The Wichita Eagle du lieu suivant : Wichita, Kansas • 1

HIGH 77 LOW S3 BETJULS IB OCTttBEB 29 2003 50 CEHTS wwwkansascom Roberts wants the White House to answer for so-called intelligence failings that he says have put US troops in danger Nine says Kansans are a target because of their busting nature" Hia task force aims to fight fraud rui Ini Parent of Holiday Inn and another company will split assets of Wichita-based chain of extended-stay hotels Roberts calls for answers on intel BY JAMES NIHNHBM NN JOHN NIUOTT Knight Bidder Newspapers WASHINGTON Two key Republican senators want the Bush administration to explain US intelligence Mings in Iraq that they say are endangering American troops and contributing to die rising death toll mere Sen Pat Robots of Kansas the chairman of die Senate Intelligence Committee and Sen John Warner of Virginia die chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee 1 are planning to hold Senate hearings to examine the performance of military intelligence in postwar Iraq Tm very concerned about Roberts said not going to win this antiguerrilla fight without better intelligence I think up to par costing us lives We tell the good guys from the bad Warner said he and Roberts will determine which of their committees will direct die hearings Warner sits on committee and Roberts is a member of paneL Please see ROBERTS Page 4A Fraud victims gain state advocate A state attorney task force aims to crack down on scams that target the elderly and the disabled lYDaHuva The Wichita Eagle The very strength of an open and trusting attitude makes them vulnerable to scams especially those residents who are elderly and disabled state Attorney General Phill Kline said Tuesday Kline stopped in Wichita to announce a new task force that will focus on consumer fraud complaints filed by the elderly and the disabled The Vulnerable Aduks Task Force will focus on educating Kansans about scams and helping consumers who fall victim to than are a target because of their trusting nature" Kline said during a news conference at foe Northeast Senior Center in Wichita His office is working with other agencies and groups including AARP the Kansas Bankers Association and the Kansas Please see FRAUO Page 4A Howto RECOGNIZE SIGNS OF FRAUD The Kansas attorney general's office says these signs could mean someone has taken advantage of a senior citizen or disabled resident If you care for an elderly a dsabied relative or friend watch for Bcnee of mercharnSee that your relative attend has no uee for such as compact decs a DVDs when he a she doesn't have a CO a DVD player Junk mai that is stacked in pies a being received daiy Numerous checks written for amal amounts to pay formal-order pur chases Checks a money orders to foreign btteriea Multiple a dupfcate magazine subscriptions Suspicious home repairs Unusual bank account activity tattkWiefJEWSiUSEtoatfAji Jess! Viurquez of tho Hispanic Business Leadership Council speaks duringa meeting about the latest 21 st Street revitalization plan Dm WiNiama Tha Wichita Eagla 21st Street upgrades move ahead BY JOE BOORMWB The Wichita Eagle Ilka HutmacharFIb photo Jack DeBoer will focus on Ms other investments after selling Candlewood Hotel Ca and the corporate operations at 8621 21st St is being sold to InterContinental Hotels Group of London for $15 million DeBoer had already sold 64 of the chain's hotel buildings to Please see CANDLEWOOD Page 5A CANDLEWOOD HOTEL CO SALE HON MUCH? $105 mfion in cash WHO BOUGHT IT? Hoapkafity Properties Trust Newton Maas bought 1 2 hotels for $90 mBon InterContinental Hotels Group London bought the name and corporate operations for $15 mion WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The company wl deappear around Jan 1 Referred stock-hokfere wi split $25 mXon Common stockholders wl get 4 to 8 cents a share WHAT ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES? The 1500 hotel employees wl be unaffected Some of the 70 employees at corporate headquarters at 8621 21st St may be offered other A firefighter shields his face from the heat of an oncoming firestorm Tuesday near Lake Arrowhead Calif Wildfires dotted an area that extended more than 100 miles Mapb6A BY UN VOOBIBS The Wichita Eagle ntrepreneur Jack DeBoer is selling Candlewood Hotel Co one of the largest public companies based in Wichita for $105 million The nationwide extended-stay hotel chain fell victim to the long downturn in business travel It has lost money for die past 11 quarters Hie rale of Candlewood follows the sale and departure of sudi other large Wkhita-born companies as Pizza Hut Rent-A-Center and Brite Voice Systems The loss of such companies not only costs high-paying jobs and executive talent but it dampens community pride "If we lose a company headquarters unfortunate" said Sheryl Wohlford chairwoman of the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce "Economic events have taken a toll and Widiita has had more than our The company just ran out of cash to stay afloat said DeBoer die company's founder chairman and chief executive The last 12 company-owned hotels will go to Hospitality Properties Group of Newton Mass fa $90 million They will continue under the name Candlewood Suites The heart of the company its name Frustrated firefighters said they could do litrie to stop the fiames and exhausted crews in San Diego County were pulled back even though two devastating blazes began merging into a super-fire near Julian a mountain town of 3500 known for its apple crop In San Diego County a Maze of Please see FIRES Page 6A Missy SB Unchecked Calif fires force mass evacuations The city of Wichita is ready to start its latest effort to create a revitalization plan for 21st Street between Hillside and Amidon City officials Tuesday told a group of about 50 people that a consultant for die plan should be hired by December and it would take up to nine months to complete an improvement study Allen Bell die economic development directra and John Schlegel director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission shared the update and answered questions about die dan during a meeting organized by the Hispanic Business Leadership CoundL The council is a Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce committee The meeting attracted many Hispanic Please see UPGRADE Page 3A BYKTH KETTBU Associated Press SAN DIEGO Tens of thousands of people fled mountain communities in San Diego and San Bernardino counties Tuesday and caused a traffic Jam on a narrow mountain highway as frantic residents raced to avoid California's deadliest wildfires in more than a decade SUBSCRIBE TODAY 268-6344 Btakwng BUSINESS MONEY: New $20s dent work in some automated machines 4B 02003 Tho Wichita Eagtaand Baacon COMINE THOM Roy WenzTs "Hidden Kansas" AMaNng OoPXX Boa 8201 Wichita KS 07201 NATION WORLD: China to buy Boeing jets tp cut trade deficit 6A a i.