European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 17, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday aprm7, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 5 a toil Dingles from � Chicago drawbridge. Taxi Driver killed by drawbridge Chicago a a taxi caught on a rising drawbridge fell to the pavement then was crushed and its Driver killed when the Span came Back Down authorities said. The cab driven by jul bang 36, of Chicago was half on the Bridge when the Span was raised to accommodate a Barge on the Chicago River which winds through downtown. "1 was hysterical said passenger Jane Wil Liams 28, of Highland ind., who jumped to safety along with her mend Reva Hawk of Chi Cago. The taxi landed upside Down on the pave ment extending Over the water. The Bridge the was lowered and crushed the car police said. When the Bridge operator was alerted to the Accident by the tugboat pulling the Barge he raised the Bridge again. The car its underside hooked to the Span dangled Over the water. As gales came Down to keep traffic off the Bridge while it was raised and lowered the cab stopped at the Bridge s West end with its front wheels on the Street and its rear wheels on the Span said police spokesman William Bratek. It was not Clear Why bang who hat three years experience driving a cab had stopped. The Bridge operator working inside a Booth at the East end raised the Bridge which opens in one piece from the West Side. As the Bridge came up the car teetered then fell to the Road upside Down police said. Carter Hoffman cleared spectators applaud verdict Northampton Mas. A a jury found Amy Carter Abbic Hoffman and 13 other protesters innocent wednesday of changes stemming from a demonstration last fall against Cia recruiters at the University of Massachusetts. The six member jury announced the verdict to is courtroom packed with 130 spectators about three hours after they began deliberations Hampshire county District court judge Richard Connon cleared the chamber after the reacting of inc first verdict was greeted with thunderous applause. The people of Northampton a jury of is in North Ampton have found the Cia guilty or a larger crime than trespassing and disorderly conduct and decided we had a legitimate right to protest that the daughter or former president Jimmy Carter said As she left the courthouse. I Don t know what is in the future but i am sure i am going to be involved in this sort of thing for the rest of my lift she added. She called her family from the defendants1 head quarters where jubilant supporters and defendants doused each other with Champagne. She said her father who had been following the trial in the Atlanta newspapers was really  the former president who was appearing at Agnes Scott College in Decatur a said later that he was a very proud father  Amy is a very shy girl contrary to the image you Sec projected in the news Media. But she believes very strongly in what she s doing he said. She has been reluctantly i would May involved i issues of importance to her. Amy s been arrested tour time three times for protesting apartheid and this last time for what she considers and i consider illegal activity of the Cia in Nicaragua. I m very proud of Amy and eager for her to get bark in the classroom and make up for lost  Carter said. It feels very Good very Good Hoffman said after the verdict. I am proud of what we did. It s Good for the country to j Good for  prosecutor Diane Fernald had argued that Amy car Ter deliberately blocked buses and other protesters refused to leave a University building to publicize their demands that the school ban Cia recruiters. The defense had argued that the protesters broke minor Laws in an Effort to put a Stop to Graver Law breaking by the spy Agency. I think inc jury was saying students have a right to protest against Legal Cia Covert actions against their dirty Little War in Nicaragua said Stephen Schlang an attorney for the defendants. If there is a message it was that this jury was com posed of Middle America said District attorney w. Michael Ryan or. It was a great jury for us. They weren t kids. There were a couple of senior citizens. And they believed the defense. Middle americano est t want the Cia doing what they Are  miss Carter 19, was among three defendants accused of disorderly conduct at the nov. 24 demonstration. Hoffman a Leader in the student movement of the 1960s, was among a dozen defendants accused of re fusing to leave a school building. I convicted the defendants could have been sentenced to a maximum of six months in jail. Americans drinking less alcohol Washington a americans consumption of alcoholic beverages continued to decline in the 1980s while the number of alcohol related traffic Acci dents maintained its downward Irand health and human services Secretary Otis r. Bowen said. Per capita consumption dropped from 2.76 Gallons of absolute alcohol per person age 14 and older in 1981 to 2.65 Gallons in 1984. Bowen said in his special report to Congress on alcohol and health. Figures for 1985 and 1986 were unavailable the number of fatally injured Drivers who were legally intoxicated fell from so percent to 43 percent Between 1980 and 1984, according to the report. Progress in understanding the health social and economic effects of alcohol use is vital to our efforts to fight alcohol abuse and the disease of alcoholism Bowen said. This report contains ample evidence that we Are indeed making Progress. We Are enhancing our ability to prevent or reduce the risks from alcohol us and we Are further improving the Good prognosis for recovery from  the has report which is required by Congress found that in million americans age is or older have an alcohol related problem including 10.6 million who suffer from alcoholism. The report also found a connection Between an in crease in the Price of alcoholic beverages and a decline in alcohol related problems. The report cited a 1982 study that found that Small increases in the Price of distilled spirits reduced consumption and deaths from liver cirrhosis and traffic accidents. The report also found crowing evidence of a genetic component to Alco holism including differences Between the brain electrical patterns of non alcoholic people with immediate family members who Are alcoholic and those of non alcoholics with no family history of alcoholism. Alcohol is a Factor in nearly half of All accidental deaths suicides and homicides including motor vehicle accidents. In 1985, approximately 18,000 traffic deaths were alcohol related. Alcohol consumption can have an Adverse effect on heart tissue even in Young adults and is associate with hypertension and possibly disorders involving blood coagulation chronic consumption causes endocrine abnormalities in women including menstrual disturbances in Fertility and hormonal imbalances. In men. The abnormalities include reduction in the level of circulating testosterone which can result in breast enlargement and the development of female hair patterns. Alcohol interferes with the immune defense sys tem increasing an individual s susceptibility to infectious diseases. Alcohol tolerance physical dependence and the withdrawal syndrome May be the result of changes within the brain s neuronal membranes that arc produced by chronic consumption. House panel begins probe of disposable Bic lighters Washington a a new Jer sey congressman on wednesday began a congressional inquiry into the safety of Bic disposable cigarette lighters. Rep. James Florid d-nj., the chair Man of the House consumer Protection subcommittee said he also would Eval uate claims that the consumer product safety commission has t responded to reports that the lighters can explode or flare up dangerously. If accounts arc Correct problems with the Bic lighter continue and the fed eral Agency charged with ensuring the safety of products has done nothing Florio said at a news conference. The congressman said his subcommittee Wilt study published reports that the Low Cost lighters have caused the deaths of at least 10 people and have injured hundreds Florio said the Noons show that the Milford  Bic corp. Has continued to make 250 million lighters a year despite paying millions of dollars to Settle personal injury claims. Bic spokeswoman Leah Colihan had no comment on Fiona s investigation but she reiterated the company s defense of its product. We say it is a Safe lighter. We stand behind each and every one we sell she said. Florio said he has asked the consume products safely commission to Supply All information in has collected on the disposable lighters. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. April it 1947 millionaire pen manufacturer milion Reynolds with iwo others aboard his Reynold s Bombshell a stripped Down a26 twin engine attack bomber set a round the world flying record of 62 hours 56 minutes 30 years ago today. April 17, 1957 the Senate quickly approved Fay voice vote a House passed $41 million emergency appropriation Bill to restore Normal postal services. Saturday deliveries and window service at Post offices were suspended for three Days. 20 years ago today. April 17, 1967 Richard f. Speck was condemned to death for the murder of eight student nurses. He disclosed in Chicago that he told a psychiatrist his mind Wasa Blank at the time of the killings. J 0 years ago today april 17, 1977 an Oklahoma City teen age girl filed a $6,000 sex discrimination suit against inc Millwood school Board seeking reinstatement to the High school boys baseball team