European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday september 17, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 5 study estimates $20-b/f.on-a-year waste panel looks at Auto repair ripoffs Washington up few things up this appears to be True even in states seated to a House subcommittee that is set the average american As much As the that do More than most to keep an Eye on taking a look at the staggering Cost shoddy work Price gouging and poor ser Auto repair shops. Nearly a fifth of All consumer spending vice he is Likely to encounter when he takes those Are among the conclusions that of keeping 124 million passenger cars and his car in for service or repairs. Could be reached from testimony pre trucks on the Road. Melinda Wilson a University of Connecticut graduate student who wanted a a quiet place to study secluded spot to study sits with her dog skipper amid the gravestones of Storrs conn., cemetery. The cemetery is on the University Campus. Up 5 marines among arrested 8 held for murder of wife of go Honolulu up eight people including five marines and an army ser Geant were held Friday on murder and conspiracy charges in connection with the strangulation of the sergeant s wife reportedly to collect on the woman s life insurance  have charged sgt. Donald Lester 25, with hiring a team of marines from Hawaii s Kane Hoe base to kill his army wife spec. 4 Michelle Lester 24.two of the marines Cpl. Kenneth Gaut 21, and pfc. James Mori 19, were arrested by police aug. 26 after authorities got a re port that a woman was struggling with two men near a  they stopped the car which be longed to mrs. Lester her body was propped up Between the two marines in the front seat. Police said she had been Cobalt scare closes Highway in Pennsylvania area for hours Swiftwater a. Up state police and three scavenging motorists got a scare Friday when they discovered a num Ber of abandoned containers at first thought to be radioactive Cobalt. However after state police closed off a four mile stretch of interstate 80 in North Eastern Pennsylvania for about five hours because of what they Felt might be Radia Tion danger it was discovered the contain ers held a harmless Type of Industrial co  police said several containers of the Cobalt which May have fallen off a truck were picked up and carried off by three motorists. After they heard what was inside the motorists telephoned police and promised to returned the containers immediately. State police at Swiftwater had closed off the four mile stretch after a trooper and two others found four of the seven or eight containers on the Road East of Hazleton. One of the containers had broken open and it was first believed that the trooper and the two other men were exposed to hazardous radiation. . Crocker acting chief of the fuel facility and safety Branch of the . Nuclear regulatory commission Region 1, later said the 30-gallon steel Drums contained Industrial Cobalt. While spokesmen for the automotive service Industry disputed a government study suggesting that $20 billion a year is wasted on unnecessary repairs they admitted the Public is unhappy. The $20 billion estimate came last May from the National Highway traffic safety administration and it was repeated at the House hearing by Nitsa administrator Joan Claybrook to the consternation of Industry spokesmen. We estimate that improper or unnecessary Auto repair and maintenance practices Cost Consumers approximately $20 billion annually Claybrook said. She said about half the total represents losses due to fraudulent incompetent or unnecessary repairs and the rest due to automobiles being designed for ease of manufacture rather than ease of repair and to owners misunderstanding or ignoring the need for maintenance and up keep. The figure was disputed by William Raf Tery president of the motor and equip ment manufacturers association. Not Only is such a grossly inflated Fig ure unfair it is not even supported by the Nitsa  Raftery insisted. Expects the worst Ronald Weiner president of the Automo Tive information Council agreeing that car owners Are unhappy blamed it on their be ing pre conditioned to expect the worst by critics of the Industry. Even those who normally would be satisfied with the service and prices have a lingering suspicion that something probably in t right Weiner said. James Mcdowell representing the american automobile association said the automobile is the nation s  source of complaint despite Industry programs such As Ford s no unhappy owners Chrysler s your Man in Detroit Ameri can motors buyer Protection plan and general motors or.  at Best Consumers equate taking their car in for service or repairs with a trip to the dentist Mcdowell said. At worst in the car owner s mind the service garage is a place of almost unimaginable evils with shoddy work and exorbitant prices the Norm and Good service nearly impossible to  chairman Bob Eckhardt d-tex., said the hearings were exploratory but might Lead to new legislation. Strangled. Gaut of Virginia Beach va., and Mori of Elmwood Park 111., were later charged with murder. On wednesday night five other people were arrested including sgt. Lester who was on duty at the time his wife was killed. The others included Marine pvt. Patrick Hildebrand 22 Marine pvt. Ron Nie Wilson 19 Marine pvt. Kenneth an Derson 22 Patrick Hamlow 19, a Honolulu High school student and Elizabeth Tuttle 30, a neighbor of the letters. Police said the six had been charged under the hired killers Section of the Hawaii state penal code. The six arrested this week along with the two marines arrested last month took part in a plan to kill Michelle Lester a police spokesman said. The spokesman would not comment on the motive or give additional details but the Honolulu advertiser said police investigators Are working on the theory that Lester hired or conspired with the others to plan and carry out his wife s murder for $10,000 of his wife s $#0,000 life insurance policy. Five die in austrian crash Eisenstadt Austria a five persons were killed near Here when their midget bus was involved in a head on Colli Sion with a truck which had swerved into the other Lane. Of time sept. 17, 1948 the air Force celebrated its first anniversary by flying 4,000 to 5,000 tons of Coal to Berlin. The birthday loads of Coal will get to berliners through Normal channels. Families with children will receive a special 100-Pound allotment much More than needed for sustenance according to air Force officials. Sept. 17, 1958 a Federal judge has re fused to postpone integration in Charlottes Ville va., Public schools. Alexandria va., Public schools have been told by the court to admit Blacks next semester and a Little Rock ark., attorney has filed incorporation papers aimed at creating an Agency to run City High schools As private institutions which would bar Blacks. Sept. 17, 1968 doctors at the univer sity of Colorado s medical Center have performed the world s first heart kidney transplant. John w. Lanning 52, a truck Driver from Portland ore., was reported in satisfactory condition