European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 . The stars and stripes Friday april 26, 1991 a chief blames deaths on review system failures from wire reports Washington a poor care went undetected at a suburban Chicago veterans Hospital because a review systems failed us a veterans affairs Secretary Edward Derwinski said wednes Day. A Quot. A a. After linking eight deaths at the. North Chicago Hospital to a variety of errors Derwinski said his department is drafting a checklist that will be used to measure the Quality of care at Allva medical centers a House veterans affairs subcommittee summoned Derwinski and others to testify a month after the vans inspector general issued a damning report on the 1,004-bed North Chicago Hospi Tal. ,. The report includes details on 15 deaths including eight that the a has labelled a Uthera pc tic  the department is negotiating compensation with families of the eight victims and two claims have been filed one for $500,000 and another for $750,000, said a attorney Raoul Carroll. Panel oks space budget Washington a a House committee on wednesday approved a $14.27 billion space program for the next fiscal year an increase of nearly 6 percent Over 1991 but still $488 billion less than president Bush had asked. Included in the authorization Bill is $1.9 billion for the space station with an additional $128.9 million to be added when the National Academy of sciences comments on National aeronautics and space administration plans to reduce the size of the station. The committee s chairman rep. George Brown d-Calif., said he had asked All its subcommittees to a be sensitive to the practical  of the agreement Congress and Bush reached last year on Federal spending. Ignites Newark Ohio a an explosion at a plastics manufacturing Plant sparked a three alarm fire late wednesday seriously injuring at least one person and forcing the evacuation of a five mile area. A a a a a Steven wears 27 of Newark was undergoing treatment for injuries said Ohio state University hospitals spokesman Ken Phillips. Wears was listed in critical condition. Police said the explosion at organics inc., a plastics manufacturing Plant in Central Ohio ignited the fire and disrupted Telephone service in Newark and nearby Heath about 30 Miles East of Columbus. A a a a \ a a a Newark police chief Jack Stickradt said some people were working inside the Plant when the explosion occurred but he did not know How. Many. A a. \ a a a a eos Angeles up a newcomer Garth Brooks swept the 26th annual country music awards on wednesday with a record setting six a a hats on a night tinged with tears and tributes to the departed and the departing. Brooks won in All the categories in which he was nominated. His hit album a no fences a took top honors As did a single from it a friends in Low  another single from the album a the dance a was named Best song and Best video of the year. Brooks beat out last year s big Winner Clint Black for top male vocalist and was named entertainer of the year. Brooks led everybody with seven nominations including two for Best song. A to the fans and the Good lord above thanks for faking care of me a said Brooks a 29-year-old native oklahoman who broke the record of five performing a a hats in one year set by Freddie Hart in 1972 and Mickey Gilley in 1977. The Mother daughter duo the judds ended their eight year musical partnership in tearful Triumph winning their seventh consecutive award for Best duo. Winona Judd and her Mother Naomi announced last year that they would dissolve the performing partnership because of Naomi Judd a life threatening illness. A tearful Naomi Judd bade Farewell to an obviously moved crowd a a. A. A we wanted it so bad this year. What i really wanted was a Chance to say goodbye to the Academy Quot she said a weight years ago i was 37, i did no to think i had very much to show for my life. I pinned All my Hopes aspiration and dreams on this and you accepted us a she said As tears streamed Down both their faces. Reba Mcentire was named top female vocalist and dedicated the award to seven members of her band and a Road manager who were killed in an air plane crash in san Diego last month. A this is for my eight buddies a she said choking Back tears to a standing ovation. �?o1 know they re grinning up there knowing they have so Many  Alan Jackson nominated in four categories was named top new male vocalist equipping a i especially want to thank Garth Brooks for not being nominated in this  a a Surprise was Shenandoah which beat out perennial Winner Alabama As Best group. Top new vocal group or duct went to pirates of the Mississippi and top new female vocalist was Shelby Lynne. A country legend Johnny Cash was Given the Pioneer award honouring outstanding and unprecedented achievement in country music. Cash who accepted the award from Oscar winning actor Robert Duvall was honoured in a five minute videotaped segment featuring Bob Hope Kris Kristoffer son Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Black who collected four a a hats As a newcomer last year was co Host of the show along with Kathy Mattea and George Strait. The program was broadcast on Abc television from Universal amphitheatre. Vince Gill and the group Alabama had five nominations each followed by Jackson with four and Mcentire with three. / along with Brooks top entertainer nominees were Mcentire Strait Black and Dolly Parton. Country music winners the winners at the 26th _ annual county music awards wednesday night at Universal amphitheatre entertainer of the year Garth Brooks male Singer Garth Brooks female Singer Reba Mcentire duo the judds group Shenandoah new male Singer Alan Jackson new female Singer Shelby Lynne new group or duo pirates of the Mississippi song Quot the dance Quot Garth Brooks single Quot friends in Low places Quot Garth Brooks album Quot no fences Garth Brooks video the dance Quot Garth Brooks Pioneer Awag a Skinny Cash previously announced winners nightclub crazy horse Steak House and Saloon Santa Ana Calif. Radio station six Nashville Tenn. Disc jockey Gerry House six touring band desert Rose band non touring band boy Howdy band instrumental achievement Bill Bryson Bas Steve Duncan Drums Mark o Connor fiddle John Jorgenson guitar John Hobbs keyboard Jerry Douglas specially instrument Dobro Jay Dee Maness steel guitars amps Brooks also faced stiff Competition in the top male vocalist category facing the likes of Black Strait Gill and Ricky Van Shelton. Mcentire performed a a Salute to american with a videotaped introduction by president Bush. Country music awards for instrumental achievement previously announced include Bill Bryson for Bass Steve Duncan for Drums Mark of Connor for fiddle John Jorgenson for guitar John Hobbs for keyboard Jerry Douglas for specially instrument Dobro and Jay dec Maness for  the fifth year in a Row Orange county a crazy horse Steak House and Saloon was named top country nightclub. The desert Rose band was voted top touring band for the third time and the boy Howdy band won for Best non touring band Nashville country music station six was named the Best in its Field for the second consecutive year and the stations personality Gerry House was named Best disc jockey. A the awards were nominated by a selection committee and then voted on by the Academy a 3,000 members. By the los Angeles times Washington a the companies chosen to build the air Force s new advanced tactical fighter Are still toasting their Good Fortune. Budget analysts and some lawmakers warned wednesday however that the at program could wind up in the same budgetary bind that has plagued the b-2 stealth bomber. On the eve of its announcement tuesday that Lockheed corp. Would Lead the contractor team building the new plane the air Force conceded that planned budget cuts had forced it to scale Back the $73 billion program to 650 aircraft from the original 750. Even at that level the congressional budget office and other outside military analysts say the air forces ambitious program to modernize its front line fighter jets May not mesh with Pentagon budget plans a much less Congress deeper budget cutting ambitions. Moreover the announcement of the prize Winner sparked anew the debate Over the need for a new generation of fighters at a time when the United states leading military competitor the soviet Union has significantly slowed its development of new fighter jets. In closed hearings before the House and Senate armed services committees the air Force has contended that the next Best alternative an upgraded version of the f-15 Eagle could not maintain a performance Edge against potential foes and would not be that much cheaper. Ain the end that argument is expected to Sway lawmakers to allow the at program to move to its next key phase of development As Early As july but As the Cost of building the planes begins to sink in lawmakers a who Only a year ago got their first glimpse of the  Gram and its huge Price tag a May try to scale it Back still further. That in turn could place the at in the same dilemma that has dogged the air forces other big ticket aircraft program the b-2. As fewer Are built the Price of each fighter will go up creating further doubt about the Wisdom of the investment just As lawmakers complained of a sticker Shock soon after the secret stealth bomber was introduced some congressional aides said the Cost of the at would be sure to cause congressional jitters. A no one was opposed to the b-2 either until six months before the vote Quot said one democratic aide on Capitol Hill. A the at was a Black program until a year ago. Its Cost is just now starting to hit  indeed the air forces decision to shorten the production run of the at May have emboldened lawmakers to make further budget cuts on the argument that the air Force has derived the need for 648 fighters arbitrarily. A a they re on the Slippery slope a said one key defense Industry official. A the number 650 is not going to  the result will be a a hot and heavy debate that will increase the Cost of the planes and cause a Cycle of anxiety on Capitol Hill a the unit Cost will go up and Congress will hit the roof because Congress does no to understand in their heart of hearts that when you Cut the costs the Price goes up just As the b-2 did a the official said. A you get into a Tail chasing Man Euver and you buy nothing which is not in the Long term interests of the  Lawrence Korb former Pentagon official now with the Brookings institution said a this is the last of the cold War weapons designed to Deal with the Ever increasing sophistication of soviet weapons. A but As far As we know they kind of stopped. And we re just going along anyway. This is a weapon that they did not need to Rush into production