European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 25, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 7 Clipper vows to give it up after her Coupon scam trial compulsive Clipper Connie Arvidson and coupons she said she did t know were fakes. Dallas a thousands of coupons for every imaginable product have turned a Federal courtroom into a Coupon Clipper s dream in the trial of a woman accused of mail fraud and conspiracy to distribute fake coupons. But to Connie Arvidson 34, the Case has been a Nightmare. When her trial ends she s vowed never to clip another one. I just want the trial to end she said. There s More to life than just  boxes full of them arc stacked four feet High Between the judge s Bench and lawyers tables evidence in the trial of Arvidson. If convicted of All charges she faces up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $ 1.5 million. Final arguments in the jury trial which began Jan 8 in . District court were scheduled for wednesday. Arvidson of Boca Raton fla., is a self described trash scavenger whose obsession for coupons grew into a profitable business prosecutors said. She and nine others were indicted in june 1989 in an alleged $2 million counterfeit scam. According to the indictment coupons for food and other products were printed and distributed nationwide from Texas. Arvidson known As Coupon Connie and the dumpster lady is accused of knowingly buying and distributing fake coupons. She says she is innocent. Those boxes arc also a Nightmare for 47 companies whose coupons allegedly were counterfeited and distributed illegally through the mail. Also on trial with Arvidson Are David rfcs and James Floyd Richards both of san Antonio. The seven others indicted in the Case have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in Exchange for leniency. Several of them have testified against Arvidson. Charges against Recs and Richards relate to the alleged printing and distribution of coupons prosecutors said Arvidson has turned Down two plea bargains that would have sent her to jail for up to 18 months. We Are counting Down to the end. So i am getting stronger Arvidson said. I know the jury s going Tolet me go Home and be with my Little girl. I can t borrow any More Money from relatives to stay in a cockroach Motel Here. I have no Money for  Arvidson who has estimated she earned $200 a week at the Peak of her rebate activity said the expense of the trial combined with a recent Bank foreclosure on her property have forced her to file for bankruptcy. Aborigine gets death sentence Rockledge. Fla. A a judge tuesday overrode a jury s recommendation for life in prison and gave a death sentence to an australian aborigine forcibly taken from his Mother and later left in America by his adoptive parents for raping robbing and strangling a Florida woman. Circuit judge Lawrence Johnston de parted from the jury s 11-1 recommendation for a life sentence to Send James Hudson Savage. 26. To the electric chair. Savage s lawyer had argued he should be spared from the death penalty because he was taken from his teen age Mother shortly after birth and placed with a White missionary couple As part of Australia s now abandoned assimilation pro Gram. He was brought to the United slates when he was 7 by his adoptive parents who returned to Australia in 1983, Leav ing their teen age son behind in Florida. His lawyer had emphasized his client s upbringing to condemn Australia s failed program and seek a prison sentence. Sav age who admitted the slaying and his lawyer contend he was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol at the time of the slaying. But the judge pronouncing sentence As Savage stood before him said drugs alcohol and violence arc person Al choices not family  Savage s biological Mother by Verlcy Moore Whyman rushed out of the court room screaming when the sentence was pronounced. His adoptive parents Graeme and Nesta Savage also left in tears. Death sentences arc automatically appealed. Savage was convicted nov. 20 of Mur Der rape and robbery in the slaying of Barbara Ann Barber 57, outside her Interior design shop in Melbourne fla., on the Day before thanksgiving in 1988. Savage has served parts of four prison terms for car theft burglary and violent behaviour in prison including trying to kill a fellow inmate and a guard. Barber was killed Only 33 Days after Savage was released from Florida stale prison. Barber s son Bill said Savage s crimes got progressively worse. I m glad that society is rid of him. He could t get a better  James Hudson Savage Kentucky teens children can still smoke at school Frankfort. By. A an Effort to Stop youngsters from smoking at school was effectively snuffed out tuesday by lawmakers in Kentucky the nation s no. 2 tobacco producing state. The lawmakers said they would t tamper with local school control Over student behaviour. Supporters of a Bill to prohibit on Campus smoking by elementary and High school students the state has no minimum age Lor buying cigarettes accused the House agriculture committee of giving More weight to local control concerns than to the health of youngsters. On a vote of 10-3. The committee rejected sending the measure to the House floor and took no further action. That Means the Bill will probably languish in the committee for the remainder of the session. While saying they do not condone student smoking at school some committee members complained that the measure would reverse stale policy by replacing local option with a slate mandate Banning student smoking. I think it should be a superintendent s decision and not the slate Legislatures said rep. Ray Altman. Why arc they asking us to Tell their kids not to smoke when they have that authority themselves supporters of the Bill said anti smoking policy should become a slate policy just As curriculum and attendance standards Are mandated by the  s a lot of support in the state to make it less possible and less acceptable for children to smoke said state rep. Anne Meagher Northup. Cartel threats May reroute Bush by the Cox news sen ice Washington the White House is consid ering changing president Bush s travel route to Colombia s drug Summit next month in response to Security threats a senior administration official said tuesday. The secret service is looking into numerous plans including Landing the president s plane on a coastal Island and then bringing him to the Summit at Cartagena by boat according to the official. Few nearby islands could accommodate air Force one. Baru is the closest Island of significant size. The president could also be taken to Colombia aboard an aircraft Carrier and flown ashore by Heli copter sources said. Such precautions arc under Active discussion Fol lowing a lbs news report that the colombian drug Cartel was plotting to use surface to air missiles against the president s plane at Cartagena. Air Force one has some defences against mis Siles although the White House has refused to Dis cuss such Security matters. However the plane is widely believed to have the capacity to Send out flares that would Send the missiles off course. We arc taking All of the reporting concerning the Security seriously said the administration offi Cial. I think that there is a legitimate concern that is being taken into account in making the travel arrangements he said. Asked if the administration was reconsidering the feb. I5 visit to Colombia the aide said no we re  other officials confirmed that the trip was still on. Earlier White House press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater appeared to Brush off reports of the threat. The secret service says it can provide the president Security and the president intends to go he said. Bush is scheduled to attend the Summit for Only three to four hours and then leave Colombia with out spending the night. The meeting is expected to he held at a military installation probably a naval school in Cartagena. Bush is to meet with the presidents of Colombia and Bolivia. Peruvian president Alan Garcia pro testing the . Invasion of Panama has said he will Send a lower level official unless the american invasion forces have been withdrawn. The United states Hopes the session will produce a United front and greater cooperation in the War against drug trafficking said one senior Bush aide. He played Down Hopes for a signed pact. Plans for the trip have been complicated by safety concerns including news reports that the drug rings might use shoulder launched Sa-7 missiles to Down air Force one. Official government sources have no proof that the drug traffickers have the weapons said these Nior White House official. He added of the portable missiles it s not As simple As you think and they re not As simple to use As you  a jocular Bush travelling tuesday to Kansas City mo., where he visited a former crack cocaine hideout to highlight the Domestic War on drugs bantered with reporters aboard air Force one. But he refused to discuss plans for the South american drug meeting. Bush said he would address the Issue in the very near