Longview News-Journal from Longview, Texas • 2

2k longview News-Journal, Thursday. June 17, 2010 newijourul.com Take Two NEWS BP guarantees $20B for Gulf Digest "make BP pay," and the company's chairman said after four hours of Intense White House negotiations that BP was ready. The un rl ending oil spill saga had yielded ei repeat of the painful aftermath of 19H9 Exxon Vuldez oil disaster in Alaska, when the light over money dragged out in courts over roughly two decades. "What this is about is accountability." said Obama in brief remarks in the State Dining Room after a four-hour, onagain, offagain White House negotiation session with BP executives. "For the small-business owners, for the fishermen, for the shrimpers, this is not just a matter of dollars and cents.

A lot of these folks don't have a cushion." On the driveway outside, IIP Chairman Carl Hemic Svan-berg apologized for "this tragic accident that should never have hapioned." of the public's attention, threatening anything else the president hoped to focus on or accomplish. Huge as the $20 billion seems, both Obama and Urn-don-based BP PLC said it was by no means a cap. The deal also adhered to what Obama had said was his non-negotiable demand: that the fund and the claims pi-ocess be administered independently from BP. It won't Ik? a government fund, either, but ill be led by the administration's "pay czar." Kenneth Feinberg. better known as the man who oversaw the $7 billion government fund for families of victims of the Sept.

11. 2001. terrorist attacks. The use of the BP escrow fund is intended to avoid a WASHINGTON (Al) President Barack Obama wrested a $20 billion compensation guaranttv and an apology to the nation from British oil giant BP Wednesday, announcing the company would set up a major claims fund for shrimpers, restaurateurs and others whose lives and livelihoods are being wrecked by the oil flooding into the Gulf of Mexico. Applause broke out during a community meeting in Orange Beach.

on the news. "We asked for that two weeks ago, and they laughed at us." Mayor Tony Kennon said. "Thank you, lYesident Obama. for taking a bunch of rednecks' suggestion and making it happen." Obama had said he would almost no good news before this. Creation of the fund to be mn by an with a Ktnntth Feinberg proven track record is the first big success Obama has been able to give to Gulf residents and the nation in the eight weeks since the explosion, a period during which the spill has taken ever more Woman brings 506 pounds of pot on jet COl.l'MHl'S.

Ohio Authorities hau anvMitl a California woman they (lew to Ohio on a private jot ith pounds of m.uijuana in 13 suitcases. Prut: F.nfoiwment Administration a.vnt Anthony Marotta says 2 oar -old IjM'tti1 and thnv others wetv retetl at the airport in Columbus on Monday nitht. has Nvn charged ith conspiracy and possesion of drugs with the intent to distribute. She's Ivmc held without bail. Professor charged in brother's death CANTON.

Mass. A biology professor charged ith killins three of her colleagues at an Alabama university has been indicted in the h86 shimtiiw death of her brother in Massachusetts. Norfolk District Attorney William Keating announced Wednesday that Amy Bishop had been charged ith fii-st-deptw murder in the death of her 18-year-old brother, Seth. Authorities had originally ruled her brother's shooting an accident. But they reopened the case after Bishop as charged in February ith gunning down six of her colleagues at the L'niversity of Alabama-Huntsville.

killmg three. Border agents find 48 illegals in truck LAREDO Border agents found 43 illegal immigrants in the back of a tractor trailer during a routine stop at a checkpoint in south Texas. The trailer as refrigerated, according to the driver's attorney, and all of those in the trailer declined medical treatment, immigration officials said. The driver. Wayne West of Balch Springs, was chiirged ith transporting illegal immigrants, according to court documents.

NY jail guard kills ex-girlfriend, uncle F.AST MEADOW. N.Y. An off-duty jail guaid shot and killed her former girlfriend outside a hospital, then ent to a relative's nearby home, here she killed her uncle, wounded her 88-year-old grandfather and took a niece hostage, police said Wednesday. Kim Wolfe, 43, is suspected of fatally shooting Stacie Williams, a 45-year-old maternity ward nurse's aide at the Nassau University Medical Center, sometime after 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Wolfe then drove to a home in Hempstead, where police say she fatally shot her 56-year-old uncle, Michael Williams. Afterward, Wolfe ordered her 23-year-old niece at gunpoint to come ith her. She was arrested at about 5:45 a.m. Her niece was released unharmed. Wolfe was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in connection ith the shooting rampage.

FROM AIRE REPORTS Sea animals flee oil spill, gather near shore entists are able to locate only a small fraction of the dead animals. ill never be found after sinking to the bottom of the sea or getting scavenged by other marine life. And laj-ge numbers of birds are meeting their deaths deep in the Louisiana marshes where they seek refuge from the oil. "That is their understanding of how to protect themselves," said Doug Zimmer, spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"I think part of the reason hy we're not seeing more yet is that the impacts of this crisis are really just beginning." Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar said. to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted, and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish mn out of oxygen. Also, the animals could get devoured by predators. "A parallel would be: Why are the wildlife running to the edge of a forest on fire? There will be a lot of fish, sharks, turtles trying to get out of this water they detect is not suitable," said Larry Crowder, a Duke University marine biologist The nearly two-month-old oil spill has created an environmental catastrophe unparalleled in U.S. history as tens of millions of gallons of oil have spew ed into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

Scientists are see GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast. Mullets, crabs, rays and small fish congregate by the thousands off an Alabama pier. Birds covered in oil are crawling deep into marshes, never to be seen again. Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster are seeing some strange phenomena.

Fish and other wildlife seem to be fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and clustering in cleaner waters along the coast in a trend that some researchers see as a potentially troubling sign. The animals' presence close ing some unusual things as they try to understand the effects on thousands of species of marine life. Day by day, scientists in boats tally up dead birds, sea turtles and other animals, but the toll is surprisingly small given the size of the disaster. The latest figures show that 783 birds, 353 turtles and 41 mammals have died numbers that pale in comparison to what happened after the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska in 1989, when 250.000 birds and 2.800 otters are believed to have died. Researchers say there ait; several reasons for the relatively small death toll: The vast nature of the spill means sci School bus seat belts being reviewed People STARS NEIGHBORS ANSWER LINE demned" if you're using that word to mean a government agency has ordered it to be torn down, for instance.

What did happen is, in preparation for the recently failed bond election, some experts looked at the stadium and found safety concerns. District spokeswoman Vickie Echols said, as a result, the school has published a calen- (It was so new that information about hat the report says wasn't immediately available from the budget board.) Budget board staff members will review the report and then 'recommend how to proceed. The issue becomes even more uncertain, though, when you add the economy and the recent requirement for state agencies to cut JO LEE FERGUSON PAST ANSWER LINES AT visitors' side, with spectators sitting in the visitors' stands, chairs on the field and portable stands. Cameras and large screens also were used to address visibility concerns. I've noticed "Fox News East Texas" anchorwoman Crystal Ko-bza on a few different TV websites outside of East Texas, advertising a "Fox News" newscast for that station.

How many different newscasts does she do? I think it's safe to say that Crystal Kobza is a very busy woman. Neal Barton (yes, he's the news director for KETK NBC 56, but more on that in a minute) explained she is the anchorwoman for five stations. She does two 30-minute newscasts a day for the local KFXK Fox newscast at 9 p.m. and for a Baton Rouge station. She also appears in three 9-min-ute newscasts for stations in Waco, Shreveport and Lafayette.

All the stations fall under the umbrella of with Barton leading this shared service for the stations. The other stations send their stories and video to East Texas, where they're inserted into a newscast with Kobza and sent back, Barton explained. E-mail questions to answerlinenews-journal. com, leave a message at (903) 232-7208 or write to P.O. Box 1792, Longview.

TX 75606. QUESTION: What is the status of the new law that said school buses are supposed to nave seat belts by Sept. ANSWER: The law does not address school buses already in use by districts but requires that school buses purchased on or after Sept. 1 (and buses chartered for student use after Sept. 1, 2011) to be equipped with three-point seat belts for each passenger, according to information from the Texas Education Agency.

As concrete as that time frame might sound, it's actually a little up in the air. based on information from the agency and staff at the state's Legislative Budget Board. The seat belt requirements were "contingent" upon the Legislature appropriating money for them, the information from the Texas Education Agency says. The 2009 legislative session did see lawmakers budget $40,000 for the Texas Transportation Institute to study the issue of seat belts on school buses. Also, S10 million was appropriated to the Texas Education Agency to provide grants to districts for school bus seat belts in the 2010-11 fiscal year.

The Legislative Budget Board staff recently received the report from the transportation institute. their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year. As part of its cost cutting measures, the Texas Education Agency has proposed to the Legislative Budget Board to reduce seat belt funding from $10 million to about $3.6 million, according to budget board and education agency staff. To sum it all up, there are still some moving parts that must be settled before the future of the seat belt program is determined. If the Pine Tree stadium has been condemned for the fall, why did the district hold graduation there? First, I think I should clarify the stadium hasn't been "con- dar with "projected" dates and locations for the fall football games.

That schedule shows home games being played at other local stadiums because of those safety concerns. However, Echols said the stadium issue is under study, and that could change. An engineering firm has been hired to study the district's options, and a progress report on that study is expected to be presented to the board at an 8 a.m. meeting Friday. The meeting will be held in the board room at 1701 Pine Tree Road.

Graduation was held at the stadium, but the home side seating was not used because of the safety concerns, Echols said. The graduation ceremony was turned to face the Megan Fox engaged to Brian Austin Green LOS ANGELES Megan Fox is off the market. Again. A spokeswoman for the 24-year-old actress says Fox is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, actor Brian Austin Green. Fox previously was engaged to Green, 36, whom she has been dating for several years.

The two appeared together in an online video protesting California school budget cuts earlier this year. 'American Pie' actor Klein arrested on DUI LOS ANGELES Actor Chris Klein was arrested early Wednesday on suspicion of drunken driving after he was spotted weaving across lanes on a Southern California highway, authorities said. The 31-year-old "American Pie" star was pulled over while driving through Sherman Oaks on the Hollywood Freeway, the California Highway Patrol said in a statement Klein was fined $1,800 and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service in 2005 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor drunken driving charge in north San Diego County. Today's local birthdays: Cheryna Noel, June Bolton, Sanny Buycks, Nancy Daily, Morris Minchew, Dennis Rester, Marshall Richards, Altasha Wallace. Today's local anniversaries: Horace andVondellTuttle.

Today's celebrity birthdays: Singer Barry Manilow is 64. Comedian Joe Piscopo is 59. Actor Thomas Haden Church is 49. Actor Greg Kinnear is 47. Actor Jason Patric is 44.

Actor-comedian Will Forte is 40. FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Datebook WHAT'S HAPPENING Longview Kiwanis, noon Friday, Johnny Cace's Seafood Steak House, 1501 E. Marshall Ave, Longview. American Legion Post 140, charity bingo, noon Friday, 305 American Legion Blvd, Longview. Information: B.

Shivers, (903) 759-0546. VFW Post 1183, dinner, 6 to 9 pm Friday, 6001 W. Marshall Ave, Longview. Information: (903)297-3652. Eagles Lodge, dinner, 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday, 1206 Alpine Longview. Information: (903) 753-7461. VFW Post 4002, charity bingo, early bird, 6:55 pm. Friday, 401 Ambassador Row, Longview. Dinner 5:30 to 8:30 pm Information: (903) 753-2413.

East Texas Datebook appears in the Longview News-Journal Tuesday through Sunday. The Weekly Planner appears Mondays. Email releases to with the subject line as Datebook. Submissions must reach the newspaper before noon at least three working days before the desired publication date. Longview.

Celebrate Recovery-Gladewater, dinner, 6 p.m,- group meeting, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Living Hope Fellowship Church, 208 N. Main Gladewater. Information: Dean: (903) 261-2023 Celebrate Recovery-Longview, dinner, 6 p.m; praiseworship, 7 p.m,' group meetings 8 p.m; Solid Rock Cafe, 9 p.m. Thursday, First Church of the Nazarene, 2601 H.G.

Mosley St, Longview. Information: (903) 236-0342. Republican Club, meeting, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Johnny Cace's Seafood Steak House, 1501 E. Marshall Ave, Longview.

Speaker. Peggy Veneable, Americans for Prosperity President. Information: (903) 445-7706. NAACP, meeting, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Ml Olive Baptist Church, 306 S.

Martin King Longview. Longview Duplicate Bridge Club, ACBL sanctioned, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, 900 Pine Tree Road, Longview. Information: M. Graham, (903)968-2718.

Native Plant Society of Ttxas, meeting, 7 p.m. Thursday, St Mary's Catholic Church, CLICK IT UP: Get information on other events and tell us about what's happening with your club, church and other organizations at TODAY Country Patches Quilt Guild, meeting, 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., St. Mary's Parrish Hall, 2108 Ridgewood, Longview. Christ Chris-tensen will present "Married Forty Years to a Quitter." Visitors are welcome.

Information (903) 757-2645 or www.countrypatches.org. Longview Ambucs, meeting, noon Thursday, Johnny Cace's Seafood Steak House, 1501 Marshall Longview. Green Street Recreation Center, bridge, 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Green Street Recreation Center, 814 S. Green St, Longview.

Information: (903) 236-7880. Knights of Pythias Lodge 26. meeting, 6 p.m. Thursday, KP Hall, 206 N. Center St, 2108 Ridgewood Road, Longview.

Information: www.npsot.orgNortheast Texas. FRIDAY Senior Circle Center, exercise class, 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.; line dance, 10:30 to am: game day, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, 3000 N. Fourth Longview. Membership required.

Information: (903) 232-3878. Grief Support Group, meeting, 10 to Tl am Friday, First Christian Church library, Seventh Street entrance, Longview. Moderator the Rev. Jim Lewis. Sponsored by Legacy Hospice.

Information: (903) 753-76T1. Wirrterfield Quitters, 10 am. to 2 p.m. Friday, Wtnterf ield United Methodist Church, 2616 Tryon Road, Longview. Information: (903) 753-4825.

Corrections It is the policy of the Longview News-Journal to promptly correct errors. Direct requests for corrections or clarifications to Business Editor Mike Elswick at (903) 237-7737. Sports corrections are in Scoreboard. IN THE NEWSROOM Publisher (903)237-7700 General Calls (903) 237-7744 Letters. IN ADVERTISING Retail ads (903)237-7736 Classified ads (903)758-3000 or (800) 395-8212 Retail billing (903)237-7705 Accounts payable (903) 237-7711 Classified billing (903) 237-7709 Advertising Fax (903) 236-3874 Business Fax (903) 232-7202 IN CIRCULATION To subscribe or for delivery questions call (903) 237-7777 or (800) 825-9799.

Home delivery deadline is 6 am Monday through Friday, 7 am. weekends and holidays. Call between 6-X) am Monday through Friday, 7-tl a.m. weekends and holidays for customer service if your newspaper does not arrive. HOW TO REACH US Street address 320 Methvin St Longview, TX 75601 Mailing Address P.O.

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