Longview News-Journal from Longview, Texas • Page 9

uirjiritk Jltfe-IonrnaL INSIDE: Opinions Section 2B Nation 5B Health 6B Thursday, February 11, 1999 LAST TEXAS Obscene screen: Pom runs on local channel Answer Line La Nina's effect is hard Employee fired within one hour after X-rated scene appears on show forecast He said station officials today will resume their investigation by contacting the two suppliers to determine if the scene was on the tape sent to the station. Within minutes after the scene was broadcast, the station scrolled a written message across the bottom of the screen, apologizing and promising an investigation. McKay said the station received a number of calls about the matter, but he did not know how many. Robert Durham, general manager for Longview Cable Television, said some viewers called the cable company. He said the cable company had nothing to do with the matter.

Mark McKay, general manager of KFXK Fox Channel 51, said station personnel will continue to investigate the matter today. McKay said he wants to know how the pornographic scenes got on the station's tape. This could have occurred two ways, he said. McKay said two suppliers make tapes of the programs, and send the tapes to the station, which dubs a copy and returns the original. The tape was dubbed Dec.

19, he said. The scenes could have been on the original and were copied onto the station's tape during the dubbing, or they could have been introduced onto the tape from a different source during the dubbing, McKay said. He said the scene was broadcast during a showing of "The Simpsons," which runs from 6 to 6:30 p.m. McKay said 20 seconds of the pornographic scene were on the tape, but only four seconds aired. When a master controller caught the first glimpse of the scene, that person immediately switched to a station promotional clip.

The controller fast-forwarded the tape past the scene, and resumed broadcast of "The Simpsons" program, McKay said. Another controller was responsible for viewing the tape to ensure it was of on-air quality, and that controller was fired 40 minutes after the incident, McKay said. Question: I would like to know if El Nino is still in effect? If so, how much longer will it affect the weather? By Jerry Graham Staff Writer Four seconds of a pornographic scene flashed on local television screens during a broadcast of "The Simpsons," and the employee responsible for checking the tape was terminated 40 minutes later, a station official said Wednesday night. Answer: La Nina, the "sister" of El Nino, is now in effect. El Nino originally was recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America in the late 1800sasthe appearance of abnormally i Mike Hvezdos Witness grilled in murder trial Defense attorney claims crime story continually changed water in the Pacific JjQcean, which usually arrived Shortly after the beginning of the year.

This localized phenomenon is now known to be part of a very large and complex system of atmo--spheric and oceanic interactions. J21 Nino is a disruption of the I system in the jtropical Pacific. Here's how it works: Normally, trade winds blow from east to west, causing a pileup of warm sur-face water in the western Pacific so that the sea surface is about half a meter higher at Indonesia than at "Ecuador. To replace the water that been blown to the west, cold water rises up from he depths along the coast of South CAmerica. This nutrient-rich water v-Supports a diversity of marine life, ind, in turn, supports the fisher-Jipan in South America, jSji When an El Nino event takes Jjplace (every four years or so), these winds relax and the water jjptjhat once "piled up" in the western CPacific sloshes back toward the 'est, causing the end of the vutrient-rich upwelled coastal Kavtn GmnStafT Photographer Rosalind Deckelboim claps as her twin daughters, Carty, left, and Susan Deckelboim, finish reading the story Wednesday of how their parents fell in love.

The fifth-graders wrote the story as part of a class assignment at Pine Tree Middle School. Crater. (And, thus, a downturn in By Glenn Evans Staff Writer GILMER Defense attorneys tore into the prosecution's chief witness Wednesday, then brought their own witness to challenge the investigation that brought a murder charge against Chad Wayne Jester. "You have continued to hide facts and change your story up until today," defense attorney David Griffith said to Wesley Bradford, who earlier said he accompanied Jester to the home of Ramey Howell the night Howell was killed. Howell, 29, was found by his father the morning of Sept.

16, 1997, face down in his living room with a shotgun wound in his back. His father, Jerry Howell, had gone to his son's home off Bob White Road after Ramey Howell did not arrive for morning coffee at his parents' house in Gilmer. Bradford testified for Upshur County District Attorney Tim Cone that he thought Jester intended to slash Howell's tires when the pair arrived at the remote, house. The trio had shared the house until a falling-out between Howell and Jester several weeks earlier. Bradford testified under an agreement that frees him from two felony indictments and one felony charge.

The agreement cancels his attendance at a drug rehabilitation camp as part of probation for a felony drug conviction. Recounting events of the night of the slaying, Bradford said he became frightened while watching See Trial, 3B tow snLm Pine Tree students learn about parents' courtships and marriages pe nsmng industry as La Nina, with its strong east-to-ICwest trade winds, causes exception--ally heavy rainfall in usually rainy Zreas near the western Pacific, and I'tery dry weather in usually dry near the eastern Pacific. The I 'average La Nina winter is slightly I fetter and cooler, but there are many examples of La Nina winters Zhat were warmer and drier, so it is I Ihard to predict the impact. I would like to know why there are so many deputies leaving 'the Gregg County Sheriffs One word: money. The w-cleparting deputies two went to with all the details," Funderburk said.

Rebecca Benton said interviewing her parents was an amusing experience. "We had a lot of laughs when they told the story. It was a funny Rebecca said. "I've never heard the story." She said her favorite part of her parents' account, titled "Love Connection," was when her father, See Love, 3B now know the real stories of their parents' courtships and marriages. The titles of the fifth-grade accounts range from "No Pain No Gain" and "Oh, No! Not Another Dance!" to "Campfire of Love." Teacher Kathy Funderburk said she gives the assignment because it helps students learn how to interview, use figurative language and use creative writing.

"At first, they didn't want to do this, but they have become more enthusiastic and really had fun any day. The couple agreed they met at a card game in Longview, but Conrad said the rest of the story is a tad confusing. He said his parents had a few differences "over what information was right and what was wrong." Thanks to a class assignment that coincides with Valentine's Day Sunday, Conrad and other students in two Pine Tree fifth-grade gifted-and-talented classes By Becky Bell Staff Writer His mother's full house might have beat his father's three of a kind, but the card game also sparked a partnership Conrad Steele describes as "still going together like a pair of aces in a winning hand." While interviewing his parents about how they met and fell in love, Pine Tree Middle School fifth-grader Conrad learned his mom can trump his dad at cards 'Work in railroad jobs and one to v--the Kilgore College Police Academy I- r- made it clear their departures were tied to their salaries. All of these deputies have requested they be allowed to stay in the Sheriffs Beserve. Where should one dispose of syringes properly? My mom is a tabetic and doesn't just want to yioss them in the trash.

Is there a Kj! mm 'Ff jv 1 ir Damage to trees could come with expected cold front IfS A lot of our plums have place to take them? It is illegal to put them in the Ijirash, even inside a can or jar. J'There are low-cost services where you can buy home "sharps contain-jfers" for disposal of the needles and Syringes. The purchase price should include the mailing costs to already bloomed, particularly our wild plums, so we may see some damage RexYoungblood, Gregg County extension agent l-Zan appropriate facility for destruc- 'uuu. iuui uuiiah ui aiuuumcvuuu 'supply company should be able to Ctelp you find this product. Where is the Erosion leads city to close bridge near Bosco By Jo Lee Ferguson Staff Writer The bridge connecting Bosco Street and Bazzell Drive over Harris Creek in southwest Longview will be closed beginning Feb.

22 because of erosion around the bridge. Gary Shaw, public works manager for the city of Longview, said the bridge will be closed pending an evaluation by city engineers on what should be done. "Through the years, it's just gotten more and more erosion around it," Shaw said. "We've even had to go in one time and do a lot of major repairs around it." The 5-inch rain that hit the city four or five weeks ago did the most damage to the bridge, he said. "We've had some other smaller rains, but we got to checking it out, and it's got enough erosion that we just need to close it," Shaw said.

The bridge is safe for traffic for now, but another good rain could create a hazard, Shaw said. The city wants to warn the public about the impending closure of the bridge so drivers can plan ahead to detour around it, he said. "I'm just going to barricade it until some decision is made (about how to fix it)," Shaw said. A project to replace the bridge or address the bridge's condition using another method was funded when voters approved an $18.15 million bond election in May, Shaw said. However, the project was not scheduled to be funded until the fiscal year 2000.

Shaw said city engineering staff will determine if he should spend maintenance dollars to fix the bridge "CountryWestern Hall of ame. It i not the Country Music Hall of I- XT 1 By Anntoinette Moore Staff Writer Frigid temperatures expected late tonight and again Friday night in East Texas shouldn't hurt area peach trees, although some evergreens might be damaged, the local agricultural extension agent said Wednesday. While tonight's lows are expected to be in the mid-30s, the National Weather Service forecast calls for temperatures late Friday night and early Saturday morning to drop into the upper 20s. "A lot of it's going to have to do with how long it stays at those temperatures. If it stays at those temperatures for five or six hours, it will damage some of the buds on our evergreens, like your azaleas and ligustrum8," said Rex Young- blood, Gregg County extension agent for agriculture.

"Peaches really haven't started to bloom yet, so I don't think we'll see any damage with them. A lot of our plums have already bloomed, particularly our wild plums, so we may see some damage there," he tune, which is in rNuoiivwe, i cmi. need the mailing address, phone and location. 'S I'm sorry. I looked for hours wr -on the Internet and in my various (--directories and could not find such said.

Youngblood recommended that people bring houseplants inside and protect blooming plants, such as azaleas, by covering them with plastic or other materials. If a clear plastic covering is used, it needs to be removed during the day so heat doesn't build up, he said. Individuals also should make' sure soil in their flower beds is moist, Youngblood said. Because rain and thunderstorms are expected when the cold front S' mes through today, moisture nditions in outside flower beds should be good without watering. a listing, remaps one oi our reaa-ers knows what you are seeking.

Have a question? Call Mike Hvezdos, 758-4527, or e-mail him at mhvezdoscoxnews.com, and then watch for Answer Line Tuesday through Friday in Jhe Longview News-Journal. Also, check out Bahrain Marie 6hnlChlef Photographer A car drives over Harris Creek on the bridge connecting Bosco Drive and Bazzell Drive in southwestern Longview on Wednesday. The city plans to close the bridge on Feb. 22 because of erosion. or if the bridge project included in, the bond election will be moved up to an earlier date.

the Answer Line on your electronic backyard fanrA tfA KimiMt Ini imnl rrm at UAUUf nCMUOi "Joumal.com..