Johnson City Press from Johnson City, Tennessee • 1

LIBERIA: Taylor sets date to cede powerl6B WCt Volume 83-Number 356 Today $125 SUNDAY August 3 2003 High ROAD jit c5t 5 to -'y 'C Low Rainy forecast Page 3A FRUITION Inside News The new 1-26 in North Carolina First discussed in the Tuesday a new Appalachian corridor officially opens By Chris Garland Erwin Bureau cgarlandjohnsoncitypress com More water As local residents clean up from flooding still more rain is in the forecast Outdoors Report suggests Sept 11 Saudi link WASHINGTON Still-secret sections of Sept 11 report examine interactions between Saudi businessmen and the royal family that may have intentionally or unwittingly aided al-Qatda or the suicide hijackers according to people who have seen it The report suggests that one and possibly two Saudi men who encountered the hijackers or their were tied to Saudi intelligence and that a Muslim imam in the United States may have been a facilitator for some hijackers the sources said speaking only on condition of anonymity US investigators are setting out anew to determine if the connections are innocent coincidences in an Islamic culture that urges charitable support or a pattern of pro-terror money and patronage flowing from the wealthy kingdom that is a longtime US ally according to government officials familiar with those efforts Some of the most sensitive information in a 28-page classified section of the report involves what US agencies are doing currently to investigate Saudi business figures and organizations the officials said The congressional investigators however warn the leads they have dug up for the FBI and CIA to pursue are at times contradictory or circumstantial The FBI and CIA have not substantiated ties to Saudi intelligence the one hand it is possible that these kinds of connections could suggest as indicated in a CIA memorandum evidence that there is support for these On the other hand it is also possible that further investigation of these allegations could reveal legitimate and innocent explanations for these one passage from the unclassified section of the report states See LINK Page 8 A A good cause 1 ERWIN The concept of the Interstate 26 connector scheduled to open this week first surfaced here in the 1960s Discussion of building the corridor began in 1965 when it was proposed by the Appalachian Regional Commission Erwin Mayor Russell Brackins said he was a Unicoi County commissioner when the process began and he remembers the first section was called the Erwin bypass when it was first built from what is now Exit 18 of US Highway 23 south to the Sandy Bottom community at Exit 15 in the early 1980s An Interstate Corridor Association that included Tennessee and North Carolina officials was formed in 1986 It later turned into the Western North Carolina Corridor Association and continued the push that has essentially brought the final interstate section to completion Brackins said the group met a couple of times annually at locations in Johnson City and here were already in the planning stages and so when we began to meet we started having joint planning Brackins said He said the Tennessee portion of the interstate already in the planning and funding stage when the North Carolina portion was not even in their highway improvement plan that time we started telling the North Carolina See FRUITION Page 8A Peak may be the next climb for brain injury survivor Dede Norungolo Inside Sports North Carolina Gov Michael Easley and the North Carolina Department of Transportation will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open Interstate 26 on Tuesday at 1 1:30 amat the new North Carolina Welcome Center Those attending the ceremony from Tennessee should follow US Highway 23 on Sams Gap to Bear Branch Road approximately three miles from the state lineTum onto Bear Branch Road and drive under the 1-26 bridge and take the 1-26 eastbound ramp toward Asheville Follow the new 1-26 eastbound for about three miles to the welcome center Track record 1C Kevin Harvick starts first today in the Brickyard 400 thanks to a record qualifying run Ron CampbellJohnson City Press Big Laurel bridge on the new 1-26 in North Carolina Also Inside News Local4A Lottery2A Nation6A -Sticking around State5A Weather3A World6B Shift in legal opinion could help resolve Power Board nominations Sports Baseball3C Basketball3C Golf8C On Air2C Scores2C By James Watson Press StaffWriter lwatsonjohnsonatypress com Elsewhere A breakdown of the various city boards4A Opinion3B Outdoors 1 Puzzles 1 OE Tempo 1 TV listing 1 4E Weddings4E Astrology 1 OE Brooks 1 Classified 1 Dear AbbyIOE Editorial2B Insight 1 I mayor pointed to a letter from JCPB attorney Tom McKee outlining the process of selecting appointees Citing Tennessee Code Annotated Section 7-52-108 which says chief executive officer shall also with the consent of the governing body of the municipality designate a member of such governing McKee wrote in the letter that the mayor was the CEO of the city and was thus the only person who could bring up names for nomination to the Power Board But after an inquiry from the Press with the results revealed to the attorney McKee said he has changed his opinion over who is actually the CEO of the See SHIFT Page 8A As city commissioners work this week to make appointments to the Johnson City Power Board after nominations became deadlocked in July a change of legal opinion could move the issue forward On July 17 a clash between Mayor Pete Paduch and three other commissioners over who would serve on the Power Board resulted in no one being appointed clearly stated my interest and willingness to serve on the Power City Commissioner Steve Darden said recently of the issue But name was not brought up for nomination as Paduch said he was the only member of the commission who could make recommendations There are two open seats on the eight-member Power Board that must be filled One of those positions has to be a city commissioner or the city manager turn of events at our last meeting were very surprising and rather troubling to Darden said Paduch refused questions from the Johnson City Press regarding the nominations but during the July meeting the Angela jonesJohnson City Press Deaths2A JOHNSON CITY Mary Crawford Harold Saylor ELK PARK NC Norvil Vincent Sr ERWIN Ernest Edwards MESAAriz Edna Street Tim Culbert 1 1 and Logan Counts 9 enjoy the Velcro wall during the Boys and Girls Club National Kids Day Celebration in Johnson City For more photos see Page 4A School board expected to extend contract Front Page DesignDon Armstrong Visit Our Web Site At JbfalttOaClt3fPreMCOm By Sam Watson Press Education Writer swotsonohnsonotyfress com advance Board members tabled the extension in July to allow the school legal counsel Lee Herrin to address them about the document McGriff said Friday that while she would never assume what the board would do about the contract she felt reasonably confident in her performance hope that been able to reach an she said serve at the pleasure of the board I would never try to in See CONTRACT Page 8A doing an excellent job for the school McGriff who came to Johnson City from Alabama in 2001 still has a year left on her three-year contract and the board has the option of a one-year extension a year hr expects the board to extend Schools Director Toni Hughes contract when it meets Monday see any problem at all with Dr Chairman Dick Manahan said Friday think Dr McGriff is Despite a delay in July the Johnson City Board of chairman said he iTo buy a classified ad 'tall 722-0509 33125 7 To suggest a story call 722-0537MTo subscriber call 722-05 1 0 7.