Palladium-Item from Richmond, Indiana • Page 1

Lakers' Kobe Bryant arrested: Sports, Page B1 TOMORROW'S WEATHER Sun, clouds and High 87. Low 69. Page A4 thunderstorms. el www.pal-item.com Richmond, Ind. 50 cents Storms drench area Ohio hit with rain, flooding.

5-day forecast Local, Page A3 Weather, Page A4 official rainfall at Richmond for Friday, Saturday and Sunday was 3.73 inches. It still was raining this morning and more is expected for the remainder of the week. Wind knocked down trees and limbs and those trees and limbs knocked down power lines. "Friday night was the worst for us," Richmond Power Light general manager Dave Osburn said today. About 400 customers on Richmond's south side were off line for four hours.

Eighty to 100 were off for 12 hours. As many as 3,000 area REMC customers were without power at different times during the past weekend. "Wind did a lot of the damage," Wendy Shipley of the REMC said. "We're still having some outages this "We've got some out on the west side this morning too," Osborn said. Please see Weather, Page A2 Richmond: Fireworks Weekend weather: Swollen creeks, downed trees left in aftermath By Don Fasnacht and Pam Tharp Palladium-Item writers Three days of wind and rain ruined a three-day weekend for area road and utility workers.

The birth of the nation was celebrated by wave after wave of stormy weather marched across east central Indiana, leaving downed trees, swollen creeks and power outages in their wake. Palladium-Item photo by Joshua Smith CATCHIN' A WAVE: A motorist kicks up water today at the intersection of Sheridan Street and Richmond Avenue. el Monday, July 7, 2003 WHAT'SNEWS LOCAL Woman gets award for volunteerism Retired teacher, cancer patient still helping others Page A3 SPORTS A little Swiss history made in England Roger Federer wins men's title at Wimbledon Page B1 NATION Search continues for missing swimmer ST. JOSEPH, Mich. The bodies of six swimmers who drowned in storm-tossed waters along a three- stretch of Lake Michigan beaches have been recovered.

A seventh swimmer was still missing. The swimmers got into trouble during a -hour period after thunderstorms ripped across the lake Friday and hit western Michigan's Berrien County, kicking up waves and creating what the Coast Guard described as strong rip tides and an undercurrent. More news on Page A7 AROUND THE AREA A Richmond woman has been named an outstanding volunteer by the Indiana Retired Teachers Association. Ohio man has escaped execution again. Local, Page A3 Local, Page A3 The community must understand finances of Hayes Arboretum if the Richmond landmark is to remain viable.

Hagerstown columnist Chuck Avery is proud of agitator roots. Viewpoints, Page A6 from staff and wire reports OBITUARIES Rex W. Adams Mary L. Brandenburg Norma I. Krintzline Robert D.

Purdy Maxine Pyke Joseph D. Reece Minnie B. Richardson Michael G. Seever Irene F. Steele Georgellen Timmons Page INSIDE TODAY Abby B4 Movies Bridge B5 Nation Classified B7 Comics Editorial A6 Sports Horoscope B6 Today Local A3 Weather Lottery A2 World 0 40901 04409 At a glance Here's a look at the weekend storms that swept across the area: The official rainfall for Richmond was 3.78 inches.

Rain still was coming down this morning and more is 'expected this week. Friday's rain total was .67 inches. Saturday another 2.24 inches fell and Sunday's 0.78 inches added to the total. many as 3,000 area REMC customers were without power throughout. 3 U.S.

soldiers killed in 24-hour period in Iraq Attacks: Bomb claims 1, gunmen slay others BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) Iraq's cascade of violence claimed more American lives, with a bomb attack on a military convoy in Baghdad early today killing one U.S. soldier and gunmen slaying two others in attacks hours earlier. Insurgents threw a homemade bomb at a U.S. convoy in northern Baghdad early Associated Press today, killing a soldier, said Sgt. Patrick Compton, a PRECAUTION: U.S.

soldiers spokesman for the military. stand guard as an Iraqi Late Sunday, two as- motorist kneels to be frisked sailants fired on another today at a checkpoint north U.S. military convoy killing of Baghdad, Iraq. Hours earanother soldier. Troops re- lier a convoy was attacked turned fire, killing one of and a U.S.

soldier was killed. the attackers and wounding the other, Compton said. The at Baghdad University at wounded suspect was taken midday Sunday. into custody. Meanwhile, four U.S.

solIn the third fatal attack, an diers were wounded after atassailant shot a U.S. soldier tackers fired a proin the head at close range as pelled grenade at their conhe waited to buy a soft drink Please see Iraq, Page A2 Palladium-Item photo by Joshua Smith 000H, AHHH: Joey, left, Jason and James Woods Richmond. Inclement weather pushed back the Indewatch American Legion Post 65's fireworks celebration pendence Day celebration three days. Police say there Sunday night from Roosevelt Hill in Glen Miller Park in were no major incidents at the event. City finally lights to evening and again SaturHoliday comes because of severe day end: Police say this weather.

Dark skies Sunday year's crowd was evening made some sitting incidents on Roosevelt Hill wonder if 'good', no they were going to be turned away again. By Mary Sandy Wagers of RichSell Staff writer They were worth the mond and her 12-year-old son, Jake, were at the park wait. Friday when the display Sunday's fireworks at was canceled and they Glen Miller Park were met ended up walking to their with rounds of applause car in the rain. and lots of "ohs" and "I didn't park too far "ahhhs." away this time," Wagers The hour long presentation was canceled Friday Please see Fireworks, Page A2 up weekend skies Palladium-Item photo by Joshua Smith GIRLS NIGHT OUT: Kara Hake, 15, left, Amanda Walters, 12, and Ashley Walters, 17, wait Sunday for the start of fireworks. Arnold comes back to lagging box office Lack- holiday: 'T3' met low end of money expectations Gannett News Service Eight weeks remain until the official end of Hollywood's summer, but this season appears to be winding down with the July Fourth holiday, A5 And it's ending with a whimper, not a bang.

With mediocre perforB5 A7 mances by two highly anB6 ticipated sequels, summer B1 ticket sales fell further beB4 hind last year's pace and Liberian president calls for U.S. assistance Africa: U.S. military Charles experts head to region Taylor will seek asyto decide on deployment lum in Nigeria. MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) erased most hopes that the tations. Some called for industry could match its the film to take in as much performance last summer as $55 million over the -or for all of 2002, for that three-day "Legally weekend.

Blonde 2: Red, matter. Arnold Schwarzenegger White Blonde" captured returned with "Termina- $22.9 million ($39.2 miltor 3: Rise of the Ma- lion since Wednesday), chines," which took in $44 good for second place and million for the weekend Reese Witherspoon's million since its re- ond-best opening. Last lease Tuesday), according year's "Sweet Home Alto box office tracking firm abama" opened at $35.6 Nielsen EDI. million. Like "T3," While the debut marked "Blonde" also came up ever, eclipsing "Batman of some analysts, who had Schwarzenegger's biggest short of the expectations Robin's $42.9 million in forecast the film to do as 1997, the film met only the much as $30 million in its low end of analysts' expec- first weekend.

A4 A7 We Carry 221 S.W. 18th Richmond, IN Adjustable Beds KOONS 9-6 765-966-2616 Fri. 9-8 Sat. 9-6 At Great Prices! HOME CENTER BrandDiect) 82000J 3 For home delivery, call (765) 973-4550 or (800) 686-1330 With his capital surrounded by rebels, Liberian President Charles Taylor said he would step down and take exile in Nigeria but urged the United States to send peacekeepers to ensure an orderly transition. Meanwhile, a team of U.S.

military experts left a base in Spain early today for the war-ravaged African nation to assess whether to deploy troops as part of a regional force, as the United Nations, Europe and the Liberians have sought. President Bush heads to Africa Monday for visits to five nations including Nigeria. Taylor, who has been indicted by a U.N. -backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone, gave no timeframe Sunday for when he would quit power. Nor did he specify whether the deployment of a peacekeeping force was a condition for his departure.

He said only that the deployment was "necessary to prevent disruption." The calls for a peaceful transition increased pressure on Bush to send U.S. troops to enforce a ceasefire. Holed up in the capital Monrovia, Taylor was under intense international pressure to step down. Bush said Saturday he would "not take 'no' for an answer." The Bush administration also showed little enthusiasm for Taylor's acceptance of Nigeria's asylum offer. Gannett News Service MOVIE SCENE: Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in the film "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.".