The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 1

FOOTBALL Snap decisions Off-season finds SEC coaches pondering quarterbacks SPORTS, 1C COMPANIES May 3 2000 it Bradford caught deal-maker's eye Aquisition doubles PaineWebber's business in Southeast BUSINESS, IE ft Complete weather forecast on 6B NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE A GANNETT NEWSPAPER VOLUME 96, NO. 124 5 SECTIONS PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID IN NASHVILLE, TN AUTO RACING IVIayReld penalized Use of illegal fuel likely puts championship out of reach SPORTS, 1C PHILIP FULMER 1M ''iV Wv i (ZSl jL COPYRIGHT 2000 I ire at Civil-war er tizzies Pulaski officials a home NashvilleiXAi--rf" Battle-Brown-Blackbum House on the campus of Martin Methodist College -v-x i MM Williamson with the Pulaski Fire Department. "We have no idea right now" how the fire started, Gooch said, adding that the case is being investigated by the state fire marshaL The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Batte-Brown-Blackburn House. By KNIGHT STIVENDER Staff Writer A historic Pulaski home that once belonged to Civil War-era Gov. John C.

Brown was destroyed early yesterday in a fire authorities have deemed suspicious. The two-story Greek Revival house had been purchased by Martin Methodist College five years ago and was to eventually be renovated as the campus' new administrative building. raising questions as to how it ignited. The timing of the fire was painfully ironic for college officials. 'Today, our president had a conference with the architects.

They were supposed to meet to move forward with all the restoration plans," said the school's public relations coordinator, Sissy Ferryman "Now, they'll just have to jump back and start over." The building was insured, but college officials don't know yet whether it can be saved. The fire destroyed the home's main stairway. The first and second floors were left largely intact, but heat and water damage may be catastrophic Perryman said. "It is a sad day for Martin Methodist College, for Giles County and for the state of Tennessee," Martin President Ted Brown said. No one was hurt in the fire, said Pete Gooch, an engineer i The small, liberal arts college had recently completed fund-raising efforts to restore the building, raising about $1 million for renovations and separate endowment funds to maintain the building once it was fully renovated.

Faulty wiring has been ruled out as a cause of the blaze because the house was not wired for electricity. Also, no one lived in the home, Bedford rN- Marshall Giles Downtown Pulaski '7 Pulaski Knight Stivender covers Wilson County tor The Tennossean. She can be reached at 726-5927 T1 Lincoln I CUFF ETIERNEY STAFF Childlike The family business A an oea auesnonei Iff i if .1 7 Workers wonder about role of caregiver By BETH WARREN and BILL SNYDER Staff Writers Health professionals who worked with Calvin Champion Jr. described him as a gentle man with autism and said they don't understand how he could have died in an altercation with police. They also question the role his paid companion played in events that escalated until the companion felt police intervention was necessary to bring Champion under control.

Champion, who also had a heart conditioa had the mental capacity of a 2- or 3-year-old child, his father said. Champioa 32, was pepper-sprayed, handcuffed and restrained at the ankles by officers after reportedly being combative at a Nolensville Road department store on Sunday. He was left face down vomiting as police called for medical assistance. Champion's pulsi prew weak and he lost consciousness. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

"Nobody has any answers," Calvin Champion Sr. said yesterday from his home in Gary, Ind. "I'm busy trying to bury him." The younger Champion often spent weekends with his sister, who lives in Nashville, and was able to sit Please see AUTISTIC, 2A ERIC fWRSONS STAFF Faith Hill and Tim McGraw rehearse yesterday for tonight's Academy of Country Music Awards in Universal City, Calif. The couple will sing their upcoming single, Let's Make Love, their first live TV appearance together in three years. to keep the show entertaining with unusual pair- OnTVter.lvt The Academy of Country Music Awards are broadcast at 7 tonight on WTVF-Channel 5.

exposure to new young stars, letting them sing live instead of on tape from an amusement park. On ID 35th annual awards ings and lots of perfor-tonight will have a new mances. On IB look: Producers are trying Show is giving more Smaller TWRA staff slows boat licensing Owners unaware they can renew at retailers By WARREN DUZAK Staff Writer A new electronic system for renewing boat registrations is not working as well as expected for some of the state's 312,000 boat owners, who are having to wait up to three or four weeks for renewals that once took 10 days. A new computer system intended to speed the process went online statewide in August But boat owners accustomed to mailing in their renewals must wait longer now that the state cut and reorganized its staff for by-mail boat registrations. "It is overwhelming with the baskets of mail coming in and all these people working hard," said Brenda Griggs, supervisor of the cash receipts division for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, which processes the registrations.

"What we thought was they would go to the (licensing) agents, and that is what caught us off-guard." The computerized Remote Easy Access Licensing system allows quick renewals of hunting and fishing licenses and boat registrations through hundreds of approved "licensing agents" across the state. That includes major retailers like Wal-Mart and Kmart "If we can get them to use it it will make life easier for us and for them," TWRA Region II Director Steve Patrick said. The public is just not availing themselves of the new technology (and) we have a huge backlog of boat renewals." The wait at a licensing agent is measured in minutes, but many boat owners never purchase a hunting or fishing license and are unfamiliar with licensing agents, TWRA officials said. "I get calls from people who ask, What is a licensing TWRA Chief of Boating Ed Carter said. 'It is foreign to about half the people that boat." Boats using either motors or sails must be registered, and new registrations must be done by mail or in persoa Operating an unregistered boat can mean a fine of $50, plus court costs.

Warren Duzak covers Wilson County for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 726-5939. Connecticut teens die in fiery suicide crash I firm full (In 1h Xi'tZ'i i'iii'ii'i'i GEORGE WALKER IV STAFF Tommy Head, vice chairman of the House Finance, Ways and Means committee, moves in favor of a seat-belt amendment Seat-belt measure advances in House Rquiredusefor 18 and under is likely By BONNA M. deb CRUZ and DUREN CHEEK Staff Writers Any vehicle containing anyone 18 years old or younger not wearing seat belts can be pulled over and the driver ticketed under legislation that passed a key hurdle in the Tennessee General Assembly yesterday. The House Finance Committee passed the bill as lawmakers eye cracking down on teen-age drivers.

The measure now goes to the House. It has already passed the Senate. Under current law, police can ticket any drivers not wearing seat belts only if they've committed another in- 13-year-old drove Bronco into the same tree where his older brother died EAST HADDAM, Conn. (AP) -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 intentions in cell phone goodbyes a few minutes earlier.

Tell our parents we love them, the boys told friends. Then at the same tree where his 15-year-old brother died in a car crash six months ago Michael Dombrowski, 13, and his friend Jeffrey Barton, 15, ended their lives in this town about 20 miles from Hartford. Friends said a grief-stricken Michael had planned his death as a tribute to the elder brother he idolized. He was too young even to drive. Jeff, whom friends described as troubled, joined Michael out of friendship.

"This just created a situation where we're starting to ask ourselves, Why East Haddamr" said School Superintendent Steven Durham. House Finance Committee con The tree, which stood on the lawn at the First Church of Christ, was cut down Monday afternoon for fear it would become a magnet for more suicides. Church leaders had planned to cut it down sooner, but had left it standing as a memorial to Daniel Dombrowski and Hunter Daniels, both 15, who died Nov. 6 when a car driven by a third teen-ager struck the tree. The driver of that car, Jason Duplin, 19, faces two charges of manslaughter with a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

State police believe Michael and Jeff had been planning the suicides for some time, but it is not clear how long, when their friends found out or whether any adults were told, said Sgt. Stephen Os-troskl A friend, Kaitlin Mullarkey, had written them a note urging them to find some other way to show their love for Daniel, The Hartford Courant reported. "I don't know why they felt like they had to do this," she said. Late Sunday night, after making calls to a number of friends, the boys took Michael's father's Bronco. Shortly after 3 am.

Monday, after making additional Please see SUICIDE, 2A coupled with a graduated driver's license system, will teach teens to wear their seat belts. Cohen said it is unlikely lawmakers will make failure to wear a seat belt a primary offense for adults anytime sooa Seventy-five percent of traffic fatalities in Tennessee involve people not wearing seat belts, said Anthony Kim-brough of the state Safety Department. Tennessee was tied for the ninth highest per capita deaths from car wrecks in 1998. Transportation officials say that's because so many people here don't wear seat belts. siders revenue options, including a state tax on capi-, tal gains.

On IB fraction, such as speeding. It is a primary violation only if passengers 12 years old and younger are not wearing seat belts. State Sea Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, who co-sponsored the corresponding Senate bill, said he hopes this legislation, 40, 10-11 Axles see tax cut room Want the teisst news first? at wiuaonum Sections DeerAbby 20 Local News Deaths SB Snorts Edtonals 1M3A JJU Sign up for e-mail Business Il40901ll05606 upaaies. wnen news happens, we'l Entertainment 30 Horoscope 20 Movies 30 National Newt Snorts amnhnnffl 7C Tarty is over After six seasons of dealing with their parents' deaths, pregnancy, alcoholism and cancer, among other things, the Salinger clan is splitting up and Fox's Party of five is leaving the airwaves. On 3D.

ITTs Tegano denies misconduct Carmen Tegano, associate athletic director at Tennessee and head of academic counseling for athletes, disputed allegations of academic misconduct yesterday. He said he welcomes an inquiry by the Faculty Senate athletics committee. On 1C. The economy's growth means federal surpluses will be far larger than estimated, leaving room for presidential contender George W. Bush's proposed tax cut, aides said yesterday.

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