European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes saturday March 18,1989 drug related aids cases almost doubled during 88 Atlanta a the number of drug related aids cases reported in the United states nearly Dou bled last year according to Federal health officials. The National centers for disease control reported thursday that 10,747, or 33.3 percent of the 32,311 cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome reported in the United states and its territories in 1988 were drug related occurring among intravenous drug users their sex partners or children born to women in either of those groups. That s up from 26.9 percent a year earlier when drug related cases accounted for 5,747 of the 21,356 aids cases reported said or. James Buchler an aids specialist at the cd. The Atlanta based cd noted that aids reporting including the drug related cases surged after mid-1987, when the Agency adopted a new definition for aids that counts More cases in their Early stages. That statistical adjustment is probably responsible for some of the increase but there apparently was also an actual increase in drug related cases Buchler said. The number of drug related cases increased 87 per cent from 1987 to 1988, while the total number of hearing the beat the ring of a comb Tel can be a source of Delight for most kids even More so for Matthew Bujak 7, Nho is hearing  jazz band Mem Ber Dennis Parker gave Bujak the Chance to strike a beat when the sheiks visited the Phila Delphia school for the deaf recently. Aids cases increased by 51.3 percent. Both increases reflect in part the new definition and reporting stand Ards. The rate of drug related aids cases continues to be higher for Blacks and hispanics than for Whites the cd said in its weekly report. And although rates varied widely by area 55 percent of the nation drug related aids cases last year occurred in the Northeast new England and the Middle Atlantic states where Only 20 percent of the . Population lives. Drug related aids cases made up 16 percent of All cases in Whites 52 percent in Blacks and 56 percent in hispanics the cd said. For All three of those racial ethnic groups the drug related aids rate was highest in the Northeast. Overall homosexual and bisexual men continue tomake up the largest group of aids victims in the United states. Through feb. 20, a total of 87,188 cases had been reported including 52,758 among Gay or bisexual men 17,226 among intravenous drug abusers and an additional 6,140 among Gay men who were also Intra venous drug abusers. Paper says ban on More rifles blocked by Era Washington a the Treasury department blocked a decision to ban the import of additional kinds of semiautomatic weapons after the National Rifle association objected a published report says. The Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms had intended on thursday to announce a ban to supple ment an import ban announced two Days earlier on such better known weapons As the Uzi and ak-47, the Washington Post reported Friday. But the Treasury department which oversees the Bureau squelched the plan according to the newspaper. According to the Post the Era got wind of the plan wednesday night and contacted Treasury department officials. Additionally chief Era lobbyist Wayne la Pierre met thursday with White House chief of staff John Sununu the newspaper said. A Sununu aide said the ban was not discussed and la Pierre did not respond to a request for comment the Post said. Treasury department general counsel Ede Holiday also did not respond to such a request the newspaper said. A White House official told the newspaper that the decision was made in the Treasury department. The ban announced tuesday covered five Model that accounted for 80 percent of the semiautomatic imports. The further ban was intended to close the lid on the 25 smaller less popular models that make up the remaining 20 percent. Paramedics in Texas dismissed after emergency Calls were ignored grand Prairie Texas a an ambulance Crew received three Calls asking for emergency service for a heart attack victim and apparently went Back to sleep after each Call a Hospital executive said. Clarence Cowden 77, was dead when he arrived at the Hospital about an hour after his wife first called emergency services said Pat Gouldy vice president of the Dallas fort Worth medical Center. Both paramedics who were not identified were fired after an investigation of the feb. 8 incident Gouldy told the grand Prairie ambulance advisory Board on thursday Board members appeared to be stunned As they listened to the report at an emotional meeting attended by Cowden s two children. Cowden s son Marvin said his family was not seek ing to punish anyone but added something has got to be done to make sure these people Are on the Ball. Gouldy said a 911 dispatcher received a Call from Cowden s wife Thclma at 3 14 . The dispatcher called the ambulance Crew Driver a minute later at a substation 1 i Miles from Cowden s Home in the dal Las suburb. The dispatcher made two More Calls when the Crew did not announce its departure on the radio. Both times a Crew member answered the Telephone but the ambulance did not move Gouldy said. At 3 30 ., Gouldy said an ambulance from an other station was dispatched. It arrived at the Cowden Home at 3 35 ., 21 minutes after the first Call he said. The Driver of the first Crew did not recall taking the Calls or hearing the Telephone ring Gouldy said. We assume he the ambulance Driver took the Calls and fell Back asleep Gouldy said. Officials said an investigation has not established whether Cowden would have been saved if the ambulance had arrived earlier. I find it absolutely appalling that you have let ambulance service in grand Prairie exist for six years with nothing More than a Telephone Bell said Lida Woodul the victim s daughter. It just frightens me to death that this has been allowed to  since the incident Gouldy said the ambulance service has installed alarm Bells in each station and has ordered pagers to be issued to Crew members. Stateside 2 convicted of felony under Florida litter Law West Palm Beach Fla. A two men who dumped More than a ton of old tires on a University Campus became the first to receive felony convictions under a Tough Florida litter ing Law. We re very pleased said a spokesman for the Florida game and fresh water fish com Mission after a jury found Willie Hooks 66, and John w. Johnson 45, guilty flit luring. This is a serious offence to the natural environment and it will Send a message that this will not be tolerated Jim Huffstodt said. Under the Law which took effect oct. I it is a felony to dump More than 500 pounds of debris on Public property. Largest radiation threat found to come from radon Washington up natural radon poses a far greater radiation threat to people living in the United Stales or Britain than Radia Tion from any other source including medical x rays and nuclear reactors British researchers have reported. A National Survey of British Homes found that indoor radon accounted for nearly half of the average person s annual exposure to radiation reported scientists from that country s National radiological Protection Board. Radiation exposure from radon was four times higher than exposure to medical a rays or food containing natural radiation and five times higher than cosmic rays researchers said. The study also found the average British Citi zen was exposed to More than 1,000 times As much radiation from radon than from Dis charges from nuclear Power plants. . To probe danger of rollovers in Broncos Washington a Federal safety officials have announced an investigation of alleged rollover danger in Ford Bronco us after finding the Bronco fared the worst in an Accident study that cleared the Suzuki Samurai of similar allegations. An engineering analysis which is the second of three Levels of investigation conducted by the National Highway traffic safely administration will cover 1984-1989 Bronco us an Agency spokesman said. Studies of vehicle fatalities showed the four wheel drive Bronco ii has had More fatal rollovers than other vehicles in its class even taking into account Miles travelled and the number of vehicles in use said spokes Man Tim Hurd. Museum to be built near site of King slaying Memphis Tenn. A demolition Crews making Way for a museum have begun tearing Down buildings near the Motel where the rev., Martin Luther King or. Was slain. The National civil rights museum will Center on the Lorraine Motel where King was gunned Down by an Assassin in 968. Work Crews arc to remove seven Small buildings and Knock Down a Wing of the Motel said Ernie Morin a Foreman on the demolition project that began thursday. He said the Crew has 75 Days to Complete the demolition. The museum is scheduled to open on july 4, 1991. The $8.8 million project is financed by the stale City and county. The crumbling Motel located in a downtown District made up largely of Low income housing and warehouses has drawn thousands of tourists since King s murder. The Motel was closed last March