The Springfield News-Leader from Springfield, Missouri • Page 1

WEEKEND INSIDE REBUILDING IS TOUGH, RECRUITING IS CRUCIAL, LADY BEARS COACH SAYS ID im "V'ljj'H Mil Springfield 1 1 WS- JPADFR VjsjiT tear! I 1 1 1 jL 7 0ZARKSM0BILE.COM Springfield, Missouri Thursday, January 10, 2008 50c 'Village law' repeal efforts begin t-rrji legislature House Speaker Rod Jetton says he won't support repeal of law. in Session On the agenda: Property tax illegal immigration control. 2A afternoon, and planned to gather more today before formally filing the bill. Lampe was encouraged by the support so far, because few lawmakers were willing to sign many other bills being introduced this session. "We're having some pretty See Law, Page 2A Entry level gourmet gala beckons For those who have epicurean tastes but haven't gotten around to cultivating them, Walnut Street Bed and Breakfast has the answer.

Its Gourmet Dinner and Beginner's Wine Tasting is designed to teach people about wine while pairing it with great food. Check out the appetizing details for this opportunity to eat, drink and be educated. Inside ONLINE NOW effects, lawmakers vowed to try to reverse it. Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield, one of several who pre-filed a bill to restore the law to its pre-2007 version, scurried through legislators' offices after Jetton's press conference, gathering signatures on a By Kathleen O'Dell Efforts to repeal the "village law" started early after the 2008 legislative session began Wednesday, even as House Speaker Rod Jetton said in a news conference he has no intention of supporting the repeal.

Jetton was named last year as having ushered the village law change into a larger Senate bill without alerting colleagues. It passed during the 2007 session with no discussion or debate. After many county commissioners complained, about its possible negative petition as a show of widespread support for repeal. She had collected 24 signatures by late Wednesday Page 4A: 7 storm paths tracked; Cooper Supply down but not out. Page 5A: Damage reports by county fell wfef iilip; Jl it SUBMITTED BY FRANK SCHWARTZ Storm damage: The proverbial ton of bricks.

Post your weather, tornado photos rriv Dozens of tornadoes ripped trh'rTi across the Ozarks on Monday night 3 t-i. wiiiliiMn 4 1 I Mi 1 No need for city to pay extra overtime Police, firefighters will continue to get compensatory time. By Wes Johnson Springfield won't be forced to pay an extra $1.2 million a year in overtime, thanks to a state judge's ruling this week. Instead, the city will continue giving police and firefighters time-and-a-half compensatory time for the overtime hours they work. For example, if they work 10 hours of overtime, they would get 15 hours of comp time.

City Attorney Dan Wich-mer called the ruling by Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan "huge." "If it had been allowed to stand it not only would have affected firefighters, but parks employees who work long days in the summer and public works mowers who also work long hours during the summer." The Springfield City Council recently set aside $500,000 to help offset overtime payments in case Callahan had ruled against the city. The council now has to decide what to do with the money. "I imagine it'll be put back into general revenue to bolster some of those funds," Councilman John Wylie said Wednesday. "Possibly some may go to the (police and fire) pension fund. It's something we'll have to decide at council." Mayor Tom Carlson agreed.

"The police and fire pension fund is something we've got to direct our attention to," he said. "But first we have to make sure the ruling's not appealed. It would be inappropriate to See Ruling, Page 3A 1 i comwt and Tuesday morning. Post your pic- tures of tornadoes, lightning strikes, dark clouds and storm damage in our tornado gallery at Last-second victory recalled In the latest installment of our long farewell to Hammons Student Center, view clips from the Lady Bears' last-second victory over SIU for the 1993 Valley Championship at Inside: "I said, 'Thank you, Jesus' when it went in," LaTanya Davis said at the time. ID YOUR COMMUNITY Former staff attorney sues Blunt Gov.

Matt Blunt was sued Wednesday by a former staff attorney who claims he was fired and defamed in retaliation for pointing out that Blunt's administration was destroying e-mails in violation of Missouri's open-records law. The lawsuit by former Blunt attorney Scott Eckersley alleges that Blunt's top aides ordered staff to delete e-mails to avoid having to provide information to the media and public under Missouri's Sunshine Law. Eckersley's lawsuit also claims Blunt's staff sought to cover up their e-mail deletions by trying to order backup computer files to be destroyed. Then after Eckersley was fired, the lawsuit claims, Blunt's staff provided the media with documents intended to smear his reputation. In Ozarks Voices: Will trail of destroyed e-mail's ever be discovered? IB At Read our previous stories about Eckersley and open e-mail records.

Bradleyville coach dies in wreck Troy Hays, girls' basketball coach at Bradleyville High School and a junior high teacher, was killed Wednesday in a car collision. Sports, ID Man still great shot in old age Rex Pierce has been a remarkable shot since he first picked up a gun as a boy in Kansas. He won his first trophy at 60. Thirty years later, he's still one of the best around. Outdoors, 1C AMBER ARNOLD NEWS-LEADER Brian Brooks stands next to his SUV in Brett and Stacy Soden's garage, which was hit by a tornado Monday in Strafford.

Brooks put his car in the garage to protect it from hail damage. Inspection expanded to include more counties. r--- Photo i i V'', i galleries: View addi- tional images from the storm and the aftermath. Video report: Workers start cleaning up at Harry Cooper Supply Company, where a warehouse was damaged. Your photos and videos: Share your images from the storm.

Discussion: Nominate your storm hero. Tell your story from Monday night. Data-Leader: Search a database of past powerful Missouri storms. By Amos Bridges Teams from the state and federal emergency management agencies began assessing damage in several Ozarks counties Wednesday, but it's still too early to tell what storm-related aid, if any, will be forthcoming. Severe storms carved through southwest Missouri late Monday and early Tuesday, claiming two lives and demolishing homes on a line from McDonald County northeast past Rolla.

National Weather Service The teams' findings could help determine whether a disaster declaration is made, which could entitle local governments, businesses or residents or all three to federal public assistance funding. "It doesn't mean we're going to get a disaster declaration. We're just collecting information at this point," said Suzie Stonner, a spokeswoman for SEMA. Assessments of uninsured damage to businesses and See Damage, Page 4A assessment teams Wednesday confirmed seven storm tracks with tornado touchdowns, but expected that number to increase as teams continued to survey the damage. Three joint SEMA and FEMA teams began inspecting damage to public infrastructure in Barry, Greene, Laclede, McDonald, Phelps and Webster counties, but by late Wednesday had expanded the effort to include Christian, Jasper, Lawrence, Maries, Pulaski and Taney counties, as well.

Family, friends say final goodbyes to Kim Index Automotive Business Classified Comics Crossword Dear Abby Deaths Employment For Sale 5E Sports ID Stocks 8A Sudoku AC Television 10A Voices IB Weather 9A Weekend Inside Heloise 4C Horoscope 4C LifeOutdoors tC Lottery 2A Merchandise 5E NationWorld 7A Real Estate Rentals 5E 2E 8A IE 5C 4C AC 4B 2E I Photo galleries: View A additional images from COM Y0Un9 Kim 'Unera' antt from the car crash site. Past coverage: Read our previous stories about the car crash that killed four local teens. By Cory de Vera Hundreds of teens packed a chapel Wednesday at the Greenlawn Funeral Home to say goodbye to Young Kim. The Glendale 7y Weather 490 Cloudy and breezy today, clear to 370 partly cloudy tonight. 9A Precipitation: 25 A GANNETT NEWSPAPER VOL 118, NO.

10 6P008. NEWS-LEADER 11 High School fr' SSm I- ness, faithfulness and gentleness, Yoon said. The service included a slideshow showing Kim as a toddler perched on his father's shoulders, and sitting in a stroller with his sister behind him; as a little boy ready to eat his birthday cake; as a joyous little boy displaying a fish he'd just caught; and as a young man, both serious and happy. Family friend Cosmo Kwon said the Kim family moved to this country when Young was about 1 year old to seek better See Kim, Page 5A junior died Saturday when the car he was riding in crashed into rean Presbyterian Church. In English, Yoon told the mourners that Kim's spirit was with Christ in heaven.

Yoon said he pictures Kim's spirit near a crystal-clear river that runs past a tree of life, abundant with many kinds of fruit. With the Holy Spirit dwelling inside, Kim had a life of love, joy, peace, innocence, kind if STEVE J.P. LIANG NEWS-LEADER a tree on the hilly Farm Road 132. Three other teenagers also died. Most of the service was in Korean, officiated by Pastor Young Kuen Yoon of the Ko- Sorrow lingers after the funeral for Young Kim at Green-lawn Funeral Home on Wednesday.

Kim's friends (from left) Elizabeth Bermond, Dustin Fitch and Tiffany Wisecup sob over Kim's death. 1-mtm-f TW1 4 XL.