St. Joseph News-Press from St. Joseph, Missouri • 1

GOOD MORNING Today: High: Lower 488 Low: SUNNY COMPLETE FORECAST BACK PAGE INFO-LINE COLLEGE BASKETBALL Western Missouri Southern 67 Western Missouri Southern 73 Pittsburg State Northwest Pittsburg State. Northwest women. 58 HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL Central ...39 Benton girls 52 Central Marcum waives right to hearing Michael E. Marcum, the man who wanted to go through time, is going to Gentry County Circuit Court instead. Marcum, 21, waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday and was bound over to Circuit Court on charges of felony stealing.

Marcum, of Stanberry, is accused of stealing up to six power transformers. Marcum said he needed to electrical devices to build a time machine. He is being held in the Gentry County Jail in lieu of $7,500 bond. He will be arraigned March 9. News-Press report D.C.

gets 'junk bond' rating WASHINGTON A major Wall Street investment firm lowered the rating on the District of Columbia's debt to "junk bond" status Wednesday, putting the credit of the nation's capital at the bottom of 50 major cities and driving the city closer to a federal bailout. Moody's Investors Service lowered the city's rating to the level of risky, "speculative" bonds, becoming the second firm to downgrade the city's credit significantly in two days. At the same time, members of Congress warned that the city could run out of money as early as next month. Dow closes at record high NEW YORK The Dow Jones industrial average closed at an alltime high Wednesday after flirting with the 4,000 mark. The close of 3,986.17 was 27.92 points higher than the opening bell and was well above the previous record closing high of 3,978.36.

Investors and analysts apparently are convinced that the economy can sustain steady growth without inflation. At one time, the Dow reached 3,997.95 before falling back. Story, N.Y. death penalty on track ALBANY, N.Y. Gov.

George Pataki and legislative leaders announced Wednesday they had reached an agreement to bring capital punishment back to New York, after 18 years of death penalty vetoes. The accord, which seems almost certain to be approved, was reached after an all-night negotiating session with Senate and Assembly leaders. If passed, it would make New York the 38th state with a capital punishment provision. "There is no question in my mind it will be a deterrent," said Pataki, who made restoration of the death penalty a central promise of his gubernatorial campaign last year. "It will save lives.

It will reduce the number of murders which otherwise would have been committed in this state." Pataki acknowledged that there are several details yet to be worked out among the negotiators. But the state Senate expects to vote on the issue Feb. 27, and the new law most likely would take effect sometime in the fall. From AP reports Puzzle Page SC Sports Page 1C INSIDE TODAY New police 'image' will appear in April Business Page 5C Classified Page SC Comics Page 4C Dear Abby Page 8A Focus Page 9A Metro Page 18 Movie Ads Page 3C 1845-1995 St. Joseph FEBRUARY 16.

1995 St. Joseph, Missouri 3 SECTIONS. Griffin may step aside in 1996 door slightly Says he won't run run saying again he if no er Democrat for speaker if party build the support take over. can find successor fin had Previously, declined say whether By SEAN P. JOHNSON would be his News-Press Capital Correspondent term in the top JEFFERSON CITY Speaker Bob "I know I'm Griffin says he will not seek another going to be term in the House's top post if fellow forever," Griffin Democrats can find a successor by 1996.

Wednesday. "If But the Cameron Democrat, now serv- someone, I'm ing a record 15th year as speaker, left the would step aside." open, would othcould to Griffin Grifto this last job. not Griffin speaker said in an interview the caucus can agree on essentially saying that I Griffin gave the indication this could be his last term when asked about Democrats who were making inquiries about the speaker's race in 1996. One possible candidate, Rep. Sam Leake, D-Laddonia, said he will not challenge Griffin directly or make a bid before the 1996 session.

He did say, however, that he has queried several Democrats about his prospects. "I am looking at this only in terms of Leake said Wednesday. "I'm saying, let's look and see if the speaker is going to be here, if there is a possibility. Leake said he would not make any formal bid for the post until Griffin announced that he was stepping aside. "It doesn't hurt to look at possibilities Stall photo by ERIC WELCH HEY, YOU! Marcus Rhode, a Missouri Western State College senior tertained the crowd by beating Southern, 83-73, to make who describes himself as the biggest fan of Western bas- their record 22-2.

Rhode and his friend, Mitchell Johnson, ketball, taunts a Missouri Southern Lady Lion at the wom- sitting next to him, studied the opponent's roster so they en's game on Wednesday night. The Lady Griffons en- could heckle them by name. Senator: Cut farm spending 30 percent Associated Press WASHINGTON The head of the Senate Agriculture Committee wants to cut farm spending by nearly 30 percent through the year 2000, by lowering crop and export subsidies. In: a telephone interview with reporters on Wednesday, Sen. Richard Lugar, said reductions in so-called target prices and the Export Enhancement Program would shave nearly $15 billion from the anticipated $50 billion in farm-program spending over five years.

Lugar said he planned to outline the proposals today at a hearing of the Senate Budget Committee, which is looking Dow Chemical is found liable in implant suit Associated Press HOUSTON A jury awarded a woman and her husband $5.2 million Wednesday for leaking breast implants that she claimed made her sick. It was the first time Dow Chemical Corp. has been found liable in a lawsuit over the product. In its 10th day of deliberations, the jury decided that Dow Chemical must pay 20 percent of the award to retired nurse Gladys Laas, 57, and her husband, Robert. Dow Corning 0.

Lass owned by Dow Chemical and Corning must pay 80 percent, the jury found. Gladys Laas was awarded $4.2 million and her husband $1 million for loss of affection and companionship. The jury rejected damage claims by another plaintiff, Army Dr. Jennifer Ladner of El Paso. Ladner and Gladys Please see 7A for the future," Leake said.

Republicans have questioned whether Griffin can make it to 1996. They came within a vote of ousting him earlier this year and continually refer to the speaker's legal problems as "a cloud over the Federal and state authorities are investigating ties between Griffin and two gaming companies. Griffin maintains he has done nothing wrong and will be vindicated. He refuses to discuss the allegations. Griffin said he has encouraged several Democrats to see if they could build a coalition to take over as speaker.

DemoPlease see 7A Senate OKs $3.1 million for prisons in city, area the Department of Corrections' recent move into the Park Building on the hospital campus, a move that added 280 beds. The state plans a $42 million conversion of the campus into an minimum-security prison. "These are operational expenses to maintain the 480 beds we now have there," Corrections Director Dora Schriro said. In June 1994, Corrections expanded the facility to 480 beds from 200 and added 60 staff positions, bringing the total to 153. The money approved for the Western Missouri Correctional Center will pay for personnel increases and other changes that had to he made to accommodate a population of 2,800 inmates, 800 more than the prison's designed capacity.

Corrections officials asked for the $552,000 to design a possible Maryville prison as part of $11 million in capital improvement requests contained in the Please see 7A Prosecution: O.J.'s blood found on gate Associated Press LOS ANGELES Blood found on an alley gate near the slashed bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman was identified as that of O.J. Simpson, a prosecutor said Wednesday. The match was determined through recently completed tests, Deputy District Attorney Rockne Harmon said. Previously, prosecutors had said drops of Simpson's blood were found on a walkway at the condo. Prosecutors contend Simpson cut his finger during the slayings and dripped blood as he fled through the back gate.

But defense attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. said outside court that the blood on the gate was collected July 3. Nicole Simpson and her friend, Goldman, were slashed to death on June 12. "We have real questions whether that has been contaminated, whether this evidence has any integrity Cochran said. Defense lawyers have said Simpson could have cut himself and left blood at his ex-wife's condo while visiting his children long before the slayings.

The statement was made during a hearing out of the jury's presence, in which attorneys argued over sharing of evidence. "The tests are showing that is Mr. Simpson's blood," Harmon Hoping to demolish claims that police planted evidence to frame Simpson, prosecutors, won approval Wednesday to retest blood from his home and the crime scene for traces of a laboratory prePlease see 7A By SEAN P. JOHNSON News-Press Capital Correspondent JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a request for $1 million to pay for the expansion of a prison now based on the St. Joseph State Hospital property.

Senators also approved $552,000 in planning money for a proposed prison in Maryville, along with $1.6 million to handie crowding at the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron. All were part of a $162 million supplemental appropriations bill already approved by the House. Minor differences between the two versions still must be worked out. The money for St. Joseph will cover for ways to balance the budget by 2002.

The Clinton administration, in its budget proposal last week, suggested only $1.5 billion in farm program cuts, with none starting before 1998. The bulk of the cuts $11.5 billion under the Lugar proposal would be made by lowering the congressionally mandated target price for key crops by 15 percent over five years, at a rate of 3 percent a year. The remaining $3.9 billion would be made in the Export Enhancement Program, which pays export subsidies on grain and other farm products. Those subsidies already face some cuts because of the newest global trade agreement. Growers receive deficiency payments to make up the difference between the target price and the market price for.

wheat, corn, sorghum, barley, oats, rice and cotton. Payments for those crops are expected to total more than $6 billion this year, largely because a record corn crop depressed grain prices. "The proposal that I'm making does not terminate target prices and deficiency payments," Lugar told reporters. "There's a very strong safety net that takes in consideration the weather and disasters, and likewise the desirability of a very gentle -down so that land Please see 7A Stall photo by IVAL LAWMON JR. PROUD BUT TATTERED The flag of the United States still flies proudly at the south end of Hyde Park, near the complex's ball diamonds, Wednesday afternoon.

However, the flag is faded and very tattered, which means it is in dire need of being replaced..