6
Wednesday, September 9. 1992
CORNUCOPLA
1801 Mass:
842-9637
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1045 New Jersey
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843-9494
Specializing in VOLKSWAGEN - 24 Years Experience
Specializing in VOLKSWAGEN · 24 Years Experience
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The Board of Class Officers (BOCO)
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TODAY 11am--3pm
Kansas Union--fourth floor
Playhouse
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Sat. Sept. 12
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K.C. explosion kills three
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Three people died, and one person was injured yesterday in an explosion sparked by welders working on an empty tanker truck at a chemical distribution facility, officials said.
The Associated Press
The tanker, parked at HCI-Chemtech Distribution Industries Inc., contained a residue of ethyl alcohol, which is flammable, said Carl Lawson, a fire department battalion chief.
condition of the injured person were not immediately available.
"I was inside the chemical lab," Arthur Jenkins, a chemist, said. He said he was about 500 feet from the site of the blast. "Felt the concussion. It felt like the roof was going to blow off. Pieces of metal and roof material came down from the ceiling."
The names of the victims and the
being used on top of the tanker ignited the ethanol. There was no fire, and emergency crews were leaving the scene by 3 p.m., witnesses said.
Lawson said the explosion occurred around 1 p.m. in a secluded industrial area in the northeast part of the city when sparks from a welding torch
The explosion was contained at the site of the accident and never was a danger to anyone else at or around the plant, Lawson said.
Four nearby tankers containing other chemicals did not appear to be leaking, Lawson said.
Jenkins said most of the plant's two dozen employees were evacuated.
The explosion emitted a vapor cloud that broke up quickly, Jenkins said.
"It was of moderate size, dark at its base and colorless on top," he said. "But ethanol as a whole has a very low toxicity. It's, of course, the major component of your alcoholic beverages."
HCI- Chemtech distributes bulk chemicals to Kansas City area companies for use in manufacturing and as solvents.
Kansas students lag, report says
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — State education officials released scores on reading and math tests that they said showed Kansas students continued to lag behind expectations.
"Little growth has been noted in the area of problem-solving and reasoning," said Tim Emert, who heads the State Board of Education. "There needs to be a major emphasis placed on these higher-level thinking skills and math in general."
Math tests given to more than 90,000 fourth-, seventh- and 10th-graders last spring measured students' ability to do addition and subtraction. The tests also focused on higher-level skills such as problem-solving, estimation and probability.
The analysis of the test data showed that students at all three grades continue to answer estimation questions at a level well below expectation.
Basic mathematical knowledge also appeared to decrease as students got older.
For example, fourth-grade students performed highest of the three grade levels in math. Seventh-grade students generally performed better than 10th graders, but not as well as the fourth-grade level.
"Overall, the demonstrated levels of achievement are shallow," the report said. "While there are pockets of skills
However, the report said, "While many Kansas students demonstrate strong skills in reading comprehension, far too many are at skill levels needing attention."
The results for the reading test, which was given to students in the third, seventh and 10th grades, was more encouraging, the report said. Among things tested were reading attitude and reading confidence.
noted, the pattern is not one of strength."
The tests are part of the state's new school accreditation program called Quality Performance Accreditation. Emert said the test results should not be compared with other states.
"We're not in the business of comparing this test to any other in the United States," he said.
However, John Poggio, associate dean of education at the University of Kansas, who helped design the tests, said the muth test contained basic-skill questions that appeared on other tests. The results indicated that Kansas students are performing above average, he said.
"While test results and training programs are very important, the test results won't mean anything unless we can correct the deficiencies of those students who aren't achieving in the classroom," said Lee Droegemuller, education commissioner.
California teens' driving age rises
LOS ANGELES — Getting to drive is still the dream of California youths, but insurance costs and the loss of free driver training has slashed the number of licensed teen-agers by more than 18 percent in a decade.
The Associated Press
Only half of California's driving age teen-agers have licenses, compared with three of five in 1981. Many are forgoing the old-age rate of passage — learner's permit at 15 1/2, with a license to drive at 16.
"it's a real drag not to drive. You can't go to the beach or anywhere," said 16-year-old Carla Renteria, who attends Grafield High School.
There was an 18.6-percent drop in the number of teen-agers licensed to drive in California from 1981 to 1991 — from more than 1 million in 1981 to 838,408 last year, according to statistics from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
School officials and youngsters say illegal driving may have risen.
"Time was when most people didn't dare drive without a license," said Don Hastings, a Garfield driver's education instructor. "Now, when I ask my classes how many kids are driving without licenses, at least a third of them raise their hands."
Maria Tinaigero, 16, said, "You can tell the ones who don't have licenses by the way they drive — all crazy.
And by what they drive — real junk."
A person under 18 driving without a license can be fined $250, and parents who allow unlicensed teenagers to drive can be held liable for damages in accidents. Those who are older than 18 can be fines $1,000 and jailed for six months.
In 1990 the state stopped financing free behind-the-wheel driver training. By law public schools must continue to offer classroom driver's education courses.
"The cuts appear to have caused "many youngsters to put off getting their licenses until their 18th birthday or even later," said Rudy Parker, the school district driver's education supervisor.
Commercial driving schools offer behind-the-wheel training for $300 to $600, and some school districts offer programs for about $150.
"No way my mom will shell out $150 or whatever it costs. I'll have to let my friends teach me to drive, but I know I just have to wait until I'm 18 to get my license, "Tinauo said. Insurance for teen-age drivers
Insurance for teen-age drivers also was blamed for the decline.
"I know one woman who found out it would cost $2,100 to add her 17-year-old son to her policy," said Steve Krimitz, an analyst with the Department of Motor Vehicles. "Not to buy him a car, but just to give him the privilege of driving her car once in a while."
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