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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1983)
m ^■■TexasA&M ^ ^ J.X ^ I ■ ^ ^ The DattaMon Serving the University community 76 No. 100 DSPS 045360 32 Pages in 2 Sections College Station, Texas Friday, February 18, 1983 celebrity publicity by bon jSaadtost n clothes, i Calvin H in the l', a appears y her side her modi a more tin dy has sei vie was m 8s," she si a film fori ns it is I in cinenu lot of | O WAGS planes monitor sent ■ > * .... V T v«' * * ^ •• ^ I'm?*** * i * Libya % * ♦ • < tk - * \'T ' Pepsi United Press International iAIRO, Egypt (U1M) — The Un- States confronted Libyan leader wnmar Khadafy by sending four WAGS planes and an aircraft car er to monitor Libyan military move- int amid “extremely heightened” tision in North Africa. ‘Our armed forces are fully pre- Jed to repel any aggression against pi's security,” Chief of Staff Lt. i. Abd Rah el Nabi Hafez told re- ters Thursday, commenting on orts of troop buildups along jya’s borders. I In Khartoum, Presidents Gaafar "meiry of Sudan and Hissene bre pf Chad met Thursday to dis- Is the reported Libyan threats to lir nations’ security. Aides to Habre have warned Libya was massing troops, armor and war planes along the border for an inva sion of Chad. U.S. officials say there also has been a buildup of Libyan troops along the border with Sudan. In Washington, officials said four AW ACS early warning planes were sent to Egypt and the nuclear- powered aircraft carrier Nimitz sailed near Libyan waters in a show of strength aimed at deterring the re ported Libyan threat. By late Wednesday, the Nimitz had moved back into the Mediterranean, the officials said. ABC N£ws reported that the carrier was sitting off the coast of Egypt today, its jets within minutes of the Libyan coast. The Reagan administration denied it dispatched the U.S. forces in re sponse to a Libyan military buildup, but a senior official said there was an atmosphere of “extremely height ened danger” in the north African region. The U.S. official’s carefully worded statement appeared designed to send a clear signal to Khadafy the United States will not tolerate hostile intentions toward its allies. In Tripoli, Khadafy defiantly reas serted Thursday that Libya was ready to fight to defend the Gulf of Sidra, which it claims, against American in cursions. Khadafy said he would “not permit any state to enter our territorial wa ters . The Libyan people are ready to fight to defend their lands, waters and skies.” * 0 S 6 m' • sr ar , M > * ¥ ^Australian brush fire inally under control )9( United Press International pXBOURNL, Australia — Some [)() firefighters brought under con- la two day “holocaust” of fire that d at least 69 people and razed |dreds of miles of parched south- | Australian brush, officials said S of BfiCfhPrime Minister Malcolm Eraser led for a national weekend of juming and described the loss of fe and an est imated $400 million in [Image as one of the greatest disas- trs in history. South Australia and Victoria have Jit devastated by a holocaust and 1 tend my sincerest sympathy,” a pned Fraser said, after surveying two stricken states from a helicop- id ter. A 1939 Australian fire killed 71 people. One blaze burned out of control today in the Warburton area north east of Melbourne in the state of Vic toria, where firefighters rescued 83 people who escaped the raging infer no by hiding in a 1,000-foot-long tunnel. The group of 83 included three pregnant women, 20 children and 15 pet dogs who fled to safety in the 3- foot-wide tunnel in the Upper Yarra dam near Warburton Thursday when the brushfires threatened their homes. The group spent Thursday night in the tunnel, officials said. About 1,000 firefighters today con tinued battling the last stubborn fire. Officials said no houses or lives were believed threatened but the Country Fire Authority in Melbourne warned some spot blazes could flare again. Burned out cars and the carcasses of animals littered the countryside. Hundreds of kangaroos, wallabies, cattle and sheep had to be shot after suffering serious burns. Ranchers re ported staggering losses. Officials said 26 people died in South Australia and 43 in Victoria, the two states where fires fanned by gusty winds raced across parched plains. Most were trapped in their homes by walls of fire or incinerated in vehi cles while trying to escape. Hundreds more were injured. Looks good guys staff photo by Rob Johnston The U.S. Ambassador to Argentina was among the many at the main drill field Thursday afternoon to witness the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets review. From left to right are University President Frank Vandiver, Ambassador Harry Shlaudeman, Col. Donald L. Burton, Col. Henry C. Hill, and Col. Donald J. Johnson. State senate approves bill to ban ‘cop-killer’ bullets V&M researchers say mild flu epidemic a possibility ause jr so do es. iar most vard- a id J-off . ;ely hool jr 4 jay ch as pack- care. ear. i also st 3. So, in or ;es> i. nit und er- jar by Donn Friedman ■ Battalion Reporter ;Flu researchers say there may be an illuenza epidemic on the Texas M campus this year, but say there’s eason for students to hide in their ms or wear surgical masks where- they go. From the outbreaks of flu in the ea and the analysis of data obtained Texas A&M, there appears to be a Dod chance that a llu epidemic will it the College Station area, said Dr. ohm Couch, director of the in- tirnza research center of the Baylor College of Medicine. ■'Flu has been reported to he wide- bread throughout the country,” he a'd. ; ■“A mild to moderate epidemic has Ip observed in Houston during the last three weeks. Some sort of out- ptak of the flu also has been re- wmed at the University of Texas and he Austin area, and Baylor Universi- y and the Waco area.” jtVebster defines an epidemic as an unarrested spread of disease, but Dr. Claude Goswick, director of the A.P. Beutel Health Center, refers to an epidemic as more than an average number of cases of a sickness. “It’s like when you say hemor rhage,” Goswick said. “You reallyjust mean bleeding — it could be a little or a lot. It means different things to dif ferent people.” Last year only slightly more than the 150 to 250 cases usually reported a week were reported at Texas A&M, he said. “Last year we were told to antici pate a much bigger epidemic, but it never materialized,” Goswick said. This year’s outbreak of the flu is not of epidemic proportions, said John Quarles, a microbiologist who works with the Texas A&M flu study. “An epidemic occurs when a dis ease is out of control in a certain area,” Quarles said. “The flu is under control here.” About 10 cases of the flu — Bang kok virus Type A — have been iso lated here, he said. But this may rep resent only a small percentage of the total because everyone who gets sick doesn’t come to the health center for treatment, Quarles added. Using computer programs to graph the data pertaining to the num ber of flu cases, Quarles developed the following figures: Normally about 150 to 250 people a week come to the health center with respiratory complaints, but during the fourth to eighth weeks of 1983 the number rose to almost 500. Figures from 1978-81 also indicate the same rise in complaints. Those include colds, runny noses and flu cases. The number usually drops back to normal levels after spring break, he said. “It has been about three weeks since we isolated the flu virus on the A&M campus — usually it spreads much more rapidly,” he said. “This year we don’t expect a large number of cases at once, but rather a longer, drawn-out season of the flu.” United Press International AUSTIN — Legislation that would ban the use, possession, sale of manu facture in Texas of powerful armor piercing bullets has been unanimous ly approved by the state Senate. The Senate Thurday also sent to Gov. Mark White a bill that establishes new guidelines on protective custody procedures for mental patients, and sent the House a bill that would create a registration and training program for lay midwives. Law enforcement officers are lob bying for passage of the so-called “cop-killer” bullet bill because they are worried about criminals gaining access to the special Teflon-tipped bullets. Tests have shown the ammunition is capable of penetrating most bullet proof vests used by police. Several other states have already banned the bullet. The bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. J.L. Brown, R-Lake Jackson, said it would “effectively control” the spread of the bullets “so our peace officers won’t be exposed to this hazard.” The midwives bill would require a $50 fee for training by the state Health Department, but Sen. Ed Ho ward, D-Texarkana, said the fee would not cover the cost of the training. Sen. Hector Uribe, D-Brownsville said midwives would not be able to afford the $200 fee originally sug gested by Howard. “These people assist the very very poor,” he said. “They’re in no better financial condition than the people they serve.” White questions emergency funds request from TDC United Press International AUSTIN — An emergency request from the Texas Department of Cor rections for $81 million to build a prison housing facility prompted Gov. Mark White to question the propriety of the buildings being re quested. “I’m very disturbed by the seem ingly unending requests for approp riations to build prisons,” White said. “I’ve seen now a range of numbers associated with prisons that have in cluded approximately 1,500 beds for $2.7 million and then it seems for 4,000 its going to cost $81 million. “That raises the question in my mind as to alternatives to that type of expensive construction.” White then added that the Texas Board of Corrections needed changes in its membership. “I’m going to be very closely in volved in the selection of board mem bers,” he said. Three members’ terms — T. Louis Austin, T.L. Roach and Joe La Mantia — expired Tuesday and White said he will name his appointees as soon as possible. The TDC board has asked White to grant emergency status for its appropriation to complete a 1,000- bed maximum security prison and start work another 2,000-bed max imum security facility. In other matters, White refused let a sharp reduction in expected re venues move him from his campaign promise to support a 24 percent pay hike for the state’s public school teachers. The governor has held off deliver ing his budget address for several days while his staff prepares the appropriations proposal. Local residents to get 409 area code by Tracey Taylor Battalion Staff The local area code will change in four weeks because of growth in the Houston metropolitan area. FTfective March 19. the area code will change from 7 13 to 409 in Bryan-College Station and in 178 other southeast Texas cities. Hous ton and 29 other cities will retain the 713 designation. Local seven digit telephone numbers will not change. When the area code change is completed, telephone numbers originallv used in this area can be used iu the Houston area. John Wallace, public affairs manager for General Telephone Gompany of the Southwest, said the change has taken more than a year of intense planning and cooperation. “It's an extensive process, " he said. “It had to be coordinated through G I L, Southwestern Bell and all the independent and/or cooperative phone companies that serve this area.” Although t he new area code offi cially takes effect Match 19, there will he ;i three-month grace period before the 713 area code is changed, Wallace said. “The March 19 date is to encour age people to begin using the 409 area code — to change their dialing habits.” he said. “II someone in Dallas wants to call someone in Bryan and doesn't know that the area code has changed, he can dial 713 until June 19 and still get Brvan. After that time, however, there will get a re cording saving that the area code has changed and to hang up and dial again." Brvan-College Station residents mav receive a new rate hike along with the new area code. On Feb. 1 1, G I L asked the Pub lic L’tilitv Commission of Texas for $85.5 million in new revenues. G I L of f icials said a need for mod ernization and new service im provement programs prompted the rate increase request. If the proposed rate increase is approved, the total monthly charge in this area would be raised from $9.10 to $ 13.10, an increase of ab out 44 percent, he said. Currentlv, the monthly charge of $9.10 includes a $7.90 c harge for service and $1.20 charge for extended area service. The prop osed $4 increase would be for the set v ice c harge, not the extended area service c harge. Wallace said. Extended area service enables citizens to call surrounding com munities lot local rates instead of the long-distance rates that nor mally would he c harged. Wallace said the LAS charge, which everyone receives, will re main the same. “LAS is not an optional service such as call-forwarding." he said. “It s something that everyone in the comimmitv has to agree on." Hav ing a rate increase approved involves up to a year of extensive study, detailing expenses and re venues, Wallace said. The phone company decides how much re venue is needed f or expenses, then files proposed price hikes with the Public Utility Gommission. Testimony from phone com pany representatives is presented during a hearings. A hearing ex aminer then presents a report of the proceedings to the three- member PUG for a final ruling. inside Around Town 4 Classified 8 Local 3 National 19 Opinions 2 Polic e Beat 4 Sports 13 State - • ■ • 5 What's up 12 forecast Mostly clear skies today w'ith the high reaching 70. Northerly winds at 10 to 15 mph. Mainly clear for tonight with a low near 43. Clear and warmer on Saturday with a high around 74.