The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • 1

Gore backs Dean for president Former VP urges Democrats to unite Nation, A4 Lightyear sale faces challenge Official says debtors won't get their due Business, F1 56 PAGES A GANNETT NEWSPAPER LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY www.courier-journal.com WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2003 50 CENTS For cooks on your list Give gifts that will cut it with 'foodies' Features, C1 Metro EDITION The focus "of our lives must be to relieve suffering, to improve lives, to work for a better future. 6 T'- Strip club law put on hold Jefferson judge grants businesses llth-hour reprieve it J. 9 BY KEITH WILLIAMS, THE COURIER-JOURNAL Gov. Ernie Fletcher was sworn in at 2 p.m. yesterday on the steps of the State Capitol in Frankfort by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph Lambert.

Teddy bears to the rescue Pinkie Smyser, above left, and Carolyn Stevens unloaded teddy bears collected by the University of Louisville Student Affairs office. The teddy bears go to Louisville Fire and Rescue, which gives them out to comfort children in emergencies. Metro, B1 Sacred Heart tops Jeff 73-64 Jeffersonville's Lady Red Devils basketball team dominated the opening minutes last night against Louisville's Sacred Heart Academy. But Sacred Heart adjusted to the transition game and defensive pressure and put on a clinic of its own, winning 73-64. Sports, El By JOSEPH GERTH The Courier-Journal Lawyers representing Louisville strip clubs persuaded a judge yesterday to issue an llth-hour order blocking enforcement of a new ordinance limiting the hours adult businesses can be open.

The ruling by Jefferson Circuit Judge Stephen P. Ryan came even though courts were closed yesterday for Gov. Ernie Fletcher's inauguration, and the Jefferson County attorney's office wasn't told the lawyers had asked for a restraining order. County Attorney Irv Maze said he was angry that lawyers for the strip clubs had waited until the last minute to ask the court to step in and then didn't tell his of 1 I A 1 0 --Tf uJ.LL; 1 A- if 5 4 I If' v- i 1 4 i New governor's first acts include state hiring freeze By TOM LOFTUS and AL CROSS The Courier-Journal FRANKFORT, Ky. Gov.

Ernie Fletcher set goals of "efficiency in government, affordable health care and better education" yesterday as he began Kentucky's first Republican administration in 32 years. Repeating a campaign pledge, Fletcher also said in his inaugural address, "We're going to get there without raising taxes on the hardworking people of Kentucky." And in one of his first acts, he signed an executive order putting a hiring freeze on vacant state jobs. In his campaign, Fletcher vowed to allow no overall tax increase but said he was willing to raise some taxes if others were cut, leaving the state with no immediate gain in revenue. Fletcher spoke for 13 minutes on an overcast but seasonably mild afternoon to an enthusiastic and heavily Republican crowd at his inauguration outside the state Capitol. Following his address, with his wife, Glenna, at his side, he took the oath of office from Kentucky Chief Justice Joseph Lambert.

Fletcher, a doctor who most recently served as 6th District congressman be- -fore becoming the state's 60th governor, promised to bring a "new unity" to heal the cultural and geographic divisions that he said have impeded Kentucky's growth. But while urging unity, he implicitly criticized his seven Democratic predecessors. "State government has too often been used to look out for the insiders and not all of the citizens," he said. "This has insulated poverty from progress, and need from remedy. What could have been a broader, common, wealth, has become a guarded treasure, traded much of the time among the well-positioned." See NEW Page 8, col.

1, this section Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Steve Ryan granted the restraining order late yesterday. fice when they found a judge who would sign the order. "The only notice I got was from a reporter," said Maze, who was reached last night on his cell phone while at a social engagement. "You're supposed to give other lawyers notice. We didn't even get an invitation to be there." He pledged that lawyers from his office would be in court today trying to persuade Ryan to lift the order and allow the ordinance to be enforced.

Frank Mas-cagni, a lawyer representing Deja Vu ana P.T.'s Show-club, said it was serendipity that Ryan, the judge Ex-Sen. Simon dies after surgery Paul Simon, above, the bow-tie-wearing Illinois Democrat who served two terms in the U.S. Senate and ran for the presidential nomination in 1988, died yesterday, a day after undergoing heart bypass surgery. He was 75. Nation, B7 Tomorrow In Health Fitness: Don 't let food-borne illnesses crash your holiday parties.

We offer a refresher course in handling food. Online courier-journalcom Click Food for recipes from our writers and local restaurants County Attorney irv Maze said he wasn't notified by lawyers representing the BY BILL LUSTER, THE COURIER-JOURNAL Governor Ernie Fletcher and his wife, Glenna, waved to the Frankfort crowd from the back of a gray Corvette in yesterday's inaugural parade. They received much applause when they passed state Republican headquarters. SB 9 previously assigned to the case, was in his office on a day that courts were closed. Mascagni and lawyei Paul Gold filed the motion for a restiaining order about 4:30 p.m.

yesterday, and Ryan signed the order barring enforcement of the law at 4:52 p.m. Mascagni said his office then faxed copies of the order to all lawyers involved in the case, including Maze, who was in his office yesterday even though the courts were closed. Mascagni said a copy was hand-delivered to Police Chief Robert White. Maze said he didn't see the ruling before he left the office. "We must have 20 fax machines in my office," he said.

"We don't even know which one they faxed it to." Assistant County Attorney Bill O'Brien said last night that a fax notifying them the businesses were seek- See ADULT Page 5, col. 1, this section Dancing the night away Page A8 Thousands descend on Frankfort PageA9 Inaugural address Forum, A11 Complete coverage, photo gallery www.courier-journal.com Forecast Louisville area: Chance of showers and thunderstorms today. High, mid-50s. Chance of drizzle tonight. Low near 30.

Partly sunny tomorrow. High, low 40s. Details, B4 Index BY BILL LUSTER, THE COURIER-JOURNAL Louie B. Nunn, the state's last Republican governor, shook hands with spectators during the inaugural parade. Only 'coalition partners' can get Iraq contracts, U.S.

says B1 C4 E7 E1 F4 C2 Metro Movies Racing Sports Stocks TV Business F1 Comics C6 Deaths B6 Features C1 Forum A10 Lottery E6 Classified D1 Bombers wound 61 U.S. soldiers in Iraq For home delivery questions call 582-2211 or toll-free 1-800-866-2211 the Bush administration against U.S. allies who opposed its decision to go to war in Iraq. The administration had warned before the war that countries that did not join in a U.S.-led coalition would not have a voice in decisions about the rebuilding of Iraq. But it has not previously made clear that companies in those countries would be excluded from competing for a share in the money for Iraq's reconstruction that the United States approved last month.

Those funds will pay for 26 lucrative contracts for rebuilding Iraq's electricity, oil and water sectors and equipping its army. Under the guidelines, only companies from the United States, Iraq and 61 countries designated "coalition partners" will be allowed to bid on the contracts. France, Germany and Russia are not on the list. The document does not spell See IRAQ Page 4, col. 5, this section By DOUGLAS JEHL The New York Times WASHINGTON The Pentagon has barred French, German and Russian companies from competing for $18.6 billion in contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq, saying it was acting to protect "the essential security interests of the United States." The directive, issued Dec.

5 by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, represents the most substantive retaliation to date by scale of recent attacks in Iraq. Most of the soldiers were slightly hurt by debris and flying glass, indicating that massive defenses sand barriers, high cement walls and numerous roadblocks leading to the entrancespaid off. Also yesterday, a U.S. Army observation helicopter took fire and made an emergency landing west of Baghdad, and the two crew members walked away with "minimal injuries," the U.S. military said.

Residents said the helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. See SUICIDE Page 4, col. 5, this section By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press TALAFAR, Iraq Suicide bombers, one in a car and another on foot, blew themselves up at the gates of two U.S. military bases yesterday, wounding 61 American soldiers but failing to inflict deadly casualties on the '409C1 "10706 foiw.i.('H.ii.