The Iola Register from Iola, Kansas • 2

IHBJQLA REGISTER, TUESDAY. MAY 24. 1994 PAGE 2 News in brief Residents from the Townhouse Apartments and fifth-grade stu- dents from Jefferson Elementary celebrate the end of the year with a dinner and talent show. Strickler, had established pen The students, taught by Juile pals at the Townhouse. Gardner couple win $22 million Powerball prize Conventions to pack Wichita next month WICHITA, Kan.

(AP) Business travelers used to getting rooms without reservations in Wichita are getting a warning from the Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau about potential problems next month. Four major religious conventions meeting in town will strain Wichitas lodging capacity. The Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly begins June 10 and lasts almost a week. Quickly following are a district conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; the National Baptist Convention of America Annual Congress and Youth Convention, and the Church of the Brethren annual conference. The activities end July 2.

The meetings are expected to attract more than 21,000 people. The Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau staff estimates that conventioneers and their families will have a direct economic impact of nearly $8.6 million with an indirect benefit of more than $43 million. Business travelers are being advised to check as far ahead of time as possible for room availability. Teen-ager charged in fathers slaying LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) A 15-year-old Leavenworth boy has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the killing of his father and an ensuing two-state crime spree.

The boy was charged Monday in Leavenworth County District Court with killing Clifton Bourda on Friday in his Leavenworth home. The boy, armed with a handgun, then drove to Metro North Shopping Center in Kansas City, where he tried to steal two cars, police said. He forced his way into a womans car and ordered her to drive, and when that car crashed, he forced his way into a pickup truck, police said. The driver headed into Kansas and eventually struggled for the gun. The boy was eventually arrested by Overland Park police.

He was charged in Johnson County District Court with kidnapping. State seeks health care compensation JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi filed a lawsuit asking tobacco companies to reimburse the state for millions of tax dollars spent on tobacco-related diseases. This lawsuit is premised on a simple notion you cause the health crisis, you pay for it. The free ride is over, Attorney General Mike Moore said Monday after filing the lawsuit in state court.

Mississippi officials call the lawsuit the first of its kind. It asks that 13 tobacco companies, six tobacco wholesalers and several trade associations and public relations consultants be ordered to reimburse the state for money spent treating illnesses caused by smoking. Peggy Carter, a spokeswoman for Winston Salem, N.C.-based R.J. Reynolds Tobacco called the lawsuit an unprecedented ploy. E.

coli cases prompt investigation BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) Ten people were sickened by a strain of E. coli bacterium and federal investigators are looking into the illness of seven others who ate at the same restaurant on the same day. While all 17 people ate at the unidentified restaurant May 6, officials have not definitely tied the illness to that restaurant, City Inspector Mel Fischer said Monday. Officials may never find the source of the E.

coli bacteria contamination, he said. Several of those who became ill had to be hospitalized, he said. The victims range in age from 1 to 76. State and local health officials are working with the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to find the cause of the seven unconfirmed cases. An outbreak of E.

coli in the Pacific Northwest last year, which left three people dead and sickened 500, was traced to hamburgers from Jack in the Box restaurants. Two airliners narrowly avoid collision TOKYO (AP) Two jumbo jets came within seconds of colliding head-on 28,665 feet over the Pacific after an air traffic controller mistakenly put them on a collision course, Japanese aviation officials said today. Northwest flight 6 from Tokyo to Chicago avoided the disaster Sunday by veering out of the way of oncoming Cathay Pacific Airways flight 881 from Los Angeles en route to Hong Kong, the officials said. The planes were about 198 miles off the coast of Japans northernmost main island of Hokkaido. Serbs said violate exclusion zone SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) Two marauding Serb tanks violated the U.N.-imposed exclusion zone around Sarajevo and attacked positions of Muslim-led government troops, peacekeepers said today.

Coupled with Bosnian Serb refusal to pull out from the immediate vicinity of the besieged Muslim town of Gorazde, the violation around Sarajevo documented the most recent Serb defiance of the United Nations. Both Sarajevo and Gorazde, in eastern Bosnia, are U.N.-designated safe areas. Serbs have pledged to pull heavy weapons or armed units back far enough so they dont represent an immediate threat to the civilian populations. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) After a lifetime of hard work, Felix Kane of Gardner can sit back, relax, and decide how he and his wife, Laveme, will spend his $22.2 million Powerball jackpot.

Just the same old people is how he wants people to think of him and Laverne, a beaming Kane said at a news conference Monday at Kansas Lottery headquarters. Kane, 71, will receive about $737,040 each year, after taxes, for the next 20 years. Kane found out hed won on Sunday when he asked a clerk at a Gardner convenience store to put this Power-ball ticket in that lotto machine and see if itll play some music. The machine began to play Were in the Money. Later that day, Kane said, he bought a small safe and put the signed lottery ticket, originally worth $5, inside.

I had my .38 out on my bedside, he said, adding that he hasnt slept much since he discovered he held the winning ticket. His wife, Laveme, 71, and son Felix Kane 34, joined him at the news conference. There are two things the Kanes want to do immediately: First, they plan to buy a new recreational vehicle to do some traveling. The second is sending this Kerr plans to file TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) For-mer state Sen.

-Fred Kerr planned to follow Secretary State Bil. Graves in becoming the first "candidates tc 5 file for guber-Snatorial nomi- Sen. Fred Kerr "nation this election year. Graves became the first per-son to file on Monday, and Kerr 5 said he and his lieutenant governor running mate, Connie Hubbell of Topeka, would file at j3 p.m. today at the secretary of states office.

A half-dozen more gubernatorial contenders in both parities are expected to file by the jJune 10 deadline. I Other Republicans expected Sto file are Pittsburg business-man Gene Bicknell, Lenexa Mayor Rich Becker and former County Sheriff SOwen Sully. Democratic contenders are U.S. Rep. Jim Slat-jtery, state Rep.

Joan Wagnon land Fred W. Phelps all of Topeka, and Leslie Kitchen-master of Lost Springs. Graves, who has served as secretary of state the past eight years, and his lieutenant governor running mate, state Sen. Sheila Frahm of Colby, filed Monday for the GOP nomination in the Aug. 2 primary election.

With about 50 supporters and well-wishers from his current office watching, Graves and Frahm paid the $1,234 filing fee by check, then spoke to reporters and those who were there to back them. We believe we are winning, Graves said of the early battle for support among Republicans. We not only expect to be the nominee in August, we expect to win in November as well. Were the first to file and we dntend to start out first and stay front. Graves, 41, announced his Icandidacy last Oct.

18, and introduced Frahm as his running piate on April 4. Among those present for the filing were former Gov. William H- Avery of Wakefield, former 'Secretary of State Jack Brier of Topeka and GOP National SCommitteeman Jack Ran son of IWichita. Also attending the filing were Graves wife, Linda, and his parents, William H. and Helen Graves of Salina, and members 4f Frahms family.

DUE TO MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES TODAYS NEW YORK MARKET REPORTS WERE UNAVAILABLE AT PRESSTIME I-70I-35 killer is sought JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Investigators have a good idea what the man who they say killed six store clerks in three Midwestern states looks like. But they dont have his name, although they are sure he will strike again. This guy will continue until hes not able to because hes dead or locked up. There may be hiatus of 18 months or two years, but he will go back to it if hes able, said Detective Lt.

Pat McCarrick of the St. Charles Police. A task force of some 15 investigators from Missouri, Kansas and Indiana plus federal agents met Monday and today in a periodic review of the cases and to start using a computer database to sort through about 50,000 names accumulated since the murders in April and May of 1992. The main thrust of our meeting is the computer system. We want to make everyone familiar with it.

Well set the direction for the next few months on how we will proceed, said McCarrick, the task force spokesman. The man has been dubbed the I-70I-35 killer because the murders occurred in strip malls or stores near the two interstates. A 1992 sketch by Wichita, police has been circulated in the three states. Police say the suspect is a slender white male in his mid-20s to early 30s, about 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9 in height. He has sandy blond hair with a reddish tint.

We donthave the guy locked up yet, but we will, McCarrick said. I cant say we wont be here two years from now, but were going to find him. Were not going to give up on this guy. Without offering specifics, McCarrick said, We have a number of suspects we have looked at and we are continuing to look at. Investigators say all the victims were shot with a small-caliber handgun in the temple, the back of the head or both.

All were women except for one a man with long hair and two earrings. McCarrick said the FBIs Behavioral Sciences Unit has constructed a psychological profile of the man. He declined to discuss specifics of the profile but said one thing is clear: This guy isnt going to stop. He is motivated primarily by the kill; robbery is a secondary motive. As for all but one of the victims being women, McCarrick said, Hes selecting easy targets.

Hes a guy whos probably not confident with himself physically and he selects targets who are easy people who are easy for him to overpower physically. McCarrick said the task force would spend much of the two days becoming familiar with the computer database, which has the names of about 50,000 people who were near the scenes of at least one of the crimes around the time they occurred. boy to college, Laveme said with a nod toward her son. Felix Jr. lives in Gardner with his wife and three children.

He works as a production supervisor in Eudora. Its been a wild two days, Felix Jr. said. He said he plans to go to the University of Kansas and get a degree in mechanical engineering. The Kanes also have two daughters.

Kane said he couldnt possibly spend all the money, but those kidsll get it. is retired machine operator at a pump company. He and his wife have been working part time at a cleaning job in Gardner. I told em this morning, forget me, Kane said with a laugh. Ill do what I want to do now.

Kane has purchased one lottery ticket each week for a year, letting the computer pick the numbers, and has often predicted he would win. He bought the winning ticket at Price Chopper in Olathe. Ive had a good life, he said. I worked hard, but it didnt hurt me. The Kanes 40th wedding anniversary is Aug.

18. Were going to renew our vows, Kane said, smiling at his wife. And Im going to put another ring on those fingers. cludes Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties, the jobless rate was 6.6 percent in April 1994, down from 7.2 percent in March. In the Topeka area, the unemployment rate was 5 percent, compared to 5.3 percent the month before.

The Human Resources report showed that the Lawrence area had a jobless rate of 5.4 percent, down from 5.6 percent. The Kansas City area, which includes Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami and Wyandotte counties, had an unemployment rate of 5 percent, down from 5.4 percent. Human Resources also reported jobless rates for these selected counties: Allen 6.6, Bourbon 7.1, Cherokee 8.9, Crawford 7.3, Franklin 7.9, Labette 9.3, Montgomery 7.2. FOR SALE End rolls of paper used to print The Register. Good for many assorted uses.

40 cents a pound. Inquire at THE 10LA REGISTER 302 S. Washington 365-2111 States jobless rate decreases last month 25.8 Mutual fund volume 30 Ownership of 25 mutual funds, In millions of U.S. households: 20 17.3 22.5 7f'i 25.4 22.2 22.5 23 4 TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 percent in April, down from 6.1 percent in March, the state Department of Human Resources reported today.

"Hie April data showed normal seasonal trends, said Joe Dick, secretary of human resources. The report showed that employment increased by 11,784 jobs and the number of people seeking work dropped by 6,162. Generally, Kansas is enjoying its seasonal rebound, Dick said. The insured unemployment data shows that initial unemployment claims decreased over Die month. He said the rate for first-time unemployment claims dropped from 2.

1 percent in March to 1.8 percent in April. Last month, 1,262,262 people were working in Kansas, while 75,129 people were looking for work. The Kansas jobless rate in April 1993 was 4.7 percent, when 1,246,663 people were working and 60,913 were looking for jobs. That shows that both the level of employment has increased and the size of the work force is growing. In the Wichita area, which in 15 10 5 0 10.2 .9.0 -tyt! -f 4.6 I 86 i.

82 84 80 $2,000 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 rs I SOURCE Orange County Register in billions of dollars vf ty vf 80 81 82 83 84 '85 87 I 1 i XV A A 4 1 5- 1 if i i i. 3 Iff I ts 1. 'i if 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93.