The Greenwood Commonwealth from Greenwood, Mississippi • Page 1

OF ASCHIVK HISTOW C0P JACK. "ON UlaJ Legislative operations -See page 4 mmm Qoudy and cooler Vol. 79 No. 9 Greenwood, Saturday morning, Jan. 11, 1975 10c Hundreds k'omele seven as twisters rip Mc QlJL CCli iSlfW-' ten 4 reported throughout Mississippi as a cold front moved across the state from the west, causing thunderstorms and tornadoes that caused widespread damage.

National Guard.sir.cn and other seue workers sifted through the remains of the Southwest Mall shopping center and Pinehurst subdivision, and a nearby government housing project searching for more injured. The twister cut a two-mile-long path across the western edge of the city, hitting many homes and the North Pike elementary school, where youngsters were rushed into the hallways as a tornado alarm sounded when the storm approached. "We had some little children who suffered cuts and broken bones, but nothing serious," said Mrs. Harold young, a secretary whose office is in an adjacent high school that was undamaged. One of the injured was II.

R. Badon, who was getting in his car at the shopping center when "I saw the black coming. "I tried to open the door of the car but then it started rolling over," said Badon, who was treated for cuts of the head. The car flipped over several times, winding up on its top leaning against another auto and Badon climbed out a broken window. He said he started toward a drugstore "but then I saw it was all caving in" and he walked some 280 yards to the medical center.

A large department store, a discount store, service station and drug store were demolished. Mrs. H.T. Huddleston said she was walking to the front of her house to see what was happening but "before I got there the door was blown wide open." The dead in McComb were identified as Dale Russell, an employe of the State Motor Vehicle Comptroller's office; Dexter Baker, 18 months, of Mc Comb; Dorsey Cameron, about 50, of McComb; an and Charles Weatherspoon, about 30, of McComb. Officials said Russell apparently had been driving along Interstate 55 near McComb when the storm lifted his car off the highway.

The other three victims were believed to have been residents of the Community Park Apartments in a predominantly black section of town. Lincoln County Sheriff Grady Case identified the victims in his county as Herbert A. Savell about 86, and Mrs. Gilbert Lawrence and her 2-year-old daughter, Stacy, all of the Ruth community. Case said Savell was in his house when the storm hit.

"It tore his house all to pieces. It even pulled his pump out of the well," he said. The sheriff said Mrs. I-awrence and her baby were in their mobile home, which was totally demolished by the tornado. He told a woman who was rescued from the wreckage of her mobile home.

"We got one woman out of a trailer where she was trapped and took her to a hospital," he said. "We had to tote her a quarter of a mile to a patrol car because of all the twisted trees. She had a broken hip and several broken ribs." Officials also reported extensive damage to Percy Quinn State Park southwest of McComb, McComb Mayor John S. Thompson asked that the area be declared a federal disaster area. Scattered property damage was nri! i of- -) crl 6 I By DOUGLAS R.

SEASE McComb, (UPI) Seven persons were killed and dozens injured Friday when a tornado roared out of a line of thunderstorms and cut a vicious path through a two-county area of Southwest Mississippi. Pike County authorities said four persons died in McComb when the storm smashed into a shopping center, elementary school, low-income apartment building and a residential in the city about 8:20 a.m. More than 100 persons were treated for injuries but only 10 were admitted to hospitals in McComb, Brookhaven and Jackson. Officials in neighboring Lincoln County said three persons, including a mother and her baby, were fatally injured as the storm moved through the southeastern corner of the county near the Ruth community between 8:30 and 9 a.m. The number of injured was not known.

Gov. Bill Waller, who made a tour of the storm-torn city by helicopter, said he has asked President Ford to delcare the area as a federal disaster area. Waller extended his sympathy to the families of the victims, but said the situation might have been much worse. "In spite of the loss of life and numerous injuries and property damage, we may have had a miracle in all of this," the governor said. "When you go out to the North Pike School and see those school buses tossed around like tin cans, you know it could have been much worse.

We can recover from this tragedy." City officials estimated the storm left about 300 families homeless. view of the state's economic situation. The six dissenting votes were by Junkin and Reps. Williams, Margaret Allen of Amory, Hervey Hicks of Benton, Kirby with McCOMB MOTORCYCLE SHOP DESTROYED Jerry Alford salvages what he can in wake of egislators please ay measure teachers favor Senate bill Thompson of Prentiss, and Sonny Tedford of Marks. Rep.

A.C. "Butch" Lambert of Tupelo, who supported the measure, said, "I don't believe Mississippi has ever done what we bill except in supportive services and the Gass AAA salary schedule," he said. The Senate bill, Anthony said, calls for a percentage increase for Class A (bachelor's degree) teachers, but less overall for Class AAA (master's degree with advanced work) teachers than the MEA proposal. The two versions are almost the same for Class AA (master's degree) teachers. "The provision for supportive services in the Senate bill is 20 per cent less than in the MEA proposal.

The MEA bill would provide $1400. The Senate bill is about $400 less," he said. JACKSON (UPI)-The Mississilpi House, winding up the first week of the 1975 legislative session, gave swift approval Friday to a teacher pay raise expected to cost about $30 million over budget recommendations. "This will be a great step forward for education in Mississippi," said Rep. George Rogers of Vicksburg, chairman of the House education committee.

Some lawmakers, citing the uncertain economic outlook, warned the bill may force a tax increase in 1976 but Rogers disagreed. He said it was true the legislature would have to keep close watch on other expenditures, but added: "We are not without resources. We can afford don't think we can do less." The Warren County lawmaker said the bill would mean an average increase of $1,326 per year for classroom teachers, not including any local supplements they may receive. The bill provides increases in base starting salaries along with substantial hikes in increment payments for experienced teachers. had to do for education.

I'm for education first, and everything else second." Rep. Jerry Wilburn of Matachoe gained approval of an amendment aimed at (Continued On Page 10) Supportive services funds are used to pay teachers not included in the state's allotment for a school. The state provides for one teacher for every 27 pupils in a district. The funds are also used for administrators, librarians, music teachers and other personnel and for special programming. The MEA supportive services proposal would have allowed for about one extra teacher for every five in a district, Anthony said.

The Senate and House bills fall short of that figure. "Because of the fact that the bill in the (Continued On Page 10) BY TORNADO killer storm the economy takes a sharp upward turn in coming months. House Speaker John Junkin told reporters he was for a teacher pay raise but also felt the House bill was too risky in By PAMELA TIMS Women's Editor Teachers in Greenwood and Leflore County expressed pleasure Friday that the Mississippi legislature acted quickly on teacher pay raise bills. However, many seemed to feel that the Senate measure passed Thursday offers more to teachers than does the House bill adopted Friday. "As a teacher, I am in favor of the Senate version of the teacher's pay raise.

The House bill doe3 not offer a satisfactory amount of increments," David Local I s- i Ml I 1" I Jordan, a teacher in the city school system, said. Don Anthony, Greenwood City Schools band director and president of the Greenwood Education Association, also favors the Senate version. "I have studied the bill passed Thursday by the Senate, but I haven't studied the House bill closely. However, the educators in Leflore County met Monday night, and we all agreed the Senate bill would be a good bill for teachers in the county. We thought it was as good as the MEA (Mississippi Education Association) 1 lit il tf 'w Ullman says Ford ready for tax cut An alternate teacher pay bill, also expected to cost about $30 million over budget recommendations, was passed Thursday by the Senate with only three dissenting votes.

The House bill was approved 108-6. Rogers said his committee would take a look at the Senate measure next week. Most lawmakers predict the bills will wind up eventually in a Senate-House conference committee to thrash out differences. The quick action by both chambers on teacher salaries followed a statewide push by education forces to boost Mississippi teachers to at least the Southeastern average next fall. Rep.

Kenneth Williams of Clarksdale, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, warned the bill would use virtually all of an anticipated $30 million surplus which the budget commission recommended be set aside as an operating cushion. He said the 1976 legislature may have no "alternative" except to raise taxes unless is due April 15 or receive by from the government in a refund check. Speaking of the Ford meeting, Ullman said: "He wants to work with the Congress and of course I want to cooperate with him. We both agree that we must move rapidly in the field of taxation in getting some relief to the American people." Ullman, due to assume the all-important Ways and Means chairmanship in the new Congress convening Tuesday, said earlier that Congress could and would act swiftly on economic legislation and could complete a tax-cut bill by March. Weather Tornado warnings for Leflore County have been lifted and skies today will be variably cloudy with high temperatures in the mid 40s.

Temperatures will dip into the high 20s tonight Sunday will be mostly sunny with high temperatures in the low 40s. Winds today will be westerly 8 to 18 miles per hour. wm 1 TTT Oii' III' 'y'A m-PhM WASHINGTON (UPI)-President Ford has decided a tax reduction for Americans is needed to help stem deepening recession and perhaps may have to be a big one, a key Congressman reported Friday. Rep. Al Ullman, prospective chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said after a 40-minute private meeting with Ford that he and Ford were "not that far apart" on how large the reduction should be and how it should be made.

Ullman would say only that the range under discussion was between $10 billion and $30 billion, but he is on record as agreeing with other high-ranking congressional Democrats that something near the upper end of that range is needed. Earlier a White House spokesman said Ford is giving "very serious consideration" to a $20 billion tax cut that would include reducing family income taxes by $375 in 1975. Reports also circulated that Ford favored a different approach a one-shot, 10 per cent rebate on 1974 taxes that Americans could either deduct from what 1974 March of Dimes leader honored Jim DeLoach, chairman of the 1975 March of Dimes campaign, and Fred Witty, right, president of Leflore County March of Dimes, Friday presented a plaque of appreciation to Steve Lary, 14 campaign chairman. Under Lary's leadership, last years drive raised more than $20,000 for the first time since 1956. Staff Photos by Pamela Tims Mother's March set for Sunday Chairmen for the Mother's March of Dimes met at a coffee at the Chamber of Commerce Friday to discuss plans for the annual drive which will be held in the Greenwood area Sunday.

Serving coffee is Mrs. Jim DeLoach to Mrs. Barbara Burden and Mrs. Louise Gilbert..