The Battalion
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Photograph: Pat James
OVf^rinn Hi^t'orv Johnny Herrera, an A&M maintenance worker, strips away layers of
v^i ii ■ ■■ y p aint from Fish Pond fountain to reveal the insignia of the Class of ’38.
Texas executes
man convicted
of triple slaying
HUNTSVILLE (AP) — An oil-field
yard worker was executed Tuesday
for the 1987 slayings of three people,
including a 10-year-old girl and an
ex-boss he claimed got him fired.
Eddie James Johnson, 44, was
pronounced dead at 6:34 p.m. CDT,
seven minutes after an executioner
released a lethal dose of drugs into
his arms.
The condemned man professed
his innocence in a final statement,
turning to three members of his vic
tims’ family who watched through
glass a few feet away.
Johnson, the 23rd inmate put to
death in 1997, was the second con
demned killer marched into the
Texas death chamber this week and
the seventh this month.
Another execution was set for
Wednesday as Texas extends a
record year for carrying out capi
tal punishment.
Correction
In the article that ran in The
Battalion on June 4 titled “Bar
awaits ruling in TABC case,”
Doug Sparks’ age was incor
rectly identified. Sparks was 30
years old at the time of the in
cident. Also, charges filed by
the Texas Alcoholic Beverage
Commission were against
Mansard House, Inc. In addi
tion, bartenders are not re
quired to be TABC certified;
certification is an option for
liquor license holders.
IRA
Continued from Page 1
John Graham, 34, and David
Johnston, 30, were the first North
ern Ireland Protestants killed by the
IRA since it resumed hostilities
against British rule 16 months ago.
“It undoubtedly looks like the
IRA have gone in for this brutal,
cynical device, deliberately to raise
tensions, running up to the 6th of
July,” Graham said.
The British minister responsible
for governing Northern Ireland, Mo
Mowlam, shuttled Tuesday between
Orange leaders and Catholic pro
testers to try to win a consensus. Both
sides said nothing had changed.
Mowlam also stopped in neigh
boring Lurgan where the police
men were gunned down Monday
to sign a book of condolences.
Bouquets and handwritten notes
—one of which said “My blood runs
cold at this dreadful act... From a lo
cal Catholic family”—lined the side
walk where the men were killed.
Police raided several homes in
Kilwilkie, Lurgan’s biggest Catholic
neighborhood where the gunmen’s
car was abandoned, and one man
was arrested for questioning.
Northern Ireland has a long his
tory of trouble over marches. In
1995, while the IRA was observing
a cease-fire, Catholics began block
ing marches through Catholic
neighborhoods, led mostly by fig
ures associated with the Irish Re
publican Army.
Tobacco negotiations stall
WASHINGTON (AP) —Tobacco
negotiators hit a major impasse
Tuesday over how much legal pro
tection to offer cigarette makers
and how strictly the government
will regulate nicotine.
“The tobacco industry must
be punished for past miscon
duct, must maintain their lia
bility for the future ... and nico
tine has to be regulated by the
FDA,” said Mississippi Attorney
General Michael Moore. “They
will give us what we want, or we
will go to trial.”
What exactly is punishment? The
attorneys were short on specifics.
“They are going to really and
truly hurt,” pledged Florida At
torney General Bob Butterworth,
angry that tobacco companies
were even resisting calls to admit
their products are dangerous un
der the settlement.
“They have to be punished for
all their past activities. Period. Pun
ished, punished, punished.”
But privately, one negotiator
said “punishment” actually
means a compromise one fac
tion is pushing: A lump-sum
payment that is part of the esti
mated $300 billion settlement,
to go either to the states or for
some “good deed” like health
care for uninsured children.
The industry then would be li
able only for punitive damages
for future wrongdoing.
“It’s not a cave-in,” said one per
son close to the talks. “It’s a setde-
ment for past conduct.”
But another source said
enough negotiators had reject
ed such a compromise that to
bacco foes were preparing to
walk away from the talks as
early as Wednesday unless the
industry offers a more viable
counteroffer.
Ranking
Continued from Page 1
Bryan-College Station did not
rank well in air pollution and
restaurants. The area was ranked
295th out of 300 cities with the
worst air pollution. Also, the area
was ranked 228th out of 300 in pro
fessional sports teams.
Morrison said that even though
Bryan-College Station ranked higher
last year, being ranked among the top
300 cities in the nation is an honor.
“To be in the top 100 is still signifi
cant,” Morrison said. “We haven’t
changed dramatically since last year.”
Morrison said quality of life was
a key factor in the ranking. Cultural
activity and transportation im
provements are among the factors
that increase the quality of life.
Also, he said next year's rank
should improve because of special
additions to the area.
“I think there’s a good possibility
that we will be ranked higher,” he said.
“The George Bush (Presidential) Li
brary opens in the fall, and Reed Are
na will follow that in the next year.”
Texas A&M University acts as a
major part of the economy and
lifestyle of Bryan-College Station.
Mary Helen Bowers, deputy di
rector of University Relations at
A&M, said the University adds to
the quality of life in the region.
“A&M greatly improves the quali
ty of life and the economy for Bryan-
College Station,” Bowers said. “It is a
nice marriage between the two.”
A&M greatly
improves the quality of
life and the economy for
Bryan-College Station.”
Mary Helen Bowers
Deputy director
of University Relations
;meil
letl
Bowers said Money changes
what city is ranked first every year to
spread the honor around and in
crease magazine sales.
“It is a fun thing for them to do,” she
said. “There are a lot of nice places to
live in this country other than New
York, Washington and LA—like here.”
Money magazine said the
gories used to rank the cities
compared to results of a survey
the ideal model of a city.
San Diego, Straus said, istheps
feet model for climate andtempei
ture. FBI statistics are usedtodet
mine crime rankings, and
rankings are determined by them
ber of museums, libraries and oil
art-related areas. Economic figui
are based on governmentalstatist
and data services, while educi
ranks are determined from infoml ini
tion compiled by Expansion Ma
agement, a trade magazine that pi Jl
vides data on high-school graduafi ?
rates and college statistics.
The health rankings, Straussai
come mainly from the CensusB ^
reau, and housing information
taken from the Regional Financ f
Associates and data from
I lousing Markets.
Leisure was determined froP
parks, water areas and pointsofi
terest. Restaurant rankingswerei M
eluded in this area also. Transpor
tion statistics were taken fromt tilth
mass-transit service.
Other Texas cities finishinginili
top 100 include Dallas, Galvesto
Houston, Austin and San Antonia
Research
Continued from Page 1
A mobile unit is on loan from the National Severe
Storm Center in Oklahoma City. Jerry Guynes, the se
nior research instrumentation specialist for the mete
orology department, said the mobile unit allows re
searchers to get a close-up view of storms.
“When a storm system is located on the radar,”
Guynes said, “a chase team is sent out to send up a
weather balloon and take a ‘thermodynamic picture’ of
a piece of the atmosphere.”
Two sounding systems, which launch the weather
balloons, are available.
Several faculty members and A&M students are in
volved in the project.
SveltaVeleva, a graduate student in meteorology, said she
is working on the project to get valuable field experience.
“We have seen many different storm systems, includ
ing the tornadoes in Jarrell,” Veleva said. “It is very excit
ing. We are having hands-on experience and are part of
the decision-making team. It is a great opportunity.”
But this past March, during an upgrade oftherai
dish’s antenna, the bearings in the dish were fom
worn beyond specifications. A small chance existi
that the one-ton dish could crash to the groundife ^
posed to too much movement. The dish was tei
porarily removed for repairs.
Guynes said the faulty dish could have proveddii iin
astrous for TEXACAL.
“If we could not have had the dish fixed intim|® ei l
NASA would have backed out and not returned
A&M,” Guynes said.
The first estimate of repair costs was $100,000 fortijl 1
crane needed to lift the dish off of its pedestal an hew
$25,000 for the repairs, according to Dr. Gerald Nortl Not
head of the Department of Meteorology. fetj
Guynes contacted several companies to locate totln
crane capable of reaching the roof of the O&M buili In IS
ing. A 350-ton boom crane was found for $24,
than half the estimated cost.
Funding for the project and repairs came from a
proval by the provost and donations from groups intl|!pe
meteorology department.
The entire operation cost less than $50,000
Weather Outlook
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FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Partly Cloudy
High: 94°
Low: 75°
Partly Cloudy
High: 94°
Low: 75°
Partly Cloudy
High: 94°
Low: 75°
Sk©feh
VMETHEK XT’S WATER OR 1U1CE
Ok Alcohol or paiRY,
someone's got to flush
it out —
THE INFAMOUS WHIZ FAIRY/
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SHE CIRCLES THE GLOfSE
FROM NEW YORK TO 5YPNEY,
VISITING US ALL AT NIGHT)
MAKING US TAP A KIDNEY.
TiKKl-Sl
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SHE IS THE CRAFTY CULPRIT
THAT CAUSES OVERLOAD
AS IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS
Get flushep pown the comope.
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By Quatn
IT’S A "TINKLE''AT BEST,
OR A "LEAK'AT WORST;
JUST REMEMBER HER MO
"ONZ/P OR YOU'LL BURST?
313 S. COLLEGE,
846-3343
WEDNESDAY
SUMMER SWIMSUIT
SHOWDOWN
* Ladies compete for
nsoo. 0 ^
* Prelims every Wednesday in June
FINALS JULY 2 nd
* 50C bar drinks * 75C Longnecks
8-10 p.m.
* $2.25 24 oz. Budlight Chuggers all night
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For more info call 846-1724
THINK WHEN YOU DRINK...DESIGNATE A DRIVER!
693-8498
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*3.75 Pitchers *1.50 Pints &
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Free Burgers & Dogs *9^*
*3.75 Pitchers *1.50 Pints &
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: Remember, Think When You Drink :
Stew Milne, Editor in Chief
Helen Clancy, Managing Editor
John LeBas, City Editor
April Towery, Lifestyles Editor
Kristina Buffin, Sports Editor
James Francis, Opinion Editor
Jody Holley, Night News Editor
Tim Moog, Photo Editor
Brad Graeber, Graphics Editor
Jacqueline Salinas, Radio E
David Friesenhahn, Web Editor
Staff Members
CnY- Assistant Editors: Erica Roy & Matt Weber;
Reporters: Michelle Newman, Joey Schlueter &
Jenara Kocks; Copy Editor: Jennifer Jones
Lifestyles- Rhonda Reinhart, Keith McPhail
& Jenny Vrnak
Sports- Matt Mitchell & Jeremy Furtick
Opinion- John Lemons, Stephen Llano, Robby Ray,
Mandy Cater, Leonard Callaway, Chris Brooks,
Dan Cone, Jack Harvey & General Franklin
Night News- Assistant Editor: Joshua Miller
Photo- Derek Demere, Robert McKay, R(
Angkriwan & Pat James
Graphics- Quatro Oakley, Chad Mallam
Ed Goodwin
Radio- Tiffany Moore, Will Hodges, Missy Kei
Amy Montgomery, Sunny Pemberton, Joey
Schlueter, Michelle Snyder & Karina Trevino
Web- Craig Pauli
Office Staff- Stacy Labay, Christy Clowdus&
Mandy Cater
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