The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • 1

'IF 1 iW RUTHERFORD COUNTY'S HOME NEWSPAPER SINCE 1849 143rd Year No. 295 Sunday, Dec. 20, 1992 Phone 893-5860 Good Morning 224 N. Walnut St. Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37130 1 04 Pages, 8 Sections $1.00 5 Credit ratiffio en -bi ouhfy-wiih i Snoy Poor's from A-plus to AA-minus saved the county about $112,000 in interest "This means Rutherford County is in tall cotton," said Tom Mitchell, the county's bond consultant, "You're one of the big boys now." Only five other counties in Tennessee Shelby, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Williamson have the AA-minus rating, he said.

Only the state government has a better rating. 'They don't give the AA lightly and they certainly don't anticipate lowering By JOHN CALLOW News Journal Staff Writer Any consumer who has ever had a credit card knows a simple fact: pay. your bills, promptly and your credit is good; pay slowly and no one wants your business. And if you've ever been turned down for a loan, you know the importance of your credit rating. Although the mechanics of government credit are somewhat different, the bottom line is savings to the taxpayer in jurisdictions with good credi Local taxpayers have to look no further than the Rutherford County Courthouse to see what good credit can do.

When the county went to market its most recent borrowing, a $19.5 million issue last summer. County Executive John Mankin and a delegation which included county finance director Randall Matlock and state Rep. John Bragg, D-Murfreesboro, petitioned the two rating agencies for an upgrade in the county's credit rating. The resultant uptick by Standard and others, and conservative financial management were cited by. Standard Poor's as factors in 'upgrading the county's credit.

"The outlook reflects continued economic growth, strong finances and manageable debt," Standard Poor's analyst Kenneth Gear stated in the company's report on Rutherford County. Those same factors spell success for other governments in the county. Murfreesboro is rated Al by Moody's, (See Credit, page 2A) it any time soon," said Mitchell, who. represents J.C. Bradford and Co.

in Nash villeand has worked with- the county for many years. Moody's, the other major rating agency for municipal bonds, did not follow Standard Poor's lead in upgrading "the county, but this will not be detrimental, he said. The county now has what is called a split rating," he said. "The market always looks at the highest rating." State contributions to local tion, expansion- at Nissan, PillsSbury and IT TUT t. ptiraoiiial Urn with is B88timg Jeremy Rolfs still recovering J0 33 'Everything that had a meaning before Is different now.

Things that were joyous now have a Jeremy Rolf Beating victim it I I By ANGELA CANNON News Journal Staff Writer Jeremy Rolfs didn't graduate from. MTSU on Saturday like he had once planned. J3ut that Was just one sad event in a series of tragedies that has plagued his young life. 22, was badly beaten in a Georgia motel room in "October while he helplessly watched his fiancee, MTSU senior Heather Uffelman, die during an attack from the same assailant. Uffelman -had accompanied' Rolfs on a trip to Marietta.

He was trying sell a computer system to a man who answered an ad in a trade magazine, authorities said earlier. The man wanted to meet Rolfs at a motel. During the meeting, the man apparently took the assaulted Rolfs-and fatally beat Uffelman. Rolfs is under law enforcement protectioiLJiQw.andmusLjnove from place to place because the suspect is still at large: He is physically recovering from the attack, but Rolfs' emotional recovery has been especially hard without face-to-face contact with the cbuple's friends in Murfreesboro. He can't even return to the home they shared he-lives with the memory of watching his fiancee" die.

But with all the horrible things that have happened his young life, he believes something positive can come, out of this terrible death. Rolfs was still hospitalized at the time. "We're still trying to figure out who it would benefit," Rolfs said in a telephone interview from an undisclosed location. "As it builds, our is nothing short ofa one-year tui said. Contributing to the scholarship fund is a way to continue his fiancee's generosity by providing a college education for a student who might not have one, lie said.

"Heather had a real love of learning" Rolfs said. "She 'was DNJ Photo by JacquelmsSctiklar 'said -he" wants. -people' to working to be a teacher to help In the spirit' Murfreesboro firefighters Gary Freeman, left, and Kenneth Fathera center, check out the gifts of one boy participating in the Miles of Dimes group's annual Christmas toy giveaway Saturday at Old Fort Park's Agricultural Center. iErrjjaiGEir 3 Be saffe 3 When hanqing ouldoor lights, I vl7 notify neighbors 1 and police when leaving fm 1 lor out of town vacation donHiatl throuoh Ihe VQDAV'O IPADUilES electrical or security system wiring. contribute to the Heather -ULolher Fund.

MTSU -professors started the Heather Uffelman Memorial the fund after hearing of her (See Career, page 2A) New surgical method makes stays shorter By KM ROWLEY j- i News Journal Staff Writer You need surgery. Those mere words make some people feel ill' "knowing they will have" to stay in the hospital for several days, miss time off work and live with an unattractive scar that will always remind them of the day they. A r' Oont burn gift- I 1 wrap. kks used fl pJ" -1 pnnling can be 1 toxic when burned "2' 1 and also teave Midstate jobs growing: MTSU while employment dropped in Nashville and its immediately-. surrounding counties during the recent recession, the number of jobs Increased in the counties beyond the metro area.

By LISA MARCIIESONI Journal StaffWriter Using common sense and being 1 aware of safety will make the i. Wenttinderthe knife. 4 Keeo Christmas 2s frees and garland away from fireplaces and heaters, Thanks to laparoscopic surgery, that image is changing. Manage your etectnesf cords. Don't leave gifts whet thieves can see them.

t-. Don't forget Clemmons' Valjean 'grips' audiences Oakland High School graduate David Clemmons got the part of Valjean In Broadway's hugely popular "Les Miserables" without benefit of an agent or an appointment Don! use indoor entension cords outdoors. Don I nirv cords where people can Inp on them. Don overload exlenston ccds with too many plugs. fq Poineetlias are V- potsonous.

fc Keep them out of the. reach of children and animals. to have your mail and news-paoef stoooed wnen leavirg for vacation. Laparoscopic surgery, which gained popularity in the United States after four surgeons from Nashville and Atlanta performed a laparoscopic gall bladder surgery three years 'ago, has opened a new world for general surgeons and has made-: surgery less painful and intrusive for patients. Most commonly used to remove gall bladders and perform -hysterectomies, laparoscopic surgery is also being used.

to perform appendectomies, repair hernias and remove tumors from lungs. Though some of these procedures are fairly new and still catching on among surgeons across the country, Dt George Eckles, a surgeon at the Aliddle Tennessee -Medical Center, said he believes 75 percent of all operations will be done with laparoscopy! within the next 10 years. Laparoscopic' hysterectomies, one doctor said, may be offered, on an outpatient basis within 12 months. "It's new, it's said. "We've only begun to tap what's (See New, page 2A) holidays a little brighter, suggest police and fire ofTkials-.

'Pohce Sgt. Qyde Adkison said residents may safeguard against home burglaries by spreading gifts throughout the house, rather than in one place. 'Burglars Can make a clean sweep of presents faster if located together. In addition, keep doors locked. "If you spread them out, you can cut your losses," Adkison recommended.

If goirigju.tifliown,ask-neighbors and relatives to check your house and pick up mail and newspapers daily. 'Call the" police department at 893-1311 to re- quest special residence patrol where officers will routinely cheek the house. Use light timers and leave on a radio, television' or police scanner to give; the appearance the residence is occupied. Following the- recommendations will help avoid becoming a -statistic, the sergeant said, N-" tional figures show burglaries eware of unsafe Diof warns to INDEX 1E-4E 1D-12D Lifestyles 1C-BC -4A-5A Sports. 1B-1C3 TV Daily TY Journal Weather.

3A ys, Vision needed for life By ANGELA CANNON News Journal Staff Writer- 1 A cute stuffed animal 'uncTer-the Christmas tree could be hazardous for ayoung child if the toy -has small parts that could vou don! your ed.i'cri after school: speaker A Th Cay New Journa), "You want to watch for sharp prners-anything that might stick or hurt a child, Stivers said. Small-ehildren- ean -hoke-tm- stuffed animal parts and small blocks" if they can fit the items jnto th eirjn ou "Your older children generally." don't put. stuff in their mouths," Stivers said, adding that toy safety is especially important when considering a gift for OCCJ oke the rur every eight to lo seconds. VVBeh 7snoppir.gr "keep Backazes That's a. warning offered by an.

tht eircutatica dsoartment al 693-5263 t'or 7 p.m. Hon- -H- By JOHN CALLOW NewsJournal.Staff Writer There a life after basketball but finding it requires a per-. day threcqh FrWay. Cn w-kerds, peas cil Mom 13.30 Allien I sat where you sat, I was so glad it was over not knowing it was just, the beginning," Forrest. Toms told the university's 936 December graduates and their guests.

"There is a challenge before (Sfe Vision, page 2A) locked in- the trunk or covered. "Normally, thieves won't steal what can't be seen," Adkison said. Place packages in the trunk' Ix-'re Seavir.g theplirklr.g "Tot to travel to another store. If you place the packages in the trunk scr.al a former MTSU MTSU associate professor for holiday shoppers, looking to give their children a happy holiday. The No.

1 thing parents want to consiSr is a t. yT i 7.Tary Elizabeth Stivers, MTSU's professor cf human (. children three and student-athlete said during- fall -ceremofties at MTSU Saturday. Parents or guardians also should ker-p a ciose eye on oiier (See Be a re, page A).