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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1997)
Page Tuesday • March 18,15 Epidemic of poisoned dogs grips small town ► State FISHERMAN’S PARADISE, Texas (AP) — Among cedar- and oak-lined hills overlooking the Brazos River, dozens of crosses remind residents that there’s trouble in Paradise. By residents’ count, 47 dogs are dead or miss ing. The poison, strychnine, is an increasingly pop ular weapon that also killed Texas rodeo horses and other animals this year. Melissa Drinning recalled the horror of finding three dead dogs in her back yard Jan. 15. A cross in front of her house lists two of the victims, her 6- month-old beagle, Domino, and her mother’s year-old Rottweiler, Gypsy. “I walked down the back stairs and the neigh bors’ dog, the little white dog Tuffy they had, was dead, lying by the trash can,” the teen-ager said. “I saw him and I just started crying, because I loved that dog just like he was my own. "Then I went around the back of the house and I saw Gypsy by a tree. She was dead,” said Ms. Drin ning, 18. “I was screaming, hollering and crying. I turned around and saw Domino dead, lying about 15 feet away.” At least some of the dozens of animal poison ings around the state in 1997 are believed to be copycat crimes. Eighteen horses died at the Van Zandt County Rodeo Arena less than a month after the poison ings at Fisherman’s Paradise, an unincorporated development about 70 miles southwest of Dallas. In Wichita Falls, four dogs were poisoned by strychnine-laced food last month. Although thousands of dollars in rewards are posted in the unrelated attacks, there are no sus- “Someone could be upset from dogs running around the place and just decided to take care of it themselves.” Pam Jetsel Sheriff spokeswoman pects, no leads and no firm motive. Some residents reported seeing a suspicious truck before the dog poisonings. And 37-year-old Debbie Spears, Ms. Drinning’s mother, chased two trespassers from her back yard afterward. Neither lead has panned out. "There have actually been dozens of different [poisoning] incidents,” said Dr. John Reagor, a tox icologist at Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab in College Station, where two of the dogs from Fisherman’s Paradise were autopsied. “Some of it is the mimic business. Certainly, it is tailing off now,” he said, blaming media cov erage about the availability of strychine-based poisons as a reason for the surge. “In just one day, a couple of weeks after Fisherman’s, we had five different cases.” Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford joined a task force with the county attorney and judge as well as commission members to solve the mystery. Some residents acknowledge the community has a problem with numerous dogs running loose. Although Johnson County does not have a leash law, the second spate of dog poisonings in three years at Fisherman’s Paradise has prompted new restrictions. Commissioners have directed sheriff’s officers to impound wandering dogs be lieved to be dangerous. “They are beginning to suspect the culprit could be someone who lives right there,” Pam Jet sel, a sheriff’s spokeswoman, said of the residents. “Someone could be upset from dogs running around the place and just decided to take care of it themselves.” Tuffy’s owner, 62-year-old Reba Horton, said her affectionate Pekingese didn’t deserve to die from poisoning. Dallas fails to attract Blockbuster workers family ties there, accordinj Jonathan Baskin, a Blockbuste nior vice president. Others, he said, viewed Dalte a long way to go for an hourlyjd DALLAS (AP) — With most Block buster Entertainment Corp. workers opting against following their compa ny from Florida to Texas, up to 600 jobs are up for grabs in the city where the $3 billion chain started about 11 years ago. About two-thirds of the 900 head quarters workers for the world’s largest video rental company have re jected various relocation packages. About 40 percent of Blockbuster’s available jobs in Dallas pay hourly wages while the remainder are salaried, said Rosanna Durruthy, Blockbuster’s vice president of staffing and relocation. “It’s a broad range” of jobs, she said. “From information systems to finance and accounting, retail mer chandising and store planning, online technologies, corporate relations, hu man resources, the office of the gen eral counsel — a bit of everything." Many of those who chose to stay in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said they had Property taxesyif more state revem AUSTIN (AP)—Schools,citiesi ties and other local govemmentsai the state levied nearly $16 Bo property taxes in 1995, a 3.4 pe increase over the previous yea' state comptroller reported Morca Texans' property tax $15.98 billion, with 58.5 perce that going to local school disfc School taxes, which totaled!! billion, rose 3.5 percent over 199; report said. The school levy is the targetdi George W. Bush’s push fora tax overhaul. Bush proposes replacing ate billion in local school taxes with; billion state budget surplus,ahari sales tax increase and a newbysi activity tax. Legislative committees are to at the school property tax andtc to see if alternatives can beta 3 pa This day in History Weather (AP) — Today is Tuesday, March 18, the 77th day of 1997. There are 288 days left in the year. On this date: In 1766, Britain repealed the Stamp Act. In 1922, Mohandas K. Gandhi was sentenced in India to six years’ imprisonment for civil disobedience. He was released after serving two years. In 1931, Schick Inc. marketed the first electric razor. In 1940, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini held a meet ing at the Brenner Pass across the Alps during which the Italian dictator agreed to join in Germany’s war against France and Britain. In 1959, President Eisenhower signed the Hawaii statehood bill. In 1974, most of the Arab oil-producing nations end ed their embargo against the United States. Five years ago: South African President F.W. de Klerk claimed victory for his reforms a day after a whites-only referendum on whether to end apartheid. National Foot ball League owners voted to drop the use of instant video tape replays to settle disputed calls during games. One year ago: Rejecting an insanity defense, a jury in Dedham, Mass., convicted John C. Salvi III of murdering two women in a pair of attacks at two Boston-area abor tion clinics in December 1994. Last November, Salvi com mitted suicide in his cell. Today Tonight Tomorrow Highs & Lows Today's birthdays loday’s Expected Hi 75°F Tonights Expected li 44°F Actor Peter Graves is 71. Author George Plimpton is 70. Author John Updike is 65. Former South African pres ident F.W. de Klerk is 61. Country singer Charley Pride is 59. Singer Vanessa Williams is 34. Olympic gold medal speedskater Bonnie Blair is 33. Rock musician Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) is 31. Rock singer-musician Miki Berenyi (Lush) is 30. Rapper-actress Queen Latifah is 27. Tomorrow’s Expects High 68°F Clearing in the after noon with a 30 percent chance of rain and NW winds of 20-25 mph. Fair skies and cool with NW winds of 10-15 mph. Clear with NW winds of 10-15 mph. Tomorrow Nights Expected Low SOT Information courtesy of TAMSC Class of ‘00 Room 111 Koldus Bldg. Class of ‘99 Room 502 Rudder Twr. General Class Meeting Wednesday March 19, 1997 7:00 RM. All students are welcome to attend!!!! Class of ‘98 Room 707 Rudder Twr. Class of ‘97 Room 302 MSC LOST & FOUND AUCTION Come and bid on umbrellas, coats, clocks, basketballs, and much more. Wednesday, March 19 MSC Flagroom 11:00~2:00 Sponsored by: MSC Hospitality ’’VT' enjar nox, , ha caree rawing '0 if van nivers rganii ere hi vrk in ical gi SiSC Mo* .UiK'-msOM'V Ji Wranglers ta AGGIECON XWIII Presents on March 20-23: Drew Hayes Poison Elves Bruce Sterling Difference Engine Dave Doorman Artist - Star Wars Arthur C. Clarke Phone-In Interview Brian Stelfreeze Artist - Shadow of the Bat Plus: Gaming, VLARP, Falkenstein LAPP, Movies, Panels, Art Show, Dealers Room, Anime Room, Network Gaming, Masquerade Ball, and Charity Auction to benefit Scotty’s House! For More Information Contact MSC Cepheid Variable at 845-1515 4v Persons with disabilities please call 845-1515 to inform us of your special needs. We request notification three (3) working days prior to the event to enable us to assist you to the best of our abilities. Tr Want to help New Students? ^JCant to make new friends? Become an O.L.! Join the Aggie Orientation Leader Program o ^ ,,ov < h 5Jd Information Sessions: Applications: March 18 & 19, 8:30pm Available at 314 YMCA Rudder 401 Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm Applications Due March 21 7 M4 YMCA For more information - Call 862-2746 u Headin' in the Right Direction... .Aggieland, U. S.A. The Battalion Rachel Barry, Editor in Chief Michael Landauer, Executive Editor Wesley Poston, City Editor Tiffany Moore, Managing Editor Kristina Buffin, Sports Eoi Stew Milne, Visual Arts Editor Alex Walters, Opinion Edik* John LeBas, Aggielife Editor Chris Stevens, Web Editor Jody Holley, Night News Editor Tim Moog, Photo Editor Helen Clancy, Night News Editor Brad Graeber, Cartoon Ed® Staff Members City Desk - Assistant Editor: Melissa Nunnery; Reporters: Rebecca Torrellas, Brandon Hausenfluck, Kevin Cummings 1 Oliveira, Erica Roy, Graham Harvey, JoAnne Whittemore, Jackie Vratil, Benjamin Cheng, Shikonya Cureton.Joey Schlueter, Kathleen Strickland, Marissa Alanis & Shea Wiggins Aggielife Desk - Assistant Editor: April Towery; Feature Writers: Aaron Meier, Shea Wiggins, Michael Schaub, Daphne Phillips, Brandon Truitt, Missy Price, Karen Janes & Melanie Benson; Page Designers: Artie Alvarado & Daphne!*’ : Sports Desk - Assistant Editor: Paul Mitchell; Writers: Jamie Burch, Sara Duesing, Jeremy Furtick, Matt Mitchell,Co# Lyons, Dennis Ramirez, Chris Ferrell, Lara Zuehlke & Nicole Smith; Page Designer: Eric Proctor Opinion Desk - Assistant Editor: James Francis; Columnists: Jon Apgar, David Boldt, Mason Jackson,Jenne Hamlin,S»‘ ! Llano, Joshua Hill, Steve May, Heather Pace, Donny Ferguson, Kate Shropshire, Dave Johnston, Glenn Janik,Ge# Franklirl, Robby Ray, Courtney Phillips, John Lemmons, Brandon Hausenfluck,Travis Chow & Jeremy Valdez Night News - Page Designers: Jennifer Bishop, Angie Rodgers, Joshua Miller, Lisa Wells & Michele Chancellor Copy Editors - Elisa Douglass, Missy Davila, Shea Wiggins, Gina Panzica & Matt Weber Visual Arts Desk - Assistant Photo Editor: Dave House; Photographers: Rony Angkriwan, Patrick James, Ryan RogeisS 1 Dunlap; Graphic Artists: Jennifer Maki, James Palmer & James Vineyard; Cartoonists: Michael Depot, Chad Malls* David Hoffman, John Lemons, Ed Goodwin & Quatro Oakley Webmasters ■ Dusty Moer, Sara Candy, David Friesenhahn & Daniel Holwerda News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Studentiy cations, a unit of the Department of Journalism. News offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. 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