WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2008
News
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
7
THIS WEEK IN NEWS Nothing to do but wait as floodwaters receed
Iowa's Cedar River is slowly receding but Cedar Rapids will remain flooded for days.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Barrels float down the Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Monday. The deluge across so much of Iowa hasn't just knocked out drinking water, destroyed homes and wrecked lives. It's spreading a noxious brew of sewage, chemicals and gasoline with the potential to worsen the misery of anyone who wades into it.
As the record flooding continues across Iowa toward the Mississippi River, the answer officials say, is get out of the way and wait.
Floodwaters were receding Saturday in Cedar Rapids after swamping 1,300 city blocks, forcing 24,000 evacuations and nearly crippling the water supply for the state's second largest city. But as the Cedar retreated, waters in Iowa City had already invaded parts of the University of Iowa campus.
'Meet the Press' newsman dies, Bush offers sympathy
Tim Rusert, moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press,"died suddenly Friday while preparing for his weekly broadcast. The network's Washington bureau chief was 58.
President Bush, informed of Russert's death while at dinner in Paris, issued a statement of condolence that praised the NBC newsman as "an institution in both news and politics for more than two decades. Tim was a tough and hardworking newsman. He was always well-informed and thorough in his interviews. And he was as gregarious off the set as he was prepared on it."
Afghan president threatens to send troops to Pakistan
Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened Sunday to send Afghan troops across the border to fight militants in Pakistan, a forceful warning to insurgents and the Pakistani government that his country is fed up with cross-
border attacks.
Karzai said Afghanistan has the right to self defense, and because militants cross over from Pakistan "to come and kill Afghan and kill coalition troops, it exactly gives us the right to do the same."
Speaking at a Sunday news conference, Karzai warned Pakistan-based Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud that Afghan forces would target him on his home turf.
"Baitullah Mehsud should know that we will go after him now and hit him in his house," Karzai said.
Mild weather helps crew contain California wildfires
Mild weather on Saturday gave fire crews hope that they could rein in a series of Northern California wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.
Thousands of people stayed away from their homes in the Butte County town of Paradise, but some were allowed to return Saturday to assess damage. At least 74 homes were destroyed and another 20 were damaged in the Paradise area, about 90 miles north of Sacramento.
The priority for the California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection shifted to assessing damage from the blaze that scorched about 36 square miles said Cal Fire spokesman Joshpea White. The blaze was 45 percent contained after a blustery couple of days.
3 more bodies recovered after earthquake in Japan
Soldiers fought their way through a torrent of mud and rocks at a hot spring Sunday, where several people were believed buried after a magnitude 7.2-earthquake hit the mountains of northern Japan, killing at least seven and injuring more than 200.
Officials said the bodies of three of seven people believed buried at the hot spring were recovered Sunday, bringing the tally of dead to nine.
The seven at the Komanoyu hot spring were believed buried when the side of a hill came crashing down. The resort is located in a heavily forested mountainous area outside the small city of Kurihara, one and more than 100 people remained stranded in the region.
Associated Press, compiled by Ramsey Cox
》 COURT
District Attorney files to charge teen as an adult
BY CHRISTINE D'AMICO
Klundt occupied the residence with his brother, who was not home at the time of the murder.
cdamico@kansan.com
The Douglas County District Attorney has filed motions to charge Kellam D. Jones, 16, as an adult.
In the early hours of June 7, Jones and a friend, Gage Hauk, 18, McLouth, were allegedly in the middle of robbing Ronald Klundt, 20, Lawrence, when Klundt fired a shot killing Hauk. Jones then reportedly fatally shot Klundt.
Police were called to the scene after receiving reports of gunshots in the area. After arriving they found Hauk and Klundt dead.
After a thorough investigation, Jones was taken into custody two days after the alleged incident. He is currently being held in the Douglas County Juvenile Detention Center.
The District Attorney is declining to talk about Jones' case based on his age. The only comment was that motions have been filed to charge Jones as an adult.
At Jones' initial hearing last Tuesday, District Judge Peggy Kittel
Under Kansas statutes, a juvenile can be charged as an adult if the offender is aged 14 to 17 at the time of the offense.
deemed Jones a danger to society.
Jones is facing two counts of first-degree murder along with attempted robbery. Although there is no evidence to conclude that Jones shot Hauk, Jones can still be charged with Hauk's murder because it took place while he allegedly was in the process of committing a felony.
Under Kansas statutes, a juvenile can be charged as an adult if the offender is aged 14 to 17 at the time of the offense. The juvenile can also be tried as an adult if it would qualify as a person felony, if the offense was committed while in possession of a firearm or the offender was being charged with more than one offense.
Jones will
remain in juvenile custody until his motions hearing on June 23 that will determine whether he will be tried as a minor or an adult.
— Edited by Bryan Cisler