The Daily News Leader from Staunton, Virginia • 1

Monday February 24, 2003 The Daily News Leader 113th year, No. 47 Tffgy Serving Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County www.newsleader.com i SSHESE A I TQ TOTD struffldes 1 A i to evolve TT v. Malik Simms plays with a visual stimulus in the Snoezelen Room, an area equipped to stimulate or calm students' sensory systems, at the Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled in Hampton. Regulations, expectations change for special-education schools The Associated Press Norah Jones holds five of her Grammys Sunday in New York. Jones comes away with 8 awards The Associated Press NEW YORK The music of pop-jazz chanteuse Norah Jones garnered eight Grammy awards Sunday night, including album and record of the year, capping a year where the sultry singer catapulted from obscurity to international acclaim.

She also won for best female pop vocal, best new artist, best album of the year, and for record of the year for "Don't Know Why," written by Jesse Harris, who won song of the year. Her album, "Come Away With Me," earned best engineered album and producer of the year honors for ArifMardin. Iraq studies U.N. order Still no decision on whether they will destroy missile program The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq Iraq has withheld a decision on a U.N. order to start destroying its Al Samoud 2 missile program by the end of the week, but said Sunday it is "serious about solving this." Iraq's chief liaison to U.N.

weapons inspectors insisted Baghdad is "clean" of weapons of mass destruction and that there should be no new U.N. res-Please see IRAQ, back page this section to Vincent LerzThe News Leader VSD3: Scticcl in Trsnsitisn For the first time in 30 years, plans to merge Virginia's two state-operated schools for deaf, blind and multi-disabled children in Hampton and Staunton will go beyond a routine look at the two programs and create a vision of the consolidated campus. This News Leader two-day special report examines the impact on families and employees at both schools, who wait and watch politicians decide their futures. Sunday Uncertainty has defined VSDB since the 1970s. The future of the VSDB-Hampton campus.

Today Specialized education evolves to meet changing needs. Employees at VSDB wait for a decision, A5 imi ii.in. The Associated Press Virginia's Todd Billet (22) drives to the basket past Wake Forest's Eric Williams in the second half at Lawrence Joel Coliseum In Winston-Salem N.C. on Sunday. Stumbling Cavaliers lose fourth straight Details on Page B1 Va.

floods cause deaths of two Details on Page A3 Happening Tsday AARP 3842 STAUNTON AARP 3842 will meet at 9 this morning at Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant. Blood drive STAUNTON A Red Cross blood drive will take palce from 11 this morning until 5 this afternoon at Mary Baldwin College, Student Activities Center. 886-3075. CPR class WAYNESBORO An adult CPR class will take place from 6-10 tonight at the American Red Cross.

943-4511. Wcatftsp A mixture of sunshine and clouds today with mild temperatures. Tonight will be partly cloudy and chilly. Mostly cloudy and cooler Tuesday. Details, Page A8 Abby A6 Classifieds B5-8 Comics B4 Crossword B4 Death Notices A2 Editorial Horoscope B4 Local A3 Sports Television grid A6 Our commitment: We correct all errors of fact as soon as we learn of them.

Corrections and our policy run daily on Page A2. Copyright 2003 The Daily News Leader. Republication without permission prohibited. We print using OEM. recycled paper fiber LJ and earth friendly soy i i 21' 1 ized schools, according to Kelby Brick, associate director of the National Association for the Deaf IDEA was enacted in 1975 to guarantee a full range of services for special-education students in public schools.

Prior to the IDEA, about 75 percent of deaf and hard of hearing children were educated in schools or programs for the deaf; today only about 25 percent are in specialized programs, Brick said. While the act gave children with disabilities more educational options, it sent enrollment at state-operated specialty schools into a sharp decline and many are still reeling. Virginia is not the only state to hear heated debates about closing or consolidating schools, but it is the only state in the country with two schools that serve both deaf and blind students. In spite of opposition from the National Association for the Deaf and rallies by employees and sup-porters, Nebraska closed its school for the deaf in 1998 in favor of supporting four regional school-based programs. The state still operates a school for the blind.

In Kentucky, state officials cracked down on both the school for the deaf and the school for the blind in 2002, citing several deficiencies and calling for consolidated services. Please see SCHOOLS, Page A5 fc. By Dawn Medleystaff dmedleynewsleader.com In the Snoezelen room at the Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled in Hampton, Malik Simms is mesmerized by tiny sparkling bubbles floating to the top of a clear plastic cylinder, Auroin Clarborne squeals with delight at being immersed in a tub of bright foam balls and Shake-ria Atkinson settles into an oversized bean bag chair to feel the vibration of soothing music. Shapes dance on the walls, pleasurable smells spill out from the closets and fiber-optic lighted cords dangle overhead. The elementary school students don't know it, but their senses are being awakened and attuned in a state-of-the-art environment designed to engage children with multiple and sensory disabilities like themselves.

Developed to help therapists build a relationship of trust, exploration and relaxation with dents otherwise isolated from everyday experiences, there are only a scattering of rooms like it in the country. Snoezelen rooms are one of many innovative programs that the schools in Hampton and Staunton are in danger of losing if funding continues to decrease as the schools lose students. The stately brick structures with cornerstones that date construction to the early- to mid-1800s at many state schools for the deaf Vincent LerzThe News Leader Deaf student Shakeria Atkinson plays in the Snoezelen Room at the Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled in Hampton. and the blind are not-so-subtle hints of the system's traditional values and community roots, but despite appearances, the country's network of special education schools is constantly adapting. The proposed merger of the Virginia schools for deaf, blind and multi-disabled children signals the next era for one of the nation's oldest special education school systems.

Decisions made in the next few years will determine whether the schools become obsolete or models for state-of-the-art special education. But it was the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that has most affected the fate of special 1.1 Shipman Jones said War I. all," Fishburne Military School students follow Iraq developments Iraq looms, business at the 124-year-old military school continues as usual. "I haven't noticed any In an interview Thursday afternoon, Tyler Cline and Andy Shipman and their history and geography teacher Iinda Jones discussed the conflict with Iraq and its impact on classes there. Jones said that with an increased focus on Iraq in Please see FISHBURNE, back page this section expect," he said.

Edward Young, who retired from Fishburne in 1997 after 49 years as a teacher and administrator, said that in times of conflict there is a stronger emphasis on military training. Generally, however, things do not change. "We were mainly interested in getting them ready for college," he said. By Christopher Truscottstaff ctruscottnewsleader.com WAYNESBORO On a wall in the administration building at Fishburne Military School, plaques commemorate former cadets who died in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. The administration building was dedicated to former students who died burne graduate who returned to the school 14 years ago after a career in the military.

Hollowell said that though students follow developments, they do so somberly, as they did during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. "There just isn't the whooping and hollering war spirit that you might possible war with Edgar Hollowell, a Fish change at Chaplain M. rt Cline FOR in World As a 'A u.u-y INSURANCE Be For Call ProSure!.