Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 5

THE1 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS PAGE FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, i995 Drought warning in by Ramona Smith 4 MMUftMlMtt "stage two" drought warning, with stronger conservation picas; and a drought emergency with mandatory water-saving steps from the governors of the four Delaware River states. The last drought emergency was in 1985. As of yesterday, Tortoriello said, the river flow was 2,700 cubic feet per second at the Trenton measuring point, compared with a normal 4,500 average for August. If we had some significant rainfall, at least the time of going to drought warning would be postponed. Richard Tortoriello, Delaware River Basin Commission Daily News Staff Writer Pray for rain.

If this long dry summer doesn't change, the Philadelphia area could be hit with a drought warning by mid-September. The warning the least serious of three types in water shortage alerts along the Delaware River would mean a call for voluntary water conservation steps, such as not washing cars or watering lawns. The flow in the Delaware, the source of much of Philadelphia's drinking water, is about 56 percent of normal for this time of year, Richard Tortoriello, operations chief for the Delaware River Basin Commission, said yesterday. And storage in three major reservoirs in the Catskills area of New York state is about a fifth below normal. Still, Tortoriello said, "If we had some significant rainfall, at least the time of going to drought warning would be postponed.

"These things do turn around, and sometimes quite suddenly," he said. For instance, he added, a hurricane dumping 5 or 10 inches of rainfall could do the trick. Barring that, the situation this year could mirror 1993, when the DRBC issued a September warning out of concern that depleted reservoirs might not build back adequate levels by spring. If conditions are severe, the initial warning can be followed by a E. Storage stood at 58 percent of capacity in the New York reservoirs, instead of the normal 79 percent for this time of year.

In the suburbs, some areas dependent on groundwater for their drinking water have taken some steps. Warminster, Plumstcad, Dublin and Warwick in Bucks County, and the Chester County Commissioners all have called for voluntary conservation. ASSOCIATED PRESS Good deed for the day Francine Weisman, a Philadelphia Parking Authority security officer assigned to the airport, comforts Dave Lancit after his car caught fire on Interstate 95 south yesterday, near the airport exit. Weisman was driving by and stopped to help around 2:30 p.m. The Philadelphia Fire Department was called and extinguished the blaze.

Murdoch gets OK to own Channel 29 Prison break FCC: It serves 'public interest' roD6 by Mark McDonald speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the security problems described by Turner. Turner also said the housing unit from which Jones escaped had only one correction officer on duty, an assertion disputed by the official who said there are two officers assigned. Nevertheless, Turner said, "We've been saying it right along, the system needs more staff for security." Middleton said Jones was apprehended near PHA's Liddonfield complex not far from the prison. Turner said Jones used a hacksaw to cut through one fence but had to go over another that had razor wire on top of it. "When you get caught up in razor wire it collapses on you," said the source.

"I'm surprised Jonesl is still alive." Turner said PICC officials locked down the jail looking for other hacksaws and tools that might have been stolen from Phi-lacoryihe prison industries tion at the prison. ri maximum security inmate, was later transferred to Episcopal Hospital. Officials there refused to release any information on his condition. And prison officials had little to say about the escape, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. But William Turner, president of AFSCME Local 159, said the daytime escape casts light on serious maintenance and staffing problems throughout the prison system.

"They rely on TV monitors and an electrified fence out there," Turner said. "They're also supposed to have an officer patrolling in a perimeter vehicle. The problem is that the monitors don't work, the fence isn't electrified and they took the vehicle away from the officer a couple years ago." Larry Middleton, executive assistant to Commissioner Frank Hall, would not respond to allegation Bt market because their signals overlap. As a result, Murdoch's Fox Television Stations Inc. needed a waiver for the company to own both TV stations.

The Federal Communications Commission routinely provides companies with such waivers. The FCC said the waiver would serve the public interest. "Fox proposes to dedicate a reporter to issues relating to central and southern New Jersey, particularly to Camden, and to broadcast a 30-minute public affairs program each week relating to African-American issues," the FCC said in a statement. New York and Philadelphia, respectively, are the largest and fourth-largest markets in the country. Associated Press WASHINGTON Federal regulators waived a rule yesterday to permit Rupert Murdoch to own WTXF-TV (Channel 29) in Philadelphia while retaining his interest in a New York TV station.

Murdoch's Fox Network already owns the New York station. It has an agreement to acquire the Philadelphia station from Paramount Stations Group of Philadelphia a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. Under a longstanding federal rule, WTXF-TV and WNYW-TV in New York are considered to'be in, the'-same' Daily News Staff Writer An inmate's Sunday morning escape from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center, just the second in its nine-year history, is the subject of an intensive investigation by prison officials. The inmate, Kevin Jones, was apprehended by police about an hour after his 9:30 a.m. bolt for freedom.

He suffered serious injuries after being caught in razor wire. Taken, to. Frankford Torresdale Division,.