Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 22

i i 't ifl. I Jf wp- wjs(B 3wjnr-5. STATE NEWS INSIDE Troubled, blind judge faces charges of sexual battery, 6B. Experimental laser treatment proves uplifting for patients at Shands Hospital, 7B. LOCAL NEWS INSIDE Trident 2 protester handed 6-month jail sentence, 1B.

Canaveral Port Authority rejects request to store 80,000 tons of coal at port, 1B. i 5233 If 1 i FRIDAY, March 20, 1987 8B Infertility rights: Legislation would mandate coverage Liver patients' families join in plea FLORIDA TODAY Wires The families of four Florida children who By William F.Nicholson FLORIDA TODAY MIAMI Florida could, become the second state in the nation to require insurance companies to pay medical expenses for couples seeking special help in having babies. On one side are would-be parents whose only chance to have children involves often-expensive treatments for infertility; on the other are insurance companies that oppose such mandatory health coverage. Both sides will be watching Florida's Legislature, which is to debate the proposed law in its new session beginning next month. What seemed like science fiction in 1978, when the first so-called "test tube baby" was born in England, is almost commonplace today.

The first U.S. baby conceived by in vitro fertilization the term used these days was born in 1981. Since then, The American Fertility Society says there have been more than 900 such received or are awaiting liver transplants births in this country. In vitro fertilization involves extracting a woman's egg and fertilizing it in a laboratory dish with male sperm. The embryo then is implanted in the woman's womb for normal birth.

Such treatments are expensive, averaging $4,000 to $6,000 for each attempt. Repeated attempts are often needed. Jack Gordon, a state senator from Miami Beach, is one of several Florida legislators sponsoring bills for mandated coverage. Maryland passed similar legislation in 1985. "I think the chances of passing are pretty good," Sen.

Gordon said. "From a social perspective, it's a very useful thing to do." He anticipates resistance from the insurance lobby. "The ideal situation for an insurance company," he joked, "is to issue a policy that gets a lot of money for events it can't possibly cover." Harry Landrum lobbies for insurance interests in Florida, including the state's biggest health insurer, Blue Cross-Blue Shield. He said he can understand why people would want such legislation, but "the insurance industry opposes such mandated coverage. That's where we stand.

"Whether or not people want such coverage, they will have to pay for it. What the heck does a 60-year-old man or woman want with mandated fertility coverage?" Most insurance companies refuse to cover in vitro and other fertility treatments because they consider them elective procedures. joined forces Thursday in a public plea for donor organs on behalf of patients everywhere "We hope by coming together people across America will understand and be more aware," said Pam Steffen of Greensboro. Her son, Johnny, 3. is undergoing tests at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Other liver patients are Konnie DeSillers, 7, of Miami; Kevin Reid, 2, of Satellite Beach: and LaShae Jounson, 18 months, of Miami. DeSillers and Acid on reactor prompts Johnson already have received livers. Smuggling aircraft seized FORT LAUDERDALE The Broward County Sheriffs Office seized five airplanes and a helicopter Thursday from a major drug-! smuggling ring and planned to sell the aircraft for up to $1 million. investigation at nuke plant Associated Press The aircraft were allegedly used by pilots to Turkey Point troubles I I j- )) Acid buildup is latest in a series of problems identified in the Unit 4 reactor at Turkey Point in March: A small leak in an airlock into the containment building, which surrounds the reactor as a safety barrier, put the reactor on 'hot standby' March 10. As that leak was being repaired, a stubborn air exhaust valve was discovered in the containment building, forcing a further delay.

On March 13, FPL announced it would shut down the reactor because of the cooling water leak around the temperature gauge extending inside the reactor. smuggle 4oo Kilos of cocaine from Colombia to to Broward and Palm Beach counties between 1982 and 1986, Broward Sheriffs spokesman Al Gordon said.Authorities identified the suspected pilots as Frank Bachner, Edward Staffire, Douglas Donahue, and Richard Mier. Stowaway's body identified TAMPA A telephone call from a worried mother led police to the identity of a stowaway who died aboard a banana boat more than a day after it docked in Tampa. 'i Police identified the stowaway as Gair Thurtado, of Barranquilla, Colombia, who was found dead last Friday. Police said Thurtado's mother called relatives in Miami early this week after her son failed to call her once he reached Tampa.

Cattle found dead; more dying APOPKA Deputies have found the rotting carcasses of 19 cattle believed to have died of MIAMI The discovery of 550 pounds of corrosive acid crystals on the shielding around a Turkey Point nuclear reactor prompted the federal government to send in a special team of investigators Thursday. The acid did not threaten to breach Unit 4's shell, but did partially corrode sheet metal shields, insulation supports and three bolts, according to Florida Power Light Co. What concerned the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission most was the surpising amount of the buildup, said agency spokesman Ken Clark in Atlanta. "The buildup occurred much faster than anyone expected," Clark said. "We want to look at what happened (and) see that this kind of thing doesn't happen again." If the reactor had not already been off line, the acid discovery would have required it to be shut down temporarily, said Clark.

Sending the team to the 15-year-old plant is significant, according to Kennedy Blaize, senior energy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington. "The NRC doesn't send send in these special inspection teams unless something has happened that is highly unusual," said Blaize. He said the Turkey Point nuclear reactors have a history of bad maintenance practices. let a tolerable leak get out of control," said Blaize. But he said the acid buildup did not represent a threat to the integrity of the pressure vessel.

The boric acid crystals came from a small cooling water leak in an instrument port into the reactor core, said Clark. Boron is mixed with the cooling water to soak up neutrons from the nuclear reaction. It crystallized when water from the leak collected on the outside of the pressure vessel. He said the special seven-member NRC team, which includes metallurgists, chemists and other experts, was to arrive at the plant Thursday, and FPL predicted the reactor, under their supervision, would be back on line by the end of March. The acid buildup was the fourth problem at the Unit 4 reactor and its containment building since March 10.

malnutrition on a ranch with abundant pasture but lacking nutrients. Other livestock on the ranch, owned by William King, appeared to be dying, said "Orange County detective Gary Story. No charges had been filed by early Thursday. Bus driver, students injured A school bus collided with an dump truck on busy SR 50 early Thursday, injuring the bus driver and causing minor cuts and bruises to some of the junior high school students aboard. The accident occurred when a tractor-trai-i lor rig struck the dump truck, sending it into the 'i Path of the bus, the FHP said.

The dump truck driver, James Preston Tant, 36, of Titusville, had minor injuries. School bus driver Linda Ross Powers, 59, was admitted to Orlando Regional Medical Center Shawn Spence. FLORIDA TODAY IAN PONT: British cricket star, honinn tn rnnuinro tho 65 mph Florida D.O.T. chief already mapping plan Associated Press Philadelphia Phillies that he has what it takes to be a professional pitcher, is trying out as the major league baseball team holds spring training in Clearwater. British cricket player hopes to show Phillies his pitching is no folly Vand was reported in fair condition, a spokes 1 fir I Castor urges millions more for education Associated Press TALLAHASSEE Florida lawmakers should spend more than $6 billion for public education in fiscal year 1987-88, about $440 million more than proposed by Gov.

Bob Martinez, Education Commissioner Betty Castor said Thursday. Castor, outlining her package of legisaltive priorities, said the new money could be found in sales-tax exemptions that are scheduled to expire in July, in proceeds from a new state lottery and by letting counties raise property taxes to pay for new schools. The 1986-87 budget for public schools was $5.2 billion. Martinez has proposed $5.75 billion be spent in 1987-88. During a luncheon speech to about 75 members of the Florida Association for School Administrators, Castor outlined six areas that she said needed attention: funding, neglected children, teacher shortages, capital outlay, business-education partnership and education efficiency.

TALLAHASSEE State, Transportation Secretary Kaye Henderson told hisT staff Thursday to plan on raising the speed limit to 65 -mph on 70 percent of Flor-: ida interstate highways in i-anticipation that a bill be-" fore the U.S. Senate will become law. That legislation would give states the authority to raise speed limits on rural -interstate highways from 55 mph to a maximum of 65 mph. The Senate was ex- pected to pass the bill, but it was uncertain whether President Reagan would sign the $89 million trans-' portation measure into law. For months, Reagan has said the spendine levels nf By Deborah Sharp FLORIDA TODAY CLEARWATER You can call Ian Pont a dreamer.

But his mates back in England have another description for the 25-year-old cricket star Daft. "They'll say, 'Well, where's And someone will say, 'He's in America. Trying out for I'm always doing crazy things, and this seems to be another of them," says Pont, who's been at spring training in Clearwater since last week. He's trying to convince the Philadelphia Phillies he has what it takes to be a major league pitcher. If Pont wins a place with the Phillies, he'll be the first player to bridge the gap between the British passion for cricket and the USA's national pastime.

Although he's a crack "bowler," or pitcher, in his cricket league back home, Pont is unschooled in the art of baseball. He doesn't even chew tobacco. Before September, he'd never pitched from a mound. In cricket, the bowler takes a short running start on flat ground and hurls a red leather ball overhanded, never bending the elbow. A pro cricketer for five years, Pont started playing as a preschool tyke.

So how did an Englishman, who was raised on crumpets and cricket instead of hot dogs and baseball, end up chasing the all-American dream? "I saw a couple of baseball games on TV, and I thought, See CRICKET, 7B BETTY CASTOR: Outlines six areas of need. Among the new appropriations that Castor thinks ought to be made for education is about $150 million that will be needed simply to keep up with the demands of some 60,000 new students expected to enroll in Florida schools next year. That money would pay for books, desks, supplies, utilities and other expenses. Raising teacher salaries in Florida to the national average will require $170 million, for a 7 percent raise. And about $90 million will be needed to pay for the Career Ladder system designed to replace a plan of merit pay for teachers.

man said. The injured children were treated for cuts and bruises. Hotel guests safely evacuated ORLANDO About 50 guests and employees were evacuated Thursday from a Holiday Inn as a result of a smoky, electrical fire in a utility room outside of the hotel's 14-story -central tower, No injuries were reported. The mid-morning blaze at the International Drive hotel was caused by a short circuit on an electrical panel, fire officials said. Turtle carcass count up FORT MYERS So far this year, the carcasses of 15 endangered sea turtles have washed up on Sanibel-Captiva islands nearly twice the number as the same time last year.

But Charles LaBuff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said southwesterly winds have a great deal to do with the carcasses washing up on the beach. Normally the wind blows from the southeast, pushing them into the ocean. Asbestos find closes school MIAMI SPRINGS Miami Springs High School was empty of students Thursday after high levels of cancer-causing asbestos were I found in the air throughout the school. I The 2,400 students will have classes at Hialeah High School starting next week, Dade County school authorities said.

Crew held in marijuana haul MIAMI Three men aboard a 70-foot shrimp boat laden with 40,000 pounds of marijuana were arrested and the boat turned over to authorities in St. Petersburg Thursday, a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said. The Coast Guard identified the Lady Hamil-j ton crew members as Elvin Young, 57, of Fort Myers; Steven Michael Odstrcic, 35, of Free-port, Texas; and Timothy Lambert, 30, of I Patterson, La. the wide-ranging highway Revenue worker, 7 others accused in bogus refund scam AccAlata1 Dnca i Associated Press brother-in-law and six others TALLAHASSEE For three years, a Department of Revenue employee operated a scheme urn wuuiu inviie a veto.

The House approved a measure Wednesday that I would allow states to in-! crease speed limits to 65 mph on interstate high- ways outside city areas with populations of at least 50,000. The Senate was! expected to follow suit. "It is our intention to i begin immediately plan-1 ning for conversion to speed limits up to 65 miles per hour where appropri- ate and where there is no i conflict with legitimate safety concerns," Hender-t son said. There are 1,229 miles of interstate highways in Florida. 4 that bilked the state out of nearly $300,000 by issuing phony tax refunds, authorities said Thurs day in announcing eight arrests.

real and fictitious names and bank accounts in Leon, Pinellas, Volusia and Palm Beach counties. The 30 refund checks amounted to $289,107. Randy Miller, head of the Department of Revenue, said the scheme went undetected from October 1982 to April 1985 because of a change in the state's law on sales tax, because various computer cross-checks weren't used at the time and because supervisors in the refund division weren't systematically rotated in their jobs, as they are now. Rudd left the department in 1985, Miller said. He got a job with the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

He has been suspended. Other than Rudd, those arrested are: Earnest Calvin Waters, 36, of Lantana, Rudd's former brother-in-law; Robert P. Niezgoda, 50, of Palm Springs; Gaylord B. Roen-feldt, 41, of Lake Worth; John F. Draves, 32, of Lake Worth; Dennis K.

Iskra, 33, of Royal Palm Beach; Bruce Stephen Wise, 44, of Tallahassee; and George R. Williams, 48, of Lantana. Rudd was charged with issuing 30 checks, two of which were made out in the names of a 7-year-old child and an elderly woman. Authorities said eight people were arrested in all. Commissioner Robert Demp-sey of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Rudd is accused of accepting substantial amounts of money for making out the refund checks and laundering phony refunds through Officials said the emnlnvee Joseph Cook Rudd, 34, held a low- levei supervisory position in the department's refund division.

He allegedly received kirkhnrks fnr authorizing fake sales-tax refund checks to be sent to a former.