Rapid City Journal from Rapid City, South Dakota • 1

apid City ys' TT inside: to seres 10 A I I CO I ID 0 Lf. you of iii Black Hills Information and Perspective Since 1878 U. fl. IS tuoz rt i. srs-oson acks .1 J11 f-lJZ ci car .01 font 4 'Ha Thousands call NBC to criticize network for giving a forum to O.J.

Simpson. 1995, The Washington Post Hours before what would have been one of the most widely watched events in television history, O.J. Simpson on Wednesday canceled his first scheduled interview since the murders of his ex-wife and her friend 16 months ago. NBC anchor Tom Brokaw announced in the early afternoon that Simpson's attorneys had convinced their client that "they could not abide by the original agreement." Brokaw, who was to conduct the interview Wednesday night with Katie Couric, said the lawyers attributed their decision to the civil suits their client faces from the families of the slain Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald L. Goldman.

In a conversation Sunday with NBC News President Andrew Lack, Simpson had agreed to answer questions, with no restrictions. But when Simpson's lawyers learned of the deal and "began to think of the consequences, they had some second thoughts about what he FA Pennington County Coroner ruled that Kueter committed suicide by lying in front of a forklift and allowing it to crush him. Before his death, investigators had inter 1 ''VwV x' -1 Marcotte Body found at plant where suspect in Marcotte's disappearance committed suicide. By Hugh O'Gara Journal Staff Writer A badly decomposed body believed to be that of a missing Rapid City woman was found about noon Wednesday under a scrap pile at a wood processing plant southeast of Rapid City where the chief suspect in her disappearance committed suicide. Tina Marcotte, 30, disappeared early June 24, 1994, after her shift ended at the Forest Products Distributors Inc plant.

She called a friend saying her car had a flat tire and that she was getting a ride home from a casual friend, Tom Kueter. That morning was the last time Marcotte was heard from by friends, family or law enforcement officers. Speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Rapid City Police Chief Tom Hennies said, "There is a great possibility this is the body of Tina Marcotte." Four days after Marcotte disappeared, Kueter was found dead at his workplace, Forest Products. The wouia say ana tne wisdom of the interview," Brokaw said from Los Angeles. "And 1 think they began to get reports about how prepared Katie and I were to ask tough questions." Simpson, in a statement read by attorney Johnnie Cochran said "it was agreed that this would be a conversation, not a confrontation.

However, it has become viewed Kueter and told him he was a suspect in Marcotte's disappearance. "He was a suspect in this case," Pennington County Sheriff Don Holloway said Wednesday. Despite a widespread search that even followed reports from a psychic, Marcotte's body never was found. About noon Wednesday, a worker at Forest Products off S.D. Highway 79 South was using a piece of heavy equipment to move a pile of old scrap wood.

A few pieces fell off the loader. The worker left the cab to toss the pieces back on the loader and spotted the body in the load of wood. Because of the advanced decomposition, investigators are having the body checked by a forensic anthropologist to determine if it is Marcotte. But authorities are almost certain See Body on page A2 Simpson Journal photo by Johnny Sundby A law enforcement videograpber arid photographer document the site in the southeast corner of th Forest Products Distributors Inc. plant off S.D.

Highway 79, where a worker uncovered the remains of a body beneath Authorities think the body is that of Tina Marcotte who hasjtefn- missihg sinceJune 24, 1 994. S.D. penal system shuffle discussed clear that NBC has, perhaps in an attempt to appease diverse public viewpoints, concluded that this would be a time and an opportunity to retry The withdrawal came as NBC and its affiliates were being flooded with thousands of calls protesting the interview. Advertisers were deserting the remainder of the "Dateline NBC" broadcast, and some NBC employees had signed a protest letter. Pickets from the National Organization for Women, saying NBC should not offer a forum to an admitted wife batterer, were gathering outside the network's Burbank studios.

Simpson lawyer Gerald Uelmen said that "every attorney on the defense team agreed that this was a bad idea. Whatever he said in this interview could then be used against him in the civil suits or to impeach him when he testifies." Some analysts were quick to conclude that Simpson could not face detailed questioning about the murders. "It's a pretty succinct way of saying 'I did said Mandy Grunwald, a political consultant who led a media campaign to oust former Sen. Bob Packwood for sexual misconduct. Corrections officials inmate juvenile or adult with the ing facility.

One of the bills will seek legislative approval for sentencing juveniles to specific juvenile facilities. Today, judges will specify a juvenile convicted of a crime be sent to a particular facility, ranging from the Youth Forestry Camp in Custer State Park to the juvenile prison at Plankinton. The Department of Corrections wants this changed so the juvenile is turned Over to the department, which will send the youth to the proper facility that has room to house the offender. "We've gotten to such a point where resources are critical," Bloomberg told the board. The second proposed law will Change the way prisoners are paroled and accumulate "good time" toward earlier release.

See Prisons on page A2 ngnt racinty. The board met Wednesday morning in Custer State Park to review a variety of prison issues, all designed to matai the state prisoners to the appropriate existing and proposed facilities. Corrections Secretary Jeff Bloomberg told the board two new bills will be sent to the 1996 Legislature. Both ultimately are designed to place inmates in the best hold want to match inmates with appropriate facility. By Hugh O'Gara Journal Staff Writer CUSTER STATE PARK The state's Board of Corrections is looking at the penal system in an effort to match the right Workout Committee OKs Medicare overhaul I City awards contract for lake project Local firm will begin removing sediment in late October.

By Mark Andersen Journal Staff Writer If the Canyon Lake project goes well, RCS Construction can toast its success with clean water free of duck manure. The Rapid City Common Council awarded the lake project to the local construction firm Wednesday on a bid of $2,161,672. Beginning in late October, the company will begin removing lake sediment. Later, it will build a hard edge around the lake, reconstruct the mmmmmmmmmt lake island and build a duck- IT II -) ii inn 1 i am i I pi 1 GOOD MORNING Outside who will become senior citizens." "They're using our seniors to pay for tax cuts," said Rep. Benjamin Cardin, arguing as do President Clinton and most congressional Democrats that the GOP was merely plundering Medicare to finance a tax reduction for the rich.

The measure would slow the growth of the giant health program from an estimated 10 percent a year to roughly 6.4 percent. Most of the savings would come from curtailing planned increases in fees for doctors and hospitals, although seniors would pay higher premiums, as well, with the wealthy paying much more. At the same time, the legislation, drafted under Gingrich's personal direction, would let senior citizens choose alternatives to the current fee-for-service Medicare, such as health maintenance organizations. Senior citizens wouldn't get breaks on their premiums for joining HMOs or other managed-care plans, but they might get better benefits, such as prescription drugs and eyeglasses. By David Espo Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON Over vociferous Democratic opposition, House Republicans muscled legislation through committee on Wednesday that would squeeze $270 billion from Medicare over seven years while expanding health care choices for the elderly.

The vote in the House Ways and Means Committee was 22-14, with all GOP members of the panel embracing the bill and all Democrats opposed. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is expected to bring he measure to a vote in the full House next week. A similar bill is pending in the Senate. President Clinton has threatened a veto. Committee chairman Rep.

Bill Archer of Texas said Republicans had "kept our word" and devised a plan that assures Medicare's solvency for current senior citizens and "for those Partly cloudy: Today will be partly cloudy with highs in the low 70s and a 20 percent chance of afternoon showers. See details on page D8. Index feeding area that drains into city sewers. See Canyon Lake photos on page C8 A bridge to the 4 sections Local B1 Obituaries B2 Amusements B6 Sports C1-3 TVHills notebook C5 Comics C6-7 Living D1 Classified ads D2-8 Inside 1 1 island and an island gazebo also will be constructed. Improving lake water quality is the project's primary goal.

About half of Rapid City's drinking water flows through the lake. Redirected flows from Rapid Creek will flush a dead area on the lake's north side, planners say. The bridge to the island will remove duck breeding habitat. Funds authorized for the project come from a variety of sources: $1 million from a half-cent city sales tax, $400,000 from the Public Works Department budget, $562,500 from the See Lake on page A2 Tomorrow It just feels like the flu Flu season usually starts in late October, but people suffering from headaches, stomach cramps, coughs and fever may think it started early this year. At least for now, however, the misery that is often called "the flu" is more likely to be something else.

The state Department of Health and local doctors say no cases of influenza have been reported yet. They also sav it's a good idea to get a flu shot even if you're not in a high-risk erou See stories on page Bl. Journal photo by Johnny Sundby Practice makes perfect: Sarah Dean, a Stevens High School senior, works out with the flag section in preparation for the high school marching band's field competition Saturday in Colorado. The band leaves Friday. "The Heidi Chronicles," starring Jamie Lee Curtis, is the first film adaptation of Wendy Wasserstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

See Friday's Weekend section. 53.