St. Cloud Times from Saint Cloud, Minnesota • Page 2

2A St. Cloud Times StateLocal Thursday, Feb. 3, 1994 Blaze destroys St. Stephen home 1 Vi hat's Shot Man claims sex ring took Jacob Authorities unconvinced; Jerry Wetterling wants more information rived home, Trobec said. Firefighters arriving on the scene put on air masks and searched the home because one of Phelps' sons was unaccounted for.

But the boy had taken the activities bus from school and was not home. Firefighters from St. Stephen, Cold Spring and Sartell spent three hours at the home Wednesday evening. There were no injuries. John Welsh ST.

STEPHEN A mail carrier was knocked off his feet as a back draft an explosion caused by the sudden infusion of oxygen into a fire erupted when he opened the front door of his home Wednesday evening. Brad Phelps was not injured but the fire destroyed his St. Stephen home, causing $98,000 in damages, said St. Stephen Fire Chief Ray Trobec. The fire is believed to have started from a woodstove and may have been smoldering for hours before Phelps ar TIMES PHOTO BY SHER STONEMAN Nebraska attorney John DeCamp claims to have information linking abducted children, including Jacob Wetterling, to a child sex ring.

By John Welsh TIMES STAFF WRITER A man who has peddled a bizarre story of a large Midwest child-sex ring for several years came to St. Cloud Wednesday to say those in the ring took Jacob Wetterling. Local and federal law enforcement officials said they have not previously heard JohnDeCamp's claims regarding Jacob and strongly question their validity based on his previous statements. "We have followed every lead on Jacob's abduction," said Joe Walsh, the FBFs media coordinator in the Twin Cities. "We are not aware of any conspiracy." Jacob was 11 when he was taken by a gunman near his St.

Joseph home in October 1989. DeCamp is a former Nebraska lawmaker who caused a huge stir in his home state with his tale of a child-sex ring involving prominent businessmen and government officials. Two grand juries looked at the accusations and found no credence to the claims. tarns. i i tif i'' irt '(I km brainwashing those it abducts so that they do not want to come home.

He declined to name the three people or to give other specifics. On Wednesday, DeCamp met with Jacob's father, Jerry Wetterling, who left the meeting saving he wanted to check further some of DeCamp's claims. Tm not convinced Jacob is with this group," Wetterling said. "But at the same token, Pm open to checking it out. I don't believe it; I don't disbelieve it." DeCamp's appearances were covered by at least one Twin Cities television station and radio station.

The St Paul and Minneapolis newspapers did not cover them. DeCamp was telling similar stories in Des Moines, Iowa, two years ago regarding the disapperance of Des Moines paper boy Johnny Gosch, who was abducted Sept 5, 1982. Gosch has not been found. Bridal Expo '94 rApollo High School Theatre Sunday, Feb. 6, 1994 Show Times: 11:00 a.m.

1:30 p.m. Admission Tickets Available at the door or: tori's ormalWtwr "A carefully crafted hoax," concluded one grand jury, which ended up indicting one of DeCamp's clients on perjury charges. But DeCamp has not backed down and claims the grand juries are only part of the coverup. On Wednesday, DeCamp made appearances in St Paul and St. Cloud at meetings sponsored by the Schiller Institute, a group affiliated with perennial presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche.

DeCamp's appearance at the Great River Regional Library attracted about 10 people. "I guarantee nothing," DeCamp said. However, he said, three people involved in the child-sex ring have told him they have spotted a person who looks like Jacob in Madison, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. He said the ring has been successful in humiliating and respiratory cancer. Earl Mailhot, retired Department of Natural Resources Division of Mines official in Crosby, said the Armour 1 mine closed in 1959 and the Armour 2 in 1968, the last active underground mine in Minnesota.

Former steel workers, miners may face health risk DULUTH(AP) Aconsumer health the government found years ago. They group says the U.S. government didn't were among 12,308 workers at 44 sites, tell thousands of former workers at a mostly mines, who are considered at Duluth steel plant or at mines near high risk for developing silicosis and Events Today "Lunacy" 8 p.m., St. Cloud State University's Performing Arts Center arena stage. Admission is $4 adults and $2 senior citizens and non-St.

Cloud Stat students. Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Repertory Dance Theater from St. Cloud State University will perform at 8 p.m. in the university's Stewart Hall Auditorium. Free.

"Love Letters," 8 p.m., The New Tradition Theatre Company, 906 West St. Germain St. Admission is $8. "Ladies in Retirement" 8 p.m., County Steams Theatrical Company. Events Friday Carnival, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Pleasantview Elementary School, Sauk Rapids.

Includes games, moonwalk, face painting and food. Jhe fee ranges from 25 to 50 cents. Patricia Weaver Francisco, fiction writer, playwright and former associate editor of "Minnesota Monthly," will speak at 1 p.m. in St. Cloud State University's Atwood Center Voyageur Room South.

'Germinal A Work in Progress," 8 p.m., Benedicta Arts Center forum, St. Joseph. Ad--mission is $1 2 adults, $1 0 senior citizens and students and $6 children and St. Benedict's and St. John's students and faculty.

"Ladies in Retirement," 8 p.m., County "Steams Theatrical Company. "Love Letters," 8 p.m., The New Tradition Theatre Company, 906 West St. Germain St. Admission is $10. "Lunacy," 8 p.m., St.

Cloud State Performing Arts Center arena stage. Admission is $4 adults and $2 senior citizens and non-St. Cloud State students. If you have an event you'd like listed, write us a note telling when it is, where it will be and what it's all about, plus a contact name and number. In the interest of accuracy, we prefer pot to take information over the telephone.

Send it to: What's Shakin', St. Cloud Times, Box 768, St. Cloud, MN 56302. Items should arrive at least three working days before they are to be published. Today In History Highlights: In 1690, the first paper money in America was issued by the colony of Massachusetts.

(The currency was used to pay soldiers fighting a war against Quebec.) In 1783, Spain recognized U.S. independence. In 1809, the territory of Illinois was created. In 1930, the chief justice of the United States, William Howard Taft, resigned for health reasons. In 1984, the space shuttle "Challenger" blasted off from Cape Canaveral, on a problem-plagued mission that included the faulty deployment of two satellites and a target balloon.

(The crew included mission spe--cialist Ronald McNair, who died in the Chal-Jenger explosion in 1986.) In 1986, President Reagan appointed a '12-member commission to investigate the "Challenger" disaster that claimed the lives of the entire crew. to confirm Anthony M. Kennedy to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1 993, Marge Schott was suspended as Cincinnati Reds owner for one year for her re-' peated use of racial and ethnic slurs (the suspension was lifted after eight months).

HP ST. CLOUD Times Official newspaper of Steams County and ctties of St Cloud, Sartell and Waite Park. by St. Cloud Newspapers a member of the Gannett Co. Inc.

Published daily and Sundays. Principal place of business and address: 3000 Seventh St. (P.O. Box 768, St. Cloud, MN 56302.

Sonja Sorensen Craig, Publisher, 255-8709 Don R. Casey, Executive Editor, 255-8777 Rhonda Barlow, Advertising Director, 255-8799 Geary i. Yaeger, Circulation Director, 255-8724 Gordon M. Johnson, Controller, 255-8787 Greg Ftoctto, Production Director, 255-8701 Patricia W. Carlson, Human Resources, 255-8798 Joan C.

Karl, Marketing Services, 255-8727 Advertises To place an ad, call between 8 a.m. and 5 m. Monday through Fnday Classified ads may be placed by calling 255-8730. Display advertising may be reached at 25WS721 Cl-CCLATO Fwnewsubscnptionsorservice.call255-8710 '(or toll-free 800-955-9998) between 7 a m. and p.m.

Monday through Friday; between 6 and 1 0 a m. Saturdays and holidays and 6 and 1 1 a.m. Subscription rates are $3.00 per week by youth carrier, $3 30 per week by motor route and $3 60 per week by mail in state. Discounts are available for senior citizens. tesHoiiMS Do you have a news tip? Call anytime or write to the appropriate editor.

Sports scores may be reported by calling 255-8770 after 7 p.m. John Bodetta, managing editor, 255-8760 Topic editors: Rene KaJuza, educationenvironment 255-8761 Lee Rood, governmentsafety, 255-8747 Mike NlttJer, healthfamtly, 255-8765 Dave DeUnd, sportsrecreation, 255-6771 Becky Beyers, businessconsumer 255-8764 Mike Knaak, photo editor, 255-8768 Pia Lopez, Opinion page editor, 255-8762 Randy Kreos, copy desk chef, 255-8776 Obituaries, 255-8742 Silver Lining, 255-8750 HUS7I0 WnM (SOYINK PnrOoaa Printed oa Lrosbythattheywereexposedtochem- icals that greatly increased their risk for cancer. Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer health group, charged Wednesday that the government failed to inform nearly 170,000 workers nationwide identified in a 1984 study that they have increased risk of developing cancer because of where they worked. Anyone who worked at the U.S. Steel plant in Duluth in the Armour mines near Crosby should consult with his or her physician immediately, said Susan Goodman, occupational health researcher for Public Citizen.

"Most physicians fail to ask a very simple question: Where do you work and where did you work," she said. "That would be a huge benefit to determine exposure and in detection of cancers." Workers at U.S. Steel's Duluth Works were among 59,000 employees at 17 steel mills nationwide who the government found were exposed to coal tar distillates, metal fumes and sulfuric acid mist. The steel mill, which employed up to 3,600 workers, closed in the mid-1970s. But former workers still are at high risk of developing respiratory, liver, pancreas, bowel, mouth and throat cancers and other related diseases.

"Some of these workers may be dead by now," said Dr. Sidney Wolf director of Public Citizen. Others "have early evidence of cancer and could, if they were notified, go in for screening that might save their lives." Evaristo Del Zotto, a former worker at the mill, said he's never been informed by anyone the company, his union or the government about exposure to chemicals or cancer risks. "I don't know anything about that, Pve never got a thing from them," said Del Zotto, a longtime bricklayer at the mill. Workers at the Armour 1 and Armour 2 underground iron ore mines near Crosby-Ironton were exposed to large amounts of silica and diesel exhaust, Ihqex To Advertisers 4 Baby Up 2C Audio King 6A Baker's Craft Hobby 7A Clothing Exchange 2C College of St Benedict's 7B DJ.

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