European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday october 11, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 7 6 House members to launch probe of Check cashing abuse Washington apr six House ethics committee members will form a subcommittee to investigate the chamber a Bank and their colleagues who abused the facility. Committee leaders said wednesday that there were no plans to hire outside Legal or banking experts or to make Public the names of. Members who wrote bad checks without penalty. But they defended the committees past willingness to be harsh on members who broke the rules and vowed there would be no cover up. A i reject the idea there would be a cover up a the committees ranking Republican James v. Hansen of Utah said when reporters asked whether the panel could investigate a Large percentage of the 435 House members impartially. Acting committee chairman Matthew f. Mchugh d-n.y., said the subcommittee would consist of a members who had not had any overdrafts in the House  Mchugh and Hansen held a news conference after the committee met in closed session to map out its investigation. Mchugh said the committee would publicly identify bad Check writers Only if it began formal proceedings against them to determine whether House rules or fed anal lows a aug broken following disclosures that the Bank routinely covered members rubber checks the House voted 390-8 last thursday to shut the Bank by dec. 31 and authorize an investigation by the committee on standards of official conduct the ethics panels formal name. The revelations about the Bank came from a congressional Agency the general accounting office which reported last month that House members wrote 8,331 checks with insufficient funds in the 12 months ended june 1990. Mchugh assumed command of the probe because the committees chairman Louis Stokes a Ohio had admitted writing bad checks and removed himself from the inquiry. Rep. Weisi Mfume d-md., was named to replace Stokes on the full committee. The Bank did not pay interest on member accounts and offered no overdraft Protection. But it granted members a special privilege by not imposing a fee when they wrote checks on funds that were not in their accounts. In those cases the Bank would pay the checks with Money deposited by other members and notify the offending Check writers that they must add Money to their accounts. The investigation will focus initially on the Way the Bank was operated by sergeant at arms Jack Russ. Mchugh said this phase could include the Bank a apparent unwillingness to Stop covering members rubber checks when ordered to do so months ago by House speaker Thomas s. Foley a Wash. The House Resolution asked the ethics committee to consider a whether members officers employees or others a abused the banking privileges by routinely and repeatedly writing checks on accounts with insufficient funds. A the Bank a practices regarding individuals who done to hold accounts there or checks not written on House Bank accounts. A the general operation and management of the Bank by the sergeant at arms and his staff. Real life lesson in rescues Sherrie Russell a teacher at of Bannon elementary school in Greenville miss., carries Seidah Williams to medical personnel following a bus Accident about a mile from the school. Hospitals treated More than 100 children alter three school buses crashed in a Chain reaction wednesday. Four pupils remained  awaiting trial released after 2 years from wire reports Raleigh . A a woman jailed for More than two years in charges of sexually abusing children at a Day care Center was freed wednesday after posting a reduced Bond. Elizabeth Kelly a Bond was reduced last Friday from $1.7 million to $400,000 by Superior court judge Marsh Mclelland. He said that the original Bond was unreasonable and punitive and that the judge who set it could not have foreseen that it would result in Kelly a spending two years in prison before trial. Kelly is awaiting trial on 4s counts of sexual abuse involving children at Little rascals Day care Center in Edenton. Her husband Robert f. Kelly jr., is being tried in Farmville on 183 counts of sexual abuse involving 22 children. The Kellys owned and operated the Day care Center which closed in 1989. Five others Are also charged. Elizabeth Kelly a parents and two friends signed documents to cover her Bond court clerk Marjorie Hollowell said  on hair denied Austin Texas a a state appeals court wednesday refused to intervene on behalf of a 9-year-old Schoolboy who was taught in an isolation room because his hair was too Long. The 3rd court of appeals declined to order the boys return but said it had made no decision on the underlying merits of the Case. Zachariah Toungate a lawsuit against the Bastrop Independent school District is pending. Last year the boy was isolated from his third Grade classmates and taught in a Small room at school because his Wispy Ponytail violated the schools policy on hair length. His family sued the District alleging the hair policy was sex discrimination because it applies Only to boys. The family asked state District judge Harold Towslee to Grant a temporary court order that would have prohibited the school from placing the youngster in isolation. Towslee denied the order and the family appealed to the 3rd court of  hospitalized Baltimore a retired supreme court Justice Lewis Powell or. Was hospitalized wednesday after fainting officials said. Powell 84, was in Good condition at Johns Hopkins Hospital Hospital spokeswoman Elaine Freeman said. Supreme court spokeswoman Toni House said Powell suffered a fainting spell while at a meeting in the Hospital. A Powell was admitted to the hospitals cardiac unit and was feeling Fine House said. She said Powell a wife Josephine expected him to be released thursday. Powell had a pacemaker implanted in his heart in january House said. He was appointed to the nations highest court by president Nixon in 1971 and retired in june 1986. Revised Maryland budget plan averts trooper cuts. It  to Mit a tap in i t n Phi Ira he monday. Annapolis my. A gov. William Donald Schaefer said wednesday that he wont Lay off any state troopers and will restore most of the Money he had Cut from social programs to balance the budget. Schaefers initial plans to Lay off 83 state troopers prompted a March on the Capitol last week by several Hundred officers. They were cheered on by a group of drug addicts who were protesting the elimination of funds for treatment of drug and alcohol abuse. Under the revised plan troopers would have to give up $2 million in overtime pay and $590,000 in clothing allowances to avoid layoffs. The proposal also restores partial funding for drug and alcohol treatment centers and for educational programs in state prisons. Although Schaefer accepted most of the restorations proposed by legislative leaders he did no to go along with new budget cuts they had recommended to finance the social programs and trooper positions. Schaefer rejected a proposal that state employees be forced to take five to seven unpaid holidays Between now and june 30, saving the state up to $31.5 million. He also refused to Cut state Aid to education by almost $50 million As legislators had recommended. Schaefers plan will Cut Aid to Baltimore and the 23 counties in areas other than education by More than $70 million. Local governments had already lost $115 million in state Aid in an earlier budget cutting round. House sneaker r. Clayton Mitchelljr. Said he will recommend the House approve the governors plan. State Senate president Thomas v. Mike Miller said Senate leaders might seek some minor changes but that the budget will be passed by monday. Miller said the governors proposal is better than his initial plan even though it still will Hurt local governments require layoffs and Cut into some programs. A absolutely nobody will be Happy a he said. The new plan will restore Only a few of the 1,766 jobs Schaefer proposed cutting in his initial proposal said Fred Puddester Deputy budget Secretary. But it restores funding for a Day care program for the disabled rape crisis centers in Home care for the elderly and the Maryland school for the Blind