The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 15

Blontgomenj Advertiser Dan E. Way Interim Metro editor Phone (334) 261-1517 Fax (334)261-1521 425 Molton St. Montgomery AL 361 04 Friday Feb. 14, 2003 C(D) fifi)DT)ef and University Presidents, said, "We'd like to see the A request includes a $1 billion bond bond issue in state history. University leaders who appeared before the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee on Thursday shied away from the words "tax increase." Instead, they talked about Alabama residents making a bigger investment in higher education, like Georgia and Mississippi.

Robert Potts, president of the University of North Alabama and chairman of the Alabama Council of College lars on the average full-time student, which ranks 13th among 15 Southern states. If Alabama spent as much as Mississippi then Alabama's higher education system would get $40 million more. If Alabama spent at Georgia's level then an extra $160 million would go to higher education in Alabama, Portera said. "Until we have the courage to get a revenue stream whether it's taxes, lot- tery or something else we are never going to match Mississippi or Georgia," said state Sen. Rodger Smitherman.

The Legislature's Joint Budget Committee has spent this week listening to budget requests from all segments of education. State budget experts are predicting little extra money in 2004 to expand this year's $4.1 billion education budget, but universities presented a proposal Thursday that calls for a 4 percent increase. They want to add $34 million, from $845 million to $879 million. Potts said what they would like is a $350 million increase for operations, plus a $1 billion bond issue for capital improvement projects. That would be nearly double the largest education bond issue ever approved by the Legislature $550 million in 1998.

Legislature A f. ALABAMA LEGISLATURE 2003 step up and present to the people a package of investments in education." Malcolm a chancellor of the University of Alabama System, said Alabama spends $4,990 in state dol FLORENCE Stateline BRIEFLY MONTGOMERY Riley seeks designs for new medal Gov. Bob Riley is asking the public to submit designs for the new Spirit of Alabama Medal that he and future governors will present to extraordinary Ala-bamians. Riley announced the creation of the award in his inaugural address last month. Riley said anyone can submit a written description or graphic design by March 15 to: Spirit of Alabama Award, Governor's Office, State Capitol, Montgomery, AL 36130.

Designs should reflect the "values, principles, beliefs and common history that bind us together as Alabam-ians," Riley said. Judges who will determine the winning design are Riley; Ed Bridges, director of the State Archives; Lee Warner, director of the Alabama Historical Commission and James Sledge, chairman of the State Council on the Arts. ELBERTA Body discovered after mobile home blaze A man died of smoke inhalation from a mobile home fire, but the body wasn't found until almost 19 hours after the initial search by volunteer firefighters, who had been told the dwelling was unoccupied. Elberta Volunteer Fire Chief Steve Kirkpatrick, who was out of town when the Sunday morning fire broke out, said he was reluctant to criticize his firefighters who made a "judgment call" in failing to conduct a more thorough search when they first approached the fire. The 1:50 a.m.

fire de Professor no longer in eye of Iraq storm y- i By Bernie Delinski TimesDaily Brent Olive was working on his doctorate in 1997 when he received a telephone call from the United Nations that contained a short and direct question: "How would you like to go to Iraq?" Olive learned during the call that the United Nations needed people who were qualified to be weapons inspectors. As someone studying chemistry and industrial hygiene, Olive was an ideal fit. He agreed and soon was sent with a group to Iraq. Today, Olive lives a typical suburban life. He's a chemistry and industrial hygiene professor at the University of North Alabama and a family man with a wife and two young daughters.

He says people react with surprise when they learn that the easygoing 29-year-old went on inspection missions to Iraq in 1997 and 1998. Each mission lasted three to four weeks. issue for capital upgrades for universities By Phillip Rawls The Associated Press Universities are looking for big things from the new Alabama Legislature, in cluding a 4 percent funding increase and the largest TUSKEGEE Love soars for 6JD years By Alvin Benn Montgomery Advertiser It would be easy to say love took wing for Herbert and Mildred Carter. Part of their courting occurred over Lake Martin, where the Tuskegee Airman and the Tuskegee Army Air Field clerk waved and blew kisses at each other. Their rendezvous was at 3,000 feet, and love definitely was in the air.

"She'd be putt-putting along in her Piper Cub and I'd sneak up behind her in my AT-6 trainer," said Gene Carter, whose middle name is used by most of his friends and relatives. "I had to slow down because my plane could go a lot faster than hers." Once they met above the lake, they'd fly in a two-plane formation over Kowa-liga, sneaking peeks at each other, smiling and blowing more kisses. "When I knew it was time for me to get back to base, I'd pull ahead of her, do a slow roll and catch her in my prop wash," he said. "She'd have a bumpy ride for a few minutes." That was more than 60 years ago and they haven't been apart much since. The two were forced tor improvise on those 1942 aerial dates because Mildred Hemmons' supervisor didn't want her to be bothered by her boyfriend at work.

They met for the first time in the summer of 1938 as she was walking across campus and noticed "this handsome young man coming in my direction." Gene Carter, who grew up in Amory, had just finished football practice and had changed into fresh clothes. She liked what she saw. So did he. A friend introduced them, and it didn't take long for them to begin dating. They went to dances, did the jitterbug and began talking about a possible life together.

"Our relationship started to be more serious when Gene became a cadet," she said. "I think we both knew we had something special between us, and it's worked out pretty good, if I do say so myself." Karen 5. Doerr Advertiser Herbert and Mildred Carter, considered by many as Tuskegee's "First Couple," were married on Aug. 21, 1942. He is a former Tuskegee Airman who retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.

She said she believes she may have been the first licensed black female pilot in Alabama. More state guardsmen activated 1A The public's interest is at an especially high level these days, as United Nations weapons inspectors are the focus of the world because of a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq. Olive said it is very difficult to search the entire nation of Iraq for weapons. "You have a country the size of California. It's a very daunting task." He said the effort is further hampered by the lack of cooperation from Iraqi officials.

"If Iraq is actually hiding weapons of mass destruction, which it appears they are, the chances of finding something are very slim, particularly if they're mobile," Olive said. Olive said he hopes war can be avoided, but he's not optimistic. He said the fact that President Bush is building such a huge force in the Iraqi area must mean the president knows something is going on. KT Il Jim Hannon APTimesDaily twice the national prison AIDS death rate as reported by the American Correc tional Association and is about twice the expected rate, the report said. Harrison said NaphCare's death rate for inmates under its care is "actually one-third the rate for the general population." "This means that inmates under our care often live longer and have a higher quality of health' care than members of most Alabama communities," Harrison said.

mm -3 i H. Carter M. Carter She has a photograph of that meeting. It's a bit washed out in spots, but there's no mistaking the image of the president's wife, a woman whose support of equal rights was known around the country. During her visit to Tuskegee, Roosevelt was taken on a plane ride by Charles "Chief Anderson, who trained many of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Once Gene Carter knew he had made it as a Tuskegee Airman, he and Mildred began talking about a wedding date. She pinned on his second lieutenant's bars a few weeks before they exchanged vows, on Aug. 21, 1942. The following April, he and his 99th Pursuit Squadron left for Europe. During World War ed.

Most of the state's inmates with AIDS are confined at the north Alabama prison. "A lack of adequate monitoring (and) reporting of infection control efforts and vital statistics in regards to infectious (and) communicable disease is dangerous and extremely poor quality health care," said the report, summarized by The Birmingham News in a story Thursday. Medical services in Alabama prisons are provided by NaphCare, a Birming -m Carter flew 77 combat missions in 14 months. He and the other members of the famed flying unit escorted American bombers over targets in Italy and Germany losing one to enemy fire. The couple corresponded frequently and thought about the future once the war was over.

The decision was to remain in the military one they never regretted. It provided travel to fascinating places and lots of new friends. During a tour of duty in Germany, Carter, who retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel, helped teach German pilots a thing or two about aviation. That still brings a smile to his wife's face. "There he was," she said, "teaching Germans how to fly jets." Mildred Carter's memories of her own aviation career as brief as it was still produces smiles when she talks about soaring over Macon County in that little Piper Cub.

Love Page 2B stroyed the mobile home in rural Baldwin County and killed a man who later was found inside a bedroom when firefighters returned almost 19 hours later, The coroner has not conclusive ly identified the victim. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida troopers sued over snooting The family of a Talladega County man shot and killed by a Florida state trooper is suing the Florida Highway Patrol. A suit filed in Leon Cir cuit Court seeking more than $15,000 was filed by the family of Genie McMeans, 23, of Alpine, who was shot tatally in May during a traf fic stop on Interstate 10 in Tallahassee. The suit claims the High way Patrol was negligent in allowing rookie Trooper Kreshawn Walker-Vergenz to be on solo patrol.

Walker- Vereenz was cleared by a Leon County grand jury of any criminal charges in tne shooting, but she resigned. SETTING IT STRAIGHT Correction: A photograph caption in Thursday's paper incorrectly identified the Air Force general who escorted Assistant Secretary of State Lincoln Bloomtield to a news briefing. The offi cer was Mai. Bentley a Rayburn. Also, a quote in the story was not attributed correctly.

Rayburn made the comments. DATEBOOK Today The Alabama Board of Exam iners in Marriage and Family Therapy will meet at a a.m. today at 610 S. McDonough Montgomery. (334) 269-9990.

Saturday The city of Auburn will hold a public hearing on the Village Centers development plan from 8:30 a.m. until noon Saturday in Ballroom A at the Auburn University Hote and Dixon comer- ence Center. (334) 501-7260. Tuesday The Alabama State Board of Registration for Interior De sinn will meet at 9 a.m Tuesday in the first-floor conterence room ax iui Highland Birmingham Staff and wire reports Page designed by Hugh Owen Page edited by Chris Day and Sean Uourley Indeed, it has. The Carters are considered by many to be Tuskegee's "First Couple" because of their love for the town, its people and the historic university where they first met.

"I can't say enough about them," Tuskegee University President Benjamin Payton said. "You see them everywhere together. They do so much for this community and this school." Gene Carter was one of the early Tuskegee Airmen a group of young black college students who took part in an experiment that would pay rich dividends for a racially divided nation at the time. Mildred Carter loved aviation, too, and believes she may have been the first licensed black female pilot in Alabama. She soloed in February 1941, and once met Eleanor Roosevelt when the first lady visited Tuskegee.

"A friend said to me 'someone wants to meet she said. "When I asked who it was and learned it was Eleanor Roosevelt, I was stunned and very pleased." The report, released this week, had been withheld from public release during former Gov. Don Siegel-man's administration. It's based on prison visits Oct. 1 and Nov.

8 by Chicago-based Jacqueline Moore and Associates. The report says the death rate from AIDS at Limestone is more than twice the national average in prisons and that efforts to control infectious and communicable diseases at Limestone were not monitored adequately or report University of North Alabama professor Brent Olive shows currency from Iraq in his Florence office Wednesday. He was a weapons inspector in Iraq in 1997 and 1998. Consultant blasts health care at Limestone prison dorm at Limestone, where all the Alabama prison system's known AIDS inmates are located, is an old warehouse with high, leaky ceilings and double bunks so close together that they foster infection among AIDS-infected inmates. "Based on the information available, it appears that six deaths this year are attributable to AIDS, and three were caused by liver disease," the report stated.

The AIDS death rate of 0.23 deaths per thousand at Limestone is more than ham-based health management contractor. In a statement Wednesday, Lee Harrison, president of NaphCare, said that some comments in the Moore audit report "are unsubstantiated and misleading." Harrison said the quality of health care provided to inmates at Limestone "continues to be of the highest quality" and often is better than care available to residents of the state. The report by Moore and Associates said the AIDS The report says the AIDS death rate at Limestone is more than twice the national average The Associated Press New Prison Commissioner Donal Campbell has released a medical consultant's report that found "dangerous and extremely poor quality health care" at Limestone Correctional Facility at Capshaw..