The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 1

Cash for cooks Sponsors of Kansas State Fair Cooking Contests offer Royal support Prominent KG banker joins Miles Prentice in bid to buy Royals D1 SPORTS NeW More secure bills due at banks in late September A4 Switched bflbieS! Mother wants what's best for both girls A8 High: 79 Low: 63 Cloudy today with a 30 percent chance of showers I Salina Journal Comics B4 Deaths A9 Great Money A4 Sports D1 Viewpoints B2 INDEX Serving Kansas since 1871 WEDNESDAY AUGUSTS, 1998 SALINA, KANSAS 50 cents WALL STREET Stocks tumble by 299 points The third-largest loss in history raises fears the worst isn't over By BRUCE MEYERSON The Associated Press NEW YORK The Dow Jones industrial average plunged nearly 300 points on Tuesday, suffering its third-biggest point drop ever and raising fears the stock market's tumble is far from over. The Dow fell 299.43 points to finish at 8j487.31 in the second busiest day in history. Only the 554.26-point loss of Oct. 27, 1997, and the 508.00-point fall of Oct. 19, 1987, were bigger.

But in percentage terms, the drop was not close to a record. In just 12 sessions since it closed at a record 9,337.97, the Dow has fallen 850 points or 9.1 percent to its lowest level since March. The Dow is up 7.3 percent this year. The Dow, measuring the movements of 30 big-name companies from IBM to Union Carbide selected by the editors of The Wall Street Journal, is closely followed as a popular gauge of the stock market's health. The past few weeks have been dominated by a series of discouraging signals on the economy and company profits, as well as continuing troubles in Asia, dashing hopes that improving conditions in the second half of this year would justify the market's lofty heights.

The surprising drop has left investment pros divided over whether the market is mired in one of its frequent post-rally downturns, popularly known as a correction or caught in 'the throes of something far more severe. Several of Wall Street's most prominent optimists have expressed doubts about the bull market's staying power in recent days. Tracking the Dow Tuesday's Dow Jones industrial average at 15-minute intervals: 8,850 9:30 a.m. Noon 4p.m. Source: Bridge Telerate COUNTY FAIR AP Nineteen Hundred Ninety-Eight Graves wins in landslide I AREA ELECTION RESULTS: County commission races and special questions decided A3 I ON THE HOMEFRONT: Graves carries Saline County despite "terrible" turnout A3 I CONGRESSIONAL RACES: A Wichita man to challenge Sam Brownback this fall A3 Lynch is nominee for House Former legislator wins Democratic primary for 71st District seat By DAVID CLOUSTON The Salina Journal LYNCH DAVIS TURNER The Salina Journal Gov.

Bill Graves gets an "I Voted" sticker attached to his lapel by his daughter, Katie, after casting his primary ballot Tuesday at Rolling Hills Congregational Church. Graves, who was raised in Salina, handily won the Republican nomination. Salina native to face Sawyer in fall EARNEST By SARAH KESSINGER and CAROL CRUPPER Harris News Service OPEKA Gov. Bill Graves heads into the general election today after soundly defeating GOP primary contender David Miller Tuesday. He'll face Tom Sawyer, who trounced Fred Phelps in the Democratic primary.

With 97percent of the vote tabulated, Graves had 216,205 votes, or 73 percent, to Miller's 80,436, or 27 percent. In his hometown of Salina, the governor received 6,350 votes and Miller had 1,222. Sawyer, Wichita, romped past "All indications are that we have a very strong and deep support among Kansans." Gov. Bill Graves Phelps to claim the Democratic nomination. With 97 percent counted, Sawyer had 84,228, or 85 percent, to Phelps' 14,622 or 15 percent.

In Saline County, Sawyer received 1,893 votes, easily defeating Phelps, who got 218 votes. "All indications are that we have a very strong and deep support among Kansans," Graves said. Graves conceded that Miller got his competitive dander up by attacking him over taxes and fiscal policy. "Of all the issues I'm not going to let someone frame the campaign on it is the fiscal issue," said Graves, who has presided over a cumulative $3.7 billion in tax cuts in his first term. In conceding defeat, Miller sounded upbeat and told about 200 supporters at his Topeka campaign headquarters, "I don't regret a minute of it." See GRAVES, Page A3 TOM SAWYER wins Democratic nomination easily ame recognition and her past record of accomplishment as a state representative led Democratic candidate Eloise Lynch to victory over her challenger a Earnest for the 71st District House seat Tuesday, Lynch said.

"It told me what I needed to know, that the Democrats of the 71st still want me as their candidate," Lynch said in a telephone interview from her home. Lynch won the election with 624 votes to 345 for Earnest. The 71st District covers 17 precincts, all in Salina. "I have a couple of my friends here and, yes, it's a pretty joyful atmosphere," Lynch said of her reaction to the results. The race was the only contested legislative race in the primary in Saline County.

The win for Lynch, 70, 705 S. Santa Fe, sets up a rematch in the November general election against incumbent Carol Beggs, R-Salina, who is seeking a third two-year term. Beggs unseated Lynch from the seat, which she held from 1989 through 1994. Earnest, meanwhile, said she was not disappointed or upset by her showing in her first political campaign. See LYNCH, Page A3 (JUUN I Spruced-up 4-H Building: If pretty cool nnrl naiAf linhtinn than something enjoyable.

Air conditioning and new lighting have been added to the building where 4-H exhibits are displayed By DAN ENGLAND The Salina Journal Cinderella has come to the Tri-Rivers Fair. But you won't find her hanging out when the fair king and queen are crowned. You won't see her riding one of the elegant animals at the 4-H open horse show. And you definitely won't see her entering the canned goods contest. Cinderella is a building.

The old maid of the fair, the 4-H Building, has been transformed with the wave of a magic wand and a little more than $150,000 into a princess with air conditioning and Salina woman sews up ribbons for her crocheting Page B1 brand new lighting that illuminates the place like never before. "It's changed from a barn to a ballroom," said Pam Van Horn, Saline County Extension agent for the 4-H program. "It's a lot nicer. Some of the 4-H kids were in there setting up, and they are just like The project, which began in May and is almost 100 percent completed, should help encourage people to linger at the more than 1,000 4-H exhibits that will be on display when the five-day fair kicks off with the parade at 5:30 this afternoon. The oppressive heat and dark corners of the 4-H building made a trip to see the exhibits into something akin to an obligation, rather than something enjoyable.

"I think people will be willing to come and stay longer," Van Horn said. "They really would just rush through in the past. It was like they were saying, 'Oh, man, now we've got to see the 4-H The 4-H exhibits are a big part of the fair, but that won't be the only thing offered, said Becky Senger, fair manager. About 45 more entries for the parade have been received, compared with last year. "We were surprised," Senger said.

"I think people are realizing this is a way to get some free advertising and be involved in the community." There also will be some new exhibits this year, Senger said, including booths featuring jewelry and woodworking. "It isn't just about siding and windows this year," she said. At the fair THE Here are some highlights of the Tri-Rivers Fair, which begins today and runs through Sunday: PARADE: 5:30 p.m. today on Santa Fe Avenue. RODEO: 8 p.m.

today and Thursday. CARNIVAL: 6 p.m. today through Saturday. PEDAL POWER TRACTOR PULL: 7 p.m. Thursday in the Bicentennial Center.

DEMOLITION DERBY: 8 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Sunday. EXHIBITS: Displayed throughout the fair. Tri-Rivers Fak August 5-9.