Globe-Gazette from Mason City, Iowa • 4

ffm A4 MONDAY, FEB. 25, 2008 IowaNationWorld Page Editor. Webb Cole GLOBE GAZETTE Briefing Training day on Clear Lake for Roxi Congress to consider bankruptcy foreclosure assistance i I MATT FOYThe Globe Gazette Chris Thenhaus of Clear Lake takes Roxi, a 1 -year-old Chesapeke Bay retriever, out on Clear Lake for a training session. Thenhaus, an avid duck hunter, says Roxi is one of the fastest retrievers he's ever had. (DtaGna says Clinton wyM to mmy support tor vm WASHINGTON (AP) Congress is set to examine another round of possible repairs for consumers and investors threatened by widening cracks in the housing market.

Proposals include easing bankruptcy rules, shielding banks from lawsuits and pro- viding assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure. Lawmakers also plan this week to question several high-profile mortgage and banking executives about industrywide losses and lavish executive-compensation packages. The housing proposals percolating on Capitol Hill, many of them designed by Democrats, are expected to face much tougher resistance than the recently approved economic stimulus package, which touched on the mortgage crisis in a limited way. Some of these proposals have been kicked around in one form or another for months. Others are considered attempts to address perceived shortcomings in the Bush administration plan to freeze interest rates on a small percentage of loans made to high-risk borrowers.

A bill likely to be debated on the Senate floor Tuesday includes a proposed revision to the U.S. bankruptcy code that would allow judges to cut interest rates and reduce what's owed on troubled borrowers' mortgages. Currently, mortgage lenders can foreclose against a homeowner in default on a primary residence 90 days after a bankruptcy filing, and judges have no authority to order changes in mortgage terms. "This week we have an opportunity to pass a housing bill that will help the economy recover, help American families stay in their homes and change the law so this never happens again," said Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat and author of the proposal to ease bankruptcy rules.

The bankruptcy measure, a similar version of which has cleared a House committee, is fiercely opposed by lenders and many Republicans. Waterloo to consider dangerous-dog ordinance WATERLOO (AP) City officials in Waterloo are considering an ordinance with more bite for owners of dangerous dogs. Waterloo City Council members are scheduled to vote today on an ordinance that would impose fines and regulations on dog owners whose animals have caused injury to a person or domestic animal or dogs that are found running at large. The ordinance would apply to owners who have been been cited by Black Hawk Animal Control three or more times within a 12-month period. If a dog is deemed potentially dangerous, its owner would have to register it with the city, pay a $50 registration fee, provide proof of at least $300,000 in liability insurance to cover injuries caused by the dog and be affixed with a permanent registration number.

Iowa Speedway names Jauron as president NEWTON (AP) The Iowa Speedway has selected a new president. Jerry Jauron, who currently serves as chief financial officer, will also become the speedway's president. He replaces Stan Clement who will continue to serve as Iowa Speedway's chief executive officer. Mike Beecher, a spokesman for the speedway, said the move would allow Clement to focus on the track's schedule and sponsorship deals. Jauron grew up in Indianola and is a certified public accountant.

For the time being, Jauron will retain his role as the Iowa Speedway's CFO. Clement previously presided over the construction phase of the $70 million facility, which was designed by former NASCAR Champion Rusty Wallace. Opened in Sept. 2006, the Iowa Speedway completed its first full season of racing in 2007 with a number of series, including the Indy Racing League's Iowa Corn Indy 250. D.M.teen killed, Chicago teen hurt in shooting DES MOINES (AP) Authorities are investigating a shooting in Des Moines that left a Des Moines teenager dead and sent another Chicago teen to the hospital.

Richard Eugene Lewis, 18, of Des Moines, died as a result of his injuries. Damont Antwan Jackson, 18, of Chicago, was undergoing surgery at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines after sustaining a gunshot to his leg. According to Des Moines Police, officers responded to a report of gunshots fired around 2:40 a.m. on Sunday morning. Des Moines Police said the circumstances of the shooting are unknown, but said Lewis and Jackson were found shot near the 1 100 block of 1 1th Street and taken to the hospital.

On Sunday, Des Moines police detectives secured material witness to homicide warrants for two individuals: Jerrid Winfrey 22, of Des Moines, and Dorian Mosely, 37, of Fort Dodge. Winfrey is 6 feet 2 inches tall, 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Mosely is 5 feet 8 inches tall, 200 pounds with black hair, brown eyes, and glasses. Sioux City consider meeting prayer proposal SIOUX CITY (AP) The City Council in Sioux City is set to consider a proposal that would start each meeting with a prayer instead of a moment of silence. A vote on the proposal is scheduled for today.

Mayor Mike Hobart said he can't predict how the council will vote on the measure although he plans to vote "no." A public hearing will precede the vote. Councilman Aaron Rochester introduced the proposal. He said he wants council members to say a short, nonsectarian prayer at the start of regular council meetings. Currently the council starts with a moment of silent reflection. At his weekly press conference Friday, Hobart said: "I think it's going to be an interesting vote.

I don't know how it's going to come out." Councilmen Dave Ferris, Brent Hoffman and Jim Rixner said last week they want to wait until today's public hearing before deciding how they will vote on the resolution. City Attorney Andrew Mai said the council will need to amend its rules of procedure to make Rochester's proposed change. Ex-corrections officer faces sex abuse charges HAWARDEN (AP) Inappropriate text messages have led to the arrest of a former correctional officer on charges of sexual abuse involving two under age girls. Joshua Brunsting, 22, of Sioux City, was charged this week with third-degree sexual abuse as well as sexual exploitation of a minor. Woodbury County Sheriff Glenn Parrett said Brunsting had worked at the Woodbury County Jail.

Brunsting resigned from his position, effective Friday, he said. According to the Sioux County Sheriff's Office, officers from the Hawarden Police Department and the Sioux County Sheriff's Office responded to West Sioux High School in Hawarden after a report of inappropriate text messages. The sheriff's office said the text messages were found on a student's cell phone that were of a sexual nature. Authorities said that investigators learned the text messages were between Brunsting and two girls ages 12 and 14. Sheriff's officials said Brunsting had recently made random contact with the two girls, whom he did not know, using a cell phone.

Authorities believe that on Feb. 16, Brunsting and the 14-year-old met at her rural Hawarden residence, where they allegedly had sexual intercourse, according to the sheriff's office. Brunsting has been booked into the Sioux County Jail. If convicted, Altena said, Brunsting could face a 15-year penalty for the class felony and two years in prison for the aggravated misdemeanor. He would also be required to register as a sex offender if convicted.

Farrakhan praises Obama as 'hope of entire world' CHICAGO (AP) In his first major public address since a cancer crisis, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan said Sunday that presidential candidate Barack Obama is the "hope of the entire world" that the U.S. will change for the better. The 74-year-old Farrakhan, addressing an estimated crowd of 20,000 people at the annual Saviours' Day celebration, never outrightly endorsed Farrakhan LORAIN, Ohio (AP) Barack Obama accused Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday of trying to walk away from a long record of support for NAFTA, the free trade agreement that he said has cost 50,000 jobs in Ohio, site of next week's primary. At the same time, he said attempts to repeal the trade deal "would probably result in more job losses than job gains in the United States." One day after Clinton angrily accused him of distorting her record on the North American Free Trade Agreement in mass mailings, the Illinois senator was eager to rekindle the long-distance debate, using passages from the former first lady's book as well as her own words. "Ten years after NAFTA passed, Senator Clinton said it was good for America," Obama said.

"Well, I don't think NAFTA has been good for America and I never have." "The fact is, she was saying great things about NAFTA until she started running for president Obama told an audience at a factory that makes wall board, located in a working class community west of Cleveland. "A couple years after it passed, she said NAFTA was a 'free and fajr trade agreement' and that it was 'proving its And in 2004, she said, "I think, on balance, NAFTA has been good for New York and America," he said. A spokesman for Clinton, Phil Singer, said the former first lady was critical of NAFTA long before she ran for president'. He cited Obama but spent most of the nearly two-hour speech praising the Illinois senator. "This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better," he said.

"This young man is capturing audiences of black and brown and red and yellow. If you look at Barack Obama's audiences and look at the effect of his words, those people are being remarks from March 2000 in which she said, "What happened to NAFTA I think was we inherited an agreement that we didn't get everything we should have got out of it in my opinion. I think the NAFTA agreement was flawed." DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION Democrats will seek probe of McCain financing WASHINGTON (AP) The national Democratic party wants campaign finance regulators to investigate whether Sen. John McCain would violate money-in-politics laws by withdrawing from the primary election's public finance system. McCain, who had been entitled to $5.8 million in federal funds for the primary, has decided to bypass the system so he can avoid spending limits between now and the GOP's national convention in September.

Federal Election Commission Chairman David Mason notified McCain last week that he can only withdraw from public financing if he answers questions about a campaign loan and obtains approval from four members of the six-member commission. Such approval is doubtful in the short term because the commission has four vacancies and cannot convene a quorum. "John McCain poses as a reformer but seems to think reforms apply to everyone but him," Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Sunday. 51 Pickup service available. Call for information.

641-423-1531 MASON CITY RECYCLING 16585 245th Street, Mason City, IA READER OF WEEK The Friends of the Library's Reader of the Week is Alec Frey, 6. He has a sister, Lind tech talk Yeah, you. The one who thinks a firewall is a line of say, and two brothers, Jimmy and Nicholas. Alec has a cat named Patches. He enjoys riding his bike, nlavinn wiHon 3 I Ij have burning cars Evil Knievel jumped on his motorcycle.

AlecFrey games, sled-ding, soccer, T-ball, football and playing with his friends. His favorite authors are Mercer Mayer and Norman Bridwell. Alec recommends reading the "Little Critter series, the "Clifford" series and the "Dick and Jane" series. For more information about the Reader of the Week program contact the Children's Room of the Mason City Public Library at 641-421-3671. Technology changes fast so fast it can be overwhelming and confusing.

Listen to "tech talk" every Tuesday to get the latest tips to help make your tech world easier. Only at globegazette.compodcasts www.globegazette.com More Reporters More News.