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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 1980)
The Battalion Pa Hf 3ff< i fc ctie: don Vol. 73 No. 107 12 Pages Friday, February 22, 1980 College Station, Texas USPS 045 360 Phone 845-2611 ^Rabies threaten &fet students exposed to cow a o « a By ANDY WILLIAMS Staff Writer An estimated 65 people may have been posed to rabies this month through two imals which were under observation at xas A&M University’s veterinary school. A state agency in Austin told Texas A&M |lcials Thursday that the head of a cow lich had been at the school’s large animal |nic showed the animal had been rabid, t ^school workers had sent the head to istin on the suspicion that the animal had Dies The case was the second the school irned of this week. Texas A&M officials jre told Monday that a horse which was DUght here Feb. 10 had been rabid. Both animals had been brought to the nter by their owners for observation. Dr Claude Goswick, director of the :utcl Health Center, said the center is ing to trace the vaccination records of ? people who may have been exposed. “These people are in various stages of reasonable immunity,” he said. He said most of those being screened are third-year vet students. Most of the students have been vaccin ated, but some may require boosters. Gos wick said if there is anyone who had not been vaccinated, he would require a series of shots. Robin Parker, a secretary in the necrop sy, or animal autopsy, division of the clinic, said the cow’s head was removed and sent to Austin last weekend. She said the about 25 people who are being checked are suspected of being ex posed to the horse, and between 40 and 50 to the cow. Dr. Leon H. Russell Jr. said it is unusual for two rabies cases to be reported in one week at the school. “It really depends on the occurrence of the disease in the state” how many cases Texas A&M encounters, Russell said. “In 1979, we’ve had more than we had before for about 20 years.” Israel reported $o have N-bomh United Press International ^ NliW YORK — CBS News has reported ^UkI exploded a nuclear bomb off South rica last fall with Pretoria’s “help and operation,” a move that would make the m - wish state the seventh nation to test a TMl iclear device. The network also said on its evening R program Thursday Israel called the ^ Kgrt “complete nonsense,” and South ^^^Ra termed it ridiculous. U.S. officials puld neither confirm nor deny it. O The State Department said: “The only formation we have is the repeated Israeli ielaration that they will not be the first to itroduce nuclear weapons into the Middle last.” Informed sources in Rome told CBS the ^Kbli test was carried out with the “help id cooperation” of South Africa. The two H fions have friendly relations and a history 'cooperation. The television network cited as a source a /gm ;t-unpublished book by two Israelis, Ely 1 pher and Amy Dor-On, who said Israel ■ fisted the device in September 1979 in the tlantic Ocean. The report said South Africa first offered Ktest site to Israel in 1966, but the Al w e ^ s d ec hned. In 1979, however, Israel ianted to see if the bomb worked and |R» ccepted the offer. MJk No publication date was given for the the ■JJ pk, which has not yet passed Israeli cen- But CBS said it “confirmed” Israel ^pRessed an atomic bomb and had carried >uj the test. A successful nuclear test by Israel would BR'pse it the seventh nuclear power, joining 3 he United States, Soviet Union, China, Iritain, France and India as nations that I lave exploded a nuclear bomb, j , The Israeli book says Israel has several y ^ J ozen atomic bombs and some H-bombs, which would give it more nuclear weapons than India and put it just behind China. CBS said a U.S. satellite detected the blast in September off the southern African coast, but could not confirm it was a nuclear test. It said the bomb probably was built at a plant in Dimona in the Negev Desert and the reactor was built by France, with South Africa supplying the uranium. Three years after the 1973 Middle East war, diplomatic reports surfaced some Israeli American-made F-4’s aircraft were capable of carrying atomic weapons and were prepared to do so. Build a fence to keep people out of prison? United Press International ORANGE — Remember the joke about the cemetery and all the people dying to get in? That’s somewhat the situation at the new Orange County jail. Commissioners declared an emergency this week and set a meeting for Monday to reconsider bids for a fence around the jail to keep people from breaking in. Their haste was caused by a proliferation of incidents in which people slipped up to the jail’s windows, loosened putty and pas sed contraband inside to prisoners. County Judge Pete Runnels termed the fence proposal “the most ridiculous thing in the world” and said the structure would detract from the appearance of the new building. ‘Unequivocally the best’ After receiving five standing ovations from an appreciative Texas A&M University audience Thursday night, singer Anne Murray proclaimed it was “unequivocally the best” crowd she’d ever performed before. Ironic- Fire service ally, circumstances almost prevented Murray from singing for that audi ence. For details, read The Battalion’s review of the concert, page 3. Staff photo by Steve Clark Brazos volunteer units improve efficiency 3 Hostage situation • Kke Camp David 0) CD </) United Press International WASHINGTON — White House aides compare the current ups and downs in negotiating freedom for the U.S. hostages in Iran with the Camp David summit, a cliffhanger that finally ended with agreement two years ago. Carter was to confer today with his top foreign policy advisers on develop ments in the prolonged efforts to bring the American hostages home. Despite a stiffening attitude on the part of Iran, press secretary Jody Powell said Thursday he knew of no snags in the diplomatic process under which a U.N. sponsored commission of inquiry, now waiting in Geneva, will go to Tehran. Another aide said the commission had spent “two productive days” in prepar- |. ing for its work. He cautioned, howev er, that negotiations “are like a roller coaster” and there will be ups and downs. Aides find the situation similar to the Camp David summit when it was touch and go between Israel and Egypt before a Middle East accord was reached. On the social side. Carter planned an afternoon reception to honor Pitt sburgh’s championship teams, the Steelers and the Pirates, and other Pitt sburgh personalities. Afterwards the fatigued president was to go to Camp David, and will be joined by his wife Rosalynn on Saturday for a weekend of rest in the Maryland mountains. Carter’s family, Vice President Wal ter Mondale and the president’s surro gates have blanketed New Hampshire in the past few weeks to drum up votes in the contest with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. The president has been doing his campaigning from the White House, and probably this weekend from Camp David, by tele phone. Carter indicated Thursday he will approve the oil windfall profits bill — including $136 billion in individual and corporate tax cuts — Congress is ex pected to pass shortly. The president also said he was not so happy with the work of a House-Senate conference working on legislation to set up an energy board to speed selected projects through the state and federal systems. Carter said the conference members, who have met about 10 times and still have major differences to settle, “have not acted responsibly and our nation waits, and waits and waits.” By RICHARD OLIVER Staff Writer Volunteer fire units in Brazos County have long been condemned for their lack of communication and organization. Now, however, some progress is being made to ward solving that problem. Although negotiations on a new firefight ing contract between College Station and the county are still in progress. College Station City Councilman Homer Adams said improvement in the county is notice able. “Everything’s the same, except the county has gained on their volunteer ser vices,” he said. “They’ve got some equip ment now .., the county’s still trying to get their act together. ” The present firefighting contract calls for the county to pay the city every time the city fights a fire outside the city limits. The city has claimed, however, that the county has not paid for several calls made over the past few years. For this reason, the county and city are reevaluating the present contract and working to upgrade the county’s volunteer services. The present contract was due to have expired last Dec. 1, but the expiration date has now been extended until July 1. Bryan does not have a contract with the county, but still responds to rural fires when asked. Adams said the original complaint by College Station was a move to bring the county to the bargaining table. “We’re not being unreasonable or any thing, we just wanted to get their atten tion,” he said. “As long as we did what they wanted us to do, there was no use for them to talk. We were doing it (fighting county fires) as an accommodation.” College Station Fire Chief Douglas Landua said the situation has not changed. “If we get a call in the county, we go ahead and run it,” he said. “I imagine they’re running (fighting) quite a few fires themselves, but I would never know, be cause then we don’t get the call.” Landua said he believes the volunteer units are much better organized than in the past, however. “At a lot of the structure fires we’ve been fighting, we do what we can and the volun teer units are showing up. If we’ve done all we can, we give it over to them,” he said. The College Station Fire Department has fought slightly fewer fires outside the city limits, Landua said, but added this may be due to the higher humidity recently and the overall weather, which cuts down on grass fires. Paul Philbin, Bryan fire chief, said he also feels the county units are better orga nized. “We feel they’re a little better equipped now,” he said. “They have better organiza tion and equipment. We’ve noticed they’re showing up a little faster at the fires, and at some instances, they beat us there.” Philbin said the Bryan Fire Department has donated two pumper trucks to the volunteer units, along with some hose and breathing equipment. Philbin said he believes the volunteer units will work out their problems. “I think they’re going to come up with a viable system. We’re just waiting on a little organization, training, etc.,” he said. Adams agreed, saying, “I think the coun ty is basically going to take over the fire fighting.” Adams added he feels no drastic changes will be made in the contract by the July 1 deadline. Brazos County Judge Dick Holm green, who is representing the county in negotia tions, was out of town and unavailable for comment. Suspected drug trafficker Chagra arrested in Vegas with $180,000 United Press International LAS VEGAS, Nev. — A five-month manhunt for highstakes gambler Jamiel Alexander (Jimmy) Chagra, a suspected “Columbian connection” in international drug traffic who jumped bond in Texas, ended under the glaring lights of the Las Vegas strip. Chagra, 34, was arrested Thursday night by federal drug agents and Las Vegas police who moved in as he drove along the casino- lined boulevard in a car loaded with $180,000. The cash, mostly in bundles of $100 bills, was found in a cardboard diaper box. Authorities confiscated the money. Chagra refused to explain why it was in his possession. Elizabeth Chagra, his wife, was taken into custody at a nearby hotel and later released. Two children at the motel were turned over to the couple’s private nurse. Chagra was immediately taken before U.S. Magistrate Joseph Ward for a late night court hearing. The fugitive was ordered held on $3 million bond pending a removal hearing scheduled Feb. 29. Ward said Chagra would be returned to Texas after the court received a certified copy of the warrant. Chagra had been on the run since last September when he jumped a $400,000 bond rather than appear for sentencing in Austin, where he was convicted of con tinuous criminal enterprise and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The Texas jury took only two hours to decide Chagra was re sponsible for a network of drug smuggling from 1974 to 1978. “I can’t run anymore ... I wanted to turn myself in,” Chagra was quoted as saying to arresting officers. Defense attorney Steven Stein emphasized in the hearing before Ward that Chagra was not arrested by fed eral Drug Enforcement Administration agents but rather surrendered to officers in a black and white police unit. Chagra offered no resistance and was not armed. Authorities said he had phony Wis consin identification in his possession. Prior to Chagra’s indictment in Texas, he frequented Las Vegas casinos and played highstakes poker. He was indicted last year in Midland, Texas, as part of a sweeping federal narcotics crackdown related to grand jury investigations in six states. The killing of his brother, El Paso attor ney Lee Chagra, in December 1978 step ped up a series of federal investigations into international drug trafficking. Three men were arrested as suspects in the killing of Lee Chagra, a lawyer known for defending narcotics cases. The slaying sparked a series of grand jury investigations into interstate racketeering, gambling, prostitution and narcotics traf ficking in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, Nevada and Washington. Grand juries in El Paso, Midland, San Antonio and Seattle conducted simultaneous prob es. The indictment of Jimmy Chagra re lated to his activities in Texas, Florida and Colombia, South America. U.S. District Judge John Wood, who was to have presided over Chagra’s trial, was assassinated in San Antonio before the trial started. During Chagra’s Texas trial, co conspirator Henry Wallace, an El Paso dirt farmer, testified he went to Colombia in late 1977 and arranged cocaine and mari juana smuggling deals for Chagra. Wallace acknowledged participation in 20 drugs muggling episodes. \L al i d-4 'ciat lokii oftl ha> rou< ranc ideli e n« snc( I i sntic t m „ ne f>