The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 1

56 PAGES A GANNETT NEWSPAPER METRO EDITION LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1996 50 CENTS Tornadoes rake Bollifrt 'S WW' "T- -JB tew I McConnell, Beshear, win Senate bids easily By AL CROSS Political Writer Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell and Democrat Steve Beshear coasted to U.S. Senate nominations in yesterday's primary election, while Mayfield lawyer Dennis Null won the Democratic slot in the 1st Congressional District by a surprisingly comfortable margin. Third District U.S. Rep. Mike Ward of Louisville easily fended off a Democratic primary challenge from Raymond Abbott.

Two powerful Democratic senators supported by Gov. Paul Patton President Pro Tem Charles Berger of Harlan and Judiciary Committee Chairman Kelsey Friend of Pikeville were among seven lawmakers who lost their seats in primaries. Three were Republicans weakened by legislative redistricting. Patton-backed candidates fared better in other races. The only Democratic legislator he opposed Rep.

Rick Fox, who supported Republican gubernatorial nominee Larry Forgy last year lost to fellow Harlan resident Thomas Pope. Patton also supported Beshear, which gave the former state attorney general and lieutenant governor almost clear sailing in the primary with former 1st District Rep. Tom Barlow of Paducah and civil-rights activist Shelby Lanier of Louisville. In the Jefferson County Democratic primary for the A District commissioner's seat, Patton appointee Russ Maple defeated Marsha Weinstein and Tony Weiter. Maple wins; Weinstein cites issue of bridge By rick Mcdonough Staff Writer Democrat Russ Maple, the candidate who decided just two weeks ago to throw his support behind building a new Ohio River bridge in eastern Jefferson County, defeated East End bridge opponent Marsha Weinstein in yesterday's A District commissioner's primary.

St. Matthews City Councilman Tony Weiter finished third. With all precincts reporting, the unofficial totals reported by the Jefferson County Board of Elections were: Maple 10,989 50.3 Weinstein 8,375 38.3 Welter 2,48811.4 Maple, who was appointed to the commissioner's post in December, will face Republican Amos Martin in November. Yesterday's voting was by district; it will be countywide in November. Martin, who has been waiting quietly on the sidelines, has raised little money and hasn't yet staked out a public position on the bridge or other issues.

A home builder who is well-known as a former University of Louisville See WEINSTEIN Page 11, col. 3, this section MiiMl aw ivi'iii nMrmmi riUMMimifffirMMT -iin-rth rnrninA iimiiniirii'mfiiiiiiiiiii'ffiiiai naWM h.i hur-1-- 1 -Sfc fci i nr i 1 Mu mm mm PHOTO BY CHRIS HALL alnal fi(LuAaiIH mnln UoIa frnm haf hfima dftnr tha Unrth CIaI4 enK41tilelAn In Uminf IAfaDnlntsn uioa e4mLr hit 4Ka Wade from her home after the North Field subdivision in Mount struck the storm. Firefighters Tony Brown, left, and Tony Morris helped 86-year-old Virginia Washington was by 600 homes are destroyed; few injured; child missing i ments were continuing to look for the child last night, using a tracking dog owned by the Hillview police. Officials said the storm damaged or destroyed about 600 houses. The worst damage apparently struck Pioneer Village, a city of about 3,000 residents just off Ky.

61 near the Jefferson-Bullitt county line, and Mount Washington, a larger city on Bullitt County's eastern edge. Heavy damage also was reported in Hillview, Brooks and Zoneton, said Joe E. Las-well, deputy director of Bullitt County Disaster and Emergency Services. About 250 houses in Pioneer Village were destroyed or severely damaged by the storm, which hit the community about 6:45 p.m. In the nearby Meadowbrook subdivision, a newer development, dozens of other homes were destroyed.

As it tore through Mount Washington, the storm demolished dozens of houses in several subdivisions. The By LAURIE OGLE WHITE, ANDREW MELNYKOVYCH and JIM ADAMS Staff Writers Hundreds of houses in northern Bullitt County were destroyed or damaged and many families were displaced last night when tornadoes cut a path about a half mile wide from Brooks across Interstate 65 and into Pioneer Village before moving east to Mount Washington. Early reports from the scene did not mention any serious injuries, but a 5-year-old girl was missing from a Hillview-area home, officials said at an 11 p.m. press conference. The child's parents returned home after the storm to find the roof missing and the child gone, said Hillview Police Chief James Dennis, who had no other details last night.

Firefighters from Zoneton and Okolona and police officers from various depart damage seemed confined to the east side of the city, north of Ky. 44. The downtown area escaped unscathed. Last night Bullitt County Judge-Executive John Harper declared the county a disaster area and asked Gov. Paul Patton for state assistance.

Kentucky National Guard Col. Mel-vin Shelley, director of logistics, said that by morning, 40 military police officers would be in the county, working with state police to secure the damaged areas. Pioneer Village "Just like the movie our roof went off," Tammy Wild said as she and her family surveyed the damage in Pioneer Village. She said she'd run into the bathroom where her husband was showering when the roof peeled away from their See TORNADOES Page 12, col. 2, this section 'It, EMS response slowed by gawkers STAFF PHOTO BY PAT McDONOGH This area off Interstate 65 in Bullitt County was in the tornado's half-mile-wide swath of destruction last night.

The communities with the worst damage were Pioneer Village and Mount Washington. INSIDE A Baptist pastor finds a dog in his house after the storm, but there was only one problem: "We don't have a dog," Eddy Maynard said. A13 The storm that passed through Bullitt County caused a case of nerves in other parts of Kentucky and Southern Indiana. A12 Thousands of homes and businesses in Bullitt, Spencer and Jefferson counties lost power last night in the storm. A13 By BEVERLY BARTLETT Staff Writer Police and emergency medical crews trying to reach storm-ravaged neighborhoods faced more obstacles than gas leaks, uprooted trees and downed power lines.

They also had to contend with swarms of people jamming roadways as they tried to get a look at the areas most damaged by the storm. In fact, even several hours after the storm, traffic was one of the biggest problems facing emergency workers, according to Jefferson County Police spokeswoman Wendy Evans, who went to Bullitt County to help emergency workers. Ky. 61, known as Preston Highway in Jefferson County, was a particular problem, she said. Even emergency lanes were blocked.

Kentucky State Police de tective Jon Taylor said that the crowds blocking roads were apparently a combination of those who were simply curious and those desperately trying to get into the area to check on loved ones. Many people abandoned their cars in emergency lanes and went looking on foot, compounding the traffic problems. And, as usual in these situations, Taylor said, "we have the potential of a looting problem." Still, Louisville and Jefferson County EMS workers trying to reach the scene apparently beat the crowds and Louisville police officers who left Louisville a little later about 10 p.m. reported no problems. Taylor said that, even early on, workers were able to get to damaged See GAWKERS Page 13, col.

5, this section 11 pEFFERS0NTC0UNTY? Mount Brooks 1 Pioneer Washington Tavlorsville Lrfcr aKkK --a spencer tl COUNTY 3- INSIDE Ninth Ward Alderman Bill Wilson is defeated; Alderman Reginald Meeks wins by 10 votes. B1 3rd District Rep. Mike Ward will face Republican state Rep. Anne Northup in the fall. Bl Other election stories, B4, B5, B6 and B7 NHS UN COUNTY (jso) SCALE OF MILES STAFF MAP BY STEVE DURBIN Clinton's Whitewater partners convicted INDEX Business B10 Lottery A2 Comics C18 Metro B1 Crossword C19 Movies C4 Deaths B6 People A2 Food C2 Racing D7 Forum A14 Sports D1 Horoscope C19 Television C2 Philip Morris sued for harassment According to claims in three lawsuits, including one filed yesterday, some Philip Morris USA managers tolerated a sexually charged atmosphere at the company's Louisville cigarette plant including the trading of sex for promotions and job assignments.

The five women who filed the latest suit said their careers suffered because they were not part of "a stable of thoroughbreds' women who they claimed were expected to entertain company officials and vendors. Metro, B1 A jury yesterday convicted President Clinton's former business partners of participating in a $3 million conspiracy to defraud two federally backed financial institutions. James McDougal, the owner of Madison Guaranty Savings Loan, was convicted of 18 felony counts, and his former wife, Susan, was convicted of four felony counts. The third defendant in the case, Gov. Jim Guy Tucker of Arkansas, was convicted of one count of conspiracy and one count of mail fraud.

He an nounced he would resign by July 15 to prepare his appeal. The verdict followed a 12-week trial in which Clinton, right, testified via videotape for the defense. Asked if the verdicts meant that jurors did not believe him, he said: "I doubt that but you ought to ask them." Independent counsel Kenneth Starr, left, called the outcome a "vindication" of the justice system. Now, he said, "we move forward" with the Washington phase of the Whitewater probe. News, A4 Classified C7 -t Hi? I a i V.

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