The Springfield News-Leader from Springfield, Missouri • Page 24

IMP" MP 1 2B Thursday, March 20, 2003 News-Leader ozarksNow.com Exotic dancers must be 21 under bill wym Around the State -k MISSOURI' LEGISLATURE State Sen. Sarah Steelman adds the minimum otic dancers. But it already a misdemeanor in Missouri to age requirement to a measure on alcohol sales, promote obscenity or pomog- 1 raphy for minors through an ob- On the Web Missouri legislature: http:www.moga.state.mo. Liguor bill is SB298. dancing nude but risk being ex- scene performance for mone- ploited.

She also expressed con- tary gain; The law defines a "mi T7 nor" as anyone under 18, and some have interpreted it as prohibiting people below that age from working as exotic dancers. cern about young women who perform in adult clubs becoming involved in pornography. "I'm worried about 18-year-old girls being victimized," Steelman said. "These girls do not have By Paul Sloca THE ASSOCIATED PRESS JEFFERSON CITY Exotic dancers would have to be at least 21 to work in Missouri under a bill given initial Senate approval Wednesday. The minimum age measure was added to a larger bill on alcohol sales.

A final Senate vote is needed before the bill can move to the House. Sen. Sarah Steelman, R-Rolla, who sponsored the dancing provision, said women can earn hundreds of dollars a day by while those working in clubs where alcohol is served must be partially covered. Owners of adult clubs have said Steelman's proposal easily could be challenged in court because it prevents adults from earning a living. A similar bill is pending in the House.

Steelman's provision was added to a bill backed by Sen. John Griesheimer that would allow restaurants to begin serving alcohol on Sundays at 9 a.m. instead of 11 a.m., as the law now provides. Establishments like liquor stores also could sell alcohol at 9 a.m. on Sunday, said Griesheimer, R-Washington.

Griesheimer said he was pleased that Steelman was able to get her measure attached to hisbill. "You have to be 21 to drink, then you have to be 21 to work in one of these dance clubs," he said. Steelman Anyone entering an adult club in Missouri the maturity to make decisions like this." Steelman's provision did not receive any debate. Current state law does not specify a irunimum age for ex- must be at least age 18, although the state's legal drinking age is 21. Dancers in so-called juice bars, where no alcohol is served, can disrobe entirely Zoo to get habitats for popular gibbons, tigers -1: i -5 4 I 1 ZOO, from Page IB The eight other incorporated towns in the county will receive about $4.2 million, with distribution based on population.

In Republic, construction is under way on an activities building, the senior center was renovated, and new playground equipment and walking tracks will be in place by this fall. Other outlying communities With giraffes in the back-. ground, members of Springfield City Council, Springfield-Greene County Park Board, zoo personnel and. others break ground for a series of improvement projects at Dickerson Park Zoo. like Strafford and Fair Grove are prioritizing needs and planning how they will spend the funds.

In Fair Grove, greenspace is a '4 Ellison STEVE J.P. LIANG NEWS-LEADER Columbia Woman named to head MU hospitals Cynthia Grueber, who guid- ed the University of Illinois-Chicago hospital center to profitability, will be the next director of three hospitals at the University of Missouri. Grueber has served as the chief operating officer at the University of Illinois-Chicago hospital center since 1995. Last year, she worked with the Hunter Group to turn a projected $20 million loss into a $10 million positive bottom line. Grueber will head University Hospital and Clinics, Children's Hospital and Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.

David Coats, executive director of clinical affairs at University of Missouri Health Care, called Grue-ber's credentials "an excellent match for the position." Benton county Missing woman's body found in Truman Lake The body of an Independence woman missing for over a month has been discovered in Truman Lake in west-central Missouri. The body of Cleta M. Steele, 60, was found floating in the lake by members of the Missouri State Water Patrol at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday near a resort area called Macks Camp. Benton County Sheriff's Department deputies found Steele's car abandoned at a boat launch near Macks Camp on Feb.

14, the day she was reported missing. Sheriff Gary Friar said her body surfaced about one mile from where the car was found. An autopsy revealed no evidence of foul play or violence, Friar said. The death was ruled an accidental drowning. Kansas City Moving IRS workers to post office OKU The White House budget office has approved a plan to relocate about 6,000 Internal Revenue Service employees to the city's downtown post office, Republican Sen.

Christopher Bond said. "What it means is that's the last hurdle before the administration presents the deal to Congress," Bond spokesman Ernie Blazar said Wednesday. "There are a couple more steps to go, but this is the big one." Bond, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said he was confident of Congressional approval. "During tough economic times, we must invest in projects that will spur long-term economic growth and benefit," Bond said. "This is an extremely important and exciting project for the future of Kansas City." The 70-year-old Main Post Office has been largely vacant since 1,600 postal work Witness: 'He fell on top of the truck' TRIAL, from Page IB threat to Stiegler, Davault said.

Stiegler then hit Ice, he said. "He threw a punch at Ronald Ice. I saw his head go back so I knew it was in the head area," Davault said. A fight ensued between Ice and Stiegler. Public defenders contend Stiegler drew a knife only because he was getting beaten by multiple people.

Ice emerged from the apartment building bleeding heavily, said Robert Rogows-ki, a friend of Ice who was waiting for him outside. "He fell on top of the truck, using the truck as a crutch," he said as prosecutors showed photos of blood stains on Rogowski's red truck. Davault also approached Rogowski bearing knife wounds, he said. Davault later told police that Stiegler stabbed him. Ice was taken to St.

John's Regional Health Center, where he later died from his injuries. Rogowski said Stiegler's girlfriend encouraged him and his co-worker, Rose Johnson, not to speak to authorities about the incident. The jury also heard from other witnesses, including a medical expert who discussed Ice's autopsy and a man in a nearby apartment who heard the argument. Eight other cities to share in Greene County park tax to expand and improve its 2-acre park. Republic: The city quickly implemented changes to its parks system after passage of the tax, which will generate $3 million for this booming town.

Construction is under way on a activities building with two gymnasiums, an indoor track, locker rooms, two community rooms, offices and a concessions area. The Republic Senior Friendship Center was renovated. A new concession stand will be constructed at the ball fields by mid-April; new playground equipment will go in this spring and walking tracks this fall on city property. is also trying to forge a relationship with the school district for swimming, tennis and basketball programs. Strafford will receive $500,000 over five years.

Fair Grove: The city is fast outgrowing its 6-acre park. Officials hope to combine the $250,000 park tax revenues with grants to purchase 40 acres, where soccer fields, soft-ball fields and walking tracks will be developed. A park board has also been formed there, but won't finalize plans until an answer for grant applications is received. Walnut Grove: The Greene County city will get about $138,000 The guarter-cent Greene County park tax approved by voters in November 2001 is paying for more than just projects in Springfield. Eight other incorporated cities in the county Ash Grove, Battlefield, Brookline, Fair Grove, Republic, Strafford, Walnut Grove and Willard will split $4.2 million, which will be distributed based on population.

Projects include: Strafford: Community leaders want to buy land to expand park facilities, which are currently on less than an acre. A parks board has already been formed and is looking at establishing soccer and baseball programs. The city high priority as residential and commercial growth continue to grow, said Mayor Larry Ellison. "You don't get that kind of growth unless you can provide services to residents," he said. "I think the parks system is going to be very important" to families that consider relocating to Fair Grove.

Greene County will receive $15.2 million. That money would offset general-revenue funds the county now commits to the parks department. The zoo project is expected to be completed by early 2004, officials said. "Tropical Asia" will include a new Asian elephant exhibit adjacent to the current breeding facility and habitats for gibbons and tigers two of the most requested animals from patrons, said the zoo's Crocker. The giraffe exhibit will include a new deck where people can feed the giraffes, improvements to the building that houses the giraffes, an African hoof- Crocker said.

This will "help them finish the majority of the master plan," he said. the zoo up to the level of others in the nation. They were initially set forth in a master plan completed in the mid 1980s, stock barn and expansion of the zoo's hospital and maintenance building. These improvements will put Improving water quality will cost money, Crane mayor says differences in geography, you have different perspectives." Although the event's organizers have vowed the summit will result in solid recommendations for taking action, some participants reserved judgment for today. "I'm going to be disappointed if it's all 'talk and do well-known angler Charlie Campbell said.

cation and agriculture issues related to water quality. Keeping the agriculture group on track, with interests ranging from environmental activism to family farming represented, was the hardest job just by the nature of the issues, he said. "When you get into issues of regulating industry or agriculture, it's much more complex," he said. "Not only do you have funding," he said near the end of the session. The possibility of paying for water-quality improvements through a sales tax was raised by Pete Herschend, board president of the Upper White River Basin Foundation and co-owner of Herschend Family Entertainment which owns Silver Dollar City.

A tax either statewide or in a special taxing district such as the river basin or creating tax abatements or financing grants could be a tough sell, he said. And what applies to Missouri has to apply to Arkansas, he said. "None of these are easy, they are all fraught with controversy," he said. It took constant shepherding for Grindstaff and a team of facilitators to stay on track and pare dozens of ideas down to a handful. But the St.

Louis facilitator hired by the four water quality groups said he was satisfied with a consensus-building effort short on confrontation and long on agreement. Participants met in groups that discussed septic-sewage issues, urban runoff, public edu WATER, from Page IB River Basin Partnership and the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks. Water quality and how to improve it is a dollar issue, Crane Mayor Stan White said. With the Stone County town mandated to accomplish phosphorus removal in Crane Creek by 2006, residents are footing a sizable bill, he said. The summit could be useful in promoting financing for future water-quality efforts, he said.

"This is going to open the door for the city for possible ers were shifted to another location in 1999. Robert V. Grace Shari K. (Groce) DeArmon Bankruptcy Will: creditor harassment low Down iv wage garnishments Balance in Payments 1 tAK UK UKiM ItKFj I REPOSSESSIONS HOME FORECLOSURES LAW SUITS Out of Town? Have to Work? Express Bankruptcy TAX COLLECTIONS And Get Off To A Fresh StartI PICK 4 5-3-8-1 Correction policy The News-Leader strives for accuracy and fairness. We will correct any errors or misunderstandings created by stories, headlines or photographs.

Readers may request a correction by calling 836-1258, day or night. Our metro editor is Paul Flemminq, 836-1199; or fax, 837-1381. LOTTERY PICK 3 2-9-2 SHOW-ME 5 13-16-22-36-38 LOTTO 1-12-18-19-22-41 POWERBALL 19-37-40-47-51-40 Professional Legal Services for Over a Half Century Groce, Groce DeArmon, P.C. mm mm TOLL FREE 1 -800-640-3706 1 -ODX-O tD 1705 N. Jefferson.

Springfield, MO 65803 Seeing is I Believing MISSOURI EYE rr rv Sound 0 INSTITUTE ADVKSE Hearing Audiojogy Laser Vision Correction LASIK 417-887-3900 F.C. Jansen, M.D. Daniel R. Osborn, M.D. Diplomates, American Board of Ophthalmology TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! No bait and switch tactics, pressure or obligation to purchase.

1 -TV- -V James E. Bureman, O.D. Eye Disease Injury Management "Hearing for That's scvrJ rJvivc" i FREE CONSULTATION www.missourieye.com 11 -WW 1.