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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1989)
1 The Battalion STATE & LOCAL Wednesday, July 26,1089 — Man opens fire with rifle on police WICHITA FALLS (AP) — A po lice officer died of cardiac arrest short I v after undergoing surgery for bullet wounds he suffered when a man angered by construction noise opened fire on police, officials said ' • Lt. Walter Tommy Collins. 52. died at about 6:15 p.m. at Bethania Regional Hospital. Sgt. Jim Ber- nethe. who heads the homicide unit, said The bodv was being sent to Dal las for an autopsy. Bernethe said Odlins had undergone open heart surgery a few years ago. Collins and two other officers Mere investigating a report of a man with a gun when Ctdlins was shot in the shoulder. Officer Stese Pruitt, 58, was in sta ble condition after undergoing sur- One officer dead, two injured in Wichita Falls E a serious threatening rry for a shoulder wound, said Les Schaffner “He’s got injury, but it*s not a life-t one, she said Officer Don Gossett. 35. who was shot in the leg, was treated and re leased. The suspect led authorities on a six-hour manhunt before he was ap prehended by a highwav patrol heli copter. Bernethe said the man could face a capital murder charge and two attempted capital murder charges. The helicopter plucked the sus pect from the Wicnila River, which flows through this North Texas city about 125 miles northwest of Dallas. said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman David Wells. He was taken to Bethania Re gional. the same hospital where the officers were treated, and was to un dergo surgerv for a gunshot wound to the left shoulder. Schaffner said The gunman fired a .30-30-cali- ber rifle when the officers arrived at the suspect’s trailer home about 11 a.m . officials said. "When the first officer arrived on the scene, he tried to tell the man to put the gun down and he was shot Two other officers responded. They alvi were shot.” said Pat Yates. Wi chita Falls Police spokesman Witness R.j. Ixigan said he saw the suspect and one officer stand “toe-to-toe” and exchange fire. Logan said the officer was hit in the shoulder and the suspect was wounded in the side. Authorities could not immediately confirm Logan's report. Ann Perry, administrative assis tant to the Wichita Falls Housing Authority, said the confrontation be gan when the man. who lived in a trailer next to the Ben Donnell pub lic housing complex complained about noise from a construction crew modernizing a vacant, six-unit building. “He told them to settle down.” Perry said. After a heated exchange, the suspect went in his house and re turned with a rifle. Inmates confined to cells for investigation MIDWAY (AP) — More than 400 inmates remained confined to their cells Tuesday as officials investigated a weekend disturbance that ended in the first state prison slaving in more than a year. Inmates in three cell blocks at the Texas Department of (airrections’ Ferguson Unit only were being al lowed out of their cells to take show ers. said prison spokesman David Nunnelee One cell block was involved in the raciallv-motivated disturbance be tween blac ks and Hispanics on Sun day afternoon, Nunnelee said. Donovan Fitzgerald Ingram, a 24- year-old inmate serving a 10-year term for aggravated robbery in Montgomery County, was stalibed twice and later died at Huntsville Memorial Hospiul. Twelve other in mates were injured and were treated at the prison infirmary. Prison officials decided to confine prisoners to their cells in the other two cell blocks on Monday because of “racial tensions,”’ he said. There were no reports of fun her violenc e. Two inmates suspected of insti gating the disturbance were being held in detention, but authorities had not identified any pmsible sus pects in the fatal stabbing. Ingram's death was the first kill ing in the prison system this year, Nunnelee said. The last occurred July 17, 1988, when William Horton, a 24-year-old inmate from Hams C'/Ounty who had been in prison about 18 days, was stabbed to death with a screwdriver in an unprovoked Gang-rape trials of 3 will be moved SAN DIF.CiO, Texas (AP) — The trials of three de fendants in the March 1988 gang rape of a Duval (Utunty woman will lie moved, prosecutors and attor neys agreed. “I tbink we’ll get a fair trial there,” W.R. Hitchens, at torney for Roberto Andres Garcia, who will be tried in /.apata C -minty on charges of aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault, said Monday. Attorneys said the trials of Isidro Soliz and Corando Perez Jr. will be moved to Jim Hogg County. Garcia and Perez are accused of aggravated kidnap ping and sexual assault and Soliz is accused of aggra vated kidnapping. Assistant District Attorney Rudv Gutierrez said his office expects the woman to testify at the trials although his office has not had any contact with the victim since May. when the last pretrial hearing was held in the case. More or less, we know how to get hold of her," Gu tierrez said, referring to his office’s working with the woman through Crisis Service's, a counseling program that has figured heavily in the woman’s efforts to cope with the gang rape. Gutierrez saio he will attempt to consolidate the trials of six defendants listed on two separate aggravated kid napping indictments. He said attorneys for three of those defendants — Garcia. Perez and Soliz — tenta tively have agreed to combining the cases. Duval County authorities charged 10 men and a ju venile in connection with an incident in which a San Diego woman reported that she was kidnapped from a street near her home and taken to a rural area where she was sexually assaulted by as many as 20 men. The woman said, and witnesses later confirmed, that men attending a cockfight would not come to hei aid while she was being assaulted by the men on the hood of an automobile. Defense lawyer Jose Luis Ramos, who represents Perez, said the outcome of previous trials showed the need for moving the trials out of Duval Caiunty. The first two defendants. Orlando Gar/a and Felipe Chew, were given 20- and 50-year sentences, resp^- lively, after Duval County juries recommended sui t pe nalties. The third defendant. Jjloberto Perez, was tried in ifidal go County and given a two-vear suspended sen tence and five years* probation. Ramos said he believes the Duval (k>untv juries were compelled to return stiff sentenc es to offset the batter- mg t> lat San Diego's image has taken from news cover age of the incident and trials. “Can vou imagine what would have lieen said if they had been found not guilty ? That’s why we’re moving.' Ramos said. attack at the Goree Unit in Hunt sville. "There were reports from the of ficers that there were racial tensions. You determine that by what the pris oners are saying.” Nunnelee saicl. Prison guards used tear gas to stop the disturhaiH r. which involved about 120 inmates Inmates broke furniture and win dows, using the glass as a weapon. Nunnelee said Guards also found five homemade stabbing devices along with several padlocks attached to belts. “It’s not something we expected, obviously," Nunnelee said of the dis turbance. “But it’s a voting popula tion there. You have a bunch of voung men who think they are tough. It might have lieen some sort of power plav to see who was tougher. That happens more with the younger (prison) population ” Senate committee votes $225 million for collider funding WASHINGTON (AP) — The superconducting super collider, clearing one of its last legislative hurdles, wort $225 million in 1990 funding Tuesday from the Senate Appropriations (ximmit- tee. The committee’s action came in a unanimous vote to approve the Energy and Water Appro priations Act. The full Senate could begin debate on collider funding Thursday. “We nave one more hurdle to get over before we can be assured construction will begin next year,” said Sea. Lloyd Bentsen. D-Texas igue. Re can Phil Gramm, called Tuesday's vote the biggest step in the legis lative process for the collider. which is to be built near Waxaha- chie. “We will have a groundbreak ing sometime after Oct. I on the most important scientific project to be built anywhere in the world." Gramm predicted Bentsen said an amendment might be offered during the com mittee meeting regarding foreign funding of the collider. No amendment was offered, how ever. President Bush asked for $250 million to begin construction on the collider, but the House ap proved only $200 million. Many Texas congressional leaders viewed Senate approval as the largest obstacle to collider funding, but Bentsen said, “Things have gone better than any of us expected so far." Mobley joins Houston research consortium Texas A&M President William H. Mobley was appointed to a 15-mem ber board of directors this week for the Houston Area Research Center, a non-profit research consortium designed to serve as a link between industry, universities and govern ment. A spokesman for MARC said they plan to move into 1990 by making a more streamlined board of directors and recruiting additional collabora tive institutions from across the na tion. HARC specializes in research on materials scienc e, lasers, high energy phvsics, supercomputing, groin h- nologv. space and policy studies. Texas AJcM, with Rke University, the University of Texas at Austin and the University- of Houston, founded the research consortium. Austin to vote Saturday on fate of proposed convention center TDC claims Harris County hogs prison space HOUSTON ( AP) — The Texas Department of Corrections claims Harris County is hogging more than its share of the state's prison space. .Harris County officials have blamed TDC for its overcrowding problems, saving that TDC won’t ac cept all of its prison-bound inmates. The county has sought an order forcing TDC to accept all convicted inmates, and U.S. District Judge James DeAnda indicated last month he would rule for the county unless prison officials provided evidence the crowding isn't their fault. But in papers filed Monday in federal court, the prison system said Hams CxHinty’s get-tough crime E licies — not the prison system — ve created the backlog of Telons “We’re not saying they cannot be tough and aggressive on crime." said Assistant Attorney General Robert Ozer. "But. if they are, thev better be prepared to build some jails, to add some capacity." In addition, the TDC- accused the countv of treating tight state prison space as an unlimited “free good." saying the countv sentences higher- than-average numbers to prison TDC. which is under a federal court order to keep its population under 95 percent of capacity , al ready has established an admimstra live formula in which Harris County felons get about 25 perc ent of prison beds, even though the county has about 16 percent oi the state's pop ulation. The county’s judges were crit icized for reluctance to use personal- release bonds, alternative sanctions and community release programs, and for reiving on prosecutors' sen tencing recommendations without question. But county officials said prosecu tors and judges base the duty to try criminals, and the state has the dutv to house them. AUSTIN (AP) — Austin voters will deckle Saturday whether the city should build a $69 million conven tion center that backers say is a kev to increasing tourism in the capital city. Analysts say the decision will rest on one factor: whether voters be lieve J^can be built without anv cost to local taxpayers Supporters sav the convention center can be built. }>aid for and maintained using revenue generated exclusively from convention center operations and the hotel bed tax. which is paid by visitors to the city. Opponents disagree. “It’s simple," savs Mayor I-re (aioke. who characterizes the con vention centei as a business invest ment based on economic projec tions. “If you think our economy will rebound, then this convention cen ter will work If vou don’t, then vote against it." Ed Ramsev. chairman of Gitizens Against Convention (’-enter Bonds.- savs. “The consultant’s use of out-j dated population growth pnijec- tions. which thev obtained from the city, combined with inflated revenue projections for the convention cen-' ter creates an investment risk factor so hijrh that many prudent investors would pass it bv. This is purely and simply a bad business deal. " Under the proposal, the city plans to acquiar five blocks of downtown land just west of Interstate 35. The city owns half of a block, the Univer sity of Texas nearly one block, and private landowners the rest. If the project is approved by vot ers and goes according to plan, the convention center would open in July 1992. At that time, the costs would continue on two other levels: operating costs and debt repayment. Since the beginning, debate has focused on the contention by propo nents that the entire project coulcf he built and funded with a portion of the revenues of the 7 percent tax that the city levies on hotel rooms. The revenues from this tax would be apportioned so that, of every 7 cents collected. 4.5 cents would be used for the convention center and 2.5 cents would he used for cultural arts programs and tourism promo tion. Because the hotel tax currently generates about $7 million a year and because not all of that money would be available for the conven tion center, project opponents have questioned whether the funding plan will work. Opponents say the convention center will cost so much to build and lose so much money that the hotel tax and operational revenues will not be able to cover the costs — and city taxpayers will end up paying the bill, probablv through increased property taxes To address this issue, the City Council hired the Minneapolis- based accounting firm of Coopers A Lvbrand. The firm conducts surveys on the market demand for such pro jects, analyzes how much money they could bring into the community ana propoaes methods of paying the costs. In the latest report, earlier this month, the consultant estimated that the convention center will draw enough business and generate enough hotel tax revenues to pay for itself Correction The date for the Lyric Art Fe*- C-oncert was Sated incor- tn Tueadav s “What s Up." owert aeries ended in June. BmmUoa regrets the error. t Live Entertainment Wednesday & Thursdays July 26th & 27th “Zen Archer”. August 2nd & 3rd ‘Buster Brown <41 99 $2.00 cover after 10:00 (21 & over) Happy Hour 8-10:30 and Free Beer 8-9 Nightly $1.00 Coupon for Wednesday Hight 313 S. Cones* Skaggs Shopping Canter 846-MERC SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE Contact Lenses^ ££ Only Quality Name Brands 9 (Bausch & Lomb, Ciba. Barnes-Hinds-Hydrocurve) * pr*-STD. CLEAR DAILY WEAR SOFT LENSES X) pr*-STD. EXTENDED WEAR SOFT LENSES X) pr.*-STD. TINTED SOFT LENSES DAILY WEAR OR EXTENDED WEAR SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES Call 696-3754 For Appointment [CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D. DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY 4 *Eya exam not Included, t Free care kit with exam and fiair of kenees. L b 707 South Texas Avs., Suite 101D College Station. Texas 77840 1 block Soutti of Tons A University SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE Call Battalion Classified 845-2611 Courtyard Apartments 600 University Oafct 696-3391 e SWIMMING POOL •HOT TL B sCt.LB BOOM •LAUNDRY RCKIM •?4 HOUR MAINTENANCE •SHUTTLE BUS •VOLLEYBALL, TENNIS A BASKETBALL COURTS •SPACIOUS 1 A 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS (flai A «ud*»i •SPEC IAL MOVE IN RATES NEAR CORNER OF HA8VEY RD A STALUNGS P8-BEHIND POST OAK BANK $50 $50 $50 $60 $90 $50 $50 $50 $50 880 $60 $50 n® PAINFUL MUSCULAR INJURIES $50 Indivfduai wflhrBcanflotwwr back or neck pain, sprain, strums. 150 $50 muscle spasms, or painful muscular sport injury to participate $50 $50 in a one week research study $50 incentive for thoee choean $50 $50 lo participate. » $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 »£ ASTHMA STUDY SS WOO Wanted Individuals ages 12-70 wfth asthma to partic- JJjO tpate in a research study to evaluate asthma medica- *??? $200 tions. $200 incentive kx those chosen to participate $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 CALL PAULL RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 776-0400