Wednesday, January 11 1984/The Battalion/Page 7
Shrimpers’ report
asks investigation
into boat seizures
United Press International
BROWNSVILLE — The
Texas Shrimp Association
Tuesday released a six-page
report on the Mexican Navy’s
boarding and armed seizure
of two American trawlers
miles inside the U.S. fishing
zone. The report termed the
incident “an act of piracy” and
asked for a U.S. State Depart
ment investigation.
Ralph Rayburn, executive
director of the association,
said he made a written request
to Edward E. Wolfe, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State
for Oceans and Fish, to con
duct a full investigation into
the Coast Guard’s handling of
the Dec. 5 affair to ensure
such incidents are not repe
ated.
Rayburn asked the State
Department to make recom
mendations to the Coast
Guard on protecting Amer
ican flag vessels on the high
seas, requiring verification of
“hot pursuit” claims such as
the Mexicans used in seizing
the shrimp boats, and deter
mining methods of compen
sation “for losses to crewmen
and vessel owners as a result of
acts of piracy.”
Owners and crews of both
boats denied allegations by the
captain of the 305-foot des
troyer escort Chihuahua that
the Texas vessels had violated
Mexico’s fishing zone.
The Coast Guard simply
“took the Mexicans’ word”
that the two boats had been
illegally shrimping inside
Mexico’s 200-mile economic
zone and that the gunboat was
“in hot pursuit,” Rayburn
said.
He estimated total damages
to the two boats, crews and
owners at $150,000 and said
the State Department also
should consider imposing an
embargo on Mexican shrimp
imports if there is no satisfac
tion of the demands.
The association’s investiga
tive report, prepared by Tony
Reisinger of the Texas A&M
University Marine Advisory
Service, was based on inter
views with crews of the Texas
shrimp trawlers Santa Monica
and Miss Chairmaine whose
owners accused the Mexican
Navy of piracy and kidnap
ping.
Reisinger advised area
shrimpers to fish in groups
until the issue is resolved be
cause the Mexican gunboats
would be less likely to try to
capture fleets of boats.
State news briefs
Teacher facing drug charge
United Press International
MIDLAND— A fourih grade teacher jailed with her husband
on charges they sold heroin to adults was suspended from her job
without pay pending a trial on ijie charges, school officials said.
Maria Rosario Fiores Luna, 26, was not suspected of setting
drugs to children but rather to adults, a Department of Public
Safety spokesman said Tuesday.
Midland Principal Clint Adams said officers came to the school
Friday and told him they planned to arrest Mrs. Luna. A DPS
spokesman said the teacher’s husband, Heravio Luna Jr., was
arrested Friday near his home.
Mrs. Luna was in custody on $50,000 bond for selling heroin
while Luna was in custody on $60,000 bond for possession of
heroin and delivery of cocaine.
The DPS spokesman said nine people had been indicted in the
case and more arrests were expected.
Beached baby whale feeding
United Press International
GALVESTON — “LaFitte,” a baby whale who beached himself
on New Year’s Day, was eating Tuesday and his condition was
improving, a Sea-Arama Marineworld spokeswoman said.
The 125-pound pygmy sperm whale had refused to eat anything
last week, but he began nibbling on some squid Sunday. By Mon
day, he had chowed down more than two pounds of fish.
Whales that strand themselves usually refuse to eat anything at
a//after they are rescued. They usually die within days.
LaFitte was found with his mother on the beach by a commercial
fisherman, but the mother whale died last week.
Marine experts are hopeful the baby came ashore because it
followed his mother and not because he has medical problems.
Residents protest dump site
United Press International
j ASHERTON — Some of the ajpproximately 1,000 Dimmit
County residents who gathered in the high school auditorium to
express their opposition to a proposed, low-level nuclear waste
disposal site held signs saying “Hell no, we won’t glow.”
Dr. William Fisher, chairman of the Texas Low-Level Radiactive
I Waste Disposal Authority, told the crowd Monday it would be at
I least two months before his agency knew whether the town would
j| be one of two candidate sites.
■f U.S. Rep. Abraham “Chick” Kazen and other elected officials
I questioned the safety of locating a waste site near Asherton, located
about 100 miles southwest of San Antonio.
He said the waste site would jeopardize plans to build a reservoir
| on the nearby Nueces River.
Town looking for new chief
United Press International
LITTLEFIELD — City officials are taking applications for a new
police chief in light of Chief Charles Morris’s Jan. 31 resignation.
Morris told city officials he had accepted ajob in Austin with the
Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and
Education. The new post means Morris will work as an administra-
| live specialist, he said Tuesday.
Littlefield City Manger George Shackelford said Littlefield’s
three sergeants would be responsible for their own shifts until a
; new chief was named.
Union disputes picket law
United Press International
TYLER—Claiming the state’s picketing law is vague and uncon
stitutional, a union has asked federal Judge William Wayne Justice
tostrikedown the statute. A hearing on the issue was scheduled for
Wednesday morning.
The dispute grew out of the arrests of pickets and their lawyers
at a Tyler business in 1979. Police made more than 70 arrests
during a two-week period in March 1979 during efforts toorganize
the Buddy Schoellkopf plant, a Dallas-based company that pro
duces down-filled products and marine equipment.
Local 746 of the United Rubber, Cork, Linoleum and Plastic
Workers of America sued the company and the city of Tyler to stop
the arrests.
Justice ordered a halt to what he called the “harassment,” but his
action was later overturned by 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
New Orleans.
The law says no more than two pickets can stand within 50 feet of
each other and within 50 feet of the plant entrance.
Oil barges beached by storm
United Press International
PORT LAVACA — The owner of two barges loaded with a total
oi 28,000 barrels of waste oil Tuesday worked to float the vessels
which were pushed ashore by rough seas in Matagorda Bay, a Coast
Guard spokesman said.
Lt. Michael Russell said the Coast Guard office in Corpus Christi
was monitoring the situation Tuesday.
The barges, owned by Dean Towing Co., broke away from their
tow vessel, the Diane Dean, and beached Monday night as a cold
front pushed across the Texas coast.
Procedures cause unnecessary pain
State executions lacking ‘dignity’
HUNTSVILLE — Conde
mned killers no longer can be
hooked up to intravenous nee
dles prior to injection executions
in Texas until such a time as
those executions can legally be
carried out, the Texas Board of
Corrections has decided.
Reacting to public criticism
following murderer James
“Cowboy” Autry’s near execu
tion Oct. 4, the board which
oversees the Texas Department
of Corrections said on Monday
current procedures may have
caused unnecessary pain.
Autry had intravenous nee
dles in his arms for an hour, pris
on officials said.
Meanwhile, the three-
member board recommended
other changes they hoped will
bring more “decorum and dig
nity” to executions.
Citing what it called a near
riot when spectators outside the
Huntsville Unit were told Au
try’s execution was stayed, the
board recommended a new
death chamber be built at a pris
on outside the city.
The Huntsville Unit, with its
death chamber, is located near
downtown in a residential area.
Last October, about 250 people
booed and shouted obscenities
at Texas Attorney General Jim
Mattox when he announced the
U.S. Supreme Court had
granted u la«t-minute stay.
Until a new facility can be
built, the existing death cham
ber will be remodeled. Air con
ditioning will be added.
Other changes will separate
witnesses for the state from the
inmate by a barred barrier, and
give the executioner a room with
a view through a one-way
mirror.
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For information call: Vicki 260-5808
SAVE!
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, Rebeca 845-2665 §
Northgate — Across from the Post Office
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