European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 25, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 25, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 South reels under Arctic blast some areas see first Snow in years by the associated press a blast of Arctic air whisked  the South threatening crops closing schools and creating treacherous travel conditions on roadways where score of accidents occurred. Two weather re died deaths were reported. Snog fell in some areas where people adn t seen it for years. A 34-degree Reading at Orlando fla., was lower than the Reading at Minot n.d., which had a temperature of 37 degrees. Elsewhere in the South flood stricken Kentucky was declared a major disaster area by president Bush on Friday Mak ing Federal Aid available to affected peo ple and local governments. The Region was hit by heavy Rains and flooding be ginning on feb. 13. And in Tennessee Many resident forced from their houses by the rain swollen Obion River contended with freezing weather and icy Backwater As they awaited a Chance to Start cleaning up the mess left by the flooding. If it gets much colder i la be Able Topick the Backwater up in my truck and haul it away said Billy Elam a resident of the Small town of Obion. Brisk Northwest winds accompanied the cold producing wind chill readings in the single digits in Georgia on Friday morning. A Man who would have celebrated his85th birthday Friday was found dead of hypothermia in Montgomery ala., on thursday police spokesman Wyatt Gantt said. Because the Heaters in theman s House were off his death was ruled weather related Gantt said. In Georgia a 72-year-old Man die thursday when his pickup truck fell off an icy Bridge on the . 29 bypass Nea Athens and plunged into the North oco Nee River police said. Georgia s agriculture commissioner Tommy Irvin said freezing weather threatened wheat peach and onion crops. I think we re in for some hard times said Rick Hartley Toombs county Extension service director. In Alabama peach growers also braced for the worst. Probably the majority of them right now feel like with As Low As it s predicted to go there s not a whole lot they Cando said Tommy Brown Extension agent coordinator for Chilton county where most of Alabama s peach crop is grown. Brown said some peach growers were planning to Burn Coal or tires to Ward off the effects of the bitter cold. An 88-year-old record was broken immobile Early Friday when the tempera Ture dropped to 24. The previous record for this Date was 28 degrees set in 1901. In Georgia Snow accumulation ranged up to 7 inches and flurries were seen As far South As Valdosta near the Florida Border. Nancy Robinson a police desk Clerkin Valdosta said the last snowfall police could recall in the area was six years ago. The kids were very excited because they re not used to this she said. The University of Georgia at Athen was closed Friday As were school systems through the Northern half of the state. Snow began falling in Savannah late thursday the first seen in three years police said. It forced closing of the Tal Madge memorial Bridge Over the Savan nah River to South Carolina and caused a number of accidents. Alabama emergency management officials said several major roadways were closed thursday because of Slick conditions including sections of interstate 59 in Northeast Alabama and interstate 20east of Birmingham. All roads had re opened by the afternoon. The combination of increasing Snow fall and High winds made driving very hazardous throughout North  s bad said officer Dennis Anders of the Alleghany county sheriffs department. All the roads Are covered we be got ice and people arc wrecking right and  a pair of firefighters and their two children were seriously injured thursday evening while trying to help two other motorists trapped in an overturned car off interstate 240. A tractor trailer Jackknife and struck two parked pickups carrying a boy and girl and the two firefighters who were standing along the Road. Captain receives reprimand for not aiding boat people Subic naval facilities Philippines a military jury spared a . Navy Captain serious punish ment after convicting him Friday of failing to help Viet namese boat people who resorted to cannibalism to sur Vive. The jury of six Navy captains could have jailed Al expander Balian for 90 Days and made him forfeit two thirds of his pay for three months. Instead they gave the decorated Vietnam War Veteran reprimand saying he erred june 9 while his ship was in the South China sea but deserved no further punishment Tanto be relieved of command As he was in August. Balian 48, claimed that he had been made a Scapegoat and that heroes like me Are Hung out to dry when they get in  the jury had acquitted him of the More serious charge of ordering one refugee shaken off ropes As he tried to climb aboard the amphibious transport Dock  of los Angeles was accused of failing to Render adequate assistance to More than 80 vietnamese refugee sin a Leaky boat the Dubuque encountered about 250 Miles North of the philippine Island of Palawan. . Officials said 31 of the refugees later  said they had devoured the dead to survive before filipino fishermen rescued them on june 27. The jury found Balian guilty of dereliction of duty for failing to conduct an adequate inspection of the refugee boat determine whether its sail was adequate conduct appropriate medical examinations of visibly dehydrated refugees provide necessary navigational equipment pro vide adequate water and clothing to the naked and take refugees aboard or see to it that they were taken aboard or assisted by a Navy Supply ship in the area. The prosecution had claimed Balian abandoned the refugees in his Rush to resume his voyage to the persian Gulf where the Dubuque took part in . Navy Security operations during the final Days of the Iran Iraq War. The defense argued that he was under pressure from his commanders to reach the persian Gulf where the Dubuque served As Mother ship for . Mine sweep ers and provided a backup Force of 400 marines. Balian testified he did not pick up the refugees because he did not realize How desperate their situation was. After the sentencing Balian told reporters that he accepted responsibility for his decision but called the Navy investigation unfair. He said an initial probe had cleared him but the second investigation was conducted by an officer of whom he had been critical. Balian also said at least four members of his Crew should be court Martiale for their actions. He did not identify them. Balian took command of the Dubuque a 16,500-ton vessel based in Casebo Japan in May 1987 and was relieved of command last  said he had received a new assignment As assist ant chief of plans at the Navy s telecommunication command in Washington but did not know whether he would stay in the service. In 1966, Balian won the Silver Star the third highest military award for valor and a purple heart for wounds because he saved members of his Crew after their River patrol boat was caught in a Viet Cong night ambush. Easy rider turns 50 american actor Peter Fonda gets ready to test a Bow motorcycle wednesday during his 50th birthday Celebration in West Berlin. The Star of the 60s film easy rider is in West Berlin to film the Rose  Baker pushing Sale of Jet fighter plans to Japan Ray a r few to we w � _ of Okyo up . Secretary of of e James Baker promised Japan on / Quay that he would work for the simple mutation of a controversial agreement to sell Japan the plans to a . Fighter Jet by use in developing a japanese fighter a foreign ministry spokesman said. In a 40-minute meeting with japanese foreign minister Shusuke Uno Baker pledged to work with Congress to win approval for the agreement on the development of Japan s fax fighter the spokesman said. I would expect that the . Commit ment to implementing the is agreement will continue Uno reported 1 told Baker. Baker replied that he was working to re a consensus within the adminis Wii on and that he would take that consensus to Congress to ensure a smooth implementation the spokesman said. The . State department and depart ment of defense favor the agreement but the Commerce department and Trade representatives office have expressed reservations about the plan about which the were not initially consulted. A group of . Senators has added tothe controversy saying the agreement will Only boost development of Japan civilian aviation Industry. This is a bad Deal for the . Tax payers who have spent $7 billion on the development of the f-16, Only to Havethe technology Given away for a Mere pittance of its value Republican  d Amato of new York said recently in Washington. Japanese leaders say they Are baffled by the controversy since they originally wanted to develop the fax without . Assistance but agreed to joint development to help reduce the . Trade deficit with Japan. Former transportation Secretary Shin Taro Ishihara said recently that Japan should scrap the agreement and develop the fighter on its own which is the option supported by japanese Industry. Baker and Uno avoided other Trad issues in their talks the spokesman said. Uno however sought to clarify com ments that prime minister Noboru Takeshita made thursday concerning Japan s investment in projects in the am Azon which some fear May Speed the deforestation of the Region. Uno assured Baker that while japans providing economic assistance to the brazilian government those funds Are not being spent on any project that would result in damaging the tropical rain forests the spokesman said. The foreign minister denied that Japa Nese Money is going to build a controversial Highway through the area. Baker relayed a request from Zaire president marshal Mobutu that Japan consider providing economic assistance to the african nation. The foreign ministry spokesman Sai Duno pointed out that smaller nations were once coming to us Japan to relay requests to you the United states. Now they Are using you to make requests of  Japan became the world s largest donor of official development assistance this year taking the top spot away fro the United states