The Spokesman-Review from Spokane, Washington • 10

rm mmrn i Friday, Aug. 6, 1 993, Spokana, Wash. THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW B5 Wood admits killing Pocatello newspaper carrier Says violent life included string of rapes P7 could tell you why, it wouldn have happened. JAMES EDWARD WOOD, faces murder charge After serving less thun six years of two concurrent 1014-year terms, Wood was again released for good behavior Nov. 6, 1986, records show.

Wood traced a troubled life that began at age 8, when he watched his mother, Hazel Johnson, burn to death in a potato warehouse fire in Rupert, Idaho, after she saved two other workers. It destroyed me, Wood said. He was adopted by his aunt and uncle in Idaho Falls. Both are now dead. It was pure hell, Wood said.

I was abused physically and mentally continuously." Wood said when he was 14, his adopted parents sent him to the Idaho Youth Training Center in St. Anthony, a juvenile detention facility. "They told the police I was uncontrollable," Wood said. 1 tried to escape eight times, but they kept sending me back. Finally 1 was released to my father in Shreveport.

Wood said he was not close to his biological father, Sherman Godwin, who died in 1992. Wood said he was an alcoholic and "was arrested me." The Caddo Parish Sheriffs Department in Louisiana is currently investigating Wood, said Charles Scholz, an investigator. After the argument, Wotul moved to Idaho, where he lived with a cousin in Chubbuck. I le said he cooperated with police after his July 7 arrest. "I was arrested by the investigating officer Scott Shaw," Wood said.

"He at the time led me to believe he was with the I Bl behavioral team out of Virginia. He said that he was my only lifeline if 1 was going to get through this." Pocatello Police Chief Jim Benham said he would not respond to Woods statements about Shaw, who could not be reached for, comment. Yvonne Wood, 40, said her husband was loving father to the couples 2-year-old James Wood began to cty when he learned of the conversation with his wife. "I love her so much, Wood said. Im so sorry.

It never should have happened. I never should have left Louisiana," AMociulcd PrcM POCATELLO, Idaho James Edward Wood adnniied lo sexually assaulting and killing ll-year-old Pocatello paper carrier Jeralee Underwood and said he committed a string of rapes in a lifetime of violence. If I could tell you why, it wouldn't have happened, Wood, 45, said Wednesday in a copyrighted interview with The Idaho Slates-man. Wood, who is charged with first-degree murder in the girl's death, is scheduled to enter a plea Aug. 27 in Uannock County court.

W(xd said he spoke against the advice of his defense attorneys. Wood talked about his history of violent crime and his failed attempts to get help. He ended the conversation after 10 minutes, saying he was worried authorities would take away his telephone privileges. 1 le faces 12 felony counts in Idaho, including murder, three first-degree kidnapping and two rape charges. Underwood was uhductcd June 29 while collecting on a newspaper route.

Her dismembered body was found eight days lutcr after thousands of residents combed the area. Speaking through a voice panel, Wood said he committed his first rape and attempted murder at age 18 in Shreveport, and has raped "at least eight or nine times. 1 turned myself in and begged for psychiatric help, he said, describing his first offense. 1 know I didnt belong on the street because something was wrong with me. Shreveport authorities could not confirm Wood's statements about his 1965 crimes.

At age 19, Wood was convicted of aggravated battery in Bossier Parish, and sentenced to 10 years in Angola State Peni-tentiaiy in Angola, court records show. After serving two vears, he was paroled Aug. 18, 1971 for good behavior, authorities said. In 1979, he was convicted of rape in Lincoln Parish, and armed robbery in East Baton Rouge Parish. raised in Leavenworth himself," speaking of the Kansas penitentiary.

Seventeen months after Woods release from Angola Penitentiary in 1986, he married his third wife, Yvonne Wood. He never showed any signs of violence," Yvonne Wood said in a teleplume interview from Keithville, La. He was a perfect gentleman. This has been a total shtuk. Yvonne Wood said she argued with her husband Oct.

23, 1992, after learning that he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old relative. James Wood confirmed his wifes statement. "Yes I did it," Wood said, "And the police didn't do nothing about it. I should never have left Louisiana because they should have CONTINUEDi FROM Bl Idaho Blue Shield announces cost-containment plan Smith It is the second phase of a cost-containment campaign Blue Shield launched following the state Legislatures debate and eventual overwhelming defeat of a sweeping health care reform bill in 1992. "The message that came from the 1992 session was that there needed to be a private sector initiative, Nelson said.

In February, Blue Shield imposed a reimbursement cap for physicians on office visits and similar services at the level charged by all but the highest 10 percent in the state. Reimbursement for other services including surgical procedures was capped at the level charged by all but the highest 25 percent. Nelson said that plan, which was not intended to affect overall benefit Associated Press BOISE Responding to public Eressure to hold down spiraling ealth care costs, one of Idahos major insurers announced on Thursday imposition of a cost-containment scheme on Idaho hospitals. The perception is that hospital charges in Idaho are lower than elsewhere in the country," said Rich Nelson, president of Blue Shield of Idaho. Our data suggests this is not the case.

Under the program to be effective Oct. 1, Blue Shield for the first time will operate under contracts with Idahos hospitals. Those contracts set out a rate schedule based on procedures for large-volume institutions and on a per-day payment for medium volume facilities. Small hospi nancially healthy," he said. "We have dealt with the physician payment program.

Now we arc offering the hospitals an opportunity to share in this aggressive cost-management program." Should hospitals decline to sign the new contracts, Blue Shield will continue covering services at them but payments will be made directly to the policyholder and it will be up to the hospitals to deal with collection. Nelson said he hoped the combination of direct payment to hospitals and public pressure for controlling costs will convince hospitals to accept the price schedules Blue Shield is offering, Nelson said. Blue Shield covers about 25 per-, cent of the states population. tals will be paid actual costs subject to prior approval. Nelson said while the individualized schedules are based on a cost-plus margin determined after analysis of expense and billing information for each hospital, there will be some hospitals that see reimbursements from Blue Shield decline.

"Its too early for us to comment on it, Idaho Hospital Association Director Steve Millard said after being briefed by Blue Shield officials Thursday afternoon. Its brand new. Its too major a change, Millard said. He conceded the system could work but only if it is based on proper statistics. That has been the problem with the use of similar schedules for the Medicare program, he said.

payments, has been relatively well accepted by doctors. The cost-containment impact will come in future years through control of annual increases in those caps. Under the new program, however, Nelson said Blue Shield hoped to cut the annual hike in benefit payments from 16 percent to less than 10 percent. Blue Shield paid out $88.2 million to hospitals last year. While the impact on Blue Shield's 239,000 policyholders will likely be smaller annual premium increases, Nelson said that optimistically, we might be able to hold rates steady and in some cases provide a reduction.

When compared to national indicators, most Idaho hospitals are fi political involvement prior to taking over the state party was a term as chairman of the Republican Party in Bannock County, where the GOP unseated longtime state Sen. Patty McDermott of Pocatello. Smith said he is pleased at the inroads Repub-licans have made in traditional Democratic strong- holds such as Moscow and Lewiston, where three legislative seats were converted to Republican in the last election. I think there is some organization, he said. Theyre young and theyre vibrant and theyre wanting to get involved.

CONTINUED: FROM Bl Now Just One Number Gets You Into Hot Water, Warm Surroundings And Cool Vacation spots. ACCOMMODATIONS FROM Neighbors others how to use them. Born and raised in Boise, Peggy Fairfield remembers having extra families in at holiday time. We had a big family, but it wasnt unusual to have people from church or the neighborhood join us for Thanksgiving, and my dad could always be counted on to shovel the walks of anyone unable to help themselves. The Fairfields two children, Benjamin, 11, and Hillary, 9, will be joining the 14 kids and parents on their block in honoring Rex and Peggy.

The picnic will be provided by Tidymans Food Stores, Little Caesars Pizza and Do It Yourself Rentals. Here is the letter from the Staples that moved the judges to choose the Fairfields as Good Neighbors of the Year: want to tell you about our neighbors Rex and Peggy Fairfield, who have lived in our neighborhood for '12 years. Rex and Peggy know everyone and stay current with everyone by always taking the time to chat and really listen. I They also have a great sense of humor. If you havent spent time laughing with them, it certainly isnt the Fairfields fault.

Rex and Peggy have polite, helpful children who are learning what its like to be good neighbors by example. The Fairfields monitor our neighborhood and have been known to chase away bullies. When we returned from vacation, our yard looked better than ever. Rex and Peggy had been at work. Last winter, it was common to see Rex out early cleaning neighbors driveways.

Their neighbors are also the recipients of many year-round kindnesses including baked goods and produce from their garden. i In short, Rex and Peggy are people of character and integrity who care about everyone. Core Aeration Enables water, nutrients, air to reach the roots of your lawn. Controls thatch, reduces soil compaction stimulates the turf. Prevents runoff Promotes a healthier greener lawn U.S.

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