The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 2

NEWS The Atlanta Journal The Atlanta Constitution A2 Wednesday, Jan 1,1997 astRead sexual assault charges last year, has been charged with a crime. Irvin denies the accusations. Williams and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decline comment. A I I Howard University placekicker Jason Decuir's 18-yard field goal with 3:04 left gives Howard a 27-24 victory over Southern University in Heritage Bowl VI. The Jaguars' 24-10 halftime lead vanishes with two fourth-period scoring drives led by Howard QB Ted White, who overcomes a separated left shoulder and sprained left ankle to complete 23 of 39 attempts for 328 yards and a touchdown.

CI In the Orange Bowl, the Nebraska Cornhuskers beat Virginia Tech 41-21. C4 Georgia Tech beats North na-Greensboro 65-40. The Spartans pull within 24-22 with 16:21 left in the game, but Tech finally pulls away, outscoring the Spartans 36-11 in 13 minutes. C8 The Georgia Bulldogs spend their last hours in Hawaii snorkel-ing, relaxing or just basking in the glow of their 73-65 overtime victory over Maryland, which gave them a three-game sweep and the Rainbow Classic championship. CM mation of a committee to plan a variety of spring break events for black college students.

The panel seems to be a preemptive strike in the fight for control of Freaknik. D6 LIVING. El First Look at '97: What's coming up in movies, TV, books, food, fashion, arts, fitness, travel, theater and concerts. El BUSINESS, I Stock market history is made with the Dow's sixth straight yearly gain, a first. The average gains 26 percent, on top of 33.5 percent in 1995.

But the last day of trading in '96 is marked by a 101.10-point drop to 6,448.27. Blue chips follow bonds down after a Commerce Department report shows an unexpectedly robust jump in new home sales in November. Both the Nasdaq composite and the Russell 2000 finish higher. Fl Boding well for continued economic strength in 1997, reports show consumer confidence at a seven-year high and new home sales up dramatically. Fl Doubletree Corp.

says it will acquire Renaissance Hotel Group NV for $850 million. Fl The millennium computer bug is creeping closer to most companies, and experts predict disaster' if it's not exterminated by 2000. F2 COLUMNISTS Steve Hummer: Warrick Dunn's burden. CI Rheta Grimsley Johnson: Seat of learning. Dl HOW TO CALL Problem? If you don't receive your Journal-Con- stitution by 8 a.m., call 404-522-4141 or toll-free 800-933-9771.

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Atlanta, Ga. 30302.. Have a news tip or question? MAIN NUMBER: 404-526-5 1 5 1 Sunup: 7:42 a.m. Sundown: 5:40 p.m. IN TOWN: Atlanta NAACP Jubilee Day.

Mount Ephraim Baptist Church. 1220 Marietta StN.W. NOW Fund-Raiser. 8 p.m. Eddie's Attic, 515 N.

McDonough De- catur. TODAY IN HISTORY: Albany replaces New York City as the capital of New York, 1797. President Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring slaves i in rebel states free, 1863. Ellis Island Immigrant Station opens, 1892. Commonwealth of Australia proclaimed, 1901.

Fidel Castro leads Cuban rebels to victory, 1959. i Break-up of 1984. Pro-democracy rally in Beijing, 1986. David Dinkins sworn in as New York City's first black mayor, 1990. Birthdays: Paul Revere, 1735; Betsy Ross, 1752; E.M.Forster, 1879; Barry GokJwater, 1909; J.D.

i Salinger, 1919. ON TV: "Fire in the Sky." 8 p.m. Ch. 5. "The Sentinel." 8 p.m, Ch.

69. TALK OF THE DAY: "Once again, the pon derous federal bureaucracy has spoken about air bags, and again tlie message for motorists is to be patient." Joey Ledford, D2 LOCAL NEWS, PI Mayor Bill Campbell vows to hire dozens of people for the city's morale and quality of the federal judiciary is at stake, urges Congress to give federal judges a cost-of-living raise. He criticizes Congress for failing to create new federal judgeships to handle a rising caseload, but praises lawmakers for setting new limits on state inmates' ability to challenge their convictions in federal court. A6 President Clinton begins the new year with a line-item veto, a gift from the GOP Congress and an enhancement of authority with potential to change the way Washington conducts budget business. A7 Labels quantifying fat and calo-' ries in food items usually don't lie, the FDA says, but an agency report reveals problems: measuring Vitamin A and iron is tricky, and a cluster of frozen seafood products underestimates cholesterol.

Bl OPINION. AI4 Across the Southeast, economic trends look favorable for at least another year. AI4 AROUND THE SOUTH. B4 At least 70 vehicles, including two buses and an ambulance, are involved in chain-reaction wrecks that kill one person, injure 30, and close both lanes of the M0 bridge across Lake Pontchartrain between New Orleans and Slidell. At the time of the collisions, fog cuts visibility to 50 feet.

B4 SPORTS. Al. CI The Cowboys' Michael Irvin and Erik Williams are the focus of a Dallas woman's sexual assault allegations. Neither Irvin, on probation after a no contest plea to cocaine possession, nor Williams, subject of THE FRONT PAGE Two on ethics panel say Gingrich will get their votes for speaker, Dallas Cowboys' Michael Irvin, Erik Williams are focus of woman's sexual assault allegations. Hostage standoff in Peru: latest developments.

WORLD, A3. 10.12 As the world spins into 1 997, people around the globe greet the new year with rites ranging from the solemnity of Mass at Mother Teresa's nunnery in India to revelry on the beach at Rio. A3 James T. Laney says he's resigning as U.S. ambassador to South Korea in keeping with his plan to leave after four years.

A 1 0 The United States presses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to close a deal on Hebron by their own deadline of New Year's Day though lower-level negotiators haven't settled at least one big issue. AI2 NATION. A6. Bl Homicides in New York City are expected to dip below 1,000 in 1996 for the first time since 1968. The city has seen a drop of more than SO percent since 1990, when there were a record 2,245 slayings.

A6 New federal limits on aircraft noise over the Grand Canyon are criticized by environmentalists as inadequate and by air tour operators as too sweeping. Bl WASHINGTON. A6. 7. Bl U.S.

Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, saying the DEATHS. D6 Lew Ayres, whose film career included "All Quiet on the Western Front," "Johnny Belinda." D6 Dr. James Newton Brawner former medical director of Brawner Hospital in Smyrna. D6 911 emergency phone center to correct defects cited by a task force. The panel's report blames under-staffing for the problems.

I Mourners sing "Jesus Loves Me" at the funeral of 6-year-old Jon-Benet Ramsey, who authorities say was found strangled in the basement of her home in Boulder, Thousands of families attend First Night Atlanta, a strictly sober New Year's Eve festival of indoor and outdoor entertainment. I Atlanta's domestic partnership ordinance, the second attempt to extend insurance benefits to city employees' live-in partners, is struck down by a Fulton judge who calls the measure "inconsistent with state law." The city will appeal, a mayoral spokesman says. D2 A Powder Springs pilot and his 10-year-old daughter survive a plane crash in heavy fog yards short of a runway at Fulton County AirportBrown Field. D5 Atlanta's mayor announces for mum. "1 1 Local News: 404-526-5342 National: 404-526-5355 Photo: 404-526-5410.

Business News: 404-526-5320 404-526-5331 Sports News: GEORGIA Cash 3: 7-4-7 (Dec 31) Fantasy 5: i-j-4-6-24 (Dec 3i) FLORIDA Cash 3: 4-3-0 (Dec 31) Play 4: S-7-0-3 (Dec 31) Fantasy 5: 2-14-9-24-20 (Dec 31) FeaturesArtsLiving: 404-526-5441 This newspaper is printed in part on recycled paper and is recyclable. For Ads, etc. Advertising 404-526-5179 Classified 404-577-5772 the recycling station nearest you, please phone 222-2010. TTY number for circulation, billing, delivery classified: 404-526-5170 For More Information an the News Do you have a question about the news local, national or international? Colin Bessonette will try to get an answer. Call 404-222-2002 on a Touch-Tone phone and follow the instructions.

Whether you follow a team or a different drummer, Cox Interactive Media brings you the best of the net. Bed and breakfasts Use our online directory to pick from scenic bed-and-breakfast spots throughout the South. http:vvw.atIantagames.conVbnbbnbdir.htm A it It's never too cold to snow, said Carlos Garza of the National Weather Service. There can be snow at any temperature below 36 de- grees. But near zero Fahrenheit, falling snow will; crystallize and become hard ice pellets.

I thought more driver's license renewal lo-r) cations would open at Kroger stores in November and December. Is that still planned? What are the locations? Steve Brodie, Atlanta' The Department of Public Safety has no plans to add to the existing 22 statewide Kroger locations for driver's license renewals, said spokesman Gordy Wright. Atlanta locations include the Kroger stores af 725 Ponce de Leon 2685 Stewart 303C Headland Drive S.W., 598 Cascade Road, 6650 Roswell Road and 1803 Roswell Road, Atlanta. Others in the metro area are at 4002 Stone Moun tain Highway, Snellville; 4153 Highway 29 (Bea-. ver Ruin Road), Lilburn; 455 Grayson Lawrenceville; 5567-C Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain; 3479 Memorial Drive and 2385 Wes-; ley Chapel Road, Decatur; 564 Crosstown Drive Peachtree City; 301 Jonesboro Road, McDon- ough; 1294 Morrow Industrial Blvd.

(Southlake II), Morrow; 10779 Alpharetta Highway and 4401 Shallowford Road, Roswell; 3959-A La Vista Tucker; and 5345 Floyd Road, Mableton. Renewals also are available at locations other than Krogers; for information, call 404-657-9300. MS i Travel smart Get out of the cold. Go someplace warm with bargain airfares from 11 cities to over 50 destinations. http:wvmtravelinc.com Elizabeth Dole is returning to her job as president of the Red Cross, which pays $200,000 -a year.

What does she do to earn that much? Hank Reeves, Forest Park The job entails overseeing all operations of "the largest humanitarian organization in the world," said Red Cross spokesman Roy Clason. The Red Cross has an annual budget of $1.8 billion and 32,000 paid employees, he said. It responds to more than 68,000 disasters in the United States each year, provides nearly half of America's blood service needs and trains more than 12 million people each year in health, safety and life-saving courses. Running the tion is a "huge challenge," Clason said. Dole's salary is set by a volunteer board of governors.

She began in February 1991 and accepted no pay in her first year, Clason said. She has been on salary since, but has donated nearly $500,000 back to the Red Cross, specifying that it go for at-risk youth programs. "So in effect she has cost the Red Cross $13,504 a year," Clason said. She'll be back on the job in the next few days after her one-year unpaid leave of absence to campaign with husband Bob in his losing bid for the presidency. When will MARTA finish replacing train seats that were removed to accommodate Olympic crowds? I was on a train recently and two cars, 273 and 274, still had missing seats.

Bobby Lane, Atlanta Only a "handful" of the system's 240 rail cars still have some seats missing, said MARTA spokeswoman Laura Gillig. All are expected to hi restored by the end of January. W7ien winning lottery numbers are broadcast on TV, a disclaimer says the numbers are not valid until certified by the Georgia Lottery Corp. What is done to certify them? Have any numbers ever been decertified? Rodney Turner, Atlanta Security for Cash 3, Fantasy 5 and Lotto Georgia is "very serious and vital to the integrity of the drawings," said Vicki Gavalas, Georgia Lottery spokeswoman. A team from the Georgia Lottery and an independent auditor monitor the entire process, she said, with a series of tests done before and after each draw.

The numbers are not certified until these tests are completed. To date, no draw for any of the lottery's online games has been decertified, she added. Qt Can you explain the term "too cold to When is it too cold to snow? Ann Phillips, Llthonia Eye spy: Use our cams across Atlanta to peek on the city, i sir SH ZIGGY i' IFINP IT FiND.rrsn tit i-e i tyii tui uuui inmiuii service 'zr available in the expand- ed Atlanta local calling BUBBLE RDR'VeS'TWO From 7 a.m. to midnight, an operator will find the Atlanta business you need and connect you directly. Dial 511 and press MOVIESNOWSM! Find a movie fast.

From 7 a.m. to midnight, an operator will find the movie you want by title, theater, rating or time. Dial 511 and press MOBILE PHONES: Getting information from your car is quick and easy BellSouth Mobility customers dial 511. Other cellular customers dial 511. Normal airtime charges apply Contact your cellular company for other charges.

PAY PHONES: Access 511 services for Just 25 cents by dialing 511 from any BellSouth pay phone. area. Your first call to any FIND 'IT 511 ervice it free. Additional calls cost 50 cent each. Charges appear on your monthly phone bill.

TO USE: Dial 51 1 on a Touch Tone phone. (Customer service: 404-222-2000) THEANSWER'MACHINESMTo get newt and information, enter one of the 4-digit codes from the newspaper or see the Atlanta or suburban Real Yellow Pages for more info. ONE FREE CALL 2020 Stockphone 2080 Pari-mutuels 2030 Scorephone 4676 Horoscopes 2040 33JLiMrT" 2050 Soapsphone 4240 LotteryTips 2064 Concerts 8600 Soundline 9O0 ACCESS: As a service to our readers outside the Atlanta local calling area the AJC offen access to $11 by dialing 1-900 K0-0S1L Calls cost SOf a minute. Average call length; minutes. Callers under IS must hfve parental or guardian permission.

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