Lansing State Journal from Lansing, Michigan • Page 1

Larairag Thursday May 22, 2003 Partly cloudy High in the mid-60s. Page 6B JftflMj) 50 The power of Knowing www.isj.com Living Ruben is the next 'American Idol' Viewers select a too3 6a 24-year-old Birmingham, crooner to take home the top prize on Fox's wildly popular reality $22 million reconstruction to close roads for 2 years Capitol Loop construction In spring 2004, state officials will begin rebuilding the Capitol Loop a two-year project that will close off several roads in downtown Lansing. I series. Page ID joint project for the Capitol Loop, the road system that rings the downtown area. The two-year, $22 million project will require the closing of major streets in 2004 and 2005.

Preparation work will mean some lane closures later this year. "This will be a long-term fix," Kari Arend, a Michigan Department of Transportation spokes By Chris Andrews Lansing State Journal Downtown Lansing workers and city residents can expect traffic and parking headaches in 2004 and 2005 but ultimately better roads with a major road construction and sewer project. State and city officials will announce details today of a II II ILULX-JL 11 'Iwiwasseest jj I2004stage 1 'f 5 Ottawa St Jj Allegan St. il jLU 'fj fjl vA II 23 1 1 rJX5 llwashtenawStJ One lane open 2005 stl i iHnnn ineach 1 1 II II II II Kalamazoo st -5 direction during woman, said Wednesday. "It's not just putting in a new road.

We want to come in and enhance the downtown core and the downtown area." The state will spend about $13.7 million for the road construction and enhancements, and the city about $83 million for the sewer upgrades, Arend said. See LOOP Page 6 A What's On Music of Memorial Day Mid-Michigan venues offer everything from Tejano and Irish bands to Broadway ballads to dance the holiday weekend away. Inside II II II II II rnnctmotinr. I ancinn tato Imirnal I Source: City of Lansing Michigan may put an end to wildly fluctuating fuel costs AL -1 'Cw M' ''XSu Al-Qaida calls for further attacks r- I i Ml- I Wtifc I nil Tape by bin Laden aide urges terror strikes on U.S. By Nadia Abou El-Magd Associated Press CAIRO, Egypt An audiotape attributed to Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant on Wednesday called on Muslims to stage terrorist strikes against Jews, Americans and U.S.

allies. The Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera showed a still photograph of Ayman al-Zawahri wearing a white turban while BECKY SHINKLansing State Journal involvement in stabilizing gas prices, but many independent retailers and trade associations support the state's move to regulate the industry. Hard at work: All Auto Service Amoco station employee Tom Sontag of Lansing washes a customer's windshield Wednesday morning. Station owner Betty Goodrich opposes government propose regulating gas retailers to stabilize prices 7 itr WPP-" Lawmakers move to steady gas prices Legislation to be unveiled today by a bipartisan coalition of state senators and representatives would give Michigan consumers and independent gasoline retailers price protection against major fuel sellers trying to force out competition. Here's what the Michigan Petroleum Marketing Stabilization Act would do: Prohibit under-pricing: Retailers could not sell gasoline below wholesale price, a practice called predatory pricing used to drive out competition.

I Limit over-pricing: Retailers could not charge more than three times their overhead, costs. Generally, that comes out to about 8 percent above wholesale. a forceful speaker urged Muslims to draw inspiration from the 9-11 attacks. "Consider your 19 brothers who attacked America in Washington and New York with their planes as an example," said the voice, speaking the classical Arabic typical of al-Qaida statements and making the accent difficult to place. Children's voices could be heard in the background.

In Washington, U.S. in- Al-Zawahri Inside I Saudis arrest 3 in hijacking plot. Page 2A Plan sets minimum, maximum amounts stations can charge By Stacey Range and James McCurtis Jr. Lansing State Journal As the summer travel season begins this weekend, motorists likely will see the usual jump in gas prices but it could be for the last time in Michigan. Responding to the growing problem of large chains driving out independent stations by setting prices below wholesale cost, state lawmakers today will unveil legislation to regulate the industry.

A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers are sponsoring the bills, which create a pricing window in which gas costs must fall. The bills prohibit retailers from selling below or too far above wholesale cost to prevent both predatory pricing and price gouging. targeted several stations statewide for price gouging after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has not yet reviewed the bills, spokeswoman Liz Boyd said. Consumer protection The bills have the support of the Michigan Petroleum Association, Michigan Association of Convenience Stores and the Service Station Dealers Association.

Those groups say price controls are needed to stop large chain retailers from forcing small, independent stations out of business. They say the large retailers are setting prices below wholesale to drive out competition. Once the small stations close, the larger ones raise prices, said Mark Griffin, president of the petroleum and convenience stores associations. "The consumer is going to lose," Griffin said. "There would be no competition.

When that competition is not there, what See GAS I Page 6A 1 iftirAmAi -ni-i ii i Michigan gas prices in 2003 Keeping prices down: All Auto Service Amoco employee Tom Sontag pumps gas for a customer Wednesday morning. Michigan lawmakers will unveil legislation today to regulate the price of gas in the state. Average cost per gallon $1.55 telligence analysts were reviewing the tape. A US. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was plausible that the speaker was al-Zawahri but a thorough analysis was necessary.

In the tape, the speaker referred to protests ahead of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and the early days of the war, a possible hint of when the recording was made. The speaker also lashed out at Arab leaders for offering "airports and the facilities" to allied troops, an apparent reference to the U.S.-led war on Iraq. Al-Jazeera chief editor Ibrahim Hilal told The Associated Press the station received the tape Tuesday night. "The quality is not very good. It's an U-minute tape and we've aired the most significant and the newsworthy parts," Hilal said.

The whereabouts of al-Zawahri and bin Laden have been unclear since al-Qaida was driven from Afghanistan. Li.fflUIllmi $1.80 L60 L40 L20 LOO 0.80 0.60 Charles LaSata, R-St. Joseph, are introducing duplicate bills in the House and Senate. Twenty-five representatives, almost a quarter of the House, and 10 of 38 senators from both parties have signed onto the bills, which are similar to those in about 20 other states. Gov.

Jennifer Granholm, who "This is really about protecting consumers by making sure there's competition and making sure prices don't get too high," said state Sen. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek. "Hopefully, it will prevent the price spikes that happen every weekend and holiday." Schauer and state Rep. 0.40 0.20 0.00 9 I Jan. I Feb.

I March I April May Source: AAA of Michigan Lansing State Journal Florida court reverses $145B tobacco verdict Homeless programs could get reprieve Al-Qaida call to arms The Arab satellite TV station Al-Jazeera aired an audiotape on Wednesday attributed to Ayman al-Zawahri, top lieutenant to Osama bin Laden. I On the tape, he calls on Muslims to follow the example of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers. I The speaker also lashes out at Arab leaders for offering support to the allied troops during the Iraq war. Source: Associated Press v-Hsi Red Cross The local Red Cross covers five counties: Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Gratiot and Shiawassee.

i The local Red Cross supplies 200 agencies with 6 million pounds of food a year with about 40 employees. I About 20 percent of the organization's funding comes from United Way. Government grants, fees for certain services and fund-raisers generate the rest. rick Patterson, director of operations for Volunteers of America Michigan in Lansing, which is overfilled more than half the year. "It's just more bad news in this business." The Red Cross, which is cutting the programs to tackle a $114,000 deficit in next Benavides Patterson Other agencies may take over Red Cross role By Sharon Terlep Lansing State Journal Mid-Michigan's aid agencies, already strained by the region's growing homeless problem, are scrambling to replace two soon-to-be-axed Red Cross programs that find food and shelter for thousands of area homeless.

Local social service providers were surprised by news this week that the Mid-Mich- were "very disappointed." The jury decided almost three years ago that cigarettes are deadly, addictive and defective because they make people sick when used as directed. It set punitive damages for up to 700,000 smokers after deciding compensatory damages for Frank Amodeo and two other cancer victims. But the appeals court found the class size was unmanageable and the award would have violated state law by bankrupting the companies. It also called the trial plan unconstitutional and chided the smokers' attorney, Stanley Rosenblatt, for making racially charged appeals to four black jurors. He had made references to slavery while discussing the sale of cigarettes.

By Catherine Wilson Associated Press MIAMI A Florida appeals court erased a record-setting $145 billion award against the tobacco industry Wednesday, ruling Florida smokers could not group themselves together for a class-action suit Tobacco company stock prices jumped on news that the 3rd District Court of Appeals found flaws with the largest punitive damage verdict in U.S. history. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, the nation's second-largest cigarette company with brands such as Winston and Camel, called the ruling "a major victory." Margaret Amodeo, whose husband Frank lost his $5.8 million award under the ruling, said they Index Main A Hiving Lottery 2A Advice 2D Opinion 14A Television 5D I Local On Classified Source i Sports Business 7C state Jurnal StOCkS 8C.9C Horn. Delivery: 1.800.234.1719 igan Chapter of the American Red Cross will cut the programs, which handle a combined 3,000 cases a year.

One program finds emergency shelter and food for homeless. The other helps with permanent housing. "These services help the people in this community who are in the most desperate need," said Pat- Copyright 2003 Lansing State Journal, Lansing, Michigan. A Gannett Newspaper "40901 ''05 132 see Homeless Page 6A ilgosq Woo noorr rm 1 -U.