European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday. September 26, 1989 Home sales Rise As interest rates decline Washington a lower interest rates lured buyers Back into the existing Home Market last month when sales Rose 3.3 percent 10 their highest level in six months a real estate group reported monday. The August improvement. Reflects buyers taking advantage of the declining interest Rales during june and july to get into the housing  said Ira Gribin president of the National association of realtors. The real estate agents reported existing single family Homes sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.44 million units last month up from july s revised 3.33 million units. The August Pace was the Best since february s 3.48 million units. The Federal Home loan mortgage corp. Reported Friday that fixed rate Home mortgages were averaging 10.03 percent Down from their Peak rate of 11.22 percent in March. The real estate agents report also said inc median Price of a Home fell $1,800, to $94.900. In August Down 1.9 percent from july. The median Price Means half of the Homes Cost More half less. Gribin said the seasonal decline in the median Price suggested that Many sales were to entry level buyer coming in at the Low end of the Market. But the bulk of the Market roughly two thirds continues to be repeat Home buyers so there is still much to be done of Case  conditions for potential first time buyers he said. The August sales Pace was 6.8 percent below the August 1988 rate of 3.69 million units. John a. Tuccillo the agents chief economist said he expect1 existing single family sales to total about 3.41 million in 1989, Down about 5 percent from Las year s 3.59 million. The Northeast showed the largest sales improvement Over july with a 7.3 percent gain to a seasonally adjusted 590,000 units. However the August Pace was 13.2 percent below that of the same month year ago. The Midwest registered a 4.4 percent gain to 950.000 units followed by the South with a 3.4 percent Advance to 1.35 million units. The West showed the Only decline in sales Down 3,5 percent to 550,000 units. Median prices were $148,400 in the Northeast $72.300 in the Midwest $87.400 in the South and $139.400 in the West. 3 killed As scaffolding hits High voltage wire Columbus. Ohio a a 69, Volt electrical wire touched a scaffolding being moved at a construction site Mon Day killing three workers and injuring three others authorities said. The Accident occurred As six workers were rolling the 25-foot scaffolding away from a building under construction at Worthington industries on the City s North Side said Doug Cardon president of target construction co., the general contractor. No one was on the scaffolding. The workers All men. Were putting up aluminium siding on the building which is to be a distribution Center. Officials at Columbus Southern Power co. Said the Cable which ran about 30 feet from the building was carrying69.000 volts of electricity enough to sup ply a Small Lown. The electric company was called to Cut Power to the site. Cardon said workers generally do no consider wires to be a work Hazard unless they arc within 10 feet. He said the workers probably thought they had enough room to safely move the scaffold ing which was on wheels to another Wallo Floc building. Roscoe Blackburn 24, a target construction employee said he was one of several workers installing a roof on the building when the Accident occurred shortly after 10a.m. I saw a big spark and we went to the Edge to look Over and saw them All lying on the ground he said. We got off of there. We just started Yelling for  he said the six victims still appeared to be in Contact with the scaffolding so he and the others did not try to move them. Joe Reefer fire battalion chief said three of the men died and the injured were taken to hospitals. They were All just lying on the ground. Two survivors appeared to be in pretty serious shape ice for said. I m not sure about the other  water submerges 30 City blocks 2 drown in cars Jacksonville Fla. A a Daylong Down pour left 30 City blocks with up to 10 feet of water killing two people in streets flowing like Rivers authorities said. There was an unofficial report of 11 inches of rain falling sunday at the Florida times Union building in downtown Jacksonville although the National weather service said its official gauges elsewhere in the City received Only 2.45 inches. The weather service said it was possible that much heavier amounts fell in pans of the City. Apalachicola. To inc West in the Florida Panhandle received 5.72 inches in the same 24-hour period. Rain continued to fall monday and forecasters said More hooding was possible. The rain was blamed on stationary front. Sunday s rain was just out of proportion to any thing i be Ever seen said Vicki Elphick. Who measured a fool of water in her Back Yard and 4 inches in her garage. Police and rescuers struggled to reach those trapped b the High water we re being delayed because Many vehicles Are blocking the  Siirid John Kane a spokesman for the cil Public safely department. Catherine Smith. 73. Drowned when pinned under water in her car for 15 minutes. Kane said. A Man whose car was swept 50 feel from a Street into a drainage ditch also drowned when his car Sank after fruit less efforts b a passer a to help him open a window Kane said. The victim was not immediately identified. Major intersections and portions of interstates 95 and 10 were closed for one to two hours sunday afternoon said Florida Highway patrol spokesman it. Randy Brown. Petal Pusher s break Flower u Clor Raymond Chandler enjoys a few town Washington while awaiting his next Cus my meals of relaxation on a sunny Day in Down Turner. 1 Day strike by teachers empties Utah schools Salt Lake City a class rooms in nearly every Utah school District were empty monday As teacher staged a one Day strike to protest Low funding overcrowded classrooms and in adequate supplies. The walkout the largest by educator sin Utah in a Quarter Century involved nearly 20.000 teachers and affected450.000 students in 800 schools officials said. Only two of Utah s 40 school District remained open for the Day slate Board of education spokeswoman Eileen rancher said. The exceptions were the Daggett and South Summit districts both in the sparsely populated Northeast Ern Corner of the state. The South sum Mit schools were expected to operate without  saturday the Utah education association the state s largest teachers Union said its local affiliates voted unanimously to support the  association says it represents 85 to 90 percent of the state s educators saturday s action was spurred by a spontaneous walkout that began Friday morning at Davis High school in Davis county just North of Salt Lake City and spread to schools in three other Large school districts by the end of the  strike apparently was incited by anger Over the legislature s decision in special session last week to give Utah ans a $38.4 million tax rebate and not to allocate Money to education from a $94 million  arc decrying Low pay Large classes and inadequate school  pay in Utah ranks 43rd in the nation $4,500 less than the average National salary of $29.400, the association , Norm Bangerter at a sunday evening news conference said he sympathized with the teachers but thought they should wait to press their demands until the january legislative session. I agree with the teachers that Educa Tion needs More Money Bangerter said. "1 Don t agree with the  acknowledged however that the walkout draws attention to the serious problems that exist in the school sys  pledged that education would of treated honorable and honestly in january. He said that the surplus May approach $185 million by year Send but that not All of the Money would go to  have other state needs he said