The Star Press du lieu suivant : Muncie, Indiana • Page 1

The Muncie Star "Where the Spirit of the Lord Is, There Is Cor. 3:17 VOL 114 NO. 258 MUNCIE, INDIANA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1990 1990, The Muncie Star 35 CENTS Pileeps Kill 1 5 oe 1-75 TENNESSEE kSb Hiwassee River Chattanooga N.C. illf; i 1 1 1 'i and booming from over there. Then all of a sudden you started hearing them from everywhere," said Fisher, 43.

Whaley confirmed 15 dead but said the number could rise as crews searched the burned shells of vehicles. In some cases, only name-plates distinguished the wreckage of a car smashed into the side of a truck. "This is one of the worst accidents that anyone can remember happening in Tennessee in terms of the number of vehicles and fatalities involved," said Whaley, who. followed rescue efforts from his Nashville office. Names of the victims would not be immediately released because some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, Whaley said.

Authorities believe the first accident occurred in the southbound lane, and cars jumping the median or people rubbernecking to see the southbound crash might have caused the second pileup in the northbound lane. From there, authorities say it (See WRECK on Page 6) ILL i IND K( OHIO A w. VA. KENTUCKY i 1 Nashville TENNESSEE Chattanooga MISS ALA i 100 miles AP Knoxville GA. r.Mm:mMmm, CARS, TRUCKS LINE ROAD AT ACCIDENT SCENE ON 1-75 NEAR CALHOUN, TENN.

started hearing bangs and booms. Then all of a sudden you started hearing them everywhere. Scene Won't Be at School Area Democrats Given Key Posts "Maybe a rich Christian will show up from out of state and say, 'Let's take these guys on Max Oren Rural Parker City Nativity By RANDY RENDFELD Star Staff Reporter PARKER CITY, Ind. The Monroe Central School Board voted unanimously Tuesday not to allow the traditional live Nativity scene on school property this year. The vote was prompted by the Indiana Civil Liberties Union's threat of a lawsuit.

The ICLU charged that the Nativity scene violated the First Amendment's establishment of religion clause. Some 300 chairs were taken into the Monroe Central Elementary School gymnasium to accommodate the audience for the board meeting. The chairs were filled and perhaps another 100 people stood during the meeting. Jean Pruitt, president of the Monroe Central Parent-Teacher Organization, said the live Nativity scene was planned for 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

next Wednesday. By BRIAN FRANCISCO Star Staff Reporter Democrats from East Central Indiana have landed leadership positions and a key seat on Indiana House committees. House Speaker Michael K. Phillips, D-Boonville, announced his committee assignments Tuesday. Phillips named seven Democrats and five Republicans to each of 23 committees.

Phillips also appointed 14 Democrats and 10 Republicans to the powerful Ways and Means Committee, and six Republicans and four Democrats to the Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee. The makeup of the committees reflects the 52-48 Democratic majority in the House, the first time since 1976 that Republicans have not controlled the chamber. Assignments made by Phillips include: Rep. Douglas Kinser, D-New Castle, chairman of the Financial Institutions Committee. Rep.

Pete Beck, D-Marion, chairman of the Aged and Aging Committee. Rep. Tracy Boatwright, D-Marion, chairman of the Roads and Transportation Committee. Rep. Marc Carmichael, D-Muncie, vice chairman of the Urban Affairs Committee.

Rep. Hurley Goodall, D-Muncie, vice chairman of the Labor Committee. Goodall also was named to the Elections Committee, which will boast a high profile in the 1991 General Assembly. The committee is in charge of redrawing House districts and will have a hand in determining district maps (See LEGISLATURE on Page 6) By DAN GEORGE Associated Press Writers CALHOUN, Tenn. Two chain-reaction crashes in dense fog on a highway in southeastern Tennessee killed 15 people Tuesday, injured more than 50 and left the roadway looking like a war zone.

A morning fog covered Interstate 75 over the Hiwassee River, about 40 miles north of Chattanooga, when the 75-vehicle pileup began about 9:30 a.m., said Cecil Whaley, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. People involved in the accident, which covered more than a mile of the interstate, described hearing booms in the fog as dozens of tractor-trailers collided with each other and with cars. Traveling salesman Ralph Fisher of Cleveland, was headed north when he hit the fog patch. He said he noticed traffic slowing down so he pulled to the roadside. "After that I started hearing bangs and booms from everywhere.

Immediately after that there was a truck on fire from across, the road. We started hearing them banging Recount Petitions to be Withdrawn INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Petitions for full recounts in three disputed Indiana House elections will be withdrawn, political sources said Monday. It will leave intact the Democrats' 52-48 majority over Republicans in the House. That means Rep. David A.

Hoover, R-Ridgeville, will keep his seat representing district 33. Hoover defeated Democrat Ronald D. Liggett of Redkey by about 200 votes. District 33 takes in all of Randolph County, most of Jay County, including Dunkirk, Redkey and Portland, and parts of Henry and Wayne counties. Sources representing both political parties in the recounts said the challengers to the election-night victors were convinced they could not overturn the results and directed their attorneys to withdraw their petitions.

"There is no legitimate belief that we can turn these elections," said Roger Schmelzer, an aide to House Minority Leader Paul S. Mannweiler, R-Indianapolis. The other winners who will have their victories affirmed are Rep. Craig R. Fry, D-Mishawaka, who defeated Republican Marvin C.

Wood in district 5, which includes parts of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, and Rep. William Bailey, D-Seymour, who defeated Republican Dianne J. Cartmel of Seymour in district 66, which includes parts of Bartholomew, Clark, Jackson, Jennings and Scott counties. Democratic Councilman Robert Hartley made a motion to increase the coroner's salary to the same amount as a county commissioner, because both "are really part-time, full-time jobs." That amounted to a 65 percent pay increase for the coroner.

Voting with Hartley in favor of the motion were Democrats Ruth Dorer and Ted Bowman, and Republican John Wright. Republican Richard Thornburg voted against the increase. Thornburg told Stonebraker that he knew what the salary was when he ran for office. A farmer and factory worker, Thornburg also scoffed at the idea that his employer would give him a 50-percent pay raise if he had a bad year on the farm. Council attorney Thomas Cannon Jr.

objected to the analogy, arguing that the coroner over the years had "left his salary at the bottom level" because of the second job. Cannon said he doubted that Thornburg had given up any pay raises as a factory worker because he had a second job as a farmer. There is still some doubt about whether the state will approve the pay increase, because it was adopted by a simple majority rather than by a two-thirds vote. Democratic Council President Robert Donati did not attend the meeting because of a death in his (See CORONER on Page 6) I ml AP Howell, Shaffer and Clifford Coulter voted in favor. Shaffer said he knew many in the audience Tuesday wanted the board to take the case to court But he said that after studying the options, he found more time would be needed to develop a winnable case.

"A quick decision could be construed as avoiding following the law," he said. Shaffer noted that evolution was being taught in the schools, and he didn't agree with that, either. The board heard from 16 supporters of the live Nativity scene Tuesday. One was Max Oren of rural Parker City. Just before the vote, Oren said of the board's direction, "It's almost like we've already given up without even starting." Oren said he didn't want to "bankrupt the school and commu-(See NATIVITY on Page 6) City Will Wait for State Audit of Purchases, Festival Funds By RICK YENCER Star Staff Reporter Muncie's data processing manager took $15,500 from the sales of computer software to the city and deposited the money in a bank account for the Celebrate the City Festival.

City officials revealed Tuesday that Thomas Rotz, data processing manager, bought computer software for the city from a second firm in which he held a financial interest. In September, the city bought $6,500 worth of computer software from a company called Mech-Tech, 404 E. Main St, the same address Rotz used for PCG, another company to which the city paid $9,000. The city has withheld payment on a second claim from PCG, this one for $1,700. Rotz is a partner in both firms, and documents indicate he deposited the Mech-Tech check in a local bank account that bears the same account number as that on the PCG (See CITY on Page 6) Index Dances, volksmarch slated to celebrate Yule.

Page 10 Grievance filed against jail attorney. Page 12 Ball State Cardinals ready for Valparaiso. Page 17. Flamboyant industrialist Hammer dead. Page 21 Area News 2 Classified Comics 31 Daybreaks ....10 Deaths ..21 Editorials 4 Focus 9-1 1 Landers 11 Lotteries 5 Neighborhood ..4 Markets 24-25 On Record 8 Sports 17-20 Television 22 Theaters 22 Week Ahead ...23 Near 60 Today Today's forecast calls for sunny skies early, followed by increasing cloudiness during the afternoon.

Highs will be 55 to 60. Page 20. Before the vote, several people shouted that board members were taking the "easy way out." Board member Clyde Shaffer Jr. moved to amend Howell's motion to include the formation of a committee that would study the possibility of a "cultural display" next year at the school. Shaffer's amendment passed on a 3-2 vote.

Board members David Smithson and Stephen Howell voted against it, and members Dennis focused on an appliance in the four-unit apartment building destroyed in Harrison Village, a housing complex for enlisted personnel. Eleven were treated and released by Monday, but the six others were burned severely and could face weeks of hospitalization, officials said. The explosion at 1025 Drumn Drive followed a report of a gas leak at 5:43 p.m., which the gas company determined was in a line feeding 1035 Drumn Drive in the complex. "We located that leak and it was repaired, so the gas was turned back on to the complex," Sweeney said, adding that the explosion took place about 20 minutes after the gas was turned back on. "The probability is that an appliance exploded in 1025," Sweeney said.

"We don't know at this time if it malfunctioned or had been left on when the gas was shut off. The probability is that we're dealing with either appliance or human failure." Between 100 and 125 people are staying in area hotels and motels. AP The tentative site is the parking lot of Thornburg Funeral Home, along Ind. 32 across the highway from the Monroe Central campus. Children who participate in the scene must have their parents sip a release form, Pruitt said after the meeting.

After discussion of the live Nativity scene Tuesday night," board member Stephen Howell moved not to allow the Nativity scene on school property this year. Ex-Muncie man moved. Page 12 Tuesday. Meanwhile, Marion County Coroner Dennis J. Nicholas positively identified the only fatality as 5-year-old Jannae Encarnacion, the daughter of Army Sgt.

Adolfo Encarnacion and his wife, Tracy. "The autopsy revealed she was alive at the time the fire broke out," he said. "The cause of death is smoke inhalation and thermal burns." Citizens Gas Coke Utility, which has been supplying gas to the base, expects to have all the new lines installed within 7 to 10 days. Sweeney told a news conference residents of the complex had made 19 complaints of gas leaks since May 1989 and that 25 percent of the complaints had been appliance related. "In 11 of the 19 complaints, no leakage was found," Sweeney said.

"There have been four incidents of leaks in that time until Sunday." Sweeney and other officials reviewed Sunday's incident and said the investigation of a cause Council Increases Pay of Coroner 65 Percent Indiana Plaza Dedicated Rep. Lee Hamilton, speaks Tuesday the ceremony were U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, during a dedication of Indiana Plaza at Pennsyl- First Lady Susan Bayh, Secretary of State vania Avenue and Seventh Street N.W. in Joseph Hogsett, Congressmen Phil Sharp and Washington, D.C.

Among Hoosiers attending John Myers and Vice President Dan Quayle. Fort Plans New Gas Lines By SETH SLABAUGH Star Staff Reporter Delaware County Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to increase the salary of the coroner from $11,785 to $19,467 to compensate him for the loss of his second county job. Coroner Jack Stonebraker Jr. has been told by Prosecutor-elect Richard Reed, a fellow Democrat, that he will lose his job as an investigator in stonebraker the prosecutor's office when Reed takes office Jan. 1.

Stonebraker, a retired city police detective, won re-election Nov. 6 to a second term as coroner. During his first 4 years as coroner, Stonebraker never complained about his salary because of his second job in the prosecutor's office, which paid $19,375 this year. That made Stonebraker's total salary $31,160. In addition, his wife is employed by county government, as director of the children's home, at a salary of $24,181.

Stonebraker told council Tuesday that he earned "a pretty good income" from both jobs. But he added, "I can't survive" on the coroner's salary alone. Stonebraker also receives a police retirement pension. Area Had a History of Leak Complaints By HANK tOWENKRON Associated Press Writer INDIANAPOLIS New gas lines will be installed in a Fort Benjamin Harrison housing complex where a weekend explosion killed a child. The military will turn over servicing of the lines to the local gas company, officials said sweeney Tuesday.

Col. R.W. Sweeney the base chief of staff, said installation of new lines was to begin Tuesday to the complex that was disrupted by an explosion and fire Sunday night. Seventeen people were injured. The fire destroyed one apartment building that was still smoldering when the media were given a tour i 1.