.
Chapter AH P.E.O. — Will
meet for dessert at 1 p.m.
Monday, April 21, at
Carnegie Arts Center, with
the meeting to follow at 1:30
p.m., with Marlene Chinnock
as hostess. RSVP.
of the 58 cases its received
from the commission.
Bruning has said shoddy
casework by commission staff
limits the number of cases he
can pursue. Hobbs said she
planned to recommend that
the commission take legal action against Bruning to force
him to prosecute cases the
commission forwards.
In a statement released by
his office Thursday, Bruning
said his office and the state
commission are working on a
memorandum of understanding that should address the
concerns raised by federal
housing agency.
“We share a common goal
of prosecuting only those cases where discrimination can
be proven in court,” Bruning
said.
Funeral Reminders
Clara E. Crosser, 68
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Clara
Eileen Crosser, 68, died Monday, April 14, at a Las Vegas
hospital.
Her funeral will be at 1:30
p.m. Sunday, April 20, at
Golden Valley Assembly of
God Church, 3355 N. Magnolia Rd., Golden Valley, Ariz.
Lucille E. Perkins, 87
ALLIANCE — Lucille E.
Perkins, 87, died Friday, April
4, at Good Samaritan Health
Care Center.
There will be a Rosary at
10:30 a.m. Monday, April 21,
with a memorial Mass following at 11 a.m. at Holy Rosary
Catholic Church, with Fr.
Jim Heithoff officiating.
Robert Kosmicki, 67
ALLIANCE — Robert D.
Kosmicki died Nov. 25, 2007.
His inurnment will be at 1
p.m. Monday, April 21, at
Fort McPherson National
Cemetery south of Maxwell,
with full military honors and
special rites.
John Henderson, 79
SIOUX COUNTY – John
Earl “Jack” Henderson, 79,
died Wednesday April 16, at
Regional West Medical Center.
Memorial Services will be
at 2 p.m. Monday April 21, at
the Jolliffe Funeral Home
Chapel, with Pastor Doug
Keener officiating.
GENERAL INTEREST
Al-Zawahri: U.S. Options In Iraq All Bad
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Al-Qaida’s No. 2
said in an audiotape released Friday that
the United States will lose whether it
stays in Iraq or withdraws, and he
sneered that President Bush just wants
to pass the problem on to his successor.
The message from Ayman al-Zawahri
released early Friday on a militant Web
site appeared to be one of the most
quickly prepared tapes produced by alQaida — referring to Congressional testimony only last week by the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, in
which he recommended a halt to further
U.S. troop withdrawals until after July.
Bush said last week he would give Petraeus all the time needed to reassess
U.S. troop strength in Iraq after the current drawdown of U.S. troops ends in
July.
“The truth is that if Bush keeps all his
forces in Iraq until doomsday and until
they enter hell, they will only see crisis
and defeat by the will of God,” said al-Zawahri, the deputy of al-Qaida chief
Osama bin Laden. “If the American
forces leave, they will lose everything.
And if they stay, they will bleed to death.”
The authenticity of the 16-minute
recording, entitled “Five Years of the Invasion of Iraq and Decades of Injustice by
Tyrants,” could not be independently verified. But it carried the logo of al-Qaida’s
media wing. It was the second message
this month attributed to the terror network’s chief strategist.
Bush’s stance guarantees a heavy
U.S. military presence in Iraq for the rest
of his presidency as the war grinds into
its sixth year. The Bush administration
plans to shrink the current force of
160,000 American troops in Iraq to
US Airways Pilots Dump Union
PHOENIX (AP) — Three years after their companies joined
forces, pilots from America West Airlines and the former Virginia-based US Airways remain locked in a bitter seniority dispute that’s become a cautionary tale as other carriers ponder a
new wave of consolidation.
The internal fight at Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways Group
Inc. reached a climax Thursday when pilots ousted their union
of 59 years and replaced it with another group. The new union,
the US Airline Pilots Association, is dominated by pilots from
the former US Airways. It will try to throw out an arbitrated seniority ruling that isn’t favorable to them.
“It’s going to be extremely difficult for me personally and professionally to watch what happens to this pilot group now,”
Capt. Jack Stephan, chairman of the ousted Air Line Pilots Association for US Airways, said in a statement after the vote was
announced.
“Industry consolidation is inevitable, and the economy is
slowing. I believe that these challenges will be too much to ask
of an untested, underfunded union.”
The struggles of US Airways pilots have become a highly visible example of the problems with consolidation.
Pilots at Delta Air Lines helped management fight off a hostile bid from US Airways last year. At the time, some Delta pilots said they wished US Airways would finish its current combination before looking to join with another company.
This year, Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines Inc.
gave their pilots time to work out seniority issues before announcing plans to join forces earlier this week. However, Northwest pilots refused to go along and the companies moved ahead
without a pilot agreement.
Pilot problems have “made almost every merger in the past
messy, expensive and time consuming for management,” said
Calyon Securities analyst Ray Neidl. “If you can get them in the
boat and paddle with you, mergers would go so much
smoother.”
Although US Airways’ profit surged the first year after the
companies combined, problems among its pilots have festered.
Pilots have said that disagreements over seniority have led
to shouting matches in airport terminals. Supporters of rival pilot unions have sent each other threatening e-mails, engaged
in at least one shoving match and called each other to the parking lot to settle their arguments.
Seniority is extremely important for pilots. Their place in the
company pecking order decides what planes they can fly, what
routes they’ll take, and when they can go on vacation.
Sheriff Charged, Using
Inmates As Sex Slaves
ARAPAHO, Okla. (AP) —
Authorities have charged a
western Oklahoma sheriff
with coercing and bribing female inmates so he could use
them in a sex-slave operation
run out of his jail.
Custer County Sheriff Mike
Burgess resigned Wednesday
just as state prosecutors filed
35 felony charges against
him, including 14 counts of
second-degree rape, seven
counts of forcible oral sodomy
and five counts of bribery by a
public official.
Burgess, the top officer in
the county of 26,000 since
1994, appeared in court
Wednesday was released after
posting $50,000 bail.
“We are stunned,” Undersheriff Kenneth Tidwell said
Thursday.
Attorney Steve Huddleston
said that he has not had a
chance to review all the allegations against his client, but
that “Mr. Burgess is anxious
to go to court and clear his
name.”
Among other things,
Burgess is accused of having
sex with a female drug court
participant who was in his
custody. The crimes are to
have occurred between October 2005 and April 2007.
about 140,000 by the end of July.
“Bush declared that he will grant Petraeus all the time he needs, a ridiculous
show to cover up for the failure in Iraq
and to allow Bush to evade the decision
to withdraw the forces, which is an admission of the failure of the crusader invasion of Iraq, by passing the problem on
to the next president,” al-Zawahri said.
Al-Qaida leaders have sped up their
reactions to events with such messages
— a sign of the sophistication of the
group’s media network despite having to
work underground. Even so, usually
messages refer to events that took place
several weeks earlier, so the reference to
Petraeus marked an unusually fast turnaround. Al-Zawahri also called in his latest message for Muslim support of jihad
in Iraq, and for backing al-Qaida’s affiliate there, the Islamic State of Iraq.
Philly Suburbs Hold
Key To Penn. Primary
MEDIA, Pa. (AP) — To bisect the heart of the Democratic presidential contest, take
the Chester exit of I-95 and
wend your way to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. If Barack
Obama has any chance of
cultivating an upset on April
22, this 20-mile stretch is fertile land.
These are Philadelphia’s
western suburbs — a patchwork of charming small
towns, elite colleges and
working class neighborhoods
that constitute one of the
most competitive political battlegrounds in the state.
“It is, without question,
right at the center of the fight
for Pennsylvania,” said Rep
Joe Sestak, D-Pa., the retired
admiral who represents this
district and who has endorsed Obama’s rival, Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“How my district goes is how
the state may go.”
Clinton holds a lead in
statewide polls. But Obama is
strongly favored in Philadelphia and polls show him
holding a slight lead in the arc
of four increasingly Democratic counties around the city.
Delaware County, the one
which makes up most of Sestak’s 7th congressional district, is his toughest with demographics that also suit
Clinton and her blue collar
appeal.
“She has experience and
we need something,” said
Stacey Martinez, a 30-yearold graphic designer, as she
stood outside her row house
in the inner suburbs near the
city line. “The economy
stinks. We need something
new. When Bill Clinton was in
the White House, we didn’t
have these problems and
maybe she had something to
do with it behind the scenes.”
To the west is Media, the
county seat. With its Internetwired coffee shops, quaint
Equatorial Guinea Plane Crash,
Local Government Officials Die
MALABO,
Equatorial
Guinea (AP) — A military
plane bound for the island of
Annobon crashed off the
coast of Equatorial Guinea
earlier this week with at least
13 people on board, including
eight local government officials, state-run radio said Friday. There were no survivors.
The plane, an Antonov 32,
Barbary Apes To Be Killed
MADRID, Spain (AP) — A renegade group of Gibraltar’s Barbary apes has annoyed residents so much that authorities announced plans Thursday to kill them.
A cluster of 25 Barbary apes — a species of monkey usually weighing about 15-25 pounds — moved to a popular beachside area some months ago where they have been stealing food,
entering rooms through open windows and harassing tourists,
officials said.
The territory’s tourism minister, Ernest Britto, has decided
to kill the beach dwelling group, government spokesman Francis Cantos said.
“I can confirm that tourism minister Britto has decided to issue a license for a cull,” said Cantos.
“The decision was not taken lightly. It is a last resort,” Britto told the Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper.
The newspaper said two monkeys have already been captured and given lethal injections.
The pack, part of the territory’s population of around 200,
invaded a sandy beach area called Catalan Bay where they remained because they were able to rummage for food. The area
is popular with tourists and has a luxury hotel.
Britto said he determined that the monkeys posed a danger
to public health.
The animals mainly inhabit the high ground of Gibraltar, a
British colony off Spain’s southern tip.
The British Army, which is responsible for their care, has in
the past often had to replenish Gibraltar’s population with
monkeys from Africa. Barbary apes also live in Morocco and
north Algeria.
plunged into the ocean
Wednesday afternoon after
missing the runway, the report said. The flight was ferrying passengers from Bata, the
country’s second-largest city,
to the tiny island of Annobon,
400 miles from the mainland.
The number of people on
board was unclear Friday.
Witnesses at the airport said
there were at least 80 people
on the flight bound for Annobon. But radio reported 13
on board, and government officials said only 11 people
were on the flight.
The local officials were
heading back to Annobon to
campaign ahead of next
month’s legislative and municipal elections, the report
said.
Information Minister Santiago Nsobeya Efuman said
six passengers and five crew
members were on board. The
radio later reported the bodies
of two unregistered passengers.
A man who said he
stopped to talk to passengers
boarding the military plane
before takeoff said that counted “over 30” people getting on
the flight. He asked not to be
named for fear of facing problems from contradicting the
government.
An airport employee in
Bata said “over 80” people
eventually boarded the plane.
The employee asked not to be
named.
storefronts and local progressive politics, the borough’s
Democrats are more typical of
Obama supporters.
Martinez was among two
dozen Delaware County voters interviewed randomly by
The Associated Press this
week.
3
5.2 Earthquake Rocks Ill.
WEST SALEM, Ill. (AP) — Residents across the Midwest
were awakened Friday by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that
rattled skyscrapers in Chicago’s Loop and homes in Cincinnati but appeared to cause no major injuries or damage.
The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered six miles
from West Salem, Ill., and 45 miles from Evansville, Ind. It
was felt in such distant cities as Milwaukee, Des Moines,
Iowa, and Atlanta, nearly 400 miles to the southeast.
“It shook our house where it woke me up,” said David
Behm of Philo, 10 miles south of Champaign. “Windows
were rattling, and you could hear it. The house was shaking
inches. For people in central Illinois, this is a big deal. It’s not
like California.”
In Mount Carmel, 15 southeast of the epicenter, a
woman was trapped in her home by a collapsed porch but
was quickly freed and wasn’t hurt, said Mickie Smith, a dispatcher at the police department. The department took numerous other calls, though none reported anything more serious than objects knocked off walls and out of shelves, she
said.
Also in Mount Carmel, a two-story apartment building
was evacuated because of loose and falling bricks. Police
cordoned off the building, a 1904 school converted to residences.
Bonnie Lucas, a morning co-host at WHO-AM in Des
Moines, said she was sitting in her office when she felt her
chair move. She grabbed her desk, and then heard the ceiling panels start to creak. The shaking lasted about 5 seconds, she said.
The quake is believed to have involved the Wabash fault,
a northern extension of the New Madrid fault about six
miles north of Mount Carmel, Ill., said United States Geological Survey geophysicist Randy Baldwin.
The last earthquake in the region to approach the severity of Friday’s temblor was a 5.0 magnitude quake that
shook a nearby area in 2002, Baldwin said.
“This is a fairly large quake for this region,” he said. “They
might occur every few years.”
Incontinence Drugs Linked To Memory Problems
CHICAGO (AP) — Commonly used incontinence drugs may cause memory problems in
some older people, a study has found.
“Our message is to be careful when using
these medicines,” said U.S. Navy neurologist
Dr. Jack Tsao, who led the study. “It may be
better to use diapers and be able to think
clearly than the other way around.”
Urinary incontinence sometimes can be resolved with non-drug treatments, he added, so
patients should ask about alternatives. Exercises, biofeedback and keeping to a schedule
of bathroom breaks work for many.
U.S. sales of prescription drugs to treat urinary problems topped $3 billion in 2007, according to IMS Health, which tracks drug
sales. Bladder control trouble affects about
one in 10 people age 65 and older, according
to the National Institute on Aging, which
helped fund the study. Women are more likely to be affected than men. Causes include
nerve damage, loss of muscle tone or, in men,
enlarged prostate.
The research began after Tsao met a 73year-old patient. Shortly after starting an incontinence drug, she began hallucinating conversations with dead relatives and having
memory problems. Her thinking improved
when she stopped the drug for several
months.
Tsao and his colleagues knew of similar reports. They decided to look at a large group of
people to see if they could measure an effect of
these and other medications that affect acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that shuttles
signals through the brain and the rest of the
nervous system.
The drugs block some nerve impulses, such
as spasms of the bladder.
The findings, released Thursday at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology,
come from an analysis of the medication use
and cognitive test scores of 870 older Catholic
priests, nuns and brothers who participated in
the Religious Orders Study at Chicago’s Rush
University Medical Center. The average age
was 75.
Researchers tracked them for nearly eight
years, testing yearly for cognitive decline. They
asked them to recite strings of numbers backward and forward, to name as many different
kinds of fruit as they could in one minute and
to complete other challenges during the annual testing.
Nearly 80 percent of the study participants
took one or more of a class of drugs called anticholinergics, including drugs for high blood
pressure, asthma, Parkinson’s disease and incontinence drugs such as Detrol and
Ditropan.
4
COMMENTARY
A New Era For Student
Testing Coming To Nebraska
By GOVERNOR DAVE HEINEMAN
In recent days, I signed legislation that updates Nebraska's
student testing laws. LB 157 is the dawning of a new era in education assessment for Nebraska. It provides an opportunity
for the entire education community to focus on the progress of
individual students, while ensuring greater academic accountability and showcasing the education excellence already
achieved by Nebraska students in comparison to other states.
LB 1157 provides for consistent and uniform testing in Nebraska's K-12 school districts. As this legislative session began, I said that Nebraska needed a simplified way to measure
individual student progress and compare school district performance. The goal was to ensure better testing of Nebraska
students; not simply more testing. This bill accomplishes both
criteria.
A statewide writing test is already being used and starting
with the 2009—10 school year, annual reading exams will begin for grades three through eight with an additional test given
during high school. Tests for math begin the following year,
with a science test scheduled to begin in 2011-12, which will
be given at least once in elementary school, and once during
both middle school and high school.
The bill directs the governor to appoint an advisory committee of national testing experts to advise state leaders on the development of statewide assessments and a statewide testing
plan. The State Board of Education and the Department of Education will have the primary responsibility for developing exams, and teachers and school administrators will be part of
that process. I want to thank the members of the Legislature's
Education Committee for their hard work on this bill. They had
many discussions with educators from all across the state and
the fact that LB 1157 passed without a single dissenting vote
is an indication of the support for this bill.
It provides Nebraska with the opportunity to demonstrate
the excellence so many students in our state are achieving. The
goal is to put the focus on student learning.
Our children and our grandchildren are growing up in the
most technologically advanced society this country has ever
seen, and they will be entering the most globally competitive
economic environment we've ever faced. They are competing
with the best and brightest students in countries around the
world. Education is the great equalizer and we want to provide
our students a first-class, quality education.
LB 1157 will provide Nebraska the opportunity to highlight
schools with long-term and consistent academic success and
share their success story with every Nebraska school. Comparing school district performance is about improving educational excellence and academic accountability. It is about student academic growth in the classroom.
udent testing laws. LB 157 is the dawning of a new era in
education assessment for Nebraska. It provides an opportunity for the entire education community to focus on the progress
of individual students, while ensuring greater academic accountability and showcasing the education excellence already
achieved by Nebraska students in comparison to other states.
LB 1157 provides for consistent and uniform testing in Nebraska's K-12 school districts. As this legislative session began, I said that Nebraska needed a simplified way to measure
individual student progress and compare school district performance. The goal was to ensure better testing of Nebraska
students; not simply more testing. This bill accomplishes both
criteria.
A statewide writing test is already being used and starting
with the 2009-10 school year, annual reading exams will begin
for grades three through eight with an additional test given during high school. Tests for math begin the following year, with a
science test scheduled to begin in 2011-12, which will be given at least once in elementary school, and once during both
middle school and high school.The bill directs the governor to
appoint an advisory committee of national testing experts to
advise state leaders on the development of statewide assessments and a statewide testing plan. The State Board of Education and the Department of Education will have the primary
responsibility for developing exams, and teachers and school
administrators will be part of that process.
I want to thank the members of the Legislature's Education
Committee for their hard work on this bill. They had many discussions with educators from all across the state and the fact
that LB 1157 passed without a single dissenting vote is an indication of the support for this bill.
It provides Nebraska with the opportunity to demonstrate
the excellence so many students in our state are achieving. The
goal is to put the focus on student learning.
Our children and our grandchildren are growing up in the
most technologically advanced society this country has ever
seen, and they will be entering the most globally competitive
economic environment we've ever faced. They are competing
with the best and brightest students in countries around the
world. Education is the great equalizer and we want to provide
our students a first-class, quality education. LB 1157 will provide Nebraska the opportunity to highlight schools with longterm and consistent academic success and share their success
story with every Nebraska school. Comparing school district
performance is about improving educational excellence and
academic accountability. It is about student academic growth
in the classroom.
And So I Mourn The Loss Of My Childhood Airline
I flew to New York on the day spring arrived and all along
90th Street a lovely blue flower called Pushkinia blossomed
which is named for the poet who, according to Russians, cannot be translated into English, but Tchaikovsky made a gorgeous opera of "Eugene Onegin," which is some consolation,
and then there is the
flower.
GARRISON
I flew on Northwest
Airlines, which now, like
KEILLOR
Pushkin, will vanish into
the earth, devoured by
SYNDICATED
Delta, and this makes
COLUMNIST
me a little sad. Not sad
enough to write an opera
but enough to write a column. The company used to be called
Northwest Orient and was founded in Minneapolis in 1926 to
carry mail to Chicago. I used to live in a house in St. Paul once
owned by Croil Hunter, a president of Northwest Orient, who,
when Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt was stranded at the airport by a
blizzard, put her up in the guest room of his house.
The company grew after the war and launched the Minneapolis — New York route in 1945 and two years later started flying to Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Manila. Back in my
youth, Dad sometimes took us to the airport to watch planes
take off and land, such as the Boeing Stratocruiser, a doubledecker equipped with passenger lounges. There still were farms
out by the airport then, and in the majestic Northwest Orient
radio jingle I grew up hearing, a Chinese gong went whanngngngngn after the word "Orient" and you imagined lifting up
from cornfields and flying away to the West until you got to the
East.
Our family did not fly, we drove, and Spokane was as far
west as we went, where Uncle Lawrence and Aunt Bessie lived,
and so Northwest Orient was not a carrier to me, it was a romantic concept. We middle children are filled with restless longing, trapped as we are between the Sacred First-Born Miracle
Child and the Darling Infants. I grew up with middleness, a Bminus student in the middle of the country, and I longed to get
out of the Midwest and fly away to the edge of the world, and I
knew that Northwest Orient would take me there.
(When I say Northwest, I am talking about a childhood romance, not a corporation as such. The company was founded
by romantics, men who loved aviation, and in 1989 it fell into
the hands of rapacious bandits who ate its heart and plunged
it headlong into debt and could be as cruel to employees as any
other big union-busting corporation. But we cling to childhood
illusions.)
We are good travelers, we middle Americans, and when
Northwest opened a route to Beijing, everybody and their
cousin talked about going there, and this spring the direct Minneapolis-Paris route opened, a beautiful idea to us as we scrape
the ice off our windshields. We don't actually go, of course —
we go to work — but we could go on any given day, could write
"Au Revoir, Ma Famille" on a paper towel and leave it on the
kitchen table under a salt shaker and drive to the airport on the
bank of the Minnesota River, abandon the car in a snowbank,
flash the plastic, board the plane, and wake up in Paris, like
Lindbergh.
I did not fly in an airplane until I was 28 years old and that
was a late-night Northwest flight on a 747 to New York. I sat
back in the 30th row, surrounded by empty seats, my nose to
the window, and when we came down through the clouds to
the great city spread like a blanket of glittering stars and into
Kennedy Airport, I felt as if I'd been given a great prize.
And so I mourn the loss of my childhood airline and the silver planes with red tails that rose from the corn. What is a
Delta? A delta is mud deposited by the river. Also the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. Also a sort of triangular shape. But
to me it is mud which forms a rich bottomland where they grow
cotton and late at night old black men sit in a juke joint and
play an old beat — up guitar and sing: "I wanted to go to the
Orient someday. Get on a silver plane marked NWA. But that
plane that would take me, it done flew away. I heard it on the
morning news.
They're wiping out the Ns and Ws. That's why I got these
Delta blues."
(Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" can be heard
Saturday nights on public radio stations across the country.)
(c) 2008 by Garrison Keillor. All rights reserved.
Distributed by Tribune Media Services, INC.
The Kids Did It, But Their Parents Are To Blame
Teenagers do stupid things
— often and sometimes relentlessly. I know because I
live with three, and at least
once a week I have a conniption over some bad judgment
call on their part. Clairol has
them to thank for my business.
But because I have older
children who also caused
their share of heartache, I
know that nothing in life is
more important than to serve
as their backstop when that
rational part of their brain
malfunctions. Adolescents
need moral backup, and that
After the attack, three of
kind of support should come, the girls drove the victim to
first and foremost, at home, another house and, according
from their parents.
to police, warned her, "If you
That's why the story of a go to the police, the next beatgroup of
ing will be
teenage
worse." The
ANA VECINA
girls beateight
teens
ing up on a
were arrested
SUAREZ
Lakeland,
on charges of
SYNDICATED
Fla., 16—
felony battery
COLUMNIST
year-old is
and false imso disturbprisonment.
ing. The
The three
tape released to the media is girls who drove the victim to
only about three minutes the second house are also aclong, but I dare anyone to sit cused of felony kidnapping.
still to watch it. It makes you
That 30—minute beating,
cringe.
however, is only the beginning
It makes you wonder.
of a horrid tale of misplaced
What kind of kids would do values and parental excuse—
this? Where were the par- making. The mother of one of
ents? How common is such the accused teens said the
behavior?
victim had provoked the othThe attack is shocking for ers by threatening and insultthe pure physicality of it and ing them on MySpace.
because, on videotape, the
Wait, wait. If I understand
victim does not defend herself it right, this mother believes
from the blows and because name-calling justifies a beatthe girls taunt her as they ing, that cyberspace trash—
punch and kick.
talking explains why the ac"Make this 17 seconds cused girls joked while locked
good," one yells toward the up in a holding cell.
video's end.
With such an adult, can we
In a news conference this really expect the teens to unweek, the Polk County sheriff derstand the despicable nain Central Florida said the ac- ture of the crime? The consecused teens, six girls and two quences?
boys, engaged in "animalistic
On the "Today" show, this
behavior" and displayed "pack same mother also complained
mentality." They had planned that the Polk County Sheriff's
to post the video on MySpace Office had blown the incident
and YouTube.
out of proportion.
Alliance Times-Herald
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Mark Sherlock......................................Shop Foreman
Really?
Tell that to the teenager
who, according to reports,
suffered a concussion, two
black eyes and the loss of
hearing in one ear. Tell that to
the victim's parents, who said
they didn't recognize her in
the emergency room. "I've
never seen anyone's face disfigured like that," her father
told The Lakeland Ledger.
As a mother who has
sometimes been left out of the
loop when my children have
failed their teachings, I can
understand how a parent
might desperately search —
in all the wrong places — for
an explanation of such beastly behavior. I can certainly understand digging deep into the
bank account to pay for topnotch legal representation.
Our instinct is to protect our
young.
But as a parent, I also understand that referring to a
ghastly beating as overblown
or provoked is visiting an injustice on a troubled teen who
needs guidance, not excuses.
Too bad there are no laws to
charge parents with major
moral malfunction.
(Ana Veciana-Suarez is a
family columnist for The Miami
Herald. Write to her at The Mi ami Herald, One Herald Plaza,
Miami, FL 33132, or send email
to
aveciana(at)herald.com.)
(c) 2008, The Miami Herald
Published daily except Sunday and January 1, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving Day and December 25 by Alliance Publishing Company, Inc., at 114 East
Fourth Street, Alliance, Nebraska 69301.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Alliance Times-Herald, P.O. Box G, Alliance
NE 69301-0773. Periodicals postage paid in Alliance, Nebraska. All news and photos
©2008 ATH.
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students.
STATE & REGIONAL
House Panel Boosts
Wildfire Funding Bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers stunned by a dramatic
jump in federal spending on wildfires say they have found a
way to pay for the next disaster.
A bill approved Thursday by the House Natural Resources
Committee would set aside up to $1 billion to pay for fighting
major wildfires such as those that devastated Southern California last fall.
In recent years, the Forest Service and other federal land
management agencies have overspent their budgets for fire
suppression and sought emergency funding from Congress.
Lawmakers have long complained that the Forest Service and
other agencies routinely submit budgets that are inadequate to
pay for wildfires, since officials are confident that additional
funding will be provided — or spending in other areas curtailed
— if needed for firefighting.
“Agencies of the Interior Department and the Forest Service
have been forced to ’rob Peter to pay Paul’ by borrowing funds
from other agency accounts to cover the escalating costs of fire
suppression,” said Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the
natural resources panel. “This unnecessary and unfair diversion of funds has severely undermined the overall missions of
the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other
agencies,” affecting everything from trail maintenance to education and land acquisition.
Rahall and two other Democrats sponsored the firefighting
bill, which they dubbed the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act, or FLAME.A fund created by the
bill would be separate from usual agency budgets and would
be used only for emergencies such as catastrophic wildfires,
Rahall said.
Restrictions On Automated Calls Approved
LINCOLN (AP) — Restrictions on automated phone calls
have received final-round approval from state lawmakers, but
candidates won’t have to worry about the restrictions this year.
The amended bill (LB720) won’t go into effect until 2009.
The bill was prompted by concerns that candidates have
used the automated calls in an underhanded way to turn voters against their opponents.
The bill limits automated calls to between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Messages would have to begin with the name of the person paying for the call. A phone number other than that of the machine
making the call would have to be provided.
Exemptions would go to schools and businesses that have
existing relationships with the customers being called.
Two More Arrested In The
Sheriff Says Little About
Group Attack On Lincoln Woman Autopsy On Body Pulled From Lake
LINCOLN (AP) — Two more arrests have been made in the
beating of a 24-year-old Lincoln woman by as many as 10 other women.
Lincoln police say 20-year-old Patricia Ann Johnson and
18-year-old Jeri Echell Whitfield turned themselves in Wednesday morning. They were arrested on suspicion of aiding and
abetting a felony.
Two other women have already been arrested.
Police say the attack happened in the early hours of April 6
after a 24-year-old woman driving one car was followed by two
other cars full of people following a fender-bender.
Police say the woman drove to a friend’s house. Once there,
police say eight to 10 women from the two vehicles pulled the
24-year-old woman from her car and brutally beat her.
While the woman’s injuries are not life-threatening, she will
likely need reconstructive surgery.
Gov. Lauds Senators,
Defends Hands-On Approach
LINCOLN (AP) — If it
seems like the current governor is more involved than
most in the Legislature’s affairs, “it’s probably true,” he
acknowledges.
“I care about legislation,”
Gov. Dave Heineman said
Thursday in an interview with
The Associated Press. “I’m not
afraid to call senators on the
weekend.”
He raised eyebrows last
month when he angrily blasted a key legislative committee’s failure to advance a bill
he said would keep illegal immigrants from getting state
benefits.
Sen. Ernie Chambers of
Omaha and others suggested
the bill was meant to appease
people angry over illegal immigration at a time when it is
a hot political issue.
Colorado Wildfire 20 Percent Contained After Overnight Snow
DENVER (AP) — The
deadly wildfires that struck
Colorado this week came on
the heels of a winter that
dumped record amounts of
snow at some ski resorts and
left behind an above-average
mountain snowpack.
While much of the highmountain snow remains, the
three fires that erupted Tuesday swept across valley floors,
plains and hillsides where the
snow has vanished but the
grass and shrubs are still
dormant and dry.
“We’re in that intermediate
period, when snow has melted and grass has not yet
greened up. So it sets the
conditions right for fast-moving, short-duration fires,
much like what we saw in
Colorado,” said Steve Segin of
the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, which coordinates state and federal
firefighting efforts.
The fires quickly burned
across a total of nearly 29
square miles. Much of the
state was under a National
Weather Service red flag
warning Tuesday, signifying
high fire danger because of
low humidity, above-average
temperatures, and high
winds.
Nolan Doesken, state climatologist at Colorado State
University, said the MarchApril period “is one of the
more dangerous ones for
grass fires.”
“As we get later into spring,
the green grass starts greening up and growing,” he said.
“That lowers the risk of rapidspreading wildfires until the
grasses of spring dry off in the
summer. By then, the winds
are less.”
Two firefighters were killed
at the fire near the small town
of Ordway, 120 miles southeast of Denver, and a firefighting pilot was killed at a fire on
Fort Carson about 60 miles
south of Denver.
The third fire was near
Carbondale, in the mountains about 120 miles west of
Denver.
The Ordway and Carbondale fires were fully contained
Wednesday night, thanks to
calmer winds, cooler temperatures and new snow.
O v e rnight snow helped
firefighters extend containment lines at the Fort Carson
fire to 50 percent, up from 10
percent the night before.
The causes of the Fort Carson and Ordway fires were
still under investigation. The
National Weather Service reported no lightning strikes in
either area on Tuesday.
Garfield County sheriff’s
Todays Markets
PANHANDLE GRAIN PRICES
Prices as of 12:30 p.m. April 18
, 2008
WHEAT
Hemingford Co-Op. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.78
New Alliance Bean & Grain . . . . . . . . . . .$8.70
Lyman Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.82
Scoular Grain — Sidney . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.80
CORN
Hemingford Co-Op . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.35
Lyman Elevator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.45
Scoular Grain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.47
MILLET
Hemingford Co-OP . . . . . . . . . . . . .cwt $11.00
Scoular Grain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..cwt call
BEANS
Great Northerns
Kelley Bean of Alliance/Berea . . . . . . . .$38.00
New Alliance Bean & Grain . . . . . . . . . .$38.00
Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$38.00
Pintos
Kelley Bean Alliance/Berea . . . . . . . . . .$30.00
New Alliance Bean & Grain . . . . . . . . . .$32.00
Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30.00
Navies
Kelley Bean Alliance/Berea . . . . . . . . . .$32.00
New Alliance Bean & Grain . . . . . . . . . . .nq.
Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$32.00
Small White
Kelley Bean Alliance/Berea . . . . . . . . . . .nq
Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .nq
Light Red Kidneys
Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45.00
Black
Trinidad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$32.00
n/a = not available; neg = negotiable
SIOUX FALLS LIVESTOCK
Sioux Falls, SD Fri Apr 18, 2008 USDA-SD Dept
Ag Market News
Midwest Direct Slaughter Cow and Bull Carcass
Report
- Plant Delivered Previous Day’s Slaughter: Cows 5850 Bulls 675
Compared to Thursday, slaughter cows and bulls
steady to 2.00 higher.
Lean Boners Breakers Premium White
90 Pct Lean 85 Pct Lean 75 Pct Lean
500 lbs and up 109.00-112.00 104.00-110.00
92.00-101.00 105.00-107.00 400-500 lbs 102.00109.00 96.00-105.00 92.00-101.00 350-400 lbs
97.00-102.00
Slaughter Bull Carcasses
92 Pct Lean
600 lbs and up 111.00-121.00
500-600 lbs 111.00-116.00
Sioux Falls Hogs Opening, Midsession and
Close
Estimate: 200
Barrows and gilts not tested.
Percent Lean Weight Price
49-51 220-280 lbs xx
Sows 1.00-2.00 higher.
300-450 lbs 14.00
450-500 lbs 15.00
500-700 lbs 16.00-18.00
Boars: 300-700 lbs 8.00, 200-300 lbs not tested
Compared to last weeks close: Barrows and gilts
finished 5.00 higher. Sows closed the week 3.005.00 higher. Receipts this week near 2550 including 180 feeder pigs compared to 2454 last week
and 4171 including 546 feeder pigs a year ago.
SC xx SG xx SL xx SW 14.00 Only SX 14.0015.00 SY 16.00-18.00 SZ 16.00-18.00 TA 8.00
Only
NONFERROUS METALS
NEW YORK (AP) — Spot nonferrous metal
prices Fri.
Aluminum -$1.360 per lb., London Metal
Exch. Fri.
Copper -$4.0045 Cathode full plate, U.S. destinations.
Copper $3.9195 N.Y. Merc spot Fri.
Lead - $2823.00 metric ton, London Metal
Exch.
Zinc - $1.0813 per lb., delivered.
Gold - $908.75 Handy & Harman (only daily
quote).
Gold - $912.20 troy oz., NY Merc spot Fri.
Silver - $17.925 Handy & Harman (only daily
quote).
Silver - $17.802 troy oz., N.Y. Merc spot Fri.
Mercury - $550.00 per 76 lb flask, N.Y.
Platinum -$2050.00 troy oz., N.Y. (contract).
Platinum -$2066.30 troy oz., N.Y. Merc spot
Fri.
n.q.-not quoted, n.a.-not available r-revised
WALL STREET AT NOON
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street bounded
higher Friday as results from companies like Citigroup Inc. and Google Inc. helped ease investor
anxiety about the health of corporate profits. The
major stock indexes at times rose more than 2 percent.
5
officials say the fire near Carbondale started after high
winds exposed an ember
from a property owner’s controlled burn.
No burn ban was in effect,
but Carbondale Fire Chief
Ron Leach said his department had not issued any of
the required permits for a
controlled burn that day. The
investigation was continuing,
and no one had been
charged.
The 1 1/2-square-mile
Carbondale fire damaged two
buildings and slightly injured
a fisherman before it was fully contained. Leach estimated
firefighting costs were at least
$100,000.
Pilot Gert Marais of Fort
Benton, Mont., was killed
Tuesday when his single-engine plane crashed after
dumping fire-retardant slurry
at the Fort Carson fire, which
had burned about 13 1/2
square miles.
Marais, 42, worked for a
Sterling, Colo., company that
supplies aerial firefighting
services to the Colorado State
Forest Service.
National Transportation
Safety Board air safety investigator Aaron Sauer said
Thursday that Forest Service
personnel reported winds
ranging from 35 to 45 mph at
the time of the crash, but investigators were still interviewing witnesses, studying
the wreckage and reviewing
records.Marais’ pilot records
showed he had more than
10,000 flight hours, Sauer
said. A preliminary report on
the crash is expected next
week, but a determination of
what caused the crash could
take months.
Volunteer firefighters John
Schwartz, 38, and Terry DeVore, 30, were killed at the
Ordway blaze on Tuesday
when their fire truck plunged
into a ravine under a twolane wooden bridge built in
1937 that had been damaged
by flames. It wasn’t immediately known whether the
bridge on Colorado 96 collapsed due to the fire or the
weight of vehicles.
Highway crews installed
culverts and a temporary
road surface to carry traffic
over the ravine until a permanent replacement is built.
Heineman said Thursday
it was a straightforward measure that deserved a fair
hearing.
“We debated the death
penalty three times, and I
have no problem with that,”
he said. “Couldn’t we just debate immigration once?”
Senators suggested political motives again when
Heineman vetoed a fuel tax
increase and a bill to require
towns to add fluoride to water
at their own cost.
Heineman said he was listening to a call for fiscal relief
from average Nebraskans.
Lawmakers voted to override both vetoes, saying
sometimes politically unpopular positions are necessary.
As the legislative session
wrapped up Thursday, the
governor thanked lawmakers
for exercising restraint with
spending and avoiding dipping too deeply into the
state’s $540 million cash reserve.
“We’re going to be grateful
for that next year if there’s
any kind of slowdown,”
Heineman said.
The few withdrawals senators did approve — $15 million for roads, $5 million to
move the Nebraska State Fair
and a $9 million loan to pay
Republican River basin farmers — were “three common
sense solutions,” Heineman
said.
Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said he hopes
to hammer out a compromise
on immigration over the summer.
LINCOLN (AP) — Authorities have determined the cause of
death for a woman pulled from Lake Conestoga near Lincoln,
but not necessarily how she died.
A news release from Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner says an autopsy performed Thursday on the body of 66year-old Linda Schrock of Milford showed her cause of death,
but that information is being withheld pending further investigation. He says deputies are still trying to determine the manner in which she died.
Schrock’s body was found Wednesday afternoon near some
boat docks, and her car was found in a nearby parking lot.
There was camping gear inside the car, but no campsite was
found.
Wagner says Schrock’s family reported her missing Tuesday
Candidate Calls Old Legal
Problems Stupid Mistakes Of Youth
GRETNA (AP) — A state legislative candidate who has a history of brushes with the law is calling them youthful mistakes.
Christopher Geary is one of three people running against
Sen. Gail Kopplin of Gretna.
Court and law enforcement records in Florida and Nebraska show old protection orders against him, warrants for vandalism allegations and a bankruptcy in which he reported
thousands in gambling debts.
The 36-year-old Geary told the Omaha World-Herald in a
story published Thursday that the warrants have been withdrawn, other allegations settled and that he doesn’t have a
gambling problem.
He says he’s stayed out of trouble and that people sometimes do dumb things in their 20s.
Geary runs two martial-arts schools in Omaha.
Harvard Mayor Announces Resignation
HARVARD (AP) — Harvard
Mayor Marv Polacek is stepping down to take a job in
Washington state.
Polacek announced his
resignation Wednesday. The
city council is expected to
make it official at its Tuesday
meeting.
The 50-year-old Polacek
Man Sentenced For Molesting Girl
LINCOLN (AP) — A 55-year-old Lincoln man is going to
prison for molesting an 8-year-old girl.
Roger Hall was sentenced Thursday to 20 to 40 years in
prison for a conviction of attempted first-degree sexual assault
of a child.
Prosecutors say the girl told neighbors that Hall had sexual
contact with her. Court documents say that when questioned
about the incident, Hall told police he an alcoholic who suffered
from blackouts and that the inappropriate contact “might have
happened.”
Hall will be eligible for parole in 10 years.
2 Drivers Cited In The
70-Vehicle Pileup On I-70
DENVER (AP) — The Colorado State Patrol says three
drivers involved in a 70-vehi-
S.D. High Court Sends Cold
Case Back To Union County
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) —
The South Dakota Supreme
Court has sent a cold case
back to Union County after a
prison snitch admitted to lying in a different case.
An Elk Point jury last year
convicted James Strahl of
Dakota City, Neb., of grand
theft and first-degree murder
for the 1998 slaying of William
O’Hare of Beresford.
Westroads Victims
Doctors Honored
OMAHA (AP) — Creighton
University is honoring some
doctors who treated victims of
the Westroads Mall shooting.
Creighton University Medical Center’s trauma team received the university’s Magis
Award during a campus ceremony on Thursday.
The honor is named after
the Latin term “magis,” which
literally means “the more.” It
is often used in terms similar
to generosity and selflessness.
During winter commencement, Creighton bestowed
the award on the members of
the Omaha police and fire department who responded to
the mall shooting on Dec. 5.
Eight people were fatally
shot in the Omaha mall’s Von
Maur store before 19-yearold gunman Robert Hawkins
took his own life. Three others
were wounded, two critically.
has been mayor of Harvard
since 2002. He also works at
McCain Foods in Grand Island, but is getting a promotion and a transfer to Othello,
Wash.
City council President
Randy Chloupek will become
acting mayor when Polacek
leaves later this month.
Strahl was sentenced to life
in prison.
One of the key witnesses
was inmate Aloysius Black
Crow, who testified that
Strahl confessed to the crime.
Black Crow was also a witness in another case in which
charges were dropped after he
acknowledged lying about an
alleged confession.
That prompted Strahl’s
lawyer to ask for a retrial.
Now that the Supreme
Court has remanded the case,
a hearing will be held on that
request.
cle pileup on Interstate 70
were issued tickets for careless driving.
Officials however say no
one involved in the collision
that killed Lance Melting, received a ticket.
Melting was the only person killed in a series of wrecks
over Vail Pass on March 31
that shutdown I-70 in both
directions for several hours as
a heavy snow and icy conditions contributed to the
melee.
Authorities say the pileup
involved three separate chain
reactions.
The state patrol says semitrailer driver Thomas Jackson, 55, lost control and started the first wreck.
Jackson, semitrailer driver
Roberto Alavarez, 41, and
Gretchen Hardy, of Avon,
were cited for careless driving.
6
HEALTH & FITNESS
Alliance High Graduate
Preparing For Medical Residency
By MARK DYKES
T-H City Editor
ALLIANCE — More than 100 senior medical
students at the University of Nebraska Medical
Center (UNMC) have received their residency
assignments through the National Resident
Matching Program. A residency is a
training program for newly graduated
physicians in the area of medicine of
their choice.
Jason Latowsky, 27, a 1999 Alliance High School graduate, is one of
the seniors that will graduate in May
and have the title of Medical Doctor. The M.D.
title, Latowsky said is a general blanket term,
and that a residency program provides more
specific training in a certain area.
Latowsky, who grew up on a farm south of
Gordon where his parents Roger and Joann
still live, will do his residency in surgery preliminary at the University of Missouri-Kansas
City, Mo. He said the residency would be a year
of him being a surgeon, followed by a possible
move into another field.
No matter what medical field he chooses af-
ter the one-year residency, Latowsky said he
would still have the year of experience as a surgeon.
Becoming a full, certified surgeon is one of
the goals he has set, he said, noting that after
the initial year he would probably pursue a career in general surgery, which consists of a fiveyear residency and the chance to become
board certified.
As for his specialty, Latowsky said he
made the decision during his third year
at UNMC because he loves operations
and enjoys doing them.
The National Resident Matching Program is designed to optimize the choices of students in medical programs. Of the 115
Nebraska students who matched, 36 percent
are staying in Nebraska for their training programs. Thirty-four percent will do residencies
at UNMC and The Nebraska Medical Center,
UNMC’s hospital partner. More than 94 percent of seniors nationwide who applied for residencies this year were paired with a program
of their choices — the highest percentage in
more than three decades.
The UNMC students are scheduled to graduate May 2.
Early Intervention Key To Helping Children With Autism
The Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Network is encouraging families to learn the characteristics associated with Autism and to have
their child evaluated if they are concerned
about their development.
Research has shown that early intervention
can result in significant improvements for
these young children.
The importance of early intervention is the
focus of National Autism Awareness Month in
April. Today, one in 150 individuals is diagnosed with Autism, making it more common
than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined.
The disorder occurs in all racial, ethnic and
social groups and is four times more likely to
strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others.
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically appears during the first three
years of life and with symptoms that can range
from very mild to severe. Parents are usually
the first to notice unusual behaviors in their
child or their child's failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones.
It is critical that parents, educators, physicians and childcare providers learn the signs of
autism and have children evaluated early.
Early signs of Autism may include delays in
verbal and non-verbal communication, limited
use of gestures or pointing, limited pretend
play skills, or lack of or limited response to simple requests.
If you have concerns about your child's development, speak to your pediatrician and
contact the Nebraska Early Development Network at 888-806-6287 about having your
child screened for Autism.
For more information on early signs of
autism and other important resources, contact
the
Nebraska
ASD
Network
at
(http://www.nde.state.ne.us/autism)
or
402.450.6298.
UNMC Opens Region's Only Low Vision Center
OMAHA — A grand opening ceremony for the region’s
only not-for-profit comprehensive center for visual rehabilitation of adults and children took place today at the
University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
The $1.2 million Weigel
Williamson Center for Visual
Rehabilitation, at 38th Avenue and Jones Street, will
provide a hub for low-vision
services in the region.
Optometrists, ophthalmologists, occupational therapists and nurses would be
members of the team of
providers for low vision services at the facility.
“This Center provides a
means to assist people who
have low vision to gain — or
regain — their independence
and quality of life,” UNMC
Chancellor Harold M. Maurer,
M.D., said.
“The Weigel Williamson
Center is a state-of-the-art facility in which our faculty,
staff and other low-vision specialists have the necessary resources to provide outstanding services for the people affected by low vision.”
Dr. Maurer lauded the
donors who made the facility
possible.
The center’s lead gift was
made by Dr. Harry and Beth
Weigel of Auburn, Calif., and
Robert and Alice Williamson
of Omaha to the University of
Nebraska Foundation.
Dr. Harry Weigel (pronounced WHY-gull) is a 1958
graduate of the UNMC College
of Medicine.
In addition to the Weigels
and Williamsons, the princi-
pal benefactors for the center
include Gerald Christensen,
M.D., and Mary Haven; Fred
and Dakota Sturges; the Ethel
S. Abbott Charitable Foundation, the Adah and Leon Millard Foundation, Dr. C. Rex &
Janet Latta and the Straws
Charitable Foundation.
The new building replaces
the existing Low Vision Clinic,
which was established in
1983 and provides annual
services to over 240 new
clients.
The services were provided
in the UMA Eye Associates
building in inadequate space
shared with other ophthalmology department services.
It also is expected to replace
the need for many community eye care professionals to
provide low vision services in
their private offices.
Boom In Camps That Bring Summer Fun To Chronically Ill Kids
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Summer camps just for kids
with chronic diseases are
booming — places to learn
about epilepsy or finally meet
someone else with Tourette’s
tics or slice open a cow’s heart
to see what’s wrong with their
own.
Now fledgling research
suggests such special camps
may offer more than a rite of
passage these children otherwise would miss: They just
might have a lasting therapeutic value.
“How do you live well with
a chronic condition? I believe
in part, the power of being
amongst your peers normalizes the experience,” explains
Sandra Cushner-Weinstein, a
social worker at Children’s
National Medical Center who
founded the hospital’s weeklong camps for five illnesses,
and is studying the impact on
campers.
In many ways, chronic-disease camps are like any summer camp, with some extra
safety steps and accommodations.
“They have this zip-line
there,” 12-year-old Andrew
Frascella of Rockville, Md.,
says excitedly about epilepsy
camp. “It’s really high above
the trees. You get strapped on
and go flying.”
But some of these camps
go beyond recreation to also
teach children about their illness in ways they may never
have experienced — with doctors and nurses clowning
around in shorts instead of
scrubs to gain youngsters’
trust, and counselors with the
same illness acting as mentors.
Cardiology nurse Betsy
Adler says children born with
heart defects often don’t know
exactly what’s wrong with
their hearts, just that they’re
sick or need an operation. So
every summer, she brings
about 20 cow hearts — the
same anatomy as a human’s,
just much bigger — to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s
Camp Joyful Hearts.
The campers help slice
them open while cardiologists
point out valves, chambers
and arteries, and explain to
each child who asks how their
own heart is different. Adler
recalls a teen who never understood why he had to take
the blood-thinner Coumadin
every day, and got a hands-on
explanation about artificial
heart valves.
Or consider epilepsy. You
can’t see your own seizures,
but kids do see parents worry
and classmates withdraw — a
fellow second-grader once
asked Andrew if his seizures
meant he was “crazy.” Weinstein contends how patients
imagine their seizures appear
can be far worse than reality.
At her Camp Great Rock
outside Washington, D.C.,
doctors and nurses use
campers’ seizures as teachable moments: See, not all
seizures are convulsions; let’s
role-play how to explain this
kind or that kind to a classmate. A counselor’s seizure in
the pool provided a lesson on
water safety.
Andrew Frascella’s father
recalls the pain of watching
his happy-go-lucky son rapidly become shy and isolated
when seizures began at age 8,
and worsened dramatically
over the next two years. Joe
Frascella, himself a government neuroscientist, was
skeptical when Weinstein and
her husband, Andrew’s neurologist, pushed the camp
stay.
“To say that after a week of
these kids being in camp
where it wasn’t clear what
magic they were spinning we
would see a change?” he says.
But Andrew remembers
that his first trip to Camp
Great Rock at 8 as the time he
was no longer left out.
High Rate Of Autism Signs Found In Children
Born Extremely Prematurely, Researchers Find
CHICAGO (AP) — A small
study of toddlers finds that
about one-quarter of babies
born very prematurely had
signs of autism on an early
screening test.
The research is preliminary
since formal autism testing
wasn’t done. But the results
are provocative, suggesting
that tiny preemies may face
greater risks of developing
autism than previously
thought.
That suggests autism may
be an under-appreciated consequence of medical advances
enabling the tiniest of premature babies to survive, said
lead
author
Catherine
Limperopoulos, a researcher
at McGill University in Montreal and Children’s Hospital
in Boston.
She emphasized that the
results don’t mean extreme
prematurity causes autism,
but rather that it might be
among contributing factors.
The risks associated with
being born way too early have
mostly been thought of as
“neuromuscular,
causing
damage like cerebral palsy,
and cognitive, like mental retardation,” said Dr. Alan Fleis-
chman, medical director at
the March of Dimes.
“The study says there are
also social and behavioral
consequences which look like
autism,” Fleischman said.
And he said it underscores a
need for early autism screening among youngsters born
very prematurely.
The American Academy of
Pediatrics
recommends
autism screening for all children by age 2. Autism can’t be
cured but early behavior therapy can help lessen its severity.
Experts believe autism results from a combination of
genes and outside influences.
Some advocates believe those
factors include childhood vaccines, but scientific studies
have not shown that.
Previous research on
autism and prematurity has
generally looked back at
groups of older children to see
whether prematurity was
more common among those
already diagnosed with
autism, and results have been
inconsistent, said Craig
Newschaffer, an autism researcher at Drexel University’s School of Public Health.
Limperopoulos said her
study design was more rigorous.
The
study,
released
Wednesday and published in
the April issue of the journal
Pediatrics, involved 91 children aged 18 months to 2
years old. On average, they
were born 10 weeks early
weighing less than 4 pounds.
Screening results found suspected autism in 23 children,
or 25 percent.
The screening test is a 23item checklist for parents,
asking about behavior in very
young children. The test is designed to screen youngsters
before age 2, which is the
more typical age of autism diagnosis.
More comprehensive and
definitive autism testing at
around age 2 is recommended for those with positive
screening results.
Dr. Edwin Cook, an autism
researcher at the University of
Illinois at Chicago, said using
the preliminary screening test
in preemies may be misleading because these children
typically reach developmental
milestones later than their
peers but often catch up.
Bold Look At Brain On Jazz Finds
Creativity Soars When Inhibition Takes Five
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists inspired
by the legendary improv of Miles Davis and
John Coltrane are peering inside the brains of
today’s jazz musicians to learn where creativity comes from. Think dreaming.
This isn’t just a curiosity for jazz fans but a
bold experiment in the neuroscience of music,
a field that’s booming as researchers realize
that music illuminates how the brain works.
How we play and hear music provides a window into most everyday cognitive functions —
from attention to emotion to memory — that in
turn may help find treatments for brain disorders.
Creativity, though, has long been deemed
too elusive to measure. Saxophonist-turnedhearing specialist Dr. Charles Limb thought
jazz improvisation provided a perfect tool to do
so — by comparing what happens in trained
musicians’ brains when they play by memory
and when they riff.
“It’s one thing to come up with a ditty. It’s
another thing entirely to come up with a masterpiece, an hourlong idea after idea,” explains
Limb, a Johns Hopkins University otolaryngologist whose ultimate goal is to help the deaf not
only hear but hear music.
How do you watch a brain on jazz? Inside
an MRI scanner that measures changes in
oxygen use by different brain regions as they
perform different tasks.
You can’t play trumpet or sax inside the giant magnet that is an MRI machine. So Limb
and Dr. Allen Braun at the National Institutes
of Health hired a company to make a special
plastic keyboard that would fit inside the
cramped MRI with no metal to bother the magnet.
Then they put six professional jazz pianists
inside to measure brain activity while they
played straight and when they improvised.
They played, right-handed, both a simple C
scale and a blues tune that Limb wrote, appropriately titled “Magnetism.” Through earphones, they listened to a prerecorded jazz
quartet accompaniment, to simulate a real gig.
Getting creative uses the same brain circuitry that Braun has measured during
dreaming: First, inhibition switched off. The
scientists watched a brain region responsible
for that self-monitoring, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, shut down.
Then self-expression switched on. A smaller
area called the medial prefrontal cortex fired
up, a key finding as Braun’s earlier research
on how language forms linked that region to
autobiographical storytelling. And jazz improvisation produces such individual styles that
it’s often described as telling your own musical
story.
More intriguing, the musicians also showed
heightened sensory awareness. Regions involved with touch, hearing and sight revved up
during improv even though no one touched or
saw anything different, and the only new
sounds were the ones they created.
CDC: Flu Season Worst In Three Years; Vaccine Didn’t Work Well
ATLANTA (AP) — This
year’s flu season has shaped
up to be the worst in three
years, partly because the vaccine didn’t work well against
the viruses that made most
people sick, health officials
said Thursday.
The 2007-2008 season
started slowly, peaked in midFebruary and seems to be declining, although cases are
still being reported, according
to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Based on the adult deaths
from flu and pneumonia, this
season is the worst since
2003-2004 — another time
when the vaccine did not include the exact flu strain that
was responsible for most illnesses.
Each year, health officials
formulate a vaccine against
three viruses they think will
be circulating. They guess well
most of the time, and the vaccine is often between 70 and
90 percent effective.
But this year, two of the
three strains were not good
matches and the vaccine was
only 44 percent effective, according to a study done in
Marshfield, Wis.
The CDC compares flu season by looking at adult deaths
from the flu or pneumonia in
122 cities. This year, those
deaths peaked at 9 percent of
all reported deaths in early
March, and remained above
an epidemic threshold for 13
consecutive weeks. In 20032004, they peaked at more
than 10 percent of all deaths,
and surpassed the epidemic
threshold for nine weeks.
SPORTS
Lawmakers Want Probe Of Football Bowl System
WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget government corruption or
corporate fraud. Three members of Congress want the
Justice Department to investigate whether college football’s
Bowl Championship Series is
an illegal enterprise.
Reps. Neil Abercrombie, DHawaii, Lynn Westmoreland,
R-Ga., and Mike Simpson, RIdaho, are introducing a resolution rejecting the oft-criticized bowl system as an illegal
restriction on trade because
only the largest universities
compete in most of the major
bowl games. The resolution
would require Justice’s antitrust division to investigate
whether the system violates
federal law.
The measure also would
put Congress on record as
supporting a college football
playoff.
“Who elected these NCAA
people? Who are they to decide who competes for the
championship?” Abercrombie
said at a press conference
Thursday on Capitol Hill, gripping a souvenir University of
Hawaii football. Abercrombie
said the matter is worthy of
federal review because college
football is big business with
hundreds of millions of dollars
at stake.
“It’s money. That’s what
this is all about,” he said.
But it’s no coincidence that
all three lawmakers have
home-state schools with recent beefs against the bowl
system.
The University of Hawaii
and Boise State University in
Idaho each had an undefeated season in recent years, but
were denied a shot at the
championship. And Westmoreland said he is still
smarting about his University
of Georgia Bulldogs being
passed over for the national
championship game last year.
Georgia
instead
was
matched up against undefeated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl,
winning 41-10.
Westmoreland and Abercrombie said they started
talking about the resolution
after that game, as Abercrombie was paying off a bet with
chocolate-covered
macadamia nuts.
The lawmakers say the
bowl system is rigid and
blocks all but the largest universities from competing in
postseason bowls, denying
dozens of others not just the
opportunity to compete but
also a shot at the big payoffs
and national exposure that
come with bowl appearances.
Abercrombie maintained
that television markets are
one factor in selecting which
teams go to high-profile bowls.
“We shouldn’t have to argue about who the champion
is,” Westmoreland said, citing
the excitement and unpredictability of the NCAA college
basketball tournament. “That
should be decided on the
field.”
The BCS was created in
1998 by the six most powerful
conferences. It relies on polls
and computer ratings to determine which teams qualify
for the top bowls.
Congress held a hearing on
the BCS in 2005, but no legislation came of it.
Hornets Seek To Prolong Feel-Good Story
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The owner, the
players and the sales office staff moved back
here last summer immersed in doubt and
doom-and-gloom forecasts.
In this city’s lingering disaster-weakened
condition, the fans wouldn’t show up, the Hornets would have little home advantage and
would be lucky to make the playoffs — or so
went many predictions.
That made the moment a little sweeter
when Hornets owner George Shinn walked
onto the court, wearing a pinstriped suit and a
black “Southwest Division Champions” cap after his team’s last home game earlier this week.
“From the day we came back there were so
many doubts, fears, from everybody and so
many unknowns and so many critics telling us
we were stupid and everything else,” Shinn
said after Tuesday night’s division-clinching
victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
“It’s such a wonderful feeling to see what
happened after we just decided to do the right
thing. We put together a great team and everybody just bonded. The team bonded together
as a unit and the community started bonding
to them.”
The critics appeared to be right, early on.
Returning from a two-year displacement to
Oklahoma city after Hurricane Katrina, the
Hornets were last in the league in attendance
at times during the first few months of this season. They stumbled in several upset losses at
home in November.
But by this week’s regular season home finale, the Hornets had sold out 12 of their last
17 games in New Orleans, set a club record for
victories with 56 and clinched the 20-year-old
franchise’s first division crown.
“It’s been an incredible ride. This is our first
time winning a division title and it couldn’t be
more fitting than for it to be here,” Shinn said.
“It’s needed. We’ve been a catalyst to help this
city recover and we’re going to keep doing
everything we can to keep it that way.”
The Hornets, who won only 18 games in
their last full season in New Orleans (2004-05),
are now in the playoffs for the first time in four
years.
Two big reasons are guard Chris Paul and
forward David West, who became first-time AllStars during the season, when New Orleans
hosted the All-Star game.
Paul — averaging 21 points, 11.6 assists
and 2.7 steals per game — also emerged as a
candidate for the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
Tulowitzki’s Double Gives Rockies 22-Inning Win
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Let’s
play 2 1/2!
Colorado and San Diego
did just that Thursday night
and into Friday morning,
slogging through a 22-inning
game that was the longest in
the majors in nearly 15 years.
The Rockies finally won 21, with Troy Tulowitzki’s twoout RBI double bringing in
Willy Taveras with an unearned run in nearly empty
Petco Park. A game that lasted 6 hours, 16 minutes was
decided by an unearned run.
Reigning NL Cy Young
Award winner Jake Peavy
threw the game’s first pitch at
7:05 p.m. The game didn’t
end until 1:21 a.m., when
Padres pitcher Glendon
Rusch took a called third
strike. Colorado’s Yorvit Torrealba, who caught all 22 innings, wearily pumped a fist
in celebration.
“It’s tough to keep your
head into it and put together
good at-bats and be into every
pitch,” Tulowitzki said. “We
were talking about how our
legs were hurting out there.
It’s tough to stand on your feet
for 22 innings and keep moving.”
Manager Clint Hurdle noticed that his players were a
little tight. “This was a good
game to get outside yourself,”
PM: Thailand Should Be
Proud To Host Olympic Torch
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Thailand’s prime minister said
Friday that Thais should be honored the Olympic torch is passing through their country and protesters have no reason to disrupt the relay.
The torch arrived Friday morning under tight security and
was quickly whisked to a luxury hotel. Thailand’s crown
princess was to welcome the flame before its run through
Bangkok on Saturday.
Thousands of police and military have been ordered to secure the relay to prevent disruptions from protesters of China’s
human rights record.
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said his government was
certain it can provide adequate security and questioned what
any demonstrators could hope to accomplish.
“What good will it do? What’s the deal with the torch relay?”
he told reporters.
“Why would anyone protest in Thailand? Why don’t they
protest in China?” he added. “This is a good thing for Thailand.
Thai people should be proud.
Protests over China’s suppression of Tibetan demonstrations have dogged the torch relay at various stops on its worldwide journey that began at the ancient site of the original
Olympics in Greece.
On Friday, a major Japanese Buddhist temple declined to
serve as the starting point for the April 26 relay in Nagano, citing safety concerns and sympathy among its monks and worshippers for Tibetan protesters.
A coalition of human rights and other activist groups in Thailand said they would protest outside the U.N.’s Asian headquarters in Bangkok, which is along the planned relay route.
In Nepal, police detained more than 100 Tibetan protesters
outside the Chinese embassy’s visa office Friday, many of them
monks and nuns. Some who resisted detention were kicked
and punched.
Up to 2,000 police will guard Saturday’s relay, a 6.3-mile run
starting in Bangkok’s Chinatown and ending at the Royal Plaza.
The route could be changed and shortened at the last
minute if protesters try to disrupt it, said Gen. Yuttasak
Sasiprapha, president of the National Olympic Committee of
Thailand.
A police helicopter will follow overhead as police motorcycles
ride beside runners. Police vans will also follow along in case the
athletes need to jump inside for safety, he said.
Authorities warned that any foreign activists who try to disrupt the event will be deported.
Hurdle said. “About the 16th
inning, I said, ’Hey boys, no
matter what’s in front of us,
there’s a world of people out
there who’ve got harder rows
to hoe than we do. No matter
what happens the rest of the
night, have some fun with this
thing.’ “
His players listened. It just
took them six more innings to
score a run.
“It’s definitely better to win
in a 22-inning game than
lose, I’ll tell you that,” Tulowitzki said.
It was the longest game
since Aug. 31, 1993, when
Minnesota beat Cleveland 5-4
in 22 innings. It was also the
longest game in Rockies history and in the 5-year history of
Petco Park. It was the longest
by innings for the Padres, and
one minute short of matching
the longest by time for San
Diego.
There’s something about
these two teams and extra innings.
On Oct 1., Colorado rallied
past the Padres for a 9-8 win
in 13 innings in the wild-card
tiebreaker game.
Three Ink For CSC
Women’s Basketball Team
CHADRON — Chadron State women’s basketball head
coach Mike Maloney has announced the names of the first
three members of the 2008 recruiting class.
Sammie Parvin of Winner, S.D., Kesley Scott of Douglas,
Wyo., and Rachael Smidt of North Platte, Neb., have each
signed letters of intent to play basketball at Chadron State College. “I’m excited about the possibility that these girls have,”
Maloney said. “They’re talented, versatile players and I think
they’ll be big assets to our program.”
Parvin, a 5-foot-9 point guard, will look to add depth for the
Eagles at the point. Parvin, who started as an eighth grader,
was a five-time Southern Plains Conference and Big Dakota
Conference performer and she was named to the Girls Class A
State All-Tournament Team. The past two seasons, she’s averaged 9.5 points per game and over three assists and rebounds.
Scott, a 5-10 post player, had a stellar senior season, averaging 16.2 points and 10 rebounds to help propel her team to
the regional championship in Wyoming’s 3A. Scott, a four-year
starter on the basketball team, also competes in track and field
and rodeo. In addition to her basketball duties, she plans to
compete for the CSC rodeo team.
Smidt, a 5-10 forward from North Platte, missed a majority
of her senior season after injuring her knee in the third game of
the year, but she’s rehabilitating and should be ready to play
once school starts in August. As a junior for the Class A Bulldogs, she averaged 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and three assists.
She was an all-state honorable mention and she was also
named an academic all-state selection for maintaining a 3.9
GPA.
Leonard Happy For Spring Break
H I LTON HEAD ISLAND,
S.C. (AP) — Justin Leonard’s
glad spring break finally arrived.After a stressful, taxing
Masters, Leonard let his game
loose at the laid-back Verizon
Heritage, shooting a 5-under
66 to share the first-round
lead with Davis Love III and
Lucas Glover on Thursday.
“Last week was like final
exams,” Leonard said. “And
this week is like spring break.”
Leonard tied for 20th place
at Augusta National yet he felt
continually at odds trying to
negotiate the troubling winds,
punitive rough and glass-top
greens of the year’s first major.
He was eager to reach this resort island “after walking
around on egg shells for a
week” at the Masters, he said.
“You come here” to Harbour Town Golf Links,
Leonard continued, “and you
just kind of get embraced by
the southern hospitality.”
Leonard and his family —
there’s wife Amanda, 5-yearold Reese, 3-year-old Avery,
and 20-month-old Luke —
have enjoyed the beach,
grilled in at the condo and
gone on bike rides.
“Golf’s almost secondary
here,” he said.
Despite liking the layout,
Leonard never posted the results at Harbour Town he felt
should. He was ready to wipe
the course of his schedule in
2002 — until Amanda convinced him to try again.
Leonard agreed. The result? Leonard’s one-shot victory. “She definitely gets a lot
of credit for me coming back,”
Leonard said. “Since then I’ve
really enjoyed it.”
That was obvious in
Leonard’s play. He had his
lowest round in more than
two months and just his third
in the 60s his past 13 rounds.
Leonard felt free to trust his
choices and swing away, unlike the constant manipulations and calculating that
takes place on every shot over
Augusta National.
Here, “it’s a little easier to
be comfortable with what kind
of shot you’re going to play,”
Leonard says.
Leonard had birdies on
three of his first five holes. His
round threatened to fall apart
after driving into water on No.
10. But Leonard chipped in
from about 40 feet to save par.
“So that certainly kept
some momentum going,”
Leonard said.
Chamberlain’s Dad Breathing On His Own
BALTIMORE (AP) — Joba Chamberlain’s father is breathing
on his own and feeling better, no longer needing a ventilator but
still in critical condition and awaiting more tests.
Chamberlain was to miss his fifth consecutive game Friday
night while attending to his stricken father in Nebraska. The
hard-throwing reliever left the New York Yankees on Monday
and was placed on the bereavement list, a day after Harlan
Chamberlain collapsed at home.
“After several difficult days, my father is feeling much better,”
Chamberlain said in a statement issued be the team. “He is still
in the critical care unit of the hospital and more tests await him,
but he is off the ventilator and breathing on his own. Each day
he’s acting more and more like himself, and he’s even giving
people grief — myself included — because the hospital doesn’t
carry Yankees games on television.”
New York isn’t sure when its setup man will rejoin the team.
“When things like this occur in life, you certainly take notice
of how much your teammates become more like family members,” Chamberlain said. “Their unconditional support, along
with that of so many fans, has made a very tough time easier
to deal with.”
“Everyone’s love has been felt by my entire family, and it has
brought great comfort to us when we have needed it most,” he
added. “I look forward to being reunited with my manager,
coaches and teammates so I can thank each of them personally for all that they have done for my family.”
Late Goals By Wolski, Stastny Send Avs Past Wild 3-2
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Jose Theodore’s
strategy for each game, as he explained after
one of the best performances of his career, is
hardly scientific stuff.
Just locate the puck and keep it simple, he
said. Theodore, simply, has been a force in
front of the Colorado net.
Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny scored 79
seconds apart early in the third period, rewarding Theodore and the patient Avalanche
with a 3-2 victory and a 3-2 series lead on
Thursday after weathering a relentless effort by
the Minnesota Wild.
“They played a solid game. In the end, we
didn’t panic,” Theodore said after stopping 38
of the 40 shots that tied a playoff record for
Minnesota.
“I just tried to make every save,” Theodore
said. “Like I say, they’re a great team and I’m
going to have to be ready for the next one.”
Game 6 is in Denver on Saturday night. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, more than
80 percent (158 of 196) of the Game 5 winners
of previously tied playoff series have advanced
to the next round in NHL history. But on the
edge of elimination, the Wild spoke defiantly
about their effort afterward.
“We kept going and playing hard and getting
chances through the whole game because we
felt we would get it,” coach Jacques Lemaire
said, “but we had no breaks. Nothing. Rebounds, we were close, but never got the puck
on the stick, and the great chances we had, he
made some saves.”
After losing their touch and their cool in an
ugly 5-1 loss in Denver two days before, they
hustled from end to end, set the tone early with
several hard, clean hits, and gave Theodore all
he could handle by outshooting the Avalanche
32-14 over the first two periods.
He handled almost all of it.
“He was the only reason we were in the
game. Great’s not even the word to describe it.
Being tied going into the third was almost like
winning going into the third,” Colorado coach
Joel Quenneville said.
Theodore denied all kinds of shots from
every angle, whether it was a toe save of stillscoreless Marian Gaborik’s wrister from just
outside the crease, or a glove squeeze of yet another windup and sizzling slapper by Brian
Rolston.
Rolston, who sent eight shots on net, scored
too late with 2.5 seconds left. Pierre-Marc
Bouchard’s power-play goal in the first period
was the only other puck that Theodore let past,
and that was hardly his fault. Brent Burns set
it up with a pretty cross-ice pass, and
Bouchard blasted it into the back of the net so
fast that Theodore had barely begun to lean
the other way.
“He made quite a few saves, obviously,” Rolston said. “We outshot them pretty good. I
think more traffic is needed, obviously, all the
cliches I’ll throw at you. But he played well. He
played very well. This is the playoffs, and
sometimes it takes a little bit more to score in
the playoffs.”
7
scoreboard
All Times MDT
By The Associated Press
Basketball
National Basketball Association
PLAYOFFS
(Best-of-7)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston vs. Atlanta
Sunday, April 20: Atlanta at Boston, 6:30
p.m.
Detroit vs. Philadelphia
Sunday, April 20: Philadelphia at Detroit, 4
p.m.
Orlando vs. Toronto
Sunday, April 20: Toronto at Orlando, 10:30
a.m.
Cleveland vs. Washington
Saturday, April 19: Washington at Cleveland,
10:30 a.m.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
L.A. Lakers vs. Denver
Sunday, April 20: Denver at L.A. Lakers, 1
p.m.
New Orleans vs. Dallas
Saturday, April 19: Dallas at New Orleans, 5
p.m.
San Antonio vs. Phoenix
Saturday, April 19: Phoenix at San Antonio, 1
p.m.
Houston vs. Utah
Saturday, April 19: Utah at Houston, 7:30
p.m.
Hockey
National Hockey League
PLAYOFFS
(Best-of-7)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Montreal vs. Boston
Thursday, April 17: Boston 5, Montreal 1,
Montreal leads series 3-2
Saturday, April 19: Montreal at Boston, 5
p.m.
Washington vs. Philadelphia
Thursday, April 17: Philadelphia 4, Washington 3, 2OT, Philadelphia leads series 3-1
Saturday, April 19: Philadelphia at Washington, 11 a.m.
New Jersey vs. N.Y. Rangers
Wednesday, April 16: N.Y. Rangers 5, New
Jersey 3, N.Y. Rangers lead series 3-1
Friday, April 18: N.Y. Rangers at New Jersey,
5:30 p.m.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Detroit vs. Nashville
Wednesday, April 16: Nashville 3, Detroit 2,
series tied 2-2
Friday, April 18: Nashville at Detroit, 5:30
p.m.
San Jose vs. Calgary
Thursday, April 17: San Jose 4, Calgary 3,
San Jose leads series 3-2
Sunday, April 20: San Jose at Calgary, 6
p.m.
Minnesota vs. Colorado
Thursday, April 17: Colorado 3, Minnesota 2,
Colorado leads series 3-2
Saturday, April 19: Minnesota at Colorado, 8
p.m.
Anaheim vs. Dallas
Thursday, April 17: Dallas 3, Anaheim 1, Dallas leads series 3-1
Friday, April 18: Dallas at Anaheim, 8:30 p.m.
Baseball
National League
East Division
W L
Pct
Florida
9 6
.600
New York
8 6
.571
Philadelphia
8 8
.500
Atlanta
6 9
.400
Washington
4 12
.250
Central Division
W L
Pct
St. Louis
11 5
.688
Chicago
9 6
.600
Milwaukee
9 6
.600
Pittsburgh
7 8
.467
Cincinnati
7 9
.438
Houston
6 10
.375
West Division
W L
Pct
Arizona
11 4
.733
San Diego
8 8
.500
Colorado
7 8
.467
Los Angeles
7 8
.467
San Francisco
6 10
.375
GB
—
1/2
1 1/2
3
5 1/2
GB
—
1 1/2
1 1/2
3 1/2
4
5
GB
—
3 1/2
4
4
5 1/2
Thursday’s Games
Philadelphia 10, Houston 2
Milwaukee 5, St. Louis 3, 10 innings
Cincinnati 9, Chicago Cubs 2
Atlanta 8, Florida 0
N.Y. Mets 3, Washington 2, 14 innings
Colorado 2, San Diego 1, 22 innings
Friday’s Games
Pittsburgh (Snell 2-0) at Chicago Cubs (Hill
0-0), 12:20 p.m.
N.Y. Mets (Santana 1-2) at Philadelphia
(Hamels 2-1), 5:05 p.m.
Washington (Redding 2-1) at Florida (Miller
0-2), 5:10 p.m.
Milwaukee (Sheets 2-0) at Cincinnati (Arroyo
0-1), 5:10 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers (Lowe 1-0) at Atlanta (Bennett
0-0), 5:35 p.m.
Colorado (Morales 0-1) at Houston (Sampson 0-1), 6:05 p.m.
San Francisco (Cain 0-1) at St. Louis (Wellemeyer 1-0), 6:15 p.m.
San Diego (Maddux 2-0) at Arizona (Haren
2-0), 7:40 p.m.
American League
East Division
W L
Pct
Boston
10 7
.588
Baltimore
9 7
.563
New York
9 8
.529
Toronto
8 8
.500
Tampa Bay
7 9
.438
Central Division
W L
Pct
Chicago
9 6
.600
Kansas City
9 7
.563
Minnesota
7 9
.438
Cleveland
6 10
.375
Detroit
5 11
.313
West Division
W L
Pct
Los Angeles
10 7
.588
Oakland
9 8
.529
Seattle
9 8
.529
Texas
7 9
.438
GB
—
1/2
1
1 1/2
2 1/2
GB
—
1/2
2 1/2
3 1/2
4 1/2
GB
—
1
1
2 1/2
Thursday’s Games
Boston 7, N.Y. Yankees 5
Cleveland 11, Detroit 1
Baltimore 6, Chicago White Sox 5, 10 innings
Texas 4, Toronto 1
Tampa Bay 7, Minnesota 3
Seattle 8, Oakland 1
L.A. Angels 5, Kansas City 3
Friday’s Games
Texas (Mendoza 0-1) at Boston (Matsuzaka
3-0), 5:05 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees (Hughes 0-2) at Baltimore
(D.Cabrera 0-0), 5:05 p.m.
Detroit (Rogers 0-3) at Toronto (Burnett 1-0),
5:07 p.m.
Chicago White Sox (Vazquez 2-1) at Tampa
Bay (Niemann 1-0), 5:10 p.m.
Cleveland (Lee 2-0) at Minnesota (Liriano 01), 6:10 p.m.
Kansas City (Bannister 3-0) at Oakland
(Gaudin 0-1), 8:05 p.m.
Seattle (Dickey 0-0) at L.A. Angels (Saunders 2-0), 8:05 p.m.
Transactions
BASEBALL
American League
B O S TON RED SOX—Announced RHP
Bryan Corey has refused an assignment to
Pawtucket (IL) and chosen to become a free
agent.
TEXAS RANGERS—Purchased the contract
of INF German Duran from Oklahoma (PCL).
Recalled RHP Thomas Diamond and placed
him on the 60-day DL. Placed OF Marlon
Byrd on the 15-day DL.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS—Placed RHP Brian
Wolfe on the 15-day DL. Recalled LHP
David Purcey from Syracuse (IL).
National League
MILWAUKEE BREWERS—Optioned INFOF Hernan Iribarren to Nashville (PCL). Recalled LHP Mitch Stetter from Nashville.
Sent OF Tony Gwynn on a rehab assignment
to Nashville.
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association
CHICAGO BULLS—Fired Jim Boylan, interim coach.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS—Fired Larry Krystkowiak, coach.
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
ANAHEIM DUCKS—Recalled G JeanPhilippe Levasseur from Augusta (ECHL).
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS—Agreed to
terms with F Dan Bertram and D Mike Brennan.
MONTREAL CANADIENS—Recalled C Kyle
Chipchura, F Matt D’Agostini, F Brock Trotter, D Mathieu Carle, D Pavel Valentenko
and G Yann Danis from Hamilton (AHL) and
F Ben Maxwell from Kootenay Ice (WHL).
8
GENERAL INTEREST
Triplets Plus One
TOWSON, Md. (AP) — A mother has given birth to a rare
set of quadruplets in which three of the four boys are identical.
The boys were born 11 weeks premature in January at
Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson. The parents
plan to introduce themselves and their boys at a news conference Friday.
There are fewer than 100 documented cases of “identical
triplets plus one” in the United States, hospital officials said.
Two embryos were implanted into the mother, and both
were fertilized, hospital spokesman Michael Schwartzberg
said. One of them split, then split again, creating the identical
triplets.
The boys were delivered by Caesarian section Jan. 29, their
mother’s 32nd birthday. Joshua Drew was born first, then
Gavin Michael, Cody Benjamin and finally Logan Christopher,
the non-identical one, Schwartzberg said.
The babies were treated at the hospital’s neonatal intensive
care unit, and all four have been home in Belcamp for about
2 1/2 weeks, Schwartzberg said.
ASTRO-GRAPH
BERNICE BEDE OSOL
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Some of the lifestyle changes
you’re hoping to make will become a reality in the year ahead,
but only those that you have
worked hard to bring about.
Nothing will be handed to you on
a silver platter, but you can make
things happen.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) —
You and your mate might not feel
the same sense of urgency with
regard to a specific objective. If he
or she doesn’t want to make it a
priority, you will be on your own
in achieving it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) —
Although you are famous for accomplishing big things, you do
things one at a time. When confronted with multiple jobs to be
done immediately, you might
have to work around-the-clock or
buckle under.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) —
Your curiosity could be peaking
at a high point, causing you to
start poking your nose into other
people’s affairs — where it is not
welcomed. When you see the
signs of rebuke, back off immediately.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
— Because you tend to see
things through rose-colored
glasses at this time, you may not
feel any urgency to make a difficult decision. Unfortunately, that
pink cloud hovering over your
judgment is not an ally.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Junior assistants may not be good
at keeping accurate records, so
don’t take anything for granted,
especially when it’s important to
know the expenses and totals involved in a particular job. Double-check the figures.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) —
HERMAN ® by Jim Unger
KIT ‘N’ CARLYLE ® by Larry Wright
Generally speaking, things come
more easily to you than they do
to many others. But if you take
this for granted and bite off more
than you can chew, you could get
into trouble. Be cautious.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — If
you fail to focus today, you’ll have
a greater chance than usual for
making mistakes. Should you
make an error, correct it promptly instead of sweeping things under the rug.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) —
Those hunches you get from time
to time may not be accurate at
this point, so don’t rely on them
too heavily. This will be especially
true if your intellect is telling you
differently.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec.
21) — Although you may be
more money conscious than
usual, it isn’t likely to prevent you
from spending beyond your
means, especially if you spot an
expensive new toy that you simply can’t live without.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.
19) — Even though you generally thrive on competition, do your
best to avoid any type of rivalries
at this time. Unfortunately, there
are red flags flying all over the
place, telling you to stay away.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
— Usually you make intellectual
assessments of situations before
getting involved, particularly
when it comes to something
large. However, you could take a
big gamble merely on the ill-informed advice of another.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20)
— If you get in trouble, don’t labor under the illusion that an influential friend is going to provide
100 percent support. Unfortunately, this person will be looking
the other way when you need
him or her the most.
Copyright 2008, Newspaper
Enterprise Assn.
Credit-Card Processors
Eyeing Airline Industry
DENVER (AP) — The head
of Frontier Airlines Holdings
Inc., which is reorganizing
under bankruptcy protection,
said Thursday credit-card
processing companies are visiting other airlines, too, worried by the industry’s financial struggles.
In an interview with The
Associated Press, Chief Executive Officer Sean Menke said
the processors are concerned
because the industry is coping with persistently high fuel
prices, a credit market
crunch and the slowing economy.
The card processors don’t
want to be on the hook for
ticket refunds if airlines stop
flying.
“I do know that airlines are
being visited and they’re being
visited for all the same reasons that we were visited,”
Menke said. He declined to
name which airlines were involved.
Menke’s comments came a
week after the Denver-based
parent of Frontier Airlines
filed a Chapter 11 petition in
U.S. Bankruptcy Court to
gain protection as it restructures debt. He said Thursday
the airline is focused on staying a standalone carrier as it
reorganizes under bankruptcy protection.
Menke said Frontier was
forced into the move because
its credit card processing
company, First Data Corp.,
sought to hold up to 100 percent of proceeds from ticket
sales in reserve until the passengers’ flights are completed.
The filing prevents Greenwood Village, Colo.-based
First Data from implementing
the change until Frontier
emerges from bankruptcy or
received a judge’s approval.
“We’re in discussions with
them looking for a resolution
to this,” Menke said.
Some analysts who follow
the credit card processing industry said it’s likely that the
companies would re-evaluate
the risk potential of individual
airlines.
“In my opinion, I think they
will be doing that just because
of what the airline industry is
going through,” said analyst
Adil Moussa of Aite Group,
which is a market research
company for the financial industry. Any decision, however, depends on the individual
carrier’s financial picture ,
Digital Transactions magazine Editor John Stewart said.
From its Denver International Airport hub, Frontier
battles Southwest and United
Airlines in an atmosphere
that has kept ticket prices
low. Analysts have mixed
views about whether the airline will emerge successfully
from bankruptcy, saying a
critical factor will be its reorganization plan.
Menke said he is re-evaluating every part of the operation. While nothing has been
ruled out, he has no plans
now to lay off any of Frontier’s
6,000 employees.
E Street Keyboardist Dies
NEW YORK (AP) — Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard
player for Bruce Springsteen whose stylish work helped define
the E Street Band’s sound on hits from “Hungry Heart”
through “The Rising,” has died. He was 58.
Federici, who had battled melanoma for three years, died
Thursday at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New
York. News of his death was posted late Thursday on Springsteen’s official Web site.
According to published reports, Federici last performed with
Springsteen and the band last month, appearing during portions of a March 20 show in Indianapolis.
He was born in Flemington, N.J., a long car ride from the
Jersey shore haunts where he first met kindred musical spirit
Springsteen in the late 1960s. The pair often jammed at the
Upstage Club in Asbury Park, N.J., a now-defunct after-hours
club that hosted the best musicians in the state.
It was Federici, along with original E Street Band drummer
Vini Lopez, who first invited Springsteen to join their band.
Federici became a stalwart in the E Street Band as Springsteen rocketed from the boardwalk to international stardom.
Federici played accordion on the wistful “4th Of July, Asbury
Park (Sandy)” from Springsteen’s second album, and his organ
solo was a highlight of Springsteen’s first top 10 hit, “Hungry
Heart.” His organ coda on the 9/11-inspired Springsteen song
“You’re Missing” provided one of the more heart-wrenching moments on “The Rising” in 2002.
THE GRIZZWELLS ® by Bill Schorr
FRANK & ERNEST ® by Tom Thaves
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE ® by Lynn Johnston
THE BORN LOSER ® by Art and Chip Sansom
ARLO & JANIS ® by Johnson
RETAIL ® by Norm Feuti
SOUP TO NUTS ® by Rick Stromoski
CLASSIFIEDS
ANNOUNCEMENTS
040 Special Notices
PLEASE CHECK YOUR AD--We
make every effort to avoid errors
by carefully proof-reading all
copy. However, we ask that you
check your ad the first day it
appears. If you find a mistake,
please call 762-3060 so that the
error can be corrected. We regret
that we cannot be responsible for
more than one day's incorrect
insertion. Claims for adjustment
must be made within 7 days of
publication.
AUTOMOTIVE
080 Automobiles
CAN'T SELL -- The family car?
Place a guaranteed ad in the
Alliance Times-Herald classified
section. We will help you get it
sold. Call 762-3060 for details.
100 Trucks, Pickups
& 4x4s
1977 FORD--Ranchero. runs
good. $700.00. 308-762-1349,
leave message.
120 Motorcycles
1 999 --Ya ma ha Road star
Silverado, 1600 cc, windshield,
saddlebags, Vance & Hines
Longshot pipes, Sirius radio
system, 12,000 miles, $5,400.00.
Call 308-760-3711.
TWO--2002 TTR125 Yamahas
and trailer. Also three 150 gal.
fuel tanks. 308-760-5970.
SERVICES
210 Educational
HONEY BEAR PRE-SCHOOL
Is taking registrations for Fall. If
interested in this excellent
p rogram, co ntac t Ma rge
Thompson, 308-762-3598.
250 Miscellaneous
CHASE TRAVEL
Mohamed & Kathy El-Khatib
Cruises *Mexico *Vegas
*Disney *Cars *Hotels *Airfare
800-932-6654
DO YOU OFFER -- A service?
Check out our economical rates
for our Service Directory. Call 7623060 to get the details.
EMPLOYMENT
290 Help Wanted
ARE YOU LOOKING -- For that
right person to fill your vacancy?
Place your help wanted ad in the
c l a s s i fieds with Alliance TimesHerald. We also offer box service.
Call 762-3060 for details.
CHAIRSIDE
DENTAL
ASSISTANT--4 days a week.
Experience preferred, but will
train right person. Send resumes
to: Dr. Giles, PO Box 607,
Alliance, NE 69301
DON'T PAY--For information
about jobs with the Postal Service
or federal government. Call the
Federal Trade Commission tollfree, 1877-FTC-HELP, or visit
www.ftc.gov to learn more. A
public service message from
The Alliance Times Herald and
the FTC.
ALLIANCE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
Is accepting applications for the
following positions for the 200809 school year:
*Middle School Boys Basketball
Coach
*Kindergarten Teacher
*Elementary Guidance Counselor
*Elementary Music Instructor
*Middle School Language Arts
*High School Social Studies
*Middle School Social Studies
*Middle School Media Specialist
*Middle School or Elementary
P.E. Teacher
*Elementary Resource/Special
Ed.
*Middle School Resource/Special
Ed.
*Earl y Child hood Sp ec ial
Education for Infant and Toddler
Program
*School Psychologist
*High School Assistant Football
Coach
*Middle School Football Coach
*Middle School Track Coach
*High School Track Coach
*Middle School Boys Basketball
Coach
*Freshmen Boys Basketball
Coach
To apply, please send a letter of
a ppl icati on, res ume a nd
transcripts to: Mr. John McLane,
Superintendent, Alliance Public
Schools, 1604 Sweetwater,
Alliance, NE 69301
GORDON-RUSHVILLE--Public
Schools is accepting applications
for Rural Attendance Center
teaching positions for the 20082009 school year. Interested
applicants need to send a letter
of application, resume, and
credential file to: Casey Slama,
Principal, PO Box 590, Rushville,
NE 69360. For more information,
please call 308-327-2448.
HIRING--All shifts, including
breakfast. Apply in person at
Taco John’s.
NOTICE--Be advised that some
ads in the Classifieds may contain
800 numbers that may refer you
to a 900 number. Listen closely
to the message BEFORE YOU
call a 900 number. These 900
numbers cost you money!!!
9
MOTOR ROUTE DRIVER
Needed to contract with the Alliance Times Herald to deliver
newspapers to carriers homes, racks, individuals and other
locations from Alliance to Hemingford. Must be over 18,
use own vehicle, have a valid Nebraska Driver’s license
and adequate insurance coverage. Delivery is 6 days a
week and takes approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours to
complete. Stop by 114 East 4th Street for application or
call Chris at 308-762-3060 for more information.
290 Help Wanted
400 Garage Sales
J OB
OPPORT UNITY-Alliance/Bridgeport Vision Source
is expanding its optical team by
hiring an additional Optical
Assistant/Optician. Computer
k nowl edge , ex perie nce in
customer service, and attention
to fine detail are desirable. We
will offer on the job training. To
learn more about a career as an
optician go to w w w . a b o . o r g.
Please send a resume along
with a cover letter introducing
yourself and reference any
personal strengths that would
enhance our team. Send resume
to: Alliance Vision Source, P.C.,
P.O. Box 490, Alliance, NE
69301
HUGE GARAGE SALE--Friday,
April 18, 3pm-7pm and Saturday,
7am-noon. 1207 Yellowstone.
Tons of brand new items, new
toys, new clothes, craft supplies,
new teaching books. Gently
used infant/toddler boys and
girls 4-6X clothing, adult clothing,
household, toys, AVON, curio,
kids bikes, movies and much
more.
NOTICE--All emplo yment
advertising published in this
newspaper is subject to federal
and state equal opportunity laws
and guidelines which make illegal
any employment advertising that
i ndic ates a ny pre ferenc e,
l imita tion, s pec ificati on or
discrimination based on race,
color, religion,age, sex, marital
status, disability or national origin
except that: When bona-fide
reasons exist for specifying
certain types of individuals,
employment advertising may
include such specifications. This
newspaper will not knowingly
a ccept any adv ertising for
employment which is in violation
of the law.
RN NEEDED--To work in a
homelike environment that offers
a combination of hous ing,
p erso nal ca re , an d o ther
supportive services to older
individuals. Sandhills Samaritan
Assisted Living is a place where
employees feel cherished and
respected. We are seeking an RN
to work in a Christian based
center. Approx. 5-10 hours per
we ek n eed ed. Re sid ent
assessments, management of
medications, and delegation of
nursing tasks are among the
duties of the position. Interested
Candidates please contact HR,
Jenny Carpenter, 308-762-5675.
All offers of employment are
subject to a background check
a nd d ru g sc reen . AA/EOE
M/F/Vet/Handicap.
ALLIANCE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
Is accepting applications for the
following positions for the 200809 school year:
*High School Secretary
*Sec retary for SpEd/Ea rly
Childhood Ed. Programs
*Media Center Paraprofessional
Application forms are available
at the Administration Offices,
1604 Sweetwater. Positions are
open until filled.
ARTICLES FOR SALE
330 Miscellaneous
DEADLINES--For classified word
ads are 2 p.m. prior to the day
of publication Tuesdays through
Fridays, and 12 p.m. Friday for
Saturday ads.
DISCONTINUED FABRIC SALE-Draperies and sheers at great
prices. Prairie Creations/Anita
A l l e n 762 -8365 for an
appointment.
350 Household Items
A BARGAIN -- That's what
placing your ad in T-H Plus is.
When advertising in classified,
ask for your ad to be in our T-H
Plus too, and reach 3,300 more
households. Call 762-3060 for
details.
RESTONIC--twin-size adjustable
bed with Heritage mattress and
massage. Excellent condition.
$1100. 308-762-4199 or 308762-2289.
380 Wanted to Buy
WANTED--Singer Featherweight
221 sewing machine. 615-4802265. Leave message.
390 Antiques
Place your antique here and it
could be history. Call - 7623060.
WED-THUR-FRI
April 16-17-18
Noon-7 p.m.
www.watz-on-z-shelf.com and
Watkins Associate Myrtle Letcher
invites you to a new 3-day
shopping experience in the
garage at 1403 Grove. Quality
Watkins Products; Business
Card, DreamKuts and Decorative
cutters; 4-and-8-tier business
card holders; greeting cards; 3D optical illusion glasses; and
more! Use side door.
CLICK FOR WEBSITE
FARM & RANCH
540 Livestock
RED ANGUS BULLS--For sale.
Private treaty. Huntrod’s Red
Angus, 308-668-2231 for more
information.
REAL ESTATE
630 Apartments
1 AND 2 BEDROOMS--Very
clean and quiet. No pets. Call
308-762-1786/308-760-0954.
2 BEDROOM--Very clean and
quiet. Private entry, garage and
w/d hookups. No smoking, no
pets. 308-762-8447. Please
leave message.
$99 SECURITY DEPOSIT--2
bedroom available immediately
at Camden court. 100% electric,
easy access, cozy! Small pets
welcome. Call 308-760-1507.
www.perryreid.com/camdencourt.
EHO
CLICK FOR WEBSITE
ALLIANCE AREA--Apartments.
Offering 2 & 3 bedroom. (Call for
availability). 1-308-760-1507.
www.perryreid.com/alliance
CLICK FOR WEBSITE
GREAT PLAINS--Newly updated
2 bedroom apartments. Ask
about rent specials. 308-7627413 days.
650 Houses for Sale
FOR ONLY -- $1.50 more you
can place your classified line ad
in our Times-Herald Plus. Call
762-3060 for details.
GREAT--3 br tri-level home
w/attached 2 car garage. New
Trane gas furnace as well as
new carpeted living and dining
areas. Several rooms repainted.
Large fenced backyard with
10X15 storage shed. Must see
to appreciate. Contact Alan
Springer at 308-762-4313 or email laspringer@charter.net for
pictures.
TWO STORY TOWNHOUSE1409 Grove Ave. Three plus
one bedrooms, 1 1/2 bath up, 1/2
b ath ma inflo or. Fin ish ed
basement, 3/4 bath. FP, CA,
UGS, vinyl siding, single garage,
covered deck. Yard work and
snow removal provided. 308762-5310, 308-760-1705.
660 Houses for Rent
SMALL--One bedroom house.
4 08 E. 6 th. Re nt/$2 50,
deposit/$250. References. Jim.
308-762-4462.
SMALL--One bedroom house.
New carpet and paint. Quiet
location. New refrigerator.
Covered parking. No smoking,
no pets, references required,
deposit required. $250/month. Call
308-762-8287, 308-760-0926.
400 Garage Sales
690 Mobile Homes
for Rent
408 LARAMIE--Friday, 3:00pm7:00pm. Saturday, 7:00am-?
Gary & Rose’s spring cleaning
sale. Cool old stuff.
RENT--Nice 2 br mobile home
in Meadows Park, Alliance. 308430-2499 or 308-638-7636
collect.
FAMILY GARAGE SALE--At
Wayne Gorsuch residence, 213
East Kansas Street on Friday,
9:00am-4:00pm and Saturday,
8:00am-2:00pm.
GARAGE SALE SIGNS- - A r e
not allowed on utility poles or on
trees in the right-of-way. If found
they may be removed by City
Employees.
THE COLLECTION BASKET
903 Big Horn. Open Saturday,
and Thursday, 9:00-noon, 1:003:30. New items every week.
T HINKING OF HAVING A
GARAGE SALE ? -- Giv e
classified a call, and you're in
business! 762-3060.
Everyone
Enjoys
Our
Classifieds
Auction
Sunday April 20, 2008 12:00 NOON
Located: Steggs Auction Building: 1 mile
South of Alliance, on Hwy. 385
Select Comfort king size bed w/headboard-mirror & matching lg. Dresser
w/mirror and chest of drawers (very nice), Kenmore washer & dryer, couch, 2Lane massage recliners, GE upright freezer, kitchen table & 4 chairs on wheels,
Sylvania TV w/DVD player & 4 head HI Fl stereo, metal desk, wood desk, offic e
chair, gun case, recliner, 2 lamp tables, 4 drawer filing cabinet, Dell computer
w/desk, microwave stand, Sanyo small size apartment refrigerator, wood double
bed frame w/rails (no matt.), knick knack shelf, 2 small display cases, 2 book
shelves, 5 tier corner stand, Rainbow vac. lamps, 3 lamp tables, Nebraska
Cornhusker collection including 3 lamps, books, Jig saw puzzle, Golf balls, Cards,
Nebr. hats, glasses, knick knacks, Nebr sports gorilla, misc. golf items, Pulsar
counter case w/golf balls, 2 kerosene lamps, 3 belt buckles, Pabst Blue Ribbon
light, old books, 4 Zane Gray books, 3 & 4 gal. Redwing crocks, albums, VH
tapes of golf, pots, pans, silverware, cake plate, glasses, meat chopper, toaster,
coffee maker & misc. kitchen items. JD 14SB lawn mower, floor jack, socket
sets, misc. tools, saws, wrenches, 2 wheel cart, shovels, rakes, 2 sleds, metal cabinet,
table & 4 patio chairs, 4 drawer metal shop cabinet, spreader, 8 fishing poles,
misc. fishing items, mounted deer head, fan, coolers, garden supplies, 2 shop shelves,
jars, Air bike & misc. other items.
OWNER: Gerald Bussinger Estate
TO BE SOLD BY OTHERS: Waterfall double size bed w/box springs & mat.
& matching chest of drawers & vanity w/glass shelf, Kenmore dryer, Maytag
washer, Ranch oak coffee table & 2 end tables & lamp, J&P Coats spool cabinet
w/thread, ice cream table w/3 chairs, oak mirror frame, antique trunk, spoon collection,
Humphry Bogart picture, cherry wood liquor cabinet, antique kids high chair,
baseball cards, lg antique wood butter churn, whisky crock, cast iron pot w/ lid,
hay rake forks, 3 toy trucks, barn lantern, wash board, Dasey churn, brass
torch, measuring wheel, survey instrument w/tripod, featherbed (double size),
JD 111 riding lawn mower, servey machine w/tripod, many misc. boxes of items
too numerous to list.
COINS: 1887 0 & 19010 Morgan silver dollars, Peace silver dollars, Liberty
walking half dollars, Franklin half dollars, Kennedy halfs, 1867 three cent
piece (rare), 1818 Ig. Cent, 1864 two cent piece (rare), uncir. Washington
quarters, Jefferson nickels, Liberty head nickels, Indian head nickels, zinc
wheat pennies, wheat pennies, Liberty head dimes & Barber dimes, Mercury dimes,
1932 D quarter (rare), buffalo nickels, V nickels, Indian head pennies, various
Silver cert. 1929 10$ National currency Alliance, NE National bank, 1926
Oregon tail memorial half dollar. For complete list check web site. NOTE: Look
for pictures on www.steggsauction-re.com
TERMS: Cash or check day of sale. No items removed until settled for. No warranties.
Sales tax will be charged. Everything will sell "as is". Not responsible for
accidents or stolen items. Lunch available.
LEGALS
LEGALS
NOTICE OF PUBLIC
HEARING
OF THE ALLIANCE CITY
COUNCIL
Notice is hereby given that the
Mayor and Council of the City
of Alliance will conduct a Public
Hearing during their regular
meeting, May 1, 2008 at 7:00
p.m., in the Board of Education
Room, 1604 Sweetwater
Avenue. The City Council will
consider rezoning a tract of
land in the Northwest Quarter
of Section 35, Township 25
North, Range 48 West of the 6th
P.M., Alliance, Box Butte
County, Nebraska. The property
is located east of Ramblin’ Road
and south of 6th Street. The
request is being made by
Leonard Green and James
Wiltgen the owners of the
p r o p e r t y . The request for
rezoning is from A (Agricultural)
to C-3 (Highway Commercial).
Said meeting will be open to the
public.
PUBLISH: April 18, 2008
PO: 2874
NOTICE IN THE COUNTY
COURT OF BOX BUTTE
COUNTY, NEBRASKA
CASE NO. PR05-16
ESTATE OF ARTHUR
SUITER, DECEASED
Notice is hereby given that on
April 14, 2008 in the County
Court of Box Butte County,
Nebraska, Ruth Suiter, whose
address is 324 East 4th, Alliance,
Nebraska, was informally
appointed by the Registrar as
Representative of this Estate.
Creditors of this Estate must
file their claims with this Court
on or before June 18, 2008 or
be forever barred.
Linda Roberts
Clerk of the County Court
James M. Carney, #10604,
Simmons Olsen Law Firm,
P.C., 1502 Second Avenue,
Scottsbluff, NE 69361-3174.
Phone: (308)632-3811
PUBLISH: April 18, 25, and
May 2, 2008
STEGGS AUCTION SERVICE INC.
Auctioneers & Clerks 308-762-5210
Larry 308-762-6611 or 308-760-4452
LEGALS
LEGALS
NOTICE OF DEFAULT
First National Bank North Platte,
whose address is 201 North
Dewey, P.O. Box 10, North
Platte, Nebraska 69103, Trustee
under a Deed of Trust dated
March 1, 2005, and recorded
March 4, 2005, in Book 225
of Mortgages, pages 401 to 411
of the real estate records of Box
Butte County Nebraska, wherein
E & L Holdings, LLC, a
Nebraska Limited Liability
Company is Trustor, and First
National Bank North Platte is
B e n e ficiary and which Deed of
Trust covers the following
described property:
Lots 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, Block
18 Original Town of Alliance,
Box Butte County, Nebraska,
according to the recorded plat
thereof,
hereby gives notice that a breach
of an obligation for which the
trust property was conveyed as
security has occurred. The nature
of the breach is a failure of the
Trustor to pay when due the
principal and interest owing on
the Note secured by the Deed of
Trust.; failure to pay any real
property tax and insurance
premiums for casualty insurance.
The Trustee has elected to sell
or cause to be sold the trust
property to satisfy the obligations
secured by this Deed of Trust.
Dated: April 9, 2008.
First National Bank North
Platte, Trustee
By: John K. Sorensen
One of It’s Attorneys
John K. Sorensen, NSBA
#13945, 1620 Avenue A, PO
Box 1557, Scottsbluff, NE
69363-1557. Telephone No.
(308)632-5111
State of Nebraska
)
) ss.
County of Scotts Bluff )
The
foregoing
was
acknowledged before me this
9th day of April, 2008, by
John K. Sorensen, Attorney for
First National Bank North
Platte, Trustee
Donna D. Weitzel
Notary Public
PUBLISH: April 18, 25, and
May 2, 2008
BOARD WORKSHOP
NOTICE
The Alliance Public Schools
Board of Education will hold a
Board Workshop on Monday,
April 21, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in
the Board of Education Room,
1604 Sweetwater Ave., Alliance,
NE 69301. A current agenda
is available for public inspection
at the Superintendent of Schools
Office, 1604 Sweetwater
Avenue.
PUBLISH: April 18, 2008
Legal Advertising
Deadlines
Deadline is 2 pm Daily
Publication
Deadline
Day
Day
Monday................Thursday
Tuesday .................. Friday
Wednesday ............Monday
Thursday ..............Tuesday
Friday ..............Wednesday
Saturday ..........Wednesday
Find a Job!
Look in your local
newspaper!!!
Alliance Times-Herald
Classifieds work for you!
308-762-3060
ALLIANCE
TIMES-HERALD
10
NATIONAL
Troop Mental Problems After War Service Air Force Under Fire, $50M Contract
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Roughly one in every five U.S.
troops who have survived the
bombs and other dangers of
Iraq and Afghanistan now
suffers from major depression
or post-traumatic stress, an
independent study said
Thursday.
It estimated the toll at
300,000 or more.
As many or more report
possible brain injuries from
explosions or other head
wounds, said the study, the
first major survey from outside the government.
Only about half of those
with mental health problems
have sought treatment. Even
fewer of those with head injuries have seen doctors.
A rmy Surgeon General
Eric Schoomaker said the report, from the Rand Corp.,
was welcome.
“They’re helping us to raise
the visibility and the attention
that’s needed by the Ameri-
can public at large,” said
Schoomaker, a lieutenant
general. “They are making
this a national debate.”
The researchers said 18.5
percent of current and former
service members contacted in
a recent survey reported
symptoms of depression or
post-traumatic stress.
Based on Pentagon data
that more than 1.6 million
have deployed to the two
wars, the researchers calculated that about 300,000 are
suffering mental health problems.
Nineteen percent — or an
estimated 320,000 — may
have suffered head injuries,
the study calculated. Those
range from mild concussions
to severe, penetrating head
wounds.
“There is a major health
crisis facing those men and
women who have served our
nation
in
Iraq
and
Afghanistan,” said Terri
Bush, British P.M.
Stress Common Ground
WASHINGTON (AP) —
President Bush and British
Prime Minister Gordon
Brown tried to dispel doubts
about their relationship
Thursday, showcasing personal bonhomie as well as
common ground on vexing issues such as the Iraq war, a
showdown with Iran, global
trade and the crises in Sudan
and Zimbabwe.
Brown, particularly, appeared to make an effort to
move beyond the leaders’
frosty first meeting in July.
The prime minister, then
only a month in office as successor to top Bush ally Tony
Blair, was given a coveted invitation to the presidential retreat at Camp David. But he
displayed stiff formality that
raised questions about
whether he would work as
closely as Blair had — or
much at all — with Bush.
On Iran, Brown offered
staunch support for his host’s
tough stance on the need to
rein in Tehran’s nuclear program.
Brown said “I make no
apology” for seeking to persuade European leaders to
extend European sanctions
against Iran, to include investments and liquefied natural gas. “Iran is in breach of
a nonproliferation treaty,” he
said.
On Iraq, Brown’s focus —
like Bush’s — was on the
“substantial progress” being
made by a U.S.-led coalition
of troops.
Brown announced shortly
after taking office that he
would reduce British troop
levels in Iraq. But that plan, to
bring British troop numbers
to 2,500 from about 4,000
starting within weeks, is now
on hold until Iraqi security
forces make gains in driving
out militias from the oil-rich
southern city of Basra.
The two displayed no daylight between them in their
views on other key topics as
well, including criticism of
Zimbabwe President Robert
Mugabe’s refusal to release
results of elections believed to
have been won by opponents
three weeks ago; frustration
with the slow pace of peacekeeping help for Sudan’s violent Darfur region, and belief
in the need for a global deal
lowering tariffs.
The British leader praised
Bush’s anti-terrorism leadership effusively, saying “the
world owes President George
Bush a huge debt of gratitude.” He called the president’s programs to battle
AIDS and malaria in Africa
“pioneering work.” He labeled
their session an “excellent
meeting” that left the bond
between the two nations
“stronger than ever.”
Tanielian, the project’s coleader and a researcher at
Rand.
“Unless they receive appropriate and effective care for
these mental health conditions, there will be long-term
consequences for them and
for the nation.”
The study, the first largescale, private assessment of
its kind, includes a survey of
1,965 service members
across the country, from all
branches of the armed forces
and including those still in the
military as well veterans who
have completed their service.
The Iraq war has been notable for the repeat tours required of many troops, sometimes for longer than a year at
a time.
Union Head Claims USDA Intimidation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head
of the union that represents 6,000
federal food inspectors told a congressional committee Thursday that
the Agriculture Department tried to
intimidate him and other employees
who reported violations of regulations, an allegation denied by the
agency.
Union chief Stan Painter said
that following a mad cow disease
scare in 2003, he told superiors that
new food safety regulations for
slaughtered cattle were not being
uniformly enforced.
Painter said he was told to drop
the matter, and when he didn’t, was
grilled by department officials and
then placed on disciplinary investigative status.
Painter said he was eventually exonerated, but the incident “has
caused a chilling effect on others
within my bargaining unit to come
forward and stand up when agency
management is wrong.”
He said that supervisors tell
workers to “let the system work”
rather than cite slaughterhouses for
violations.
Painter made the allegations at a
hearing of the House Oversight and
Government Reform domestic policy subcommittee, which was looking into slaughterhouse practices
following humane violations at
Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. in
Chino, Calif., which led to the largest
beef recall in U.S. history.
Those violations, caught on undercover video by an investigator of
Investment Firms Reduce Borrowing
WASHINGTON (AP) — Big
Wall Street investment companies are reducing their borrowing from the Federal Reserve’s emergency lending
program, a sign that credit
problems may be easing.
A Federal Reserve report
Thursday said those firms averaged $24.8 billion in daily
borrowing over the past week.
That compares with $32.6
billion in the previous week. It
marked the second straight
Preston Tapped
To Take Over HUD
WASHINGTON (AP) —President Bush has chosen SBA Administrator Steve Preston to take over as head of the government’s housing agency at a time of crisis in the industry, the
White House announced on Friday.
If confirmed by the Senate, Preston would replace HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, who announced his resignation last
month amid allegations of political favoritism and a criminal investigation. Jackson’s last day on the job is to be Friday.
Bush was to announce Preston’s nomination at midday before going to Camp David.
Jackson leaves behind the wreckage of a national housing
crisis and a trail of unanswered questions about whether he
tilted the Housing and Urban Development Department toward Republican contractors and cronies.
Preston will take over the agency at a time of chaos in the
housing market. Foreclosures have surged to record highs as
rising interest rates and the collapse of the once high-flying
housing market have made it impossible for some to afford
their monthly mortgage payments or sell their homes.
The administration has taken some steps to provide relief to
millions of people at risk of losing their homes. However, Democrats on Capitol Hill insist more needs to be done and have
been moving ahead on additional rescue plans.
A poll released on Monday said one in seven mortgage holders worry they may soon fail to make their monthly payments,
and even more fret that their home’s value is shrinking. The Associated Press-AOL Money & Finance poll also found that 60
percent said they definitely won’t a buy a home in the next two
years. That was up from 53 percent who said so in an AP-AOL
poll in September 2006. Only 11 percent are certain or very
likely to buy soon, down from 15 percent two years ago.
Preston was sworn in as head of the Small Business Administration in July 2006, after his nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Bush was expected to praise
him as an effective manager and problem-solver who can take
on complex challenges, officials said. Preston’s selection was
first reported by National Journal’s CongressDaily.
Preston has a background of 25 years in financial and operational leadership positions. Before joining SBA, he was executive vice president of The ServiceMaster Co., where he also
served as chief financial officer. Before that, he was a senior vice
president and treasurer of First Data Corp. and an investment
banker at Lehman Brothers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A $50 million contract to promote the Thunderbirds aerial stunt
team was tainted by improper influence and
preferential treatment, a Pentagon investigation found.
In response, Air Force Secretary Michael
Wynne took administrative action against Maj.
Gen. Stephen M. Goldfein, who was the commander responsible for the Thunderbirds at
the time, as well as two others, and referred
action on two additional personnel to their
commanders, the service said Thursday.
The Defense Department’s Inspector General found no criminal conduct, but laid out a
trail of communications from Air Force leaders
— including from its top officer Gen. Michael
Moseley — that eventually influenced the
2005 contract award.
“I am deeply disappointed that our high
standards were not adhered to in this case,”
Wynne said. “This is not how the Air Force
does business, and we are taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” He wrote to
week where investment
firmed borrowed less from the
central bank.
The program, which began
March 17, is one of several extraordinary actions the Fed
has taken recently to limit
damage from a trio of crises
— housing, credit and financial.
After the sudden crash of
Bear Stearns, the nation’s
fifth-largest investment bank,
fears grew that others might
be in jeopardy, given major
stresses in credit and financial markets.
Scrambling to avert a market meltdown, Fed Chairman
Ben Bernanke and his colleagues — in the broadest use
of the central bank’s lending
authority since the 1930s —
agreed last month to temporarily let investment firms
obtain emergency financing
from the Fed, a privilege previously granted only to commercial banks.
The program, similar to the
one the Fed has long had for
commercial banks, will continue for at least six months.
It gives investment firms a
place to go for overnight
loans.
Commercial banks and investment companies pay 2.5
percent in interest for the
loans.
Banks averaged $7.8 billion in daily borrowing for the
week ending April 16. That
compares with $10.2 billion
for the previous week. The
identities of commercial
banks and investment houses are not released.
Some analysts viewed the
reduced borrowing from investment firms and banks as
a positive sign that credit
stresses may have let up
somewhat.
“It’s an encouraging sign
that maybe the worst of the
credit crisis is indeed behind
us — that the crisis is lessening,” said Richard Yamarone,
economist at Argus Research.
Still, analysts were quick to
point out that credit problems
are far from disappearing and
that financial markets remain
fragile.
the Humane Society of the United
States, showed workers dragging
cows with chains, shocking them
with electric prods and shooting
streams of water in their faces.
The cows were “downers” —
those too sick or injured to stand —
and the USDA shut down the plant,
saying the company hadn’t prevented downer cattle, which pose a
greater risk of illnesses such as mad
cow disease, from entering the food
supply.
Dr. Richard Raymond, the
USDA’s undersecretary for food
safety, said that Painter’s case predated him, but he denied that the
agency was intimidating inspectors.
He said that last year, the department suspended 66 plants, including 12 slaughterhouses for inhumane handling practices.
“I don’t believe the entire work
force is cowering from us,” he said,
adding that he gets e-mails from
employees all the time who want to
see things done differently.
Amanda Eamich, a spokeswoman for the USDA’s Food Safety
Inspection Service, which oversees
slaughterhouses, said in a telephone interview that the agency had
looked into Painter’s allegations
about regulations not being enforced, and found no evidence to
support his claims.
Asked about him being placed on
disciplinary investigative status and
then exonerated, she said she
couldn’t talk about administrative
matters involving employees.
senior leaders telling them they must be
scrupulous in avoiding the appearance of favoring contractors.
The report is the latest in a string of problems for Air Force leaders, who have faced
questions about the service’s handling of nuclear and nuclear-related materials, challenges to a recent $35 billion tanker contract
award and anger over their efforts to get more
money for the F-22 Raptor.
The report did not find that Moseley, Air
Force chief of staff, was personally involved in
the contract decision. Instead, criticisms focused on numerous friendly e-mails he exchanged with the eventual winning bidders —
communications that may have influenced the
decision of the contract team.
The most senior officer reprimanded by
Wynne was Goldfein, who commanded the Air
Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.,
and was responsible for the Thunderbirds.
Goldfein receives the bulk of the criticism, for
his efforts to get a vote on the contract by the
team reviewing the bids. Goldfein, now vice director of the Joint Staff, also spoke favorably
about the winning company, Strategic Message Solutions, to those on the review team.
Solution To Pollution —
Not Eating Spiders
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mercury contamination in rivers can spread to nearby birds, even
ones that don’t eat fish or other food from the
water.
Researchers from the College of William and
Mary in Williamsburg, Va., found high levels of
mercury in the blood of land-feeding songbirds
living near the South River, a tributary of the
Shenandoah, they report in Friday’s edition of
the journal Science.
The South River was contaminated with industrial mercury sulfate from 1930 to 1950
and it remains under a fish consumption advisory. But the researchers led by Dan Cristol,
an associate professor of biology, studied birds
that only eat insects that live on land.
Spiders made up the largest part of the
birds’ diet, along with moths and grasshoppers, the researchers said.
It turned out the spiders were the source of
the mercury.
“The birds eat a lot of spiders. Spiders are
like little tiny wolves, basically, and they’ll
bioaccumulate lots of contaminants in the environment. The spiders have a lot of mercury
in them and are delivering the mercury to
these songbirds,” Cristol said in a statement.
The next question to be answered: How are
the spiders getting the mercury?
The researchers speculated it could be from
eating aquatic insects, or the chemical could
have been deposited on land during flooding.
The research was funded by E. I. DuPont de
Nemours and Company, the College of William
and Mary and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

City Council Puts Dog Park On Hold - Alliance Times

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