European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a a a the stars and stripes sunday july 15, t�90 aids tainted transfusions blamed on lax blood Banks Washington apr America could have Quot much to fear in the future Quot because blood Banks fail to ensure a Safe aids free blood Supply witnesses told a congressional subcommittee. But Stephen Richards senior vice president of the american red Cross told reporters the United states a has the safest blood Supply of any country in the  witnesses before the panel Friday put much of the blame on the blood Industry charging that thousands of people became infected with the aids virus through blood transfusions because the Industry reacted too slowly to the epidemic. Based on blood Banks past performance the nation could Quot have much to fear in the future said Ross Eckert a member of the food and drug administrations blood products advisory committee. Rep. John Dingell d-mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee said that according to Fra inspection reports some american red Cross blood centers have released infected blood mixed up records or violated aids testing procedures. Quot the american red Cross which collects Over half of All the whole blood in the United states has had serious and persistent problems with its procedures for testing and keeping track of this blood Quot Dingell said. Earlier this week an Fra inspection report showed that the red Cross had failed to comply with its own procedures by informing the Fra of Only four of 228 cases of possible aids related transfusions. Richards dismissed criticism that the red Cross has failed to educate the Public about the spread of aids and has moved too slowly in instituting donor screening programs. The risk of becoming infected with the aids virus through a transfusion is about 1 in 40, said. Quot we can assure the Public it the blood stipple is safer now than even a he said. Quot it is As Safe As it can be with medical science and  according to the Federal centers for disease control in Atlanta 3,425 transfusion associated aids cases had been reported to the Agency As of May i. The red Cross notes that Only ii of those cases have been diagnosed since blood Banks began testing donated blood for aids in 1985. However it can take As Long As 10 years for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or his to become full blown aids. The blood Industry was reluctant Early in the epidemic to screen High ask donors and implement safety testing because it feared these Steps a would threaten the financial viability of a blood Bank Quot said or. Marcus Conant a professor at the University of California medical Center in san Francisco. While donors give blood voluntarily and without _. A blood is sold by blood Banks to hospitals and  and other witnesses Tola the charge their House Energy and Commerce investigations subcommittee that blood Banks knew in Early 1983 that aids was Likely transmitted by blood. Or. Edgar Engleman medical director of the Stanford University medical schools blood Bank said his facility was criticized by other blood Banks when in july 1983 it became the first in the nation to screen donated blood with a test designed to reduce transfusion transmission of aids. Critics argued a that there was no proof that aids could be transmitted by blood transfusion and that the test we were using was experimental and too costly a he said in his testimony. Town trying to sniff out Odd odor Bartlesville okla. Apr a scent s had has been unleashed in Bartlesville to Trace and identify an elusive odor that has plagued residents in the Western part of town for months. The 19-member Bartlesville odor mitigation task Force will distribute about a half dozen devices to trap the smell which then will be sniffed and characterized by select noses at a Chicago research company officials say. The it research Institute will try to match the descriptions with a smell that could be produced in the Bartlesville area said Demetrio Mosc Andreas of the Chicago based Institute. The City has received 60 Calls since Jan. 1 about the smells but it has been unable to determine the cause said Barbara Hachmuth superintendent of the City waste water management department. After dozens of reports of a smell likened to Rotten eggs or butane an Energy a scarch Institute operated by it in Bartlesville went to work. Linda Mcgrew spokeswoman for the National Institute for Petroleum and Energy research said the task Force will gather reports of the odor and plot them on a City map. She said odor collection devices will be scattered in neighbourhoods in this City of 35,000 about 40 Miles North of Tulsa in northeastern Oklahoma and volunteers will Snag samples to be shipped to Chicago. Quot you press a Button and it will suck in the air and put it in a hermetically sealed bag a Mcgrew said of the devices. In Chicago panel members will take a whiff of the contents and describe what they smell. Mosc Andreas said the panel has a list of 144 words or phrases to describe the smell such As Fried Chicken leather alcohol chemicals soap and sour milk. Scientists at the Institute will review the descriptions to see if they match any doors that could be produced in the area. Stateside new Light will warn Drivers if Bush is at Maine Home Kennebunkport Maine a officials have decided to install a flashing Light to Alert motorists to traffic jams when president Bush is in town. A it might save local people time and some aggravation a police chief John Prescott said. The Light will be put up on a trial basis along Ocean Avenue through labor Day officials said. Residents have grown weary of delays of up to 45 minutes when Bush visits his summer estate and presidential checkpoints Are set up. Delays vary in duration depending on whether Bush boards his boat plays Tennis or takes a jog Prescott said. Tourists compound the problem. The warning Light is expected to Cost about $1,000. The Cost will be shared by the town and the Cape Arundel neighbourhood . School superintendent to leave Job in one year los Angeles apr the superintendent of the nations second largest school District says he will resign at the end of the next school year. A i have served As an Urban school superintendent for almost 11 years both Here and in another major District and now feel i would like to consider other major professional opportunities Quot Leonard Britton 59, said in a letter to the los Angeles unified school districts trustees. Britton joined the District three years ago. He also served eight years As superintendent of Florida a Dade county unified school District the nations fourth largest. He presided Over the los Angeles District during last years bitter teachers strike the first in nearly 20 years. He also has moved to implement year round school sessions in a District that must accommodate More than 500,000 students. Britton said there Are several prospects that he would like to pursue once he leaves the . Job which pays $164,555  did t realize Man slumped by Road was dead san Antonio apr thousands of motorists saw a Man slumped against a railing under a Highway overpass for two Days but did not realize he was dead police said. A woman called police after she saw the unidentified Man in the same position for two Days on interstate 35 near downtown san Antonio said patrolman Richard Smith. Officers said the Man a hispanic Between age 35 and 40, was sitting with his head slumped and a full can of Beer within easy reach. He carried no identification papers. A a that a a common place for vagrants to go to get out of the Sun Quot Smith said. Foul play is not suspected but an autopsy will be performed police said. In bomb suspect jailed in secrecy  i"01� 0&Quot services Macon a. Apr the target of an Fri investigation into a pair of fatal mail bombings is being jailed in secrecy until his trial on unrelated witness tampering charges authorities said. Judge Wilbur d. Owens or. On Friday ordered Walter Leroy Moody jr., 56, held without bail until his trial. He also ruled that Moody a wife Susan Mcbride Moody 28, could be released on a $250,000 property Bond. A tentative sept. 17 trial Date was scheduled for Moody. . Marshal Bill Breese said Security precautions prevented him from saying where Moody is being housed until the trial. The Moodys were arrested tuesday and Moody charged in a 13-count Federal indictment with conspiracy obstruction of Justice Subo nation of perjury bribery of a witness and tampering with a witness. The charges arose from Moody s alleged attempts to erase a 197.2 conviction for explosives Possession after a pipe bomb injured a previous wife. Moody spent nearly three years in prison but he always contended that an acquaintance made the bomb and left it in his House without his knowledge. More than a decade later a woman testified that she was with the acquaintance the Day he allegedly left the package at Moody a Home. She later recanted the Story. Prosecutors say Moody bribed and intimidated her into giving the false testimony. The materials used in the 1972 pipe bomb reportedly were similar to those found in four december mail bombs one of which killed a Federal judge while another killed a lawyer. At one Point Friday Owens closed the hearing after a prosecutor mentioned the mail bombings. He pointed out that neither defendant has been indicted in those bombings. The Moodys Home had been searched earlier by Federal agents investigating the mail bombings. It was searched again tuesday. Moody has denied any connection with the bombings. Letters claiming responsibility for the mail bombs said they were sent by a racist hate group. May be merged under Voa Washington apr the . Information Agency wants the governments radio television and film service operations to be consolidated under the voice of America As a unified broadcasting group. The reorganization would Combine the government s satellite television and film service radio Marti and to Marti under the direction of Voa chief Richard a Carlson. The move would Quot better position the Agency to be More effective in a rapidly changing world Usia director Bruce Gelb said in a statement. Quot hopefully we will also be Able to bring about oper atm efficiencies that will allow us to make better use of our resources a Gelb added. The four divisions involved in the consolidation have a combined budget of $222 million and employ 3,500 people. Gelb told the Washigton Post in an interview published in fridays editions that no current employees would lose their jobs in the reorganization. Two other broadcasting networks a radio free Europe and radio Liberty a operate under the Board for International broadcasting an organization separate from the Usia Gelb said the new broadcast group would begin operation oct. 1, the Start of the 1991 fiscal year pending congressional approval