European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 7, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes a a a Page 7restricts 4 on Nimitz probe centers on Seattle apr the Navy has restricted four Crew members aboard the aircraft Carrier Nimitz amid allegations of cheating on nuclear reactor safety inspections. A no charges have been filed a Navy spokesman it Donald Thomas said. A this action is a Standard precautionary measure taken to ensure the presence of individuals until an investigation is  four Nimitz sailors approached local news Media last week and said sailors aboard the Nimitz were cheating on inspections were overworked and were insufficiently trained to react to a nuclear Accident. It Wasny to known if the four restricted sailors were the same ones who had approached the news Media. The Nimitz is completing a monthlong maintenance run at the puget sound naval shipyard in Bremerton. Thomas comment came in written response to questions submitted by Kiro to in Seattle. The station aired a segment thursday night in which the sailors alleged a grew members had cheated on reactor inspections. Ltd some nuclear operators had to work up to 100 hours a week in port. A Many Crew members were not trained sufficiently to react to a nuclear Accident. The Crew members whose faces and voices were masked also alleged that some had considered disabling the reactor to ease their heavy work schedule. One of the sailors later told the associated press that the comment was not meant As a direct threat but that overworked Crew members might resort to minor acts of sabotage to put their commanding officers in a bad Light. The Sailor said the Nimitz was leaving monday for a training Mission which would last about a month. The Navy declined to comment on the ship s movements. The Navy in a response forwarded by Gene Romano senior chief journalist at Sand Point naval station in Seattle acknowledged that a the Upkeep period has been a demanding Lime with significant Effort required of the  Quot pressure to accomplish the work safely and on schedule is naturally present but is no different from what a Crew must routinely contend with whether in port or in combat training at sea a it said. Quot under these circumstances a lot is asked of a and Given by a these dedicated individuals and it is understandable that they sometimes look for outlets to let off  the Navy said the a reported allegations arc vague and there arc few specifics on which to base a response. However performance standards on Nimitz arc very High and a continuing program of Crew training testing and qualification is conducted with extensive oversight widespread cheating is not  quits to cameramen film mayor Marion Barry As he addresses a youth leadership conference in Washington on Friday. Washington apr jurors deliberated four hours without a verdict in mayor Marion barrys cocaine and perjury trial saturday then stopped work for the weekend. Deliberations halted until monday after the panel asked the judge for another look at More than 150 prosecution and defense exhibits. Prosecutors introduced More than i x exhibits and barrys lawyers More than 60 during the six week trial. District judge Thomas pen Field Jackson brushed off questions from waiting reporters. The jurors Are sifting six weeks of testimony from 44 witnesses including 10 of Barry s friends who said they saw him use cocaine some 200 limes dating Back As far As 1983. Friday was the jury a first full Day of deliberations. The panel has been told to ignore such factors As the mayors flamboyant personality and his Central place in local politics. Defense attorney r. Kenneth Mundy said in his closing argument that Barry had engaged in a a occasional cocaine use but he said the government failed to prove the instances of cocaine Possession charged in the indictment. The government tracked Down cocaine dealers former aides and sex girlfriends of the mayor pressuring them into giving false testimony his lawyers said. They said the Fri entrapped the mayor by supplying the crack cocaine he smoked in a videotaped sting operation. Rasheeda Moore who lured Barry to the hotel where he was arrested in a drug sting testified that the mayor slapped her to the floor when their two year affair ended in 1988. She said their relationship mixed sex with cocaine opium and marijuana. Minor crash american legion Vietnam veterans spooks Driver sue f0 Force agent Orange study of drug cargo Miami apr police waited in vain for a Man driving a Van to return after a minor Accident saturday. Then they found out Why a the Van was stuffed with $ 12 million w Orth of cocaine. Metro Dade police officer Donald Blocker estimated 1,000 pounds of cocaine were packaged in 40 cardboard boxes filling the Back of the Van. Quot the Accident was so minor that it probably would have been resolved by the two parties without anything being written by police Blocker said. Quot it looked like the person just  the Van had rolled Back into a car but there was no damage to either vehicle Blocker said. A police officer was driving by at the time and the Driver left telling witnesses he had to Call his Uncle. A the just walked away because no one suspected that he  return a the officer said. A Quot but after a period of Lime they said a where is he by that Lime he had gone. He  Washington up a the american legion sued the Federal government for the first Lime in its 72-year history thursday seeking to Force health officials to finish a controversial study on agent oranges Impact on Vietnam veterans. A americans largest veterans group and the Vietnam veterans of America acting together filed two similar lawsuits concerning the agent Orange Issue in . District court for the District of Columbia the lawsuits ask the department of veterans affairs the health and humans i \ ices department and Federal centers Lor disease control in Atlanta be ordered to Complete a wide scale study of agent oranges Impact on Vietnam veterans. American soldiers sprayed agent Orange which contained the toxic contaminant dioxin during the Vietnam War from january 1965 to april 1970 to destroy enemy ground cover and crops. About 36,000 Vietnam veterans have filed claims contending the herbicide causes numerous medical problems a ranging from severe acne to deadly can cer and even birth defects in their children. They contend they deserve financial compensation. The controversy has raged for 15 years. A it is very sad but we have decided a lawsuit is the Only Way to make the government fulfil its Promise to care for those who served in Vietnam. We have watched the government stumble and stumble for More than 12 years on the Issue of agent Orange a Miles Epling the legions National commander and a Vietnam Veteran told a news conference. Secretary of veterans affairs Edward Derwinski issued a statement saying he was a surprised and disappointed by the suits which he said Quot have the potential to slow Down or impede significant Progress made by the Federal government in addressing the health concerns of Vietnam  in 1979, Congress ordered the a to conduct a comprehensive study of How exposure to agent Orange affected the health of Vietnam veterans. The a did nothing for four years and then in 1982 asked the do to perform such a study. However that Siudy was halted m 1987 after Federal health officials said military records contained insufficient information to draw any conclusions. Paul Egan a spokesman for Vietnam veterans of America which has 40,000 members called the reasons Given for halting the study Quot nonsense a and said such research Quot certainly can be  a the government deliberately cancelled the study. They did no to want to take a Chance that evidence might emerge that would justify the compensation of Vietnam veterans for agent Orange related ailments Egan said. The Vietnam veterans of America lawsuit contends the White House Domestic policy Council under former president Reagan conspired to halt agent Orange related studies and compensation. One memo written by tile of lice of management Ami budget in 1984 warns that in the veterans receive compensation for health problems linked to the herbicide a it will make it Lar More difficult to Stop broader victim so Lompe Nealions involving hazardous wastes and  dioxin was the hazardous Wasle involved in the my i Public de problems at love anal in new Yolk and 1 lines Beach in Missouri