2A
The Inside Front
Wednesday May 3,2000
News
from campus, the state the nation and the world
CAMPUS
SenEx names chairman for next year's term
Incoming members of the Senate Executive Committee named Tom Beisecker, professor of communications studies, chairman of next year's committee yesterday.
Beisecker will replace Jim Carothers. Last week, University Council also named Beisecker Council president-elect, a position also held this year by Carothers. Carothers will replace Mary Hawkins next year as president of University Council.
J. D. Jenkins, incoming vice chair of SenEx, said that the new members of SenEx chose Beisecker based on his experience.
"He's served as SenEx chair before back in '91 and '92," Jenkins said. "We felt it was important to pick someone who had previous experience in SenEx, and Tom had an interest in serving as chair again, so we chose him."
As chair, Beisecker will preside over the committee that sets the agenda for University Council. Other incoming faculty members of SenEx are Russ Ostermann, Barbara Romzek, Chuck Krider, Lisa Wolf-Wendel and Bill Tsutsui. Incoming student members are Erin Simpson, Duane Bruce, J.D. Jenkins and Ben Walker, who as student body president will serve as an ex-officio member of SenEx.
LAWRENCE
— Ryan Devlin
Officials investigate Sunday morning fires
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical personnel are investigating two Sunday morning fires as possible arsons,
An apartment building in the 1700 block of Kentucky Street caught fire about 2:45 a.m. Sunday.
Andrew Graves, Sterling junior, lives across the street from the building. He said the commotion woke him about 3 a.m.
"I looked out my window, and there were flames billowing above the tree tops," he said.
The fire, which firefighters brought under control in 40 minutes, destroyed the top two floors of the three-story building. Nine people were displaced from the building, which is owned by First Management
Fire investigators estimated the damage at $250,000.
A second fire broke out between 5:10 and 6 a.m. in the 700 block of Louisiana Street. The fire started in a detached garage at Stan and Jan
Shumway's residence. Stan Shumway is an associate dean emeritus of fine arts.
According to police reports, the fire then spread next door to a house and its detached garage. Investigators estimated the damage at $57,000.
Firefighters had the blaze under control within 15 minutes.
No injuries were reported in either fire.
Rich Barr, fire marshal, said yesterday that investigators had not determined the cause of the fires or whether they were related.
"We have to eliminate all possible causes," he said. "We have not eliminated arson, but there are not clear indicators that it was arson."
— Mindie Miller
STATE
Menninger advocates violence prevention
TOPEKA — Kansas needs to focus on programs designed to prevent violence and other problems among juveniles rather than locking them up, W. Walter Menninger said yesterday.
"Instead of building more and more facilities to warehouse kids, we have to band together for effective programs of prevention," said Menninger, president and chief executive officer of The Menninger Clinic in Topeka.
Meninger, a nationally known children's advocate, bemoaned the Legislature's recent decision to spend about $60 million to build juvenile lockups and only $5 million for prevention programs.
At the first of 10 schools to implement the Menninger Peaceful Schools Project, suspensions have decreased dramatically, and students have a better learning environment, Menninger said.
NATION
Teens commit suicide by driving into tree
EAST HADDAM, Conn. — There were no skid marks in front of the tree.
The two teen-age boys who drove a Ford Bronco straight at the giant spruce and died in a fiery crash early Monday had made clear their terrible intentions in cell phone goodbyes a few minutes earlier.
Then — at the same tree where his 15-year-old brother died in a car crash six months earlier — 13-year-old Michael Dombrowski and his 15-year-old friend Jeffrey Barton killed themselves in this town about 20 miles from Hartford.
the elder brother, Jeff, whom friends described as troubled, joined Michael out of friendship.
Friends said a grief-striken Michael had planned his death as a tribute to
The tree was cut down Monday afternoon for fear it would become a magnet for more suicides.
State executes woman for murdering her kids
VARNER, Ark. — A former nurse who asked for the death penalty for drugging and suffocating her two children was executed by injection yesterday in Arkansas 'first execution of a woman in more than 150 years
Christina Marie Riggs, 28, was the fifth woman executed in the United States since the Supreme Court lifted a ban on capital punishment in 1976.
— the same heart-stopping drug used in executions — to kill her children, 5-year-old Justin and 2-year-old Shelby Alexis, in 1997.
She had withdrawn all appeals and chose not to seek clemency from Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Riggs told authorities that she intended to use potassium chloride
She gave the children an antidepressant in hopes it would make them drowsy, then injected Justin with the potassium chloride.
When Justin began crying, Riggs told police, she injected him with morphine left over from a hospital patient and smothered both children.
WORLD
Rebels make threats to behead hostages
TALIPAO, Philippines — Rebels holed up in the hills and surrounded by troops threatened yesterday to behead two foreign hostages if the military did not back off.
But a government spokesperson said the encirclement of the area would continue.
The rebel threat came as new clashes between government forces and two Muslim rebel groups in the southern Philippines worsened prospects for the release of two groups of hostages totaling 48 people.
On Jolo Island — where extremist Abu Sayyaf rebels are holding 21 hostages, including 10 foreign tourists, at a bamboo hut in the hills
— about 100 rebels with long rifles attempted to escape through the military cordon yesterday. Troops fired at the rebels, and at least one soldier was killed and six were wounded.
The fighting continued yesterday evening, police said. There was no immediate word of casualties among the rebels.
The hostages were kidnapped April 23 from a Malaysian diving resort.
The Associated Press
Two Libyans charged with killing of 270
Pan Am bombing trial begins
The Associated Press
CAMP ZEIST, Netherlands — Nearly 12 years have passed since their family members were killed, blown from the sky over Lockerbie, Scotland. Now, as they arrive for the trial in the 1981 Pan Am bombing, relatives of some of the 270 victims see the proceeding as their last chance for justice.
Many said they hoped prosecutors in the trial of two Libyans finally would uncover the full story behind the terrorist plot that killed their loved ones.
The two Libyan defendants go on trial today at a Scottish court
in the Netherlands, charged with murder and many other crimes in the attack that killed 259 passengers and 11 people on the ground.
About a dozen American relatives visited Camp Zeist, an old U.S. Air Force base deemed Scottish territory, for the trial. Other relatives will watch the trial on closed-circuit television in Washington, New York, London and Dumfries, Scotland. Libyan and U.S. government representatives also will attend, officials said.
Last year, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi and Lamen Khalifa Flhimah were turned in by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
After interviewing 15,000 witnesses and collecting 180,000 pieces of evidence, prosecutors are convinced they have the bombers. But defense lawyers have alleged that other terrorist
organizations operating in Europe were responsible for the attack.
Early evidence had supported the theory that Iran, seeking revenge for the accidental downing of an Iranian passenger jet, contracted the bombing out to a radical Palestinian group. Further doubts have been raised by reports of prosecution witnesses changing their testimony and the chief prosecutor's resignation in February.
The court will hold sessions almost daily through July 28 before adjourning Aug. 22. Witnesses scheduled for the early phases include British aviation experts and the investigators who went through the debris of the exploded jeliner after the crash.
The defendants have been kept behind a 15-foot concrete wall topped with electrified wire inside the camp, 40 miles east of Amsterdam. The site was chosen as neutral territory in a compromise with Gadhafi.
ON THE RECORD
A KU student's sunglasses, 70 compact discs and eight text books were stolen between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Thursday from the 300 block of West 13th Street, Lawrence police said. The items were valued at $2,039.
A KU student's 1999 Isuzu Amigo was damaged between 1 and 3 a.m. Saturday when a package of Winterfresh gum was stolen from the vehicle in the 2200 block of Hartford Drive, Lawrence police said. The damage was estimated at $800, and the gum was valued at $1.
- A laptop computer and carrying case were stolen between 8 a.m. March 24 and 2:30 p.m. Friday from the Dole Human Development Center, the KU Public Safety Office said. The computer and case were valued at $1,930.
A 38-year-old female KU Housing Maintenance employee reported being the victim of assault between 12:30 and 12:40 p.m. April 25 in McCollum Hall, the KU Public Safety Office said. Lt. Schuyler Bailey said the report came after a verbal confrontation between the woman and another maintenance employee.
ON CAMPUS
Compulsive Eaters Anonymous will meet at 10:30 a.m. today at Ecumenical Christian Ministries. 1204 Orend Ave, Call 312-3412
- The Graduate School annual awards ceremony will be at 3:30 p.m. today at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansas Union, Call Daphne Johnston at 864-7244.
KJHK promotions staff will meet at 5 p.m. toay at the second-floor foyer in Dole Human Development Center.
Daisy Praise will meet at 9:30 tonight at the Hashinger Hall theater. B.C.P. by 312-1327
KU Sailing Club will meet at 7 tonight at the International Room in the Kansas Union. Call Chris Drayer at 312-2006.
■ Ecumenical Christian Ministries and KU Environs will have a veggie lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. tomorrow at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave. Call Thad Holcombe at 843-4933.
Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow at Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave. Call 842-0110
KU Meditation Club will meet at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Daisy Hill Room in the Burge Union. Call Pannir at 864-7735.
KU Racquetball Club will practice from 6 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Robinson Center. Call Stewart Hunt at 331-2231.
KU Amnesty International will meet at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Alcove D in the Kansas Union. Call Kyle Browning at 842-1351.
■ KU HorrorZontals ultimate Frisbee team will practice from 8 to 11 p.m. tomorrow at Anschutz Sports Pavilion. Call Will Scotts at 841-0671.
University Dance Company will perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Lied Center. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for the public. Call 864- ARTS.
ET CETERA
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Thanks!
For making Into the Streets Week 2000 a success
Alternative Spring Break
Joe Alfred
Concerned Active and Aware Students
Dillons
Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Mid-America
Boys & Girls Club
Dean of Students Office
Ecumenical Christian Ministries
Edgewood Homes
FUMC Youth
Kent Ely
Wall Center for the Humanities
Christina Warms
Willtop
Thad Holcomb
Keabler
...and everyone else who volunteered!
Lawrence Church of Christ
Lawrence Parks and Recreation
Lawrence Elementary Schools
Jerry Neihoff
Patathe Community Resource Cent
P.U.L. Together
E.J. Reedy
Reggie Robinson
Lee Stringer
Students First
Student Senate
Students Tutoring for Literacy
Sunfire Ceramics
Donnelly
University Catering
University Daily Kansan
Wal-Mart
Roy Williams