Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 17

Thursday, June 4, 1998 The Clarion-Ledger 5B Panel may ask Corps of Engineers for boat-preservation tips TIM Associated Prase Corps of Engineers towboat and was used by the president of the Mississippi River Commission for semiannual river inspections. The boat, built in 1961, was retired in 1994 and offered for sale through surplus property channels when the corps put a new MV Mississippi in service. At the time, city officials touted it as a possible replacement for the Sprague, the largest steam-powered towboat ever built The city got it from Standard Oil Co. after World War II and used it as a tourist attraction on City Front from the late 1940s until it burned at its moorings April 15, 1974. In December, the citizen group came up with the idea of turning the boat into a marine industry or Corps of Engineers museum, with a gift shop and possibly two restaurants.

As a tourist attraction, it would allow visitors to board a working riverboat. The city was in danger of losing the boat purchased from the federal General Services Administration for $1,000 by the former administration about three years ago. As part of accepting the vessel, the city promised to renovate the boat, but did not budget money for the task. Shortly after taking office in July, Mayor Robert Walker said the boat would not be a priority for his administration. The boat was pushed from City Front to a tree-shrouded slough at the harbor and has been sitting there since.

Memphis was offered the boat but declined. About two months ago, a salvager from St. Louis recommended the committee have a study done on the feasibility of moving the boat to land because he was not able to do it Eric Biedenham, who chairs the MV Mississippi Committee, said having the corps do the study possibly will open up more options and more sites. One idea the group came up with was having the boat in a cradle in-' stead of moving it to land. In a cradle, the vessel will float when the river is high and rest in a foundation when the river is low.

VICKSBURG A committee trying to save a historic towboat wants tne v. a. Army Uorps of Engineers to determine what is the best way to preserve the Motor Vessel Mississippi. "They have the exDertise said committee member Bob Cunnv. "It won't be cheap, but it is something we can work with.

The vessel was a U.S. Army Many use meters reserved for convention in: 1 Yazoo St. rent a meter for $5 a day, depending on what it's used for. Legislators rent meters for $2.50 a day when they're in session. But there's no charge to rent meters for special events such as Jubilee Jam or the Christmas parade, he said.

"If it's a logical and decent reason, fine," Sargent said. "If it's a superfluous or frivolous use, it won't fly." Motorists received $11 tickets if they did not have letters bearing Sargent's signature on the dashboards of their automobiles. "The only time we would usually tow one is if the person who paid to have the meter there made a specific complaint," said Lt. Wayne Simpson of the traffic service division. 'That happens very rarely." Sargent said almost anyone can By Riva Brown Clarion-Ladgaf Staff Writer Downtown motorists' windshields were papered with more than 60 tickets Monday through Wednesday for parking illegally in reserved spaces marked by bagged parking meters, but no cars were towed.

The bags, which read "Reserved Parking Tow-Away," covered me Walking paths Amite St. IS) Capitol St 5 Pearl St. Pascagoula JACKSON ir U) to Vicksburg rape suspect, 18, recaptured ters on Congress, Pascagoula, West, Lamar and Tombigbee streets. The United Methodist Conference of Mississippi reserved 151 meters for those attending its three-day conference at Thalia Mara Hall on Pascagoula Street, traffic engineering manager Jack Sargent said Wednesday. Downtown Jackson has 1,187 meters.

because of complications from heart and lung surgery performed after he was stabbed about two months ago, police said Wednesday, he reportedly ran to 1501 Military where a house scheduled for demolition last year was saved from being torn down after extensive publicity. A resident of the home, who gave her name only as "Puddin," said Whatley ran into the house and Walkers beat heat on downtown paths Trial: Three connect Johnson with bloodly shirt stuffed prisoner clothing into a freezer. She said police retrieved the clothing after Whatley was taken into custody. Records show Whatley has now been charged with escape in addition to capital rape. He was expected to be arraigned Wednesday night in municipal court.

When charged with the attack on the 13-year-old in a bathroom at Halls Ferry Park, Whatley was free stained shirt found at Parker's house. Johnson's best friend James Martin on Tuesday had identified the shirt as Johnson's. The third ex-girlfriend, Arrie Rhodes, testified Wednesday that on the morning of Parker's death, Johnson showed up at her job flashing a pocket knife and seemed angry. She, too, connected Johnson to the bloody shirt. Johnson, under rapid questioning from Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Tommy Mayfield told the jury that although Robinson was honest, the other prosecution witnesses lied about him.

"I wrote those letters because of the fact I was scared and didn't have an alibi," Johnson said. "I asked Teresa to help and she agreed" Johnson admitted being with An after escape on a personal recognizance bond for dog fighting. Hundreds of youths and adults gather nightly at the park for league play in softball and baseball. Police said the incident report on the attack was kept secret to aid their investigation; however, Whatley was reportedly identified by the victim from photos and turned himself in after he heard a warrant had been issued for his arrest. gela Parker hours before her death.

But he denied they were romantically involved. He was living with-, another woman at the time, testimony showed Johnson said he left Angela -Parker's house shortly after she received a phone call he said was from her ex-husband. Daron Parker has been attending Johnson's trial, but was not in the courtroom during Wednesday's testimony. A police testified Tuesday that Daron Parker was ruled out as a snsrwt in the rnse Though Johnson is charged with capital murder, prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty. If con-, victed he faces life in prison.

Testimony is expected to resume, today before Judge L. Breland Hil-bum. of work required for both. The bill directs the hiring of a new lab director within the next three months by a newly-appointed committee charged with running the lab, according to the bill. Mississippi State University College of Veterinarian Medicine Dean Dwight Mercer is in charge of recruiting lab director candidates.

Mercer told the state Board of Animal Health at Wednesday's meeting 10 people have applied for the position. He would not release their names. Mercer said he's been consulting with retired Iowa diagnostic lab director M.W. Vorhies, who he said he wants to serve as Mississippi's interim lab director. Tha Aaaociatad Praaa VICKSBURG The 18-year-old charged Monday with raping a 13-year-old girl at knifepoint escaped from the second floor of Vicksburg Medical Center Wednesday morning and made it to a house on Military Avenue before police found him.

Dan Whatley was charged with capital rape in the case reported to police May 18. Whatley reportedly had a key hidden in his mouth that he used to unlock his handcuffs. He then jumped from the window of his hospital room about 7:30 sources said. Hospital spokesman Lynda Akers said there had been a police guard outside Whatley's room, but she refused to answer how Whatley escaped. Akers said she had been instructed to say only that Whatley was no longer a patient at the hospital and referred all other questions to the Police Department.

Vicksburg Police Chief Charles Chisley said he would release information about the escape Wednesday morning but did not return phone calls. Warren County Sheriffs Chief Detective Jay McKenzie said Whatley had not been released to the county jail because he had not been arraigned. Whatley was taken to Vicksburg Medical Center Tuesday morning Osyka man gets life in stabbing Tha Aaaociatad Praaa LIBERTY An Osyka man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder in the stabbing death of his uncle. Michael Johnson, 29, was convicted Tuesday in Amite County Circuit Court. He was charged with murder in the Nov.

9, 1996, stabbing death of his uncle, A.J. Carter, 73, of Gillsburg. Johnson was convicted as a habitual offender, which prompted the sentence without parole. St. After walkers completed one of the courses Wednesday, they were given free blood-pressure, heart-rate and cardiovascular-risk factor checks.

The event was aimed at encouraging fitness, said Capital Center special projects manager Laveme Stegall. "The statistics tell us more than half the people (in the nation) are overweight," she said. Stegall said she encourages people to walk for least 30 minutes several days a week. "It's the simplest and cheapest form of exercise," said Tony Serio, director of St. Dominic Jackson Memorial Hospital Healthlines.

gets 4 years kids to porn "This guy's not getting a slap on the wrist here. He's getting felony time for misdemeanor crimes." Prosecutor Jim Halliday pages featuring adult pornography. Police were notified by a grandmother of one of the children. "This guy's not getting a slap on the wrist here. He's getting felony time for misdemeanor crimes," Halliday said.

Specifically, Burnham was charged with six counts of indecent exposure and six counts of exposure of sexually oriented material to mi-; nors. By Thyrle Bland Clarion-Ladgar Star! Writer Walking in 87-degree heat isn't usually on Linda Bass' workout schedule. "I feel great, but it's hot," Bass said after a mile-long walk in the sweltering Jackson heat Wednesday morning. Bass was among about 25 people who participated in the Walk the Walk in downtown Jackson. Downtown workers and others were encouraged to walk on the two Capital Center-designed walking paths.

Designed about 1V4 months ago, the walking paths are designated by purple-and-gold logos on downtown sidewalks. Gulfport man for exposing Ths Associated Prsss GULFPORT A Gulfport man convicted of showing pornography on the Internet to neighborhood children has been sentenced to four years in prison. Municipal Judge Richard Smith also fined Ronald Bumham $9,000 and placed him on two years probation, during which time he can't have contact with any children. Bumham, 57, was charged with 12 counts, all misdemeanors. City prosecutor Jim Halliday said Burnham, in April and May, enticed as many as six children, ages 10 to 13, into his trailer to surf the Internet.

All the children lived in the same trailer park as Burn-ham. Bumham had rigged his computer to automatically pull up home From IB Robinson read "I killed that because I didn't want to pay child support. I sold you the furniture knowingyou would be caught with it So let's see who the jury believes, you or me." Robinson said Johnson asked her to forge a receipt saying he had paid Daron Parker and another man called "Chris" $350 for the stolen-furniture. She also said he asked her to provide him an alibi the night Angela Parker was killed Tralunioca Rogers, another former girlfriend of Johnson's, testified she, too, received letters from him seeking an alibi. Rogers said she ignored Johnson's letter because she knew she was at work on the night of the slaying.

She also linked Johnson to a blood Job: State also From IB work," said Watson, who was congratulated by Agriculture Commissioner Lester Spell by telephone an hour after his interview. "This is the answer to all the problems coming in with a fresh slate." Watson, 40, said he wanted the job because of his experience in working with animals raised for food consumption. As state vet, which pays $70,000 annually, he will conduct regulatory business such as issuing certificates allowing operation of veterinary clinics and dead animal disposal. Spell said he believes Watson is well-suited for the job because of his 16 years of veterinary practice. looking to hire new lab director "He'll do a great job," Spell said.

"He's well-qualified a good communicator and well aware of new technology. We want a state veterinarian who can communicate with people all over the state." The naming of a new state veterinarian comes after months of complaints from Mississippi vets concerning Rogers' performance as both state veterinarian and diagnostic laboratory director. In April, Gov. Kirk Fordice helped solve the problem by signing a bill calling for the separation of the positions and the hiring of a new state vet and lab director. Watson said he supported House Bill 1584 calling for the separation of the duties because of the amount iCQQSG 1 'i-w I 1 i THE BEST DECISION FOR MY FAMILY.

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