The Paris News from Paris, Texas • Page 2

2A The Paris News Friday, April 16,1993 Bomb attack kills two; eight injured JERUSALEM (AP) A car bomb explosion in the occupied West Bank today killed two Palestinians and wounded eight soldiers, Israeli radio and the army said. Israel radio and a police official indicated the blast was the work of a suicide bomber, which would be a major escalation in Arab attacks against Israelis. The attack came as Arab delegations met in Damascus, Syria, where they were expected to decide to resume peace talks with Israel on Tuesday in Washington. Radio reports said a car packed with butane gas exploded between two parked buses, one military and the other civilian. Both buses went up in flames.

The blast killed an Arab man who worked at a nearby snack bar in the Mehola settlement at the northern edge of the West Bank, south of the Israeli town of Beit Shean. Details about the other dead man were not immediately known. Israel radio said he may have been the one who set off the bomb. Those injured suffered light to moderate injuries, said officials at Haemek Hospital in nearby Afula. Israel sealed the West Bank and occupied Gaza Strip last month to prevent attacks on Israelis.

The restrictions block Palestinians from entering Israel. Srebrenica on verge of falling Test scores improve AUSTIN (AP) Math scores of eighth- grade students in Texas have increased, but still remain below the national average, according to the Texas Education Agency. Eighth-graders in Texas who took a na- ing her role in the girl's murder, authorities said. Kimberly Harris, 23, was jailed late Thursday after giving a statement incriminating herself in the disappearance of her daughter Brittany, who would have been 2 next week, Houston police Sgt. Ken Williamson said.

tional math test last spring scored six percentage points more than eighth-graders in the state in 1990, the TEA reported Thursday. Weather delays landing Mother faces murder count HOUSTON (AP) A woman who had reported her toddler missing faces charges of murder and child abandonment after confess- SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) Discovery's astronauts swiftly resumed their scientific readings today when they were given extra time in orbit because of bad weather this morning at the shuttle's landing site. Thurmond's daughter dies COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Sen. Strom Thurmond's daughter died from severe head injuries suffered when she was hit by a drunken driver, authorities said.

Nancy Moore Thurmond, 22, was hit while crossing a street Tuesday night, and died Wednesday. Corrinne Koenig, 35, of Columbia was arrested Wednesday and charged with felony drunken driving, Police Chief Charles Austin said. Gore put on hot seat WASHINGTON (AP) Vice President Al Gore today said it was unlikely the country would adopt a national sales tax "in the near term" as he defended administration tax policies during a call-in session on national TV. Gore, making an hour-long appearance on NBC's 'Today" show, said that while a sales tax or value-added tax was one option being considered to finance health-care reform, "I've never been for that particular approach in concept." Inmates free one hostage LUCASV1LLE, Ohio (AP) Inmates in control of a maximum-security cellblock freed one of seven hostages in return for radio air time. The guard's release came hours after one hostage was found dead in the yard outside.

Playday scheduled The Paris Rodeo and Horse Club will sponsor a playday Monday, April 19, at the Paris Rodeo arena. Books open at 6 p.m. and jackpot barrel races start at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Darlene at 784-0948 after 8 p.m. The basic monetary unit of Albania is the lek; in 1991 it took 5.77 leks to make a U.S.

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FURIVITURE APPLIANCES 'SlOBonliuin 784-63710 Photo by Marvin Gortey LUNCHEON PREPARATION Father Michael Barone, pastor of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, assists Debbie Jordan, secretary of the Lady's Guild of church, prepare for the annual salad luncheon sponsored by the guild. The luncheon will be held Saturday, April 17, and serving begins at noon. Tickets, $5 each, will be available at the door. Marijuana activist gets day in court AUSTIN (AP) Austinite Brett Stahl says marijuana should be legalized. This week, he will tell a jury why.

Stahl, who went to trial Thursday on charges of possession of the drug, plans to make a pitch for it before a Travis County Court-at-Law. He was arrested last year after he took some marijuana into the state comptroller's office to challenge a state tax on illegal drugs. He had asked workers how many tax stamps he needed to buy. Stahl, a member of the Texas Hemp Campaign, which is calling for the legalization of marijuana, says he will use the trial to challenge what he calls "terroristic drug laws" such as the Texas State Marijuana Tax Stamp Act. Velte said Stahl refused to plea-bargain the case and opted for a jury trial to allow his peers to judge the justice of marijuana.

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Warwick, R.I. Mark the Date! Time! and Place! Saturday, April 17 2 p.m. Paris High School Auditorium 2400 Jefferson Road, Paris Annual Membership Meeting Lamar Electric Cooperative Election of Directors Progress Reports Attendance Prizes $2,000 in door prizes to be given away Bring the card you received in the mail I Directors for Three Districts Will Be Elected District 5 Sid Town send Route 2, Suinner Harold Ford Route 2, Sumner A.C. (Buddy) Carter (by petition) Route 1. Sumner District 6 Wayne McFadden Route 4, Paris Bob Kelly Route 4, Paris John (Jack) E.

Morris (by petition) 450 Yale Paris District 7 Bill Anderson Route 1, Detroit Robert Dickey Route 1, Bogala GAM MORRIS IJV An Evening With GARY MORRIS Saturday, April 17th North Lamar High School 8:00 P.M. Country Star, T.V. Star, Broadway Star General Admission $6.00 Reserved Seating $12.50 Pretented By KOYN With Proceeds To Benefit NLISD Track PJC Choir Tickets Available At: Cavenders.KOYN, and Jay's Western Wear (In Hugo). SARAJEVO, Bosnia- Herzegovina (AP) Serb militiamen closed in on Sre- brenica today, and officials in the largest of the three remaining Muslim enclaves in eastern Bosnia tried to work out a surrender. A spokesman for Bosnia's Muslim-led government said Srebrenica officials were negotiating with Serbs to give up the town in return for the safe evacuation of Muslim civilians and troops.

Hundreds of people have been killed since early March when Bosnian Serbs stepped up attacks on Srebrenica, the scene of intense U.N. efforts to deliver supplies and rescue civilians. The town's fall would demoralizing blow to Bosnia's Muslims and another slap by the Serbs at demands to stop the year-old civil war. Muftic made clear that Sre- brenica would fall whether or not there was an evacuation. 1993 Official Prom Headquarters Selection! "The Exclusive Tuxedo Shop" Tony's Tuxes 3705 Lamar Ave.

784-0015 "Let's By Anita Meyer, External Affairs Manager Southwestern Bell Telephone of Texas Last week, the Texas Telephone Association (TTA) made public a commitment to invest more than $1.4 billion in Texas. This would be over and above the normal construction budgets of TTA companies. A commitment of this magnitude ought to make big news in Texas. Right? Weft, chances are, you haven't read much about the $1.4 billion offer, even though big-city newspaper publishers have known about it for months. Makes you wonder what gives? And perhaps more importantly, what do these newspaper publishers have to do with blocking a commitment that could bring jobs arid technological rn improvements to Texas? Texans deserve to know why they've been kept in the dark about an effort by big-city newspaper publishers to kill one of the biggest economic boosts Texas has ever seen.

Here's the background so you can decide yourself. Telephone companies in Texas, including mine, are seeking changes in the way they are regulated. The TTA does not support total deregulation. For example, continued Public Utility Commission (PUG) of Texas regulation of basic local telephone service is essential. The rate you pay telephone companies for local service is low today, and must continue to remain affordable.

The TTA proposes to freeze these low basic local rates for four years. So, where's the catch? Telephone companies in Texas are seeking the flexibility to compete in areas where competition already exists. We want the financial incentives to invest in advanced telecommunications technologies; like Distance Learning which links teachers with distant classrooms over the phone lines; and Telemedicine which allows health care professionals to video conference with patients and educators to share medical expertise. Services like these are examples of how telecommunications stands ready to improve the quality of life for all Texans. Enter the "Big-City" Publishers.

For some five months now, the newspaper industry, led by publishers of papers owned by out-of-state media conglomerates, have raised false concerns about the TTA proposal. Theycattedit a deregulation proposal. It's not. They said telephone company profits are financing foreign investments. That's not true.

The newspaper bosses are wrong to make such ludicrous, unfounded accusations. In an attempt to appease the newspaper moguls, state leaders called for meetings between the telephone and newspaper industries to settle then 1 differences. A reasonable idea. But, we've been trying to get representatives of these publishers to sit down and talk since November. They refused to do so until just recently and have done little more than drag their feet.

Their strategy? It's been reported in their own words. A paid newspaper industry lobbyist is quoted one day saying his group would continue to seek a compromise with telephone companies. Then, speaking before the Texas Daily Newspaper Association the same lobbyist is quoted saying: "We need to slam these guys. Let's take these guys out." So much for the publishers' motives. Why are they fighting progress? Money.

The newspaper bosses have used a massive lobbying effort and scare campaign to protect their own self-interests. They see any change in telephone regulation as a direct threat (although unfounded) to their classified advertising profits. As long as they can stall the talks, they can continue to keep any competitive threat at bay. The publishers would have you believe this is a complicated issue between two large interests that needs to be studied for another two years. Let me simplify the debate, since they won't.

Phone companies are ready to invest $1.4 billion in a fiber optic system that will bring jobs and new business to Texas. Sure, that will help grow our business, but don't forget, we're also willing to freeze basic phone rates to ensure that our local customers are protected. The TTA group has negotiated in good faith. TTA representatives attended every meeting held, and tried to work with the publishers in every way reasonable. We said "yes" to rate freezes and even to local network competition.

The newspaper publishers, on the other hand, did little more than to delay any progress serious talks could have produced. They offer no vision for Texas. Let's hope their message to Texans wasn't spoken by their paid lobbyist when he said, "Let's lake these guys out" H-m-m-m..