The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 13

fllontgomrrg ducrtisrr abama Dan E. Way Metro editor Phone (334) 261-1517 Fax (334) 261-1521 425 Molton St Montgomery AL 36104 Thursday Feb. 12, 2004 DOT minniDDini pioti mi told The legislation would appoint an independent panel to determine which highway projects get funded By Bob Johnson The Associated Press Ed Kovalchick told legislators Wednesday that the Shelby County town of Helena has a problem it has tripled in size in recent years, but the roads coming in and out of town have not been improved. "We're in big trouble. People choose not to do business in Helena because they can't get off and on the roads," said Kovalchick, a member of the Helena Economic Development Board.

the 2000 Census is the fastest growing county in the state. County officials often complain that the county's once rural roads have not been updated to handle the growing urban sprawl from nearby Birmingham. Mclnnes said he believes the concept of an independent transportation commission is "excellent," but that he first wants to end the almost 20-year-old discrimination lawsuit, which he said has cost the state millions of dollars in legal fees. transportation director, Joe Mclnnes, said Wednesday the governor still supports the idea, but wants to delay implementation until a long-running desegregation lawsuit against the highway department can be resolved. At Mclnnes' request, the committee voted 7-6 to indefinitely postpone the bill, but the sponsor, Rep.

Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said he would keep trying to get it passed. Ward represents Shelby County, which according to Kovalchick and others told members of the House State Government Committee that roads in Helena and other communities across the state have been overlooked for years by state transportation officials for political reasons. He was speaking in favor of a bill to create a three-member commission to op erate the highway department with the governor appointing the members. The committee voted Wednesday to indefinitely postpone consideration of the bill. The idea of creating an independent commission to make transportation decisions was proposed by Gov.

Bob Riley during his 2002 campaign. The governor's TUSKEGEE City set to upgrade fire service He said he doesn't want to make any changes that might delay the case. But Mark Tyner, Bibb County administrator, said something needs to change immediately in how the DOT builds roads. "Without strong political pull, our county has been held back," Tyner said. He said Bibb County officials have been waiting for 10 years for Alabama 5, a main thoroughfare which runs from the north to south ends of the county, to be widened.

AUBURN AU chief, faculty meet Ed Richardson says he will stand up to university's trustees The Associated Press Interim President Ed Richardson outlined his plans for Auburn University at his ir TP I Stateline BRIEFLY OPELIKA Teen is identified from U.S. 29 crash Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said a positive identification has been made of the Opelika teenager who died in a head-on collision three miles outside of the Opelika city limit on U.S. 29 on Tuesday. Joey Hester, 18, who was one of Five passengers in a late 1990 model Volvo, was pronounced dead on the scene by Harris. It appears the Volvo, which was traveling southbound, crossed over into the left-hand lane of the two-lane highway and hit the mid-1980s GMC passenger van.

The driver of the Volvo, Benjamin Reem, 20, of Opelika and James Breedlove, 16, of Valley were transferred from the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika on Tuesday to the Columbus, Medical Center where they were listed in guarded condition, Lee-Chambers Fire-Rescue Chief LeRoy Kelley said. MOBILE Man dies changing tire after jack slips A Trinity Gardens man was killed when the jack he was using to change a tire slipped and the car fell on him, authorities said. Shirley Hunter says a family member found her brother, 44-year-old LeRoy Hunter unconscious underneath the car on Sunday morning. She said her brother was pronounced dead on arrival at the University of South Alabama Medical Center. She said her brother worked in home construction and repair.

Funeral arrangements were pending Tuesday. BAYOU LE BATRE Woman charged in arson of beau's home A warrant has been issued for a woman charged with arson in connection with a fire that burned down the home of her 71-year-old boyfriend. Joanetta Johnson, 42, is charged with first degree arson, authorities said Tuesday. The charge stems from a fire that destroyed the home of Willie James Moye on Saturday, police said. Police had responded to a domestic disturbance call at the home 30 minutes earlier.

AUDITS The Alabama Examiners of Public Accounts will release audits of 14 public agencies Friday. Audits of statewide agencies and area agencies of interest to south and central Alabama, with the dates each audit covers, are: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa Oct. 1, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2002. Office of Sheriff, Bibb County Nov.

1, 2001, to March 31, 2003. Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium, Dauphin Island Oct. 1, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2002. Barbour County Hospital Association, Eufaula Oct.

1, 2001, to Sept. 30, 2002. Office of Sheriff, Lowndes County Jan. 1, 2002, to June 30, 2003. Office of Sheriff, Autauga County Aug.

1, 2002, to Sept. 30, 2003. Analysis of Appropriations, State ot Alabama, Montgomery Oct. 1, 2002, to Sept. 30, 2003.

All audits will be available online Friday at: www.examiners.state.al.us. DATEBOOK Today The State Board of Education will meet at 9:30 a.m. today first meeting with faculty members, assuring them he would not be afraid of taking Lloyd Gallman Advertiser Richardson By Kevin Taylor Montgomery Advertiser With two burned-out businesses relocated to temporary locations and one business still looking for one, Tuesday's major downtown fire may be the impetus to upgrade the Tuskegee Fire Department, city officials said. Seven other fire departments were called to help fight the downtown Tuskegee fire when only one Tuskegee firetruck was available. On the night of the fire, the City Council allocated $4,000 for the lease of another truck.

"It's unfortunate that a fire like the one (Tuesday) had to speed up the process, but it certainly is a great and appreciated step in the right direction," Fire Chief Derrick Swanson said. Tuskegee Mayor Lucenia Williams Dunn, the City Council and Swanson have been working to upgrade the city's fire department for quite some time. On Tuesday the City Council decided to lease a firetruck until its second truck can be fixed. The fire department now only has one working truck and a staff of 14 to cover a city of 11,846 people. Swanson said the city needs to add two more stations and triple the staff to provide proper coverage.

Tuesday's fire destroyed three Eastside Street buildings. Noted civil rights attorney Fred Gray has temporarily moved his offices to the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center on Elm Street. The Tuskegee News, which was housed in a building owned by Lodge 10 of the Silver Trowel, has moved its office temporarily to 202 E. North-side St. Community Action is looking for a new home.

Councilwoman Jean S. Vaughn said the lack of money has been a problem. "Tuskegee is in a financial situation where we need to upgrade our overall facilities in order to bring more industry to the city. And if we bring new industry to the city, the city eventually would make enough money to upgrade city services like the fire department. It's not an easy thing to resolve." Fire Page 5B Firefighters on Tuesday begin to look through one of the buildings involved in an early morning fire in Tuskegee.

The fire could lead to an upgrade of the city's Fire Department. OPELIKA Building lost, but not 'News' 1 "'N on tne school's trustees. Richardson, the former state schools superintendent who was named Auburn's interim chief last month after Gov. Bob Riley forced William Walker to resign, made the presentation Tuesday. He focused on how he would get Auburn off academic probation and said he wanted to find ways to improve university finances.

When Richardson was selected, some professors said that choosing a trustee to take over as president would worsen their long-running problems with the board. Richardson had been a trustee since 1995. Richardson pledged that he would listen to what professors have to say and make sure that board mi-cromanagement comes to an end. Richardson said he would require trustees to sign documents indicating their commitment to policies that clearly define their roles as setters of policy, not administrators. "There are going to be some abrasions and disagreements, but that's going to have to happen," By Kevin Taylor Montgomery Advertiser Although the building housing The Tuskegee News was reduced Tuesday to a pile of ash and brick, Tuskegee residents still got their weekly newspaper Wednesday.

The Tuskegee News, with a circulation of about 3,800 readers, rolled off the presses at the Opeli-ka-Auburn News at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday with the banner frontpage headline: "Fire destroys buildings housing Tuskegee News, Gray law firm and Community Action office." Guy Rhodes, editor and associate publisher of The News, said much of the materials needed to put the paper together were not lost in the fire because they were safe at The News' other building in Auburn. "The circulation list, computers, cameras and ad material are located at our office in Auburn," Rhodes said. "We pretty much had the paper put together." The Tuskegee News was established in 1865 and housed in an Eastside Street building owned by Action, was the worst disaster in the downtown area since 1850. That year, the wooden buildings along the square burned to the ground, according to Tuskegee Chamber of Commerce vice president Charles Thompson.

"The fire was bad enough, but it was especially heartbreaking watching the Gray Building burn," Rhodes said. "There is no dollar amount you can put on the historic papers that were lost in the fire." The Opelika-Auburn News has printed The Tuskegee News for more than 15 years, and it was one of many papers around the state that offered its help in getting the fire issue to press, Rhodes said. "We offered to do what we could to help," Opelika-Auburn News Managing Editor Mitch Sneed said. "We adjusted their deadline a little and as far as I know, they only had to rebuild their (front) section." Not only did The (Tuskegee) News cover historic events from that historic building, it also had some legendary writers. Some of its earliest columnists included George Washington Carver and Booker T.

Washington. Kevin Taylor Advertiser "The Tuskegee News" was able to produce a newspaper the day after a fire destroyed their building in Tuskegee. The newspaper worked from its building in Auburn. Lodge 10 of the Silver Trowel. The office downtown served mostly as a library, with copies of The News dating back to its premiere edition.

The fire, which also destroyed the offices of famed civil rights attorney Fred Gray and Community CLEAN WATER VIOLATION MOBILE Qty OKs alcohol-free zones in the Gordon Persons Richardson said of his future dealings with trustees. He also addressed concerns that an examination of Auburn's budget would mean a repeat of the divisive budget-cutting panel he co-chaired with Walker in 1998. "That was demoralizing and counterproductive," Richardson said. Since he began two and a half weeks ago, Richardson has said the fact that he's planning to retire soon is an advantage. Faculty members who engaged in the question-and-answer session with Richardson seemed cautiously optimistic about his abilities.

"We will be happy to hold him to all the promises he made," said Conner Bailey, a professor of rural sociology and prominent faculty opponent of the trustees. "None of us on the faculty want him to fail." The meeting provided a contrast with Walker's university Senate meeting in December. After a series of rancorous exchanges, the Senate voted "no confidence" in Walker's leader- $16 plus court costs, which could run a violator from $125 to $160, Councilman Thomas Sullivan said. Sullivan, a sponsor of the Mardi Gras ordinances, said the alcohol-free zones are necessary. "Some people stay away from Mardi Gras because they think too much drinking is going on," Sullivan said.

"What we've done is ensure that nondrinkers will have a safe and secure place to enjoy Mardi Gras." Another new ordinance will bar the use of laser lights, laser pointers and similar materials during parades, The council tabled two proposed ordinances: one banning open, glass containers in public and the other to add a section to the city code titled "Public Conduct During Parades." Violators of the ordinance, which takes effect Friday, will pay $16 plus court costs The Associated Press Two alcohol-free zones have been established for Mobile's Mardi Gras parade route. The ordinance approved unanimously Tuesday by the Mobile City Council will take effect in time for Friday's Order of Inca parade. Mobile police will hand out warning tickets only in the alcohol-free zones today during the Order of Polka Dots parade. Both areas will be cordoned off and have a police officers present, city officials said. not to throw entire boxes of Moon Pies or trinkets, throwing those items individually or in small numbers only.

Council members also approved an amendment offered by Councilman Fred Richardson to cordon off alcohol-free zones, either with rope or barricades. "I don't want anyone arrested in an alcohol-free zone because they were in it and didn't know it," Richardson said. Councilman Clinton Johnson questioned the rationale of having alcohol-free zones when the city has an ordinance that bans drinking. Typically during Mardi Gras events, those laws are not widely enforced. All of downtown is an alcohol-free zone," Johnson said.

"You're going to have to waive the law for Mardi Gras." Building auditorium in Montgomery. The Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission will meet at 10 a.m. today in the conference room at 100 N. Union Suite 779, Montgomery. The Fort (tucker National Bill Starling APMobile Register Employees of Hughes Plumbing and Utility Contractors pour gravel around a sewer pipe they repaired Feb.

3 in Whistler. State sues Prichard sewer board over spill Prayer Breakfast will be at b.M a.m. toaay at tne Aviators Landing. The guest speaker will be Brig. Gen.

Jerome Haberek. Staff and wire reports Millions of gallons of raw sewage spilled onto about 30 acres of swampy woods near Eight Mile Creek from September until Feb. 3 when sewer workers repaired a mainline pipe that had been broken by a tree root. The Associated Press PRICHARD Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor filed a lawsuit Wednesday that could strip the Prichard Water and Sewer Board of its powers following a massive sewage spill that apparently went undetected for at least five months. Page designed by Scott Johnson Page edited by Sean Gourley Fines for violators "will be Police have asked riders 1.