St. Louis Post-Dispatch du lieu suivant : St. Louis, Missouri • Page 1

The quest resumes Baseball watches as McGwire chases home run record, di 1 i Vol. 120, No. 190 1998 Thursday, July 9, 1998 6 50 Teen is ordered to retell story of fatal crash City police fund draws scrutiny from state Carnahan acts on complaint by Harmon Audit is sought for $7 million account Elderly, parents, children of elderly will get breaks Deduction for dependents triples 4 1K Who is eligible? Missourians who are disabled or older than 65 who meet certain income criteria. The amount full $750 credits for single filers who make up to $13,000 a year and partial credits for those who make up to $25,000 a year; full credits for married filers who make up to $15,000 and partial credits for those who make up to $27,000. People caring for a person age 65 or older in their home or who pay at least half the supportfor a dependent in a Med- -t icatid-eligjble nursing home.

The dependent could not draw Medicaid support in a nursing home. The amount: a $1,200 tax deduction per dependent, plus an added $1,000 deduction. Reduces the amount of tax owed for most taxpayers by $60 per dependent claimed. Tax reduction is estimated at $108 for people who qualify for both deductions. Anyone with dependent children or dependent elderly.

The amount: estimated to be $96 for a family with two dependents. 43 -rum- St By Michael D. Sorkin Of the Post-Dispatch Gov. Mel Carnahan has dispatched one of his top aides to find out whether the St. Louis Police Department has millions of dollars that the mayor says could be used as a "slush fund." 4.

ft 'til t. Carnahan acted on a complaint by Mayor Clarence Harmon, who is calling for a special audit of the fund. The fund now totals more than $7.5 million. Harmon said Wednesday that he had become alarmed after Exchange of letters POSTnet has more on mayor and the police. stlnet.com and click on Today's Links.

U.S. approves $46 million to replace Darst-Webbe By Deborah Peterson Of the Post-Dispatch Gov. Mel Carnahan signed a $90 million package of tax-relief legislation into law Wednesday, under the watchful eyes of dozens of elderly Missourians at the Affton Senior Center. The package increases property tax relief for the elderly and disabled, and raises the state income tax deduction for dependents. The law increases tax credits nicknamed circuit-breakers for the elderly and disabled.

It raises the top income threshold to be eligible for the breaks from $15,000 to $25,000 for single filers, and to $27,000 for combined filers. It increases the tax credit from $250 to $750. Some seniors at the center said they thought the new law was a good one but acknowledged their income was too high for them to qualify. Not so for La Verne Zlatic, 78. A sprightly woman from the far southwestern edge of St.

Louis, just east of Affton, Zlatic is rich in blessings but poor in cash. As a retired U.S. Postal Service supervisor, Zlatic said she gets Social Security and retirement benefits, but they don't add up to much. "I have a big family," said Zlatic, the mother of four, grandmother of 13 and great-grandmother of seven. "That where all my money goes." Zlatic said she doesn't think the property tax relief should be available for people whose incomes are more than $25,000 a year.

"Twenty-five thousand dollars is a lot of money. At least it is to me," she said. "I know I've lived on a lot less. The taxes is the biggest thing of anything to pay. Everything else is going up." The law also allows people to claim the new $1,200 deduction available for children if they support elderly dependents in their home or pay at least half the support for a dependent in a Medic-aid-eligible nursing home.

They also can claim an extra $1,000 deduction. The governor's office said Missouri taxpayers claim 41,000 dependents over age 65. "This is a great program because it allows many seniors and disabled citizens to stay in their See Tax cut, Page A9 'J l' 1,1 1 fj kf- i 1 learning how large the fund had grown. He said he also had become concerned about what he called a complete lack of public accountability. Harmon said the fund apparently is controlled by the police department's finance director.

The finance director answers to the police chief, but apparently neither the chief nor Police Board members know in any detail what happens to the money, Harmon said. "We still don't know," Harmon said. "That's why I called for the audit." See Fund, Page A9 City agency must find more money, provide details Wendi Fitzgerald POST-DISPATCH Last fall Angela Cowin, 17, died in an automobile accident. Teen-agers gathered Wednesday in the Madison County Courthouse to hear the sentencing of JoAnn Reidelberger, the girl who was driving. Dead girl's father calls sentence lenient Romani Jr.

of Madison County sentenced Reidelberger, 17, of Highland, to give traffic-safety speeches to other teens while performing 200 hours of commu-nity service. Tentative settlement is reached in breast implant case By Charles Bosworth Jr. Of the Post-Dispatch JoAnn Reidelberger of Highland said she has spent every day since last October reliving the crash that killed a friend and injured several others while Reidelberger was driving them to their homecoming dance. But over the next 30 months, she will have to relive the worst day of her life out loud for other teen-agers as part of her sentence for reckless homicide. Chief Criminal Judge Charles treatment and counseling if needed.

If she violates any of those conditions, Romani ordered, she will serve six months in the county jail. Reidelberger pleaded guilty in January of reckless homicide in the death of her passenger, Angela Cowin, 17, of Alhambra. The sheriff's department said Reidelberger had been drinking before she drove Cowin and three other friends to the Highland High School homecoming, deciding to detour several miles and "jump hills" at speeds of up to 80 mph on the way. See Sentence, Page A13 Reidelberger Dow Coming would pay $3.2 billion Romani ordered her to spend 30 months on probation that includes a 9 p.m. to 7 am curfew, a ban on driving, prohibition from drinking alcohol, and completion of alcohol BY NORM PARISH Of the Post-Dispatch Federal officials have given a major boost to the city's efforts to replace an aging Darst-Webbe public housing complex south of downtown with mixed-income housing and businesses.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which previously had threatened to strip a federal grant for the project, agreed to give $46.7 million to the St. Louis Housing Authority for building apartments and houses on the site, city officials announced Wednesday. The approval comes with conditions: Secure more funding for the $150 million project and provide more details on the project itself, which includes the razing of the high-rise complex and the redevelopment of nearby areas. "St.

Louis has made tremendous progress toward redevelopment of Darst-Webbe and the surrounding community," Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. "There is much work yet to be done, but the progress this partnership has made has been phenomenal." Also on Wednesday, an alder-manic housing committee moved along a separate $50 million financing package that would provide an additional $20 million for the Darst-Webbe redevelopment plan from money the city would borrow from the federal government The city would use the money at the Darst-Webbe redevelopment to demolish or renovate the See Grant, Page AS Two days of ceremonies will mark the reburial of Blassie's remains aw wwmuul ii.ju.hi fiLinimi ''W rtr-AVi FtX From News Services DETROIT An estimated 170,000 women who say silicone breast implants made them sick would get $3.2 billion from Dow Corning Corp. under a settlement tentatively approved Wednesday by a federal bankruptcy judge. The offer, which must be approved by the plaintiffs and Dow Coming's creditors, is $200 million more than what the company previously offered to pay, but $600 million less than what the women sought. The Wall Street Journal reported that the women could receive an average of $31,000 each.

Dow Corning had proposed compensation between $1,000 and $200,000, although most payments are expected to be between $12,000 and $60,000, depending on the nature of ailments, including connective tissue illnesses, the women have experienced. See Dow, PageA13 Services will be open to public tend the graveside service include Defense Secretary William Cohen and Gen. Michael E. Ryan, the Air Force chief of staff, a Pentagon spokeswoman said Wednesday. The Air Force Honor Guard from Washington will take part in the service, to be held at 10 a.m.

Saturday at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in south St. Louis County. Blassie grew up near O'Fallon Park in St. Louis and was 24 when his light attack bomber was shot See Blassie, Page AS i By Tim O'Neix Of the Post-Dispatch Two days of solemn public ceremonies are planned for the reburial Saturday of Air Force Lt. Michael J.

Blassie, whose remains rested for 14 years in the nation's Tomb of the Unknowns. Ranking officials who plan to at James A. Finley THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A worker cuts grass at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, where the remains of Air Force LL Michael J. Blassie will be reburied Saturday. mmm JiJJPL ljihwiiiiimmiujuij In Other News Adults whose weapons are misused by children Weather Today: Partly cloudy with storms.

High 92. Storms LBSS1MI St. Louis County prosecutors are not going to 4 I charge the parents of an 11 -year-old Man possiue T11MES would be held responsible under a bill endorsed Wednesday by President Bill Clinton. The recent spate of school shootings has prompted added support for the bill. But one of its major sponsors, Sen.

Dick Durbin of Illinois, says it faces a poor chance of getting through Congress. AlO chester boy who accidentally shot and killed a 3-year-old toddler last month. Federal charges are still possible but unlikely, officials said. Bl if- lUUlglil. Low 74.

Friday: Partly cloudy with storms. Puerto Rican striker LeRoy Schweitzer I Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa is puzzled that Mother of victim I with some exceptions his offense hasn't mea sured up better. "We still have too many guys with RBIs in the 20s," LaRussa said. Dl High 92. Oiher weather, Page B8 to Boeing workers started assembling Wednesday Scots guardsman Violence continues in Northern Ireland as Protestants keep up protests.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants to hold talks to I the company's prototypes for the next genera Protesters smashed shop windows and workers stayed home on the second day of Puerto Rico's general strike. Strikers oppose the sale of the island phone The four top leaders of the Montana Freemen have been convicted of conspiracy against the U.S. banking system. A federal jury was deadlocked, however, on the remaining eight de-fendants. Page A3 EfTTWWJfl The death of Nigeria's lilliyJM most popular opposition leader and political prisoner, Moshood Abiola, triggered violence and more public suspicion of the military government.

In an effort to ease political and ethnic tension, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar is replacing his holdover Cabinet and is expected to announce a date for democratic elections. A8 http:www.stlnet.com tv. 71 tion of fighter aircraft. Employees have successfully used new ways to design and build aircraft, moving the company closer to its goal of faster, cheaper and better production, executives said.

CI III day with leaders of both sides. Read more -j-Obituaries, B5 Movies, Get Out Classified, Fl Editorials, B6 "09 1891 100' about these stories on Nigerian unrest.