Sioux City Journal from Sioux City, Iowa • 5

i ne aioux Uity Journal, Sunday, September 25, 1983 A Transit system My turn will get grant If V- fi WASHINGTON The Sioux City Transit System will get an $64,820 entitlement grant, plus $3,740 In discretionary funding- the U.S. De--partment of Transportation has announced. The Department of Transportation has also allocated mass transit funds to two other metropolitan transit systems in Iowa, in addition to the state DOT, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said. According to Grassley, th Metro Transit Authority In Waterloo will 3 Heelan win NMS A Heelan High School student has been named a national semifinalist and two others have been cited as commended students In the 1984 National Merit Scholarship (ONMS) Program.

Jennifer Smith, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jerome R. Smith of South Sioux City, placed in the top one percent the state's high school class and has been named a semifinalist. After additional testing and information, finalists will be nStmed In She will now compete for a finalist award.

ear-apart cases are eerily alike Running for charity Participants in Saturday's First National Bank Pacesetter Run jog for charity. More than 100 $675 in which will be donated to (Staff photo by Gary Anderson) Lawmakers.suing Branstad receive a $10,671 entitlement grant and $853 for operating assistance.The Muscatine Transit System will get a $200,800 discretionary grant. The Iowa DOT will get $377,000 to buy equipment for handicapped riders. The state will use the money to buy 10 16-passenger vans, six 17-passenger buses, a 25-pasenger bus and seven wheelchair lifts. A spokeswoman in Grassley's office said the money would be available immediately.

students honors Receiving Commended Students recognition were Michelle. Norris, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Norris of Sergeant Bluff, and Jackie Rossiter, daughter of Dr. and Mrs.

James Rossiter, 1522 Lief Drive. They both placed in th6 top 5 percent of the over one million participants in the 29th annual Merit Program. Although Commended Students will not receive further consideration fdr Merit Scholarships, each has demonstrated unusual academic progress and will be honored with a Letter of Commendation. said was thrown behind a trash bin at a gas station In Omaha by a man in his late teens or early 20s. Station employees, including 18-year-old John Duracinski and 22-year-old Steve Wright, found the knife and telephoned They said there didn't appear to be any bloodstains on it.

TJie two described the man who had thrown the knife as about 5-feet-8 with blond hair and wearing blue jeans, a black leather jacket and gloves. In addition, witnesses have said they saw Eberle with a man on the morning he disappeared. Police artists were putting together composite drawings of the man, Sarpy County Sheriff Pat Thomas said. HAWKINS said that the FBI is staying with the case because there is a suspicion that Eberle may have been taken into Iowa, just across the Missouri River from; Bellevue, before he was killed. Authorities have more details in the Gosch case.

He was last seen shortly before 6 a.m. at an intersection about two blocks from his home, rolling a wagon loaded with papers up the street. Moments earlier, he had been seen talking to a man sitting in a blue car. John Rossi, a Des Moines lawyer who had gone to help his children with their route, said the man had made a U-turn on the street and was asking directions. The man appeared "high" and was "miffed," Rossi said.

'According to one of three other newspaper carriers at the Intersection, Gosch emerged from the conversation saying the man was "weird." The man was described as being in his mid-30s, weighing about 200 pounds, with dark hair, deep-set eyes and (, dark complexion. The car was believed to be a full-size, late-model, two-door blue vehicle with Warren County, Iowa, license plates. The man drove from the corner and down a main street "like a bat. out of hell," Rossi said. Later, Gosch's wagon, loaded with the undelivered newspapers was found sitting on the corner.

Gosch and his yellow carrier bag were bag has not been found. Authorities have conducted extensive searches but no piece of evidence has been turned up. Officials said it was difficult td determine whether the case was a' runaway or an abduction. Lyle McKinney, a West Des Moines police sergeant assigned to the case, said he believes Gosch is alive. "It's a gut feeling and only that," he said.

"I'm really an optimist." Although a year has passed, the investigation, joined by the Iowa Department of Criminal Information and the FBI, remains alive, McKinney said, adding: "If you're asking if there is any less interest than there was a year ago, the answer is McKinney said callers still offer leads almost daily. When the case; gets attention on. television or in newspapers, there are several calls. In mid-August, a mysterious 16-year-old in Fort Lauderdale, claiming to be Raven Darkholme, a name he borrowed from a comic book character, talked with Noreen Gosch by phone. He Indicated he knew her son.

A police spokesman there, however, said Darkholme knew nothing about Gosch. There have been several reported sightings of Gosch and several people have offered what they say is information in the case, but none have panned out. The Gosches and their friends, meanwhile, haVe set up a fund-raising group, Help Find Johnny Gosch Inc. The group has held bake sales, sold candy' bars and held a huge garage sale. So far, nearly $60,000 has been raised.

MikeGors There are few things I dislike more than grocery shopping. To some, meandering through the'-' aisles, searching out the bargains and squeezing the oranges are 1 enjoyable ways to spend an after-' noon. To me, they add up to one' thing a pain in the neck. I wait until the last possible moment to complete the dreaded. chore.

When the contents of my refrigerator dwindle to a couple pf eggs, half a bottle of salad dressing-; and some unrecognizable substance in a Tupperware container, I know -4 it's time to make the trip. It seems, to my chagrin, that I always choose the worst of times to do my shopping the same times as "A everyone else. I'm forever leaving my car two blocks from the store "-because of the crowded state of the parking lot. Once inside. 1 Dick out a cart which works right.

Have you ever selected a cart, thinking they're all the same, then finding Out it squeaks, rattles and has funny wheels? The kind of wheels which force you 1 to push the cart down the aisle at an angle. You know, when you want to go one way, the cart wants to go another. I also get a real charge out of 2 pressing down on the handle of the Jl cart and finding a juicy wad of rz bubble gum left as a gift by a former customer. At times, I feel as if I'm doing my shopping in a daycare center or a schoolyard playground. I realize mothers, to a certain extent, are' -1 forced into taking the young ones along when doing their shopping.

But, c'mon, some restraint, please. I should qualify that. The majority of the kids are well mannered, obey their folks and toe the line. There are those, however, who keep themselves busy while mom is sorting through her coupons racing up and down the aisles and throwing jars from the confines of '-the cart. And there's always one youngster, creaming and crying crocodile'' tears, who somehow has managed to -become separated from mom and dad and is fearful of being left behind.

It also becomes a challenge at, times to simply make It from one end of an aisle to the other. Really, the aisles of grocery stores should be treated no differently than city streets. Hand signals, traffic 1 lights, speed limit signs, the works. There's always someone barreling down the aisle the wrong way. And how about picking up an eight-pack of cola and having the bottom fall out of it.

Real treat, huh? Perhaps some of my disdain for-' the shopping experience comes from my three years as jn part-time checker and stocker in a grocery store. Anyone who is or has been a checker, sacker or stocker in a large grocery store knows the feeling of being blamed for everything from the funny wheels on the carts to the price of the lettuce. Ever had one of these conversa- tions, fellow past and present checkers? "Don't you think the price of your- coffee is outrageous?" the customer" asks you as she (or he) pulls up to the cash register. "It is a bit high, I guess," you reply. "Then why don't you do something about it?" the customer demands to know.

Now what is the answer to that question? "Sure, I'll get right on it." How about this one? "Could you carry these out me?" the customer asks. "My carls', right outside." "Sure," you say. 'J Then, once outside, the customer -1 quizzically wonders "Now, where did '-I park my car?" Or, has this ever happened? You're loading up groceries in a car one afternoon as the customer, -hand poised on the top of the trunk door, stands gabbing with a friend" several yards away. As you are placing the last sack inside the trunk, the door is closed on your head 'while the customer continues conversing. "Thank you, sir," you say, rubbing-; your scalp.

"Have a nice day." As a checker, you try to maintain a smile and a friendly word. After i all, the customers are parting with hard-earned money. Then this happens: "Hello, how are you today?" you ask, courteously. "Terrible," the customer replies. "I'm tired, my kids are out of control and your prices are too damn high." What do you say to that? After all, "How are you?" Is a standard.

greeting, not an invitation to be dumped on by someone who's having a lousy day. Despite the fact I abhor grocery Shopping, 1 never take out my frustrations on the checkers, sackers and stockers. They're just trying to earn a little weekend money. I've been there. As I said earlier, perhaps those haunting memories of my stocking and cheeking days are affecting my attitude toward buying groceries.

Well, I've got to go. Time to do my shopping. Mike Gors covers education and medicine for The Journal. DES MOINES, Iowa Three northwest Iowa lawmakers are among nine filing suit against Gov. Terry Branstad alleging he improperly used his" veto power when vetoing legislation that would allow family planning groups to break their contract for federal funds with the state Department of Health.

Senators Milo Colton (D-Sioux City), Leo Miller (D-Sioux City) and Knox County accidents kill Niobrara man, Verdel woman OMAHA, Neb. (AP) The cases, a year apart, are eerily alike. Johnny Gosch, 12, of West Des Moines, Iowa, set out to deliver his Des Moines Sunday Registers early on the morning of Sept. 5, 1982. Local authorities, after determining that he was not a runaway, called in the FBI to help investigate a possible abduction.

Searches were mounted. Nationwide bulletins describing Gosch were distributed. Gosch has not been seen since. On Sept. 18 of this year, Omaha World-Herald carrier Danny Joe Eberle, 13, was reported missing after delivering only three of the Sunday papers on his route in Bellevue, a suburb just south of Omaha.

His bike and undelivered papers were found abandoned. Partly because of the Gosch case, officials suspected an abduction, called in the FBI, mounted a search. Unlike the Gosch case, the waiting Is over for Danny Eberle's family and friends. His body was found near here last Wednesday. Ah autopsy showed that he died of multiple stab wounds.

His killer has not been found, although an 18-year-old Bellevue youth, Michael Rice, was arrested late Friday on charges "uncovered during the investigation" of Eberle's death, Deputy Sarpy County Attorney Steve Sturek said. He-added that Rice had not been ruled out as a suspect in the Eberle case. The Eberle and Gosch cases might be connected, according to Herb Hawkins, special agent in charge of the FBI for Nebraska and Iowa. "We're anxious to solve one or the other of them," he said. "That might give us a break here or in numerous other cases around the country.

You know, you've got a lot of deviates running around out there." The FBI was called in quickly on 1 the Eberle case because most officials involved noted the simi-N larity to the Gosch case. "It was the first thing we thought of here," said Hawkins. In West Des Moines, the FBI was not called in until the day after Gosch was reported missing. It was called in almost immediately on the Eberle case. WHILE Gosch's parents, John and Noreen Gosch, have criticized West Des Moines police and state authorities for-not reacting quickly enough, Hawkins defended police actions.

"You've got thousands of kids disappearing across the country every day," Hawkins said, "and a lot of them are There's a very fine line in a case like this. The police have to talk to the family, find out if the kid had any problems that might make him run away. You never know, he or she might have had a problem in school and didn't say anything to anybody about it." He added: "We and I'll speak for the FBI were treating it like an abduction from the start." The Gosches have hired an Omaha private detective, Dennis Whelan, to pursue the case. In addition to the memory of the Gosch case, Hawkins said, the Eberle youth's good record on the Job as a carrier and at school led officials to believe he was not a runaway. There are no suspects in the Eberle case, but authorities say they are following "numerous" leads.

He was last seen at 5:30 a.m. as he set out on his route, according to police reports. He was reported missing at 8:30 a.m. after one of his customers called to complain that he had not received his paper. Eberle's bicycle and newspapers were found abandoned in front of a residence along his route.

Last Thursday, the day after Eberle's body was found in a weed-covered field just south of Bellevue, authorities recovered a knife that a ripilvery truck driver Josephine Gruhn (D-Spirit Lake) are among the group suing the governor. The legislation allowed Planned Parenthood of Sioux City, Planned Parenthood of Southeast Iowa and Hillcrest Family Services of Dubuque to be released from their contract so they could join a competing "umbrulla agency," the Family Planning Council of Iowa. A spokesman for Planned Parent- Margaret Knouse was found dead inside her Verdel trailer house by her son, Joe Knouse, also of Verdel. Janecek said officials suspect a faulty propane furnace inside the trailer house caused the asphyxiation death. The son said he thought he smelled propane, but Deputy State Fire Marshal James Holsclaw of O'Neill said tests Jailed to find any trace of a gas leak.

Faulty furnaces have been known to emit carbon monoxide, but Holsclaw said that possibility can't Je confirmed until results of an autopsy are available. Iowa at even earlier dates. As recent as 1974, Fayette and Elkader both dipped to 22 degrees on Sept.22. Digging deeper into the record books, the weather service reported that Rock Rapids had a low of 19 degrees on Sept.22, 1913, Denison recorded 21 degrees on Sept.21, 1918, and the mercury registered 22 degrees iu Washta on Sept.20, 1918. valuation for both a T-A-G and a dropout program.

A dropout program would be followed to retain students In the classroom and return those who have already dropped out. Officials said It would be able to pay for itself with the help of state aid. The district also will be involved In development of a computer science course for grades kindergarten to 12. Starcevich said a committee will be named to pursue such a program. The board also hopes to have the leaky Wilson Middle School roof repaired.

Initial estimates for the work run to $57,593. contributed some charity. A Niobrara man died Thursday when a tree fell on him and two hours later a Verdel woman apparently was asphyxiated in her sleep, Knox County authorities have reported. Deputy Sheriff Jim Janecek said 72-year-old Jerome Robinette and John Hofferer, both of Niobrar.a, were using chainsaws to cut firewood on the Missouri River bottom five miles west of Verdel. Robinette walked in front of a falling elm tree, which hit him in the head and killed him instantly about 10 a.m., Janecek said.

Two hours later, 63-year-old hood of Sioux City, declined to comment on the suit. Last year, the Health Department signed a. three-year contract to administer federal funds coming into Iowa for family planning, except for the seven agencies which formed the Family Planning Council. Two previous lawsuits filed by legislators challenging the constitutionality of the governor's item veto have been unsuccessful. Motorcycle tips, injures rider A 33-year-old motorcyclist injured early Saturday was listed in good condition Saturday night at St.

Luke's Regional Medical Center. According to police, James L. Wade, 611 E. 7th, was injured at about 12:30 a.m. when he accelerated away from a stop at Villa and George streets.

Police said the motorcycle tipped onto its side after he lost control. former Iowan facing charges FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Former Des Moines, Iowa, radio personality Dick Vance was arrested here Friday on charges he used a discount travel service to defraud more than 300 people of about $2.9 million, officials said. Vance, who was held on $250,000 bond, was scheduled to appear before a magistrate Saturday, said Peter Gilbert, a spokesman at the Broward County Jail. Formal charges of fraud were expected to be filed Monday by the Broward County State Attorney's Office.

Train hits tractor, Ashton man dies ASHTON, Iowa-r- A 68-year-old Ashton man, Vincent John Marnach, died in a tractor-train accident Friday afternoon south of Ashton. According to the Osceola County sheriff's office, Marnach was driving the tractor west on County Blacktop A-46 at about 2 p.m. The tractor was crossing the tracks when it was struck by a northbound Chicago Northwestern train. Marnach was pronounced dead at the scene. Some records set, but it's been colder, earlier By Associated Phess 1 The National Weather Service reported that the low temperature in the state Friday morning was shared by Oakland and Atlantic at a chilly 23 degrees.

Some records were established in the state as the mercury dipped to 'unseasonably frigid depths. But colder readings have occurred in Cherokee education board approves T-A-G program CHEROKEE, Iowa Cherokee's Board of Education has given the nod to a proposed innovative program for the school district's curriculum effective with the 1984-85 school year. The board approved plans presented by Mick Starcevich, Washington High School superintendent, and Larry Shiley, school principal, for a Talented and Gifted program, otherwise known as T-A-G. Officials said reports on the programs would be submitted to the state for approval. Starcevich said cost to the school district would be about 30 to .40 cents per $1,000 in r- 1' j- Jf'.