The Paris News from Paris, Texas • Page 1

World Watch BUS ACCIDENT Rescue workers remove items from a church bus involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer rig hauling cinders Thursday afternoon near Flagstaff, Ariz. Three people were killed in the collision. (AP Laserphoto) Bus crash kills 3, injures 30 FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) A gravel truck and a bus carrying teen-age missionaries collided head-on, killing both drivers and one passenger and injuring about 30 other people, officials and a witness said. A 13-year-old boy was critically injured in the crash Thursday eight miles north of Flagstaff.

Another 13-year-old boy was listed in serious condition. Sgt. Allan Schmidt of the state Department of Public Safety quoted witnesses as saying that the truck, loaded with 80,000 pounds of gravel, crossed the highway center-line and first collided with a car traveling in front of the bus. Schmidt, the department's chief spokesman, said the bus was leased to Teen Mission International in Merritt Island, near Cape Canaveral, and was carrying 47 missionaries, most of them in their teens or 20s from around the United States and Canada. Jackson in Dallas tonight DALLAS (AP) Sporting the obligatory Sgt.

Pepper jacket and white sequined glove, Michael Jackson tonight will strut and dance his way to the top of a six-story stage built just for him and try to thrill thousands. Jackson and his road crew already have turned Texas Stadium from Cowboy country into a laser-lit sound stage, with nine-story speaker columns. Concert-goers will have to pass through metal detectors, and bags will be searched, officials said. Jackson himself has been accompanied by heavy security in his stops in the Metroplex. Jackson donned a fake mustache and beard as he walked through the Galleria shopping mall on Dallas' north side Wednesday.

A brother and sister were also at the mall. After his mall visit, Michael Jackson spent a couple of hours in a north Dallas neighborhood with members of a Jehovah's Witness congregation, knocking on doors to discuss his beliefs with residents. Belachheb attempts suicide DALLAS (AP) An unemployed Moroccan waiter was being held in an infirmary observation cell today following a suicide attempt that came after he was ordered to stand trial for the slayings of six bar patrons, authorities say. Abdelkrim Belachheb, 39, received 18 stitches at the infirmary of the Lew Sterrett Justice Center early Thursday after slashing himself twice in the left arm with a razor blade at his cell, officials said. A guard making a routine, hourly check on Belachheb's cell at 7:15 a.m.

Thursday noticed the inmate lying on his bunk with blood dripping from his arm. Belachheb had two gashes on his left arm between his wrist and his elbow, said Knowles. Officials said the injury was never life- threatening. Admitted killer executed STARKE, Fla. (AP) David Leroy Washington, who admitted killing three people and said he'd rather die himself than rot in jail, was executed today in Florida's electric chair.

Washington was the second U.S. death row prisoner to be executed in as many days. The U.S. Supreme Court late Thursday rejected last-ditch pleas by Washington's lawyers to step in and halt the execution, voting 7-2 against further argument. A second Florida inmate also scheduled for execution today was spared by the high court.

Washington's execution made him the 22nd inmate, and the seventh in Florida, to be put to death in the United States since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976. Nude man calmly buys cigarettes MADISON, Wis. (AP) A man wearing nothing but tennis shoes and a smile walked into a convenience store to buy a pack of cigarettes, telling a clerk the naked truth that a friend stole his clothes. Police Lt. William Housley said the man was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior after the incident early Thursday.

"You can't come in here without any clothes on," the clerk said, according to police. The man told the clerk that he was walking around naked because his friends stole his clothes. The clerk agreed to sell him cigarettes on the condition that he leave immediately. The clerk later flagged down a police car and reported the incident. An officer spotted the man walking down a street.

When the officer approached him, the man asked, "What's the problem?" according to a police report. Breakdance precautions urged WASHINGTON (AP) With a flip, a turn and a spin, break dancers can dazzle with acrobatic acuity. But with a twist, a jump and a bend, they also could fracture their bones or sprain their backs. Because of mounting injuries associated with the dance fad, some health professionals think its time to lay down some ground rules particularly for oldtimers over the age of 18 who want to give it a whirl. The International Chiropractors Association said Thursday that it has developed lists of do's and don'ts to reduce the toll from "break dance syndrome." High on the list of guidelines are getting proper dance instructions, doing warm-up exercises, avoiding certain risky dance movements and protecting vulnerable parts of the body, such as limbs and bones.

Reported injuries include serious neck disorders, knee and hip fractures, dislocated joints, back sprains, ankle and foot problems, muscle strains, pinched nerves, and various bruises and abrasions. Index Weather Ambulance 4A Calendar 3A Church 9A Classified Comics 12A Hospitals 4A Markets 8A Opinion 6A Sports 14A Women's News 13A Yesterday's high: 92 Overnight low: 73 Weather details, Pg. 4A Cable rate hike still on hold By BILL LAMB City Editor McCaw Communications' cable television rate hike remained on indefinite hold following Thursday's meeting between the City Council and the cable company's president, a meeting marked by disagreements about earlier statements and an admission that the premature announcement of a rate increase was a mistake by the company. "It was an oversight on our part that there was a rate increase (announcement)," John McCaw Jr. told councilmen.

"In light of that, any potential rate increase will not go into effect Aug. 1. We're going to kind of have to regroup." Mayor Joe Graham announced earlier this week that the scheduled rate hike was illegal since the city's franchise with the cable company didn't become effective until Aug. 11. The council must be notified of any proposed increase in cable rates at least 30 days prior to their effective dates.

So far, no new notification has been filed with the city. Councilmen Thursday clearly placed McCaw on the defensive concerning the rate hikes, questioning their justification and insisting on reviewing the firm's estimated revenues and expenditures for the next year. Even Graham and Councilman Don Wilson, who had earlier said they were not opposed to the rate hike, had their own bones to pick with McCaw. The cable company's plans call for the use of decoder boxes by subscribers in order to pick up added channels. But subscribers who already have Home Box Office will not need to rent a decoder; new HBO subscribers, however, will need one.

"I thought that if you subscribed to a pay service your converter box would be included in rate for that pay service," Graham said. "If I want to subscribe to Cinemax (another pay service), I'm not paying $10, I'm really going to have to pay $12. Even if I have a cable-ready set, I'm still going to have to have a box that I don't need, and I've got to pay $2 a month for it so I can get Cinemax. That's the part I think is unreasonable. "The rate you charge for a pay service ought to include the equipment to receive that service," he added.

McCaw said the misunderstanding may have come about during earlier discussions. Sometimes people use HBO as an all-inclusive term to describe pay services. "Actually, you're asking for a rate of $12, not $10, on Cinemax?" Graham asked. "You could look at it that way," said McCaw. "It's just part of the technology." City Attorney T.K.

Haynes disagreed. "You told the (cable) committee that if they paid for one of the pay services, that the converter box would be furnished. Those people who wanted a converter box without a pay service would have to pay a rental charge." McCaw said he recalled that discussion involving HBO only. Wilson's disagreement with McCaw came over the rates for extra outlets. Presently, the company charges $1.50 for extra outlets, but that will increase to $2.50 once the rate increase in put into effect.

Wilson wanted justification of the increase. McCaw said that since some local customers have more than one television set, his firm must See PARIS CABLE, Pg. 4A Count dismissed against De Lorean MOST UNUSUAL PET Chevis Clem, 13, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.W.

Clem IV, examines his pet python snake named "Monty." Monty was judged the most unusual pet in the pet parade held Friday morning downtown. The parade was sponsored by the Lamar County Humane Society. Kevin Carmen's miniature schnauzer was judged Best of Show. The parade was the first official event of the Bastille Days celebration. (Staff photo by Marvin Gorley) LOS ANGELES (AP) John De Lorean's lawyers, jubilant at rulings dismissing one count and throwing out two pieces of government evidence, said the automaker's defense on cocaine charges had become "more manageable" as they began calling witnesses.

"John De Lorean has been acquitted of a crime," defense attorney Donald Re declared Thursday. We are beginning to whittle their case to pieces." However, prosecutors minimized the loss, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Perry said the prosecution may seek a reconsideration of the ruling. The silver-haired auto industry maverick, charged with conspiring to distribute $24 million worth of cocaine to save his sports car company from bankruptcy, broke into a broad grin and flashed a victory sign with his fingers when U.S. District Judge Robert Takasugi announced his surprise decision Thursday.

The elimination of one count, decreased by five years and $10,000 the possible sentence De Lorean would face if convicted. The remaining eight counts against him carry top penalties of 67 years in prison and $180,000 in fines. Meanwhile, the defense team began calling witnesses, disclosing a strategy of attacking the government through its own agents. FBI agent Jerry West, who arrested the 59-year-old automaker, was the first defense witness called before court recessed until Tuesday. West had earlier testified briefly as a prosecution witness.

Defense attorney Howard Weitzman, who questioned West about the conduct of the government's "sting" operation 'against De Lorean, said the defense will call many more government agents, including some who were never summoned by the prosecution. Earlier Thursday, spectators had gasped as Takasugi dismissed a charge that De Lorean engaged in interstate travel on July 11,1982, to promote a continuing illegal narcotics enterprise. That was the date when De Lorean first met with a government informant and, prosecutors allege, the narcotics conspiracy was born. However, the judge ruled that "there was no existing enterprise" De Lorean could have furthered at that point. Re said the dismissal removes the subject of heroin from the trial a point the government is expected to dispute.

The informant, James Timothy Hoffman, 43, testified that De Lorean had asked to invest in heroin during the July 11, 1982, meeting, but later the terms were changed to a cocaine deal. "This tosses out the bizarre allegation that John wanted to do a heroin deal," Weitzman said. "Now we are dealing only with It makes the case more manageable from a defense viewpoint." Takasugi also struck from evidence two "overt acts" the government said supported the main conspiracy charge against De Lorean. The acts, which occurred Oct. 19, 1982, the day of De Lorean's arrest, involved his travel to Los Angeles from New York and a meeting with undercover agents in a hotel room where De Lorean was secretly videotaped viewing a suitcase filled with cocaine.

Fun run to start Saturday Bastille Days events A fun run from the Plaza to Evergreen Cemetery and back will begin the second day of activities downtown for the fifth annual Bastille Days celebration in Paris, organizers say. The fun run, sponsored by St. Joseph's Hospital, will begin at 9 a.m. Participants can run either three miles or one mile with the three mile run being from downtown to the cemetery and back. The entry fee for the fun run is $5 and each participant will be given a T-Shirt.

At 10:30 a.m., a sandcastle building contest will begin in Market Square. The contest will be open to 20 individuals or teams of up to four members. Contestants will have about five hours to create their castles with awards to be presented at 3:30 p.m. A farmers market will also be added to this year's Bastille Days. Area farmers are to arrive at Market Square early Saturday morning to begin selling all kinds of produce.

At 11 a.m., a breakdancing contest will be held at Market Square. James Hall, a Michael Jackson look-alike, will perform a dance routine and present glitter gloves to the contest winners. The Red River Valley Honkers antique car club will parade through downtown Paris at noon. The cars will be on display all day Saturday at Bywaters Park. Cafe Paris will open at 11 a.m.

at the YWCA building, 308 S. Main, featuring French food and deserts. It will remain open until 2 p.m. The cost for a meal at Cafe Paris is $4. Live music will be featured in the fountain area.

Scattercreek, Pultz and Tejas will perform Saturday afternoon. The music of Red River will be featured at a street dance sponsored by the Jaycees and beginning at 8 p.m. on the Plaza. The Paris Community Theatre will present Talent at Twilight, A variety show, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Plaza Theater.

The show will feature singing, dancing, comic routines, gymnastics and karate demonstrations. The cost of admission is $2. In addition, several food and souvenir concessions will be open on the Plaza and at Bywaters Park. The Red River Valley Amatuer Radio Club will set up in the park and attempt to contact various points around the world. The Village Shopping Center will also have several activities.

A children's 100-yard fun run will be staged at Noyes Stadium. The Sec BASTILLE DAYS, Pg. 4 A Amount of fines collected by county increases By SHERRIE LANGSTON News Staff Writer Since Lamar County Judge Brady Fisher stopped granting extensions to allow prolonged payment of county court fines, the dollar amount of total fines collected in a month has almost doubled while the jail population has remained status quo. "People know now that if they don't pay their fines they'll go to jail," Ted Gibson, chief deputy for the Lamar County Sheriff's Office, said. For example, following Thursday morning's county court session, seven to eight people were sent to jail because fine money was not readily available.

By the afternoon all but one had paid the fine and been released. Approximately $6,000 in fine money was collected that day. "I wish we had statistics on the number of people who said they didn't have the fine money and then automatically came up with the money when we sent them to jail," Gibson said. "They're out the same day they go in. They're out almost as soon as we're through booking them.

They're there just long enough to call somebody to bring them the money." Fisher's policy of granting extensions came under scrunity in May when the number of outstanding fines was brought to light. On April 30, more than 500 persons owed the county $146,099.98. The judge's reasoning for allowing the extensions was that it would work a hardship on the indigent who are unable to come up with the fine money immediately. His second reason was that the jail would become overcrowded if all the offenders without fine dollars were incarcerated. "Our jail population is still staying under 30 inmates," Gibson said.

Fisher said: "It's working better in some respects than we expected and probably worse in others. We are not having that many people lay their entire fine out (receive $15-a-day credit in the jail). There are not many falling into that category. I was a little fearful that we would have some do that. Second, we're having more people plead not guilty." Fisher said he believed persons were not pleading guilty because the fine money was not readily available.

"Possibly by the date of the trial they have enough money saved to pay the fine. It's been too short a time to know how many will do which (plead guilty or not guilty when faced with jail time)." The last extension Fisher granted was on May 21 when he said the female population in the jail exceeded that mandated by a lawsuit filed against the Lamar County Jail some years ago. FINES COLLECTED 1983 JULY $9,971 AUGUST $9,996 SEPTEMBER $5,689.50 OCTOBER $8,234 NOVEMBER DECEMBER $6,794 1984 JANUARY $11,504 FEBRUARY $8,028 MARCH $11,630 APRIL $9,543 MAY $13,021 JUNE $19,226 "We had to let three of the six go," he said. In the past persons were allowed to pay the fines out over an extended period of time. Some were pay- See COUNTY FINE, Pg.

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