The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • Page 34

D-6 Sunday, March 1. 1998 The Town Talk, Alexandria-Pineville, La. LC honors alumni at luncheon Three named Distinguished Alumni; Stagg named Outstanding Alumni Artist cal issues involving the govern "Ky mm i that, I felt whatever I do, I try as a Christian to be faithful, whatever I do. And everything moved forward and fell into place." Unable to attend other Homecoming festivities because of the birth of his newest grandchild, Alexandrenko apologized for his earlier absence and his wife Mae's continued absence. Alexandrenko said he tried to convince her to come by saying, "It's a special occasion to honor me." "She said she honored me when she married me," Alexandrenko said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Davis and Williams, who addressed the student body Thursday at the Homecoming Assembly, also spoke at the luncheon. Dr. Davis, who is retired from private medical practice after a long, distinguished career and now serves as Medical Director of the Rapides Regional Medical Center Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, said he has three wishes for Louisiana College. First, he would "love to see" the college's admission rate increase, he said. "We ought to be able to have 2,500 students here," he said.

"The second thing I wish is that we could all pull together and really cooperate and work for the good of this college." Thirdly, Dr. Davis said he wants LC to graduate "well-educated, well-rounded, broad-minded graduates who will be articulate spokesmen all over this state and all over the country on ethi By Sophia McKenzie Staff reporter The Louisiana College Alumni Association honored several of its own at their annual luncheon meeting Saturday at Granberry Conference Center. Nikolai Alexandrenko, Dr. Thomas Davis and the Rev. Earl Williams were recognized as 1998 Distinguished Alumni.

Bob Stagg was honored as Outstanding Alumni Artist. The luncheon was part of LC's Homecoming 1998 festivities which concluded Saturday. Alexandrenko, a 1953 LC graduate, was a refugee from Soviet Russia when he first came to the college in 1951 as a student sponsored by the Louisiana Baptist Student Union. "For me Louisiana College is synonymous with Christian love," Alexandrenko said. "The Lord helped me through you all and your support.

I felt at home in a strange land." Alexandrenko became an LC professor and taught at the college from 1959 until 1989. In 1991 he went back to Russia for the first time in 50 years, witnessed the fall of Communism in his first week there and helped found one of the first Christian seminaries in the country. "It was quite a miracle the Lord performed," Alexandrenko said of the Communist government's collapse. He went from fearing persecution to freely traveling the country to preach and teach. Alexandrenko said he preached at huge revivals where up to 600 people became Sophia McKenzie Staff reporter 1 998 Louisiana College Distinguished Alumni, talks with fellow at the LC Alumni Association luncheon on Saturday.

The Sfagg's Outstanding Alumni Artist. 1943 to 1945. In the dream, the Apostle John came to him, and touched him on the shoulder. "I recognized (John), and he said one short phrase: 'Be Alexandrenko said. "After Sheriff: ex-cab driver to be arrested soon for two deaths Two killed in sugar refinery accident Nikolai Alexandrenko (center), a alumni Frank and Evelyn Stagg son, Bob Stagg, was honored as Christians.

"It kind of spoils you as a preacher," he said. Through the work of Baptist missions, there are now many seminaries and about 20 Baptist His attorney, Ross Scaccia, said Friday there is no truth to reports that Ellwood would plead guilty to a lesser crime, as Ellwood has often said he would do to get authorities to leave him alone. Champagne said he plans to book Ellwood with two counts of second-degree murder in the February 1993 deaths of Cheryl Lewis and Dolores Mack. Their bodies were found a day apart in a swamp off Louisiana 3160 in Hahnville. Lewis, 30, of Bridge City, was found in a canal; Mack, a 39-year-old transsexual of Metairie, also was found in the water.

She had been strangled, while Lewis drowned, death certificates indicate. "We are confident now that we can show a link to (their) deaths," Champagne said. "We have a good case." Asked when the arrest would GRAMERCY (AP) Two men were crushed to death when the bed of a dump truck fell on them at a sugar refinery. The huge metal bed came loose Friday as the dump truck was unloading raw sugar at Colonial Sugars plant. It then tilted to the side and fell onto the cab of another dump truck, killing the driver, St.

James Parish Coroner Carl J. Poche said. The accident happened about 10:30 a.m. Friday. "It was a freak accident, a terrible accident," said St.

James Parish Sheriff Willy Martin. Martin said that Colonial had asked him to let the company handle media inquiries, but a woman answering the telephone at the plant immediately hung up Saturday when The Associated Press called for comment. A telephone call to the company's sales and marketing division colleges in the former Soviet Union, Alexandrenko said. He told of a dream he had soon after his conversion to Christianity in Germany, where he was a prisoner of war from come, Champagne would only reply, "Soon." Champagne said that since Ellwood was jailed on the traffic charges, the murder case has grown stronger. A stream of witnesses have come forward, including an ex-prostitute girlfriend of Ellwood's and a Florida inmate who befriended Ellwood when he was imprisoned there, Champagne said.

An Ohio native, Ellwood served time in Florida and Ohio on drug charges and probation violations. In January, he agreed to return with authorities to Louisiana in an effort to clear his name and help solve the cases. Champagne had a closed-door meeting Friday at the St. Charles Parish Courthouse with Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee, other members of the task force and investigators from the state attorney general's office, which likely would prosecute Raymond Brown said about Connick. "This man vigorously goes after black males.

All he wants is the conviction of black males." Brown said police coached witnesses to testify against Cousin and planted incriminating evidence. He did not specify the evidence. "It's just another excuse to kill another black male who's innocent," he said. Connick declined comment. Kyles held Brown's hand as he said, "What Harry Connick has withheld from this man (Cousin), it reveals his innocence." Cousin's attorney, Clive ment and spiritual issues involving our church and denomination." Dr.

Davis attended LC for three years before World War II, but didn't receive his degree until 1976. Williams, a 1956 LC graduate, served as a missionary to Liberia from 1968 to 1993. "It's probably a good thing that I lived in the bush of Africa, because I would not have been chosen if you knew some of the things I did," he joked. He thanked the alumni for their support of foreign missions. "I've been supported by you for 29 years.

You clothed me and fed me and everything. People like you made it possible for me to be (in Africa) and see a tremendous response to the message of Jesus Christ," Williams said. Stagg, a 1968 alumnus, said he felt like "a prodigal son" returning to the campus for the first time in 30 years. An art teacher as well as an artist, Stagg praised LC's present art program as "very strong." "I've been impressed by the quality of work. I think you can all be very proud of what's being accomplished here," he said.

LC president Rory Lee told the alumni that the college is in better shape than ever with new facilities, new sports teams and bigger budgets. "Louisiana College is immersed in quality. Thank you for the foundation that you have helped lay here for the future of this great institution," Lee said. in Mobile, was not returned. The federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration was investigating the accident, the sheriffs office said Saturday.

The name of the second dump truck's driver was not released. However, Poche said he was from Thibodaux and worked for a sugar mill that contracted with the plant. The other victim, Edward Jaeger, 62, of Pauline, was crushed to death as he stood behind the trailer, Poche said. Both men were found dead at the scene and their bodies were transported to the Orleans Parish coroner's office for autopsies, he said. The coroner's office in New Orleans said that it could not release any information over the telephone and that no one authorized to release information was on duty Saturday.

4 I ban? Violence I V. 1 DrupJbuse I HAHNVILLE (AP) Russell Ellwood, the one-time New Orleans cab driver suspected in a string of grisly serial killings, is expected to be arrested soon in the murders of two women, St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said. The arrest would be the first linked to the deaths of 25 victims, mostly women and prostitutes, whose nude bodies were found in rural areas from 1991 to 1995. Although some died by strangulation and others by apparent drug overdoses, a regional serial task force has said their deaths are the work of at least one person.

Authorities have said Ellwood is a suspect in most of the killings from here to southern Tangipahoa Parish. Ellwood, who is serving a four-month sentence in St. Charles for speeding and contempt of court, has steadfastly maintained his innocence. Inmate's NEW ORLEANS (AP) A former death row inmate released after one overturned conviction and four mistrials took up the cause Friday of America's youngest death row inmate. Curtis Kyles, who was released Feb.

18 after his fifth and final trial ended with a hung jury, took part in a news conference on behalf of Shareef Cousin, sentenced to death for a March 1995 killing when he was 16. "He's most definitely in the same boat I was, with prosecutors withholding evidence," Kyles said. Cousin was convicted of killing a man in the French supporters lash out at DA MAINTAINENCE PERSON WANTED Full time, general maintainence person with general knowledge in carpentry, plumbing, electrical. Applicants must be bondable, have no criminal history, have a current valid driver's license. 5 years employment references required.

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"We've always been working together to investigate all of these murders," Lee said. "We're thankful that each day we are getting closer to an arrest." But Champagne said he believes Ellwood could be responsible for all five of the bodies found in St. Charles Parish. The other three victims are: George Williams, 25, of New Orleans, who was found in June 1992 in the LaBranche Wetlands off Interstate 310. Regetter Martin, 29, of New Orleans, found three months later off 1-310 in Boutte.

Stephanie Murray, 25, of St. Martin Parish, found in the Bonnet Carre Spillway near Norco in February 1994. Stafford-Smith, said he's confident the Louisiana Supreme Court will overturn the conviction. "Harry Connick has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar covering up evidence," Stafford-Smith said. "Why haven't the people who kidnapped four witnesses to testify against Shareef Cousin been prosecuted?" He did not say which witnesses had been kidnapped.

Cousin's aunt, Janice Hewitt, said she has always believed her nephew will be exonerated. "We were not standing by the justice system. We were standing by our faith," she said. A 1.1 J. A.

A.A mm ivml inn I LJimiiCm mm Can Help 487-6434 Then 4 dipit code gBMLTHj Quarter. His case is on appeal. Kyles had been accused of killing a woman in a grocery store parking lot in 1984. Kyles and Cousin are black. The victims in both cases were white.

Kyles spoke at a protest before the Louisiana Supreme Court building staged by Cousin's family and the Coalition of Concerned Clergy, a group of Christians and Muslims. Protesters accused New Orleans' district attorney, Harry Connick, of racist prosecutions. "He's an insult to the city of New Orleans," the Rev. 1 ,1 ft fl I II It ll I I llf in III Mmm BUILDING Make ym fmm Jtom Came tw The sheriffs department of Rapides and Vernon Parishes have joined with us to help bring you this valuable information, so you can help win the "war on Gang information: What is a Gang? 9100 Why kids join Gangs 9101 Signs of Gang involvement 9102 How Gangs work 9103 Effects of Gangs 9104 What Gangs do 9105 Hoods fight Gangs 9106 Don't join Gangs 9107 Home Safety: Neighborhood watch 9108 Lighting 9109 Burglar proofing doors 9110 Burglar proofing windows 9111 Home alarms 9112 Vacation safety 9113 Youth depression: Causes 9114 Symptoms 9115 Treatment 9116 Youth drinking: Are you an alcoholic? 9117 Should you drink? 9118 Do you have alcoholic parents? 9119 Talk to your parents .9120 Reach over 92,000 readers in our popular 1998 SPRING HOME AND GARDEN SECTION which features an array of helpful articles on home improvement and lawn and garden. This section will be published in the Altxanfcria JJaila 3oum Balk on Friday, March 20th.

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