Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 20

METRO STATE BRIEFING Sunday, May 5, 2002 Austin American-Statesman statesmari.com B2 CENTRAL TEXAS DIGEST Vintage plane damaged in Georgetown crash Jt SerenadaEast jj Neighborhood' TTJEV' ff The Boeing Stearman PT-17 was used to train pilots in World War II. ii. I if Georgetown Plane takes off, rises to 150 feet, loses power and crashes into garage at 601 Toledo Trail. Air show public WILLIAMSON! CO. TRAVIS Austin CO.

area GEORGETOWN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT Biplane from air show crashes into garage; no one seriously hurt By Erik Rodriguez AMERIC.WSTATKSMAiN STAFF GEORGETOWN Harold W. Smith knows it could have been worse. On Saturday, the Stearman PT-17 aircraft he was flying in the Georgetown Air Show lost power shortly after takeoff, grazed telephone lines and trees and cartwheeled into the garage of a nearby house. No one was seriously injured, police said. The homeowners were out of town when the crash happened about 2 p.m., neighbors said.

Smith and his passenger, Don Ellis of Salado, climbed out of the wrecked plane with only a few scratches. It was the first crash in the air show's 16-year history, airport manager Travis McLain said. The show was stopped briefly while fire equipment was taken to the crash site, just north of the Georgetown Municipal Airport. A Federal Aviation Administration crew was dispatched from San Antonio to investigate, A 7' 55 V4 mile ff WEEK IN REVIEW MONDAY In another sign of the state's economic condition, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt.

Gov. Bill Ratliff and House Speaker Pete Laney told state agencies not to spend any extra money that agency officials may have saved. The 93-degree temperature at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport broke a 1984 record of 92 degrees. Unusually high spring temperatures have brought higher than normal electrical use. Texas should tap the Gulf of Mexico for drinking water, Perry said.

He proposed tax-free bonds for private construction of a desalination project to generate drinking water. Capital Metro gave interim General Manager Fred Gilliam a three-year, $125,000 contract to become general manager, president and chief executive officer. TUESDAY More than 200 Austin students may not qualify for college grants because of mistakes by district counselors. School officials proposed several solutions, including cramming a full course into the last weeks of the school year. WEDNESDAY The town of Holland in Bell County officially became the state's population center.

From a point four miles north of downtown, there was an equal number of Texans in every direction, according to the 2000 census. A Travis County jury sentenced Laura Dow to 15 years in prison for solicitation of capital murder. She had faced up to life in prison for trying to hire a hit man to kill her ex-husband, Gary Peterson. The "One BookOne Texas' program was launched with the announcement that Texans are being urged to read "Lonesome Dove." Younger readers are being encouraged to read "OldYeller." THURSDAY First Baptist Church of Austin severed its ties to the Southern Baptist Convention, citing differences in doctrine. Lady Bird Johnson appeared to have suffered a minor stroke and was hospitalized at Seton Medical Center.

FRIDAY The Fund for Child Care Excellence announced a $3 million program to improve child-care services in Austin. The nonprofit organization is getting financial help from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. Police announced the arrest of two men suspected in 21 robberies. Robert Calzada avikrican-statesman Smith has been flying since 1953 and has flown more than 20,000 hours. He and Ellis, the plane's owner, were showcasing the Stearman, used in World War II to train pilots.

The plane can be repaired, he said. "That plane is one of our national treasures, and we're sorry we injured it," he said. erodriguezstatesman.com; 445-3673 said Smith, a member of the Commemorative Air Force, Highland Lakes Squadron. Officials were looking to drain about 45 gallons of aviation fuel from the damaged aircraft. "We were hoping for a soft landing if we could, so we quit flying, and then wa got into the trees," Smith said.

"If it caught on fire, it would have been much worse." AUSTIN 1-35 interchange reopening early The interchange at Interstate 35 and Ben White Boulevard in Southeast Austin should reopen this morning. The state Transportation Department decided to scale back its weekend work. It will take several hours to reopen the lanes after crews begin the task at 7 a.m. The earliest both highways will be free of construction in that area is 9 a.m., but state officials say it could be late morning before all the barriers are removed. The state decided to wait to install several overhanging brackets, allowing the highways to reopen hours earlier than planned.

Both roads were closed Friday night. Appraisal protest deadline nears Property owners have until May 31 to protest their new appraisals. Protest forms are provided to owners on the back of their appraisals. They must be sent to the Travis Central Appraisal District to begin the protest process. ACC receives biotech grants Austin Community College has received $18,000 in grants for its biotechnology program.

The Capital Area Tech-Prep Consortium awarded the grants to help Central Texas high school students become more interested in biotechnology, which involves using living cells to make products or provide services. One grant introduces biotechnology to students in secondary education classes in an attempt to recruit them into biotech careers. Another will help forge an agreement between ACC and high schools so students can get college credit for the biotech courses. ACC offers an associate's degree in applied science and a one-year certificate in biotechnology. Man added to most wanted list The Texas Department of Public Safety has added a Caldwell County man to its list of 10 most wanted fugitives.

Authorities say they have been looking for Lee Herman Wackerhagen, 48, since 1993, when he disappeared with his 9-year-old son, Chance, after shooting his girlfriend to death while she slept. Police found Wackerhagen's abandoned car in Austin a few days after the Dec. 27, 1993, killing. In addition to the murder charge, Wackerhagen is wanted in Kingsville on charges of interfering with child custody for not returning Chance to his mother. State trade fair to open Monday The state's annual three-day Environmental Trade Fair and Conference will begin Monday at the Austin Convention Center.

The event, sponsored by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, features training sessions and an exhibit hall displaying environmental products and services. The 12 winners of the 2002 Texas Environmental Excellence Awards including University of Texas scientist David Allen and Texas Disposal Systems for its Creedmoor composting operation will be honored at a dinner Tuesday night. For more information, call 239-3150. LLANO COUNTY One dead in boat wreck One person was killed and two others were injured early Saturday after the boat they were in collided with another boat on Lake Buchanan, authorities said. The three, people, who were not identified, were on the lake about midnight when another craft went over their boat, said Gordon Eckert, a game warden with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Eckert said two young men were thrown from the boat, and a young woman remained inside. Fishermen found the woman. They also found the two men floating in the water. One died of head injuries, Eckert said. All three were wearing life jackets.

The Parks and Wildlife Department was trying to learn who was operating the other craft. i-f Cinco de Mayo events Cinco de Mayo Festival Noon to 10:30 p.m. today. Carnival, games, children's activities, arts and crafts, contests, and music by Jaime Los Chamacos, Rick Treviflo and others. Fiesta Gardens, 1091 Bergman Ave.

Free to $8. 867-1999. Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farm celebration 1 to 5 p.m. today. Includes crafts, music, storytellers, tortilla-making and other family activities.

11418 Sprinkle Cut-Off Road. $4 to $5. 837-1215. El Barrio Nuevo 3 p.m. to midnight today.

Food, drinks and music by So' Coracao, Julio los Tones Majicos, Paco (the family) and others. Benefits Cine Las Americas, Diverse Arts and the Austin Jazz Festival. Le Privilege, 912 Red River St $5. Pain Hernandez, 619-7854. One big loophole Alex Ramirez, 10, of Fort Worth shows off his trick roping technique while marching in the Cinco de Mayo Parade with Las Nortefias in Fort Worth on Saturday.

Sharon M. Steinman FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM TEXAS DIGEST ROTATING FEATURES Each day of the week, different rotating features will run in Metro State Briefing. Here is the schedule: Sunday: Local news in review Monday: Traffic report, Public agenda Tuesday: Achievements Wednesday: Schools Thursday. Urban and suburban affairs Friday: Higher education Saturday: State government and politics LOTTERY RESULTS DONNA Six killed in fiery collision Six people were killed Saturday when two cars collided and burst into flames in South Texas. Trooper Alfredo Barrera Jr.

of the Texas Department of Public Safety said one car was speeding near a levee south of FM 493 when it went out of control, crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a second car. Two men were killed in the first car; two couples were killed in the second car. Emergency crews said it took hours to remove the bodies from the wreckage. The names of the victims were being withheld pending notification of relatives. Donna is just north of the Rio Grande, about 310 miles south of Austin.

Cash 5 May 3: SAN ANGELO Severe storms rake West Texas Two tornadoes were reported, and several counties in West Texas were under a tornado watch as strong storms blew through the area Saturday night. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Tom Green County was under a tornado warning after a tornado touched down in the Eola-Vancourt area, said Hector Guerrero, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Angelo. He said the twister was moving northeast, not toward any heavily populated areas. Another tornado was reported near Roby in Fisher County, dumping baseball-size hail as it moved east at 25 mph.

San Angelo also reported golf ball-size hail and street flooding, the weather service said. Eola is about 25 miles southeast of San Angelo, and Roby is about 45 miles northwest of Abilene. Pick 3 May 4, day: May 4, night: 38 29 3 11 23 Texas Two Step May 3: 14 26 4 6 Bonus number 28 May 7 jackpot 5200,000 Lotto Texas May 4: 11 10 16 420 May 4 Jackpot $10 million No ticket matched all six numbers in Saturday's Lotto Texas drawing. Wednesday's jackpot will be an estimated $14 million. For more detailed results of recent drawings, go to www.txlottery.org or call (900) 555-0889.

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