European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 08, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A a. A Friday february 8r 1991 Bills on agent Orange veterans benefits sighed by cos news service Washington president Bush signed two pieces of legislation wednesday one giving More than 2 million military veterans and their survivors a 5.4 per cent increase in benefits the other providing compensation for Vietnam War veterans exposed to agent Orange. A.  a a a a a. A a grateful nation salutes our veterans a Bush said at a White House signing  benefits Bill provides Cost of living increase retroactive to Jan. 1 for veterans and the spouses and children of veterans killed in the line of duty or by causes related to service. The measure became stalled last fall in the Senate in a controversy Over whether to extend permanent Bene new York up a authorities swarmed into an apartment Early wednesday and rescued the 14-year-old son of two Bankers from kidnappers who had abducted the boy from the family a Long Island mansion. Two men were arrested and the Ransom was recovered. The youth William Mcclean of upper Brookville was not Hurt in the two Day ordeal. Nassau county police spokesman Hank Mccann said olice arrested one  kidnappers at the Mcclean ome and the other in an apartment in the new York City Borough of Queens where the boy was held. The two men were described As romanian immigrants. Police also recovered a Ransom reportedly $200,000, paid by the boys parents William Mcclean Iii and his a wife Ferrell. Both the parents Are Bankers. The two kidnappers entered the White colonial mansion on a Hill in a heavily wooded area near Long Island sound about 8 . Sunday As the family was finishing dinner said Nassau county police sgt. Richard Snizek. The two gunmen tied up the boys parents and his 11-year-old sister and drove off with the boy in the family s White jeep police said. Within minutes of the kidnapping police were fits to Vietnam veterans suffering from illnesses related to agent Orange exposure. House and Senate leaders agreed last month to address the agent Orange Issue in a separate Bill. Both Bills were unanimously approved last month As Congress a nudged by the persian Gulf War a sought to bolster  under the Cost of living benefits Bill a Veteran with a 30 percent service connected disability will receive an increase of $11 a month to $220. A totally disabled Veteran will receive an $83 increase to $1,620. A fairness demands that we treat disabled veterans at Home with respect a said sen. Bob Graham d-fla., Senate sponsor of the benefits Bill. A while we Are supporting our troops in the persian Gulf we must not forget those disabled in past  alerted by a neighbor. A Only one threat was made to the family As the teenager was abducted a said Snizek. A they said that if the family contacted police the boy would be  Mccann said one of the suspects apparently unaware that police had been notified drove Back to the me clean Home in the jeep about 6 p. M. Tuesday and met with the family for about 25 minutes. He was masked and wanted to talk about the Ransom. Police were in the House and confronted the kidnapper. He warned them not to arrest him or take off his mask Mccann said. The kidnapper was permitted to leave the House with the Ransom. Police followed him but at one Point the kidnapper stopped the jeep got out and demanded they Stop following him. When he got into new York City he left the jeep and took a cab to the Jamaica Section of Queens. A Short time later he returned and picked up the jeep and drove Back to the Mcclean Home about 20 Miles away. There he met with the family again and offered to make a Deal to return the boy but keep the Ransom and go free. Police then arrested him and he told them where his partner was holding the boy. The stars and stripes a a a Page 9panel endorses nominee for Cabinet hears another from wire reports Washington a a Senate committee unanimously endorsed labor Secretary designate. Lynn Martin on wednesday and heard another Cabinet nominee Lamar Alexander jr., Promise that As education Secretary he would a Start Over on rules governing College scholarships for min notifies. A a. A a a. A alexanders confirmation hearing began moments after the Senate labor and human resources committee sent Martin s nomination to the floor where she is Likely to be confirmed by the full Senate before the week is out. She could Start work next week Alexander governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987 and now president of the University of Quot Tennessee system also is expected to win easy confirmation after the Senate a re Cess next  get reprieve Washington the Pentagon said wednesday it will put off collecting $1.35 billion from Mcdonnell Douglas corp. And general dynamics corp. To Case financial pressure on the two important defense suppliers. Pete Williams the chief Pentagon spokesman said the decision to delay collecting for an unfulfilled stealth aircraft contract was taken at the companies request. Williams said the delay docs not amount to rescuing the contractors though he stressed that the two companies arc supplying key weapons being used in the persian Gulf War. These include the f-16 fighter and m1a1 tank a from general dynamics and the ims fighter and ah-64 Apache attack helicopter from Mcdon null  figure sentenced window Rock Ariz. A Navajo District court judge sentenced a former tribal chairman to 450 Days in jail wednesday for bribery fraud conspiracy and ethics violations in the tribes Purchase of a ranch. Peter Macdonald had faced up to two years in7 jail. Y a a a a judge Robert Yazzie also sentenced Peter a a Rocky Macdonald jr., the former chairman a son to the maximum 180 Days for a single conspiracy conviction. Yazzie said the terms would be served after jail time imposed in a previous trial involving Macdonald a misuse of his position As chief executive i of the country a largest Indian  official resigns Frankfort by. A jailed agriculture commissioner Ward a a Butch Burnette resigned wednesday heading off an impeachment trial in the state Senate. Burnette has been jailed in Franklin county since Jan 19, serving a one year prison sentence for theft. He was convicted in january 1990 of i placing a woman on the payroll before she actual a began working. A ,. Sticks with tradition Concord . A bowing to the wishes of veterans Over those of business and school officials the new Hampshire House on tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a measure to change the states Celebration of memorial Day. 1 new Hampshire thus will continue to cling to the traditional May 30 Celebration of the Holiday to Honor the nations War dead rather than joining other states and the Federal government in switching the Holiday to the last monday in  shuts Ohio Highway Enon Ohio a authorities closed off a por. Tion of interstate 70 in Western Ohio on wednesday after a truck carrying a hazardous chemical spilled part of its Load. Between 150 pounds and 170 pounds of pos. Chorus Penta sulfite spilled onto the Highway said battalion chief fete Nowman a hazardous materials coordinator. The Highway was shut Down for several Miles Between Ohio 4 and . 68. Of aiding another suicide _ or. Jack Kevorkian left sits next to Bis a suicide i Pachiner a As his lawyer Geoffrey Fieger conducts a news conference wednesday in Southfield Mich. Fieger said the retired Royal Oak pathologist has advised a terminally ill doctor on How to kill himself despite an injunction barring Kevorkian 62, from assisting with suicides. The 44-year old patient will a Send his life peaceably and at the Date and time he deems proper a Fieger added. Police arrest 2 kidnappers Rescue boy recover Ransom