The Morning Call from Allentown, Pennsylvania • 1

SECOND. Bucks, Berks And Montgomery Counties 7 7 NO. 37,186 FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1994 THIR Scott Williams signs 7- year Sixers pact PAGE C1 Qualcertown studies 10-month school year pageBI 0 1994 Morning Call, Inc. Ml right rcMrved i ann nn Forecast: 37 nmmmmmj if Mostly cloudy with a 90 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms today, some with torrential 'downpours; high, near 80. PAGE B2 DDirD 1 Baseball players ready for Aug.

12 strike Baseball players said yesterday they will strike Aug. 12 if there is no agreement on a new labor contract, vowing to fight a salary cap as long as it takes. PAGE C1 i The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials dropped 1 0.36 points yesterday, closing at 3,730.83. PAGE B14 GM lists $1.9 billion profit in 2nd quarter General Motors Corp. doubled second-quarter earnings to a record $1 .9 billion, saying the results reflected improved domestic profitability and strong automotive operations abroad.

PAGE B14 By JOSEPH FERRY And LESLIE KLEIN FUNK Of The Morning Call A tornado cut through Limerick Township before midnight yester-, day, killing a family of three, de- stroying 15 homes and damaging businesses, including the landmark Limerick Diner. The tornado shattered windows, moved cars including one car that was flipped upside down and tore down power lines after touching down at The Hamlet housing development in the shadow of PECO Energy's Limerick nuclear power plant. The power plant "designed to withstand tornadoes, hurricanes, plane crashes, things like that," according to PECO Energy Co. '-spokesman Michael Wood was not affected by the storm, Wood said. 1 Daniel J.

Thompson HI and his wife Laura, both 28, and their 10-month-old daughter Michela were killed. Police found Daniel Thompson's body face down on the lawn outside his 2 Victory Way home. The bodies of Laura Thomp-; son and the baby were found across the street. "We heard it coming," said Kim Emery, whose home next door to the Thompsons at The Hamlet lost its walls and roof. I felt a pressure in my chest, and I knew something was about to happen." Limerick Township police sergeant William Schlichter said authorities had not yet determined the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The Thompsons worked at the power plant. "They had a new baby, a new home," PECO spokes- man Michael Wood said. "It's Please See TWISTER Page A4 3 1 Business leaders back Clinton health goals Bethlehem Steel chief Curtis Barnette yesterday joined six other business leaders in urging President Clinton not to jettison key elements of health reform to win congressional approval. PAGE A3 jo T7F 3 lni'ir HARRY FISHERThe Morning Call Sooner the better for refugee exodus The U.S. military hopes an international effort can be organized to get Rwanda's refugees back home as soon as possible, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday.

PAGE A3 INSIDE Family of three killed just as life got under way A4 Twisters not uncommon in Pennsylvania A4 The story in photos A12 f-- 1 TORNADOES STRIKE v- r-t Township Bucks CN VS? -TV- J. Tv Montgomery 'KS' DelawaJ N.J. II LordonBritain -V r-'r- V' Vt. wnship 1 YV1 9 Umerick YV Tornadoes X0 Ace Ventura star unmasks fame at last Jim Carrey, after 1 5 years of acting, has finally seized his moment By taking a role that no one else wanted in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," he hauled himself from the ashes of his early career. PAGE D1 An aerial view of The Hamlet development in Limerick Montgomery County, top, shows the extent of the tornado damage.

At far left, Virginia Schwacker (left) and another woman help recover clothes for a neighbor after a house in London Britain Chester County, was destroyed. 1 I LARRY PRINTZThe Morning Call Associated Press You called it You told us how you feel about a story in the news. See Page A2 for the response to yesterday's question. Watch for next week's question in Thursday's Morning Call. 'We heard it coming.

We heard this horrible wind By APRIL PETERSON Of The Morning Call NationalWorld Section A The tornado touched down just before midnight. Rossi was asleep the first good night's sleep she'd had in weeks, she said. Earlier, she went to the grocery store and, for a reason she can't explain, stocked up on formula and diapers for her infant son." She was home alone with her three children Jeremy, 5 months, Katie, 8, and Matt, 6. Her husband was working in New "I remember no sound," she said, sitting at the Linfield Fire Company building yesterday afternoon. "All at once I shot up in bed.

I looked over at my 5-month-old's crib and the ceiling tiles were over the crib." Rossi pulled the tiles away as quickly as she could. Fortunately, the tiles had formed a tent over the crib and Jeremy was unhurt. Meanwhile, the door to Katie's room had locked shut. She told her daughter to open the door from the inside. Matt's room seemed to be untouched, Rossi said.

"All I kept thinking was 'just get the I Please See TORNADO Page A12 LocalBusiness Section Silence. That's what Janice Rossi remembers most about the moments after the tornado that killed three people and severely damaged The Hamlet housing development in Limerick Township late Wednesday. Sports Section A.M. Magazine Section Bridge Business Classified Comics Comment Deaths D3 B14 C7 D10 A11 B14.C7 Dining Letters Lottery Movies People Television D7 A10 A2 D4 A2 D2 After a year of work, sweeping crime bill ready Police funds assault weapon ban survive haggling CalllnfoTel 24-hour information hotline. Call 821-8300 Full category listing now TV Channel Choices NEWS vmim By CAROLYN SKORNECK Of The Associated Press WASHINGTON Almost a year after President Clinton called for a far-ranging anti-crime bill congressional negotiators agreed yesterday to hire 100,000 new police officers, ban assault-style firearms, vastly expand the death penalty and put third-time felons behind bars for life.

The $33.2 billion measure, ex- Clinton called the package "the toughest, largest, smartest federal attack on crime in the history of our country." The six-year measure would authorize $11.1 billion for state and local law enforcement, $2.8 billion for federal law enforcement and courts, $10.5 billion for prisons. $7.6 billion for crime prevention and $1.3 billion for drug courts. Please See CRIME Page A7 bill that will get deadly assault weapons off our streets," said Rep. Charles Schumer, and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's crime paneL But several Republicans attacked it. Sen.

Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called it "a big-spending boondoggle that isn't going to do what we want it to do." And Rep. Henry Hyde, R-I1L, the only Republican on the conference committee to support the assault-style weapons ban, said he could not support the entire bill because of its many crime prevention programs. "This is not a Christmas tree," Hyde said. "This is the whole Emerald City of Oz." pected to be brought to the floors of the House and Senate next week, would devote about 40 percent of its funds to law enforcement, one-third to prisons, and one-quarter to drug courts and efforts to prevent people from turning to crime. "It combines tough punishment with smart prevention and a gun For the latest summaries and updates of worldnational news, call AP Network News on Call InfoTel, categories 8694, 8698, adv sdv Pasta Bella Early Birds What Am I Entitled To? Traveling to New Orleans Full Service Mortgage Broker "Flashing" Emotional Disclosure JPI OPEN To Serve You At 20 OFF 3-5 P.M.

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