Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 1

Dodoers wan mt'i'" i i Rain i'lp. fall farther behind 1 i HIGH 87 LOW 73 Page B8 i 1 1 1 EIZOMA ME Edition 500 EE! Garth is country's 1 best IffeT li A EPUMJC Copyright 1997, The Arizona Republic Thursday, September 25, 1997 Phoenix, Arizona www.azcentral.com 108th year, No. 130 for worst Both God, devil dwell in rape suspect Outbursts part of his history a BRACING FOR NORA Hurricane Nora's punching ability puts Yuma on emergency watch Arizona is preparing for widespread rain and winds as Hurricane Nora heads for land. The strong weather system, which will be downgraded to a tropical storm, is expected to bring 4-6 inches of rain and 45-70 mph winds to southern and western portions of the state. ZH7 2a.m.

mmmmmr Friday i -o Page 1 mtecieapaui Bullhead A Phoenix San Diego This By Jim Walsh The Arizona Republic In one of his many delirious outbursts, 17-year-old Lee Cornier Jr. once referred to himself as both God and the devil. Police say Cornier is a lot closer to the latter, a ferocious, hulking young man who strangled his two Arizona State University rape victims until they passed out, fracturing the face of one of the students. Now, police will attempt to use DNA evidence to link Cornier with the strangulation murder of Fiona Yu, 21, an ASU student murdered in August "lies a prime suspect in the matter," said Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley "We obtained a court order asking for the withdrawal 1 "iWMWUtl By Mark Shaffer and Hal Mattem The Arizona Republic Yuma residents feverishly stacked sandbags and Gov. Jane Hull declared a state of emergency for Yuma County for today's arrival of Hurricane Nora, which could be the most powerful tropical storm to strike the state.

The accelerating Pacific storm was projected to go ashore this morning near the Mexican town of El Rosario, Baja California, 230 miles south of San Diego, and cut a northeasterly path across the Baja Peninsula About 30 National Guardsmen set off toward Yuma late Wednesday night to assist local authorities in a variety of tasks. The caravan left about 10 p.m. from Papago Park National Guard State Headquarters and included one Humvee, 12 deuce-and-a-half cargo trucks and four water buffaloes, which are trailers that can carry up to 500 gallons of drinking water, said Captain Eileen Bienz, public affairs officer of Arizona National Guard. "They are pretty pumped up," Bienz said Though the hurricane is expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it passes into Arizona today, it could still pack winds as high as 70 mph and dump 4 to 6 inches of rain in the Yuma area, National Weather Service forecasters said. If the predictions hold, Yuma would receive as much rain in the next few days as it normally receives in two years.

The annual average precipitation is just over 3 inches. The eye of the storm is forecast to pass over the Imperial Valley of California, west of Yuma, early this evening. The. emergency declaration frees up to $200,000 in state money to help Yuma County prepare for and pay for damage after the storm. It also opens an emergency Please see NORA, Page A8 afternoon --Tucson v- Lee Cornier Jr.

The Tempe High School student's life has been filled with abuse, instability and mental problems. Mountain range in Baja will help break up storm. cs 2 a.m. today Punta Eugenia kV Position: MEXICO 25.5 114.8 VI iMoving: Hat 17 mph Sustained winds: ur I E5 mph Gusts: i .103 mph I 1 l.l Ni ri 'n- V' I' 120 110 of blood, so we can compare it with DNA evidence." If the genetic blood tests, which could take months to complete, link Cornier to the crime, Romley said he will seek the death penalty. Police said there are no other suspects in Yu's murder, which occurred in her apartment, just east of ASU.

On Monday, police arrested Derrick Wood, the 16-year-old son of an ASU security guard, and Cornier. Both Tempe High School students are charged with attempted murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and burglary Jn the rape and beating of a 17-year-old female student in her ASU dorm room. Both suspects have extensive criminal records. Please see RAPE, Page A15 Lawmakers cling to raise Junior Congress members mad 1 I WHAT IS A HURRICANE? A hurricane is a circulating weather system (counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere) over tropical waters. Developing hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters.

This year's crop of Pacific hurricanes are being fueled by El Nino. Hurricane Maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. Tropical storm An organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph (34-63 knots). Tropical depression An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less. The U.S.

hurricane season exists from mid-August to late November. -v, Sources: National Hurricane Center; National Weather Service Oeirdre HamillThe Anzona Republic Yuma residents, firefighters and military personnel bag sand at Yuma Fire Station No. 1 in preparation for the storm. Residents had to wait up to three hours to fill their bags. Mark WatersThe Arizona Republic mm 'v.

mimimrniin i imi Itmm Flooding could escalate rush hour By Jeff Barker Republic Washington Bureau WASHINGTON Tensions escalated Wednesday between entrenched House leaders and frustrated junior members who are trying to force a vote to deny Congress a $3,000 pay raise. "There is growing rage," said Rep. John Shadegg, a leader of reform-minded members who are at odds with the leadership over the cost-of-living adjustment and other issues. "The issue is not just the pay raise, the issue is integrity," Shadegg said An effort by Shadegg and others to force a recorded vote on die pay raise John i Shadegg The lawmaker says the pay raise is one of several frustrating issues. FLOOD SAFETY TIPS Arizona emergency personnel watching Hurricane Nora provided a list of what people should have available.

They also urged that residents stay home if severe weather hits, unless evacuation is necessary. A first aid kit in the house and in each vehicle. A flashlight, a battery-operated radio and fresh batteries. Foods that don't require cooking. Manual can opener.

Fresh drinking water. An advance evacuation Full tanks of gas in all vehicles. Three gallons of water per person, enough for three days. Police recommend avoiding key streets By Steve Yozwiak The Arizona Republic If possible, Valley motorists should avoid driving today, especially during the evening rush hour. That's the recommendation of the Maricopa County Flood Control District, in anticipation of the extensive storm front created by Hurricane Nora that's lumbering into Arizona.

Dams, bridges, streets and high Valley, according to Steve Waters of the flood control agency. Motorists should avoid any low-hying streets, he said, and not drive on any roadway covered with water. "You don't know if the road is still there," Waters said, refering to the unpredictability of street erosion. Ross Blakley, deputy street transportation director for Phoenix, said that all of die cityls bridge crossings over the Salt River have been upgraded, but tiiat there are other areas of the city that still experience Please see FLOOD, Page A9 ways all have been upgraded over the past two decades to handle periodic desert downpours, officials said But rainfall nearly any amount in the Valley seems to trigger traffic accidents. Rush hours this evening and Friday morning could be especially congested, especially in places like Scottsdale's Indian Bend Wash, which is designed to fill during heavy rains, cutting off the roads that run through it.

While storm winds should decrease to gusts of 30 to 50 mph, there could be up to 3 inches of rain in the was rejected Wednesday by a vote of 229-199. All members of the Arizona delegation voted in the minority except Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz. Shadegg and other Republican rebels many of whom were elected in 1994 and 1996 are angry over reputed "back door" tactics employed by House leadership to pass Please see CONGRESS, Page A4 Ex-mayor raises more questions about project Terry Goddard' "If INSIDE Astrology HL6 Bridge HL6 Business Dl Chuckle A2 B8 Classified Inside Comics D7, 8.CL13 DearAbby HL6 Editorial B6 Healthy Living HL1 Montini Bl Obituaries CL16 Prayer A2 Puzzles D8, HL6 Sports CI Weather B8 A i they build schlock, we're going to go downhill from there. If they build something very, very special, that sets the standard." Surprise witness says Albert bit her By Anne Gearan Associated Press ARLINGTON, Va.

A surprise witness testified Wednesday that Marv Albert, wearing white panties and a garter belt, bit her three years ago in a Dallas hotel room during a struggle that left her holding the sportscaster's hairpiece. Patricia Masden's story was the most shocking yet in Albert's forcible sodomy and assault trial, drawing gasps from spectators but not even a smile from the jurors. Albert is not on trial in connection with the reported incident, but Circuit Judge Benjamin N.A. Kendrick let her tell her story to show what prosecutors say was a pattern of conduct. Masden said she got to know Albert well during the early 1990s when he traveled with basketball's New York Knicks and she was the VIP liaison for Hyatt Hotels.

She said he summoned her to his room in Please see SURPRISE, Page AN By Chris Fiscus The Arizona Republic The scene in Portland Parkway in downtown Phoenix on Wednesday was not all that unusual: a few transients sprawled in the grass with some boarded-up buildings nearby. The area is where a Dallas developer wants to build what essentially would be a new neighborhood: a series of low-rise buildings with about 900 upscale apartments and markets, some new streets, plus sidewalks with shade trees, benches and street lights. Columbus Realty Trust wants to build the project in an area bounded roughly by Central and Third avenues, Roosevelt Street and Margaret T. Hance Park. But the sense of quiet ty that has surrounded the project for months was shattered last week when former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard started raising questions.

It's not that he's against the project. But he has concerns, among them: Why is the city Planning Commission considering a plan to change the rules on residential devefoi. ment near downtown that Please see EX-MAYOR, Page A10 Republic of life, Dave CruzThe Anzona A house, lacking windows, curtains, a lawn or most any other signs sits vacant in a downtown Phoenix area targeted for revitalization. DAILY lw.