The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 1

FOOD EXTRA! FLMSil'IT Mostly sunny. Low 40, high 72. Page B8 1 v. i. A t.i 1 Pi SPORTS lip ti Race fans will get JAZZ TAKE 2-0 LEAD SERIES Utah defeats Houston 104-92.

Page Dl a doosi irom these items from Indiana. Page Fl Towboat pilot loves his life traveling the Ohio River. Page El' TlPIlF il ILiiiU Star OLI CITY FINAL "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty'' II Cor. 3:17 NEWSSTAND PRICE 500 up; Organizers scrambling to complete NCAA deal Defense attorneys face task of discrediting government's case in Oklahoma City explosion. I and hazardous rescue effort that followed, and the grim task of identifying the 168 people who died in the blast.

Today, McVeigh's defense team begins what many legal experts believe is an uphill struggle to shred the prosecution's case, which is: That McVeigh, out of an escalating hatred for the federal government and with chilling premeditation, rented a truck, packed it with a homemade bomb and detonated it in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:02 a.m. on the symbolically important date of April 19. On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Patrick Ryan began the government's final day with the dramatic account of how 18 employees of the Federal Employees Credit Union office perished on the third floor of the Murrah Building.

See McVEIGH Page 2 JCase outline After 18 "days of testimony that included 137 witnesses, federal prosecutors rested their case against bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh. For an outline of the case, see PageA2. Site for headquarters to be announced May 31, but the funding package remains unresolved. By Tom Kenworthy THE WASHINGTON POST DENVER Just 18 days after they began, prosecutors Wednesday concluded their lean and emotionally riveting case against Oklahoma City bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh, who faces the death penalty if he is found guilty of the April 1995 attack. "Your honor, on behalf of the United States, I am pleased to announce we rest," chief prosecutor Joseph Hartzler said Wednesday after the government put on three witnesses who described the horror of the explosion, the dramatic Drawing by Pat Lopez of CBS NewsDistributed by Associated Press SURVIVOR TESTIFIES: Florence Rogers said four co-workers in the credit union "totally disappeared.

I never saw them again." The floats "were spectacular. That's what's heartbreaking." Elizabeth Kraft-Meek, parade director Challen ge at hands saving the parade XXi By Kathleen M. Johnston STAFF WRITER With a final decision just nine days away, the local group trying to lure the National Collegiate Athletic Association headquarters here Is still scrambling for millions of dollars to make good on its incentive offer. In the meantime, the state is trying to devise a plan to come up with an additional $10 million in parking and land Incentives which means state taxpayers might be contributing close to $20 million to the deal after all. Last week, the legislature voted to provide only $10 million in cash for the project half of the total sought by the group of Indianapolis business people organizing the NCAA relocation efforts.

On Wednesday, Tom New, chief of staff for Gov. Frank O'Bannon, said the administration Is trying to find some noncash incentives to make up the state shortfall. New said one option would be to put the NCAA's offices and Hall of Champions museum on a site occupied by an Indianapolis Power Light Co. steam plant. The costs of acquiring that land could be less prohibitive than buying the Bever-idge Paper Co.

site. New said. The paper company has Indicated it would require a substantial cash settlement to move. New said the local NCAA bid included $5 million for parking under the assumption that the group would need a garage near the paper company. If the headquarters is built See NCAA Page 2 After fire turns floats into ashes, organizers turn designs into signs to keep the show alive.

By Rob Schneider and Gerry Lanosga STAFF WRITERS It would be easy to write off this year's Monsoon 500 Festival Parade as a disaster. But that's not the way Indianapolis works, organizers say. Maybe Al Smith, the 1997 500 Festival president, summed it up best: "This parade is going to go on Just as it was always scheduled to." Smith offered his assurances Wednesday as festival officials were coming to grips with a fire that destroyed 10 of the 14 floats that were to be sprinkled like f'r Still upbeat: 500 Festival direc- i tor prefers to look on the bright side. PageAIO. Jewels through Saturday's pa rade Downtown.

The would-be jewels were re- duced to ashes in the fire at the of ExpoDesign, 5906 Despite pace of reforms, consequences are unknown S. Harding early Wednesday. A welding torch is believed to have set off the blaze. ByJoeFahy STAFF WRITER As she started a Job this month with a Northwestside food supplier, Stephanie Zell was determined to make a new start. '7 "I can't do what I did before." she said, referring to the bank Job from which she was fired in An employee working Tuesday night reported that his torch sparked a small fire, which he put out.

He continued to work for several hours before leaving about 11:30 p.m. When the Perry Township Fire Department responded to an alarm at 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters saw flames shooting from the building. The blaze, extinguished 3lh hours later, was a blow to festival organizers, who were excited about the float designs in this year's parade. "They were spectacular.

That's what's heartbreaking," said Eliza- Staff Photo Frank Esptch FALLEN FLOATS: Charred remains are all that's left of this year's float entries for the Monsoon 500 Festival Parade. Production manager Scott Vankirk stands inside the warehouse where the floats burned Wednesday morning. March after eight from months of em- Dlovment. "It was Coming Friday Souvenir section: It all there a detailed look at the 1997 Indianapolis 500. Story inside Father and son: Rookie driver Greg Ray wears his emotions on his wrist.

Page D1. See PARADE Page 10 too hard this time." During the weeks she was out of work, Zell relied on the charity of friends and familv to Copter victim praised as loving dad, smart lawyer Conseco executive was killed when main rotor blade struck him in the head after he exited from the aircraft. keep herself and her two daughters fed. To pay her May rent, she obtained a loan from America Works, the company that helped her find her new Job. She planned to repay the loan with her first paychecks.

She was glad that at least she did not have to apply for welfare, a main support in her life for For her and thousands of other "He's truly one of the real builders of that enterprise. He will definitely be missed." Inlow and Michael A. Colliflower, also a lawyer for Conseco, were headed for a business trip to Bismark. N.D., and had taken a company helicopter from corporate headquarters to the air-See COPTER Page 2 helicopter's main rotor blade struck him after he exited the aircraft at Indianapolis International Airport. "He was a bright, young, positive individual about everything that he did," said former Lt.

Gov. John Mutz, president of PSI Energy and a Conseco director. Mutz credits Inlow with a strong role in Conseco's tremendous growth. copter accident, was remembered by colleagues as a loving father and husband and a smart lawyer who helped build the Carmel insurance and financial services firm. Inlow, 46, died instantly when the By Eileen Ambrose and R.

Joseph Gelarden STAFF WRITERS Lawrence Inlow, the Conseco Inc. executive killed Wednesday in a heli Lawrence In-low helped in firm's growth. See WELFARE Page 16 We all need to Willi City desk InfoUrte More A2 www.stamews.com, (JTTVnT Lord, You re-v mjn(j us to be grateful for our homes and for our multitude of blessings. We thank You. Amen.

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