vymi =rj a i j i w x
ficials add Grimes
to disaster list
ftropical Storm Allison cut a
hey wi
conducted I
~1 percent o|
hey favored i!
■ ads on
»-ose people v
m at anytirl
should be
c night,
iund that w:
cspondentso
els onTV.o* through Texas in recent
sr advertising.Aks, but central Texas and
h indicates: ie 3razos Valley were largely
ms at somenfB ar,r,a 9 ec ^ •
impact oft* oW< r ver ' the extensive
be outdiJ’ 1 sustained by
irir les County resulted in its
r H l jiiLBndy being added to the list
et 1 u nlwmmunities eligible for fed-
telephone A^jjsaster assistance.
22. 1 hemareB ec j era | emergency man-
cent. Hment agency officials say
frimes County was added to
. i'I Hist based on their review of
■r^-|-|'||Hrmation on the damage
/ 3 Uliatf e rec * by federal disaster re-
|m r y officials.
_~l ■i<iH he 9 overnrnent aid will
^ TlTHe in the form of temporary
*^^^pHsing/ low interest loans for
idi/iduals and businesses to
to grantexerM, e property repairs, unem-
iKcit exemr: [ 0 ^ men t assistance and
minors. ne£mt s for expenses caused by
er conditions Htorm but not met by oth-
states were • p-ograms.
ed becausetiHesidents who wish to seek
jes to graniHster assistance can apply by
rwise hiledlling 1-800-462-9029.
according to rHpplicants should have their
Center for 1 idi ess at the time of the dis-
c Polic\ r , wk iter / current address, social se-
,i c jriiy number, a list of dam-
— e m Ci9 es anc * ^beir current phone
whether J* 1 t )er on hand when calling.
gc i
ring
tutional and It
Bryan Police Depart-
teni is seeking the public's help
, t6rage facility gets
from defewburglarized Sunday
whether the -
oper venue
can sueonbe« e investigation of a burgla-
/ at a self-storage facility.
crime occurred be-
—/vein Sunday night and Mon-
S aylmoming, when someone
roke into AA Self Storage in
leMOOO block of Stewart
rept in Bryan.
Some of the stolen proper-
Has recovered near the fa-
lity, but it is not yet clear how
4 ''i I f i P ro P ert y was taken.
Exact figures will not be
ai able until the completion
an inventory of the facility.
H^yone with information on
Haurglary can contact the
yan Police Department at
>9 5301.
ohner investigator
ulicted for theft
Hie Texas coastline is erod-
Bt an astounding rate, but
ere is hope that a solution to
Haroblem will be found in
Hear future, according to a
Hs A&M researcher.
Tom Ravens, a researcher at
xas A&M-Galveston is study-
Hthe results of dredging
)n< rollover hay near the bo
ar xeninsula.
Sbme Texas beaches are
ading at the rate of 1 0 feet
ryear, ravens says, which has
en led to the destruction of
alh front property.
Ra vens is studying the effect
He dredging, and trying to
d out if depositing sand on
aches can create a more ef-
ient barrier to erosion.
• Teachers
leave families
home to earn
doctorates In
education
[Opinion
m •> Sex and the
? rural college
town: Is casual
sex too casual
a ttalion News Radio:
:57 p.m. KAMU 90.9
/ ww.thebatt.com
Cooking class
JP BEATO/The Battalion
Chef Mike Chonyak, chef at the Faculty Club, instructs at-risks youths from the Academy Rehabilitation
Motivation for Youth (A.R.M.Y.) boot camp. Chef Mike has been running the program for four years every
summer.
Police suspect woman of
drowning her five children
HOUSTON (AP) — A
woman who was said to be on
medication for depression was
arrested Wednesday on suspi
cion of drowning her five chil
dren, ages 6 months to 7 years,
in the bathtub.
The 36-year-old woman,
whose name was not immedi
ately released, had called po
lice to her home and was wet
when she answered the door,
police said.
“When our responding offi
cer arrived, he was met at the
door by the woman, who was
breathing heavily, and you could
tell she was disturbed,” police
spokesman John Cannon said.
“At that time she said to the of
ficer, T killed my children.”’
Cannon said the officer
asked where the children were
and was led on a grisly tour.
Found under a sheet on a bed
were Mary Yates, 6 months,
and three of her brothers,
Luke, 2; Paul, 3; and John, 5.
The fifth child, Noah, 7, was
in the bathtub.
“It is just rather unimagin
able,” Cannon said. “It’s difficult
to deal with when you are talking
about five little kids who were
killed, probably systematically.”
Authorities believe the chil
dren died from being drowned
one by one, though the cause of
death would not formally be
known until after autopsies
were conducted.
Police gave no motive for the
slayings, but the woman’s hus
band told police she had been
on medication to treat postpar
tum depression for the past two
years, since the birth of their
fourth child, Luke.
Judy Hay, a spokeswoman
for Children’s Protective Ser
vices, said records indicate the
woman attempted suicide two
years ago, on June 18, 1999.
Five days later, CPS was called
See Drowning on Page 2.
Energy
is not a
concern
in Texas
Officials say state
can meet demand
AUSTIN (AP) — With de-
mand for electricity rising like
the temperature in the hot sum
mer months, Texas should have
plenty of energy to cool off, state
officials said Wednesday.
Rising electric bills, however,
could make residents a little hot
under the collar.
With summer’s official start
on Thursday, Public Utility
Commission officials said Texas
should have plenty of electrici
ty to meet the demand for air
conditioning.
The summer peak demand is
expected to hit about 67,000
megawatts, well below the
statewide capacity of 83,000
megawatts.
Public Utility Commissioner
Brett Perlman pointed to the 50
new plants built or under con
struction since 1995 as a major
factor in meeting demand.
“We’re in good shape be
cause we have plenty of sup
ply,” Perlman said.
Texans will likely pay higher
electric bills this summer, how
ever.
Electricity bills are expected
to increase because of the higher
cost of natural gas, which makes
up 45 percent of the fuel used to
generate electricity in Texas.
State law allows utilities to pass
along higher fuel costs to cus
tomers as long as the utility does
not make an additional profit.
Utilities surveyed by the PUC
predict a typical household elec
tric bill will increase by about 18
See Energy on Page 2.
Mother of
8-year-old
gives up
her rights
DALLAS (AP) — The mother of an 8-
year-old girl locked in a closet and starved
near death has agreed to relinquish her
parental rights so that the girl can placed with
the East Texas couple that tried to adopt her
at birth.
Barbara Atkinson’s attorney issued a
statement Wednesday that Atkinson would
voluntarily give up her parental rights for
daughter Lauren in favor of Bill and Sabri
na Kavanaugh of Canton, if approved by
Judge Cheryl Lee Shannon and Child Pro
tective Services.
Authorities said the girl was imprisoned
in a urine- and feces-contaminated closet
for at least four months in Atkinson’s home,
located south of Dallas in Hutchins. Police
also are investigating evidence that the girl
— who weighed only 2 5 pounds — was sex
ually abused.
The Kavanaughs had custody of the girl but
had lost a chance to adopt her after Atkinson
changed her mind and wanted the baby back
after birth. They have planned to attend Tues
day’s hearing and ask for custody of the girl.
Barbara Atkinson and tire girl’s stepfather,
Kenneth Ray Atkinson, were arrested last
week on charges of injury to a child, a felony
that carries a prison term from five to 99 years.
The Kavanaughs could not be reached for
comment Wednesday but their attorney said
they were “ecstatic.”
“It’s the right move,” David Cole told Dal-
las-Fort Worth television station KDFW.
“I’m hopeful that she (Atkinson) has had the
time for reflection.”
Cole said the Kavanaughs can provide the
See Closet on Page 2.
‘Aggie Angels' reach out
Elizabeth Raines
The Battalion
Minnie Olivarez is a night shift cus
todian in the Langford Architecture
Building, where she cleans the hall
ways and the bathrooms for Aggies
who usually come and go without tak
ing much notice of her.
But one night that changed when a
student she calls her “Aggie Angel”
chose to care.
“I have had a very strenuous and
troubling last three years and I was
working at the Langford Architecture
Building when Amy Schepens, a stu
dent here at A&M, could tell I need
ed someone to talk to,” Olivarez said.
“She talked to me, said a prayer
with me and gave me a very sincere
hug and her phone number. It was just
what I needed to get me through the
night, and every time I saw her after
that we would hug and say a prayer
together.”
Olivarez, a single mother with four
children, began to rely on her meet
ings with Schepens, a junior interdis
ciplinary major, to help her through
tough days.
“One night after my car broke
down and I had no where else to turn,
I called Amy for someone to talk to,”
Schepens said. “She asked me where
I lived and showed up at my house an
hour later with a bag of groceries and
a Bible with an envelope in the back
with a $100.”
Olivarez said that $100 Amy and
her roommate gave her fixed her car
and gave her hope.
“I read the Bible they gave me
everyday and I tell people my car is
held together by a prayer-aid,” Oli
varez said. “They were very sincere
ladies and they gave me a light when
it was very dark.”
Olivarez, who is in a Twin Cities
Night custodian
gets help, faith
from students
Mission program, said she was thank
ful for the support the two girls gave
her and could not believe how much
they helped her even though they had
not known for very long.
Olivarez’s “Aggie Angels” are not
the only Aggies who support the Twin
Cities Mission. In fact, Ron Crozier,
director of community relations for
Twin Cities Mission, said the Mission
would not survive without help from
A&M students and faculty.
“The biggest eye opener I have
had since I have been here is the
amount of support we get from the
Aggies,” Crozier said. “ Most of the
students who volunteer for us live out
of town — yet while they are here,
they make a difference in lives of the
people that live here.”
Crozier said Twin Cities Missions
See Angels on Page 2.
To angels with wings:
5*^
" c
TrA'** ts
Late one night,
I was all alone, lost spirituttllg
But get in the auditorium I cleaned;-
There was a bright light that came to me
from the Lord,
Guided, from the Lord’s guided hand. ; _
She sat, she listened, she praged.
And soon there was another bright light
ThaJffhudeft f i .
Two Aggies with mg ford, mg God
Leading them to hold mg hand
And brighten the path.
To rekindle mg faith, and restrengthen
nig strength. ; " , < •-1
In the short time I have knhwn these twgf~J£f
Thcg have been there for me and mg four-
children.
So with a lot a love, from all mg heart,
Anig and Summer, mg two angels with
- fwibgs; .T >~-I rjw- : T- fz. : A
-God bless gou and keep gou.
Just a small prager for gou, dag to dag.
Lord hear our pragers. ~ ,
Love mg Aggies with wings,
“TiTTl IT' "t*'l|VllMll|filltIII)l(>lfll|llIII)K **